Pg: THE BULLS ARE THE TEAM OF DESTINY!

[The Force.]

This is a fun team and good god Tre Jones is looking like the steal of free agency.

I’m just a bit confused as to how this iteration of the team projects over the next 2-3 years. Do we rely on an aging Vuc to be our C? Do we resign as many of these good (but not great) players as possible to maintain depth? I suppose they’d be tradeable contracts if we continue to win… what’s our ceiling, 2nd round?

[The Box Office]

[Jstock12]

Vuc is playing his ass off, 20 ppg on ungodly 64/54/100 splits to start the season. Raising his trade value once again. The hope is that he continues to maintain something along the lines of 50/38/80 splits and AKME can capitalize and get something of value in return. Preferably a young asset/pick. Could be a win/win situation for Vuc as well if the Bulls trade him to a contender for a real chance to get a ring.

[eierluke]

Vuc is playing his ass off, 21.5ppg on ungodly 64/71/100 splits to start the season. Raising his trade value once again. The hope is that he continues to maintain something along the lines of 50/38/80 splits and AKME can capitalize and get something of value in return. Preferably a young asset/pick. Could be a win/win situation for Vuc as well if the Bulls trade him to a contender for a chance to get him a ring.

Cavs, Knicks and Bucks will remain good, but behind the East is wide open.
we won't reach 50 wins, but 45 wins (I predicted 42 wins to be honest) could be in reach and enough for 4th place with homecourtadvantage.
In case this team isn't a soap buble why trading Vuc?
Next summer we'll be in a great cap situation. If we're playoff bound in addition to that, there is a good possibility that top stars like Giannis or Embid might force a trade to the Bulls. That to me would have more value than the late 1st rd pick we at best could get in return for a 35 year old C.

[DuckIII]

This team is like the antithesis of the Zach & Demar loser ISO teams. Ball movement, unselfishness and high IQ players across the board.


I think there’s a very clear cap on the potential of this team but I’ll remain highly positive and complimentary in the meantime.

+1

But also I have to mention, we saw a weakness of this type of team here and there and that is hot potato, i pass u ball with 4 seconds left possessions and there was more than 6 and quite few of them ended in shot clock violations. Just today Matas hit a 3 from one, I think Pat Williams also and Giddey and Trae made something out of those possessions, but that's where we missing lead star guard.

Coby will help with that. He’s our main “get me a shot” guy. And though it’s a spot on observation, I’ll take the occasional overpass compared to the mind-numbing, soul-crushing, nap-inducing style of “3 Isos” era.

I don’t know how many games we will win and I remain hopeful of another lottery pick. But I was 100% certain this team was going to be fun as hell to watch.

AK is the first GM of any of my teams to break me as a fan. Young and fun with good contracts is good enough for me for now.

[DuckIII]

pat williams having multiple plays where he muscled dudes for a bucket was insane to witness. luckily he followed one of them up with a dumb kickout that appeared to pass on an easy look at the rim, to remind us it's not a totally different guy out there

Or to remind us that since he’s finally doing the things he should have been doing for years, he’ll still struggle with some details while he expands his game and plays a bigger role.

He had a nice drive early in the game when he got foot-tied at the end with no counter and was lucky to find a kick out before traveling. That’s another example.

If Pat plays with the intensity and focus he has so far, good things will happen and he will continue to improve. The two way talent has always been - to my eye - completely undeniable.

It’s the brain. If the switch flips - get back to me in January, I’m just an observer right now - he’ll not only be very tradable on a bargain contract, he’ll be really damn good.

[DuckIII]

It's kind of sad how much my overall mood improves when my teams are playing well

Did you play back in the day?

Played a lot as a kid but never made it past JV because of my grades and I was only OK at best. Still play pick up at the Y a few times per month.

This might be a fun idea for a thread and a way to get to know a little more about each other.

[MikeDC]

Anyone left in the Giddey is no good camp?

I don't think he's bad, but there were a couple things of concern in this game.
1. He's still passing up open shots.

2. It was notable that in the 4th we fell behind and they took Giddey (and Okoro) out and replaced them with Ayo and Huerter and immediately went on a big run to get the lead back and keep it for good.

Giddey came back in after we were ahead, but it's something to watch. He didn't finish the Magic game either. So I think he's playing ok, but he's not quite where we need him to be.

Overall, it's obviously good to win, but my observation is that we've won 3 relatively close games against teams that are very offensively challenged right now. I think our defense looks good mostly because we're playing teams that don't score very well against anyone.

[sco]

A good win. I'm keeping my excitement in check. It's a long season.

Vuc, IMO is thriving with Coby out because he is able to get more involved in the offense. He seems to be trying more on defense, which is noticeable. I think Jones/Okoro additions have upped everyone's focus and energy.

Giddey brings a lot of gravity, which helps everyone. Giddey too is putting more effort and focus on defense and it shows.

Jones is my guy. Dude has got to be in the top 10% in terms of top tier defenders who contribute meaningfully on the offensive end. His ability to score in the paint and his playmaking really lift this team.

Ayo, Heurter, Pat have all played at starter levels and have been a big difference maker for us.

[DuckIII]

Matas is going to be up and down all season I think, not the allstar many thought he was going to be, and that's ok, he's still young and learning.

I don’t think anyone thought he was going to be an allstar this year. I think he’s a franchise quality player and I can’t see him as an allstar for at least a couple more years after this one.

There will be some wild swings. Game 1 to Game 2 and even the two halves of Game 3 were opposites.

He still needs more muscle and he’s experimenting with expanding his offensive bag this year. It’s going to look amazing and ugly.

[Dengness9]

As much as Vooch has been the man so far, we just have to move on at some point. He is 35.

Our team is a bunch of young pups. We now need to put resources into finding the next young center to grow with the team.

I hope Vooch keeps up a solid steady play like this (and honestly like last year). How crazy would it be if Vuc of all guys put up a 50-40-90??

But if he does keep up a solid, WINNING, contribution; I feel like AKME has got to pull trigger on a trade this year, right? If they did, and recouped a 1st round pick or somehow got a good young guy in it ... it would be significant redemption in holding onto him (an actually decent contract) and selling him at a high point.

The crazy situation (and I feel like improbable, but ya know) is if come deadline time the Bulls are #1 seed and somehow just clicking perfectly. Coby's ascended into star scorer, Giddey is a star, all the other guys are playing like they are now, and Vuc if the veteran presence putting up 20/10 and huge contribution to the team identity. Do you really trade him then? I'd honestly say no, run with it. A super savvy GM though might still do it (look to the future; even #1 seed maybe you just don't believe you can win the ring and that's all that matters).

Feels good to be 3 games in an able to think of all sorts of positive situations still haha. Been a while.

3 games. Enjoy it. Getting waaaaaaaaayyyyyy ahead of yourself. It has been a while(!) since we had a start like this, so I get the total joy and positivity. The schedule coming up is scary. Let’s see how the team fares, hopefully they stay health and we can get Coby back sooner than later. We will need him.

[Red Larrivee]

Anyone left in the Giddey is no good camp?

I don't think he's bad, but there were a couple things of concern in this game.
1. He's still passing up open shots.

2. It was notable that in the 4th we fell behind and they took Giddey (and Okoro) out and replaced them with Ayo and Huerter and immediately went on a big run to get the lead back and keep it for good.

Giddey came back in after we were ahead, but it's something to watch. He didn't finish the Magic game either. So I think he's playing ok, but he's not quite where we need him to be.

Overall, it's obviously good to win, but my observation is that we've won 3 relatively close games against teams that are very offensively challenged right now. I think our defense looks good mostly because we're playing teams that don't score very well against anyone.

We had an entire offseason of deflecting improvement because of wins against tanking teams, teams not trying, and teams with injuries. And now, it's because we aren't playing anyone who's good enough offensively. Detroit went on the road and beat Houston the next game. Orlando beat a good Miami team.

At what point can we just attribute anything to the Bulls playing good basketball and just playing better than good teams? We're doing all of this without our best scorer and a quality reserve big man.

[Stratmaster]

Anyone left in the Giddey is no good camp?

He may never be a great defender, but his improved effort defensively and overall needs to be pointed out.

I said it during the off season. He is disruptive on defense. He is not stopping anyone one on one. But he plays passing lanes with good anticipation. He will get steals and blocks.

[DropStep]

This is a fun team and good god Tre Jones is looking like the steal of free agency.

I’m just a bit confused as to how this iteration of the team projects over the next 2-3 years. Do we rely on an aging Vuc to be our C? Do we resign as many of these good (but not great) players as possible to maintain depth? I suppose they’d be tradeable contracts if we continue to win… what’s our ceiling, 2nd round?

I don't think you can resign them all, unfortunately, as there's no profit in paying retail for non-max, non-pillar kind of players. It feels like the Peter Principle of basketball - good young players on bargain contracts get bumped up by agents and GMs until they become decent players in their mid-to-late 20's on painful contracts at (or often above) what the market will bear, and they don't move the needle. (With the occasional Caruso contract notwithstanding.) We are going to have to recycle or consolidate them eventually unless they take below-market deals imo. For example, the Knicks would suck if they paid all the Grimeses and Barretts and Quickleys and Hartensteins that they loved a few years ago. They had to turn them into assets that were hopefully two out of the four: younger/cheaper/better/more (multiple assets). We should too.

[Ice Man]

At what point can we just attribute anything to the Bulls playing good basketball ...

I'm with you on this. Most people entirely discounted last year's post-ASG record on the bases of 1) the opponents were bad and 2) they were tanking. Both to some extent valid arguments, but against that you had 1) an NBA win is an NBA win and 2) several Bulls finding their games.

The more accurate conclusion would have been "OK that wasn't the greatest schedule but the Bulls seem to have found their feet post-DDR and post-Zach, and this squad that remains isn't half bad. It will be competitive in the East."

Because come on, how many Eastern teams are clearly and significantly better?

Knicks
Cavs

Ummm ... ummm ... ummm. Maybe also the Bucks? It's a short list, at any rate.

[Stratmaster]

Anyone left in the Giddey is no good camp?

I don't think he's bad, but there were a couple things of concern in this game.
1. He's still passing up open shots.

2. It was notable that in the 4th we fell behind and they took Giddey (and Okoro) out and replaced them with Ayo and Huerter and immediately went on a big run to get the lead back and keep it for good.

Giddey came back in after we were ahead, but it's something to watch. He didn't finish the Magic game either. So I think he's playing ok, but he's not quite where we need him to be.

Overall, it's obviously good to win, but my observation is that we've won 3 relatively close games against teams that are very offensively challenged right now. I think our defense looks good mostly because we're playing teams that don't score very well against anyone.

We had an entire offseason of deflecting improvement because of wins against tanking teams, teams not trying, and teams with injuries. And now, it's because we aren't playing anyone who's good enough offensively. Detroit went on the road and beat Houston the next game. Orlando beat a good Miami team.

At what point can we just attribute anything to the Bulls playing good basketball and just playing better than good teams? We're doing all of this without our best scorer and a quality reserve big man.

I was one of the skeptics. But I agree. They have opened the season playing solid basketball. I'm kind of cringing at talk of number 1 seed or number 4 seed. But I hope I am wrong about that too. The team looks good.

[Jcool0]

Anyone left in the Giddey is no good camp?

I don't think he's bad, but there were a couple things of concern in this game.
1. He's still passing up open shots.

2. It was notable that in the 4th we fell behind and they took Giddey (and Okoro) out and replaced them with Ayo and Huerter and immediately went on a big run to get the lead back and keep it for good.

Giddey came back in after we were ahead, but it's something to watch. He didn't finish the Magic game either. So I think he's playing ok, but he's not quite where we need him to be.

Overall, it's obviously good to win, but my observation is that we've won 3 relatively close games against teams that are very offensively challenged right now. I think our defense looks good mostly because we're playing teams that don't score very well against anyone.

Bulls lose last night if not for Giddey making plays in the 4th.

[SfBull]

Still too early but we have 4th league's defense so far ,
110 .7 OPP PPG.Vuc and Pat improved their defense this season,I believe Okoro upgraded our defense too.

[SfBull]

I don't think he's bad, but there were a couple things of concern in this game.
1. He's still passing up open shots.

2. It was notable that in the 4th we fell behind and they took Giddey (and Okoro) out and replaced them with Ayo and Huerter and immediately went on a big run to get the lead back and keep it for good.

Giddey came back in after we were ahead, but it's something to watch. He didn't finish the Magic game either. So I think he's playing ok, but he's not quite where we need him to be.

Overall, it's obviously good to win, but my observation is that we've won 3 relatively close games against teams that are very offensively challenged right now. I think our defense looks good mostly because we're playing teams that don't score very well against anyone.

We had an entire offseason of deflecting improvement because of wins against tanking teams, teams not trying, and teams with injuries. And now, it's because we aren't playing anyone who's good enough offensively. Detroit went on the road and beat Houston the next game. Orlando beat a good Miami team.

At what point can we just attribute anything to the Bulls playing good basketball and just playing better than good teams? We're doing all of this without our best scorer and a quality reserve big man.

I was one of the skeptics. But I agree. They have opened the season playing solid basketball. I'm kind of cringing at talk of number 1 seed or number 4 seed. But I hope I am wrong about that too. The team looks good.

Looks good and different,still playing fast but with better defense than last season.

[Jcool0]

Anyone left in the Giddey is no good camp?

I don't think he's bad, but there were a couple things of concern in this game.
1. He's still passing up open shots.

2. It was notable that in the 4th we fell behind and they took Giddey (and Okoro) out and replaced them with Ayo and Huerter and immediately went on a big run to get the lead back and keep it for good.

Giddey came back in after we were ahead, but it's something to watch. He didn't finish the Magic game either. So I think he's playing ok, but he's not quite where we need him to be.

Overall, it's obviously good to win, but my observation is that we've won 3 relatively close games against teams that are very offensively challenged right now. I think our defense looks good mostly because we're playing teams that don't score very well against anyone.

We had an entire offseason of deflecting improvement because of wins against tanking teams, teams not trying, and teams with injuries. And now, it's because we aren't playing anyone who's good enough offensively. Detroit went on the road and beat Houston the next game. Orlando beat a good Miami team.

At what point can we just attribute anything to the Bulls playing good basketball and just playing better than good teams? We're doing all of this without our best scorer and a quality reserve big man.

FWIW Orlando is 1-3 on the season and lost last night 136-124 to Philly. Detroit is 2-2 & lost last night to Cleveland 116-95.