Player: Carlos “Puts the Boos in”  Boozer

Per Game Stats: 28.2 minutes, 13.7 points on .456 shooting, 8.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.0 turnovers, .7 steals and .3 blocks.

The Good:

Uhm……

Well, my mom taught me there’s always something nice to say so… the Bulls secured 77.3 percent of defensive rebounds while Boozer was on the court compared to 73.3 percent while he was on the bench. That’s a pretty significant difference.

Defensive rebounding can be an underrated aspect of the game. Considering how the season ended with the Bulls seemingly unable to secure one, our appreciation of them should be a tad higher now.  That will be one aspect of Boozer we we’ll miss.

Scratch that. That will be the aspect of Boozer’s game we miss.

There’s that and the fact that he only complained once about is role being diminished by a vastly superior Taj Gibson taking over.

The Bad:

The bad is pretty much everything else, as demonstrated by the on/off numbers per NBA.com/STATS.

The Bulls were better on both ends of the court with him sitting, and a net 7.5 points better. Their offensive rebound and total rebounding were better. They had a better effective field-goal percentage and a better true shooting percentage.

The one thing that’s a surprise is the pace is higher with Boozer on the court, but that’s probably a result of the defensive rebounding. The Bulls failure to grab them when he’s sitting would impact that.

The best part of this season ending is the end of “And-one!” screams, Boozer celebrating like he did something every time someone else does, his kids cheering for the Heat and  his hair-spray head.

I was personally more of an advocate of Boozer until this year, but even the most patient Bulls fans have worn out on him. People will weep with joy when his departure, one way or another, is announced.

Grade: D-

Future:

Whatever it is, I doubt it’s with Chicago. I know there are some people worried that Jerry Reinsdorf won’t pull the amnesty trigger, but I have confidence if they’re not able to work him in a trade that nets a star, they’ll dump him to acquire one.

The Bulls have just been setting themselves up for this summer for too long for it to not happen. For all the criticism Gar Forman and John Paxson take, there are two things that are hard to dispute:

1. They aren’t stupid.
2. They aren’t out of touch with Reinsdorf

Those two things put together suggest that they are either acting in concert with Reinsdorf’s wishes or he has given permission for them to act on theirs.

Don’t worry, Boozer is gone.

The post 2013-2014 Year in Review: Carlos Boozer appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

CrazyFast | Flickr

It can easily be argued that the Chicago Bulls are out of the playoffs, having lost their series with the Washington Wizards 4-1, because of Tom Thibodeau’s stubbornness, and his seeming refusal to make any significant adjustments.

I am not here to argue that point, though the Bulls got whooped with their starters on the floor in all five games and Thibs never seemed to even consider starting Taj Gibson. I am here to talk about why he stuck so doggedly with a clearly failing lineup.

The playoffs are, by their very nature, a high-profile exercise in Small Sample Size Theatre. Even a series that goes seven games only provides you with seven games worth of data. Those seven games then have to be weighed against the 82 games of data you’ve accumulated in the regular season. As a result, any adjustment you make runs the risk of being seen as a ridiculous overreaction in hindsight. You’d have to make the conscious decision to let a few games — we’ll say four, in Thibs’ case, though you could say three or two or one and I wouldn’t argue with you — override many games — 52 in Thibs’ case, since we’ll count from the beginning of 2014, when the Bulls turned their season around.

From January 1 through the end of the regular season, the Bulls’ starters (Kirk Hinrich, Jimmy Butler, Mike Dunleavy, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah) were 5.2 points per 100 possessions better than their opponents. They allowed 92.7 points per 100, a ludicrous number that would’ve led the league by a country mile. That number has 37 games and 610 minutes behind it, so it seems like it should be a reliable indicator of how that lineup would perform in the playoffs.

Instead, in 74 minutes over 5 games, that same lineup allowed 110.9 points per 100, scored 89.2, and finished 21.8 points per 100 WORSE than its opponents. Stretched over a full season, even the Philadelphia 76ers would laugh at the sheer incompetence on display.

So, put yourself in Thibs’ position, though keep in mind that none of us have any idea if Thibs puts any stock whatsoever in lineup data: Going into game five, are you ready to throw out 37 games worth of data in your starters’ favor based on four games worth of data?

Another thing I feel I should point out: Boozer, great teammate though he is, is a human being with feelings and an ego. We don’t know how he might have reacted to seeing Taj Gibson start games for him. Remember how Boozer complained back in February about not playing in the fourth quarter? One of the things Thibs said in the aftermath of that incident was that everyone has to sacrifice. Taj is sacrificing not starting, so Boozer is sacrificing not finishing.

So now, imagine that you’re Thibs, and you have to tell Boozer that not only will he be sitting his ass firmly on the bench down the stretch, he won’t be starting either. And keep in mind that Boozer still thinks of himself as a premier player and that he knows he’ll likely be out on the free agent market this summer via the amnesty. How do you think he would react?

Do either of these arguments mean that Thibs definitely was right? No. And I want the record to show that I was firmly in the “Taj should be starting” camp as early as game three — though really it’s been since 2012 sometime, but that’s not the point — and I think it was a huge mistake to keep throwing Boozer out there over Taj (and Kirk Hinrich over DJ Augustin, to a lesser extent). But coaching is a hard job. Thibs did the best he could, it just didn’t work out. That’s hot it goes, sometimes, and let’s not pretend his players did him any favors.

Anyway, feel free to be upset. That was a terrible series to watch. Just remember that things aren’t always as simple as we’d like them to be.

The post On Tom Thibodeau’s playoff adjustments, or lack thereof appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Welcome to the latest Bulls by the Horns 5-on-5. Five of our writers will answer five Bulls-related questions. In this edition, we touch on post-season awards, Tom Thibodeau’s future and Carlos Boozer’s media comments.

1. What does Carlos Boozer’s words to the media this week say about his future?

Peter Owen: It probably doesn’t do much to change his future – he will become another victim of the amnesty clause this summer – but it does point to Boozer’s belief that the final 32 games of the season are his chance to prove his worth to whoever will pick him up off the waiver wire this summer. He still has a few serviceable years left and there are teams out there who could use another big man.

Eric Nehm: I don’t know if it necessarily has a large impact on Boozer’s future. It has been rumored for a while that the Bulls are planning on using their amnesty on Boozer this offseason and I obviously don’t know if that is their plan, but it does seem like a logical next step for the Bulls as they try to figure out how to assemble a championship team without Luol Deng. So, if anything, his words to the media this week might have just solidified his future.

Avi Saini: I touched on this in the BbtH podcast with Caleb (Listen here), but I’ll go over it again. Boozer sitting at the end of games is nothing new and seemingly hasn’t been a problem before. So why speak up now? To me there’s really only one reasoning- he knows he’s gone. I believe Boozer may view the rest of this season as a tryout for other teams. By playing the end of games, and showing he’s effective at the end of games, it inflates his value which means teams would be willing to pay him more cash.

Kevin Ferrigan: I don’t think it changes things much. I’ve always appreciated that Carlos didn’t complain about being benched in the 4th quarters of games, so I’m a little bummed that he started to complain now, but I think the Bulls will do with him whatever they planned prior to his comments. They won’t have much of an effect.

Trenton Jocz: Nothing in the sense that they don’t tip the scales on anything. He’s probably already gone this summer, and if Jerry Reinsdorf is too cheap to amnesty him, these comments won’t single-handedly convince him to fork over the money. What he said isn’t even that bad or uncommon. The part I had a problem with was the part where he said the team loses most games he doesn’t finish. That’s not because he was wrong (plenty of athletes and people in general twist narratives in their head to feel better about themselves), but rather because he essentially said the difference between him and Taj costs them games, which is a pretty big slap in the face to a teammate.

2. Mark Deeks wrote an article this week stating Taj Gibson has a clause in his contract paying him an extra $250,000 if he is named to the NBA All-defensive second team. Will he make the team?

PO: Given the glut of defensive studs in the NBA and the very limited space on the All-Defensive rosters Taj will most likely miss out. He is one of the best defensive big men in the NBA and is on an incredibly cheap contract which will only look better once he moves into the starting lineup next season and continues to develop his offensive game.

EN: No. Gibson is certainly deserving, but I think his teammate Joakim Noah will make it very difficult for him to garner such recognition. Voters have had no problem rewarding teammates as teammates have been featured somewhere on the first or second team every season since the inception of All-Defensive teams in 1968-69. Gibson’s candidacy will be hurt by Noah because voters may not be willing to reward Gibson since they see too much overlap in the skills and contributions of both players as well as Gibson’s more limited minutes (28.7 mpg) because of Noah’s presence in the middle.

AS: Unfortunately, no. Both All-Defensive teams traditionally feature 2 guards, 2 forwards, and a center for a total of 10 spots (on some occasions more if there is a tie for the first team). Because he plays as both a PF and C, Gibson technically can qualify for 6 of the spots. Once you eliminate him from the running for center (behind guys like Noah, Gasol, Chandler, Howard, Hibbert, etc) that drops to 4 possible spots. Taking away a spot for guys like Serge Ibaka, Paul George, and Lebron James (all locks to make it) that leaves 1 spot for grabs. While Gibson is a great, deserving defender, I think he gets overlooked.

KF: He really should. He’s such a beast. He and Joakim are absolute freaks with their ability to successfully guard perimeter players on switches while also protecting the rim incredibly effectively. I can’t think of many power forwards in the league who are better overall defensively, so I could definitely see him making it.

TJ: For a couple of reasons, I feel pretty safe in saying that he won’t. First, voters will give Joakim Noah a lot of support, and a .500 team simply won’t get enough attention to warrant a second candidate. Also, to reach that incentive, he’d need be in the top four forwards for votes. Paul George and Serge Ibaka are locks. So is LeBron James, despite attention being drawn to a down year by his standards. That leaves one spot that I’d guess begins a long run of selections for Anthony Davis, or Andre Iguodala depending on if he’s deemed a guard or a forward. It should also be stated that Taj’s omission will be fair, as he plays significantly fewer minutes than his contemporaries.

3. Derrick Rose has started practicing again and, predictably, the media are talking about his potential to return ahead of schedule. Will he, and should he?

PO: There may be increasing chatter about an early return this season but as we have seen with the Rose camp previously, they won’t take the risk. If last season’s surprisingly good team wasn’t good enough to inspire a comeback, this certainly can’t.

EN: He won’t and he shouldn’t. I know the backlash he received from fans last time was probably a bit annoying, but I just don’t see how someone who has gone through the injury process already would willingly rush back onto the floor. Last time, it took Rose a significant amount of time to feel comfortable moving around on the floor when returning from injury and I expect much of the same this time around.

AS: I don’t believe Rose will come back earlier even if he has the option. He and his camp have played it safe in the past and there’s nothing to suggest they’ll opt to approach things differently this time around. Nor should he/they. Think back to Russell Westbrook’s situation. Rose said he should take his time returning to the game, Westbrook ignored him, returned, and subsequently was on the sidelines again with inflammation in his surgically repaired knee. Waiting that extra bit of time, even if cleared, does no harm. It just assures that Rose will be 100% ready.

KF: He won’t. I don’t know if he should. I don’t want to think about it. The whole situation just makes me sad.

TJ: No, he won’t because if last year’s team wasn’t worth returning for, this iteration that lacks Luol Deng and Nate Robinson certainly isn’t. He shouldn’t because this time around he gets to participate in Team USA Olympic practices. Even if he isn’t close enough to 100% to make the World Championship team, those workouts will provide the kind of floor time prior to training camp and preseason that would have helped him knock off the rust and lack of rhythm that dogged him in this regular season prior to his meniscus tear.

4. Talk has been constant this season of Tom Thibodeau being poached by the Knicks this summer. How much credibility do you give that scenario?

PO: Not too much. I think given the friction between Thibodeau and the front office lends the rumors a certain air of believability but the real problem is the lack of draw to the Knicks. Assuming Thibodeau did want to leave, what reason would he have to go to a team lacking in future draft picks, tradable assets, adequate defenders and potentially no superstar if Carmelo leaves.

EN:I understand that Tom Thibodeau’s fit with Chicago might not be the best anymore, but I just don’t see how the Knicks are able to pry him away from the Bulls. The Knicks have NO assets going forward and nothing that the Bulls might value. Unless the Knicks are willing to give the Bulls a whole lot of cash, I’m just not sure what the Bulls would be willing to accept from the Knicks for Thibodeau’s services.

AS: None. I’ve been vocal that I believe that the Bulls will part with Thibodeau soon because of the clash between him and the front office, but I don’t believe he’s going to New York for a second. Not unless the Knicks have a first round pick they can offer Chicago.

KF: Zero credibility. Thibodeau may be unhappy with the front office, and he certainly has a few good reasons, but the Knicks have nothing of value to offer the Bulls in exchange for Coach Thibs, who is under contract, as they’ve dealt all their picks seemingly in perpetuity, and Thibodeau would be very sad coaching that horrible mess of a roster.

TJ: None. If Thibs has problems with Chicago’s management, he’d have even more with New York’s. While his coaching mentality might be shortsighted at times, he’s anything but stupid. If really he wants out of Chicago, there’s worse things than playing out your contract with the asset-rich Bulls during Rose and Noah’s primes, then getting to be the best candidate on the market in a couple years. He’d have teams lining up for him, among them potentially a reloaded Lakers team and a few of the currently-rebuilding franchises that in a couple years will have a young superstar or two ready to contend for the next decade.

5. We’re halfway through the season. Who is the team’s MVP thus far?

PO: The majority will say Joakim Noah and rightly so. However, I’m going to go for the man behind the machine: Tom Thibodeau. Noah is the on-court manifestation of Thibodeau’s philosophy – play hard, defend well, make the smart offensive play. His schemes and strategies do not care for the ability of the players on the roster, a fact we knew before this season but one that has been driven home emphatically with the likes of D.J. Augustin and Mike Dunleavy seamlessly transitioning into the defense. It also speaks volumes that not a single player who has arrived in Chicago under Thibodeau has refused to buy in to his message.

EN:Joakim Noah. Noah is one of my favorite players in the league, so I may be a bit biased, but I don’t think there is anyone else in the conversation for Bulls MVP thus far. Noah has held this team together amid a season full of turmoil and he is finally getting all of the attention he has deserved for a long time.

AS: Standard answers here will say Joakim Noah and/or Tom Thibodeau and those are 100% correct answers. But I’m going to go full hipster and say DJ Augustin. Chicago’s point guard situation is abysmal. Kirk Hinrich? Seriously? Augustin has run the point beautifully for Chicago and provided a scoring option and been the reason Chicago has won a good number of games. Augustin has scored in double digits in 21 of his 30 games with Chicago and Chicago is 14-7 when he’s scored in double digits (two of the losses coming against OKC and a one-point loss to Orlando). PS- Come at me Hinrich stans.

KF: Joakim Noah, because obviously.

TJ: If this were strictly about play on the court, Taj Gibson might have an argument, but when you consider all of the other factors in this lost season, it has to be Joakim Noah. Certain players demand excellence from their teammates and compel everyone else to sustain a level of both professionalism and passion. Noah has sustained this team through Rose’s injury, the Luol Deng trade and the daily grind of a season they no longer have a chance of capping with a title. There’s only a few players in the entire league capable of doing that. Then, to cement his case, add in that he’s their defensive anchor, capable of defending in space and that he functions as an offensive hub at the top of the key.

The post 5-on-5: Taking a look at the latest news, rumors and awards appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

From Flickr via Keith Allison

It’s starting to seem like media in Chicago have a particular soft spot for players who are not good at their jobs. After Kirk Hinrich received a glowing little write-up from the immortal Joe Cowley for accepting a diminished role after returning from injury — we’ll leave aside the issue of his regaining his starting spot — Sam Smith came out in defense of one Carlos Boozer following the Chicago Bulls’ 101-92 win over the Phoenix Suns.

Both pieces are essentially about Boozer’s comments on Monday asking for more playing time in the fourth quarter. Since then, Tom Thibodeau has played Boozer extended fourth quarter minutes in garbage time against the Sacramento Kings, and then putting him back in during actual crunch time against the Suns. Boozer actually got to the rim and scored in his stint in Phoenix, something he hasn’t done a ton of this season. It was nice to see.

That actually brings me to the point here: Boozer has been bad this year, and that outlier drive against Phoenix tells me why. Here’s a look at Boozer’s shot distribution this season. See if you can spot any obvious problems.

It’s that 45 percent from midrange that concerns me. Boozer takes about 14 shots per game, so 45 percent of that is a little more than 6 midrange attempts per game. That’s too many, and it’s also why Boozer is posting literally the worst statistical season of his career.

Think I’m exaggerating? Let’s go down the list. Boozer’s 17.8 points per-36 minutes this season is the lowest he’s put up since his second season in the NBA in 2004. If, for some inexplicable reason, you prefer per-game totals, his raw 14.8 points per game is the worst he’s averaged since his rookie season.

But wait, there’s more! Boozer’s posting his third-lowest mark in both rebounds per-36 (10.4, tied for third-worst with 2011-12) and in total rebound percentage (16.3%). He’s posting by far the worst PER of his career, a below-league average mark of 14.5 (his previous worst came last season at 17.1), as well as career-lows — by a lot — in true shooting percentage (.488) and effective field goal percentage (.452). For good measure, I’ll also mention that this season’s .215 free throw rate — which translates to a bit more than one free throw attempt for every five field goal attempts — is the second worst mark in his career. Keep in mind that this is all happening while Boozer posts his second-highest usage rate (26.7) ever. Oh, and he’s putting up NEGATIVE OFFENSIVE WIN SHARES, per basketball-reference, which is where I got all of the information in the last two paragraphs.

Please note that I haven’t even addressed defense yet. Boozer’s defense is obviously poor, so rather than go down an entire list of his failings, I’ll simply point to Sam Smith’s defense of his defense — heh — and how absurd it is.

Boozer always has been known as a limited defender. But because he was with the Bulls, and little difference than he ever was before, he’s become a target of fan and media criticism at times over defense. The truth is as good a defensive team as the Bulls have been, there always have been two or three weak defenders among them. None have been condemned as Boozer has been. Even very good ones like Jimmy Butler are often beaten off the dribble. It’s often impossible to play great defense on any regular basis in the NBA. Especially with so many rules against physical contact.

Oh, Sam. Sam, Sam, Sam. Anyway, Boozer has been bad, and it all comes back to how many midrange shots he takes. See, once upon a time, Boozer was an elite midrange shooter, posting a 44 percent mark from there back in 2011-12. Now, he’s merely about average, as he’s shot 38 percent from there the last two seasons. 38 percent isn’t bad, don’t get me wrong, but it’s far from elite. It’s about average. Meanwhile, as he’s stopped making jumpers quite as often, he’s begun taking them much more often. Since arriving in Chicago, Boozer’s gone from taking 32 percent of his shots from midrange in 2010-11 (30 percent for Utah in 2009-10) to the aforementioned 45. So there you go.

Look, there are definitely reasons not to hate Boozer. Mini-outburst on Monday aside, he’s always been a true professional. He’s still an elite rebounder, and he’s actually quite good when he gets to the rim, as he’s shooting over 61 percent in the restricted area this season. But to suggest that it’s somehow unfair to call him out for playing poorly — and again, he has played very poorly by the numbers — is ridiculous.

Statistical support for this piece provided by NBA.com/stats.

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In the sheer mass of depression that was the Chicago Bulls’ 99-70 loss to the Sacramento Kings last night, and with Joakim Noah’s epic farewell to the referees after his ejection, it’s easy to overlook Tom Thibodeau trolling the crap out of Carlos Boozer. But we can’t pretend it didn’t happen.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 24 hours or so, you’re probably aware that Boozer let it be known that he’s not happy with being benched during most fourth quarters during his Bulls tenure. Leaving aside the part where this has been happening since Boozer got here and is somehow only now an issue, and that it works quite well, thank you very much, it was hard to imagine Thibs would take something like this lying down. And he did not disappoint.

Down 14 to start the fourth quarter, Thibs watched the Kings extend the lead to 18 with 9:36 left before he sent Boozer back into the game. By the five-minute mark, the league had swelled to 27, and Thibs had seen enough, summoning Erik Murphy — who, by the way, had played fewer total minutes than the Bulls have played games this season coming into last night — and sending him into the game.

…for Mike Dunleavy.

Boozer would play for another two minutes after Murphy entered the game, only leaving with 2:44 left and the Bulls down 28. I can only assume Thibs greeted Boozer on the sideline with something like this:

“YOU HAPPY NOW? YOU WANTED MORE FOURTH QUARTER MINUTES? WELL I GOT YOUR FOURTH QUARTER MINUTES RIGHT HERE. NOW SIT YOUR LAZY [redacted] [expletive deleted] DOWN BEFORE I DO IT FOR YOU.”

Credit: @cjzero

To some extent, it’s hard to blame Boozer too much for complaining. These last two seasons aren’t remotely what he signed up for when he agreed to join the Bulls. He’s been as healthy as he’s ever been the last three years, been every bit the good soldier right up until yesterday, and received nothing but abuse for his trouble. Obviously, most of that abuse is warranted, more or less, but still. Boozer’s tenure in Chicago has always had a (literal) expiration date, and we’re coming up on it now. I wish he wouldn’t sound off in the media about this stuff, but I understand where he’s coming from.

But seriously, it was totally worth it if only to see Thibs blatantly troll him like that.

The post Tom Thibodeau trolls Carlos Boozer expertly as Chicago Bulls lose to Sacramento Kings appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Carlos Boozer being benched late in games in favor of Taj Gibson is a move we’ve become accustomed to seeing Thibodeau make over the past several years. In previous years Boozer, though a better offensive option, was a giant hole on defense that Thibodeau couldn’t trust. And this year, we’ve seen Thibodeau play Gibson more late in games as Gibson has improved his offensive game.

Obviously no one likes to be benched, especially guys at the highest level of the game. But in Chicago, a fairly quiet organization, no one has publicly complained about their grievances (at least not the players… looking at you Reggie Rose). That all changed today when Boozer vented his frustrations to ESPN’s Nick Friedell.

Boozer very frustrated with his lack of minutes in the fourth quarter. Wants to make it clear he would like to play more down the stretch.

— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) February 3, 2014

Boozer on 4th Q minutes: “I think I should be out there but it’s (Thibs’) choice. He makes the decisions out there. I play, he coaches …”

— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) February 3, 2014

Boozer:”He’s been doing that a lot since I’ve been here, not putting me in the 4th qtr. Sometimes we win, but more times than not we don’t”

— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) February 3, 2014

Again, the frustration is understandable. No one wants and likes to be benched. But going public with his frustrations was not the smartest move by Boozer, especially when the organization he works for is intensely private and tries to keep all matters internal (quite successfully might I add).

What’s more is Boozer’s comments are a bit ridiculous. As our friend’s at Blog-A-Bull have pointed out, the numbers show Taj Gibson has been significantly better in the fourth quarter than Boozer;

In 116 fourth-quarter minutes, Boozer is shooting just 40.0 percent from the field, by far his worst mark of any quarter (not counting overtimes). Meanwhile, Gibson is at 49.0 percent in 451 fourth-quarter minutes.

Going further, the team has simply performed better with Gibson on the court in the fourth quarter this year. Gibson has a net rating of 0.9 in the fourth quarter, while Boozer’s is -7.0. Want more? Boozer is generally terrible when the game is close, shooting under 40 percent when the score is within five points. Gibson is at 47.0 percent in those situations this year.

How Thibodeau handles the situation with Boozer will be interesting to see but our guess is that it’ll involve some screaming, spit flying out of his mouth as he speaks, and his skin turning some hue of red.

If you want to read the full ESPN report, it can be found here.

The post Carlos Boozer Vocally Unhappy With Crunch Time Minutes appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

With health finally improving enough to let Joakim Noah return and allow Jimmy Butler to look much more comfortable than he has late since battling through a string of injuries.

This will be the second meeting with the Pelicans, the first being a memorable triple-overtime game with Anthony Davis on the sidelines in Chicago.

Since then, Davis has returned and picked up where he left off, his play making him one of the biggest of this season’s All-Star snubs.

However, Ryan Anderson has replaced Davis on the injury report, the Pelicans being forced to shut him down for several weeks with the sharpshooting big man suffering a herniated disk in his back.

The ongoing injury nightmare for New Orleans has also robbed them of Jrue Holiday thanks to a stress fracture.

The Pelicans’ season has largely been a story of wild inconsistency. Monty Williams has enjoyed a solid reputation as a defensive-minded coach, yet the Pelicans have ranked near the bottom of the league in several defensive statistics most of this season. This despite the presence of Anthony Davis, one of the best upcoming young talents on both sides of the ball.

New Orleans, 4-6 in their last ten games, has shown some signs of righting the ship with four wins their last six games, holding opponents to under 100 points in three of the four victories.

With Holiday out indefinitely, Brian Roberts has stepped into a starting role and has been surprisingly effective, averaging 13.0 points per game over the previous five games.

Probable Starters

Chicago Bulls

PG: D.J. Augustin, 6th season. 13.7 points per game, 6.0 assists per game.

SG: Jimmy Butler, 3rd season. 12.2 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game.

SF: Mike Dunleavy, Jr, 12th season. 11.2 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game.

PF: Carlos Boozer, 12th season. 15.1 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per game.

C: Joakim Noah, 7th season. 11.7 points per game, 11.4 rebounds per game.

New Orleans Hornets

PG: Brian Roberts, 2nd season. 7.4 points per game, 2.7 assists per game.

SG: Eric Gordon, 6th season. 15.9 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game.

SF: Al-Farouq Aminu, 4th season. 7.7 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game.

PF: Anthony Davis, 2nd season. 20.4 points per game, 10.4 rebounds per game.

C: Greg Stiemsma, 3rd season. 2.8 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game.

The post Game #46: Bulls at Pelicans Preview appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

The Bulls and Clippers meet in Chicago tonight in a battle between two teams who have suffered through numerous point guard injuries this season. The Bulls’ problems have been covered in detail here and elsewhere, while the Clippers has gone rather unreported of late.

Since losing Chris Paul, the Clippers’ have lost Darren Collison – who returns from a sprained left big toe tonight – and even acquired Hedo Turkoglu to fill in as point forward with predictably bad results.

Los Angeles comes into the game seeking to avoid back-to-back defeats for the first time since losing Paul to a sprained right shoulder having lost 95-91 in Charlotte.

For the Bulls, Carlos Boozer is expected to return from his one-game absence while Kirk Hinrich will likely sit out again nursing a hamstring injury.

With Chris Paul out, the Clippers’ offense has foundered, failing to score 93 points in two of their last three games. Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford, whom Tom Thibodeau singled out for praise on Friday, will take up the brunt of the scoring again, resulting in a pair of key match-ups tonight.

Joakim Noah will seek to extend his career-best 14-game streak of double-doubles, the longest such streak by a Bull since Dennis Rodman racked up 43 consecutive double-doubles in the 1997-98 season. His box score stuffing has been vital to the Bulls since trading Luol Deng, averaging 14.1 points, 15.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.0 blocks per game since the trade.

Scoring is up across the board since the trade, with six players averaging double-digit scoring allowing the Bulls to take the court with a balanced offense to go with their trademark suffocating defense.

Probable Starters

Chicago Bulls

PG: D.J. Augustin: 5th season. 13.0 points per game, 6.1 assists per game.

SG: Jimmy Butler: 3rd season. 12.2 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game.

SF: Mike Dunleavy: 11th season. 11.1 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game.

PF: Carlos Boozer: 11th season. 14.9 points per game, 8.5 rebounds per game.

C: Joakim Noah: 6th season. 11.7 points per game, 11.4 rebounds per game.

Los Angeles Clippers

PG: Darren Collison: 4th season. 9.3 points per game, 3.0 assists per game.

SG: J.J. Redick: 7th season. 16.3 points per game, 2.2 rebounds per game.

SF: Matt Barnes: 10th season. 7.1 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game.

PF: Blake Griffin: 3rd season. 22.6 points per game, 10.0 rebounds per game.

C: DeAndre Jordan: 5th season. 9.6 points per game, 13.6 rebounds per game.

Key Match-up: Blake Griffin/DeAndre Jordan vs Taj Gibson/Joakim Noah

It would be too difficult to pick just one of these frontcourt match-ups, but with Taj Gibson the Bulls de-facto power forward to close out games, either he or Noah will be tasked with handling Blake Griffin. Griffin has scored 51 points to go with 22 rebounds in his last two games against the Bulls, the last of which was a 39-point blowout as the shell-shocked Bulls played their first full game without Derrick Rose. As for the second half of this match-up, DeAndre Jordan has become one of the premier rebounders and shot-blockers in the league this season as he averages as 13.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game – both career highs. Joakim Noah will have his work cut out for him to not only continue his own double-double streak but prevent Jordan from owning the glass. With both teams devoid of their best point guards, this game could be won – and lost – in the trenches.

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From Caro Wallis | Flickr

The Bulls headed north to face the Milwaukee Bucks Friday night in a Central Division matchup of two teams trending in different directions.

Chicago ran out 81-72 winners, despite a 12-point fourth quarter. In a game the Bulls led for the majority. Carlos Boozer led in scoring with 19 points to go with 13 rebounds but it was Mike Dunleavy’s 18 points, including six straight in the final two minutes, that gave the Bulls their seventh win in nine contests and ensured Chicago stayed unbeaten in Milwaukee since 2009.

Both teams shot horrendously from the floor, the Bulls winning despite shooting 38 percent while Milwaukee was held to a paltry 31 percent.

Chicago also enjoyed success at the free-throw line, shooting a staggering 39 free throw attempts, three shy of their season high against Memphis. In comparison, the Bucks went to the line just 12 times all night.

The Bucks opened the game quickly on a 10-1 run, hitting four of their first seven shots while Chicago’s offense was a stagnant, predictable affair with Kirk Hinrich running the show.

The introduction of D.J. Augustin late in the first quarter gave the Bulls offense some penetration, forcing Milwaukee’s defense to collapse and leaving plenty of space for Mike Dunleavy to splash three first-half triples on his way to 11 points at the interval.

Carlos Boozer was the hot hand early, scoring or assisting on 11 of Chicago’s first 16 points as he poured in 15 points and grabbed 5 rebounds as the Bucks’ frontcourt struggled through foul trouble in a first half dominated by tight refereeing, particularly on Milwaukee’s defensive possessions.

Chicago went to the line 28 times in the opening 24 minutes, compared to just 27 field goal attempts. The Bucks attempted just six shots from the charity stripe in the first half. The Bulls converted 21 of their 28 free-throws, leading 47-45 at the half.

The Bulls opened the third quarter on a 6-0 run as Milwaukee’s porous defense allowed Chicago great inside penetration with Boozer finishing the period with 19 points.

The Bucks scored just 14 points in the third as Chicago’s defense finally looked to exert some influence on the game.

The Bulls carried a 69-59 lead into the final frame but allowed Milwaukee to score the first seven points of the fourth quarter, including a wide-open Luke Ridnour three off another Bucks’ offensive rebound.

The Bulls continued their free throw dominance in the second half, with Gibson shooting the Bulls’ 34th and 35th free throws midway through the fourth to keep the Bulls noses ahead 73-71 before Dunleavy hit a jumper coming off a series of screens.

The Bulls offense began to stagnate again as the fourth quarter wore on as they took just one of their first 11 shot attempts in the final period inside the paint while Milwaukee went on a quick 7-0 spurt to close with three points before briefly tying the score at 71 with a little under four minutes to play.

Mike Dunleavy became the Bulls go-to scorer as Boozer went scoreless in the final quarter, scoring six consecutive points in the final two minutes from the field and free-throw line. His two free-throws en route to 18 points giving Chicago a 79-72 lead with just 1:16 to play before Kirk Hinrich sealed the victory with a mid-range pull-up with 20 seconds to play for the final margin.

Again criticism will come the way of the Bulls training staff as first Taj Gibson then Jimmy Butler returned to the game after being helped off, the latter noticeably laboring his way through a huge portion of the fourth quarter.

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The Bulls shot 36 percent from the field and amassed just 77 points, their fourth sub-80 point game in their last four and third consecutive loss.

It was awful from top to bottom – Toronto led early on and never really looked like being tested by a Bulls team short on scoring.

Toronto is openly, unabashedly tanking and yet the Bulls made them look like a team capable of earning a top-4 seed in the playoffs. Chicago desperately needs some time off to collect their thoughts, recover from the numerous nagging aches and pains and somehow find a way to rally.

The game was never truly out of Toronto’s hands – they led by 10 at halftime and held the Bulls scoreless through the first three minutes of the third quarter – being renamed the turd quarter for the Bulls – as they broke the game open.

Chicago gamely tried to make a comeback with Jimmy Butler connecting from behind the arc before Joakim Noah added two quick buckets. D.J. Augustin made his only shot of the night as the Bulls pulled within ten as the end of the quarter approached.

From there however, the Raptors stabilized the gap, maintaining a lead that never fluctuated much until late in the fourth quarter when a quick burst sent them clear for good.

Luol Deng returned from his latest injury to lead all scorers with 17 points, though he took 19 shots and failed to crack 20 points for the first time in six games. Carlos Boozer was simply awful tonight, finishing with eight points on 18 shots and failing to get to the free-throw line in 27 minutes.

Mike Dunleavy returned to the bench after Friday’s heroics in Milwaukee and shot a dismal 1-6 from behind the arc, finishing with 14 points on 5-12 shooting.

Kyle Lowry led the Raptors with 16 points while DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas and Amier Johnson combined for 44 points, each scoring in double figures. Only Terrence Ross (4-12) shot under 50 percent among the Raptors’ starters.

New Bull D.J. Augustin also endured a cold shooting night, hitting one of his seven shots (a three in the fourth quarter), though he finished with 6 assists and zero turnovers, respectable considering he has yet to spend time learning the offense or tendencies of his team-mates.

Marquis Teague, who did not play in Milwaukee, was promoted into the starting lineup and was at least aggressively attacking the hoop and creating some kind of offense. Teague has proven a pesky defender and this trait is keeping him on the court for the time being.

Without sounding too extreme, the Bulls need to produce some kind of uptick in performance soon. The calls to trade Luol Deng and at least attempt to find a partner for Carlos Boozer’s contract are growing with every disheartening defeat such as this.

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