Bulls vs. Thunder game preview, injury report, lineups: Another new starting lineup

[thanks to ‘Dangerous’ for today’s game preview. We have some openings for these in upcoming games if you’d like to sign up. -yfbb]

TV: 7.00 PM, NBCSCH

Tonight, the Bulls will take the court at fabled Chesapeake Energy Arena to lock horns with the semi-resurgent Oklahoma City Thunder. As can be seen here (www.tankathon.com), the Bulls will come into the game on something of a ‘roll’, having lost nine of their first eleven games, as well as their last four in a row.

The OKC Thunder, preseason darlings, have been an early season disappointment. They will enter tonight’s contest with the Bulls sporting an objectively unsatisfactory mark of six wins and seven losses. However, despite their early season struggles, things seem to looking up for the boys from The Sooner State. After a recent team meeting and airing of grievances, the Thunder have gone 2-0, scoring 112 points and 120 points in their last two outings. And, in their last meeting with Fred Hoiberg’s moribund band of misfit toys, the Thunder cruised to a 101-69 thrashing.

Projected Starting Lineups

Bulls – Jerian Grant, Kris Dunn*, Paul Zipser Quincy Pondexter**, Lauri Markkanen, Robin Lopez

*Justin Holiday is out for the game for personal reasons.
** Paul Zipser is being benched for Quincy Pondexter (and not Denzel Valentine). Quincy must’ve had a heck of a couple practices! -yfbb

Thunder – Russell Westbrook, Andre Roberson, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony(?questionable?), Dakari Johnson

As an added bonus to this preview, I will now provide some thoughts on each member of the Bulls’ starting lineup.

Jerian Grant – A man on a mission. Coming into the 2017-2018 NBA season, Jerian Grant was concerned with one thing and one thing only—getting his swerve on. He didn’t come here for wins, he didn’t come here to pass up on heavily contested midrange jumpers, and he certainly didn’t come here to help the development of any precocious Finnish big man. No, no, and, no. In my preparation for the creation of this game thread, I came upon a source that made me privy to the following conversation.

Kris Dunn – A young man who has, in almost perfect fashion, lived up to virtually every negative scouting report that was made about him prior to the 2016 NBA Draft. In this regard, his performance has been nothing short of spectacular.

Paul Zipser – As a youth on the hardcourts of Heidelberg, Paul Leron Zipser had one, all-consuming goal: to someday become one of the most thoroughly mediocre young prospects in all of the NBA. Fifty-four games into his young career, one would have to say that the fruition of young Mr. Zipser’s dream is coming along quite nicely, thank you very much.

Lauri Markkanen – A good Finnish boy with the stroke of an angel. From Helsinki, to Tucson, to Chicago, he’s plied his God-given trade whilst warming hearts. And now, in the prime of his young life, the wet-behind-the ears neophyte is out to splash jumpers, change minds, tackle the big city, and perhaps find love. What, oh what, will his future hold? As Bulls fans, we can only watch with bated breath and pray that Bobby Portis doesn’t decide to rearrange our hero’s pretty Nordic visage.

Robin Lopez – What can be said about ‘RoLo’? How about this: ‘RoLo’ is a completely unimaginative nickname. Instead of ‘RoLo’, I propose the following nickname: ‘Competent bastard who keeps playing efficient basketball and could very well help screw the Bulls out of a top three pick unless they ship his arse out of town with the quickness’.

Now, to end this post, I give you the following drinking game: every time Cristiano Felicio makes a perplexed look and does the ‘WHAT, ME???’ gesture with his arms after the ref makes a call on him, take a shot of your favorite adult beverage.