Chicago Bulls vs. Portland Trail Blazers: Game Outlook
After playing, in the loosest sense of the word, against the Mavericks on Saturday night, the Bulls head back to Chicago hoping to redeem themselves against the Blazers.
The second and final game of the season between the Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers tips off tonight, and there’s a lot to look forward to in this matchup.
The Blazers, after struggling out of the gate, have won two straight and head into Chicago after beating the Heat in Portland on Saturday.
As we all know, Chicago dropped a game to the Mavericks on Saturday after beating the Cavaliers the night before. It was their worst performance of the year by far. Sweeping their regular season series with Portland should help mend the wound, but there is still a lot of work to be done by the Bulls to prove that they’re still a serious threat in the Eastern Conference.
It was announced today that Chicago suspended point guard Rajon Rondo for tonight’s game, and Dwyane Wade, after not making the trip to Dallas, will play.
Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu is probable to return after missing the last 13 games with a left calf strain.
The Bulls won handily last time these two teams met, defeating the Blazers by a margin of 25 points.
Now, here are three things to look for between Portland and Chicago.
Nov 15, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jerian Grant (2) posts up against Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) during the first quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Damian Lillard struggled against Grant in their first matchup
As previously mentioned, Rondo will miss tonight’s game after being suspended for arguing with an assistant coach following the Bulls’ loss to Dallas.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Rondo has been atrocious defensively this year, and Damian Lillard is one of the most dynamic scorers in the entire league. Put those two factors together, and there’s a good chance that Dame scores 40 points and the Bulls tack on another loss to their résumé.
Presumably, Jerian Grant will get the start tonight. That is a substitution which worked pleasantly for Chicago when Rondo missed their first game against Portland with an ankle injury.
Jerian might be a problem for the Blazers defensively. Lillard isn’t a good defender by any means, and Grant is able to get into the paint and create in the pick-and-roll.
Grant put up 18 points and five steals in the Bulls’ win over Portland back in November, holding Lillard to 19 points on 7-of-22 shooting from the field and 1-for-5 from behind the arc.
This is not to say that Jerian is guaranteed to shut down the two-time All-Star. Grant is only in his second year, and Lillard is the sixth-leading scorer in the NBA. He could very well, and probably will, have an excellent game.
But, unlike Rondo, Grant will put in defensive effort, which could bother Damian and throw him off his game.
May 7, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu (8) reacts after making a three point shot against the Golden State Warriors in game three of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Aminu’s Probable Return, Issues for Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler has been putting up superstar numbers all season, and his performance against the Trail Blazers in their first matchup is no exception. Jimmy scored 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the floor. Aminu didn’t play.
If Aminu is reinstated in the Blazers lineup tonight, a drop in production from Butler isn’t out of the question. Al-Farouq, with his long arms, is best suited to match up with Jimmy. He’s probable to play, and if he does, he may not even start, which will mean Mo Harkless will likely guard Jimmy off the jump, which didn’t exactly work out for Portland on November 15th.
In his one game against Portland last season, Butler scored 22 points, shooting 75% from three and getting to the line eight times with Aminu guarding him. If he struggles to get going against Aminu, the offensive load will likely fall to Dwayne Wade.
Defensively, with Al-Farouq back in the Trail Blazers’ rotation, the Bulls could probably mix up their matchups a bit if they so choose. In his eight games this season, Aminu is shooting 25% from three and 27.4% overall, per Basketball Reference. Hoiberg could possible switch Butler onto C.J. McCollum, the Blazers’ second-best scorer, to suppress his effect on the game.
Assuming Al-Farouq suits up, this is entirely different game from the last, both offensively and defensively, for both teams.
Nov 15, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Evan Turner (1) collides with Chicago Bulls guard Denzel Valentine (45) during the second quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Which role players will step up?
It’s been no secret for both of these teams so far: the benches have underperformed, at least when compared to expectations.
Chicago forward Nikola Mirotic third season hasn’t begun the way most had hoped. He’s shooting horribly, less than 30% from deep, when that’s supposed to be the skill he excels most at.
Evan Turner, whom the Blazers gave a hefty contract to over the summer, doesn’t seem to fit as well as they’d hoped. He’s best when he is creating for others, but Portland has primarily used him off the ball.
Ed Davis is pretty consistent as a rotation big man for Portland. He’s a very able defender and is efficient around the rim. Assuming Hoiberg continues to play Bobby Portis over Cristiano Felicio, Davis might be able to give the Blazers a slight edge when the stars are out.
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Allen Crabbe scored 15 in the last contest between these two teams and can be a spark off the bench. Hoiberg might have to align his rotation to make sure Jimmy is in at the same time as Allen Crabbe in hopes of lessening his impact.
This game, much like most NBA games, will come down largely down the play play of stars. Butler, Lillard, Wade and C.J. McCollum will likely control this game, matchups that have, and seem to , favor the Bulls.
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