So.
I really don’t know what to say. In nine days, we’ve gone from a shellacking of the then-undefeated Indiana Pacers to losing to the previously 1-14 Utah Jazz in what really should’ve been a blowout. By the Jazz, that is.
Derrick Rose is out for the year after tearing his meniscus. Jimmy Butler is hurt. Joakim Noah isn’t quite right. Kirk Hinrich is terrible. Marquis Teague is similarly terrible, as much as it pains me to say it. This team isn’t going anywhere and Tom Thibodeau isn’t going to tank. We’re so screwed.
Anyway, on to what we learned. Let’s see how long I can keep this going before it devolves into incoherent swearing.
1. Tony Snell seems like he could be OK.
Thibs shocked the world by announcing shortly before the game that little-used rookie Tony Snell would receive his first career start. Apparently, this was done to allow Mike Dunleavy to anchor the second unit, which would’ve gone better if he hadn’t gone 1/8 from the field. Anyway, Snell scored 9 points on 3/7 from the field and hit the Bulls’ only three pointer of the game. He wasn’t exactly electric or anything, but he was OK, which is a lot more than I can say about the rest of the team. He does what he needs to do defensively and he’s aware of his limitations on offense. I’ll take it, at this point.
2. This is the Luol Deng & Carlos Boozer Show now.
Deng and Boozer combined to take 41 shots. The rest of the team combined to take 38. I don’t know if that’s good or bad – Deng basically took over for much of the fourth quarter to drag the Bulls kicking and screaming into overtime, for whatever that’s worth — but it doesn’t figure to change going forward. Those two are the only players left on the team who have any semblance of shot creating ability, as long as Teague refuses to stop sucking. So get ready for a whole bunch of contested 15-20 footers the rest of the way.
I sincerely don’t know what else to say. The rest of this season is going to be rough in a way that I don’t think any of us are really prepared for. Deng might end up traded, as might some other guys. Jimmy will be back eventually, and that will help, but without Rose, this team is borderline unwatchable.
The Bulls have today off before they take on the Detroit Pistons on the road. May god have mercy on our souls and we travel once more into the breach.
We need new management. They said today they are not going to change our roster and are confident in what we have. How does that make any sense? We have had the same problem for the last 4-5 years: no offense when Rose isn’t on the court. Taj Gibson sucks, Deng walks free unless we trade him and our rookies/teague have no future on a championship caliber team. We have Rose, Noah and Jimmy. That’s it. Time to rebuild and make some moves. Who knows how much money Moritic is going to demand to actually come over and play a game in our uniform. The future looks dim and this year could be the ugliest since 2000.
Front office once again usinf drose injury as excuse not to do anything
And taj doesnt suck, deng should remain a bull, they have to resign him.