"The memory of winning was a trap." The season's end is over
"The memory of winning was a trap." The season's end is over
Blog Article
Even in the 2025 Play-in Tournament, the Chicago Bulls did not exceed the Miami Heat. The season ended in the same way for the same opponent for three consecutive seasons.
Darnell Mayberry, a reporter for The Athletic, said on the 17th (Korea time) that the Chicago Bulls ended the season early by kneeling down to Miami again in the play-in tournament. In the 9-10 seed matchup held on the day, Chicago was defeated by Miami 90-109 at home, failing to continue the rebound of the regular season.
The latest defeat was particularly shocking. Chicago ended its season with the end of the game after being booed by fans of the United Center, only being dragged by a gap of 25 points in the first half. Again, the team faced Miami. It is the third time following 2023 and 2024.
"We haven't been able to show our identity. That's the most disappointing thing," coach Billy Donovan said.
Chicago gained momentum by winning 15 games in 20 games at the end of this season. In particular, fast-tempo offensive basketball led by Kobe White and Josh Giddy was the best weapon in the second half of the regular season. However, those advantages were not shown at all. In total, the two players combined for 42 points, but they had to shoot 41 shots and committed 10 turnovers, accounting for more than half of the team's 18 turnovers. Miami scored 26 points through the turnovers.
Giddy, in particular, completely fell apart on defense. Four and a half minutes into the game, Andrew Wiggins allowed two backdoor cuts, and Tyler Hiro also had his breakthrough. Miami neutralized Chicago's defense, making five of its six shots near the rim after the start.
"I couldn't control the ball at all. Not just Gideon White, but overall coverage and pick-and-roll defense collapsed." Donovan explained the cause of the loss.
Injuries were also a variable. Lonzo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones were all out for the season, and it is regrettable that they would have shown better performance defensively. Hiro recorded as many as 38 points (13 out of 19 shots) on the day, becoming the most prolific scorer in the game.
After the game, Giddy said, "I think I let my guard down because I won three games during the regular season. I was like, 'We're a team that already won. We know what to do,'" adding, "But the opponent threw a punch first, and we couldn't respond. "We lost in the end and the season is over. It's a bad finish."
After the game, White was questioned in the locker room with red eyes. He kept rubbing his face and kept silent, but he said this at the end.
"We have to be better. We can't stay here. We have to learn."
White, Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, and Dalean Terry are all players who have suffered three play-in eliminations by Miami. However, the team is now on another path.
This season, Chicago tried to strike a balance between rebuilding and performing. As a result, it earned the second half of the draft rotation and regained the first-round pick it had handed over to San Antonio through a three-team trade. In the process, Jack LaVine was sent to Sacramento.
After Jack LaVine's departure, Giddy was at the heart of Chicago. Giddy averaged 20.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 8.1 assists in 25 games in the second half of the season, proving to be the real gem of a trade with Alex Caruso. Giddy revealed himself more freely as his role expanded after the trade, and the club is also making him the No. 1 target for re-signing this summer. 토토사이트
"I was cautious at first. I'm in a new position. "However, after the trade deadline, my role became clear, and after that, I was able to play in my own way. Our entire team has made a really good turn since the All-Star break," Giddy reflected.
Chicago now has a young core team named White, Giddy, Dosunmu, Ball, and prospect Matas Buselis. Vucevic, Williams, Jack Collins, and Jaylen Smith can be used as residual or trade assets depending on the team's choice.
Finally, Giddy said.
"If you look at the flow of the second half of this year, it was a proud team. I think I definitely have a foundation to move forward."
It will be interesting to see if Chicago will be reborn as a more advanced team next season, as Giddy said.