The second play comes in the very next game, which may be the game to either catch some z’s or up with the family, depending on your program.
Free Pick
The Bulls have lost two in a row and five of six and have put up some ugly offensive numbers along the way. Dwayne Wade thinks that he and his teammates are putting too much of the onus on Jimmy Butler and he’s right. That poses a huge problem for Chicago because “The Claw” will be locked onto Jimmy all afternoon. I don’t particularly like Wade against the team defense of San Antonio, which means Rajon Rondo must take the initiative in his matchup with Tony Parker if the Bulls are to score with the Spurs.
The small forward matchup doesn’t help San Antonio much either. Jimmy Butler will do all he can to render Leonard inefficient, which means the Spurs must explore secondary options. The obvious plan B would be to feed LaMarcus Aldridge, who should be able to get where he wants against an inferior Bulls’ interior. Robin Lopez can compete with Aldridge but if Popovich decides to go big, it will make things very difficult for Chicago’s thin front line. Don’t be surprised to see Pau Gasol find a lot of open acreage
My best angle in this one is Chicago’s offense being smothered by that San Antonio defense. The Spurs should win but I wonder if the under will prove favorable to laying the points. Chicago’s perimeter defense rotates well enough to allow the bigs to work double teams in the post and in a game that could get a little messy, I’ll go low.
Free Pick: Under 199
Chicago Bulls • San Antonio Spurs