Jimmy Will See Stars

I already alluded to Jimmy Butler's second straight All-Star selection in my recap of last night's win over the Lakers, but I wanted to do something more proper.  After all, he's the main reason the Bulls aren't worse than they would otherwise be.  And if the season ended today, he'd have career highs in scoring (22.4 points per game), assists (4.3), blocks (0.7), field goals (7.4), defensive rebounds (4.2) and free-throw percentage (83.6).

Beyond the numbers, he's backing up his leadership that has reached a fever pitch this year.  While not everyone, particularly Derrick Rose's camp, has always been fond of it, it's been necessary at times when no one else would do the job.  Only he had the guts to call out Fred Hoiberg when he felt his coach wasn't coming down hard enough on players.  Plus, his biggest scoring performances, 40 in the second half against Toronto and a career-high 53 against Philadelphia have created no doubt that he can carry the team on his own unlike any other Bull, including Rose.

Butler has more than earned the five-year, $95 million contract he signed last offseason.  Every year since he's come to Chicago, he's set his ceiling higher than we thought possible.  He's evolved from end-of-bench rookie to everyman to All-Star to team leader.  That's a short list to be on.

It's no secret the Bulls face an uncertain future with large contracts like Rose's and Pau Gasol's coming off the books over the next couple of years.  Butler is here for whatever transition period might be coming and it will be up to the front office to construct a team around him that can still bring out his best.  Rose might still be a key part of it, but Butler is the main guy now.  As much as it breaks my heart to say that about the 2011 MVP, there's no denying his game is a notch or two below what Butler can do.

Hopefully, Butler will have fun with the best of the NBA when the All-Star Game takes place in Toronto in two weeks.  That's a time to hang loose and see if you can show a little flash.  Save the real energy for the second half of the season, but give Canada a taste of what you showed them just recently.  Everything just keeps getting better for him, so it's time for him to enjoy the fruits of his labors (and God knows there's been a lot of them).

No Love for Lakers

The start of the Disney on Ice trip proved as beneficial as could be.  For everything tumultuous the Bulls have dealt with this season, at least they're not subjecting us to the really bad basketball the Los Angeles Lakers have displayed this year.  Everything fell into place on national TV Thursday as the Bulls blew out their hosts 114-91.  They led throughout and were never in any real trouble of falling behind.

Every active Bull scored, signifying complete domination, but as is typically the case, a few had to stand out.  Newly named All-Star reserve Jimmy Butler, who had buddy Mark Wahlberg cheering him on, had game highs of 26 points and 10 assists.  Pau Gasol hugged it out with Kobe Bryant just before tip-off, then picked his former team apart with 21 points and 12 rebounds.  Derrick Rose chipped in 16, Doug McDermott had 15 off the bench and Taj Gibson totaled 11 boards.

It's easy to feel sorry for the Lakers for how far they've fallen.  It's even easier to enjoy kicking their heads in when you're playing them.  Whatever your view on this once-proud franchise though, everyone can agree they're just not playing good basketball.  With an eight-game losing streak, they sit comfortably at the bottom of the West.

When one's team is struggling and that person looks ahead at the schedule, you would probably prefer to break out of your slump against a much better team.  The Bulls might have defeated Cleveland on the road recently, but they went right back to their losing ways against Miami the next game.  So actually, they should have been, and probably were, happy to play a team with far more issues than them.  It says a lot when you're faced with a match-up that's almost impossible for you to screw up.

Dominance doesn't come easy for the Bulls these days, although their roster makeup would suggest that shouldn't be an issue.  Anytime it's on display, we get to see how much talent exists, at least with the healthy players.  Consequently, we can see if they have the right stuff to be a winner.  They definitely do, so it's baffling why we don't get it to see it more.

The Bulls will remain in the City of Angels until they play the Clippers in a nationally televised tilt on Sunday afternoon.  This won't be a cakewalk like what we just witnessed.  The players should recognize that as they always seem to show up when the whole country is watching.  Still, the best team in the Pacific not called the Warriors will be just as into playing quality basketball.

Before I wrap up, I have a small confession.  I didn't see the first half because I was on the train coming back from the United Center.  Hey, I have a soft spot for Disney and some force in the universe was pushing me to see their ice show.  Here's how the UC looks when its tenants are forced to vacate for two weeks:
 

 

UPDATE: Niko's Trips Nixed

I'm writing this during my class break, so I'll keep it short.

Only a couple hours after I wrote about Nikola Mirotic's selection to the Rising Stars Challenge, it all went up in smoke.  It turns out he had acute appendicitis and had surgery Wednesday at Rush Medical Center to correct it.  The bad news is he'll be out until after the All-Star break.  That means no Disney on Ice trip (at least not in the Bulls' sense) and no All-Star festivities.

The timing could not have been worse for him.  More than not being able to compete with the best first and second-year players in Toronto, he can't contribute to the Bulls during their longest road stretch of the season.  I documented his struggles in my earlier post, but he was still needed to help weather this 3-7 stretch the team is in.  Now, he'll be watching the games on TV instead.

This certainly means more playing time for Bobby Portis, but will Cameron Bairstow and Cristiano Felicio reap those some same benefits?  While we won't know until the games are played, what can't be debated is none of them can fully make up what Mirotic brings.  Say all you want about Mirotic's year, but prepare to find out just how much the Bulls miss him.  Pretty soon, you'll be missing him too if you're not already.

Niko Still Rising Star

In his second NBA season, Nikola Mirotic has gone through a typical sophomore slump.  Follow that link and you'll see his shooting percentages from the field and free throw line are down from last year.  He's been an easy target for many Bulls fans when talking about their struggles.  Still, he's productive enough that he made the Rising Star Challenge's World roster for the second straight year.

By coincidence, this is also the second consecutive year this All-Star Weekend event has split the teams between American and international players.  Mirotic started last year and scored 16 points in 20 minutes of the World's 121-112 victory.  His plus/minus rating of +19 was the highest of any player.  True, that doesn't mean much in the big picture, but it shows how for one night, he could compete with the best young stars in the game.

With everything the Bulls have had to deal with this year, many have been calling for the roster to be broken up so they can star fresh with a good young nucleus.  More often than not, Mirotic is not included among the players people want to keep around.  They particularly don't care for his defense or aforementioned shooting troubles.  I don't put much stock into Facebook comments, but it's gotten so bad that these two issues were highlighted in the most liked comment of the Bulls' official post about this news:

Nikola can't play defense and jacks up threes.  He is a falling star this year.  Ship him back to Europe.

I don't care for Mirotic's recent play as much as the next guy, but he's earned the right to be here.  There have been games this year when he's contributed on the levels of the Butlers, Gasols and Roses.  Although they haven't come very much, he has the stuff to keep putting those up both now and in the future.  It's why people responded to the above comment in a more levelheaded fashion, including one user who wrote this:


Never heard of a sophomore slump huh? Even Jimmy had one....#patience



Just remember that Mirotic is far from the primary problem.  The Bulls' role players as a whole have not been very good in general.  If you throw Mirotic under the bus, you have to do it to Doug McDermott, Tony Snell, Aaron Brooks and Taj Gibson too.  The stars can do their thing every night, but it means nothing without help from their "supporting cast", as Michael Jordan used to say.

Still, whatever problems your team is facing are meant to be forgotten for one weekend out of the year.  It's easier when you get to be part of the festivities, so Mirotic can use this as a chance to clear his head.  The Rising Stars Challenge will have as much defense as the All-Star Game itself, meaning Mirotic can just relax and do whatever he can to entertain to Toronto crowd.  If nothing else, he's earned the right to represent the Bulls and his country, which is something anyone like him can take pride in.

Many Road Dates While the Mouse Skates

More than halfway through the season and we still don't know who the Bulls are.  They hang tough one night and then sleepwalk the next.  Sometimes, that order is reversed.  Chicago radio personality Alex Quigley might have tweeted it best after Derrick Rose left Monday's loss to the Miami Heat with right hamstring and lower back injuries:

There's really no point in following the Bulls. Unless you like guaranteed frustration, then DEFINITELY follow them

While I'm not going to stop following my favorite team, I can understand his and everyone's frustration.  The point has been beaten to death on here and elsewhere, but you just never know which Bulls team will show up.  They might lay an egg against Boston and follow that up by defeating Cleveland soundly on national TV 24 hours later.  I recently heard one 670 The Score caller refer to the Bulls as a treadmill, meaning they're running in place and stuck there.

It doesn't help that their in a rough stretch.  Their 3-7 record over their last 10 games is the worst in the Central.  While we're not even at the All-Star break yet, only 3 1/2 games separate them from ninth-place Charlotte in the East.  Look at those standings and you'll they're closer to being a lottery team than overtaking Toronto for second.

Now, they have to embark on their longest road trip of the season, seven games, while Disney on Ice takes over the United Center.  There have been many times this year when we could say this was the moment to define the season.  This might actually be it for sure.  After Mickey and his pals clear out, there's only one home game before the All-Star festivities commence.

Here's who the Bulls will visit from Thursday through Feb. 8:  the Lakers, Clippers, Jazz, Kings, Nuggets, Timberwolves and Hornets.  On paper, only the Clippers, Hornets and maybe the Kings should give them trouble.  So 4-3 might be the most realistic goal.  But considering these Bulls' unpredictability, especially against the worst teams, there's really nothing that would give an accurate prognostication.

If they're going to improve on that 9-10 road record, this is the time to do it.  More so, it's the time to show they're built to handle a deep playoff run despite recent evidence to the contrary.  If they don't, the calls to trade Pau Gasol and others will only grow louder.  They're probably stuck in basketball hell anyway, but at least do something to dispute that.

They also might have to sign another point guard soon if Aaron Brooks is the only one available.  Rose is day-to-day, but with Kirk Hinrich (quad injury) out for a longer period and E'Twaun Moore's status uncertain, (hamstring strain), they can't afford to go much thinner.  John Lucas III and Nate Robinson are available, so hopefully, they're waiting by the phone.  While the easy thing would appear to be for Rose to avoid injuries at all, we all know that's easier said than done.

Have something comforting on standby for these next couple of weeks.  You'll want to keep it handy during this trip.  Even if that doesn't work and the Bulls lose out, maybe some of that Disney magic will be left behind at the United Center and it'll do its thing for the building's tenants.  Hey, at this point, I'm willing to try anything.

Looking Way Up at Warriors

Oh Lord, where to begin?  Any flickering hopes the Bulls had of matching up with the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Wednesday was snuffed out in a hurry.  Sure, they led by as many as four in the first few minutes, but the Warriors soon unleashed their trademark offensive artistry.  This was long over before that 125-94 final became official.

Reigning MVP Stephen Curry was the top dog with a double-double of 25 points and 11 assists.  Fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson scored 20 and Harrison Barnes was just behind with 19.  Andrew Bogut and Draymond Green pulled down 12 and 10 rebounds apiece.  Off the bench, Shaun Livingston and Leandro Barbosa each scored 12 while last year's Finals MVP Andre Iguodala had 10.

Derrick Rose played brilliantly throughout and led all scorers with 29 points, though he did exit the first quarter early due to fatigue.  Jimmy Butler took until the second half to get going, but finished with a respectable 23.  Bobby Portis scored 16 in a glimpse of the Bulls' future and E'Twaun Moore, likely not a long-term Bull, had 13.  But those weren't enough to overlook Pau Gasol's putrid 0-for-8 from the field, somehow making one free throw in between.

The 39-4 Warriors bested the 24-17 Bulls in every relevant category.  Maybe the two most glaring differences came from 3-point shooting (12-for-32 vs. 1-for-20) and assists (38-14).  Those show how far apart the teams are in offensive power, floor spacing and general flow.  One did everything as smoothly as possible while the other looked like a high school freshman B team playing the varsity.

Perhaps it's fitting that this game occurred at the halfway point of the Bulls' season.  Not only was this a measuring stick on how far they have to go to hang with the best in the NBA, but maybe a opportunity for Gar Forman and John Paxson to assess where this particular team should go.  Even if the Bulls luck their way into the Finals, they face certain defeat against whoever comes out of the West.  Heck, there's no way anyone in the East stands much of a chance come June.

It's more likely GarPax will look at how close everyone in the East is to each other and decide that's all that matters.  They might as well go all in with what they have no matter how bleak the situation might be.  Then again, "bleak" probably isn't in their vocabulary.  They try so hard to justify their moves, even though many of them don't work that well.

In a perfect world, GarPax would think long-term.  While it's still hard to believe them dealing Gasol or acquiring future draft picks, they might as well at least scout the market to see who they can get.  It's up to them to give Fred Hoiberg a group that can learn his system quickly and without reservation.  If they have to sell pieces off to adjust to a smaller, quicker NBA, so be it.

Hopefully, what we just saw wasn't one where the bottom falls out and the whole season spirals downward.  Probably not with the talent around, but you never can tell a team's mental state.  Regardless, the Bulls can try to return to winning Friday against the Boston Celtics.  Even if they lose, it can't possibly be as bad, right?

RIP Johnny Bach

As the Bulls celebrate their 50th anniversary, it's a time to look back at everyone who has made this organization so great.  Naturally, Michael Jordan made them a household name.  But it took a strong coaching staff led by Phil Jackson to turn him into a champion.  And one of the integral members of that staff was the defensive-minded Johnny Bach.

Bach, who served under Jackson during the first three-peat, died Monday of complications from a stroke at the age of 91.  The Brooklyn-born World War II veteran had 56 years of coaching experience at the NBA and collegiate levels.  He was the head man at Fordham from 1950-68 and Penn State from 1968-78.  On an interim basis in 1980 and full-time from 1983-86, he was Golden State's head coach, the last season of which featured Hall of Famer Chris Mullin as a rookie.

Jerry Krause hired Bach in 1986 to assist Doug Collins, newly hired himself.  From there, Bach instituted the Doberman defense, which was critical to the Bulls' first three championships.  Bach was also known for motivating players in unorthodox ways.  He used his military experience to drop references from there in his speeches and even dropped the ace of spades, known as the card of death, after great games.

Bach left the Bulls after the 1993-94 season for assistant jobs in Charlotte, Detroit and Washington before John Paxson rehired him in 2003.  Initially a member of Bill Cartwright's staff, Bach spent most of his second Bulls tenure under Scott Skiles and helped guide a return to the playoffs in 2005 after six straight years of missing out.  He retired from coaching in 2006, but continued to remain close to the organization.  He was only 1990-91 coach to appear at their 20-year reunion and observed practices on the sidelines as recently as this year's training camp.

Jordan released the following statement upon hearing of Bach's death:

" Coach Bach was truly one of the greatest basketball minds of all-time.  He taught me so much. 
He encouraged me, worked with me and really helped me to mold my game.  Without him, I don't know that we would've won our first 3 championships. He was more than a coach to me. He was a great friend. I am deeply saddened to hear of his passing."

Bach was as good a man as he was a coach.  Although I was too young to remember his first and more successful Bulls tenure, I still appreciated everything he did to bring the Bulls to the top.  Every time I saw him conduct an interview, he was a very respectful individual and everyone he talked to did so in great admiration.  He gave most of his later years to the Bulls, even when he was no longer an official employee.

K.C. Johnson, the Bulls' beat writer for the Tribune, tweeted out that Bach would call him after playoff games during Tom Thibodeau's tenure.  Bach would say he didn't want to take up his time (and I know how hectic a beat writer's job is), but would then stay on the phone for an hour.  Johnson was happy to hear him talk too.  That's as good a reflection on the man as any I've heard.

Perhaps it's fitting that the Bulls' official 50th anniversary celebration will take place during their first home game after Bach's death Wednesday.  Even more fitting is that the Warriors are the opponent.  It's the two NBA franchises he had the most impact on, even if one benefited more from his services.  Nothing could be more appropriate.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this difficult time.  He will remain in the hearts of all Bulls fans when they think of those first three titles.  And they will also remember the person he was.  Farewell, Johnny.