Thibs managing minutes and depth?

[TeamMan]

LT

Just noticed something...

1.75 - 1.50 = 0.25
2.50 - 1.75 = 0.75
3.25 - 2.50 = 0.75

...even worse than it looks at first glance

[transplant]

Agree that the premise of the OP is very arguable.

One of the things that has bugged the **** out of me this offseason is how so many fans have completely based their thinking about what the Bulls need to do on the Heat series and what I consider the myth of how the Bulls were completely outmanned in that 4-1 series.

Yeah, the Heat won. IMO, they weren't insurmountably better even with Keith Bogans as the Bulls starting SG. They just weren't and with a healthy frontcourt, I'd be happy to take my chances again this season. The fact that they have added Battier and we have added Hamilton does nothing but give me more confidence (and I think highly of Battier).

Bring it on.

[Vince Strong]

i wouldnt mind seeing Noah, Deng and Rose around 33-35mpg and Booz around 30mpg. Especially with this crazy condensed schedule they are playing. There is no reason to over-work the starters with the bench we have. In many games last year, the bench +/- was better than the starters. The bench mob takes it personally and wants to increase a lead or lesson a deficit every time they are in there. Like no other bench squad in the league really.

Rose was beat down come playoff time. Deng looked OK, but why risk it with his history? I'd rather be fresh and ready to roll come playoff time, than have the best record in the league.

[bentheredengthat]

Agree that the premise of the OP is very arguable.

One of the things that has bugged the **** out of me this offseason is how so many fans have completely based their thinking about what the Bulls need to do on the Heat series and what I consider the myth of how the Bulls were completely outmanned in that 4-1 series.

Yeah, the Heat won. IMO, they weren't insurmountably better even with Keith Bogans as the Bulls starting SG. They just weren't and with a healthy frontcourt, I'd be happy to take my chances again this season. The fact that they have added Battier and we have added Hamilton does nothing but give me more confidence (and I think highly of Battier).

Bring it on.

How any Bulls fan could watch the leap we took last season, and the way we battled in the playoffs, and think we have no chance against the Heat with one more season of improvement alone befuddles me too. Even if you assumed we were fully healthy last year, which we were not.

[kyrv]

Agree that the premise of the OP is very arguable.

One of the things that has bugged the **** out of me this offseason is how so many fans have completely based their thinking about what the Bulls need to do on the Heat series and what I consider the myth of how the Bulls were completely outmanned in that 4-1 series.

Yeah, the Heat won. IMO, they weren't insurmountably better even with Keith Bogans as the Bulls starting SG. They just weren't and with a healthy frontcourt, I'd be happy to take my chances again this season. The fact that they have added Battier and we have added Hamilton does nothing but give me more confidence (and I think highly of Battier).

Bring it on.

It's really made conversations, well, interesting because those of us like you have very differing views of the Bulls world than people who think the Bulls should trade good defense for more mediocre offense. And that we should build the offense so a mediocre player is deciding the game against the cHeat, especially a player who the Bulls quite easily marginalized just one series prior.

More than one way to skin the cat, my thing was always to get the best possible player, or better put, the best possible player in Thibs' world, which is someone who can defend.

Granted, the d-bags could gel and run rough shod over the league and just dominate. In which case, adding an average shooter and bad defender like Jamal wouldn't make the difference.

Pretty soon the Bulls may not have two solid units, in which case imo it will make sense to get another play maker from the bench, as it is, adding just a starting SG fills their need and keeps their second unit in tact. The second unit was perhaps the best in the NBA. I know someone suggested trading 3/5 of the second unit for other parts, but, not sure that has the most logic. Trading something you know works for something that might work, not big on the risk/reward meter.

[GMgoran]

Rip's addition makes Thib's minute management job much easier, IMO, because (presuming Rip starts), the Bulls will begin the game attacking on offense just as much as establishing themselves on defense. In contrast, with Bogans in, the Bulls would start with some hinderance on offense - sort of with one leg stuck in the mud.

The reason this matters is that I think the Bulls will have an easier time figuring out, in each game, whether their first wing reserve needs to bring "more offense" or "more defense," based on the flow of the game. And Rip's overall balanced game means that the Bulls can run Rip-Brewer or Rip-Korver at the 2-3, and give Deng some time to rest during those spots.

Agreed. I know that there are people still suspicious about the effect that Rip Hamilton will have on our team, but he is definitely balancing our rotation in a very nice and effective way.