PG: Zach FTW!!

[CE1141]

[Onibuh]

That's the type of ending that can turn around a team.
It was great seeing Zach going for the W and not accepting to lose. That's a winner's mentality

[FriedRise]

Read on Twitter

“Those guys are very well-coached”

[jump]

I love the standard complaint when we win. It goes like this: “It took someone on OUR TEAM to score a bunch of points for us to win! Not impressed. We’re screwed.”

[SearsTower]

Read on Twitter

“Those guys are very well-coached”

LOL

So I've re-watched the last minute of that game a few times on YT to relive the amazingness, and its apparent Lavine & Co not only overcame the deficit but also the boneheaded defensive schemes of Boylen. Twice in the final minute, the Bulls inexplicably blitzed the ball handler leaving Rozier wide open for a 3 and Bismack wide open for a dunk. Boylen is just awful and has been all season.

[SalmonsSuperfan]

"Trade Zach"

I and-1’d this post so that it would have 13, tied for second most and-1s in realgm history.

[BahamaBull]

i dont understad why the Hornets coach didnt asked for a challenge on that last play...could have been a foul on the player we stole the ball and Zach clearly walked on that 3 fadeaway...anyway...thank god he didnt asked for it.

[cool007]

So everyone that criticized Lavine about shot selection is now praising him because he made them. That’s the type of player Lavine is though, he is capable of making those type of shots. Having said that on the last play where they pressured and Sato stole the ball it was only a 2 point game. Why the hell did Zach get the ball and run to the 3 point line to take a crazy shot? Lol, that was probably a bad decision and would of been safer to take it to the basket. Anyway it went in so it all good.

Really? If anything that was a very good decision by Zach to have presence of mind (unlike JR Smith) to quickly go to the 3pt line and take the winning shot instead of going to the rim and getting blocked.

Besides, this was a back to back game and the guys that were fighting in the game to come back and win the game would have been super exhausted in the OT and we would have lost the game.

So the last thing you can do is to critisize Lavine for taking that game winning 3 at the end and that was actually a good decision since he was just ON FIRE from 3pt line anyway and it showed.

[dougthonus]

i dont understad why the Hornets coach didnt asked for a challenge on that last play...could have been a foul on the player we stole the ball and Zach clearly walked on that 3 fadeaway...anyway...thank god he didnt asked for it.

Charlotte didn't have any timeouts left, otherwise they would have used one to advance the ball. Can't challenge without a timeout.

[FriedRise]

Read on Twitter

“Those guys are very well-coached”

LOL

So I've re-watched the last minute of that game a few times on YT to relive the amazingness, and its apparent Lavine & Co not only overcame the deficit but also the boneheaded defensive schemes of Boylen. Twice in the final minute, the Bulls inexplicably blitzed the ball handler leaving Rozier wide open for a 3 and Bismack wide open for a dunk. Boylen is just awful and has been all season.

Yes exactly. We tend to have a fast start but like clockwork, the other team always make a run in the 3rd when their coach adjusts at halftime. Boylen’s inability to adjust has been one of the primary reasons why we’re such terrible team in the second half, especially in the 4th when the game actually matters.

The blitzing of the pick and roll can catch teams off guard when they’re not expecting it, but once teams realize that’s ALL we’re doing, it’s very easy to counter.

These games would be much easier if they don’t also have to overcome Boylen’s schemes. But now we have that, plus the injuries, plus whatever it is Lauri’s doing out there, yeah it’s gonna take a historic shooting night to beat a team like Charlotte.

[DASMACKDOWN]

i dont understad why the Hornets coach didnt asked for a challenge on that last play...could have been a foul on the player we stole the ball and Zach clearly walked on that 3 fadeaway...anyway...thank god he didnt asked for it.

It was a non challengeable play. Challenges are only for out of bounds, goal tends or called fouls. Nothing was called so there is nothing to review.

So in essence, only the whistle can signify an actual challenge.

[NWIBullsFan]

The way they won is not sustainable. Unless you believe heroball is going to carry us into the playoffs. This is still a poor team in every facet.

Really? You mean they won't always score 17 points in the last 55 seconds? Lavine won't always score 49 with 13 3's? You mean better teams won't be coughing up the ball down the stretch every game?

Man I am glad you helped me out with that. I would have hated going through the whole season wondering why this doesn't happen every game.

What's comical, when CHA beat us opening night with a couple of record-setting 3-point performances, it still counts as a sustainable loss, the fact that CHA will never shoot like that again being completely meaningless.

I guess I should just thank my lucky stars that I'm not so miserable in my life that I need to be such a die-hard fan of a team that I get no joy whatsoever out of seeing win a game. There are quite a few people posting in this thread who would seem to be much happier with a different hobby than "watching the Chicago Bulls", no?

[mtron32]

Read on Twitter

Still laughing at this. Wow. Really cannot be any more clear about where the players stand than that

Its pretty telling and hilarious

[JimmyJammer]

Great B2B win and a lot of whining how bulls got it. Bulls will build around Zach and he shows why they should continue believing in him. Over 50% of his 3s were assisted and if that was on game plan then it was spot on but there’s no way to know it exactly. Anyway bulls need to find Zach more for corner 3s, at least that much is pretty clear. I just hope Porter coming back soon to help team and some solution for PF slump.

Great point, I alluded to that a couple of days ago. You get Lavine a real PG and watch his game and his efficiency take off, because he won't be forced to be the playmaker which he struggles with at time. Lavine the purest and most beautiful jumpshot that I have seen in the game. His elevation and his form is textbook worthy.

[Dresden]

Read on Twitter

“Those guys are very well-coached”

So here's a veteran nba player, complimenting Boylen for doing a good job of coaching, and people here just treat it like it he never said it. Another nba player, saying the Bulls are well coached. And it's just laughed away, with "what does this guy know?" (after all, he's just an nba player)....

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but to me, I just don't buy that fans know more about coaching that an actual nba coach, or the GM who hired him, or now, a fellow nba player.

[JimmyJammer]

Also, despite the Kingpin jokes, I do think he deserves a little credit for lighting a fire under Zach.

There is something interesting between Zach and Jim. Zach is the best player/highlight "star" on this team (whether you think he is objectively best player or not, that's his role in locker room and media). This is twice now that he has come to media with criticism of the coach. I think Jim is handling it a little different that most coaches. He doesn't hold it against Zach when Zach speaks his mind these few times.

Zach seems to respect that relationship afterwards. Last year he seemed to grow to work really well with him (at least what's presented to public). Jim and the FO have been atrocious at times and Lavine could say a hell of a lot more, but as much other people played up his comments as something that should have been in house, I think Lavine was pretty professional in what he said and probably more reserved than many would have been.

I'm probably just searching for silver linings, but I'm not completely casting off Boylen for everything. In game is more than frustrating, but maybe he's not lost the team.

Sent from my STV100-2 using RealGM mobile app

I think Kingpin is a mediocre coach AND I think Zach is a good, but not great player, so I think a lot of this debate reminds me of debates I had about girls still our college frat parties at 3am. So caveat aside, I don't think there are strong feelings either way and much of this is media doing quote hunting. The team has underperformed so far and I'm sure both guys are feeling outside pressure. The reality is that if there is blame attribution, it should be heaped on Otto being out and Lauri playing like poop before you get to Kingpin or Zach.

Honestly, I liked that Kingpin benched Zach after his terrible defense, BUT should have downplayed it to the press. I think Zach is generally taking much better shots than he did before Kingpin took over. That said, I didn't like many of Zach's hero shots last night - they were desperation chucks, but we were desperate and they fell. What I am baffled about is why so many of Zach's shots at the rim are missing (he was great at that last season).

Zach is a very good player who should be a number two option on a contending but circumstances are forcing him to be the number one option. That's not his fault if Lauri does not develop into a number one option. Zach is a very positive guy who said a lot of good things about Lauri at the beginning of last season and he was in awe with how good Coby was in the Preseason, so the idea that he is some kind of a selfish dude, as many fans here like to make it sound, is quite farfetched.

[NWIBullsFan]

Read on Twitter

“Those guys are very well-coached”

So here's a veteran nba player, complimenting Boylen for doing a good job of coaching, and people here just treat it like it he never said it. Another nba player, saying the Bulls are well coached. And it's just laughed away, with "what does this guy know?" (after all, he's just an nba player)....

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but to me, I just don't buy that fans know more about coaching that an actual nba coach, or the GM who hired him, or now, a fellow nba player.

This entire thread is quite telling and hilarious, just not in the way some people seem to think...

[beeshma]

Zach's first 7 3's were assisted.

I am definitely not criticizing Zach for today’s masterpiece.

I am pushing back on the idea that the bulls should assume Zach can deliver this regularly and build their offense this way.

If you watched the game you would know this is exactly how the bulls need to utilize lavine going forward. He played mostly off the ball leaving most of the ball handling duties to sato and coby and everyone was setting lavine up with 3s in the corner with the occasional iso shot but even with his iso it was within the flow of the offense or with the shot clock running down. It spoke to how bad lavine needs to not be the play maker and facilitator that many are clamoring for him to be and just put him in the klay Thompson role.

No he is not going to score 49 a night but I think he can give you 24-29 a night. Lavine didnt play any hero ball last night he caught fire and the team kept finding him. And everyone who was playing well like sato. Carter Jr and coby got their shots and the guys who were terrible got way more than enough shots.

Good analysis. And so, if you're saying that Lavine should specialize in catch-and-shoot 3 pointers, I'm down with that. But I don't see him being a high usage player in the scenario you describe, because he would not be a primary ball handler. He would just be one option of many on offense.

[weneeda2guard]

I am definitely not criticizing Zach for today’s masterpiece.

I am pushing back on the idea that the bulls should assume Zach can deliver this regularly and build their offense this way.

If you watched the game you would know this is exactly how the bulls need to utilize lavine going forward. He played mostly off the ball leaving most of the ball handling duties to sato and coby and everyone was setting lavine up with 3s in the corner with the occasional iso shot but even with his iso it was within the flow of the offense or with the shot clock running down. It spoke to how bad lavine needs to not be the play maker and facilitator that many are clamoring for him to be and just put him in the klay Thompson role.

No he is not going to score 49 a night but I think he can give you 24-29 a night. Lavine didnt play any hero ball last night he caught fire and the team kept finding him. And everyone who was playing well like sato. Carter Jr and coby got their shots and the guys who were terrible got way more than enough shots.

Good analysis. And so, if you're saying that Lavine should specialize in catch-and-shoot 3 pointers, I'm down with that. But I don't see him being a high usage player in the scenario you describe, because he would not be a primary ball handler. He would just be one option of many on offense.

He can be a legit 25 ppg. If we can somehow get a mvp caliber player here , lavine would be good to compliment them

[Red8911]

So everyone that criticized Lavine about shot selection is now praising him because he made them. That’s the type of player Lavine is though, he is capable of making those type of shots. Having said that on the last play where they pressured and Sato stole the ball it was only a 2 point game. Why the hell did Zach get the ball and run to the 3 point line to take a crazy shot? Lol, that was probably a bad decision and would of been safer to take it to the basket. Anyway it went in so it all good.

Really? If anything that was a very good decision by Zach to have presence of mind (unlike JR Smith) to quickly go to the 3pt line and take the winning shot instead of going to the rim and getting blocked.

Besides, this was a back to back game and the guys that were fighting in the game to come back and win the game would have been super exhausted in the OT and we would have lost the game.

So the last thing you can do is to critisize Lavine for taking that game winning 3 at the end and that was actually a good decision since he was just ON FIRE from 3pt line anyway and it showed.

A fadeaway 3 is a better idea than going to the basket in that situation? If that shot doesn’t go in everyone would criticize him for that. I like Lavine too not hating on him but its simply the truth that was a terrible idea.