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Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 1:57 pm
by SfBull
MrSparkle wrote:Not considering this an over-reaction but rather a consolidation of last year’s thoughts... this team is going to have to make a lot of 3Ps to win games, because there are going to be 2-3 swiss cheese defensive holes per line-up.

Otto and Carter can defend with the best of them, along with Thad and Sato being respectable, but otherwise, the collective defensive IQ and lateral athleticism is going to be lacking. Teams are gonna kill the Bulls off-the-dribble and 3P line. I’ve said it before, but Carter’s size is also going to be an issue when the other team has very big centers.

Just a couple of “season hasn’t started” red flags. The team will need incredible offense to compensate, in order to win games at a high rate.

Also, why are they bothering with Dunn starting? All i watched are highlights and even in a few minutes of reel I couldn’t stand his style of basketball.

You´ll likely see Dunn starting against the Hornets,White isn´t ready(as expected) and Sato played t from the bench showing the skills for a good role player (but not for a starter).I don´t know where that incredible offense they need will come from,Lauri,Zach and Otto played their usual games in limited minutes ,solid but not great,maybe Wendell will spark a better offense,we´ll see.If only Dunn could step up his game showing a better chemistry playing along Zach we could win more games but I didn´t see that happening.

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 2:00 pm
by chefo
Watched the highlights--Sato needs to run with the first team, Kris just doesn't fit, even when he's having a decent game. It's like dead weight on the others. And him not trying on D, when he is up for an extension is also weird. Same old Kris as last year, just his shots fell last night.

Every time Felicio steps on the floor, the Bulls D looks like Swiss cheese--and that's been the case for 3 years running. If I had to guess, he doesn't communicate well in English or something, because it's like anarchy, and not of the good hustling kind, out there on D.

Actually very impressed with White, despite his struggles--these mid-range jumpers he missed he got excellent separation on. These are wide open shots and with time he'll make more than he'll miss. The best thing is, his speed looks like it will translate--apart from Zach when he tries, nobody else on the court seemed in his ball-park. I don't care his shots didn't drop tonight. He looks like a player who will score with ease in the NBA, and efficiently as well when he gets used to the pro game. I don't want to say elite, because I can't judge how much of it was the Bucks giving him the shots and how much was his feel for the game, but very, very encouraging to me. He also has very good feet on D, and is a willing defender, which is great to see from a rook.

I loved the Gafford pick, and looks like a kid with a good head on his shoulders who knows where his value-add is. He's already better than Felicio, though that's not a high bar to jump over.

Overall, the Bulls looked out of sync, which is not surprising.

Loved the Lopez brothers--dudes are 'uuuge. RoLo will help the Bucks a lot. Not surprised the Bulls got killed on the boards--these two are arguably the best at sealing off players on the boards in the entire league.

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 2:01 pm
by SfBull
Red8911 wrote:
ZOMG wrote:
rtblues wrote:Let's overreact and decide everyone's futures and fates on the 1st preseason game, where the starting C didn't play.
Carry on...


Yeah, because having WCJ would've made ALL the difference. :lol:
Gafford will eventually take WCJ spot, you read it here first.

I believe Gafford´s minutes will increase ,he´ll certainly get Felicio´s role as the backup center which will be great.

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 2:10 pm
by SfBull
Denzel had a decent game, sloppy at defense but useful at the offense, making some 3's and some good passes. We can count on him for playing limited minutes coming from the bench.

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 2:19 pm
by MrSparkle
SfBull wrote:
MrSparkle wrote:Not considering this an over-reaction but rather a consolidation of last year’s thoughts... this team is going to have to make a lot of 3Ps to win games, because there are going to be 2-3 swiss cheese defensive holes per line-up.

Otto and Carter can defend with the best of them, along with Thad and Sato being respectable, but otherwise, the collective defensive IQ and lateral athleticism is going to be lacking. Teams are gonna kill the Bulls off-the-dribble and 3P line. I’ve said it before, but Carter’s size is also going to be an issue when the other team has very big centers.

Just a couple of “season hasn’t started” red flags. The team will need incredible offense to compensate, in order to win games at a high rate.

Also, why are they bothering with Dunn starting? All i watched are highlights and even in a few minutes of reel I couldn’t stand his style of basketball.

You´ll likely see Dunn starting against the Hornets,White isn´t ready(as expected) and Sato played t from the bench showing the skills for a good role player (but not for a starter).I don´t know where that incredible offense they need will come from,Lauri,Zach and Otto played their usual games in limited minutes ,solid but not great,maybe Wendell will spark a better offense,we´ll see.If only Dunn could step up his game showing a better chemistry playing along Zach we could win more games but I didn´t watch that happening.


My sentiment is just let Coby play point and groom him into the role. He’s got the speed to take it up floor in 3 seconds and make a play. I think it’s gonna be a developmental waste of time having him try to fight for minutes off the bench and out of position, against the likes of Arci, Dunn and Sato, neither of whom have +.500 winning percentages as starting PGs.

The way Boylen frames it, this position-less basketball stuff kinda worries me. It’s not supposed to be a “plug my guy anywhere and he’s a baller” — it should simply mean that you’ve got 5 guys who can make plays, and 5 guys who can defend different positions on the floor. But ultimately, Curry was a 1, Klay was a 2, Barnes/Iguodala/Durant were 3s who slid to 4, Dray was a 4 who slid 5, and Bogut/Zaza/McGee were 5s who played limited roles.

See the problem with our roster? Who the hell is going to be the 1? Already nervous about how we’re gonna have this magic PG rotation while Lauri, Zach and Otto somehow all play the roles of playmakers.

It’s asking a lot. I’ve never seen a good basketball team that didn’t have a stable starting PG who could start and finish the game. Could be a Derek Fisher or a Darrell Armstrong. Or Ron Harper. But it’s concerning when our 2 best PG options are discussed trying out SG (Coby) or SF (in Sato’s case). If these two “point guards” are playing wing, we’re gonna lose games - period.

If Coby can run the ball fast, defend, score off the dribble... he’s already ticked 3 out of 5 boxes for starting PG compared to the rest of this hodge podge. Let’s see if he can manage a clock and create for Lauri and Zach.

And I don’t mean to throw Sato under the bus. He’s very solid but I don’t know if he has the speed to give this starting 5 a knife’s edge. Coby might. If not, he was the wrong pick.

But let’s be honest — Dunn and Arci are not NBA players. They’re end of bench guys. The 48 PG minutes should be split between Coby and Sato, and Boylen needs to simply evaluate who runs better with Zach. My money is on Coby. Two runners.

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 2:36 pm
by drosestruts
SfBull wrote:
Red8911 wrote:
ZOMG wrote:
Yeah, because having WCJ would've made ALL the difference. :lol:
Gafford will eventually take WCJ spot, you read it here first.

I believe Gafford´s minutes will increase ,he´ll certainly get Felicio´s role as the backup center which will be great.


I think the center rotation will and should be:

WCJ / Kornet / Gafford / Benny the Bull / Felicio

If Carter and Kornet play well I don't see many minutes for Gafford this season. He might be getting some burn down in the G-league this season.

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 2:40 pm
by Peelboy
Echo the sentiment that what matters is not the outcome but the process and individual performances at this stage. Sure you'd want to beat the Bucks when they sit pretty much all of their starters, but Bulls also played guys minutes and in lineups that I don't anticipate. Plus for the most part, Bucks have a set system they are experienced in whereas the Bulls are still developing theirs. I wanted the first and 4th, so take the below with grain of salt.

The good:
- Pace. They pushed it regularly. From all positions. Bodes well given the makeup of the team.
- Zach/Lauri. Both looked good although coasting somewhat.
- Coby/Gafford. Solid debuts, I assume Coby will end up shooting better given his history (but starting to get a bit worried if this keeps up following the SL shooting). Gafford in particular looked like a potential monster, ultra-focused on his role (screen, roll with authority, rebound, D).

The mediocre:
- D. Looked bad, but mainly in the first quarter it was substantially Felicio who seems completely lost, particularly with a guy like Lopez who can shoot. Replacing him with Wendell or Kornet or Young will make a big difference IMO.
- Dunn. Sure, he had decent stats, but he played the same way that he has in past - ISO, drive and midrange shot. Just don't see that fitting with the rest of what Boylen wants to do.
- Sato. I'd put him in the "good" because most of what he did was good, but he needs to hit shots better. If he does, he should start and the offense will look very nice IMO.
- Val - the shot is pure, and his playmaking instincts were right on. But the lack of athleticism and rust showed. Still I think he looked like a valuable reserve if played with the right grouping (mainly starters). Him with the reserves is more problematic.

The bad:
- Porter looked like he didn't care (odd for him), assume it's first preseason game blues.
- Felicio, he had a couple of nice rolls but otherwise looked completely lost when I saw him, particularly on D.
- Rebounding. Need to get that in gear, but the work RoLo did freeing up others for boards showed with his absence.

Cautiously optimistic, but would really like to see what things look like when you have Sato-Zach-Otto-Lauri-Wendell (or Gafford) running. And I think that lineup will rebound better.

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 2:41 pm
by Ice Man
MrSparkle wrote:See the problem with our roster? Who the hell is going to be the 1? Already nervous about how we’re gonna have this magic PG rotation while Lauri, Zach and Otto somehow all play the roles of playmakers.


This pattern is getting old. We had it with Jerian, whom Fred told just to keep things simple, not to try to the difficult pass. That was the right tactic for Jerian, to keep him out of trouble, but it's hard to run an elite offense with a guy who has the ball and is only making the obvious passes. Then comes Dunn and it's the same thing as Jerian. Keep things simple and not to try the difficult pass. So OK now he's not hurting you, but again the offense is pretty much limited to the obvious plays.

One of these days, we need a starter who is outright creative when making passes -- and who doesn't have to be told to tone it down because he makes so many mistakes when being creative than the coach has to reduce his role.

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 2:43 pm
by ATRAIN53
Wow - Coby White and Zach Lavine :love:

These guys can score.

I do not like that they have already turned Coby into a 3 point chucker.
I want a few good years of him taking that 6'5" frame to the rack and 6+ FTA per game.

He's a blur out there and fun to watch. Can't wait for a breakaway dunk.

Thank you basketball gods, this ones a keeper.


Dunn just looks like a guy playing to not get hurt and counting the days until he's dealt.
White has size on him, he's a more polished scorer already and just as good a shooter - if not better.

Hopefully Coby picks up some D from Kris before the ship KD out.

Can't wait to see Zion next!

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 2:51 pm
by Indomitable
GhostOfChicago wrote:
Showtime23 wrote:
kodo wrote:I didn't think Coby White was inefficient scoring. He scored 12 points on 10 attempts, which isn't bad at all.
Last year everyone raved about SGA as one of the brightest young PGs coming up, and he averaged 10.8 ppg on 8.7 FGA per game.

I also assume when he settles down he'll shoot better than 60% from the FT line since he was 80% in college.

Both the rooks drawing 8 FTs speaks well to how aggressive they were attacking their defenders and the basket. I doubt people would have guessed White would have drawn more FTs than Zion. If White's talent in this league is to blow by his defenders and draw FTs from the help defenders, he's going to have a solid to great career in the future.

Really quick feet on defense. Rare to see offensive minded PGs use their speed on both ends.

Rooks looked good. Our 2 stars looked good. The rest of the team, yeesh.


SGA is one of the elite defenders and good passer so him scoring is a bonus.
Lonzo which we could have theoretically traded for has mastered his 3pt shot over the summer and looks like he can shoot 38%.
Coby is more of a one trick pony who should generate value from instant scoring and combo. But not a stud or anything.


Neither are the two other players you named. Will agree that SGA has a lot of promise as a player but I don't see a star player.

Lonzo still cannot shot until proven otherwise. SGA is mostly potential. It is a silly argument and White has 3 years to prove himself.

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 2:53 pm
by BigUps
I don't get it. Coby didn't create a ton last night, but he's absolutely our future PG. We drafted him to be that and will mold him into the best PG he can be. There isn't a hole at 1, there is an immature rookie being groomed at the 1 followed by a steady PG presence in Sato.

Dunn needs to be relegated to an energy guy off the bench IMO.

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 2:53 pm
by Indomitable
SfBull wrote:
Red8911 wrote:
ZOMG wrote:
Yeah, because having WCJ would've made ALL the difference. :lol:
Gafford will eventually take WCJ spot, you read it here first.

I believe Gafford´s minutes will increase ,he´ll certainly get Felicio´s role as the backup center which will be great.
Felecio was is like the 5th option.

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 2:54 pm
by PaKii94
Coby is definitely going to be a scorer off the bench at least initially. That's where his speed will come in handy. I like his outlook. I don't think he will be a pure point guard but I think he will get to the point where he won't be hurting the offense in that regards. Dunn still looked like Dunn of old...i.e. very mediocre. I will give him credit, he was a lot more deferral (at least no more alpha dog) after his poor start but we need him for his defense and that was BAD.

I think Sato gets the starting PG role. He shot poorly but a lot of those were bad timing on bunnies. I think pre season rust is a factor. Remember Sato is an efficient player. He did everything else for us.

Also remember Lauri and Lavine will be playing a lot more minutes. We were playing felicio a lot of minutes and a lot of bad lineups.
This multiball handler system needs a stretch big on the floor at all times. Thad/Felicio lineup wasn't going to cut it.

I think Gafford is going to take over the backup C role. He looked good. We need that spark along with Coby off the bench.

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 2:58 pm
by GrowingHorns
Hold That wrote:
dougthonus wrote:
GrowingHorns wrote:Did like a lot of Gaff's and Coby's energy, they're gonna be great. It's only one practice game so not going to go read too much about it, overall. Arcie was Arcie (so okay as usually, nothing flashy but good overall, reliable stuff), Kris had some good but still doesn't look like a starting guard we need. For me our starting guard has to be four quarters reliable decision making in both ends, and at this point i don't see better option than Sato, as he will be the better man feeding Lauri and Wendell, he really has great arsenal of pasisng and knows the game so well in both ends. Dunn has some use off the bench and will work fine with some rotations, but still don't see Zach and Dunn back-court to work.


Nothing about Dunn's performance made me say "he's the future starting PG", but nothing about Sato, White, or Arci's night made me say that either.

And this is exactly why I say the starting PG role should be open competition until someone separates from the pack by there play.


I initially thought they would give Kris some burn in this pre-season games but we need to see Sato starting at least two of these games. The way he have played in his career tells me he's the most probable fit and i think after he starts few games it becomes evident. Also, a new guy for this team so it's not gonna be straight up well oiled machine, but man has all the tools to be the starter. I trust much more in him to make the right plays.

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 3:16 pm
by leo921
Peelboy wrote:Echo the sentiment that what matters is not the outcome but the process and individual performances at this stage. Sure you'd want to beat the Bucks when they sit pretty much all of their starters, but Bulls also played guys minutes and in lineups that I don't anticipate. Plus for the most part, Bucks have a set system they are experienced in whereas the Bulls are still developing theirs. I wanted the first and 4th, so take the below with grain of salt.

The good:
- Pace. They pushed it regularly. From all positions. Bodes well given the makeup of the team.
- Zach/Lauri. Both looked good although coasting somewhat.
- Coby/Gafford. Solid debuts, I assume Coby will end up shooting better given his history (but starting to get a bit worried if this keeps up following the SL shooting). Gafford in particular looked like a potential monster, ultra-focused on his role (screen, roll with authority, rebound, D).

The mediocre:
- D. Looked bad, but mainly in the first quarter it was substantially Felicio who seems completely lost, particularly with a guy like Lopez who can shoot. Replacing him with Wendell or Kornet or Young will make a big difference IMO.
- Dunn. Sure, he had decent stats, but he played the same way that he has in past - ISO, drive and midrange shot. Just don't see that fitting with the rest of what Boylen wants to do.
- Sato. I'd put him in the "good" because most of what he did was good, but he needs to hit shots better. If he does, he should start and the offense will look very nice IMO.
- Val - the shot is pure, and his playmaking instincts were right on. But the lack of athleticism and rust showed. Still I think he looked like a valuable reserve if played with the right grouping (mainly starters). Him with the reserves is more problematic.

The bad:
- Porter looked like he didn't care (odd for him), assume it's first preseason game blues.
- Felicio, he had a couple of nice rolls but otherwise looked completely lost when I saw him, particularly on D.
- Rebounding. Need to get that in gear, but the work RoLo did freeing up others for boards showed with his absence.

Cautiously optimistic, but would really like to see what things look like when you have Sato-Zach-Otto-Lauri-Wendell (or Gafford) running. And I think that lineup will rebound better.



I agree with a lot of this. Think once Sato and Carter are in the lineup the Bulls will look much better. Once again Dunn confirmed what we already knew, that it does not fit at all with Lavine and Lauri. He takes shots away from them and only passes the ball when he gets stuck or for easy dunks to big men.

Sato's shot was off this game but you can tell he has a much better floor game and just fits better. 7 rebs, 3 ast and 5 stls and can hit the 3, pass, and be a off ball threat.

I think the Bulls can have a pretty good bench with Dunn/White/Valentine/Young/Gafford with hutchinson and Kornet rotating in, I would say things are looking up and the Bulls will be much better this year if we stay healthy

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 3:16 pm
by Ccwatercraft
Peelboy wrote:Echo the sentiment that what matters is not the outcome but the process and individual performances at this stage. Sure you'd want to beat the Bucks when they sit pretty much all of their starters, but Bulls also played guys minutes and in lineups that I don't anticipate. Plus for the most part, Bucks have a set system they are experienced in whereas the Bulls are still developing theirs. I wanted the first and 4th, so take the below with grain of salt.

The good:
- Pace. They pushed it regularly. From all positions. Bodes well given the makeup of the team.
- Zach/Lauri. Both looked good although coasting somewhat.
- Coby/Gafford. Solid debuts, I assume Coby will end up shooting better given his history (but starting to get a bit worried if this keeps up following the SL shooting). Gafford in particular looked like a potential monster, ultra-focused on his role (screen, roll with authority, rebound, D).

The mediocre:
- D. Looked bad, but mainly in the first quarter it was substantially Felicio who seems completely lost, particularly with a guy like Lopez who can shoot. Replacing him with Wendell or Kornet or Young will make a big difference IMO.
- Dunn. Sure, he had decent stats, but he played the same way that he has in past - ISO, drive and midrange shot. Just don't see that fitting with the rest of what Boylen wants to do.
- Sato. I'd put him in the "good" because most of what he did was good, but he needs to hit shots better. If he does, he should start and the offense will look very nice IMO.
- Val - the shot is pure, and his playmaking instincts were right on. But the lack of athleticism and rust showed. Still I think he looked like a valuable reserve if played with the right grouping (mainly starters). Him with the reserves is more problematic.

The bad:
- Porter looked like he didn't care (odd for him), assume it's first preseason game blues.
- Felicio, he had a couple of nice rolls but otherwise looked completely lost when I saw him, particularly on D.
- Rebounding. Need to get that in gear, but the work RoLo did freeing up others for boards showed with his absence.

Cautiously optimistic, but would really like to see what things look like when you have Sato-Zach-Otto-Lauri-Wendell (or Gafford) running. And I think that lineup will rebound better.


Unfortunately I didn't get an opportunity to watch since I was driving across the state during the game but I hope to pull up a replay on LP maybe tonight, but tyvm for the write up, this fills in some questions for me.

Question: Did Val show some lift on his jumpers? I know that was a discussion when we saw a post of him doing drills that he was flat.

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 4:09 pm
by ZOMG
Grab a helmet everybody, here comes some more overreaction!!

OK. Where do I start? Maybe with the fact that this team looked f***ing horrible. I mean... literally everybody seemed to be the exact same player as last season. If this remains true, it's extremely disappointing after all the big talk.

Overall, I got a strong feeling of deja vu. The ball was pounded, countless bunnies were missed, defensive assignments were botched. Off-ball movement was nonexistent and way too many difficult long balls went up with like 20 seconds in the shot clock.

It's always fun when you get destroyed by an offensive juggernaut featuring two semi washed up Lopez bros, someone called Donte DiVincenzo, a guy who might be better at baseball than he is at basketball and the wrong Antetokounmpo.

Markkanen was again frozen out of the offense for long periods to start the game and then apparently got fed up and decided to coast. He might surprise us with some new or improved skill as preseason goes on, but so far it doesn't look good. His ballhandling was just as clunky and upright as ever, which was particularly disappointing. Apparently it came as a total surprise to Milwaukee that Lauri can shoot a bit - don't think I've seen him get this many wide open pick 'n pop 3's since his rookie season. It's so weird how Lauri swishes half his shots and the other half looks like he's trying to destroy the rim. GRADE: B

Coby White is not a point guard and I have a sneaking suspicion that he won't become one either. At this point, he's a guy in that dreaded no-man's land: a shooting guard who can't shoot. All his push-shot jumpers looked really bad, and he mostly got to the rim because the Bucks, for some unfathomable reason, decided to play him close like he's Steph Curry. Defenses will start ignoring him soon enough when the real season starts. That will also end his trips to the line. His also has MAJOR trouble finishing. All in all, I got way too many "Young Dunn" vibes from White. GRADE: C

Speaking of Dunn... he is who he is, just like I've been saying. He was right back to his ball-swiping, reaching, matador-defense playing self. This guy simply can't play without the ball in his hands, and we don't need any more evidence. Get his ass on the bench. GRADE: D

Someone said that Otto is one of the best defenders on the team. What a take. I don't think he went into a defensive stance once in the whole game. I understand that a veteran with a chronic hip problem might want to take it easy in the preseason, but come on man. At least make half an effort out there. Still, Porter is one of these guys who just can't function propely when his "point guard" is a short-armed SG with a huge afro who mistakes running around like a headless chicken for making plays. GRADE: D

Sato got the thankless task of mostly sharing the court with certified basketball geniuses like Dunn and Felicio. I want to see what he can do with the real starters becore making a judgement. Considering he's been playing ball all summer, his energy was good. GRADE: B

Thad Young looked washed up. There's no other way to say it. As a veteran, he probably gets going as the season progresses, but this wasn't particularly encouraging. Young cannot IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES play a single minute of SF in this league, so I hope Boylen won't pull that out of the hat as some kind of a genius strategic move. GRADE: D

Gafford has plenty of raw energy around the basket like a young Rodman, which is great to see. When he has the ball and the hoop is within dunking distance, he's giving zero f**ks. Carter should be careful, it's not out of the question that Gafford will take away some of his minutes if WCJ is as timid as he was last season. I predict Gafford will become Boylen's new pet project with his relentless hustling. GRADE: B

Denzel is D.O.N.E. He can just about hack it in these preseason games against 2nd and 3rd stringers, but the jig will be up soon enough. He can't jump at all or stay with anyone. That won't work. GRADE: D

Zach didn't move the needle at all. He was OK when he was creating for others but took way too many awful shots early in the shot clock. He too seems to be the exact same player as last season. GRADE: B

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 4:11 pm
by Peelboy
Ccwatercraft wrote:
Unfortunately I didn't get an opportunity to watch since I was driving across the state during the game but I hope to pull up a replay on LP maybe tonight, but tyvm for the write up, this fills in some questions for me.

Question: Did Val show some lift on his jumpers? I know that was a discussion when we saw a post of him doing drills that he was flat.

Not really, but he's always had a flat shot to me. But it goes in routinely. Which IMO is why he gets blocked a lot when driving but is money on the spot up. That should be his role - rebound, push pace, and spot up to keep lanes open for Zach/Lauri/Otto (with Wendell/Gafford cleaning up on boards).

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 4:30 pm
by SfBull
MrSparkle wrote:
SfBull wrote:
MrSparkle wrote:Not considering this an over-reaction but rather a consolidation of last year’s thoughts... this team is going to have to make a lot of 3Ps to win games, because there are going to be 2-3 swiss cheese defensive holes per line-up.

Otto and Carter can defend with the best of them, along with Thad and Sato being respectable, but otherwise, the collective defensive IQ and lateral athleticism is going to be lacking. Teams are gonna kill the Bulls off-the-dribble and 3P line. I’ve said it before, but Carter’s size is also going to be an issue when the other team has very big centers.

Just a couple of “season hasn’t started” red flags. The team will need incredible offense to compensate, in order to win games at a high rate.

Also, why are they bothering with Dunn starting? All i watched are highlights and even in a few minutes of reel I couldn’t stand his style of basketball.

You´ll likely see Dunn starting against the Hornets,White isn´t ready(as expected) and Sato played t from the bench showing the skills for a good role player (but not for a starter).I don´t know where that incredible offense they need will come from,Lauri,Zach and Otto played their usual games in limited minutes ,solid but not great,maybe Wendell will spark a better offense,we´ll see.If only Dunn could step up his game showing a better chemistry playing along Zach we could win more games but I didn´t watch that happening.


My sentiment is just let Coby play point and groom him into the role. He’s got the speed to take it up floor in 3 seconds and make a play. I think it’s gonna be a developmental waste of time having him try to fight for minutes off the bench and out of position, against the likes of Arci, Dunn and Sato, neither of whom have +.500 winning percentages as starting PGs.

The way Boylen frames it, this position-less basketball stuff kinda worries me. It’s not supposed to be a “plug my guy anywhere and he’s a baller” — it should simply mean that you’ve got 5 guys who can make plays, and 5 guys who can defend different positions on the floor. But ultimately, Curry was a 1, Klay was a 2, Barnes/Iguodala/Durant were 3s who slid to 4, Dray was a 4 who slid 5, and Bogut/Zaza/McGee were 5s who played limited roles.

See the problem with our roster? Who the hell is going to be the 1? Already nervous about how we’re gonna have this magic PG rotation while Lauri, Zach and Otto somehow all play the roles of playmakers.

It’s asking a lot. I’ve never seen a good basketball team that didn’t have a stable starting PG who could start and finish the game. Could be a Derek Fisher or a Darrell Armstrong. Or Ron Harper. But it’s concerning when our 2 best PG options are discussed trying out SG (Coby) or SF (in Sato’s case). If these two “point guards” are playing wing, we’re gonna lose games - period.

If Coby can run the ball fast, defend, score off the dribble... he’s already ticked 3 out of 5 boxes for starting PG compared to the rest of this hodge podge. Let’s see if he can manage a clock and create for Lauri and Zach.

And I don’t mean to throw Sato under the bus. He’s very solid but I don’t know if he has the speed to give this starting 5 a knife’s edge. Coby might. If not, he was the wrong pick.

But let’s be honest — Dunn and Arci are not NBA players. They’re end of bench guys. The 48 PG minutes should be split between Coby and Sato, and Boylen needs to simply evaluate who runs better with Zach. My money is on Coby. Two runners.

Thinking that way it was a complete waste of time in starting Dunn at the point but it seems that Boylen likes his play so I won't be surprised finding Dunn as our starting pg opening the regular season.White has the skills for getting the starting role but he needs more time playing with the starting unit.But the Bulls apparently didn't give up on Dunn yet .

Re: Bulls vs. Bucks Preseason #1 Game Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 4:30 pm
by madvillian
ZOMG wrote:Grab a helmet everybody, here comes some more overreaction!!

OK. Where do I start? Maybe with the fact that this team looked f***ing horrible. I mean... literally everybody seemed to be the exact same player as last season. If this remains true, it's extremely disappointing after all the big talk.

...

Zach didn't move the needle at all. He was OK when he was creating for others but took way too many awful shots early in the shot clock. He too seems to be the exact same player as last season. GRADE: B


I really hope you aren't serious with this spicy of a take on a preseason game. And just stop with the Lauri frozen out BS. If anything it looked like Lauri still doesn't have the handle to initiate his own offense and was easily turned away from attacking when he tried to move off the three point line.

As for the rest of your analysis the games don't count and guys like Thad, Zach, Otto and even Lauri have zero to prove and every incentive to stay healthy by not going balls to the wall in a exhibition game.