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.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
End of Trading Deadline, Start of Buyout Season
Bulls were strangely quiet during the trading window. The only thing they did was send off James Johnson to Toronto for a bad draft pick. They did make a serious offer for OJ Mayo though, dangling Brewer plus both first round draft picks, but the Grizzles wanted Asik, and the Bulls were right to hang on to him. Strangely, Memphis reportedly accepted a worse deal from the Pacers but it didn't go though in time. Can't argue with the Bulls about that -- they made a good offer and stopped short of making a bad one. Since they currently have the three seed for the playoffs, you could make the argument that they don't need much.
It's been a very long time since the Bulls were an attractive destination for buyout players, but this year they should be active. For the uninitiated, the buyout period is where the bad pauper teams jettison players for salary cap reasons. The better players often resign with a playoff bound team for less money, hoping for a ring. Boston has been particularly successful with snatching up buyout players, as has the Lakers and other elite teams. With the poor economy, this year's crop of buyout players will be better than usual, with names like Troy Murphy, Mike Bibby, Leon Powe, Samuel Delembert, Jared Jeffries, Corey Brewer, Jason Kapono, TJ Ford, and Rasual Butler. Bibby is supposedly headed for the Heat, who badly need him. Lots of teams will fight for Murphy, including Boston, who will probably pick up some big man. The Lakers and Dallas will likely get someone. Miami is probably the team with the most to gain by picking up buyout players.
Current rumors have Butler headed for the Bulls, giving us yet another average SG. I guess he can be more useful than Johnson though, so it could be a good move. I think they should take a good look at Brewer, if only to confuse teams by having two Brewer's on the same squad. Seriously though, he has some size and athleticism, actually, a slightly taller version of the Brewer we already have.
Bulls have been hot lately and you can make the case that they can handle anyone in a series this year. I believe this is true, however, I also think they could just as easily lose a first round playoff series. There's no really great team this year. San Antonio is the closest to that and the Bulls just beat them handily, so it really is a wide open year with the championship up for grabs.
It's been a very long time since the Bulls were an attractive destination for buyout players, but this year they should be active. For the uninitiated, the buyout period is where the bad pauper teams jettison players for salary cap reasons. The better players often resign with a playoff bound team for less money, hoping for a ring. Boston has been particularly successful with snatching up buyout players, as has the Lakers and other elite teams. With the poor economy, this year's crop of buyout players will be better than usual, with names like Troy Murphy, Mike Bibby, Leon Powe, Samuel Delembert, Jared Jeffries, Corey Brewer, Jason Kapono, TJ Ford, and Rasual Butler. Bibby is supposedly headed for the Heat, who badly need him. Lots of teams will fight for Murphy, including Boston, who will probably pick up some big man. The Lakers and Dallas will likely get someone. Miami is probably the team with the most to gain by picking up buyout players.
Current rumors have Butler headed for the Bulls, giving us yet another average SG. I guess he can be more useful than Johnson though, so it could be a good move. I think they should take a good look at Brewer, if only to confuse teams by having two Brewer's on the same squad. Seriously though, he has some size and athleticism, actually, a slightly taller version of the Brewer we already have.
Bulls have been hot lately and you can make the case that they can handle anyone in a series this year. I believe this is true, however, I also think they could just as easily lose a first round playoff series. There's no really great team this year. San Antonio is the closest to that and the Bulls just beat them handily, so it really is a wide open year with the championship up for grabs.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Limping into Noah's Return
Overall, the Bulls did an excellent job of keeping up their record during Noah's absence. There were a few bad loses in there, but some nice overall play as well. First up for props has got to be "Big & Sexy" Kurt Thomas. Who would have thought the old guy had so much left in the tank? I just hope we haven't used it all up and rendered him a cripple for the playoffs.
Speaking of cripples, Rose has stomach ulcers, back problems, and seems to grimace after every drive to the basket. He clearly needs some down time. We'll have to see if that will mean missed games or reduced minutes. Watson has been doing a pretty decent job as backup lately. Thibs even plays him at the two spot with Rose sometimes, when we can get away with such a small back court. Watson will clearly see more time at point guard in the near future.
Deng has been playing insane minutes. I don't say that just because I think any time Deng is on the court is a bit insane but because he is among the league leaders in minutes played. And while he still does his usual bonehead, wimpy stuff, I'm going to twist my own arm behind my back until I admit that he's playing his best ball in years. He gets so many minutes because we're short in the front court with Noah out and Thibs has shown absolutely no confidence in James Johnson, so much so that they've actually sent him down to the D-league Iowa Energy. There are teams in the league who make good use of their D-league team to give young players extra minutes, but the Bulls almost never use it. So it is quite a bad sign, and a blow to the Bulls who were so high on him when he was drafted at 16. However, this may also be a sign that Thibs likes using the D-league more than the Bulls have historically.
Our threesome of disappointing free agent shooting guards are all playing a bit better, although none has really broken out. Taj shook off a concussion and has been solid since. Boozer was hurt again for a short stretch with a bad ankle. The Bulls brought him back with reduced minutes and that seems to be wise.
Big priority now for the Bulls is to find a backup 3-4 to fill the roster spot that Johnson leaves open. Then Deng and Thomas can get some much needed bench time. Noah is supposed to be on schedule to return in a few weeks and they really need that to work out.
Speaking of cripples, Rose has stomach ulcers, back problems, and seems to grimace after every drive to the basket. He clearly needs some down time. We'll have to see if that will mean missed games or reduced minutes. Watson has been doing a pretty decent job as backup lately. Thibs even plays him at the two spot with Rose sometimes, when we can get away with such a small back court. Watson will clearly see more time at point guard in the near future.
Deng has been playing insane minutes. I don't say that just because I think any time Deng is on the court is a bit insane but because he is among the league leaders in minutes played. And while he still does his usual bonehead, wimpy stuff, I'm going to twist my own arm behind my back until I admit that he's playing his best ball in years. He gets so many minutes because we're short in the front court with Noah out and Thibs has shown absolutely no confidence in James Johnson, so much so that they've actually sent him down to the D-league Iowa Energy. There are teams in the league who make good use of their D-league team to give young players extra minutes, but the Bulls almost never use it. So it is quite a bad sign, and a blow to the Bulls who were so high on him when he was drafted at 16. However, this may also be a sign that Thibs likes using the D-league more than the Bulls have historically.
Our threesome of disappointing free agent shooting guards are all playing a bit better, although none has really broken out. Taj shook off a concussion and has been solid since. Boozer was hurt again for a short stretch with a bad ankle. The Bulls brought him back with reduced minutes and that seems to be wise.
Big priority now for the Bulls is to find a backup 3-4 to fill the roster spot that Johnson leaves open. Then Deng and Thomas can get some much needed bench time. Noah is supposed to be on schedule to return in a few weeks and they really need that to work out.
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.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
A New Beginning
A new season with a new coach and mostly a new team. However, at least for the first two games, we have pretty much the same Bulls. Rose is still our main offensive weapon. He's still great at scooting towards the rim, out-racing his defenders. And he's still not that great with his defense or jump shot. Noah is still our hustle play rebounder. Taj is still our power forward and tries very hard. Deng is still a total wuss.
None of the new guys have been at all impressive. Brewer looks crippled. Korver looks slow, but better than Brewer. Bogans looks decidedly average and he's our starter. Thomas plays far less than I was expecting. And C. J. Watson is looking way to much like Pargo -- a few streaky shots and then turnover city.
It's actually the guys I had the least amount of hope in who have done better than expected. Scalabrine is, amazingly, part of the rotation, and he's not terrible when he's in there. Asik gets minutes as well and he's shown that he can take a charge and scrap for rebounds. And Johnson may just claw his way back from the dead. He's obviously lighter and faster than last year and plays with much more intensity. He still makes dumb mistakes, but now he also makes some good plays to go along with them!
In the opener, the Bulls ran up and down with the Thunder and finally wound up playing less defense in the end. Rose went to his erratic jumper too often. In the home opener, it looked like it was going to be Ben Gordon revenge night as he was lighting up Rose early. The Bulls were getting blown out but made a typical Bull charge in the fourth quarter and came away with a win.
Very telling to me is that Thibs sat Deng on the bench for that entire fourth quarter charge. And many of those minutes were going to Asik and Johnson! That's how worthless Deng has become for this team. I've called for him to be traded over and over but now it absolutely has to happen. There are rumors now about swapping Deng for Iguodala, and even though I know Iguodala is kind of a head case himself and I'm not crazy about his game, I can't believe the 76's would be stupid enough to make that swap. Every year we hear about how Deng has improved his game over the summer and how great he looks in pre-season, and every year we find out that when he gets into a real game he rolls over on his belly and whimpers.
Of course if the Bulls ever do trade him I won't have any easy targets to vent my frustrations on when the Bulls lose. I'll practice with some Boozer bashing, before he even steps foot on the floor. How does a guy break his frickin hand tripping over a bag in his house while going to answer his doorbell? I'm sorry, but I just don't buy his story. And even if he isn't lying, he's proven to be an idiot either way. He better bring a lot of game with him when he gets back on the court because I'm already eying him as my Deng blog-bashing replacement.
None of the new guys have been at all impressive. Brewer looks crippled. Korver looks slow, but better than Brewer. Bogans looks decidedly average and he's our starter. Thomas plays far less than I was expecting. And C. J. Watson is looking way to much like Pargo -- a few streaky shots and then turnover city.
It's actually the guys I had the least amount of hope in who have done better than expected. Scalabrine is, amazingly, part of the rotation, and he's not terrible when he's in there. Asik gets minutes as well and he's shown that he can take a charge and scrap for rebounds. And Johnson may just claw his way back from the dead. He's obviously lighter and faster than last year and plays with much more intensity. He still makes dumb mistakes, but now he also makes some good plays to go along with them!
In the opener, the Bulls ran up and down with the Thunder and finally wound up playing less defense in the end. Rose went to his erratic jumper too often. In the home opener, it looked like it was going to be Ben Gordon revenge night as he was lighting up Rose early. The Bulls were getting blown out but made a typical Bull charge in the fourth quarter and came away with a win.
Very telling to me is that Thibs sat Deng on the bench for that entire fourth quarter charge. And many of those minutes were going to Asik and Johnson! That's how worthless Deng has become for this team. I've called for him to be traded over and over but now it absolutely has to happen. There are rumors now about swapping Deng for Iguodala, and even though I know Iguodala is kind of a head case himself and I'm not crazy about his game, I can't believe the 76's would be stupid enough to make that swap. Every year we hear about how Deng has improved his game over the summer and how great he looks in pre-season, and every year we find out that when he gets into a real game he rolls over on his belly and whimpers.
Of course if the Bulls ever do trade him I won't have any easy targets to vent my frustrations on when the Bulls lose. I'll practice with some Boozer bashing, before he even steps foot on the floor. How does a guy break his frickin hand tripping over a bag in his house while going to answer his doorbell? I'm sorry, but I just don't buy his story. And even if he isn't lying, he's proven to be an idiot either way. He better bring a lot of game with him when he gets back on the court because I'm already eying him as my Deng blog-bashing replacement.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
End of Summer Vacation
Hasn't been much of a vacation for several Bulls playing international ball, most notably Deng, Rose, and Omer Asik. And it is a mixed bag for the Bulls on whether this is good or not.
For Asik, it is probably all upside. Turkey may be the only country to have sent its best players to the FIBA World Championship, and they are playing at a high level. I haven't seen Omer yet, but by accounts he seems to be doing about as well as he can. He probably needs all the practice he can get. There is a fairly good chance that Rose will face off against him in the championship.
Likewise, I think it is good for Rose to play. He needs work on defense, and on just about all aspects of the game that does not include accelerating towards the basket. I'm a huge Duke hater, but Coach K knows what he's doing and Rose can learn a lot, both from him, and from playing alongside a savy guard like Chauncey Billups. I know if he winds up getting hurt our season is toast, but I think the experience is worth it.
On the other hand, I don't think it is in the Bulls' best interest to have Deng be the one man show on the UK team. The UK isn't in the FIBA tournament, so Deng played in eight other qualifying games for the UK, mostly against weak competition. We certainly don't need Deng feeling more encouraged to jack up those long twos, or to think that he's a main offensive weapon.
The biggest end of summer news remains Camelo Anthony's attempts to get Denver to trade him before the season starts. Supposedly, he is pushing for either the Bulls or the Knicks, but Denver has no obligations other than to try to get the best deal for him They certainly don't want to lose him the way Bosh and LeBron deserted their old teams. Rumor is that the Bulls offered Deng, Taj, Johnson and change and that Denver wanted no part of that. Nobody wants Deng and his bloated contract without getting a lot back in return. So now the talk is that Noah is in the mix and discussions are going on.
I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I've said before that Carmelo seems like a perfect fit for the Bulls and would be worth the trade. On the other hand, we'd really be hurting in the frontcourt without Noah, and we'd be devastated by losing both Noah and Taj. Could the Bulls really win with such a thin frontcourt roster?
I really don't expect Denver to give up Anthony without getting either a major player back in return or large expiring contracts. The Bulls don't have the latter and Noah is pretty much the only guy they could sanely offer.
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