All of the Bulls are injured
by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 22, 2012 9:12 PM CST
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PrintDerrick Rose (toe), Taj Gibson (ankle), Joakim Noah (ankle) and John Lucas III (groin) all sat out Saturday night's 95-89 win over the Charlotte Bobcats.
Luol Deng injured his left wrist late in the game and wore a huge ice pack over it in the locker room after it was over.
Of everyone, it sounded like Taj's injury may be the most serious, a high-ankle sprain that Gibson pre-game Saturday said couldn't even put a timetable on recovery yet.
Of course, the Bulls still won that night over the woeful Bobcats in a sloppy yet entertaining game. Another great performance from Deng and Carlos Boozer (19/32 from outside of 10 feet the past 3 games, and nice power moves when he had the right matchup against Byron Mullens), Omer Asik playing a career-high 39 minutes, Rip Hamilton continuing to impress, and even DLeague call-up Mike James having a nice game.
The Bulls are encountering a different challenge than last season, as though Noah and Boozer had extended absences everyone else was very healthy all season. But they keep winning. I think KC Johnson put it well in saying that while the Bulls depth and resilience may not matter in the season-goal of beating Miami, it's still really special to behold. Even something like Thibodeau's playing-time issues (for instance, throwing Deng back out there in a fairly-decided game after he had his wrist taped) can be thought of as just the mindset of this team: they go all-out, all the time, through whatever comes their way, to win the next game.
As far as temporary big man help, nothing has been reported yet. And despite Stacey King's protestations, Scal is a pseudo-coach not meant to even be a backup player. Sam Smith went over some options after the Cleveland game:
So do you add that big man you lost when Kurt Thomas signed with Portland? And is there one worth it? No one can seem to persuade Joel Przybilla to play. There are guys around like Etan Thomas, Francisco Elson and D.J. Mbenga. Could you talk Antonio McDyess into taking a shot with what could be a title team, and he’s mentioned that plenty as a goal he regrets missing after joining the Pistons and Spurs too late. Leon Powe? Thibodeau loves guys he’s coached. Malik Allen? Erick Dampier? Mikki Moore? They’re out there. But are they even worth bringing in here?
I don't know what the 'cost' is, chemistry I suppose. The Bulls play again Monday night at home against New Jersey, so there's not exactly any urgency. But the Bulls could've used a garbage-time big even before this rash of injuries, so I'm guessing they'll wake up Chris Richard from his home in the United Center storage closet.
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If the Bulls sign Chris Richard
then who is going to make the steak sandwiches in the kitchen of Ironworks?
Fukudometer: Created 3/31/08 Wrigley Debut 4/5/08 WGN and Japan TV Debut 4/6/08 Sun Times Debut: 4/20/08 Coffee Table Debut: 7/17/08
by Fukudometer on Jan 22, 2012 9:19 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
Call Rod Benson from Korea
We could use some Boom Tho.
by CowBearsFan on Jan 22, 2012 9:25 PM CST reply actions 3 recs
the diceman cometh!
actually i’m still hoping for rasheed wallace.
"It was so despicable, it was beyond [the Lakers-Celtics rivalry]; it was a new kind of hatred.". -Flea on the Heat
by paddyfairview on Jan 22, 2012 9:35 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
There's no way he's ready to play right now
If you get Sheed, it’s for the playoffs, not for immediate help.
unless taj's injury is more serious than we're hearing, we don't need immediate help
although tomorrow will be a mess if noah, taj and lu are all out
"It was so despicable, it was beyond [the Lakers-Celtics rivalry]; it was a new kind of hatred.". -Flea on the Heat
by paddyfairview on Jan 22, 2012 10:08 PM CST up reply actions
My predictions
1) We will sign another big man.
2) He will be very lacking in talent and have stone hands.
3) People will call for him to start over Boozer.
4) He will be completely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
Pat Riley is the devil.
by Poloplaya14 on Jan 22, 2012 9:39 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
My prediction
Every active player on the roster gets injured so Thibs, Ron Adams John Paxson, Benny the Bull and the “ICE CREAM” guy suit up. Bulls win every game by 30 points.
by Ozzie Montana on Jan 22, 2012 9:43 PM CST up reply actions 11 recs
No way that team wins
But if you throw in Lindsay Hunter… Now you’re talking dynasty.
Pat Riley is the devil.
dalibor bagaric!
throw him in, might as well automatically give the title of the bulls every damn year!
Dragan Tarlać...
I declare this thread complete.
by Khalid El-Amin on Jan 22, 2012 10:41 PM CST up reply actions
Luke Schneistiernisrir
Rose decides not to go 1-on-2 and I was thinking, "what are you doing?! You've got the numbers!" -Zach Harper, Daily Dime Live
well obviously you need corey benjamin.
by obnoxious american on Jan 23, 2012 9:57 AM CST up reply actions
It's Keith Booth time, motherfuckers!!!
Derrick+Joakim+Booz > Ray-Ray, The Wheelchair guy, that stupid martian and the punk who only messes with 6 foot foreign point guards and 3 point shooting centers
by poker_punker on Jan 23, 2012 12:28 PM CST up reply actions
bench mob:
Forman, Riensdorf, inflatable Benny, Pippen, Randy Brown, John Lucas, John Lucas II
put him back on blow and i bet we could get one reasonable half out of john lucas II
"It was so despicable, it was beyond [the Lakers-Celtics rivalry]; it was a new kind of hatred.". -Flea on the Heat
by paddyfairview on Jan 22, 2012 10:11 PM CST up reply actions
Well, look on the brigth side
Miami had to sign Eddy Curry without having anyone hurt
by JustAnotherFan on Jan 23, 2012 4:59 AM CST up reply actions
KC with a bunch of new info:
While Derrick Rose is telling people he plans to play on Monday, the Bulls are leaning toward being conservative with Luol Deng.
Though the Bulls have two injured big men, neither is considered a long-term situation. That fact, a shallow pool of options and the Bulls only possess roughly $700,000 before hitting the luxury tax line means the addition of a fifth big man is unlikely at this point.
This shit is getting out of hand
Sadly, my self worth is almost entirely based upon the outcome of the previous night's Bulls game.
fuck the fucking luxury tax and fuck JR for inveitably killing our depth next year because of it
by kpd on Jan 22, 2012 10:09 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Wouldn't freak out about that yet
Just because he’s not willing to go into the tax to sign Malik Allen doesn’t mean he won’t to resign Taj.
by tuff-gong on Jan 22, 2012 10:29 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
And yet, was anyone else as happy as I was...
That Tyrus Thomas still couldn’t feast on a team without Noah and Gibson?
by Khalid El-Amin on Jan 22, 2012 10:03 PM CST reply actions
its hard to blame him for running out of give a shit on that team
"It was so despicable, it was beyond [the Lakers-Celtics rivalry]; it was a new kind of hatred.". -Flea on the Heat
by paddyfairview on Jan 22, 2012 10:12 PM CST up reply actions
It's pretty par for the course for him for this season
He’s been beyond terrible this year.
Pat Riley is the devil.
by Poloplaya14 on Jan 22, 2012 10:19 PM CST up reply actions
Boozer catches shit from folks when he shoots outisde of eight feet.
TT seems to have more of an aversion to the paint than ever.
by Dogfishhead on Jan 22, 2012 10:35 PM CST up reply actions
He REALLY needs to hit the weight room...
I know that’s a cliche, but his athleticism probably peaked a few years ago, and his game could be so much better if he had ANY upper body strength.
by Khalid El-Amin on Jan 22, 2012 10:40 PM CST up reply actions
But he's got LIFT!
Sadly, my self worth is almost entirely based upon the outcome of the previous night's Bulls game.
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 22, 2012 10:52 PM CST up reply actions
not happy, in general, still wish TT the best..
but more happy in the confirmation that the FO did the right thing…
on the other hand, he had a NICE block on Superman in their game… that made me happy.
Taj MaBall
yes and no
at least with his was any better we would feel less shitty for not bringing LaMarcus
by JustAnotherFan on Jan 23, 2012 5:00 AM CST up reply actions
sucks about the Vanilla Gorilla. thats good defense, rebounding and 6 very hard fouls probably for not a lot of money.
"We would look at each other with a glint of recognition and one of us would say, 'So you worry about ASIK, too,' as if admitting a secret vice. Then we would share our crazy ideas-- because all ideas about ASIK that are not immediately wrong turn out to be crazy."
No deng means Brewer at the 3
at some poi
by The90sBullsRevival on Jan 22, 2012 10:40 PM CST reply actions
heres some poi:
"We would look at each other with a glint of recognition and one of us would say, 'So you worry about ASIK, too,' as if admitting a secret vice. Then we would share our crazy ideas-- because all ideas about ASIK that are not immediately wrong turn out to be crazy."
by TheMoon on Jan 22, 2012 11:48 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed
By popular demand I am putting a moratorium on the Melo talk until the Knicks win the title in June.
by sin on Jan 22, 2012 10:43 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
Correction: Boozer and Rip
Double WTF.
Pat Riley is the devil.
by Poloplaya14 on Jan 22, 2012 11:27 PM CST up reply actions
this season has been weird overall...
majority of the player u see getting injured are normally healthy in a regular 82 game season.
I think Thibs is handling this whole injury situation horribly
In acting like the only thing that matters is that night’s game, I think he comes across like a dumbass. Nothing wrong with admitting that there is a bigger picture in mind, and that sometimes you have to sacrifice in the short term to benefit down the road. To me, the whole minutes thing is the one chink in his armor.
He’s a fantastic basketball coach, but I think he’s taking things a bit far right now. When reporters ask him questions about strategiacally resting guys, he talks to them like they’re morons for even suggesting such things. Meanwhile, I’ve read countless quotes from other coaches around the league that are being up front about the fact that yes, things have to be handled a little differently this year (Erik Spoelstra, for example, had no problem admitting that they were thinking about the big picture in resting Wade). I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if his tough guy approach is gonna hurt us when things really count
Sadly, my self worth is almost entirely based upon the outcome of the previous night's Bulls game.
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 22, 2012 11:55 PM CST reply actions 4 recs
agree completely...
and I don’t know whether optimism is warranted, but perhaps Thibs will learn from these early season woes, and adjust his approach so that the important players (in particular) are as healthy and fresh and as possible come playoff time.
by Paul Warfield on Jan 23, 2012 12:12 AM CST up reply actions
Thibs better be very careful
Because if he thinks the honeymoon is going to continue because the Bulls simply win the most regular season games he has another thing coming. I remember Mike Keenan running championship caliber Hawks teams to the ground in the early ‘90s with no trophies to show for it because of his insistence on burning them out in the regular season.That’s an A to B coaching style. It’s a thin line between being Greg Popovich or Scott Skiles and Thibs better figure out which one he wants to be.
Playing Deng and Rose all those minutes when it doesn’t matter is real honorable and badass until someone gets hurt or you find out later that Rose hasn’t been able to bend his toe in 3 damn years.
Hey Rose. I don't see the appeal!
by Dils on Jan 23, 2012 12:21 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
just throwing out random theories cause i dont like to doubt thibs
but maybe the players are asking to be out there? keep themselves in shape? get in practice?
because in this shortened season we basically have had 0 practices (i think we’ve had one so far?) so in games where we are blowing teams out and we dont really need to play serious its basically practice time for our guys.
thats the only near logical explanation i can come up with
By popular demand I am putting a moratorium on the Melo talk until the Knicks win the title in June.
I used to think like that but
it’s a mentality thing. It has risks of course but it’s the price you pay for having a team that doesn’t thing about anything but winning. Even when they lost that series by 4-1 the kept fighting. The very opposite of LeBron giving up. Or you can’t look at the post-Thibs Celtics: their we-will-win-later mentality turned them into a punch bag
by JustAnotherFan on Jan 23, 2012 5:06 AM CST up reply actions
i remember how all the national broadcasters were gushing over Hinrich in the Boston series, saying he was effective because he wasn't tired after missing 2 weeks of the regular season with injury
maybe they were right, and maybe it happens for our entire team now?
/grasping at straws
Such a crazy season
not only in the injured lists but look at the standings right now
Miami is 6th and Orlando is 2nd
Boston is 8th (same records as Cleveland)
New York is 10th and Denver is second in the West
After a strong start Portland is out of the playoff picture
And so are the Lakers!
But no problem, LA. The Clippers are third… but Utah (!) is closing on them (5th)
Sam Smith, Thibs showing love for Booz
Boozer is now averaging 24.3 points and 9.7 rebounds the last three games in just about 33 minutes per game.
"Carlos has been playing at a very high level for us for a number of games," said Thibodeau. "He is in rhythm, he’s walking into his shots, he’s got great balance and he is mixing it up. He’s hitting jump shots, post moves and rolls to the basket. I think his defense has been very very good."
by JustAnotherFan on Jan 23, 2012 6:47 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
injury helping the Bulls passing better?
The Bulls have displayed incredible passing lately. They’re moving the ball quickly from side to side, forcing the defense to rotate constantly. As the defense rotates, they’re moving off the ball well and finding open spots on the floor.
The movement has been crisper with Derrick Rose sitting out as guys have leaned on the system more rather than standing around waiting for Rose to make something happen. The big change, to me, seemed to come after the Memphis game where the team stood around waiting for John Lucas to break everyone down.
Thibodeau must have lit a fire under everyone’s ass to let them know that John Lucas is not Derrick Rose and to get their asses moving to create openings, because since then the offense has been very crisp.
by JustAnotherFan on Jan 23, 2012 7:19 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
i think it has to do more with rip returning
hes really opening up the lanes and his passing skills are outstanding. Plus, CJ starting and those two together have been setting each play perfectly.
Yeah, it's pretty obvious to me that Rip is the difference
The ball jumps from hand to hand when he’s in there. I thought he’d be a great pickup, but I still didn’t realize how good his decision making is.
I think all the injuries are definitely helping them to be a better team...
But they still worry me in becoming healthy.
THEO!
by wrigleyrocker12 on Jan 23, 2012 10:48 AM CST up reply actions
breakdown of available bigs (and more)
BaB on Twitter | BaB on Facebook
"Don't nag, flag!"
by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 23, 2012 11:08 AM CST reply actions
Wow he still hasn't found a job?
Bogans did serviceable work last year and i surprised a team hasn’t signed him yet. Atlanta for instance still has a horrible defense.
I'm OK with Leon Powe (if healthy)
Just give him a couple of 10-day contracts. We won’t be in tax territory with those, right?
Derrick+Joakim+Booz > Ray-Ray, The Wheelchair guy, that stupid martian and the punk who only messes with 6 foot foreign point guards and 3 point shooting centers
Funny how all the injuries in the NBA has killed all trade talks
All the superstars, and now the back-ups too, are dropping like flies with this intense schedule. Teams are and players bodies are worn out and depleted. Luckily our depth is our asset but man it’s getting scary. On the positive note though, I think it’s a fortuitous opportunity to finally see the potential of some of the new guys. To bad Lucus III is hurt though too. Also I’m kinda happy all the trade rumors have died down as I think they affected player’s performance and passion. In particular, I think that partly the reason Noah passion is a bit down this year. I’m interested to see some play from Butler and James.
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