Open Game Thread #25: Bulls vs. Houston Rockets

Game Notes email this morning for the game tonight. It has Gray as a probable starter. Maybe BB just needs to do whatever it takes to get his feet healed. He certainly isn't helping this team trying to play injured. But then what is the excuse for the rest of the team?

I hope TT does not try to bring the ball down court again. In the fourth he turned it over twice coming down the floor. The taunting was plain childish.

Maybe they will play like a team who wants to win tonight.....and maybe not. :-(

was that nobody could hit a shot.  I'm not sure, but I'm beginning to think that even though they're beginning to hit a few more of their shots, they're actually in worse shape now.  Why?  In the beginning of the season, at least they knew what sort of a team they were supposed to be--a jump-shooting, fast-breaking, motion offense.  

Now? Everyone said it last night.  We saw it in the thread.  The game announcers mentioned it.  Even Skiles in his post game said it.  The team looks confused--like they have lost their identity.  And there's nothing worse than getting thrown into a situation, any situation, not knowing what you're supposed to do.  Do they throw it into the post?  Pass it around the perimeter?  Take the first open shot?  Wait for the big guy to find his space down low?

The team has totally lost its identity.  Blame it on Aaron Gray if you want.  The fact that he's about the only one playing well, coupled with the fact that his game is completely limited and defined (there is no confusion in Gray's head about what he can or can't do) has created a team paradox.  

New coaching, starting over again, may be the only way out of this box.  What's interesting to me is that I'm sure Skiles could coach a low-post offense--it seems right up his alley--but he's spent so much time creating "no-center" compensatory offensive schemes, that he may not have the credibility with his players to go all the way back to the beginning and install a new team identity from scratch.

ever won Rookie of the Year?  

by and large a popularity contest (although they do seem to get it right more often than not), and that's why (maybe half-seriously) I think Gray has a shot.  

It could be the perfect storm setting up for him.  Because of the high preseason speculation, the Bulls got scheduled for a lot of national exposure.  What was it Hubie Brown said last night?  "The Celtics don't have an answer for Gray!"  

If the Bulls were performing up to expectations, Hubie might not even have seen Gray.  But now that the team sucks so badly, Gray will likely be the centerpiece and only positive talking point every time they get on national TV.

Obviously, he's got a long way to go to catch up to the performances of Horford, or the hype of Durant, but Gray will likely have the edge in exposure on both those guys.

What a joke!

They didn't try hard enough! More grit! More scrap! More grrrrrrrr... And maybe they win the game. Here all along I was thinking it was just because they sucked last night.

but it's not that fortunate for Houston.. after all, our starters are rested after the blowout. :-P  If our starters play any good tonight after the fact, is what we'll have to see, though.

Tracy plays - We lose

Tracy doesn't play - We win

is starting tonight again. Why doesn't Skiles start TT instead? Noch sucks when he starts. Some where between starting and coming off the bench he loses that spark and shooting touch.

I hope Kirk plays better than what the neighbors dog dropped in our yard today.

As an Illini Alum, I would love to see Head start tonight as he did last night. It would be cool for his family and his Illini fans to see him start.

I always wish him the best, but I think it'll benefit the Bulls if he starts and plays a lot of minutes ... Hinrich needs to get back on track after a poor game. Hopefully T-Mac sits out one more game; even though he's hurt and struggling, it's better for Hinrich (or Deng) to not have to exhaust energy guarding a 6-8 swingman.

I better not see Hinrich closing out late on Head at the three-point line ... KYP Kirk, make him drive!!!

What is Joakim Noah known for? More specifically, what is probably the biggest reason that Skiles and Paxson drafted him?

How about... he makes his teammates better--or even more specifically, gets his teammates energized and pumped up.

What's Tyrus Thomas' biggest problem right now according to Skiles? He doesn't hustle.

Here's the theory: PLAY NOAH AND THOMAS TOGETHER YOU DUMBASS!!!!!!!

Not only are they both two really good complementary players (to the backcourt, for now) with very good to great potential, but it seems as though a HUGE problem could be solved.

The very fact that Skiles can't see that his own cliches could solve his problems just go to show how dim-witted, or pig-headed, he is.

up by 9.Can they keep the pace?

Then Kirk misses,rebound again, Thomas -jumper good,and one!

the ball always finds its way into BG's hands at the end of the quarter...

on decent shooting numbers.  Is there any chance they play that well in the second half, especially in the second night of a back to back?

but hope they kick it up a notch in the second half.

of the Aaron Gray era?

High hopes for no reason

even more confused than his players.  I wonder what's going through his mind.

Bulls are officially done for the season.
Even we sneak to playoffs,this team is going nowhere.Especially with Skiles.

them lose 5 straight games.Maybe then Paxson will
do something about this mess.

a trade for McGrady here.

Seriously, hours after we lose.  Why the hell would they trade McGrady for Wallace and Gordon, neither of whom has played real well this year?  Right.

I really think that this is what the bulls should be called from here on.  I dont think they will stay this bad this season and i do think they will pick up and make the playoffs for this year again but beyond that i dont see us doing much more than getting out of the first round. When i watch these games i dont know what to think.  I am sort of happy gordon and deng did not accept the extensions because i dont think we can go anywhere with the both of them on this team.  Gordon has to go because of two reasons.  the first being gordon cannot cover anyone and even when i see him play defense i feel like i am about to smack him because it is as if he is just going through the motions when in reality he is thinking i hope i am hot tonight for my max contract next year.  second he is such a liablity with his one dimensional game.  He is off and on so much that the bulls have no idea what to do when he is off.  And he is a big reason that hinrich is off because hinrich always take the bigger scoring gaurd.  

Wallace was such a mistake.  I do believe he was a big reason for sweeping miami but at the same time he is just about that i mean showing up for a few games and then disapearing for the next week or so.  tyson would not have been any different here because he was really in skiles doghouse.  I am happy he is playing good for another team.  

Skiles really has to develop the young talent with a more consistent approach.  I still dont get why kryapa does not play at all.  We let go of lamarcus to get two good players and one never gets off the bench and the other is on such a short leash that he gets no playing time.  

Skiles theory that if you play good in practice you play in games is king of lopsided.  Playing in practice can in no way be compared to playing in a regular game.  

Hinrich should start playing like a point gaurd should and that is hook up his teammates more.  If he can average about eight assists and 14 points with less than 4 turnovers a game i would be happy and i think the bulls would do alot better and there would be more movement and spacing.
Another thing what the F&*k is up with all of this dribbling.  All they do is dribble till eight seconds and then dump of the ball to someone.

Where is the defense?

The point of all of this is that we are at best a good regular season team with a maybe a semi decent run in the playoffs with nothing else.  

We have to trade for someone else.

Make no mistake, this is not the same situation as with Bill Cartwright.

Skiles was hand chosen by Paxon and has helped the Bulls improve their record every year up until this year of course.

Skiles has one more year remaining on his contract. I'm 90 percent sure that we will be seeing Skiles for at least mid way through one more season.

Bulls extend Scott Skiles' contract

Bulls News | June 16, 2005

The Chicago Bulls announced today it has agreed to terms on a new contract with Head Coach Scott Skiles' through the 2008-09 season. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Maybe. I'm surprised to see only one post blaming the defense. Some have worried that with Miracle Man Gray, the team loses it's identity. But this team's identity is clearly as a defensive team, and they shouldn't forget that ever, Aaron or no Aaron.

Lots of posters want to blame Wallace, but he's hurt. Not an excuse, but it factors in. What's with Kirk? He's got tape on the left hand. Is that his problem, or is it the marriage? Either seems ridiculous to me. Gordon appears to believe he's Agent Double Zero 7 (next Arenas). And Skiles plays these 3 as much as possible, so I guess they're great in practice. But the fans don't get to see that.

The terrible defense this game, allowing a seson high to HOU  AT HOME, leds one to believe Skiles really has lost them. This was the foundation; their identity. And they were out-run, out-rebounded,and out-hustled. That's why I say worst performance yet.

fired Skiles!!