Like with much of the world, 2016 wasn't a very kind year to the Bulls. When it seemed like necessary changes were finally going to be made, they didn't really happen. So the end of the year doesn't feel much differently from the beginning. Yet this is still the day to reflect on everything significant that happened and that's why we're here today.
With Fred Hoiberg inheriting virtually the same roster Tom Thibodeau had the year before, the Bulls struggled to meet the demands of Hoiball, yet remained in contention for the final playoff spot in the East until the season was nearly over. But it wasn't fun to watch and even the good things that happened had strings attached. Jimmy Butler was named to his second All-Star Game, but an injury kept him from playing, so Pau Gasol took his place. Though Derrick Rose appeared in 66 games, his most since his MVP campaign, he still didn't play like the superstar he was pre-ACL tear except for a few flashes here and there.
All this, along with Butler attempting to seize leadership from Rose and Joakim Noah, whose season ended early with a shoulder injury, led to a 42-40 finish and no playoffs for the first time since 2008. Calls to get rid of everyone came from everywhere. When Rose was traded to New York and it became heavily rumored that Butler would be dealt on draft night, it looked like the Bulls would indeed go in that direction. With Noah and Gasol leaving as free agents and Gar Forman saying the team needed "to get younger and more athletic", the fuel to the rebuilding fire continued to be poured on.
But everything was doused quickly when the Bulls signed Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade, which would have been perfect if this was 2010. But it's six years later and both have aged considerably since then. Young players were added up until the regular season started, but none generated much excitement. A veteran starting lineup to go with a young bench baffled many people as it seems like the makeup of a team stuck in the middle, which is exactly where the Bulls were when the previous season ended.
With over 40 percent of the new campaign in the books, the new Bulls are as mired in mediocrity as ever, the worst place to be in professional sports. Butler and Wade are reliable game in and game out, but the rest of the Bulls are hit and miss game in and game out. Since starting at 11-7, they've fallen to one game below .500 and suddenly, there are reports that Hoiberg's job might be in jeopardy. But don't let that distract you from the fact that this is ultimately a team constructed by Forman and John Paxson, though there's no indication that Jerry Reinsdorf is fed up with either of them.
Perhaps it's only fitting that a year filled with divided politics and lots of celebrity deaths among other things includes a Bulls team that hasn't moved in one direction or the other since we last rang in a New Year. You're sick of everything else in the world bringing you down and this is only adding to the frustration. Unless you're a Cubs fan, a Trump supporter or both, this likely won't be a year you remember fondly, and maybe not even then. Shouldn't we at least have a basketball team that knows what the heck it's doing?
Maybe Reinsdorf will take how positively folks are reacting to his White Sox going the rebuilding route and decide the Bulls will pick a solid direction during their next offseason as well. Had Forman truly backed up his "younger and more athletic" comment, this talk about the franchise being stagnant might not even be happening. For now, he's stuck with young players on the bench whom you don't really want to build your team around. If you can't replace players quickly, get some better talent evaluation in your front office and begin the proper process.
Before wrapping this up, I want to thank everybody who came back to this blog after I temporarily jumped ship to Chicago Bulls Confidential. Yes, it's not as big a brand as ChicagoNow, but I find this setting more intimate. It's something we can share together and if you like what I write, it would be nice of you to share my work with others. I highly value my audience.
I've had enough of this drama of this calendar year. 2017 can hopefully only be an improvement. But first, they can end 2016 on a high note by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks tonight. See you all on the other side of this big day.
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Friday, December 30, 2016
Pacers Outpace Bulls
While my girlfriend and I were driving to Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers, Marc Stein of ESPN reported that Fred Hoiberg is on the hot seat and only the guaranteed money on his five-year, $25 million contract is keeping the Bulls from making a change. After the game, Hoiberg downplayed the talk, though that's not going to keep it from subsiding. It will just continue after the Bulls lost, 111-101.
The Pacers threatened to blow it open early after making their first seven field-goal attempts. But Indiana missed a bunch of layups and had trouble handling the ball, allowing the Bulls to keep pace and even chip away at the lead. This continued until the game was tied at 95 midway through the fourth quarter and again at 97 two minutes later. But the Bulls couldn't find that one basket to give them the lead and went cold, allowing the Pacers to end the game on a 14-4 run.
Paul George showed off his value with a game-high 32 points, 11 during the aforementioned game-ending run, on 10-of-20 shooting from the field and making all nine of his free throws. Jeff Teague, who gave the Bulls plenty of fits in Atlanta before he was traded this summer, did it again by recording a career-high 17 assists. The rest of the Pacers' starting frontcourt benefited as Thaddeus Young scored 17 and Myles Turner had 15. Glen Robinson III also reached double figures with 12 points and completed the double-double with 10 rebounds.
Not surprising for the Bulls was Jimmy Butler leading them with 25 points and Dwyane Wade not far behind with 20. Surprising was Crisitano Felicio's first career double-double (12 points, 12 rebounds), which will only make his strongest supporters scream even louder for him to play more meaningful minutes, though foul trouble in the first half kept him from playing longer during that time. Michael Carter-Williams earned the right to start the second half over Rajon Rondo, who was benched the final 24 minutes, and made the most of his increased playing time with 12 points and eight boards. Doug McDermott and Taj Gibson each scored 10.
You gotta give the Bulls credit for not rolling over when they got down in a hurry. That desire not to be out of games has kept this frustrating season more entertaining than it has any right to be. But their sloppy play out of the gate and running numerous offensive sets in crunch time that just didn't work did them in. This was a prime example of how streaky, both good and bad, these Bulls can be.
The Bulls are 16-17 and deserve every bit to be under .500. The offense isn't that great and the defense tends to get beaten at the worst times. They give themselves plenty of chances and are often successful at them, but other than the two wins earlier this week, it doesn't happen much in the clutch. It's up to Hoiberg and his staff to get the players from being on the precipice of needed wins to getting over that hump required to win.
The focus now shifts to Saturday's New Year's Eve date with the Milwaukee Bucks. At the very least, the Bulls can end 2016 at exactly .500, which would be fitting for this group. But the Bucks blew them out on both ends of a home-and-home earlier this month and playing the back end of a back-to-back won't make it any easier against this younger, more athletic opponent. Sound familiar, GarPax?
Thursday, December 29, 2016
R.J. Hunter Waived
The Bulls made a very minor move on Thursday, but one that reduced their roster size to 14. They requested waivers on R.J. Hunter, who played in three games and collected one rebound over nine minutes during that span. Not even time with the Windy City Bulls could improve his standing here. Now, he finds himself looking for new work.
Hunter, as you may recall, was added to the team just before the season tipped off. But the Georgia State product who caused his head coach and father Ron to fall off his chair during March Madness in 2015 never found his footing in Chicago. Frankly, he probably didn't have much upside to begin with. It remains to be seen where he lands next, but the D-League is probably his best bet.
Hunter is 23, so he's got plenty left in the tank. But how high can his ceiling go? If the Bulls, known to move the Jerian Grants and Paul Zipsers of the world back and forth between Chicago and Hoffman Estates, can't find much promise with him, perhaps he's not destined to last in the NBA. But he has every right to show he belongs with the best and at his age, he'll have more chances to make it as a professional basketball player.
As for the Bulls, they already have enough trouble getting every young player into games each night. With the roster being completely healthy for the first time since Halloween, it perhaps allowed the front office to reevaluate the situation and thus, determine that Hunter wasn't going to get enough chances here. If they were really sold on him, they probably wouldn't have waited until after the preseason to give him a shot. Whatever the case may be, it's the life of a professional basketball player, which is constantly prone to change.
I'll conclude this post by sharing a poster made especially for this blog. When I find more time, probably after the holidays, I'll look for a way it can be displayed on the home page permanently. My girlfriend Audrey gave it to me for Christmas and I'll actually be taking her to tomorrow's road game, her first Bulls game, against the Indiana Pacers. My recap won't be up until late, but try to wait around for it before you go to bed, okay?
Monday, December 19, 2016
Bulls Back to Good Basketball Against Pistons
This game belonged to the Bulls from the opening tip. They scored 12 of the game's first 14 points and matched their 69-point total from Friday's loss at halftime. The lead was 34 at the end of the third quarter, allowing Hoiberg to rest his starters for the entire fourth. In short, Detroit never had a chance.
Seven Bulls, including all five starters, scored in double figures. Jimmy Butler did the most damage with 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field and making all six free throws. Taj Gibson had 16 and made all eight of his shots. Rajon Rondo came within two rebounds of a triple-double on a night he had 10 points and 14 assists.
Off the bench, Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott each scored 13 and shot 50 percent from the field. It was the best they could have hoped for in a season they have struggled to find their footing. Then again, the same could be said for the entire reserve unit. But as the two non-starters who typically get the biggest workload, the others can take a cue from them and these types of games can only inspire confidence to play at a higher level.
The Bulls' starters have the talent to compete with anyone in the league, especially those that are struggling. Granted, the Bulls are closer to the bottom of the Central than they should be, but Monday showed why they're better than the slump they just showed. More slumps will regrettably happen throughout the year (that's just how it is with this team), which will make games like this easy to savor. More importantly, it will get them in the playoffs, which is the main goal for this team after missing out last year.
The season will continue Wednesday against the Washington Wizards. For some reason, this is a team that's had the Bulls' number for a few years now. But the Bulls made progress by defeating them at the United Center on Nov. 12, so they have a chance to put any further talk about their inability to beat them to rest. Then again, this team tends to pose more questions than answers, so another letdown is not out of the question, but there's no reason not to think positively after the game we just saw.
Saturday, December 17, 2016
How Low The Bulls Go
I'll get to why in a second, but to add to all the drama, Nikola Mirotic missed Friday's mandatory walkthrough and could be fined. This came one night after he received the first "DNP - Coach's Decision" of his career. While he apologized, he was still confused as to why Bobby Portis had taken his spot in the rotation. It's not like Portis has performed much better than Mirotic has of late, but with a qualifying offer on the table for next year, don't be shocked if Mirotic is done in Chicago after this year.
But the Mirotic chapter looks rather small compared to the bigger issues facing the Bulls. After a nice start to the season, they are now 13-13, having lost six of their past eight games. They are becoming the team many like me were in denial about during the summer: mediocre and right in the middle of the NBA. It shows how wrong and indecisive Gar Forman and John Paxson have been in their decision-making.
Yeah, about that. Remember when Forman said the Bulls were going to get "younger" and "more athletic", only to stop just short of that when it came to the core? Doing more talk than walk on the matter came back to haunt him this week when bot the Bucks AND Tom Thibodeau's Minnesota Timberwolves beat his team with the very makeup he said he would pursue. Meanwhile, Forman's young guys, all on the bench, have made little to no progress nearly two months into the season.
I'll give a Christmas cookie to anyone who can tell me with a straight face one young player who not only has improved under Fred Hoiberg this year, but is a viable franchise building block for years to come. Otherwise, you'll have to accept that Hoiberg is the anti-Thibodeau in that he doesn't maximize anybody's game. Forman felt he could and decided to give him a five-year contract that's currently in year two.
Christmas Eve has historically been an exit day for Bulls coaches just not living up to expectations. Just ask Tim Floyd and Scott Skiles. We are exactly one week from that day and there's speculation that in the event Hoiberg goes then or on any day, Forman becomes a scapegoat and goes with him. It would be nice for this organization to hold people accountable and if the Bulls follow their history, it can happen sooner than later.
The worst thing about these past few games is that the Bulls have looked completely disinterested on both ends. The offense is out of sync and not making smart decisions. The defense has let anybody and everybody carve it up like Swiss cheese, showing little resistance in the half-court and letting itself get beat convincingly on the break. The players can talk all they want about improving, communicating and all that, but until they actually show that they care by their actions, they'll get booed off the United Center court as they were Friday.
Many are calling this the low point of Hoiberg's tenure and it's hard to argue against it. To get back above .500, they'll have to beat the Detroit Pistons on Monday. Even if they win, the issues with the team's makeup will remain. And they won't change until the organization decides to actually build a foundation we can all be proud to call our own.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Thibs, Timberwolves Beat Bulls
Things started well when the Bulls exploited a thin Timberwolves defense down low. They led by as much as 21 in the second quarter before the visitors, who entered tied with Dallas for the worst record in the NBA, began to look like the team people expected at the start of the year. Their youth and athleticism, the very thing Gar Forman and John Paxson backtracked on during the offseason, played a large part in making up the entire deficit and eventually, taking the lead. The Bulls, who scored 38 points in the first quarter, became stagnant on offense and were badly beat frequently on defense to complete the NBA's biggest collapse so far this season.
For the second time in 10 days, the Bulls lost to a team entering with the league's worst record. Take out the first quarter and it was ugly from start to finish. They were outscored 77-56 in the final three quarters and shot 24 percent from the field. And during one stretch, they made just one of 12 3-point attempts.
All five Timberwolves starters scored in double figures. Zach LaVine led them with 24 points and Andrew Wiggins just trailed him with 23. There were 16 points apiece from Karl-Anthony Towns and Gorgui Dieng, whom the Bulls passed on in the 2013 draft for Tony Snell. In typical Thibodeau fashion, no Minnesota starter played less than 34 minutes and on this night, it didn't hurt the young team.
Jimmy Butler was the game's top scorer with 27 points and came within a rebound of a double-double. Robin Lopez had 14, but just four in the second half, though he did get on highlight reels with some emphatic blocks (finishing with 4). Dwyane Wade totaled 12 on a night he wasn't particularly sharp (4 of 13 from the field) and found himself ejected in the final seconds for clapping in referee Ben Taylor's face. Taj Gibson added 10.
There's no way this should have turned out the way it did, but Thibodeau's crew had extra incentive to play extra hard when it fell in an early hole. Meanwhile, the Bulls again played down to their competition and couldn't find another wind once they fell out of the first one. The shooting was putrid and the defense either collapsed frequently or couldn't get back on fast breaks. No team can play a game like this and expect to come out on top.
The Bulls will lick their wounds Wednesday before playing a nationally televised road game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the first of a home-and-home. Rajon Rondo will hopefully be back from a sprained ankle. But it won't matter if they don't play those 48 minutes of intensity. I always to channel the late Norm Van Lier, but it becomes necessary when the worst of the NBA is besting what should be an above-average Bulls team and Thibs is laughing all the way home.
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Bulls Lead Spurs Wire-to-Wire
Although it was mostly the Bulls, who led by as much as 18, controlling the game, they faced a stiff challenge in the second half from the Spurs, desperate to keep their perfect road record alive. They got to as close as four with 3:24 to play on a 3-pointer from Pau Gasol. But the Bulls made their free throws and cracked down on rebounding on both ends. It was enough to finish the Spurs off and cause Gregg Popovich to not pull any punches afterward.
All five starters scored in double figures. Dwyane Wade led with 20 points, nine coming from the free-throw line. Despite not scoring in the first half, Jimmy Butler finished with 13. Twelve points each came from Taj Gibson, Robin Lopez and Rajon Rondo, who finished within one assist of a triple-double.
Despite the Bulls' tendency to show up more prepared when the national spotlight is on them, they can always use signature wins and this was their second in less than a week. While they won't contend for a championship, they have enough talent that will get them over the hump against the best of the league. That's why quality opponents can't take them for granted. Though they've beaten good teams regularly in past years, this is a different team that can beat others in a way not executed properly much until now.
The Bulls will take a day to savor the win before returning to action Saturday against the Miami Heat. Naturally, this has a chance to be a letdown after a big such as the one Thursday. The Lakers beat them not long after they did the same to them in Los Angeles. They'll try to avoid a repeat since they already beat Wade's former team in his return to South Beach a month ago.
Perhaps a key will be to keep teams off the charity stripe as the Bulls have been. They rank second in the NBA with 18.1 free-throw attempts allowed per game and tied for third with 17.7 fouls committed. That trend kept up Thursday when the Spurs got to the line just five times. If they do that again Saturday, they'll make a bad team even worse.
Monday, December 5, 2016
Dominating of the Guards: Trail Blazers Beat Bulls
Monday was an eventful night for me at the United Center. I got to shake Bill Wennington's hand before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Jimmy Butler hit a 3-pointer as time expired. Too bad it wasn't a one-possession contest then because otherwise, the Bulls might not have lost 112-110.
The teams took turns being scoring the most points in every other quarter and their respective play showed. The Blazers just happened to do it in the even quarters. While a lot of the game's direction had to do with the stars on both teams living up to expectations and sloppy defense on both ends, it came down to who had the better supporting cast. With Rajon Rondo serving a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, Portland had the slightly more Oscar-worthy performance and deserved the win.
Damian Lillard did the most damage for the Blazers by scoring 30 points, including 11 in the final 5:55. CJ McCollum, Lillard's backcourt mate, was close behind with 24. Allen Crabbe came off the bench to pour in 17. It was certainly unexpected from a player averaging 9.2 points per game, but also turned out to be necessary for the visitors.
In my first game seeing Dwyane Wade in person since his rookie year, he didn't disappoint, leading all scorers with 34 points. Butler, taking more a backseat to the future Hall of Famer in this game, had an impressive 26. Robin Lopez camped down low to grab 14 rebounds. While Nikola Mirotic scored 18 off the bench, he also had to play hero ball in several situations and most of the time, he was unsuccessful.
I've been high on Jerian Grant this season, especially after he lit up the Blazers on the circus trip, but he and Isaiah Canaan were major disappointments while filling in for Rondo. They combined to shoot 5 for 18 and record a plus/minus of -4. It's clear why Rondo usually runs the offense. Maybe the offense doesn't flow as well with him out there, but he can still put up stats, which in some cases, makes all the difference.
The Bulls don't have quick guards as talented as the Blazers and when you take out a veteran like Rondo, that only hurts. A defense that qualifies as average this season won't be seen as that for long if it doesn't limit easy field goals. The bleeding stopped for a little bit when Butler defended Lillard to start the second half, but that effectiveness ended when Evan Turner started converting on opportunities during a 10-point night. While scoring might be up for the Bulls this year, they'll lose to equal or superior offensive teams more often if they can't take away lanes or shut their stars down.
The schedule dictates the Bulls, now losers of three of four, have to rebound quickly as they travel to Auburn Hills, Michigan for a Tuesday game against the Detroit Pistons. Will Wade be as effective in the second game of a back-to-back? Can the defense do a better job guarding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope up top than Lillard on Monday? They have no choice, but the beauty of the NBA is that redemption can come quickly at times.
Friday, December 2, 2016
Besting the Best: Bulls Top Cavaliers
The Bulls trailed 33-30 after the first quarter, but otherwise for a good portion of the evening. They played tough defense and took advantage of full-court opportunities and second chances. Even as the Cavaliers made one final late push, the hosts held their ground and weren't about to let a night of hard work go for naught. They weathered the storm and the fans at the United Center collected their Big Macs.
All five Bulls starters scored in double figures, led by Jimmy Butler's 26 points in his 12th straight game with 20 or more. Wade was the perfect Robin to Butler's Batman with 24. Taj Gibson was perfect from the field in the first half and finished with a season-high 23 points. Rajon Rondo recorded his first triple-double with the Bulls: 15 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.
This game was said to be a measuring stick for how the Bulls stack up against the champs. Don't take that at face value though. This was the second of a back-to-back for the Cavs and this was also their third straight defeat. The Bulls just happened to catch Cleveland at the right time.
That said, the Bulls sent a message that it's likely LeBron will have to go through them once again if he wants to get back to the Finals. While he hasn't lost to them yet, they can present a challenge. This time, they have the league's best current player's BFF and he's made a huge difference in changing things for the better. Maybe it won't be enough for LeBron to finally go down, but like this season, such a playoff series can at least be entertaining.
Wade will stay behind while his teammates travel Saturday to play the Dallas Mavericks. As thrilling as the Bulls have been thus far, Dirk's crew is just as disappointing. It doesn't help that he's dealing with a sore Achilles tendon. The Bulls would be happy to take as close to a gift win as possible though.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
I'm Back
This week, I started my first full-time job at Shaw Media as a copy editor and page designer. Bulls Confidential is hosted on ChicagoNow, which is owned by tronc. As Shaw and tronc are competitors in the same market, it was no longer possible to write for a blog hosted on a site that happened to be owned by my now former employer. I am still able to blog independently, so I decided to return to where I once wrote.
While I'll miss my colleagues at Bulls Confidential, it also feels liberating in a sense because I get to write for myself once again. And I can do it while following a Bulls team that is much better than it was a year ago. At 10-7, the Bulls are second only to Cleveland in the Central and third in the East. Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade have done a fine job getting them to this point.
The Bulls will face Cleveland at home Friday, my first day off since beginning at Shaw, and that's when I intend to continue writing in earnest. I'm happy this small, but devoted readership will be able to read my thoughts on my site once again. And to any Bulls Confidential readers who have followed me here and didn't know me before, welcome. I guarantee you'll find my thoughts about the team as relevant and important as anyone who does this on their own time.
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