Why Kyle Korver Will Be 2nd Rd Standout1

Well, he already was a first round deciding factor. The public flocks to Derrick Rose and with great reason. The point guard used the offseason to repair any breaks in his shooting ability that he was criticized for in his first two seasons. Rose is leading his team through the Eastern Conference, but do not doubt how important the other pieces of the Chicago Bulls are to their success — Kyle Korver being an underrated installment in the franchise.

Apparently, Coach Tom Thibodeau does not undervalue the success of Korver and how instrumental he is to the team. He strategically places him in situations where he knows the player will be of most value and in the first round that was anytime in the clutch. If you did not know his name before, you were informed effectively as he took a  key three-point shot to put the Chicago Bulls at a 102-99 point advantage over the Indiana Pacers in the fourth quarter of game one.  At that moment, the Bulls created a dynamic that the Pacers had no choice but to adapt to.

By entering in late game instances, Korver presents that X-Factor. Even when he does not hit the game winner, or a shot at all, his presence threatens the outcome of the game for any Chicago opponent. So what does this force the defense to do? Shift. The defense automatically shifts towards the perimeter sharpshooter, therefore taking a majority of their focus off of Derrick Rose allowing him open lanes and easy points.

In the second round of the playoffs, as the Chicago Bulls face the Atlanta Hawks, Korver will be more important than ever. Atlanta, even though they have the size to operate in the paint, their playoff victories have been won on the perimeter. Jamal Crawford’s three-point shooting has taken on a whole new stage of significance and the Bulls will need to answer. Kyle Korver is the man for the job, because even though he will not go unnoticed, the Hawks will always have that gap in defense as they did against Orlando. The Magic’s only problem was that no one was hitting shots as they should have been.

Box scores only show when baskets are made, denied and assisted, but it tells nothing about how paramount an athlete is to the bigger picture. Kyle Korver is a basketball player that is not necessarily given his due, but those who compete with and against him understand his worth. Those who do not make the fatal mistake of leaving him open and I’m sure he will pull the trigger on those shots anytime allowed. Your fault, not his.

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