Hate to think that the Bulls are better off without their most expensive off-season acquistion, but it often looks that way. It has certainly looked that way during the past few games with Boozer going out with what seemed like a minor ankle turn. They move the ball better on offense and both Taj and Big Sexy are certainly better defenders. Boozer is a bit of a Black Hole offensively. He slowly pivots and then holds the ball for several seconds before doing something, and all too often what he decides to do is either take a fade away jumper or cause a turnover.
Hard to complain about the Bulls when they are tied for the one seed in the East! Clearly this is above expectation. Thibs should be a lock for coach of the year. Rose is looking legit for MVP, although I still have some doubts about whether he deserves it. Regardless, both Rose and the Bulls are playing very well right now and just before playoffs is a great time to be able to say that.
The bench have been the real heroes lately. Everyone on the second unit has been rock solid during the past few weeks. Not that the starters have been bad either. Bogans has clearly upped his game lately, and even my favorite-Bull-to-bash, Mr Deng, has played extremely well.
So why am I still not certain that the Bulls could win even a first round playoff series? The playoffs are just a different level of intensity and I wonder how flawed players like Deng and Boozer will hold up there. Not to be a pessimist, because the Bulls are in a great position right now and they can realistically beat any team in a series. I could not have said that early in the year, but they have proven that they can play with anyone.
They clearly have momentum and esprit de corps. Even Scalabrine (who I have to sometimes blink my eyes because I see Jackie Moon on the court when he comes in) has shown some true leadership. Bulls fans get a free Big Mac when the Bulls win a home game and score more than 100 points. However, the NBA also has an etiquette where teams don't try to score with the game in hand with less than 24 seconds left. So, the Bulls found themselves in the uncomfortable situation where they had a sure win with 98 points and got the ball with 21 seconds left. Of course the home crowd was screaming for a basket but Scalabrine demanded the ball and held it to the end. Then he followed up with an apologetic Twitter tweet to the fans for not getting them a sandwich. That's the veteran savvy that takes away the pressure from the guys who actually win the games!
A bit early to predict playoff seedings, but the one and two spots are clearly looking better than number three. The three seed will most likely face New York, or a suddenly hot Philadelphia, while the one or two will most likely see Charlotte or Indiana or whoever starts to fade in the stretch.
Showing posts with label Carlos Boozer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carlos Boozer. Show all posts
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Still Looking For an SG
First, let's recap the Bulls ineptitude in getting a shooting guard. Last season they gave away two SGs (Salmons and Hinrich) and then paid a lot of money for three SGs who are all worse than the two they gave away. The Bulls would love to have a Dr. Frankenstein create one good SG by combining the best traits of their three flawed ones, but instead they will have to look for a trade. Just to make things even more idiotic, one of their main trade targets, JR Smith, is another guy the Bulls once gave away for nothing.
Sigh. It's depressing to discuss these trade possibilities, but let's get to it. I'm not crazy about Smith, even though he is a good 3 point shooter, and that is our biggest need. The main reason the Bulls threw him away in the first place is because he is a bit daffy and not the greatest locker room presence. Which brings me to Stephen Jackson, another guy who gets traded a lot because no one really likes him. He's the best all-around scorer among the candidates though. OJ Mayo is another possibility. After starting for the Grizzlies for his first two years in the league, he's now firmly planted on the bench. He is a young player with the most potential in this list, but he's more of a "score off the dribble" type of guy and the Bulls need a spot-up jump shooter to knock down open looks when Rose drives the lane and takes three guys with him. Jamal Crawford, another ex-Bull who we couldn't wait to get rid of at one time, is now back on the Bulls' radar. He's coming off a Sixth Man of the Year award and can score lots of points at times, but he's pretty limited and another player with some baggage.
Another target is JJ Redick, because the Bulls seemingly can't resist Duke players (I'd bet money they'll draft Singler next year if he's available to them). Or maybe they are just fascinated with players who go by two initials instead of a first name? Redick was their first choice over the summer but he spurned them for Orlando, who overpaid to resign him. Now Orlando has pulled off a blockbuster trade that has pulled in plenty of scorers but leaving them without a backup big man, so they would love to have someone like Taj. With Noah out the Bulls desperately need Taj as well, so even though Redick is likely to be traded it remains to be seen if the Bulls finally get him.
Of course it is getting to be the time of year when everyone talks about Carmelo Anthony being traded. He's firmly a 3, and not a 2, but with a real scorer at SF, instead of Deng, the Bulls might be able to live with their SG by committee. Current rumors have him going to NJ though. And if we are looking for scoring 3's, we could add Iguodala and Gerald Wallace to the mix. While I like both of them better than Deng (actually, there are few starting 3's in the league I like less than Deng) the Bulls would have to think hard about team chemistry before swapping for either.
Despite being well out in first place in a weak division, the Bulls are not playing well and will not go far in the playoffs with this team. The good news is that Boozer is shooting better and Noah will eventually be back. If they could somehow manage to get an upgrade at the 2 or 3 then their outlook should improve.
Sigh. It's depressing to discuss these trade possibilities, but let's get to it. I'm not crazy about Smith, even though he is a good 3 point shooter, and that is our biggest need. The main reason the Bulls threw him away in the first place is because he is a bit daffy and not the greatest locker room presence. Which brings me to Stephen Jackson, another guy who gets traded a lot because no one really likes him. He's the best all-around scorer among the candidates though. OJ Mayo is another possibility. After starting for the Grizzlies for his first two years in the league, he's now firmly planted on the bench. He is a young player with the most potential in this list, but he's more of a "score off the dribble" type of guy and the Bulls need a spot-up jump shooter to knock down open looks when Rose drives the lane and takes three guys with him. Jamal Crawford, another ex-Bull who we couldn't wait to get rid of at one time, is now back on the Bulls' radar. He's coming off a Sixth Man of the Year award and can score lots of points at times, but he's pretty limited and another player with some baggage.
Another target is JJ Redick, because the Bulls seemingly can't resist Duke players (I'd bet money they'll draft Singler next year if he's available to them). Or maybe they are just fascinated with players who go by two initials instead of a first name? Redick was their first choice over the summer but he spurned them for Orlando, who overpaid to resign him. Now Orlando has pulled off a blockbuster trade that has pulled in plenty of scorers but leaving them without a backup big man, so they would love to have someone like Taj. With Noah out the Bulls desperately need Taj as well, so even though Redick is likely to be traded it remains to be seen if the Bulls finally get him.
Of course it is getting to be the time of year when everyone talks about Carmelo Anthony being traded. He's firmly a 3, and not a 2, but with a real scorer at SF, instead of Deng, the Bulls might be able to live with their SG by committee. Current rumors have him going to NJ though. And if we are looking for scoring 3's, we could add Iguodala and Gerald Wallace to the mix. While I like both of them better than Deng (actually, there are few starting 3's in the league I like less than Deng) the Bulls would have to think hard about team chemistry before swapping for either.
Despite being well out in first place in a weak division, the Bulls are not playing well and will not go far in the playoffs with this team. The good news is that Boozer is shooting better and Noah will eventually be back. If they could somehow manage to get an upgrade at the 2 or 3 then their outlook should improve.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
December Recap
Bulls' annual circus trip was surprisingly successful this year. They wound up 4-3, including a great OT win over Phoenix. Taj had some outstanding games and both Rose and Noah accomplished their strengths. Then the Bulls started December with Carlos Boozer finally in the lineup, surprising Deng so much that he actually ran onto the court when they tried to introduce Boozer -- "6'9" from Duke". Unfortunately Boozer looks awful and the Bulls racked up a pair of bad losses against Orlando and Boston.
Since then the Bulls have strung together a nice little four game winning streak, even though they've played horribly for stretches in each game. They did their best to play down to the level of Houston and Cleveland. And they were fortunate enough to catch OK City and the Lakers on off-nights. Despite this, they are showing some determination and Rose is proving he can hit big shots, including a dramatic buzzer beater against Houston that saved the Bulls from a bad loss. More impressively, he hit some big shots down the stretch against the Lakers. Despite some bad turnover numbers, Rose has got to be a leading candidate for NBA player of the month.
As for the rest of the team, Noah is doing his bit, although he's had some off nights lately. Deng is still Deng, but he has not been as egregiously bad as usual. The fact that Thibs has taught him that he can get a whole extra point from a basket if he just steps back nine inches has been huge. Korver is clearly a streaky shooter, but at least we have someone with some range. Brewer is clumsy, but scrappy and athletic. Bogans is still starting, but his minutes are way down. Unless he starts hitting more 3's his time on the bench will remain high. Asik and Watson have their obvious flaws but both have done a decent job with their limited roles. And Thibs seems to have given up on putting either Johnson or Scalabrine into a game.
My wife tells me that Boozer is my new Deng and there is plenty to criticize about his play. He's lazy on rotations and often seems either lost or careless on defense. Aside from one game, he's had minimal impact on the offense. He doesn't even rebound that well. Still, I'm reserving judgment until he gets a few more games under him. I know he can score and Thibs should be able to teach him a bit of defense (although it is scary if Jerry Sloan did not). The Bulls need an improved Boozer if they are going to do anything in the playoffs this year, and right now Taj is out-playing him.
Putting together a few wins and finally beating the Lakers has got to have the Bulls buoyed up. They are definitely a work in progress but it's nice to see them actually leading their weak division (although they only have the sixth best record in the East). Their record puts them just behind the Knicks (!!!) making their Christmas match-up something to look forward to.
Since then the Bulls have strung together a nice little four game winning streak, even though they've played horribly for stretches in each game. They did their best to play down to the level of Houston and Cleveland. And they were fortunate enough to catch OK City and the Lakers on off-nights. Despite this, they are showing some determination and Rose is proving he can hit big shots, including a dramatic buzzer beater against Houston that saved the Bulls from a bad loss. More impressively, he hit some big shots down the stretch against the Lakers. Despite some bad turnover numbers, Rose has got to be a leading candidate for NBA player of the month.
As for the rest of the team, Noah is doing his bit, although he's had some off nights lately. Deng is still Deng, but he has not been as egregiously bad as usual. The fact that Thibs has taught him that he can get a whole extra point from a basket if he just steps back nine inches has been huge. Korver is clearly a streaky shooter, but at least we have someone with some range. Brewer is clumsy, but scrappy and athletic. Bogans is still starting, but his minutes are way down. Unless he starts hitting more 3's his time on the bench will remain high. Asik and Watson have their obvious flaws but both have done a decent job with their limited roles. And Thibs seems to have given up on putting either Johnson or Scalabrine into a game.
My wife tells me that Boozer is my new Deng and there is plenty to criticize about his play. He's lazy on rotations and often seems either lost or careless on defense. Aside from one game, he's had minimal impact on the offense. He doesn't even rebound that well. Still, I'm reserving judgment until he gets a few more games under him. I know he can score and Thibs should be able to teach him a bit of defense (although it is scary if Jerry Sloan did not). The Bulls need an improved Boozer if they are going to do anything in the playoffs this year, and right now Taj is out-playing him.
Putting together a few wins and finally beating the Lakers has got to have the Bulls buoyed up. They are definitely a work in progress but it's nice to see them actually leading their weak division (although they only have the sixth best record in the East). Their record puts them just behind the Knicks (!!!) making their Christmas match-up something to look forward to.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Boozer and Waiting on LeBron
Most of the big free agents have committed by now. Wade and Bosh to Miami. Stoudemire to the Knicks. Johnson and Gay resign with their former teams. Durant signed a long contract extension. LeBron will announce his decision tomorrow on ESPN.
Oh, and the Clippers got Vinny Del Negro.
It was looking a bit grim for the Bulls, but at least they got Carlos Boozer, someone they've been after for a year now. He's a good rebounder and has some offensive skills. He's definitely someone we can use, but certainly not one of the top tier free agents.
Of course we're not out of the LeBron sweepstakes yet, but it isn't looking great. It doesn't help that he's going to make the announcement near New York. Outside of whatever LeBron does, everyone will say that Miami won the free agent derby, but unless they get LeBron or start signing a bunch of useful role players, the Bulls don't have to fear the Heat. Bosh is a bit of an over-rated player, and not a great defender. I'd say the same, but even more so, for Stoudemire. Both of them are also now a bit over-paid, so I'm not upset at losing out at them.
Even assuming no LeBron, the Bulls can still improve by picking up a shooting guard. Ray Allen hasn't committed yet, but he's only going to be good for a year or two. I would like to see them make a run at David Lee. I may be crazy, but I think he and Boozer could play together, with one of them at the 3 spot. Of course I've said for years that the Bulls must get rid of Deng.
On the other hand, there is always next year and Carmelo Anthony to slide into the 3 spot. He actually has the perfect game to fit in with the other Bull players. You hate to say wait until next year when so much hope was put on this year, but that may be the best plan.
If LeBron goes to the Bulls I will forgive him for arranging a one hour ESPN special to make his declaration, but if not, it will be very easy to hate him for this. I think he may also have set a record for having the most followers on Twitter without making a single tweet.
Oh, and the Clippers got Vinny Del Negro.
It was looking a bit grim for the Bulls, but at least they got Carlos Boozer, someone they've been after for a year now. He's a good rebounder and has some offensive skills. He's definitely someone we can use, but certainly not one of the top tier free agents.
Of course we're not out of the LeBron sweepstakes yet, but it isn't looking great. It doesn't help that he's going to make the announcement near New York. Outside of whatever LeBron does, everyone will say that Miami won the free agent derby, but unless they get LeBron or start signing a bunch of useful role players, the Bulls don't have to fear the Heat. Bosh is a bit of an over-rated player, and not a great defender. I'd say the same, but even more so, for Stoudemire. Both of them are also now a bit over-paid, so I'm not upset at losing out at them.
Even assuming no LeBron, the Bulls can still improve by picking up a shooting guard. Ray Allen hasn't committed yet, but he's only going to be good for a year or two. I would like to see them make a run at David Lee. I may be crazy, but I think he and Boozer could play together, with one of them at the 3 spot. Of course I've said for years that the Bulls must get rid of Deng.
On the other hand, there is always next year and Carmelo Anthony to slide into the 3 spot. He actually has the perfect game to fit in with the other Bull players. You hate to say wait until next year when so much hope was put on this year, but that may be the best plan.
If LeBron goes to the Bulls I will forgive him for arranging a one hour ESPN special to make his declaration, but if not, it will be very easy to hate him for this. I think he may also have set a record for having the most followers on Twitter without making a single tweet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)