Bulls offseason Thread

[everysingletime]

He can't be serious. His vision is pretty horrendous.

He should just stick to the 2 and 3 spot.

 

[abematic]

Time will tell. The guy have always been an extremely hard worker.

 

[coldcity]

So Jimmy says he thinks he is a point guard!!?? hmmmm..... Thoughts? hope that was a damn joke

He can't be serious. His vision is pretty horrendous.

He should just stick to the 2 and 3 spot.

Time will tell. The guy have always been an extremely hard worker.

Jimmy Butler, Point God?

Jimmy Butler has said he's going to give the point guard spot a try. Does he have what it takes?

The Bulls are very thin at backup PG behind starter Derrick Rose. Returning backup Aaron Brooks turned in an up-and-down season, ending with a poor playoff performance. Behind Brooks, Kirk Hinrich looks like he may be done and E'Twaun Moore is still very much an unknown.

Jimmy Butler is looking to solve this problem and add to his already lengthy responsibilities as the team's primary defensive stopper and 20 ppg scorer. Butler told Sam Smith over at Bulls.com:


"First off, I think I am a point guard," Butler said without joking. "So I’ve done a heck of a lot of ball screen work, ball handling, getting into the paint and still handling, floaters, all that stuff point guards do. If I get a chance, high pick and roll more. I want some triple doubles. I’ve got to get my handle right so I can pass and get it to guys where they can make shots. I told Fred. You ask what position I play, I say point guard."

Moving Butler over as the primary ballhandler during Rose-less stretches is an intriguing option for the Bulls given that they need help at that spot. He has very little experience playing the position though. Per Basketball-Reference's positional estimates, the Bulls have used Butler almost exclusively as a shooting guard/small forward throughout his career:

Butler does have some good things going for him though in terms of skills traditionally associated with point guard play. On the defensive end, Butler has proven that he can guard a range of players. His teammates on USA Basketball have apparently been giving him props. Butler told Sam Smith:


"You hear guys making jokes they don’t want to be guarded by me and they honor how many minutes I play and still how hard I play."

Offensively, Butler has always been extremely smart and careful with the ball. He had the lowest turnover rate on the team despite having a high usage rate. Butler was third on the team last season in assists per game at 3.3. While he has never been elite at setting up teammates, he was great at pushing the ball and attacking the basket, a skill that Hoiberg has hinted will be more utilized next year. Butler was in the 90th percentile in transition plays last year, so seeing him jet up the floor with the ball could potentially be a powerful weapon for Hoiberg to utilize.

Let Jimmy Be Harden

Kevin Ferrigan suggested months ago on this site that Butler take over more of the primary ballhandling for the Bulls in a role similar to the one James Harden plays with the Rockets. Ferrigan argued that Butler was well-suited to initiating offense because of his ability to play pick and roll, his point production on drives, and his very low turnover rate. Here's a compelling argument from Ferrigan:


Pick and Roll Creation

Butler is a tremendous pick and roll ball handler, when he's been allowed to do it. Per Synergy's play-type data, Jimmy is producing .93 points per possession as a P&R ball handler, good for roughly 89th percentile in the league. [note: he dropped to 83rd percentile by the end of the year] James Harden, by comparison, has produced .94 points per possession just a smidge ahead of Butler.

Driving Ability

Similarly, if you compare Jimmy's production just on drives (via SportsVU), he looks like a guy who should be doing much more on offense. Jimmy produces 1.25 team points per drive. Harden is superior, producing 1.34 team points per drive, but there's also the important context of the spacing and pace-pushing emphasized in the Rockets' system over the Bulls'.

Ball Security

Butler has been extremely ball secure this season, despite his uptick in scoring and overall usage. Per basketball-reference, Jimmy's only turning the ball over on 7.9% of possessions, easily the lowest mark of his career, despite his 21.6% usage rate, well above his previous seasons' rates of 14.9, 14.6, and 16.8 percent. Looking at the SportsVU data, Jimmy is turning it over just 2.6 times per 100 touches, on a total of 3,108 touches. James Harden, on the other hand, turns it over 5.3 times per 100 touches, on 4,365 touches. Derrick Rose has turned it over roughly 4 times per 100 touches on 3,661 total touches.

So, in short #LetJimmyBeHarden.

Hard work and new skills

It sounds kind of strange to think of Jimmy Butler as a point guard, but is it any more strange than thinking he could make such an impressive leap in performance last year?

Butler has shown himself to be an extremely hard worker during the summers. While most guys on USA Basketball are out partying in Las Vegas, Sam Smith reported that "Jimmy Butler was awake at 5 a.m. Wednesday working out, some six hours before USA Basketball’s informal practice session."

Remember, Butler made such leaps in his game last summer by doing nothing but working on his game. In Sports Illustrated's profile of Butler last summer, he told reporter Ben Golliver,


"I wanted to be so good at the game that we didn’t have cable, we didn’t have the Internet. Whenever we got bored, all we would do is go to the gym. We’d eat, sleep and go to the gym. We’d go three times a day because we didn’t have anything else to do."

Butler has proven in the past that when he sets his mind to a task in the summer, he can make big strides in his game. If he's focusing his energy on working on his point guard skills, it should be exciting to see how much he can grow in that area for the upcoming season.

 

[coldcity]

Everybody's excited about seeing Nikola Mirotic's second year

A theme I noticed over the weekend: people writing about Nikola Mirotic, and being quite excited in doing so.

Here's our pal Kevin Ferrigan at Hardwood Paroxsym's "sophomore crush" series (wait, it wasn't about McDermott?!?)


Mirotic showed off a wide variety of offensive skills, in addition to the expected floor stretching. Nikola was able to take smaller players to the post and score easily over them. He attacked hard closeouts with a pump fake and dribble drive, a move I must note he overused to point of hilarity, but which remained largely effective. More shockingly, the 6’10" forward was able to run pick-and-rolls as a ball handler with a shockingly high degree of competence and playmaking ability. There simply aren’t many players in the world with that size who can do that.

You can’t stick a smaller guy on him to stay in front of him, because he’ll post him and if you put a bigger guy on him to take away his advantage on the block, he’s going to blow by that big dude with ease. Mirotic is, quite simply, a problem for opposing defenses.

Later, in extrapolating some improvement in the actual shooting department, Kevin figures that Nikola could've gotten the Bulls 2 more wins last year if he was merely league-average from three. And that mark shouldn't be hard to achieve given his history overseas and shown skills.

Over at The Runner Sports, Patrick Murphy digs into Mirotic's rookie year with similar reviews. Though Mirotic proved his mettle especially in March when asked to do more in the face of teammates' injuries, he also helped the Bulls star backcourt as a complimentary player:


Mirotic's ability to stretch the floor as a power forward helps Derrick Rose penetrate. While I have made it clear that Derrick Rose greatly benefits Jimmy Butler, sharing the floor with Nikola Mirotic helps him as well. Take a look at these numbers:


Derrick Rose

With Niko

Without Niko

Difference

At Rim FG % 69.6% 51.7% 17.9%
Playoff FG % 48.9% 37.4% 11.5%


Jimmy Butler

With Niko

Without Niko

Difference

Playoff FG % 51.1% 42.3% 8.8%
Playoff 3-point FG % 57.1% 34.5% 22.6%



Although these playoff numbers come from a small sample size, it still shows Niko’s benefit to Rose and Butler. He creates so much space on the floor that Rose and Butler have much more room to operate. And when these two players have space, watch out.

And lastly, Morten Stig Jensen at Bulls Confidential takes special note of the two ways Mirotic stays efficient even while missing more shots than you'd think. With more minutes, Mirotic has a chance to average 6 threes and 6 free-throws a game, a rare feat for a big man. I also appreciate the possible comp to 2-time All-Star Paul Millsap.

 

[abematic]

Yeah I definitely read that article and just about every other ones I can find on the daily. Lol I'm at work everyday looking for new Bulls stuff to read and evaluate. 

 

[coldcity]

Joakim Noah responded to every question with a knowing smile, one that concedes he understands the queries but can't answer them in good faith, at least not yet. At age 30, the Bulls center is on the brink what might be the biggest year of his career in his final season under contract in Chicago. There's a new coach with a new vision about to enter his life, but the collateral damage of nine seasons acting as the Bulls' beating heart can't simply be wiped clean.

Noah was at a Foot Locker on State Street watching kids from his Noah's Arc Foundation pick out new clothes and shoes before heading back to school on Monday afternoon. It's just one of the initiatives Noah has been involved with recently, alongside his anti-violence "Rock the Drop" campaign that's been plastered around the city all summer.

"Being with a franchise for nine years allows you to do things like this," Noah told reporters during a short media session. "It feels great."

Nine years is a lifetime in the NBA, and Noah wears those seasons on his body if not on his face. This is very much still the same gregarious character that won over the city with a non-stop motor and an ability to play through pain, but time has worn those quick-twitch limbs that used to be his greatest advantage.

Last season was a disaster for Noah, and there's no way to sugarcoat it. It started with the first knee surgery of his career last summer that prevented him from playing pickup or keeping up with his conditioning, and battling through it proved to be more difficult than anyone anticipated.

A season after winning Defensive Player of the Year and placing fourth in MVP balloting, Noah often looked like a liability for the Bulls in their final year under Tom Thibodeau. His numbers dropped across the board during the regular season and he was wildly ineffective in the playoffs, averaging just 5.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game on 40.8 percent shooting.

The numbers give perspective to his struggles, but they don't tell the full story. Noah wasn't just unproductive, it looked like he didn't belong on the court. He was throwing up prayers three-feet away from the basket that were hitting parts of the backboard that had never been hit before. The lateral quickness that once defined his all-world defense diminished playing next to the slow-footed Pau Gasol. That Game 7 win over the Nets in 2013 when Noah finished with 24 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks felt like a decade ago.

To hear Noah tell it, the injuries that caused his ineptitude are behind him now. What else is he supposed to say? It wasn't long ago that Noah was one of the best centers in the NBA, a defensive anchor whose passing, ball handling and offensive rebounding gave the Bulls a dimension most teams couldn't dream of. It all fell apart so quickly. Can one summer really fix all that ails him?

"Injuries suck," Noah said. "As an athlete you want to be out there feeling good. Sometimes you take your health for granted. It definitely put a lot of things in perspective for me. I'm a lot more focused and very excited for what's coming."

"I feel healthier than I have been in a long time. There's going to be a lot of ball movement. I'm just really excited to come in because I feel like I have to prove myself again."

Noah doesn't just need to prove himself to Fred Hoiberg or the Bulls, he needs to prove himself to the league in general. There's never been more money flowing through the NBA than there is right now, and Noah stands to cash in big-time if he can recapture what made him such a great player as recently as early 2014. For a person whose time and money often goes to causes like the one at the center of Monday's event, it's nothing to overlook.
Then there's the team's perspective. The Bulls drafted big man Bobby Portis this June despite an overcrowded front court and very real needs in the backcourt. That selection wasn't a quick fix, but one made with the long-term plan in mind. Does that plan include Noah? It all depends on whether he can rediscover what once made him so special.

And therein lies the problem: you don't just replace Joakim Noah. A two-way center is one of the most difficult things to find in professional sports, and that doesn't even account for the emotional leadership Noah has provided since coming into his own. It took years for Noah to blossom in the NBA, and that was after spending three seasons in college where he won two national championships. It takes time with big men, and it can all be gone before you know it.

This season brings new questions even as the team around Noah remains the same. Will Noah or Pau Gasol move to the bench to open up playing time for Nikola Mirotic? How will he be featured in Hoiberg's read-and-react offense that emphasizes pace? Is he closer to the player we saw in 2013-14 or 2014-15?

For now, you can trace everything back to a phrase Noah has muttered on multiple occasions this offseason: "time will tell". Noah promises he's "ready to rumble", and says it with a wry grin that lets you know he's aware of the stakes. The Bulls are, too.

 

[Air273]

yea i want to see noah nikola snell butler rose. Gasol Gibson MDJ would be a very good 2nd team front line.
SG min should NEVER again go to kirk. Bulter and snell only please, butler 38 min at SG and snell 10 min and 25 at SF.

I BELIVE IN SNELL!!!!

 

[abematic]

N

Quick question...... Does anybody get the nba league pass? I get it normally on my laptop but it sucks and was thinking about switching to getting it on tv instead. How do you go about payment and is it worth it

my buddy has it for his xbox and he's able to replay ANY games from the year along with highlights. Etc. Thought it was awesome

 

[coldcity]

Nikola Mirotic: "The best Mirotic is yet to come"

The last 15 months have been eventful to say the least for Nikola Mirotic. The Montenegrin forward became a father in May last year and moved to the States soon afterwards to start what looks like a promising NBA career. Up next: His first big tournament with Spain – the Eurobasket. A good showing with the Spanish National Team could pave the way for a trip to the Olympic Games in Rio next summer.

He talked mostly about the Chicago Bulls in a sitdown with HoopsHype, though.

How tired were you at the end of the season after dealing with the NBA schedule for the first time?

Nikola Mirotic: Very tired, to be honest. But overall it was a good year for me. It was a year of adjustment to a new situation and also difficult in the first few months. At the end of the day, you’re a rookie dealing with a different routine even if you have played 5-6 years at the pro level. You start from scratch there. There were plenty of new things for me… New city, new language… It was a little complicated at the beginning, but I was lucky enough to find teammates and a club that had my back. After two or three months, I felt way more comfortable. Then when I got real playing time, I felt really important with the team and also felt respect coming from my teammates. There’s been ups and downs, but that’s normal. Overall it was a good year. Too bad we lost to Cleveland even though we had our chances, but that’s the playoffs. The expectations for next year are even bigger.

Where did you find the most support within the franchise?

NM: First of all, my teammates. When I came in, they knew about my track record. They knew I had been playing with Real Madrid. The Croatian scout Ivica Dukan had told them about me. Then I was fortunate to have Pau Gasol there. He was very important to me. And then Joakim Noah. I got along well with everybody, but those two… I really hit if off with them, perhaps because they are both European. We have a great team with great and supportive people in it. The atmosphere was very good. I think Chicago does a great job of putting together a team with people of character and easygoing. That’s key for someone like me going into a new place.



Joakim Noah is quite a character, right?

NM: Aside from being a great player, he’s a great person and a great teammate. He’s somebody you can learn a lot from. He comes in to work every day and puts his heart out on the court. He’s a very positive person and when you see how hard he works, you want to emulate that. He’s a motivator and a very important person in the locker room. There’s many positives with Joakim.

Your first year in the NBA was also your first year as a father. How was that?

NM: That’s been one of the hard parts. You come in with a newborn baby, just three months old, and you find yourself in a new city, new surroundings… It wasn’t easy. Those are the type of things that make you more mature and more responsible person. All in all, things have gone well. Although, again, it was hard with all the traveling and missing important moments with my child, like when he walks for the first time or his birthday or other celebrations. But that’s part of the job and my family understands.

Your life has changed immensely in just two years.

NM: It doesn’t make my head spin. It was very clear to me all along that I wanted this and had to take new responsibilities. I had tough decisions to make, but I was just pursuing my dream. I wanted to be in the NBA and wanted to be in the National Team. All I can say is I feel very happy both with my professional life and my personal life. I’m healthy, I have a great family, great support. I couldn’t ask for more.

Do you feel the timing to make the jump to the NBA was right? Or perhaps seeing how well you did your first season you think you could have gone earlier?

NM: The timing was right. I finished my season with Real Madrid and felt that it was in my best interests to make the jump to the NBA. I still had some room for improvement in Europe, but perhaps not as much as in the NBA. That was one of my motivations. Also I knew I was going to a great, storied team like Chicago… So I felt the need to change. It was three years since Chicago drafted me and I waited for the right time to make the move. You can tell the timing was right by the kind of season I had. Some people may have been surprised with my performance, but those who know me know the best Mirotic is yet to come.

Do you feel you have to be more aggressive offensively this year?

NM: Maybe. The expectations grow year by year, I know that. I had many things to improve, both offensively and defensively. But that’s normal for any young and ambitious guy is. I’ve always liked to put in the work and make strong decisions. Next year I guess I’m going to have more of a featured role with the team and that’s just another motivation to work extra hard so when the team needs me I’m ready to deliver.

Were you guys in the locker room under the impression that it was going to be the last year for Tom Thibodeau as Bulls’ head coach?

NM: We had a great group of people in Chicago with the players and the coaching staff. It always felt like family. We had good and bad times, but we were always together. When things were going badly, we never thought it was the coach’s fault or were thinking this could be his final year with the team. We have been very focused on the task ahead. We knew we had a good shot at the Finals. I can only say positive things about Thibodeau. He has helped me improve. He’s a difficult coach that perhaps doesn’t like to play the young guys much, but you learn from him and he makes you work hard. He got you ready for the time when that opportunity could come. Like I said, we’ve always been together in it and we never doubted one another.

You talked with new coach Fred Hoiberg a couple of weeks ago when he visited the Spanish National Team. How was that conversation?

NM: It was a very nice conversation. He’s a great guy that wants to be close to the players. It’s still very early to say how things will go, but we have big goals. We know he’s a very offensive-minded coach, which perhaps is what the team needed – to play with more freedom. We have very talented offensive players that can score in the open court. I’m personally looking forward to starting the new season with him.

There’s been a lot of rumors about the poor relationship between Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. What can you say about that?

NM: (Laughs) Actually, I’m surprised that people write about it. Their relationship is very, very good. They are the leaders of our team and get along real, real well. You can see there’s very good communication between them in games and practices. There’s never been any problem between them that I have seen.

What kind of season are you expecting from Derrick Rose?

NM: I expect him to be healthy. We know him being with the team is key. If he’s healthy, he’s going to give us plenty of things. We dealt with many injury problems throughout last season and that took a toll on us. I just wish everybody gets back to Chicago healthy.

What do you think when you see the kind of deals players are signing in the NBA these days?

NM: It’s crazy (laughs). The numbers in the contracts of many players, many stars… It’s almost ugly… But that’s not something I should comment on. Anyway, the contracts they signed, well, they deserved them. Nobody is getting anything for free. They earned what they got. I’m just happy we were able to re-sign Jimmy Butler, who’s a very, very important player for us. So much upside too.

From a financial point of view, it’s a very good time to be an NBA player. Enes Kanter, who may not be a better player than you are, is going to make $16 million next year. Does your head spin knowing you could have access to that kind of money in a couple of years?

NM: That’s just one more motivation, but I have to stay focused on doing a good job the next two years. Anyway, the main thing for me has been to win titles. I won titles with Real Madrid and I left for Chicago because I know that with Chicago I’m going to have a chance to win big. When the time comes to talk about contracts, we’ll do that. It’s nice to see salaries growing and players doing well and knowing you can get there one day.

 

[pjdabullsfan]

 
Quick question...... Does anybody get the nba league pass? I get it normally on my laptop but it sucks and was thinking about switching to getting it on tv instead. How do you go about payment and is it worth it

I had it last year for my PS4 and loved it! 

 I used it more than Netflix 

 

 

[pjdabullsfan]

$200

 

 

[pjdabullsfan]

Yeah I think there's a payment option

 

[kevlar]

The more I think about it I'd like to see Butler have more PG duties. I wanted the team to sign a combo guard but if Jimmy feels like that's something he can grow into, then it only adds more versatility to the squad.

 

[abematic]

The more I think about it I'd like to see Butler have more PG duties. I wanted the team to sign a combo guard but if Jimmy feels like that's something he can grow into, then it only adds more versatility to the squad.

Agreed. That's the next stepping stone for him. Expanding himself to be a great NBA player. 

That's where the real test comes once you're done being a known 2-way defender. The skies the limit for the kid... (Im older than him, but i don't make anywhere near him in my lifetime)

To have him and Rose switch off being the primary & secondary ball handler would be great. 

I secretly think he want to show James Harden whatsup lol

 

[pjdabullsfan]

If Jimmy can avg 21pts 6reb 5asts with good D and D. Rose can get back to AS Level 

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13431310/2015-summer-forecast-east-standings

I personally think that we'll win 54 games

 

[everysingletime]

If Jimmy can avg 21pts 6reb 5asts with good D and D. Rose can get back to AS Level 

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13431310/2015-summer-forecast-east-standings

I personally think that we'll win 54 games

I think that's a realistic scenario.

It's just going to depend on - again - health

 

[abematic]

I think that's a realistic scenario.

It's just going to depend on - again - health

I don't think health should be an issue this year. 

Practice with Thibs, as words being said, that he practice *hard. 

No more of that hard practice anymore. 

 

[pjdabullsfan]

I think that's a realistic scenario.

It's just going to depend on - again - health

I think that 50 wins is close to the floor of this team. This team lost to a lot of below .500 teams and had quite a few injuries

 

[af1nike]

So umm Derrick... chill bruh

 

[abematic]

Like I said in the NBA thread, dude tore his ACL from 12-13. Ain't no way dude could rape a girl. Go to China, promote his shoes. Have time rehabbing in Chicago. Then go to Cali and drug a girl. I don't believe it.

 

[coldcity]

So umm Derrick... chill bruh

you really believe Derrick out here kickin doors for some box...be serious

Like I said in the NBA thread, dude tore his ACL from 12-13. Ain't no way dude could rape a girl. Go to China, promote his shoes. Have time rehabbing in Chicago. Then go to Cali and drug a girl. I don't believe it.

 

[abematic]

[h1]REPORT: Chicago Bulls Pursuing Trade For Rudy Gay[/h1]
Posted By: Fuad AhadPosted date: August 31, 2015In: NewsNo Comments

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Sacramento Kings believe they have a better chance of getting the right value out of a Rudy Gay trade than they would in a DeMarcus Cousins trade:

“Kings higher-ups believe it’ll be tough to find value for Cousins and believe they have a better chance to find the right trade for Rudy Gay, according to Wojnarowski (H/T Hoops Rumors).”

The Chicago Bulls may be a team looking to give them that value considering the amount of talent they have stocked up in the power forward position.

A trade involving Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott has reportedly been considered  and would give the Bulls an impressive wing duo of Jimmy Butler and Gay in the starting line-up.

Gay has averaged 21.1 points and 5.9 rebounds on 45% shooting from the field and 34% shooting from beyond the arc. He’ll be 29 years old going into his tenth season with three years left on his contract.

 

[abematic]

My take, Rudy Gay would fit in Hoiberg's system perfectly.  

Having Rose, Butler and Gay on the wings is dangerous. 

Entertaining thoughts:

Rose

Butler

Gay

Mirotic

Noah/Gasol 

 

[captainsneakerhead23]

I'LL allow it, even though I haven't given up on Doug yet. I'm almost tempted to say I rather move MDJ instead of Doug but either or is fine if it brings back Gay.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

I'll take it!