Beasts in Brooklyn

For the second straight year, the Bulls opened their road schedule in New York.  But rather than facing the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, this game had them travel to the Barclays Center and play the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.  One thing stayed the same though:  the Bulls won.  In fact, they led wire-to-wire in a 115-100 decision.

Seven straight points to begin the game ballooned into a 16-point lead.  Then, the defense relaxed in the second quarter and the Nets scored 36 points to get within one.  The ship was righted in the third when the defense allowed just 16 points and the offense picked up where it left off.  Despite one final Nets push in the fourth, the Bulls countered whenever their lead was threatened and left the borough 2-0.

All five starters, plus Aaron Brooks with 12 points, scored in double figures.  The shot distribution was even as everyone attempted between seven and 11 field goals.  Jimmy Butler was the Bulls' leading scorer with 24, 21 coming from the field.  Nikola Mirotic (18 points, 12 on 3-pointers) and Pau Gasol (16) each came within a rebound shy of a double-double, a night my good friend, Bulls MARCA reporter and fellow Spaniard Teresa Garcia Alonso would be proud of.

While the turnovers could be down from 19 in this game, Joakim Noah could score and the defense could be intense for all 48 minutes, you can't complain how the Bulls have played the first two games.  The offense looks balanced and key guys are getting a fair amount of rest.  Fred Hoiberg can afford the latter with this roster's depth, which it will come up a lot this year if we keep seeing box scores more balanced than our country's budget.  We haven't even reached November yet, but early returns show this coach won't run his main horses into the ground just to squeeze out every last possible win.

The Bulls get back at it Friday when they head to Auburn Hills to play the Detroit Pistons.  This will be the first time seeing a Central Division team with no LeBron James this year.  That's critical with all the moves each team made during the offseason.  Let this game be an early indication of how a team that was virtually untouched at the same time stacks up against others trying to steal their title as second-best in the division.

Not Cutesy for Cavs

With President Barack Obama on hand to take in Tuesday's season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Bulls likely had a few more butterflies than usual going into a game featuring LeBron James.  Further upping the pressure was Fred Hoiberg making his head coaching debut on a nationally televised tilt which opened the entire NBA schedule, not just those between the two teams.  You never would have thought nerves were there though.  Not after a 97-95 win.

The Cavs made their first three field-goal attempts, but the Bulls came back in the opening quarter to win it 26-17.  Although Cleveland outscored them in the remaining three frames and James scored a game-high 25 points, the home team refused to succumb to pressure.  Each time the Cavaliers sustained a run, the Bulls would counter with tight defense and just enough offense.  It culminated on the last possession when Pau Gasol knocked James' layup out of bounds and Jimmy Butler deflected the subsequent inbound pass away.

Nikola Mirotic proved it was worth the wait to become a regular starter, leading the Bulls with 19 points, nine coming on 3-pointers.  Derrick Rose took a half to get into his usual groove, but eventually scored 18 on 8-of 22 shooting and dished out a team-high five assists.  Jimmy Butler was just behind with 17 and made all five free throws, showing the battle for whose team it is between him and Rose is in a virtual dead heat.  Tony Snell and E'Twaun Moore each scored 11, totals coming from conventional and unconventional sources respectively.

Although it's nice to start the season off 1-0 against your biggest obstacle in the East, you don't want to read too much into it.  Hoiberg should know as well as his players not every meeting with the best player in the game is going to end happily, especially not after they nearly gave this one away at the end.  Still, the offensive runs, clutch defense and transitional play should be a precursor to what this club can do.  We'll have ample opportunity to assess Hoiball throughout the year, but at least for one night, it worked just well enough.

The Bulls have a quick turnaround thanks to the second half of a back-to-back Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets.  Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson and Andrea Bargnani are among the top talent on that team, but the lack of Deron Williams, now with Dallas, could benefit the Bulls in the backcourt.  It helps that the two best players on the team happen to start there.  Despite playing on consecutive nights, the quest to improve to 2-0 looks doable.

New Leader, Same Group: 2015-16 Preview

Fred Hoiberg is beginning his NBA head coaching career with big expectations right out of the gate.  He's inherited a Bulls team that could never reach the next level under Tom Thibodeau.  Whether they were too defensive-minded or simply couldn't get past LeBron James, it's not important anymore.  This is his team now and he's making his mark on it quickly.

The implementation of Hoiball, in which an increased number and quality of possessions are the key, has given his team something to get behind.  The early returns have been positive from the players' perspective, so that's certainly reason to be optimistic about the season.  Last year, a group that showed more offense than ever in a strategy that emphasized defense had trouble finding the right balance between what they were taught and how they actually played.  That contributed to Cleveland ousting them in six games in the conference semifinals.

Hoiberg is opting to go small to begin games, resulting in some long-established roles being changed.  He can go big and with high energy whenever he wishes at other points in the game.  But for an offensive game plan to work, you need to move the ball and these days, the smaller guys in the NBA find greater success at it.  Consistency is the key, meaning doing it for all 30-plus minutes on the court and not running running out of gas somewhere in the middle.

The good news is nobody seems to be too upset, if at all, about having to let go of the familiar.  The championship window is closing fast on these Bulls, so winning right now regardless of strategic changes needs to be embraced.  Would this virtually identical team from last year have gotten past the Cavs with more offense being preached?  Perhaps, but again, the focus is on today and the lineup seems ready for over five-and-a-half months of the grueling regular season.

All eyes will be on the chemistry of the starting backcourt of Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler.  After speculation throughout last season that Butler would sign with a team where he could be the lone alpha male, the NBA's Most Improved Player signed a five-year deal to stay in Chicago.  There are conflicting reports on how well these two get along, especially when both were ineffective and looked unwilling to dig deep in their elimination game.  Hopefully, they at least get along professionally enough that they can become the most dominating guard duo in the East.

It's literally a broken record by now, but without a healthy Derrick Rose, the Bulls aren't going anywhere.  The orbital fracture he suffered on the first day of training camp, coupled with lingering blurred vision, limited him to just 10 minutes of preseason action in the final game, though he did score eight points.  It's sadly gotten to a point where the 2011 MVP is no longer thought of as a premier point guard in a league full of them.  Rose can blame his body for betraying him time and again, although this latest injury was caused by an elbow to his face.

Regardless of Rose's situation, he still has a lot of talent waiting to be unleashed and he's been one of the most positive voices about Hoiberg's system.  Perhaps this is the first time Rose feels he can truly do what he's want to with the ball throughout his career, MVP under Thibodeau be damned.  The explosiveness might be a little hampered after three knee surgeries, but you want the ball in his hands if someone needs to take over.  He has the drive and ability for it, so be happy we'll get to see him try what he does best whenever he's able to take the court.

If Rose can't finish off close games for whatever reason, look to Butler for that.  In fact, many say he's now the best player on this roster and it's not unwarranted.  He took over so many times last year, practically demanding that everyone take notice of him.  He was a strong everyday player to begin with and morphed into someone who could be special in this league for years to come.  That's how big a leap he took.

Whether Butler can top last year in a new system and with a new deal remains to be seen.  He struggled with his shooting at times during the preseason, but it's possible he was just getting his early issues with Hoiball out of the way.  If he can continue to be smart with the ball and play with the same fearless style that landed him his first All-Star selection, he'll cement his status as being more than just a one-year wonder.  He's a great player regardless, but all signs point to him playing at a higher level for a long time.

The initial starting frontcourt already looked different with Mike Dunleavy's recovery from back surgery sidelining him for at least the first month of the regular season.  Then, as the preseason went on, it became clear to Hoiberg he needed to switch up his personnel for his system to work.  So now, we have two new faces to be introduced by Tommy Edwards instead of one.  One might just be holding the fort until Dunleavy comes back, but the youth of these forwards might blow that scenario out of the water.

Tony Snell came alive in last year's second half after many started to believe he would soon be bounced out of Chicago as quickly as Marquis Teague was.  Instead, he's assumed the everyman role once held by Butler and can lock it down at any time on both ends.  He started 22 games last year, so he really won't be doing anything differently this year other than not being coached by Thibodeau.  In just his third NBA season, it's possible, even likely, he'll take his game to a higher level.

Nikola Mirotic rightly put his name in the Rookie of the Year discussion a year ago after he showed the poise and abilities of someone who's been in the NBA for awhile.  His post play and long shot lets everyone know those years of playing in Europe gave him just the right development and amount of seasoning to play a key role on a contender.  The best is still to come for him, which is scary for opponents.  Even if he's never a star, his contributions will be solid as long as he's in peak shape.

After a summer in which Pau Gasol was named MVP of the EuroBasket tournament he helped Spain win, he will switch from power forward to center for the Bulls.  He's 35, but not slowing down yet and the only thing that might hamper him this year is fatigue from his non-existent offseason.  Otherwise, look for him to get to the basket and grab plenty of rebounds as he's still known to do.  Moving him to center might take some of the defensive pressure off him, which would allow to use his strengths more.

This lineup shuffling meant Joakim Noah will come off the bench after starting all but two games he played under Thibodeau.  While still the emotional leader of the Bulls, he's 30 years old and has a knee that will probably affect his play for the rest of his career.  Plus, he and Gasol never really seemed to gel together a year ago and that proved to be problematic down low.  Still, his rebounding, defense and knack for the big play will provide a lift at times and inspire others to step up their games.

No one could use a bigger season or change at head coach than Doug McDermott, who could never regain his playing time with Thibodeau after being injured early in his rookie year.  Hoiball seems to fit his style better and with Dunleavy out, he'll get plenty of chances to show he can make it in the NBA.  A system that emphasizes shooting early and often is exactly what McDermott needs and while there's no guarantees at the professional level, the opportunity to succeed is a good start to the season.  If Snell struggles as a starter, he'll be next in line for a shot at the job.

While he's not under nearly as much pressure as McDermott, rookie Bobby Portis is on a mission to show he's the frontcourt future of this team.  Early returns on him are positive after averaging 12.2 points and 10 rebounds in the preseason.  It would be nice if he could sustain those numbers throughout the year, but whatever he's putting up will probably drop off a bit when he inevitably hits the wall.  It all depends on how he responds to that.

This surplus of big men has made many wonder if Taj Gibson has become expendable.  He's still got the two-way talent which would make him a starter on most other teams, but with only one year left on his contract, his play this year could force Gar Forman and John Paxson into a decision on whether they should pursue a trade next offseason.  How he bounces back from offseason ankle surgery could dictate whether he can be the same solid player he's been for years now.  Still, the 30-year-old's experience and overall game gives him the upper hand on Portis and this is his shot to join Gasol in the "Gets Better With Age" club.

If anyone wants to put last year's playoff disappointment behind, it should be Aaron Brooks.  He followed a nice regular season with a bad postseason, which caused some surprise when GarPax chose to retain him.  But he played every game last year and, most of the time, put up respectable numbers along with frequent potential to break out.  Plus, he could have done worse as the first choice to start at point when Rose couldn't play.

The rest of the bench is simply extra depth, starting with E'Twaun Moore, a lesser version of Brooks who has shown flashes of brilliance when given the chance.  Kirk Hinrich is listed as a shooting guard, which is appropriate given how far his game his dropped, thus putting him in a position to hurt the team less.  Cameron Bairstow has survived into his second year with the Bulls, which should signal they have confidence he can earn more time on the floor.  How long Cristiano Felicio lasts will be interesting with his non-guaranteed contract, but if he can give something to this team, his tenure will be considered a success.

My initial reservations about Hoiberg as a coach for this type of team remain.  I still have doubts on whether a guy who's only been around the college game can lead an East contender with a closing window past James and the Cavaliers.  Experience wins out most of the time and he doesn't have the best player in the league or the MVP like David Blatt or Steve Kerr did last year.  Maybe I'm going against my usual Bulls watching by waiting to see him crash, but if I didn't believe my own writing, you wouldn't be reading this sentence.

Still, the Bulls have enough talent to at least have a successful regular season, which is why I'm predicting 51 wins for them.  Whether they inevitably meet Cleveland in the conference semifinal or finals doesn't matter.  James will likely head to his sixth straight NBA Finals.  After that, some tough decisions might have to be made to change not the makeup of the Bulls, but some supporting players in a last gasp for this group to win.

The Bulls and Cavaliers will play the very first game of the new NBA season Tuesday at the United Center.  Appropriately, this will be a nationally televised tilt which will pit James with a regular playoff foe.  And there's probably no fan base that gives him a tougher time than Bulls fans.  The league must have taken all that into account by giving everyone the chance to see James open the Bulls' home schedule for the second straight year.

Playing With the Pacers

The Bulls played the second of a preseason back-to-back Tuesday against the Indiana Pacers while most of the city was watching the Cubs.  After being down 10 at the end of the first quarter, the Bulls outscored their guests 24-11 in the second and took over from there.  Never mind committing 14 turnovers to the Pacers' six.  The Bulls will take their 103-94 victory, despite it meaning zilch.

One night after the bigs did most of the Bulls' damage (in a loss), two of the point guards shined here.  Aaron Brooks led the team with 22 points off the bench, flashing what he supplied during the regular season last year, but not in the playoffs.  E'Twaun Moore chipped in with 13 and also grabbed seven rebounds.  If he can have more than a few of those games during the year, there will be scary depth backing up Derrick Rose.

Four of the five Bulls' starters scored in double figures, led by Nikola Mirotic's 15.  He tied with Brooks with a team-high four 3-pointers, reemphasizing how he's a lesser, yet effective version of Dirk Nowitzki.  A little more development in that long shot and we could see him in All-Star Weekend's premier shooting contest this February.  Pau Gasol, who sat out Monday, poured in 10 to go with eight rebounds.

Taj Gibson scored nine in a potential highlight for how effective the injured Bulls (Rose, Mike Dunleavy) can be when they come back.  Granted, Gibson is sandwiched between those other two guys in terms of talent, but if you add them with the healthy talent at the moment and Fred Hoiberg's new system, there could be more excitement and looseness on the West Side than all of last year.  Yes, the Bulls won 50 games and got to the second round of the playoffs, but the internal division between the front office and Tom Thibdeau as well as Rose and Jimmy Butler flaming out together down the stretch put a damper on everything.  I still have doubts about Hoiberg, but everybody seems to be at peace with each other for the most part.

The Bulls close out the exhibition schedule Friday against the winless Dallas Mavericks in Lincoln, Neb.  It wouldn't be shocking to see some of the better players sit it out, but we can't predict that just yet.  Some players have been sitting out games for rest or minor injuries though, so maybe this will be the last chance for some players to crack the final roster, provided they get the chance.  I'm looking at you, Jordan Crawford.

Coming Up Short in Carolina

The Bulls should take no stock in the Charlotte Hornets going undefeated in the preseason so far.  They've done that themselves in recent years and it didn't mean a thing.  So forget that Monday's game was a 94-86 loss.  Like all other exhibitions, this was about getting a feel for the roster.

Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 18 points, but he still seems like he's biding his time.  He hasn't been too loud on the court, so that should mean he's saving his biggest energy for when the real games begin..  If he's as serious about being a leader as he says in recent interviews, he'll make it known in time.  He's moving forward, not back, as evidenced by no rearview mirror in his car.

The bigs really shined as a group.  Pau Gasol sat this one out to rest, but Joakim Noah achieved a double-double with 12 points (eight coming on free throws) and 13 rebounds.  Taj Gibson was one board short of joining Noah, but still led the bench with 14 points in 17 minutes.  Nikola Mirotic knocked down three treys for 13 points and was also one rebound shy of a double-double.

Bobby Portis was efficient, pouring in 12 points in 19 minutes and coming up two boards shy of his own double-double.  This rookie has probably made the most noise of anyone else during the exhibition schedule.  Whether that can continue when the competition increases its intensity next week remains to be seen.  Until then, we can soak up the promise he's shown.

Fred Hoiberg continues to gain a better idea of his team's potential.  The bigs are well-rounded both ways and the smaller players have been unleashing a good round of scoring, although the latter part seems to momentarily be on the down low, yet effective.  They seem competitive most of the time and even when they lose, no one can say they've looked uninterested.  And if Derrick Rose's recent comments about enthusiasm in Hoiberg's system are any indication, this season will be fun.

It seems inexplicable to have a back-to-back in the preseason, but that's what the Bulls have.  The second part is Tuesday at home against the Indiana Pacers.  Not being with the team in Charlotte, Gasol should play barring a health setback or simply opting to watch again.  Regardless, we have to hope playing on consecutive nights in games that don't count won't have long-term ramifications on the season.

Passive for Pistons

 

Derrick Rose shot around before Wednesday's contest with the Detroit Pistons, but the swelling and blurred vision in his left eye will likely make him miss all of the preseason and the opening regular-season game with Cleveland.  What's encouraging is he stuck around on the court well after the rest of his team retreated to the locker room to prepare for the game.  But even he probably couldn't have helped a poor-shooting, rough-defending, turnover-ridden team in a 114-91 loss.

Fred Hoiberg started big with a jumbo lineup of Nikola Mirotic, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah in the starting lineup.  He even let Taj Gibson see his first preseason action in the first half.  The result was a slow group that couldn't move the ball on offense and became a liability defensively.  Hoiberg went small for the second half which worked well at first, but backfired in the fourth quarter as Detroit scored 38 points.  Bulls turnovers and fast-break points opened it up for the Pistons, who gladly put it out of reach.

E'Twaun Moore led the Bulls with 16 points, a distinction he might not reach again.  He'll probably take it, even if it's just the preseason.  He also earned a team-high four assists and I'm willing to bet most of his stats came from starting at the point and playing 35 minutes.  Still, he should ahead of Kirk Hinrich, who was inactive Wednesday, on the depth chart.

Aaron Brooks and Doug McDermott were 5-of-11 apiece from the field, scoring 13 and 12 respectively.  Bobby Portis shot 4-of-7 for 11 and continued to earn praise from media members, including Pistons TV announcer Rick Mahorn.  The early returns on him keep giving us hope he'll make the other rookies compare their games to him.  Jimmy Butler totaled 10 on a night when he was overshadowed by other players who made a slightly bigger impact, even if it was a losing effort.

Hoiberg will want to take a good look at what his lineups can do when they're both big and small.  It's just one game, but he might not want to go with three bigs at the start.  Examples like tonight are why McDermott, who has scored in double figures in all five exhibitions, is believed to be the favorite to fill in for Mike Dunleavy at the three.  You don't want to play catch-up every night.

Gasol said it best after the game:  "We have good stretches.  And then we have terrible stretches."  This game's comeback and subsequent collapse show we could be in for this a lot.  It would certainly help to have all the injured guys back.  It would be nice if games like this would only happen this time of year, but it'll be tough to avoid them now and then for an 82-game schedule.

The Bulls will get some time off before getting back to action Monday against the Charlotte Hornets.  That will be a time for Hoiberg to try another lineup, provided enough players are healthy.  There's a reason this part of the season exists.  Besides getting players and coaches into game shape, you get to see what might work and what might not.

Pel of a Loss

Pau Gasol may have blocked this shot by Anthony Davis on Monday, but he sat toward the end of a 123-115 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.  In fact, it was mostly young players on the floor in the fourth quarter to try and avoid a 20-point collapse.  That didn't happen as shots began to come up short and the Pelicans also took advantage of some mistakes.  Luckily, this game didn't count or we'd be talking about the Bulls' troubles with closing games.

Bobby Portis came off the bench and led the Bulls with 20 points in over 30 minutes.  He also led both teams with 11 rebounds for a double-double.  Making two-thirds of his field-goal attempts is certainly encouraging for the argument that the Bulls lucked out with him falling on the draft board in June.  Talks of being on the All-Rookie Team are already rampant among the fan base and media personalities like Stacey King can't get enough of him.

Doug McDermott had another good shooting night of 17 points, going 3-of-9 from beyond the arc and making all four free throws.  His early returns of being in Fred Hoiberg's system look promising.  Aaron Brooks and E'Twaun Moore scored 13 and 12 respectively in a possible sign that the race for backup point guard is heating up.  Tony Snell, who injured his ankle late in the game, shot 7-of-11 from the field for 15 and Gasol finished with 14.

It's true the Bulls aren't completely healthy right now, but it's not hard to conclude stripping away too much can result in a less effective squad.  LeBron James had to live with this during last year's Finals with no Kevin Love and mostly no Kyrie Irving.  The good news is the increased opportunity to look at the younger guys allows us to see what sparks we might see off the bench during the year.  Portis and McDermott gotten people to notice them through four preseason games, but will anyone else?

The Bulls will stay at the United Center Wednesday to take on the Detroit Pistons.  Even with Derrick Rose's eye still too swollen for a return, Snell's newly hurt ankle and all the other injuries, they have work to do, even if they're just trying to develop the future role players of the franchise.  We're seeing them more now than we'll likely see them in the coming weeks and months.  This is their time to show they can carry the team when called upon.

Pretty Preseason Premiere

Khris Middleton unleashed something fierce during the second quarter of his Milwaukee Bucks' first preseason game against the Bulls.  He threw down a poster dunk over Jimmy Butler at a time when it appeared the Bucks would get some early revenge for last year's playoff defeat.  Unfortunately for him, it was only the second quarter.  The Bulls woke up with 40 third-quarter points and won 105-95.

Fred Hoiberg's unofficial debut as an NBA head coach didn't have Derrick Rose, Mike Dunleavy, Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson or Kirk Hinrich.  He didn't need them for a dress rehearsal though.  Instead, we got a glimpse at the young talent and upcoming leadership for this team.

Butler being posterized by Middleton was just a footnote in an impressive outing.  He scored 23 points by shooting 7-of-12 from the field and 8-of-12 from the charity stripe.  After the game, he reemphasized recent comments he made about rising as a leader.  Some are led to believe it's his team now and not Rose's, but we'll see how this storyline plays out over the season.

Doug McDermott started slowly at first, but hit five 3-pointers to tie Butler's 23-point total.  If this is a sign of things to come in an unofficial redshirt rookie season, everyone look out.  Hoiberg might be just the coach to rebuild whatever confidence was shattered under Tom Thibodeau.  Everyone pray that this kid will show us what he really is.

Nikola Mirotic scored 18 to at least temporarily instill confidence the Bulls will be fine without Dunleavy starting for the first month.  Aaron Brooks scored 10 to make his brutal playoffs last year a memory further away.  Bobby Portis was lauded by Stacey King throughout the TV broadcast and for good reason.  He  grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds to go with eight points and played with the hustle every NBA fan loves to see out of young guys.

We likely won't see the full Hoiball system until the regular season.  At times, the Bulls seemed to be taking their time looking for a good shot.  They did show a willingness to shoot the long ball with 39 3-point attempts compared to 11 for Milwaukee.  If this is what they're going for, everyone who can shoot better be ready each night.

With a perfect 1-0 preseason record, the Bulls continue this fake basketball schedule Thursday when they play the Denver Nuggets in Boulder, Colo.  That will be followed by Saturday's meeting with the Minnesota Timberwolves in Winnipeg.  Gotta love those unique locations for exhibitions.  Then again, it's the best chance for the locals to watch NBA basketball, so I won't nitpick on these sites.

Masking Rose and Having Hannah

Derrick Rose has reason to smile after Wednesday's successful surgery on his left orbital fracture.  The consensus is he could resume basketball activities in two weeks.  That would give him three preseason games to knock some of the rust off and a decent amount of time before the Oct. 27 opener with Cleveland.  Upon returning to the court, he'll be fitted for a protective mask.

Fred Hoiberg said Thursday Rose is very sensitive to light, so the doctors want him to perform absolutely zero physical activity while he recovers.  What's more, he won't leave his home until Friday's follow-up appointment.  It's a matter of letting his sight heal and preserving the eye.

It's fitting how Rose, consistently banged up, will finally have a symbol on the court of everything he's been through.  Sure, his protective knee gear is there, but he never needed to cover his face for an injury until now.  It will be interesting to see him with another new look, albeit temporarily, to go with that new hairstyle his son inspired.  Oh yes, that hair will look marvelous on game nights.

Thursday also saw the Bulls add one more name to the training camp roster:  Stefhon Hannah.  The 30-year-old Hyde Park graduate played college ball at Missouri and has played in various leagues since then.  Last year, he spent time in the D-League with Grand Rapids and Reno.  Over 22 games, his averages were as follows:  5.9 points, 2.1 assists, 1.05 steals and 16.6 minutes.

If he makes the roster, he will replace Nazr Moahammed as the hometown bench player.  His resume isn't very exciting, but he has as good a chance to make it as the others the Bulls have signed in the past week.  Imagine being a journeyman for so long and finally getting your shot in the NBA, with your hometown team no less.  This feel-good narrative has played out in people's heads before, but let's see it before our eyes now.