A: It's not as if it worked. What would work for the Bulls is finding a way to make a shot or two, something the Bulls desperately needed Carlos Boozer to do in Game 4. It never should have come down to Nate Robinson's 0 for 12, because relying on Nate was fool's gold from the start.
MAY 13, 2013
Q: To keep the core together, the Heat will need to minimize role-player salary. Is Norris Cole playing himself out of their market as a bench player at the same time he is proving himself indispensable to the team? Is next season the last the Heat retain his exclusive rights? -- Jonah, Fort Lauderdale
A: Norris is under contract for a reasonable $1.1 million next season, with the Heat holding a $2 million team option for 2014-15 as part of Norris' rookie-scale deal. They also can extend a qualifying offer of $3 million for 2015-16 to retain the right to match outside free-agent offers, which likely would come in well above that figure. So, essentially, the Heat are free and clear (and able to pay on the cheap) when it comes to Norris for the next two seasons. And, let's face it, the way this team is built, you really can't think more than two years out. The greater issue is how Norris' play might impact the Heat's $4 million team option on Mario Chalmers for next season. One option could be the Heat picking up that option and then packaging Chalmers with an unloadable contract (such as Mike Miller or Joel Anthony) to alleviate some of the luxury-tax burden.
Q: I have great esteem for Tom Thibodeau in the way he maximizes his depleted talent, but he also is a complainer and pushing his team to this ridiculous UFC tough-guy scheme and losing credibility. Come on Tom, stay classy. -- Cruz.
A: It remains me of the way Pat Riley got P.J. Brown so fired up that you knew something was going to happen. The next thing you knew, Charlie Ward became a thrill ride. Yes, coaches should motivate, but those buttons should be pushed for basketball purposes. David Stern has spent years trying to remove this element of the game, it certainly has not enhanced this season's playoffs.
Q: Ira, why do you think the Heat have had so much trouble with this undermanned Bulls squad? -- Ron, Pompano Beach.
A: Because a well-coached team is a competitive team. Don't kid yourself, Tom Thibodeau with a healthy (we assume) Derrick Rose next season will be an even more imposing challenge. The Bulls with Rose, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and what they currently have could set up as a potential seven-game challenge for the Heat.
MAY 12, 2013
Q: Do teams like the Chicago Bulls engage in this immature behavior because there are so many expectations of them, given they are playing for a franchise that traditionally had success? They obviously came to this series looking for more of a street fight than a basketball game because they know they're clearly outmatched in basketball. -- Daniel B.
A: In the NBA, you do what you have to do, and it's not as if what's left of the Bulls could beat the Heat on skill alone. Tom Thibodeau is simply doing what Pat Riley would have done in the same situation. What is growing old is the rhetoric, the trying to get into the referees' heads. It's one thing to go down fighting. It's another to go down whining. Thibodeau is approaching that now.
Q: Do you fear this super-aggressive defense is not only an effective system for the Bulls but a blueprint for other teams? I can't remember a defense so throw into chaos the Heat rhythm like this one does. Or should we simply give Thibodeau his due? -- Scott.
A: If everyone could coach and play this type of defense, they would. Tom Thibodeau is a defensive genius. It's what made him one of the most coveted assistant coaches for years before he moved into the Bulls job. He is brilliant . . . until he opens his mouth during postgame press conferences.
Q: I seriously question whether the Heat are somehow contractually obligated to start the game and third quarter with Udonis Haslem. Can you tell me a combination of Rashard Lewis, Mike Miller and Shane Battier could not play those minutes far more effectively? -- Mike, Coral Spring.
A: It ain't broke. (And Erik Spoelstra has shown that at the first sign something is broken, he's more than willing to adjust.)
MAY 11, 2013
