Returning to Chicago Bulls Confidential

Yes, that's right.  I'll be taking most, if not all of my Bulls writing to Chicago Bulls Confidential once again.  You might be wondering how it's possible considering my job of three-and-a-half months creates a conflict of interest since CBC is a ChicagoNow site.  I have an easy answer for you:  it no longer is.

Two days ago, the site announced it was moving off ChicagoNow and onto Medium.  Upon reading this, I reached out to editor-in-chief Drew Edstrom and asked if this meant the blog was completely free of Tribune affiliation.  He said it was and after I asked if I could return, he welcomed me back with open arms.  A quick call to my managing editor at work made my return to CBC official.

The official revival of Grabbing the Bull Horns was just three months, ironically the same amount of time as my first tenure at CBC.  Now I know for sure I can pick up right where I left off here should I no longer be able to write elsewhere for whatever reason.  And there could also be days in which I'll end up back here anyway (though this would only be as a last resort).

Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who has read this blog during its time as an active site.  Come visit me at CBC to read my latest Bulls thoughts because by doing that here, you made me want to keep writing them.  I hope to keep you proud of me as my writing journey continues.  Until I grace Blogger again, go Bulls!

Another Game, Another Bad Second Half: Bulls Lose to Pistons

This is becoming a disturbing trend.  The Bulls have a fine first half, but implode in the second.  Such was the case last week against Denver, Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers and  in Monday's 109-95 loss to the Detroit Pistons during their final game at The Palace of Auburn Hills.  It tied the teams at 31-32, though they still hold onto the final two playoff spots in the East.

Even without Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo due to injuries, the Bulls initially appeared not to need them, outpacing Detroit on the break, 10-0, in the first quarter and leading by as much as 14 during that frame.  But the Pistons cut that lead to four by halftime and the contest was knotted after three quarters.  The final frame was all Detroit, which opened it with a 12-3 run and ultimately outscored the Bulls, 30-16.  That happens when your offense lasts longer and you take away easy chances on defense, though it helps when your opponent lets you score at will and can't respond.

Reggie Jackson was the Pistons' big player, scoring 24 of his 26 points in the second half and shooting a perfect 10 for 10 from the field during that time.  Jon Leuer scored 16 and 13 points apiece came from Marcus Morris and Tobias Harris.  Andre Drummond, whom the Bulls hacked for a bit in the third quarter (a strategy Will Perdue said changed the course of the game), had 12 points and eight rebounds.  Aron Baynes, whom Australian Olympic coach Luc Longley was in the building to check out, put on a decent showing of 12 and seven.

Jimmy Butler regrouped from his bad game against the Clippers to lead all scorers with 27 points and grab nine boards.  Robin Lopez was his usual reliable self in the pain, scoring 18.  Cameron Payne showed a glimpse of why Gar Forman acquired him, hitting a game-high four 3-pointers during a 14-point game.  Bobby Portis scored 10 and Jerian Grant dished a season-high eight assists.

It came down to who had more energy down the stretch and in this case, Detroit's 54-20 advantage on points in the paint over the final three quarters played a huge part.  Little resistance from the Bulls on one end and employing shooters who aren't consistent enough on the other can only mean disaster.  And too many turnovers, five of their 10 coming from Butler, gave Detroit more chances they were mostly happy to take advantage of.  Worst of all, they looked defeated in the face of adversity during the second half and you cannot do that in the NBA.

Every game is becoming more pivotal as the season approaches its final month.  The next one will be on the road Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.  The Bulls' win there on Jan. 24 was the last time I blogged right after a victory.  I'll be working this time however, so my next chance to feel good while writing after a game will have to wait a little longer, which just goes to show how elusive wins are becoming for a team that's still hovering around .500.

Nuggets' Hot Shooting Dooms Bulls

Like it's not enough the Bulls can't shoot 3-pointers?  They have to die on certain nights by that method posed by their opponent too?  That was the case in Tuesday's 125-107 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

The contest was even throughout the first half and the Bulls even led by three at the break.  It remained close until the final three minutes of the third quarter when the Nuggets closed the frame on a 13-4 run.  Things got exponentially worse in the fourth, which saw the Nuggets hit six 3-pointers and the Bulls apply very little defensive pressure.  By the end, the United Center faithful was showering the home team with some boos.

All five Denver starters scored in double figures, but none did more damage than Nikola Jokic, who achieved both his third triple-double of the year and the third triple-double against the Bulls this season:  19 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists.  Danilo Gallinari was the game's leading scorer with 22 points, followed closely by DePaul product Wilson Chandler's 20.  Gary Harris, one of the two picks the Bulls traded for the now-departed Doug McDermott during the 2014 draft, tied with Will Barton for 15.  Jamal Murray scored 14 and Jameer Nelson added 12.

Dwyane Wade was the Bulls' most productive player with team highs of 19 points and six assists.  Rajon Rondo also scored 19 and generally provided one of the few bright spots on the team, a rare feat for him.  New regular starter Bobby Portis had 12 and Robin Lopez finished just behind him with 10.  Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler was nowhere to be found, scoring just eight on 3 of 13 shooting.

Granted, there's not much the Bulls can do when the team they're facing is shooting 56.3 percent, but it exposes them as a team that doesn't match up well when an offensive explosion takes place on the other end.  It shows how poorly Gar Forman constructed this team before the season and so far, didn't do much better by acquiring Cameron Payne (2 for 10 from the field Tuesday).  Games like this expose holes in the team which could have been avoided with better planning.  If you're consistently coming up short on offense and can't prevent anything on defense, you deserve every boo that comes down upon you from your fans.

It doesn't get any easier with Thursday's nationally-televised tilt with the Golden State Warriors.  Maybe it gets a bit easier with Kevin Durant's injury on Tuesday, but the Splash Brothers are alive and well.  That TNT streak faces its biggest threat yet.  And my sister is going to the game, so a lot of nerve-wracking and unusual activity will be taking place on the West Side.

Deadline Trade Indictment of Bulls' Talent Development

I have to admit I didn't feel as upset about Thursday's trade as others.  That's not to say I was happy about it at all, though I tried to look at it from a basketball business perspective.  Taj Gibson's expiring contract meant avoiding the situation from last year in which Pau Gasol walked in free agency after the Bulls didn't deal him at the deadline.  As much as it pained John Paxson to tell arguably the most beloved Bull he was headed elsewhere, it was completely understandable as to why he and Gar Forman made the decision.

The biggest issue for me was not that the Bulls acquired three players in the middle of poor shooting seasons.  It's not that Doug McDermott ultimately cost five draft picks that turned into the haul they got yesterday.  It's not even that the trade made them no better for now or the future.  It comes down to the Bulls being unable to do anything with the talent they acquire.

Think about it.  Since the Bulls drafted Jimmy Butler in 2011, absolutely zero of first-round draft picks have made an impact and the first three members of that group are now elsewhere.  Marquis Teague is now playing in Russia at just 23, Tony Snell was dealt at the start of the year for Michael Carter-Williams and we now know where McDermott is.  Dealing Gibson means more minutes for the most recent draft picks:  Bobby Portis, Denzel Valentine and Paul Zipser.  We'll cut Valentine a little slack because of injuries in his rookie season, but just like the players before him, the former two have done little to inspire confidence they can turn into playmakers.

And that's what makes this whole situation disappointing.  For whatever reason, the Bulls cannot develop any young player who puts on their uniform these days.  I put a lot of faith in McDermott from the moment the Bulls acquired him and in less than three years, they've admitted yet again that a draft-day acquisition has not worked out under their watch.  Maybe I sound like less of a fan here, but I hope the Thunder turn McDermott into the player I thought he would as proof that the Bulls are the wrong destination for youngsters with raw skills.

The more I think about it, the more I believe the Bulls might have ruined Nikola Mirotic.  He's taken a significant step back this year and playing for an organization with such a poor track record of late surely hasn't helped.  It's difficult to believe he'll be serviceable anywhere when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer.  Had he broken into the NBA with a team like San Antonio, maybe we're talking about a different player.

Given all this, how are we to believe any young players who would come to the Bulls as part of a potential Jimmy Butler deal would thrive?  Paxson said in Thursday's press conference that the team would build with Butler and not around him.  Does that mean talks with Boston, a team connected to the Bulls during deadline rumors that holds Brooklyn's first-round draft pick, would part with that in order to get Butler this summer?  Even if that's the case, it's difficult to believe that player won't resemble Anthony Bennett more than Anthony Davis when all is said and done.

More presently, they say Cameron Payne has the biggest potential to grow, but will he really?  Like with any new Bulls acquisition, I'll hold my breath to a certain degree and say he just might do something significant in the years to come.  But how does a player whose shooting has taken a step back this year live up to his billing as a lottery pick with this team?  There's no clear answer right now and that's scary.

The biggest question to consider is how does Michael Reinsdorf feel about all this?  Reports earlier this week indicate he's more businessman than basketball mind.  The difference between him and late Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz is he actually cares about the United Center seats filling up.  As long as people are buying tickets, and there are plenty of people willing to do that, he won't see a need to make significant changes.  And no real urgency to win a championship is what makes the Wirtz comparison legit as painful as it might be.

As much as we diehard Bulls fans don't like to see people drop off until the team becomes competitive again, we'll understand if you choose to just keep track of the Cubs and Hawks for the time being.  They've figured out the correct mold on how to build winning cultures.  The Bulls have either forgotten the blueprint for that or just don't care much.  Whatever the case, it's going to be a long wait before that all changes, even at the expense of what could have been promising careers.

Gibson, McDermott Traded to Thunder

I have to go to work soon, so I'll keep this brief.  The Bulls made a deal at the trade deadline that sent Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round draft pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder.  In return, they received Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne and Anthony Morrow.

Trading Gibson and his expiring contract is no surprise.  McDermott probably needed a change of scenery after underachieving from the time he was drafted in 2014.  I'll miss the longest tenured Bull and a player I thought could have done so much more in Chicago.

As for the haul the Bulls got, none will really change the fortunes of the team, at least not in the short term.  Payne becomes the latest in a bunch of point guards auditioning for the long-term starting job.  If Nikola Mirotic or Bobby Portis don't get the regular start at power forward, figure Lauvergne will have a chance to earn some minutes.  Morrow, 31, gives Rajon Rondo a fellow veteran presence off the bench.

Payne has the most promise of the three given his age and the Bulls' need for a point guard, but the other two deserve a chance to shine as well.  At this point, every player who puts on a Bulls uniform is auditioning to be part of the next core to make a run at a championship, especially if they're young.  While that can be true of any new player at any time, the Bulls are at a crossroads right now.  They need to see who's worth their money both now and in the long run.

The question going forward for this season is will this knock the Bulls out of the playoff picture?  It might have been easier to say yes if the Eastern Conference wasn't as putrid as it's been this century.  But it's tough to succeed without a post player with the caliber of Gibson.  Then again, a time when you're trying to develop the future of your franchise should be more about just that and not necessarily the playoffs, extra revenue be damned (though that's something the Reinsdorfs probably don't want to hear).

Year of Frustration Keeps Going for Bulls: Midseason Report

People have become fed up with the Bulls.  A season filled with turmoil, inconsistency and no willingness to change is causing fans to tune out.  A Crain's Chicago Business report says TV ratings for games on Comcast SportsNet are down 28 percent compared to the final season average and the team is on pace for its lowest average viewership on the network in nearly a decade.  But everything is fine in Jerry Reinsdorf's world as long as he has Gar Forman and John Paxson back next year, which he will, even when players are calling each other out.

What was hyped to be the season of the 3 Alphas has turned into what many feared would when Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade were signed as sidekicks to Jimmy Butler.  Mediocrity is the name of the game and in January, the younger players felt the wrath of Butler and Wade, who were bashed by Rondo on Instagram in return.  For the second straight season, Fred Hoiberg has a roster that simply isn't built for his system.  And with Sacramento trading DeMarcus Cousins right after Sunday's All-Star Game, the Bulls will likely have to settle for the Kings' second-round pick in the next draft instead of their first-rounder.

Despite so many things going wrong, the Bulls find themselves in the seventh playoff spot in the East at 28-29, one game behind Indiana and one ahead of Detroit.  Amazing is that the East's ninth-place team, Milwaukee, is a half-game better than Denver, the eighth seed in the West.  So unless the Bulls decide to trade Jimmy Butler before Thursday's trade deadline, it would take a monumental amount of losing for them to miss the playoffs.

That's not what many people want to hear.  They see this as a team with no direction stuck in basketball hell and the only option is to tear it down and start over.  If GarPax goes that route, it's hard to imagine they'll consider it until the end of the season at the earliest.  As long as the team is connected to Jahlil Okafor trade rumors, it's wise to assume they won't be burning anything to the ground soon.

That's good news if you want to keep watching Butler in Chicago.  Once again, he's improved from a year ago, posting career highs in almost every relevant category.  The new All-Star voting system allowed him to make his first start in three selections.  He's proven he belongs among the NBA's elite and he won't slow down until he's stretched his ceiling as high as it can go, which is scary for opponents since it appears the sky's the limit for him.

While his string of 12 consecutive All-Star selections ended this year, the 35-year-old Wade has shown he has plenty left to contribute.  When he's not sitting out games to conserve whatever gas is left in his tank, he's creating his own plays and acting clutch in situations where Butler is unavailable.  Fortunately, he's been out there enough to wow fans and create memories befitting of a future Hall of Famer near the end of the years in which he can make a real difference.  As long as the team doesn't have to go through him all the time, his value will be maximized and the Bulls will gain from that.

The same can't be said for Rondo, who hasn't started since my girlfriend and I saw him begin a 5 1/2-game benching on Dec. 30 in Indiana.  His scoring average is at its lowest since his rookie year and he's well on his way to a career-low field goal percentage.  Although he still gets his assists each game, that average hasn't been so low since his second season.  The one good thing he's done is give the bench a veteran presence it didn't have before, which is beneficial to any team.

For the first time in his career, Taj Gibson has started every game he's played, missing only two all year.  His scoring and free-throw percentage are up significantly from last year and he still plays with the same intensity he has since coming in the league.  Hard work and not a lot of flash won't get you the accolades of your more talented colleagues, but it gives you respect and admiration from everybody.  Gibson has earned all of it and with his contract about to expire, it's sad to know this player who embodies what a Chicago Bull is might soon be out the door.

Robin Lopez, who took over Joakim Noah's starting spot at center, is the only Bull to play and start every game this season.  While he's had a bit of a down year, it's been easier to take thanks to lower expectations in the paint without Noah or Pau Gasol.  He's another example of doing all the right things with the game he has and there isn't as much pressure on him to create.  He won't ever achieve the results of his twin brother Brook, but he's a respectable NBA player the Bulls were lucky to acquire as the centerpiece of their haul in the Derrick Rose trade.

Since Rondo's benching, starting point guard duties have been split between Michael Carter-Williams and Jerian Grant.  Carter-Williams might be productive enough to be considered a viable NBA player in the long run, though the Bulls are his third team in four seasons.  Plus, he's averaging just 2.7 assists a game this year, by far the fewest in his career.  A restricted free agent after the season, he could stand to improve if he wants his next paycheck to be a good one.

Grant, in his second NBA season, has shown flashes of a player belonging in the rotation, particularly by shooting 34.8 percent from 3-point range, but he isn't proving himself enough in other areas.  If he wants to stick around the league, he needs to create more plays for himself and others.  He has room to grow at 24 though, so look for more out of him.

If you wanna talk disappointments, look no further than Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic.  While McDermott has gotten more playing time, increased his scoring and is the best 3-point shooter on the team, he hasn't lived up to the expectations of the lottery pick the Bulls drafted two first-round picks to get.  He's not the go-to player they expected, but he has one year left on his contract to figure it out, which can't be said for Mirotic, who's becoming a restricted free agent after a season in which he's regressed across the board.  He should be fortunate to collect an NBA paycheck right now because at this rate, he's going to find trouble landing elsewhere next season.


As for the rest of the team, Cristiano Felicio does enough with his minutes that he can get it done on both ends during that allotted time.  Bobby Portis is still finding his footing, though slowly making strides.  Paul Zipser has improved his post play by doing the little things, allowing him to get more minutes than fellow rookie Denzel Valentine, who needs to prove his production matches his basketball smarts at the NBA level and not just with the Windy City Bulls.  Isaiah Canaan barely sees action these days, which should tell you all Hoiberg thinks about his potential to thrive here.

Hoiberg could thrive with a roster suited to his demands, but he hasn't gotten one yet.  If he did, we might be talking about a more successful Bulls.  He's not blameless however.  Though he deserves a longer leash than GarPax, nothing about these Bulls indicates he can get the most out of his players like Tom Thibodeau did.

There's talent on this roster, but it's not enough to be considered a consistent winner.  The question GarPax has to consider so close to the deadline and beyond is whether the core players can be built around without triggering a total teardown, which Reinsdorf undoubtedly wants to avoid completely.  The chairman is 80 and might not have be happy if he knows he must wait for another championship for too long.  Then again, he wants to do it his way with GarPax, so he needs to pick a lane and choose it for the greater good of the franchise.

The second half begins Friday with a home meeting against the Phoenix Suns.  After the Bulls laid an egg against them on the Disney on Ice trip, one would think the universe would balance itself out.  Then again, that's another young and athletic team, the type the Bulls said they would be, but didn't and have ironically struggled against.  Funny how saying one thing and doing another works against you.

Gibson Reflects on Trade Rumors, Still Gives Heart to Bulls

Taj Gibson knows what's going on.  The longest-tenured Bull doesn't earn that title without knowledge on how the NBA works.  With the trade deadline one week away and his contract expiring, he knows he might be on the hot seat.  Not helping to calm any rumors about him is the inconsistency of his team.

But that doesn't mean Gibson doesn't still care about the Bulls.  Read this story from CSNChicago.com and you'll find in the middle that he's been pouring his heart out to the team.  That's the sign of a good player being a good teammate.  It's a big reason Gibson has stuck around Chicago for so long.

At the same time, it really gets you thinking about his future here.  Ever since he was drafted, Gibson has been a great ambassador for the team who knows how to play the game right.  He waited for years to get a regular starting job on the Bulls even though he could have gotten one a lot sooner for a different team.  Regardless of where he is in the rotation at any given time though, his contributions have been level one way or another.

It's not his fault his team has no sense of direction.  It's not his fault his front office brought in the wrong types of players to be his teammates.  And it's certainly not his fault he plays for a coach whose system just can't translate into success.  Yet the business of basketball means his time in Chicago might end soon.

Whenever Gibson leaves, you can almost guarantee he'll keep following the Bulls as closely as he possibly can.  He owes everything to an organization that has financially set him for life.  It's not like he's done anything to irritate the people in charge of it.  That's more than we can say about the so-called leaders on the roster.

The younger players need to look to Gibson on how to be a respectful NBA player.  Even if you don't have the talent of LeBron James or Kevin Durant, you can still be the best teammate and have the right attitude to boot.  That's what being a professional basketball player is all about.  You can gain everything even without winning a championship.

Appreciate whatever time Gibson has left in Chicago.  Thursday's nationally-televised game against the Boston Celtics presents another opportunity.  It's also the last time we'll see the Bulls before the trade deadline and the All-Star break.  If this is also Gibson's final time putting on the red and white, at least he'll do so with the entire country watching and hopefully, those doing so realize it's quite possible they're seeing the end of an admirable era.

Timberwolves Take Full Advantage of Shorthanded Bulls

It's never a good sign when you go to a Bulls game knowing your team's chances are pretty much shot.  Even before my first trip to the Target Center, my spirits were dampened by the news that Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade would miss Sunday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a bruised right heel and swollen right wrist respectively.  Nikola Mirotic had back spasms and Paul Zipser was dealing with both food poisoning and a sore ankle.  It should come as no surprise that the Bulls lost, 117-89.

Except for the first few possessions, the Bulls had no chance against a young, athletic team without their two playmakers.  The defense constantly broke down, especially in the paint, and the offense gave itself no chance with poor decision-making and inability to take care of the ball.  Tom Thibodeau had no sympathy for his former team.  His team played well from start to finish per his trademark style to sweep the season series.

Andrew Wiggins led all scorers with 27 points, driving on every opportunity he had and finishing more often than not.  Karl-Anthony Towns scored 22 and Gorgui Dieng had a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds, as did Ricky Rubio with 17 points and 11 assists.  Just for good measure, Nemanja Bjelica chipped in 16 points and Shabazz Muhammad added 12.

Bobby Portis and Doug McDermott tied for the Bulls lead with 16 points, and everything about that statement should depress you.  Michael Carter-Williams wasn't far behind with 12.  Robin Lopez and Rajon Rondo chipped in 10 apiece.  Obviously, there was nothing too exciting to come of that.

All you need to know about this game is the Bulls had a 4-on-1 break and completely screwed it up with a bad pass.  Only these Bulls could find a way to mess up such an easy opportunity.  Never mind that they were missing key personnel.  The fact that two points could be thrown away just like that is absolutely mind-boggling.

This game really exposed the Bulls as to how thin they are.  Take Butler and Wade out and you're left with a bunch of role players that have no clear direction.  Granted, they don't do well against young, athletic teams anyway, but when nobody's playing well enough to hide your collective flaws, everyone can see you for what you truly are.  It's further evidence on why a new direction not only needs to be considered, but is overdue.

Having finished the Disney on Ice trip at 2-4, the Bulls will return to the United Center on Tuesday against the Toronto Raptors.  They've won 10 straight in the series, though the Raptors dropping to the fourth seed in the East makes it a little less surprising.  Still, any series with a streak that long suggests the team on the losing end has a mental block that grows larger for each passing game.  Anything to get this team back on track would be much appreciated, even if it has to come at the expense of an opponent you've beat up on recently.

Protest Calling for GarPax Firing Planned

Let me make clear off the bat that I'm not advocating, nor discouraging anyone from taking part in what's been planned.  This is merely to inform you that someone from the nether regions of the internet has decided enough is enough with the Bulls.  That person and the followers in support of the following idea want change, even if that means they have to make their voices heard.

On Thursday, a Reddit user with the handle graythematter proposed a mass protest calling for Jerry Reinsdorf to dismiss Gar Forman and John Paxson.  Chants of "Fire GarPax" would take place during the March 4 game against the Los Angeles Clippers set to be televised on ABC.  People responded and before long, more details and the above t-shirt design were unveiled.  As reported on the updates to this plan, a few websites have picked up on this.

On one hand, buying game tickets feeds into business, so Reinsdorf would probably just see as adding to the number of sellouts the Bulls have already had this season.  Heck, he might take this as a one-night thing that won't affect business for the rest of the season.  The flip side is a public relations nightmare for the organization on national TV if enough fans take part in this protest and they're loud enough.  The Bulls are not far removed from the 3 Alphas going to war with each other, so maybe another instance of the team making headlines for the wrong reasons will be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

It's doubtful anything meaningful comes of this and some are even raising concerns about whether security will let in people wearing these shirts.  But if nobody's bringing anything already banned inside the United Center, they really shouldn't be able to tell these people they can't come in.  It would be censoring free speech.  If the President of the United States can take to Twitter to bash anybody who rubs him the wrong way, fans should be allowed to protest how their team is run.

Every Bulls fan should be rightfully disgruntled at how things have gone.  Until moves in the name of progress are made, those feelings will continue.  Maybe a large gathering during a game at least gets Reinsdorf to think about what's going on.  White Sox fans are already happy about his other team picking a direction, so there's no reason to think Bulls fans won't react well if he just makes it known that changes will be made to ensure a winner will come sooner rather than later.

Fans are done with personal loyalties.  They're done with hanging onto the past in hopes of that carrying over into the present.  Whether or not you think this protest is the right way to being vocal, know that you have the power to make a difference.  Not buying tickets, turning the United Center into a frenzy or whatever, the fans make up the soul of the team and if it's dirty, the brains behind it have to cleanse it.

Forman, Paxson Have Safe Jobs and That's Not Good

If a Tuesday night report is to be believed, Gar Forman and John Paxson will remain as Bulls general manager and executive vice president respectively, even if the team misses the playoffs this year.  Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf trust the two in how they build the roster. The brass reportedly believes this is the first year to reopen a championship window without Derrick Rose and also that the strategy of rebuilding while competing is working.

They can spin this all they want, but the fact remains that this is the latest example of a longstanding tradition of Reinsdorf loyalty to its front office regardless of team performance.  While it's fine to be on good terms with your employees, it isn't worth anything if your product is mediocre.  People don't go to the store to buy mediocre groceries.  They want high quality at a reasonable price and the Bulls expect fans to pay one of the most expensive tickets in the NBA for inconsistency.

While regular sellouts and the United Center's large capacity allows the Bulls to lead the league in home attendance, the eye test at these games indicates people aren't showing up, and that's embarrassing.  The fans have never been as loud as say, Warriors and Thunder fans, but with fewer people wanting to see a shoddy product, folks being fed up gets harder to ignore.  At least it should for fans watching on TV.

But as long as the bottom line is good enough, the Reinsdorfs will see no reason to make drastic changes.  Never mind that every draft pick since Jimmy Butler in 2011 has failed to live up to expectations.  Forget about going back on the vow to get younger and more athletic by signing Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade.  GarPax can do no wrong, even with the third head coach since the duo came together, so it's here to stay.

How is anyone supposed to believe in a future for this team?  Players and coaches keep changing and yet, those in charge of basketball operations never suffer the consequences of their failure to produce winning results.  Just getting to the playoffs isn't enough.  You have to contend for championships to keep fans interested and yet, the organization has no interest in trying a different path.

Perhaps most annoying of all is that we still haven't reached the All-Star break on this season, meaning there's still two months before the playoffs.  That's at least 14 months before we can even consider the possibility that one or both of these guys will be replaced.  Tell me how we're supposed to expect the Bulls to blow people away when most of their fans are ranging from pissed to apathetic.  Without changes to enter the next winning era of Bulls basketball, it ain't happening.

They say you should value people over anything else, but pro sports is a business with millions of outside followers, something no other industry can boast to the extent it does.  That's why when the majority of those people are calling for you to do something, loyalties have to put aside.  Paxson in particular has contributed a lot to the Bulls for over 30 years, but eventually, patience and chances have to run out.  And besides one great year, Forman has not earned the benefit of the doubt because he and his scouts and failed to properly identify quality talent to build with.

You don't have to follow the Bulls to see how the opinions of one or two can affect the entire operation.  We're seeing that with America itself as we speak and how upset people are.  Maybe it's a stretch to draw that parallel, but how poorly people can take certain actions or inaction is on full display.  Reinsdorf is running a professional sports organization as opposed to the most powerful country in the free world, so when put that way, making changes should be a lot easier.

Until anything happens, we as the fans have to deal with an organization stuck in its ways until it indicates otherwise.  While we may not like it, we just have to endure it because we can't call ourselves true fans without putting up with the crap that comes with following one team your whole life.  Someday, we'll look back on this and laugh.  Maybe.

Bulls Dealing With Injuries to Butler, Felicio

Having split the first two games of their Disney on Ice trip, the Bulls head into Monday's game against the Sacramento Kings with questions about Jimmy Butler's availability.  After missing Friday's 121-117 overtime loss to the Houston Rockets with a right heel contusion, Butler underwent an MRI the next day, which didn't show any significant damage.  But that didn't stop him from missing practice on Sunday.

Adding to these difficulties was Cristiano Felicio's departure during Friday's game.  He suffered a lower right leg strain and will be out a week.  While his absence doesn't hurt as badly as Butler's, it lessens what little frontcourt depth the Bulls have.  He's shown plenty of promise this season, but needs to prove he's not just an overachiever who happens to have a solid game here and there.

Losing any depth, especially the type that Butler provides, is a problem no team can afford, but especially not the Bulls, who let a potential victory slip away late in regulation on Friday before going down in the extra period.  As a .500 team, anything to cripple your chances of making the playoffs must not be taken lightly.  That's a time when the remaining players, particularly those in the rotation, really have to dig deep.  It might not be enough to make up what your missing teammates contribute, but it's better than feeling sorry for yourself and going through the motions.

Amazingly, the Bulls have somehow bumped up to the seventh seed in the East at 25-26.  That would be crazy enough by itself being in the inferior conference except the 22-28 Denver Nuggets hold the last seed in the West.  It's like the universe is demanding the Bulls be one of the 16 teams left standing in April.  While the playoffs are still no guarantee, you can't let up when you've given yourself no room for error.

This won't be easy because the Bulls aren't built to have any sustained success this year unless you count mediocrity as success.  But if they do just enough over the final two months of the season, they'll be in, though likely as fodder for whoever they draw.  Then again, just getting there is what management wants, right?  Everyone gets what they want.

Younger Bulls Take Issue With Wade's Practicing or Lack Thereof

One day after Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo were all fined for their recent comments and the former two were benched at the start of a 100-88 loss to the Miami Heat, Taj Gibson let it be known that the younger players on the team want Wade to practice more.  Both the 35-year-old Wade and Fred Hoiberg agreed to watch his practice schedule carefully at the start of the season.  No doubt sitting out some practices has allowed him to play on both ends of back-to-backs.  But those still learning the NBA said during Friday's team meeting that they don't care for this arrangement.

Wade did practice on Saturday, but the issue remained.  His sitting out of many practices was enough of an issue for Rondo to bring it up in his Instagram post.  He and Hoiberg have defended it several times.  Whether or not they continue to do so remains to be seen.

While it's completely understandable for Wade to take steps that will max out whatever he has left, leadership is also about setting examples for those who have come after you.  It would be in the best interest of the team for him to sacrifice a little playing time to help develop these guys outside of games.  On the other hand, he signed with the Bulls to play meaningful basketball, not pickup games.  He's truly caught between a rock and a hard place with his body and being in the good graces of his teammates coming to blows, something he probably didn't expect or at least wasn't hoping would happen.

Wade will need to do some soul searching and maybe even have a long conversation with Hoiberg on how to best move forward.  With a little less than half the season to go, that's a lot of time left to spend with these players.  Heck, the Disney on Ice Trip starts after Sunday's home game against the Philadelphia 76ers.  He can consider this his own little retreat in which he can reflect on this issue.

As Wade gets closer to the end of his Hall of Fame career, it's time for him to decide what legacy he wants to leave those who will still be playing when he hangs it up.  Does he want to be known as a great player who was also easy to be around?  Or will he be one who thought of himself first more as his body started to break down?  The choice is his.

Rajon Rondo Instagram Rant Points Blame at Wade, Butler

I gotta hand it to the Bulls.  When controversy comes their way, they don't shy away from it.  In fact, they seem to love adding one layer after another.  And as we found out Thursday, they can even cause a ruckus on social media.

In the immediate aftermath of Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade calling out their young teammates following Wednesday's blown game against Atlanta, the most vocal response came from Jerian Grant on Twitter.  But Rajon Rondo's grating Instagram post on Thursday made Grant's tweets look like high praise.  For those who can't be bothered to follow the link, Rondo posted a picture of himself with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett during his Boston days.  Here's the full message that accompanied it in all its glory:


My vets would never go to the media. They would come to the team. My vets didn't pick and choose when they wanted to bring it. They brought it every time they stepped in the gym whether it was practice or a game. They didn't take days off. My vets didn't care about their numbers. My vets played for the team. When we lost, they wouldn't blame us. They took responsibility and got in the gym. They showed the young guys what it meant to work. Even in Boston when we had the best record in the league, if we lost a game, you could hear a pin drop on the bus. They showed us the seriousness of the game. My vets didn't have an influence on the coaching staff. They couldn't change the plan because it didn't work for them. I played under one of the greatest coaches, and he held everyone accountable. It takes 1-15 to win. When you isolate everyone, you can't win consistently. I may be a lot of things, but I'm not a bad teammate. My goal is to pass what I learned along. The young guys work. They show up. They don't deserve blame. If anything is questionable, it's the leadership.

Well.  That sure resolved everything going on with this team.  In fact, Bulls management appreciated it so much, Rondo's contract might be bought out.  It's as if to say "We love how you spoke your mind, so why don't you do it someplace besides here?"

The scary thing about Rondo's post is he's not completely wrong.  Go back to any non-game story involving Wade or Butler this season and you'll find things that match what Rondo is saying.  So it's not a huge shock that he doesn't like how they've conducted themselves as team leaders or simply as players either.  Their postgame comments were clearly the last straw for him, but even with all that time between then and when he made the post, he still felt strongly enough that he had to tell the world what he perceived to be the wrong way to guide a team.

The biggest irony of this whole thing is that it was Rondo who coined the term "The Three Alphas" and in less than 24 hours, they all added fuel to the fire that is this dysfunctional season.  Worse yet, it's turned into two alphas against one and unsurprisingly, the player by himself has by far contributed the least this year.  What is anyone hoping to gain from all this?  Unless some magic potion that brings unity is somewhere in the locker room, it's hard to imagine much.

But perhaps some good will come of this.  Maybe this is what Gar Forman and John Paxson needed to finally stop turning the other cheek and do something about this mess they created.  Years from now, we might look back on these past couple days as the moment when the Bulls finally decided to get serious about building the franchise's next great era.  And to think, all it might have taken was an online rant from a player who many felt was a poor teammate and bad for Fred Hoiberg's system to begin with.

All we know for sure is we're all sick and tired of season after season turning into a soap opera for one reason or another.  Two years ago, it was GarPax against Tom Thibodeau.  Last year, Butler seized leadership from Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, much to the chagrin of the now-Knicks.  The latest one is Rondo vs. Butler and Wade vs. everybody.

Why do we as fans have to put up with this?  Even the Tim Floyd era didn't see so much drama for so long.  If Michael Reinsdorf doesn't realize now is the time to get his father Jerry to sign off on something new, this organization is a lost cause.  This all could have been avoided if they took the proper steps to assemble a winning, united basketball team, but here we are.

The longer the higher-ups remain silent about this, the more fans are going to tune out.  It's a shame to see the same franchise Michael Jordan became famous with reduced to something no one should want to be a part of.  A real culture change is needed.  No one should care about how it happens as long as there's a light at the end of this God-forsaken tunnel, which there currently is not.

Maybe Jerry will see how happy SoxFest attendees are this weekend to know his other team is finally taking proper steps to get back to winning.  If that's the epiphany he needs to realize Bulls fans would be just as happy to endure lean years for a better future, so be it.  Maybe it starts with dumping Rondo and admitting he never should have been signed to begin with.  Let's see somebody take to social media about that.

Postgame Comments From Wade, Butler Remove Any Doubt of Discord

If any people were still wondering about the unity of this year's Bulls, there's no longer any question regarding it  after Wednesday's late collapse against the Atlanta Hawks.  Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade, the only two players to make any meaningful contributions in the game, really let their teammates have it.  Wade, already in the spotlight this week for threatening to walk after this season, said he doesn't "know that they care enough."  I won't reprint the expletive Butler dropped, but his sentiment echoed Wade's, saying his teammates "just got to care if we win or lose."

The teammates in question surely took the comments in their own ways.  Jerian Grant had the most public reaction so far, sending out four tweets about it.  It's understandable because none of us like to be talked down to at our jobs.  Still, it's disheartening to see this young player, the latest in a revolving door of starting point guards at a time when the Bulls sometimes have no one on the court at that position, respond to the on-court leaders in this fashion.

For the second straight season, Fred Hoiberg has lost control of his locker room.  Not being able to get the best out of every player is one thing.  So is not knowing which player should be doing what in clutch situations.  It's quite another to see words flying to the point where your players aren't getting along.

Okay, Rajon Rondo brought his baggage with him as everyone expected, but at least when he's the story, it ultimately goes squarely back to him.  Now, you've got the best players on the team throwing the young players who are supposed to be developing under the bus.  That's multiple parties on both sides of the aisle involved.  How are we expected to believe this will all get resolved before the season ends?

We can't blame Hoiberg for this entire mess though.  What will really be intriguing is if we hear from Gar Forman or John Paxson, the architects of this dumpster fire, about these latest developments.  While we probably won't, it's hard not to want to be a fly on the wall during their private meetings.  Do they feel they need to take action or do they just not care?

I'm not holding my breath on whether GarPax has learned what could happen when you're indecisive on the direction of your franchise.  Collectively, they've made one poor decision after another without consequence.  Even when Forman says they're going to put together a younger and more athletic roster, he finds players to fill that description who aren't that good and also abandons that plan halfway through it.  And he's getting paid a lot of money for it all.

If there's any good to come out of this latest episode, maybe this will finally convince management to pick a lane and follow it through to the end.  As seemingly everyone but them suspected, you can't just sign high-profile players to put butts in seats.  Sure, the Bulls are still selling out games, but turnout has not been very good and tickets are being cheaply resold everywhere.  So much for taking the marketing route this year.

The best we can hope for now besides wins is Butler and Wade making sure there are no hard feelings and they just want everyone to play to the best of their abilities.  They might have to do it quickly though in case GarPax wants to sell at the trade deadline.  Even if the season that never was is officially lost, at least the interpersonal relationships can be healed, right?  Of course, that's not what season-ticket holders pay a lot of money to see, and we have to wonder how long they're willing to do that.

Butler, Wade Can't Do It All in Late Collapse to Hawks

Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade are the only reasons to pay attention to the Bulls this year.  They play the best basketball of anybody on the team and happen to be very good at what they do.  In Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks, they were poised to carry the Bulls to victory by themselves.  But their supporting cast couldn't help them protect a lead that lasted almost four quarters and the Bulls lost, 119-114, for their seventh consecutive loss to the Hawks.

Though Atlanta never really went away, it seemed like its effort wouldn't be enough to stop Butler (40 points) and Wade (33 points) either.  The two combined to get the Bulls to a 110-100 lead with 3:02 left.  That's when the Hawks scored 12 unanswered points for their first lead en route to a 19-4 run that ended the game.  Not helping in the final few minutes were ill-advised 3-point attempts by a trio of Bulls bigs:  Taj Gibson, Paul Zipser and Nikola Mirotic.

All five Hawks starters, plus Tim Hardaway Jr., scored in double figures:  an effort led by Dennis Schroder's 24 points and game-high nine assists.  Paul Millsap scored 21, Thabo Sefolosha had and Hardaway poured in 17.  Dwight Howard and Kent Bazemore totaled 16 points apiece and for good measure, Howard hauled in 12 rebounds and Bazemore dished out seven assists.  Schroder and Hardaway each knocked four 3-pointers while Millsap and Sefolosha each made three.

Even more telling than the Hawks' successful reliance on the long ball was leading the Bulls, 29-18, in the assists category.  They were smarter and better offensively while making just enough defensive stops.  The Bulls, as they have done far too often this season, tried to play hero ball more than they should have and didn't run the proper offensive sets when the tough got going.  In other words, they took a crack at more challenging opportunities when they should have simplified things because nobody besides Wade and Butler was contributing much of anything.

The Bulls fell back to a game below .500 with this loss and the more we see these types of games, the greater the chance they'll finish the season at that mark.  Yet remarkably, that might still be enough to reach the playoffs in the East.  Even at 23-24, they lead Milwaukee for the conference's final spot.  Maybe reaching the postseason is all the organization cares about, but everyone and their mother knows it will just be a bandage over a wound that will continue to grow until a clear direction is determined.

The second of a three-game homestand will be played Friday against the Miami Heat.  The Bulls have won the first two meetings of the series this season and can earn the sweep with a win.  They'll need to put this latest disaster behind them though.  And for the sake of Wade's future, let's hope he lets this roll off his back as well.

Bulls More Magical Team in Orlando

The news early Tuesday revolved around Dwyane Wade indicating the rest of the Bulls' season would determine whether he'll stick around for the second year of his contract or opt out.  There was still a game against the Orlando Magic to be played though.  Regardless of if Wade has been thinking about this for awhile and just needed to get it off his chest, he didn't let it affect his play.  In fact, the Bulls put the comments behind them long enough to earn a 100-92 win.

The Bulls came out shooting poorly, but remedied that before the Magic could pull away.  From there, the teams went back and forth until the Bulls slowly extended their lead.  Though they never put it out of reach, they got to a point where they kept Orlando on the precipice between threatening the lead and completely dropping off.  Helping was the Magic missing three players due to injury, including ex-Bull D.J. Augustin.

Wade scored a game-high 21 points and recorded seven steals (tied for the most in the NBA this season), picking up right where he left off in Saturday's win over Sacramento.  Jimmy Butler was just behind with 20 points and a team-high four assists.  Cristiano Felicio continued his ascent with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds.  Doug McDermott scored all 12 of his points from 3-point range.

The Bulls will take a win however they can, even with the distraction of Wade making his departure after this year a possibility.  They created opportunities for themselves and converted on just enough of them.  They also showed the defense that allows them to get the better of inferior teams, at least on certain nights.  In this case, they forced Elfrid Payton into eight of Orlando's 19 turnovers.

This and pretty much every game for the rest of the season will be critical in determining what the 35-year-old Wade does next year.  True, his mere presence has gone against the younger and more athletic route that Gar Forman pledged, but he's also provided the good basketball he has left to the city.  What would it say about a future Hall of Famer in the twilight of his career bolting from his hometown team after just one season of a two-year deal?  Whatever the answer is, Forman and John Paxson might soon learn they've been going about the way they do business all wrong.

A Wednesday meeting at the United Center with the Atlanta Hawks means a quick turnaround.  The way the Bulls start has no place to go but up after Friday's clunker.  At least the bench was ready to put the Hawks on their heels toward the end.  If the Bulls are going to play like that though, they need to do it for a full 48 minutes instead of 12.

Butler Voted as All-Star Starter

While Jimmy Butler might be downplaying Thursday's news on the outside, he's gotta be ecstatic somewhere on the inside.  For the third straight year, Butler will be joining basketball's elite at the NBA All-Star Game.  And this will be the first time he gets to start for the Eastern Conference.  Thank the revamped voting process in which fans account for half the vote's weight while players and media members get a quarter each or we'd be talking about Joel Embiid starting instead.

Before Butler heads to New Orleans for this glorified exhibition without any defense, he should soak in all the congratulations he's getting.  A player who has worked hard to elevate his game and done just that since he first came into the league deserves the spoils.  People have recognized the payoff of that work and this is Butler's reward.  It helps that he's putting up career-best averages in points (24.8) and rebounds (6.8) while also tying for his career high in assists (4.8).

It's almost cliche at this point to recount Butler's underdog tale, but it only makes you appreciate him even more.  A teenager who got kicked out of his home in the Houston suburbs and had to go to junior college to draw attention from Division I schools would probably have his basketball success stop there.  But he accepted an athletic scholarship from Marquette and played well enough for the Bulls to take him as the last first-round draft pick in 2011.  You know the rest.

This year, Butler's star keeps ascending at a time when the Bulls are uncertain about their future direction.  Without him, they wouldn't be holding onto the last playoff spot in the East, albeit with an unimpressive 21-22 record.  The presence of future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade has helped him and the Bulls as well.  Wade has credited Butler as a major reason he bolted from Miami, so the appreciation and helpfulness goes both ways.

As time goes on, we have to appreciate Butler for the great player he is.  His hard work, the fruits of said work, the way he looks out for his team and his personality are all attributes people look for in an NBA player.  Few are able to back up their talk with walk the way Butler is.  Sure, some might not like how he called out Fred Hoiberg last year or forcibly grabbed leadership among the players, but you can't look me in the eye and expect me to believe he hasn't earned it.

This is his time and his moment.  We in Chicago should be lucky to have him.  Otherwise, we'd be watching some pretty bad basketball with little to no excitement.  Congratulations Jimmy!

More Lackluster Play as Mavericks Defeat Bulls

Sure, Taj Gibson missed Tuesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks with left ankle soreness, but would it have made much of a difference?  The Bulls have been average both with and without him in the lineup.  So you never know which team is going to show up.  The bad version showed up in this game and Dallas came away victorious, 99-98.

The Bulls scored the game's first seven points, but it was very much an up-and-down contest from there.  Though the Mavericks outscored their hosts, 30-19, in the second quarter, they couldn't pull away and it came down to the final seconds.  A Jimmy Butler field goal broke a tie with 22.8 seconds left and Dallas, electing not to call its final 20-second timeout, ran a sequence that culminated in Wesley Matthews hitting a wide-open 3.  That gave the Bulls 11.7 seconds to salvage the game, but Matthews played tight defense on Butler, so Butler passed off to birthday boy Dwyane Wade, who missed a corner shot he really wasn't ready to take.

All five Mavericks starters reached double figures.  Harrison Barnes did the most damage for the victors by scoring 20 points.  Seth Curry was close behind with 18 and joined Matthews in shooting 3 of 5 from 3-point range.  Dirk Nowitzki achieved a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds while Deron Williams fell an assist short, though he scored 11.

Butler was one rebound shy of a triple-double, though 24 points and 12 assists while shooting 14 of 16 from the free-throw line is pretty good.  Robin Lopez came ready to play and showed by scoring 21 and grabbing all five of his rebounds on the offensive end.  Wade, now 35, scored 17 and Michael Carter-Williams added 10.

It's baffling how the Bulls can get swept by the worst team in the Southwest, making it five losses in their past six meetings.  But this is what you get with a club that's both average and plays to the level of its competition.  The defense comes and goes on a regular basis and that's not how you win in the NBA.

The Bulls played well enough to win and most definitely should have.  Sadly, it comes down to when a team makes the big plays and even the most statistically sound game can turn out wrong if you can't shut an inferior opponent down.  Then again, it might come down to the Bulls simply not having the talent to limit playmakers in the clutch.  Until they build a team that can do that consistently, losses to teams that shouldn't happen will continue.

After two days off, the season continues Friday against the Atlanta Hawks.  That's not very comforting considering Paul Millsap just blocked a potential game-winning layup from Derrick Rose in New York on Monday.  The way this Bulls game just ended, it's practically a given he'll make a similar stop in this upcoming contest if it comes down to the end.  Oh the joys of being 21-22.

Bulls Stretched Out, Unable to Finish Wizards

No Jimmy Butler or Dwyane Wade for Tuesday's game against the Washington Wizards should have spelled disaster for the Bulls.  A team they have struggled with a lot these past few years would surely have their way with them.  Surprisingly, that trend was reversed for awhile.  But the Bulls couldn't keep it that way and lost, 101-99.

An even first quarter turned into a 10-point Bulls lead late and that ballooned to as much as 18 in the second.  But the sloppy Wizards were replaced by the cold and sloppy Bulls in the second half and it turned into a nail-biter down the stretch.  The Bulls held a two-point lead in the final minute, only to see John Wall tie it up and then, make the winning basket with five seconds left.  Doug McDermott went for the winning 3-pointer on the final possession and you can guess what happened on a night he shot 0 for 5 from beyond the arc.

Wall led all scorers with 26 points and all passers with 14 assists, which isn't a surprise given he was the only pure star playing in this game.  Bradley Beal and Markieff Morris each poured in 19, though Morris fouled out before he could play a key role in the waning minutes.  Rounding out the starting lineup were Otto Porter's 11 points and Marcin Gortat's 10.  You're probably sick of reading these names as a Bulls fan, but they'll continue to come up until the Bulls can figure them out.

Denzel Valentine came off the bench and had the game of his short NBA career, leading the Bulls with 19 points, including five 3-pointers.  Michael Carter-Willliams and Robin Lopez each hustled to score 14, Bobby Portis hit a trio of treys in a 13-point effort and Taj Gibson completed a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds.  Rajon Rondo, earning some of the minutes normally allotted to Wade and Butler, scored 12 and gave out six assists, which might be enough to come back into the rotation after missing the last five-and-a-half games.

While it was a better game than expected under the circumstances, the Bulls still couldn't close the deal.  It happens way too often:  they build a nice lead in the first half only to completely squander it in the second.  They earned a little bit of slack here with their two best players out, but as we've learned many times over the years, no NBA team is ever really out of a game.  That lesson showed itself yet again here.

The other cruel reminder this game served is that the Bulls have very streaky shooters.  They can get hot at just about any time, but when they really need to put an opponent away, the shots simply stop falling.  This is especially true from downtown, where they were 10 for 27.  The number of treys is impressive, but to paraphrase a certain White Sox announcer, tell me when you make those shots, not how many.

The Bulls will meet the newly found Derrick Rose and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden for a nationally-televised tilt on Thursday.  Wade should return to the lineup and hopefully, Butler will too.  They'll hope to avenge the loss at the United Center when these teams first met.  They almost always play well on TNT though, so don't rule out a game in which they run the Knicks right out of the World's Most Famous Arena.