Chicago Bulls Thread

[Andrew]

i don't want to turn this into a rip Wallace tangent. i'll just say if you get paid $15 million a year, you better be giving effort and producing nite in, nite out.

That just about sums it up. Still, that "experiment" is over now so it remains to be seen whether the people left in Chicago can get the job done or the right changes are made moving forward.

[Ashman23]

http://www.blogabull.com/ fantastic blog here if anyone is interested. The guy doesn't seem to be a Boylan fan, but then again, who is?

Thomas and Noah need more minutes if we are to improve, jmtcw

[Andrew]

They took care of business against the Grizzlies yesterday, though it looked like they might blow that 30 point lead in the third quarter. Gordon really struggled through the first three quarters and had an odd moment with Noce in the first half when he refused to shoot after Noce made a bad decision to pass him the ball with a second left on the shot clock. I guess it's something that can be read into too much, but I hope it's not a sign of Gordon developing an undesirable attitude. Perhaps it was just a moment of frustration given the situation and his struggle to find his shot.

Anyway, nice to see them win, the game against the Cavs tomorrow might not be as enjoyable to watch though naturally I'm hoping for the best.

[shadowgrin]

odd moment with Noce in the first half when he refused to shoot after Noce made a bad decision to pass him the ball with a second left on the shot clock

That says it all. Gordon is no longer clutch. Time to let him go.

[Ashman23]

The team is falling apart with Tyrus being suspended for 2 games. About time to chase the lottery pick imho, I know they can still chase a playoff spot but by the time they meet Philly it'll probably be all over for them. Start the tank, get a good pick and turn it into a franchise player via draft or trade.

[Andrew]

That says it all. Gordon is no longer clutch. Time to let him go.

In all seriousness, it's probably nothing but given the benching, his impending (restricted) free agency and the team trading for Larry Hughes, I wonder if the team has begun to alienate Gordon or the situation at least has him frustrated.

The team is falling apart with Tyrus being suspended for 2 games. About time to chase the lottery pick imho, I know they can still chase a playoff spot but by the time they meet Philly it'll probably be all over for them. Start the tank, get a good pick and turn it into a franchise player via draft or trade.

The team is falling apart because Thomas was suspened? That's a bit melodramatic isn't it? He didn't follow protocol and he's being punished accordingly. That's not the team falling apart, that's a young player making a mistake and paying the price. As far as tanking goes, I couldn't disagree more. That's not the mentality you want going forward. I'd rather they compete to the end, at this point they're not going to have the best odds in the lottery anyway.

Tanking didn't exactly help the Celtics or Grizzlies last year. True, the Celtics made it work eventually but I don't think the Bulls will be in a position to work the same kind of magic with a top five pick (if indeed they could tank enough to get that high in the first place). If they miss the Playoffs, they're in the lottery anyway and with their current record wouldn't be picking lower than ninth. If they miss the Playoffs and the ping pong balls bounce their way, so much the better going forward. But in the meantime, I'd rather see them playing with pride and competitive fire.

[Andrew]

Pretty good game against the Cavaliers today though there was the usual ugliness when they started settling for jumpshots and LeBron was just hitting ridiculous shot after ridiculous shot in the first half, it looked like he was headed for back-to-back 50 point games up until he went a bit cold in the third. They got the job done though when Deng and Gordon started knocking down some shots in the second half and a couple of others chipped in here and there, like Larry Hughes who had a couple of timely baskets during the third quarter run and Noah was great on the boards as well. Games like this may be too little too late but I like to see it all the same.

[Patr1ck]

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=2PE9gQwlQ0E[/youtube]

[Andrew]

Girlfriend cheating with someone who has an inflatable head. It could almost pass for a regular episode of Springer.

Meanwhile, the Bulls got clobbered by the Celtics today.

[Andrew]

The Hawks and Nets are currently doing their best to leave the door open for the Bulls to sneak into the Playoffs. I'd still like to see them get there and salvage some respectability but short of a string of highly unlikely upsets once they get there (which I'm not holding my breath on), it will still have been a very disappointing year.

[shadowgrin]

Those Bulls mascots are cooler than that giant mouse they have in Houston.

[Andrew]

They blew an opportunity to move into the eighth spot today, giving up 40 points in the fourth quarter and squandering a sixteen point lead along the way. Nothing new there, sadly.

[Ashman23]

The team is falling apart because Thomas was suspened? That's a bit melodramatic isn't it?

Sorry to not respond earlier, sorry to infer that because Tyrus was suspended the result is the team is falling apart. What I was attempting to say is Tryus' suspension happening is seemingly par for the course at the moment. Boylan not giving the younger guys a go, large leads reeled in etc. point towards something rotting away with the team at the moment.
I don't want them to tank either, but if it's the ONLY way foward, then so be it, what's the point of being eighth when you can chance a lottery pick is what I'm saying.

[---]

Yep, nothing new, Andrew. That loss was the most painful one of the season for me. Once again, Jimbo the clown fucks up - why the hell, when we are UP by a slim 5-7 pt margin and are trying to close the game out (while Philly goes on a run), does he keep Drew Gooden in over Tyrus? We need guys who will defend the basket - Tyrus and Joakim would have been a huge boost in that Cleveland game where they came back after LeBron fired them up with the huge dunk (Gooden does not defend the basket, at least Tyrus would of went up there and met LeBron which would probably result in a foul or block, stopping the momentum swing and run from ever happening). If we are up by a decent margin and have a little room to breath, bring in guys like Tyrus and Joakim. They will not only protect us from giving up easy points, but also give us second chance oppurtunities on the offensive boards which keeps the ball out of Philly's hands. It's really not that complicated.

In other news, Thabo was fantastic.

[Andrew]

I don't want them to tank either, but if it's the ONLY way foward, then so be it, what's the point of being eighth when you can chance a lottery pick is what I'm saying.

The thing is, I don't believe it's the only way forward with the way things have gone elsewhere in the league this season. With the strength of the West, even if the Bulls finish ninth or tenth in the East having just missed out on the Playoffs they stand a good chance of being in the top ten anyway. And since the team with the best odds doesn't always win the lottery, they're in with a chance of getting a top three pick anyway.

[Andrew]

Another disappointing loss. Granted, it came at the hands of the Hornets but once again it came down to them being blown out in the fourth quarter and giving up a lead.

[Andrew]

Almost another case of a squandered lead, but they managed to hold on to beat the Nets in a game that would have meant a lot more had they not dropped the previous two.

[shadowgrin]

This thread really gets sad huh Andrew when air gordon is not around.

[Andrew]

It does get a bit one-sided.

[shadowgrin]

Don't worry, I'll be here when the Sixers finally boot the Bulls out of playoff contention.

[Andrew]

It only seems appropriate, since the Bulls did that to the Sixers in 2006. You wouldn't be a true fan if you didn't.

[shadowgrin]

You reminded me, now I remember.
I think it's also in this same thread that I bragged then got a beatdown from you when the Sixers were gone.

[Andrew]

It was, so frankly I'd be disappointed if you don't return the favour.

[Andrew]

Another embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Spurs, I imagine it would have been as painful to watch as the first game back in December that was shown on ESPN Australia. Seems like another step closer to your celebrations, shadowgrin.

[shadowgrin]

I'm busy for the preparations as we speak.