Joakim 50%
I'd say one of the worst calls I've made as a Chicago sports fan was advocating the Bulls take Al Thornton over Jo in the 07 draft. God, I'm glad I was wrong about that one. I used to write a lot about advanced statistics vs. intangibles, especially in regards to their relevance to basketball discussions. I don't think it was any more evident than what was on display tonight, as Jo's heart, and the way it infected the team, was the difference in this game. 24 points, 14 boards, 6 blocks, and pretty much a big play whenever the Bulls needed it. The Bulls won because Jo was the best player on the floor, which he basically had to be after guaranteeing a win. But big-time players back statements like that up. And I'm proud to call Jo a big-time player.
TT- 15%
The one thing I've never criticized about TT is his play-calling, and it was no more evident than tonight. There was so much made about where the offense would come from with no Kirk or Lu, but the creative play-calling all game made up for that. Yes, there were some shaky possessions near the end, but the Bulls got at least 20-30 points by my rough estimate that were the direct result of a creative set play.
The other thing TT did well in this game was something that completely goes against his instincts, and that was having faith in a rookie to play major minutes in an important game. I don't know if the Bulls win without the contributions the bench made in this one, which was the big difference between game 6 and tonight. Don't get me wrong, I still have a lot of reservations with what TT has done this year, probably too much for this post. But I'll say this: TT's style and intelligence just won a game 7 on the road. (Also, good call on switching JFB and Nate defensively
Boozer- 13%
It was definitely a weird feeling to be relieved when Boozer came back into the game into the 4th for Taj, but tonight was Boozer at his best. Going to the basket, creating shots, getting to the free throw line. There were still some bad rotations, but this reminded me of Boozer in the middle of the season, when he actually looked like a player worth...well maybe not 15 mil a year, but significantly closer than he had been since signing the contract.
Belinelli- 6%
This could probably be higher, what with the pretty efficient 24 points on 14 shots, and plenty of clutch free throws down the stretch. I have to dock him a little because he was off the court most of the 2nd quarter, which was the best the Bulls played all season. But again, great clutch shooting, Marco.
JFB- 5%
JFB could probably be higher, too. That certainly wasn't the best offensive game he's ever played, but he made Deron work much harder for his points once he switched onto him in the 2nd quarter, and did come up with a couple big baskets. I would still like to see Jimmy going to the basket a little more, but it's hard to hold it against him if he doesn't look quite as energetic now that he has to play all 48 minutes every night.
NateRob- 4%
I would love to put Nate higher, but it seemed like any time the Nets backcourt scored, it was on Nate. I love the way Nate plays, especially in games like Game 4 (obviously), but the defensive issue always rears it's ugly head at some point when Kirk is out.
Teague- 3%
The last time Teague played 10 or more minutes in a game was March 15th. Yet he gave the Bulls some huge minutes and a defensive improvement over Nate that they desperately needed. He still has all the same holes in his game, but you can't say he shrunk from the moment.
Daequan Cook- 2%
Speaking of stepping up big time, I'll take 3 points from Daequan Cook whenever the opportunity arises.
Joe Johnson- 2%
You could probably give Joe more credit for this one, too. If he even shoots 25% from the field, that might have gone differently. 2-14 is not what you want from a guy making 20 mil in a game 7, though.
No Credit-
Taj
That was one of the worst games I've seen Taj play. I hope it's just that he was still feeling the effects of the flu, or the knee issue, but he just isn't affecting the game on the defensive end the way he has the past 2 years. The Bulls need the old Taj back to be a true contender again when Derrick returns.
Rip
Yeah, I know Rip didn't play. But I wonder if TT had realized that Rip was abjectly useless earlier in the season, the Bulls could have been the 3 seed, or possibly even 2 this year.
VladRad
Why would you shave your trademark scruff before a game 7? Lucky for you, Vlad, the Bulls overcame your bad karma, or else the blame game would have just been 100% VladRad.
