Tumultuous 2016 Draws to Close

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.

Bulls Lead Spurs Wire-to-Wire

It's been a trademark for the Bulls these past few years:  lay an egg against lesser teams, then show up like it's the game of their lives against the heavyweights, especially if the game is nationally televised.  For over a week now, the Bulls have not disappointed in that regard.  They lost to Dallas and the Lakers, but beat Cleveland on ESPN.  On Thursday, they faced the San Antonio Spurs, undefeated on the road through 13 games, in a game broadcast on TNT.  Staying true to form, they led throughout in a 95-91 win.

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.