The Nets can’t beat a full-strength Bulls team. They can’t beat a Bulls team with Derrick Rose out. They can’t beat a Bulls team with Joakim Noah playing more than 13 minutes.
Can they beat the Bulls without Kirk Hinrich? Has the bar finally dropped low enough for the Nets to clear it?
They better, or their season is done.
Trailing the Bulls, 3-1, Brooklyn has one more chance to avoid clinching their spot as the season’s second-most dissapointing team – trailing, of course, the only team they trail in payroll, the Lakers. The Nets are more talented than Chicago, but they’ve been outcoached and outworked, neither of which is unexpected.
Maybe Hinrich’s injury will be enough to put Brooklyn over the top.
In the 45 minutes Hinrich hasn’t played during this series, the Nets’ offensive rating is 110.7. Deron Williams has taken particular advantage in his 11 minutes without Hinrich, scoring 11 points and leading Brooklyn to a 140.5 offensive rating.
Before the Nets get their hopes up, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune believes the Bulls will turn to Nate Robinson as their Game 5 starter. In Game 4, Robinson, of course, scored 23 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, so this could make the Bulls a lot more dynamic (and way more fun to watch), even if they’re less effective defensively.
Regularly relying on Robinson can be a little dangerous, but it’s a lot more troublesome to trail 3-1. The Nets haven’t shown the toughness to fight back, but yet again, they got a break against Chicago.
Will it finally be enough to take advantage?