Derrick Rose Is Great, But Here's A Complete Look At The Chicago Bulls Roster
Analysis of the Bulls' roster. Rose is great but the Bulls are too dependent on him; C.J. Watson is not a good backup. Taj needs to shoot less, Boozer and Noah need to shoot from closer. When Rose is trapped, pass to Noah or Hamilton. But who's going to score on the second unit?
5 months ago
Tim S.
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yea I noticed taj
taking a few too many (more than 0) 16-23 ft shots in the final preseason game. Here’s to hoping he doesn’t make a habit of it, but it seems he already has.
I miss Brad Miller
It's in the chart in the article.
From 10-15 feet Gibson’s shooting percentage was only 72% of the average for his position.
Taj needs to shoot less isn't really the conclusion that should be drawn from this.
That’s way too reactionary. Jump shooting statistics, especially mid-range shooting are volatile. Taj shot 41% on jump shots as a rookie for example. He’s proven that he can make jump shots, he just has to be more consistent than he was last season. Which is why Thibs didn’t say take less jumpers in Taj’s exit interview, but rather smoothing out his mechanics and even extending Taj’s range.
by Scotter on Dec 24, 2011 11:52 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
41 percent is not great.
By the way, where did you look up that stat?
I’ll agree that the second unit doesn’t have lots of scoring options. But it does seem to me that Taj often shoots contested jumpers with plenty of time left on the clock.
noah esp needs to shoot alot more closer
boozer i think will be alright from mid range. i think hamilton presence will open up opportunities for deng and boozer. the dynamic of the lineup this yr is diff.
I think you are right about the starters.
But I can’t figure out what Thibs will do when Rose is out. I guess they’ll do the best they can with C.J., but it’s a long drop off from Rose.
I always thought C.J. was capable
based on the game he started against Denver when Rose was out. i think he scored at least 30pts. (?)
Look at all that red after C.J.'s name on the chart.
He’s below average for his position in every category except three-point shooting and turnover rate. Most damningly, his true shooting percentage is only 87 percent of the average for his position, and the shots he does make are mostly assisted by others — unlike Rose, who makes an unusually large number of unassisted shots. Yet C.J. has a below average assist rate as well.
All that really says is that CJ was pretty bad last year
Look at his stats for the two previous years with Golden State. He was way better. Particularly, he shot horribly last year. His eFG% was .426 last year, but over .500 the two previous seasons.
It’s understandable when you put it into context too. He played more minutes on a higher paced team that didn’t stress defense. He comes to Chicago to be a facilitator (a role he hadn’t played before) for a defensive oriented team and coach, his minutes drop in half, his usage goes up significantly, he plays almost all his minutes with offensively limited players, etc. That’s a HUGE adjustment for him. I would expect his numbers to improve considerably this season. He probably will have the biggest jump in production for any player on the team.
by berzerkulous on Dec 24, 2011 5:17 PM CST up reply actions 5 recs
And what really matters
is how CJ compares to other backup point guards. And that’s so hard to judge too because no other backup point guard plays with such an offensively incapable unit. And even then CJ gets 3 million dollars to be an adequate backup. CJ is probably fine unless they intend on consolidating talent to fill the backup PG spot, which I don’t think they intend to do.
by JockstrapNoah on Dec 24, 2011 5:33 PM CST up reply actions 3 recs
Yeah, I still think CJ is more than good enough for his role
Perhaps the team could benefit more from a traditional pg, but that’s only because the players around him are so offensively inept, that they could use someone else to set them up.
As for his struggles, I think it’s unfair to be so harsh on a guy that only gets to play for a few minutes each half. Has to be incredibly difficult to maintain any sort of rhythm. People need to remember that when talking about replacing him. How many players that are better than him would want to come here and fill that role? And it’s not like the Bulls would spend big money on it anyway.
Also, I think if, God forbid, Rose went down for an extended period, CJ would really shine with more playing time. Plus, all this talk about offense underrates one of his best assets, his D. I think he’s a damn good defender, and an overall feisty player.
Recovering...
by Juiceboxjerry on Dec 24, 2011 9:06 PM CST up reply actions 4 recs
But he had even fewer assists with Golden State.
I hope you are right about CJ, I really do. The Bulls came so far so quickly last year that it is easy to forget it was the first year with the team for several players, and the first year with the coach for almost all the players. But I don’t think there is any denying that the drop off from Rose to Watson is great.
To whom would the dropoff from Rose not be great?
And we’re talking reasonable options for back-up PG.
by jpx7 on Dec 24, 2011 11:36 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
First of all, I agree that shooting guard was a higher priority.
Secondly, I agree that the drop off would be great with any reasonably-priced point guard.
However, I believe the Bulls could have had Delonte West both last year and this year. The Bulls might have been able to sign Shannon Brown. They could have considered Jose Barea. The Bulls could also have invited D-league point guards to camp. They could have drafted a point guard.
Or, I don’t know, maybe there is nothing they could have done this season. But unless Watson improves this season, it is something they should look at in the future.
CJ & Korver
Those two especially Watson can score. Taj we know isn’t great offensively but he’ll get his share of points playing against back up power forwards. All Noah needs to do is make a 15ft jumper now and again to open up the lane for Boozer so they can run some good high low action. Look around at the second units of most teams in the league they don’t have good scorers. Thety have guys who can either shoot or slash to the basket they just give said player the eternal green light when playing with the second unit.
They can save the world if they don't kill each other first.
by squadron supreme on Dec 24, 2011 6:02 PM CST reply actions
"Who's going to score on the second unit?"
nobody. on either team. thats the point.
"Sportsmanship is just loser talk for losing."
by boyonthedock on Dec 24, 2011 7:27 PM CST reply actions 7 recs
"Who is going to score on the 2nd unit?"
1. The Bulls 2nd Unit is set-up for defense. This unit will score through its defense.
2. who can score?
a. CJ has put in supposedly alot of work this off-season on his shooting, we shall see, but he looked very good so far.
b. Brewer is starting to look very healthy and is looking like alot more of a capable SG,other then just for defense. His J has looked alot more fluid and should get much better results along with his slashing to the basket.
c. I believe RIP and Deng will get time with the 2nd unit to help out quite a bit solving the answer to your question
d. Taj should be progressing his post-up game.I completely agree I would like to see alot less jump shots from him,but when Taj is on a mild hot streak he can make those, and he has to shoot them every once in awhile to keep it a legit threat.
e. Asik is the garbage man,scoring offensive put-backs, easy dunks on defensive mis-haps.
f. Korver will be a big key for the 2nd unit this year. If he can maintain anywhere around his career averages for % shooting this 2nd unit should be just fine!
g. Anything that comes from Jimmy Butler will just solely be a plus,but he did look very good in that first game, and very capable if he does get a few minutes a game.
As I previously stated, this 2nd unit is set-up for defense primarily, and through solid defense they really should not need to score many points. Although this may be the case, I do see this lineup being capable of scoring the necessary points to either widen the leads, keep them, or even make a comeback while the starting unit rests. All it takes is for every man to do their job, and this team will be just fine. With healthier bodies,better chemistry, RIP and Butler, and the individual growth/progression of certain players I see not only the starting unit getting better but also the 2nd unit as well. There really is no need to worry about our Bulls until they show a flaw or two during atleast mid-season,until then I would advise to sitback and enjoy the show!!
Sometimes I wake up grumpy; other times I let her sleep.
by chicagobullies on Dec 24, 2011 8:40 PM CST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
Good read but...
I don’t understand knocking Noah for his inability to shoot. It’s not like he was attempting 3 mid range shots a game. The few times that Noah took that shot last year was at the end of the shot clock. He clearly knows his limits and stays within them.
"Rest satisified with doing well and leave others to talk of you as they please"
If Noah is taking a long range shot with time running out,
then something went wrong. It’s not necessarily Noah’s fault, but it’s not what Thibs drew up.
Every one RELAX:)In 2009-10 the bulls were a ….what…..44 and 38 team or something?….N.B.A teams(when given the right coaching staff and playerz)gradually get better as they mend, tweak and get chemistry with each other as the seasons end and begin.A good team goes from….say…. a 44and38 record in 2009-10,to a 50and32 record in 2010-11,and on and on.THE BULLS WENT FROM 44 AND 38 IN 2009-10 TO 62 AND 20 IN 2010-11.WITH 2 HURT PLAYERZ&“NOTHING AGAINST BOGANZ OR BREWER”NO NUMBER 2!!!!!!.Now both playerz are healthy and WE……..GOT……..RIP!!!!…..and did i mention ROSE IS ANGRY!!!!…..Oh,oooo….lol relax everyone,enjoy the season, MERRY CHRISTMAS!sit back relax and enjoy the ride….If I’m correct"And I usually am"We’re about to witness something unprecedented in N.B.A history.
lmao
They’re doing a pre-pre game show on NBATV and Shaq is on set. The very first person he calls out as an analyst is Boozer. He picked the Bulls as the 5th best team in the East because he doesn’t think Boozer has the “ferocity”
Recovering...
5th best team in the East?
who does he have being better?
by Basketball Smurf on Dec 25, 2011 10:21 AM CST up reply actions
Celtics, Heat, Magic, Knicks (in that order, I believe)
(Not off to a great start)
Recovering...
by Juiceboxjerry on Dec 25, 2011 10:49 AM CST up reply actions
Shaq is a moron
If Hamilton plays anywhere near his capability, the Bulls will be better than last year. The Bulls expected W-L record last year was 61-21. I looked at this on another post, but basically teams who win 62 games and play great defense do not drop out of championship contention. This team will contend for a championship this year if they stay healthy. Does that mean they win it all or even necessarily make it to the finals? No. But it sure as hell means they will be a top 3 team in the east. The Magic? Really Barkley? What an idiot.
"Mental toughness is to physical as four is to one." - Bob Knight
I'm not crazy about Shaq on TV
I think he’s going to be funny, but I’m not sure he’ll be any good as a real analyst. What makes Barkley great is that he can stop clowning around and actually make intelligent points.
Numbers didn't measure defense
CJ’s defensive numbers were the best of any backup PG in the league
You can point to Thibs system but he obviously isn’t a bad defender.
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by Real 2K Insider on Dec 25, 2011 9:29 AM CST reply actions
Yup
The Bulls were about 6.75 points better defensively with CJ on the floor. Only Omer and Brewer were better on the Bulls last year.
"Mental toughness is to physical as four is to one." - Bob Knight
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