Vuc in Health and Safety Protocol (Shams: Will be out 10 days/6 games)

[Jvaughn]

I expect Vuc to probably struggle for a few games and be on a reduced minute allocation. Sounds like he had a decent bout of Covid so I expect his conditioning to be well off for a while.

Well he was already struggling offensively, so that's good. Hopefully don't see too much of a fall off. I do expect there to be a slight conditioning issue. I didn't gain my wind back after covid for months.

[RagingBull316]

I really hope when Vuc comes back, that Derrick Jones Jr. doesn't end up back stuck on the bench like he was early in the season.

[Muzbar]

I really hope when Vuc comes back, that Derrick Jones Jr. doesn't end up back stuck on the bench like he was early in the season.

Hopefully BD moves him into the starting line-up along side Vooch.

[WindyCityBorn]

I expect Vuc to probably struggle for a few games and be on a reduced minute allocation. Sounds like he had a decent bout of Covid so I expect his conditioning to be well off for a while.

He will rebound and be big body. We need that badly.

[BullChit]

I really hope when Vuc comes back, that Derrick Jones Jr. doesn't end up back stuck on the bench like he was early in the season.

Absolutely no chance of that happening.

The early season benching was due to DJJ coming off an injury and not having his conditioning up to scratch.

I still think he becomes the starting 4 when Vuc comes back.

Caruso back to the bench with Coby off the bench with one of Zach and or DDR at all times.

[sco]

I really hope when Vuc comes back, that Derrick Jones Jr. doesn't end up back stuck on the bench like he was early in the season.

Absolutely no chance of that happening.

The early season benching was due to DJJ coming off an injury and not having his conditioning up to scratch.

I still think he becomes the starting 4 when Vuc comes back.

Caruso back to the bench with Coby off the bench with one of Zach and or DDR at all times.

For some reason, I doubt DJJ gets the start at PF, but man, he should! Also, I think Green is more effective against bench guys.

The bench has struggled with Caruso playing more with the starters, although, there is no doubt that Caruso should be playing around 30 minutes per game and not 25.

[Michael Jackson]

I really hope when Vuc comes back, that Derrick Jones Jr. doesn't end up back stuck on the bench like he was early in the season.

Absolutely no chance of that happening.

The early season benching was due to DJJ coming off an injury and not having his conditioning up to scratch.

I still think he becomes the starting 4 when Vuc comes back.

Caruso back to the bench with Coby off the bench with one of Zach and or DDR at all times.

For some reason, I doubt DJJ gets the start at PF, but man, he should! Also, I think Green is more effective against bench guys.

The bench has struggled with Caruso playing more with the starters, although, there is no doubt that Caruso should be playing around 30 minutes per game and not 25.

Interesting, why don’t you think DJJ gets the start? I think he earned it for one and I think he didn’t get it early in because of conditioning and needing to learn the sets. He has rectified both of those issues and Bradley plus green makes sense off the bench to me.

[BullChit]

Absolutely no chance of that happening.

The early season benching was due to DJJ coming off an injury and not having his conditioning up to scratch.

I still think he becomes the starting 4 when Vuc comes back.

Caruso back to the bench with Coby off the bench with one of Zach and or DDR at all times.

For some reason, I doubt DJJ gets the start at PF, but man, he should! Also, I think Green is more effective against bench guys.

The bench has struggled with Caruso playing more with the starters, although, there is no doubt that Caruso should be playing around 30 minutes per game and not 25.

Interesting, why don’t you think DJJ gets the start? I think he earned it for one and I think he didn’t get it early in because of conditioning and needing to learn the sets. He has rectified both of those issues and Bradley plus green makes sense off the bench to me.

OOo ooo Sco can I guess why you don't think he will get the start?

Years and years of Bulls front office and coaching decision making that led to decisions like Jerian Grant as starting point guard and Keith Bogans at starting shooting gaurd no matter the circumstances???

[Chicago-Bull-E]

I’m guessing he’ll want to play in Orlando, so that should be the latest we have to wait. Seems like they’re prepping for that return.

[sco]

For some reason, I doubt DJJ gets the start at PF, but man, he should! Also, I think Green is more effective against bench guys.

The bench has struggled with Caruso playing more with the starters, although, there is no doubt that Caruso should be playing around 30 minutes per game and not 25.

Interesting, why don’t you think DJJ gets the start? I think he earned it for one and I think he didn’t get it early in because of conditioning and needing to learn the sets. He has rectified both of those issues and Bradley plus green makes sense off the bench to me.

OOo ooo Sco can I guess why you don't think he will get the start?

Years and years of Bulls front office and coaching decision making that led to decisions like Jerian Grant as starting point guard and Keith Bogans at starting shooting gaurd no matter the circumstances???

I definitely want DJJ to start, but IMO, Billy will reward Caruso and keep him a starter (and it has worked well) or he will return to his original line-up with Green.

[Pax for Prez]

Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic will return tonight. The Bulls are set to take on the 1-16 Houston Rockets in Houston. According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Vucevic will play limited minutes in his return to action.

https://ontapsportsnet.com/2021/11/24/bulls-nikola-vucevic-to-return-tonight-vs-rockets/

[mack2354]

DJJ has been playing back-up C. He has shined in the PnR by being more decisive and finishing stronger at the rim then what Bradley has been doing. I don't think it makes sense for him to start. Vuc is the better passer, mid ranch shooter, and before this season the way better 3pt shooter. Jones starting at PF will mean he will be standing in the corner for catch and shoot 3's which isn't his strong suit. The other option is running the action with him and having our All Star Center off in the corner which wastes his abilities and his 3 ball has been off this season.

I think DJJ takes the back up C role with the second unit knocking Bradley out of the rotation. There hasn't been many times where we have 2 horrible 3pt shooters on the floor at the same time.

[Michael Jackson]

Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic will return tonight. The Bulls are set to take on the 1-16 Houston Rockets in Houston. According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Vucevic will play limited minutes in his return to action.

https://ontapsportsnet.com/2021/11/24/bulls-nikola-vucevic-to-return-tonight-vs-rockets/

Vuc came back quicker than Embiid did, I think they both got a pretty good case of the breakthrough.

[sco]

I thought Vuc looked pretty good last night given the layoff.

[dougthonus]

I thought Vuc looked pretty good last night given the layoff.

Got pretty outplayed by the Rockets centers be it Wood or Sengun while on the floor. Did some things that looked okay, had the same problems as earlier in the year, just couldn't finish his looks.

[sco]

I thought Vuc looked pretty good last night given the layoff.

Got pretty outplayed by the Rockets centers be it Wood or Sengun while on the floor. Did some things that looked okay, had the same problems as earlier in the year, just couldn't finish his looks.

Sure, but both of those guys are pretty capable perimeter and at the rim scorers. Vuc's gonna struggle most nights against those sorts of match-ups.

[dougthonus]

Sure, but both of those guys are pretty capable perimeter and at the rim scorers. Vuc's gonna struggle most nights against those sorts of match-ups.

What type of matchups is Vuc not going to struggle with?

Right now, things Vuc can do well:
1: Defensive rebounds
2: Pass the ball off the pick and roll when we find him in the middle of the floor

Right now, things Vuc can't do well:
1: Score in the post
2: Score from the perimeter
3: Defend his man
4: Play help defense
5: Probably any other skill I haven't mentioned more or less

The expectations for this guy seem to have fallen to basically nothing. People are now excited when he doesn't totally crap the bed. A game like yesterday should be his off night, not his normal night, but this season it has been his normal night. This is a guy you would expect to at least occasionally score 30 and dominate his opponent and regularly win his matchup.

Coming back from COVID, it was what it was. I didn't have expectations for him to breakout in his first game back or anything. At the same time, I didn't find anything here to be excited about either.

[kodo]

Vuc's man scored a ton of 3s because our defense by design gives up open 3s. This is 100% intentional, the entire team plays this way. They collapse the paint hard and leave the men open at the 3 point line. Vuc is not close to the only one.

This is late in the Rockets game, where we just gave up 3 after 3 non-stop. That many 3s isn't a lucky Rockets streak, it's a pattern.



So here we have
1. 3 Bulls players defending Eric Gordon, because he's an MVP HOF player requiring a triple team
2. The other 2 Bulls have 1 foot in the paint in case Gordon gets by the initial 3
3. We leave 4 other Rockets players open at the 3 point line for straight C&S shots

The way that game ended was 100% predictable, even if you had Rudy Gobert at the 5. If you leave that many wide open NBA level players, they will hit their 3s.

[FriedRise]

Vuc's man scored a ton of 3s because our defense by design gives up open 3s. This is 100% intentional, the entire team plays this way. They collapse the paint hard and leave the men open at the 3 point line. Vuc is not close to the only one.

This is late in the Rockets game, where we just gave up 3 after 3 non-stop. That many 3s isn't a lucky Rockets streak, it's a pattern.



So here we have
1. 3 Bulls players defending Eric Gordon, because he's an MVP HOF player requiring a triple team
2. The other 2 Bulls have 1 foot in the paint in case Gordon gets by the initial 3
3. We leave 4 other Rockets players open at the 3 point line for straight C&S shots

The way that game ended was 100% predictable, even if you had Rudy Gobert at the 5. If you leave that many wide open NBA level players, they will hit their 3s.

That’s horrible. If the worst rated offense in the league can figure out, execute, and spank us like that, I fear for what we will look like defensively moving forward.

[dougthonus]

I thought Vuc looked pretty good last night given the layoff.

Got pretty outplayed by the Rockets centers be it Wood or Sengun while on the floor. Did some things that looked okay, had the same problems as earlier in the year, just couldn't finish his looks.

Sure, but both of those guys are pretty capable perimeter and at the rim scorers. Vuc's gonna struggle most nights against those sorts of match-ups.

Is Wendel Carter Jr, the guy we traded to get Vuc (along with 2 1sts) also the type of guy that Vuc is going to struggle with?

At least we got the win.

Not sure how much (if at all) that his COVID is a factor, but another game another domination by the opposing center.