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Ah, bless the Miami Heat

Blogabull_s_tiny by your friendly BullsBlogger on in News

I think if the Bulls played the Heat in a 50 game series, they'd win 54 of them. Somehow with that group it'd be possible.

Ben Gordon with 24 points on 6 made field goals. Him and Noc with 4 threes apiece. Joe Smith went 9 of 10 from the field.

One of the few opponents where Ben Wallace looks like he has a purpose (Detroit is the other, and...), and he actually dunked the ball a couple times.

But no dunk was more satisfying than Veektor with a reverse (on a bullet pass from Tyrus), followed by Mike Tirico laughing it off only to be chastised by Hubie Brown for disrespecting a pivotal member of the Russian national team.

It was that kind of night, so it'll be a feel-good postgame. Sure, Duhon still sucks and his starting spot should be taken by Thabo (great game from him, 2 in a row) as soon as last week, and the fact that Tyrus only gets a few minutes of non-garbage time is a complete organizational failure that upsets me to no end, but there will be plenty of future opportunities to feel like garbage about this team. Likely as soon as Friday against Golden State.

But for a day or so we can remember a game where a team was endlessly discussed as a disappointment and longshot to make the playoffs, and it wasn't the Bulls.

Even saw Noah chest-bump Wallace after the latter had a nice block. Good times all around.

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It seems pretty clear
that the Bulls will get a rhythm and continue to shoot 57% from the field for the rest of the season.  As long as they do that, I see us getting this season back on track in a big way.  
Insert sarcasm here.

by MarketMaker on Jan 16, 2008 10:39 PM CST   0 recs

optimistic, sarcastic, or both?
I don't know about "pretty clear", but it's certainly a sigh of relief not to lose to the worst team in the East.

by Orange Juice on Jan 16, 2008 10:47 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Yes it was sarcastic
but they are due for a nice long run of some better than average shooting.  I don't think that we'll see everybody light it up like we did tonight, though.  Still, it was a much needed respite from the rest of the season.
Why don't you crack an egg of knowledge all over me, buddy.

by MarketMaker on Jan 16, 2008 10:53 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

agreed
think of it as getting back to their norms, right?

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 16, 2008 10:48 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

If nothing else,
at least we can all look at a positive scoring margin over the last 10 in Hollinger's rankings for a few days.

Plus, this was good practice for the GS game.  :)  126 just might do it against them.

"I believe. I believe. It's silly, but I believe." (Miracle on 34th Street)

by wjb1492 on Jan 16, 2008 11:04 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Dont mean to be a party pooper BUT
you guys are getting your hopes up 2 high. Its like Golden State and Dallas, GS just matches up really really well against Dallas. Just like we do with Miami.

by eross226 on Jan 16, 2008 11:13 PM CST   0 recs

Lets
see how we do in like a 5 game stretch then ill agree with you guys.

by eross226 on Jan 16, 2008 11:14 PM CST   0 recs

No one is literally getting their hopes up
over this one.  Or at least hardly anyone - I'd guess it's half sarcasm and half relief to not be in full-on crisis mode for at least a day or two.
"I believe. I believe. It's silly, but I believe." (Miracle on 34th Street)

by wjb1492 on Jan 16, 2008 11:26 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

It did feel good to win one, though
and especially with such a heavy contribution from one of the young guys.  The BaB tone going into the game was almost "I don't care if we win, just give the young guys some decent pt."

Well, we got that, and as an extra bonus came away with a win.

by alec on Jan 16, 2008 11:35 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

It was great! I smiled the whole 4th
That's the relief part for me.  And unless and until Thabo gets buried again, I can enjoy the thought of him in the starting lineup for a long time!
"I believe. I believe. It's silly, but I believe." (Miracle on 34th Street)

by wjb1492 on Jan 16, 2008 11:51 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

I like the win of course
even if it is just over the Heat.  On the other hand, I always get satisfaction beating them.  And the fact we beat them by 30 made it all the much better. :)

by Jaina on Jan 17, 2008 12:28 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Hubie laid a stiff rebuke
on Tirico, really cut him aoo at the knees.  That was funny.  And you could tell Tirico knew right away he'd overstepped.  

Hubie has a lot of respect for the game and everyone involved in it...especially the players who play it the 'right way' (well, the right way according to Hubie).  He gave out nice props several times to both Noc and Sefo.  It was good to hear a national voice say something nice about our guys.

by alec on Jan 16, 2008 11:24 PM CST   0 recs

I like Hubie
It's easy to dog the guys at the end of an NBA bench, but a lot of these guys are real factors in helping a team get better in practice.

by NBA Observer on Jan 17, 2008 8:19 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Hubie
yeah that part was pretty funny.  But at the end, Tirico still shot back with..."but come on, a reverse dunk??"...lol  I'd have to agree.

They even gave some props to Red Kerr at one point in the night.

It's such a difference to hear a well-seasoned broadcasting team as opposed to our guys every once and awhile.

by ScottieCartwright on Jan 17, 2008 8:34 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

That was nice on Red.
It's good to remember the old guys every once in a while.  Hubie's historical perspective is definitely one the strengths he brings to a broadcast.

by alec on Jan 17, 2008 10:00 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

and of course
when they showed Red on TV he was chewing on candy.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 17, 2008 10:51 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

There's a lingering suspicion
that Hubie had ulterior motives for "respecting" this Bulls team so much. If I'm his agent, right after the broadcast, I'm calling up Pax and saying, "Let's start at 2 years and $8 million."
"Duhon, don't make that garbage-time jumper... Save it for the next game!"

by bullhockey on Jan 17, 2008 11:58 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

All I'm saying Matt is
Enjoy him while we still got him

Tyrus will most likely not be a Bull after Feb

by Option27 on Jan 16, 2008 11:27 PM CST   0 recs

heh
Bucher: "tyrus thomas is out there"

That was the extent of his report.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 16, 2008 11:36 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Bucher annoyed me tonight
His question for Riley after that horrid (for the Heat) 3rd quarter was something like "Assess your defense."  I'd rather have no in-game interviews than questions with obvious answers.
"I believe. I believe. It's silly, but I believe." (Miracle on 34th Street)

by wjb1492 on Jan 16, 2008 11:53 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

I loved that
You could tell that Riley wanted to go off there.  I give him credit for managing to answer that question without cursing on national television.

by Big D on Jan 17, 2008 12:04 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

but
I like his fake tan. Or it could be real but I wouldn't know because I live in the nw burbs of Chicago where the warm sun is rare.

by GIJoe47 on Jan 17, 2008 12:04 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Ah, yes, nothing like an impetuous,
ill-advised, hasty trade to cap off a disastrous first half of the season.

Maybe we can get a few more humble underachievers who follow company orders. 'Cause that is what we need.

Yeah. Awesome.

LSU 38 OHIO STATE 24 - LSU IS THE NATIONAL CHAMPION AND I AM THE KING OF BOURBON STREET!!

by 1958ChiTown on Jan 16, 2008 11:55 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Dan Bernstein
said Tyrus is done in Chicago. He really didn't give a reason but his ''sources'' told him they have tired of Tyrus....I really wanted Tyrus to succeed as a Bull. I know Sam Smith says he has anger issues so I don't. I just bothers me that the Bulls can't develope any draft picks.

by GIJoe47 on Jan 17, 2008 12:15 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

That makes me sad...
I really hope that's not true.

by Jaina on Jan 17, 2008 12:29 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

He was a starter.....
how does he go from the player he was last year to a starter to a player who doesn't even get in the game? He must have serious ADHD.

by GIJoe47 on Jan 17, 2008 12:43 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Misses his guys
No PJ Brown.  No Randy Livingston.  These two basically became Tyrus' mentors to understand the way the NBA works.

Is Tyrus even 21 yet?  It's way too early to bail on him.

by NBA Observer on Jan 17, 2008 8:19 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

It is sad.
I don't understand what is going on with his situation this year.
Yes, the game is on in Iowa.

by sue369 on Jan 17, 2008 6:19 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

i will be pissed
since he needs to play to learn from his mistakes.  If traded and just dumped for another role player this organization will regret it, maybe not this year nor the next, but in a couple of years.  He has done nothing to earn Veektor status, but I dont see practice so who knows??  We talking about practice!!
I vote for Thomas to play, play more and play regularly.-Sam Smith

by tyrus4prez on Jan 17, 2008 8:12 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

If the Bulls were so admanant about
trading Tyrus, wouldn't they try playing him to showcase his skills? Doesn't make sense because right now all the other teams can really say about Tyrus is that he's a 'raw talent'.

by RogersPark Kris on Jan 17, 2008 9:31 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

but
if i was another team, i can't really trust what the Bulls have done with him.  This Bulls management has failed numerous times with developing a big/athletic player.  They might take a chance and trust their coaching.  
I vote for Thomas to play, play more and play regularly.-Sam Smith

by tyrus4prez on Jan 17, 2008 9:36 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

really
what other big/athletic players have the bulls failed at developing?  Corey Blount?  Michael Ruffin?  Eddie and Tyson developed just fine.  Tyson should send Pax thank you cards for trading him to NO and setting him up to play with Chris Paul.
Nocioni-Khryapa in '08

by bullshooter on Jan 17, 2008 9:42 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Amen
there has to be talent there to develop.  Curry had his best season under Skiles.

by KT on Jan 17, 2008 9:48 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

You're right about Chandler.
He might just be the perfect selling point for another team to take a chance on Thomas.  They can look at the Bulls as having developed him, then lost patience with him juuust as he was on the cusp of coming on.  Another team might think they'll get out of TT what N.O. got out of Chandler.

The difference, of course, is that Chandler got a lot of pt, which gave him the chance to actually develop, while TT will be markedly behind Tyson's developmental curve.

Still, the question remains, unless he's part of a major deal that includes a player the status of Gasol, what are you actually trading him for?

by alec on Jan 17, 2008 9:53 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

There's no need to trade him
so why bother talking about it.
Nocioni-Khryapa in '08

by bullshooter on Jan 17, 2008 9:55 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Bullshooter, I know you mean that rhetorically,
but let me play your straight man here for a minute anyway.  

We talk about it because it's in the news--especially after Bucher said in last night's national broadcast that the only team certain to make a trade, among all the teams that might possibly make a trade, is the Bulls.  Then he targeted Thomas as the player on the Bulls to be involved.  

Ergo, it becomes a legit topic on BaB today.

by alec on Jan 17, 2008 10:06 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Ric Bucher?
when was the last time that guy got something right?
Nocioni-Khryapa in '08

by bullshooter on Jan 17, 2008 10:09 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Kobe will be traded!
One example isn't very convincing, but Bucher is the most outside insider currently giving inside details. Google alerts shouldn't take someone as far as Bucher has gone.
Fire Boylan!

by hscs on Jan 17, 2008 10:12 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

C'mon, man--
you know it doesn't matter if he's right...just that he put it out there.

by alec on Jan 17, 2008 10:13 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

We also talk about it because,
according to Chicago Magazine, we now apparently have a three hundred post quota to fill every day.

by alec on Jan 17, 2008 11:17 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Eddy and Tyson
also had Cartwright (a big man) to work with.

by Jaina on Jan 17, 2008 10:53 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Typical Paxson
Why would you trade him now, when his value is at its lowest?  He can't even get off the bench for a bad Bulls team, so why would anyone want to give up a lot for him?  If they had traded him before the season started, they would have gotten a lot more.  You're supposed to buy low and sell high, but Paxson seems to have that phrase backwards.

by Big D on Jan 17, 2008 10:03 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

I think a lot of teams still regard Tyrus
as a potential star so it's up to Pax to sell it to them

by Option27 on Jan 17, 2008 10:51 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

plus
teams generally like the idea of 'fixing' other team's crap.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 17, 2008 11:01 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

anyone notice
Thabo's arc on his shot is a lot better?  He had a good game, disrupted Wade, very active and wasn't hesitant on shooting.  Du's starting days are numbered, I hope.
I vote for Thomas to play, play more and play regularly.-Sam Smith

by tyrus4prez on Jan 17, 2008 8:19 AM CST   0 recs

Definitely
His shot has been very flat all season.  He shot the ball very well over the Summer for Team Switzerland.  We know he can shoot a decent percentage from the perimeter and his overall FG% can linger above 45% if he attacks the rim for higher percentage shots.

Thabo had a very productive game on both ends.

by NBA Observer on Jan 17, 2008 9:01 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Well, most of his production
with Switzerland over the summer was the result of drives, dunks, free throws. A lot less through jump shots (as it should be with Thabo anyway).

But his J has gotten better this past few years and will probably still get better.

The Game chose him !

by Diabolo on Jan 17, 2008 10:25 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

In terms of
The arc on his shot.  Thabo's jumper looked solid for Team Switzerland.  It was not flat like we saw in his rookie season and early this season.

by NBA Observer on Jan 17, 2008 11:15 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Do you know who spent part of the summer
working with Thabo on his jumper in Switzerland ?

Bingo : Boylan.

The Game chose him !

by Diabolo on Jan 18, 2008 1:21 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

That's right.
I had forgotten that.
Yes, the game is on in Iowa.

by sue369 on Jan 18, 2008 7:15 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

The really good things I noticed
  1. 15+ jumpers from the Heat.  4 red jerseys in the paint.  1 white jersey below the free throw line.
  2. Collapsing on Wade when he penetrates closing gaps for him to spin to the middle and forcing him baseline where he gets lost.  He passes out into 4 second half turnovers.  Bulls fastbreak for easy buckets.  Chicago executed stellar defensive rotation in the 2nd half and converted nearly every turnover into points.
  3. Taking advantage of matchups.  Ricky Davis cannot guard Joe Smith.  Shaq cannot guard Ben Gordon.
  4. Attacking the rim.  Thabo's nice 2nd half layup and 1 drawing contact from Shaq was great.  Hinrich and Gordon pull up for a jumper or pass in the same position.  Thabo has the height and arm length to extend beyond the reach of Shaq.  Body contact sent Thabo to the line.
  5. Drilling the Heat when Shaq sits.  Mark Blount was a -24 in just under 17 minutes of action.
  6. Noah dunking and Ben Wallace yelling "Yeah boy!" and chest bumping him.
The bad

1) Boxing out.  The Heat had too many 2nd chance opportunities as a result of the failure of Bulls' to find a white shirt and box them out.  My count had the Bulls a -7 because of the failure to box out.

If we could only play the Heat, Bobcats, and Pistons every night.

by NBA Observer on Jan 17, 2008 8:59 AM CST   0 recs

think he meant
thats what Hinrich would of done in that situation
I vote for Thomas to play, play more and play regularly.-Sam Smith

by tyrus4prez on Jan 17, 2008 9:24 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

One thing I forgot
The Comcast guys got this.  The small forwards for the Bulls dominated the Heat small forwards.  Deng and Nocioni were making perimeter shots, slashing for shots at the rim, and they were limiting any production at all from Ricky Davis and Dorrel Wright.

Davis/Wright: 4-14, 4 boards, 6 fouls, 3 turnovers

by NBA Observer on Jan 17, 2008 9:52 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

I think I learned
That we shuold just play Thabo more.  Have Thabo give us all that defense we lack to start games, he's a better passer than Duhon, and doesn't have the height disadvantage....

Plus I'm not sure you could argue that Duhon's a better shooter (sure Duh gets hot from time to time, but his deficiencies in major minutes far outweigh his strengths.

Let's keep THABO out there, he's looking like he's gotten his confidence back.

Also, let's start giving Khryapa more playing time.  I like what I see from him often in garbage time (Good passer, big guy, decent shooter, has a good offensive feel for the game).  Granted this could change drastically if he got major minutes for the worse, but judging him for his scant 5 minutes every 3 weeks of play is ridiculous.....he's looked ok enough when given more than 2 minutes of time to warrant a real look at him (he's been ok for us in the preseason's, and played well for Russia last summer).......I know Noc and Deng are ahead of him, but given our struggles, I'm sure we could see if he's worth a look or at least an additional trade chip for other teams....let the audition begin.

by majoyenrac on Jan 17, 2008 9:50 AM CST   0 recs

Thabo and Veektor
What Thabo may lack in perimeter shooting he can make up with his slashing skill.  Initiating a set and then rolling to the baseline corner to spread the floor is really about forcing the defense to collapse on the shooter with a run out.  Thabo has the finesse to sell the shot, take two steps forward, and drain the 15-18 footer.  He was 6-9 last night with zero three point attempts.  Deng does the same thing.

Veektor is a SF.  I can only see him getting more minutes if Nocioni and Deng have nagging injuries or foul trouble.  With Thabo playing better and Kirk eventually returning, we could see more Thabo at the SF with Hinrich and Gordon as the guards.  This will only create less opportunity for Khryapa.

I did enjoy the reverse dunk to make up for his ugly missed dunk against the Magic.

by NBA Observer on Jan 17, 2008 9:59 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Another plus about Thabo
is that when he makes that slash, if he get doubled, he has the height to pass over the defender to the open man...and he's a good enough passer to do it effectively.

I really like his passing skills, and wish they would garner a little more attention.  Everyone sees him as the defensive big guard the Bulls lack. but I also see him as their most effective offensive initiator.

by alec on Jan 17, 2008 10:11 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

But Alec
If Thabo plays more Gordon will, most likely, play less, and as everyone knows, the Bulls scoring will drop precipitously.  What would we do then?

by hlac on Jan 17, 2008 11:00 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

I guess the first thing to do,
as soon as Kirk is healty, would be to drop Duhon out of the rotation altogether, leaving 32 minutes each for Kirk, BG and Thabo.

by alec on Jan 17, 2008 11:14 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Start Thabo
Duhon reminds me of the high school kid who doesn't play ball, but gets drafted into a game to even teams.  He stands around on the outside while his team is on offense while noone guards him.  If the ball comes to him, he looks surprised, hesitates, and throws it toward the basket, but it never goes in.

by El Toro de Goro on Jan 17, 2008 2:11 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Veektor is a PF
he's even slower than Noc, he shouldn't be at the 3.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 17, 2008 10:50 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Ugh, really?
I really don't see enough of him to know if he is a 3 or 4.  I really thought he was a 3.

I wonder what position Team Russia had him play in the Euro Basket tournament.

by NBA Observer on Jan 17, 2008 11:17 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

same here
I always thought he was just a big 3...whenever anyone talks about him getting playing time they always mention the other 3s on the team

by ScottieCartwright on Jan 17, 2008 11:34 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Good question.
We know he played on a front line with Kirilenko.  A quick search found they are both simply listed as "Forward."  Kirilenko is nominally a 4 in the NBA, but plays with Boozer and Okur, which means he's actually playing like a 3 much of the time.

I would say Kirilenko has better athleticism than Victor, but that Victor is the better passer.  I scanned a couple of stories from the Eurobasket tournament (which Russia won in 2007) and couldn't find anything definitive.  My guess is they probably play interchangeably.

by alec on Jan 17, 2008 11:38 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

well he's neither (or both)
I guess it depends on what you want. I usually side with the position he may be too small for than the one he's too slow for.

He's not that bad of a rebounder, last season was a career high 14.0 rebound rate (in very limited time, granted). Also, he doesn't have 3-point range which you'd prefer from a wing (Luol Deng notwithstanding).

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 17, 2008 11:48 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

oh, and if he was a true 3
he would've done a somewhat better job guarding LeBron  last year :)

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 17, 2008 11:49 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

lol, Lebron
Solid defenders have trouble with Lebron.  Did you watch the East Finals at all last season?

Lets just say that Veektor slowing Lebron isn't what I'd be asking of him.

by NBA Observer on Jan 17, 2008 12:23 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Big V at the 3
Unless the Bulls need someone to matchup with Lebron again.

by Jesse07 on Jan 17, 2008 12:18 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Somebody else agrees with us...
http://www.emptythebench.com/2008/01/17/untapped-potential-ten-nba-players-we-want-to-see-on-the-cou rt-more-often/

"We're not necessarily suggesting last year's lottery pick supplant Chris Duhon in the Bulls starting backcourt, but if interim head coach Jim Boylan sticks with his guns by continuing to bring Ben Gordon off the bench and Duhon continues to struggle, it might not be a bad idea. The Heinrich/Gordon duo will always struggle to defend bigger backcourts, and aside from breaking them up through trade there's only a few ways to make up for their lack of size. Considering Duhon's severe lack of production since his promotion (22% FG, 3.9 points, 4.5 assists, 0.5 steals), upping the 6-5 Sefolosha's minutes from 11 to somewhere in the 20s is one possible solution.

His game is still raw, but this native of Switzerland is a solid passer and energetic defender, the kind that nags and annoys whomever he's guarding. He's actually hit season highs in minutes these past two games (26 and 30, respectively), which could be a sign that Boylan is spoiling on Duhon and is considering a change."

The Game chose him !

by Diabolo on Jan 18, 2008 9:18 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

i agree, matt, god bless the miami heat
even with shaq and wade having good games, the bulls had no trouble with the heat, which i guess in a season full of negatives you could take this as a positive sign.  beggars cant be choosers, you know?  the miami heat should be a lesson to the bulls, maybe its not the best idea to give away your future stars for one aging one.  yea, they won a ring, but that was total luck combined with dallas sh*tting the bed in the playoffs(what a shocker).  Look at them now, though, they are in shambles.  the bulls are having a rough season, but they are still no where near as bad as the heat are.  the heat are a d-league team.

by Conor on Jan 17, 2008 12:23 PM CST   0 recs

Was the ESPN crew questioning the Heat Defense?
I listened to our guys on Comcast as painful as it can be.  I would have watched the ESPN coverage because I like Tirico and Hubie, but I DVR'd the Comcast broadcast.

by NBA Observer on Jan 17, 2008 12:26 PM CST   0 recs

At the top of the broadcast,
Hubie said that the Heat defenders would have to close out quickly on the Bulls shooters.  He then mentioned a few times during the game that they were failing to do so.  But more than being critical of the Heat, was (suspiciously?) effusive about the Bulls...particularly singling out Sefo for praise, time after time.

by alec on Jan 17, 2008 12:37 PM CST to parent up