Sonics – Bulls: The Balance of Power has Shifted
As of press time, the Chicago Bulls forward/center Michael Sweetney found himself out of the starting lineup after starting the previous 21 games in the NBA this season against the small but quick Phoenix Suns.
That much was somewhat expected. Chicago Bulls head coach Scott Skiles had said he was going to shuffle the lineup, and Sweetney had a feeling he might be one of the odd men out after a couple of so-so practices.
But what had to catch the 6-8, 270-pound Sweetney by surprise was that he never got off the bench during the Bulls’ 107-98 overtime loss, his first DNP-CD (did not play, coach’s decision) of the season.
Skiles had said Friday that a couple of players had taken a step back in practice. After Saturday’s game, he was asked if Sweetney was one of those players and if that was the reason he didn’t play.
”This was a difficult game for Mike to play in, just because of the pace of the game and the match-ups out there,” Skiles said.
Skiles started three guards with Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon and Chris Duhon, a small forward in Luol Deng and one big man in Tyson Chandler. He used only eight players, and Sweetney wasn’t the only big man not to get off the bench. Othella Harrington also didn’t play, and even Chandler was on the court for only 14 minutes and 22 seconds.
Darius Songaila, a 6-9 forward who’s more mobile, saw most of the action up front against the run-and-gun Suns. He had 14 points and 11 rebounds, his first double-double of the season.
The Bulls are 12-17 this year and they will figure to go back to a more conventional lineup and rotation when they host the Seattle Supersonics at the United Center on Wednesday.
The Chicago Bulls and the Seattle Supersonics produced one of the more memorable NBA Finals series in the league. The Sonics were led then by Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp as they tried to stop Michael Jordan from grabbing his fourth title, the Bulls’ first of their second three-peat.
Come game time, the Seattle Supersonics, now led by Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, will destroy the very team that plagued the name on their chests for years. The Chicago Bulls have indeed shifted the power.
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Game Odds: From Bodog Sportsbook
Prediction:
Pick the Sonics because no no.23 will save the Bulls come game time…
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