CLEVELAND – Here’s what the Bulls would like to get done tonight against the Cavs:
1. Stop Kyrie – Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau spoke about Cleveland point guard Kyrie Irving during Friday morning’s shoot-around, and had nothing but praise for him.
“He’s a special player and he showed that last year,” Thibodeau said. “He’s a very special player because of his ability to make everyone better.”
As Irving goes, the Cavs tend to go. Goal No. 1 – make life difficult for Irving, both when he has the ball and when he doesn’t.
2. The evolution of Luol – Luol Deng continues to add to his game, now getting looks in the post. Thibodeau started messing around with Deng in the post late last season, and said on Friday, “It was good for us … I want to try and take advantage of that more.” It’s about making Deng a matchup nightmare, able to take bigger defensive players off the dribble or hit them up with a three, and taking smaller defenders down in the paint.
3. Running of the Bulls – Thibodeau liked what he saw against the Kings in the first half a far as pushing the ball up the court and looking to fastbreak on Sacramento, but thought they slowed down in the fourth. They want to look to run all 48 minutes, and will try and pressure the Cavs defenders by doing that.
