Bulls @ Knicks 6:30pm CT Feb. 20 2025

[Jcool0]

5 straight losses and the Bulls draft odds haven't improved 1%. The Bulls could lose every game for the rest of the season and their chances of getting the #1 pick would improve by less than 2%, so it doesn't matter if we win or lose.

Yeah the tank is strong in the NBA right now . We won too many games to really tank properly. We will have to get extremely lucky to get the top pick like 5percent chance so 1 in 20 lotto balls .

Typical of the Bulls. When is the last time they properly tanked?

Never.

[Dan Z]

5 straight losses and the Bulls draft odds haven't improved 1%. The Bulls could lose every game for the rest of the season and their chances of getting the #1 pick would improve by less than 2%, so it doesn't matter if we win or lose.

If they could have the worst record they would only improve 8%

Exactly there’s no difference at this point . The most they can do is go from 10 to 11 if Philly gets their sht together.

After that the rest of the East that’s below the bulls are also losing a bunch of games and they’ve been doing it all year long.

Even if the Bulls make the play in somehow they still are probably not winning 2 games to get to the playoffs. So whether it’s 10th see or 11. Same sht. You guys going crazy over losing for no reason at all.

The Bulls have 22 wins.

In the East Philly and the Nets both have 20 wins. I agree with you that Philly could catch up, but so far they haven't been able to do that (even though the Bulls have been losing).

Nets are tanking, so I'd be surprised if they passed the Bulls.

However, in the West the Spurs and Portland both have 23 wins. Both those teams could drop.

Right now I think the Bulls have the 8th pick...? They could get passed and end up with the 11th. 12th if Philly ever goes on a winning streak.

[Dan Z]

Yeah the tank is strong in the NBA right now . We won too many games to really tank properly. We will have to get extremely lucky to get the top pick like 5percent chance so 1 in 20 lotto balls .

Typical of the Bulls. When is the last time they properly tanked?

Never.

Not even during the Krause years (after the dynasty)?

[Jcool0]

Another entertaining Bulls vs Knicks game. Giddey probably had his best game as a Bull. Scoring, shooting 3s, grabbing rebounds all over the place. 27 pts 14 reb. Not bad at all.

I thought Phillips also had a very good game one of his best as a Bull as well. For some reason Billy never put him back in after taking him out mid 4th.

Vuc was good overall but he also messed up by getting blocked underneath the basket at the end of regulation by a shorter guy and was a total mess in OT.

Bad games by Coby and Matas. Very disappointed in Coby he should be a lot better offensively even though on defense he was solid tonight.

If you were entertained by this... yikes. You watched a bad team trying to win a game that only hurts your team.

Bad team or not it was good especially at the end. What’s wrong with that ? Also what does “winning a game that hurts your team” have anything to do with the game being entertaining? Some of us actually enjoy watching basketball.

I don't get entertained watching bad teams try to win games. I dont get excited watching Vuc playing 40 minutes. I dont have fun seeing Billy playing Matas inconsistently. I would have a ton more fun watching Matas and Giddey scoring 20 points each and the Bulls lose by 15 then Bulls lose by 2 with Coby playing 41 min and score 11.

[Jcool0]

Typical of the Bulls. When is the last time they properly tanked?

Never.

Not even during the Krause years (after the dynasty)?

When they traded Elton Brand after 2 seasons?

[Dan Z]

Never.

Not even during the Krause years (after the dynasty)?

When they traded Elton Brand after 2 seasons?

That was so long ago that I can't remember, but I looked it up. It seems like the team was just bad back then and didn't have to tank.

That means you're right...never. That's sad.

[Jcool0]

Not even during the Krause years (after the dynasty)?

When they traded Elton Brand after 2 seasons?

That was so long ago that I can't remember, but I looked it up. It seems like the team was just bad back then and didn't have to tank.

That means you're right...never. That's sad.

They couldn't figure out what to do. They had a decent young core and broke it up for Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler who they expected to be Shaq and Kevin Garnet.

[Lexluthor]

When they traded Elton Brand after 2 seasons?

That was so long ago that I can't remember, but I looked it up. It seems like the team was just bad back then and didn't have to tank.

That means you're right...never. That's sad.

They couldn't figure out what to do. They had a decent young core and broke it up for Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler who they expected to be Shaq and Kevin Garnet.

Lol Tyson had a good career , after he left the Bulls . But that trade was just idiotic

[meekrab]

5 straight losses. Thats what you get Billy for trying so hard to win this game lol

The Sixers have managed to lose 6 straight, to avoid capitalizing on our awful play, it's infuriating.

[MrSparkle]

5 straight losses. Thats what you get Billy for trying so hard to win this game lol

The Sixers have managed to lose 6 straight, to avoid capitalizing on our awful play, it's infuriating.

I’m telling you all, they’re going for the tank. It’s harder and more pointless for them to outpace Chicago in wins.

Billy is trying to win games!!

[WindyCityBorn]

5 straight losses and the Bulls draft odds haven't improved 1%. The Bulls could lose every game for the rest of the season and their chances of getting the #1 pick would improve by less than 2%, so it doesn't matter if we win or lose.

Yeah the tank is strong in the NBA right now . We won too many games to really tank properly. We will have to get extremely lucky to get the top pick like 5percent chance so 1 in 20 lotto balls .

Hawks did it last season. I’m just hoping to get into the top 4.

[WindyCityBorn]

5 straight losses. Thats what you get Billy for trying so hard to win this game lol

The Sixers have managed to lose 6 straight, to avoid capitalizing on our awful play, it's infuriating.

I’m telling you all, they’re going for the tank. It’s harder and more pointless for them to outpace Chicago in wins.

Billy is trying to win games!!

I seriously doubt Embiid, George(he just sucks) annd Maxey are tanking.The first will be completely done by the time whoever Philly drafts is ready to win.

[pipfan]

Tough loss-Bulls played hard, awesome night for Giddy

Man, Towns is hard to watch with his flailing and flopping. Glad he's not on our team

[Ice Man]

Matas is perfect for the tank. Enough potential to warrant playing time for a team that isn't interested in winning now, but not yet particularly good.

[sco]

Was at the game last night. Not sure what to take away from the game. Knicks were missing 2 key starters, OG and Hart. I was surprised we kept it close. I'm not sure what happened to our playing with pace, but our pace has slowed to last year's level.

Giddey had a great night but I have to think that at least some of that was due to the Knicks missing key defenders, but Kudus to him/Billy for having him continually drive to the rim because it kept working.

Matas showed me one key area he needs to improve (but I blame the coaching staff)...his warm-up routine is very unstructured. Also, I was disappointed at his lack of aggressiveness. He seemed to catch PWill disease.

Watching Coby in person also was disappointing. He also reminds me of PWill, in that he would get the ball and looked like he had no idea what he wanted to do. Now maybe he just wants to do things (i.e. drive by guys) but just isn't good enough to do it.

I think if Smith didn't go down, we would have won. Collins doesn't seem comfortable yet, but honestly, I think he'll be decent next year.

Good to see Huerter start to find his 3pt stroke.

[drosestruts]

Philly only keeps their pick if they pick top 6, i'm not sure they're tanking for that. They're in a super weird spot. Best case scenario in my mind is that they finish with the 6th worst record and then have to pray no team jumps them in the lottery.

If I had Embiid, Paul George, and Maxey and a pick i'm not likely to keep. I'd be pushing for the playoffs. They are a legit - anything is possible team. They could lose the play-in or make the Finals. That's how wide their variance is.

[WindyCityBorn]

Philly only keeps their pick if they pick top 6, i'm not sure they're tanking for that. They're in a super weird spot. Best case scenario in my mind is that they finish with the 6th worst record and then have to pray no team jumps them in the lottery.

If I had Embiid, Paul George, and Maxey and a pick i'm not likely to keep. I'd be pushing for the playoffs. They are a legit - anything is possible team. They could lose the play-in or make the Finals. That's how wide their variance is.

Paul George is cooked. Worst contract in the NBA. Philly had zero chance of making barring serious injuries to real contenders.

[WindyCityBorn]

Was at the game last night. Not sure what to take away from the game. Knicks were missing 2 key starters, OG and Hart. I was surprised we kept it close. I'm not sure what happened to our playing with pace, but our pace has slowed to last year's level.

Giddey had a great night but I have to think that at least some of that was due to the Knicks missing key defenders, but Kudus to him/Billy for having him continually drive to the rim because it kept working.

Matas showed me one key area he needs to improve (but I blame the coaching staff)...his warm-up routine is very unstructured. Also, I was disappointed at his lack of aggressiveness. He seemed to catch PWill disease.

Watching Coby in person also was disappointing. He also reminds me of PWill, in that he would get the ball and looked like he had no idea what he wanted to do. Now maybe he just wants to do things (i.e. drive by guys) but just isn't good enough to do it.

I think if Smith didn't go down, we would have won. Collins doesn't seem comfortable yet, but honestly, I think he'll be decent next year.

Good to see Huerter start to find his 3pt stroke.

Giddey can’t get any credit without some of disclaimer huh? Teams have missing players every night.

[drosestruts]

I can't believe so many of you are willing to not be entertained by a good game just because of desired long-term goals (even more so when the game concluded in a way that aligns with those goals).

This game was fun. Sloppy (by both teams), but a fun, back and forth, close contest.

We've lose 5 in a row - I much prefer watching a game like last nights over watching us lose by 40 to the Pistons.

Ball was very ineffecient and still a positive in the +/-, the guy is just a +/- darling

Giddey played great. I wonder what his potential assists were on the night, pretty much everyone aside from Giddey scored very inefficiently. I have to imagine their were a lot of passes leading to shots that simply didn't go in. Putting up 27 and 16 is just awesome stuff. There's the Giddey we traded for.

Don't really have much to say about anyone else's performance. Smith could be out for a while, I feel like the NBA takes concussions more seriously than the NFL.

P Will being out, and Smith being out really hurts our ability to best diagnose what we have and who fits together well.

[drosestruts]

Philly only keeps their pick if they pick top 6, i'm not sure they're tanking for that. They're in a super weird spot. Best case scenario in my mind is that they finish with the 6th worst record and then have to pray no team jumps them in the lottery.

If I had Embiid, Paul George, and Maxey and a pick i'm not likely to keep. I'd be pushing for the playoffs. They are a legit - anything is possible team. They could lose the play-in or make the Finals. That's how wide their variance is.

Paul George is cooked. Worst contract in the NBA. Philly had zero chance of making barring serious injuries to real contenders.

Paul George played 10 games in January and put up 20, 6, and 5 on 59.6% TS%

They don't need him to be the Paul George of old, or need him to do so on a nightly basis.

They just need him to be good for a stretch and really anything becomes possible.

January showcased a 10-game stretch where he played well. He still has his hot streaks and his moments. They just need him to have one during the playoffs.