Have you ever had a day when everything went exactly as it was supposed to? Everything got done on time, nothing popped up at the last second, it all just...worked?
Well, the Bulls did Monday night as they trounced the Wizards 105-77. Five Bulls scored in double figures, and the NBA's 3rd-ranked rebounding team did it once again with an unreal 56-39 advantage on the glass.
Just to put it in perspective, Chicago averages 44 rebounds a game, a number that most NBA coaches would chop off a finger for. To be fair, between Nick Young and Andray Blatche building a brick outhouse, there were plenty of rebounds to be had tonight. But it illustrates once again the depth and skill of Chicago's front line. Joakim Noah had 11, Carlos Boozer had 10, Taj Gibson and Omer Asik both had 7, even 3-point specialist Kyle Korver had six, tying a season high.
Every successful team has something they do very well. The Heat run an electric fast break. The Celtics play the best help defense in the league. More and more, it is becoming clear that rebounding is the elite skill of these Chicago Bulls.
On the short list of grumbling for this game are the continued shooting woes of both Rose and Boozer. Rose especially, who is now an ugly 6 for his last 30 from behind the arc. The problem is magnified simply because the team already lacks for shooters. Just as teams stopped trapping Rose with Noah back in the lineup, now they are sagging into the paint and daring him to shoot.
With Milwaukee and the Wizards out of the way, now begins the real test of the road trip, with Atlanta followed by the Magic and Heat. Team-wide efforts like tonight's will serve the Bulls well going forward. Not only does it ease the burden of the team's stars, but it builds confidence in role players that will serve them well come playoff time. And if you think it's too early to be discussing playoffs just remember that the Bulls now have 41 victories, the same number they had at the end of the 2010 regular season.
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