'Through a tough 5 games, Derrick Rose has given Chris Paul, Doc Rivers and the rest of the LA Clippers all that they could handle. And not simply from a scoring standpoint. "What's made him so tough to guard is they he's making all the right decisions. Adjusting to our adjustments. We've had a hard time containing him because when he draws attention, he's getting the help offensively from his shooters. With the way they play D, it makes them a very tough out." Stated doc when prompted about the toughest part of guarding Rose this series.

This doesn't sound like a coach preparing to try to even the NBA finals at 3-3 but instead a man at his wits end, preparing for the inevitable. "To be this close to my childhood dream. To bring my home town team a championship, is all that matters right now." Said Rose at the media session before GameDay. He continued, "I think having Pau here and some of the other vets we picked up made a big difference this year. To win it with Jo, Taj, Kirk and this group of guys would be amazing."

It was in the air. You could feel like something was on the verge of happening. It was familiar. Reminiscent of the Jordan era's first title run. And D-Rose and company delivered a 108-99 victory on the road for Chicago's first basketball title in 17 years.'

^^^As you can tell, i have very high hopes for the season. I really think this year we make it happen (barring major injuries). It'll be the only ring Rose wins in his career, but it'll be the only one he needs. If we don't win it this year, I'm not sure we win one with him in a Bulls jersey.

The reason for my optimism is that this is a 50 win team...without him. Last year we were 1st in points allowed and 30th in points scored. The former should be right around the same, the latter should increase significantly. Based on that, I'm thinking we'll land around 58-62 wins and probably the best record in the league.

The roster is likely set and low key we made some really good late offseason signings.

pg-rose, Kirk, Aaron brooks
SG-Jimmy buckets, snell, E'twon Moore
SF-dunny, mcbucketts
PF-Pau, Taj, Niko
C-Noah, Nazr, Bairstow

Lots of flexible depth there, good balance of offense and defense and a good group that 'fits' together.

I'm happy to eat crow if the team falls short of my expectations but i refuse to be passive about this teams capabilities. Let the games begin!

How's everyone else feeling about the season?

Its all about Rose...At this point Bulls fans don't care much for moral victories. We don't want 50 plus win seasons only to bounced out the 1st round...Rose's past injury concerns gives most grounded Bulls fans pause...Im rooting my team to do some real work. But Im not beating on my chest about shit...Rose is too much of a question mark to go crazy right now...Im amped to see how all this will turn out...but I gotta jeep sone sense of reality as well...

thats the only thing i'm screaming all year lol

I'll start with the same thing I've stressed for what seems like the past five years: secondary shot creator. We still don't have one and when the game is on the line and a 6'9, 270 pound balding-man-in-denial is guarding our best player, who will be able to score? Will Pau (if he is even playing late in the 4th) be able to deliver in the post? Will our shooters (if they're in the game) get open looks? If not who will get the ball and create their own shot? Almost every other contending team I can think of has a secondary shot creator. The Bulls had a pretty good offseason but we still didn't fill the hole in our roster that has held us back when it counted.

The other two main question marks for the season are Rose & the rotation. I won't be confident in our team until I see Rose able to break down defenses and put the team on his back when he needs to. I'm skeptical after the start of last year and the World Cup but hopefully Rose returns somewhere close to MVP form. All of our moves have revolved around the idea that he will, yet without him carrying the scoring load when we need him to we're still in the same position we've been since Rose has gotten here.

What kind of rotation will Thibs develop? This team is more talented than the 2010-2011 Bulls (my favorite team post-Jordan) and has a diverse roster. How will Thibs figure out the rotation? Who will sit in the 4th quarter between Taj, Pau, & Jo? Will the young shooters that we've invested our future in (Dougie, Nikola, Snell) be able to contribute in a year that might be our best shot at a title? Will Thibs finally improve his offensive schemes and figure out how to get the best from our talented roster?

Not to mention the health, these are all the questions that stop me from being able to see the Bulls win a championship this year. It's going to be a real exciting season and I can't wait for it to start, but this team needs to build an identity and work out its issues before I start getting my hopes up for a trophy.

The team is use to operating without D-Rose now. Noah and Pau will get the team shots and Pau has a great low post game. Taj's O has come along nicely also (led the team in scoring in the playoffs). The shooters are plenty and most of them are dead eye.

When you have layers of weapons and alternate catalyst (Noah/Pau) you don't need ONE guy per say to get you a bucket. If they put Bron on Rose, one of those 6'8"+ shooters is gonna get a 3 over a much smaller defender. I'd rather have Rose a decoy and pull Bron out of any possession at the end of the game anyway. I don't trust Clev to get stops anywhere else. MAYBE Marion but that about it.

As far as health and rotation goes, I look at Thibs' track record. The Bench Mob rotation worked to the tune of best record in the L two yrs running. He knows how to work a rotation. The depth should help with health. He's got 5 guards that can come in, he can move Snell and Jimmy to the 3 to give relief there if McBucketts struggles. No one should play more than 34 mins a night this yr. Not even Noah.

I don't think Rose needs to be MVP Rose. He puts up 19/8.5/4 on 47% FG, 35%+ 3FG and we'll have all we need from him.

I'm done with cautious optimism. Life is life, hoops is hoops and anything can happen in either. I don't live in a bubble so I'm not going to be a fan in one either. We have the talent to win the whole thing and that's what I expect.

I'm good. I'm not worried about dude.
I'm willing to give him the reg. season to get himself back.

My only other concern (maaybe) is our front court.
And it's not really a concern as much as I'm curious how Thibs will
manage their minutes.

With Noah coming off injury, Gasol being 34, I don't think they need major minutes.
I'm hoping that means Gibson and Mirotic will get some play.

Either way, I'm excited for the season to start.

right now.

let your shit bubble quietly, then you blow.

obviously the lack of hype is because no one knows what will happen with derrick's knees. but as a fan, i (personally) like that my expectations are muted at the moment. too many highs and lows with this team over the past few seasons. looking forward to going into a year having no idea what to expect.

with that being said, this is the most talented rose-era team. still missing that 2nd shot creator tho.

Looking forward to seeing improvements from:

Thibs. We have great depth and it should be utilized during the regular season.
Jimmy. His shot needs to improve. I wouldn't fault garpax if they're holding out on the extension until he proves he can shoot at a respectable clip.
Derrick. If healthy, I would love to see him revisit that mid-range jumper that was so very milky during his sophomore year.

but offensively i think where he is now is what he is going to be
i can see him being a little better

defensively i think will be his calling with us

I'm just excited to see how Mcbuckets, El Metro(just made it up) and Pusha Three (new shit niggas) develop off the bench

I'm excited to see what we look like finally. I know there will be diminished PT for the key guys but I still want to see what the secondary guys look like. Couldn't happen against a better opponent either...team that knocked us out of the playoffs gets to see first the new and improved roster.

I'm also curious to see how Pierce fits into their team and how much Otto Porter has developed. Should be fun!

Also, I watched the Cavs yesterday and I can see how they'll create issues but I also see the match ups on our team that can slow them down.

So tonight I'm also specifically looking at things in our D and O that would address the biggest threat in the conf.

They look midseason form on D. Pau is showing that length and Jimmy effectively shitted on brad Beal. Kirk was all over wall. Rose got 11pts and 4rbs in 14 mins. Niko got hot in the second half and looks like he's going to be one of those mean spirited, killer euros. Mcbucketts looked good but has to get comfortable with his counters. He was settling for the korver role but he has way more offensive moves than kyle. I'm cool with where he is today though...he's simply trying to learn the offensive and defensive schemes. Brooks is super fast but he'll need to understand better shot selection/decision making. Noah was diving on floors and getting into scuffles. Snell looked a little lost but made a few plays.

Iron out the chemistry issues on offense, tighten the D a little and get the rooks comfortable and this looks about what i expected.

On to Detroit tonight.

Ya'll watch the game last night?

>Ya'll watch the game last night?

derrick looked like derrick. i know that the 'if he's healthy' caveat will follow him for the rest of his career, but he looks like the same guy from 2011.

the D looked fantastic. pau was great on that end, made a ton of plays. wall scored 3 first half pts, all w/ rose on the bench. beal couldn't do anything w/ butler on him.

not sure why the brooks signing wasn't talked about more. dude averaged 20 ppg a couple yrs ago. shit, he had a 27 pt 17 ast game w/ denver this past march. one of the more underrated summer moves. he's a better player than nate or augustin.

niko's a baller, plain and simple. looked aggressive and physical. hella heart and swag. he just looks confident. like he knows he's good. i have no concerns about his transition. dude's not really a "rookie" anyway, he's been a pro for 6 years, playing against pretty high-level comp.

i'm thinking snellycat and mcdrainit are gonna be the ones to feel the numbers crunch, at least for the early part of the season. and i have no issue w/ that. thibs trusts vets. look for taj, kirk, AB and niko in the 9-man, w/ jimmy playing the "11-12 deng" role.

the wizards are fucking goons. that's looking like a real rivalry. fake ass bad boys.

>derrick looked like derrick. i know that the 'if he's healthy'
>caveat will follow him for the rest of his career, but he
>looks like the same guy from 2011.

^^^I try not to put that on the kid but I cringe whenever he gets hit and takes a minute to recover (got hit in the eye last night on a drive and I got tight lol). Guess it's inevitable until he finishes the bulk of a season tho, at least for me.

>the D looked fantastic. pau was great on that end, made a ton
>of plays. wall scored 3 first half pts, all w/ rose on the
>bench. beal couldn't do anything w/ butler on him.

Pau was Ding UP! I was surprised he was playing THAT well but I guess in thibs system it's a trickle down effect. lol @ noah post game saying the D wasn't that good. They gave up 85 pts on 41% fg and 26% from 3.

>not sure why the brooks signing wasn't talked about more. dude
>averaged 20 ppg a couple yrs ago. shit, he had a 27 pt 17 ast
>game w/ denver this past march. one of the more underrated
>summer moves. he's a better player than nate or augustin.

Dude can play. Not as explosive as Nate and not as good from 3 as DJ but his handle and speed are better than both. He's a better player, he just has to learn how to better pick and choose his spots with this team.

>niko's a baller, plain and simple. looked aggressive and
>physical. hella heart and swag. he just looks confident. like
>he knows he's good. i have no concerns about his transition.
>dude's not really a "rookie" anyway, he's been a pro for 6
>years, playing against pretty high-level comp.

Yeah, I became a fan in that second half. Lots to like about his game, attitude and effort. Though he coulda called that screen that leveled Jimmy lol

>i'm thinking snellycat and mcdrainit are gonna be the ones to
>feel the numbers crunch, at least for the early part of the
>season. and i have no issue w/ that. thibs trusts vets. look
>for taj, kirk, AB and niko in the 9-man, w/ jimmy playing the
>"11-12 deng" role.

I agree. Injuries might open up some extra time but yeah, both are gonna have to play IN to the rotation.

>the wizards are fucking goons. that's looking like a real
>rivalry. fake ass bad boys.

Yeah and I get the sense they don't like us more than we don't like them. It's usually the other way around with this bulls team.

He has the potential to be a matchup nightmare against second units...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ93ksBTNp0#t=87

It was impressive seeing his confidence out there.
I feel real good knowing him and Gibson will lead the 2nd unit.

Got a little nervous watching Noah dive for those loose balls.
But that's dude, he can't help that.

I was disappointed to see Snell get passed up in the rotation. You'd think that a year in the NBA along would give him an advantage over McDermott, but that's not the case. I was impressed with how he played in Vegas this summer. Did something happen in between then?

Auragin, I agree with you on Brooks. Shot selection needs to improve.

But overall, I liked what I saw. Really excited about our second unit.

>It was impressive seeing his confidence out there.
>I feel real good knowing him and Gibson will lead the 2nd
>unit.

You could see his confidence growing then the chest slap sealed it for me. He's gonna be a problem for opposing D's.

>Got a little nervous watching Noah dive for those loose
>balls.
>But that's dude, he can't help that.

Right. Thibs said he's sitting Noah tonight likely. I'd rather noah do 'something' in the preseason than nothing and start the season slow like he did last year. Took a good month for him to get his legs.

>I was disappointed to see Snell get passed up in the rotation.
> You'd think that a year in the NBA along would give him an
>advantage over McDermott, but that's not the case. I was
>impressed with how he played in Vegas this summer. Did
>something happen in between then?

I think Snell realized he was gonna have lots more competition for tick and some of those practice rotations probably hurt his confidence. Hopefully he's ready to take advantage when his number is called. Dougie was a lotto pick fam, he gonna get a look ahead of snell all day.

>Auragin, I agree with you on Brooks. Shot selection needs to
>improve.

Yup.

>But overall, I liked what I saw. Really excited about our
>second unit.

Bench Mob 2.0

i see guys on twitter, blog comments sections and some of the other forums who want dude to start. that's crazy to me.

i don't know where these expectations are coming from. he was the 20th pick in a weak draft. just sticking on an nba roster is a win for him.

dude isn't bad but he's ultimately just an end-of-the-rotation guy at best. guys like him and bairstow need to just go hard in practice to get the vets ready and be prepared in case of injury.

guys like snell are why the nba needs a real minor league system, where he could play every day and develop while his rights still stay under team control for emergency call-up.




>I was disappointed to see Snell get passed up in the rotation.
> You'd think that a year in the NBA along would give him an
>advantage over McDermott, but that's not the case. I was
>impressed with how he played in Vegas this summer. Did
>something happen in between then?

its just you guys are in win now mode and Doug is more polished. I think with PT Snell can be a solid rotation player.

that dude is an career 8th or 9th man on any decent team.

a less assertive thabo? if that?

his ceiling to me is a B or C level 3-and-D guy. which is absolutely a useful player to have at the end of the bench, but nothing more than that.

he's definitely an nba player, but doesn't really project to be an everyday rotation guy on a team of any consequence imo. and that's fine, you need guys like that. always good to have more good players than you can find time for. but bulls fans are clamoring to this guy to get tick, slating him as an eventual starter, ripping thibs for not playing him. it's madness.

>a less assertive thabo? if that?

Funny you mention Thabo, I was gonna say Snell's upside is his length and a more consistent jumper than Butler.

soooo...

yesterday, I finally got to make a donation to NPR/WBEZ. We're leaving the country in a month, so I felt bad about mooching all those years, and wanted to give back, because NPR is great...but I'm not gonna lie, the main reason I did it is because they were doing a raffle for tickets to the season opener w/the Cavs. AND I WON.

5th row, right behind the Bulls bench, bitches. 1, 2, 3, 4, FIIIIIFTH.

YESSSSSSSIRRRRR. So hype right now.

https://v.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/BE368547031131665571650695168_224d165a937.5.1.14807954205240385928.mp4?versionId=py9j7GoD0cKLmKBiFNnMnpML._JAxaWk

my wife is a big fan too...matter of fact, she's the one who alerted me to the raffle. So the 2 tickets are spoken for.

nah, jokes fam. Enjoy! Give us a highlight run down after the game.

Um, leaving the country...for good?

Off to France?

as I told J and squeeg when they were in town, I'm not going to miss 'murrica at all, but I am going to miss the hell out of Chicago

That sounds exciting.

What a way to go out...great seats to a great game? Man, the UC is gonna be charged!

>as I told J and squeeg when they were in town, I'm not going
>to miss 'murrica at all, but I am going to miss the hell out
>of Chicago

it's gonna be nice living somewhere where you can go Euro with your ride and not have to go German

'going euro' is gonna mean do the zipcar thing for a while, because parking in the area we'll stay at at first is a bitch and a half (like most areas within Paris city limits) and you don't need a car on a regular basis anyway...but as we'll likely move to more suburban habitat later on, I look forward to getting my Renault or Peugeot on, even if there's gonna be some hating from the mrs

back to the topic at hand, I hope it's not going to cost an arm to get NBA games. I'm too excited about this season to be catching it on russian streams.

Paris is an amazing city and sounds like you'll be leaving Chicago on a high note.

Hit the inbox if you need help watching NBA games, I know of a couple effective methods.

>We're leaving the country in a month

where you guys going?

if they win, that is

>
>where you guys going?

see above. back home for me, off to an adventure in a strange land for the rest of the fam.

https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/712-W-Schubert-Ave-60614/home/13368699

sick.

Right around the corner from Trader Joes and in not far from Gramaphone. He should blend in well, Lol.

yeah, he's back.

If this team can ever find some chemistry they will be deadly.

Cautiously optimistic...Rust and skill is not an issue with Rose...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BzxY3HvCYAAtg0k.jpg

finna get a big check.

...but saw Butler dropped 21.

I'm encouraged that the Bulls have had a different leading scorer these preseason games.
Granted the minutes will change in a few weeks, but it's comforting knowing we have options.

jimmy's the guy who defenses are going to be daring to beat them.

so far, so good. 16 ppg on a .697 TS%. you'll take that any day.

The awesome thing about last night's game was the 21 point deficit we erased in a matter of minutes. The offense is as explosive as i thought it would be. Fast break 3's, Jimmy and Derrick on the break, relentless D, pau and taj in the post.

Thibs is clearly looking at settling the 2nd unit but also mixing in some of them with the starters to get the different looks.

Den stood no chance in the 2nd half. I think that late 2nd qtr run was a definite turning point for the offense.

over/under on 5.

Didn't realize his post game was as developed as it was.

http://i.imgur.com/pXgkLGh.gif

http://youtu.be/e7kQg7ZUETw?t=14m30s

http://i.imgur.com/9hy6NaC.png

http://instagram.com/p/uQi3geB7nz/

It was clear he was hurting and it looked worse than simply stubbing it. I usually don't get involved in the 'Thibs overworks his players' hysteria, but that was just senseless.

and yea, Jimmy is the only one on the team that can guard Bron. I expect Tony Snell will get the assignment, and get embarrassed, tomorrow.

This game means nothing though, Halloween is when it counts.

>It was clear he was hurting and it looked worse than simply
>stubbing it. I usually don't get involved in the 'Thibs
>overworks his players' hysteria, but that was just senseless.
>
>
>and yea, Jimmy is the only one on the team that can guard
>Bron. I expect Tony Snell will get the assignment, and get
>embarrassed, tomorrow.
>
>This game means nothing though, Halloween is when it counts.

Its hard not to get nervous when it comes to Thib's lack of pause button on pushing his players. Its a fucking pre season game and hes already on it...This dude...

Obviously, Boozer's shit defense made it impossible for him to get minutes in the fourth in Thibs system.

This year we have three guys capable of closing out games. Given the fact that Jo is unlikely to make it thru a full season healthy, I hope the three man rotation is utilized wisely. We need a healthy frontline in May.

But in regards to Jimmy, I'm pretty sure he's a lock for the Deng treatment.

http://i.imgur.com/9jPAbK1.jpg?1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5fE02iGMDI

i'ma need 11 more of these, plz. this is fantastic.

if Ky ain't have big brothers Bron and Shawn looking at him like "nigga, you better hit him back" Ky would have folded tonight. I've seen him do it plenty of times when opposing guards bust his ass and he don't wanna play no more because the team sorry and he figured the shit ain't matter no way.

this shit is gonna be mega-rivalry.

i got hope because Bron was cruising and Love was terrible.

>this shit is gonna be mega-rivalry.

if both these teams ain't 100% healthy in may, i'ma be sooooooo tight.

but the lack of another creator is a problem. Hate to be repetitive but it is what it is.

Hopefully jimmy can kinda be that guy by attacking much more than he has in years past.

23 in the 4th.

it's the D that's still a work in progress. w/ no butler and so many new parts, it showed tonight. thibs will get them on a string, as he always does. it'll just take a minute.

new bench. new rose. new frontline. what's left of our core has played like 12 games together in the past two years. not sure what bron was talking about.

just hoping someone emerges that will take pressure off derrick. can't be asked to go into beast mode every time we play elite competition. that shit is cool in the regular season. doesn't work in may unfortunately.

And he played it so smart. I love his evolution.

We missed Jimmy tonight but if it was Thibs regular rotation this game was winnable. The O has many weapons...tighten the D and we're ready.

About 10 games in this will be very fun to watch.

But yeah, Bulls/cavs conf finals needs to happen.

Where is BA!!???

http://www.blogabull.com/2014/10/20/7025167/bulls-vs-cavaliers-final-score-derrick-rose-puts-up-a-show-in-bulls

http://youtu.be/bs-Q0JmWjj0

right here.

if y'all think his hitchy ass J gonna be that wet for a 7 game series....yeah, good luck with all that. and we know bron will be guarding him in the playoffs. and we know what's gonna happen with that. would love to see him run fast off a screen to get a layup on bron.

ky gon ky tho.

1. Rose got off,
2. Rose got off on Irving, multiple times
3. Irving didn't do shit until rose was off the floor.

Ky gon Ky tho.

again...good luck with running fast for layups and replicating them ugly ass jackknife jumper mechanics in the playoffs.

Ky Ky ain't gotta run fast, because he got footwork fundamentals, an elite layup package, elite pull up and elite three ball. Ky's J look the same from wherever...because he can shoot.

Considering he's gonna see tons of elite PGs in the post season, giving up 25+ every half ain't gonna fly.

Them Jackknife 3's was dropping though. Just like Bron's crowhook 3 was wack when he first started but is kinda wet now, players get better.

Ky better apply some of that elite footwork when guarding because eventually they are gonna land a match up where bron can't save him.

And it might be us.

and stop convincing yourself that mr. 38% himself ain't gonna check rose again, if it comes down to it.


good luck.

waddup tho.

I agree w/ RandomFact. Still missing that wing player.

Dougie and Nikola may become dynamic scorers but not this year. Plus, them dudes will probably be MIA in the playoffs anyway.

Cavs defense is horse shit but goddamn them niggas are scoring w/ ease and barely have chemistry. Plus their rebounding is bananas. Bron ain't even trying yet either sooooo.

Bulls will dominate the regular season like always (barring injury). They need the wing for the deep playoffs. These niggas gonna be playing hot potato in the 2nd/3rd rounds, trust me. That includes Jimmy.

Unless Nikola turns into Gallinari or some shit, we ain't beating Cleveland w/ this sorry ass offense.

Next year when the rooks develop is when this team will truly beast IMO.

>waddup tho.
>
>I agree w/ RandomFact. Still missing that wing player.
>
>Dougie and Nikola may become dynamic scorers but not this
>year. Plus, them dudes will probably be MIA in the playoffs
>anyway.
>
>Cavs defense is horse shit but goddamn them niggas are scoring
>w/ ease and barely have chemistry. Plus their rebounding is
>bananas. Bron ain't even trying yet either sooooo.
>
>Bulls will dominate the regular season like always (barring
>injury). They need the wing for the deep playoffs. These
>niggas gonna be playing hot potato in the 2nd/3rd rounds,
>trust me. That includes Jimmy.
>
>Unless Nikola turns into Gallinari or some shit, we ain't
>beating Cleveland w/ this sorry ass offense.
>
>Next year when the rooks develop is when this team will truly
>beast IMO.

I think it may be time to seriously look at Thibs lack of offensive prowess if this team has issues scoring in the big spots. It may no longer be just as simple as needing another wing. If Thibs stubbornly goes that route of burying offensive talent because they r rookies then he will be held accountable...We all know hes a genius on defense...But we shouldnt be so dependent on Rose to be Superman and Batman following his injury issues. Thibs has to find a way to not be so one dimensional on O. We will see how they look this season...Fingers crossed...

>Next year when the rooks develop is when this team will truly
>beast IMO.

Cavs are still figuring it out.
Washington/Charlotte are still kinda young.
Indiana is done.

The Bulls time is now.

it's come to that?

>it's come to that?


Come on Basa...lol U actually took that as a slight or shit talking?

I think some folks are just using logic, homie...newly constructed teams with a new coach and a new system take a year to get it all together...

If the Bulls (a team that is basically running the same sets it has since Thibs came on board) are serious about making it to the Finals, this is the season to do it.....Especially given that fans in the Chi still hold their breath when Rose goes up for a layup....

I disagree. Doug looks like he can be a legit starter and Nikola has a crazy ceiling if he can figure things out.

Bulls will be far better next year even w/ Pau a year older.

I laughed.

I just found this hilarious. IF THIS IS TRUE....Noah learned a valuable lesson about letting your lady walk around Englewood after dark.


http://www.inquisitr.com/1556340/chicago-bulls-rumors-tension-mounted-after-derrick-rose-stole-joakim-noahs-love-interest/

Chicago Bulls Rumors: Tension Mounted After Derrick Rose Stole Joakim Noah’s Love Interest

The Chicago Bulls could be dealing with some off-the-court drama after reports that Derrick Rose may have stolen a love interest away from teammate Joakim Noah.

The incident reportedly happened over the summer when Noah fell for a blonde from South Africa. Though Noah has a girlfriend, sources say he fell hard for the new girl, only to be thwarted by Rose.

MediaTakeOut spoke to a source allegedly inside the Chicago Bulls organization.

“And according to our insider, Joakim fell HARD for the girl. The snitch told us, ‘Joakim has a main already, but he was definitely this girl. Who wouldn’t be, she’s beautiful.'”

“Well while Joakim was FALLING IN LOVE… and thinking about wifing… his TEAMMATE Derrick Rose swooped in with the SMASH AND DASH. The insider DISHED THE TEA, ‘Derrick met in Los Angeles and the two hung out and she went back to Derrick’s apartment. It’s a little bit f***ed up, because Derrick knew that Joakim was dating her, everyone on the team knew.'”

“But before you get TOO UPSET with superstar Derrick Rose, the snitch added, ‘I don’t really think that Derrick did anything wrong, because it wasn’t Joakim’s main that he . But Joakim is a real sensitive so he’s feeling some type of way about the situation.'”

The source went on to claim that Rose apologized to Noah and teammates stepped in to smooth things over, but the tension remains.

Normally a report like this would be taken with a grain of salt — especially from MediaTakeOut, which is notorious for unsourced gossip that doesn’t turn out to be true, including ludicrous reports of a gay sex tape starring Kobe Bryant — but this time the report is coming from other sources.

The site Terez Owens also spoke to a source (which may appear to be the same source as MediaTakeOut) who talked about the Chicago Bulls rumors. The source claimed that Joakim Noah had “a stable of girlfriends” at the time, and that Derrick Rose was just “cleaning up his sloppy seconds.”

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/235377/Jimmy-Butler-Out-2-4-Weeks-With-Thumb-Sprain

I'm glad that the Bulls are taking a conservative approach with this, because it seemed like Jimmy was trying to rush back, but it's scary to be bitten by the injury bug before the season even starts. He was coming off a great preseason too. Now MDJ & Tony Smell will have to guard the Melos and Brons of the league.

With this and Noah's health in question, might be a rocky start to the season...

edit: K.C. Johnson ‏@KCJHoop 2 minutes ago
Thibodeau backed off the 2-4 week projection for Butler a bit. Later said 1-3. And this is from original injury Oct. 19. Still, a blow.

edit 2: K.C. Johnson ‏@KCJHoop 44 seconds ago
Even better? Butler said he's hoping to play Friday.

sigh. sit this guy. nobody questions jimmy's toughness and what he means to the team but let him heal so he's not affected by a lingering injury all season. garpax need to step in on this one.

so we'll see.

D

cry.

lmao

BULLS BITCH

:-)

i likes that

http://grantland.com/features/nikola-mirotic-chicago-bulls-toni-kukoc-pau-gasol/

they did a dope piece on noah last week too:

http://grantland.com/features/joakim-noah-chicago-bulls-nba-florida-gators-ncaa-championship-derrick-rose/

That game was 'easy'. I don't think we've had an 'easy' game in 3 seasons lol.

Yeah...and Jimmy hurt
Yeah...and Rose played into the game, didn't force it, was effective and got rest
Yeah...this is gonna be fun
Yeah...Melo jelly as hell though he won't admit it.

We were up 35 at one point LMAO

Home opener vs Bronrievin Jirlove? Cool...let's have some fun.

real talk I feel bad for dunleavy tomorrow

I know that we Bulls fans get defensive when we hear idiot Knick and Bron fans throw darts (I say Bron fans because I really got no beef with REAL Cavs fans...They have been through hell...Most Bron fans, the ones that jumped off that Heat dick and STILL talk shit about my Bulls, get the middle finger) on some bullshit.

But let's forget about them for a second...Let's look inside our own kitchen...The Bulls are a team built for the playoffs...We have both size and depth...We have a tough coach that gets the best out of his players...(Still, we lack a true second scorer on the wing...Can that player be Butler?)

But I think we need to get down to some heavy reality and ask a very important question: How should we deal with D. Rose?

I say this on some sober-minded shit...Not on some pie-in-the-sky SUPER FAN, ALL-IS-RIGHT optimism...The Bulls cannot win a title without D. Rose on the floor...It's just that simple...And we all know this...So what to do when we continually gasp and have a stroke when we see dude limp to the bench even for something as seemingly innocuous as an ankle sprain? That ain't life....

I am inclined to let Rose rest on back to backs or games against lottery teams...Hell, I don't even want him playing in this Orlando game tonight...

If the injuries keep up to a bigger degree, it's clear the Bulls need to start preparing for life without Rose as painful as that would be for me and others....

There is one thing I am VERY optimistic about besides Pau showing he still has game and our bench coming back to life...Management is finally getting through to Thibs about punishing his players with obscene minutes...Hopefully he will stay with this mindset...It's no reason to be playing Noah, Rose, or Jimmy Buckets 37 plus minutes a game....

Keep the minutes down and handle Rose in a smart manner and I think the Bulls will have a successful post season...But life after Rose needs to be on the table....That's just the reality of the situation...

>I am inclined to let Rose rest on back to backs or games
>against lottery teams...Hell, I don't even want him playing in
>this Orlando game tonight...

Not with Thibs as the head coach. While I agree that management has probably got to him about his minutes allocation, but NOT playing guys when they're healthy is completely against his philosophy. It goes against what he believes in and I think he'd ask the Bulls to fire him than go against that (eh, maybe that's a stretch).

>>I am inclined to let Rose rest on back to backs or games
>>against lottery teams...Hell, I don't even want him playing
>in
>>this Orlando game tonight...
>
>Not with Thibs as the head coach. While I agree that
>management has probably got to him about his minutes
>allocation, but NOT playing guys when they're healthy is
>completely against his philosophy. It goes against what he
>believes in and I think he'd ask the Bulls to fire him than go
>against that (eh, maybe that's a stretch).


Actually...it's starting to happen...There are reports that Rose was OK to play against the Wolves and that the trainers even cleared him, but management stepped in and told Thibs he was a no-go....

In fact, Thibs is doing something we thought he would never do: put some players on minute restrictions (Noah specifically)...And that has everything to do with management....

If all goes right Thibs will get a better grasp at utilizing his bench to cut down minutes for his starters....But that back-to-back game strategy is being discussed and management is not fucking around this time....The trump card they are holding is Rose's history of injuries and Noah turning into a hobbled wreck by the time playoff hits...

Fans are sick of that shit...Hopefully Thibs stays on the same page as management....

Both Rose & Gibson are questionable tonight.

But if it's about holding back guys from back to back games (wwhich I understand) why not just say that?

fuck, Rose is cooked ya'll

I'm basically gonna start looking at this team like the 3/4th best team in the EC and view it as general serendipity whenever Rose can actually play.

At this point I'm more excited about our rookies and the King's pick.

you got cooked after one game, pimp?

See you soon

D

the fact that he's not playing has more to to do with this early season schedule. we're playing shit teams. collect w's while derrick lets those ankles heal 100%. it's a luxury due to depth.

dude wants to be healthy for the circus trip.

....I know Chicago radio is saying worse.

Look, as long as he's healthy and ready for the playoffs...I'm good.

In the meantime, can someone get on the NBA about the horrid DVR functions of League Pass?

seems like one game is broadcasted in full hd, the rest look like shit. at least on time warner.

>In the meantime, can someone get on the NBA about the horrid
>DVR functions of League Pass?

still really weird to watch. takes some getting used to.

6th in PPG
4th in Off Rtg
4th in FG%
6th in 3P%
2nd in 3PM
4th in FTA
3rd in TS%

and that's with rose on the floor for 78 of 293 minutes thus far.

crazy.

#weapons

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2265671-the-curious-case-of-kirk-hinrich-unsung-role-player-keeps-plugging-with-bulls

The Curious Case of Kirk Hinrich: Unsung Role Player Keeps Plugging with Bulls
Bleacher Report - Chicago
John Wilmes

Now that Carlos Boozer is with the Los Angeles Lakers, there’s perhaps no Chicago Bulls baller more maligned by fans than Kirk Hinrich. There’s nothing flashy, exciting or YouTube-worthy about the way the point guard plays. He's not his exciting teammate Derrick Rose—not by a long shot—but in recent Roseless seasons, he's gotten a star's responsibilities.

Inside his locker room, Kirk's lack of cinematic flourishes doesn’t matter. The Bulls treat Hinrich like a rare, precious element. Derrick Rose even broke his unofficial anti-recruiting stance in 2012 to make sure Hinrich returned to the Bulls in free agency, as originally reported by ESPN’s Nick Friedell.

"Kirk is someone I could see playing alongside a long time. When you're a hooper and you know someone on the court is going into a battle with you, and he's not giving up if he knows you are going to keep battling, and I'm someone that will keep fighting to the end, and he's the same as you. So why not have him on the team? Kirk is the first person I recruited."



Hinrich is valuable to his team for the accumulation of little things he does. On defense, especially, Captain Kirk does a lot to make up for some of his grotesque inefficiency on offense (Hinrich has compiled just an 8.67 player efficiency rating so far this year, per ESPN).

The 33-year-old veteran’s ability to avoid being screened is often an essential part of his team’s pick-and-roll coverage. And Hinrich’s communication on the court helps coach Tom Thibodeau maintain his vaunted defensive team structures.

Hinrich’s 0.98 defensive real plus-minus ranked eighth-best in the league among point guards in 2013-14 according to ESPN. That’s pretty good for someone with more than a decade of NBA miles on his body. The figure is a testament to Hinrich’s mastery of Thibodeau’s system, and his unwillingness to ever give up on a defensive possession. Hinrich is a war dog built for the Eastern Conference’s grinding trenches.

But since chicks—and even a lot of modern offensive metrics—dig the long ball, and Hinrich’s work is basketball’s equivalent of a graceless RBI grounder, he’s frequently cited as a detriment to his team.

Aesthetically speaking, his diminishing speed and plodding, sparkless running of the offense is hard to watch at times. But fans who want their Bulls to win, above all, should be relieved Hinrich is still around to back up Rose.



Hinrich’s Draft Express scouting report describes his shrewd, hard-nosed style this way: “Really a throwback in terms of defensive intensity. Gets in a good stance and does his best to hawk the ball all game long. Will get a steal every now and again by reaching at the right time, but isn’t overly aggressive.”

In 2014, Hinrich's conservative, but dogged and reliable, approach to other point guards is still his silver lining.

It isn’t Hinrich's fault that his face has become, sadly, a constant in times of Derrick Rose injury sadness. Kirk can’t come close to replicating the explosive, beguiling impact of the one-time MVP, so it makes sense when Chicago groans upon seeing him step in for their favorite hero.

But at the end of the day, the disappointment the University of Kansas alum is associated with doesn’t make him any less useful as a player.

There was little doubt that Hinrich would renegotiate a new deal in free agency to remain home this past summer. It’s even possible that, at around $5.5 million over two years, Chicago got a bit of a hometown discount on their man. Teams that can understand and utilize his unique and sharp—albeit marginal—talents are few and far between, and the Bulls are one of them.

When Hinrich left the Bulls briefly—with stints playing for the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks for two seasons—it was only because the front office needed to clearly salary room to go after LeBron James in the infamous summer of "The Decision."

But they always wanted Hinrich around—their professed grit-focused analytics department seems to have figured out his worth in a way that many fans haven’t.



That's why he's back again in 2014-15, in place of D.J. Augustin, a heroic performer in place of the injured Rose last year. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune describes the Bulls' love for their aging guard this way, when asked why the front office made the decision:

Because Thibodeau loves Hinrich. Because they feel he fits better with Rose. Because he’s a better, bigger and tougher defender. The Bulls loved Augustin. Thibodeau routinely called him the savior of last season. No matter what they said publicly, re-signing both wasn’t going to happen. They chose Hinrich.

Thibodeau's rotating door of point guard rehabilitation has seen Augustin, John Lucas III, Nate Robinson and C.J. Watson run through town with Hinrich as a constant. That's because Kirk doesn't need to be changed by his coach—he's already a world-class executor of the coach's ethos.

So next time you find your hand slapping your forehead with Hinrich on the screen, take a second to remember that while he isn’t passing your eye test (or even a lot of statistical ones), Hinrich is still overachieving in the art of being a Bull.

Cause this dude, the way he's playing now? I don't see them paying him.

And I'm not one of those "management doesn't spend" guys.

He wanted 12 right? Maaaan.

thibs would shit a cinder block.

not basketball sense (he'd be literally impossible for them to replace)

not financial sense (matching even a max offer sheet on butler wouldn't put them in the tax for 15-16, and that's the only year they'd need to worry about, given the massive cap hike coming in '16)

not common sense (you can't just keep alienating your coach by letting all his favorite guys walk)

i just don't see it. if anything, they'd move taj to make room, before they'd just let jimmy leave for nothing.

.

Just beautiful basketball to watch. Maybe it's something about when Rose is injured, but this game showed the grittiness of the 2013-2014 team and everybody played their role. The defense is finally starting to look like typical Thibs D.

Jimmy Butler: The Bulls should have given him a better offer, but we MUST not lose him in free agency this summer. He's becoming one of the best 2-way shooting guards in the game and might even score enough to fulfill the secondary shot creator gap I've been begging to be addressed for years. Pay this man.

Kirk, Taj, Noah, & Dunleavy: Supreme competitors. They all know their roles and play it to perfection.

Mirotic: This kid can ball. He still makes some defensive mistakes and silly fouls but overall his defense is pretty good and he's a great playmaker as well as shooter. This was his best game of the season so far and props to Thibs for giving him the minutes.

McDermott: He seems pretty lost out there and his shots aren't falling. Might take him another year or two to figure out how to play with this team.

Great start to the circus road trip though. They showed strong defense, the ability to make a comeback, and withstand a legitimate run from the home team. I'd like to see this team play this way when they're at full strength. Bulls came out with an edge, and they'll need to start with that energy at the United Center if they want to go into the playoffs with homecourt advantage.

Great win, I'm feeling optimistic. When this team gels I think we'll be damn near unbeatable if everybody is playing to their potential.

>Jimmy Butler: The Bulls should have given him a better offer,
>but we MUST not lose him in free agency this summer. He's
>becoming one of the best 2-way shooting guards in the game and
>might even score enough to fulfill the secondary shot creator
>gap I've been begging to be addressed for years. Pay this
>man.

Jimmy is gonna get 12 and he'll take it and be happy.

>Kirk, Taj, Noah, & Dunleavy: Supreme competitors. They all
>know their roles and play it to perfection.

If Kirk's J is falling, the other team is in trouble. This hasn't happened as much when Rose is playing...it needs to.

>Mirotic: This kid can ball. He still makes some defensive
>mistakes and silly fouls but overall his defense is pretty
>good and he's a great playmaker as well as shooter. This was
>his best game of the season so far and props to Thibs for
>giving him the minutes.

And he takes NO shit. He was throwing bows with Jordan and Blake all second half. I LOVE it. He's gonna be a baller in the future.

>McDermott: He seems pretty lost out there and his shots aren't
>falling. Might take him another year or two to figure out how
>to play with this team.

Niko played pro ball. Dougie is getting use to it. He'll be more comfortable as the season goes on.

>Great start to the circus road trip though. They showed strong
>defense, the ability to make a comeback, and withstand a
>legitimate run from the home team. I'd like to see this team
>play this way when they're at full strength. Bulls came out
>with an edge, and they'll need to start with that energy at
>the United Center if they want to go into the playoffs with
>homecourt advantage.
>
>Great win, I'm feeling optimistic. When this team gels I think
>we'll be damn near unbeatable if everybody is playing to their
>potential.

My concern Jimmy's play when Rose is playing. He becomes a little timid because they don't have as much time on the floor together. He needs to learn he can still take over when Rose is there. I'm hoping they sort that out over the next 3 weeks or so.

>>Jimmy Butler: The Bulls should have given him a better
>offer,
>>but we MUST not lose him in free agency this summer. He's
>>becoming one of the best 2-way shooting guards in the game
>and
>>might even score enough to fulfill the secondary shot
>creator
>>gap I've been begging to be addressed for years. Pay this
>>man.
>
>Jimmy is gonna get 12 and he'll take it and be happy.
>
>>Kirk, Taj, Noah, & Dunleavy: Supreme competitors. They all
>>know their roles and play it to perfection.
>
>If Kirk's J is falling, the other team is in trouble. This
>hasn't happened as much when Rose is playing...it needs to.
>
>>Mirotic: This kid can ball. He still makes some defensive
>>mistakes and silly fouls but overall his defense is pretty
>>good and he's a great playmaker as well as shooter. This was
>>his best game of the season so far and props to Thibs for
>>giving him the minutes.
>
>And he takes NO shit. He was throwing bows with Jordan and
>Blake all second half.
>My concern Jimmy's play when Rose is playing. He becomes a
>little timid because they don't have as much time on the floor
>together. He needs to learn he can still take over when Rose
>is there. I'm hoping they sort that out over the next 3 weeks
or so.


I think a bigger issue besides Jimmy getting his money is Thibs running Jimmy into the ground by the time the playoffs hit. I thought he was getting better with the minutes. But he's been giving Jimmy that Deng treatment...

If he cut just THREE minutes off Jimmy's time, it would do wonders.

I'm also expecting some blowouts in the near future so maybe he gets to rest then. But we'll see.

I was having a heated debate with a coworker...

Him: D Rose is a shadow of his former self....he'll never be able to carry the team...we need to trade him and cut our losses

Me: No....we just need to accept that Derrick is now named Manu?

Him: What?

Me: All we need out of Derrick is 20 mpg during the regular season and potentially 30 mpg in the post season. While Manu is a shooter and spaces because you have to respect the outside shot and the penetration...Derrick's penetration and passing creates the same mismatches...and with a better core around him....I expect him to get regular games off because WE DO NOT NEED HIM TO WIN! We just need him to win it all.....which means multiple DNP's and spot usage.


Thoughts?

Otherwise you are going to have Tony Snell starting & D-Rose playing 20 min a game while making 20mill.

Slow down...lol...its not defcon 4...

Let me get this out of the way at the start: I love Mike Dunleavy Jr. He's really, really good. You should love Mike Dunleavy Jr., too. Here's why:

1. He's a dead-eye shooter from deep.

Dunleavy is shooting 40.4% from three on the season so far on 5.2 attempts a game. For his career, he's a 37.3% from behind the arc, but since the 2010-11 season his percentages from distance are 40.2, 39.9, 42.8, and 38% last season. Teams must respect Dunleavy's three point shooting, which gives the Bulls guards more driving lanes, their big men (Pau and Taj especially) more room to operate in the post, and generally makes the offense hum better because the defense has nothing but bad choices to make. This is a positive article so I don't mean to take shots at the departed, and awesome in his own way, Luol Deng, but having a wing at the 3 spot who can consistently hit the three point shot just makes everything so much easier for the Bulls offensively.

2. He's a willing passer and good decision-maker.

Dunleavy's assist percentage (11.3% this season, 13.5% for his career) might not seem like a good indicator that he's a good passer, but my man moves the ball about as well as anybody. Dunleavy rarely hesitates with the ball in his hands. When he gets the ball, a shot is going up, he's putting it on the deck against a close out, or he's swinging it to the next open guy on the floor. Those quick decisions don't always result in assists, either because the ball keeps swinging and someone else racks up the assist or because the shot doesn't go down, but keeping the ball moving side to side and moving the defense is one thing that you see a lot more from watching than from reading a stat sheet. One way to tease out Dunleavy's quick decision-making is that in his 31 minutes per game so far this season, he's averaging 39.8 touches per game, but those touches only sum up to 1.1 minute of actual time with the ball in his hands, per the SportVU tracking data (http://stats.nba.com/tracking/#!/player/possessions/). Basically when Dunleavy gets the ball he does something that takes it out of his hands in under 1.7 seconds, whether that's to shoot or pass. Given that Dunleavy only averages 8.4 shots attempted and a couple of free throws a game, most of the time that quick decision is for him to swing the ball to the next open guy on the floor.

http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2471386/SpicyUniformBushsqueaker.0.gif

The above play is a great example of Dunleavy's combination of shooting threat and quick decision-making being death for an opposing defense. On the play, Dun uses a double screen by Taj and Joakim to pop free of Jamal Crawford momentarily, but Blake Griffin recognizes that he needs to close out on him. This, of course, leaves Taj Gibson open in one of his favorite spots along the baseline. DeAndre Jordan cuts off Taj's path to the basket, but Taj and Dunleavy are able to execute a quick handoff and screen to get Dunleavy a clean look. Credit should go to Taj for recognizing that all that stood between Mike and an open shot was his screen of Griffin, but you can also see Dunleavy put his hands up and call for the ball and start to come toward Taj for the pick. I should also credit Noah for his dive to the basket which pulled Jamal Crawford away from the action. Joakim noticed that with Jordan rotating to cover Taj's drive, he should have an open path to the basket. This is all beautiful, simple offense and really I can't remember the last time I could say that about the Bulls. But a lot of this starts with Dunleavy using screens and making smart decisions off of them, which leads me to my next point.

3. He moves really well off-the-ball.

One of the more under-talked about aspects of a good floor spacer is that they must typically be in motion to maximize their effectiveness. It's the reason Kyle Korver never stops moving on the floor. Dunleavy isn't quite on Korver's level when it comes to never-ending movement on the offensive end, but he does keep the defense chasing him. He also uses screens really, really smartly to free himself up to rain threes down on the defense.

http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2471460/ThoseQuickGreatdane.0.gif

Here, Noah sets a simple down screen on Jamal Crawford for Dunleavy and Mike is able to use a quick head fake and then explodes around the screen to get a wide open look for three. The Bulls have arguably the best screening big men in the league and Dunleavy makes great use of them. Sometimes basketball is a really simple game and the play above is a great example. But you've got to have players that can take advantage of their opportunities and Dunleavy does that as well as anyone.

4. He's a really good defender.

Dunleavy, like most white spot-up shooters, often gets a reputation as a bad defender. It's stupid and wrong and based on what amounts to some pretty racist stuff, but it still happens. For instance, a lot of people still think Kyle Korver isn't a good defender because these stereotypes exist, despite Kyle Korver being a quite good defender going all the way back to his time with the Bulls. Dunleavy is good in different ways than Korver, but he is just as effective. So far this season, on shots in which Dunleavy is within 3 feet of the shooter, guys are shooting just 34.48%. That ranks him 12th in the league (http://tinyurl.com/oemlnyh) amongst the 181 players with 25 or more shots they've defended that closely so far this season. Lest you think that's just small sample size noise, last season, amongst players with at least 100 shots where they were defending within 3 feet, Dunleavy was 28th out of 299 such players (http://tinyurl.com/lobb2lw) forcing opponents to shoot just 40.85% when he was in the area.

There are a couple of reasons for Dunleavy's strong shot defense. First, he's very smart about positioning his body and taking proper angles. Second, dude is big. MDJ has incredibly long arms and at 6'9" he's tall for a wing. Just getting a shot over him is more difficult task than it is against other wings. His wingspan also helps him in slowing dribble penetration, which he needs as his lateral quickness isn't elite. It's not bad, either, but his length helps make things easier for him.

There are other things Dunleavy does really well. When he's the last man back in transition, he seems to have an innate skill for playing the drive and stripping the ball handler with this cool swipe-down move he does. I couldn't find a video of it, but he's done it several times already this season, so keep an eye out for it. He is also very good at taking charges. Last season (http://hoopsmanifesto.com/articles/nba-stats/nba-charges-drawn-totals-2013-14.html) Dunleavy was 4th in the league in charges drawn at 20. Dunleavy's charge drawing ability speaks to his understanding of angles and positioning on defense. It is also a testament to his defensive fundamentals. Combining fundamentals, smarts, and great length for his position adds up to a very solid defensive player to go with an efficient offensive role player. It shouldn't be surprising then that...

5. The Bulls are a LOT better with him on the floor than when he's off.

According to basketball-reference, 11 games into the season, the difference between the Bulls plus-minus per 100 possessions when Dunleavy is on the court versus when he sits is a whopping +31.5 (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/dunlemi02.html). Now, some of that is because Doug McDermott has been kind of a trainwreck whenever he's seen the floor and Doug is Dunleavy's primary backup. Still, some of this is good stuff that Dunleavy is doing. He's sporting a 60.9% True Shooting percentage on his 11.5 points per game. He's defending really well, as I mentioned, and he just seems to make the right decision pretty much always on either end. Seriously, it's hard to find plays where Dunleavy makes an obvious mistake.

Oh, also...

6. He can throw sick lob passes across the whole court.

http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2471700/PrestigiousEvergreenBlowfish.0.gif

So here's to Mike Dunleavy and his awesome, awesome start to the season. Keep it up!

http://www.blogabull.com/2014/11/19/7246255/in-praise-of-mike-dunleavy-jr

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/death-to-ringz-chris-paul-and-the-nbas-broken-narrative-of-success/

10 Things I Like and Don’t Like

1. Chicago’s New Choices

Chicago is eighth in points per possession, and it was much higher before laying an egg against the Pacers over the weekend. A Bulls team with a top-10 offense should frighten the rest of the league.

Pau Gasol isn’t a dominant scorer anymore, but he’s a legit low-post option who defenses must respect, and his passing and post scoring open up new options for a polished Bulls attack. Behold this masterpiece against Toronto:

http://youtu.be/DrTtZsAfH8Q

Holy crap. Look at everything that happens here: a cross screen for Gasol that is a newly dangerous action; a quick “zipper” pick-and-roll for Jimmy Butler, playing out of his mind so far; a scripted action from Gasol, called “shorting,” in which the big man not involved in the pick-and-roll zooms up the lane, catches a pass from the ball handler, and kicks to the shooter open on the weak side. Derrick Rose finishes the job with a corner 3.

That kind of versatility was just not available to any prior Rose-era Chicago team.

http://instagram.com/p/vmLQlyN0AB/

first over-500 circus trip since jordan

best rebounding game of the season by far

jimmy with 26 pts on 12 shots (11 for 13 fts), 5 asts, 4 rbs, 0 TOs while holding Joe to 3 pts (1 for 7 fgs)

pau with double-double #11 on the season: 25 pts (9-12 fg, 7-8 ft), 13 rbs, 2 blks (yeah he's "done")

first time all season that derrick has started and finished consecutive games

5-0 with the full starting lineup

9-3 on a league high 12 road games

this niko shot: https://vine.co/v/OnQhILpedHH

#gelling

All great signs for this team. Man if we got healthy, smh.

We have a chance to really move up in the East standings the coming weeks. Washington's schedule gets a lil tougher and we play them two times over next 3 weeks (tonight & Jan 9th). Toronto's schedule gets road heavy and tougher (they've played a league high 17 home games so far and have a nice lil 6 game stretch that started with us, then they have LAC, DEN, POR, G-State and PHX...Mmmm that good westcoast road trip).

Our schedule isn't that tough over the next 3 weeks (@Wiz, Lakers, Pels, @Pacers, Nets, Nuggs, Celtics, Rockets, Jazz, @Wiz). 3 road games, 7 home games and Pels, Rox and Wiz are the only teams that I think SHOULD give us concern...still all beatable though with the way we've been playing.

We're 6-1 in our last 7 (ATL loss) and I think we can run off 10-0 to 8-2 min over the next 10. 16-1 to 13-3 over those 16 games should put us up top unless the Hawks keep trucking through the league. But with the LAC twice, CLE, @POR and Memph on their schedule over the same span, I expect them to lose a few.

#1 seed by mid Jan? I think so.

particularly switching noah onto valanciunas in the second half, going with mirotic in the 4th qtr, and playing rose + brooks together late.

>going with mirotic in the 4th qtr,

Based on the production he gave the Bulls while Gibson was out, he definitely earned more time. I was getting worried when he didn't play much in the 1st half.

was kinda happenstance due to Kirk being hurt but I think thibs new he needed buckets. He had scorers in along with Noah to shore up the D and it worked (49 friggin' points!).

I loved that Jimmy carried the team at points and D-Rose closed it out. If they master that dynamic along with keeping Pau/Taj involved on the post...scary, scary.

"The Bulls are now ranked third in the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring (26.7 per game) and second in fourth-quarter margin (+2.7 per game)."

that's a credit to coaching. thibs is nice w/ the endgame.

I have my eye on the Wizards being the most difficult matchup in the East.

Jimmy shut down Beal in our first matchup against them and PP ain't good enough to propel them anymore. Wall gets negated by Rose rounding into form.

I think the tough matchup is the Cavs. Though they don't play consistent D, they shoot the ball really well. I think we'd beat them but they are easily the toughest team for us to face IMO. Especially if they continue to gel to the end of the season (I fully expect a stretch in the 2nd half of the season where they go on a run once things start clicking).

>Our schedule isn't that tough over the next 3 weeks (@Wiz,
>Lakers, Pels, @Pacers, Nets, Nuggs, Celtics, Rockets, Jazz,
>@Wiz). 3 road games, 7 home games and Pels, Rox and Wiz are
>the only teams that I think SHOULD give us concern...still all
>beatable though with the way we've been playing.

We beat everyone on that list we played except the Nets. 7-1 with Jazz tonight at home and at the Wiz on Friday remaining.

>We're 6-1 in our last 7 (ATL loss) and I think we can run off
>10-0 to 8-2 min over the next 10. 16-1 to 13-3 over those 16
>games should put us up top unless the Hawks keep trucking
>through the league. But with the LAC twice, CLE, @POR and
>Memph on their schedule over the same span, I expect them to
>lose a few.

13-2 in our last 15 games.

>#1 seed by mid Jan? I think so.

If the Hawks would stumble we'd already be there. I have to say I'm impressed with that team/coach. Since 12/15 they've beaten Us, Cle (2x), Hou, Dal, Clippers (2x), Split with MIL of all teams, Utah, Por and 6 of those games were on the road. 10-1.

I expected them to lose 3-4 of those games (split with the Clips and Clev, Dal or Hou and Por).

As it stands we're a game and a half back for that #1 spot.

Again, when healthy.

Bulls_Jay (Jason Patt)

Illustrating the dangers of that Bulls lineup with the help of @MikePradaSBN http://t.co/H2tQtWlBST

JR/GarPax really did the right thing this year in terms of cap allocation In terms of the future (I know its early), what is our cap picture looking like if Jimmy gets a max contract?

no dead money whatsoever.

63M committed to next season, a little under 50 for 16-17, and a completely clean cap sheet in 17 outside of mcdermott's option.

they can max jimmy next summer and still avoid the tax threshold, which should be in the low 80s. and they'll have some money to play with in '16 Fagency.

garpax have done a great job on that end.

Rose knee

@ full strength? they're pretty damn good.

like, a month straight of games. everyone healthy.

they're still learning how to play together (this is most noticeable on the defensive end). we need that spurs-like cohesion come may.

I try to keep all my positive talk to this post.

Everywhere else, I let them cook.

But notice they ignoring us now lol.

Shelly, Basa, realityrap etc. ain't made no mention of us in a while.

Hmmm...

"It's real. Chicago Bulls are getting healthy. It's very real. We
know that we're still not where we want to be, and we know the sky's
the limit for our team. Our confidence is just getting better and
we're going to keep working. And we feel like we can even get better
defensively. But it's all coming and it's going to be a special year."

no one in the east is fucking with us when fully healthy and clicking.

great to see those defensive rotations crisp.

"There’s nothing better than having that belief when we’re on and
competing, nobody can mess with us. That’s the feeling we’re
getting."

"It's on us to make sure we don't get complacent. Just because we can
score the ball doesn't mean that defense isn't important, because
we're going to have to count on our defense when the block gets hot."

such a leader.

By far one of the best personalities in the league.

And he's 100% correct. We can put it to teams on both ends like no other teams in the East. But at our core we're blue collar. Gotta respect and maintain that identity.

up to 9th now. and 6th in offense.

they'll eventually make it up to top 5 on D. 5 is pretty much their floor, the lowest any thibs team has ever finished is 6th and that was w/ legitimately terrible defenders like belinelli, nate and boozer playing major minutes.

and the offense still has room to improve too. read this the other day and found it pretty interesting: http://www.vantagesports.com/#story/VI9SuSgAACYAgjI5/the-bulls-open-shooting-shows-theyre-about-to-take-off

they might end up top 5 on both ends. crazy.

They talked about it on the broadcast last night

Brooks might be MIP

matter of fact i propose we call him:

GANGSTA MIP

Thibodeau was asked if he appreciates having competitive battles for playing time.

"I like the fact they're playing as a team," he said. "We're asking everyone to sacrifice and put the team first, so we have quality depth.

"Some nights guys will play a little more than others, but they're all sharing and they're all going to have to sacrifice, and that's what's important for our team."

Hinrich has been on the floor during crunchtime for most of the season and has long been one of the team's best defenders.

But the Bulls have made a drastic shift to a high-scoring team. As of Friday morning, they ranked eighth in the league in points per game at 103.4.

Last season they were last in offense.

"As you wind down, it's situational," Thibodeau said of the closing lineup. "A lot of it is what's going on in the game: Do you have a lead? Are you trying to protect the lead? Do you need more scoring? Hopefully you have that answer on the bench.

"The big thing is everyone is sacrificing for the team. You have to put the team first. Whatever gives us our best chance of winning, that's what we're going to do."

Thibodeau has proved he's willing to shuffle the fourth-quarter lineup and leave high-priced players on the bench.

As it stands, a healthy Rose and Butler are the only guys certain to be on the floor in crunchtime. Noah, Gasol, Gibson, Mirotic, Hinrich, Brooks and Mike Dunleavy are all strong candidates for the other three spots.

"You have a pretty good idea of who you're going to finish with," Thibodeau said. "But that can change if guys are performing well.

"The big thing is it's not an individual thing. It's how the group is performing. We look at everything."

As long as he defends he should see crunch time next to derrick. Dude is too good on offense and his defense is, by far, the best out of all the little guards we've had.

Butler: 23.0 ppg, .508 FG%, 28/31 FT
Rose: 23.3 ppg, .544 FG%, 14/16 FT

#splash

https://twitter.com/CodyWesterlund/status/549052315358228480
Thibs said Bulls been working in practice on using Mirotic at SF. W/ 6-8 Cunningham at SF for Pelicans, chance presented to use Niko at SF

Might not be perfect this year but I expect Thibs will help him
compensate and he'll be ok for spot minutes sooner rather than later.

but boiiiii..........*strains* rose knee..we..dont have a chance

if thibs can trust him enough defensively, and get him enough SF
minutes over the next 50 games so that he's comfortable there by
playoff time?

sheeeit.

that rose / butler / niko / noah / pau closing lineup looked
incredible last night.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B7HEi4DCMAAMNho.png

Bulls are now averaging 9.4 more points a game than they did last year. That's the biggest jump in the league according to @ESPNStatsInfo.

https://twitter.com/NickFriedell/status/552327915741134849

2013-14:102/100 (per 100 possessions)
2014-15: 108/104 (per 100 possessions)

Overall, their pace has increased & their point differential has gone up by 2 pts.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B6zALi5IEAEnM_1.png:large

This is what happens when u play your first full season after two knee injuries in two years. Not shocking at all.

>This is what happens when u play your first full season after
>two knee injuries in two years. Not shocking at all.

I don't think u get it. Most people didn't even think Rose could play 5 games in a row without crumbling to the ground.

Rose shooting 29-30 percent for a few games doesn't mean shit in the big scheme of things....

you will hit some serious walls

Your boy Murph is a little spooked. Not on some head on fire novice shit but on some straight no chaser dose of reality...

The Bulls have had a damn good season so far...Who would have known Pau would go all Hot Tub Time Machine or that Jimmy Butler would become a full blown all-star? And Nikola has been worth the hype...

But there have been too many stumbles AT HOME and against lackluster teams such as Orlando. Our defense looks scatterbrain and tired...

No need to freak out yet. It's too early. But we need to look at getting some help on the defensive side of the ball. The elephant in the room that no one wants to discuss is Noah. That dude is a warrior and is the heart and soul of the team with all that other cliche shit. But he's struggling coming off his surgery. A little bit more muscle to help Noah get a little more rest and pick up on inside D (Gasol has done about as well a job as u would think on the defensive end given that he was never known as an exceptional one-on-one defender) would be ideal...

Maybe we should try to grab up J O'Neal....

And this season Cap. Kirk (God love 'em) has been a liability. Gotta swing a deal for another bench player on the perimeter side who doesn't get burnt every time on the court. Can't have Butler playing 40 minutes a game...

As crazy as this sounds crazy ass Lance Stephenson backing up Jimmy and getting some SF time would be ideal. But that won't ever happen....

Whatever we do, we gotta get more consistent on D....

It's 3 fold:

1) D-Rose is semi-coasting, semi-working back his game. He's still having trouble finishing on occasion and his legs are still working into NBA game shape. BUT, he doesn't give tons of effort on D. Most of the time he funnels his guy to the big and the rotations have to be crisp for that to be effective but it puts a huge strain on the D. He's ESPECIALLY lax on the pick and roll D. Last night he actually put in the most effort I've seen him attempt for the past 15 games but Noah went down and Wash started abusing us inside.

2) Dunny is hurt. While not a stellar on-ball guy, at team D he's very good. Couple that with him being 6'9"-6'10" and he's a lanky defender who can contest/close due to his length and rebound given his size. Also his shooting touch spaces the floor for us perfectly and he'll surprise with cuts to the basket on occasion. Snell only offers a fraction of those things and we're much smaller and worse from outside when Kirk starts.

3) Health/Fatigue. With all the injuries we haven't gotten as much continuity as we could have at this point. Doug, Derrick, Noah, Pau, Taj, Kirk and Dunny have all missed time this year. With that Jimmy has carried a lot of the load on both sides of the ball. Pau too when he's been healthy. So both might be a little zapped right now.

I think after allstar break we might settle in.

I do believe a goon like JO would help in limited minutes as a back up for Noah (as long as he's healthy, that'd be a great pick up) but you have to remember that if we bring someone in, one of our rotation guys will lose time (Niko is first on the chopping block unless he plays the 3 behind Dunny). And I'd love to get Born Ready from Cha if they'd be willing to take Snell, Moore and whatever exception space we might have (if any) to make the numbers work. Maybe a draft pick (2nd rounder). Kirk isn't going anywhere and Aaron's played too well to trade.

>I do believe a goon like JO would help in limited minutes as a
>back up for Noah (as long as he's healthy, that'd be a great
>pick up) but you have to remember that if we bring someone in,
>one of our rotation guys will lose time (Niko is first on the
>chopping block unless he plays the 3 behind Dunny). And I'd
>love to get Born Ready from Cha if they'd be willing to take
>Snell, Moore and whatever exception space we might have (if
>any) to make the numbers work. Maybe a draft pick (2nd
>rounder). Kirk isn't going anywhere and Aaron's played too
>well to trade.

I agree with this^^^^^ But a few things...


It's imperative that the Bulls pick up a big RIGHT NOW. Noah's injury history is alarming at this point (Asik's departure looms large now. He is what we are missing...). And given that Noah is basically the only thing that stands between opposing players having their way with us inside shit is getting real....

And Aaron has been a saving grace for the Bulls. We can't afford to trade him since he is our (small) insurance policy for a Rose injury.

It's Kirk that needs to sit down. Charlotte knows that Lance has been a disaster and his stock has fallen significantly. His defense and playmaking would be HUGE for the Bulls.

I guess what I'm saying is, it's def. time to start worrying given that our issues right now stem from key players getting injured, which has taking the energy and swagger out of our D...

Gotta make some moves...Smart moves...

http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/ask-sam-sam-smith-opens-his-mailbag-1.16.2015

sam smith's latest bag should be required reading for every bulls fan and media type. the panic is out of control.

Sam: The Bulls have one of the league’s deepest teams with a half dozen new players. Maybe it takes more than a half season to develop that chemistry and consistency it took the previous group a few seasons. Also, with Rose coming slowly for good reason, both gaining confidence in his ability to play healthy and conditioning, which isn’t as simple as it sounds, the Bulls really never have had their top players playing at a top level the same time. That’s presumably to come,

Sam: I think Derrick is as well. You know he sees the same thing you do and is taking names. But he also knows he cannot extend himself yet. You’ll see glimpses, like his 17 first quarter points against John Wall on national TV Wednesday. But he is being very smart in not taking the bait from his coach or the fans or critics to push too hard yet. Instead, he is building as the season becomes more important and it makes sense that the longer he’s healthy and gaining confidence the better he’ll be. He’s said to watch him later and he’s serious. It’s good that at least someone is taking care of his best interests and the team’s along the way. It just so happens it’s Rose.

Sam: Just because someone was handsome/pretty it doesn’t mean they always will be. I believe that Bulls defense of the past few years is a thing of the past because this is a new team. It was going to be a new team for a lot of reasons. If they had gotten Carmelo Anthony, as they hoped, it would not be a defensive team as Anthony isn’t much known for his defense, and they wouldn’t have had the depth. Plus, they tried it for four years and it wasn’t good enough and didn’t always get out of the first round or much into the second. So it was time to try something new. It’s a more offensive team to change with the way the games is played in the NBA now. Look at the teams with the best records in the NBA this season. Do they look like defensive teams? They move the ball, shoot and push the ball. The Bulls are in transition toward that. They have a much improved offense with the additions of Gasol, which has been a coup, Mirotic and Brooks and a better defense than most with Noah, Gibson and Butler, though not the defense it was. Though the Bulls have in theory the pieces for excellence with size, speed and scoring, it’s still in the test phase with the recovery of Rose and addition of new players in varying roles. We never will again see the defense the Bulls played the last few years. But that also was a slow down, walk it up, everyone get back game with Noah before knee surgery and Luol Deng, a perennial all-defensive player in addition to Butler. So there will be games like the one against the Magic with a fast, young team. The Bulls have put together on the fly a different formula to adjust to the new NBA without completely sacrificing what they had. We’ll see how long it takes to be complete.

>Sam: Just because someone was handsome/pretty it doesn’t
>mean they always will be. I believe that Bulls defense of the
>past few years is a thing of the past because this is a new
>team.

This has been the hardest part for me to accept. Butler emerging, Gasol finding the fountain of youth? That was house money. But the amount of points we've been allowing has been the toughest part of this stretch. Yeah, we have new guys, but part of the genius of Thib's defense has been the plug and play aspect. Plus our best defensive players are still on the squad (Noah, Butler, Gibson).

I'm far from panic mode. Rose's shooting, Noah being hurt, losing to below .500 teams sucks but not a reason to freak out. I want to see guys rest up during the All-Star break and be ready come May.

>>Sam: Just because someone was handsome/pretty it doesn’t
>>mean they always will be. I believe that Bulls defense of
>the
>>past few years is a thing of the past because this is a new
>>team.
>
>This has been the hardest part for me to accept. Butler
>emerging, Gasol finding the fountain of youth? That was house
>money. But the amount of points we've been allowing has been
>the toughest part of this stretch. Yeah, we have new guys,
>but part of the genius of Thib's defense has been the plug and
>play aspect. Plus our best defensive players are still on the
>squad (Noah, Butler, Gibson).

Tonight we should be blowing Boston out. The fact that we are in a dog fight with a team that is overtly tanking is not enough for a freak out. But it is enough to raise an eyebrow given that we have seen this before this season.

>http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/ask-sam-sam-smith-opens-his-mailbag-1.16.2015
>
>sam smith's latest bag should be required reading for every
>bulls fan and media type. the panic is out of control.


I'm good. Sam makes some good points...but I know what my eyes are telling me. Not a freak out. Just concern that my often injured center and the heart and soul of my team is still trying to get right. A Noah injury would sink this team. We saw what happens when dude gets hurt and this time there is no Asik to plug that hole. Our interior opens up like the red sea like it did against the Wizards...

How much is Mike Dunleavy's absence hurting Jimmy Butler?
By JayPatt  @Bulls_Jay
Jan 16 2015, 1:20p 52

Butler has regressed over the last two weeks, and some of that can be traced to the absence of Mike Dunleavy

Jimmy Butler was the apple of our eye for the first two months of the season. Butler was the Bulls' best player, a legitimate MVP candidate and a guy hurtling toward a max contract in the offseason. His improvement had Chicago looking like the favorite in the Eastern Conference, even without Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah playing at their best.

But in the last two weeks since Butler missed the Jan. 3 game against the Celtics due to bereavement leave, we've seen a different player. Some natural regression was to be expected, but it has hit especially hard. Here's his shooting chart before Jan. 3:

https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2939158/Shotchart_1421422482184.0.png

Butler was above league average in all three of the standard two-point zones, and over 47 percent of his shots came in the paint. He also took 8.1 free throws a game, one of the best marks in the entire league.

But here's Butler's shot chart in his last six games:

https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2939186/Shotchart_1421422893190.0.png

Butler is below league average in the three standard two-point zones over the last six games, and less than a third of his shots have come in the paint. And if that's not bad enough, he has shot just 25 percent from the paint on those attempts. Furthermore, he's averaging 6.0 free throws over the last six game, still good but not as good as before.

With just six field goals in the paint, Butler has scored just two points per game in the paint in the last six games. That's compared to 8.1 points in the paint in the 31 games prior. One of the problems is he's not getting as many easy baskets on plays he often makes due to hustle (stats via NBA.com):

PTS OFF TO | 2nd PTS | FBPs

First 31 games
3.9 | 2.4 | 3.2

Last 6 games
2.2 | 1.0 | 2.2

It of course must be noted that Butler's slide has coincided with the absence of Mike Dunleavy due to an ankle injury. While some regression for Butler was expected, I don't think it's much of a coincidence that Butler has been especially poor with Dunleavy on the pine.

For the season, Butler has shot 50.7 percent when he shares the court with Dunleavy, per NBA.com. When Butler has been on the floor and Dunleavy has been on the bench, Butler has shot just 40.0 percent. I think there are multiple explanations for this.

One, Dunleavy's floor spacing opens up the floor for Butler, which helps create more driving lanes. With Kirk Hinrich or Tony Snell out there, teams are more content to pack the paint. This has led to more jump shots and tougher shots in the paint when Butler does drive to the hoop. Nearly 60 percent of Butler's shots in the last six games have been with zero dribbles, per SportVU, and he has shot just over 20 percent on shot attempts after three or more dribbles.

Another factor with no Dunleavy was pointed out by SB Nation's own Mike Prada during the Wizards game, and was also discussed in the comments on Blog a Bull:

Anecdotally, the absence of Dunleavy hurts Butler the most. Makes it easier to put a bigger guy on Jimmy and take away his post game.

— Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) January 15, 2015

Butler's advanced post game has been a huge part of his improvement this season. For the season, Butler has scored 1.115 PPP on post-ups, according to Synergy Sports Technology. That's in the 94 percentile of the entire NBA.

But with Butler playing the 3 with Dunleavy out, teams are more apt to use a bigger defender on Butler, like the Wizards have done with Paul Pierce. Butler had just one play designated as a post-up in the last two games against Washington, per Synergy.

Dunleavy won't be back Friday night against the Celtics, so we'll see if Butler can end his slump without the veteran forward out there. The Bulls need Butler to regain his form (or at least come close) from the first two months if they want to win a championship, and it would be nice to see him do that without Dunleavy on the floor. Dunleavy is an important glue guy for Chicago, but he shouldn't be so important that Butler goes from an MVP candidate to just another dude without him.

If there's a positive here, it's that Butler has started to find his stroke from outside. While the rest of Butler's shooting has cratered without Dunleavy, he has shot 38.5 percent from deep in the last three games. If Butler can keep that up and also shoot twos like he was before, he'll be an absolute monster.

Finally, I'm just hoping me talking about Butler slumping will lead to a turnaround, because apparently the exact opposite happens when Blog a Bull talks about how great a player is.

shit is vanilla as fuck.

>shit is vanilla as fuck.

Our issues right now is spacing and defense. Our starting lineup has no one u would fear on the perimeter. MDL JR. is the only starter who is automatic from outside. And he's still injured.

And then Noah's absence has effectively pulled up the curtain on the Bulls soft interior defense. And given how Noah was the first to kick off the offensive sets during the games his injury is dragging down our offense.... And then Taj starting kills our bench.

Yep...its a long season. But we are lacking in BIG reserves. Of course I was saying this even when we were winning games...

He's very good....He's also a rookie....

The thing that people need to remember is by Taj starting for Noah it throws our bench into chaos because we already thin as it is with our BIGS...Pairing Niko with Taj off the bench gave the perfect inside outside threat...But Mirotic being our first "BIG" off the bench is shaky at best. He's a gamer, but he's not scaring anyone physically.

>He's very good....He's also a rookie....

>>He's very good....He's also a rookie....

ninja look 45, speaking of rookies, what happened to "McBuckets"? folks was hyping him pretty hard in the preseason, lol

>>>He's very good....He's also a rookie....
>
>ninja look 45, speaking of rookies, what happened to
>"McBuckets"? folks was hyping him pretty hard in the
>preseason, lol

Let the kid come back from his injury and then we can start with the LOL's....

>The thing that people need to remember is by Taj starting for
>Noah it throws our bench into chaos because we already thin as
>it is with our BIGS

Is Pau/Taj/Niko/Nazr not better than Taj/Nazr/Booz???.....If anything they are missing Deng who was a good rebounder & could defend multiple positions.

Because Naz gave us quality play off the bench on D...He only gave us 11 minutes per game. But he was VERY physical....And we had MUCH better spacing given that Marco Belinelli was a threat from outside which allowed our BIGS to operate more freely in the paint.

Our perimeter defense was also much better....We had Butler, Deng and a more productive Captain Kirk (who also shot 40 percent from the 3...)on defense on the perimeter....

So yeah...We were able to weather the storm because our perimeter defense was just as solid as out interior defense....And we had better 3 point shooting to keep teams honest (Hell, Nate Robinson was shooting 40 percent from 3 with the Bulls) and better all around rebounding (Deng, Taj, Boozer, and Jimmy B. but in work rebounding the ball)....

This year's Bulls team? Not the case...We just need to get healthy and pick up another bench guy that can bang...We will be OK...

And the schedule going to the AS break isn't easy.
That road trip....man.
Hope Noah can return healthy.

But yeah, there's still lots of season left.

above the likes of miami and brooklyn.

what a mess right now.

the ups and downs of the 82.

http://www.nba.com/2015/news/features/steve_aschburner/01/20/chicago-bulls-pass-cleveland-cavaliers-among-teams-to-worry-about-derrick-rose-tom-thibodeau-joakim-noah/index.html

"The first, best thing Chicago needs is to get back Joakim Noah and Mike Dunleavy, the two starters missing these days. Noah, the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year, in particular is missed for his pick-and-roll presence, his high-post facilitating of proper ball movement (that was lousy Monday) and his contagious energy. Frankly, even when he has played this season, parts of the above have been missing because of nagging knee and ankle ailments.

"This is what we have," Thibodeau said. "It's on us to figure it out. No one is coming in to save the day. We have to find the answer. And when we've had enough, we'll take care of it."

If Noah can get right in the way (LeBron) James has, if Dunleavy can make his duct-tape game available soon, the Bulls have plenty. And plenty of time.

They've been flat of late. Their signature second- and third-efforts were gallingly lacking against the Cavaliers. And then there's that communication problem Rose raised, which of course didn't exist -- it certainly didn't get talked about -- in December when they were going 13-2.

In another two weeks or maybe a month, coming out of the All-Star break, it won't get much attention again, most likely. This is the nature of the six-month, 82-game schedule. No one ever wants to peak before the playoffs, which means by definition a lot of teams play below their potential with 30 or 40 games left.

In a warped way, Chicago should be happy it has something tangible and demanding on which to focus, rather than -- like Indiana last season -- trying (and failing) to maintain that perfect line without a ripple all the way from November into June. Better to roll up one's sleeves figuratively and sweat for that "edge" than to be lulled onto the rocks."

>In a warped way, Chicago should be happy it has something
>tangible and demanding on which to focus, rather than -- like
>Indiana last season -- trying (and failing) to maintain that
>perfect line without a ripple all the way from November into
>June. Better to roll up one's sleeves figuratively and sweat
>for that "edge" than to be lulled onto the rocks."

the team is super annoying to watch right now but the above statement cannot be forgotten. the team hasn't come anywhere close to their ceiling. a month of full health can/will do wonders.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/chicago/play?id=12213523

@ the 2:35 mark

the discussion on this topic needs to end. dude isn't going anywhere.

(paxson also mentioned in this interview that they're pursuing ray allen)

he's also hit 22 of his last 40 3PFGAs.

JaMychal Green straight from the D-League on a 10 day contract outplayed him by a mile.

never seen anything like it. just a total disregard for effort.

And never thought I would want Dunleavy and his floor spacing back in the lineup as much as I do now.

U think that's what it is? That they don't give a fuck? lol

Nah...they have a very soft front court.

I know ya'll play down to your competition way too often but at least beat us. Cotdamn

And years of overachieving in the regular season has these dudes disinterested in January.

As a favorite to come out of the East they're getting everyone's best shot. Tough to watch them play with such entitlement.

>I know ya'll play down to your competition way too often but
>at least beat us. Cotdamn


The combined recipe of Rose playing like shit (and also not getting the calls going to the basket) and our front court playing very weak defensively....

I think Rose is just feeling the impact of playing his first half a season in tow and half years...So once he gets his legs back he will be okay. The bigger concern is his decision making at this point which has been off and on....Hopefully he will slow down a bit...

But our front court defense is alarming. I really don't believe that this is simply a case of us not playing with passion or energy...I believe we got to bring a bruiser on board to help on the bench.

That GS game sucked the soul out of him (and everyone else not named Jimmy.).

But yeah, he needs to play smarter. Need more assists and less three attempts asap

Front court needs to not get punked, too. Embarrassing to get dominated by Jordan fucking Hill, some dude Sacre, and Booozer's corpse.

>That GS game sucked the soul out of him (and everyone else
>not named Jimmy.).

Getting run out of the gym is not an issue for the Bulls. They have shown they can go bucket for bucket with most teams...

The issue is they r soft in the front court and Rose is playing pretty sloppy....But the front court issues are more alarming. They r allowing 3rd tier BIGS to muscle them inside...Whenever they lose against bad teams they get out rebounded and out muscled....

on my nerves now
he has really been playing dumb

i think we may.

and if dunleavy isn't playing anytime soon (he's not practicing), we need to make a deal. kirk should not be starting. it's possible that this team needs a mid-season rasheed wallace type pickup to give them some life.

but yeah, it's hard to watch these guys right now.

Yes...we r not a good team....And it's OK to admit it....

and that's Kirk...at least on D. Dude does some really DUMB stuff. Derrick is coasting and it's pissing me off. He plays hard for 3 games then takes 3 games off. And the whole team is going half speed like it's the thing to do.

Maybe Dunny was the perfect glue guy for us but still. Injuries never made us suck like this. And granted we are 30-20 but there's slumping and there's flawed.

I'm trying to be patient because I understand if they want to preserve energy for the post season. The elite teams have trended towards trying to win on talent for 65-75% of the season then getting into playoff form for the last 25-30 games in recent years but still...it's not what we're use to and I feel like it's building bad habits.

But back to D-Rose...I really feel like missing 2 seasons (and a post season) really hindered him in one very particular way...development. And he's trying to make up for 2 yrs off by getting it all in THIS season. The insistence on shooting the threes 5-7 times a game, the vet coasting and energy conservation, the turn up in the 4th or at the outset but not the entire game.

If he had been on the court the last 2 years, his 3 would probably be serviceable instead of forced, he'd have a much better gauge on when to use it and would understand that excessive use without being in rhythm/on hinders the O (especially when you're the primary ball handler).

His handle/drives are waaaay more turnover prone than they use to be which says he's not use to NBA traffic anymore AND that the league plays driving lanes a little better so you have to know how to maneuver them. He'd be more comfortable with these without the missed time.

And he RARELY makes an away from the ball play. If Jimmy or Kirk or Aaron has the ball, he'll fade somewhere at the top of the court or on the baselines and just sit there. He rarely cuts, crashes or sets an off ball screen. He should be involved in every play in some way.

And on D, some games he'll fight through picks, chest up on his defenders and play good position D. On these games his rotations on team D are better too. Other games he'll funnel his guy to the middle and expect the bigs to challenge but he doesn't rotate well enough to stop a break down in D and it usually results in a score either from the attacking player or a pass to the big our guys had to rotate off of or an open 3 because of the rotation to cover but Derrick doesn't adjust the D TO recover. I think this is where we miss Dunny most too because his length and IQ covered half of this up.

I feel like he's just trying to make it through the year healthy and to the playoffs. Like he doesn't want ANY injury (jammed thumb, tweaked ankle, general soreness lol) so he avoids a lot of contact. Which I get, but it's still frustrating to watch.

Next year I think he'll be much more comfortable and patient with his game.

As for Kirk, I just think dude is past his max usefulness for us. If we could find a suitable replacement, I'd be all for it but then the question becomes...who?

Here's to hoping my prediction about post-allstar break coming to fruition. But given the effort against Houston after having like 4 days off (hadn't played since Friday), I'm not so sure anymore.

>and that's Kirk...at least on D. Dude does some really DUMB
>stuff.

True....


>But back to D-Rose...I really feel like missing 2 seasons (and
>a post season) really hindered him in one very particular
>way...development. And he's trying to make up for 2 yrs off
>by getting it all in THIS season. The insistence on shooting
>the threes 5-7 times a game, the vet coasting and energy
>conservation, the turn up in the 4th or at the outset but not
>the entire game.

To tell u the truth I expected even more sluggish play from Rose after two years of being away from the NBA...What I didn't expect however is bad decision making....That's more troubling than dude not having the full Derrick Rose form back after being away....


>If he had been on the court the last 2 years, his 3 would
>probably be serviceable instead of forced, he'd have a much
>better gauge on when to use it and would understand that
>excessive use without being in rhythm/on hinders the O
>(especially when you're the primary ball handler).
>
>His handle/drives are waaaay more turnover prone than they use
>to be which says he's not use to NBA traffic anymore AND that
>the league plays driving lanes a little better so you have to
>know how to maneuver them. He'd be more comfortable with these
>without the missed time.
>
>And he RARELY makes an away from the ball play. If Jimmy or
>Kirk or Aaron has the ball, he'll fade somewhere at the top of
>the court or on the baselines and just sit there. He rarely
>cuts, crashes or sets an off ball screen. He should be
>involved in every play in some way.
>
>And on D, some games he'll fight through picks, chest up on
>his defenders and play good position D. On these games his
>rotations on team D are better too. Other games he'll funnel
>his guy to the middle and expect the bigs to challenge but he
>doesn't rotate well enough to stop a break down in D and it
>usually results in a score either from the attacking player or
>a pass to the big our guys had to rotate off of or an open 3
>because of the rotation to cover but Derrick doesn't adjust
>the D TO recover. I think this is where we miss Dunny most
>too because his length and IQ covered half of this up.
>
>I feel like he's just trying to make it through the year
>healthy and to the playoffs. Like he doesn't want ANY injury
>(jammed thumb, tweaked ankle, general soreness lol) so he
>avoids a lot of contact. Which I get, but it's still
>frustrating to watch.
>
>Next year I think he'll be much more comfortable and patient
>with his game.


>Here's to hoping my prediction about post-allstar break coming
>to fruition. But given the effort against Houston after
>having like 4 days off (hadn't played since Friday), I'm not
>so sure anymore.

Don't think that's going to happen....This is not a simple on-and-off switch...

Also I think we need to stop throwing around that "effort" word to explain why the Bulls r on a slide....It gives us comfort as Bulls fans. But i don't think that's what's happening here...

Pau, who has been great for us on offense and rebounding, is soul crushing on defense....Rose and Jimmy at times struggle to play with synergy...Our bench defense outside of Taj is dreadful. And we are depending on a player (Rose) to get back to vintage MVP form to lead us the Promise Land after two years off the court, which is silly in itself...

Nah...this isn't simply an effort thing...

>
>And he RARELY makes an away from the ball play. If Jimmy or
>Kirk or Aaron has the ball, he'll fade somewhere at the top of
>the court or on the baselines and just sit there. He rarely
>cuts, crashes or sets an off ball screen. He should be
>involved in every play in some way.

He NEEDS to be involved in every play. No different from Curry or Westbrook. His laziness has a significant trickle down effect.


>I feel like he's just trying to make it through the year
>healthy and to the playoffs. Like he doesn't want ANY injury
>(jammed thumb, tweaked ankle, general soreness lol) so he
>avoids a lot of contact. Which I get, but it's still
>frustrating to watch.

Yup.


>
>Here's to hoping my prediction about post-allstar break coming
>to fruition. But given the effort against Houston after
>having like 4 days off (hadn't played since Friday), I'm not
>so sure anymore.

We're halfway thru the year and this team has shown us that there only consistency is being inconsistent. The magical "on" switch does not apply to us. For this team to come out flat after a four day break says a lot.

I've NEVER seen a vet make as many dumb decisions as Manu.

basis. Kirk's PRIME value to us is on D and he's dumbing it up there now. If his J is broke, he's on Keith Bogans status for us.

>i think we may.
>
>and if dunleavy isn't playing anytime soon (he's not
>practicing), we need to make a deal. kirk should not be
>starting. it's possible that this team needs a mid-season
>rasheed wallace type pickup to give them some life.
>
>but yeah, it's hard to watch these guys right now.
>
>

If they turn it on after the allstar break and finish #2, then make a run to the ECF or Finals...I think he keeps his job.

If they continue to look like Indy from last year, end up #5 in the east and lose in the 1st or 2nd round, I think he's on rocky footing and they 'might' replace him.

chicago is 10th in off rtg and 5th in def rtg.

noah's last 10 games: 4+ off rbs 6x, 4+ assists 5x

snell's last 4 games: 15/25 from 3

roses's last 2 games: 53 pts, 2 TOs

pau: 14 straight dub dubs (14.5 rpg during the streak)

butler's last 5 before the injury: 26ppg 5rpg 3apg 3spg

righting the ship.

Love the confidence in Snell's game.
It'll be interesting to see what happens when Hinrich is healthy.

I dream of Kirk, salary fodder and a first making it happen.

>I dream of Kirk, salary fodder and a first making it happen.


The roadblock? Kirk would have to approve the trade, which is part of his contract...

Something tells me he would not want to spend his aging years on a sinking ship like the Nuggets in the West...

and I'm not sure I'd want to do that. Our interior D and depth would take a hit.

>and I'm not sure I'd want to do that. Our interior D and
>depth would take a hit.


Yeah...I wouldn't do that shit...at all....lol

But maybe the Bulls could try to get another team involved...Either way, Kirk, plus Snell and junk would be a steal for A.A. The fact that he can walk after a trade makes it easy to not include quality draft picks. If I'm the Bulls I try to get another team involved if Kirk balks....

November/December was fun.
Butler was great. Aaron Brooks was great.
Let me say it again, Butler was great. NEVER would have called that.
Gasol is such an improvement over Boozer.
#2 seed in the east.
Flashes of MVP Rose, but as I said before, he just needs to be ready by May/June.
I done TOLD y'all about Mirotic!

January (damn).
Less driving to the basket by Rose, more (missed) 3s.
Is Noah healthy?
Lost to Orlando.
Lost to Los Angeles.
Lost to Utah.
Anti-Thibs talk on level 8.
I thought the panic was premature.
Besides, (again) was Noah healthy?

February.
Funny, beating the Warriors/Cavs has silenced the anti-Thibs talk.
Tony Snell has had some great games of late. That's all I'm willing to say on that.
Amazing watching how having someone that can hit that shot effects the game.
Plus the Bulls hands down have the two worst nicknames in the NBA: Poohdini & Snelly Cat.
Noah looks healthy. Amazing how he effects a game when he can move.
I still think this team as constructed is a contender.
If healthy, I'd be disappointed if we didn't come out of the east.

What I want to see for the next 41 games?

More Snell minutes, even when Hinrich gets healthy.
Not sure how likely that will be given how much Thibs loves Hinrich/vets.
Right now, I don't think we're better than Atlanta.
I'm on the fence about whether we'd beat Washington in a series. 1-2 so far against the Wiz.
Plus their frontline? NOt sure about that.
More Rose distributing. I re-watched the Cleveland game, and it's amazing how he was able to find guys.
McDermott in garbage time. Wasn't he supposed to be NBA ready?

Next 5 games?

@ DET
PHX
MIL
CHA
MIN

4-1? Phoenix and Charlotte worry me.
It would be nice to tighten up that home record before March which starts with...

LAC
WAS
OKC

they need to win 5 or 6 of those. remind teams that coming into the UC in winter ain't nothing sweet.

so we should really be tightening the ship.

All I want to see is continuity. Get everyone healthy, settle on a consistent rotation, tighten the D up, keep the offense fluid and balanced and I'm good.

Rose = More drives (good drives), more ast, less TO's, better offensive IQ and effort on D. He looked good heading into the break, that's what I want to see for the rest of the season.

Pau = Better team D rotation, less looking around when a play breaks down.

Noah = Get/stay healthy, take more possessions away from Rose as the facilitator and TAKE that 15 footer he's reluctant to shoot. He use to hit it with SOME regularity but when he shies away from it, we're playing 4 on 5 on O.

Jimmy = Figure out how to play off of Rose more, keep the shoulder healthy

Dunny = Get his shot back/knock off the rust

Bench = Aaron keeps it up, Taj makes more of an impact, Snell continues to improve, Niko gets consistent minutes and PERFORMS in those minues, Kirk...Better decisions on D and hitting that J, Doug...keep developing. May be odd man out for the playoff run.

Thibs = learn to effectively rest your team on and away from the court.

^^^What I'd like to see down the stretch.

I hope Kirk ends up on the coaching staff someday, but Snell brings more to the table right now.

I think dude can be a wild card come playoff time. Meanwhile, while Kirk is Kurt.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-lK3tpVEAEvZfB.jpg:large

And I was having this thought last night. Snell needs to replace Kirk in the rotation.

Swap Kirk out for Aaron if you want more D at certain points but Tony's earned his PT at this point.

if there's another game this season when hinrich plays more minutes
than snell, thibs should be fired on the spot. dead ass serious.

i can't even blame kirk, it's thibs. kirk at 10 or 12 mpg is fine.
but no way in hell he should be averaging close to 30 mpg or be the
go-to crunchtime SG. it's insanity.

>if there's another game this season when hinrich plays more
>minutes
>than snell, thibs should be fired on the spot. dead ass
>serious.
>
>i can't even blame kirk, it's thibs. kirk at 10 or 12 mpg is
>fine.
>but no way in hell he should be averaging close to 30 mpg or
>be the
>go-to crunchtime SG. it's insanity.



^^^^^^^^^^^^

Derrick is prolly not coming back this season. And when he eventually does, we can't trust his body ever again.

What makes it especially tragic is, he had changed his game...a lot. The excessive 3's, reluctance to drive, when he did drive, it wasn't balls out MVP D. Rose type driving and he might have had 3-4 dunks all SEASON.

:(

Anywho? Dula? Random? Leroy? Murph? What now? How do we move forward and still try to compete for a title? Or do we take a few steps back, rebuild on the fly and try to net a replacement catalyst to compliment what we currently have? I think the obvious spot to place the contingency focus would be SF.

But who do we groom/target?

watch, theyre going to start playing a lot better down the stretch here.

I mean, we could make a solid run to the ECF with Pau as the primary but that's about it. More likely Tor or ATL beats us in round 2.

D-Rose wasn't the best player on the team this year and that was actually good because his 'threat' was enough to make us dangerous.

Remove that and we're better than last year but still not title contenders.

>I mean, we could make a solid run to the ECF with Pau as the
>primary but that's about it. More likely Tor or ATL beats us
>in round 2.
>
>D-Rose wasn't the best player on the team this year and that
>was actually good because his 'threat' was enough to make us
>dangerous.
>
>Remove that and we're better than last year but still not
>title contenders.

I disagree I think you are still title contenders. What rose was giving you this season isnt what was gonna push you over the top.

You guys are talking about stepping back and doing a slight rebuild.
Youre in a waaaaaay better position than a lot of teams.

You have 2-3 All star caliber players even without Rose. Butler, Pau, Noah
You still have a deep bench.
Mirotic and Snell still there.


if you want go after Rondo this summer. But the only hole you have is at pg.

Weve seen in recent nba history though that the star NBA pg isnt the key to the championship. Get a solid game manager pg and yoy guys are on your way.

>I disagree I think you are still title contenders. What rose
>was giving you this season isnt what was gonna push you over
>the top.

It's not what rose was giving us, it was his threat. He is the type of player that could explode for 30/9 on a given night. Go on a single handed run (has done it a handful of times this season). You have to prepare for him and his speed keeps opposing D's honest. Now? clamp down on Pau and Jimmy and we're not a threat to more talented teams.

>You guys are talking about stepping back and doing a slight
>rebuild.
>Youre in a waaaaaay better position than a lot of teams.
>
>You have 2-3 All star caliber players even without Rose.
>Butler, Pau, Noah
>You still have a deep bench.
>Mirotic and Snell still there.
>
>if you want go after Rondo this summer. But the only hole you
>have is at pg.
>
>Weve seen in recent nba history though that the star NBA pg
>isnt the key to the championship. Get a solid game manager pg
>and yoy guys are on your way.

Well, we were dealing with the hand we were dealt. But our team works with a game managing PG (so long as they can hit the 3) but you still need a catalyst. SF is the obvious spot for our team to net one (SG to a lesser extent...could move Jimmy to the 3). If we could steal Leonard away from the Spurs this summer that'd be a start but...we are capped out.

I dunno, I'm kinda fresh outta ideas right now but I'm thinking change is about to hit my team in waves.

Juts let snell and mirotic play...

the 2,3,4 will sort itslef out

>>I mean, we could make a solid run to the ECF with Pau as
>the
>>primary but that's about it. More likely Tor or ATL beats
>us
>>in round 2.
>>
>>D-Rose wasn't the best player on the team this year and that
>>was actually good because his 'threat' was enough to make us
>>dangerous.
>>
>>Remove that and we're better than last year but still not
>>title contenders.
>
>I disagree I think you are still title contenders. What rose
>was giving you this season isnt what was gonna push you over
>the top.



And I want what u r sniffing, homie....I did not have the Bulls beating a Western Conference team in the Finals. And it was still a toss up up that we would get pass Cleveland. But I was much more confident with Rose starting at point than I am with what we have now. And even when Rose was struggling with his shot he kept the opposing team honest and created more space for Pau and Jimmy to operate....He was the perfect decoy who still showed more than enough flashes of brilliance....

The bottom line is the Bulls are not a better team with Rose out of the lineup. In fact, this team will be pretty damn feisty and win some games. And may even win a 1st round series within the weak East. But we are NOT contenders....In the playoffs they are going to key on Pau and Jimmy. It is what it is...

The Bulls now have to get serious about the future. That means finding another offensive playmaker/anchor and restructuring this team.

Next season: Keep Noah, keep Niko, see what else u can get out of Pau, and give Jimmy his money as our no. 2 guy.

But everyone else we need to make serious decisions on...Including Rose, god bless him....We have to move on.

Here are the Bulls' numbers with & without Derrick Rose this season:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-sesxaXIAAUfE6.png

https://twitter.com/johnschuhmann/status/570583552653459456

>Here are the Bulls' numbers with & without Derrick Rose this
>season:
>
>https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-sesxaXIAAUfE6.png
>
>https://twitter.com/johnschuhmann/status/570583552653459456


The Bulls won a lot of games in the regular season without Rose...That's not the issue.....

It's what happens when we get into the playoffs. Either way, the Bulls gotta make some really tough decisions

in another post. The media chatter is even if Rose is able to come back this season the Bulls brass will not play him.

So now what happens?

Stephen A. Smith, who is a blowhard but has some reliable inside sources from his NBA beat days, says this is the open that the Bulls organization needs to part ways with Thibs. Once that happens we may see a revamping of this team....

What I would do?

Resign Butler at ANY cost....
See what more u can get out of Pau....
Keep the heart and soul of the Bulls Noah and the new kid Niko around....

But everyone else is expendable...Including (in a more limited capacity) Rose. It's time for this team to revamp. Because being a 1st round and out and depending on a tough, two-fisted, leave it out on the floor franchise player that is tragically injury prone is not smart....

so we should get a time table. The sentiment seems to be that it'll be a slight snip/repair as that was always a possibility (Westbrook kinda had to get a clean up after his issue last season too).

If it's 3-6 weeks like they're saying, that's great.

I suppose my initial sulking was due to it possibly being as bad a tear as last season. *crosses fingers and prays to Jesus...Shuttlesworth that it isn't*

>so we should get a time table. The sentiment seems to be
>that it'll be a slight snip/repair as that was always a
>possibility (Westbrook kinda had to get a clean up after his
>issue last season too).
>
>If it's 3-6 weeks like they're saying, that's great.
>
>I suppose my initial sulking was due to it possibly being as
>bad a tear as last season. *crosses fingers and prays to
>Jesus...Shuttlesworth that it isn't*

I wish I shared your optimism.....

I'm shook at the prospect of Rose coming back this season.....

25 minutes
0-7
Below average defense.

This guy better not see any run when everyone is healthy.

Tom Thibodeau - C - Bulls

Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report is reporting that Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau will likely be let go at the end of the season.

Bucher reports that Thibs is at odds with the Bulls front office and the expectation is that he'll be gone at the end of the year no matter how far the Bulls go in the playoffs. Thibodeau has two years left on the four-year extension he signed during the 2012-13 season, but it's starting to look like he won't be around to finish that contract.

What say ye?

Wins against teams like the Raptors last night while missing Rose, Butler & Gibson (limited minutes) always ALWAYS has me thinking, "If only we were healthy?" Being in the position the Bulls have been for the past 5 years, I really think that even in the most perfect situations, luck is a huge component to winning a ring. Like, more than I really anticipated.

I have a ton of respect for the Spurs organization due to their consistency and ability to develop players, but damn if they aren't lucky too.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/03/30/derrick-rose-returns-to-full-contact-at-practice/

Derrick Rose Takes Full Contact At Practice
March 30, 2015 12:59 PM

(CBS) In a crucial step to his return, Bulls point guard Derrick Rose took full contact and scrimmaged at practice Monday for the first time since his Feb. 27 surgery to remove the torn portion of his right medial meniscus.

Rose’s full contact came in a four-on-four scrimmage, as the Bulls rested Pau Gasol, Mike Dunleavy, Kirk Hinrich and Aaron Brooks. Rose was aggressive but needs to improve his conditioning, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said.

“Some good,” Thibodeau said. “A little winded, which is to be expected. It was body on body, full court. It’ll come. The more he does that, the faster it’ll come.

“Physically, he feels good.”

Since the surgery, Rose has maintained he’ll return this season. The team gave him a timetable of four to six weeks to return after the surgery, and last Friday was the four-week mark. The Bulls have expressed a desire for him to get some regular-season action in so he’ll be more prepared for the playoffs. Assuming no setbacks, it often takes a week or two for a player to return to game action after taking full contact.

The deciding factor on a return will be completely how Rose feels.

“Ultimately, he’s got to feel comfortable,” Thibodeau said. “Can’t put him out there if he’s not comfortable.”

The Bulls have eight regular-season games left before the postseason starts on April 18. Chicago plays at Milwaukee on Wednesday, hosts Detroit on Friday and is at Cleveland on Sunday.

“He needs some practice time where he’s taking contact on it,” Thibodeau said of when Rose may return.

“We just take it day by day. We can’t jump ahead.”

Rose has played in 46 of Chicago’s 74 games this season, as he’s also dealt with ankle and hamstring injuries. He’s averaging 18.4 points on 40.7 percent shooting.

The Bulls (45-29) are currently in third in the East.

https://theyawningchasm.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/groundhog-day-poster.jpg

and they put him in Friday's game to prep for Sunday's.

Give him limited minutes (20-25) the first 3-4 games and then extend them to 27-31 for the last 3. He'll probably hit his stride in round 2 so hopefully we land the Bucks as I think we could beat them fairly easily without him at full throttle.

with KD out and OKC getting bounced in Round 1...D Rose is all I got left.

CHICAGO -- For the first time since having a meniscectomy on his right knee on Feb. 27, Derrick Rose participated in a full contact five-on-five scrimmage during Tuesday's practice. "He's just got to string some practices together," Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "Yesterday we established a baseline, and keep building from there. It's just steady progress. He's got to continue to build. He's got a long way to go, and we have to focus in on what our team needs to do so that's first and foremost right now."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/chi-derrick-rose-scrimmages-20150331-story.html

There are myriad ways to measure the supreme confidence and optimism emanating from the Bulls these days, from Derrick Rose scrimmaging hard for a second straight day Tuesday to the depth that has developed through the various injuries to the health that appears to be taking hold for the stretch run.

But Taj Gibson's attitude, featuring simultaneous competitiveness and selflessness, is as good a place to start as any.

"I didn't want to be on his team," Gibson said, smiling, about beating Rose in the scrimmage. "I wanted to be against him."

Though the scrimmage didn't feature a traditional format of first unit vs. second unit, the fact Rose's team didn't win further showcased the Bulls' depth. That's the same depth that has kept the team-first Gibson on the bench behind rookie Nikola Mirotic in recent fourth quarters despite Gibson leading the NBA in fourth-quarter minutes last season.

"If you look at our front line, we have a bunch of guys who can basically start anywhere," Gibson said. "We understand what it takes. We understand we're trying to win a championship. So sacrifices are going to be made from top to bottom. It's about the ultimate goal, and that's winning.

"At the beginning of the year, Niko did the same thing. Pau (Gasol) did it at times. Joakim (Noah) did it at times. You have to understand you're playing for a great team. You can't be worrying about the "me" aspect. You have to be worried about the team. Basketball is a team sport. I've been around for awhile. I'm happy to see guys doing well and to be a part of it."

Thibodeau said barring setback, Rose will play vs. Magic.

https://twitter.com/KCJHoop/status/585798591228280832


Rose will play around 20 minutes.

https://twitter.com/KCJHoop/status/585799000483311616


Thibodeau even said because of low minutes, Rose can do back to back and play in Miami.

https://twitter.com/KCJHoop/status/585798895290187776

the top teams in the West, and a tier behind the Cavs. And a lot of this has to do with guys being in and out of the lineup all year. The cohesion goes missing for long stretches on both ends. You don't see that from the Spurs, Warriors, Cavs, etc.

Derrick's going to need to be really fucking good and any restrictions he has will have to be lifted first round.

I'm still somewhat optimistic, though. We just have some work to do in a limited amount of time. Meanwhile, these other teams have been on the same page for months.

I don't have confidence we can beat the Wizards in 7 games.
Not the way we're playing now.
I'm hoping we can regain 3rd again.

I don't trust us against a motivated Wizards team.

>I don't have confidence we can beat the Wizards in 7 games.
>Not the way we're playing now.
>I'm hoping we can regain 3rd again.


If the Bulls get the 3 seed wouldn't they be playing the Cavs in the 2nd round? I don't want or like that matchup that early.

>I don't have confidence we can beat the Wizards in 7 games.
>Not the way we're playing now.
>I'm hoping we can regain 3rd again.


We struggled against a lottery bound Orlando team. I can def. see why u don't want the Bulls to meet up against the Wizards in the playoffs....

I'm going to root for this team no matter what. But I am now resigned to the fact that the Bulls are not a true contending team....

Too many issues with team continuity and our defense becoming alarmingly soft...Add the fact that our second/third best offensive player is a rookie who has to share time at the PF position because we are desperate for a defensive presence inside, and you got the makings of a very uneven squad...

I want to see what we do this year in the 'Offs...I'm glad to see D. Rose trying to make it back out there. Shows guts. But after this season we got to make the kind of changes that may make Bulls fans unhappy...

For numerous reasons, the Bulls haven't played like contenders all season.

My only hope is that we face Milwaukee in the first round, everybody plays to their potential while tightening up defensively, and then we take the matchup against Cleveland personal and pull the upset.

It could happen, but I've been tempering my expectations for a Championship since shortly after the All Star Break. Doesn't seem to be the year for the Bulls but they've got a bright future and hopefully can make it through next season without being held back by injuries.

i think if Jimmy can hit the ground running
that can help with the chemistry issues

Nikola coming into his own is something i wouldnt discount either

but yeah

or Mil/Clev/ATL (or Tor)?

That's basically the path's we're looking at.

I think I'd prefer that 4 seed. We owe Wash, ATL is banged up (Thabo and Carroll) and I'd rather face Clev when Rose has more time under his belt. He looked good Saturday in 28 mins (22pts, 8ast, 0 TO's), wasn't passive on the drives, only took 5 threes (which is still probably 1 too many for my tastes, unless he hits 2 but he only hit 1). Having the last 2 regular season games, some good practice time and anywhere from 8-14 games before seeing Clev is much better IMO. That'd give him about a month or so more of playing before we had to try and topple Clev.

The team is getting healthy and with all bodies on deck at the right time now, I'm kinda excited for the playoffs. We might not be as high as a favorite to win the East as we were to start the year but we are the most dangerous dark horse in the league IMO.

How y'all feeling about the end of the season?

I always thought the Bucks would be the team, but I think we need a test before facing the ultimate test (Cleveland). We clearly aren't interested in trying against sub .500 teams. We would get up for the Wiz. Plus, the payback angle is real.

Get into a real playoff series off the bat. Force Derrick to be aggressive from the start. No time to be lackadaisical. Trial by fire type shit.

And then ATL isn't a cakewalk either and would be a good 'trial' run at a Spurs type team (because I actually think SA is going to come out the west now).

Two tough, long series (at least 6 games each) and then get the matchup we expected.

They are good, but healthy/balling Derrick = we have the best player in the series. Plus, we are just as deep.

Would be a great series.

>They are good, but healthy/balling Derrick = we have the best
>player in the series.

The Bulls best chance of beating ATL is to pound them inside w/ Pau/Joakim/Taj.

I would be surprised if the 2015 version of D-Rose dominates Teague let alone being the best player in the series.

Specifically Nene.

Jimmy isn't the best guarding faster 2s like Beal.

More than anything, the Wizards ALWAYS come to play against us.

I'm trying to look at it one round at a time. I think we can beat Milwaukee in 5 games.
I don't have that same confidence against washington.
Plus, I really only think Rose needs one round to "be ready".

>Specifically Nene.
>
>Jimmy isn't the best guarding faster 2s like Beal.
>
>More than anything, the Wizards ALWAYS come to play against
>us.
>
>I'm trying to look at it one round at a time. I think we can
>beat Milwaukee in 5 games.
>I don't have that same confidence against washington.
>Plus, I really only think Rose needs one round to "be ready".


^^^^correct answer...

and Jimmy can do a good job on him if he doesn't have to focus on Wall.

It ain't like we can run from anyone so Nene having a good series doesn't worry me. Plus he'll be trying to go over more height this year with Pau now. And this team beat us last year so there's that.

The question you have to ask is, Clev in the 2nd or Wash in the 1st.

I like our chances with homecourt against the Wiz...I feel a lot less confident going into Clev in the 2nd with Rose just 2-3 weeks in to his return.

>and Jimmy can do a good job on him if he doesn't have to
>focus on Wall.
>
>It ain't like we can run from anyone so Nene having a good
>series doesn't worry me. Plus he'll be trying to go over more
>height this year with Pau now. And this team beat us last
>year so there's that.
>
>The question you have to ask is, Clev in the 2nd or Wash in
>the 1st.
>
>I like our chances with homecourt against the Wiz...I feel a
>lot less confident going into Clev in the 2nd with Rose just
>2-3 weeks in to his return.


It's all up in the air with this Bulls team....

They also lost Booker/Ariza during the offseason after they both played a big part in defeating the Bulls. Humphries/Pierce have been okay but it's still a downgrade & Beal is struggling w/ injuries. Overall, the Wiz are worse than they were last season & the Bulls are better thus I would favor the Bulls esp. w/ homecourt advantage.

We have a matchup advantage at pretty much every position, but this series is all about Derrick. Derrick needs to play a bunch of minutes. Derrick needs to be the best player on the court. Not trying to lose to LeBron in five again. It's all about Derrick.

And Noah needs to be healthy as well.

We know what we're getting from everyone else. And that alone won't be enough in round two.

Derrick!

Not sure why but it is...

https://instagram.com/p/1uHYxQxh3j/?taken-by=meganmawicke

Dude has been a negative out there thus far. He used to dominate the Bucks smallish front line. Now he isn't a factor.

Team turnovers
Joakim on the floor: 62 in 144 minutes; 20.6 turnovers per 48
Joakim off the floor: 12 in 58 minutes; 9.9 turnovers per 48

Team scoring/defense
Joakim On: 97.4 offense / 101.8 defense / -4.5 per 100
Joakim Off: 114.3 offense / 81.9 defense / +32.4 per 100
Joakim Net: -16.9 offense / -19.9 defense / -36.9 net per 100

http://www.blogabull.com/2015/4/27/8501853/second-chance-points-joakim-noah-is-killing-the-bulls

Never knew Chris Hayes was down for the cause.

Some real, truthful insight here. Pretty sure we're all feeling the same way.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-lowe-post-podcast-chris-hayes-on-the-bulls-and-how-to-make-the-nba-more-watchable/

Or:

D MOTHERFUCKER D

To be a true fan you must swallow loses like this and still rep. I like that we have a small contingent that have pretty stark allegiance to the bulls organization and not just to players.

It's a blessing and a curse because it makes us easy targets,

I digress,

A good season, hate to see my beloved Rojo go out like that. In the end I still ride for my red black and white. I take the following from this series.

1. Rose had the first stretch of continuous great play I have seen in years, regardless of the outcome.

2. The bulls finally had a big man who can score, but lack of role players killed us. There is no reason for there to be only one dependable 3 point shooter on a conference final contender, none.

3. Noah (what's left of him) is playing out of position. Whatever the contract says, whatever the way the money shakes out. he is, management must find a solution.

4. Butler's contract will give the bulls one of the most expensive backcourt in the league. poetic justice for a team that loves small forwards and centers.

5 As much as I hate LBJ and him constantly beating my beloved. I am really glad to see Cleveland getting the shine it deserves, they really had heartbreakers the first go-round. so I can't be mad at a city getting its due.

6. Thibs is gone, not because he isn't a great coach, but because he only knows one way, he was years ahead of the league in PNR defense, but that shit is old now. The league caught up, and its no longer an advantage. If he would have been more flexible we wouldn't be at this point. I just don't trust Gar to find another coach with innovative idea's his head is too far up his ass, and his ass is too far planted in Iowa...

As I said on this board for much of the year, the Bulls will never win a championship if they continue their heavy reliance on D. Rose to be their primary scorer. Too many questions on his future health....

But even more than that is the way the Bulls r constructed. Rose works very well as your no. 1 IF u have a post game to keep teams honest. The Bulls have no such post game. So what u r left with is a stagnant offense that only clicks when our 6'3 PG is attacking the basket. But when u have no post game that paint becomes packed then scoring becomes that much harder....Rose is NOT a consistent enough 3 point shooter to run that style of offense.....

This is not about pulling the same mindless blame game we see on this board time after time....It's the way the Bulls are constructed. When u don't have a post game and your PG's main strength is slashing to the basket u get a massive L like last night....

If I'm the Bulls I do the following.....

--Thibs is gone....So we need to go after a coach that allows more freedom and a faster pace on offense...I would start with Mark Jackson and work my way down the list...

--Move Noah. He's the Bulls most valuable player not named Rose. If the Bulls want to continue to be a possessed defensive team who leaves it all out on the floor, cool. But if we want to have a more balanced attack we gotta make some serious changes. Starting with moving Noah, who is viewed as the heart and soul of the team. I love Noah. But there is a glaring issue when we couldn't even take advantage of a string of mismatches we had....There were 6'7-6'8 forwards and guards sticking Noah.

And yet we couldn't make Cleveland pay because of Noah's ineptness on the offensive end. Noah is tough, man. Plays the right way. Defends like a mad man. And rebounds his ass off. But we need a different type of BIG MAN....A Rasheed Wallace, Al Horford, L. Aldrige type...A big man that can bang and shoot the 14-15 foot jumper.....

--Resign Butler....Give dude his money. He's only going to get better....


Revamp the bench....and take the leash off of Niko....That's all I got for now...

Thoughts?

Anyone know if he's bringing his entire staff from Iowa State?
Or is the Bulls FO going to hire a defensive minded assistant?