Warriors Retreat

Normally, when I present a shot from the United Center seats, it means I was at the game.  In this case however, the photo on the left was taken by fellow Tribune agate editor Luis Medina.  As it turned out, he picked a good game to attend.  The Bulls put on one of their best performances of the season to beat the Golden State Warriors 103-83.

After trailing by three following the first quarter, the Bulls outscored Golden State in the next two frames by a collective 24 points.  Not one Warriors starter reached double figures, which Tom Thibodeau would like to see against every opponent in a perfect world.  Hopefully, he'll settle for a one-night defensive performance in that regard and his team's seventh win in their last eight games.

Taj Gibson came off the bench to lead all scorers with 21 points.  Jimmy Butler returned after missing two games due to injury and scored 16.  Mike Dunleavy shared his 15-point total with Carlos Boozer, whose latest double-double included 13 rebounds.  Joakim Noah continued to make a case for one of the best all-around centers in the league, featuring a line of eight points, 17 rebounds and seven assists.  Anyone would be crazy to not consider he just might be breaking out into superstardom, although another top scorer on this team would do wonders.

This is where I analyze what the game means, but I'm going to try and get in Luis' shoes tonight.  When Derrick Rose's season ended, Luis was on board with the tanking-for-the-draft crowd.  As he put it, it was "lose today for a better tomorrow".  Tonight was his first game in person this season.  He was getting out of that tanking boat recently, but hopefully, this dominating win put away any remaining doubt in his mind that these Bulls will continue to play as hard as their play will take them.  That's the case with the entire organization and whether it will benefit them long-term or not, it should always be relaxing to see great basketball on any given night.

There are nights when it's hard for people to see that and they'll easily point out that having less talent than they did at the start of the season will eventually do them in.  Sunday's Miami loss was one example.  Lately however, such games are outliers to the high quality of play we've seen from the Bulls since the calendar flipped to 2014.  Thibodeau is going to force his guys to keep this up and they'll be more than happy to oblige.  "Quit" is not a word familiar to the Bulls, nor will it be.  If they can't win a championship, they can least go down swinging like a dwarf trying to fight a giant.

The merriment will hopefully continue Friday when they play the Dallas Mavericks in Texas.  End February on a high note and the confidence will continue to grow.  At the moment, it's not known how high it can go, but I'd say the sky's the limit for them.

Playing Well With a Stretch

It seems like the Bulls playing with few bodies is a time normally reserved for the playoffs.  Sometimes however, Tom Thibodeau is faced with that during the regular 82-game stretch.  Such was the case tonight against the Atlanta Hawks with Jimmy Butler missing his second straight game with a rib bruise.  But it didn't hurt by virtue of a 107-103 victory.

Of the eight players who saw minutes, seven reached double figures, a far cry from when the offense sputtered in Sunday's loss to Miami.  After finishing the first quarter down 10, the Bulls exploded for 34 points in the second to take a three-point halftime lead.  From there, they countered just enough of the Hawks' attack to send the "big" Philips Arena crowd of 12,418 home unhappy.

Leading the Bulls in the scoring column was Mike Dunleavy with 22.  He shot 4-of-9 from three-point land and made all six of his free throws.  Joakim Noah celebrated his 29th birthday in style with a double-double of 20 and 12.  Carlos Boozer, who has to be worried about Noah outsourcing him as the nightly go-to double-double player on this team, countered his frontcourt mate with 17 and 11.  Taj Gibson nearly joined those two at 14 and 8.  D.J. Augustin, desperate to shake his poor shooting performance against the Heat, scored 10 and dished out six assists.  There was a lot of redemption for the last game's nationally televised embarrassment.

As well as the Bulls have been playing lately, they always need something to get them back up whenever they have a clunker, such is the case with this Sunday.  In this case, it took an opponent currently in the bottom half of the Eastern playoff picture to cure what ailed them.  Plus, to get so much productivity from only a few bodies can only be encouraging.  That's not to say we'll see that every night unfortunately, but this game can serve as a reminder of how this team can go off at any time.  It's also refreshing to see so few bodies dig deep and come together without even realizing it beforehand.

There's no time to enjoy this win.  The Bulls get right back at it tomorrow at the United Center against the Golden State Warriors.  A lot of young, productive talent on both sides will be under one roof.  There isn't quite as much on the Bulls' side right now, but hopefully, it won't matter and they'll come out on top.

Close Up North

Like most Bulls fans coming into this game, I didn't very much respect the Toronto Raptors.  After all, this was a team only five games above .500 and yet, leading the Atlantic.  However, they made us respect them as they nearly completed a comeback in a 94-92 win.

After the Bulls built their lead up to 15 in the third quarter, it seemed like the rest of the game was just a formality.  Then, the Raptors began to sneak ever closer until finally, Amir Johnson made it a one-point game with 34 seconds remaining.  Toronto then had a chance to win it after a Bulls shot-clock violation.  It came down to All-Star DeMar DeRozan, whose attempt to win it was rejected by Jimmy Butler.  The Bulls' everyman split a pair of free throws before a final desperation shot by DeRozan failed to fall through.

Carlos Boozer led the Bulls with 20 points, making several of his offensive contributions on the inside.  Kirk Hinrich had a drink from the Fountain of Youth to score 19 and make all three of his three-point attempts.  D.J. Augustin let his former team know firsthand how foolish they were to dump him this season, matching Hinrich's 19 and scoring 13 in the fourth quarter.  Butler had 16, Taj Gibson added 10 before fouling out and Joakim Noah dished out 13 assists, a mark not reached by a center since Vlade Divac in 1996.

I may respect the Raptors for how they came back, but not for the way several of them acted.  I'm particularly referring to Tyler Hansbrough, who got tangled up with Mike Dunleavy during the third quarter.  He seemed to be the instigator, although a double foul was called.  Seven technicals in all were called, including one against Tom Thibodeau.  The referees weren't allowing anyone to get away with much, but perhaps, the bigger thing to take away is that cooler heads should always prevail.  It's a miracle no one was ejected.

It's very possible these two teams will meet in the postseason.  Only half a game separates them between the third and fourth seeds, and considering how close the rest of the conference is bunched together, it wouldn't shocking to see it come into fruition.  If tonight was any indication, there would be no love lost between the teams.  Considering how intense those games can be and how many Bulls playoff series have matched that hype in the past five years, I would most certainly look forward to it.  Never thought I'd say this about Bulls-Raptors, but anything can brew at anytime in the NBA.

The Bulls return home Friday against the Denver Nuggets.  Will Noah continue his impression of a point guard?  What other offensive magic does Augustin have in his arsenal?  All these and more will be questions that come up time and again during the next half of the season.  One that will be answered definitely tomorrow afternoon is if the club will take advantage of the trade deadline.  My guess is no, but again, predictability has no place in this world.

Varnado's Time

When you're floundering between the NBA and the D-League, you never know when your next big break will come.  The Bulls dished one out today to get their roster back to the minimum 13.  The lucky man is Iowa Energy forward Jarvis Varnado, who signed a 10-day contract.

A 2010 second-round draft pick, Varnado played 13 NBA games last season with Celtics and Heat.  This year, he's averaging 14.1 points and 11 rebounds per game.  Of course, he may not necessarily get the amount of playing time under Tom Thibodeau.  At least he has the potential to put up numbers any team would like.

There's not much else I can tell you about Varnado since his professional background is limited.  However, he knows he has a chance to do something that will keep him at this level for some time.  I guess the ultimate question, on a scale of new Bulls this season, is will he contribute as much as D.J. Augustin or Mike James?  We all know the answer we want to that question. 

I'd also feel a little better if Varnado was a point guard, which seems to the most thriving position in Thibodeau's system.  Still, we can't pick which position we want a given player to play.  As long as he finds a way to make his stay in Chicago memorable, the Bulls can say this was one guy worth investing in.

Marveling at Midseason

I could dedicate this Feb. 17 post to Michael Jordan in honor of his 51st birthday or the fact that he just became the father to twin girls.  However, I'd probably just rehash what I wrote for his 50th birthday a year ago.  Instead, with the All-Star break coming to a close, I'll use this space to reflect on the current Bulls as they begin the battle for playoff seeding.

This could be called a season that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.  Derrick Rose suffered another season-ending injury on the circus trip, which stuck a dagger in this season's championship hopes.  Realizing this, Gar Forman and John Paxson traded Luol Deng to Cleveland 1 1/2 months later, a clear sign that they were throwing in the towel on this group.  Now was the time to look at draft positioning, right?

Actually, the Bulls decided to defy those expectations and continue to play as hard as they have ever since Tom Thibodeau took over as head coach.  A winning January squashed any talk of them no longer being a team to watch in the East.  Now, they sit fourth in the conference at 27-25, five games ahead of ninth-place Detroit.

Yes, it's true the losses of Rose and Deng affected the offense as their 92.3 scoring average is the worst in the NBA.  But the defense is as effective as it's ever been.  The Bulls are allowing the same number of points, good for second-best in the league.  That's translated into more wins for them despite a significant drop in talent from the start of the season.  Some may think of this as a wasted opportunity to cash in on an exciting draft class, but winning the next game will continue to be their mentality for a long time to come.

The Bulls likely wouldn't be where they are now without Joakim Noah, coming off his second straight All-Star Game.  Averaging a double-double for the season (11.9 points, 11.5 rebounds), Noah lets his game speak regularly and only continues to increase his efficient and emotional impact on this team.  When he's around, everyone plays better and the offense runs like a well-oiled machine.  Take him out and you'll find the players unsure as to what exactly should be done.  I saw it for myself when Noah was too ill to play in the game I attended against Minnesota.  If he had been there to at least create plays for his teammates, the Bulls might have won.  And that was just one game.

As amnesty talks continue to hound him, Carlos Boozer finds himself a sitting duck at times.  He still isn't known for his defense and he's constantly reminded the Bulls overpaid to sign him.  While I wouldn't be devastated to see Boozer go after this season, I would still miss seeing a double-double next to his name most nights.  Regardless of how little an impact he seems to have had on the team's defensive strength, he still provides an offensive presence other teams would love.  Somebody will want him next season.  It just might not be the Bulls.

Jimmy Butler's everyman role remains an asset the Bulls will value for a long time to come.  He's not the most talented player on the roster, but he does everything that's asked of him the right way.  He could eventually be an All-Star in this league if he develops his game a little more.  That's how much upside I believe he has.  I just hope he doesn't get overworked too early in his career, which is a common criticism of Thibodeau.

Kirk Hinrich and Mike Dunleavy were put in the unforeseen position of having to fill gaps in the starting lineup.  The two have done all right given the circumstances, but Dunleavy has more to offer at this point.  He has a good shot, though it doesn't quite match that of Kyle Korver or Marco Belinelli, and gives the Bulls a veteran presence anyone else would appreciate.  Meanwhile, Hinrich clearly has seen better days.  His skills are diminished and his health has put the team in tough spots often this season.  Still, he knows his stuff and I like that he's given the club everything he's got the last two years.  He didn't plan on starting as much as he has in that time, but when your team needs you, the call must be answered.  Enjoy what you see of him this year because he might not be in this uniform again after that.

The bench finds itself stacked with talent just like it has in recent seasons.  Taj Gibson's effective two-way play has many penciling him in as the starting power forward once Boozer leaves, which is something he would most definitely deserve.  D.J. Augustin's career was resurrected when the Bulls picked him up following Rose's injury.  He can score and his 5.7 assists per game lead the team, causing his value to increase to the point where somebody will most certainly overpay for him in the offseason.

Tony Snell is the rare Thibodeau rookie who makes at least a decent impact on the team with 18.8 minutes per game.  His smooth shooting stroke will only improve as he gets older and perhaps we'll see him in the three-point contest one day.  Nazr Mohammed isn't that much different from a year ago, but he plays effective enough to give the rest of the bigs a breather.  Plus, you have to admire his hustle as he uses whatever is left in his tank to give the Bulls a chance on any given night.  Mike James, Erik Murphy and Tornike Shengelia haven't made much of an impact here, but you never know when or if they'll be making highlight reels before the season ends.

It's true the Bulls could be primed for another unlikely success story this season.  The East is bad enough to allow it to happen.  In fact, it wouldn't be shocking to see last year repeat itself in that they can get past the first round of the playoffs.  Considering what they have now, it's about as realistic as one could expect.  They could beat anyone in a seven-game series besides Indiana or Miami, so early postseason success cannot be counted out.

I realize the Bulls may be trapped in what's commonly referred to as NBA Hell:  not enough talent to win a championship, but too good to miss the playoffs.  I admit there are times when I wonder what would happen if they were closer to either end of the spectrum.  Their only chance to be a championship contender again might indeed rest on whether they can scoop up Carmelo Anthony or another highly talented player in the offseason.  Through it all however, the Bulls continue to play like a team that wishes to succeed to the best of its abilities, which is all we can really ask for.

The second half of the season gets underway north of the border Wednesday as the Bulls go on the road to play the Toronto Raptors.  Now there's a team nobody expected to lead the Atlantic this season.  Again, it's a testament to how any Eastern team not called the Heat or Pacers could be anywhere right now.  That's the reality, whether we wish to accept it or not.

Big Win

For all the talk that the NBA is moving away from relying on its tallest players to provide the most entertainment, you sure couldn't tell with how the Bulls are playing these days.  We all know how well Joakim Noah has played.  Then, we have the story of Taj Gibson continuing to play up to his potential in Carlos Boozer's absence.  So it should be no surprise that these two were the leaders in tonight's 100-85 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

With the Bulls reclaiming occupancy of the United Center following Disney on Ice's extended stay, Noah decided to remind everyone the boys, and specifically he, was back.  The All-Star achieved his fourth career triple-double with 19 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists.  He also added three blocks to be the only player with multiple blocks on the night.  There's nothing he can't do right now.

Gibson led all scorers, including the six Bulls who reached double figures, with 24.  His 12 rebounds in 46 minutes gave him a double-double, a feat also earned by Jimmy Butler thanks to a 12-and-13 line.  I know in box scores, he can be comparable to Boozer.  However, there just seems to be so much more upside to him it's easy to see why no one can wait to see him assume his regular spot in the starting lineup sometime in the future.  Of course, if Nikola Mirotic finds a way to usurp his place in line after his arrival, look out for the Bulls.

With the club back to over .500 and one game left before the All-Star break, it's a testament to how these guys refuse to give up no matter what the circumstances.  Noah and Gibson are especially emerging as a duo that can be dangerous together at any given time.  It's just a shame they'll only be starting together for a limited time.  It would be nice to see Boozer phased out a la Rip Hamilton at the end of last year.  Of course, Boozer has way more talent and is making much more money, so I don't see that happening.  In the meantime, we'll see how much more damage the aforementioned big men can collectively cause.

The final game before Noah heads to New Orleans for All-Star Weekend will be Thursday against the Brooklyn Nets.  A national TV audience will watch and wonder just how this team has managed to stay afloat at the official halfway point of the season.  Hopefully, those not yet convinced why will have their reasons when it's all over.

Trying to Tame Boozer

Put yourself in this scenario.  You've been making a large amount of money the past few years.  You might find yourself on the chopping block with your employer for that very reason.  It also doesn't help that you're pushed to side a lot when the most important tasks need to be accomplished.  Do you A) Continue to try to prove yourself when given a chance B) Accept your role for what it is or C) Get frustrated enough that you feel you have to go public about it?

Most of us would choose A and a few others might select B.  For Carlos Boozer however, the answer is C.  Sick of being left on the bench in the fourth quarter for Taj Gibson, Boozer has made his feelings known to the press earlier this week.  What he did was re-spark the debate on whether or not he'll stick around for the final year of his contract or be amnestied.  Sure, he might have gotten himself a few games in which he could play to the end, but that doesn't mean he'll be trusted any more than he is now.

If Boozer didn't want to find himself in this pickle, maybe he should have decided to learn to play defense already.  Defense is what wins you games and there's probably no greater advocate for that view than Tom Thibodeau, who unfortunately for Boozer, happens to be his head coach.  Gibson will go out for Thibodeau and do whatever is asked of him, which is why he'll be in a Bulls uniform for the foreseeable future.  If Boozer hasn't figured out by now why he's been benched late or that the Bulls were forced to overpay for him, I can only shake my head.

He's still good for a double-double every night, but that merely makes his stats look good.  There's a chance his next NBA team will pay him just for that.  However, they better realize that if he won't improve himself defensively after over a decade in this league, it's not likely to ever happen.  If Thibodeau can't reach to him in this manner, is there any coach who really can?

Boozer better just shut his mouth and play basketball.  He can be great on certain nights, but a bad attitude will only take him so far with his teammates and coaches.  There's a sense of unity on this roster and they'll be damned if their starting power forward is a threat to that peace.  Sometimes though, the biggest rifts can be caused by one of the more notable names around.  Just ask Jerry Krause and Phil Jackson.

Cooling the Suns

Be honest, Bulls fans.  Who honestly had an amazing feeling about the team's chances against the Phoenix Suns?  They were just coming off a bad loss to the Kings and the Suns have been one of the better teams in the NBA recently.  I can't read faces of people I can't see, so I'm going to guess none of you were overly optimistic.  That's why a 101-92 win in a game that never saw them trailing was as refreshing as we could have asked for.

The only instance that saw this game tied was 2-2.  The Suns were able to maintain a respectable deficit for much of the game and even got it to as close as four with 2:09 remaining.  Each time however, the Bulls answered back and kept that trend going until the clock reached zero.  They shot 45 percent from the floor less than a day after turning in one of the worst shooting games of the season in Sacramento.

The good Carlos Boozer showed up in the desert, turning in his latest double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds.  Joakim Noah joined his fellow frontcourt teammate with 14 of each in the aforementioned categories.  D.J. Augustin, who likely still can't believe how much he improved after signing here, scored 18 off the bench, including three three-pointers in the fourth quarter.  It was the first half of that frame that saw him put the offense on his shoulders.  Jimmy Butler scored 18 too, going 7-of-8 from the free throw line.  Mike Dunleavy put whatever feud he has with DeMarcus Cousins in the back of his mind, scoring 11.

This Bulls team has done some amazing things, but one that might be overlooked more often than not is how short a memory they have.  In a season that is seemingly focused on everything wrong with the franchise, including blowing a chance to get into this year's draft lottery, you can see why few people think about this.  To lose badly to an inferior team one night and play a solid game against a much better one is a sign of how seriously opponents still have to take the Bulls.  As long as Joakim Noah is emotional and Tom Thibodeau is the captain, this is what we'll see over the course of a season.

After a day off, the Bulls will make the latest national TV appearance against the Golden State Warriors.  That's a team I seem to recall appearing on TNT and ESPN a lot recently, but then again, the national outlets love to promote the best of the NBA.  We've seen that with the Bulls over the past few years and hopefully, they'll be worthy of this treatment for quite a bit longer.

Kinged

Sometimes as a Bulls fan, you have to wonder when it's worth staying up late during their current West Coast swing.  Monday certainly wasn't one of those nights.  The Sacramento Kings welcomed their guests to Sleep Train Arena with a blowout 99-70 victory, ending their seven-game losing streak.

From the beginning, it was clear this wasn't going to be the Bulls' night.  They didn't shoot well and saw the Kings knock down shots at or just before the buzzer of the first two quarters.  The bottom fell out in the third quarter when Joakim Noah picked up his second technical following a questionable loose ball foul call in his direction.  He was so fired up he had to be forcibly removed from the playing area, refusing to take his ejection quietly.  The Bulls, down by 11 at that point, were outscored by 18 the rest of the way.

DeMarcus Cousins, back after missing six games with a sprained ankle, led the way to resume a career season.  He entered the contest averaging 22.6 points and impressed in this one with 25 points and 16 rebounds.  Counting Kevin Love and Anthony Davis, this is the third time in a week a big man from the West has been the ringleader in soundly beating the Bulls, which is either a bad coincidence or reason to be concerned with how this team is able to stick with those types of players.

Isaiah Thomas shot 7-of-9 to score 19 and Rudy Gay added 14.  However, the biggest supporting player for Sacramento was former college phenom Jimmer Fredette, who made the most of coming off the bench.  Although he played just under 11 minutes, he scored 11 points and made all five of his field-goal attempts.  He provided the burst of energy the Bulls could only dream of on this night.

Although Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 17 points, he was only 4-of-11 from the field.  Taj Gibson shot the same in totaling 11, a number matched by Tony Snell.  Perhaps nothing personified a 28 percent shooting game than Kirk Hinrich missing all six attempts from behind the arc.  There was one play when literally nobody from either team was near him and he still fired a brick.  If that wasn't bad enough, the Bulls were outrebounded 53-30 and outscored 48-14 in points in the paint.

Perhaps the Bulls need some joint counseling with the Denver Broncos after not knowing what hit them in a similar vein to the Broncos getting blown out by the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl.  They played a team battling with the Lakers to stay out of the Pacific basement and perhaps underestimated Cousins' impact in his return.  Whatever it was, they're not going to win many games in which they get outhustled on the boards and allow their opponent to get easy looks in the highest percentage areas. 

They're a way better than they've showed these past two games and they know it.  Dropping consecutive games to last-place teams in the Pelicans and Kings could be attributed to the travel, the star big men they've faced or simply hitting a wall after an impressive January.  What we do know is Tom Thibodeau won't stand for what he's seen and is sure to get on his team's case for playing down to their competition, which has been a habit during his time as coach.

The Bulls will need to recover quickly as they have less than 24 hours before playing the Phoenix Suns.  That won't be easy as Goran Dragic was just named the Western Player of the Week.  Still, if they have a greater urgency to play up to their level, a good result might be in the works.  For their own sake, they better hope so.