Why the Bulls need to end this series quickly
With the Bulls holding a 2-0 lead in the series as it shifts to Milwaukee, we pose three key questions to Bulls analyst Will Perdue for Game 3.
Q: The Bulls are heading into Game 3 at Milwaukee without an injured Nikola Mirotic. Does that change anything?
A: I think it should be a reminder of the importance of winning this series in four games. It's a 2-0 lead and the Bulls have beaten the Bucks at their game. There's really no threat to them losing this series, but there's a threat of sustaining more injuries. Now they've got two - Kirk Hinrich and Niko. Obviously, everybody holds their breath every time Derrick Rose goes down, too.
So let's go ahead and get this series over with in four games and give yourself a solid seven days of rest and practice. Coach Thibodeau has talked about it, the players have talked about it - the Bulls the still need to make adjustments and build more defensive chemistry.
Q: Could a week-long layoff make them rusty for Round 2 or would extended practice time do them more good?
A: I think they'll actually be better prepared if they have that time off.
In my opinion, dribble penetration is still a concern. You can't just say, 'Stay in front of your man.' You've got to figure out a way to accomplish that. Get in the gym and work on how you're going to prevent LeBron James and Kyrie Irving from getting into the paint. Even if you figure that out and rotate properly, then how do you keep a guy like Tristan Thompson off the boards?
I think there have been some fundamental breakdowns in the Bulls' defense against Milwaukee. I don't really have a problem with their offense. I think their offense is fine. But their defense is going to be tested in the next round.
Last year, even though they lost in the first round, you were confident in their defense. If they really needed to make a stop, they could do it.
This year, their defensive stats look OK. They're 10th in defensive efficiency, blah, blah, blah. But when you get in a late-game situation against Cleveland, with LeBron, Kyrie and Kevin Love on the floor, do you lean back, put your hands behind your head and think, 'Yeah, they'll get a stop when they have to?' They have work to do.
Q: Sweeping the Bucks has benefits, but the Bulls haven't strung together four good games all season. Can they do it now?
A: I think they can. More important, they need to. Look at Taj Gibson's situation. You take Niko out of the mix, that's huge. Taj can say, "I'm fine, cortisone shot, no problem." I understand he had some foul trouble in the last game, but only 11 minutes? How healthy is he really? If that's the case, then how many minutes does Joakim Noah have to play? It's kind of a domino effect. How many minutes will Jo be able to play Saturday if he's got to play a bunch of minutes Thursday?
When I played, we used to collect big men and we'd talk about the "Three-Headed Monster." When you were playing New York, you needed all three of us against Patrick Ewing. It's all hands on deck. Before the three-headed monster, we could have used another body, besides Bill Cartwright and myself, against Brad Daugherty. You've got to be able to throw numerous guys at LeBron. I think Kirk's part of that, but we need to get him healthy. So it's not just Taj or Niko, it's the bigger picture.
In this Milwaukee series, Games 3, 4, and 5 are Thursday, Saturday and Monday - three in five days. Do you want to put yourself through that when it's unnecessary? What's the one constant for the Bulls all year long? Injuries. Their defense hasn't been consistent. Their offense hasn't been consistent. But the one thing you could count on is injuries. They need to end this series quickly and get a full week to heal up for Round 2.
• Will Perdue is an analyst for Comcast Sportsnet's Bulls pregame and postgame shows. A four-time champion (3 Bulls titles, 1 Spurs), he played 13 seasons in the NBA. Follow him on Twitter@Will_Perdue32.