GT Play-In #2: Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat - Fri 4/19 @ 6:00pm CT - ESPN

[drosestruts]

The Heat's plan was to make anyone but DeMar beat them.

This board - "Give Coby and Ayo the ball!"
Spo - "That is my game plan."

A lot of truth to that. The shots didn't fall, but I think they were good shots from the perspective that we generated open looks.

But really those guys hitting shots vs not was the difference between a blowout win vs Atlants and a blowout loss vs Miami.

I'm not sure any team would win when shooting that poorly.

[Michael Jackson]

Overall an embarrassing performance.

But I don't understand why you all are saying Billy Donovan will get fired. Of course, I agree that he is a mediocre coach (at best), but didn't he get a contract extension not too long ago? Let's be real about how many coaches papa Jerry is going to millions to at the same time for multiple years.

Thing with Billy is he will get another job so that money will be deferred. You only pay full salary if they are sitting at home.

[MrSparkle]

It’s been over 10 years since the Splash Bros “arrived,” and in that time, Bulls still have yet to have field a consistent 3P tandem.

Flirted with it with Lonzo/Zach (20 games), Niko/Portis (20 games), Otto/Lauri/Zach (20 games)…

It’s actually kind of crazy. The Bulls need to redefine “3P specialist” in their book, and dump Vuc so that the 1-4 positions are not held hostage by defensive-plus guys (who would be superstars if they could shoot as well as Herro, Duncan or Strus).

If Miami had Vuc, then they wouldn’t get away with playing those guys in big roles.

[ChettheJet]

And so it ends with a THUD. It's not like the Heat were healthy or played out of their minds, they just swung hard in the 1st quarter and hardly looked back. It quickly looked like the ATL game one team came out, like the Bulls did getting 40 in the first, MIA got to 34-17 and lock the door behind you, you could see it wasn't going to happen.

[JockItch43]

First game I watched in months due to apathy and frustration regarding AK and his "if it's broke, don't fix it" approach over the last several years. Oof.

This feels worse in that regard than the last few years of the GarPax run. I didn't know that was even possible.

[Stratmaster]

Billy isn't an X and Os mastermind he is more a manager of talent. Being mad at him for not doing better with a team he is ill fitted for isn't understanding his strengths and the teams inherent issues.

Billy's main issue is he doesn't understand the teams strengths and inherent issues. He no longer has Lavine to scapegoat.

He brings out the best in exactly zero players on the roster.

They wanted to see the team without Lavine and wanted him gone. They got their wish.

Sent from my SM-S911U using RealGM mobile app

[The Explorer]

Does anyone care anymore?

Is this forum which used to generate tons of discussion and activity basically dead now?
We have threads running for an entire season because nobody starts new topics and post game threads have halted. Game threads are half heartedly thrown up just before tip off.
Even on x the Bulls go semi viral for the wrong reasons mostly.

Bulls fandom is dead.

[Stratmaster]

The Heat's plan was to make anyone but DeMar beat them.

This board - "Give Coby and Ayo the ball!"
Spo - "That is my game plan."

Pretty much

Sent from my SM-S911U using RealGM mobile app

[yifsuibfe1]

Does anyone care anymore?

Is this forum which used to generate tons of discussion and activity basically dead now?
We have threads running for an entire season because nobody starts new topics and post game threads have halted. Game threads are half heartedly thrown up just before tip off.
Even on x the Bulls go semi viral for the wrong reasons mostly.

Bulls fandom is dead.

1st in attendance, 5th in merchandise so not dead according to the only metrics that matter to ownership. Thus the treadmill continues on.

[prolific passer]

Even though the heat were down Butler and Rozier. Still had a majority of that team playing who went to the finals last year and a better coach in Spo. They knew what they had to do and executed it perfectly.

[NecessaryEvil]

Read on Twitter

[umfan83]

Does anyone care anymore?

Is this forum which used to generate tons of discussion and activity basically dead now?
We have threads running for an entire season because nobody starts new topics and post game threads have halted. Game threads are half heartedly thrown up just before tip off.
Even on x the Bulls go semi viral for the wrong reasons mostly.

Bulls fandom is dead.

1st in attendance, 5th in merchandise so not dead according to the only metrics that matter to ownership. Thus the treadmill continues on.

The Bulls are a great night out with the family and all of that but I think the last several years have destroyed the passion of many of the biggest fans. I've heard from so many people like me who used to watch all 82 games and now only half heartedly follow the team. If the Bulls show a pulse we will all likely be back but we seem so far away from that pulse right now. And even if they luck into some good teams, we all know in the back of our minds that the biggest issue, ownership, is not changing anytime soon so I don't think I'll ever be quite as passionate of a fan as I was before I realized just how little JR prioritizes winning.

[Bullflip]

They need to load up on 3 point specialists

[MGB8]

I didn’t say it when watching Coby’s destruction of the Hawks, but a lot of his shots were ones that wouldn’t work against a team with decent interior defense. Which the Heat have. Coby needs to adjust his game so that he can still be effective vs. stronger interior defense, though that may mean passing out a lot more.

[umfan83]

Does anyone care anymore?

Is this forum which used to generate tons of discussion and activity basically dead now?
We have threads running for an entire season because nobody starts new topics and post game threads have halted. Game threads are half heartedly thrown up just before tip off.
Even on x the Bulls go semi viral for the wrong reasons mostly.

Bulls fandom is dead.

1st in attendance, 5th in merchandise so not dead according to the only metrics that matter to ownership. Thus the treadmill continues on.

The Bulls are a great night out with the family and all of that but I think the last several years have destroyed the passion of many of the biggest fans. I've heard from so many people like me who used to watch all 82 games and now only half heartedly follow the team. If the Bulls show a pulse we will all likely be back but we seem so far away from that pulse right now. And even if they luck into some good teams, we all know in the back of our minds that the biggest issue, ownership, is not changing anytime soon so I don't think I'll ever be quite as passionate of a fan as I was before I realized just how little JR prioritizes winning.

Btw this is a great article that conveys what I was trying to express a lot better than I did

https://theathletic.com/5290553/2024/02/21/bulls-mailbag-derozan-lavine-nba/

[HomoSapien]

Billy isn't an X and Os mastermind he is more a manager of talent. Being mad at him for not doing better with a team he is ill fitted for isn't understanding his strengths and the teams inherent issues.

Billy's main issue is he doesn't understand the teams strengths and inherent issues. He no longer has Lavine to scapegoat.

He brings out the best in exactly zero players on the roster.

They wanted to see the team without Lavine and wanted him gone. They got their wish.

Sent from my SM-S911U using RealGM mobile app

I know this was because of a different regime, but we scapegoated Thibs and Butler and both of those have had far more success than the Bulls have had since their departures.

Billy seems like a genuinely good guy and the people who love him seem to especially love him, but I too want a coach that elevates the team and their players.

[mj234eva]

Dammit Zach..

We were a much better defensive team and worse offensively with Zach. Dunno how that makes sense lol.

Zach was having a down year offensively, so I suppose it makes some sense. And a couple guys made "leaps".

[Indomitable]

Dammit Zach..

We were a much better defensive team and worse offensively with Zach. Dunno how that makes sense lol.

Zach was having a down year offensively, so I suppose it makes some sense. And a couple guys made "leaps".

Imagine playing injuries hurt his play

[mj234eva]

We were a much better defensive team and worse offensively with Zach. Dunno how that makes sense lol.

Zach was having a down year offensively, so I suppose it makes some sense. And a couple guys made "leaps".

Imagine playing injuries hurt his play

Oh definitely, but you know how his detractors are around here.

[jnrjr79]

Billy isn't an X and Os mastermind he is more a manager of talent. Being mad at him for not doing better with a team he is ill fitted for isn't understanding his strengths and the teams inherent issues.

Billy's main issue is he doesn't understand the teams strengths and inherent issues. He no longer has Lavine to scapegoat.

He brings out the best in exactly zero players on the roster.

They wanted to see the team without Lavine and wanted him gone. They got their wish.

Sent from my SM-S911U using RealGM mobile app

I know this was because of a different regime, but we scapegoated Thibs and Butler and both of those have had far more success than the Bulls have had since their departures.

Billy seems like a genuinely good guy and the people who love him seem to especially love him, but I too want a coach that elevates the team and their players.

With the players that were available to him this year, I’m not convinced Billy did not, in fact, elevate the group.