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‘The Cardiac Kids’

Here we go with the diagnosis prognosis talk again, right?

Sorry, and forgive our being testy, but the country needs to understand that the Chicago Bulls and their fans have suffered through four straight ‘heart attack’ close games to start this season.

However, there is good news. The team and its fans are now in rapid recovery.

For the first four games of this young season, this Bulls team has been performing a tightrope act: In the first halves of games they have underperformed, turning over the ball, forgetting plays, and giving their opponents confidence while raising the blood pressure of coach and fans.

Running of the Bulls

Yet sure as The Sun Also Rising, in the second halves of those games “the cardiac kids” Bulls seem to awaken as though from a dream. Their defense tightens, their shots go in, and they fly to the finish-line for wins or near-wins.

A case in point was the Bulls’ last game vs. the streaking Warriors, in which from the mid-third quarter on, the Bulls fought back tooth and nail, culminating with the frenetic finish led by active guard Kirk Hinrich.

Of course, it helped that with seconds left and the Bulls up by one, there was a game-ending non-foul call on Tyson Chandler’s stop of a Richardson lay-up attempt. Richardson drew contact with the back-pedaling Bulls forward. It also helped that the Warriors’ shooting went into the tank in the second half. In any case, good teams make their breaks, and the Bulls are creating theirs with a blur of hustle and movement on both ends of the court along with equal dashes of chemistry and heart.

SuperKirk and Sweets

Leading the charge in these end-game finishes have been playmaker Kirk Hinrich and 6’-8” forward-center Michael Sweetney. Hinrich has morphed from playmaker to consistent game breaker. In fact, he is now breaking through to elite guard status in the NBA. Against the Warriors, with Chris Duhon resting on the bench from a knee bruise, the third-year Hinrich had to play the dual roles of point and scoring guards.

NBA scouts say that this year’s Kirk Hinrich is stronger, equipped with a sharper court vision and more confident than ever with what to do with the ball in his hands. That Hinrich had the physical tools and could provide leadership was established. Now he has graduated to showing that he can take over a game for an extended period. As a big-time outside scoring threat, Hinrich is able to bring defending guards out and then penetrate the key area fast with ample scoring and passing options available. Sweets open? Flash him a pass. Chandler moving to the basket? Toss him a dart, Orton-style.

Import Michael Sweetney has established himself as a skilled big man to rely on in key situations. In fact, the team is feeling that Sweets gives the Bulls the quick, strong low-post defensive presence and scoring threat they need in the post-Curry era or at least for this season. Welcome to the Chicago Bulls’ vaunted inside-outside game.

Ben Gordon: ‘Mighty Mouse’ Helps Save the Day

Speaking of that outside game, the Bulls bench has been scoring more than half the team’s points. Featured on that bench is-wait… “Here he comesss… to save the daaay…Mighty Mouse!”, went the refrain on the opening credits for the old TV cartoon show and it is also an apt description of second-stringer Ben Gordon, who Skiles says is best suited for a starring bench role.

In each game so far during the third and fourth quarters, the Ben ‘Jordan’ Act takes off, as he seemingly flies off the bench, makes a bee-line for the three-point line and proceeds to launch a volley of treys and 18-feet shots. Lately, those shots have been hitting their target. In fact, the 6’3” guard has added accurate bullet passes into the low post to Sweets or Tyson for stuffs, lay-ups and foul-shots.

Usually far down the bench, Eric Piatkowski started for Duhon at the two-guard in the last game and was effective, establishing a defensive presence and aggressively slashing to the basket for scores.

Bulls Snorts: The Chicago Bulls share a unique distinction with this year’s Celtics. They are the only teams to finish this season’s first four games’ 48-minute play with score differentials of one point each. Two of those games have gone into overtime with one resulting in a Bulls win.

Next up: The Bulls play host to the Utah Jazz Saturday night. Along with a plethora of player names difficult to pronounce, the Jazz have Deron Williams, vaunted guard from the Fighting Illini. It is said that even demanding Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, usually no friend to green players, begrudgingly praises the Illinois point guard.

By the way, Sloan is the longest-tenured coach in professional sports. That is matched by a never-say-die work ethic. How ironic it will feel to see Sloan enter the United Center as he once entered the Chicago Stadium, and eerily watch a positively Jerry Sloan-like Heinrich, with Sloan’s same frantic feet-all-over defense and deadeye shot.

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