Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
Moderators: dms269, HMFFL, Jamaaliver
Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- RealGM
- Posts: 20,237
- And1: 12,903
- Joined: Mar 11, 2014
-
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- Pro Prospect
- Posts: 942
- And1: 1,181
- Joined: Aug 13, 2007
- Location: State Farm Arena, Moving The Ball From Side To Side
- Contact:
-
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
Tank Warzzzzz? Nah, that would be too dull. This is more like a weekend-long Wubble Bubble Ball party! Whatever happened to all those NBATV ads every 10 minutes, anyway? I suppose they must be queued up for the springtime.
It can feel like a fever dream at times, but it’s a weird sensation to be bad teams that have their fanbases feeling pretty good. That’s in part because, while swimming upstream through all the Ls, our Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, NBC Sports Chicago) have gathered much of the core for some perceptively competitive future teams.
It’s also partially due to the space they’ve granted themselves in the current NBA standings where a few wins or losses, even a sweep against each other this weekend, won’t immediately impact their position in the upside-down standings.
A fresh check on the Tank Bubbles shows the Hawks (21-41) chilling inside a size 6.5 orb, floating 2.5 games “above” Memphis and 4 games “below” Chicago (17-45). The Bulls’ Tank Bubble is nearly as inflated at size 6, a full 2 games “below” Larry Drew’s Cleveland team, where at least one player seems to be finally figuring a way out of the Woods (sorry).
Aside from the Cavs (Tank Bubble size 4), Grizzlies (size 4.5), Bulls and Hawks, every other team in the NBA’s Bottom 14, whether they genuinely believe they’re making a playoff push or quietly jockeying for lottery odds, can find themselves at a different position on the NBA table with merely a one-game move in a specific direction.
Currently at Lotto Spot #11, slip-sliding Charlotte (Tank Bubble size 1), for example, could wake up on Monday morning on the right side of the playoff chase at #16, or they could fall back as far as Lotto Spot #8, with the #7 Wizards breathing down their necks.
That’s not an issue anytime soon for either the Hawks or Bulls, who are set to collide tonight at State Farm Arena, and again on Sunday at United Center, free of good or bad implications. The Hawks have Rookie of the Month (let’s just go ahead and call it) Trae Young and John Collins leading the charge into the future. Meanwhile, the reformulated Bulls are already offering their fans a sneak preview of the probable starting lineup for next season.
When the visiting Bulls outlasted the Hawks, 97-85, for their second victory of the season back in October, Zach LaVine was flanked in the starting lineup by Cameron Payne. Without injured would-be starters Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen, coach Fred Hoiberg trotted out Justin Holiday and rookie Chandler Hutchison for the opening tip.
Another rookie, ATLien and 2018 lottery find Wendell Carter, was getting his sixth NBA start, ahead of Robin Lopez on the depth chart. While Lopez sat due to a DNP, and the punchy Bobby Portis due to injury, Cristiano Felicio played off the bench for 26 minutes. That was just eight fewer minutes than the Bulls’ big-ticket free agent acquisition, Chi-town native Jabari Parker.
Before these teams could meet again in January, a whole lot changed. After rising to a 2-4 record with the win in Atlanta, Chicago prevailed in just three of their next 18 games, inspiring Gar Forman and his conjoined exec John Paxson to hand Hoiberg his walking papers. Parker, the $40 million sixth-man, was advised it would be best for everyone involved if he just rode the pine for whole games.
Markkanen and Dunn returned in December, but the team morale soured, with LaVine and others screaming “Bulls-pucky!” at Jim Boylen, a gunnery sergeant masquerading as a replacement coach. When the Hawks arrived in Chicago on January 23, team minutes-leader Holiday was on the outs, traded effectively for the Grizzlies’ Wayne Selden, while Payne was put on waivers. Teenage finger-throb Carter (thumb) had just been shelved for the season, pressing the veteran Lopez into full-time service.
All the shape-shifting could not prepare the Bulls for the visiting Hawks’ onslaught. Chicago fell behind Atlanta 42-25 in the first quarter, and the Hawks discovered their defensive chops, holding the Bulls to 41 second-half points and 30.8 3FG% shooting overall in a 121-101 victory. Garpax wasn’t done shuffling deck chairs. But now, the cruise looks less like the Titanic and more like the Good Ship Lollipop.
The Bulls collected some cash for the privilege of having Michael Carter-Williams on their ledger for an afternoon, Carmelo Anthony for about a week. Then they cash-grabbed some more, in exchange for a second-rounder, and took the underutilized Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot off OKC’s hands.
Another future second-rounder, plus Parker and Portis, was the price for acquiring Otto Porter from Washington at the Trade Deadline. It’s hard in any season, but especially these days, to find an NBA veteran satisfied about a mid-season trade to a 12-42 team. But Porter, the man from the Missouri Bootheel whose final game as a Wizard was February 4’s 137-129 home loss to the Hawks, has fully embraced the move back to the Midwest.
“Going from D.C. to Chicago, I’m actually closer to home. So [right away], I was able to see a lot of my family in my first home game with the Bulls,” Porter told HoopsRumors.com in a follow-up interview last week. He had signed a four-year, $106.5 million max extension with Washington (fourth year a player option) in 2017, signaling he was likely to be a Wizards mainstay. Instead, he gets to be a 25-year-old veteran mentor on the Bulls’ up-and-coming roster, and a catalyst for a vastly more functional offense.
A careful ballhandler (7.8 career TO%) and shooter (17-for-33 3FGs w/ CHI through 7 games) for a forward, Porter’s effect is perhaps most telling by the shift in LaVine’s play this month. The Bulls’ star guard is relinquishing the ball more, and he’s getting in position to take wiser shots.
Since Otto’s arrival, LaVine has hit 51.3 percent of his three-point shots (53.6 overall FG%) and elevated his passing to 6.0 APG over the Bulls’ past eight games. Zach’s usage went down to 26.5% (31.0% previously) in that stretch. Add a surging Markkanen (ten consecutive games w/ 20+ points and 9+ rebounds; 87.8 FT%, 12th in NBA) to the mix, and the Bulls have reason to believe they’ve finally caught on to something.
“We have a lot of young guys, young pieces. The team is definitely headed in the right direction, trying to get back to winning basketball here,” Porter added. He’s not the only veteran sticking around the Second City for more than just the laughs. “It’s been so much fun playing with these guys,” said Robin Lopez to the Chicago Tribune. “It’s something I want to be a part of for the rest of the season.” The Bulls seem all too happy to oblige.
With Carter’s drafting, Lopez entered the season as one of the league’s most obvious veteran buyout targets. But Carter is injured, Felicio continues to look helpless, and Lopez looks every bit the part of a Boylen-style grunt. RoLo is not just hanging around through the waiver deadline, but piling up playing time, and a season-high 40 minutes in Wednesday night’s 109-107 win at Memphis made that clear. Being as close as possible to his twin bro Brook in a different NBA city doesn’t hurt much, either.
“It’s really cool what we’re trying to build here right now,” Lopez added, in statements dripping with first-person plural personal pronouns. “I think we have some great pieces on all levels — coaching level, player level. We’re coming together to do something really special.” He’s been in Chicago since the Derrick Rose trade of 2016, and the multi-year deal he signed as a 2015 free agent with the Knicks expires this summer. But intimations from both him and the team suggest it’s going to hard to quit each other, especially if Boylen sticks around.
Chicago has won four of their past five games with LaVine, Porter, Markkanen and Lopez starting together. Their last two losses, one before and after the All-Star Break, came at the hands of the red-hot division rival Milwaukee Bucks. The latter of those two defeats, this past Monday, Chicago played without both Dunn (migraines) and Porter (leg strain), but both starters returned to eke out the next game against the Grizzlies for their third-straight road win.
Dunn (career-high 6.2 APG, 43.0 FG%) isn’t a lock to be the Bulls’ starting point guard next season. But, for now, he has a teammate in Porter who is committed on the defensive end, and a worthy stopgap in backup Ryan Arcidiacono (last 3 games: 5-for-8 3FGs, 12 assists, 1 TO), who has been finishing games alongside the other starters with greater regularity. At the other end of the floor, Boylen has Dunn, and others, growing more accustomed to moving without the ball in their hands.
With Dunn limiting his offensive liabilities, Markkanen and Porter executing plays without turning over the ball, Lopez (season-high 26 points versus Brook and the Bucks on Monday) asserting himself in the paint, and LaVine playing more unselfishly, Chicago is rolling out a more cohesive offensive unit from the jump. The Bulls exited February with the month’s second-best offensive efficiency (116.2 February O-Rating, behind only Houston’s 118.0), quite a turnaround for a club that started the month with the NBA’s worst (101.5 O-Rating pre-February).
Sample Size Theatre beware, but Atlanta finds themselves hot on the Bulls’ tail, in terms of an offensive renaissance. The Hawks’ 115.2 O-Rating in the four games following the All-Star Break ranks 7th-best in the NBA, a shade behind allegedly tanking teams like the Cavs and Knicks (who benefitted from facing each other last night), and better than the Bulls’ 113.3.
The Atlanta players’ turnovers (more than Hawk opponents in 27 of past 30 games) remain outrageously high and the defensive lapses, like the 40 points ceded in the first quarter to Minnesota on Wednesday, leave much to be desired. But when the Hawks find secondary and tertiary passers to get opponents off Young’s tail, they greatly improve their chances at victory.
On Wednesday, that auxiliary role surprisingly came off the bench from Vince Carter (17 points, +21 plus/minus vs. MIN), who had more than his share of Senior Moments during a brief stint at Houston a couple days prior. Carter’s 4 assists (one TO) helped Atlanta get over the hump on Hump Day with a thrilling 131-123 OT victory over the T’Wolves. None were bigger than the dish to Trae (36 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds vs. MIN) for the game-tying bucket on Atlanta’s final offensive possession.
Atlanta might have even been in the locker room celebrating a bit early were it not for the off-kilter shooting by Kent Bazemore (0-for-12 FGs), who I hope will be just as confident this summer in securing a long-term free agent deal somewhere… shoot your shot!
But also crammed into Baze’s 14 minutes of action were 4 assists (no TOs). His dimes included the where-did-that-come-from triple canned by DeAndre’ Bembry to close the third quarter, breathing new life into a Hawks team suddenly down by just 9 points entering the fourth and setting the stage for The DeAndre’ Bembry Experience in OT.
Chipping in as willing (and smarter) passers is what is helping coach Lloyd Pierce’s crew navigate the waters and stay afloat in the back end of this season. Despite a relatively punchless performance as shooters, starting trio Kevin Huerter, Taurean Prince and Dewayne Dedmon each assisted thrice and committed just a single turnover between them. Omari Spellman (3-for-4 FGs, 3 assists) and Bembry (two fourth-quarter dishes to Collins for dunks) got in on the act as well off the bench.
Bembry’s 16 points were indeed a highlight, but his team-highs of three blocks and 10 defensive rebounds helped save the day. On nights when opponents like the Bulls are extra-careful with the ball, Atlanta will have to depend on coaxing opponents into taking ill-advised shots, then properly rebounding to snuff out second-chances.
Wednesday’s win over Minnesota, who lost the ball just once on a steal, was the third time this season in four games the Hawks have come away victorious while getting less than five steals. In all three wins, opponents shot no better than 32.5 3FG% and collected less than ten offensive rebounds.
It may take a similar defensive effort to outlast the Bulls this weekend. But that task will be much harder given how woke LaVine has become upon Porter’s arrival. Spellman and Alex Len may have elevated roles tonight in shielding Markkanen and Lopez off the glass if John Collins (questionable, flu-like syptoms) finds himself on the chicken soup and crackers diet. Collins had 35 points (10-for-12 2FGs, 4-for-4 3FGs) and 8 rebounds against the Bulls in January, supplemented well off the bench by Len and Spellman (combined 22 points and 16 rebounds, 9 of them offensive). Chicago's top rebounders in that game were Hutchison (out, sprained toe) and the since-traded Portis.
This time of year, we’ve got some basketball fans stressing out, because their teams find themselves perilously “on the Bubble”. At the onset of March Madness, how relaxing is it to kick back this weekend and watch your favorite team having fun while competing hard and playing comfortably “in” the Bubble? A Bubble, no matter how you roll, that’s hard to pop!
Let’s Go Hawks!
~lw3
It can feel like a fever dream at times, but it’s a weird sensation to be bad teams that have their fanbases feeling pretty good. That’s in part because, while swimming upstream through all the Ls, our Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, NBC Sports Chicago) have gathered much of the core for some perceptively competitive future teams.
It’s also partially due to the space they’ve granted themselves in the current NBA standings where a few wins or losses, even a sweep against each other this weekend, won’t immediately impact their position in the upside-down standings.
A fresh check on the Tank Bubbles shows the Hawks (21-41) chilling inside a size 6.5 orb, floating 2.5 games “above” Memphis and 4 games “below” Chicago (17-45). The Bulls’ Tank Bubble is nearly as inflated at size 6, a full 2 games “below” Larry Drew’s Cleveland team, where at least one player seems to be finally figuring a way out of the Woods (sorry).
Aside from the Cavs (Tank Bubble size 4), Grizzlies (size 4.5), Bulls and Hawks, every other team in the NBA’s Bottom 14, whether they genuinely believe they’re making a playoff push or quietly jockeying for lottery odds, can find themselves at a different position on the NBA table with merely a one-game move in a specific direction.
Currently at Lotto Spot #11, slip-sliding Charlotte (Tank Bubble size 1), for example, could wake up on Monday morning on the right side of the playoff chase at #16, or they could fall back as far as Lotto Spot #8, with the #7 Wizards breathing down their necks.
That’s not an issue anytime soon for either the Hawks or Bulls, who are set to collide tonight at State Farm Arena, and again on Sunday at United Center, free of good or bad implications. The Hawks have Rookie of the Month (let’s just go ahead and call it) Trae Young and John Collins leading the charge into the future. Meanwhile, the reformulated Bulls are already offering their fans a sneak preview of the probable starting lineup for next season.
When the visiting Bulls outlasted the Hawks, 97-85, for their second victory of the season back in October, Zach LaVine was flanked in the starting lineup by Cameron Payne. Without injured would-be starters Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen, coach Fred Hoiberg trotted out Justin Holiday and rookie Chandler Hutchison for the opening tip.
Another rookie, ATLien and 2018 lottery find Wendell Carter, was getting his sixth NBA start, ahead of Robin Lopez on the depth chart. While Lopez sat due to a DNP, and the punchy Bobby Portis due to injury, Cristiano Felicio played off the bench for 26 minutes. That was just eight fewer minutes than the Bulls’ big-ticket free agent acquisition, Chi-town native Jabari Parker.
Before these teams could meet again in January, a whole lot changed. After rising to a 2-4 record with the win in Atlanta, Chicago prevailed in just three of their next 18 games, inspiring Gar Forman and his conjoined exec John Paxson to hand Hoiberg his walking papers. Parker, the $40 million sixth-man, was advised it would be best for everyone involved if he just rode the pine for whole games.
Markkanen and Dunn returned in December, but the team morale soured, with LaVine and others screaming “Bulls-pucky!” at Jim Boylen, a gunnery sergeant masquerading as a replacement coach. When the Hawks arrived in Chicago on January 23, team minutes-leader Holiday was on the outs, traded effectively for the Grizzlies’ Wayne Selden, while Payne was put on waivers. Teenage finger-throb Carter (thumb) had just been shelved for the season, pressing the veteran Lopez into full-time service.
All the shape-shifting could not prepare the Bulls for the visiting Hawks’ onslaught. Chicago fell behind Atlanta 42-25 in the first quarter, and the Hawks discovered their defensive chops, holding the Bulls to 41 second-half points and 30.8 3FG% shooting overall in a 121-101 victory. Garpax wasn’t done shuffling deck chairs. But now, the cruise looks less like the Titanic and more like the Good Ship Lollipop.
The Bulls collected some cash for the privilege of having Michael Carter-Williams on their ledger for an afternoon, Carmelo Anthony for about a week. Then they cash-grabbed some more, in exchange for a second-rounder, and took the underutilized Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot off OKC’s hands.
Another future second-rounder, plus Parker and Portis, was the price for acquiring Otto Porter from Washington at the Trade Deadline. It’s hard in any season, but especially these days, to find an NBA veteran satisfied about a mid-season trade to a 12-42 team. But Porter, the man from the Missouri Bootheel whose final game as a Wizard was February 4’s 137-129 home loss to the Hawks, has fully embraced the move back to the Midwest.
“Going from D.C. to Chicago, I’m actually closer to home. So [right away], I was able to see a lot of my family in my first home game with the Bulls,” Porter told HoopsRumors.com in a follow-up interview last week. He had signed a four-year, $106.5 million max extension with Washington (fourth year a player option) in 2017, signaling he was likely to be a Wizards mainstay. Instead, he gets to be a 25-year-old veteran mentor on the Bulls’ up-and-coming roster, and a catalyst for a vastly more functional offense.
A careful ballhandler (7.8 career TO%) and shooter (17-for-33 3FGs w/ CHI through 7 games) for a forward, Porter’s effect is perhaps most telling by the shift in LaVine’s play this month. The Bulls’ star guard is relinquishing the ball more, and he’s getting in position to take wiser shots.
Since Otto’s arrival, LaVine has hit 51.3 percent of his three-point shots (53.6 overall FG%) and elevated his passing to 6.0 APG over the Bulls’ past eight games. Zach’s usage went down to 26.5% (31.0% previously) in that stretch. Add a surging Markkanen (ten consecutive games w/ 20+ points and 9+ rebounds; 87.8 FT%, 12th in NBA) to the mix, and the Bulls have reason to believe they’ve finally caught on to something.
“We have a lot of young guys, young pieces. The team is definitely headed in the right direction, trying to get back to winning basketball here,” Porter added. He’s not the only veteran sticking around the Second City for more than just the laughs. “It’s been so much fun playing with these guys,” said Robin Lopez to the Chicago Tribune. “It’s something I want to be a part of for the rest of the season.” The Bulls seem all too happy to oblige.
With Carter’s drafting, Lopez entered the season as one of the league’s most obvious veteran buyout targets. But Carter is injured, Felicio continues to look helpless, and Lopez looks every bit the part of a Boylen-style grunt. RoLo is not just hanging around through the waiver deadline, but piling up playing time, and a season-high 40 minutes in Wednesday night’s 109-107 win at Memphis made that clear. Being as close as possible to his twin bro Brook in a different NBA city doesn’t hurt much, either.
“It’s really cool what we’re trying to build here right now,” Lopez added, in statements dripping with first-person plural personal pronouns. “I think we have some great pieces on all levels — coaching level, player level. We’re coming together to do something really special.” He’s been in Chicago since the Derrick Rose trade of 2016, and the multi-year deal he signed as a 2015 free agent with the Knicks expires this summer. But intimations from both him and the team suggest it’s going to hard to quit each other, especially if Boylen sticks around.
Chicago has won four of their past five games with LaVine, Porter, Markkanen and Lopez starting together. Their last two losses, one before and after the All-Star Break, came at the hands of the red-hot division rival Milwaukee Bucks. The latter of those two defeats, this past Monday, Chicago played without both Dunn (migraines) and Porter (leg strain), but both starters returned to eke out the next game against the Grizzlies for their third-straight road win.
Dunn (career-high 6.2 APG, 43.0 FG%) isn’t a lock to be the Bulls’ starting point guard next season. But, for now, he has a teammate in Porter who is committed on the defensive end, and a worthy stopgap in backup Ryan Arcidiacono (last 3 games: 5-for-8 3FGs, 12 assists, 1 TO), who has been finishing games alongside the other starters with greater regularity. At the other end of the floor, Boylen has Dunn, and others, growing more accustomed to moving without the ball in their hands.
With Dunn limiting his offensive liabilities, Markkanen and Porter executing plays without turning over the ball, Lopez (season-high 26 points versus Brook and the Bucks on Monday) asserting himself in the paint, and LaVine playing more unselfishly, Chicago is rolling out a more cohesive offensive unit from the jump. The Bulls exited February with the month’s second-best offensive efficiency (116.2 February O-Rating, behind only Houston’s 118.0), quite a turnaround for a club that started the month with the NBA’s worst (101.5 O-Rating pre-February).
Sample Size Theatre beware, but Atlanta finds themselves hot on the Bulls’ tail, in terms of an offensive renaissance. The Hawks’ 115.2 O-Rating in the four games following the All-Star Break ranks 7th-best in the NBA, a shade behind allegedly tanking teams like the Cavs and Knicks (who benefitted from facing each other last night), and better than the Bulls’ 113.3.
The Atlanta players’ turnovers (more than Hawk opponents in 27 of past 30 games) remain outrageously high and the defensive lapses, like the 40 points ceded in the first quarter to Minnesota on Wednesday, leave much to be desired. But when the Hawks find secondary and tertiary passers to get opponents off Young’s tail, they greatly improve their chances at victory.
On Wednesday, that auxiliary role surprisingly came off the bench from Vince Carter (17 points, +21 plus/minus vs. MIN), who had more than his share of Senior Moments during a brief stint at Houston a couple days prior. Carter’s 4 assists (one TO) helped Atlanta get over the hump on Hump Day with a thrilling 131-123 OT victory over the T’Wolves. None were bigger than the dish to Trae (36 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds vs. MIN) for the game-tying bucket on Atlanta’s final offensive possession.
Atlanta might have even been in the locker room celebrating a bit early were it not for the off-kilter shooting by Kent Bazemore (0-for-12 FGs), who I hope will be just as confident this summer in securing a long-term free agent deal somewhere… shoot your shot!
But also crammed into Baze’s 14 minutes of action were 4 assists (no TOs). His dimes included the where-did-that-come-from triple canned by DeAndre’ Bembry to close the third quarter, breathing new life into a Hawks team suddenly down by just 9 points entering the fourth and setting the stage for The DeAndre’ Bembry Experience in OT.
Chipping in as willing (and smarter) passers is what is helping coach Lloyd Pierce’s crew navigate the waters and stay afloat in the back end of this season. Despite a relatively punchless performance as shooters, starting trio Kevin Huerter, Taurean Prince and Dewayne Dedmon each assisted thrice and committed just a single turnover between them. Omari Spellman (3-for-4 FGs, 3 assists) and Bembry (two fourth-quarter dishes to Collins for dunks) got in on the act as well off the bench.
Bembry’s 16 points were indeed a highlight, but his team-highs of three blocks and 10 defensive rebounds helped save the day. On nights when opponents like the Bulls are extra-careful with the ball, Atlanta will have to depend on coaxing opponents into taking ill-advised shots, then properly rebounding to snuff out second-chances.
Wednesday’s win over Minnesota, who lost the ball just once on a steal, was the third time this season in four games the Hawks have come away victorious while getting less than five steals. In all three wins, opponents shot no better than 32.5 3FG% and collected less than ten offensive rebounds.
It may take a similar defensive effort to outlast the Bulls this weekend. But that task will be much harder given how woke LaVine has become upon Porter’s arrival. Spellman and Alex Len may have elevated roles tonight in shielding Markkanen and Lopez off the glass if John Collins (questionable, flu-like syptoms) finds himself on the chicken soup and crackers diet. Collins had 35 points (10-for-12 2FGs, 4-for-4 3FGs) and 8 rebounds against the Bulls in January, supplemented well off the bench by Len and Spellman (combined 22 points and 16 rebounds, 9 of them offensive). Chicago's top rebounders in that game were Hutchison (out, sprained toe) and the since-traded Portis.
This time of year, we’ve got some basketball fans stressing out, because their teams find themselves perilously “on the Bubble”. At the onset of March Madness, how relaxing is it to kick back this weekend and watch your favorite team having fun while competing hard and playing comfortably “in” the Bubble? A Bubble, no matter how you roll, that’s hard to pop!
Let’s Go Hawks!
~lw3
"Dunking is better than sex." - Shawn Kemp, 1996
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- Pro Prospect
- Posts: 942
- And1: 1,181
- Joined: Aug 13, 2007
- Location: State Farm Arena, Moving The Ball From Side To Side
- Contact:
-
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
Turns out, B.J. Johnson is NOT just a menu item at a Jupiter, Florida establishment...
(what is it with my gutter-level humor today? I'm reporting myself to RealGM HR if this keep up!)
... BIG 5, baby! With the best Explorer since The L-Train on board, I look forward to a week-and-a-half's worth of trash talk among Johnson, Bembry and Spellman.
~lw3
(what is it with my gutter-level humor today? I'm reporting myself to RealGM HR if this keep up!)
... BIG 5, baby! With the best Explorer since The L-Train on board, I look forward to a week-and-a-half's worth of trash talk among Johnson, Bembry and Spellman.
~lw3
"Dunking is better than sex." - Shawn Kemp, 1996
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- Pro Prospect
- Posts: 942
- And1: 1,181
- Joined: Aug 13, 2007
- Location: State Farm Arena, Moving The Ball From Side To Side
- Contact:
-
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
Aw, c'mon! Thanks to Bawb, I had just learned to finally pronounce it "SIGH-bert"! Come back soon, Jordan.
~lw3
~lw3
"Dunking is better than sex." - Shawn Kemp, 1996
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- Starter
- Posts: 2,486
- And1: 2,517
- Joined: Jul 02, 2017
-
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
lethalweapon3 wrote:Turns out, B.J. Johnson is NOT just a menu item at a Jupiter, Florida establishment...
(what is it with my gutter-level humor today? I'm reporting myself to RealGM HR if this keep up!)
... BIG 5, baby! With the best Explorer since The L-Train on board, I look forward to a week-and-a-half's worth of trash talk among Johnson, Bembry and Spellman.
~lw3
That does seem an odd choice of chosen name. Right up there with nascar driver Dick Trickle. Can't you go by Rich, Richy, Richard?
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- General Manager
- Posts: 8,715
- And1: 5,139
- Joined: Jul 01, 2017
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
Smooth operator lw3 got me ready for the game with the preview and now listening to smooth operator to mellow out like I’m in the 80’s going up and down the elevator much like the positioning of the tankers in the standings as mentioned.
Relax and enjoy is great advice. Heck, you got a tub, take a soak, kick back listen to Kenny G with some of Pops fav red wine or grape juice!
GO HAWKS!!!
Ps As you mentioned with Dunn and Lauri back they look a bit stronger no doubt.
Also look for Trae to blow up again as the Bulls are one of his marked teams.
Relax and enjoy is great advice. Heck, you got a tub, take a soak, kick back listen to Kenny G with some of Pops fav red wine or grape juice!
GO HAWKS!!!
Ps As you mentioned with Dunn and Lauri back they look a bit stronger no doubt.
Also look for Trae to blow up again as the Bulls are one of his marked teams.
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
- HMFFL
- Global Mod
- Posts: 53,942
- And1: 10,339
- Joined: Mar 10, 2004
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
Hawks are favored by 2.5 points but money is going on Chicago so the line is now 1 point.
I'd like for us to lose this game and for us to focus on tanking more.
Sent from my SM-N920P using RealGM mobile app
I'd like for us to lose this game and for us to focus on tanking more.
Sent from my SM-N920P using RealGM mobile app
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- Lead Assistant
- Posts: 5,472
- And1: 1,995
- Joined: Mar 28, 2005
- Location: Augusta
-
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
Don't look at the opening possession for Atlanta.
Where the offseason has more buzz happens.
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
- Jamaaliver
- Forum Mod - Hawks
- Posts: 45,145
- And1: 17,177
- Joined: Sep 22, 2005
- Location: Officially a citizen of the World...
- Contact:
-
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- RealGM
- Posts: 20,237
- And1: 12,903
- Joined: Mar 11, 2014
-
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
Bembry seems to be picking up from where he left off last game.
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- Lead Assistant
- Posts: 5,472
- And1: 1,995
- Joined: Mar 28, 2005
- Location: Augusta
-
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
Omari and that Brazilian looking like right guard vs defensive tackle.
Where the offseason has more buzz happens.
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- RealGM
- Posts: 20,237
- And1: 12,903
- Joined: Mar 11, 2014
-
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
Traeeeeee3!!
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- Senior
- Posts: 709
- And1: 554
- Joined: Jun 26, 2017
-
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
Damn Kev gave his shooting efficiency to Trae. A ROY in spirit.
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- Sixth Man
- Posts: 1,995
- And1: 1,919
- Joined: Dec 02, 2018
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
Even though he didn’t get it I love Trae trying to draw the charge, on a fast break no less. Floor Game Shawty. The best superstar players are the ones who have no problem doing the “little,” “role player” things. The Anit-LeBron if you will.
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- Sixth Man
- Posts: 1,995
- And1: 1,919
- Joined: Dec 02, 2018
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
Trae shooting .386 from three over his last 4. I can get with that.
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- Sixth Man
- Posts: 1,995
- And1: 1,919
- Joined: Dec 02, 2018
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
I think Kevin is back healthy. Get some Lauri. Off two feet.
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- Senior
- Posts: 709
- And1: 554
- Joined: Jun 26, 2017
-
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
Kev got tired of clanging threes and decided to commit murder. You love to see it.
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- RealGM
- Posts: 20,237
- And1: 12,903
- Joined: Mar 11, 2014
-
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
That's the way to get a bucket Kev!
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- RealGM
- Posts: 20,237
- And1: 12,903
- Joined: Mar 11, 2014
-
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
-
- Senior
- Posts: 709
- And1: 554
- Joined: Jun 26, 2017
-
Re: Game Thread: Bulls at Hawks, 03/01/18
Trae Illyasova