bullhockey
Apr 20, 2008 May 19, 2012 34 1928
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Rose Sought Isiah's Advice
Isiah the attention whore. Hey everybody! He asked me for advice! Me!
Thorpe: "Most NBA players would prefer to play next to Dwight Howard rather than Derrick Rose"... "by a landslide". Yeah, ok, Thorpe. Ryen Russillo's set-up question is awesome tho: basically, Derrick Rose can close but Dwight can't. What are your thoughts, Thorpe? NBA Today, 4/29 show. Starts around 17:55.
Rondo No Longer Leads in Assists
As Marc Stein mentioned in his Power Rankings, "Nash has quietly wrested the assist lead away from Rondo".
I looked it up, and sure enough, the guy who values assists over scoring an uncontested breakaway layup with his own team trailing in a close game has indeed fallen behind Nash.
Pip and Crumbs Drunken '91 Celebration, at ~2:50 mark.
The rest of the video wasn't anything new. But I don't remember seeing footage of Pip and Crumbs dancing in celebration...
Chris Sheridan: Why Rose Better Than LeBron
The tweet links to an ESPN Radio program. Interesting that Rose (and whether / where he is in the MVP race, or in the league elite) has become such a topic of debate. Turns out he's talking only about this year's MVP race, so the tweet is a little misleading.
More MVP Talk for Rose - Greg Anthony and Marc Spears
With that said, he has four flaws right now: He doesn't have a low-post game; he hasn't learned to play consistently well when he isn't 100 percent (like, say, Kobe or Nash have); he settles for 20-footers and 3s when he's not playing well (instead of just getting to the rim); and the way he floats in and out of playoff series is positively T-Mac-ian. The first three are fixable. I'm worried about the fourth. The T-Mac gene scares me. I'm not gonna lie.
List of 10 Biggest Draft Busts Missing a Bunch of Bulls Players
by bullhockey on Aug 26, 2009 10:43 PM EDT
on Blog a Bull
How is it that Ball Don't Lie puts up a list of the 10 biggest draft busts of all time and only one Bull gets mentioned by name?
51 comments
Reinsdorf's Seven Categories of People
by bullhockey on May 13, 2009 1:22 PM EDT
on Blog a Bull
T-Boogie recently put up a post breaking down the current roster with various awards. This led me to ask, what awards matter the most? Then, moving beyond the concept of awards, I realized that really, the only thing that matters is what one person thinks--the Chairman. I've ranked pretty much every significant Bull according to the following categories of Chairman Reinsdorf's Opinion (feel free to add or edit):
Email Stu Jackson / NBA about Rondo here:
Here's mine:
Dear Stu Jackson and the NBA:
When players throughout the league start defending layups by taking a fist to the shooter's head, you will be to blame.
Your explanation regarding why the Rondo call stands as called is utterly dissatisfactory.
Your reasoning was that there was no windup and no follow-through. But the only reason there was no follow-through was that Brad Miller's face absorbed all of the impact of the strike.
And on the contrary, there was a windup--sufficient windup to make contact hard enough to draw blood and make Miller woozy.
Bottom line, it simply wasn't a play on the ball--it was vicious blow to the player's head.
Your erroneous ruling creates a horrible precedent, because it creates a bright-line rule as to how far players can go in terms of fouling a shooter, with no fear of punishment whatsoever, not even a flagrant 1.
Congratulations. You've given the green light to every defensive player to defend layups with closed-fist punches to the shooter's head, from behind the shooter.
Noc: 19 and 9 with 3 blocks, 7/11 in 32 min.
Just happy to see this.
Still a great trade for the Bulls, of course....
Bulls are in the Playoffs, Say Most Recent Hollinger's Playoff Odds
Today must be the day we thank our lucky stars that all of those problematic personalities from '07-'08 are gone--Wallace, Hughes, and Skiles. And that other guy, Skiles' assistant. I've already posted another fanshot about Wallace and mentioning Hughes. And now this.
Hollinger's odds have the Bulls making it and the Bucks not making it, and it doesn't seem close (67.6% to 46.9%). The thought of this team making the playoffs and Skiles and that one assistant guy missing out makes me happy.
Ben Wallace #1 on 'Most Overpaid' List
Yes, this was an easy one. But it still feels good to know he's not bogging down our salary cap or team... WOOHOOOO!!!
Still, the list is not complete--no Larry Hughes for example.
Did Obama Awe Lead to Loss at Washington?
Just thought I'd put that out there.
Rose said all of the right things about being in awe of Obama, but he may have still been in a daze at game time. That, plus Vinny only played him 30 minutes.
Hey, check out the picture with the Prez--did anyone notice that Obama's taller than Ben? What the...
Lack of Skilled Bigs Means No Phoenix-Like Results - Derrick Rose Eight Games In
by bullhockey on Nov 13, 2008 12:45 AM EST
on Blog a Bull
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-36-44/Derrick-Rose-Eight-Games-In.html
Chicago is struggling offensively under head coach Vinny Del Negro. The Bulls are 3-5 and they rank 17th in offensive efficiency. Del Negro is employing a D'Antoni-style offense in Chicago, albeit without the full range of personnel Phoenix had at its disposal during its salad days.
The recent Frontcourt Fiasco is the kind of game that puts an exclamation point on the thought that a lot of us are having, namely, that the lack of ability of Bulls' bigs has gone from the weakness we are hoping the Bulls will overcome together, to the insurmountable obstacle.
I believe that the writer of this article is being kind when he describes the Bulls as bing "without the full range of personnel Phoenix had". The elephant in the room just can't be ignored anymore--I'm now hearing guys on the radio talk about whether Pax gets fired.
One of the Chicago radio personalities was saying that if either Vinnie del Negro or Tyrus Thomas does not work out for the Bulls, Pax is gone. It was probably Buffone, which means I know the statement will be taken with a grain of salt, but still.
Now, with Rose injured that calls into question the fact that the Bulls seem to be burdening him with so much scoring instead of drawing and dishing. Because he has no faith in the bigs' ability to capitalize off of his penetration, he has to force the issue by actually finishing on those drives to the hoop that comparable PG's would have a big to finish the play--Chris Paul or a Deron Williams would drop a pass off to West or Boozer for a swish. And because of this lack of scoring, the Bulls are having him log some pretty heavy minutes, as well.
I wonder if the answer is employing Gooden and Deng in pick-and-pops, as both have a mid-range jumper. I just don't see the Bulls going to this that often, though. Other than that, it's a matter of waiting 'til the cows come home for Tyrus and Noah to learn basic pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop basketball.
Sometimes it takes an article like this to remind us what the Bulls' offense is supposed to look like. When you remember the D'Antoni-style offense of the last few years in Phoenix, you realize how far off we are.
Pax, are you watching this? Younger Gasol: 27 and 16
by bullhockey on Nov 4, 2008 2:43 PM EST
on Blog a Bull
I have no doubt that being an NBA general manager is a very tough job. Pax at least cleaned up the mess that Jerry Krause left behind, getting us into the playoffs and into the second round.
But one of the recurring criticisms is that he has never been able to secure a low post scorer. In 2006 he drafted Tyrus Thomas and in 2007 he drafted Joakim Noah. They've shown us glimpses, but seldom have they put together a number of impressive games as starters, and they have certainly never put up the kinds of big numbers that Marc Gasol put up yesterday.
27 points and 16 rebounds! He also tallied 1 assist, 1 steal and 3 blocks. Forget about the first couple of games in their rookie seasons--can you imagine Tyrus or Joakim ever doing this in the league??
In Paxson's defense, Marc was drafted well into the 2nd round of the draft, #48 in 2007 (the Bulls picked Aaron Gray with #49, and Gray is a horribly, horribly slow oaf of an NBA big man). So Pax certainly was not alone in thinking that Marc was not a top-shelf talent. But the reality of the situation is that Pax is being paid to spot talent where other GM's don't. Krause's big claim to fame was the swindling of Pippen from the Sonics, who failed to see what kind of special player he could be. RC Buford has time and time again selected future stars from the draft that other GM's passed on. Dumars has built a perennial contender by taking the castoffs of other teams.
So Pax shouldn't be judged according to what other GM's also failed to see. He should be judged on his ability to assemble a competitive team, which includes filling certain needs.
Pax has now had over 5 and a half years to find one decent low post presence. And it looks like the best he can do is Aaron Gray. Oh and by the way, your team is in disarray, your big stud small forward is playing like he's never been on a basketball court before, and if not for the sheer dumb luck of #1 overall, this team would still be looking for its first win.
Paxson: WTF?
Reader asks Sam Smith about Blogabull:
I really like your new gig and will be reading and interacting regularly. Anyway, my question has to do with, "Derrick Rose. Derrick Rose. Derrick Rose" at the start of your prediction for the Bulls season. Any chance that was a nod to blogabull.com? I'm asking because that's on their masthead and, if your new role plays out the way it's described in your press release, you will very much be in competition with that website. I think it will be very interesting to follow. Blogabull already has this type of interactive community/following going while you have the experience as well as access to the team and it's resources. I'm not a big fan of Blogabull so I'll clearly be focusing on Bulls.com now. I have long been hoping the Bulls would grant someone access to do this kind of work, much like the Portland Trail Blazers have.
Cameron Watkins
Sam: As my longtime readers know, I have been slow to adapt to the internet culture. But here I come. I always considered myself more a conversational writer, and it was one big philosophical sticking point I always had with the Tribune. I still see it today and fought with them the last few years about it. I've long felt the game story outdated and the need to have a more direct, conversational writing relationship with readers. But too many newspapers continue to play by the rules of 50 years ago. Having a college-aged son helped. He is well read and a sports fan, but never reads newspapers. He is a big baseball fan and said he'd get the game coverage after the game on MLB.com and then seek out information and discussion. So if your newspaper product the next day is a game recap, what are you doing? Clearly, I lost the argument. My pitch to the Bulls was given my experience and history with the league and the team, let's see if we can make the Bulls site the destination for readers. Given the flexibility of a web site, I can concentrate on columns, conversation, observations and opinion, which is more difficult with a newspaper with deadlines due to circulation, which I understand and sympathize with. Being on the web, that disappears. I love the newspaper product and will always read newspapers. I cannot go out to breakfast or lunch without a newspaper. Perhaps if I had some friends, but… I am apparently in the last generation of people who will read newspaper. The newspapers seem headed in the wrong direction because my era has 40 years left of reading. So newspapers aren't going anywhere. Why they are trying to gear the papers for people under 30 or 40 who are not going to read them doesn't make any sense. Again, I lost all the arguments, so I left. My expertise is knowledge, connections and relationships. There's no competition with other fan sites and other sites because there are a variety of opinions, and as it's said, everyone has one. I expect to be interactive in my "Ask Sam" and other devices like live chats. At least as soon as I learn to work a computer.
Bucks' Loss a Laugh-er--for Bulls Fans
It's not so much the score; check out the highlights.
There were multiple on-court embarrassments, such as blown 3-on-1 fast breaks, some sloppy ball handling and some in-your-face dunks by players such as Maxiell. And there were multiple shots of Skiles with steam coming out of his ears. Next to him? Boylan, acting sheepish and embarrassed: hand on forehead, looking down, doing big exhale, smoothing out his hairdo. Basically, doing all of the other things that we can enjoy, now that he's not coaching our guys. I laughed as I caught the highlights while grabbing coffee this morning!
Newsflash: Marbury Appears Not Crazy on Amateur Video; Knicks talk politics
In this video, some kid walks around and asks a bunch of Knicks about politics.
But that's not the real story to Bulls fans. Instead, there are a couple of notable points. First, the potential for unintentional comedy is off the scale when Stephon Marbury is being interviewed. Each pause seems pregnant with possibility of an on-camera meltdown. He ends up totally contradicting himself (saying he'll wait til November 4th to decide, but in the next sentence saying he'll vote for Obama), but it's not nearly the apesh*t crazy Marbury who routinely shows up on youtube videos.
But more importantly, the Knicks actually come across as likeable. Even Jerome James and Zach Randolph. With the departure of Isiah and the addition of D'Antoni, does this mean that the Knicks are cool again? This would have seemed inconceivable just 6 months ago.
Familiar Look to Bucks' New Uniforms
Do Bulls fans notice anything about the new Bucks uniforms? Here's how I imagine the scene:
Senator Kohl: Staff, Milwaukee is a world class city and we will not be overshadowed by Chicago!
Bucks office worker: Scott Skiles on line one. He says yes, he's interested.
Kohl: Go sign him! Now, as I was saying, we need to differentiate ourselves from Chicago in every way possible.
Bucks office worker: The design person is here for the new look uniforms.
Kohl: Let's go with a brand new color scheme... I'm thinking red with white trim.
Bucks office worker: Anything else, sir?
Kohl: Yeah, let's go with varsity style white letters and a clean, classic look...
Shutting Down the Engine That Could
by bullhockey on Sep 12, 2008 1:33 AM EDT
on Blog a Bull
I recently read somewhere (fanhouse.com?) that Bonzi Wells is an unrestricted free agent at the moment. Add to that the fact that there's an impasse with Ben Gordon, along with the fact that the Bulls have a bunch of intriguing parts with no real identity.
Well a bunch of intriguing parts with no real identity also described the Bulls of the Eddie Robinson era.
The Bulls need to make a decision and affimatively choose what their identity will be; not cobble together a bunch of parts that clearly didn't match well chemistry-wise last season, and hope that a rookie PG and a rookie coach can energize everyone. That's not fair to Rose (or VDN for that matter).
So how should the Bulls establish their new identity?
Well, the best teams in the league have proven that you can go deep into the playoffs with 3 stars. And it's not just the Celtics. The Spurs, the Suns (prior to this year), the emerging Magic, the Lakers, the Warriors two seasons ago, the Mavs.
Everywhere you look, it's the tripod approach. You could even argue that the Pistons, the supposed example of no-stars-all-teamwork, got by primarily on the talent of Rip, Rasheed and Billups.
So then the next questions are, who to get rid of and who to keep. I believe that the Bulls should start shedding payroll massively. This means getting rid of Hinrich, and Noc, two guys who most personify the Little Engine That Could team that made it so far two seasons ago. By shedding the salaries of Noc and Hinrich, even if they get pennies on the dollar in return, the Bulls would theoretically free up enough to sign Gordon. Then they can throw a little money at Bonzi Wells and save the rest for upcoming free agents/extensions. (Capologists, please jump in, as I admit that I'm not one.)
You need a tall SG? Start Bonzi. You need scoring punch or a closer? Bring in Ben Gordon, the world's highest paid 6th man. Justify it by emphasizing that he's a closer. And, heck, give him about 15+ starts each season to keep other teams honest. (Or more to feed his ego a little.)
But won't Bonzi have a bad attitude? I tend to think he'd be grateful to join a young team on the rise after the horrible few years he's been through.
And of course, take away Larry Hughes' entitlement minutes. You don't even have to trade the guy, just tell him his minutes are going to take a back seat to Wells'.
Thabo backs up primarily the 3, but can also back up the 1 or 2 as needed. Or you can trade him.
This team won't get us to the conference finals right away, but that is exactly the point. According to this approach, we declare that the three stars are Deng, Rose and Gordon. If they lose a little in the beginning, so what? Let them lose together before they figure it out and start dominating. And by the way, I do believe that when surrounded by jump-shooting weapons such as Deng and Gordon, Rose will find a way to dominate. And for the record, I don't feel Kirk and Noc fit well with Rose, Reinsdorf's favoritism be damned.
This will also give us a chance to see what Tyrus has. Noah has shown some consistency, but no one is exactly waiting for him to build the arsenal of offensive weapons, as his specialty is more along the lines of put-backs and being an energy player. But the real question concerns Tyrus, who has shown flashes of offensive potential. Is he Michael Turner or is he Cedric Benson? Give the man his minutes and let us find out! If the Bulls end up horrible at the 4 and 5 spots and they end up missing the playoffs, then fine. Draft yet another big, and in the meantime, look (again) at free agents.
We've got time; Rose is going to be, what, 20 years old to start the season? Meanwhile, Hinrich and Noc are starting to show some age. By trading them, the team gets younger, meaning more time to grow together while maintaining continuity.
The key here is letting Rose develop, and letting him develop the identity of the team. The Little Engine That Could had a great run, but it just ran out of steam.
Why Isn't There More "Ben Gordon to Cleveland" Talk?
The article makes a good point about the possibility of some expiring contracts coming back to the Bulls in Wally, Snow, Damon Jones and Joe Smith. But it may be that the Bulls genuinely are looking for a way to hold onto Ben Gordon. Or, at least, that they don't want Cleveland being that good. We'll give you our trash for your trash, but our deadly outside shooter to pair with LeBron for cap space? No way...
To Pargo: come off Bulls bench to hit some open 3's
Pargo is definitely no Ben Gordon. But if the Bulls want a 6th man to come off of their bench to hit some 3's, shouldn't it be someone in Pargo's price range, rather than someone in Ben Gordon's price range?
Basketball-reference.com says his salary over the past two seasons was $1 million and $1.8 million.
Luol Deng Negotiations Started 7/2--FAQ
This was an interesting read, particularly because of the little parentheticals and asides (though these guys have nothing on KC Johnson!). It's a nice little rundown, though not the intensive review of CBA/FA rules that some of you are more familiar with, I'm sure.
The Purity Test (for PGs): Cause for Concern?
by bullhockey on May 21, 2008 12:46 PM EDT
on Blog a Bull
So I was looking over the stats of Derrick Rose and the players he's most often compared to on this board and all over the net. And maybe it's the perpetual post-Jordan pessimism, but I'm wondering if he can be the "classic setup man" that every good conman NBA team needs.
Rose averaged about 14.9 PPG and 4.7 APG .
In their final years of college, the most-often-compared list averaged the following:
Chris Paul : 15.3 PPG and 6.6 APG
Deron Williams : 12.5 PPG and 6.8 APG
Jason Kidd : 15 PPG and 8.4 APG
Just by contrast, here are some other familiar backcourt names, and what they averaged in the final year of college:
Kirk Hinrich : 17.3 and 3.5
Devin Harris : 19.5 and 4.4
Ben Gordon : 18.5 and 4.5
Eric Gordon : 20.9 and 2.4
Gary Payton : 25.7 and 8.1
Steve Nash : 17 and 6
Not to be too negative; as I've said in my multiple posts yesterday, I'm as excited as anyone about the prospect of Rose joining our team. But to be honest, when I see how close his numbers are to Ben Gordon's, I feel a twinge of uncertainty.
Here's the upshot: Ben Gordon's dominance in collegiate ball further demonstrates how you just can't hide your weaknesses at the elite level of the NBA, and Gordon has been somewhat exposed as a short and one-dimensional player in the league. Obviously, Rose is a world away from Ben Gordon, since Rose dominated in only one year of college ball, and may (we hope) turn out to be a legit 6'4 rather than the doubted 6'3 that Ben Gordon is listed at. So before I get dozen responses saying Rose is not Gordon, let me just clarify: I agree. I just think the comparison is instructive.
My fear is that we're actually getting a combo guard, albeit one that is a world class talent rather than, say, the loveable midwestern prototype , he of mid-level NBA talent. He still may be the best pick for this Bulls team, even if not quite the "pure" point that people are predicting, a la Chris Paul.
UPDATE: I finally got to watch some of the draft coverage on my DVR from last night, and it looks like Jay Bilas, John Calipari and Greg Anthony all described Rose as a pass-first PG. That's interesting given his numbers. (All 3 said they'd take him over Michael "Beastly", too.)
Attn Boylan: It's Called a "Set Play"
by bullhockey on Apr 3, 2008 12:50 PM EDT
on Blog a Bull
Two games ended with pretty spectacular plays last night. And Jim Boylan, aspiring head coach and presumed student of the game, could have learned something. Like what a set play is, for one, and why it's better than the "Gordon dribbles out the clock, then does something, anything" to end games.
About that Bulls-Blogabull Dialogue Idea...
by bullhockey on Jan 15, 2008 4:21 PM EST
on Blog a Bull
Quoting from Truehoop:
"Sixer devotee starts a blog called Depressed Fan. And what do you know? New Philadelphia GM Ed Stefanski calls him up, explains the team's strategy, and tries to make the guy a little less depressed."
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-29-52/Tuesday-Bullets.html
http://www.depressedfan.com/basketball/sixers/exclusive-interview-with-ed-st.php
The Pantheon
by bullhockey on Jan 12, 2008 2:29 AM EST
on Blog a Bull
Does Thabo Sefolosha belong in the Bulls' Pantheon of dud foreign players, which currently consists of Dalibor Bagaric, Dragan Tarlac, Chris Anstey and Kornel David?
'Culture' Clash - In Memoriam
by bullhockey on Dec 24, 2007 4:30 PM EST
on Blog a Bull
Over the last 5 seasons or so, we've been told of all the similarities between Paxson, Skiles and Hinrich as some sort of band of brothers, but as the firing of Skiles confirms, perhaps losing exposed the various rifts between the Bulls three leading men. However, Skiles was fired not because he was the one of the three who performed poorly, but rather because his position as coach rendered him more dispensible than base-year-compensation point guard or general manager.
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