Bullsville Recent Posts https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/rss/ For the intelligent Bulls fan Sun, 02 Oct 2016 19:52:24 -0500 en-us Bullsville Radio to premier Monday at Noon CT https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/10/bullsville-radio-premier-monday-noon-ct/ https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/10/bullsville-radio-premier-monday-noon-ct/#comments Sun, 02 Oct 2016 19:52:24 -0500 Bullsville http://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/?p=2579 Bullsville Radio takes place on General Public Radio. Bullsville Radio is the newest Chicago Bulls podcast, and while there are several Bulls podcasts available on the internet, this one will be different. Bullsville Radio will be special because unlike 99.9% of sports podcasts, Bullsville Radio will be broadcast live on Blog Talk Radio. That means the show will be interactive, as listeners will be able to call in live and give their opinions. When Bullsville Radio has a guest, fans will be able to call and ask questions or give comments. Being live will make Bullsville Radio the cadillac of Bulls podcasts. Of course, not all fans will be able to listen live, but don't worry - the show will also be available for download as well. Not only will you be able to come here to listen later, you can listen directly on Blog Talk Radio's platform as well as iTunes. And if you have a different channel to which you would like me to upload the show (like Stitcher, Podcast App, Overcast, etc.), you can simply contact me through the General Public Radio Facebook page and I'll be glad to accommodate you.
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I currently plan on broadcasting every Monday at Noon CT, but if demand calls for it I will certainly have shows as often as you want to hear them. I have the first show set for 15 minutes, but again if listener feedback tells me to make it longer, I'll be more than happy to do so. If you want to join the fun, call (215) 383-5796 to speak with me during the show. I'll be going solo tomorrow, but I expect to have guests for most future shows. I will be discussing what to expect from the Bulls now that Derrick Rose, Pau Gason and Joakim Noah are no longer on the roster, as well as trying to preview the preseason opener against the Bucks. I hope everyone is as excited as I am to know that there will be a live Bulls podcast available. Please join the fun Monday at Noon, I'm really looking forward to it! ]]> Bullsville Radio takes place on General Public Radio. Bullsville Radio is the newest Chicago Bulls podcast, and while there are several Bulls podcasts available on the internet, this one will be different. Bullsville Radio will be special because unlike 99.9% of sports podcasts, Bullsville Radio will be broadcast live on Blog Talk Radio. That means the show will be interactive, as listeners will be able to call in live and give their opinions. When Bullsville Radio has a guest, fans will be able to call and ask questions or give comments. Being live will make Bullsville Radio the cadillac of Bulls podcasts. Of course, not all fans will be able to listen live, but don't worry - the show will also be available for download as well. Not only will you be able to come here to listen later, you can listen directly on Blog Talk Radio's platform as well as iTunes. And if you have a different channel to which you would like me to upload the show (like Stitcher, Podcast App, Overcast, etc.), you can simply contact me through the General Public Radio Facebook page and I'll be glad to accommodate you.
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I currently plan on broadcasting every Monday at Noon CT, but if demand calls for it I will certainly have shows as often as you want to hear them. I have the first show set for 15 minutes, but again if listener feedback tells me to make it longer, I'll be more than happy to do so. If you want to join the fun, call (215) 383-5796 to speak with me during the show. I'll be going solo tomorrow, but I expect to have guests for most future shows. I will be discussing what to expect from the Bulls now that Derrick Rose, Pau Gason and Joakim Noah are no longer on the roster, as well as trying to preview the preseason opener against the Bucks. I hope everyone is as excited as I am to know that there will be a live Bulls podcast available. Please join the fun Monday at Noon, I'm really looking forward to it! ]]> NCAA Tournament Mid-Major Player to Watch: Isaiah Canaan, Murray State https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/07/ncaa-tournament-mid-major-player-to-watch-isaiah-canaan-murray-state/ https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/07/ncaa-tournament-mid-major-player-to-watch-isaiah-canaan-murray-state/#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2016 19:53:35 -0500 Bullsville http://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/?p=562 UPDATE: Here's a piece I did on newest Bull Isaiah Cannan when he was a senior at Murray State: If you've never heard of Murray State guard Isaiah Canaan, I highly suggest that you watch the Racers' NCAA Tournament opener today against Colorado State. With Butler making it to the Final Four the last two years, more people than ever are paying attention to mid-major players. This might make it impossible for any player to truly come out of nowhere in the tournament, but certainly the casual fan has never heard of Canaan.
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People may scoff at Murray State's schedule, but they beat the good teams they played. Canaan had 15 points and seven assists as the Racers beat Memphis 76-72, and the Tigers are a #8 seed in the NCAA Tourney. Southern Miss is a #9 seed, and Canaan had a season-high 36 points on 11/22 FG (6/11 3's) in a 90-81 Murray win. Western Kentucky just won their first NCAA game, and Canaan had 18 on 5/10 FG in a 70-59 Murray State win over the Hilltoppers. And in the biggest game in Murray State history- with Matthew Dellavedova's 14th-ranked (and NCAA Tourney #7 seed) St. Mary's Gaels, Dick Vitale and a Saturday night ESPN TV national audience, and yours truly in the CFSB center, Canaan put up 23 points on 9/13 FG, hitting 5/8 three's in a 65-51 Racer win. In four games against NCAA Tournament teams, Isaiah Canaan averaged 23 points, 5 rebounds and 4.3 assists. This is a guy who shows up big for big games. He may only be 6'0", but his step-back three-point shot is deadly, and he can get it off over anyone. He has the strength to finish in traffic, taking a bump isn't a problem for Canaan. Canaan led the Racers in scoring with 19.2 points per game, and he did it on an unheard of 11.9 shots per game. Perhaps the most amazing statistic about Canaan is that he averaged 19.2 points while attempting 15 or more shots in a game only five times. He leads the team with 3.7 assists, and he shoots .484 from the floor, .840 from the line, and .473 from behind the arc (while attempting 6.5 a night). Don't be surprised if the Racers make a Sweet 16 run in this year's tourney, and don't be surprised if you hear the name Isaiah Canaan called out in this summer's NBA draft.]]> UPDATE: Here's a piece I did on newest Bull Isaiah Cannan when he was a senior at Murray State: If you've never heard of Murray State guard Isaiah Canaan, I highly suggest that you watch the Racers' NCAA Tournament opener today against Colorado State. With Butler making it to the Final Four the last two years, more people than ever are paying attention to mid-major players. This might make it impossible for any player to truly come out of nowhere in the tournament, but certainly the casual fan has never heard of Canaan.
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People may scoff at Murray State's schedule, but they beat the good teams they played. Canaan had 15 points and seven assists as the Racers beat Memphis 76-72, and the Tigers are a #8 seed in the NCAA Tourney. Southern Miss is a #9 seed, and Canaan had a season-high 36 points on 11/22 FG (6/11 3's) in a 90-81 Murray win. Western Kentucky just won their first NCAA game, and Canaan had 18 on 5/10 FG in a 70-59 Murray State win over the Hilltoppers. And in the biggest game in Murray State history- with Matthew Dellavedova's 14th-ranked (and NCAA Tourney #7 seed) St. Mary's Gaels, Dick Vitale and a Saturday night ESPN TV national audience, and yours truly in the CFSB center, Canaan put up 23 points on 9/13 FG, hitting 5/8 three's in a 65-51 Racer win. In four games against NCAA Tournament teams, Isaiah Canaan averaged 23 points, 5 rebounds and 4.3 assists. This is a guy who shows up big for big games. He may only be 6'0", but his step-back three-point shot is deadly, and he can get it off over anyone. He has the strength to finish in traffic, taking a bump isn't a problem for Canaan. Canaan led the Racers in scoring with 19.2 points per game, and he did it on an unheard of 11.9 shots per game. Perhaps the most amazing statistic about Canaan is that he averaged 19.2 points while attempting 15 or more shots in a game only five times. He leads the team with 3.7 assists, and he shoots .484 from the floor, .840 from the line, and .473 from behind the arc (while attempting 6.5 a night). Don't be surprised if the Racers make a Sweet 16 run in this year's tourney, and don't be surprised if you hear the name Isaiah Canaan called out in this summer's NBA draft.]]> Bulls sign Rajon Rondo https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/07/bulls-sign-rajon-rondo/ https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/07/bulls-sign-rajon-rondo/#comments Sun, 03 Jul 2016 18:07:46 -0500 Bullsville http://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/?p=2563

Bulls to sign guard Rajon Rondo to a two-year, $28 million deal, he confirmed to @TheUndefeated.

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) July 3, 2016 This means that the Bulls will be adding a point guard who led the league in assists last season. Which shows that the front office has no interest in losing lots of games to get a high draft pick.
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The deal is mostly for this season: It's playoffs or bust, and Forman, Paxson, and anyone in between just might have their jobs on the lines. It does seem as if Fred Hoiberg likes the move: If Rondo comes in and plays defense and pushes the ball on offense - two things he can do at an elite level when he wants to - the 2016-17 Bulls can challenge the Cavs in the East. [caption id="attachment_477" align="alignleft" width="177"]Rajon Rondo is now a Chicago Bull (Photo by Eric Kilby) Rajon Rondo is now a Chicago Bull (Photo by Eric Kilby)[/caption] Seriously. Rondo is going to set up many easy shots for Mirotic, McDermott, and Butler. At the very least, this is going to be a fun team to watch.]]>

Bulls to sign guard Rajon Rondo to a two-year, $28 million deal, he confirmed to @TheUndefeated.

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) July 3, 2016 This means that the Bulls will be adding a point guard who led the league in assists last season. Which shows that the front office has no interest in losing lots of games to get a high draft pick.
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The deal is mostly for this season: It's playoffs or bust, and Forman, Paxson, and anyone in between just might have their jobs on the lines. It does seem as if Fred Hoiberg likes the move: If Rondo comes in and plays defense and pushes the ball on offense - two things he can do at an elite level when he wants to - the 2016-17 Bulls can challenge the Cavs in the East. [caption id="attachment_477" align="alignleft" width="177"]Rajon Rondo is now a Chicago Bull (Photo by Eric Kilby) Rajon Rondo is now a Chicago Bull (Photo by Eric Kilby)[/caption] Seriously. Rondo is going to set up many easy shots for Mirotic, McDermott, and Butler. At the very least, this is going to be a fun team to watch.]]> Bulls trade Derrick Rose to Knicks - here are your keys to the team, Mr. Butler https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/06/bulls-trade-derrick-rose-knicks-butler/ https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/06/bulls-trade-derrick-rose-knicks-butler/#comments Wed, 22 Jun 2016 18:52:02 -0500 Bullsville http://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/?p=2557 Like Bullsville on Facebook My first thought when my uncle told me was "I can't believe they did it". Then I thought "there's another GarPax criticism down the tubes". Forman and Paxson deserve some criticism for many things, no doubt about it. But it has always been said that they won't make a big trade that isn't there just to save Reinsdorf money. In this trade, they sent out the $22,338,948 in guaranteed money that they owed to Rose and Holiday this season. They took back $22,570,717 in salary for this year, almost equal. But they also took on two more years of Robin Lopez at $28,146,250 guaranteed. As their current starting center, he's worth it. But this isn't even about money. It's about something bigger, the keys to the team. "Jimmy's gonna play PG" "Jimmy's gonna be the go-to guy" "Jimmy likes playing without Derrick, 27/7/7 in 11 games last season" Now, it's officially Jimmy's team, in no uncertain terms. The former MVP isn't an MVP any more. You 'da man, Jimmy. Did the Bulls give him any help in this trade... on the court, I mean? Robin isn't nearly the offensive player his brother over in Brooklyn is, but he's an above-average defender, shot-blocker and rebounder. He's fairly athletic and can get up and down the floor and give you a good 25 minutes a night. He just turned 28, and he's 7-foot and 255 with seven years of experience. He had a 17.6 PER and a .574 TS% last season, and he's just entering his prime. He's going to be a nice piece going forward. Jose Calderon just might be the starting PG as it stands at this moment. He won't play a lot of defense, which isn't good, but he's a career 41.2% 3-point shooter. That ranks 16th all-time, 8th among active players. The Bulls probably hope he doesn't have to start because of his defense, but he's just such a good fit on offense next to that Butler guy. He was assisted on 87% of his 3's last season, if he gets the spot-up looks that Derrick got last season, he'll knock down 50% of those. The man. Can shoot. They would probably love to see Jerian Grant become their PG, but I don't see that happening. He didn't show enough last season (in over 1200 minutes) to think that he can even be an NBA player, let alone a starter. But he's 6'4" with a 6'8" wingspan, and has the tools to play defense and be a playmaker, if he works to improve them. Oh, and his shot, which isn't very great right now. At all. The Bulls had to give up a 2017 2nd-round pick, as well as Justin Holiday, who showed a little promise at the end of last season. But this trade was all about Rose. The trade rumors had been out there, but usually when it's the Bulls, they always just remain rumors that didn't ever happen. There were rumblings about how much the Bulls could get for Rose, down to how much they'd have to give up to get him off the roster. Losing Holiday hurts a little, but the Bulls actually got the best player in the trade when they took on Lopez' salary. He played 27.1 minutes (and started all 82 games) for the Knicks last season and gave them 10.3 points,  7.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. Assuming they keep him (I'm 94.67% sure they will, though it's possible he's moved on draft night), he takes Noah's role on the roster. He won't bring the leadership and ball-handling, but he'll set picks, defend and rebound at a very good level. His presence on the court allows Niko to start and play big minutes at PF. He's the real return for the Bulls in this trade. [caption id="attachment_2044" align="aligncenter" width="750"]nikola mirotic bullsville With Rose and most likely Gasol gone, Niko is the Bulls' 2nd-leading returning scorer from last season[/caption] Acquiring Calderon and Grant surely doesn't mean they aren't still shopping for a PG... they are. I still don't see any way they don't leave the draft without Vanderbilt's Wade Baldwin, even if they have to move up. His length, ball-handling and shooting make him a perfect fit next to Jimmy long-term, and as I mentioned earlier, there's a small chance the Bulls have to send Lopez to a team with a higher draft pick to ensure they have the chance to draft Baldwin. I don't see that happening, but I firmly believe the Bulls want Baldwin, and I firmly believe that he'll never be available at #14. Assuming the Bulls pick up the options on Felicio and Dinwiddie, keep the #14 pick, and Gasol opts out, the team's salary will stand just below $69 million for 13 guaranteed contracts. So just over $25 million in cap space, enough to basically sign any player out there. And Taj Gibson's $8.95 million expiring contract might be traded, if the Bulls decide not to draft Baldwin and choose a big man instead. Lopez and Niko are going to play about 55-60 minutes. That only leaves about 40 minutes for Felicio and Portis to split, and I think the Bulls would like to see the two young big men be able to give them that much this season. But they might have to spend in the neighborhood of $10 million to keep E'Twaun Moore, a versatile combo guard whose shooting from 3 (45.2%) and defense make him a real good fit next to that Jimmy guy. And he's a local boy, from East Chicago, so maybe keeping one local product and making him the starting PG takes away some of the sting over losing the MVP local product PG who isn't an MVP any more? [caption id="attachment_2338" align="aligncenter" width="500"]Restricted Free Agent E'Twaun Moore could be in for a big payday this summer. Restricted Free Agent E'Twaun Moore could be in for a big payday this summer.[/caption] This is about what the Bulls look like right now:
  • PG: Calderon, Dinwiddie, Grant, (Moore FA)
  • SG: Butler, Snell
  • SF: McDermott, Dunleavy
  • PF: Mirotic, Gibson, Portis
  • C: Lopez, Felicio (Gasol Player Option) (Noah FA)
The Bulls figure to continue to address PG as well as SG/SF in the draft and free agency. It would be nice to be able to count on Tony Snell to give you 3 and D for 10-15 minutes a night as the 10th man, but I'm no longer confident that's going to happen. The Bulls probably won't be serious players for Harrison Barnes or Nic Batum - as much as the Bulls would love to have one (maybe both) of them, they won't pay what someone is going to offer this summer. An athletic wing who can start at SF, handle the ball and shoot 3's, and play great defense so that McDermott can develop as the #1 option on the 2nd unit, would be the perfect fit for the Bulls. It's kind of hard to believe Derrick Rose isn't a Bull any more, and it's going to feel really weird for a while. [caption id="attachment_1117" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Gar Forman and John Paxson have fired the first shot of the NBA offseason Gar Forman and John Paxson have fired the first shot of the NBA offseason[/caption] But it's going to be very exciting seeing what other moves GarPax make to re-tool around Jimmy Butler (with apparently Niko Mirotic as your 2nd option), and it is going to be a very interesting off-season for the Bulls' front office. They need to add more to this team, and they have the cap space and lottery pick to do it. They certainly fired the first big shot of the offseason. Goodbye, Derrick, and good luck.]]> Like Bullsville on Facebook My first thought when my uncle told me was "I can't believe they did it". Then I thought "there's another GarPax criticism down the tubes". Forman and Paxson deserve some criticism for many things, no doubt about it. But it has always been said that they won't make a big trade that isn't there just to save Reinsdorf money. In this trade, they sent out the $22,338,948 in guaranteed money that they owed to Rose and Holiday this season. They took back $22,570,717 in salary for this year, almost equal. But they also took on two more years of Robin Lopez at $28,146,250 guaranteed. As their current starting center, he's worth it. But this isn't even about money. It's about something bigger, the keys to the team. "Jimmy's gonna play PG" "Jimmy's gonna be the go-to guy" "Jimmy likes playing without Derrick, 27/7/7 in 11 games last season" Now, it's officially Jimmy's team, in no uncertain terms. The former MVP isn't an MVP any more. You 'da man, Jimmy. Did the Bulls give him any help in this trade... on the court, I mean? Robin isn't nearly the offensive player his brother over in Brooklyn is, but he's an above-average defender, shot-blocker and rebounder. He's fairly athletic and can get up and down the floor and give you a good 25 minutes a night. He just turned 28, and he's 7-foot and 255 with seven years of experience. He had a 17.6 PER and a .574 TS% last season, and he's just entering his prime. He's going to be a nice piece going forward. Jose Calderon just might be the starting PG as it stands at this moment. He won't play a lot of defense, which isn't good, but he's a career 41.2% 3-point shooter. That ranks 16th all-time, 8th among active players. The Bulls probably hope he doesn't have to start because of his defense, but he's just such a good fit on offense next to that Butler guy. He was assisted on 87% of his 3's last season, if he gets the spot-up looks that Derrick got last season, he'll knock down 50% of those. The man. Can shoot. They would probably love to see Jerian Grant become their PG, but I don't see that happening. He didn't show enough last season (in over 1200 minutes) to think that he can even be an NBA player, let alone a starter. But he's 6'4" with a 6'8" wingspan, and has the tools to play defense and be a playmaker, if he works to improve them. Oh, and his shot, which isn't very great right now. At all. The Bulls had to give up a 2017 2nd-round pick, as well as Justin Holiday, who showed a little promise at the end of last season. But this trade was all about Rose. The trade rumors had been out there, but usually when it's the Bulls, they always just remain rumors that didn't ever happen. There were rumblings about how much the Bulls could get for Rose, down to how much they'd have to give up to get him off the roster. Losing Holiday hurts a little, but the Bulls actually got the best player in the trade when they took on Lopez' salary. He played 27.1 minutes (and started all 82 games) for the Knicks last season and gave them 10.3 points,  7.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. Assuming they keep him (I'm 94.67% sure they will, though it's possible he's moved on draft night), he takes Noah's role on the roster. He won't bring the leadership and ball-handling, but he'll set picks, defend and rebound at a very good level. His presence on the court allows Niko to start and play big minutes at PF. He's the real return for the Bulls in this trade. [caption id="attachment_2044" align="aligncenter" width="750"]nikola mirotic bullsville With Rose and most likely Gasol gone, Niko is the Bulls' 2nd-leading returning scorer from last season[/caption] Acquiring Calderon and Grant surely doesn't mean they aren't still shopping for a PG... they are. I still don't see any way they don't leave the draft without Vanderbilt's Wade Baldwin, even if they have to move up. His length, ball-handling and shooting make him a perfect fit next to Jimmy long-term, and as I mentioned earlier, there's a small chance the Bulls have to send Lopez to a team with a higher draft pick to ensure they have the chance to draft Baldwin. I don't see that happening, but I firmly believe the Bulls want Baldwin, and I firmly believe that he'll never be available at #14. Assuming the Bulls pick up the options on Felicio and Dinwiddie, keep the #14 pick, and Gasol opts out, the team's salary will stand just below $69 million for 13 guaranteed contracts. So just over $25 million in cap space, enough to basically sign any player out there. And Taj Gibson's $8.95 million expiring contract might be traded, if the Bulls decide not to draft Baldwin and choose a big man instead. Lopez and Niko are going to play about 55-60 minutes. That only leaves about 40 minutes for Felicio and Portis to split, and I think the Bulls would like to see the two young big men be able to give them that much this season. But they might have to spend in the neighborhood of $10 million to keep E'Twaun Moore, a versatile combo guard whose shooting from 3 (45.2%) and defense make him a real good fit next to that Jimmy guy. And he's a local boy, from East Chicago, so maybe keeping one local product and making him the starting PG takes away some of the sting over losing the MVP local product PG who isn't an MVP any more? [caption id="attachment_2338" align="aligncenter" width="500"]Restricted Free Agent E'Twaun Moore could be in for a big payday this summer. Restricted Free Agent E'Twaun Moore could be in for a big payday this summer.[/caption] This is about what the Bulls look like right now:
  • PG: Calderon, Dinwiddie, Grant, (Moore FA)
  • SG: Butler, Snell
  • SF: McDermott, Dunleavy
  • PF: Mirotic, Gibson, Portis
  • C: Lopez, Felicio (Gasol Player Option) (Noah FA)
The Bulls figure to continue to address PG as well as SG/SF in the draft and free agency. It would be nice to be able to count on Tony Snell to give you 3 and D for 10-15 minutes a night as the 10th man, but I'm no longer confident that's going to happen. The Bulls probably won't be serious players for Harrison Barnes or Nic Batum - as much as the Bulls would love to have one (maybe both) of them, they won't pay what someone is going to offer this summer. An athletic wing who can start at SF, handle the ball and shoot 3's, and play great defense so that McDermott can develop as the #1 option on the 2nd unit, would be the perfect fit for the Bulls. It's kind of hard to believe Derrick Rose isn't a Bull any more, and it's going to feel really weird for a while. [caption id="attachment_1117" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Gar Forman and John Paxson have fired the first shot of the NBA offseason Gar Forman and John Paxson have fired the first shot of the NBA offseason[/caption] But it's going to be very exciting seeing what other moves GarPax make to re-tool around Jimmy Butler (with apparently Niko Mirotic as your 2nd option), and it is going to be a very interesting off-season for the Bulls' front office. They need to add more to this team, and they have the cap space and lottery pick to do it. They certainly fired the first big shot of the offseason. Goodbye, Derrick, and good luck.]]> Bulls trade Cameron Bairstow for Spencer Dinwiddie https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/06/bulls-trade-cameron-bairstow-spencer-dinwiddie/ https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/06/bulls-trade-cameron-bairstow-spencer-dinwiddie/#comments Fri, 17 Jun 2016 23:24:05 -0500 Bullsville http://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/?p=2509 Spencer Dinwiddie from the Pistons in exchange for big man Cameron Bairstow. Dinwiddie is a 6'6" PG from the University of Colorado, and his NBA career (stats) has been underwhelming to say the least... except for his only career start, which coincidently enough was against the Bulls. It was February 22, 2015, the first game back after the All-Star break. You may recall that in the final game before the break, the Bulls had beaten the Cavs by 15, a game in which Derrick put up 30 points and 7 assists (with only two turnovers). (On a side note, ESPN is reporting that the Knicks have apparently had "internal discussions" about trading for Rose, but that's a story for another article)
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On that cold February night in Detroit, the 21-33 Pistons beat the 34-20 Bulls 100-91. Dinwiddie, a rookie making his first career start, thoroughly outplayed Rose. Dinwiddie played a career-high 30:42 that night, scoring 12 points (5/9 FG, 1/2 3pt) while dishing out 9 assists (vs only 2 turnovers) with 3 steals. His 6'6" length on defense held Rose to only 8 points (2/9 FG, 0/3 3pt) and 2 assists with 6 turnovers. Oddly enough, a month later Dinwiddie had a career-high 10 assists (with only one turnover) in his only NBA double-double as the lottery-bound Pistons (25-43) once again beat the Bulls (42-28) in Detroit. While this could be a case of GarPax liking Dinwiddie because of the way he has performed against the Bulls, Dinwiddie was actually a decent NBA prospect before his tore his ACL during his junior year at Colorado. [caption id="attachment_2510" align="aligncenter" width="570"]Spencer Dinwiddie is the newest member of the Bulls. Photo by Keith Allison Spencer Dinwiddie is the newest member of the Bulls. Photo by Keith Allison[/caption] Dinwiddie's 614 NBA minutes have produced a 9.9 PER and .402 TS%, but those are superstar numbers compared to Bairstow's 5.0 PER and .368 TS% in 167 minutes, and on paper it certainly seems as if the Bulls won this trade in a blowout. At least Dinwiddie actually played well in his only NBA start, Bairstow hasn't played well since his senior year at New Mexico. Dinwiddie just turned 23, so he certainly has room to improve. That being said, if he even develops into a competent back-up point guard, it will be big news. But just like Bairstow, Dinwiddie's contract for next season isn't guaranteed, so the Bulls can cut him for free if they choose to do so. And the Bulls have until the start of the season to decide if they want to guarantee Dinwiddie's minimum contract, while Bairstow's contract becomes guaranteed on July 25. So they have that going for them...
         ]]> Spencer Dinwiddie from the Pistons in exchange for big man Cameron Bairstow. Dinwiddie is a 6'6" PG from the University of Colorado, and his NBA career (stats) has been underwhelming to say the least... except for his only career start, which coincidently enough was against the Bulls. It was February 22, 2015, the first game back after the All-Star break. You may recall that in the final game before the break, the Bulls had beaten the Cavs by 15, a game in which Derrick put up 30 points and 7 assists (with only two turnovers). (On a side note, ESPN is reporting that the Knicks have apparently had "internal discussions" about trading for Rose, but that's a story for another article)
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On that cold February night in Detroit, the 21-33 Pistons beat the 34-20 Bulls 100-91. Dinwiddie, a rookie making his first career start, thoroughly outplayed Rose. Dinwiddie played a career-high 30:42 that night, scoring 12 points (5/9 FG, 1/2 3pt) while dishing out 9 assists (vs only 2 turnovers) with 3 steals. His 6'6" length on defense held Rose to only 8 points (2/9 FG, 0/3 3pt) and 2 assists with 6 turnovers. Oddly enough, a month later Dinwiddie had a career-high 10 assists (with only one turnover) in his only NBA double-double as the lottery-bound Pistons (25-43) once again beat the Bulls (42-28) in Detroit. While this could be a case of GarPax liking Dinwiddie because of the way he has performed against the Bulls, Dinwiddie was actually a decent NBA prospect before his tore his ACL during his junior year at Colorado. [caption id="attachment_2510" align="aligncenter" width="570"]Spencer Dinwiddie is the newest member of the Bulls. Photo by Keith Allison Spencer Dinwiddie is the newest member of the Bulls. Photo by Keith Allison[/caption] Dinwiddie's 614 NBA minutes have produced a 9.9 PER and .402 TS%, but those are superstar numbers compared to Bairstow's 5.0 PER and .368 TS% in 167 minutes, and on paper it certainly seems as if the Bulls won this trade in a blowout. At least Dinwiddie actually played well in his only NBA start, Bairstow hasn't played well since his senior year at New Mexico. Dinwiddie just turned 23, so he certainly has room to improve. That being said, if he even develops into a competent back-up point guard, it will be big news. But just like Bairstow, Dinwiddie's contract for next season isn't guaranteed, so the Bulls can cut him for free if they choose to do so. And the Bulls have until the start of the season to decide if they want to guarantee Dinwiddie's minimum contract, while Bairstow's contract becomes guaranteed on July 25. So they have that going for them...
         ]]> Jimmy Butler to Minnesota? Thibs could actually make it work https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/06/jimmy-butler-minnesota-thibs/ https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/06/jimmy-butler-minnesota-thibs/#comments Tue, 14 Jun 2016 01:31:44 -0500 Bullsville http://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/?p=2501 Like Bullsville on Facebook Marc Stein first broke the story on Twitter: It didn't take long for Darren Wolfson to point out the obvious: The AW Wolfson references is Andrew Wiggins, the #1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. The question, obviously, is "how much would Thibs give up in order to land the perfect player for the way he coaches"? Obviously - and this cannot possibly be overstated - the deal starts with Wiggins and the #5 pick. Jimmy Butler is an All-Star, and one of the best two-way players in the entire NBA. And he is under contract for another three years at a bargain price. You don't give up a player like that without getting at least two quality prospects in return - and possibly a little more, depending on the quality of the prospects. Let's start with Stein's report, and look at the #5 pick in this month's draft. Rumor has it that the Bulls are completely enamored with Providence PG Kris Dunn, and these two sentences from his Draft Express profile explain why that would be the case:
It takes little more than a few seconds of watching Dunn play before you realize why he has a bright future in the NBA. Dunn has an exceptional physical profile for a point guard in today's NBA, standing 6'4” in shoes, with a terrific frame, a long 6'9” wingspan, and elite quickness and leaping ability that place him in rarefied air by even NBA standards.
DX's draft scouting video provides more insight into why the Bulls would be highly interested in Dunn: Obviously, the odds are highly stacked against Dunn (or anyone else the Bulls would pick at #5) making an All-Star Game and being named All-Defense by age 25 like Jimmy Butler did. In fact, it's almost certain that Dunn will never reach the levels of achievement that Jimmy Butler has, which is why an offer of #5 for Butler straight-up would be met with uncontrollable laughter on the Bulls end. Andrew Wiggins, on the other hand, is a young player with true superstar potential. The 21-year-old former Rookie Of The Year is an outstanding athlete with the potential to match Jimmy Butler on the defensive end of the floor. His quickness and length allow him to switch any perimeter pick-and-roll, a huge staple of Jim Boylen's defensive system. And his foot speed should allow him to develop into a lockdown defender as he progresses. That being said, Wiggins has the potential to develop into an elite offensive player who can explode and finish at the rim with the best in the league. He should become an absolute monster on the fast break, both as a finisher and as a ball-handler. His offensive highlights from last season: Wiggins does have plenty of downside, unfortunately - he is a poor rebounder for his height, his 3-point shooting leaves plenty to be desired (he shot a lower percentage last season than he did as a rookie), and his ball-handling is currently average at best. Contrary to the beliefs of Wolves' fans - who seem to think that #5 for Butler is a fair deal - Wiggins and #5 very likely won't be enough to get the deal done. The Bulls are dealing from a position of strength here, as Thibs horribly wants to make the playoffs this season just to prove what a great coach he is. Which means that he'll give up a hell of a lot in order to land an All-Star to team with Karl-Anthony Towns. A "sweetener", as Jerry Krause used to call it. In this case, either Gorgui Dieng or Shabazz Muhammad. If Thibs doesn't think Butler is worth it, let's see him try to make the playoffs with a bunch of 21-year-olds next season. The Bulls will be more than happy to continue to build around Jimmy Butler.]]> Like Bullsville on Facebook Marc Stein first broke the story on Twitter: It didn't take long for Darren Wolfson to point out the obvious: The AW Wolfson references is Andrew Wiggins, the #1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. The question, obviously, is "how much would Thibs give up in order to land the perfect player for the way he coaches"? Obviously - and this cannot possibly be overstated - the deal starts with Wiggins and the #5 pick. Jimmy Butler is an All-Star, and one of the best two-way players in the entire NBA. And he is under contract for another three years at a bargain price. You don't give up a player like that without getting at least two quality prospects in return - and possibly a little more, depending on the quality of the prospects. Let's start with Stein's report, and look at the #5 pick in this month's draft. Rumor has it that the Bulls are completely enamored with Providence PG Kris Dunn, and these two sentences from his Draft Express profile explain why that would be the case:
It takes little more than a few seconds of watching Dunn play before you realize why he has a bright future in the NBA. Dunn has an exceptional physical profile for a point guard in today's NBA, standing 6'4” in shoes, with a terrific frame, a long 6'9” wingspan, and elite quickness and leaping ability that place him in rarefied air by even NBA standards.
DX's draft scouting video provides more insight into why the Bulls would be highly interested in Dunn: Obviously, the odds are highly stacked against Dunn (or anyone else the Bulls would pick at #5) making an All-Star Game and being named All-Defense by age 25 like Jimmy Butler did. In fact, it's almost certain that Dunn will never reach the levels of achievement that Jimmy Butler has, which is why an offer of #5 for Butler straight-up would be met with uncontrollable laughter on the Bulls end. Andrew Wiggins, on the other hand, is a young player with true superstar potential. The 21-year-old former Rookie Of The Year is an outstanding athlete with the potential to match Jimmy Butler on the defensive end of the floor. His quickness and length allow him to switch any perimeter pick-and-roll, a huge staple of Jim Boylen's defensive system. And his foot speed should allow him to develop into a lockdown defender as he progresses. That being said, Wiggins has the potential to develop into an elite offensive player who can explode and finish at the rim with the best in the league. He should become an absolute monster on the fast break, both as a finisher and as a ball-handler. His offensive highlights from last season: Wiggins does have plenty of downside, unfortunately - he is a poor rebounder for his height, his 3-point shooting leaves plenty to be desired (he shot a lower percentage last season than he did as a rookie), and his ball-handling is currently average at best. Contrary to the beliefs of Wolves' fans - who seem to think that #5 for Butler is a fair deal - Wiggins and #5 very likely won't be enough to get the deal done. The Bulls are dealing from a position of strength here, as Thibs horribly wants to make the playoffs this season just to prove what a great coach he is. Which means that he'll give up a hell of a lot in order to land an All-Star to team with Karl-Anthony Towns. A "sweetener", as Jerry Krause used to call it. In this case, either Gorgui Dieng or Shabazz Muhammad. If Thibs doesn't think Butler is worth it, let's see him try to make the playoffs with a bunch of 21-year-olds next season. The Bulls will be more than happy to continue to build around Jimmy Butler.]]> Derrick Rose for Nerlens Noel... just do it, Gar Forman https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/05/derrick-rose-nerlens-noel-gar-forman/ https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/05/derrick-rose-nerlens-noel-gar-forman/#comments Sun, 29 May 2016 20:31:27 -0500 Bullsville http://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/?p=2466 in a recent article, the Bulls really need to move on from the Derrick Rose era. While he feels he is still an All-Star, all of the statistics, both traditional and advanced, show that he is, for the most part, a liability on the floor at this stage of his career.
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The Bulls are officially Jimmy Butler's team now, and as we found out last season, Butler put up LeBron numbers in games he played without Rose being active. In case you have forgotten, the Bulls went 9-2 with Jimmy sans Rose last season, and in those 11 games Butler put up MVP numbers:
27.7 points 7.2 rebounds 7.0 assists 2.0 turnovers 1.36 steals 0.91 blocked shots .505 field goal percentage .820 free throw percentage .382 3-point percentage 9.1 free throw attempts
While most Bulls fans are downright disgusted with the Bulls' front office right now, there is no way that Forman, Paxson and Hoiberg can't see the difference in this team when it belongs to Butler without Rose around, trying to be an All-Star. The question is, do they have the stones to move on from a still very popular Derrick Rose this summer, or do they waste a season of Butler's prime forcing him to share the ball with a player who just isn't that good any more? [caption id="attachment_2402" align="aligncenter" width="550"]The Bulls have no choice this summer but to completely turn this team over to All-Star SG Jimmy Bulter. The Bulls have no choice this summer but to completely turn this team over to All-Star SG Jimmy Bulter.[/caption] The problem the front office faces - besides the obvious one of Derrick Rose being a hometown hero who still has thousands of fans - is that Rose doesn't seem to have much trade value around the NBA. What team is interested in a point guard who can't shoot 3's (career 30.2% from behind the arc), who only has one year left on his contract, who didn't bother playing defense last season, and who thinks he's a much better player than he is? Maybe a young team that hasn't won many games lately, that is full of young players but in dire need of veterans, that might take a chance that Rose can actually stay healthy, and that thinks there is a chance that Rose might return to something near his All-Star level of play? To many people, that team is the Philadelphia 76ers. After blatantly tanking the last few seasons, they are a team full of young, talented players who were high lottery picks. They hold the #1 pick in this summer's draft. They just hired Jerry Colangelo to help the team transition from tanking to competing for a playoff spot. Most of their young talent are power forwards and centers, and they are in dire need of a point guard. Word out of Philadelphia is that the Sixers are looking to trade either Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor. Colangelo told Bleacher Report Radio last week that "everybody is thinking about winning as opposed to prolonging the rebuilding process." Coach Brant Brown added "For the first time in my four years, we're going to enter a legitimate approach to free agency." Obviously, free agents aren't going to be flocking to Philly to play for a team that has won 19, 18 and 10 games the last three seasons. It would seem as if their best shot at landing some veterans is to do so through a trade, which is precisely why Noel and Okafor are on the block. The Bulls can not only offer Rose, they also have veterans Taj Gibson and Mike Dunleavy to offer in a trade - and the two of them are probably as good or better than any veterans they could sign as free agents. The Sixers have at least $60 million in cap space, enough to absorb all three contracts and still have more than $30 million available. The Bulls have the #14 pick in this summer's draft to add to the deal, and they won't find a better fit than Noel if they keep the pick. Noel is a perfect fit with the Bulls, the young, defensive-minded center they need to replace Joakim Noah (who, if he isn't on his way out, certainly isn't the player he was). [caption id="attachment_995" align="aligncenter" width="529"]taj gibson bullsville Taj Gibson is exactly the type of vetreran the Sixers are looking for in free agency this summer. (Image by Bobak Ha'Eri)[/caption] Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, Mike Dunleavy, and the #14 pick in the draft for Nerlens Noel. It's a good return for Philly, and it gives the Bulls the center they badly need (plus an extra $30 million in cap space). If the Sixers need a couple of second-round picks, or a future first-rounder (lottery protected) to get the deal done, do it. Forman, Paxson, Reinsdorf, just get 'er done.]]> in a recent article, the Bulls really need to move on from the Derrick Rose era. While he feels he is still an All-Star, all of the statistics, both traditional and advanced, show that he is, for the most part, a liability on the floor at this stage of his career.
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The Bulls are officially Jimmy Butler's team now, and as we found out last season, Butler put up LeBron numbers in games he played without Rose being active. In case you have forgotten, the Bulls went 9-2 with Jimmy sans Rose last season, and in those 11 games Butler put up MVP numbers:
27.7 points 7.2 rebounds 7.0 assists 2.0 turnovers 1.36 steals 0.91 blocked shots .505 field goal percentage .820 free throw percentage .382 3-point percentage 9.1 free throw attempts
While most Bulls fans are downright disgusted with the Bulls' front office right now, there is no way that Forman, Paxson and Hoiberg can't see the difference in this team when it belongs to Butler without Rose around, trying to be an All-Star. The question is, do they have the stones to move on from a still very popular Derrick Rose this summer, or do they waste a season of Butler's prime forcing him to share the ball with a player who just isn't that good any more? [caption id="attachment_2402" align="aligncenter" width="550"]The Bulls have no choice this summer but to completely turn this team over to All-Star SG Jimmy Bulter. The Bulls have no choice this summer but to completely turn this team over to All-Star SG Jimmy Bulter.[/caption] The problem the front office faces - besides the obvious one of Derrick Rose being a hometown hero who still has thousands of fans - is that Rose doesn't seem to have much trade value around the NBA. What team is interested in a point guard who can't shoot 3's (career 30.2% from behind the arc), who only has one year left on his contract, who didn't bother playing defense last season, and who thinks he's a much better player than he is? Maybe a young team that hasn't won many games lately, that is full of young players but in dire need of veterans, that might take a chance that Rose can actually stay healthy, and that thinks there is a chance that Rose might return to something near his All-Star level of play? To many people, that team is the Philadelphia 76ers. After blatantly tanking the last few seasons, they are a team full of young, talented players who were high lottery picks. They hold the #1 pick in this summer's draft. They just hired Jerry Colangelo to help the team transition from tanking to competing for a playoff spot. Most of their young talent are power forwards and centers, and they are in dire need of a point guard. Word out of Philadelphia is that the Sixers are looking to trade either Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor. Colangelo told Bleacher Report Radio last week that "everybody is thinking about winning as opposed to prolonging the rebuilding process." Coach Brant Brown added "For the first time in my four years, we're going to enter a legitimate approach to free agency." Obviously, free agents aren't going to be flocking to Philly to play for a team that has won 19, 18 and 10 games the last three seasons. It would seem as if their best shot at landing some veterans is to do so through a trade, which is precisely why Noel and Okafor are on the block. The Bulls can not only offer Rose, they also have veterans Taj Gibson and Mike Dunleavy to offer in a trade - and the two of them are probably as good or better than any veterans they could sign as free agents. The Sixers have at least $60 million in cap space, enough to absorb all three contracts and still have more than $30 million available. The Bulls have the #14 pick in this summer's draft to add to the deal, and they won't find a better fit than Noel if they keep the pick. Noel is a perfect fit with the Bulls, the young, defensive-minded center they need to replace Joakim Noah (who, if he isn't on his way out, certainly isn't the player he was). [caption id="attachment_995" align="aligncenter" width="529"]taj gibson bullsville Taj Gibson is exactly the type of vetreran the Sixers are looking for in free agency this summer. (Image by Bobak Ha'Eri)[/caption] Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, Mike Dunleavy, and the #14 pick in the draft for Nerlens Noel. It's a good return for Philly, and it gives the Bulls the center they badly need (plus an extra $30 million in cap space). If the Sixers need a couple of second-round picks, or a future first-rounder (lottery protected) to get the deal done, do it. Forman, Paxson, Reinsdorf, just get 'er done.]]> Jimmy Butler named NBA All-Defensive Second Team https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/05/jimmy-butler-named-nba-all-defensive-second-team/ https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/05/jimmy-butler-named-nba-all-defensive-second-team/#comments Wed, 25 May 2016 15:48:00 -0500 Bullsville http://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/?p=2463 Derrick Rose has to go https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/04/derrick-rose-has-to-go-2/ https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/04/derrick-rose-has-to-go-2/#comments Sun, 17 Apr 2016 16:51:46 -0500 Bullsville http://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/?p=2451 But one specific quote that appeared in Sunday's Chicago Tribune goes a long way toward explaining why the Bulls and Derrick Rose need to part ways this summer:
"I feel I'm an All-Star right now"
While NBA fans may one day again see Derrick Rose play in an All-Star game, there was no point during the past season in which Rose resembled an All-Star. There are some Bulls fans who like to point out a particular stretch of games last season during which he looked like the Derrick Rose of old, but unfortunately that was just wishful thinking. A simple look at the numbers tells us that Rose was never particularly good at any point of the 2015-16 season. Rose was certainly better in January than he had been the first two months of the season, when he was struggling with his shooting due to the after effects from the eye injury he suffered the first day of training camp. He averaged 17.6 points per game - a 15% jump over the previous month. He had a true shooting percentage of .526 that month, easily his highest number of the season. But a .526 true shooting percentage isn't anywhere near All-Star level. The league average for TS% is .541, and while this number is naturally higher for big men than for guards, .526 isn't close to an All-Star level for a point guard:
Kyle Lowry .578 John Wall .510 (#2 in the NBA with 10.2 assists per game) Isaiah Thomas .562 Steph Curry .669 Russell Westbrook .554 Chris Paul .575
Rose averaged only 3.3 assists per game in January, obviously a horrible number for a point guard (Rose was only 4th on the team in assists per game in January). He also averaged 2.5 turnovers in January, 2nd-most on the team (Gasol averaged 2.6). Rose's assist/turnover ratio for the month was 1.3/1, obviously an extremely poor number for a point guard. Rose's highest scoring month of the season was February, when he played in 8 of the team's 12 games and averaged 21.9 points (and 6.0 assists, his second-best month of the season). The team was without their #1 and #4 scorers (Butler and Mirotic) that month, so they certainly needed Rose's scoring - the bad thing, however, is that it took him 19.4 FGA to score those 21.9 points. Even though he averaged a season-best 4.9 FTA that month, his TS% was only .508. February was probably Rose's best month, even though he played in only 2/3 of his team's games. He scored at an All-Star level, but his TS% and mediocre assist totals (which were somewhat negated by his 3.3 turnovers per game) certainly prevent anyone from claiming he was performing at an All-Star level for the month. Rose's March stats: 16.6 points, 4.5 assists, 2.5 turnovers and .511 TS%. Clearly nowhere near All-Star numbers. On top of his mediocre offensive production, Rose's defense was downright atrocious last season. On most nights it appeared as if he wasn't giving any effort at all on the defensive end. The Bulls really have no choice but to move on from the Rose era and hand the keys to the team over to Jimmy Butler. [caption id="attachment_1951" align="aligncenter" width="525"]jimmy butler bullsville The Bulls have no choice but to jump on the Jimmy Butler bandwagon[/caption] As I pointed out a few days ago, Jimmy put up LeBron numbers this season when he played and Rose didn't. The team overall went 32-34 when Rose played vs 10-6 when he didn't, and the Bulls played at a 67-win pace when Jimmy played and Rose was inactive. Don't get me wrong, Derrick Rose can still have nights where he looks like MVP Rose - but they are few and far between. Outside of those rare flashback nights, he is simply an average starting-level NBA point guard (not that there's anything wrong with that). The problem for the Bulls is that Rose still thinks he's an All-Star level player, and he still wants to be the alpha dog. And while he certainly struggled with saying the wrong things at the wrong time in his first year as self-proclaimed team leader, Jimmy Butler is now the Bulls' alpha dog. But certainly there is a team out there that can use a volume scorer with a superstar name (which Rose certainly still has). To this writer, the obvious choice is Philadelphia, a team full of young players and without a point guard (Ish Smith is now a free agent). While it might be too much to ask the Sixers to send Nerlens Noel to the Bulls for Rose, Philly does have a couple of extra draft picks at the bottom of the first round (#22 and #26). It's possible the Sixers might send one of their picks in the 20's in exchange for Rose. Sacramento is also looking for a point guard, with Rajon Rondo now an unrestricted free agent. I can't see the Kings giving up Willie Cauley-Stein or their lottery-pick for Rose, but they might send Rudy Gay to the Bulls (or to another team that would send a 1st-round pick to Chicago). The Bulls can't be picky, however - if they can find a team to take on the last year of Rose's salary, they have to do it - even if they get nothing but a 2nd-round pick in return. The Bulls can use the cap space to sign a player (or players) that fit with Jimmy Butler. They need more athleticism and more three-point shooting The Derrick Rose era is over in Chicago, it's time for the Jimmy Butler era to officially begin.]]> But one specific quote that appeared in Sunday's Chicago Tribune goes a long way toward explaining why the Bulls and Derrick Rose need to part ways this summer:
"I feel I'm an All-Star right now"
While NBA fans may one day again see Derrick Rose play in an All-Star game, there was no point during the past season in which Rose resembled an All-Star. There are some Bulls fans who like to point out a particular stretch of games last season during which he looked like the Derrick Rose of old, but unfortunately that was just wishful thinking. A simple look at the numbers tells us that Rose was never particularly good at any point of the 2015-16 season. Rose was certainly better in January than he had been the first two months of the season, when he was struggling with his shooting due to the after effects from the eye injury he suffered the first day of training camp. He averaged 17.6 points per game - a 15% jump over the previous month. He had a true shooting percentage of .526 that month, easily his highest number of the season. But a .526 true shooting percentage isn't anywhere near All-Star level. The league average for TS% is .541, and while this number is naturally higher for big men than for guards, .526 isn't close to an All-Star level for a point guard:
Kyle Lowry .578 John Wall .510 (#2 in the NBA with 10.2 assists per game) Isaiah Thomas .562 Steph Curry .669 Russell Westbrook .554 Chris Paul .575
Rose averaged only 3.3 assists per game in January, obviously a horrible number for a point guard (Rose was only 4th on the team in assists per game in January). He also averaged 2.5 turnovers in January, 2nd-most on the team (Gasol averaged 2.6). Rose's assist/turnover ratio for the month was 1.3/1, obviously an extremely poor number for a point guard. Rose's highest scoring month of the season was February, when he played in 8 of the team's 12 games and averaged 21.9 points (and 6.0 assists, his second-best month of the season). The team was without their #1 and #4 scorers (Butler and Mirotic) that month, so they certainly needed Rose's scoring - the bad thing, however, is that it took him 19.4 FGA to score those 21.9 points. Even though he averaged a season-best 4.9 FTA that month, his TS% was only .508. February was probably Rose's best month, even though he played in only 2/3 of his team's games. He scored at an All-Star level, but his TS% and mediocre assist totals (which were somewhat negated by his 3.3 turnovers per game) certainly prevent anyone from claiming he was performing at an All-Star level for the month. Rose's March stats: 16.6 points, 4.5 assists, 2.5 turnovers and .511 TS%. Clearly nowhere near All-Star numbers. On top of his mediocre offensive production, Rose's defense was downright atrocious last season. On most nights it appeared as if he wasn't giving any effort at all on the defensive end. The Bulls really have no choice but to move on from the Rose era and hand the keys to the team over to Jimmy Butler. [caption id="attachment_1951" align="aligncenter" width="525"]jimmy butler bullsville The Bulls have no choice but to jump on the Jimmy Butler bandwagon[/caption] As I pointed out a few days ago, Jimmy put up LeBron numbers this season when he played and Rose didn't. The team overall went 32-34 when Rose played vs 10-6 when he didn't, and the Bulls played at a 67-win pace when Jimmy played and Rose was inactive. Don't get me wrong, Derrick Rose can still have nights where he looks like MVP Rose - but they are few and far between. Outside of those rare flashback nights, he is simply an average starting-level NBA point guard (not that there's anything wrong with that). The problem for the Bulls is that Rose still thinks he's an All-Star level player, and he still wants to be the alpha dog. And while he certainly struggled with saying the wrong things at the wrong time in his first year as self-proclaimed team leader, Jimmy Butler is now the Bulls' alpha dog. But certainly there is a team out there that can use a volume scorer with a superstar name (which Rose certainly still has). To this writer, the obvious choice is Philadelphia, a team full of young players and without a point guard (Ish Smith is now a free agent). While it might be too much to ask the Sixers to send Nerlens Noel to the Bulls for Rose, Philly does have a couple of extra draft picks at the bottom of the first round (#22 and #26). It's possible the Sixers might send one of their picks in the 20's in exchange for Rose. Sacramento is also looking for a point guard, with Rajon Rondo now an unrestricted free agent. I can't see the Kings giving up Willie Cauley-Stein or their lottery-pick for Rose, but they might send Rudy Gay to the Bulls (or to another team that would send a 1st-round pick to Chicago). The Bulls can't be picky, however - if they can find a team to take on the last year of Rose's salary, they have to do it - even if they get nothing but a 2nd-round pick in return. The Bulls can use the cap space to sign a player (or players) that fit with Jimmy Butler. They need more athleticism and more three-point shooting The Derrick Rose era is over in Chicago, it's time for the Jimmy Butler era to officially begin.]]> Has Jimmy Butler become LeBron? https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/04/has-jimmy-butler-become-lebron/ https://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/2016/04/has-jimmy-butler-become-lebron/#comments Thu, 14 Apr 2016 03:45:33 -0500 Bullsville http://www.chicagonow.com/bullsville/?p=2436 The league average TS% was .540 last season. Even the Bulls, who struggled mightly on offense this season (26th in the league in TS%), had a team TS% of .526 for the season. At least Rose stayed healthy-ish this season- he played in 66 games, which is more than he played in the previous three seasons combined. But the 16 games Rose missed tells us something about the rest of the roster. The Bulls went 32-34 in the games that Rose played, and 10-6 when Rose sat. Jimmy Butler missed 5 games in which Rose didn't play, and when Jimmy Butler played while Rose didn't, he morphed into a bona fide superstar. The Bulls went 9-2 in the 11 games that Jimmy Butler played and Rose didn't. Five of the 11 games were against playoff teams. Playing without Rose, the stats Butler posted were downright LeBronish:
27.7 points 7.2 rebounds 7.0 assists 2.0 turnovers 1.36 steals 0.91 blocked shots .505 field goal percentage .820 free throw percentage .382 3-point percentage 9.1 free throw attempts
Jimmy also had two triple-doubles in those 11 games. He scored 25 points or more in seven of the 11 games. It was only 11 games, but there aren't any 27/7/7 players in the NBA. If we compare those numbers with LeBron's stats for this season... well, you can see for yourself.
Butler: 27.7 pts, 7.2 reb, 7.0 ast, 2.0 to, 1.36 stl, 0.91 blk, 50.5% fg, 82.0% ft, 38.2% 3pt, 9.1 fta, 3.5/1 ast/to LeBron:  25.3 pts, 6.8 reb, 7.4 ast, 3.3 to, 1.37 stl, 0.64 blk, 52.0% fg, 73.1% ft, 30.9% 3pt, 6.5 fta, 2.1/1 ast/to
[caption id="attachment_1804" align="alignleft" width="150"]lebron bullsville Photo by Keith Allison[/caption] It's only an 11 game sample, but Jimmy Butler was very impressive when he was the undisputed alpha dog on the floor. It's common knowledge that the Bulls struggled with chemistry and effort and "who is the leader", which led to the team missing the playoffs despite going 7-1 against the top-2 teams in the East (Cleveland, Toronto). It's just human nature that the veterans who have been with the team for a few seasons- Taj, Noah, Dunleavy, and Rose- still look to Rose to lead the offense. While it's not certain, I have to believe that the only players who will be on the roster next season are the ones who played tonight (plus E'Twaun, who was out with a bad hamstring):
Mirotic McDermott Felicio Portis Holliday Butler Snell
I think the front office sees Butler as the leader of this team going forward, and who can blame them- they all saw Jimmy Butler doing his best LeBron imitation when he was out there and Rose wasn't. I expect Gasol and Brooks to walk, and Gibson and Dunleavy to be traded. I'm not sure what to think about Noah- he's been the vocal leader of this team for years now, but if he can't get on the Jimmy Butler train, he'll probably be allowed to walk as well. I expect Rose to be traded, though I'm not sure the Bulls can get much in return. Hopefully, some team that needs a "superstar" will be open to giving up a first-round pick and absorbing Derrick's contract into their cap space. I'd love to see him traded for Nerlens Noel or Willie Cauley-Stein, but honestly I don't see that happening. These moves would give the Bulls $50 million or more in cap space, and the ability to sign two max players, but that's a different discussion for a different day.  ]]> The league average TS% was .540 last season. Even the Bulls, who struggled mightly on offense this season (26th in the league in TS%), had a team TS% of .526 for the season. At least Rose stayed healthy-ish this season- he played in 66 games, which is more than he played in the previous three seasons combined. But the 16 games Rose missed tells us something about the rest of the roster. The Bulls went 32-34 in the games that Rose played, and 10-6 when Rose sat. Jimmy Butler missed 5 games in which Rose didn't play, and when Jimmy Butler played while Rose didn't, he morphed into a bona fide superstar. The Bulls went 9-2 in the 11 games that Jimmy Butler played and Rose didn't. Five of the 11 games were against playoff teams. Playing without Rose, the stats Butler posted were downright LeBronish:
27.7 points 7.2 rebounds 7.0 assists 2.0 turnovers 1.36 steals 0.91 blocked shots .505 field goal percentage .820 free throw percentage .382 3-point percentage 9.1 free throw attempts
Jimmy also had two triple-doubles in those 11 games. He scored 25 points or more in seven of the 11 games. It was only 11 games, but there aren't any 27/7/7 players in the NBA. If we compare those numbers with LeBron's stats for this season... well, you can see for yourself.
Butler: 27.7 pts, 7.2 reb, 7.0 ast, 2.0 to, 1.36 stl, 0.91 blk, 50.5% fg, 82.0% ft, 38.2% 3pt, 9.1 fta, 3.5/1 ast/to LeBron:  25.3 pts, 6.8 reb, 7.4 ast, 3.3 to, 1.37 stl, 0.64 blk, 52.0% fg, 73.1% ft, 30.9% 3pt, 6.5 fta, 2.1/1 ast/to
[caption id="attachment_1804" align="alignleft" width="150"]lebron bullsville Photo by Keith Allison[/caption] It's only an 11 game sample, but Jimmy Butler was very impressive when he was the undisputed alpha dog on the floor. It's common knowledge that the Bulls struggled with chemistry and effort and "who is the leader", which led to the team missing the playoffs despite going 7-1 against the top-2 teams in the East (Cleveland, Toronto). It's just human nature that the veterans who have been with the team for a few seasons- Taj, Noah, Dunleavy, and Rose- still look to Rose to lead the offense. While it's not certain, I have to believe that the only players who will be on the roster next season are the ones who played tonight (plus E'Twaun, who was out with a bad hamstring):
Mirotic McDermott Felicio Portis Holliday Butler Snell
I think the front office sees Butler as the leader of this team going forward, and who can blame them- they all saw Jimmy Butler doing his best LeBron imitation when he was out there and Rose wasn't. I expect Gasol and Brooks to walk, and Gibson and Dunleavy to be traded. I'm not sure what to think about Noah- he's been the vocal leader of this team for years now, but if he can't get on the Jimmy Butler train, he'll probably be allowed to walk as well. I expect Rose to be traded, though I'm not sure the Bulls can get much in return. Hopefully, some team that needs a "superstar" will be open to giving up a first-round pick and absorbing Derrick's contract into their cap space. I'd love to see him traded for Nerlens Noel or Willie Cauley-Stein, but honestly I don't see that happening. These moves would give the Bulls $50 million or more in cap space, and the ability to sign two max players, but that's a different discussion for a different day.  ]]>