The Chicago Bulls wanted the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Badly.
Why? Because they were beatable. They weren’t the Miami Heat or the Indiana Pacers or even the New York Knicks. They were the Nets. They were gutless. They were heartless. They did not pose a threat. Or so says Jim Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
According to Cowley, the Bulls wanted to play the Nets in the first round for all of the reasons alluded to above (via The Brooklyn Game):
“Well, the Bulls wanted this team. They wanted this team for a reason. They feel, privately they’ve said, “this team is gutless, this team is heartless” and they think they can expose them when the game gets close in the fourth quarter. So far, it’s kind of played like that, and even Nate Robinson. He had an agenda with Cj Watson, and he’s carried it out and you know, they wanted to see how the Nets reacted, and they really didn’t show a lot of fight to defend their own guy. So, it’s kind of playing that they are a heartless and gutless team right now.”
Ouch. So much for mutual respect between these two opponents, eh?
This all became a big deal prior to Game 5, when the Nets were trailing 3-1. Brooklyn then came out and pounded the injury-riddled Bulls, forcing a Game 6 in Chicago. Was that also a part of the Bulls’ plan? To get blown out for a second time in the series?
I admire what the Bulls have been able to do sans Derrick Rose and with a limited Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson, but this display of bravado (if it’s true) is a bit much.
Teams may not admit it, but they have matchups they would prefer to others. Do you think the Knicks wanted the Boston Celtics in the first round? Or that the Los Angeles Clippers wanted the Memphis Grizzlies? Of course not. To call a team “heartless” and “gutless” though, is going too far.
We’ve all questioned the Nets’ ability to contend. Admit it. You have. But what makes them a pushover for a team like the Bulls? For the Heat, maybe, but the Bulls? Get real.
Chicago isn’t running away with this series. It has a 3-2 lead, and did win three straight, but they’re not dominating. The Bulls haven’t proved that they’re clearly the superior team.
Even though they owned the regular-season series 3-1, I find it difficult to respect a team that doesn’t respect their opponent. Especially when that team in question isn’t in a position to be great. What the Bulls have done is good. Very good, in fact. But they haven’t earned the right to “privately” demoralize the opposition.
Once again, this is assuming Cowley was accurate in his assessment. If he wasn’t, then I take everything I said back.
If he was right, perhaps it’s the Bulls who need to adjust their perception of the Nets before playing a crucial Game 6.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
