PG: "Better Without DeRozan"

[weneeda2guard]

Zach Lavine: The antithesis of clutch

Zach had a very good game. We shouldn't be in that position at all in this game. We were up by 24pts. I blame this one on Donovan.

The second we put Caruso back on the floor I knew it was over

We were once again walking the ball up the floor putting in the post to vucevic, pacers swarmed him then lavine and at times coby because they were leaving Caruso and ayo to help. Stacy King says "it's a simple game" and in fact it is especially defensively for the other team when it's basically always 3 on 5 on offense. King and amin flipped out on a play where we left buddy hield wide open for a 3 but the pacers had the floor spacing and kept their shooters on the floor. Donovan keeps going with these closing line ups like we are 1st in the East or something. I don't know why "ride the hot hands" is so hard for Donovan to understand.

[dice]

We need to hover around the spot we're in now. According to tankathon we're 7th best odds. Last time that happened we wound up with the 4th pick. I think folks need to remember those changed lottery odds have screwed over a few of the worst teams

yup. bulls currently have a 29.3% chance of a top 4 pick. the worst teams only have a 52.1% chance

given that the bulls are still expected to lose in the play-in and have around an 8% chance at top 4, i'd agree that the current positioning is pretty favorable

of course, if the bulls keep their pick this season they'll very likely lose it next year instead, so in my book it's all about wembanyama. and we're at 6.8% on him right now vs. 14% for worst teams and 1-2% for play-in losers

[dice]

Zach Lavine: The antithesis of clutch

Zach had a very good game. We shouldn't be in that position at all in this game. We were up by 24pts. I blame this one on Donovan.

The second we put Caruso back on the floor I knew it was over

We were once again walking the ball up the floor putting in the post to vucevic, pacers swarmed him then lavine and at times coby because they were leaving Caruso and ayo to help. Stacy King says "it's a simple game" and in fact it is especially defensively for the other team when it's basically always 3 on 5 on offense. King and amin flipped out on a play where we left buddy hield wide open for a 3 but the pacers had the floor spacing and kept their shooters on the floor. Donovan keeps going with these closing line ups like we are 1st in the East or something. I don't know why "ride the hot hands" is so hard for Donovan to understand.

the "simple game" would suggest regularly finding the regularly open 37% career 3pt shooter (caruso). yet he only had 3 attempts from distance. gotta keep the defense honest

[Red8911]

I really don’t understand what happened to this team? Talented roster with experience but lose games like a young team. If they don’t make the play in or playoffs this would probably be the most disappointing bulls team that I have experienced. Expectations were high for them but they keep embarrassing themselves and pissing off the fan base.

[BigUps]

I really don’t understand what happened to this team? Talented roster with experience but lose games like a young team. If they don’t make the play in or playoffs this would probably be the most disappointing bulls team that I have experienced. Expectations were high for them but they keep embarrassing themselves and pissing off the fan base.

It’s coaching and a lack of respect for the coach in general.

[Red8911]

I'm cool with milking this DDR injury and sitting him out for a fat minute and pray for a top 4 (*cough* 1 *cough*) pick.

All you would be doing is giving Orlando a slight higher pick. Also try convincing Demar to sit,not happening. Non of these guys are tanking even though they have been losing for real, which is even more sad lol.

[kodo]

We might be inline of our biggest losing streak since the TERRI-BULL era. Look at the next like 15 games. Only Detroit would be favored in. We could seriously lose 9 straight.

If we end up getting Wemby, I'll take back everything I said and call AK & Billy geniuses.

[Red8911]

I really don’t understand what happened to this team? Talented roster with experience but lose games like a young team. If they don’t make the play in or playoffs this would probably be the most disappointing bulls team that I have experienced. Expectations were high for them but they keep embarrassing themselves and pissing off the fan base.

It’s coaching and a lack of respect for the coach in general.

Billy hasn’t been good but is he the biggest problem? If they fire him and hire the “right coach” will this team look different and become a top 3-4 seed in the East as they were expected to be? I just don’t know anymore.

[Kurt Heimlich]

Gods help you Chicago Bulls, for now you are truly lost.

An abysmal point in time for this brutal franchise. The Rein$dorfs are awful ownership. Their motivation for wealth building above all else are a pox on our chicago sports. They botched the AKME hiring, these guys suck and this nitration of Bulls is the most soul crushingly irrelevant and hopeless of my tenure in fandom.

[DASMACKDOWN]

We might be inline of our biggest losing streak since the TERRI-BULL era. Look at the next like 15 games. Only Detroit would be favored in. We could seriously lose 9 straight.

If we end up getting Wemby, I'll take back everything I said and call AK & Billy geniuses.

If people thought us getting Derrick Rose was a conspiracy, can you imagine...

[Ice Man]

I watched the first quarter, then part of the second. Turned off the TV and told me wife, "Well this game at least we will win." Silly me. This, by the way, is all very reminiscent of how we finished last year.

[2weekswithpay]

I really don’t understand what happened to this team? Talented roster with experience but lose games like a young team. If they don’t make the play in or playoffs this would probably be the most disappointing bulls team that I have experienced. Expectations were high for them but they keep embarrassing themselves and pissing off the fan base.

The roster isn't that talented. The team is very top heavy and the 3 best players are very flawed themselves. No two way players, no shooting, and teams have a season's worth of film on us now.

[RastaBull]

I'm a big DDR proponent.

But I will say through first half, and with Coby's overall performance in box score and from eye test, this team could grow a lot by trading DDR for the correct contract.

Specifically, someone that can start at PF so Pat moves to SF. The PF has to be a better rebounder than Pat, and also needs to shoot three at a good clip. And just overall have a good tweener size at least.

I really am curious what they would look like with Jerami Grant. Even bring back Vuc.

Vuc/Grant/Pat/Lavine/Lonzo
Coby as 6th man and starting when Lonzo out. Caruso still on bench; but Coby should clearly be above him.

Coby is a really talented player. His body is compact and he plays with a massive amount of strength imo. His three point shot seems like the best textbook catch and release of the team.

Grant shoots the 3 at a high high level (always 37-40% on 5+3PA). He doesn't rebound real well ... but his size WITH pat should combine to make up for how bad Pat is alone down there as a forward (DDR doesn't play much of a forward role on defense).

It's pretty feasible too imo. Sign and trade Grant for DDR. Only worry is just how much Grant thinks he's worth (he turned down a huge extension offer from Portland). I don't want him for an over-inflate price. But I'd for instance pay him and Vuc the same. 22-26 range. That would work financially with DDR I think (if it was closer to 25). I'd say they have to lift the protection of the pick imo, or add another pick.

Vuc/Grant/Pat on court together should be a lot of size and strength to cover more of the rebounding zone. Pat and Lonzo are the point people on defense. Caruso and guys we bring onto bench are defensive depth.

Grant and Lonzo shoot volume 3s. Coby too. Maybe Pat shoots more 3s from SF. Great spacing that allows Zach every opportunity to be the man.

[Lunartic]

Donovan is incapable of making adjustments when the opposing team is making a run but seemingly always makes adjustments to successful Bulls lineups.

He does not understand the modern NBA (or anything post 2012), it's no wonder he surrounded Westbrook with 3 non-shooters, dude does not value space or making the game easier for his stars.

Anyone notice that Pat just watches rebounds as they land right in front of him? He hesitates for a good second or two before trying to collect it. Terry looked like he was playing in 1.5x speed simply because he actually made simple athletic plays compared to Pat.

[Midway Bully]

When was the last time there was this much precarity surrounding the Bulls? The team has been in NBA hell before, but the lack of draft capital makes it so much worse now, esp being stuck with this team. Have to hope and pray that they just lose every game and not find any form. Meanwhile AKME seem intent to see all their failed gambles play out.

[ChiCitySPORTS#1]

Zach just is not the same player he was pre-injury. Even during our lottery days, he was out there ballin. He may have had 30+ tonight but he’s not the same player offensively.

[Michael Jackson]

AKME made probably the worst mistake of his tenure in not selling this team at the deadline.

There is zero point in being a good basketball player if you can't execute in the final two minutes of a game. ZERO.

Oh I think they tried but no one wanted to buy... that tells you the state of this team

[Michael Jackson]

What would you say Billy is good at? Honest question. What is he good at from a coaching perspective? He has zero identity to his coaching style which is why this team has zero identity.

He has to go.

This is not sarcastic but he was really really good at running 2 bigs in Hereford and Noah and winning back to back championships. In the NBA be it him or the Fo"s he seems adverse to it. It is very very strange because he literally did something that is hard to replicate in basketball on any level, and I get replicating college to the pro's is hard to do and never works except for a short period. The fact the Bulls are so adverse to it though in any way shape or form, I almost can't 100% put on him. I would say maybe he just likes a paycheck? The Bulls will give you that even after you trash them (Hi Scottie Pippen) so maybe he just is doing what they al do. As fans it sucks... really sucks but most of it has past 98 honestly and the 1.8% chance came with a heavy interest payment apparently.

[jacoby1us]

Pull the plug already

[kodo]

I really don’t understand what happened to this team? Talented roster with experience but lose games like a young team. If they don’t make the play in or playoffs this would probably be the most disappointing bulls team that I have experienced. Expectations were high for them but they keep embarrassing themselves and pissing off the fan base.

It’s coaching and a lack of respect for the coach in general.

Billy hasn’t been good but is he the biggest problem? If they fire him and hire the “right coach” will this team look different and become a top 3-4 seed in the East as they were expected to be? I just don’t know anymore.

You're right it's not 100% Billy, there's a huge roster construction problem as well.The game was really lost in the 3rd not the 4th, when Indy scored 40 points to our 28. Indy shot 100% inside the 3 point line. Our bigs (including Patrick) just cannot defend the paint. Just hold them to 70% or 80% and we win this, but 100%? And it's not the first time opposing teams have destroyed us in the paint. The Charlotte games Mason Plumlee looked better than Wilt Chamberlain.