Preseason opener 10/8: 6pm EDT Bulls @ Cavs

[SfBull]

No reason to complain about Pat in the post gamer imo. It may not seem like it but as a vet he has zero to prove. Yea he looked bad tonight but it's whatever. It's just glorified practice for the vets. Rookies are still getting up to game speed, even preseason, everybody else is just working on things and trying to get in shape.

Along that line, I thought BD used the opener the right way. Tried out some lineups, but for the most part the guys that will open the year opened the year and got some run out. Preseason isn't the time to really **** with the starters imo, just let them get out there stretch the legs and then if the regular season (in a tank year especially) calls for change, then make the change. Preseason is just preseason.

On the other side Cavs' vets played very well in their first preseason game.

sure but they are contending for an ECF, we are contending for a top 5 pick.

So it justifies not playing hard in preseason?
These guys are professionals, they should play hard everytime they could.Tanking can't be a reason for a bad start, rustiness perhaps.
And there's no meaning in fighting for a Top 5 pick and extending an unproven player like Pat, it'd be better to have traded him or simply letting him go as RFA,if you wanna tank , let's play guys like Terry,THT, Phillips and Matas( who can be a star in the future) and blow up this team.

[sco]

I do hope when Buzelis has a bad game people are as over the top the other way as well.

Why? That’s not really how scouting works. Rookies are supposed to have terrible games. Especially early.

Yeah, I've been burned too many times guessing how guys will be in the regular season based on PS games. Matas' shots were falling so he looked good...they could have easily not gone in. I was happy that Billy gave him the sort of minutes that I want him to get. Other than showing flashes of being a good NBA player this season, I want him to earn/get close to 20MPG. Similarly, I'm not judging Pat after a limited offseason due to injury (I made that mistake with Coby and was proven wrong), but from an attitude perspective I like that Matas appears to be the opposite of Pat in terms of aggressiveness and confidence.

[dougthonus]

Yeah, I've been burned too many times guessing how guys will be in the regular season based on PS games. Matas' shots were falling so he looked good...they could have easily not gone in.

I don't know that he was really making shots so much:

He was 4/9:

Makes:
1: Breakaway dunk
2: Interior shot 2 feet from the basket
2: Just inside Free throw line contested floater
3: Turn around open 5 stepback

Misses:
1: two threes (only remember one which was wide open, not sure on the other)
2: three layup attempts

Looking at that shot profile, I don't know the results were really all that different from what I'd expect (nor were they impressive TBH). He was effectively 3/8 on non-gimmie shots. Nothing to panic about, but also nothing write home about or think "he can't do that again!".

[FriedRise]

Roast the scorebug!

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[dougthonus]

Roast the scorebug!

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Yeah, I agree, this was awful.

[Dez]

I do hope when Buzelis has a bad game people are as over the top the other way as well.

Why? That’s not really how scouting works. Rookies are supposed to have terrible games. Especially early.

That's my point, people are saying how awesome and ready he looked after one preseason game where it looked like nobody gave a **** defensively.

Saying he'll be this or he'll be that after 20 minutes of preseason is ridiculous.

[DuckIII]

I do hope when Buzelis has a bad game people are as over the top the other way as well.

Why? That’s not really how scouting works. Rookies are supposed to have terrible games. Especially early.

That's my point, people are saying how awesome and ready he looked after one preseason game where it looked like nobody gave a **** defensively.

Saying he'll be this or he'll be that after 20 minutes of preseason is ridiculous.

What are people saying he will definitely be after last night?

[DuckIII]

Roast the scorebug!

Read on Twitter

Yeah, I agree, this was awful.

Same. It was so bad that I actually stopped worrying about it and assume they will fix it nearly immediately. It literally blacks out game play.

[MrSparkle]

For the 3rd year in a row, we have an unwatchable and unplayable starting 5. You can’t get away with multiple defensive liabilities, let alone 5. I include Pat cause he’s kind of sleepy. Teams like Orlando are gonna put on a clinic.

The bench is way more interesting. I wonder if they win in scrimmages. I also wonder if Billy dares playing them against each other.

[drosestruts]

Didn't watch the game. Glad to hear Buzlis looked good/intruiging.

I did see the highlights - I liked that whomever that was at the end tried to iso Matas and he was willing and capable to step up and guard him. Not sure if it was recorded as a block or if that guys just airballed his three, tend to give the benefit to players at this level not airballing shots and so guessing Matas got a finger on it or something. Great to see.

[drosestruts]

For the 3rd year in a row, we have an unwatchable and unplayable starting 5. You can’t get away with multiple defensive liabilities, let alone 5. I include Pat cause he’s kind of sleepy. Teams like Orlando are gonna put on a clinic.

The bench is way more interesting. I wonder if they win in scrimmages. I also wonder if Billy dares playing them against each other.

Teams like Orlando will have good regular season records then get bounced in the 1st round every year.

They play hard, no doubt about it. But no one on that team can score the ball efficiently and that rears its head much more in the playoffs.

A couple first-round exists, some nice new big contracts for players, and we'll see if that night-in/night-out defensive effort and energy is still there.

For me they're reminiscent of the Skiles Bulls.

[MrSparkle]

For the 3rd year in a row, we have an unwatchable and unplayable starting 5. You can’t get away with multiple defensive liabilities, let alone 5. I include Pat cause he’s kind of sleepy. Teams like Orlando are gonna put on a clinic.

The bench is way more interesting. I wonder if they win in scrimmages. I also wonder if Billy dares playing them against each other.

Teams like Orlando will have good regular season records then get bounced in the 1st round every year.

They play hard, no doubt about it. But no one on that team can score the ball efficiently and that rears its head much more in the playoffs.

A couple first-round exists, some nice new big contracts for players, and we'll see if that night-in/night-out defensive effort and energy is still there.

For me they're reminiscent of the Skiles Bulls.

Ok? I think you’re underestimating the Magic- Skiles never had as talented a single offensive player as Paolo. I’m not crazy about them, but I also meant to insult the Bulls.

This starting 5 is gonna hang out with the Wizards and Nets- if even.

[Chi town]

I do hope when Buzelis has a bad game people are as over the top the other way as well.

Why? That’s not really how scouting works. Rookies are supposed to have terrible games. Especially early.

Yeah, I've been burned too many times guessing how guys will be in the regular season based on PS games. Matas' shots were falling so he looked good...they could have easily not gone in. I was happy that Billy gave him the sort of minutes that I want him to get. Other than showing flashes of being a good NBA player this season, I want him to earn/get close to 20MPG. Similarly, I'm not judging Pat after a limited offseason due to injury (I made that mistake with Coby and was proven wrong), but from an attitude perspective I like that Matas appears to be the opposite of Pat in terms of aggressiveness and confidence.

Great post.

I thought Pat played hard for Pat. This new pace will force him to play more aggressive and with energy or Buz will get his mins. I thought his handle looked better after his first TO.

[Chi town]

For the 3rd year in a row, we have an unwatchable and unplayable starting 5. You can’t get away with multiple defensive liabilities, let alone 5. I include Pat cause he’s kind of sleepy. Teams like Orlando are gonna put on a clinic.

The bench is way more interesting. I wonder if they win in scrimmages. I also wonder if Billy dares playing them against each other.

Teams like Orlando will have good regular season records then get bounced in the 1st round every year.

They play hard, no doubt about it. But no one on that team can score the ball efficiently and that rears its head much more in the playoffs.

A couple first-round exists, some nice new big contracts for players, and we'll see if that night-in/night-out defensive effort and energy is still there.

For me they're reminiscent of the Skiles Bulls.

Ok? I think you’re underestimating the Magic- Skiles never had as talented a single offensive player as Paolo. I’m not crazy about them, but I also meant to insult the Bulls.

This starting 5 is gonna hang out with the Wizards and Nets- if even.

I think you will see Buz and Smith starting after the deadline. Until then we will be atrocious on D.

[Chi town]

Best news from that game was Vuc’s new role…

REDUCED.

[GoBlue72391]

Jalen Smith’s 42% 3-point shooting turns into a pumpkin the second he puts a bulls uniform on

That 42% is misleading and more of a mirage than anything. He's a career .335 3-point shooter and the 42% he shot last year was an outlier as it was by far the best percentage of his career. It was on medium volume (5 attempts per 36) and he only played 61 games.

I'm expecting something closer to 35% than 42%, and his shot looks really flat so far. Still should be a solid signing and will likely surpass Vuc as the best C on the roster if he hasn't already.

[GoBlue72391]

THTs physique is embarrassing.

He looks fat

He is fat. We have 3 fat players on our roster and that might be the most in the league.

[GoBlue72391]

THT who looks wildly out of shape and OB both strike me as better prospects than Dalen.

I don't see anything in Bitim. He's a shooter who doesn't shoot well enough to be limited in other areas.

[GoBlue72391]

Bulls should have went after JT Thor. Would have been a great 3rd big.

He can jump. We only want small ball ground bound centers.

Jalen Smith?

He's not really a leaper. The 37.5 inch vert that Google lists is inaccurate, as it's a mix-up referring to Isaiah Jackson.

[GoBlue72391]

Embarrassing possession by Porter Jr. Run down the shot clock only to airball a heavily contested three.

That was one of the worst last second possesions I've ever seen from an NBA player.