I knew the Bulls fans would find excuses. Can't fault them for it even if it's completely silly to make excuses for an early season contest. They lost their best player in a game where they needed to storm back to win, but still lost. Not having Rose was obviously detrimental, but I hear very few people stating how, at one point, they were outscoring the Cavs by 14 late in the fourth quarter without Derrick Rose.
Maybe Rose plays, but who's to say it makes that much of a difference in the overall outcome? If Rose plays, Hinrich and Brooks are likely non-factors, so who knows if the Bulls win the game or not.
The Cavs had their own roadblocks. They were on a second night of a back-to-back where the first night was a huge event that took a toll on the players emotionally and mentally. Add that to the natural physical toll a back-to-back can take on a team and the Cavs had their own set of obstacles to overcome.
These two teams do not play each other again until January 19th. By then, the Cavs will be much more acclimated as a team. So will the Bulls. That game will give us a much better read on these two squads as they match up.
It's silly for either side to make excuses for an early season loss, especially when both teams are still trying to learn how to play together.
