Cliff Levingston has beef again!

[Cliff Levingston]

This has to do with how many screens we set for our ball handlers. Of course, it first and foremost includes the infamous Ben Wallace pick-and-double-team-on-the-ball-handler play we seem to be so in love with, but it's more than that.

Anyone else notice that no matter who's setting the pick for no matter who has the ball, it hardly ever results in a positive plays as a direct result (other than the Joe Smith pick and pop)? The reason is because:

- Duhon is generally very passive in attacking the hole. Whenever he gets a screen, he doesn't even attempt to get around the hedge and attack the basket. (When he does though, rarely, is when he's at his best).

- Ditto for Hinrich for the most part. We all know he's allergic to contact in the lane and cannot finish for crap around the rim. He's generally in shoot-first outside of 18 feet of the basket, and pass-first inside 18 feet, which is stupid in of itself.

- Ben Gordon simply isn't a good ball handler or passer when he doesn't have a good amount of space to operate in.

Not to mention that the play making skills for all three of these guys are below average.

So why do we run so many screens for them? It usually leads to a pass to the wing to whoever might be there (Noc or Deng) then maybe down into the post or back to the top of the key... which is pretty easily done without the "help" of a screen. It quite often leads to the offense getting stagnated by even an average hedge by the defending big man, leading to the ball handler (Hinrich) either wheeling back out to the top of the key to "reset the offense" or just dribbling around the perimeter before making a lateral pass to the wing.

Seems like that wasted motion would be better used either posting up, spreading the floor or setting a screen off the ball to help someone else get open for a pass (which would help move the ball faster than dribbling around via the use of a screen).

[coldfish]

For a team that is fundamentally based on the pick and roll, you would think we would be better at it. All of the players, guards included, other than Joe Smith have failings in their execution of the pick and roll.

[Magilla_Gorilla]

Cliff speaks da troof.

[gnk2727]

Cliff thats too muh common sense there. The Bulls would never do that. The easiest thing the Bulls can do differently is tell Ben Gordon to drive and kick and have Aaron Gray in the post kicking out to shooters.

Otherwise were gonna see the same ol thing every game.........

[AirP.]

I'm still not sure why we still stand around so much on defense, especially when we had Tyrus playing the 3, you have to have freak'n motion to take advantage of athletes. Standing Tyrus along the parememter is just saying, here young fellow, let's play to your weakness'.

Ben Gordon, what has looked different in the last couple games then the first few from the bench, the first few games we went to him when he came off the bench, he was running, coming off screens getting the ball and shooting it, now that he's getting more confortable with the role and so are his teammates, he's going back into stand around mode instead of working to get open and letting him take those shots.

Gordon's size and shooting ability dictate that he needs to be the offensive guy when he's on the court which means he's got to be working his ass off coming off of screen after screen to get open for a quick shot which he's one of the best at... he needs to play his game just like Reggie Miller did and Rip Hamilton does most of the time, nonstop movement on offense to get free and get his shot, basically he has to be the hardest working man on offense and if he does that 30 minutes a game, he's going to be worth what he think's he's worth. When he decides to stop moving get the ball and create, he's by far less effective.

Plain and simple... just not nearly enough motion on offense, especially when you factor in the depth we have.

God, we need another good shooting SG/SF.. a Carroll from the Bobcats or Kapono from Toronto would make a world of difference, just ask Miami about what losing Kapono has done for their team!

[Cliff Levingston]

For a team that is fundamentally based on the pick and roll, you would think we would be better at it. All of the players, guards included, other than Joe Smith have failings in their execution of the pick and roll.

It's more proof that Skiles (and Boylan to a lesser extent) have their own type of offense they want to run regardless of whether the personnel fits it or not.

[coldfish]

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It's more proof that Skiles (and Boylan to a lesser extent) have their own type of offense they want to run regardless of whether the personnel fits it or not.

Against Sacramento, the Kings ran this beautiful play multiple times where the ball swung low at the same time that a weakside offense player cut down around a screen. At the same time their big men cleared out the lower box area. The end result was several wide open layups as the cutter came free into a cleared out lane.

I have never seen the Bulls run anything like that.

[Sonny_D1]

Against Sacramento, the Kings ran this beautiful play multiple times where the ball swung low at the same time that a weakside offense player cut down around a screen. At the same time their big men cleared out the lower box area. The end result was several wide open layups as the cutter came free into a cleared out lane.

I have never seen the Bulls run anything like that.

Have you ever seen the Bulls run a pick and roll FT line extended, like the one Steve Nash runs with Tyrus Thomas, er, I mean Amare Stoudamire, that leads to a beautiful cut for a simple bounc pass and an emphatic dunk?

Me neither.

[Leslie Forman]

Against Sacramento, the Kings ran this beautiful play multiple times where the ball swung low at the same time that a weakside offense player cut down around a screen. At the same time their big men cleared out the lower box area. The end result was several wide open layups as the cutter came free into a cleared out lane.

I think it is important to note that the Sacramento Kings' head coach is Reggie Theus.

Let me repeat: The Sacramento Kings' head coach is the coach from "Hang Time."

[coldfish]

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Have you ever seen the Bulls run a pick and roll FT line extended, like the one Steve Nash runs with Tyrus Thomas, er, I mean Amare Stoudamire, that leads to a beautiful cut for a simple bounc pass and an emphatic dunk?

Me neither.

The Bulls used to have this side cut pick and roll where the big man would cut towards the hoop and the guard goes toward the free throw line. Curry used to do it a lot and he ended up getting a lot of dunks off of it.

Chicago still runs that play, but they don't do it much and it rarely works when they do.

[coldfish]

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I think it is important to note that the Sacramento Kings' head coach is Reggie Theus.

Let me repeat: The Sacramento Kings' head coach is the coach from "Hang Time."

That's an excellent point. Is Screech available right now?

[cark]

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It's more proof that Skiles (and Boylan to a lesser extent) have their own type of offense they want to run regardless of whether the personnel fits it or not.

So true. That makes me think of Eric Musselman's first season in Golden State (02-03).

When he took the helm, Musselman insisted that the Warriors would be a grinding, defensive team. It didn't work. For the first third of the season (27 games or so), they sucked, like they always sucked.

So Musselman took off the shackles and started using his young roster (JRich, Arenas, Jamison, Murphy, Boykins) to its best advantage. He told them to run the other teams out of the gym, and he let defensive lapses go unpunished.

By the end of the season, they were second in pace, and they'd gone 29-26 over the final two-thirds -- which was amazing for that crappy franchise.

In 03-04, Arenas and Jamison were gone, and the party was over. More importantly, they lost former Bulls superstar A.J. Guyton.

I wish more coaches would show the same flexibility of thought that Musselman did.

[Sonny_D1]

Chicago still runs that play, but they don't do it much and it rarely works when they do.

That's my point. We're trying to get Wallace to play the part of Amare/Marion. I'm not saying Kirk is Nash, but Wallace shouldn't be anywhere NEAR the ball on offense.

My 6 year old daughter knows better than that.

[Magilla_Gorilla]

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That's my point. We're trying to get Wallace to play the part of Amare/Marion. I'm not saying Kirk is Nash, but Wallace shouldn't be anywhere NEAR the ball on offense.

My 6 year old daughter knows better than that.

Is she available to coach?

[coldfish]

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That's my point. We're trying to get Wallace to play the part of Amare/Marion. I'm not saying Kirk is Nash, but Wallace shouldn't be anywhere NEAR the ball on offense.

My 6 year old daughter knows better than that.

Well, that was Flip Saunders' analysis of the situation and Wallace created a big stink about it. I suspect that the Bulls sold Wallace on coming to Chicago by promising to use him like Brown used to.

For whatever reason, Brown found ways to keep Wallace involved without hurting the team a lot, but the Bulls haven't figured it out.

.....

Did anyone else hear the crowd booing last night when Wallace got the ball down low and passed it out? I think it happened at least twice.

[#1TKfan]

This has to do with how many screens we set for our ball handlers. Of course, it first and foremost includes the infamous Ben Wallace pick-and-double-team-on-the-ball-handler play we seem to be so in love with, but it's more than that.

Anyone else notice that no matter who's setting the pick for no matter who has the ball, it hardly ever results in a positive plays as a direct result (other than the Joe Smith pick and pop)? The reason is because:

- Duhon is generally very passive in attacking the hole. Whenever he gets a screen, he doesn't even attempt to get around the hedge and attack the basket. (When he does though, rarely, is when he's at his best).

- Ditto for Hinrich for the most part. We all know he's allergic to contact in the lane and cannot finish for crap around the rim. He's generally in shoot-first outside of 18 feet of the basket, and pass-first inside 18 feet, which is stupid in of itself.

- Ben Gordon simply isn't a good ball handler or passer when he doesn't have a good amount of space to operate in.

Not to mention that the play making skills for all three of these guys are below average.

So why do we run so many screens for them? It usually leads to a pass to the wing to whoever might be there (Noc or Deng) then maybe down into the post or back to the top of the key... which is pretty easily done without the "help" of a screen. It quite often leads to the offense getting stagnated by even an average hedge by the defending big man, leading to the ball handler (Hinrich) either wheeling back out to the top of the key to "reset the offense" or just dribbling around the perimeter before making a lateral pass to the wing.

Seems like that wasted motion would be better used either posting up, spreading the floor or setting a screen off the ball to help someone else get open for a pass (which would help move the ball faster than dribbling around via the use of a screen).

lol. they do it almost every freakin possession and nothing happens. this team lacks creativity. too dull and too boring and too predictable. we need to find players who can create their own shot.

[Magilla_Gorilla]

Did anyone else hear the crowd booing last night when Wallace got the ball down low and passed it out? I think it happened at least twice.

It happened three times, the crowd boo'ed the second and third time.

It was embarrassing, and further proof that Wallace needs to go.

[Sonny_D1]

lol. they do it almost every freakin possession and nothing happens. this team lacks creativity. too dull and too boring and too predictable. we need to find players who can create their own shot.

I've watched and played basketball a long time, and I swear to you, I don't think I've ever seen an opposing defense shift to certain spots a few seconds BEFORE our offense even moves. It happens ALL the time. Sometimes I wonder who's actually on offense.

It's downright scary.

[Leslie Forman]

For whatever reason, Brown found ways to keep Wallace involved without hurting the team a lot, but the Bulls haven't figured it out.

The thing is, Wallace was a considerably better finisher back then. What used to be dunks are now missed layups. He's only hitting on 17% of his tip-ins.

With Smith and Wallace, the Bulls probably have the worst starting frontcourt in the enitre league when it comes to finishing.

[#1TKfan]

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I've watched and played basketball a long time, and I swear to you, I don't think I've ever seen an opposing defense shift to certain spots a few seconds BEFORE our offense even moves. It happens ALL the time. Sometimes I wonder who's actually on offense.

It's downright scary.

but the thing is, this team still manages to get 100+. can you imagine how much better it would be if we had a lost post threat?