The Absence of Vučević

There has been a lot of slander regarding the play of Vooch, rightfully so; that doesn’t mean he’s not an integral part of the team. Yeah, even I have criticized his play but I still recognize his talent & importance on the team. Averaging almost 14 points per game & 10 rebounds, those are very important numbers for a team & especially against the league's best. Also, although there are moments where his defense looks abysmal, he still has smart defensive tendencies & is actually top 10 in the NBA in defensive efficiency. His ability to shoot & space the floor on offense is also something the Bulls miss when he’s out; teams have to respect his jumper no matter how many shots he misses. The spacing that Vooch provides was made evident when the Warriors went to a box-and-one defense to prevent DeMar & Zach getting into the lane or allow mismatches. I thought the game would be ugly & it was. There is no shame in losing to the best team in the NBA—a team that looks finals bound.

The Chicago Bulls started off good in the first quarter as Zach LaVine got going early with a quick 10 points. The Bulls played excellent defense holding the Warriors to 23 first quarter points. The ball was moving really well & the Bulls were getting good looks. The Warriors were limited on their threes & the game looked like it would be a good one. This is where the Kerr & his Warriors made the great adjustment of switching up the defense to a box-and-one & 5 players on the floor that can guard all positions. This wouldn’t allow mismatches & easy drives to the basket for both LaVine & Derozan. Kerr brought in a very talented rookie in Kuminga to help out on defense too, he’s got long arms & is a very strong young kid. Gary Payton II, who looks like an absolute stud, was giving LaVine a hard time with active hands & tough, physical defense. LaVine looked frustrated early & the Warriors continued to frustrate him. When teams trap either DeMar or LaVine, Vooch is available at the top of the key & either is ready to shoot or make a great pass to a cutter or open shooter—this was missed very much. Tony Bradley & Alize Johnson aren’t those type of playmakers. The Bulls the NBA’s best in avoiding turnovers but this was not the case against this rugged Warriors defense. They couldn’t make any adjustments & had 8 turnovers in just the first half when they average only 12 a game. DeMar couldn’t get going & the Bulls just looked stagnant on offense.

The second half was even worse, the Bulls offense looked the worst it’s ever looked & Steph Curry was could not be stopped—ending the night with an effortless 40 points. Although the Bulls did get a decent number of open looks, it just seemed like one of those nights where there is a lid on the basket. Javonte Green took more threes than anybody would like & Lonzo just couldn’t hit anything. The Warriors could not be stopped as they started the third quarter with a scorching 19-6 run led by great offense but terrible defense. The Bulls players looked aloof on defense as they were losing sight of shooters & had terrible effort moving around screens & double screens. On screens & switches, Bradley would never step up on Steph & kept allowing him space to get a shot off. There were multiple plays where Bradley & Zach just looked lost & weren’t trying. Rebounding looked horrible from the entire team, when rebounding is supposed to be a consistent team effort. DeMar had another bad shooting night but this isn’t something to be worried about—he is a professional scorer. The fourth quarter was just as bad & there isn’t much to say. The Bulls just struggled greatly against the Warriors league best offense & defense.
The second half is where the coach should be making adjustments & to be very frank, it didn’t seem like Donovan did. This is a complaint I’ve had with him quite a bit but hopefully it doesn't continue. LaVine had 7 turnovers in efforts of trying to play hero ball; I also can’t help to think that his thumb is bothering him as he constantly loses control of the ball. The Bulls faced a great adversity & they can only bounce back. They’ll be going up against a Kawhi-less LA Clippers led by a dark-horse MVP candidate in Paul George. Ivan Zubac, their center, will probably pose issues for us tonight since he’s an excellent rebounder & great screener. Reggie Jackson is playing exceptional basketball & Terrence Mann is a very solid player. This game is definitely winnable & the Bulls should come out with some fire, after being embarrassed on national television couple nights prior. DeMar should have a great game for his homecoming to Los Angeles & LaVine will do LaVine things; my only concern is the overall play of the team since everyone has to play a little better to make up for the absence of Vooch. Let’s get back in the winning column tonight.