2014-2015 Chicago Bulls Regular Season

[bcl412]

I hope we're fixed now.

[bukie]

Win in Dallas against a team that has been absolutely on fire since the Rondo trade, and it wasn't even due to an off Nowitzki night.

[UMFan83]

Win in Dallas against a team that has been absolutely on fire since the Rondo trade, and it wasn't even due to an off Nowitzki night.

 

They've played well but 11-6 since the Rondo trade doesn't seem like "absolutely on fire". At least on the surface.

 

Not trying to discredit the win though, it was definitely a good one for the Bulls

[Guest]

Not to pat myself on the back too hard but back when Rose was taking and missing a lot of 3's, I just wanted him to keep shooting open 3's when he had them rather than passing them up because UMFan (or maybe it was Tryptamine) was screaming for him to. He didn't need to stop shooting them he needed to start making them. Of course, I don't think I ever actually posted about it but yeah.

 

He's now showing solid consistency with them and even has his overall percentage up to a somewhat respectable 32.2%.

[bcl412]

Their effort against bad teams is irritating.

[UMFan83]

Their effort against bad teams is irritating.

 

and at home

[SpongeWorthy]

why is hinrich the first guard off the bench

[Guest]

Not to pat myself on the back too hard but back when Rose was taking and missing a lot of 3's, I just wanted him to keep shooting open 3's when he had them rather than passing them up because UMFan (or maybe it was Tryptamine) was screaming for him to. He didn't need to stop shooting them he needed to start making them. Of course, I don't think I ever actually posted about it but yeah.

 

He's now showing solid consistency with them and even has his overall percentage up to a somewhat respectable 32.2%.

 

I apologize for causing this.

[Guest]

Their effort against bad teams is irritating.

 

meh. it is irritating but i would almost rather they coast sometimes instead of being the all out effort every game all year grindy team.

[SpongeWorthy]

Their effort against bad teams is irritating.

 

meh. it is irritating but i would almost rather they coast sometimes instead of being the all out effort every game all year grindy team.

 

A team that knows its good enough to throttle it back and save up for the playoffs doesn't lose to bad teams at home (or this many home games in general) as often as this one does.

[Guest]

Their effort against bad teams is irritating.

 

meh. it is irritating but i would almost rather they coast sometimes instead of being the all out effort every game all year grindy team.

 

A team that knows its good enough to throttle it back and save up for the playoffs doesn't lose to bad teams at home (or this many home games in general) as often as this one does.

 

if you say so

[SpongeWorthy]

Their effort against bad teams is irritating.

 

meh. it is irritating but i would almost rather they coast sometimes instead of being the all out effort every game all year grindy team.

 

A team that knows its good enough to throttle it back and save up for the playoffs doesn't lose to bad teams at home (or this many home games in general) as often as this one does.

 

if you say so

 

The Bulls have lost as many home games so far this year to sub .500 teams as the last three NBA champions did combined. 52 win (Bulls current pace) type teams in lousy conferences don't really make legit title runs either.

 

It's not coasting as much as they just aren't all that good right now.

[ChiCubsFan]

Again, if you say so.

[UMFan83]

Not to pat myself on the back too hard but back when Rose was taking and missing a lot of 3's, I just wanted him to keep shooting open 3's when he had them rather than passing them up because UMFan (or maybe it was Tryptamine) was screaming for him to. He didn't need to stop shooting them he needed to start making them. Of course, I don't think I ever actually posted about it but yeah.

 

He's now showing solid consistency with them and even has his overall percentage up to a somewhat respectable 32.2%.

 

I apologize for causing this.

 

Hmm not sure that 85th out of 89 qualified players at 3 point % is somewhat respectable.

 

I don't have a problem with him shooting 3s, especially when he is wide open but 5-6 a game seems like a lot.

[ChiCubsFan]

The break even point for 3 pointers last year was 32.53%. That equates to a TS% of exactly league average. So while not good, respectable isn't as far off as that cherry-picked "qualified" 3 point shooter ranking may make it seem. Ideally your high usage, max contract superstar shoots above league average, but his % itself isn't the worst thing in the world. He just needs to pick his spots better. I'm hoping that he's just protecting himself during the regular season and come playoff time he will aggressively attack the basket more consistently.

[Guest]

if you're only making 32% from 3, i'd rather you not take 5-6 of them a game. this team has a lot of offensive options now. they should be able to get better shots.

[Guest]

jesus christ

 

the point was that considering the way he started (you know, after like a 2.5 year layoff with like 10 games thrown in the middle), his overall percentage was no longer putrid, all things considered, because he had been shooting them really well lately.

[UMFan83]

The break even point for 3 pointers last year was 32.53%. That equates to a TS% of exactly league average. So while not good, respectable isn't as far off as that cherry-picked "qualified" 3 point shooter ranking may make it seem. Ideally your high usage, max contract superstar shoots above league average, but his % itself isn't the worst thing in the world. He just needs to pick his spots better. I'm hoping that he's just protecting himself during the regular season and come playoff time he will aggressively attack the basket more consistently.

 

It's not cherry picked? It's whatever ESPN uses for qualified players.

 

Again, I don't have a problem with him shooting 3's, its those dumb heat check ones that I think hurt the team.

 

31.2% (his current percentage) is exactly his career average. If he keeps that up, by all means shoot a few a game.

[RynoRules]

Let's forget Rose for a second and discuss the fact that Kirk Hinrich is probably the worst player receiving significant minutes in the game today.

 

Hinrich is currently 4th on the team in total minutes and averages 27.3 per game. His PER is a ghastly and embarrassing 7.6 (you read that correctly), he shoots 38% from the field with a TS% of .484, and has a VORP of -0.1 (placing him in the company of Moore, Mohammed, and Bairstow).

 

Thibs will tell you that's its Hinrich's defense that compels him to play Kirk more minutes than Brooks. That's interesting, because he and Brooks have the same amount of Defensive Win Shares (0.7 - both crappy). Brooks is by nearly every offensive measure superior (16.7 PER plus points, shooting, assists and advanced metrics re the same; Brooks turns the ball over slightly more) to Hinrich.

Edited January 26, 2015 by RynoRules

[UMFan83]

Let's forget Rose for a second and discuss the fact that Kirk Hinrich is probably the worst player receiving significant minutes in the game today.

 

Hinrich is currently 4th on the team in total minutes and averages 27.3 per game. His PER is a ghastly and embarrassing 7.6 (you read that correctly), shoots 38% from the field with a TS% of .484, and a VORP of -0.1 (placing him in the company of Moore, Mohammed, and Bairstow).

 

Thibs will tell you that's its Hinrich's defense that compels him to play Kirk more minutes than Brooks. That's interesting, because he and Brooks have the same amount of Defensive Win Shares (0.7 - both crappy). Brooks is by nearly every offensive measure superior (16.7 PER plus points, shooting, assists and advanced metrics re the same; Brooks turns the ball over slightly more) to Hinrich.

 

Yeah I am puzzled why Hinrich keeps getting minutes. Hinrich's defensive reputation is just that, a reputation at this point. His offense is absolutely terrible. If you accept Brooks as the backup PG, Snell and Moore have both outplayed Hinrich this year at SG (albeit both have still mostly been bad) while Hinrich is fighting Taj for 6th man status on this team.

 

Something has to give. It's probably not the biggest problem on the Bulls right now but its up there.

 

For the record, this is how Hinrich's PER stacks up in Hollinger's scale:

 

A Year For the Ages: 35.0

Runaway MVP Candidate: 30.0

Strong MVP Candidate: 27.5

Weak MVP Candidate: 25.0

Bona fide All-Star: 22.5

Borderline All-Star: 20.0

Solid 2nd option: 18.0

3rd Banana: 16.5

Pretty good player: 15.0

In the rotation: 13.0

Scrounging for minutes: 11.0

Definitely renting: 9.0

Hinrich 7.6

The Next Stop: DLeague 5.0

 

And he gets 28 minutes per game...

[Guest]

i got so mad when someone called b&b to bitch about hinrich and they basically brushed him off and said hinrich is just a guy and solid at what he's supposed to do and isn't the problem with the team. bernstein usually is all about ripping terrible players.

[RynoRules]

Gar and Pax need to take away that toy. It reminds me of Dusty with Neifi and Macias.

 

Speaking of which:

 

During Friday's Chicago Bulls-Dallas Mavericks telecast, Jeff Van Gundy accused Bulls management of trying to undermine Tom Thibodeau by leaking disparaging stories, saying the practice dates to Phil Jackson's tenure as well as Scott Skiles' and Vinny Del Negro's.

 

"Tom Thibodeau isn't being undermined at all," John Paxson said. "What's being undermined is the entire Bulls organization by Van Gundy, who has an agenda against our organization for whatever reason and has for years. I guess he thinks he's trying to protect his friend, but he's doing just the opposite. It's pretty pathetic when you think about it, and truth be told he owes Jerry Reinsdorf an apology for his disparaging remarks."

 

Van Gundy declined to address Paxson's remarks and said he stood behind his Friday comments.

 

Thibodeau said he was aware of Van Gundy's comments but had not heard them.

 

"I'm fine," Thibodeau said. "I don't get wrapped up in that stuff. That's (Van Gundy's) opinion. He's paid to give opinions. He has to do his job. I try to do my job. I'm just trying to work here. ... My job is to coach the team. That's what I worry about. (Van Gundy) doesn't speak for me. I don't speak for him."

 

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/236400/Paxson-Refutes-Van-Gundys-Comments-On-Bulls-Leaking-Stories-To-Undermine-Thibodeau

[Banedon]

Moments after JVG said that stuff though, he also said they have to take the voting for the ASG away from the fans because "it's too important."

 

So maybe we don't listen to JVG so much, eh?

[Flames24Rulz]

i got so mad when someone called b&b to bitch about hinrich and they basically brushed him off and said hinrich is just a guy and solid at what he's supposed to do and isn't the problem with the team. bernstein usually is all about ripping terrible players.

 

Bernstein has become basketball meatball. He always makes the argument that you know what you get with Hinrich, and that he's a solid defender. So you look the other way when statistics prove that he's the same defender as Aaron Brooks is, minus the offense that you actually get with Brooks?

[Banedon]

Joe Cowley has annoyingly been defending Hinrich and ripping Rose on twitter during games. God he's so punchable.