Around The NBA: Week 1

AROUND THE NBA:

The first week of the NBA has been quite unpredictable. The tanking Utah Jazz started 3-0 behind Markennen & Clarkson, the Lakers look so bad that it’s almost funny, the Sixers haven’t won a game & the reigning NBA champs picked up right where they left off. The rookie class looks solid with Banchero, Smith, Mathurin, Murray & Ivey playing very well. I was big on Banchero & really wanted to see him go first overall, he’s a polished offensive player with defensive upside-- which he’s shown so far. Mathurin might be the story of the year but it’s too early to tell so press the brakes on that.

Let’s talk about the Lakers though, since they are the talk of the season so far—for good reason. Pelinka didn’t make the necessary changes & it’s clear they made Vogel the scapegoat. The shooting on the team is downright ugly as the team is averaging nearly 41% from the field & an abysmal 21% from deep. Beverley has more fouls than points, this decline of Westbrook is so sad & Anthony Davis forgot how to shoot a basketball. I wonder if Bron & co. can figure this out.

The Warriors dropped 89 points in the first half last night. That’s it. That’s my part to say on the reigning champs.

The Sixers don’t look like the team they were last year. I’ve seen so many stats on how many times Harden has dribbled the ball compared to the rest of the team, which is such a funny statistic.

Celtics look good. Jayson Tatum is playing at an MVP level & they are also another team that picked out right where they left off. The addition of Brogdon is already looking great, but it’ll only get better when he eventually takes over the starting PG position. I hope they can get Time Lord back soon & have their complete team.

The Cavaliers are going to be a fun team this year. Mitchell looks like he fits right in & this is without Garland. They’ll only get better.

The Hawks scored with the Murray trade.

If the Pelicans can stay healthy, they may be a problem.

Toronto loves having their 2-5 be like 7 feet tall.

It's good to see Zion Williamson, Damian Lillard, Kawhi Leonard & Jamal Murray back on the floor.

Christian Wood has already cemented himself as the best player Doncic has played with.

Thanks for reading & hope to have you back next week!

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Week 1

Hello readers, welcome back to another year of The Fade Away. After a surprisingly overwhelming number of people said to bring the blog back, I have decided to. However, this year I’ll be taking a different approach. I’ll be posting two blog posts weekly, one about the Bulls & one about the league: “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly” & “Around The NBA”.

Let’s start with The Bulls:

THE GOOD:

Deebo. Except for the Cleveland game on Saturday night, DeMar looks great; he’s picked up right where he left off. With Zach being out the first two games, he needed to step up. He’s been shooting the ball efficiently, looking surgical in the midrange & getting his free throw attempts. I fully expect him to keep this up even with Zach on the floor but especially more when Zach sits for his “injury management”.

The bench. If there was a section between good & bad, that’s where this truly belongs but this’ll do. Without a doubt the bench looks better than last year; adding Dragic & Drummond was very solid & of course you have the play of Caruso & Green. Defensively, they play well but scoring for the bench was an issue last year & may be an issue this year—unless White figures it out. I would like to see some more Derrick Jones Jr., especially with the way Williams is playing right now. All in all, the bench is deeper & better than last year.

THE BAD:

Patrick Williams. I was debating putting him in the next portion, but I feel like that would be too early. It’s only been three games into the season but to be frank, he hasn’t really looked any better. This is essentially his second season in the NBA & he’s only 21 but he’s still got to be more aggressive, especially when key players are out. Being a 6’7 forward & averaging only two rebounds in his first three games is straight up abysmal. I’m not sure if it’s a mental thing or a coaching thing, but for this team to be good, he’s got to be more aggressive. I do anticipate him being benched for Javonte Green as soon as tonight, but it might be good as he needs to learn from Javonte’s energy & assertiveness. Green is constantly cutting to the basket, hustling for boards & just playing with a lot of energy compared to Williams. The 2020 draft was a relatively weak one but with the emergence of Maxey & Haliburton, the Williams pick isn’t looking too hot. Let’s hope it can get figured out soon.

Defense & rim protection. This was an issue we had last year & knew going into this year but doesn’t seem like it was addressed. Adding Drummond was an underrated move in my opinion but it was not the answer. The defensive rotations look atrocious & at times there just seems to be no effort. The Bulls clearly miss Lonzo, who can guard practically any position, but they have to show more effort & heart on defense. We don’t really have any shot blockers on the team so it’s not surprising that the rim protection has also been disappointing; I do think that if the rotations were a little crispier, then this wouldn’t be as much of a hole in the game as it is.

THE UGLY:

Zach LaVine. Now I'm not talking about his play but his knee issue. He looked solid in season debut, so I understand the confusion. The Chicago Bulls are being strangely vague about his injury & management; it wasn’t expected for him to miss the beginning of the season but somehow, he did. Zach has said there’s no issues while Donovan has said that he felt slight discomfort—who to trust? There should be more transparency when it comes to your max contract player for both fans & stakeholders. Seems like he’ll miss some back-to-backs, which will for sure negatively impact the Bulls record this year. Let’s just hope it is just management & not a real issue.

WEEK 2 PREDICTIONS:

Celtics vs. Bulls- L

Pacers vs. Bulls- W

Bulls @ Spurs- L

Sixers vs. Bulls- W

Chicago Surpasses Last Years Win Total

After a tough loss to San Antonio on Friday night followed by a win against Portland on Sunday afternoon, the Chicago Bulls hosted the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. Seems like the games that the Bulls have won these past few weeks were games they barely made it out alive. What should’ve been an easy win against Orlando proved to be a little difficult; I would say that the Magic seem to play a lot harder against Chicago, whether it’s because we are the best team in the East or because Wendell Carter Jr. lets his teammates know he wants to work extra hard. It was an offensive showcase but practically no defense being played, until the fourth quarter. I mean the first half score was 70-63, that’s pretty crazy. DeMar had yet another efficient outing along with Zach, Ayo showcased his point guard skills & clutch gene, Vooch had another double-double & Javonte Green brought his patented energy & bounce. Cole Anthony, Wendell Carter Jr., & rookie Franz Wagner led the way for Orlando. It was a fun back & forth game but the Bulls should’ve been able to wrap this one up early. With this win, Chicago did surpass their win total of last year with a whole second half of the season remaining.

The Bulls started off by giving Orlando a 5-0 lead which immediately led to a Billy Donovan timeout. If you’ve been watching Bulls games, Donovan seems to always be the first coach to utilize a timeout. Not sure what Donovan said but it worked, Zach came out aggressive & the team looked better, leading a 13-4 run. The Bulls, as usual, struggled against the PnR & screens, which led to WCJ scoring some easy buckets ultimately ending the first quarter will 11 points. After the Bulls went on their run, WCJ helped lead Orlando on their 12-4 run towards the end of the first. The Bulls defense didn’t look horrendous & the Magic did shoot at an unrealistic clip of 61% that quarter. The Bulls did show energy with five offensive rebounds & 11 second chance points. The Bulls led the way 34-33. Orlando came out with great energy in the second quarter, something the Bulls found difficult to match. The Wagner Brothers turn into like the Gasol Brothers when playing against the Bulls—just on a tear. DeMar did get his buckets in the quarter with 13 points & a big time throwdown all over Chuma Okeke. Ayo did a fantastic job running the point & even had two beautiful no look passes; Ayo is flourishing as a point guard & is constantly doing what the team needs him to do—defend & pass. The Bulls did have poor defense with bad defensive rotations & the switching was just abysmal. It was nice to see Donovan play Tyler Cook, an athletic forward who can guard the 1-5, which was important because the Magic were running with a nice group that could switch 1-4. Through the first half, Orlando attempted 50 field goals while Chicago attempted 51—just absurd. The Bulls led 70-63 heading into the break.

We know the Chicago Bulls can get buckets almost anytime they want, that’s a given; the Bulls need to show more consistent tenacity on the defensive end in order to truly compete. Without Lonzo & Caruso, it’s seeming to be a difficult time. The third quarter started off slow once again from the Bulls, both offensively & defensively. They played a little loose with the basketball committing four turnovers in the period. The Bulls struggled to get around screens & allowed the Magic to get what they want; Cole Anthony was excelling with the screens & scored eight in the quarter. Although we saw Caruso on the bench talking to the players, it didn’t really translate onto the floor with Orlando getting easy buckets inside & knocking down six deep balls. Even though the Bulls didn’t look like they wanted to play defense, the same could’ve been said for Orlando. The Bulls continued to play slightly better with a nine-point lead heading into the final frame. The Bulls looked like they were ready to put the game away in the beginning of the quarter. They moved the ball well & were putting effort on the boards. Then, as usual, they got sloppy—which then carried over to the defensive side. They allowed a 10-0 run by the Magic to tie the game. Suddenly, the Bulls no longer looked in control. It was a back & forth couple minutes where baskets were being traded—once again, no defense. As the Bulls have instilled fear into their fans, I thought we might end up choking. That’s when the Bulls went on a 9-0 run to end the game thanks to DeMar & Ayo. DeMar had a couple midrange jumpers, his only points of the fourth quarter, followed by a midrange jumper & a clutch three by Ayo to ice the game. Ayo played with confidence at the end & helped put the game away. He truly is blossoming into a young star & the biggest steal of the draft. The Bulls win 126-115.

The Chicago Bulls take on the Toronto Raptors tonight in an East showdown. Nearly choking a lead to them just last week, the Bulls better come with energy. With Toronto beating Miami twice & Philly once this past week, they allowed the Bulls to take atop the East again. Trent Jr., is playing out of his mind though & will be test while VanVleet has returned & will provide them with offense we didn’t see last week. Lastly, Zach LaVine is on the injury report as questionable tonight with back spasms. I expect the Bulls to struggle against the lengthier Raptors team & the adjustments Coach Nick Nurse made in the prior game. Hopefully the Bulls can counter it & continue to lead the East.

Chicago Avoids Yet Another Breakdown

The Bulls pulled out a difficult win Wednesday night against a VanVleetless Raptors squad. Coming off a win against OKC, I expected the Bulls to continue playing strong against a very solid team. DeMar will always play tough & aggressive against his former team & the rest of the team would follow. The Bulls played a very good game with their Big 3 popping off; all three of the Bulls stars flirted with a triple double & played excellent team basketball. However, turnovers & lack of bench scoring created a lot of issues down the stretch for the Bulls. Give a lot of credit to the Raptors head coach, Nick Nurse, for putting together a great game plan & necessary adjustments coming out of the half. The Bulls nearly threw this game away by allowing Toronto to cut down their 17-point halftime deficit & even taking a one-point lead with about three minutes left in the game. The Bulls once again struggled against taller, lengthier players & against the traps & presses. The lapses on defense were also shown & Billy Donovan got outcoached. Luckily, the Bulls were able to band together with the help of their Big 3 & the energy of Javonte Green to seal a victory.

The Bulls started off really hot the first few minutes of the game with exceptional passing & off-ball movement. Zach & DeMar were getting theirs while Vooch looked great on both sides of the ball. The Bulls looked like a team that wasn’t going to miss that night, shooting an insane 66% from the field on 11 assists. Like usual though, they got stagnant on offense which carried over defensively—with five turnovers & allowing five threes. Trent Jr. looked great & he’d need to be, since the Raptors were missing Fred VanVleet. With the Raptors being a taller, lengthier team with active hands, the Bulls needed to be careful with their passing & drives. With the Bulls committing turnovers, the Raptors went on a 13-2 run towards the end of the quarter, trimming the lead from 14 to 4. Somehow, the Bulls do the same things every game. It doesn’t make sense. Their offense struggled in the beginning of the second quarter—with less ball movement & player movement. Toronto continued to play aggressive causing deflections & flustering the Bulls. The Bulls then turn it around, with the help of Zach & DeMar, to go on a 11-0 run. Vooch looked a lot better on both sides of the floor; Vooch continued to play inside & making the right passes—leading to five assists. His defense looked better & didn’t look aloof on rotations. The Bulls won the quarter by 13 & took a commanding 67-50 lead, with the help of their Big 3.

Toronto came out of the half with a great gameplan. The Bulls began by letting Vooch work inside but seemed to quickly abandon it. Toronto was a lot more physical & continued to play great defense with three steals & two blocks in the quarter. As usual, the Bulls let their mistakes get into their heads & looked visibly frustrated with their poor play. They struggled against the trap, similar to Monday night, and turned the ball over five times. The Raptors also shot seven free throws compared to the Bulls two, with one of those two being a technical. With the help of Trent Jr., who the Bulls seemed to have no answer for, the Raptors went on an 11-0 run to win the quarter by eight points & asserting themselves back into the game. Then, when you thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. In the final frame, the Bulls shot an abysmal 37% from the field & only four free throws compared to the Raptors 42% & ten free throws. Nick Nurse continued to make excellent adjustments by having a lineup where no matter how many switches the Bulls would make, the defender would still be able to guard or disrupt the play. The Bulls looked straight up looked lost on both offense & defense with multiple empty possessions & poor rotations. The Raptors had no turnovers in the quarter, showing the poor defensive intensity from the Bulls. Luckily Javonte Green brought that intensity by giving Siakam a hard time & flushing down some emphatic jams, sparking the Bulls. Toronto took a one-point lead with about three minutes left & the game nearly looked over; Zach then immediately attacks the basket with a tough and-one—giving the Bulls a two-point lead. The Bulls then got a huge break with Trent Jr., receiving his second technical of the game & therefore ejected. The Bulls had a terrible turnover with about 50 seconds left & Siakam couldn’t capitalize. The Bulls were up by three when Vooch hit the biggest shot of the night by cashing in a three—only his second attempt of the game. The Bulls narrowly pull this one out 111-105, moving to 30-17 on the season.

The Bulls are giving blueprints to opposing defenses by struggling against lengthier teams & their presses/traps. This is where Billy Donovan needs to try to make adjustments, regardless of which personnel are missing. Other teams will continue to trap the Bulls & attack them on the pick & roll. Luckily, the Bulls do have the king of the fourth to help close out close games. The Bulls also need more help from their bench in order to win games; Coby is going through a rough shooting stretch the last few games but I fully expect him to get straight soon. The Bulls Big 3 had a great performance combining for 69 points & 23 assists, one of the best group game this season. The Chicago Bulls go to San Antonio to face off another one of DeMar’s former teams, the Spurs. As the Bulls traveled to San Antonio, they received the expected announcement of DeMar DeRozan being selected as a starter for this year's all-star game. The Spurs aren’t the same team they once were but can’t be slept on; the Spurs have a bright spot in Dejounte Murray, who is nearly averaging a triple-double. Keldon Johnson is having a solid season & Jakob Poeltl is a very good defensive big. Also, they are coached by the great Gregg Popovich. I expect the Bulls, especially DeMar, to have yet another solid game tonight.

Bulls Avoid a Breakdown

The anticipated return of Zach LaVine & Javonte Green came with the news of DeMar DeRozan sitting out for rest against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It made sense, DeMar had taken the burden of carrying the Bulls offense, especially the last few games. Zach didn’t have a minute's restriction & was good to go. He looked good to go as well; filling up the stat sheet with 23, 7 & 7—all in 35 minutes of playing time. This was a classic show by the Chicago Bulls, they go up by a large number & just start playing sloppy—blowing a 28-point lead. This was reminiscent of a very similar game last year, a game against OKC, where the Bulls blew a huge lead & let them come back to win. Luckily, that didn’t happen this time around. Although Javonte didn’t stuff the stat sheet, his presence was immediately felt on defense & hustle. Vooch had a “redemption” game with 26-points on 55% shooting & snagging 15 boards. His energy on defense looked way better & there were fewer mental lapses. This was much needed with his recent struggles on both offense & defense. The Bulls avoid a scare & pull out a win in OKC, snapping a 5-game road game skid.

The energy & intensity of the Chicago Bulls was different & it was sensed off the bat. Clearly, the return of Zach LaVine, an all-star, had a large impact on the team. The first half was all Ayo Dosunmu though. Hadn’t missed a shot the entire first half & played exceptional defense on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Bulls were getting out in transition with the help of active hands on defense; transition buckets were something the Bulls have been lacking of late & was great to see. The Bulls moved the ball well with ten assists in the quarter, equaling the total number of assists in the entire game against the Magic. The Bulls led the Thunder, 35-27. The second quarter started off a little rough with some careless turnovers & missing open shots. The Thunder began creeping back into the game but the Bulls continued to play solid defense & get their hands in the passing lanes. The Bulls began to go inside to Vooch which helped the inside-outside game. Vooch played solid defense logging in a block & a steal to go along with his seven points in the first half. Ayo continued his perfect shooting from the field, dropping in 18 in the first half, complimented by 10 & 5 from Zach LaVine. The Bulls looked like this one was theirs going into the half up by 10.

The Bulls came out of halftime roaring. In the first six minutes, the Bulls went on a 26-8 run & had a comfortable 28-point lead. This was the best they’ve looked since their game against Detroit. Then, as they usually do, took their foot of the gas. The Bulls began to play a little sloppy on both offense & defense. They let the Thunder chip away the large lead & gain confidence. Shai got going & got his teammates involved, dropping in 12 points & 5 assists in the quarter. Often times when the Bulls would look flustered, DeMar was there to calm them down—this time he was not. The Bulls ended up scoring only eight points in the final six minutes compared to their 26 in the first six minutes; it would’ve only been five points in the final six minutes if Ayo hadn’t cashed a 50-foot heave at the end of the quarter. The Bulls allowed the Thunder to go on a 22-8 run & let them gain confidence going into the final frame. The Bulls had trouble with ball security in the fourth quarter giving up seven turnovers & struggling against full-court pressure & traps. The Thunder did shoot extremely well, 46% from the field, thanks to defensive miscues from the Bulls. Ayo fouling out was a tough loss for Chicago as well, letting Shai do whatever he pleased. The Thunder continued to reduce the Bulls lead & trailed by six points with about three minutes remaining. This is where DeMar was missed; Zach LaVine being the closer, was the primary ball-handler in the final possessions but led multiple empty possessions by bad clock management & bad shots. Zach also had a major defensive lapse where Josh Giddey back-cut for a layup to make it a one-point game with about 15 seconds left in the game. He did end up hitting two clutch free throws to put the game away. Vooch should be given his flowers for keeping the Bulls afloat in the beginning of the quarter with ten points. His defense down the stretch was very good & he looked the best he’s looked since the Detroit game. The Bulls avoided a complete breakdown & secured their 29th win.

The Bulls got pretty lucky & this is something an elite team should not be going through. Of course, the Bulls have their share of injuries but against a bad team there isn’t room for many excuses. Defense is something Billy Donovan has preached since he was brought in & the team needs to realize that defense wins championships. It was great to see Zach & Javonte back with the Bulls, especially with the loss of Caruso, Ball & now DJJ. The Bulls reported last night that Derrick Jones Jr., who was supposed to return soon, suffered a index fingers fracture in his non-shooting hand & will be sidelined for 6-8 weeks. Seems like 6-8 weeks is just the Bulls motto now. The Bull take on Toronto tonight in Chicago, a makeup game from December 16th. DeMar will return from his rest & the Bulls should be able to secure one more for the win column.

Disappointing Observations This Month

Alright. Today’s post isn’t going to be like my normal ones. Not really a specific quarterly & game plan analysis like I normally do. In the month of January, the former number one seed in the Eastern Conference, has a current record of 5-7. That’s pretty bad. Yes, the Chicago Bulls seemed to be injury plagued but at some point, that isn’t a valid excuse. The absence of Caruso was evidently seen in games against higher octane offenses but the effort was still atrocious. Struggling against the likes of Brooklyn, Golden State & Milwaukee are warranted but it just seems like these losses are carrying over to other games. The game plans don’t look good, the rotations at times are suspect & the mental lapses are just embarrassing. I’m just going to go ahead & point out what I’ve seen this month.

The biggest issue has been the Chicago Bulls defense. I mean come on, we let Moritz Wagner torch us last night. Losing Javonte Green, Derrick Jones Jr., Alex Caruso & Lonzo Ball will no doubt have an effect on the defensive play & intensity; the Chicago Bulls almost seem lost on defense without these guys, inexcusable. Stacey King made a great point in last night's game about players not reading the scouting reports properly. I agree. I think I saw Wendell Carter Jr. pump fake a three like three times & the players fell for it. Yeah, Wendell may hit those, but biting a pump fake from him? That’s just bad. No other way to put it. Other teams are attacking the Bulls with pick & rolls because Vooch is a liability. Luka singlehandedly exposed us. This has been an issue from the first game of the season but somehow, it’s something that doesn’t even seem like it was addressed. The same mistakes occur every game. Ayo has been the lone bright spot on defense & has been tasked with very difficult assignments, but you can’t expect him to play 48 minutes. The next man has to step up. Billy Donovan has said that, DeMar has said that but doesn’t seem like the next man is really stepping up.

Rebounding has been a struggle. That’s warranted. We’re down four power forwards & a top rebounding guard in the league. Now that’s where team rebounding needs to occur. I’ve rarely seen Chicago Bulls players follow their shot, or even their teammates shots. While on the other end, teams are getting offensive rebounds & multiple second chance opportunities. This leads to a lack of hustle. The only two games in January where the energy was visibly seen were the games Alex Caruso was present. Ayo off the bench was a spark but the starting role is definitely impacting his game & it is what it is since we no longer have Caruso or Lonzo for at least six weeks. We’re not getting out in transition as much anymore & the transition defense/hustle is downright bad.

Let’s discuss the bench. Now that Ayo & Coby are starting, there really isn’t a scoring option off the bench. Matt Thomas has been the highlight of the bench. Now, no knock-on Matt Thomas, he has a smooth jumper but others have to step up. The bench last night scored a measly 10 points against a, at that time, eight-win team in Orlando. Credit to Billy Donovan for trying to play around with the rotations to try to get some sort of help or spark but nothing works. It’s especially worse when an all-star like Vooch cannot get anything to fall.

Lastly, Vooch. Listen, when the Bulls traded for him last season, I was ecstatic. He was easily a top big man in the NBA, a walking double-double & three-level scorer. The PnR game would be elite after signing Lonzo. He played okay towards the end of last season. This season, not even close. He’s shooting career-low percentages all across the board. It seems like his struggles offensively are constantly carrying over to the defensive side leading to mental lapses leading to frustration. Vooch has been visibly frustrated for some time now. It’s great that the team has utmost faith in him but for how long, is the real question. With LaVine being out these past few games, Vooch was supposed to be the help in scoring aspect, that’s why he was brought in—to help burden the load. DeMar had a very efficient 41 points last night. Vooch? 13 points & a minus-20. It simply cannot happen. He needs to get out of his own head & play like the Vooch he was in Orlando.

The Chicago Bulls should be getting back Zach LaVine & Javonte Green tonight, hopefully. This should make a huge difference. Green is needed for his energy & hustle while LaVine is needed for his efficient scoring. The Bulls are terrible from deep the last few games & the return of Zach should be a major boost. DeMar & Zach can get back to doing their thing & hopefully Greens return can help Vooch get back in rhythm. The Bulls take on the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight. With a pretty bad record, this should be considered a fairly easy win; the Bulls are no longer allowed to do that & should play every game with immense intensity. I expect Ayo to be given the defensive assignment on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a walking bucket. Josh Giddey, their rookie phenom, is playing great basketball & should be treated like a veteran. He kind of reminds me of LaMelo Ball. I really hope to see a rebound win & a morale boost tonight.

Brooklyn Manhandles Chicago

The Chicago Bulls got manhandled by the Brooklyn Nets & their Big 3. A game that was a marquee matchup & on national television turned out to be straight embarrassing. The Bulls were coming off an awesome win against Detroit & the expectation was for it to carry to the next game. The game was thrilling in the first half & the crowd was so into the game it was electric. The Bulls fought as much as they seemed they could in the first half & the first couple minutes of the third quarter but it was only downhill from there. I am someone that is extremely critical of the referees & especially was during this game. Being at the game, it seemed like the referees controlled the tempo of the game right from the tip-off. The disparity in free throw shooting was evident & the crowd was letting the referees hear it, me included. Even with all that, the Bulls just looked bad. No excuses, they have to play better if they want to be seen as the best. The Bulls are no longer the hunters, they are now the hunted.

First of all, the energy in the arena was electric. It was a phenomenal experience & the energy was contagious. It was a packed arena with the color red almost everywhere. ESPN was in the building for this marquee matchup & it seemed like a great matchup in the first half. Unfortunately, Derrick Jones Jr. got injured thirty-six seconds into the game, the primary defender on KD. I knew the game was going to be different after that. Alfonzo McKinnie was the next man up & had the impossible task of guarding Kevin Durant. The Bulls & Nets went back & forth during the opening quarter with baskets being traded until the whistles starting blowing. Brooklyn shot 12 free throws compared to Chicago’s three; McKinnie had a foul, Coby had two & Ayo had three—all in the first quarter. Losing Ayo to three fouls was huge since he would be guarding either Harden or Kyrie; he may not have the ability to stop them but with his defensive integrity & athleticism, he could’ve made the game slightly ever so difficult for them. Kyrie didn’t score in the first quarter but his mere presence was enough to rattle any defense. Harden & Durant both scored eight points & both made trips to the free throw line. DeMar got going with nine in the quarter while Zach & Coby added six. The Bulls struggled rebounding the ball & their defensive rotations looked elementary. A constant double team on KD left another player open for a three & the Nets did an excellent job making the extra pass. The Nets looked good, leading the Bulls 38-31 at the end of the first. Not much had changed in the second quarter except for the whistles; somehow the Bulls ended up shooting ten free throws to the Nets three. The Bulls were down by nine early in the second quarter but LaVine had showed up. Zach went on to score 11 points in the quarter & DeMar added six. Zach was hitting some tough buckets, especially at the end of the second quarter where he went on a 7-0 run on his own. The Bulls still struggled to rebound the basketball & the perimeter defense was just bad. It looked like someone was getting an open three on every possession, although they only three in the second quarter. Kyrie & Harden were the focal points in that quarter with them scoring seven & six, respectively. Blake Griffin won’t show up on the stat sheets but he was everywhere that night, providing energy & defense. The Bulls fought as much as they could being down 62-60 at the end of the first half.

Then the game just got away from Chicago. The Bulls looked lost on defense & could not stop fouling (or the refs couldn’t stop blowing the whistle). The energy was not only sucked out of the crowd but looked like it got sucked out of the players too. The Nets looked like a team that wouldn’t miss though, shooting 12-18 from the field & 5-9 from deep. There was a lid on the basket for Chicago too, going 7-23 from the field & 1-9 from deep. Just bad offense & bad defense. McKinnie racked up three fouls in the quarter too, with the Bulls losing another primary defender. The Nets were the better transition team that night as well, beating the Bulls in their own game. The Nets finished the third quarter with a 21-4 run & practically ended the game right there. To make it worse, they started the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run to destroy any hopes of a comeback. Billy Donovan waived the white flag & the starters barely played the rest of the game. The Bulls lose 138-112.

This game was reminiscent of the loss to the Warriors earlier this season. Not much to say about this game other than the Bulls needing to back to the film room & rewatching the third quarter. The Bulls let the game slip away with bad defense & bad rebounding. Fouling was an issue as well, especially shooting fouls. Losing DJJ is a tough one but the Bulls have to continue to fight & hope the next man up will do what they can. The Bulls were evidently missing Caruso & Green that night, especially in terms of defense & hustle. The Bulls don’t have Caruso again tonight against the Warriors but Klay & Draymond are both out so the Bulls should have an edge. They’ll need to come out with more energy & play aggressive against the second-best team in the NBA. Hopefully the perimeter defense is better & we can rebound the ball. Vooch will need to be big this game since the Warriors like to play small ball & the Bulls have the edge. The Bulls need to show heart & bounce back in another marquee matchup tonight.