It's amazing to think how far the Bulls have come since the beginning of 2014. When I last did a yearend post, everyone was still reeling from Derrick Rose's second season-ending injury. But a January trade of Luol Deng told everyone they were ready to let go of the past and start building with Rose rather than around him. The early returns have been nothing short of promising.
We haven't seen it as much lately, but with Deng gone and Rose out of action, Joakim Noah took it upon himself to run the offense. He began setting records for assists by a center in various fashions. The rundown Bulls became his and his alone for his Defensive Player of the Year campaign, the first for a Bull since Michael Jordan in the 1987-88 season. The first-time All-Star also further cemented his status as the emotional leader of the franchise, even if he was second behind Rose as far as talent.
As much love as we fans gave Noah, we expressed equal contempt for Carlos Boozer, an overpaid defensive liability whose nightly double-doubles made him seem better than he actually was. By the end of the season, it was a foregone conclusion the Bulls would use their amnesty clause on him for the final year of his contract. He found himself on the bench in the fourth quarter of games, both close and otherwise. Although he rarely missed time and was decent offensively, he wasn't worth the money he made and definitely not compatible with Tom Thibodeau's defensive philosophy.
While the Bulls grinded their way to the fourth seed in the playoffs, their season-long offensive woes came to the forefront against the Washington Wizards. Despite having home-court advantage, the Wizards proved to have more offensive talent, which made all the difference in upsetting the Bulls in five games. The lone Bulls victory in the series came in Game 3 in our nation's capital. In Game 5 at the United Center, the 75-69 loss which ended the season became symbolic of how much improvement was needed.
The first step came in the June draft. With two first-round picks in hand, the Bulls traded them for the rights to Creighton's Doug McDermott, the national player of the year. Their second-round pick was used to select Cameron Bairstow, an Australian out of New Mexico. While McDermott has underachieved and is out for awhile due to injury and Bairstow has done nothing meaningful, their fortunes will hopefully change.
Free agency saw the signings of Aaron Brooks and E'twaun Moore, which only came after the big splash of Pau Gasol and bringing over 2011 draft pick Nikola Mirotic. Two months into his Bulls career, Gasol is already in the running for the best big man in team history. There are whispers that Mirotic is in the running for Rookie of the Year. Amazing what two products from Spain at such different stages in their careers have brought so far.
The story of the new season has unquestionably been Jimmy Butler. He's taken giant leaps already in his career, but this season has him playing at an All-Star level. Although he refuses to take credit for the Bulls being arguably the best team in the league, there's too much working against his argument to deny any of it. With him becoming a restricted free agent after the season, one has to hope the Bulls will do everything to lock him up long-term.
Rose had a rocky first month of the season, often looking timid and sitting out various games with multiple minor injuries. Since Thanksgiving, he's become more aggressive, more confident and above all, approached his MVP level. He hasn't had to carry the team on his back, but if the Bulls are to succeed later in the year, they'll need all the contributions from him they can get. He may not be an All-Star this season, but it won't be long before we can say he's back to being a superstar.
The Bulls are a chasing a championship, or at least a Finals berth. Considering their competition, this season is the best chance for them to get as far as they possibly can. They finally have enough talent on both ends and certain guys have played together long enough. Just about everything is working their way at the moment.
New Year's Day will be the day the Denver Nuggets come to the United Center. That it's being played on a holiday is the only reason this game will really stand out barring a disastrous injury to a key player. Otherwise, it's just one of 82 regular-season games. Until then, Happy New Year and see you in 2015!
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Just Enough Fuel in Indy
After all that went down, I was more relieved than excited about experiencing a Bulls win in enemy territory. A near-collapse in Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Watson left wide open at the end brought back bad memories of Reggie Miller in the 1998 conference finals. I anticipated the absolute worst and braced for the building to explode. Everything worked out fine, but after witnessing a buzzer beater at the Harlem Globetrotters game the day before, this might be all the close basketball I can take for awhile.
Butler (27 points, nine rebounds) continues to impress me in ways I didn't think possible with him. He's driving to the hoop fearlessly, drawing fouls in that process and will do whatever he wants with the ball. I'm starting to hear whispers of him being in the MVP conversation. I doubt it will happen, but if he doesn't at least win the Most Improved Player award, there's something wrong with the voting process.
Pau Gasol (20 points) shows no signs of slowing down in his campaign for the team's best big man of all-time. His talent and experience brings it all together. No matter what the Bulls do the rest of the season, he can be trusted on both ends of the floor. Insert him into any era in club history and he's immediately an important piece on the low block.
Although Derrick Rose (17 points) shot an anemic 5-for-20 from the field, his confidence is still growing. It's very refreshing to see him taking chances with the ball rather than passing it off as he did a lot early in the season. He believes both he and his team are in for something very special, even saying so prior to Monday's game. Hopefully, he'll be able to back up his words to the point where he'll be completely back to his MVP form.
The Bulls may have nearly lost the game, but Tom Thibodeau was surprisingly positive afterward. In addition to the seven-game winning streak, the fact that this team is arguably the most talented on both sides during his tenure may have something to do with it. Sure, it would be nice to see the bench score more than 14 points and not falling asleep in the fourth quarter wouldn't hurt either. But all he offered was that any NBA team is capable of coming back, which is why you don't call off the dogs until a win is virtually guaranteed.
Hopefully, he'll have that luxury Tuesday when the Bulls face the Brooklyn Nets at the United Center for the second time this month. With luck, Kirk Hinrich will return from his injury, but it seems unlikely. Regardless, there's no denying this group will play until the final buzzer. Even if a big lead slips away, all that matters is finishing well.
One more thing: I ran into my old friend Trevor Magnotti at halftime last night. He blogs about the Cavaliers, but is very knowledgeable about basketball. So if you're into more than just the Bulls, give him a follow on Twitter.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Enjoying Christmas Turkey
While the Lakers managed to stay within striking distance throughout much of the evening, they were never able to gain the lead after the first quarter. To ensure such a thing wouldn't happen, the Bulls outscored the Lakers 30-16 in the fourth. Ultimately, it came down to the talent on the floor, and no Laker scored more than 19 points (Wesley Johnson). It was simply another illustration of what typically happens when one team has more talent on its side.
Pau Gasol, perhaps out to prove a point to his former team, led all scorers with 23 points and achieved his latest double-double with 13 rebounds. Jimmy Butler made his latest case for an All-Star selection, even if he wasn't trying to, by scoring 21 points and making all six of his free throws. Derrick Rose added 20, Aaron Brooks and Nikola Mirotic had 13 apiece and Joakim Noah totaled 12 boards.
The only reason this game was notable in any sense is because it was played on Christmas. Take the holiday away and it would just be another game with national interest. Still, the Bulls had another chance to show everyone what they're able to do against lesser teams.
Christmas is always the league's prime opportunity to market itself. No other day during the season can equal it when it comes to drawing viewers. Those who come to play will catch people's attention and the Bulls did that. Even if Carlos Boozer led the Lakers' bench with 14 points, that doesn't really matter in the great scheme of things given the result.
The Bulls will stay home Saturday to take on the New Orleans Pelicans, the worst team in the NBA's best division. On paper, it doesn't appear to be a tough task. But consider who the Pelicans have to play against regularly, they'll be ready for anybody. Tom Thibodeau will let them know of that and hopefully, he won't have to try too hard to convince his players.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
300th Post for Christmas Eve
During this time of year in which we reflect on our lives, it's often worth looking back on certain things. For example, I'm in my fourth season of blogging about the Bulls and have experienced many ups and downs for the team in that time. This Christmas Eve, I'm making my 300th post on here, so in the spirit of the season, let's count down my six most read posts since number 200 on Dec. 17 of last year. These are the number of views as of Wednesday afternoon.
4) See Ya Murph - April 4 (34 views): Erik Murphy, the Bulls' second-round pick out of Florida in the 2013 draft, didn't even last a full year in Chicago and was waived, making this post necessary. A lot of what I wrote seemed to question why he became expendable and how the front office evaluates draft talent. But the bottom line seems to be he's just not that good, at least for the NBA. He's currently in the D-League, so maybe he'll get another chance someday.
4) Fanning the Philly Flames - March 19 (34 views): It's no secret the 76ers are hardly making an effort to win right now, but this post reminds us this has been going on since at least last season. The Bulls traveled to Philadelphia and extended their hosts' losing streak to 22. Something like this will always draw interest. That franchise-record streak would extend to 26 before it finally ended. After losing their first 17 games of this season, Philadelphia might be making a run at their 1973 incarnation's NBA-worst 9-73 record. It's just amazing.
4) Getting Anthony in the New NBA? - March 8 (34 views): There were plenty of stories surrounding Carmelo Anthony coming to the Bulls up until he re-signed with the Knicks. This post was merited because there were reports that Joakim Noah made an effort to recruit Anthony during All-Star Weekend. I generally try to avoid the rumor mill on here, but when enough people are talking about it and there's a legitimate story to boot, people will be interested in these posts. The early returns on what ultimately happened shows the Bulls earned the upper hand while Anthony's Knicks are struggling to avoid last place in the Atlantic.
3) It's Jimmer Time - March 1 (45 views): Oh, how people lost it when they learned former college star Jimmer Fredette had signed with the team. The anticipation of what people thought he might do were why people wanted to read this. However, he only played garbage minutes during his tenure, so the novelty of him on the roster quickly wore off. Fredette is currently with the last-place Pelicans and not part of their regular rotation, so that says it all.
2) They Killed Taj's Lil' Super Man - June 5 (49 views): This post had little to do with
basketball and was more about Taj Gibson losing his 7-year-old nephew to gun violence. I devoted a lot of this one to my young cousin Claire and how I would hate to lose her in such a way. I shared this with my uncle, who passed it along to his ex-wife, who passed it along to relatives in Canada, which surely accounted for the spike in views both overall and in that country. I wish it were a more positive post, but that's how the world works unfortunately.
1) Guest Post: Grading the Bulls' Offseason Through the Risk-Reward Prism - Aug. 2 (53 views): I find it comical that the most viewed post in the past year wasn't even my own, but that of my co-worker Luis Medina. He has a lot of followers on social media, so that probably helped. Anyway, Luis shared his thoughts on the Bulls' offseason to that point. Most of them were his reflections on Pau Gasol, Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott. Of course, he noted that the season began and ended with Derrick Rose's health. To this point, only McDermott has been a disappointment and everyone else has gone beyond the call of duty.
| Hopefully, these next 100 posts will include something special in the playoffs and other wonderful happenings for the Bulls. It might even improve because I'm scheduled to take a sports blogging class with Adam Rittenberg of ESPN this winter. I'll also be taking time to blog about another team during that class, but I will continue to maintain this site as well. Until tomorrow, Merry Christmas to you all and thanks for reading! |
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Rose Grows Through Wall
After starting slowly with a couple of costly turnovers, the Bulls got their act together and traded leads with the Wizards until establishing one that would last most of the evening. Despite their best efforts to pull away, they could never quite do so and it nearly came back to bite them. Up 11 midway through the fourth quarter, the Bulls saw Wall score 10 of 12 unanswered points in a little over two minutes. and were suddenly down by one. That's when Rose decided enough was enough, scoring eight consecutive Bulls points and skipping to the bench in a fashion that screamed confidence.
Rose led all scorers with 25 points and Pau Gasol finished one rebound shy of a double-double despite scoring 18. Aaron Brooks continued his recent offensive surge with 13, driving at will more than a player like him should. Taj Gibson's 12 including a couple of angry dunks. Jimmy Butler and Joakim Noah had the number 11 in common: Butler for points and Noah for rebounds.
These last two games against quality opponents have given people more confidence in Rose than they've had all year. He's not completely back, but he's showing what he was able to do before and can do more consistently going forward. Taking over the fourth quarter without making many mistakes is what the best NBA players do and Rose wants everyone to know he still belongs in that conversation. Best of all, he doesn't seem to be playing with reckless abandon all night, but rather saving his best for the end of the game, which proved to be crucial in this game.
The second part of the fourth quarter was truly power against power, demonstrating where each player is in his career. Wall has a lot of talent and leadership, which are key to a long All-Star career. But even with Rose missing most of the previous two seasons, he's still got more to his game and as of right now, knows how to close out close games. It helps that he has lots of talent around him, which the Wizards also do, but the Bulls have been through their growing pains, making them more seasoned.
Nick Friedell had an interesting tweet towards the end of the game. It was about how the Bulls drew it up over the summer that the team would establish itself in the first three quarters before turning it over to Rose in the fourth. For two consecutive nights against two other East contenders, that scenario played out. If we can see more of this going forward, look out.
I know Butler didn't have his best game tonight, but I want to repeat something I told myself after Monday's game. If the Bulls can lock him up and he continues his improved offense, he and Rose have the potential to become the franchise's next power duo like Jordan/Pippen and Love/Sloan before them. For all we know, Butler could just be going on this spurt for one year and Rose might be dealt one final blow to his career. Still, it's fun to think that this could just be the beginning of something special for years to come.
Next, the Bulls will face the Los Angeles Lakers at the United Center on Christmas. I know it's the NBA's biggest TV day of the year, but the Lakers' marketability as a big-name franchise is all they have going for them right now besides Kobe Bryant. I'm not anticipating the close finish we saw at the Staples Center on Christmas 2011, but stranger things have happened. Until then, enjoy my holiday song parodies about Butler and Nikola Mirotic.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Winning in Memphis
By the second quarter, the Bulls were getting key contributions from Jimmy Butler, Nikola Mirotic and Aaron Brooks. More on those in a bit, but the Bulls had Memphis on the ropes in the third quarter and couldn't go for the kill like they surely wanted to. That meant a close fourth in which the Grizzlies constantly threatened to steal the lead that had eluded them most of the night. They got hot enough to pull to within two with 13.8 seconds left, but E'twaun Moore (yeah, him) and Butler followed with successful trips to the free-throw line and that was all she wrote.
Just one night after burning the Knicks for a career-high 35 points, Butler led all scorers with 31 to become the first Bull with back-to-back 30 point performances since Rose in January 2012. It was Mirotic's turn to have a career-high night with 27, 18 of which came from perfect shooting behind the three-point line. Brooks had 17 in the latest offensive onslaught by a backup point guard in Tom Thibodeau's system. Joakim Noah chipped in 10 and achieved a double-double with a game-high 13 rebounds.
There are wins and then are wins that show the best teams who you are. This was exactly that. People knew who the Bulls were going into this one, but to go on the road without your top player and top bench player and eek out a close win says they'll be ready to play no matter who's on the court. Few teams in this league have that luxury. We'll see how far they can go with the talent they have because in the NBA, talent is everything.
We always like to say the Bulls have a deep bench, but in the past, it's been inconsistent when it's mattered the most. Hopefully, this season's bench is the exception and not the rule. Mirotic, Brooks, Gibson and everyone else is letting teams know that any holes can simply be plugged by players who will do the job anyway. These Bulls are that good.
The Central Division leaders will take the rest of the weekend off and face the Toronto Raptors Monday. There was a close game the last time these teams met, but the Bulls pulled it out. With luck, the same result will happen, but with a home crowd watching this time.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Not Helping Heat
The Bulls got off to a hot start in the first quarter before going cold and picking up turnovers to go down 18-14. Aaron Brooks decided that was enough and scored eight unanswered points to put his team in front. Brooks would not score the rest of the game, but he gladly handed those duties off to his teammates, who broke it open after halftime. Miami struggled offensively during the second half, showing occasional signs of life, but having every run answered and not enough power to get their deficit below double figures.
Mike Dunleavy was kept off the board in the first half, but he scored 19 of his 22 points in the third quarter, outscoring the entire Heat roster by three during that frame. Four of his eight field goals in this game were three-pointers. I've talked about how he's usually a quiet player, but I'm now starting to think he's just that good offensively. After all, there has to be a reason he's started every game for as long as he has.
Jimmy Butler finished with 17 and was relentless on defense throughout. Taj Gibson filled in for Noah wonderfully once again and had 15. Derrick Rose entered the fourth quarter with only three points, but dashed any hopes of a real Heat rally by totaling 14. Pau Gasol's nine points and nine rebounds ended his double-double streak at eight, but if that's an off night for him, he's not going to cool off anytime soon.
The Heat are not as bad as they showed tonight, but Bosh or no Bosh, they're just not as exciting or dangerous without the best player in the league. The Bulls, meanwhile, improved this offseason and showcased their depth in this game as they have so many times during the year. Their dominance got to a point where Tom Thibodeau could empty his bench. Even that was bad for Miami when E'Twaun Moore, who only played the final 25 seconds, knocked down a three on the Bulls' final possession.
I literally laughed out loud when I saw the number of empty seats at the American Airlines Arena at tip-off. By the end of the game, you never would have known anyone came later on. It just goes to show that a market with only so-so support of its team did not deserve what it had over the previous four seasons. Even after the Bulls' dynasty broke up, the United Center maintained its sellout streak for quite some time, so what does that tell you?
The Bulls will stay in the Southeast Division Monday when they head to neighboring Georgia to meet the Atlanta Hawks. There, you'll find fan support somehow worse than what typically goes on in South Beach. I can almost guarantee the Bulls will experience a partisan crowd in their favor there. This won't be the first time a Chicago team in any sport gets this benefit in Atlanta.
Before you go, check out my song parody about the temporary loss of Doug McDermott, who will be out 6-8 weeks after having knee surgery.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
McBuckets Having McTrouble
During the Bulls' Friday victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, it was announced that McDermott will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee. Dr. Brian Cole, who performed both of Derrick Rose's knee surgeries, will take on this task as well. No timetable has been set for McDermott's return.
In 17 games, none since Nov. 30 at Brooklyn, the Creighton product has averaged just 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11.6 minutes while shooting 42 percent from the floor. Not exactly what many had in mind for him coming out of college. The good news is he still has time to make something of his first NBA season. The bad news is it may be awhile before he gets to remedy what he's done so far.
To say it's been a rough year for McDermott so far would be an understatement. For all we know, his knee problems are the sole reason for his struggles and he'll be good as new when he comes back. I just don't want the Bulls to feel like they gave up too much to move up in the draft to get someone who will continue struggling.
To be fair, the Bulls haven't needed him that much to stay at the top of the Central for most of the still-early year. Nikola Mirotic has turned into something impressive and is projected to finish better than the reigning national player of the year. It would be exciting to see at least one rookie live up to the billing early and so far, Mirotic is it.
Still, we should continue to hold out hope that McDermott will have good consistency going forward. We haven't even approached 2015 yet, so stories and issues will come and go. Rose is looking like his old self now while just a few weeks ago, he was being reviled for making comments about his future. Such is the life of a sports team's season.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Netting a Nice Win
I had a two-game losing streak coming into this one. A quick 10-1 Nets lead and 7-0 rebounding advantage made me dread I was in for another defeat. But Derrick Rose woke up after earning two personal fouls and one technical. Perhaps it was his frustration with a bad start that got him going.
The former MVP showed shades of his old form and led the Bulls back to a tied halftime score at 51. He continued to step up in the second half, but a tighter defense and depleted Nets offense resulted in the Bulls winning the second half 54-29. A jumper by Jimmy Butler gave the fans free Big Macs with over three minutes to play. With that, many in the stands cleared out and both teams emptied their benches.
All five Bulls starters scored in double figures, led by 23 points from Rose, who also had a team-high four assists. Pau Gasol achieved his latest double-double of 16 points and rebounds apiece. Taj Gibson, starting in place of the injured Joakim Noah, joined Gasol with 11 and 10. The two big men also combined for 10 blocks, so there was a collective triple-double in there. The interior defense, led by these two, was so stifling that it was hard to believe so many close Nets shots were being sent back.
Jimmy Butler showed the latest example of his improved season with 18 points. Mike Dunleavy was a surprise offensive contributor by scoring 12 of his 14 from beyond the three-point line. Nikola Mirotic, who absolutely convinced me tonight that he'll be on the All-Rookie Team, poured in 10 while playing effectively and efficiently. A few more quality defensive outings and everyone in the league will be watching him.
For a team that hasn't played well at home or defensively early in the season, the Bulls showed little evidence of that in this one. It was obvious early on, but they regrouped and rightfully took down a team more depleted than they were. Whether Rose's technical was a catalyst for them to wake up may never truly be known. But in the long run, if everything I saw from him afterward indicates what's coming from him, there's every reason to believe in this season.
I can't say enough about how deep the Bulls are in the post. We all know what Noah can do, but when Gasol, Gibson and Mirotic are on, it can be tough on teams that don't like to shoot from too far out. The offense is there and the defense can make a real difference when everyone is ready to play. To beat the Bulls, opponents better have some well-rounded offensive talent or it's going to be tough to do that.
The Bulls will get Thursday off before returning to the United Center Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers. It presents them with another chance to show they can compete with the top guns in the West. That didn't pan out against Golden State. But hopefully, they're just getting stronger as the season progresses.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Rose "Can't Breathe" for Justice
Instead of his usual garb during pregame warmups, Rose wore an "I Can't Breathe" t-shirt in support of Eric Garner. In case you've been ignorant of the news this week, a Staten Island grand jury chose not to indict a police officer who was caught on video giving a fatal chokehold to Garner, who was under arrest for selling loose, untaxed cigarettes. The quote on the shirt is what Garner could be heard saying on the video.
Rose has taken stands on social issues in the past. He's donated money to help at-risk teenagers, spoken out against violence in Chicago and even taken to Twitter to protest how a Chicago Public School teachers strike was bad for students. So it's hardly a surprise that he would choose to say something about a hot national issue. But this may be the loudest he's ever been when speaking about such things, even though he left the United Center without speaking to the media Saturday.
Joakim Noah stood beside Rose during a postgame interview. He even went so far as to say more athletes should make social statements more often. It was a sentiment recently echoed by Magic Johnson after LeBron James (who is backing Rose on this) made his own comments on the issue. This call for justice seems to be echoed more at a time when athletes have been hesitant to speak out, possibly out of fear of alienating some people.
I'm not going to say whether the grand jury was right or wrong in their decision, but this, along with the Ferguson case, has brought out the activist in many people from civilians to professional athletes. It can get tiring for a lot of people who are sick of all the shouting and accusations going on. But in a country where free speech is protected, there is absolutely nothing wrong with people speaking out wherever and whenever they desire. It's only wrong when people get violent with their actions.
Athletes speaking on these issues proves that no matter how much sports is an escape from real life, we can never really ignore what's going on. No matter what profession you're in or how hard you work, you almost always find time to know about your world. Social issues just happen to be the ones people are the most vocal over. It's probably because people want true freedom and true justice in a country that is supposed to provide both.
Say what you want about Rose, but please don't attack his character over this. I can't even tell you how many stupid things I've read in the Facebook comments sections of Rose stories. People will find any reason to call for the Bulls to get rid of him, no matter what the story's content is. If you consider yourself an intelligent fan, please think before posting something online about Rose so you don't come off as just another Internet whiner.
At least Rose is making headlines for something not involving injuries. All we can hope for now is more stories that he's approaching his old form. I might be attending Wednesday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. If I do, I'll hopefully be able to come back here and report something positive.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Dallas Damns Done Deal
It was a game of runs, truly making it a back-and-forth affair. So it was only fitting that extra time would be needed. The Bulls could have closed out a come-from-behind effort in regulation, but Kirk Hinrich fouled Monta Ellis in the active shooting behind the three-point line, allowing enough free throws to tie the game and bringing about the first overtime. Derrick Rose banked in a three at the end of that session to extend the game further, but air mailed another long ball one period expiration later and that was that.
Ellis, who averaged 19.6 points per game entering Tuesday, led all scorers with 38 points. The Mavericks had their fair share of contributors, but Ellis stepped up more than anyone else, even hitting the game-winning three. This is a guy who is often overlooked in the NBA, but games like this show why any team would be lucky to have him. He put on a performance and did all the right things in a way that would make MJ himself jealous.
Of course, Ellis had his supporting cast to bring him home. Chandler Parsons, making his mark in Dallas after coming over from Houston, scored 24 and went 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki was just behind with 22 and Devin Harris hit all six three-point attempts for 18 of his 20. J.J. Barea shot 5-of-8 from the field for 13 in 12 minutes.
Pau Gasol, surely gassed after this one, led the Bulls with 29 points and 14 rebounds in 50 minutes. The offense ran through him more often than not: further evidence that he has a lot left in the tank which wasn't quite utilized properly near the end of his Lakers tenure. Jimmy Butler continued his offensive onslaught with 23 and the normally quiet Mike Dunleavy had a loud 20. Rose's 18 were hurt by his game-high seven turnovers, but Nikola Mirotic's 15 surely made some forget that second part of Rose's evening.
While it's difficult to accept that the Bulls let this one get away, it's hard to overlook that they allowed a hot Dallas team many open looks during certain stretches, forcing them to come from behind more than once. This may have contributed to their habit of shooting too much behind the three-point line (8-of-26). The offense may be better than it was a year ago, but it's average at best when it relies on that game plan. The 50 points in the paint shows the Bulls are stronger at getting the ball to the basket, so Tom Thibodeau may want to emphasize that more going forward.
Rose was clutch at various moments, but several tweeters observed that he remains passive when diving for the ball and isn't battling as hard for tough rebounds. We don't know if he's either unwilling or unable to do that right now, but it's a reminder of how far he still has to go on his road to recovery. Right now, he's succeeding at scoring, passing and staying healthy. He just needs a little more of that fearlessness and explosiveness that set him apart from others in the league a few years ago.
The Bulls have no time to rest after this marathon. They travel to Charlotte Wednesday to play Michael Jordan's lowly new-look Hornets. It's unknown how long certain players will see the floor after going above their usual minutes in this defeat. Hopefully, it won't matter if a lesser team allows them to take a bit of a breather, if Thibodeau can even picture that.
One more note on a project I'm currently tackling. This holiday season, I'm trying to record 24 different holiday song parodies about Chicago sports. I'll post all the ones I write about the Bulls on here. My very first one involves Rose and his inability to stay healthy. Enjoy.
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