At least Gordon to the bench has helped one guy

[Cliff Levingston]

...cause it sure hasn't helped the other. Chris Duhon's averages as a starter this season:

4 games
25.5 minutes
3.25 points
18.2% shooting
28.5% FT's
0.5 steals
1.25 rebounds
3.25 assists
0.5 turnovers

The only quantifiable part of his game that's been even remotely respectable is his assist numbers, and even those aren't all that good for being the pass-first PG every moment he's on the floor.

Cliff Levingston isn't suggesting putting Gordon back in the starting lineup, but maybe it's time to request more Thabo?

[dougthonus]

Wait, you mean Duhon sucks?

This is almost as unpredictable as Noah or Tyrus outproducing Wallace if they get to see the court. Man, dogs and cats living together. Total hysteria.

[suckfish]

Cliff Levingston isn't suggesting putting Gordon back in the starting lineup

I am.

[Grand Champ]

More Thabo is NOT the answer.... he's lost out there!

[DuckIII]

I'm always down with more Thabo. Not that it was anything to write home about, but he looked more relaxed against Charlotte than he had at any other point in the season. I also think he'll match up well with Portland, so I'm hoping to see him out there again tonight.

[dougthonus]

I'd like to see a little more Thabo too.

I'm not nearly as adamant about it as I am on seeing more Tyrus, because I haven't seen Thabo do anything that makes me think he'll ever be a good pro, but I think we need to see enough to find out.

Replace Duhon with Thabo for a game and give Duhon a DNP. I don't think it's going to change the outcome of a game as Duhon has been crap lately, and I think you need to give a guy a good 20 minutes for 2-3 games to really let him build up a rhythm to see what he's really capable of.

[richard]

too bad that will never happen. boylan seems hellbent on giving duhon 25+ minutes.

[Cliff Levingston]

I'm always down with more Thabo. Not that it was anything to write home about, but he looked more relaxed against Charlotte than he had at any other point in the season. I also think he'll match up well with Portland, so I'm hoping to see him out there again tonight.

Cliff Levingston can't remember the last time Thabo attacked the rim as hard as he did last night (specifically, the one plays that resulted in the Aaron Gray follow-up drunk). Of course, he's always active on defense and bothering guys with his length... or at least trying to.

Cliff Levingston was thinking that maybe Boylan was getting Thabo warmed up for Roy tonight?

[suckfish]

I think under Boylan he really has a chance to regain a good level of confidence, it's just a more relaxed vibe that IMO will suit Thabo down to the ground.

Hopefully Boylan will recognize this and he will slowly introduce him to more playing time as the schedule progresses from here. Really we have to decide to let him play or to trade him. The longer he sits on that bench the worse he gets, confidence is key. Trade him while sometimes may still want him if so.

Last night was the first time that I have ever seen him use a controlled spin move going to the basket, normally he is off balanced or spinning into a crowd of players, he missed the shot but Gray cleared up the boards as he was open with his man helping on Thabo.

[Magilla_Gorilla]

Wait, you mean Duhon sucks?

This is almost as unpredictable as Noah or Tyrus outproducing Wallace if they get to see the court. Man, dogs and cats living together. Total hysteria.

Yet another reason I make sure I read every Doug post.

[coldfish]

This is why Cliff's idea of Nocioni for Miller is a good one.

[The 6ft Hurdle]

If we just plan on sucking every first quarter and a half as it seems we are doing with Kirk/Duhon, it might as well be with our big young lottery pick guard.

[TB#1]

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Yet another reason I make sure I read every Doug post.

Watch out for Doug's posts...he's been a craaanky guy lately!

(of course I'm the one who had a BG7 tantrum, so look who's talking, right?)

[DuckIII]

If we just plan on sucking every first quarter and a half as it seems we are doing with Kirk/Duhon, it might as well be with our big young lottery pick guard.

I haven't actually looked it up, but it hasn't "felt" that way to me. Have the Bulls been getting crushed out of the gate pre-Gordon in these games?

Edit:

Milwaukee: 12-12 when Gordon enters game.
NY: 16-16 when Gordon enters game.
Orlando: Bulls up 16-10 when Gordon enters game.
Charlotte: 15-15 when Gordon enters game.

I'm not really seeing a connection between Kirk/Duhon starting games and the Bulls "sucking" to start those games. It also strikes me that Hinrich has been getting off to some pretty quick starts under the current rotation scheme.

[coldfish]

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I haven't actually looked it up, but it hasn't "felt" that way to me. Have the Bulls been getting crushed out of the gate pre-Gordon in these games?

Actually, no. There have been two periods where the team played poorly in several games now:
- Late first / early second when the subs come in
- To start the third quarter

What's odd about this is that its two different units. The starters do fine to start the game, then get trounced in the third. The subs stink in their first rotation, but do fine to close the game.

[The 6ft Hurdle]

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I haven't actually looked it up, but it hasn't "felt" that way to me. Have the Bulls been getting crushed out of the gate pre-Gordon in these games?

I don't think they've been crushed this year, but it's never been impressive. I always thought it was a way to lull teams to sleep.

[Eminjay7]

I think Gordon plays alot better when he's coming from the bench, so I'd stick with this lineup.

[DuckIII]

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I don't think they've been crushed this year, but it's never been impressive. I always thought it was a way to lull teams to sleep.

I edited my above posts to reflect what the game logs show: The Bulls have been tied when Gordon entered for Duhon in 3 of the games and up 6 points in the 4th.

Also, the move appears to be a good one for Hinrich as well as Gordon. Based on early returns, it looks like Hinrich is coming out pretty hot to start games and then deferring to Gordon who then takes over with his recently stellar play.

In the opening minutes with Duhon in these 4 games prior to Gordon's entry, this is Hinrich's production:

7-10 from the floor, 17pts, in 25 minutes. Frankly, its just been a good move all the way around.

[girlygirl]

If we just plan on sucking every first quarter and a half as it seems we are doing with Kirk/Duhon, it might as well be with our big young lottery pick guard.

Chris may not be playing very well since going into the starting lineup, but the Bulls as a whole have actually gotten off to strong starts in the 4 games under Boylan.

BULLS IN FIRST QUARTER IN LAST FOUR GAMES

vs. Mil Led 28-25 after 1st qtr
vs. NY Led 30-22 after 1st qtr
vs. Orl Led 30-29 after 1st qtr
vs. Cha Trailed 28-23 after 1st qtr


So to say the Bulls have sucked in the early going with Duhon and Hinrich in the backcourt is incorrect.

[The 6ft Hurdle]

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I edited my above posts to reflect what the game logs show: The Bulls have been tied when Gordon entered for Duhon in 3 of the games and up 6 points in the 4th.

Also, the move appears to be a good one for Hinrich as well as Gordon. Based on early returns, it looks like Hinrich is coming out pretty hot to start games and then deferring to Gordon who then takes over with his recently stellar play.

In the opening minutes with Duhon in these 4 games prior to Gordon's entry, this is Hinrich's production:

7-10 from the floor, 17pts, in 25 minutes. Frankly, its just been a good move all the way around.

I'm not even talking about starting Ben Gordon (I don't think that's a move that will be happening anytime soon anyway). It's more about Duhon and how someone else playing could do what he's done. It's about starting Thabo.

It looks like whatever starting lineup we have up there, we've been on push.

I actually don't have a problem with not starting the best players, at least in principle, cause games aren't really won and lost in the 1st quarter or even in the early goings of the 3rd quarter.

So if that's the principle were going to go by, it seems we should use more of that time to let our younger players play in the early goings of games.

Kirk's gotten better, but Duhon's been doing nothing. If Duhon's done nothing, then we could probably get the same with our 1st round draft pick big guard.