Re: GAME THREAD: BULLS @ BLAZERS - NOVEMBER 21, 2014; FRIDAY, 7:30 PM (PST), ESPN & C
Blazers v. CHI Game Preview (11/21/14):
Our Last game: v. NOP 11/17/14. the Blazers rallied from 16 points down in the third quarter for a 102-93 win over visiting New Orleans on Monday. Damian Lillard had 24 points, including the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:14 remaining, and is averaging 27.0 in his last four games. LaMarcus Aldridge provided 22 points and nine rebounds after missing one game with an illness.
The Blazers have also played their last four games without starting forward Nicolas Batum, but he could return from a bruised right knee Friday. Batum has scored a combined 38 points in the last two visits from Chicago.
Their Last game: Last night, a 103-88 loss in Sacramento. Pau Gasol, averaging 18.6 points and a team-best 10.6 rebounds, has missed the first two games on the annual circus road trip. Derrick Rose, averaging 18ppg in five games, sat out his third straight contest Thursday.
Leading scorer Jimmy Butler had 23 points in his team's first road loss this season but no other Bull had more than 12. Chicago's 6-0 road start matched the best in franchise history.
Changes to their roster:
BlogABull said:
The Bulls were positioned with significant salary cap space for the first time since 2010, and like that year they missed out on their top target but look to have made some nice fallback moves. Carmelo Anthony is still a Knick, but Pau Gasol signed a 3-year deal to leave the Lakers for Chicago. Gasol will be playing his age-34 season, but even at that advanced age and recent injury history he should be a significant upgrade over the Amnestied Carlos Boozer.
The Bulls also cashed in a lot of their asset cache in bringing in rookies Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic. McDermott was acquired in a draft-day trade with a multitude of picks, and so looks to be clearly a target for the front office as a way to improve the team's outside shooting. Mirotic had been drafted back in 2011 but a full Mid-Level Exception was used (or at least equivalent, it was technically using cap space) this year to finally bring him stateside. Though still only 23, Mirotic has been continually proving himself amongst the best competition in Europe and should be able to be counted on for frontcourt minutes immediately.
And for the second consecutive year, the return of Derrick Rose serves as the most important move. His play ultimately determines how far this team can go.
Injury Updates Pau Gasol PF - Nov 21: Out
Derrick Rose PG - Nov 21: Out
Kirk Hinrich SG - Nov 21: Day-To-Day
Portland
Nicolas Batum SF - Nov 20: Day-to-Day
C.J. McCollum SG - Nov 19: Out
Matchups:
PG: Damian Lillard v. Aaron Brooks (10.5ppg, 3.4 apg) We’re cheated a bit out of a Rose/Lillard matchup, but it’s difficult to play better than Dame has over the last 8 or so games. The reigning Western Conference Player of the Week has had a few days to chill, prepare for this upcoming 3-in-4 stretch, and has LMA (and maybe Batum) back in the starting lineup. Look for a more restrained, team-focused Damian in the first half, and for Lillard Time in the 4th if it’s still close. Aaron Brooks is making his first start, and has been shooting a tremendous 47% from 3.
SG: Wesley Matthews v. Jimmy Butler (21.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.6apg) Butler’s taken the Paul George Here-I-Am-World leap this year, averaging a very Clyde-like 22/6/4 and becoming the go-to with Rose’s absence. Wes will have his hands full, but has been playing well enough that Butler’s going to have to work hard on the D end, which could limit his offensive efficiency.
SF: Nic Batum/Allen Crabbe v. Mike Dunleavy (11.5ppg, 4.1rpg, 2.3apg). Batum’s knee might be good enough to go, but either way Dunleavy isn’t going to go around anyone on the offensive end. He’s still a deadly shooter if left open, and still has one of the better BBIQ’s in the league. He’s what they call in the business a “veteran presence”, but Batum and Crabbe should be able to more than hold their own.
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge v. Taj Gibson. They’ll miss Pau’s 18/10 a game, but Taj Gibson’s 13/6 is nothing to sneeze at. LMA (if fully healthy) should be able to go inside against Taj, but you’ll probably see Thibs place Noah on him for a decent portion of the game to disrupt LMA’s shot with his length.
C: Robin Lopez v. Joakim Noah (8.4ppg, 10.3rpg) Good matchup between veteran, heady, defensive-minded players who have the ability to score if necessary and can beat you with the pass.
Give-a-Rip (City) Factor—a.k.a. why you should watch: Home test against one of the Eastern Conference’s best. Even without Gasol and (maybe?) Rose, they’re still a top 10 team on both offense and defense. The Blazers’ offense should have a good test against a Thibodeau D, and it’s the first look we have at The Jimmy Butler Experience this year.
Current Power Rankings:
RipCityTwo (PtldPlatypus): (3) Rose appears to be fully recovered, and was playing well at the end of the preseason. Fully healthy, they should be a force.
ESPN: (7) On top of all the inevitable Derrick Rose panic, as well as multiple minutes restrictions on various regulars for Tom Thibodeau to deal with, Chicago has been outrebounded in seven of its first 10 games after it happened just once in the first nine games last season. Obviously not very Bulls-like.
NBA.com (7) Pace: 95.7 (19), OffRtg: 106.0 (9), DefRtg: 101.0 (10), NetRtg: +5.1 (8)
Given the drama surrounding Derrick Rose's words and injury updates, it's a good time for the Bulls to hit the road for two weeks. With or without Rose, this is actually a good offensive team, with Jimmy Butler averaging 21.3 points on an effective field goal percentage of 58 percent, which is more reason for Tom Thibodeau to play him 40 minutes a night..
covers.com (8) The Bulls are averaging 102.5 PPG and winning when Derrick Rose misses games. That's not a good sign for the rest of the Eastern Conference.
Link to Grandpa Blaze's Prediction Game
MediocreMan's Over/Under game
Links to other team’s site(s):
Blog-A-Bull
Nba.com
Final Thoughts Both teams have been winning with depleted rosters recently, with multiple All-Stars out for multiple games. But Portland being at home, with most of their roster intact, and CHI missing Pau and maybe Rose on a back-to-back after a loss…I don’t see Thibs’ D being up to snuff tonight.
Blazers 114
CHI 103
- VS –
BLAZERS' GAME NOTES 
