Could Rose-Irving could be the league's best rivalry?
The real deal takes place Halloween night at the United Center.
But Monday's preseason game between the Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers previewed some intriguing storylines in this Eastern Conference power struggle. The Cavs won 107-98.
Derrick Rose- Kyrie Irving could be the league's best rivalry:
The USA Basketball teammates haven't played against each other very much in the NBA, but put on quite a show in Columbus. Rose scored 30 points in just 24 minutes, hitting 12 of 18 shots from the field. Irving countered with 28 points and 7 assists in 39 minutes.
On the first basket of the game, Rose blew past Irving for a driving layup. Was he trying to set the tone for the season? Not sure, but the stories about Irving getting better on defense during his Team USA stint are unproven for now.
Irving ended up scoring 12 points while Rose was on the floor and 16 against Aaron Brooks. Likewise, Rose crossed over Matthew Dellavedova a few times. But Rose's performance certainly continued the question of whether Irving is up to the task defensively.
The Cavs will be tough to guard:
The Bulls did a nice job on Cleveland newcomer Kevin Love, who went 2 for 10 from the field and 0 for 5 from long range. Still, the Cavaliers finished with 107 points.
A couple of things to keep in mind: The Bulls were missing their best wing defender, Jimmy Butler, who sprained his left thumb on Sunday against Charlotte. And every year since Tom Thibodeau arrived, it's taken a few weeks for the defense to kick in, either at the start of the season or after a personnel change.
Cavs center Anderson Varejao was a box score standout with 22 points. That was pretty much all off penetration by Irving and James, which figures to be a season-long issue for the Bulls - two willing passers and a big man who can finish. You never saw Joel Anthony scoring 22 points in Miami.
The Bulls' rotation is far from settled:
The starting five is set, with Rose, Butler, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Mike Dunleavy. Taj Gibson, Kirk Hinrich and Brooks will be the first off the bench, while rookies Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic will get a chance to earn time.
The Bulls sorely need 3-point shooting this season and the obvious place to look is the small forward spot with Dunleavy and McDermott. In preseason, Dunleavy has been the most accurate, hitting 8 of 17 attempts, while McDermott is 8 for 24.
The Bulls finished Monday's game with both Dunleavy and McDermott on the floor. When Butler is healthy, Thibodeau's doesn't figure to do that again. The Bulls weren't able to reel in the Cavs late in the game, even with James on the bench.
Since defense is such a priority, the small forwards might just disappear late in games. It's easy to see Thibodeau going with Butler and Hinrich.
Meanwhile, the closing big men could be open to debate. Thibodeau sent in Gibson for Gasol as a defensive replacement in the Charlotte game. He used Gasol and Noah against the Cavs, but since Gibson is the better scorer, don't rule out Gasol and Gibson down the stretch.
This is James' type of team:
The Cavs have plenty of willing shooters, with Irving, Love and Dion Waiters on the floor. James has always been unselfish and instead of being celebrated for that trait, he was often ridiculed in Miami for passing on late-game shots.
With this lineup, James should be able to pass all he wants and get good results. It's conceivable the four-time MVP could end up fourth on his team in shot attempts, which is an interesting proposition.
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