These Bulls seem ready for anything.
After the loss of Derrick Rose and the Luol Deng trade, the fact the Bulls are entering the playoffs with home-court advantage shouldn't be a surprise, but a testament to the hard work and resilience of the players and coach Tom Thibodeau.
The success the Bulls have enjoyed the past four regular seasons-oftentimes shorthanded-can be attributed directly to the framework Thibodeau established. That said, it is the players' job to execute, and that execution is a byproduct of each player's routine.
RedEye picked the Bulls' brains about their approaches to the playoffs.
LOU AMUNDSON
8th-year forward
"I think for a lot of guys, you want to keep your same routine. I think that's key in such a habit league. The focus is heightened a bit because you pay more attention to personnel and matchups. You can focus more on that and give it more attention. Take care of your body and try and get as much rest as possible and be mentally prepared to be at your best and give it everything you got."
RONNIE BREWER
8th-year forward
"I think the attention to detail is more thorough in preparation for the opposing team. Personally, you still go through your routine. You still lift, still get treatment and massages, still try and get shots up on a routine basis, still try and eat the same time before pregame. You try to eliminate as many distractions as possible. A lot of people want to come to the playoff games. It's a lot easier when you can get someone to handle that for you. Other than that, it's the same routine."
KIRK HINRICH
11th-year guard
"Team-wise, it changes because you have more days [between games] to prepare for who you're going to play multiple times. Sometimes you have two, three days to really hone in and prepare for your opponent. The nice thing about the playoffs is there are no back-to-backs. Other than that, I try to keep [my routine similar]."
TAJ GIBSON
5th-year forward
"You just have to shut everybody out. You have to turn your phone off, change your number, ignore a lot of people, stay away from distractions; that's what I learned. Distractions kill you as far as ticket [requests]. You have to just focus on your team and your game.
"[My first postseason] was tough. We played against the No. 1-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, when they had LeBron [James] and I didn't really know what to expect. I didn't really know how hard you have to play, how precious every possession is. It was just one of those things I had to learn from. Over the years, I've learned more and more. It's just about playing hard, knowing your assignments, the person you're guarding and really getting into the books and into game film. It's important."
JIMMY BUTLER
3rd-year guard
"Probably a little extra shooting to make sure [a rhythm] is there. Other than that, just listen to my music and that's about it."
NAZR MOHAMMED
16th-year center
"I just try to keep it consistent. I'm not buying any extra tickets for the playoffs. People think that we just walk in and they give us as many tickets as we want. We have to buy those. I'm not buying any more. I'm keeping my same amount. I'm already a season ticket holder. As far as routine, you try to stay as close to it because you don't want to start doing anything out of the ordinary. The only thing that does change is people's access to you. You have a lot of people who just want to come around, family and friends want to do this and do that. You just have to let them know that you got to be focused.
"Your mental focus always steps up in the playoffs because this could be it. You lose four games, it's over. So you just X out anything that's going to take you off that focus."
JOAKIM NOAH
7th-year center
"When you play for Thibs, everything is playoff intensity and it's to get ready for what the playoffs are. Nothing changes at all [for us].
"As a player, I'm not going to lie, there's a lot of times where it just drives me nuts because it's very repetitive. But, at the end of the day, I can't complain too much because it definitely gets you ready. I think we're as ready as we ever were."
What say you, first-timers?
Playoff basketball is new to some on the Bulls roster. So they're just trying to contain their excitement. Good luck.
TONY SNELL
Rookie forward
"[My teammates] say it's a whole different level, so I'm just waiting for it. I plan on just keep working hard like I've been doing. Just stepping my game up a little more, staying ready at all times and being ready for whatever."
JIMMER FREDETTE
3rd-year guard
"I'm very excited. I heard everything is amped up in the playoffs. Obviously, the players are playing their A-game, the fans bring it. It's a great atmosphere and I'm looking forward to be a part of it."
Christopher Cason is a RedEye special contributor.
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