Mirotic may start - KC

[Stratmaster]

Well, the Dunleavy comment could be saying..the Bulls wanted a deep spacer in the starting linup, which is now out. You could still start defense at the 3, and put the deep (31% ) shooter at the 4

Rose
Butler
Snell
Mirotic
Gasol

Except...there isn't much defense at the 3 or deep shooting at the 4 :O

Except that Snell is a better defender than Dunleavy and Niko is a deep shooter relative to either Pau or Jo, so his post is accurate.

Well, my post was somewhat tongue-in-cheek... but Snell's defense is very overrated here (he is a better one-on-one defender than MDJ, but in the context of overall team defense he isn't much of an improvement). You need to look at Niko's shooting numbers more closely. He was no better a deep shooter than Pau. He shot pretty poorly. Right now I leave Niko open for a deep shot before I leave Pau open. Hopefully that will change and Niko will certainly be a better 3-point shooter? But Pau can play the stretch 4 offensively and space the floor just as effectively as Niko. Niko's success last season was getting to the line, not outside shooting.

[MC3]

Can't wait for Mirotic to start with Noah. Quote me on this when season starts.

[waffle]

I've been saying the same thing. All dependent on Noah's health, of course.

[DanTown8587]

The great "3" debate again. Because the front office did nothing this offseason we have to try and play players out of position while we stink at other positions. We have a roster full of power forwards, several who won't get enough minutes or have to play out of position because the front office has a fetish for the 4 spot. Meanwhile our small forwards blow, and with Dunleavy out its even more of an issue. The moaning for Niko not playing the 4, Taj not getting enough minutes, Noah and Pau playing together, its all coming back. And we even drafted another 4. The front office should have packaged a few of these 4's to try and get the 3 position solidified. I do not get how we have so many 4's, its a joke.

The Bulls in 2013 drafted Snell, in 2014 they traded up to draft McDermott, and in the 2015 off-season they had no money to sign any high quality wing player. The Bulls have attempted to upgrade their SF spot, the moves just haven't played out yet but teams shouldn't be in the business of moving on from lottery picks who have played less than 500 minutes. Sure they can make a trade but the problem with a trade is their only valuable players are Mirotic and Butler, two guys who should probably be starting and not looking to trade.

The 2015 Bulls are much like the 2014 Bulls because when the 2014 Bulls were created, the team was created with a two year window but the flexibility to change direction by 2016 if necessary.

Regarding Mirotic, he absolutely should start but his minutes should come exclusively at the PF positon and it's going to be very easy to do this. In training camp, Taj is going to be out so the Bulls will have only one natural PF on the roster - Niko. The only reason the Bulls would start Gasol/Noah is if Noah physically returns to his 2013-14 health but even then, it doesn't make sense to have Noah and Gasol start for the offense they want to run. I won't judge Hoiberg for things we haven't seen but if the Bulls starting lineup in four weeks involves Noah and Gasol with a healthy Niko, color me shocked because it goes against everything he ever did at Iowa State in terms of roster construction and offensive flow.

[League Circles]

A Gasol, Taj Niko front line could be an option. Taj could guard whichever forward is the better scorer with Niko getting the easier matchup.

This team seems to have so many really good parts but I'm nervous we may not have a great 5 man unit for a while.

I still remain convinced that the only things written in stone about this team is that Rose and Butler will start. I'm not even certain Jimmy will start at SG. Could be SF while MDJ is out with Kirk, Moore, Crawford, Brooks or Snell at the "SG" to start the season.

[DRoseCantStop]

Can't wait for Mirotic to start with Noah. Quote me on this when season starts.

I'm crossing my fingers this happens.

[League Circles]

The great "3" debate again. Because the front office did nothing this offseason we have to try and play players out of position while we stink at other positions. We have a roster full of power forwards, several who won't get enough minutes or have to play out of position because the front office has a fetish for the 4 spot. Meanwhile our small forwards blow, and with Dunleavy out its even more of an issue. The moaning for Niko not playing the 4, Taj not getting enough minutes, Noah and Pau playing together, its all coming back. And we even drafted another 4. The front office should have packaged a few of these 4's to try and get the 3 position solidified. I do not get how we have so many 4's, its a joke.

The Bulls in 2013 drafted Snell, in 2014 they traded up to draft McDermott, and in the 2015 off-season they had no money to sign any high quality wing player. The Bulls have attempted to upgrade their SF spot, the moves just haven't played out yet but teams shouldn't be in the business of moving on from lottery picks who have played less than 500 minutes. Sure they can make a trade but the problem with a trade is their only valuable players are Mirotic and Butler, two guys who should probably be starting and not looking to trade.

The 2015 Bulls are much like the 2014 Bulls because when the 2014 Bulls were created, the team was created with a two year window but the flexibility to change direction by 2016 if necessary.

Regarding Mirotic, he absolutely should start but his minutes should come exclusively at the PF positon and it's going to be very easy to do this. In training camp, Taj is going to be out so the Bulls will have only one natural PF on the roster - Niko. The only reason the Bulls would start Gasol/Noah is if Noah physically returns to his 2013-14 health but even then, it doesn't make sense to have Noah and Gasol start for the offense they want to run. I won't judge Hoiberg for things we haven't seen but if the Bulls starting lineup in four weeks involves Noah and Gasol with a healthy Niko, color me shocked because it goes against everything he ever did at Iowa State in terms of roster construction and offensive flow.

Are we sure Taj is out for camp/preseason? I've been wanting an update on that but didn't want to start a new thread.

If he is out, that's not good as I think he deserves to start, but it's good in the sense that it removes one big variable from the starting situation (he won't and shouldn't start of he hasn't been playing all camp), which makes decisions easier and more straightforward.

[Ice Man]

The only reason the Bulls would start Gasol/Noah is if Noah physically returns to his 2013-14 health

That's the only reason that we would start Gasol/Noah. I am not yet convinced, though, that the FO & Hoiberg are as unconcerned about seniority and protecting egos as this board is. After all, Thibs thought it was absolutely critical and while he is certainly capable of mistakes, he was a successful NBA coach who had reasons for his actions.

[ATRAIN53]

Of course he's starting. Mirotec is GarPaxs golden child.

I'm fairly convinced his minutes and play are a big reason they parted ways with Thibs. Niko was primted to help in the playoffs last year. He got to the FT stripe in that CLE series almost as much as Rose and that was off the bench.

I expect this guy to be an All-Star. Maybe even this year......

[dice]

Of course he's starting. Mirotec is GarPaxs golden child.

I'm fairly convinced his minutes and play are a big reason they parted ways with Thibs. Niko was primted to help in the playoffs last year. He got to the FT stripe in that CLE series almost as much as Rose and that was off the bench.

I expect this guy to be an All-Star. Maybe even this year......

wow

[Jax Teller]

The great "3" debate again. Because the front office did nothing this offseason we have to try and play players out of position while we stink at other positions. We have a roster full of power forwards, several who won't get enough minutes or have to play out of position because the front office has a fetish for the 4 spot. Meanwhile our small forwards blow, and with Dunleavy out its even more of an issue. The moaning for Niko not playing the 4, Taj not getting enough minutes, Noah and Pau playing together, its all coming back. And we even drafted another 4. The front office should have packaged a few of these 4's to try and get the 3 position solidified. I do not get how we have so many 4's, its a joke.

The Bulls in 2013 drafted Snell, in 2014 they traded up to draft McDermott, and in the 2015 off-season they had no money to sign any high quality wing player. The Bulls have attempted to upgrade their SF spot, the moves just haven't played out yet but teams shouldn't be in the business of moving on from lottery picks who have played less than 500 minutes. Sure they can make a trade but the problem with a trade is their only valuable players are Mirotic and Butler, two guys who should probably be starting and not looking to trade.

The 2015 Bulls are much like the 2014 Bulls because when the 2014 Bulls were created, the team was created with a two year window but the flexibility to change direction by 2016 if necessary.

Regarding Mirotic, he absolutely should start but his minutes should come exclusively at the PF positon and it's going to be very easy to do this. In training camp, Taj is going to be out so the Bulls will have only one natural PF on the roster - Niko. The only reason the Bulls would start Gasol/Noah is if Noah physically returns to his 2013-14 health but even then, it doesn't make sense to have Noah and Gasol start for the offense they want to run. I won't judge Hoiberg for things we haven't seen but if the Bulls starting lineup in four weeks involves Noah and Gasol with a healthy Niko, color me shocked because it goes against everything he ever did at Iowa State in terms of roster construction and offensive flow.

I will believe a rookie coach Hoiberg has the cohones to bring Jo or Pau off the bench and start Niko when I see it. With all these 4's (each effective but deficient in their own way) deserving of minutes its almost a no win situation. One or two guys will not get minutes they deserve while the 3 position is going to have a glaring weakness. Some players will be pissed off. Same ole same ole unfortunately. And forget seeing much of Portis. I get why they drafted him, but he plays a position half our roster plays. A trade at some point with one or two of these 4's for a wing player is desperately needed.

[Payt10]

Hoiberg will play him at PF, not SF.

[TheSuzerain]

Gasol has played great.

But I think we would have been better off signing Trevor Ariza instead last offseason.

[Proven_Winner]

Gasol has played great.

But I think we would have been better off signing Trevor Ariza instead last offseason.

Well we picked the better player. Ariza is great and fits what we need but so does Gasol.

[TheSuzerain]

Gasol has played great.

But I think we would have been better off signing Trevor Ariza instead last offseason.

Well we picked the better player. Ariza is great and fits what we need but so does Gasol.

Gasol is the better player.

But we'd be a better team with Ariza.

[DanTown8587]

Gasol has played great.

But I think we would have been better off signing Trevor Ariza instead last offseason.

Well we picked the better player. Ariza is great and fits what we need but so does Gasol.

Gasol is the better player.

But we'd be a better team with Ariza.

This is a pure hindsight argument seeing as

1. Any talk of Jimmy Butler being an efficient, lead volume scorer would have been dismissed as nonsense considering his past two seasons
2. Mirotic had no experience in the NBA so as much as people would have hoped he'd score right away, that's still a massive amount of unknown in projecting what he'd be

[johnnyvann840]

Can't wait for Mirotic to start with Noah. Quote me on this when season starts.

Not a chance in hell Pau Gasol is not taking the opening tap. none.

[bearadonisdna]

Music to my ears, the bulls drafted portis so he could replace a big on the bigs rotation.
Also i played 2k16 with my friend last night and portis easily has a center frame i played him at the 5 with great team success and the bulls as a whole wrecked my friends GS warriors two games in a row, and yes i started mirotic at the 3 even before this mdj injury.

TBH i didnt notic i wasnt playing with mdj and rolled with a bench lineup of,

brooks
snell
McD
Taj
Portis

[johnnyvann840]

Music to my ears, the bulls drafted portis so he could replace a big on the bigs rotation.
Also i played 2k16 with my friend last night and portis easily has a center frame i played him at the 5 with great team success and the bulls as a whole wrecked my friends GS warriors two games in a row, and yes i started mirotic at the 3 even before this mdj injury.

TBH i didnt notic i wasnt playing with mdj and rolled with a bench lineup of,

brooks
snell
McD
Taj
Portis

NOTHING that happens in NBA 2k has anything to do with real life. They can make the players look like them and even move like them... but the game itself has zero correlation to what will happen in real life. Those are not people on your monitor.. they are cartoons.

[bearadonisdna]

Music to my ears, the bulls drafted portis so he could replace a big on the bigs rotation.
Also i played 2k16 with my friend last night and portis easily has a center frame i played him at the 5 with great team success and the bulls as a whole wrecked my friends GS warriors two games in a row, and yes i started mirotic at the 3 even before this mdj injury.

TBH i didnt notic i wasnt playing with mdj and rolled with a bench lineup of,

brooks
snell
McD
Taj
Portis

NOTHING that happens in NBA 2k has anything to do with real life. They can make the players look like them and even move like them... but the game itself has zero correlation to what will happen in real life. Those are not people on your monitor.. they are cartoons.

Im aware of that sir but its just my insight that portis is much closer to a center than sf , and i mention it because there is a thread regarding portis as a center. I ve played with mirotic as the bulls sf in 2k even before he was on the team so that may be why i was successful but even before i played this version of 2k (HOF difficulty), i have been one of the bigger proponents of mirotic playing the 3.

And in my defense, so make me not look so meatballish, i understand we dont want swarms of posters advocating their 2k strategies for real world solutions but a real nba GM, Morey from the Rockets, has indicated he has used video games as insight for chemistry and roster buildng.