NBA Thread 2013-2014

[nitetrain8601]

Hard to make sense of the recent run. A bunch of losses on the West Coast. Beat the Heat. Drop some "easy" home games. Beat Milwaukee in Milwaukee despite losing to them at home. Drop winnable games against Toronto and Orlando. Lose two away games against two of the best in the west.

 

Meanwhile, you've had 4 starting point guards, 5 starting wing players, and...well....let's look at it this way. Every player on the active roster has started a game except Erik Murphy. Carlos Boozer has been your healthiest player and the only one to play in every game -- Joakim Noah has been your second healthiest player, missing just one game. We've struggled to put an NBA-caliber player at the PG position, which has all kinds of rippling effects.

 

Lots of reasons that, maybe, the team is better than the one that has looked like s*** recently. Of course, there are reasons that there could be more of the same ahead of us. Hence the disagreement.

 

This team simply can't score. It's what all the naysayers were saying about the team, even with Rose. With him, this team had a tough time scoring, hence them trying to install a new offense. Without Rose, this team probably couldn't outscore a good college program. The Bulls should've blown it up a long time ago and depending on one man to provide everything offensively was a disaster waiting to happen.

 

Tank Tank Tank

 

We need as high as picks as we can possibly get. No reason to make the playoffs to get bounced by Indiana or Miami in the 1st round.

[nitetrain8601]

No, no, no perish the thought Kyle --- having fun at a sports event??? That's unpossible! Fun, competition, sudden surges in endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, chatting up a random hottie.... are the most diabolical inventions since the beach balls and the Wave.

 

Im totes for the tank now, my man. Just wait til we get Wiggins AND Randle AND Exum next year, plus Eddie Curry and Tyson Chandler? Suh-weet! Think of the wicked starting line-up we could field on xbox by 2062, at latest... sick! No way Bron-Bron, Chuckles or Big Aristotle couldn ignore the Bulls on Twitter then!

 

Not like Bron-Bron or Brian Westbrook could awkwardly step on someone's foot tomorrow or whatever and suddenly the field is wide-open again, either...

 

If you're best plan is waiting for the league's best player who as durable as anyone to severely injure themselves, then your plan is poo. And I think you meant to say Russell Westbrook, right?

[Kyyle23]

http://m.espn.go.com/nba/story?storyId=10175907

 

Brooklyn loses Lopez for the season

[Rowand44]

They're out tanking us!

[Boogua]

No, no, no perish the thought Kyle --- having fun at a sports event??? That's unpossible! Fun, competition, sudden surges in endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, chatting up a random hottie.... are the most diabolical inventions since the beach balls and the Wave.

 

Im totes for the tank now, my man. Just wait til we get Wiggins AND Randle AND Exum next year, plus Eddie Curry and Tyson Chandler? Suh-weet! Think of the wicked starting line-up we could field on xbox by 2062, at latest... sick! No way Bron-Bron, Chuckles or Big Aristotle couldn ignore the Bulls on Twitter then!

 

Not like Bron-Bron or Brian Westbrook could awkwardly step on someone's foot tomorrow or whatever and suddenly the field is wide-open again, either...

You're just trolling, right? Nobody can be this stupid.

[Jordan4life_2007]

They're out tanking us!

 

Except they don't have their pick. The Hawks do. What a disaster of a year for the Nets.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Hard to make sense of the recent run. A bunch of losses on the West Coast. Beat the Heat. Drop some "easy" home games. Beat Milwaukee in Milwaukee despite losing to them at home. Drop winnable games against Toronto and Orlando. Lose two away games against two of the best in the west.

 

Meanwhile, you've had 4 starting point guards, 5 starting wing players, and...well....let's look at it this way. Every player on the active roster has started a game except Erik Murphy. Carlos Boozer has been your healthiest player and the only one to play in every game -- Joakim Noah has been your second healthiest player, missing just one game. We've struggled to put an NBA-caliber player at the PG position, which has all kinds of rippling effects.

 

Lots of reasons that, maybe, the team is better than the one that has looked like s*** recently. Of course, there are reasons that there could be more of the same ahead of us. Hence the disagreement.

 

It's not hard to make sense of at all. But let me help you.

 

Bulls offensive rankings:

 

ppg - 29th

fg% - 29th

3pt% - 29th

Offensive rating (points per 100 possessions) 29th

Efg% - 30th

TS% - 29th

 

Want more?

 

Shooting percentage less than 5 feet from the basket: 53.5% -29th overall

Shooting percentage 5 to 9 feet from the basket: 34% - 26th overall

 

That is pitiful for any team. But this team was supposed to compete for a title (barf). This says two things: one, you've got a bunch of guys that simply aren't that talented and can't finish around the rim or within 9 feet of the rim. Two, this also says you have no shooting/spacing (the numbers prove just that) to open up the lane and defenses are feasting.

 

This is the roster Rose was supposed to win with. You all thought it. And the FO thought it. Throw in the neverending rash of injuries and the verdict is in - ratchet and busted are the 2014 Chicago Bulls. Shame on you for making me put this in writing. 35 small bunnies were decapitated because I had to spell this out for you. The bunny blood is on your hands, not mine, kind sir.

 

[Jenksismyhero]

So, Booz to the Nets? Eh? Saw Zach Lowe throw that out as an idea. I like it.

[2nd_city_saint787]

So, Booz to the Nets? Eh? Saw Zach Lowe throw that out as an idea. I like it.

 

Boozer for Pierce is about the only thing I see that would work. I'd do it, then do the Deng for Waiters deal.

[Rowand44]

Don't f*** with the backcourt of DJ Augustin and Tony Snell.

[Kyyle23]

Hornets new logo

 

[chw42]

Hornets new logo

 

 

Thank god they're not the Bobcast anymore.

[Jake]

Except they don't have their pick. The Hawks do. What a disaster of a year for the Nets.

 

They are shaping up to be the model of a f***ed up franchise.

 

It's not hard to make sense of at all. But let me help you.

 

Bulls offensive rankings:

 

ppg - 29th

fg% - 29th

3pt% - 29th

Offensive rating (points per 100 possessions) 29th

Efg% - 30th

TS% - 29th

 

Want more?

 

Shooting percentage less than 5 feet from the basket: 53.5% -29th overall

Shooting percentage 5 to 9 feet from the basket: 34% - 26th overall

 

That is pitiful for any team. But this team was supposed to compete for a title (barf). This says two things: one, you've got a bunch of guys that simply aren't that talented and can't finish around the rim or within 9 feet of the rim. Two, this also says you have no shooting/spacing (the numbers prove just that) to open up the lane and defenses are feasting.

 

This is the roster Rose was supposed to win with. You all thought it. And the FO thought it. Throw in the neverending rash of injuries and the verdict is in - ratchet and busted are the 2014 Chicago Bulls. Shame on you for making me put this in writing. 35 small bunnies were decapitated because I had to spell this out for you. The bunny blood is on your hands, not mine, kind sir.

 

I didn't think my argument looked like I was saying the Bulls have played well offensively. I was saying that there are sound arguments to be made that they could step it up considerably and have a slightly below average offense to go with what is still a very, very good defense. You might argue that without a buttload of injuries and trades, it is bound to happen.

 

Of course, as I said and your post shows, it is also reasonable to think that it will keep being this bad or worse.

 

Hornets new logo

 

 

I like it.

 

Thank god they're not the Bobcast anymore.

 

What's that? The Aldi version of the Chromecast?

 

[SoxFan1]

I wish the Bulls wouldn't win games.

[RockRaines]

I wish the Bulls wouldn't win games.

Yuuuuup. Train wreck.

[HuskyCaucasian]

Hornets new logo

 

[Chisoxfn]

Yuuuuup. Train wreck.

Barring major give away trades, the Bulls will make the playoffs. Everyone here is talking about how s***ty they are. Yes, they are going to suck when you don't have Deng/Butler in your lineup. When they are in the lineup (with Booz/Taj/Noah healthy), Bulls are 3rd to 4th best team in the East. They sucked when Deng and Butler weren't any near the court. By the way, Snell looking better each and every game. Seeing him develop is nice because it gives the Bulls a couple guys who potentially can replace Deng if they opt to move away from him (which they should if he's looking for 15M per year). Also nice to see Augustin looking good...bad thing about the fact that he's a one year guy means he'll play good and sign somewhere else for more money (just like Belinelli and Nate did last year).

[bmags]

Not this year.

 

Anyway good news for #teamtank. Toronto is looking competent. I think #teamtank needs the following three teams to make a hot run and push above bulls for playoffs:

Raptors

Pistons

Bucks*

 

Bucks are obviously the hardest to count on, but they have an org who WANTS to win which is hilarious and may help team tank.

[whitesoxfan99]

Barring major give away trades, the Bulls will make the playoffs. Everyone here is talking about how s***ty they are. Yes, they are going to suck when you don't have Deng/Butler in your lineup. When they are in the lineup (with Booz/Taj/Noah healthy), Bulls are 3rd to 4th best team in the East. They sucked when Deng and Butler weren't any near the court. By the way, Snell looking better each and every game. Seeing him develop is nice because it gives the Bulls a couple guys who potentially can replace Deng if they opt to move away from him (which they should if he's looking for 15M per year). Also nice to see Augustin looking good...bad thing about the fact that he's a one year guy means he'll play good and sign somewhere else for more money (just like Belinelli and Nate did last year).

 

All it would have taken for the Bulls to tank is trading Deng and Hinrich and going with a PG duo of Teague and James. It is too bad they are trying to compete and wouldn't do that though.

[Waygodai]

Barring major give away trades, the Bulls will make the playoffs. Everyone here is talking about how s***ty they are. Yes, they are going to suck when you don't have Deng/Butler in your lineup. When they are in the lineup (with Booz/Taj/Noah healthy), Bulls are 3rd to 4th best team in the East. They sucked when Deng and Butler weren't any near the court. By the way, Snell looking better each and every game. Seeing him develop is nice because it gives the Bulls a couple guys who potentially can replace Deng if they opt to move away from him (which they should if he's looking for 15M per year). Also nice to see Augustin looking good...bad thing about the fact that he's a one year guy means he'll play good and sign somewhere else for more money (just like Belinelli and Nate did last year).

 

Fa’sho, those aren’t insignificant considerations, either.

 

 

 

[[WARNING: wall-of-text incoming! Run, too late to save the children -- save yourselves, run run run ]]

 

 

Jase, glad to see I’m not the only one who has a bit of a problem with this type of smug tank posturing. After vindictive assholes Jordan, Pippen, D-Wade thoroughly poisoned the FA waters for years… it’s important for Paxson, Thibs to reverse some of the damage. Derrick’s petulant unwillingness to recruit hasn’t helped either, but it is what it is.

 

So if Bulls are to be viewed as a *winning*, respectable organization in a wider sense that also has a rep for PD & rejuvenation services, helping guys like Noah, Gibson, Asik, Belinelli, N-Rob, and now hopefully Augustin, Dunleavy, Deng, Butler earn some real $$$…. that bodes well for organization’s future plans.

 

That’s also how you get a couple of future Ray Allens to take less money (if you don’t have LeBron, Wade, Bosh, that is which 95% teams don’t) to fit into the cap when Bulls are full-strength, on the verge of something special.

 

Gonna need someone credible to attract & coach up Mirotic’s D, too btw

 

Again, if Bulls are in the lottery in this East, it means the franchise is fundamentally F’d across the board in scouting, development & decision-making. So even if by some lottery fluke, they do get an Exum or an Embiid, that couldn’t begin to address those structural, systemic flaws. We’re talking years here. Look, I realize Rose injury tore some people up, who now have hard time dealing and resort to magical thinking; it’s natural to want a do-over, an easy answer, a short-cut solution, something spectacular – and this obsession with Tanking is just how some people cope….But come on peeps, rooting for all that misery is beyond self-defeating.

 

While we’re at it, let’s pump some breaks on a couple of things.

 

2011 ECF. Not talking the boxscore over/under bar-meatball type of “analysis”, or the media narrative here. Scratch beneath the surface, delve into the complexion of that series, turns out it wasn’t so clear-cut actually. All the making of going at least 6. Owned Miami in reg season as per usual; destroyed them in Game 1 of ECF; had them over the barrel in Game 2 as well but just missed ton of open jumpers & lay-ups, at one point going down into the 20s %. Next two in Miami were tougher obviously but still competitive: one still winnable mid-point in 4Q, the other went into double-OT – all in spite the usual pathetic NBA home-court, star-friendly officiating the Heat got the benefit of. And Game 5 Bulls again dominated Miami, up 18 in the 4th Q, 95 times out 100, they close it out…. except this was one of those 5 times when Bron and Wade are chucking off-balance 30 footers with shot-clock expiring and they swish in. Derrick’s inexperience then finally showed itself, he totally panicked, reverted to the 1-against-team ball, give credit to Lebron he sniffed it out, rotated over…..Oh well, the better team won, collusion disgrace justified itself, still it was anything but boring or valueless.

 

(Yes, the 2013 2nd round “rematch” was a different story: w/o rose, deng, hinrich, a banged up & straight up exhausted noah, taj + essentially a rookie-starter Jimmy-pants… had no chance. Still, that stolen game 1 in Miami as ugly a brawl as it was, somehow was one of the most gratifying Chicago sports experiences I’ve ever had outside of 2005 October, natch. You can keep your Bulls rings which I’d imagine at some point must have gotten boringly predictable as long as Jordan stayed healthy – gimme some of that under-dog sauce, Neil Funk haha! Then again, maybe I’m in the minority here: I really enjoy spirit of competition, unpredictability & challenge in general, hell my studies/profession has close to 99% attrition rate at highest level -- and I absolutely freakin’ love it)

 

Look, pound-for-pond Dan Bernstein may be the most talented sports radio in Midwest or whatever when he is not being a giant douche, but it’s kinda silly all these years later to see peeps mindlessly parrot another of his (tongue-in-cheek) myth that in 2011 LeBron’s magical jedi ninja defense shut Derrick down any time he wanted, and that’s why it was never possible for Bulls to beat Miami. Fie!

 

I am not even talking about regular season when D-Rose abused LeBron on several possessions I pretty vividly recall. Bron-Bron did switch on Derrick for a few minutes here and there in the 4th in ECF, and with his team trailing in the series with big-time pressure mounting, Derrick did become anxious & try to do too much instead of getting his teammates involved--- leading to missed shots, thus, in turn, leading to more desperation, a vicious spiral ….. But that’s more to do with Derrick’s immaturity as a PG than anything else. Over longer term, with today’s NBA rules prohibiting any kind of perimeter contact 1-on-1, no defender can shut down a guy as talented as Derrick; Lebron himself even admitted as much when talking about Kobe, nevermind a quicker younger dude like D-Rose…

 

Like was said b4, D-Rose has lot more room to grow as a player, which is why

 

a) the 2 borderline fluke injuries

b). wasting 2 precious years of development with effin Vinny Del Negro

c) not even trying to exploit the growing Dwight Howard-Magic rift, or Aldrich, or maybe just maybe possibly pre-empting Riley-Bron-Wade axis…and instead settling for bum-slayer Boozer.

 

was so unfortunate. But that shouldn’t lead to knee jerk revisionist posturing about how Derrick was always too small, Bulls embody basketball Hell and some of the other smug nonsense that’s so popular now. It’s disingenuous, IMO..

 

Moving on. Ok let’s for a moment pretend that actively, gleefully rooting against your professed team, wishing Deng, Augustin, Butler and co keep getting hurt…. ISN’T weird & illogical, if not utterly pathetic…. Let’s tell all those people w families who shell out big money at the UC to pretty much ‘suck it, suckers”.

 

the Tank brigade are just oblivious. Can’t enjoy simple basketball, respect the effort & ol’ spirit of competition. Lay-ups and perimeter passing and defense aren’t sexy, huh? They have this fantasy where Bulls get a new LeBron – and it’s happily every after…. though it rarely if ever works out that way in reality. Heck it even took arguably most talented player of all time “only” 9 years to win his first title… and even then he needed a HOF and a borderline HOF next to him and a crazy Ray Allen tray last time out. That’s the only scenario under which Tankers can be remotely satisfied after years of literally rooting for their team to lose? Feel sorry for them.

 

Whatevs. Boozer and Co can’t make a layup and open 3s aren’t falling; therefore the SEVERELY short-handed Bulls are having trouble scoring at the moment? Wow, stop the presses, you’d think they’ve just discovered that OJ killed Kennedy or some other amazing revelation.... Of course no way those (minor) injuries can heal; or bricked lay-ups start bouncing in & the team 3-pt shooting reverts to the mean, market-corrects, whatever - at least middle of the pack…..at some point refs will start blowing the whistle when “uppity rooks” like Taj, Butler, Snell get absolutely hacked at the rim…. That plus the usual Thibs schematic adjustments—and voila, energy levels up, precious spacing is restored ….. Nope, can’t happen, no way no how, nuh-uh. [/end teal]

 

Bit of the ol’ cognitive dissonance and just weird logic going on. Forget about the unglamorous work-ethic, team-work, old-fashioned scouting & player-development; cap management got no time for painstaking stuff like that. Then in one breath they curse Rose for 2 fluke non-contact injuries… in another they slobber all over the lottery & other team’s stars every year. Cue fantasy line-ups for 2017, oomph. Weed is always greener in other team’s locker-room, I guess.

 

Nevermind that only 1 team out of 30+ gets to hoist up a trophy any given year, odds aren’t exactly favourable no matter how much tanking & so-called “long-term planning” you may wish to do…. Btw, how many rings do Melo, Dwight Howard, Anthony Davis, Durant, Irving, Wall, et al have?

 

LeBron never can get hurt, eh? Another physical freak Dwight Howard never got hurt…until he did. Adrian Peterson never got hurt, until someone fell into his knee. Greg Oden coming out of OS looked like a sure thing. Pro sports history is littered with examples. Then there is Derrick… Obviously that can’t be the only organizational strategy going forward, but it just happens to be reality: why does this stuff even need to be spelled out to anyone older than 13? Ridic.

 

Forget about 2011. Take even 2007 or 2009…. Yes, VDN incompetence, a very raw rookie Rose had no business beating the defending champs either time...Yet at the UC in ’09 in particular the team was just pure fun, clowning some people incl. IIRC Doc River Celtics, LebRon’s Cavs, Howard’s Magic, Yao’s Rockets, Dirk’s Mavs; had like a 20 pt lead against prime Kobe (Phil Jackson sat his starters threw the game and in equally fun fashion Bulls proceeded to blow that huge lead to Sasha freakin’ Vuwhatevich, haha, it was never boring). Close games, spectacular blow-outs, dramatic comebacks, triple OT’s, walk-offs, Tyrus/Noah block party, dunks, Tim Thomas, Brad Miller, Deng, Gordon raining 25-footers, ill-advised Noah fastbreaks, etc, etc, etc…. Basketball Hell indeed, oh hhhhow horrid, huh? Instead of having all that fun good time, should have been blasting Coldplay and slashing our wrists togevah!

 

How horrible Bulls keep making playoffs; fans are having good time; ratings solid, UC & merch keep selling out….franchise valuation keeps going up by 50-100 mill every few seasons --- thereby giving the frugal JR a peace-of-mind of not just going heavy into Luxury Tax when Bulls are finally on the cusp…. but maybe also allocating a few extra mill for our White Sox (I know they’re supposed to be separate business entities, but in reality, what’s supposed to be and what IS, are often 2 entirely different things, lol).

 

Oh no’es!

 

.

 

[StrangeSox]

tl;dr

[Jake]

All it would have taken for the Bulls to tank is trading Deng and Hinrich and going with a PG duo of Teague and James. It is too bad they are trying to compete and wouldn't do that though.

 

If you want to have your guys get better during your tank season, the worst position to intentionally decimate is point guard. If your point guard is completely inept, it is really difficult to develop as an offensive player

[bmags]

tl;dr

 

I can't believe the length of these posts.

[bmags]

If you want to have your guys get better during your tank season, the worst position to intentionally decimate is point guard. If your point guard is completely inept, it is really difficult to develop as an offensive player

 

I kinda agree with this. Also just in terms of players being pissed in general. This is one year of their very short careers. Don't take away someone that let's them succeed and make their case for contracts.

[Quin]

I can't believe the length of these posts.

 

I read a line or two then stop.