Bulls vs. Pistons: Bulls Top Pistons 108-104 Behind Joakim Noah’s Career Night

 Chicago  No Responses »
Dec 082012
 

The Chicago Bulls visited the Detroit Pistons Friday night as they kicked off their second back-to-back in just five nights. Bulls center Joakim Noah made a strong case as to why he should be an All-Star selection this season, posting a career-high 30 points and 23 rebounds (10 offensive).

Carlos Boozer was second in scoring with 24 points on 12-of-19 shooting. Luol Deng and Marco Belinelli rounded out the Bulls’ top scorers with 16 points each.

After a slow start by the Bulls—down by as many as 17 points—their offense picked it up throughout the second quarter, cutting the lead down to just five before heading into halftime.

The Bulls had one of their better performances of the season in the third quarter, shooting 63 percent from the floor and scoring 28 points to Detroit’s 19.

Chicago closed the game out in the fourth quarter behind Noah’s 12 points and eight boards.

 

Game Positives

The Bulls had one of their best offensive performances of the year, as they shot 52 percent on the night. They dominated the boards once again, out-rebounding the Pistons by 13 and scoring 23 second-chance points.

Noah and Deng’s two-man game was executed to perfection; Deng found Noah cutting to the basket on several possessions. Fifty-eight of the Bulls’ 108 points came in the paint, a testament to how well the players were making cuts to the basket and finding the open man inside. 

 

Game Criticisms

It’s hard to find something bad when the team played so well, but Chicago’s defense wasn’t as strong as it normally is. Detroit shot 51 percent from the floor (57 from beyond the arc), and Rodney Stuckey got just about every look he wanted, scoring 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Brandon Knight also had a big game, shooting over 50 percent for 21 points. 

The Bulls’ win over Detroit gives them their second consecutive win and lifts them to a 10-8 record.

They will host the New York Knicks on Saturday as they conclude their back-to-back.

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Pacers vs. Bulls: Chicago Comes Up Short in Fourth Quarter, Loses 80-76

 Chicago  No Responses »
Dec 052012
 

It was a disappointing loss for the Chicago Bulls Tuesday night as they hosted the Indiana Pacers in a heated rivalry game. Paul George led the way for Indiana with 34 points. Roy Hibbert (10 points, 11 rebounds) chipped in with a double-double.

Nate Robinson was the Bulls’ leading scorer with 19 points (5-for-13 shooting) off the bench. Robinson lead the Bulls on a fourth-quarter comeback with 11 points. He also ended up hurting them by taking rushed and contested shots towards the end, turning the ball over three times in the quarter.

With under 30 seconds left in the final period and the Bulls down by two, Joakim Noah found an open Luol Deng on a backdoor cut. Roy Hibbert went up to contest the shot and Deng drew a lot of contact. A questionable no-call by the officials left the Pacers with control of the ball; a possession that would clinch the game.

 

Game Positives

Chicago’s defense played extremely well, allowing just 80 points on 36-percent shooting. The Bulls drew many offensive fouls, especially in the first half, and forced Indiana to commit 12 turnovers. The Bulls were strong once again on the boards, grabbing 46 total rebounds (13 offensive). Carlos Boozer posted his seventh double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 boards.

 

Game Criticisms

The Bulls’ offensive struggles continued. They shot 38 percent from the floor and turned the ball over 19 times. A poor showing by the bench—with the exception of Nate Robinson—as the bench managed only six points. However, they were a man short this game with Marco Belinelli filling in for an injured Richard Hamilton.

This was the Bulls’ first game in a stretch of four games in five nights. They travel to Cleveland on Wednesday for another divisional matchup.

The Bulls drop to 8-8 after the loss to Indiana.

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Thibodeau: It’s Belinelli, for Now (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

 Chicago  No Responses »
Dec 052012
 

When Bulls guard Rip Hamilton suffered a torn plantar fascia in his left foot, coach Tom Thibodeau had a variety of choices for replacing him in the starting lineup. He chose to go with long-range shooter Marco Belinelli, but told reporters Tuesday the new lineup “is not etched in stone.”

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Rip Hamilton Injury Gives Jimmy Butler Chance to Show Bulls, NBA His Potential

 Chicago  No Responses »
Dec 032012
 

The Chicago Bulls were dealt another injury blow after they learned that Rip Hamilton would be out indefinitely after tearing his plantar fascia in his left foot against the Philadelphia 76ers, but Jimmy Butler now gets a chance to show his true worth to the Bulls with this huge chance.

Chicago loses their second-leading scorer and the veteran leadership from a 13-year NBA veteran in Hamilton.

Although his skills have diminished greatly since he left Detroit, it’s still not good for the Bulls to have another shakeup in their lineup after losing Derrick Rose to a torn ACL last season. 

What’s interesting, however, is that a guy they have as a possible replacement replacement at the shooting guard spot has been playing incredibly well over the course of the first month of the season.

Jimmy Butler, in limited time, has averaged 5.4 points per game to go along with 2.5 rebounds and a few assists and steals here and there.

It’s not a lot on the surface, but when you compare it all to what he did a season ago and look at his stats on a greater scale, it seems like the Bulls aren’t in such a rough place after all.

Butler, the 30th overall pick out of Marquette in 2011 averaged just 2.6 points per game over the course of 42 games while shooting just over 42 percent. He wasn’t terrible, but he was nowhere near good enough to get extensive playing time.

In a bit more playing time this season he’s improved his scoring while shooting at an incredible rate for a shooting guard at 52.9 percent.

We can go on and on about small sample sizes, playing in garbage time and going up against second units, but the fact that he’s been able to get quality shots at the rim go a long way in any lineup.

Looking at his shot chart we can see that he’s focused on attacking the rim, making 17 of his 26 shots at the rim. Everywhere else he’s been hit-or-miss, but he’s done his best to attack his hot zones on the right side of the floor and stay away from the three-point line, from where he’s never been a good shooter.

Butler will be battling for playing time with Marco Belinelli, but Belinelli has proven to be nothing but a three-point shooter for the Bulls this season, everything else has been an unmitigated disaster.

Initially it seems as if Belinelli will be the one starting in place of Hamilton as he played as a starter for the past two seasons with the New Orleans Hornets, but if he continues to struggle, Butler could see a lot more playing time.

For the time being, however, it seems as if Butler is perfectly content with coming off the bench, and he’s got the perfect role model to play alongside in increased minutes:

I was talking to (assistant coach Adrian Griffin) about it. I like being that spark off the bench with Taj. I feel like that gives me a lot more energy and just running out there with Taj, seeing the energy he gives off, the big plays that he makes, hustle plays. I kind of want to be like that coming off the bench. 

For the first few games while Belinelli starts he’s going to have to get acclimated to increased playing time, but if he’s able to prove that he’s going to continue to be able to attack the rim and score in the paint then the Bulls will end up inserting him into the starting lineup.

He’s not the guy with the crazy hops or the incredibly speed, but he’s a very smart with and without the ball, he’s a good passer and he can get to the rim off the dribble by breaking down his opponent, rather than just blowing by him.

Butler is an all-out effort player who scraps for everything the other team will give him, and what it has led to over the course of his career is just winning basketball.

He fits in with Tom Thibodeau’s system, playing smart ball on offense and giving it his all on defense. It’s a wonder he hasn’t got more playing time over the course of this season as it is.

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Breaking Down Tom Thibodeau’s Go-To Plays for Chicago Bulls

 Chicago  No Responses »
Dec 022012
 

Over the prior two seasons, the Bulls offense was pretty simple. Give the ball to Derrick Rose, watch him penetrate—and either kick it out, take the shot, or get fouled and go to the stripe.

Without Rose, as expected, the Bulls offense is looking different in 2012-13.

Without Rose, the Bulls just don’t have the kind of player who can penetrate now, and as a result they have had to adjust their offense to accommodate. One of the key differences is what the point guard does in the pick-and-roll. 

Where Rose would drive the ball inside, Kirk Hinrich doesn’t have the speed to penetrate the way that Rose did, and Robinson does’t have the size and strength to finish like Rose. As a result both Hinrich and Robinson do more of a quick pick-and-roll play. They will take a step away from the pick and deliver a quick shot as in the plays below. 

According to mySynergySports,com, the pick-and-roll accounts for 48 percent of the field goals Hinrich and Robinson have made combined. 

The shooting guards have a role too—in particular Richard Hamilton, who is excellent at creating space off screens. Hamilton tends to run around and force defenders to run through multiple screens. This inevitably gets him open, and when he is, he is quick to take the shot. Marco Belinelli is used in in similar fashion. 

Watch in the clips below how quickly Hamilton gets the ball off when it gets into his hand. He’s an expert at utilizing screens. According to Synergy, when Hamilton is coming off the screen his field-goal percentage is .492, compared to .417 when he runs all other plays. This also accounts for 40 percent of his offense.

Luol Deng is the player the Bulls have remaining with the most ability to drive the lane, be it with or without the ball. He also has the ability to shoot from outside. The Bulls use screens to try to get him the ball, or else they deliver it to him cutting to the basket. On those two types of plays, he has an outstanding .647 field-goal percentage.

Watch first as he uses his size coming off screens to either step into defenders and back them down, or else step away from them and use his length to shoot over them. 

Now watch as he uses his size, speed and strength to slash to the rim without the ball and finish at the rim. On cut plays, Deng averages an elite-level 1.43 points per play, which stands as the fourth-best rate in the league, per Synergy. 

His increased activity at the rim has helped him to boost his shooting to .462, up 50 points from last season. 

The Bulls don’t use Carlos Boozer at the rim that much. In fact he’s only third on the team in field-goals at the rim, with 36, according to basketball-reference. 

They use him more in pick and pops, or in fronting up players for his high, arcing jumper. In the clips below, notice how the Bulls get him the ball in the pick-and-roll, or else he just posts opponents and knocks down the jump shot.

Unfortunately he’s only knocking down 36.0 percent of his shots between three and 15 feet, which is significantly lower than the 45.7 percent he hit last year. Clearly, Boozer benefits from Rose drawing defenses away from him giving him open looks. 

Finally, Joakim Noah is being utilized offensively more this season than in years past. He’s experiencing career highs in both usage rate (17.3 percent) and scoring (13.3 points per game). 

The Bulls have found exceptional success with Noah cutting to the rim and finishing, usually with a dunk. These types of plays account for 38 percent of Noah’s points out of a set offense. 

As the Bulls find their roles and adjust to them, the Bulls offense has grown steadily more proficient. Over their last four games they’ve had an offensive rating of 107.9, a full five points better than their season average. As they adjust to their roles sans-Rose the offense is coming around. 

Certainly the just-announced torn patella for Hamilton is going to have a brief impact, but he should be back before long, and the Bulls offense will continue to make strides as the team finds it roles. 

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Assessing Each Chicago Bulls Player’s Actual Performance vs. Expectations

 Chicago  No Responses »
Nov 202012
 

Chicago Bulls fans must curb their enthusiasm when it comes to the expectations of their team.

If you have taken the time to assess each player’s performance, you are not alone. I will look into the play of each Bull to see which player has met, exceeded or has failed to make the expectations fans have placed on them.

A couple of Bulls’ players, Marco Belinelli and Richard Hamilton, have come to close to meeting the goals that were set for them. As for the others, how has your favorite Bull performed thus far? It is time to find out.   

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Derrick Rose: Bulls Desperately Need Point Guard’s Ability to Create Offensively

 Chicago  No Responses »
Nov 182012
 

The Chicago Bulls are a completely different team without Derrick Rose steering the ship.

Without their All-Star point guard, the Bulls struggle to create on offense. Sure, Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer can score, but that’s only going to take you so far in the Eastern Conference this season.

According to ESPN’s Nick Friedell, Rose has started cutting on his injured knee. However, there’s still not a set return date.

That means Kirk Hinrich and Marquis Teague are still the leading men at the point guard position, and you have to wonder how long the Bulls can remain above .500 without Rose’s presence. You could turn to someone like Marco Belinelli or Nate Robinson as well, although that’s not very encouraging either.

It’s not like Hinrich can’t play. He’s not a bad point guard at all, even though his three-point shooting (31 percent) is way down this season. Either way though, he’s not the type of player that Rose is.

No one is. 

The Bulls have capable offensive players right now, but they have no one who can create for them. Rose can slice through a defense like no other. He might settle for his own shot, but he also splays open the defense and allows his teammates to have better looks.

Chicago is ranked 21st in the NBA in scoring offense, and it has the eighth-ranked scoring defense. That’s been Tom Thibodeau’s idea the entire time, but without Rose, the game plan becomes stale.

The Bulls have no real pace to their attack—instead relying on shooting ability and intelligent passes to the open man. No one can create openings like Rose can; they have to hope the defense gives them to them instead.

This team isn’t going to fall off the face of the Earth without their star point guard, but winning anything notable is out of the question. He should be back, barring any setbacks, and this team will have a chance to improve quickly assuming that he’s ready to play at a high level.

Rose doesn’t do everything well, but he does something that no one else on this team can do. He creates, and that’s what a dangerous offense needs.

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Dealing Richard Hamilton Would Be a Mistake for the Chicago Bulls

 Chicago  No Responses »
Nov 142012
 

Richard Hamilton is by no means the “Rip” of old, but he still has value and is currently an integral member of the 2012-13 Chicago Bulls. Through seven games, he is averaging 12.7 points per game in just 26.3 minutes per outing. 

There is currently debate over whether Hamilton should remain in the Windy City throughout this season or if the Bulls should deal him in the coming weeks. 

Some argue that he’s not productive enough to warrant his pay for this season ($5 million), and that the Bulls should bid farewell to the veteran swingman. Some argue that he’s simply not the 2-guard of the future to pair next to Derrick Rose, so the Bulls might as well get rid of him. 

While these reasons may hold merit when it comes to the future, they do not hold merit in regards to this season. Dealing Hamilton during this season would be a foolish mistake, and there are numerous reasons why such a maneuver lacks sense.

First of all, the Bulls would not receive much at all in return for Hamilton. He’s 34-years-old, and he would likely just become a “rental” player, as his contract features a $5 million option for next season (which seemingly no team would want to pick up).

Therefore, other teams will view him as a washed-up veteran with playoff experience, and they may (key word: may) be willing to give up a late first-round or second-round pick for him. Or, perhaps a team would be willing to part ways with a young, underachieving player.

It’s not like the Bulls can deal Hamilton and inherit a very promising piece to their future in return. Interested teams are simply not going to give up much to receive an aging “Rip.”

Secondly, dealing Hamilton would be suspect because the Bulls lack depth at the 2-guard. If they trade Hamilton, they are essentially conceding this season. Now, one might argue that this season is already gone because of Rose’s injury, but the latest news is that Rose has started cutting, conveying that his return will likely happen at some point during this campaign.

Because of this, it’s not illogical for the Bulls to hold out hope that they can make a run come the 2013 playoffs. If Rose can return to form and everyone else remains healthy, Chicago won’t be a team that will exit the postseason easily.

In fact, elite teams like the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics would surely not want to meet a surging Bulls squad in the first or second round. It’s not outlandish to think that, if healthy, the Bulls could pull a shocker and oust a top-notch team.

But if the Bulls trade Hamilton, this hope is thrown out the window. They would then be forced to trust a defensively inept Marco Belinelli and an inconsistent Jimmy Butler at the shooting guard position. This would almost surely come back to bite them in the playoffs, and the Bulls would be much better off with the veteran Hamilton at least providing some offensive stability.

While he is not be the long term answer at the two-spot, he is their best option this season and they’re wise to retain him because of this. You never know if the Bulls could hit their stride at the right time and Rip could prove to be an instrumental factor in this.

Lastly, Hamilton boasts championship experience. He’s the Bulls most seasoned player, and he knows what it takes to make a deep playoff run. 

Quite frankly, who knows how pivotal Hamilton would’ve been in the playoffs last season if Rose hadn’t gotten hurt? He could’ve become the X-factor that pushed the Bulls to the NBA Finals.

The bottom line is that Rip can still be a difference-maker, and he is a difficult weapon to defend. He’s constantly moving without the ball, giving opponents another threat to keep in mind. He’s still more than capable of chipping in 20 points on a given night, and this potency is not something to flippantly trade away.

It’s evident that there are numerous reasons why trading Hamilton would be a questionable decision. In the minds of many Bulls fans, there’s hope that they could land something worthy in return for him. But that will not happen.

This amplifies why trading Hamilton is unnecessary, especially since Hamilton still has value and could be influential for the Bulls throughout 2012-13.

Rip’s not the answer for the coming years, but he is right now. Therefore, Bulls fans should think optimistically and hope that Hamilton’s most valuable days as a Bull are ahead of him.

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Chicago Bulls 2012-13: Starting 5 Projections and Depth Chart Breakdown

 Chicago  No Responses »
Oct 142012
 
2011-12 W-L
50-16

 
Final Finish in Standings
First in Central Division
First in Eastern Conference
First in NBA


New Acquisitions over Summer

Kirk Hinrich, Marco Belinelli, Nazr Mohammed, Vladamir Radmanovic, Nate Robinson, Marquis Teague, Kyrylo Fesenko


Departures
Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, Omer Asik, C.J. Watson, John Lucas III


2012-13 Depth Chart and Head Coach

Point Guard: Kirk Hinrich, Nate Robinson, Marquis Teague
Shooting Guard: Richard Hamilton, Marco Belinelli
Small Forward: Luol Deng, Jimmy Butler
Power Forward: Carlos Boozer, Taj Gibson, Vladamir Radmanovic
Center: Joakim Noah, Nazr Moahammed, Kyrylo Fresenko
Coach: Tom Thibodeau


So far in the preseason, the Chicago Bulls have looked, at times, like a team that is reminiscent of last year’s version, fully capable of competing for a home-court advantage until Derrick Rose returns. At other times, they’ve looked like a discombobulated clown-fest, incapable of making a field goal. 

So which version will the Bulls be once the games count? Read on to find out. 

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5 Chicago Bulls Who Could Be Losing Playing Time in 2012-13

 Chicago  No Responses »
Sep 202012
 

If I were Carlos Boozer, I would be extremely concerned about my minutes. Boozer is among five Chicago Bulls that will see less playing come October.

The Bulls will have as many as six new faces on their roster once the new season begins. The list of newcomers includes Vladimir Radmanovic, Marquis Teague, Nate Robinson, Nazr Mohammed, Marco Belinelli and the returning Kirk Hinrich.

NBA league rules require all teams to have at least 13 players on their roster, meaning that the Bulls may look to add an additional player (hopefully summer league standout Malcolm Thomas) to a non-guaranteed contract.

The incoming players are certain to affect the Bulls’ overall team chemistry, rotation and playing time.

Some players, i.e. incumbents Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler, will see an increase in their minutes. Others will watch the minutes they have grown accustomed to, shrink.

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