I'm sorry that I have not had much time to devote to the Bulls blog lately. But last night's game got me so upset that I have to post. 4 overtimes and we kept the starters in for almost all 20 minutes of them. What is the use of having a deep bench if you're not going to use them? Are they just there in case of injury or foul trouble? It's not just Fred, most NBA coaches do this and I think it's a mistake. They think, we nee dour best players on the floor in order to win. But when your best players are out of gas, your second-best players can perform better. We start the second and 4th quarters with the bench, we should also start the 2nd overtime with them. If they are not getting it done, put the starters back in after 2-3 minutes. They will at least have gotten a little rest. But I believe that our second unit could've wiped the floor with Detroit's starters in that 2nd, 3rd, and 4th overtime. C'mon Fred. Keep rotating in the overtimes and we'll do better.
Also, it's nice to see Derrick returning to his old form.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Great game against Cleveland except...
That game was a lot of fun to watch, But I think Thibs needs to get acquainted with ROTATION. I know he likes to stick with his starters, but I think he rode them too much. The strength of the Bulls is in their depth. And you can't utilize your depth when the reserves are sitting on the bench. I always believe in the adage, "you dance with who brung you". Miritich, Brooks, and Snell helped get us to where we are. E'Twan helped a bit as well. Brooks had 9 minutes, Miritich had 2, and Tony just sat the whole game. Jimmy Butler was worn out from chasing LeBron all night. Tony could've given him some rest so that Jimmy wouldn't have to log 44 minutes. Kirk was in for 15 minutes, but I don't really support that decision. Kirk is not the defender he used to be and still looks hesitant on offense.
The playoffs are a marathon, not a sprint. You have more talent at your disposal- use it. Please Tom, don't burn out your starters.
The playoffs are a marathon, not a sprint. You have more talent at your disposal- use it. Please Tom, don't burn out your starters.
Friday, January 2, 2015
catching up on blogging
So, we're now 33 games into the regular season and this is my first post for the year. But I have been watching and reading and following our beloved Bulls and have some thoughts to share.
First, the obvious one- Jimmy Butler = WOW! He is certainly playing like an MVP. If he doesn't go to the All-Star game, then enough people are not paying attention. He is playing very hard and has a great attitude. He has become my favorite Bull.
My former favorite, Derrick, has fallen to #4. He really needs a PR person. He is not just a player, he is a brand and he is hurting his brand. He tells people that he is not overly concerned with basketball and is more worried about how comfortable he will be in retirement. Then they gave him three days to think about what he wanted to say and gave him an extended interview to rectify the situation. He doubled down and asserted that he doesn't care what the fans think. WTF? Without the fans, you have no job. You used to be the media darling, and you've really effed that up. Now whenever I see him having a bad game, I wonder if he's working more to protect his body in retirement than he is to win the game. I hope all the attention that Jimmy is getting will fuel some competitive fire in him.
And another thing, Derrick, you are not a three-point shooter. You are a slasher and a mid-range floater. After you hit some of those, you'll have your radar honed on the basked and will have a better chance of making the threes. Also, the defense will be playing off of you a little more. I still expect great things from you, Derrick. So don't let us down. And last night, you played better defense than I think I've ever seen from you. Keep working on the D.
Joakim is my #2 fav. He was fantastic last year and I liked how we were able to run the offense through him. It seems he was a little hobbled at the start of this year. I don't know what the injury was, but he didn't (and still doesn't) have the same fire consistently that he used to have. I'm surprised we have Pao jumping the jump ball and not Joakim. They are the same height, but I'd expect Joa could get more lift out of his younger legs. Once he gets fully back, I'd like to see us run the offense through him sometimes.
Pao is my #3. I'm sorry I used to hate you, but that just comes with being associated with Kobe. I was not excited when I learned that you were coming to our Bulls, but I am excited now! You are a block-machine, a great passer, and a level-headed veteran. I know it's colder here than in LA, but Bulls fans are much warmer. I'm sure you noticed that we sell out every game, and people are in their seats and cheering from the opening tip- not like Laker's fans.
I expect a high basketball IQ from Mike Dunleavy. He plays appropriately, but his shot hasn't been dropping. He is kind on in the background, but he's playing solid D, so he can stay.
Kirk sat our a few games with a hamstring injury. I didn't know about the hammie and just thought he wasn't being played because he hasn't been playing well. I've never been too impressed with Kirk's game. He's a shoot-first point guard who's best defensive move is fouling the man that is driving past him. Kirk, you're not a great shooter or defender. You're a good ball-handler and a decent passer. Keep the rest of the team involved.
Taj is great on both ends of the floor. If he could just get great from the free throw line, he'd be the entire package. Aaron Brooks thus far seems to be every bit as good as Derrick. I never heard of you before, Aaron, but you've gotten my attention. I really like the lineup with you and D-Rose attacking from both wings.
Nikola, also called 3-kola is starting to get some respect. It looked like the refs were refusing to call any of the times he got fouled, but now he's getting the calls. I think he could use a little more playing time, but he's going to be solid.
E'twaun Moore shows promise. I don't know why he didn't play yesterday. McDermott does not look ready for the big leagues. I hope I am wrong, but his defense is too poor and his shooting too scared. We'll see how these months on the bench help him mature while his injury heals. Nazr is getting a lot of rest this season. I liked him last year and hope to see a little more of him.
First, the obvious one- Jimmy Butler = WOW! He is certainly playing like an MVP. If he doesn't go to the All-Star game, then enough people are not paying attention. He is playing very hard and has a great attitude. He has become my favorite Bull.
My former favorite, Derrick, has fallen to #4. He really needs a PR person. He is not just a player, he is a brand and he is hurting his brand. He tells people that he is not overly concerned with basketball and is more worried about how comfortable he will be in retirement. Then they gave him three days to think about what he wanted to say and gave him an extended interview to rectify the situation. He doubled down and asserted that he doesn't care what the fans think. WTF? Without the fans, you have no job. You used to be the media darling, and you've really effed that up. Now whenever I see him having a bad game, I wonder if he's working more to protect his body in retirement than he is to win the game. I hope all the attention that Jimmy is getting will fuel some competitive fire in him.
And another thing, Derrick, you are not a three-point shooter. You are a slasher and a mid-range floater. After you hit some of those, you'll have your radar honed on the basked and will have a better chance of making the threes. Also, the defense will be playing off of you a little more. I still expect great things from you, Derrick. So don't let us down. And last night, you played better defense than I think I've ever seen from you. Keep working on the D.
Joakim is my #2 fav. He was fantastic last year and I liked how we were able to run the offense through him. It seems he was a little hobbled at the start of this year. I don't know what the injury was, but he didn't (and still doesn't) have the same fire consistently that he used to have. I'm surprised we have Pao jumping the jump ball and not Joakim. They are the same height, but I'd expect Joa could get more lift out of his younger legs. Once he gets fully back, I'd like to see us run the offense through him sometimes.
Pao is my #3. I'm sorry I used to hate you, but that just comes with being associated with Kobe. I was not excited when I learned that you were coming to our Bulls, but I am excited now! You are a block-machine, a great passer, and a level-headed veteran. I know it's colder here than in LA, but Bulls fans are much warmer. I'm sure you noticed that we sell out every game, and people are in their seats and cheering from the opening tip- not like Laker's fans.
I expect a high basketball IQ from Mike Dunleavy. He plays appropriately, but his shot hasn't been dropping. He is kind on in the background, but he's playing solid D, so he can stay.
Kirk sat our a few games with a hamstring injury. I didn't know about the hammie and just thought he wasn't being played because he hasn't been playing well. I've never been too impressed with Kirk's game. He's a shoot-first point guard who's best defensive move is fouling the man that is driving past him. Kirk, you're not a great shooter or defender. You're a good ball-handler and a decent passer. Keep the rest of the team involved.
Taj is great on both ends of the floor. If he could just get great from the free throw line, he'd be the entire package. Aaron Brooks thus far seems to be every bit as good as Derrick. I never heard of you before, Aaron, but you've gotten my attention. I really like the lineup with you and D-Rose attacking from both wings.
Nikola, also called 3-kola is starting to get some respect. It looked like the refs were refusing to call any of the times he got fouled, but now he's getting the calls. I think he could use a little more playing time, but he's going to be solid.
E'twaun Moore shows promise. I don't know why he didn't play yesterday. McDermott does not look ready for the big leagues. I hope I am wrong, but his defense is too poor and his shooting too scared. We'll see how these months on the bench help him mature while his injury heals. Nazr is getting a lot of rest this season. I liked him last year and hope to see a little more of him.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Boy, that wasn't pretty
4/26/2014
It is of course better to be down 2 games to 1 than to be down 3-0, but yesterdays "victory" did little to boost the confidence of bulls fans or bulls players. Once again, our offense struggled. We fell in love with the three point line, or was it just that we were scared of the paint? Nene and Gortat are good bigs, but it's not like this is the first time we have faced a team with a good center. We used to run the offense through Noah at the elbow, now he only gets touches at the arc. He needs to get the ball in better position where he can either find a cutter for a layup or take a jumper that is within his range.
Too many quick threes. The three point shot will always be available. You only take one early in the shot clock if you 1) are wide open and feeling it, and 2) have a rebounding edge. If there are not more bulls than wizards under the bucket, move the ball around until you can get a higher-percentage shot.
I'm glad Nene got kicked out. I hope he gets suspended. What an idiotic thing to do. You know how important you are to your team, and you were up at that point. Why act all tough and thugish on a guy who is a full head shorter than you. That was dangerous and over-the-line and he should sit out on Sunday. I am anxiously checking nba.com to see if they levy a suspension.
I'm glad Thibs got the memo that we need scoring in the 4th quarter. Congrats to Mike Dunleavy for a rock-solid performance, pouring in 35 points. And I almost could not believe when I saw Carlos Boozer playing in the 4th quarter. I thought it was in his contract that after the 36-minute mark, he was not allowed to be on the floor. OK, it's not in the contract, but when is the last time we saw Boozer anywhere near the closing minutes. I have not seen enough of Tony Snell to know if he is really ready for prime time, but Ronnie Brewer used to be pretty decent for us. Why can't he get a minute or two?
Charles Barkley predicted a sweep. I'm glad we proved him wrong. But we need to play a lot better team ball (offense and defense) if we are going to advance to the second round.
Update: The NBA announced Nene will be suspended for Sunday's game. -YAY.
It is of course better to be down 2 games to 1 than to be down 3-0, but yesterdays "victory" did little to boost the confidence of bulls fans or bulls players. Once again, our offense struggled. We fell in love with the three point line, or was it just that we were scared of the paint? Nene and Gortat are good bigs, but it's not like this is the first time we have faced a team with a good center. We used to run the offense through Noah at the elbow, now he only gets touches at the arc. He needs to get the ball in better position where he can either find a cutter for a layup or take a jumper that is within his range.
Too many quick threes. The three point shot will always be available. You only take one early in the shot clock if you 1) are wide open and feeling it, and 2) have a rebounding edge. If there are not more bulls than wizards under the bucket, move the ball around until you can get a higher-percentage shot.
I'm glad Nene got kicked out. I hope he gets suspended. What an idiotic thing to do. You know how important you are to your team, and you were up at that point. Why act all tough and thugish on a guy who is a full head shorter than you. That was dangerous and over-the-line and he should sit out on Sunday. I am anxiously checking nba.com to see if they levy a suspension.
I'm glad Thibs got the memo that we need scoring in the 4th quarter. Congrats to Mike Dunleavy for a rock-solid performance, pouring in 35 points. And I almost could not believe when I saw Carlos Boozer playing in the 4th quarter. I thought it was in his contract that after the 36-minute mark, he was not allowed to be on the floor. OK, it's not in the contract, but when is the last time we saw Boozer anywhere near the closing minutes. I have not seen enough of Tony Snell to know if he is really ready for prime time, but Ronnie Brewer used to be pretty decent for us. Why can't he get a minute or two?
Charles Barkley predicted a sweep. I'm glad we proved him wrong. But we need to play a lot better team ball (offense and defense) if we are going to advance to the second round.
Update: The NBA announced Nene will be suspended for Sunday's game. -YAY.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
2 1/2 cents for Thibs
It's been a while since I've posted. I'm sorry. I have let the team down a bit. I thought they would be OK without my guidance, but apparently they are not.
Nene' got his 5th foul with 8 minutes left in regulation; and his coach kept him in. It took another 13 minutes before we drove hard at him. When someone (especially their best player) has 5 fouls, you have to drive at him. He either has to A) Get out of your way and let you score or B) foul you. Nene was killing us. As soon as he got 5 fouls, every play should've been directed at him.
Secondly, Thib's short rotation is a problem. 12 guys suit up and you only play 8. What happens if some get in foul trouble or the game goes long and our guys get tired? You need to give your bench more playing time so you can trust them in the playoffs. Fresh bodies are an asset.
Thirdly, we need to have some offensive-minded strategy. Thibs, your defense is great. But sometimes you need offense. You need an offensive coordinator (I am available).
And what happened to running the offense through Noah? That worked great all season. Why are we leaving it to the guards on the perimeter all game?
That's all.
J
Nene' got his 5th foul with 8 minutes left in regulation; and his coach kept him in. It took another 13 minutes before we drove hard at him. When someone (especially their best player) has 5 fouls, you have to drive at him. He either has to A) Get out of your way and let you score or B) foul you. Nene was killing us. As soon as he got 5 fouls, every play should've been directed at him.
Secondly, Thib's short rotation is a problem. 12 guys suit up and you only play 8. What happens if some get in foul trouble or the game goes long and our guys get tired? You need to give your bench more playing time so you can trust them in the playoffs. Fresh bodies are an asset.
Thirdly, we need to have some offensive-minded strategy. Thibs, your defense is great. But sometimes you need offense. You need an offensive coordinator (I am available).
And what happened to running the offense through Noah? That worked great all season. Why are we leaving it to the guards on the perimeter all game?
That's all.
J
Sunday, February 17, 2013
All Stars: Turn off your instincts
It seems to me, that if I played basketball for a living, I would spend a lot of time developing and refining good habits. It would be second nature to me, for instance, to put a body on my nearest opponent when a shot goes up, or to get in the way of someone driving to the basket. I am amazed at how easily our best players (the NBA All-Starts) can turn off their good habits.
It's the fault of the league. Every year, the pre-game interviews are all about how they want to put on a good show. Not to win, not to compete, not so have a good game, but just to have a good "show". Parts of the basketball show that I really enjoy are: Defense, competition, and effort. I understand no one wants to get hurt, so maybe we should move this game to after the season. But as it is, this is not a "game". It should be called the "NBA All-Star offense exhibition".
But to my first point, I really would think that it would just be natural for these professionals to vie for position and play defense. It's surprising and disappointing to me.
It's the fault of the league. Every year, the pre-game interviews are all about how they want to put on a good show. Not to win, not to compete, not so have a good game, but just to have a good "show". Parts of the basketball show that I really enjoy are: Defense, competition, and effort. I understand no one wants to get hurt, so maybe we should move this game to after the season. But as it is, this is not a "game". It should be called the "NBA All-Star offense exhibition".
But to my first point, I really would think that it would just be natural for these professionals to vie for position and play defense. It's surprising and disappointing to me.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Question for Thibs Re: Raptors 3/24/12
What did John Lucas the III do to get on your shit list? And what can we, as your fan base, do to help get him off? It seems clear that JL3 has fallen out of favor with you lately. Over the preceding three games, he has shot 6 of 13 from three point land. He has provided instant offense consistently over the past several games. Why then, did you leave CJ in for so much of the second half? CJ is not as good a shooter as he thinks he is. I see some times where he seems to decide that he's going to sway the tide and then he'll jack up a 3 with 18 seconds left on the clock. You can get a rapid-fire 3 off anytime. Use some clock and try to get an easy shot. The best teams are not those that make the tough shots, they are those that make the easy shots. You should try to make the other team take the difficult shots.
CJ has not been as beneficial offensively as JL3. Why did you keep him on the bench? I think you may be trying to punish him to teach him some sort of lesson (I saw you chewed him out when you pulled him out last game), but you are punishing us in the process. Thank G-d that we won. But it never should have been so close. Coach, please don't let your lesson to one player get in the way of the goal for the whole team.
CJ has not been as beneficial offensively as JL3. Why did you keep him on the bench? I think you may be trying to punish him to teach him some sort of lesson (I saw you chewed him out when you pulled him out last game), but you are punishing us in the process. Thank G-d that we won. But it never should have been so close. Coach, please don't let your lesson to one player get in the way of the goal for the whole team.
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