AROUND THE NBA:
The Utah Jazz are the number one seed in the West led by Lauri Markkanen—tough for us Bulls fans. Just a tremendous story to start the year.
The Boston Celtics are on a nine-game win streak & are now the number one seed in the NBA. Ime Udoka who? Tatum is playing like he will win MVP & Brown is the perfect complement as both young stars are taking over games together. What’s scarier is that they are still waiting for their defensive anchor, Rob Williams, to return from his injury. Just scary stuff.
Kevin Durant is losing games but does have 17 straight games with 25+ points to start the season, the fifth longest streak in history. Ben Simmons has had THREE consecutive games with double-digit scoring, if he can continue this then it’ll be huge for the Nets. Also welcome back, Kyrie Irving.
The Warriors are having some difficulties out there even though Steph is playing at a level that no words can explain. He needs help & hopefully this recent 41-point outburst from Klay Thompson gets him going & help Steph. Poole needs to come alive as well, but it seems like players just forget how to play basketball after receiving a bag.
Did you think I would talk about the Sacramento Kings? I sure as heck didn’t. They are on a SIX-GAME win streak & lighting up the beam. De'Aaron Fox is playing at an all-star level with the help of Sabonis & Huerter. If they keep this up, Mike Brown might land himself a COTY award.
The Portland Trailblazers look good, man. They might have their own big three with Lillard, Grant & Simons all playing at high levels. Dame is injured though, so let’s see if Simons can step up again & play big time ball.
Who would’ve thought the Pacers would seem like a solid team this year? Did the rebuild go as planned? Haliburton & Turner are looking like a solid duo & Mathurin might actually win ROTY & 6MOTY. Shoutout Carlisle.
The Atlanta Hawks are slowly figuring it out. Murray & Young are beginning to look like the backcourt we all envisioned them to be.
Someone please call Dallas & get Luka some help or at least start Christian Wood.
Paul George is him. I will not stand any PG13 slander. Kawhi needs to stay healthy for this team to be elite, though.
Monday, November 21, 2022
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Week 5
THE GOOD:
Nothing. The Bulls are on a four-game losing streak in which they look straight up awful. The offense looks lethargic & stagnant while the defense is almost nonexistent & the coaching has been abysmal.
THE BAD:
Adjustments. Losing to the Pelicans after playing them the week prior is something that shouldn’t happen—especially without Zion playing. This has to do with both coaching & team effort. The same mistakes are made when it comes to rebounding & defense while the offense looks shotty. Is the team just not watching film? Do they not care anymore? Is there something greater going on within the organization that’s having this impact? Maybe I’m being dramatic, but these are all viable questions.
Rotations & lineups. At what point will Billy Donovan decide to change the starting lineup? It’s early in the season & clearly there are some issues, maybe take out Patrick Williams & start DJJ or Javonte—they come in with more energy. I understand saving it for the bench but it’s clearly not working right now. There must be a better way to run the offense through LaVine or DeMar rather than iso midrange jumpers & step back jumpers.
Schedule. The Bulls have a very tough schedule coming up for the next couple of weeks. Playing either playoff teams or teams that are coming in hot; if the Bulls cannot figure something out, they’ll just get embarrassed out there. They play Boston at home tonight & then proceed to a seven-game road trip—yikes.
THE UGLY:
Billy Donovan benching Zach LaVine. Now this is ugly in two ways: Donovan making that decision & Zach’s response. Now according to recent interviews, all is good & Zach doesn’t want to “blow this out of proportion” which is fine but there is no doubt that this’ll have some sort of impact on their relationship & the game. I understand why Donovan benched LaVine at the end of the game against the Magic, he was 1-for-14 from the floor & his one shot came from a goaltend. His defense wasn’t there & he just didn’t look like himself but that does not mean you don’t put your max contract player on the floor during crunch time—especially in a free throw situation.
WEEK 5 PREDICTIONS:
Celtics vs. Bulls - W
Bulls @ Bucks - L
Bulls @ Thunder - W
Nothing. The Bulls are on a four-game losing streak in which they look straight up awful. The offense looks lethargic & stagnant while the defense is almost nonexistent & the coaching has been abysmal.
THE BAD:
Adjustments. Losing to the Pelicans after playing them the week prior is something that shouldn’t happen—especially without Zion playing. This has to do with both coaching & team effort. The same mistakes are made when it comes to rebounding & defense while the offense looks shotty. Is the team just not watching film? Do they not care anymore? Is there something greater going on within the organization that’s having this impact? Maybe I’m being dramatic, but these are all viable questions.
Rotations & lineups. At what point will Billy Donovan decide to change the starting lineup? It’s early in the season & clearly there are some issues, maybe take out Patrick Williams & start DJJ or Javonte—they come in with more energy. I understand saving it for the bench but it’s clearly not working right now. There must be a better way to run the offense through LaVine or DeMar rather than iso midrange jumpers & step back jumpers.
Schedule. The Bulls have a very tough schedule coming up for the next couple of weeks. Playing either playoff teams or teams that are coming in hot; if the Bulls cannot figure something out, they’ll just get embarrassed out there. They play Boston at home tonight & then proceed to a seven-game road trip—yikes.
THE UGLY:
Billy Donovan benching Zach LaVine. Now this is ugly in two ways: Donovan making that decision & Zach’s response. Now according to recent interviews, all is good & Zach doesn’t want to “blow this out of proportion” which is fine but there is no doubt that this’ll have some sort of impact on their relationship & the game. I understand why Donovan benched LaVine at the end of the game against the Magic, he was 1-for-14 from the floor & his one shot came from a goaltend. His defense wasn’t there & he just didn’t look like himself but that does not mean you don’t put your max contract player on the floor during crunch time—especially in a free throw situation.
WEEK 5 PREDICTIONS:
Celtics vs. Bulls - W
Bulls @ Bucks - L
Bulls @ Thunder - W
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Week 4
THE GOOD:
Honestly, not much. It was only a three-game week where the Bulls went 1-2. They made the needed adjustments against the Raptors along with LaVine playing to snag that only win of the week.
Maybe just Dragic. Dude is hooping out there.
THE BAD:
Energy. The Bulls are lacking a lot of energy on the floor. This has been an issue since the beginning of the year & it seems like other teams are capitalizing on it. They just look lethargic & frankly don’t look like they care—it's hard to win games when you are constantly digging yourself out of a hole. Imagine having a pretty young team but playing with no energy—doesn’t make sense. At what point do you start blaming the coaching staff?
Billy Donovan. I personally feel like Donovan just doesn’t make the adjustments that are necessary. For example, it doesn’t really matter how bad Patrick Williams is playing but when you need a lengthy defender on a player like Brandon Ingram, you put them in. Ingram was cooking us in the fourth quarter of the Bulls loss, all while Williams was chilling on the bench. There have been instances where a team will get going & Donovan takes a timeout a little too late. Look, he’s not bad, I just would like to see him with more fire & different coaching style.
The roster? Does AKME begin to get any blame? There aren’t any shooters on the team & no added defensive-minded players. This roster had visible holes that frankly weren’t filled. Just something to keep an eye on.
THE UGLY:
Offense. The Bulls with talented scorers like DeMar, Zach & Vucevic are struggling to score. Their offensive rating is 22nd in the NBA—just bad. The Bulls often than not cannot identify a mismatch & if they do, it’s too late. Vucevic isn’t utilized correctly & the offense in the fourth quarter gets atrocious with what seems like Billy Donovan just handing over the keys to DeMar to go iso every possession—doesn’t win you ball games. Although Coby isn’t the greatest bench piece, his spark & bucket-getting ability is sorely missed. I would like to see Donovan make some adjustments to the offense to see if it can help everyone get going.
WEEK 4 PREDICTIONS:
Bulls @ Pelicans- W
Magic vs. Bulls- W
Honestly, not much. It was only a three-game week where the Bulls went 1-2. They made the needed adjustments against the Raptors along with LaVine playing to snag that only win of the week.
Maybe just Dragic. Dude is hooping out there.
THE BAD:
Energy. The Bulls are lacking a lot of energy on the floor. This has been an issue since the beginning of the year & it seems like other teams are capitalizing on it. They just look lethargic & frankly don’t look like they care—it's hard to win games when you are constantly digging yourself out of a hole. Imagine having a pretty young team but playing with no energy—doesn’t make sense. At what point do you start blaming the coaching staff?
Billy Donovan. I personally feel like Donovan just doesn’t make the adjustments that are necessary. For example, it doesn’t really matter how bad Patrick Williams is playing but when you need a lengthy defender on a player like Brandon Ingram, you put them in. Ingram was cooking us in the fourth quarter of the Bulls loss, all while Williams was chilling on the bench. There have been instances where a team will get going & Donovan takes a timeout a little too late. Look, he’s not bad, I just would like to see him with more fire & different coaching style.
The roster? Does AKME begin to get any blame? There aren’t any shooters on the team & no added defensive-minded players. This roster had visible holes that frankly weren’t filled. Just something to keep an eye on.
THE UGLY:
Offense. The Bulls with talented scorers like DeMar, Zach & Vucevic are struggling to score. Their offensive rating is 22nd in the NBA—just bad. The Bulls often than not cannot identify a mismatch & if they do, it’s too late. Vucevic isn’t utilized correctly & the offense in the fourth quarter gets atrocious with what seems like Billy Donovan just handing over the keys to DeMar to go iso every possession—doesn’t win you ball games. Although Coby isn’t the greatest bench piece, his spark & bucket-getting ability is sorely missed. I would like to see Donovan make some adjustments to the offense to see if it can help everyone get going.
WEEK 4 PREDICTIONS:
Bulls @ Pelicans- W
Magic vs. Bulls- W
Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Around The NBA: Week 3
AROUND THE NBA:
The “tanking” Jazz are now sitting atop the West with a 9-3 record. They’re playing tremendous team basketball being led by a Bulls legend, Lauri Markkanen (is it me or do all Bulls players take off after leaving?). The team is in the top ten in both offensive & defensive rating against good competition—Coach Will Hardy is really rallying this team. Danny Ainge must be in shambles, owning a supposedly tanking team that’s absolutely taking off. Fun stuff, man.
The Milwaukee Bucks are just doing their thing, man. Not many are talking about them—me included. They started off scorching hot going undefeated their first nine games, experiencing their first loss of the season last night to the Young-less Hawks. Remember, they’re doing all of this without Khris Middleton—absurd stuff. Giannis is playing at an MVP level but somehow took another leap as a defender, with an absurd defensive rating of 97.0. The Bucks have three players on the MVP ladder with Giannis leading the way followed by Holiday & Lopez. With Middleton on the way, the Bucks will only get scarier.
I know I talked about the Cavaliers last week, but they deserve to be continuously talked about. Now that Garland is back, we were able to look at what the Cavs look like at full health & boy, do they look mean. Mitchell is still playing great basketball along with Garland, who hasn’t lost a beat. Bickerstaff is coaching this team exceptionally well leading them to an overall first net rating with defensive rating being second & offensive rating being fourth—who would’ve thought? Also, shoutout Kevin Love for having the highest plus-minus this season at +108.
I want to take a short moment to talk about the Indiana Pacers as well. The Kings are definitely regretting their decision to trade a franchise point guard like Tyrese Haliburton—the kid is hooping. If Myles Turner can stay healthy, they’ll be a fun team to watch, especially with the emergence of Benedict Mathurin off the bench.
The Warriors might be in trouble. Steph is playing unworldly, but the team just doesn’t look right. I mean the guy is shooting at ridiculous numbers with a 68.5 true shooting percentage—just unfair. He’s leading the team in the major three categories, but the Warriors can’t figure it out with a net rating of negative 3.2, 22nd in the league.
Luka Magic, baby. He’s leading the Mavericks once again this season with no game under 30 points yet. He’s playing a whole different game than pretty much everyone averaging 36/8/8 on 52% shooting. He’s the isolation king averaging 1.05 points per possession on isolations—simply ruthless. Turn on the TV & watch this guy cook.
Everyone knew the Memphis Grizzlies would be good but man, are they good. Honestly statsiticis wise, they’re sort of middle in the pack, but they benefit from having arguably the most electrifying playing in Ja Morant. They shoot the three really well & have great depth—all without another young star in Jaren Jackson Jr. Morant practically owns the paint as he leads the league in points per game on drives yet again.
I always say I won’t talk about the Lakers but it’s always right there. They’re not playing well but got to give Russ a shoutout for absolutely hooping off the bench. I’m sure it’s not something he wants to do but he’s rolling with it & is looking good.
Jamal Murray is returning to his old self & it’ll be scary for the league. Murray is averaging 19 points on nearly 48% shooting the past four games, really helping out Jokic. MPJ is slowly picking up where he left off, let’s just hope he can stay healthy. Jokic is Jokic—not much else to say to be very honest.
Paolo Banchero. I’ve talked about him in the past two posts & he simply deserves another one. He’s looking so comfortable out there averaging 23.5 points per game to go along with 8 rebounds on 46% shooting—incredible stuff for a rookie. Only Kevin Durant has more 20-point games this season than him as well. The Magic found their guy & I really hope they can build around him.
The “tanking” Jazz are now sitting atop the West with a 9-3 record. They’re playing tremendous team basketball being led by a Bulls legend, Lauri Markkanen (is it me or do all Bulls players take off after leaving?). The team is in the top ten in both offensive & defensive rating against good competition—Coach Will Hardy is really rallying this team. Danny Ainge must be in shambles, owning a supposedly tanking team that’s absolutely taking off. Fun stuff, man.
The Milwaukee Bucks are just doing their thing, man. Not many are talking about them—me included. They started off scorching hot going undefeated their first nine games, experiencing their first loss of the season last night to the Young-less Hawks. Remember, they’re doing all of this without Khris Middleton—absurd stuff. Giannis is playing at an MVP level but somehow took another leap as a defender, with an absurd defensive rating of 97.0. The Bucks have three players on the MVP ladder with Giannis leading the way followed by Holiday & Lopez. With Middleton on the way, the Bucks will only get scarier.
I know I talked about the Cavaliers last week, but they deserve to be continuously talked about. Now that Garland is back, we were able to look at what the Cavs look like at full health & boy, do they look mean. Mitchell is still playing great basketball along with Garland, who hasn’t lost a beat. Bickerstaff is coaching this team exceptionally well leading them to an overall first net rating with defensive rating being second & offensive rating being fourth—who would’ve thought? Also, shoutout Kevin Love for having the highest plus-minus this season at +108.
I want to take a short moment to talk about the Indiana Pacers as well. The Kings are definitely regretting their decision to trade a franchise point guard like Tyrese Haliburton—the kid is hooping. If Myles Turner can stay healthy, they’ll be a fun team to watch, especially with the emergence of Benedict Mathurin off the bench.
The Warriors might be in trouble. Steph is playing unworldly, but the team just doesn’t look right. I mean the guy is shooting at ridiculous numbers with a 68.5 true shooting percentage—just unfair. He’s leading the team in the major three categories, but the Warriors can’t figure it out with a net rating of negative 3.2, 22nd in the league.
Luka Magic, baby. He’s leading the Mavericks once again this season with no game under 30 points yet. He’s playing a whole different game than pretty much everyone averaging 36/8/8 on 52% shooting. He’s the isolation king averaging 1.05 points per possession on isolations—simply ruthless. Turn on the TV & watch this guy cook.
Everyone knew the Memphis Grizzlies would be good but man, are they good. Honestly statsiticis wise, they’re sort of middle in the pack, but they benefit from having arguably the most electrifying playing in Ja Morant. They shoot the three really well & have great depth—all without another young star in Jaren Jackson Jr. Morant practically owns the paint as he leads the league in points per game on drives yet again.
I always say I won’t talk about the Lakers but it’s always right there. They’re not playing well but got to give Russ a shoutout for absolutely hooping off the bench. I’m sure it’s not something he wants to do but he’s rolling with it & is looking good.
Jamal Murray is returning to his old self & it’ll be scary for the league. Murray is averaging 19 points on nearly 48% shooting the past four games, really helping out Jokic. MPJ is slowly picking up where he left off, let’s just hope he can stay healthy. Jokic is Jokic—not much else to say to be very honest.
Paolo Banchero. I’ve talked about him in the past two posts & he simply deserves another one. He’s looking so comfortable out there averaging 23.5 points per game to go along with 8 rebounds on 46% shooting—incredible stuff for a rookie. Only Kevin Durant has more 20-point games this season than him as well. The Magic found their guy & I really hope they can build around him.
Monday, November 7, 2022
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Week 3
THE GOOD:
Patrick Williams. A lot of Bulls fans have high expectations for PWill but they may be too high. You must remember that although it’s his third season, it’s essentially his second season in the league due to missing the majority of last year with a broken wrist. His season started off slow & everyone is always quick to notate the bad however, both he & his game have looked a little different recently. He is playing far more aggressively on both sides of the floor & looks a little more comfortable. Yes, he made some major mistakes against Boston & also missed that three that could have tied the game but he’s still a young player & hasn’t really been put in those types of situations. I personally really like the way he’s come out, especially with the injuries & his role sort of increasing. Let’s see if he can keep building on some of this momentum.
Bench. Honestly, this is basically another Dragic piece. Dragic is playing almost flawless basketball out there with smart decisions, smart shots & poise. The bench did play amazing against the Hornets on Wednesday, which was needed due to the game being on the second leg of a back-to-back. Javonte & Dragic are always coming in ready to play & propel that second unit. In just 18 minutes a game, Dragic is averaging almost ten points on 44/52/71 percent splits—just outstanding. It’s nice to see the Bulls having some talented depth, especially compared to last year.
Dalen Terry. The rookie. He finally got some real playing time yesterday against the Raptors & he really made it count. I was excited when we drafted the kid, especially with the way the league is being played; he’s got length, can guard multiple positions & has tons of energy—basically a taller Javonte Green. In ten minutes, Terry finished with four points, a block, steal, assist & rebound. He played with a lot of energy & looked comfortable out there. Hopefully we get to see more development & more playing time out of him.
THE BAD:
Injuries. This will probably be something I talk about almost weekly. Drummond’s presence is being missed far more than anyone had probably imagined. The Bulls struggle rebounding & it was particularly shown against the lengthy Raptors team. We miss the offensive spark, although inconsistent, of Coby White as well. Zach playing some back-to-back games & missing others will mess with the team, but it is probably something they’ll just have to figure out & work around.
Adjustments. Okay, I’ve always had mixed opinions about Billy Donovan, especially because I’ve always found his rotations horrendous. He got outcoached by Nick Nurse big time last night by not making adjustments to combat both the length that was on the floor & the double team/trap that was coming at DeMar. The lineups tend to struggle & he’ll keep them on the floor letting the game slip away. I would like to see him make more adjustments in the game—not the game after.
THE UGLY:
Three-point fouls. Not much to say about this. The Bulls always seem to foul three-point shooters multiple times in a game; it’s just a terrible & unnecessary mistake. Just contest the shot & move on with the game. Sigh.
WEEK 4 PREDICTIONS:
Raptors vs. Bulls- W
Pelicans vs. Bulls- L
Nuggets vs. Bulls- W
Patrick Williams. A lot of Bulls fans have high expectations for PWill but they may be too high. You must remember that although it’s his third season, it’s essentially his second season in the league due to missing the majority of last year with a broken wrist. His season started off slow & everyone is always quick to notate the bad however, both he & his game have looked a little different recently. He is playing far more aggressively on both sides of the floor & looks a little more comfortable. Yes, he made some major mistakes against Boston & also missed that three that could have tied the game but he’s still a young player & hasn’t really been put in those types of situations. I personally really like the way he’s come out, especially with the injuries & his role sort of increasing. Let’s see if he can keep building on some of this momentum.
Bench. Honestly, this is basically another Dragic piece. Dragic is playing almost flawless basketball out there with smart decisions, smart shots & poise. The bench did play amazing against the Hornets on Wednesday, which was needed due to the game being on the second leg of a back-to-back. Javonte & Dragic are always coming in ready to play & propel that second unit. In just 18 minutes a game, Dragic is averaging almost ten points on 44/52/71 percent splits—just outstanding. It’s nice to see the Bulls having some talented depth, especially compared to last year.
Dalen Terry. The rookie. He finally got some real playing time yesterday against the Raptors & he really made it count. I was excited when we drafted the kid, especially with the way the league is being played; he’s got length, can guard multiple positions & has tons of energy—basically a taller Javonte Green. In ten minutes, Terry finished with four points, a block, steal, assist & rebound. He played with a lot of energy & looked comfortable out there. Hopefully we get to see more development & more playing time out of him.
THE BAD:
Injuries. This will probably be something I talk about almost weekly. Drummond’s presence is being missed far more than anyone had probably imagined. The Bulls struggle rebounding & it was particularly shown against the lengthy Raptors team. We miss the offensive spark, although inconsistent, of Coby White as well. Zach playing some back-to-back games & missing others will mess with the team, but it is probably something they’ll just have to figure out & work around.
Adjustments. Okay, I’ve always had mixed opinions about Billy Donovan, especially because I’ve always found his rotations horrendous. He got outcoached by Nick Nurse big time last night by not making adjustments to combat both the length that was on the floor & the double team/trap that was coming at DeMar. The lineups tend to struggle & he’ll keep them on the floor letting the game slip away. I would like to see him make more adjustments in the game—not the game after.
THE UGLY:
Three-point fouls. Not much to say about this. The Bulls always seem to foul three-point shooters multiple times in a game; it’s just a terrible & unnecessary mistake. Just contest the shot & move on with the game. Sigh.
WEEK 4 PREDICTIONS:
Raptors vs. Bulls- W
Pelicans vs. Bulls- L
Nuggets vs. Bulls- W
Monday, October 31, 2022
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Week 2
The Chicago Bulls played 4 games this week against overall solid competition. They experienced two losses & two wins—an outcome that isn’t too shabby. They did lose to the San Antonio Spurs, which should have been one for the win column. There’s a lot the Bulls need to improve on before they can be a good team in a stacked Eastern Conference. Let’s get to this week's segment.
THE GOOD:
Dragic & Drummond. I will sound crazy but those two are looking like Stockton & Malone out there. Their chemistry is phenomenal & the PnR looks near unstoppable plus the lob chemistry. It’s nice to have a skilled veteran point guard in Dragic & arguably one of the best rebounders of the decade in Drummond coming off the bench. Billy Donovan has found a good rotation & runs LaVine as the primary score & it has been working. Drummond, who can probably still start on most teams, is playing roughly 17 minutes per game while averaging nine points & ten rebounds—exceptional numbers. Dragic is also playing roughly 17 minutes while giving the Bulls almost eight points & four assists—solid backup numbers. If they can keep this up, the bench can be lethal & really help keep the Bulls in tight games when the starters need their rest. Hopefully the Drummond shoulder injury isn’t too bad because his presence was missed in the loss against the Sixers.
DeMar DeRozan. Not that he’s been playing lights out this week or anything; DeMar is just looking like his normal veteran self, getting to his spots & doing what needs to be done. I just wanted to acknowledge the fact that he became the 50th player to reach 20,000 career points—a massive feat. He got it against his old squad & coach, the Spurs & Greg Popovich. You can really tell how much of a professional he is & how well respected he is around the league because Coach Pop called a special timeout when Deebo hit the 20K mark & the jumbotron had a little recognition image as well. I personally have always been a fan of DeMar, on & off the court so it was awesome to see this accomplishment.
Shoutout JaVonte Green. That’s it, that’s the tweet.
THE BAD:
Injuries. Now injuries are a part of the game but to have Ayo & Drummond go down along with Zach missing games due to injury management, it’ll be tough to win games. Ayo is arguably the second-best defender on the team & his presence was missed against the Sixers lethal backcourt. Caruso is also dealing with a hamstring issue which is limiting his minutes. Hopefully the Bulls can figure out a way to stay healthy, otherwise this is going to be another long season filled with injuries.
Defense. Story of the Bulls every year, right? Look, they haven’t been playing atrocious defense, but it hasn’t really been good either; teams are somehow always scorching us from deep & easily getting to the rim. The Bulls have this terrible habit of fouling three-point shooters, something that drives Stacey King crazy. Not everyone needs to or can play tough defense but sometimes the lacking effort is what is super noticeable & frustrating. This is generally a bad look for Billy Donovan as well, who came into the organization as a defensive-minded coach. Man, do I miss Lonzo.
THE UGLY:
Slow starts. Outside of the Pacers game, the Bulls started off slow the other three games & had to play catchup the whole time—not the best way to win games. The Bulls played extremely well against the Celtics after being down by 19 to end up winning by 18; it was a very good win but shouldn’t have been that hard fought to begin with, slow starts are inexcusable. The slow starts are a product of the poor defense the Bulls play, allowing teams to just let it fly from deep. They let the Celtics start the game 8-for-9 from deep, the Spurs opened the game 5-for-6 from downtown & the 76ers shot 6-for-10 from downtown. The Bulls are allowing the most first quarter points in the NBA with 33.1 but are in the middle of the pack in scoring with 28.9. It doesn’t help that the Bulls have almost started every game with a different starting lineup due to injuries plus Zach, but it’s really no excuse to just let teams do whatever they want to start the game. I think that Billy Donovan needs to play around with the starting five, maybe start with JaVonte Green over Patrick Williams. Let’s see if any improvements are made this week or if I’ll be ranting about the same thing.
Closing/clutch time. The numbers are straight up astonishing, especially because we have the best fourth quarter scorer from last year on the squad. The Bulls in the “clutch” this season have an 0-3 record, are 0-for-7 from deep with four turnovers. They rank dead last in fourth quarter offense shooting 33.6% from the field overall & a disgusting 28.9% from deep with 33 total turnovers. Zach went 0-for-2 from the field against the 76ers, these are shots he needs to hit especially after sitting the previous game. Zach & DeMar need to figure out how to operate as the 1-2 in tight game situations—something we’ll probably see a lot this season. It is a small sample size with only seven games played but these deficiencies should be identified quickly & resolved as soon as possible.
WEEK 3 PREDICTIONS:
Bulls @ Nets- W
Hornets vs. Bulls- W
Bulls @ Celtics- L
Bulls @ Raptors- L
THE GOOD:
Dragic & Drummond. I will sound crazy but those two are looking like Stockton & Malone out there. Their chemistry is phenomenal & the PnR looks near unstoppable plus the lob chemistry. It’s nice to have a skilled veteran point guard in Dragic & arguably one of the best rebounders of the decade in Drummond coming off the bench. Billy Donovan has found a good rotation & runs LaVine as the primary score & it has been working. Drummond, who can probably still start on most teams, is playing roughly 17 minutes per game while averaging nine points & ten rebounds—exceptional numbers. Dragic is also playing roughly 17 minutes while giving the Bulls almost eight points & four assists—solid backup numbers. If they can keep this up, the bench can be lethal & really help keep the Bulls in tight games when the starters need their rest. Hopefully the Drummond shoulder injury isn’t too bad because his presence was missed in the loss against the Sixers.
DeMar DeRozan. Not that he’s been playing lights out this week or anything; DeMar is just looking like his normal veteran self, getting to his spots & doing what needs to be done. I just wanted to acknowledge the fact that he became the 50th player to reach 20,000 career points—a massive feat. He got it against his old squad & coach, the Spurs & Greg Popovich. You can really tell how much of a professional he is & how well respected he is around the league because Coach Pop called a special timeout when Deebo hit the 20K mark & the jumbotron had a little recognition image as well. I personally have always been a fan of DeMar, on & off the court so it was awesome to see this accomplishment.
Shoutout JaVonte Green. That’s it, that’s the tweet.
THE BAD:
Injuries. Now injuries are a part of the game but to have Ayo & Drummond go down along with Zach missing games due to injury management, it’ll be tough to win games. Ayo is arguably the second-best defender on the team & his presence was missed against the Sixers lethal backcourt. Caruso is also dealing with a hamstring issue which is limiting his minutes. Hopefully the Bulls can figure out a way to stay healthy, otherwise this is going to be another long season filled with injuries.
Defense. Story of the Bulls every year, right? Look, they haven’t been playing atrocious defense, but it hasn’t really been good either; teams are somehow always scorching us from deep & easily getting to the rim. The Bulls have this terrible habit of fouling three-point shooters, something that drives Stacey King crazy. Not everyone needs to or can play tough defense but sometimes the lacking effort is what is super noticeable & frustrating. This is generally a bad look for Billy Donovan as well, who came into the organization as a defensive-minded coach. Man, do I miss Lonzo.
THE UGLY:
Slow starts. Outside of the Pacers game, the Bulls started off slow the other three games & had to play catchup the whole time—not the best way to win games. The Bulls played extremely well against the Celtics after being down by 19 to end up winning by 18; it was a very good win but shouldn’t have been that hard fought to begin with, slow starts are inexcusable. The slow starts are a product of the poor defense the Bulls play, allowing teams to just let it fly from deep. They let the Celtics start the game 8-for-9 from deep, the Spurs opened the game 5-for-6 from downtown & the 76ers shot 6-for-10 from downtown. The Bulls are allowing the most first quarter points in the NBA with 33.1 but are in the middle of the pack in scoring with 28.9. It doesn’t help that the Bulls have almost started every game with a different starting lineup due to injuries plus Zach, but it’s really no excuse to just let teams do whatever they want to start the game. I think that Billy Donovan needs to play around with the starting five, maybe start with JaVonte Green over Patrick Williams. Let’s see if any improvements are made this week or if I’ll be ranting about the same thing.
Closing/clutch time. The numbers are straight up astonishing, especially because we have the best fourth quarter scorer from last year on the squad. The Bulls in the “clutch” this season have an 0-3 record, are 0-for-7 from deep with four turnovers. They rank dead last in fourth quarter offense shooting 33.6% from the field overall & a disgusting 28.9% from deep with 33 total turnovers. Zach went 0-for-2 from the field against the 76ers, these are shots he needs to hit especially after sitting the previous game. Zach & DeMar need to figure out how to operate as the 1-2 in tight game situations—something we’ll probably see a lot this season. It is a small sample size with only seven games played but these deficiencies should be identified quickly & resolved as soon as possible.
WEEK 3 PREDICTIONS:
Bulls @ Nets- W
Hornets vs. Bulls- W
Bulls @ Celtics- L
Bulls @ Raptors- L
Around the NBA: Week 2
AROUND THE NBA:
The second week of the NBA has been a little more exciting with the rust wearing off & more games on the schedule. There are still quite a few surprises with teams that should be winning but aren’t, while teams that should be losing, aren’t. The ROTY race looks like it might be a runaway, but this year's draft class is looking very solid. The MVP race is looking kind of slow as of right now but hopefully can get more exciting. Let’s get to my thoughts about week 2.
The defending champs do not look like the defending champs. The Warriors are 3-4 and don’t look like the team that just one a championship. I could sit here & stir up that it can be a product of Green’s sucker punch this summer, but the team just doesn’t look like themselves. If I were a Warriors fan though, I would not be worried. They always tend to figure it out & you do have one of the best players on the planet on your team. They’ll be fine.
The Cleveland Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell is playing exceptional basketball on both ends of the floor & looks way more comfortable with that team than I would’ve imagined. This is without Darius Garland on the floor right now, so we have to wait & see what they look like together. Mitchell is another of the top three MVP candidates in my eyes.
The Lakers finally won their first game of the season. I will be honest, I thought they’d be 0-6 but bringing Russ off the bench might be the catalyst to their win. He looked comfortable & his +/- rating was the best it’s been so far. AD is playing well, even though his jump shooting numbers are atrocious & LeBron is just LeBron. Trade rumors are already flying this early into the season so the Lakers will have another season full of rumors & drama.
The Nets. They look bad. I don’t want to sit here & bash on Ben Simmons since he is returning to the floor after not playing for two years but he still has been passing up open layups & simply doesn’t look like himself. The Nets have the worst defensive rating in the NBA despite having good defenders in Simmons, KD & Claxton. What’s the most surprising is their shooting splits even with two elite offensive weapons in KD & Kyrie. I said this last year & I’ll say it again, Brooklyn needs to can Steve Nash.
Ja is him. He’s arguably the best athlete in the NBA & looks like a top three MVP candidate. The Grizzlies are the best scoring team in the league & one of the most exciting. I have no doubts that they’ll continue to play well & that Ja’s performance is sustainable.
Paolo Banchero is a stud. He reminds me of a young Carmelo Anthony with his three-level scoring. The Magic won’t be good, but they’ll be fun to watch. They mess around with their lineups & recently have ran Bol Bol at point—something he was surprisingly good at. If they end up with another number one pick, Wembenyama will end up on the Magic & they’ll have a starting lineup of only 6’10 & up players. Sheesh.
Benedict Mathurin may not win ROTY but he might end up cashing in on 6MOTY as a rookie. Just a pure & polished scorer who is slowly building a lot of chemistry with Haliburton. Keep an eye on him.
The Suns look good as they usually do. Top five in both offense & defense. Devin Booker is playing tremendous basketball even with Chris Paul experiencing a slump. They are the Suns though after all, so can’t really expect too much or too little out of them.
Luka looks like the early MVP even though his team is struggling. Luka & Wood look amazing together at the expense of defense but Jason Kidd needs to figure out a lineup with those two involved.
Keldon Johnson is ruining the tanking that the Spurs were expected to do. He’s putting up very efficient numbers & looks like a product of the great coaching of Popovich. I don’t really see it continuing at this level & they’ll start losing eventually but the Spurs are kind of fun to watch.
If the Pelicans can stay healthy, they will be a team to watch. Young talent & a lot of energy. Just what they needed coming off last year's strong finish.
The second week of the NBA has been a little more exciting with the rust wearing off & more games on the schedule. There are still quite a few surprises with teams that should be winning but aren’t, while teams that should be losing, aren’t. The ROTY race looks like it might be a runaway, but this year's draft class is looking very solid. The MVP race is looking kind of slow as of right now but hopefully can get more exciting. Let’s get to my thoughts about week 2.
The defending champs do not look like the defending champs. The Warriors are 3-4 and don’t look like the team that just one a championship. I could sit here & stir up that it can be a product of Green’s sucker punch this summer, but the team just doesn’t look like themselves. If I were a Warriors fan though, I would not be worried. They always tend to figure it out & you do have one of the best players on the planet on your team. They’ll be fine.
The Cleveland Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell is playing exceptional basketball on both ends of the floor & looks way more comfortable with that team than I would’ve imagined. This is without Darius Garland on the floor right now, so we have to wait & see what they look like together. Mitchell is another of the top three MVP candidates in my eyes.
The Lakers finally won their first game of the season. I will be honest, I thought they’d be 0-6 but bringing Russ off the bench might be the catalyst to their win. He looked comfortable & his +/- rating was the best it’s been so far. AD is playing well, even though his jump shooting numbers are atrocious & LeBron is just LeBron. Trade rumors are already flying this early into the season so the Lakers will have another season full of rumors & drama.
The Nets. They look bad. I don’t want to sit here & bash on Ben Simmons since he is returning to the floor after not playing for two years but he still has been passing up open layups & simply doesn’t look like himself. The Nets have the worst defensive rating in the NBA despite having good defenders in Simmons, KD & Claxton. What’s the most surprising is their shooting splits even with two elite offensive weapons in KD & Kyrie. I said this last year & I’ll say it again, Brooklyn needs to can Steve Nash.
Ja is him. He’s arguably the best athlete in the NBA & looks like a top three MVP candidate. The Grizzlies are the best scoring team in the league & one of the most exciting. I have no doubts that they’ll continue to play well & that Ja’s performance is sustainable.
Paolo Banchero is a stud. He reminds me of a young Carmelo Anthony with his three-level scoring. The Magic won’t be good, but they’ll be fun to watch. They mess around with their lineups & recently have ran Bol Bol at point—something he was surprisingly good at. If they end up with another number one pick, Wembenyama will end up on the Magic & they’ll have a starting lineup of only 6’10 & up players. Sheesh.
Benedict Mathurin may not win ROTY but he might end up cashing in on 6MOTY as a rookie. Just a pure & polished scorer who is slowly building a lot of chemistry with Haliburton. Keep an eye on him.
The Suns look good as they usually do. Top five in both offense & defense. Devin Booker is playing tremendous basketball even with Chris Paul experiencing a slump. They are the Suns though after all, so can’t really expect too much or too little out of them.
Luka looks like the early MVP even though his team is struggling. Luka & Wood look amazing together at the expense of defense but Jason Kidd needs to figure out a lineup with those two involved.
Keldon Johnson is ruining the tanking that the Spurs were expected to do. He’s putting up very efficient numbers & looks like a product of the great coaching of Popovich. I don’t really see it continuing at this level & they’ll start losing eventually but the Spurs are kind of fun to watch.
If the Pelicans can stay healthy, they will be a team to watch. Young talent & a lot of energy. Just what they needed coming off last year's strong finish.
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