** Sid's Bulls Dynasty ** Draft lottery coming up **

[Sid]

Nice pics and game recaps, good win against the Bucks but a little bit low-scoring

Well it's six-minute quarters, so I've actually been adjusting the sliders, trying to get the scoring down a little, to around 50 points each. Right now, anything under 70 is progress.

Why are you trying to get the scores even lower?

Think about it. Games with six-minute quarters are half the length of the regular NBA games...so if teams are scoring 70 ppg in these games, that's equivalent to 140 ppg in real games. Quite a lot, don't you think?

[Sid]

Dallas (12-8) at Chicago (6-13)

March 14th, 2006

C: Chandler
PF: Sweetney
SF: Deng
SG: Gordon
PG: Hinrich

C: Dampier
PF: Nowitzki
SF: Howard
SG: Daniels
PG: Terry

Upside-down and back to front

At times, it seemed like nothing in this game made sense.

Luol Deng and Andres Nocioni leading the Bulls' charge? Dirk Nowitzki taking only a couple of shots in the second half? Tim Thomas being used for defensive purposes? Thomas actually getting minutes at all?

Things started off normally enough. Chicago had trouble containing Nowitzki with either Tyson Chandler or Thomas, whose unusual combination of size and athleticism would, it was hoped, have some positive effect. But Thomas limped off early in the second quarter, and Dallas led by eight at half-time.

It was a night full of injury troubles for the Bulls. Ben Gordon's knee was clearly bothering him as he went 1/8 from the field, and Kirk Hinrich limped off in the third and did not return, exposing the Bulls' lack of depth in the backcourt.

With their backs to the wall, Scott Skiles tried to use Dallas' unusual matchups against them by starting both Deng and Nocioni after half-time, with Deng guarding Nowitzki. It provided a much-needed spark, but in the end it was Jason Terry, not Nowitzki, who proved to be the Bulls' undoing as he scored 21 points. Chicago kept it competitive right until the end, but Terry's offense proved to be the missing piece the Bulls lacked.

Final score: Dallas 63 Chicago 50

NOTES: Chandler and Nocioni led the Bulls with twelve points apiece...Hinrich did not register an assist for the first time this season...This was the Bulls' lowest point total since their opening-day loss to San Antonio...

[Donatello]

Think about it. Games with six-minute quarters are half the length of the regular NBA games...so if teams are scoring 70 ppg in these games, that's equivalent to 140 ppg in real games. Quite a lot, don't you think?

Odd way to look at it. Most of us who play shorter quarters adjust the sliders to get realistic stats as if we -were- playing 12 minutes. Good dynasty, anyway.

[Sid]

Think about it. Games with six-minute quarters are half the length of the regular NBA games...so if teams are scoring 70 ppg in these games, that's equivalent to 140 ppg in real games. Quite a lot, don't you think?

Odd way to look at it. Most of us who play shorter quarters adjust the sliders to get realistic stats as if we -were- playing 12 minutes. Good dynasty, anyway.

Hmm...interesting strategy. I think it might work better if my quarters were 8 minutes long. Otherwise I'm thinking you'll get high FG% and a super-fast offensive game...maybe I'll try it next season, though.

[HonorGlow]

Noticed the Seattle Band, Sunny Day Real Estate avatar Sid...I take it you're a fan of the band

[blackcat]

hehe. good luck with this.

[Sid]

Noticed the Seattle Band, Sunny Day Real Estate avatar Sid...I take it you're a fan of the band

I am indeed! Kudos for picking up on that.

[Sid]

Recent results:

March 25 – Sacramento, 65-58 (W)
March 30 – New Jersey, 66-59 (L)

[gobulls]

wow, i like this dynasty gl

[Sid]

Chicago (7-15) at New Orleans/Oklahoma City (7-17)

March 31st, 2006

C: Chandler
PF: Nocioni
SF: Deng
SG: Gordon
PG: Hinrich

C: Brown
PF: West
SF: Mason
SG: Smith
PG: Paul

Bulls lose hard-fought contest

Chicago’s playoff hopes grew even more faint last night following their defeat at the hands of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets.

Centers Tyson Chandler and PJ Brown, both known primarily as defensive players, led their teams in scoring with 12 and 13 points respectively. The Hornets had three other players in double figures.

With New Jersey’s Jason Kidd having dropped 24 points on them the night before, the Bulls coaching staff were understandably worried about the threat of Chris Paul, one of the leading candidates for Rookie of the Year. However, they also ought to have paid more attention to Speedy Claxton, who scored 10 points in eight minutes off the bench in addition to Paul’s own 10 points and three assists. Claxton frequently used his superior quickness to get to the basket, and exposed the Bulls’ poor interior defense in the process. Unheralded backup center Marc Jackson exposed it further by scoring eight points in nine minutes, and Chicago must be worried that Chandler’s improved offensive game may be coming at the expense of his defense.

Whenever it looked like Bulls were about to make a run, a turnover would give the Hornets an easy basket. Chicago had 11 to New Orleans’ four, and that was the difference-maker in what was a very tight game from beginning to end.

Final score: New Orleans 64 Chicago 59

NOTES: Michael Sweetney, placed on the inactive list after suffering an injury against New Jersey, is likely to return to the starting lineup for Chicago’s next game against the Boston Celtics...Both Luol Deng and Andres Nocioni picked up injuries, but there will be no small-forward crisis as they are expected to be back to full training in a week, in time for the Celtics game on April 10th.

[Sid]

Chandler named East player of the month

April 2nd, 2006



Chicago Bulls’ center Tyson Chandler was today named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for March.

Chandler, who is in his fifth year in the NBA, led the Bulls in scoring (15.2 ppg), rebounding (9.3 rpg) and blocked shots (1 bpg) for the month. His scoring and rebounding numbers for March are over three points higher than his season averages.

Chandler has surprised everyone this year with his tenacity and hard work, flourishing in the absence of Eddy Curry.

Coach Scott Skiles recognised the big jump in Chandler’s game. “Tyson has really stepped it up this year and has become one of the most important players on the team. He’s gotten us big buckets when we’ve needed them, made some key defensive plays and has done the dirty work on the glass. He still has a lot of room for improvement, but we believe he can take the next step and eventually become one of the top big men in the league for many years to come.”

Bulls GM John Paxson said: “We really think this vindicates our decision to re-sign Tyson over the summer. He has improved massively over the course of this season, and we’re glad that he’ll be a Chicago Bulls player for many years to come.”

Other player of the month recipients were Baron Davis (Western Conference) and Ike Diogu (Western Conference Rookie) of the Golden State Warriors, and Joey Graham of the Toronto Raptors (Eastern Conference Rookie).

[Sid]

Chicago (7-16) at Boston (12-14)

April 10th, 2006

C: Chandler
PF: Sweetney
SF: Deng
SG: Gordon
PG: Hinrich

C: Olowakandi
PF: LaFrentz
SF: Szczerbiak
SG: Pierce
PG: Dickau

Same old story for the Bulls

Defensive troubles plagued the Chicago Bulls once again, and once again it was the opposing center and point guard who did the damage. This time, though, things were particularly embarrassing, given how poorly Michael Olowakandi and Dan Dickau are regarded in the NBA.

Both players would be leading candidates for the worst players in the league at their positions, and yet they were able to come up with lines of 11 points/10 rebounds, and 12 points/three assists/three steals, respectively.

Some credit must go to Paul Pierce, however. The All-Star swingman razed Ben Gordon for eight early points before Scott Skiles switched Luol Deng to shooting guard to try and halt Pierce’s dominance. It worked, to a degree, but only because Pierce decided to channel his energy into helping his teammates instead (and yet he still led all scorers with 15 points).

Chicago never really recovered after Pierce’s early assault, and Olowakandi and Dickau were able to maintain the lead until the end, despite some stellar offensive play from Kirk Hinrich (14 points), Tyson Chandler (14 points, 10 rebounds), and Tim Thomas (seven points, three rebounds and five assists).

Final score: Boston 68 Chicago 63

NOTES: This defeat ended Chicago's faint hopes of making the playoffs.

[Sid]

Thomas finally making an impression as a Bull

April 11th, 2006

A couple of months ago, Tim Thomas was in no-man’s land.

After coming to Chicago in the Eddy Curry trade, Thomas – who has been notorious throughout his NBA career for his poor work ethic – quickly found himself at odds with Coach Scott Skiles’ no-nonsense style. As a result, he appeared in just one of the Bulls’ first 14 games.

But injuries to Darius Songaila and Michael Sweetney during the month of March gave Thomas a chance to prove himself, and he grabbed it with both hands. He has provided an injection of size and athleticism into a Bulls outfit lacking in both, grabbing rebounds, running the break, and scoring when required.

“Spending so much time on the bench gave Tim a chip on his shoulder, I think,” said Skiles. “Now, he’s been given the minutes and he wants to hold onto them, so he’s been working a lot harder in practice and, obviously, playing very well in games.”

Cynics may suggest that Thomas’ upswing in form has more to do with the fact that his contract, which pays him almost $14m this season, will expire at the end of the campaign. However well he plays now, though, he will not make that kind of money next year.

While the Bulls have clearly had no intention of retaining Thomas since acquiring him, might they be having second thoughts?

“We will have a lot of contracts up at the end of the season, and we will need to sit down with the players and their agents and review each individual case,” says GM John Paxson. “Certainly, I am not about to rule out the possibility of re-signing Tim Thomas, or any other player for that matter. He has been a valuable member of the team, particularly in the last few games.”

[Sid]

Miami (15-11) at Chicago (7-17)

April 12th, 2006

C: Chandler
PF: Sweetney
SF: Deng
SG: Gordon
PG: Hinrich

C: O’Neal
PF: Haslem
SF: Walker
SG: Wade
PG: Williams

Shaq crushes young Bulls

Does Shaquille O’Neal still have it?

Amazingly, that’s the question some are still asking, even after a season in which the big fella has put up MVP numbers and, as will likely happen, led his team to a Southeast Division crown. Of course, it isn’t exactly “his team” anymore, thanks to the emergence of Dwyane Wade as one of the league’s top players, but Shaq can certainly still take control of a game, as he demonstrated last night.

It was Wade who did the damage early, however. Scott Skiles had considered starting Chris Duhon in place of Ben Gordon, in order to shore up the team’s perimeter defense, but Skiles eventually decided to trust Gordon. That quickly proved an unwise decision, although it’s doubtful Duhon or anyone else could have stopped the red-hot Wade, who scored 10 points in the opening quarter.

Fortunately for the Bulls, Wade subsequently picked up an injury and did not return until after half-time. Also plagued by foul trouble, he played just 11 minutes but still managed to score a spectacular 20 points on 8-11 shooting.

O’Neal was equally dominant, especially with Wade sat down. He steamrolled over Chandler for 12 points, shut down the Eastern Conference player of the month (most of Chandler’s 14 points came in the fourth quarter with the game well over), halted the Bulls’ penetration with a couple of blocks, and pulled down 12 rebounds. Truly, this was the Shaq of old, doing it all at both ends of the floor.

The final scoreline flattered the Bulls, who were down by as many as 27 at one point in the third quarter. Miami understandably took their foot off the gas in the fourth, but the final result was still anything but respectable for Chicago.

Final score: Miami 73 Chicago 54

NOTES: This win extended Miami’s streak to four, putting them in prime position to take the Southeast Division title.

[Sid]

Chicago (7-18) at Utah (7-20)

Month Day, Year

C: Chandler
PF: Sweetney
SF: Deng
SG: Gordon
PG: Hinrich

C: Okur
PF: Boozer
SF: Kirilenko
SG: Giricek
PG: Williams

Bulls triumph in basement battle

The Chicago Bulls scored a none-too-comfortable victory over the league’s worst team, the Utah Jazz, last night. Despite leading for almost the entire game, the Bulls could not shake off the pesky Jazz and had to keep their cool in the final minutes, making their free throws down the stretch for a 58-55 win.

Tyson Chandler and Ben Gordon led the Bulls with 12 points apiece, and Michael Sweetney continued a recent run of good form with eight points and seven rebounds.

Most worrying was the continuation of the recent trend of getting burned by opposing point guards, as rookie Deron Williams scored 20 points, missing just one of his 10 shots.

Final score: Chicago 58 Utah 55

NOTES: Only four offensive rebounds were made in the whole game (one by Chicago and three by Utah)…Andrei Kirilenko scored just one point, his lowest total of the season…

[Sid]

Chicago (8-18) at Toronto (14-14)

Month Day, Year

C: Chandler
PF: Sweetney
SF: Deng
SG: Gordon
PG: Hinrich

C: Bosh
PF: Villenueva
SF: Peterson
SG: Graham
PG: James

Simply incredible

On paper? Nothing to shout about. The Toronto Raptors, the surprise team in the East this year, had booked their spot in the postseason. The Chicago Bulls’ chances of making the playoffs had ended almost two weeks ago, at the hands of the Boston Celtics. So why, then, did two teams with nothing to play for produce the most astonishing game of the NBA season so far?

It started with a Ben Gordon scoring spurt in the first quarter. No. 7 scored 12 of the Bulls’ 18 points in the period – more than his season average for an entire game. But Gordon wasn’t about to stop there. Holding an advantage in quickness and skills over whoever was guarding him – Joey Graham, Mike James, Jose Calderon – he was scoring at will, in a fashion reminiscent of a certain famous Bulls guard.

Nevertheless, the Raptors were refusing to die. Not wanting to roll over in their final home game of the season, the deficit was just four points entering the fourth quarter. Still, it was not until there was less than a minute remaining that the home side managed to eventually take the lead. It looked like the Bulls were about to throw it away, but they stayed cool under pressure. Needing a basket with the shot clock winding down, Chicago went inside to Tyson Chandler, but his close-range shot rimmed out, only to be picked up by Tim Thomas, who slammed it home emphatically. Chandler fouled out on the next possession, putting Chris Bosh on the line with 35 seconds to go and the score at 68-67. Bosh made only one free throw, and Chicago got a quick score for a two-point lead and enough time to get the ball back. Mike James answered, and the Bulls were left with a five-second chance to win it. On an attempted pass to Gordon, the ball was knocked out of bounds with 1.5 seconds remaining. The inbound pass went to BG, who released a baseline 20-footer for the win. He nailed it, but it was correctly ruled to be just after the final buzzer. Even so, Gordon was sitting on 27 points as we went into overtime.

He continued his dominance, but Chris Bosh also began to assert his. Bosh and the Raptors frontline had been keeping their hopes alive with second-chance points, but with Chandler now out of the game, they began to run rampant. Almost every possession was a missed outside shot followed by an offensive rebound followed by a dunk. The Bulls kept up the incredible pace with terrific shooting, though, and managed to push the game into a second overtime period.

Quickly though, Chicago was faced with a point-guard problem. Chris Duhon had already limped off in the first quarter, and early in the second OT, Kirk Hinrich followed with a back injury. Scott Skiles had little choice but to put the offense in the decidedly shaky hands of Jannero Pargo. Pargo played solidly, however, apart from a turnover which resulted in a three-point play. That was soon cancelled out with a three from Andres Nocioni, who was on fire in this period. The Bulls managed to hang on again, and we were going to a third overtime.

This period quickly developed into a war between the two stars, Gordon and Bosh, both dominating completely. The teams had been trading baskets almost constantly over the 15 extra minutes, neither gaining the upper hand, until Mike James missed a crucial free throw with 15 seconds left, making it 112-111 to the Raptors. With Gordon now playing the point, he sped down the court ahead of the tired Raptors team, played a give-and-go with Nocioni and hit an open jumper from 18 feet. As an animated Steve Kerr said, “Everyone in the building knew he was going to have the ball in his hands, and he still made that shot.” It gave Gordon a grand total of 43 points, as a contested last-gasp three by Matt Bonner clanged off the rim.

Neither team deserved to lose this incredibly hard-fought contest, least of all Chris Bosh. His truly spectacular line read: 26 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and six blocks. On any other night, Bosh’s play would have been the story and would’ve brought Toronto a victory, but Ben Gordon had made sure that tonight was not just “any other night.”

Final score: Chicago 113 Toronto 112

NOTES: The injuries to Hinrich and Duhon will put them out for the remaining two games of the season. Ben Gordon is expected to start at the point in their place…The entire Raptors starting five scored in double figures…Gordon shot 19-26 from the field…Other noteworthy performances included 21 points and four assists from Mike James, and 17 points and eight rebounds from Andres Nocioni, who is making it increasingly impossible for Skiles to leave him out of the starting lineup. He played 29 of 39 minutes off the bench at the Air Canada Center.

[Sid]

Recent results:

(Games were simulated)

Minnesota, W, 60-55
@ Portland, L, 71-51

[Its_asdf]

Aww you beat the Raptors...

I'm liking your style when you write. You've got some pretty good writing skills and I like the more text-based format, since I was more of a text guy myself back in the day. Keep up the good work.

[Sid]

Thanks for the kind words. The text-based format is due mainly to my laziness. Getting good screenshots, ones that are just right, takes way too much effort Although, having said that, you can expect a flood of screens in the next few days, to show the progress of the offseason and such.

[Sid]

Final standings

[Sid]

Playoffs

[Sid]

League leaders

[Sid]

Award winners

[Sid]

All-NBA selections

[Sid]

End of Season Report Card

A disastrous 1-10 start to the Chicago Bulls' season put paid to any hopes of them making the playoffs for a second straight year, but they did recover to go 9-9 over the rest of the season. The further development of the Bulls' young players also provides plenty of optimism for next year. But first, let's look at how each Bull fared over the course of the campaign.

Malik Allen
8 GP, 0 GS, 1.5ppg, 0.5rpg, 3.1mpg, .375 FGP
Allen was mostly ineffectual for the Bulls this year. He worked hard in limited minutes, functioning mostly as a third-string center, but showed nothing to suggest he might warrant a bigger role on the team.

Eddie Basden
5 GP, 1 GS, 0.4 ppg, 0.4rpg, 0.2apg, 0.2 spg, 5.2mpg
Basden spent most of the season in the developmental league. He was given his sole start, and most of his season's minutes, in Chicago's final home game against Minnesota. Shows potential as a defensive player, but will need to work hard over the summer to retain his spot on the team.

Tyson Chandler
29 GP, 29 GS, 11.4ppg, 6.3rpg, 1.1apg, 1.59bpg, 18.4mpg, .638 FGP, .646 FTP
Chandler's play was maybe the biggest factor in the Bulls' improvement over the second half of the season. He still lacks a jumpshot, but has improved his strength, conditioning and ballhandling, which have contributed to an increased ability to score around the basket. Chandler led the league in blocks, was second in field-goal percentage, eighth in field-goals made, sixth in rebounds per game and third in offensive rebounds per game. These numbers earned him the Eastern Conference player of the month award for March, and, surprisingly, a spot on the All-NBA Second Team. He was also the only Bull to start every game this year. That $60m contract the team handed him last year is starting to look like a bargain.

Luol Deng
29 GP, 27 GS, 6.7ppg, 1.8rpg, 1.7apg, 0.41spg, 18.3mpg, .494 FGP, .182 3PT, .711 FTP
Deng had a solid but unspectacular year at small forward. It seems we will have to wait until next season at least before his potential can become more fully realised. Deng improved in the latter part of the season, stepping up his defense and doing a better job of taking advantage of mismatches. He will be challenged strongly by Nocioni for the starting spot once again, but Deng has the talent to hold off that challenge. He just needs to put it all together.

Chris Duhon
27 GP, 7 GS, 4.4ppg, 0.7rpg, 2.9apg, 0.3spg, 12.1mpg, .398 FGP, .297 3PT, .710 FTP
Duhon's offensive numbers dipped over the second half of the season, and so did his minutes. Injuries and Ben Gordon's improvement also held him back a little. No complaints can be made about Duhon's play, though, and his assist numbers were very impressive. He remains one of the better backup point guards in the league.

Ben Gordon
29 GP, 23 GS, 11.2ppg, 0.9rpg, 1.4apg, 0.38spg, 18mpg, .456 FGP, .192 3PT, .846 FTP
After winning the Sixth Man award last year, Gordon showed he can be just as effective as a starter. Often, whether he was "on" or not proved to be the difference between the Bulls winning and losing. He turned in some phenomenal performances, particularly the 43 point, triple-OT game against Toronto in which he hit the game winner. Most encouraging was his ability to get to the free-throw line. He finished sixth in the league in free throw attempts and fifth in free throws made, shooting a very healthy percentage. Continuing to get to the line frequently should ensure Gordon takes good shots. He is still a defensive liability at times, though.

Othella Harrington
29 GP, 0 GS, 3.5ppg, 2.2rpg, 0.6apg, 7.3mpg, .627 FGP, .621 FTP
Harrington has remained solid and consistent over the course of the season, doing exactly what his role as backup centre requires. Harrington also, importantly, provides a steady veteran influence on this young team.

Kirk Hinrich
26 GP, 25 GS, 10ppg, 1.1rpg, 3.7apg, 0.31spg, 18mpg, .487 FGP, .500 3PT, .830 FTP
Hinrich struggled at times with his shot in the latter part of the season, although he was money from behind the arc. Hinrich's position as a starter should be unassailable at this point, and Scott Skiles will no doubt be very pleased with his 3.7 assists per game (sixth in the NBA).

Andres Nocioni
29 GP, 7 GS, 5ppg, 2.2rpg, 1apg, 0.24spg, 11.6mpg, .538 FGP, .333 3PT, .593 FTP
Shrugged off a slow start to the season to show signs that he may have serious potential. 17 points in the final game of the season against Portland was one such sign, but there were several others. "Chapu" provides Chicago with valuable flexibility in the frontcourt, and look for Nocioni's minutes to increase next season as a result.

Jannero Pargo
17 GP, 0 GS, 2.4ppg, 0.2rpg, 0.5apg, 4.2mpg, .536 FGP, .444 3PT, .500 FTP
His point guard skills are questionable, but Pargo can score in bunches when required. He brings something a little different from Duhon and Hinrich in that respect, and has generally performed well when called upon.

Eric Piatkowski
12 GP, 0 GS, 0.5ppg, 0.2rpg, 0.1apg, 2.3mpg, .286 FGP, .333 3PT
The treys were just not going in for Piatkowski in the latter part of the season, and seeing as he brings nothing else to the table, he is unlikely to be retained by Paxson.

Darius Songaila
28 GP, 3 GS, 3.6ppg, 2.3rpg, 0.3apg, 7.9mpg, .482 FGP, .769 FTP
Songaila became more of a peripheral figure as the season went on, thanks in no small part to the re-emergence of Tim Thomas. He is still a valuable weapon to have when running the pick-and-pop, though.

Michael Sweetney
26 GP, 23 GS, 6.5ppg, 3.8rpg, 1.3apg, 14.9mpg, .416 FGP, .686 FTP
Sweetney should be the Bulls player most worried come this offseason. It is known that Chicago will be looking to upgrade their frontcourt, be it via draft, free agency, or trade, and Sweetney will likely be relegated to the bench. It is probably for the best. His low-post scoring is a useful offensive weapon, but he struggles defensively against bigger and more athletic players - i.e. most NBA starting power forwards.

Tim Thomas
13 GP, 0 GS, 2.4ppg, 2.1rpg, 0.5apg, 6.8mpg, .545 FGP, .600 FTP
There was no bigger surprise in the Chicago Bulls' season than the re-emergence of Tim Thomas, particularly after he barely played in the first part of the season. Acting as an energy guy off the bench, he has provided rebounding, occasional scoring, and some much-needed size. The improvement in Thomas' work ethic has even been enough to earn praise from Skiles and Paxson. The question is whether this hard work is permanent or not. Whatever the answer, Thomas has done enough to earn himself a nice contract, either here or elsewhere.