Blue Man Hoop
Fansided

Bulls present tough roadblock in Warriors’ quest for history

By Danny Saeed

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The Golden State Warriors are one game away from assembling 12 consecutive victories, which would set a franchise record for most wins in a row.

The 1971-1972 Warriors was the last team to put together 11 straight wins, a record that has stood for decades. The only thing standing in their way is merely one of the best teams in the league, and arguably the most complete team in the Eastern Conference: the Chicago Bulls.

Golden State is currently on fire, and that’s quite an understatement. They’re not solely defeating teams, but rather they’re consistently crushing below-average franchises in an impressive fashion. The ball is swinging around beautifully and Andrew  Bogut is significantly involved in distributing and facilitating on the offensive end of the floor. It’s no secret to why the Warriors are a roaring 16-2; they haven’t flashed any signs of ineptitude in any aspect of the game.  Their bigs are playing extremely well, for Draymond Green has stepped up tremendously contributing largely on both sides of the floor in replace of the injured David Lee, the Splash Brothers have simply gotten better — Klay noticeably — and the depth has been a major part in their early success.

Nevertheless, the are going to have their hands full. The Bulls are an incredible force when they’re completely healthy consisting of a plethora of weapons on both ends of the floor, and head coach Tom Thibodeau puts them in the best position to win on a nightly basis. Chicago is currently 12-7, a rock solid record only 19 games in, but it’s certainly not indicative to precisely who they are.

The Bulls are deep and well-coached enough to win without having all of their stars on the floor, as they’ve patently shown that over the past couple of seasons. However, this only means when they are fully robust, they’re immensely difficult to beat, especially at home in the United Center. The backcourt match-ups will be particularly intriguing with Derrick Rose healthy against an early season MVP candidate in Stephen Curry, and two defensive specialists along the perimeter in Klay Thompson against an outstandingly improved player in Jimmy Butler.

But where I see the Warriors potentially having critical issues is in the front-court. Aside from the big three choosing to coalesce and bring their talents to Cleveland, Pau Gasol was undoubtedly one of the best offseason acquisitions. He’s averaging a whopping 20 points  and 11 rebounds per game and looks reinvigorated in Thibodeau’s offense. Gasol has received an abundance of touches and has done nothing but impress Bulls fans. He’s so talented down in the post and, at seven-feet, shoots the 10-15 foot jumper effective, making him extraordinarily difficult to defend. He has emphatically made his mark on the defensive end as well, averaging two blocks a game and affecting shots in and around the paint.

Joakim Noah, the reigning defensive player of the year, went through part of shootaround and the Bulls remain hopeful that he’s able to play. If he is not able to go, that is an absolutely game-changer on both ends of the floor in favor of the Warriors. Noah is a high energy defensive specialist who contributes on the offensive end similarly to Bogut, utilizing his terrific passing ability to facilitate for others. Taj Gibson is also questionable for tonight, and the Bulls hope he can produce against the red-hot Warriors. Gibson has missed the last few games due to injury, but if he and Noah are able to play tonight, the frontcourt match-up would certainly be in favor of the Bulls. Gibson is incredibly strong and athletic coming off the bench as the Bulls’ sixth man. His defense is one of the best around the league at the four position, and he can score in a hurry when he finds his rhythm.

If the Bulls are fully healthy today, it’s going to present many problems for the Warriors, particularly in the frontcourt. The Warriors tend to struggle greatly against teams with talented, powerful front courts — the Grizzlies are a prime example. If the Warriors are going to steal one on the road tonight, they’re going to need big games from their backcourt of Curry and Thompson.

Tale of the Tape

Warriors

  • Points per game: 106.8 (3rd)
  • Field-goal percentage: 48.4% (1st)
  • Three-point percentage: 38.3% (1st)
  • Defensive field-goal percentage: 41.0% (1st)
  • Assists per game: 26.0 (1st)
  • Rebounds per game: 45.9 (3rd)
  • Turnovers: 16.3 (28th)

Bulls:

  • Points per game: 102.6 (12th)
  • Field-goal percentage: 45.7% (14th)
  • Three-point percentage: 36.2% (T-12th)
  • Defensive field-goal percentage: 43.9% (8th)
  • Assists per game: 22.7 (T-9th)
  • Rebounds per game: 43.8 (9th)
  • Turnovers: 14.1 (T-17th)

Injury Report

GSW: Draymond Green (right thumb sprain) is questionable. David Lee (strained left hamstring) is out.

CHI: Taj Gibson (left ankle), Doug McDermott (right knee) and Joakim Noah (ankle) are questionable.

Probable Starters

GOLDEN STATE (16-2)

CHICAGO (12-7)

Game Info

Tip-off: 5:00 PM PST

Location: United Center

TV: LOCAL, NBATV

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