Avi Saini: I’m unsure. It’s hard to say mainly because no one really knows what the future plans are at the moment. There have been talks for a while now saying that the Bulls are potentially looking at making a run at one of the big name free agents during the 2014 offseason. If that’s the case then it seems as if Deng doesn’t fit into the front office’s plan. However, financially the Bulls don’t have enough cap space to get one of the big name free agents and bring over Nikola Mirotic at the same time. I believe we’ll get a more definite answer later on in the season if the front office begins to participate in trades to free up money.

Braedan Ritter: Assuming the Bulls’ plan is to win a championship, then I believe he does fit in. Deng is a top-tier defender, a good all-around player and Tom Thibodeau’s workhorse. He has led the league in minutes per game the last two seasons, and even though his shooting numbers have dipped in recent years, he is still one of the most important members of the Bulls (even more so when they are facing the Heat). Chicago has to cut costs though, as they don’t want to be in the tax for a third consecutive year—which they may face in 2014-2015—and letting Deng walk would be an easy way to drop a lot of salary (letting him walk also frees up some cash to try and sign a bigger name free agent). Deng fits into the plan to win a championship, but his contract doesn’t, and the Bulls seem to always side with what pockets them the most money. He won’t fit into the future plans unless he takes a discount to stay in Chicago.

Matt McHale: Deng is a do-everything wing player who always goes full-tilt and plays elite defense at multiple positions. He’s also highly respected by his Bulls teammates and an absolute favorite of coach Tom Thibodeau. And with an actual summer off to rest and recover from lingering injuries that included a fractured thumb and damage to ligaments in his left wrist, Deng might actually be capable of playing better and more efficiently than he has the past two seasons, during which he was selected for back-to-back All-Star appearances. So there’s no question Deng fits in with whatever the Bulls could possibly be planning from a pure basketball perspective. Frankly, there aren’t many places in the NBA where he wouldn’t fit in as a player.

Unfortunately, re-signing Deng may not make much financial sense. The generally accepted premise is that Lu could demand a multi-year contract that pays around $12 annually. According to ShamSports, the Bulls are due to pay around $55 million in 2014-15 for the combination of Carlos Boozer, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. Adding another $12 million for Deng pushes that number up to $67 million. Even if management uses the amnesty provision to cut Boozer’s $16.8 million salary for that season, the Bulls would be left with no flexibility to pursue another star to pair with Rose.

Even if you love what Deng does for the Bulls — and who wouldn’t? — we’re talking about a player with a long injury history who is edging ever closer to 30 and (as Bill Simmons might point out) already has almost 700 games and nearly 25,000 minutes on his NBA odometer (combined regular season and playoffs). Forget the immediate future. Is Deng going to be worth $12 million per year three or four years from now?

About the only way I can imagine Deng wearing a Bulls uniform past next season is if he agrees to take a pretty major pay cut. And why would he do that?

2. Which teams might try to sign or trade for Deng?

Avi Saini: The only teams I can see wanting to trade for Deng are teams who want to try to make a run at the big name free agents next offseason. Deng’s $14 million expiring deal would free up a sizable chunk of change and is attractive for teams trying to free up money. However, the only situation in which Deng would be traded to one of those teams is if Gar Foreman and John Paxson give up their 2014 plan for good. As far as teams that may sign Deng during the offseason, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, any team that completely strikes out on the big name free agents next year will look to make a run at Deng.

Braedan Ritter: Teams that want to trade for him at the deadline would most likely be looking for his expiring contract so that they can let him walk at the end of the season and go after one of the potential max contract free agents. It’ll be interesting whether or not Chicago shops him at the deadline. If the Bulls really don’t think they’ll resign Deng in the offseason, and they know better than anyone else would of their intentions, they should at least try and get something in return for him. This would put a big dent in their title hopes, but by mid-season there will also be a clearer championship picture and maybe it would be in the Bulls best interest to shake things up.

Those big-name free agents will also play a role in where Deng will land this summer. Whichever teams miss out on the bigger names will go at Deng, and some of those teams could potentially have a lot of money if they whiff on other players. Lu would be a great addition to any team that is looking for a veteran small forward.

Matt McHale: As I pointed out above, Deng skills and willingness to do whatever his team needs would make him a great fit virtually anywhere. However, he’s not going to get the numbers he wants from a championship contender. Brooklyn, Houston, Indiana, Miami, Oklahoma City, San Antonio…none of the teams projected to be legitimate contenders in the next few seasons will have an extra $12 million-ish to sign Deng with. Assuming the Bulls are unable to trade him during the upcoming season or work out a sign-and-trade deal next summer, some middling or lower echelon team may try to make a big splash by signing a known commodity with great pedigree. Maybe it’ll be the Philadelphia 76ers. Maybe the Orlando Magic. Etc.

3. Fact or Fiction: Deng will resign with the Bulls next summer.

Avi Saini: Fiction. Continuing with my line of thought from the previous question, any team that strikes out on the big name players will overreact to their offseason failures then turn to Deng and make a hard push to get him. Part of this, as recent offseason history suggests, means that a team will be willing to pay Deng around $14 million per year, roughly what he is making now and roughly what the Sacramento Kings set Deng’s market value at when they were bidding on Andre Iguodala. Unfortunately Chicago will be cash strapped for several years to come and will not be able to offer Deng around what he could get on the market without severely hampering their future. Because the NBA is a business and Deng, like 99% of all athletes, needs to make as much money as he can to last him the rest of his life, I see him taking the larger deal and leaving Chicago.

Braedan Ritter: Fiction. I think the Bulls want Deng to take a hometown discount, and Deng sees this as his last chance to get paid. I assume Kirk Hinrich and perhaps even Carlos Boozer will be following Lu out the door after this year as the Bulls go in a different direction, still building around Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. You can’t blame Deng for looking for a big payday, especially considering its unclear how much time he has left on his over-worked body. I suspect at least one team will overpay Deng with a deal that puts him out of the Bulls’ price range.

Matt McHale: Fiction. I can’t see it happening for all the reasons I outlined above. If the Bulls want to bring in another top talent to compliment Rose — and they simply must to have any hope of competing with the Miami Heats and Oklahoma City Thunders of the NBA world — there’s no way they can commit to paying Deng $12 million or more per year for the next four to five seasons. Not given the risks involved due to his age, injury history, and the general wear and tear of his career-to-date. And there’s little chance Deng will pass up the opportunity to do what’s best for him financially. Nor should he. But the most likely scenario I can foresee is Deng making a lot of money and losing a lot of games for a lesser team.

The post 3-on-3: Luol Deng’s future appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Avi Saini: Fiction times 100. When Derrick Rose answered the question stating he believes he’s the best in the league, my jaw almost broke after hitting the ground as hard as it did. I love Rose and the confidence he’s displaying in his abilities (as any basketball player should), but who is he trying to kid? Lebron James is the best in the league without question. If Rose truly believes that he’s the best player in the league, I wish he would have taken the more political route with his answer by implying he’s the best in the league without blatantly saying it.

Braedan Ritter: Fiction. LeBron James has been the best player in the NBA for a while now, and he doesn’t look like he is going to give up his throne any time soon. But I also think Derrick Rose believes he is the best player in the NBA and I have absolutely no problem with him saying it (Rose also said in the interview that LeBron is the toughest player to defend). The players who have made it to the pros, the smallest percentage of elite basketball players, need this type of confidence. If you asked a lot of NBA players who they thought was the best player in the league, I would guess a good number would say themselves. While that makes them factually wrong, it doesn’t mean they were wrong to say it. Don’t we always complain when athletes throw out clichés in interviews? Now we complain when they’re honest?

Rose hasn’t played in more than a year, so he obviously isn’t going to be the best on the court when he returns in October, but for a guy who struggled with his confidence after being cleared to play last season, I’d say this type of statement is a good sign.

Matt McHale: Fiction. Here’s the thing: you have to actually play in the NBA to be the best player in the NBA, and Rose hasn’t logged even a microsecond of PT since injuring his knee during the first game of the 2012 playoffs. Mind you, that was after he missed almost half of the lockout-shortened season due to a variety of injuries. I’m a huge Derrick Rose fan, but given all the controversy of his non-return and LeBron’s overwhelming MVP campaign last season, his words feel…poorly timed and poorly chosen. After a season of barely talking, this is not what Bulls fans wanted to hear. Rose should be preparing for a comeback for the ages, not channeling his inner Stephon Marbury.

2. Fact or Fiction: Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau will keep his promise to play Joakim Noah fewer minutes next season.

Avi Saini: Fiction. To cut Noah’s minutes would mean that the Bulls have a solid backup center who could at least maintain somewhat of a paint presence for Chicago. Cutting Noah’s minutes also means Chicago would have someone who could step in and play somewhere from 15 to 20 minutes per game. Chicago has neither of these. Nazr Mohammed is a serviceable player but at his age and with his level of production Mohammed is unlikely to fill either of these needs. Given that the free agent market has already died down and that big men who can play 15-20 minutes per game cost more than a veteran’s minimum, I believe the Bulls will still need to rely heavily on Noah next season and that his minutes will not change.

Braedan Ritter: Fiction. When it comes to Tom Thibodeau and his rotations/minutes load, consider me always skeptical. Thibs knew Noah had injury issues and foot problems heading into last season, but still played him more than 38 minutes per game before the All-Star break. That number only decreased when Noah’s plantar fasciitis came about. And even after the break, Jo was playing better than 32 minutes per contest, with many of those games being meaningless. And don’t even get me started on Luol Deng and Jimmy Butler.

I’m sure Noah was more than happy to play through his injury, but as we have seen in many cases in many sports, players often have to be held back for their own good. I don’t see Thibs holding Jo back and considering the Bulls still don’t have a true back-up center, I don’t see Noah’s minutes decreasing. But I still hope that they will go down to a more reasonable number for a center with an injury history.

Matt McHale: Fact (maybe). If only because Thibs may not have a choice. Mind you, this is all conjecture on my part, but let’s not forget that Bulls executive vice president John Paxson once reportedly got into a physical altercation with then-coach Vinny Del Negro when VDN exceeded a limit on Noah’s minutes that had been imposed by management. More recently, Thibodeau’s top assistant, Ron Adams, was let go. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reported on his Twitter feed that the dismissal may have had something to do with Adam’s criticizing personnel moves. And then Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that the GM/coach relationship between Forman and Thibs is “easily the worst in the NBA.” Given the team’s financial investment in Noah, and Noah’s difficulty staying healthy, I wouldn’t be surprised if management once again imposed some sort of general restriction on Noah’s minutes.

3. Fact or Fiction: The Bulls are done making offseason moves.

Avi Saini: Fact. I don’t want to rule anything out because the Bulls are supposedly still pursuing Marcus Camby, but for the most part I believe the Bulls are done. With the assumed addition of Tony Snell and Erik Murphy Chicago’s roster is already at 12 men. Additionally, the team already cut Malcolm Thomas to avoid paying a little more than $2 million in added luxury tax which indicates that they are likely going to avoid signing anyone else until later on in the season when they can offer non-guaranteed contracts. Unless the Bulls can find a good big man who is willing to play for the minimum, I wouldn’t expect any more noise from Chicago.

Braedan Ritter: Fact. Like it or not, the Bulls big splash this summer was signing Mike Dunleavy Jr. So while they may add a piece or two, perhaps bringing back Malcolm Thomas or signing Marcus Camby, it likely won’t be anything that will make a difference on the court. We’ve seen how hard it is to crack Thibodeau’s rotation, so anything signed at this point will be a spectator.

Matt McHale: Fact. Check the numbers. The Bulls are over the cap and — barring a salary dump trade — will probably end up paying a luxury tax for the second season in a row after having never paid it prior to last season. They won’t be spending any more money. They aren’t going to amnesty Carlos Boozer. And management claims they’re in no hurry to trade Luol Deng. I think the roster is pretty much locked up for the moment.

The post 3-on-3: Derrick Rose, minutes, and offseason moves appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Avi Saini: Fact. Aside from everything Braedan noted about scoring off of the bench, three-point shooting, and Marquis Teague and Kirk Hinrich, Nate Robinson acted as a pure energy guy off of the bench. While it may not seem important, having a guy who can energize the team on nights when no one really wants to be playing is often times the difference between a win and a loss. Having a boundless energy like Nate Robinson can also be a morale and chemistry boost for a team during rough stretches of the season. Nate wasn’t the best player on the Bulls and could be frustrating at times, but finding a high energy guy who is arguably more energetic than Joakim Noah and knows his role is tough to find.

Braedan Ritter: Fact. With Derrick Rose coming back, they won’t need his scoring as much as they did this past season, but having someone who can fill it up off the bench is always an advantage. I’m not yet sold on Marquis Teague, and Kirk Hinrich has his struggles (37 percent from the field last season) and injury issues, so I do think Nate still had a role on this team. Coming off the bench, Robinson averaged 12.4 points per game and shot 41.8 percent from deep. His minutes would be down this season, but the Bulls could use his long-range shooting as well as his ability to create a shot.

Matt McHale: Mostly fact. Nate wasn’t going to get nearly many minutes next season, not with Rose returning, nor with players like Hinrich (whom Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau loves for his defense) and Teague (whom the front office probably want Thibs to develop ala Jimmy Butler) both likely ahead of him in the depth chart. But Robinson is nearly without peer as an off-the-bench scorer/energy guy. And the Bulls will miss that during the long grind of the season.

2. How will the Bulls replace Nate’s scoring off the bench?

Avi Saini: I don’t think the Bulls do replace his scoring off of the bench. After his summer league performances, a lot of people are talking about Andrew Goudelock coming to Chicago to play Nate’s role. However, I find it highly unlikely Goudelock will agree to play in Chicago as the de facto third string point guard when he could likely get a role as a team’s backup. The only other Nate Robinson-esque player available in the market as a free agent is Gary Neal. Yesterday morning the San Antonio Spurs withdrew their qualifying offer making Neal an unrestricted free agent. However, Chicago is probably out of the running for Neal already as he will likely demand a multi-million dollar contract, something the Bulls cant offer.

Braedan Ritter: That is going to be one of the most important questions of the year, and honestly, I’m not sure where it’s going to come from. If I had to pick someone, it would be Mike Dunleavy. The former Buck can’t create his shot like Nate could, but depending on who he is playing with, he may be able to find himself open from three (42.8 percent from deep). The truth is, no one guy that the Bulls have on their current bench can do what Robinson did, with the combination of creating his own shot along with being a three-point threat. It’s going to have to be filled by committee, which means Taj Gibson, Kirk Hinrich and Dunleavy will have to step up.

Matt McHale: If we’ve learned anything about this team over the past couple seasons, the Bulls do everything by committee. If one guy gets hurt, one or more players need to step up. If somebody leaves or gets traded, the same rules apply. Still, expect some of the scoring deficit to get filled by Dunleavy Jr. and Teague. There’s nobody else like Robinson in the league let alone on the Bulls, so there’s no way to truly replace him. But as the coach and players might say, the team will still have more than enough to win.

3. What was your favorite Nate moment?

Avi Saini: Like Braedan, I have to go with the game against the New York Knicks but mostly for his funny feud with former Knicks player Steve Novak. For those of you who didn’t know, Steve Novak would often times use Aaron Rodgers’s “Championship Belt” (often referred to as the “Discount Double-Check”) celebration after making a three pointer. In a game against the Knicks, Nate Robinson did the same celebration after scoring a three pointer. Novak seemed to take issue with it, which Robinson laughed off considering it wasn’t Novak’s celebration to begin with. This sparked what I consider one of the most random and funny feuds to ever take place in basketball. Watching Nate Robinson tear the Knicks apart in that game was fun. But watching Robinson trash talk Novak after every made shot and seeing Robinson repeatedly do the celebration while looking over at Novak was pure gold.

Braedan Ritter: It’s hard to choose just one moment from his action-packed season. I’ve broken down some of the ones that stuck with me, and I’m still not sure which my favorite is. I should probably say his Game 4 performance against the Nets, because that was his best game and one of the two best Bulls’ games of the season, but I’ll say the time he “discount double-checked” over and over and over again. Not just for that moment, but for the game that went along with it, because that night was the perfect summation of Nate Robinson. He scored a season-high 35 in that contest, hitting five threes and outscoring the entire Knicks team in overtime to lead the Bulls to a 118-111 win that ended New York’s 13-game win streak. The two things that Nate added all year—scoring and entertainment—were on full display, as was his behavior that I didn’t fully embrace until he brought it to the Bulls. I’m going to miss you, Nate. Thanks for the memories.

Matt McHale: There’s no “one moment” for me. It was a nightly pleasure to watch the smallest guy on the floor have the biggest guts, take the biggest (and, often, most questionable) shots any and every time it mattered. Robinson played with the heart and soul of a superstar on a minimum contract. And he loved it. He loved every minute of it. The Bulls got everything they could have possibly hoped for out of the Nate Robinson experience. So did the fans. He’ll be missed, that’s for sure. Hopefully the return of Rose will ease the sting of his departure.

The post 3-on-3: Nate Robinson has left the building appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Avi Saini: Faction. Dunleavy Jr. is a strong shooter that opposing defenses will have to constantly account for as he shot 44.9%, 44.6%, and 47.8% in spot up, off screen, and transition situations, respectively, last season. While he will help the Bulls space the floor better, I don’t think he necessarily “solves” the problem on his own. Unless Tom Thibodeau has lost his mind, Dunleavy won’t be playing 48 minutes per game which means the Bulls will still have outside shooting woes when he’s on the bench. Ultimately, Chicago’s three-point shooting issues will only be solved if other players, namely Kirk Hinrich and Jimmy Butler, can step up to the task of knocking down three-point shots while Dunleavy is resting. Last year, both Hinrich and Butler shot a respectable 39.0% and 38.1%, respectively, from beyond the arc. If both can maintain that level of shooting or improve, something I hope at least Butler can do, then Chicago’s floor spacing issue may be solved.

Braedan Ritter: Fiction. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that Mike Dunleavy Jr. fixes the Bulls three-point shooting issue, but he definitely helps it. Dunleavy, who shot 42.8 percent from three last season, hit at a better rate than anyone on the Bulls did. MDJ will likely fill the role of Marco Belinelli, who shot 35.7 from deep; so that’s an improvement right off the bat. But the loss of Nate Robinson (.405) will hurt. If Luol Deng can rebound from his worst percentage (.322) since 2007-2008, Jimmy Butler can continue to improve as he did during the season and Derrick Rose comes back with an improved shot, I can see the Bulls being slightly better off from deep. However teams will probably still pack the paint and force Chicago to win from the outside.

Matt McHale: Fiction. Dunleavy’s shooting acumen is well-documented and he’s easily the team’s best pure three-point specialist since Kyle Korver was shipped out last summer. So that’s one guy on the team who can knock down threes…which isn’t going to cut it for a team with championship aspirations. Let’s take last season’s finalists for instance. The Miami Heat had five players shoot 40 percent or better from beyond the arc and ranked second overall in three-point accuracy (39.6 percent). The Spurs had four players hit 40 percent or better and ranked fourth in three-point percentage (37.6). This is no coincidence.

Three-point shooting is critical in today’s NBA. And while Dunleavy will provide much-needed outside shooting range off the bench, where’s it going to come from when he’s sitting, which will be most the time? The Bulls projected starting lineup has a dearth of long-range shooters. Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah don’t shoot threes. Derrick Rose is a career 31 percent three-point shooter who has never hit better than 33 percent of this treys. Luol Deng shot near a career-worst (32.2 percent) last season. Jimmy Butler shot a respectable 38.1 percent on threes and got progressively better as the season progressed…but there’s no telling yet whether that will continue.

Unless something changes, the Bulls’ outside shooting isn’t likely to improve much from last season, regardless of the Dunleavy signing.

2. Fact or Fiction: Bulls fans should be concerned about how the front office has managed the offseason so far.

Avi Saini: Fiction. Coming into this offseason over the luxury tax there were only two things the Bulls could do this offseason- 1) Use the mini-Mid Level Exception and seemingly dump the 2014 plan or 2) Simply sign veterans at the minimum and try for a star next offseason via the 2014 plan. They opted for the former. This should please Bulls fans for a several reasons. First it shows that a Jerry Reinsdorf team is FINALLY willing to go into the tax and stay in the tax to potentially win it all. Secondly, the Bulls were able to get someone who can possibly help the team win now rather than waste a year staying stagnant. And lastly it possibly put the very faulty 2014 plan to rest (as explained in a previous post in which Braeden and I debated the merits of trading Deng).

Braedan Ritter: Fiction. As far as signings go, the Bulls did the best they could with the room they had. They addressed their biggest need—shooting—and brought back Nazr Mohammed, who was serviceable last year. They are even going to be paying the tax again!

The only concern I have—granted it is a pretty big concern—is the fallout from Ron Adams’ firing. Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the relationship between Tom Thibodeau and Gar Forman is “easily the worst” coach-GM relationship in the league. I don’t agree with everything Thibs does, and there were surely reasons for firing Adams, but upsetting your head coach, a guy won Coach of the Year in 2010-2011 and is a defensive genius, doesn’t seem like a smart play from Forman. Thibodeaus don’t grow on trees.

Matt McHale: Fact-ish. The Bulls acquired Dunleavy for a relative bargain (approximately $6 million over two years), re-signed Mohammed for the vet’s minimum to back up Noah, let Marco Belinelli walk, and cut Rip Hamilton. I can’t really argue with any of those moves, and the Dunleavy signing was a strong positive. And for all the annual talk about the Bulls being cheap, they paid the luxury tax for last season’s payroll — for the first time ever mind you — and are slated to do so again this season.

That said, the Bulls didn’t make any significant upgrades to a roster that likely would have fallen short of championship expectations even if Rose had played last season. And as CSN Chicago’s Mark Schanowski pointed out, signing Dunleavy may have cost the Bulls a max contract slot in 2014.

Then there’s the somewhat mystifying Ron Adams situation. As Jeff Van Gundy said, it gives off the vibe that something’s wrong with the Bulls. A front office firing the head coach’s lead assistant — who also was reportedly very close to the team’s franchise player — is a bad sign no matter how you try to spin it.

Which leads to the question: What are the Bulls doing exactly? They’ve gone over the cap and surpassed the luxury tax threshold without going all-in the way the Nets did. They got a good deal on Dunleavy but it might have cost them the chance to sign another star to play alongside Rose next summer. And they may have semi-alienated Tom Thibodeau, who is the team’s second-best asset after Rose. Major cause for concern? Maybe not. But mild concern? Yes.

3. Fact or Fiction: As presently constituted, the Bulls have a legitimate shot to challenge for supremacy in the Eastern Conference next season.

Avi Saini: Fact-ish. Last season’s Bulls team was a fairly makeshift team that still wreaked a good deal of havoc in the league. And, at the close of the season despite the various issues that arose during the season, the Bulls still finished only five games back of the perceived second best team in the East, the Indiana Pacers. Assuming Derrick Rose comes back as good as ever and the team remains fairly healthy, I believe this year’s Chicago team is the second best team in the East. They have one of the league’s better benches and have one of the league’s best coaches running the show. However, in terms of challenging for supremacy further than that (aka beating Miami in the playoffs)… well let’s just color me skeptical. In the past three years we’ve only had one truly legitimate battle between the Heat and the Bulls back in the 2011 playoffs when both teams were fairly healthy. Aside from the starters, this year’s roster figures to be vastly different compared to that team from a few years ago and there’s no telling just how well they’ll matchup against the Heat in the playoffs. Until I see results showing otherwise, Miami remains the unchallenged supreme team in the East I question Chicago’s ability to push for supremacy further than the second best team in the East.

Braedan Ritter: Fact. Obviously, this all depends on Derrick Rose coming back strong, but I think the Bulls have a shot at the title (not just the Eastern Conference) with the team that is currently constructed. Miami is the clear favorite, and after that the Bulls, Pacers and Nets (perhaps?) will probably fight it out for the second seed, but I don’t see why the Bulls can’t be the ones on the top of that pile when the season ends. Miami was forced to seven games twice in the playoffs, and was 20 seconds away from losing the Finals in Game 6: they are beatable. But that only works if the Bulls are finally healthy and the-very-well-rested Rose plays like the MVP that he once was. Those are big “ifs” that haven’t fallen in the Bulls favor the past few seasons.

Matt McHale: Fact and Fiction. You can’t question Thibodeau’s ability to maximize the returns on the talent he has at his disposal. So assuming Rose returns anywhere near his old form and that there aren’t any other major injury problems, the Bulls will most likely challenge for the best regular season record in the East (and maybe the entire league) as they did the two seasons before Rose’s knee injury.

Of course, assuming there won’t be injury problems may be too big of an assumption considering how things have gone the past three seasons. For whatever reason, the Bulls have ranked among the league leaders in player games lost due to injury for several years. Then there’s the problem of history. What’s changed from the previous seasons in which the Bulls came up short? Will they be fully healthy? Will one superstar be enough? Will they have enough three-point shooting? Will Carlos Boozer be able to show up consistently in the playoffs? And so on.

I think the Bulls will be right there in the mix during the regular season because the coach and players will demand their best every night. But the issues that have haunted them in the past haven’t been addressed, which could end up haunting them come playoff time.

The post 3-on-3: The Bulls and the Offseason So Far appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

“You know, Scottie Pippen and I, we were just at Michael’s 50th birthday party, hanging out for a week, and we were talking. I’m going to tell you what Scottie said. I’m going to tell you what Scottie said. Scottie said that LeBron would’ve kicked MJ’s ass.”

After the expected cheering and applause, Mourning continued:

“I said, I said ‘Scottie, you’re right.'”

Following the laughter elicited by that comment, Mourning provided a little clarification:

“I said, ‘but because LeBron is my size.’ I mean, he’s 265, so when he’s playing point guard, it’s like a freight train coming. I couldn’t imagine doing the things he’s doing at my size.”

Nothing groundbreaking here. This is the standard response by people in the Pro-LeBron camp of this particular debate. Size and strength would be LeBron’s primary advantage in this theoretical one-on-one battle. But it’s all theoretical and not really worth digging into too deeply, even if people will never be able to stop taking about it.

Hey, I was a kid once, so I know action figure battles are crazy fun. When you have the toys, you want to see Hulk versus Superman. Snake Eyes versus Storm Shadow. Optimus Prime versus Megatron.

Past that, you sort of expect Mourning — who is considered one of the great players in Miami Heat history — to side with LeBron. That said, it was a little surprising that dragged Pippen into it, given that this was probably a private comment Scottie never intended to see in print. He’ll see it now.

Of course, Pippen did provide his own public commentary on this debate a couple years back:

“Michael Jordan is probably the greatest scorer to play the game. But I may go as far as to say LeBron James may be the greatest player to ever play the game because he is so potent offensively that not only can he score at will but he keeps everybody involved. You have to be on your P’s and Q’s on defense. No guy on the basketball court is a threat to score with LeBron James out there. Not only will LeBron dominate from the offensive end as well, but he’s also doing it on the defensive end, which really makes him the complete package. He’s able to get in those passing lanes, shoot those gaps and create transition opportunities where he is pretty much unstoppable.”

Naturally, the Pro-Jordan camp exploded at this seeming betrayal, and even former Bulls player Horace Grant (and good friend of Pippen) spoke up:

“Pip is my man, and we will always be close but I totally disagree. LeBron is going to be one of the top players to ever play the game. But Michael Jeffrey Jordan, who we bumped heads with at times, is I think in my era, the best who ever played the game. I’m kind of at a loss for words because Michael Jordan … when you win numerous MVPs and you’ve taken the team to six championships — and probably could have been eight if he didn’t retire those two years — and MVPs in the playoffs … and he made us better. Believe me, he made myself, Scottie, B.J. [Armstrong], even Bill Cartwright who I love, he made us better players. He gave us that confidence. But first we had to earn his trust. And once we earned his trust you saw championship after championship.”

Things got ugly enough that Pippen eventually defended himself with the following tweets:

“For all of you that don’t know, I played the game you keep watching and cheering.”

And:

“Don’t get me wrong, MJ was and is the greatest. But LeBron could by all means get to his level someday.”

None of what any of these men said is all that unreasonable. People have opinions and they’re free to express them. Personally, I think these “versus” debates do a disservice to NBA history and the players themselves, but they’re always fun talking points…even if in the end none of it really means anything.

But MJ was the best.

The post Alonzo Mourning sounds off on the LeBron versus MJ debate appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Derrick Rose:
Rose missed the entire season due to recovery from knee surgery. And he lost a little good will along the way. Nonetheless, everybody from Jerry Reinsdorf to the most casual Bulls fan is hoping and praying that Rose returns — and returns to his old MVP form — next season. He is the foundation of this franchise.

Joakim Noah:
In many ways, Noah had his best season ever. He was selected as a reserve for the Eastern Conference All-Star team. He made the NBA All-Defensive First Team and was fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He had one of the franchise’s best-ever regular season performances in a road win over the Pistons (30 points, 23 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocked shots) and one of the greatest playoff performances Game 7 victory over the Nets in Brooklyn (24 points, 14 rebounds, 6 blocked shots, 2 assists, 1 steal).

Unfortunately, Noah’s season was once again plagued by an injury, this time an ongoing case of plantar faciitis in his left foot. Noah missed 16 regular season games and simply wasn’t himself in several others. He averaged career-highs in minutes (36.8), points (11.9), rebounds (11.1), assists (4.0), blocks (2.1) and steals (1.2), but he also set career-low marks in field goal percentage (.481) and turnovers per game (2.7). And believe it or not, his Offensive Rebounding Rate (12.2) and Total Rebounding Rate (17.3) were lower only during his rookie season.

Noah is an elite center — one of the best in the league — and he is the team’s emotional leader. However, he’s missed 70 games over the past four seasons and and the plantar faciitis injury is recurring. When healthy, Noah is among the best there is at his position. Can he stay healthy? We’ll see.

Luol Deng:
For the second year in a row, Deng led the league in MPG (38.7) and made the All-Star team. He is one of the league’s premier perimeter defenders and provides leadership by example. And, of course, everybody knows that coach Tom Thibodeau believes Deng is absolutely indispensable.

That said, there are some concerns. For example, his three-point percentage sunk to its lowest mark since 2006-07 and he accumulated the second-worst field goal percentage of his career. He also had a league average Player Efficiency Rating of 15.1 and ranked sixth on the team in Win Shares Per 48 Minutes (.105).

It’s hard to determine whether the heavy minutes and a lingering injury to his left wrist account for his struggles with shooting and overall efficiency, but they probably figure in there somewhere.

The good news is Deng will have the entire summer off to get healthy (and have wrist surgery if necessary), which means he might be even better next year than he was the previous two seasons.

One thing worth noting: Deng is one of the team’s better trade chips. He is worth less to the Bulls than Rose and Noah. He doesn’t carry the same stigma as Carlos Boozer. And his $14 million salary comes off the books after next season. Therefore, if the Bulls make any kind of major deal, there is at least some likelihood Deng will be involved.

Carlos Boozer:
Although fans (and even some experts) use him as a lightning rod for abuse whenever the Bulls fail to live up to expectations, Boozer had another steady season. He ranked first on the team in both Points and Rebounds Per 36 Minutes (18.1 and 10.9, respectively), and he was third (behind Joakim Noah and Nate Robinson) in PER (17.1). Despite his previous history of being an injury risk, Boozer has missed only three games the past two seasons, and he has also been a consummate professional on and off the court.

Of course, Boozer is still a statue on offense.

Despite his reliable productivity — his Per 36 Minute stats have been pretty constant over his entire career — Boozer’s contract is considered untradable. He is reportedly owed just over $32 million over the next two seasons, and the general feeling is that today’s NBA team won’t pay that kind of money for a defensive liability whose past is marked by injuries and big game disappearances.

Due to salary constraints, the Bulls wouldn’t gain much by using the amnesty provision on Boozer’s contract this summer. There’s a far greater chance they will do so next summer, which Deng’s and Kirk Hinrich’s contracts expire.

Kirk Hinrich:
By most statistical measures, Captain Kirk had an awful season. He notched career-lows in field goal percentage (.377), Effective Field Goal Percentage (.461) and True Shooting Percentage (.493). Even his free throw percentage (.714) was almost 10 percentage points off his career average (.805). His PER of 10.8 was well below the league average and he missed 22 regular season games due to a variety of injuries. He also missed the final three games of first round of the playoffs and all of the second round due to a calf injury.

That said, his coaches and teammates were always high on his contributions in terms of defense and leadership. And there’s also the bottom line argument: During the regular season, the Bulls were 38-22 when Hinrich played and 7-15 when he did not. That’s a pretty dramatic swing.

The team still wants and believes in him. More importantly, it’s unlikely any other team would trade for him. So expect him to return next season. If he stays healthy, he’ll make a great backup for Rose and whoever starts at shooting guard (my guess is Jimmy Butler).

Richard Hamilton:
Hamilton missed 32 games due to injury and set career-lows in PER (10.6), True Shooting Percentage (.481), and Win Shares Per 48 Minutes (.016). Rip dropped out of the rotation before getting dusted off for the final two games of the Heat series. He showed he could still be somewhat useful in those games, but his ongoing injury issues combined with the general decline in his productivity and the emergence of Jimmy Butler have made him expendable. The Bulls will buy out his contract this summer. He won’t be back.

The post Chicago Bulls 2012-13 Final Roster Appraisal: Part 1 appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Derrick Rose missed the game and by extension missed the entire season, leading at least one writer to describe his much hyped “Return” packaged by Adidas as a hoax. On top of that melodrama, Kirk Hinrich (calf) and Luol Deng (illness) never recovered enough to play a single second round game, which had to be extremely frustrating for the both of them.

Meanwhile, four starters — Carlos Boozer, Jimmy Butler, Joakim Noah and Nate Robinson — logged 40+ minutes, with Robinson sitting for less than a minute and a half and Butler again going the full 48.

The only surprise of the night was the unexpected resurrection of Rip Hamilton. Not only did Hamilton log 35 minutes off the bench in place of an increasingly ineffective Marco Belinelli, he scored 15 points on 12 shots and compiled a game-high plus-minus score of +12.

The Bulls were coming off the worst offensive performance in their playoff history, so virtually anything would have been an improvement, but they were actually pretty effective on offense. thanks largely to strong games from Boozer (26 points, 10-for-19, 14 rebounds), Robinson (21 points, 4-for-7 on threes, 6 assists) and Butler (19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals), the Bulls scored at a rate of 108.7 points per 100 possessions (per Basketball-Reference).

And, believe it or not, the Bulls were in good position to win this game.

Despite a disastrous first seven minutes that saw them fall behind 22-4, the Bulls did what these Bulls have done for the entirety of the Tom Thibodeau era.

They refused to panic.

They fought.

They competed.

By the end of the first quarter, Chicago trailed by only nine points. After outscoring Miami 32-17 in the second quarter, the Bulls took a six-point lead into halftime. That lead expanded to 11 points (75-64) with just under two minutes left in the third quarter. And it seemed like the miraculous was about to happen.

Then Miami cranked up their intensity.

On offense, the Heat went to their old standbys. Shane Battier knocked down two threes thanks to a couple drive-and-kick moves by LeBron James. Norris Cole had a brief hot streak, hitting from 17 feet and then serving up a facial at the rim. Dwyane Wade — who had to retreat to Miami’s locker room between the third and fourth quarters to have his knee re-taped — emerged from his funk to hit two of his patented running one-handers and later had a putback dunk of a missed Cole jumper. And between all those plays, LeBron was directing traffic, driving the ball and drawing fouls.

In all, the Bulls were outscored 24-15 in the fourth quarter but still managed to be down only three points and have possession of the ball with 26.4 seconds left. Unfortunately, Thibodeau had already used all his timeouts, and the Bulls were forced to freelance on that final possession.

It was not a smooth possession by any stretch of the imagination. The Bulls players were running around helter skelter in a frantic attempt to get any kind of clean or dirty look at the rim. Robinson squeezed off a three-pointer that missed badly, but Boozer corralled the offensive rebound. The ball ended up in Butler’s hands. After freeing himself up with a few ball fakes, Butler jacked a triple of his own, which also missed badly. Robinson somehow ended up with the rebound, but there wasn’t enough time left to get any kind of shot.

Game over.

Said Noah: “We kept fighting. And kept fighting.”

Added Boozer: “We grinded it out. We had chances. We just fell a little bit short.”

Just a little bit short in this game. And a lot short in this series.

And yet, despite the loss, Chicago’s performance in this final game far exceeded expectations. Which is something the Bulls had been doing all season.

Said Thibodeau: “Obviously we’re disappointed in losing the series. But I was never disappointed in our team. I thought our team fought hard all year long. There was no quit in them.”

Added Boozer: “We’ve got warriors here. If we’re healthy next season, we’re going to be pretty good.”

Of course. But good enough to defeat the Miami Heat?

ESPNChicago’s Nick Friedell doesn’t think so. Not as presently constructed. Of course, the Bulls won’t return next season as presently constructed.

For starters, barring an unforeseen calamity or setback, Rose should return in 2013-14.

Furthermore, Hamilton probably won’t be back — the third year of his contract isn’t guaranteed and I just can’t see the Bulls paying Rip $5 million next season — leaving the former Piston to wistfully consider what might have been.

There’s also a good chance Robinson won’t be back. Although he’d like to be.

Said Robinson: “I would love to [come back]. Honestly, I really would. But knowing the guys that we have here, I know it’s probably limited space for me, but we’ll see how it goes. [I’ll] talk to my agent and stuff like that and figure out what’s the best plan for me. God has blessed me this far [to] continue to play the game that I love. I love this team, I love these guys, and if I could stay here it would be wonderful.”

Although Robinson had a strong season and was often the team’s best offensive player, there are several reasons the Bulls might not bring him back. For starters, there could be a logjam in a backcourt that includes Rose, Hinrich, Butler (at times), Belinelli (if he is re-signed) and Marquis Teague.

Will the Bulls — a notoriously fiscally responsible team (read that: cheap) — want to pay him? Especially if they end up bringing Belinelli back?

And will Belinelli be back? Management likes his skill set, but Marco shot a career-low 35.7 percent from three-point range, and his Effective Field Goal Percentage also dipped to a career-worst mark.

Then too, the Bulls desperately need more three-point shooters. They ranked 21st in three-point percentage and 29th in attempts this season. That won’t cut it in today’s NBA. And anyway, Rose will need shooters to space the floor for his drives, assuming he returns to anything like his old form.

There are big questions and big if’s heading into this offseason. And, for better or worse, most of the improvement will have to come from within. The Bulls don’t have the financial flexibility to sign any high-caliber players, and they still wouldn’t be able to do so even if they used the amnesty provision to offload Boozer’s contract, so you can probably expect Carlos to return for at least one more season. My guess is that the Bulls will amnesty Boozer in the summer of 2014 when Deng and Hinrich’s contracts come off the books.

So while the roster will likely be shifted around and tweaked where possible, management will probably field mostly the same team with an eager eye toward the following offseason. Meaning the Bulls and their fans will have to rely on improved health, internal development and maybe one or two key role players who might be able to contribute.

To what result? Nobody knows.

Said Noah: “It’s hard right now because we just lost. And it’s always hard to sit here knowing that your season’s over but there are a lot of positives. We’re a young team that has experienced a lot at a young age. When you see what a guy like Jimmy Butler brought to the table. … We’re going to come back healthy, we’re going to be able to compete with these guys for a long time and I think that one day we’ll get our shot.”

Only time will tell.

Extras:
Recap, Box Score, Advanced Box Score, Play-by-Play, Shot Chart.

The post Game 5 Recap: Bulls fight to the bitter end appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

If you follow this team, you know what they’ve endured. The season-long absence (and continued distraction) of Derrick Rose. The dismemberment of the Bench Mob. Injuries (and re-injuries) to key players. Long minutes. Little rest. Everything short of hordes of locusts and meteor storms.

Through it all, the Bulls have endured. They won 45 games. Earned the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. Beat the Nets in a do-or-die Game 7 in Brooklyn. Won Game 1 of their second round playoff series against the Heat in Miami.

And while the Bulls have talent, even without Rose, they have not been as talented as their playoff opponents. Having Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng out of action has only widened the talent disparity.

But what the Bulls lack in talent, they make up in sheer will power. That has been the defining characteristic of this team under coach Tom Thibodeau. Thibs always says the Bulls have more than enough to win — he probably would say that even if they had to suit up a few ball boys and a couple janitors — and the players believe it. Buy into it. Live it.

That said, Game 4 was the game when cracks began to form in that seemingly impenetrable wall of mental fortitude Thibodeau had built around his players. It was as if the team as a whole suddenly and unexpectedly realized how badly the odds were stacked against them.

It showed in every facet of the game. Yes, even the defense, despite the fact that Miami finished with only 88 points. The Heat still converted better than 80 percent of their shots at the rim (per Hoopdata) and scored at a rate of 106.5 points per 100 possessions (per Basketball-Reference).

Where the breakdown really showed was offense. Mind you, the Bulls have been a poor offensive team all season, and Miami certainly picked up their D in this game. But the Bulls were historically bad in Game 4. They compiled playoff franchise lows in points (65), field goal percentage (25.7) and third quarter point total (9). According to ESPN Stats and Information, the Bulls had never shot less than 30 percent in a playoff game, and they had scored below 70 points only once before, in a 95-69 loss to the Detroit Pistons back in 2007.

Check the shot chart if you have the stomach to do so. They Bulls were ice cold from everywhere.

Nate Robinson’s performance was symbolic of this group meltdown. Robinson — who has been the team’s best offensive player much of the season and certainly throughout these playoffs — went 0-for-12 from the field and was held scoreless in 32 minutes. He also had as many turnovers as assists (4).

As ESPN Stats and Information put it: “Nate Robinson’s 0-for-12 was two shots shy of the worst 0-for in NBA playoff history, a dubious mark shared by Chick Reiser (1948) and Dennis Johnson (1978).”

By the second half, Nate was gasping for breath and actually looked hesitant to shoot, which are two things I’ve never seen from him. It didn’t help that Miami’s defense was swarming him at every opportunity.

Said Shane Battier: “Nate’s the one guy on their team who can put pressure on our defense off the bounce. He can create havoc. He gets inside the defense, he scores, he gets the crowd going and suddenly … It best serves us if we make him work, if we make him take a few more dribbles. It starts with Mario and Norris … when we get up into the ball handler we’re an entirely different team.”

Added Robinson: “They did a good job defending of course. But I had a lot of open shots that I usually make and a lot of floaters that I usually make that I missed, but you can’t make every shot. At the same time you just have to know when it’s not your night and it wasn’t my night tonight. I just have to try to bounce back.”

Nate wasn’t alone in his offensive misery. Carlos Boozer led the team in scoring in Game 4 with 16 points but shot 3-for-14 from the field. Minus his Game 3 performance (21 points on 10-for-16 shooting), Boozer is averaging 9.3 points on 9-for-34 shooting. The Heat are pushing him out of his comfort zone near the basket and forcing jump shots over outstretched hands. And those shots aren’t falling.

But Boozer nixed the idea that he or the Bulls are running on fumes.

Said Boozer: “Nah, not at all. It’s not over by a long shot. You saw what happened last series. We were up 3-1 against Brooklyn and there was a Game 7. For us, we just have to regroup and get the next game and bring it back here for Game 6.”

That’ll be a lot easier said than done.

If you want to talk about signs of offensive desperation, Rip Hamilton — who had logged a total of 10 minutes and 20 seconds of playoff action in two token appearances against the Nets — played 22 minutes in Game 4.

Said Hamilton: “A lot of stuff in life you don’t understand. This is what I was brought here for. To not be able to play and help my teammates, it’s hard, it’s rough. But I try to stay positive. I don’t try to rock the boat. I just try be positive with them and let [teammates] know what they need to do out there and things like that. Tonight I got lucky. I got to go out there and play.”

Hamilton knocked down a couple threes, going 4-for-11 overall is unlikely to get him out of Thibodeau’s doghouse. If Rip plays in Game 5, his role and minutes will be limited.

ESPN’s Scoop Jackson warns not to give up on the Bulls in Game 5, but it’s hard to imagine what the Bulls could possibly have left. Rose isn’t going to suit up until next year. That much is obvious. Hinrich probably won’t be able to go. Deng might, but how much will he be able to contribute after losing 15 pounds and suffering through a debilitating illness?

Said Taj Gibson: “It’s hard to believe [all the injuries that have happened]. I don’t know, we’re just kind of putting screws and bandages everywhere. It’s frustrating. Every night, every day, we’re just trying to push through it.”

To a man, the coach and players will put everything they have into forcing a Game 6. But, unless they have one more miracle left in them, Game 5 will most likely be remembered as the last stand of the 2012-13 Bulls. There’s no shame in that. But it is a bummer.

The post When the will begins to crack appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Said Thibs: “When you play this team you have to have a lot of mental, physical and emotional toughness. Things aren’t going to go your way. That’s the way it is. You’re not going to get calls. That’s reality. We still have to find a way to get it done and we can.”

Thibodeau will have to help his team find a way to get it done with a little less walking around money, because the NBA fined him $35,000 for his comments.

No surprise there. If  Marco Belinelli isn’t allowed to do Sam Cassell’s “Big Balls Dance” after a clutch basket, the league isn’t going to allow his  coach to question their officials’ authoritah.

Thibodeau was particularly irked about the Three Stooges-style dive LeBron James took after a reactionary shove from Nazr Mohammed in the first half. Probably because it resulted in Mohammed’s ejection.

Said Thibs: “From my angle, I saw a guy basically flop. I don’t think it warranted an ejection. I understand a flagrant foul, I understand that, but ejection, no, nope.”

Added Nate Robinson: “You see LeBron in a lot of commercials, a lot of good acting.”

Of course LeBron flopped. He’s the most imposing physical specimen in the NBA…you’re telling me Nazr shoved him hard  enough to send him sprawling at least 10 feet? If you believe that, I know a Nigerian prince who would like to give you bags and bags of free money.

Said Mohammed: “It was a soft foul; it’s not like a fouled him hard. It was a stop-the-break foul. I thought it was a cheap shot throwing me down when all I was doing was trying to stop the break. … I’m disappointed in myself because I let my teammates down.  And I’m also disappointed because my son probably was watching the game and I don’t want him to see that type of behavior on the court. I’m also disappointed that it warranted an ejection for a push — when I got pushed down first.”

Added Taj Gibson: “[Michael Jordan] would get fouled and he would just keep playing. That’s old-school basketball.”

Yes, but LeBron is not MJ, and today’s league is not the NBA of the 1990s. That’s just the way it is. The Bulls have to realize that and play on.

Just  don’t expect them to get all soft and cuddly because of it. Quite the opposite.

Said Joakim Noah: “I expect the physical nature to continue [in Game 4]. It’s our only chance. … I think it’s very normal. You look at playoff basketball, it’s always physical. You look at every series, it’s physical. It’s just when you have somebody like LeBron James coming at you full speed, yeah, there’s a lot of contact. It’s just part of the game.”

Added Jimmy Butler: “We’re a hard-nosed, tough guy team. That’s what we label ourselves as. That’s what we pride ourselves on. We’re going to come out swinging. We’ll come out fighting. … Don’t give up any layups.  I feel like when they get into the paint, we’ve got to make them earn it from the free throw line. If we do foul, we’ve got to make sure it’s not an ‘and one.’ I feel like they’ve been getting into the paint entirely too easy.”

Maybe. Although, according to Hoopdata, the Heat only 13-for-21 at the rim in Game 3. That 62 percent conversion rate is nearly 10 percentage points below Miami’s regular season average of 71.5. But limiting the Heat even further would obviously help.

What would also help would be the return of Kirk Hinrich and Luol Day. As usual, Thibodeau says both players are day-to-day, although it’s unlikely either of them will be ready for Game 4.

Said Deng: “I did some individual work (Saturday) and I started throwing up a little bit. I couldn’t finish the workout.I tried to practice (Sunday) and the same thing. I just warmed up and couldn’t get through practice. My body, my system is not reacting well to anything I’m doing right now. It’s not as bad as it was before,” Deng said. “But I can’t even get through a regular warm-up.

“Just because you get a spinal tap doesn’t mean (the flu) goes away.I had that and then the reaction to (the spinal tap). It just sucks, man. It’s not like an injury where you can just play through it and it slows you down a little bit. It’s just one of those things where, not even basketball-wise, just doing regular stuff is hard.”

As for Hinrich, ESPNChicago’s Nick Friedell reports that Captain Kirk has been limited to shooting and exercise bike work in practice. Which doesn’t make it seem as though his injured calf is ready for game action.

Meanwhile, the Derrick Rose speculation continues, but that’s all it is. Speculation. There are two camps: one that thinks Rose is a wimp and should be playing because he has been medically cleared to do so, and another that says he is fully within his rights as an athlete and a human being to decide when he’s ready to play. And of course there’s the organization’s troubling history of allowing (or even pushing) players to play with significant injuries further muddying the waters.

None of it matters.

Rose isn’t playing and won’t do so until he’s ready. Speculation — while tempting — won’t change that.

All of which means the Bulls will go into Game 4 the same way they went into Game 3: diminished by injury but determined to do everything they can to win.

The post News and notes heading into Game 4 appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

As a result, Chicago fans were treated to one of the worst debacles in franchise history: a 37-point loss in which the Bulls were -13 on the boards, -18 in fast break points, -21 in points off turnovers, -25 in field goal percentage and -38 in points in the paint.

It was Miami’s largest margin of victory for a postseason game. And Chicago’s worst-ever playoff defeat.

The Heat scored 130.7 points per 100 possessions (per Basketball-Reference) and used a 62-20 run (not a typo) bridging the first and second halves to crush the Bulls like insects on a windshield.

Chicago’s performance wasn’t all that got ugly in this one. There were elbows and shoves galore on both sides. Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson each received two technical fouls and both were ejected in the third quarter. Nate Robinson and and Marquis Teague were also T’d up. On Miami’s side, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Mario Chalmers all got techs.

A total of nine technical fouls in one game. And there probably could have been more. According to ESPN Stats and Information: “There were nine player technical fouls called, the most combined in a playoff game since May 7, 1995, when the Pacers and Knicks also combined for nine. The six player technical fouls by the Bulls were the most by any team in the last 20 postseasons.”

Even the fans were getting ugly.

Oh, right, and the officiating was terrible overall.

The Heat put their talent on display and quick whistles prevented the Bulls from establishing the grind-it-out rhythm they prefer. James (32 minutes, 19 points, 7-for-12, 9 assists) and Wade (28 minutes, 15 points, 7-for-11, 5 assists) looked like men among boys. Norris Cole (18 points, 7-for-9, 6 rebounds) and Ray Allen (21 points, 5-for-7 from the field, 10-for-10 from the line) were nearly perfect off Miami’s bench.

And the Bulls? They may as well have caught a flight back to Chicago after Game 1.

Yes. The Heat are that good.

Yes. At times, the Bulls can be that bad.

Don’t forget, Chicago was still without Derrick Rose (knee rehab), Kirk Hinrich (calf injury) and Luol Deng (illness). And the Bulls season was full of Jeckyll and Hyde performances, beating an elite team one night, losing to a lottery team the next.

The Bulls have been facing and overcoming adversity all season by sheer force of will. Last night, their collective will was cracked by the combination of Miami’s great play and their own frustration with the officials.

Said Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau: “You come in here, you’re not gonna get calls and that’s the reality. Instead of sprinting back to get set we’re complaining to the official and they’re laying it in. … We got sidetracked and you can’t do that. … You have to have poise under pressure. You can’t allow [calls] to get you sidetracked so you don’t do your job.”

The Bulls were unhinged and the Heat pounced on them. From Miami’s perspective, it was like a feeding frenzy, with plenty of red in the water.

Added Gibson: “We lost our composure as a team. Things weren’t going our way. You’re going to get frustrated, especially when you’re getting blown out.”

The Bulls will bounce back. Thibodeau will demand it. He will not allow his players to bemoan foul calls or rough play. He won’t accept them letting the Heat be the aggressors. These are reasons — among others — that the Bulls have almost always followed a lousy performance with a strong one.

That’s not to say the Bulls will win Game 3. But they’ll sure play one hell of a lot better than they did in Game 2.

The question is: will they do it without Gibson? There remains some question about whether the profanity-laden outburst will lead to a suspension.

Said Gibson: “I hope they just see that it was frustration. I have a good accord with [referee] Scott [Foster]. It’s one of those games that’s chippy; it’s playoff basketball, words are going to be said. I don’t mean any harm to Scott. He’s a good referee sometimes. Just got to keep pushing and move forward.

“I should have ended it a better way, and conducted myself in a better way and just walked away. It’s just frustration.”

There was plenty to be frustrated about. But Game 2 is over. On to Game 3.

Extras:
Recap, Box Score, Advanced Box Score, Play-by-Play, Shot Chart.

The post Game 2 Recap: Things got reeeeeaaal ugly appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.