2013-2014 Chicago Bulls Thread

[Soul]

Man this game went from hopeful to hopeless incredibly fast

 

Looking at all the positive posts above this reminds me of the Bears/Vikings this year when people were discussing our path to the NFC title game during the 3rd quarter and bottoming out for a high draft pick at the end.

 

Yeah it's been a roller coaster around here for a little while with bulls & bears, that's for sure.

[UMFan83]

Man this game went from hopeful to hopeless incredibly fast

 

Looking at all the positive posts above this reminds me of the Bears/Vikings this year when people were discussing our path to the NFC title game during the 3rd quarter and bottoming out for a high draft pick at the end.

 

Yeah it's been a roller coaster around here for a little while with bulls & bears, that's for sure.

 

Hawks too. The only team that causes little to no emotional pull is the reason we're all here chatting.

[gscool89]

The Bulls still need a scorer, this shouldn't come to a shock to anyone. The Bulls are 16-19 in the playoffs under Thibodeau. Playing hard like they do in the regular season doesn't translate to playoff wins. Now this is on Paxson and Forman more than anyone. Go out and bring in a scorer and combine that with defense and playing hard.

 

How has Thibs underperformed in the playoffs? Seriously? His first year they went to the ECF. You can argue that the Bulls should have expected to make the finals since they had the best record in basketball but I think ECF loss was an acceptable result. Second year they were absolutely devistated by Rose's torn ACL but people also forget they lost Noah for the last 3.5 games of the series as well. Lose your best 2 players, one of whom was the league MVP the year before and only elite offensive player, and the other is the heart of the defense and team, and I won't blame them for losing. Even without Rose and Noah, the Bulls probably should have won the series (and they might have if CJ didnt pass to [expletive] Asik allowing him to shoot FTs), but its hard to really judge the emotional impact of losing your two best players early in a playoff series.

 

Third year, what more did you expect from the Bulls? They lost Deng and Hinrich midway through the series, Noah was hobbling from plantir fasciitis, Nate Robinson was puking in buckets during TOs and they managed to win a game 7 on the road, then take game 1 from a team that won 67 games in the regular season. Did you expect them to win more than 1 against the Heat?

 

If they lose this series, IMO only then can you START to THINK about building an argument that Thibs is a disappointment in the playoffs. But again this is only game 1 and Thibs is a better coach than Whitman, so we will see what adjustments he can make.

I said it's more on Paxson and Forman they anyone. We've known since 2010 that they need a second scorer to surround with Rose and Noah in order to have a legit shot at winning a title and we're still stuck with a team that can't score. Defense and playing hard can win you games in the regular season but in the playoffs you need to be able to score to win games because everyone is going to be playing hard like you've been playing in the regular season. There's no blame I'm placing on Thibodeau, if you add a guy like Carmelo, I think the Bulls can be legit title contenders under him.

[WrigleyField 22]

Why won't Rose be recovered? Westbrook looked fine with a more severe version of Derrick's injury this year. I understand the barely playing in 2 years thing but he's playing with Team USA this summer. Even if he starts out slow he'll be fine by midseason.

Well I expect him to play but he wasn't lighting the world on fire early this season despite him looking pretty good physically. The good thing is you don't need to be the regular season champ - just be your best in the playoffs but after being out of three straight playoffs I'm not holding my breath on Rose being the best version of himself in the playoffs 4 years after his last legit playoff experience. He needs time. He's not gonna be the Rose we knew in 2011, even though I expect him to generally be there physically. He's a young player who's missed a ton of time. Even Jordan needed an offseason to really become himself again after a long basketball hiatus, but he was MUCH more experienced.

 

We should still expect to be very good, but with a year to gel and a still full strength Heat, we should expect to fall short, whereas there's a good chance the few years after that we should have expectations of being legit favorites if we play everything right.

 

Looking at championship teams I can't think of any that really won the first year of their current build (generally speaking), other than Detroit who had a mid season trade for Sheed. If you're going for the Detroit model, then you aren't talking about getting Melo I guess. Just amnestyIng Boozer, signing Mirotic, and getting whatever roughly 7-8M remaining gets you in FA and remain flexible in trades and a top D middling O otherwise.

[Guest]

Still full strength Heat?

[WrigleyField 22]

Still full strength Heat?

Okay Wades kind of hobbled, but pretty much, yes.

[UMFan83]

Still full strength Heat?

Okay Wades kind of hobbled, but pretty much, yes.

 

You are probably right but are we forgetting that this team might be broken up against their will in the offseason?

[Guest]

Still full strength Heat?

Okay Wades kind of hobbled, but pretty much, yes.

 

You're talking about a year from now, yes?

[WrigleyField 22]

Well maybe one bolts this year. Will happen sometime within the next three, but the odds put it at later than sooner. Though still plenty of West teams that should be much more gelled than the first year of our potential big three. Saying next year doesn't matter is perhaps a bit harsh in tone, but my entire point was that getting Melo is the number one priority, not keeping an entire roster intact or building a new full roster. Acquiring Melo inherently means creating a thin roster with meaningful gaps- it could mean a really crappy 2M per year PF or SF (with Melo being our PF in the latter) and all junk after that. Or just having a generally crappy or at best inexperienced bench and a Rose who probably will be more like second year Rose.

[ChiCubsFan]

The Bulls still need a scorer, this shouldn't come to a shock to anyone. The Bulls are 16-19 in the playoffs under Thibodeau. Playing hard like they do in the regular season doesn't translate to playoff wins. Now this is on Paxson and Forman more than anyone. Go out and bring in a scorer and combine that with defense and playing hard.

 

How has Thibs underperformed in the playoffs? Seriously? His first year they went to the ECF. You can argue that the Bulls should have expected to make the finals since they had the best record in basketball but I think ECF loss was an acceptable result. Second year they were absolutely devistated by Rose's torn ACL but people also forget they lost Noah for the last 3.5 games of the series as well. Lose your best 2 players, one of whom was the league MVP the year before and only elite offensive player, and the other is the heart of the defense and team, and I won't blame them for losing. Even without Rose and Noah, the Bulls probably should have won the series (and they might have if CJ didnt pass to [expletive] Asik allowing him to shoot FTs), but its hard to really judge the emotional impact of losing your two best players early in a playoff series.

 

Third year, what more did you expect from the Bulls? They lost Deng and Hinrich midway through the series, Noah was hobbling from plantir fasciitis, Nate Robinson was puking in buckets during TOs and they managed to win a game 7 on the road, then take game 1 from a team that won 67 games in the regular season. Did you expect them to win more than 1 against the Heat?

 

If they lose this series, IMO only then can you START to THINK about building an argument that Thibs is a disappointment in the playoffs. But again this is only game 1 and Thibs is a better coach than Whitman, so we will see what adjustments he can make.

 

 

If they lose this series it takes nothing away from Thibs. The Wizards have more talent and are deeper. I still think the Bulls win in 6 or 7, but if they lose it doesn't make Thibs a disappointment. I honestly was more worried about getting past the Wizards than I was about having to go through Indiana.

[RynoRules]

I wouldn't hold it against Thibs if they lose this series. Its miraculous that they made the playoffs at all. Seriously, if I told you back in September that they'd play 72 games without Rose and another 59 without Deng, would you have imagined anything better than 35-38 wins?

[Flames24Rulz]

Flip the coaches in this series. Thibs with the Wizards roster would either sweep the Bulls or win in 5, right?

[Ryne Ween]

I think Washington just played really well for a quarter and a half. I'm not in a panic. It's a long series and whatever was happening that let miller beat us can get fixed.

[Guest]

Noah getting DPOY today. Press conference at 4.

[UK1679666180]

Flip the coaches in this series. Thibs with the Wizards roster would either sweep the Bulls or win in 5, right?

 

Wall in Thibs system would be amazing.

[apete6]

Flip the coaches in this series. Thibs with the Wizards roster would either sweep the Bulls or win in 5, right?

 

Wall in Thibs system would be amazing.

 

Thanks for the observation. http://www.derrickrosemvp.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/DerrickRoseMVP.jpg

[Smack]

Noah getting DPOY today. Press conference at 4.

 

Didn't I read somewhere that if Noah got DPOY some incentive would push the Bulls over the luxury tax?

[Cubswin11]

Noah getting DPOY today. Press conference at 4.

 

Didn't I read somewhere that if Noah got DPOY some incentive would push the Bulls over the luxury tax?

I think they can't get to the tax anymore because someone got claimed, Erik Murphy?, they won't get to the tax even if Noah got DPOY and/or if Taj got 6th man of the year (I think that was the other one that could push them?)

Edited April 21, 2014 by Cubswin11

[Smack]

Noah getting DPOY today. Press conference at 4.

 

Didn't I read somewhere that if Noah got DPOY some incentive would push the Bulls over the luxury tax?

I think they can get to the tax anymore because someone got claimed, Erik Murphy?, they won't get to the tax even if Noah got DPOY and/or if Taj got 6th man of the year (I think that was the other one that could push them?)

 

Ahhh, ok, thanks.

[Ryne Ween]

Noah getting DPOY today. Press conference at 4.

 

Didn't I read somewhere that if Noah got DPOY some incentive would push the Bulls over the luxury tax?

I think they can't get to the tax anymore because someone got claimed, Erik Murphy?, they won't get to the tax even if Noah got DPOY and/or if Taj got 6th man of the year (I think that was the other one that could push them?)

 

Yes I saw it explained somewhere but garpax flurry of non-impact moves at the end of the season was actually them being a 2nd degree blackbelt on the CBA.

[UMFan83]

Noah getting DPOY today. Press conference at 4.

 

Didn't I read somewhere that if Noah got DPOY some incentive would push the Bulls over the luxury tax?

I think they can't get to the tax anymore because someone got claimed, Erik Murphy?, they won't get to the tax even if Noah got DPOY and/or if Taj got 6th man of the year (I think that was the other one that could push them?)

 

Yes I saw it explained somewhere but garpax flurry of non-impact moves at the end of the season was actually them being a 2nd degree blackbelt on the CBA.

 

Yup. It's believed that the Jazz did the Bulls a favor by picking up Erik Murphy. Back in 2010 when the Bulls signed Boozer, the Bulls agreed to let the move be a sign and trade with Utah instead of just signing them outright. This provided no benefit to the Bulls as the contract was going to be the same either way, and the Bulls were under the tax, but it allowed the Jazz to have a giant trade exemption that they immediately used to acquire Al Jefferson. This was the Jazz paying the Bulls back, and it had a huge impact for the Bulls.

[Ryne Ween]

I hadnt heard about the Jazz repay of the favor but isnt this like a whole different Jazz front office than back in the Sloan era.

[Wilson A2000]

In the scenario that you trade away Taj, hopefully you can sign Mirotic to the MLE.

 

How is Mirotic defensively?

[Cubswin11]

In the scenario that you trade away Taj, hopefully you can sign Mirotic to the MLE.

 

How is Mirotic defensively?

Doubt you can really know until he gets over here

[WrigleyField 22]

I hadnt heard about the Jazz repay of the favor but isnt this like a whole different Jazz front office than back in the Sloan era.

I didn't think the front office changed at all post-Sloan.