One of my two least favorite Bulls is about to be an ex-Bull. During the Atlanta game, Tyrus Thomas lost what infinitesimal amount of composure he has and launched a profanity tirade at Vinny. Note to Tyrus -- swearing at your head coach during a game is not the best way to increase your playing time. Vinny had little choice but to suspend him for one game (which they won).
So now Tyrus is almost assured to be an ex-Bull before too long. It's no secret that the Bulls have been trying to trade him for quite some time and have not gotten much in the way of offers. This recent incident will only lessen his already low trade value. But at least he will go! If they can't trade him, I expect they will simply release him.
Let's flashback to the 2006 draft for a laugh. Bulls had the second pick, and I, along with almost everyone else on the planet, expected them to pick LaMarcus Aldridge. I was tempted by Brandon Roy and Rudy Gay, who in retrospect look like the best picks in that draft, but I was settled on Aldridge. And so, when the Bulls picked Aldridge, I was satisfied. But then they immediately swapped with Portland, who took Tyrus Thomas with the next pick. At first I had flashbacks to the awful draft-day Elton Brand for Tyson Chandler swap, but I was hoping that the Bulls had done their homework this time and really got the athletic stud they claimed they had in Tyrus.
It very soon became very apparent that the Bulls most definitely did not do their homework. Yes, Tyrus is an athletic marvel, but he's also a hyper-emotional idiot who is completely devoid of both common sense and basketball talent. Meanwhile, Aldridge, after an excellent rookie season, has proven to be the outstanding front court player the Bulls so very desperately need.
As far as dumping Tyrus in a trade, I expect the Bulls only chance it to include him as a package deal with a good player, such as Hinrich. Lots of rumors have these two going to Boston for Ray Allen and his large expiring contract. If the Bulls could somehow manage to include Tyrus with Deng, that would be my dream trade! I'm also all for the plan of dumping players for expiring contracts and targeting either Dwayne Wade or Joe Johnson in free agency next year.
Bulls seem to have stepped back over that thin line between winning and losing and are back to their usual fourth quarter collapse script. It doesn't help that Noah is hurt. All-Star break is a perfect opportunity to trade and heal.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Fine Line Between Winning and Losing
Bulls played very well for three quarters versus New Orleans, and then started their usual fourth quarter collapse. They lost the lead, but they didn't completely fold. They played just well enough to stay within striking distance. And then they caught a huge break.
With seconds remaining and the Bulls down by two without the Ball, New Orleans inbounded from the backcourt with the Bulls furiously pressing. They tried to toss it up to Paul in the frontcourt, but the pass was led too far and Paul bravely tried to save it inbounds by diving into the crowd, injuring himself in the process. He did save it, but the Bulls got it back. Bulls raced down court, and Rose got a short, contested shot, which missed, but Deng had an easy put-back at the buzzer.
Paul tried to play in overtime, but it was clear that he was injured and had to leave (and now it looks like he will be out over a month). New Orleans still had a chance to win at the end of OT, but backup point guard Collison ended the game with a turnover. A lucky win for the Bulls, but the point is that they put themselves in position to catch a break, and they weren't doing that a few weeks ago.
Basically, they are shooting better and playing a bit better defense. Also, they are making a few less mistakes. Not drastic changes mind you, but just enough to turn them into a team that wins slightly more games than they lose.
Rose makes the All-Star team. A month ago, I wouldn't have voted for him, but he has definitely played well enough to be an All-Star during the last month. He's looking for his shot more and hitting it. He's still weak on defense, but Vinny has been wise about giving Hinrich the tougher guard to defend, so Rose has not looked bad there. During the New Orleans game, they flashed a graphic to have people vote for which point guard they would prefer to anchor their franchise -- Rose or Paul. I would still opt for Paul, even though Rose has outplayed him during the past month and I believe he will still improve. Rose is a better athlete, but Paul is smarter and that is more valuable. I'm still overjoyed to have an All-Star point guard on the Bulls though!
With seconds remaining and the Bulls down by two without the Ball, New Orleans inbounded from the backcourt with the Bulls furiously pressing. They tried to toss it up to Paul in the frontcourt, but the pass was led too far and Paul bravely tried to save it inbounds by diving into the crowd, injuring himself in the process. He did save it, but the Bulls got it back. Bulls raced down court, and Rose got a short, contested shot, which missed, but Deng had an easy put-back at the buzzer.
Paul tried to play in overtime, but it was clear that he was injured and had to leave (and now it looks like he will be out over a month). New Orleans still had a chance to win at the end of OT, but backup point guard Collison ended the game with a turnover. A lucky win for the Bulls, but the point is that they put themselves in position to catch a break, and they weren't doing that a few weeks ago.
Basically, they are shooting better and playing a bit better defense. Also, they are making a few less mistakes. Not drastic changes mind you, but just enough to turn them into a team that wins slightly more games than they lose.
Rose makes the All-Star team. A month ago, I wouldn't have voted for him, but he has definitely played well enough to be an All-Star during the last month. He's looking for his shot more and hitting it. He's still weak on defense, but Vinny has been wise about giving Hinrich the tougher guard to defend, so Rose has not looked bad there. During the New Orleans game, they flashed a graphic to have people vote for which point guard they would prefer to anchor their franchise -- Rose or Paul. I would still opt for Paul, even though Rose has outplayed him during the past month and I believe he will still improve. Rose is a better athlete, but Paul is smarter and that is more valuable. I'm still overjoyed to have an All-Star point guard on the Bulls though!
Monday, January 25, 2010
A Mini-Streak and a Trade and Some Rumors
After an excellent game against Boston, the Bulls played some of their most pathetic ball of the year versus Golden State and the Clippers. Then the Bulls put together a pair of solid outings against Phoenix and Houston. They are becoming one of the most unpredictable teams in the league. I guess that beats being clearly one of the worst.
Bulls pull off a trade, but nothing to raise anyone's pulse: Aaron Gray for Devin Brown. You hate to see them trade big for small when they so clearly need front court help, but Gray isn't going to crack into the rotation. He's been a disappointment after a promising start during his rookie year. Bulls are desperate for some 3-point shooting and are hoping Brown can improve that a bit. He's not going to make much of an impact though.
Once again we have a multitude of Amare Stoudemire trade rumors just before the deadline. If you remember from last year, the Suns neglected to pull the trigger on a bunch of Amare trade offers, and then had Amare get injured a day after the trade deadline. So now, we have basically the same rumors as last year. On the Bulls side, that would be Tyrus and Deng for Amare.
Now, you'd think that I would be jumping up and down for a chance to trade away my two least favorite Bulls, but I'm actually only lukewarm to this deal. Both Tyrus and Deng have played better than last year, and Amare is a bit worse. Plus, Amare is still injury prone and a bad defender. That isn't to say I still wouldn't pull the trigger because I just couldn't resist getting rid of Tyrus and Deng, but I don't think Amare is that great a prize. The Suns really made a huge mistake by not trading him last year. I've said it before and will likely say it again: I loved Paxson and Kerr as players and think they are both intelligent guys, but they are both terrible in the front office.
Here's a trade rumor I like a lot more -- Al Jefferson of the Wolves for either Deng or Tyrus plus change. Jefferson has more of an offensive post presence and that is something that has been lacking in the Bulls game for quite some time.
Hinrich is most definitely on the block to get rid of his contract, but I hope the Bulls don't give him away. He's been playing rather well lately. Boston is a team that would love to snatch him away without giving up much. I don't mind including him in a good deal though. I still vote yes to swapping him for Caron Butler.
Right now the Bulls are two games under .500, yet still in the 8th spot in the East, with a reasonable chance of rising all the way up to the 5th seed. And yet they have no chance of winning the championship. So, are they content with a first or second round playoff exit (at best!) or do they start getting themselves in position to be better for next year?
Bulls pull off a trade, but nothing to raise anyone's pulse: Aaron Gray for Devin Brown. You hate to see them trade big for small when they so clearly need front court help, but Gray isn't going to crack into the rotation. He's been a disappointment after a promising start during his rookie year. Bulls are desperate for some 3-point shooting and are hoping Brown can improve that a bit. He's not going to make much of an impact though.
Once again we have a multitude of Amare Stoudemire trade rumors just before the deadline. If you remember from last year, the Suns neglected to pull the trigger on a bunch of Amare trade offers, and then had Amare get injured a day after the trade deadline. So now, we have basically the same rumors as last year. On the Bulls side, that would be Tyrus and Deng for Amare.
Now, you'd think that I would be jumping up and down for a chance to trade away my two least favorite Bulls, but I'm actually only lukewarm to this deal. Both Tyrus and Deng have played better than last year, and Amare is a bit worse. Plus, Amare is still injury prone and a bad defender. That isn't to say I still wouldn't pull the trigger because I just couldn't resist getting rid of Tyrus and Deng, but I don't think Amare is that great a prize. The Suns really made a huge mistake by not trading him last year. I've said it before and will likely say it again: I loved Paxson and Kerr as players and think they are both intelligent guys, but they are both terrible in the front office.
Here's a trade rumor I like a lot more -- Al Jefferson of the Wolves for either Deng or Tyrus plus change. Jefferson has more of an offensive post presence and that is something that has been lacking in the Bulls game for quite some time.
Hinrich is most definitely on the block to get rid of his contract, but I hope the Bulls don't give him away. He's been playing rather well lately. Boston is a team that would love to snatch him away without giving up much. I don't mind including him in a good deal though. I still vote yes to swapping him for Caron Butler.
Right now the Bulls are two games under .500, yet still in the 8th spot in the East, with a reasonable chance of rising all the way up to the 5th seed. And yet they have no chance of winning the championship. So, are they content with a first or second round playoff exit (at best!) or do they start getting themselves in position to be better for next year?
Thursday, January 14, 2010
T-Mac Rumors
First off, don't let the last two wins over Minnesota and Detroit fool you. The Bulls still stink. Those teams just stink more.
Trading deadline is about a month off, so that means the rumors will fly fast and furious for the next few weeks. First up is T-Mac who is disgruntled in Houston and is actually in Chicago working out with Tim Grover. And BTW, why don't the Bulls just hire Tim Grover to run their practices? Probably can't afford him.
The Bulls are interested in T-Mac, probably more for his huge expiring contract than for his time on the floor. They've already said that they won't give up Noah for that and I agree with them. Noah has perhaps played the most consistently well of any of the Bulls this year. A bit more than a year ago I predicted that he would be leaps and bounds ahead of Tyrus and he's proven me correct. So, no Noah for McGrady.
Now how about Salmons, Miller, Jones and change for T-Mac? Now that is a tough call. There's no question that T-Mac is extremely talented. The two big knocks against him is that he is injury prone and he has a bad (lazy/indifferent) attitude. You might also add in that he is vastly overpaid, but if you are looking for an expiring contract then that may actually be a positive.
Salmons has taken a huge step backwards this year. Miller is getting older, and no one will miss Jones or anyone else they toss in. So, here's what it comes down to. Is Salmons going to recover and start playing as well as he did during the latter part of last year? And would T-Mac come into Chicago with an improved attitude and a reasonably healthy body?
It's a close call. I think that if the Bulls want to go the T-Mac/expiring contract route, then they must also find a way to dump Deng, Tyrus, and probably Hinrich (contract) as well. If they can do that then I have no problem blowing up this team and building around Rose, Noah and whatever big free agents they can sign.
However, if they can't do that, then adding another lazy, indifferent player to this team is not a good idea. Could you imagine T-Mac, Deng, Tyrus and Rose on the court at the same time? Teams would average 125 points a game against them as they all sulked down the court when it was time to pretend to play defense.
Trading deadline is about a month off, so that means the rumors will fly fast and furious for the next few weeks. First up is T-Mac who is disgruntled in Houston and is actually in Chicago working out with Tim Grover. And BTW, why don't the Bulls just hire Tim Grover to run their practices? Probably can't afford him.
The Bulls are interested in T-Mac, probably more for his huge expiring contract than for his time on the floor. They've already said that they won't give up Noah for that and I agree with them. Noah has perhaps played the most consistently well of any of the Bulls this year. A bit more than a year ago I predicted that he would be leaps and bounds ahead of Tyrus and he's proven me correct. So, no Noah for McGrady.
Now how about Salmons, Miller, Jones and change for T-Mac? Now that is a tough call. There's no question that T-Mac is extremely talented. The two big knocks against him is that he is injury prone and he has a bad (lazy/indifferent) attitude. You might also add in that he is vastly overpaid, but if you are looking for an expiring contract then that may actually be a positive.
Salmons has taken a huge step backwards this year. Miller is getting older, and no one will miss Jones or anyone else they toss in. So, here's what it comes down to. Is Salmons going to recover and start playing as well as he did during the latter part of last year? And would T-Mac come into Chicago with an improved attitude and a reasonably healthy body?
It's a close call. I think that if the Bulls want to go the T-Mac/expiring contract route, then they must also find a way to dump Deng, Tyrus, and probably Hinrich (contract) as well. If they can do that then I have no problem blowing up this team and building around Rose, Noah and whatever big free agents they can sign.
However, if they can't do that, then adding another lazy, indifferent player to this team is not a good idea. Could you imagine T-Mac, Deng, Tyrus and Rose on the court at the same time? Teams would average 125 points a game against them as they all sulked down the court when it was time to pretend to play defense.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Hinrich for Butler?
Latest rumor buzz has Bulls swapping Hinrich for Caron Butler. Before I weigh in on whether this is good or bad for the Bulls, let's look at why this is possible. Strangely, Butler is on the block because of the misbehavior of his teammates, namely "Agent Zero" Arenas and Javaris Crittenton, who allegedly pulled guns on each other during a gambling dispute in the Wizards locker room. Did these guys not get the memo that they are no longer the Washington Bullets? Or do the Wizards issue handguns out as standard equipment? I'm tempted to make a third joke about their "run and gun" offense, but am stopping myself from going too far.
What this highly publicized incident does is put even more pressure on the woeful Wizards to blow up their team and start anew. And when that happens, the most valuable assets always get swapped first. In this case, with Arenas proving to be far more trouble than his contract is worth, the Wizards really have only two valuable assets: Butler and Antawn Jamison. And Butler seems to be the more disenfranchised of the two.
I like Butler, but still have mixed feelings about the two. Hinrich has been playing extremely well of late. He is a big factor as to why the Bulls have won their last three games. He's the Bulls best defender and backs up both the 1 and 2 spots. Butler is a better offensive player and fills the 2 or 3 spots. I have to vote for the trade because Rose has been playing a lot better recently and we need someone to take minutes away from Salmons and Deng, who are not playing well. It would not be easy to see Hinrich go though, and I suspect the Wizards will want even more than him for Butler.
Of course the Bulls need Jamison even more, to add a scorer to the frontcourt, but it would take more than Hinrich to get him. I would happily give up both Deng and Thomas for Jamison, but I don't think the Bulls would do that, even if they could make the salaries work out.
Bulls can't delude themselves into thinking that this mini winning streak has set them on the right path. They need to make a trade. Of course I always want to see Thomas and Deng on the block, but I'd take anything that improves this bad team.
Update 1/06: Stern gives Arenas an indefinite suspension because of his gun play in the locker room. Understandable, but what I can't figure out is how Crittenton avoided a similar fate. Not that it matters a lot to the Wiz because he is injured and isn't any good when he isn't injured anyway. But how does he not get the same suspension as Agent Zero? Maybe Stern doesn't even know about him? Finally, best of Letterman's top ten Washington Wizards explanations for the gun incident: #3 "Wanted gun close by in case team tried to trade me to the Nets."
What this highly publicized incident does is put even more pressure on the woeful Wizards to blow up their team and start anew. And when that happens, the most valuable assets always get swapped first. In this case, with Arenas proving to be far more trouble than his contract is worth, the Wizards really have only two valuable assets: Butler and Antawn Jamison. And Butler seems to be the more disenfranchised of the two.
I like Butler, but still have mixed feelings about the two. Hinrich has been playing extremely well of late. He is a big factor as to why the Bulls have won their last three games. He's the Bulls best defender and backs up both the 1 and 2 spots. Butler is a better offensive player and fills the 2 or 3 spots. I have to vote for the trade because Rose has been playing a lot better recently and we need someone to take minutes away from Salmons and Deng, who are not playing well. It would not be easy to see Hinrich go though, and I suspect the Wizards will want even more than him for Butler.
Of course the Bulls need Jamison even more, to add a scorer to the frontcourt, but it would take more than Hinrich to get him. I would happily give up both Deng and Thomas for Jamison, but I don't think the Bulls would do that, even if they could make the salaries work out.
Bulls can't delude themselves into thinking that this mini winning streak has set them on the right path. They need to make a trade. Of course I always want to see Thomas and Deng on the block, but I'd take anything that improves this bad team.
Update 1/06: Stern gives Arenas an indefinite suspension because of his gun play in the locker room. Understandable, but what I can't figure out is how Crittenton avoided a similar fate. Not that it matters a lot to the Wiz because he is injured and isn't any good when he isn't injured anyway. But how does he not get the same suspension as Agent Zero? Maybe Stern doesn't even know about him? Finally, best of Letterman's top ten Washington Wizards explanations for the gun incident: #3 "Wanted gun close by in case team tried to trade me to the Nets."
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Hanging Vinnie Out To Dry
Not surprisingly, there has been lots of speculation that Bulls coach Vinnie Del Negro will be fired, with most people expecting it to happen Christmas Eve, since the Bulls have played Scrooge on that day by firing two coaches in the recent past. But Christmas Eve came and went with no firing. Then, directly after Christmas, there were reports that Vinnie was fired. So, Vinnie had to face a press conference and state that it wasn't true. However, the silence from the front office was deafening. Neither Paxson nor Forman came out to make a statement in support of Del Negro. Their silence was even more punctuated by the fact that the Pacer's coach was in a similar situation with firing rumors and Larry Bird immediately made a statement to support him.
It it seems like the Bulls have their heads up their butt, that's because they do. But before I get back to thumping the front office, I'd like to thump the Bulls players for some of the worst basketball in recent memory.
Post awful circus trip, they get killed by a Cleveland team that clearly looks like they aren't even trying. Then they get destroyed by the Raptors in a game that featured a bizarre moment where a Raptors' guard dribbled the ball past halfcourt in the third quarter with an enormous lead, and then proceeded to casually tie his shoe with the game clock on. The Bulls didn't even attempt to take the ball from him, and instead stood around waiting patiently for him to finish. They probably realized that they would just embarrass themselves with the ball once they got it.
Next the Bulls lose to New Jersey at home. The same New Jersey team that set the record this year for most losses to start the season. A New Jersey team that is currently 2 and 29! Then after a few blowout losses and a few lucky wins, the Bulls produce one of the most stunningly inept games in basketball history. Playing at home to the same Kings team that gave them their only win on the circus trip, a Kings team that is playing without their best player, the Bulls build up a gigantic 35 point lead well into the third quarter. Then they make NBA basketball history by becoming the first team to have a lead like that so late in the second half and lose the game.
Then they lose to the Knicks, one of the very few teams the Bulls have been able to look down on during the past several years. After all the Vinnie rumors, they finally show a bit of life by beating New Orleans, but it was basically a New Orleans team that was taking the night off.
On the plus side, everyone is healthy now and both Hinrich and Thomas played better than usual against New Orleans. This may be the Bulls one last shot at trading Thomas. There are rumors of a three team swap that gets us Al Harrington for Tyrus. Please let it happen!
The other really stunning fact is that as bad as the Bulls have been, they are still in playoff contention! It seems like a bad joke, but there are plenty of crummy teams in the East so all the Bulls have to do is play mediocre ball and they could get a sixth seed!
But getting back to Vinnie and Paxson and Forman, there is certainly plenty of blame to go around for all three. I'd be quite happy to see all of them out the door but the coach always goes first. I've hinted at it before, but now I'll say straight up that Paxson is one of the worst NBA management types I've ever seen. It hurts me to say it because I was a big fan of Paxson when he was a player, starting back in his college days. He's a smart, likable guy, but man has he done an awful job in the front office. And Gar Forman is a joke! Have you ever seen a more invisible GM? Most people I talk to in Chicago don't even know he is the GM! They still think it is Paxson, and really it is all the same because neither one knows what they are doing. This latest fiasco with Del Negro is a perfect example. Clearly the Bulls are looking around for another coach but they don't even know how to do that properly.
Now, as for who I'd like to see as the new coach, that is a tough question and one that I, just like Paxson and Forman, will address in the future.
It it seems like the Bulls have their heads up their butt, that's because they do. But before I get back to thumping the front office, I'd like to thump the Bulls players for some of the worst basketball in recent memory.
Post awful circus trip, they get killed by a Cleveland team that clearly looks like they aren't even trying. Then they get destroyed by the Raptors in a game that featured a bizarre moment where a Raptors' guard dribbled the ball past halfcourt in the third quarter with an enormous lead, and then proceeded to casually tie his shoe with the game clock on. The Bulls didn't even attempt to take the ball from him, and instead stood around waiting patiently for him to finish. They probably realized that they would just embarrass themselves with the ball once they got it.
Next the Bulls lose to New Jersey at home. The same New Jersey team that set the record this year for most losses to start the season. A New Jersey team that is currently 2 and 29! Then after a few blowout losses and a few lucky wins, the Bulls produce one of the most stunningly inept games in basketball history. Playing at home to the same Kings team that gave them their only win on the circus trip, a Kings team that is playing without their best player, the Bulls build up a gigantic 35 point lead well into the third quarter. Then they make NBA basketball history by becoming the first team to have a lead like that so late in the second half and lose the game.
Then they lose to the Knicks, one of the very few teams the Bulls have been able to look down on during the past several years. After all the Vinnie rumors, they finally show a bit of life by beating New Orleans, but it was basically a New Orleans team that was taking the night off.
On the plus side, everyone is healthy now and both Hinrich and Thomas played better than usual against New Orleans. This may be the Bulls one last shot at trading Thomas. There are rumors of a three team swap that gets us Al Harrington for Tyrus. Please let it happen!
The other really stunning fact is that as bad as the Bulls have been, they are still in playoff contention! It seems like a bad joke, but there are plenty of crummy teams in the East so all the Bulls have to do is play mediocre ball and they could get a sixth seed!
But getting back to Vinnie and Paxson and Forman, there is certainly plenty of blame to go around for all three. I'd be quite happy to see all of them out the door but the coach always goes first. I've hinted at it before, but now I'll say straight up that Paxson is one of the worst NBA management types I've ever seen. It hurts me to say it because I was a big fan of Paxson when he was a player, starting back in his college days. He's a smart, likable guy, but man has he done an awful job in the front office. And Gar Forman is a joke! Have you ever seen a more invisible GM? Most people I talk to in Chicago don't even know he is the GM! They still think it is Paxson, and really it is all the same because neither one knows what they are doing. This latest fiasco with Del Negro is a perfect example. Clearly the Bulls are looking around for another coach but they don't even know how to do that properly.
Now, as for who I'd like to see as the new coach, that is a tough question and one that I, just like Paxson and Forman, will address in the future.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
It's A Circus All Right
Well, I wrote that the Laker game would be a bellwether of what the Bulls were capable of, and unfortunately, it proved that they can't do much. Deng took one look at Ron Artest and stood in the corner sucking his thumb and crying for his teddy bear. Gasol must have had this game penciled in for his return from injury because he knew the Bulls bigs wouldn't be able to stop him. Kobe basically took the night off since he wasn't needed. Salmons is forever going to be up and down. And worst of all, Rose is proving himself to be no floor leader.
A disaster all around, not just for the Laker game, but during the four blowouts in a row to Denver, Portland and Utah as well. Bulls at least put up a fight against the Bucks, mainly by playing a bit of defense, before losing out in the end. That puts the circus trip in the books at 1-5, with four very ugly loses. Extremely disappointing, to say the least.
Bogut took note of Gasol's triumphant return and repeated it himself against the Bulls. Potential trade target Boozer, killed them. Why would he ever want to come here when he can have career highs against them? Bulls displayed almost no toughness or desire during the road trip. They are a weak team, content to go through the motions for a few quarters and then fold.
Clearly, the Bulls are worse than last year, which makes the playoffs unlikely. And a top draft pick is out of the question with horrific teams like New Jersey, New York, and Minnesota sunk down at the very bottom of NBA muck. Free agency may well be their only hope.
Dare I say Rose has been over-rated? He's not good defensively. He doesn't get the offense moving fast enough -- Bulls are ridiculous with their 24 second violations. And he isn't shooting well. Hopefully, it is a bad stretch and he can learn from his mistakes.
Heinrich has been hurt, so the Bulls are short at guard now. Hunter had to play against the Bucks and it wasn't pretty watching the Buck guards breeze past him. Of course the Bulls are short-handed in the front court as well with Thomas out, but I don't see that as any loss. Speaking of which, Bulls revealed that Thomas broke his arm while doing chin-ups. Now, just imagine that for a minute. Think about attempting a chin-up and breaking your arm in the process. Envisioning that? Now you have a glimmer of understanding as to what kind of a spaz Tyrus is.
Nine out the the next eleven games are at home now, so the Bulls should improve somewhat. Historically, they do improve anyway. Bulls are 10-60 on the circus trip in the post MJ era, so it would be difficult for them to be that bad all the time.
A disaster all around, not just for the Laker game, but during the four blowouts in a row to Denver, Portland and Utah as well. Bulls at least put up a fight against the Bucks, mainly by playing a bit of defense, before losing out in the end. That puts the circus trip in the books at 1-5, with four very ugly loses. Extremely disappointing, to say the least.
Bogut took note of Gasol's triumphant return and repeated it himself against the Bulls. Potential trade target Boozer, killed them. Why would he ever want to come here when he can have career highs against them? Bulls displayed almost no toughness or desire during the road trip. They are a weak team, content to go through the motions for a few quarters and then fold.
Clearly, the Bulls are worse than last year, which makes the playoffs unlikely. And a top draft pick is out of the question with horrific teams like New Jersey, New York, and Minnesota sunk down at the very bottom of NBA muck. Free agency may well be their only hope.
Dare I say Rose has been over-rated? He's not good defensively. He doesn't get the offense moving fast enough -- Bulls are ridiculous with their 24 second violations. And he isn't shooting well. Hopefully, it is a bad stretch and he can learn from his mistakes.
Heinrich has been hurt, so the Bulls are short at guard now. Hunter had to play against the Bucks and it wasn't pretty watching the Buck guards breeze past him. Of course the Bulls are short-handed in the front court as well with Thomas out, but I don't see that as any loss. Speaking of which, Bulls revealed that Thomas broke his arm while doing chin-ups. Now, just imagine that for a minute. Think about attempting a chin-up and breaking your arm in the process. Envisioning that? Now you have a glimmer of understanding as to what kind of a spaz Tyrus is.
Nine out the the next eleven games are at home now, so the Bulls should improve somewhat. Historically, they do improve anyway. Bulls are 10-60 on the circus trip in the post MJ era, so it would be difficult for them to be that bad all the time.
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