To trade or not to trade: Thad is the question

With 30 games in the rearview and just over 30 days until the trade deadline, it’s a good time to reflect on this Bulls season and think about how Artūras Karnišovas should approach his first trade season as the lead decision maker for a team.

As of this writing, the Bulls’ 14-16 record is good enough for 9th in the bunched up Eastern Conference; they trail the 6th seeded Boston Celtics by a game in the loss column, and have a one game advantage on the 11th place Hawks. They are clearly a cut above the Pistons, Cavaliers, Wizards, and injury plagued Magic. They need to outplay just one of the Hawks, Heat, Knicks, or Hornets to finish within the top ten of the conference and secure a spot in the play-in tournament, which seems likely!

Likely that is, unless Karnišovas decides to trade away Thaddeus Young before the March 25 deadline.

Despite not making a start this year and averaging just 25 minutes per game, Young has been the second most important player on the Bulls after Zach LaVine. Young is second on the team in Win Shares and Box Score plus/minus (if you ignore Cristiano Felicio’s 38 minutes played). The Bulls have a positive net rating of +6.7 points/100 possessions when Thad is on the court, and a -6.8 net rating when he’s on the bench. Of the Bulls five man lineups that have logged at least ten minutes on the court together, Thad is a member of nine of the top ten in net rating.

It seemed like Young’s career was headed into its twilight phase a year ago, miscast as a shooter in Jim Boylen’s unimaginative offense. But with new responsibilities allotted to him by Billy Donovan, Young has proven he has plenty to contribute to winning basketball. Stephen Noh wrote before the season began about how Donovan’s system in OKC allowed Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel to operate from the high post and log assist numbers they hadn’t sniffed under other coaches. While the article’s intent was to hype up potential development in Wendell Carter’s game, the way it’s really manifested itself thus far has been through Young’s playmaking.

Young is averaging 4.3 assists per game, after never averaging more the 2.5 in his previous 13 NBA seasons. He is second on the Bulls in assist percentage at 25.4%, which is more than double what he’s ever finished with for a season. “THADGIC JOHNSON” is the fun thing to tweet this year after a sweet pass for a bucket, but the way Young has taken advantage of disadvantaged defenses should have people calling him Thraymond Green. When teams have tried to trap LaVine and force the ball out of his hands, Young has made them pay by catching near the foul line and picking out cutters and shooters as the Bulls operate with a 4-on-3 advantage.

If the Bulls were to trade Thadeus, not only would they be losing a fulcrum of their offense and one of their better defenders, they would also be forcing inferior players into roles they’ve not shown to be capable of handling. Daniel Gafford didn’t show much promise during his run as starting center while Carter was injured. Billy Donovan exhumed Luke Kornett for a few nights before being swiftly returned to the depths of the bench, where he belongs. Young is the Bulls’ best option at backup center on the roster, and has closed games well at the five even on nights Carter is available, giving the team a small-ball element that’s been sorely lacking in years past. Moving on from Young would shoehorn the Bulls into more traditional lineups who have traditionally put up poor results.

Having Young keeps the Bulls respectable. Solid. Not a joke. Is that really why we invest ourselves in a team? So they can hopefully rise to the ranks of “not that bad, I guess”? Yes, trading Young could cause the bottom to fall out on this season, but would that be the worst thing?

Young certainly has value as a trade target. The 32 year old has just one year left on his contract at $14 million, and could be bought out and waved for just $6 million. A team looking to free up $8 million in cap space could send the Bulls back $14 million worth of bad salary and some draft capitol, enjoy the fruits of his labor for the stretch run and save $8 million on their 2021-22 books.

What would the Brooklyn Nets be willing to part with to add a capable interior presence to their potent offensive group? Could Denver see Young as a serious upgrade over the production they’re getting from JayMychal Green? Does Milwaukee really want to count on Bobby Portis in the postseason?

All of those teams could offer up a mix of second round picks, or possibly a well protected first rounder in the future. Thad isn’t going to fetch a high caliber prospect, but it’s possible a team would be willing to part with somebody young they don’t consider a part of their core. These could be assets used to bulk up the Bulls when they eventually have a chance at contention, a time that will not happen before Young’s value on the court has dramatically diminished. Trading Young before the deadline would also do wonders for the Bulls’ own draft pick this season. Are all of these potential benefits to a trade really worth it to keep the dream of squeaking into the playoffs for the right to be sacrificed in the first round?

A few years ago, I would have emphatically said yes. Winning is a Process, and there are clear steps to follow. But after three years of dreck and drudgery, I’m starting to sing a new tune. I’m actually enjoying Bulls basketball! There is value in not being a dumpster fire, building a competitive culture throughout the organization, and staking out the Bulls as a rising team that appeals to future free agents.

Young’s impact is easily quantifiable on the court, and he seems to be making an equally large one off of it. Is whoever the 48th pick of the 2023 NBA draft going to contribute more than Thad is to the growth of Carter, LaVine and the rest of the young team? I’m skeptical!

The Bulls have a lot of big decisions ahead of them. LaVine’s next contract will be a defining moment for this team, and what the front office thinks of the long term upside of Markkanen, Carter and White are all decisions I’m glad I don’t have to make. But the choice for whether or not to hold onto Thaddeus Young for the remainder of the season looks much simpler.

2017-18 Chicago Bulls Roster Preview

Who’s ready to basketball?  It’s that time yall, as the 2017/18 Chicago Bulls season is underway.  First and foremost, let me just say that I’m thrilled to be writing for Bulletin Board this year.  Some quick background on myself:, Brad (B Mizzle) Miller is my all-time favorite Bull, I love dad jokes and the movie Baby Driver, and I used to say “for all intensive purposes until someone embarrassingly corrected me at the age of 22.”  Enough about me though.  I hope you enjoy my submissions for the coming year and I look forward to writing about this young and athletic  Bulls squad.  Without further ado, let’s bull out.

You may have noticed the roster looks slightly different than last year due to the full out rebuild GarPax and the Bulls organization are undergoing.  So it seems appropriate for us to take a deep dive into this roster and examine some of the key Bulls players and what we should expect from then and goals for the upcoming season.

Let’s narrow the focus to the 5 most important Bulls for this season. And  no, Cameron Payne will not be on this list, or any list not titled, “NBA players who are bad at basketball.”  I’m also not focusing on Nikola Mirotic, Cristiano Felicio, or Justin Holliday as I firmly believe there is no longer any mystery to the potential or growth for each of these players.  In the words of Dennis Green, “they are who we thought they were.”  So who are the 5 most important Bulls for this coming season, and what can we realistically expect and hope for?  Let’s go.

Zach LaVine

Snapshot:

The center piece of the Jimmy Butler trade, LaVine has teased NBA fans with freakish athleticism and improved 3-point shooting and overall scoring ability since he came into the league.  A 6’5 shooting guard with range who figures to be a big part of the Bulls rebuild is recovering from a major ACL injury and will certainly not be rushed back to the court early.  Let’s also remember that despite being in his fourth year in the league, LaVine is only 22 years old.  

2016-17 Season

PPG	APG	RPG	PER
18.9	3.0	3.4	14.69

Biggest question(s) of the year:  Will he return healthy?  Is he a centerpiece moving forward?

Strengths:  

• Dude can score – LaVine averaged nearly 19 ppg last year and has seen his PPG, 3-point attempts, and FG% rise in his first 3 years in the NBA.  His 3-point attempts and % have also increased as he’s hovered around 39% (league average was 35.8)
• Incredible athlete – I mean just watch this 
• Works hard to improve his game – One of my favorite things about Jimmy Butler was that he went into every off season working to improve his game.  LaVine’s scoring ability continues to climb, and his ability to hit 3’s has been a great surprise.

Areas to Improve (nice way of saying what he sucks at):

• Defense – His Defensive +/- is well below league average and he struggled defending the pick and roll and physical guards.  His rebounding, steals, blocks aren’t exactly going to jump off the page for ya.
• Efficiency – He often times relies on fall away jumpers and long two’s which are basically forbidden in today’s NBA.  I’m fine with taking over 6 3’s per game, especially this year in ol Hoiball’s offense.  But he need to get to the line more than 2 times per game given his athleticism and explosiveness.
• Leadership – He’s been saying all the right things since coming to Chicago, and he’s going to need to because this is 100% his team.  He is THE man on this Bulls team and he’s going to need to lead by example.  Sooo do the opposite of D Wade.

 

Goals & Expectations

Goal – Stay Healthy.  That’s literally all the Bulls should care about.

Expectation – The Bulls will slowly bring LaVine back from his injury, but he will immediately become the team’s best scoring option and will probably increase his 3 pt attempts to over 7 per game.

Early Possible Nicknames:  Zach Attack, Dunk Metro PD, Wiggity Zach, Zach Book Air, Zach Back, #TheReturn

Fun (not fact checked) trivia:  Was shocked to find out Fargo isn’t actually in Minnesota.

Lauri Markkanen

Snapshot:

The 7th pick in the 2016 NBA draft was also a part of the blockbuster (does that place still exist?)  Jimmy Butler trade.  For some reason, the Bulls had to give up their 16th pick but there are high hopes for the 7’0 Finnish stretch 4 from Arizona.  He’s an intriguing prospect and showed some great offensive skills during the FIBA tournament and in some of the final preseason games.  Is he the next dirk Nowitzki or the next Andrea Bargnani? Only time will tell (and he’s got lots of it), but many Bulls fans will not be patient if they see Dennis Smith Jr. tearing it up.

2016-17 Season (Arizona)

PPG	RPG	APG	3P%
15.6	7.2	0.9	42.3

Biggest question(s) of the year:  Is he more than just a spot up three point shooter?  Can he guard NBA power forwards?

Strengths

• Shooting – It’s not just the 3P% that is impressive, it’s the smooth looking, quick release that Lauri has.  He doesn’t need nearly as much time to wind up as Nikola Mirotic and it’s just a beautiful shot and follow through for a 7 footer.  Range doesn’t seem to be too much of an issue either.  He is a threat to shoot anywhere out on the floor and should be able to stretch the floor once the Bulls have real players around him.

Areas to Improve:

• Defense – He’s more athletic than I gave him credit for, but he has still struggled to guard anyone out on the perimeter and got pushed around a lot down low during the preseason.  He will have to continue to put on weight, and learn how to play help defense and at least average pick and roll defense.
• Passing – He averaged less than one dime per game at Arizona and he’s going to need to be able to improve his vision and ability to find the open man.  He hasn’t great court awareness in the preseason and will need to improve as the year goes on.

Goals & Expectations

• Goal – Get experience, shoot a lot!
• Expectations – Especially with the early 8 game suspension, expect Lauri to get lots of minutes and lots of shots up.  He will struggle mightily at times this year and probably rely too much on the 3, but Bulls fans should be excited to watch him grow.

Early Possible Nicknames:  Chuck-it Finn, Finnish Line, The Riddlin Finland

Fun (not fact checked) trivia:  After every made 3 pointer, his grandma in the stands bellows out,  “Finnish him!”  (*Mortal Combat voice)

 

Kris Dunn

 

Snapshot:

What was deemed another lottery pick (GarPax were very high on him coming out of the draft!) and important piece of the Jimmy Butler trade, Dunn had a rookie year to forget in Minnesota.  In his defense, he barely got on the court under Coach Thibs and had the shortest of leashes.  With that said, his shot looked ugly, he played out of control, and is already 23 years old.  Did he need a chance and change of scenery?  Or is he just a less shitty Cameron Payne?

2016-17 Season (Timberwolves)

PPG	APG	RPG	PER
3.8	2.4	2.1	8.13

Biggest question(s) of the year:  Is he an NBA point guard?

Strengths: 

• Defense – This was true during his time at Providence, and is obvious when you watch him play.  He is a fierce on the ball defender who will annoy the hell out of the opponent.  He plays tough, and gives maximum effort on defense.

Areas to Improve :

Shooting – He’s not a good shooter, that simple.  Teams dared him to shoot from 2 and 3, and his confidence surely took a hit after his first year.  He shot 37.7% from the field and had a 28.3% 3P%.  Damn Gina…

Decision Making – Turnovers plagued him during his rookie year and summer league.  He was often times reckless with the ball and doesn’t seem to have the best vision.  This can certainly improve with actual minutes given to him.

Finishing at the rim – Dunn has showed some explosiveness to get to the rim but too often couldn’t finish near the basket.  If he doesn’t develop a jump shot, this is critical to his survival in the NBA.

Goals & Expectations

Goal – Dunn needs to win the starting PG job on the Bulls early in the season.  In order to do this, Dunn must make opposing defenses respect his jump shot.  He cannot shoot at the same %’s he did last year or everyone will give him the Anthony Roberson treatment.  He has to improve his shot if he has any chance of sticking in this league, and he must cut down his turnovers if he’s going to be a point guard.

Expectations – I’ve seen enough of Jerian Grant.  Once Dunn is healthy (suffered a nasty finger injury in the preseason), the Bulls will give him every chance to win this job…and let’s hope he does.

Early Possible Nicknames:  Dunn<Kirk, Indiana Dunn, Dunn Buggy

Fun (not fact checked) trivia:  Was named after Kristofferson, and grounded early and often because of Jenner.

Bobby Portis

 

Snapshot:

The man who barks like Kevin Garnett but plays like Malik Allen.  This is a make or break year for the former first round pick, and he’s already gone and broken Niko’s jaw and will be suspended for the first 8 games of the season.

2016-17 Season

PPG	APG	RPG	PER
6.8	0.6	4.2	14.99

Biggest question(s) of the year:  How will he respond from this suspension?

Strengths

• He’s got some length?  I honestly don’t know anymore.

Areas to Improve

• Defense – He gets pushed around down low and car not guard many 4’s.  He’s horrible in the pick and roll, and often times is lazy and commits a foul rather move his body into better positioning.
• Efficiency – A big man who shoots 45% from the field.  Not good.  A stretch 4 shooting 32% from 3.  Not good.
• Maturity – See Nikos jaw

 

Goals & Expectations

Goal – Earn the starting PF job when he returns from suspension.

Expectations – Bobby Portis falls behind Lauri in the rotation and never starts for the Bulls.  I just don’t think Portis is a fit on this team long term and he will really have to improve his efficiency and defense to prove me otherwise.

Early Possible Nicknames:  Bobby Allen (Malik Allen’s lest interesting cousin), Punch Drunk Bob

Fun (not fact checked) trivia:  Swears to understand the plot to Prometheus but when put on the spot, responds, “Just watch the movie bro”

Denzel Valentine

 

Snapshot:

After GarPax swore to become younger and athletic, they drafted 34 24 year old Denzel Valentine.  He was a proven “winner” during his 4 years at Michigan State.  A playmaker that could play multiple positions and shoot the 3 seems enticing.  His rookie year was a mixed bag of results and this preseason has shown his over reliance on the 3ball.  Is Denzel too slow to be a starter in the NBA?  Is his ceiling just a spot up 3 point shooter?  It’s hard to say, but this year will tell us a lot.

2016-17 Season

PPG	APG	RPG	PER
5.1	1.1	2.6	14.69

Biggest question(s) of the year:  Is he too slow to play defense in the NBA?  Is he a key piece of this Bulls rebuild?

Strengths

• Confidence – He sure plays with some swag, and doesn’t seem afraid to take big shots.  He will have opportunities this year to take some big shots with no Wade or Butler around.
• 3P shooting – It improved as the season when on last year and he ended up around league average.  He was 13 for his first 24 in the pre-season and certainly isn’t shy about taking them.

Areas to Improve:

• Defense – He struggles guarding any quick 2 or 3.  He’s going to have to improve his footwork and staying in front of his opponent.
• Decision Making – He often acts like hes a better ball handler and play maker than he actually is.  Too many horrendous turnovers over the summer.  he has to protect the ball.
• Relying on the 3 – all preseason, Valentine popped 5 threes for every 2 he took and this is no way to survive in this league or improve your overall game.  He has to get to the line, create for others.

 

 

Expectations for 2017-18

Goal – Become manageable on defense and carve out a role as a key player for this rebuild.  He has offensive skills, but he relies too much on the 3 (especially for someone who only shot the 3 at league average)

Expectations – This one is a mystery to me, but I’m fairly certain Hoiberg will give him plenty of minutes to see what he has.  I suspect Hoiberg will reel him in and encourage him to be more of a play maker with the ball

Early Possible Nicknames:  Mr. Summer League

Fun (not fact checked) trivia:  Doesn’t believe any office meeting should last more than 90 minutes (Max!)

Welcome to the rebuild!

Year in Review: Bulls stuck in crossroads, face difficult decisions moving forward

If there is one thing I will take away from this season, it is that this team is not ready to accept defeat and start over. Given the acquisition of Rondo, Wade, and Lopez, Gar Forman and John Paxson made it clear they want to remain a competitive team, despite prior indicating that they want to get younger as a team.

Being a franchise with one of the most prestigious histories in the league, these past few seasons have been strange for the Chicago Bulls. While their reemergence atop the East is in the rearview mirror, the Bulls have still been able to limp into the playoff race these past few years.

Now, however, the direction of their franchise is unclear. With Rondo, Wade, and Lopez’s best days likely gone, the front office has to decide whether to replace them with young players on the rise, players who could make the team instantly competitive, or to rid themselves of their large financial obligations (Butler, Wade, etc.) and start from a clean slate. The first question though, is whether or not Fred Hoiberg will continue to lead next year’s team.

Between having to start backup PG’s, splitting starting minutes between Mirotic and Zipser, and defensive struggles, there is a lot of growing room for Fred Hoiberg as a coach moving forward. If the front office’s biggest inclination is to remain competitive, I believe that Hoiberg should be given another year to grow this team, as he showed flashes of success with the personnel he was given.

Looking forward to next year, keeping Fred Hoiberg could offer promising improvements from many players on this team. For one thing, we saw guys like Bobby Portis and Paul Zipser show the ability to be competitive players, maybe not immediate starters albeit, but competitive nonetheless. Additionally, Hoiberg’s offensive wisdom may help Portis or Denzel Valentine develop into the scoring threat the Bulls need.

That being said, it would be foolish to expect significant improvement from the aging veteran starters that snuck this team into the postseason. It is only fair to Fred Hoiberg, or whoever else coaches this team next year, that the front office gives them more rising talent. As of right now, Rondo and Wade are on the wrong side of 30 and Lopez is approaching there as well. The Bulls, and their fans, are in dire need of players who can improve and thrive alongside Jimmy Butler. While improvements from their younger players may help keep the Bulls in the playoff picture for another year or two, this team does not have a foundation that is built to succeed in the Eastern Conference as is. Moving forward, I would expect and hope that the Bulls front office makes a bit of a splash this offseason in order to shake things up. Given the relatively low ceiling this current group has, it is probably also in Forman and Paxson’s best interest to make some significant changes.

Note-A-Bulls: The Strive for Five comes to a halt with crushing 125-107 defeat to the Nuggets

Well, things started out well in the Bulls (30-30) quest to win their fifth straight game and move into a tie with the Indiana Pacers for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Instead, we saw a beatdown at the hands of the Denver Nuggets (27-33) in the second half on Tuesday night as fans found out what this team looks like when Jimmy Butler has an off night. The result, a humbling 125-107 defeat at the United Center with the Nuggets outscoring the Bulls 69-48 in the second half.

Things didn’t start off terribly for the suddenly hot Bulls. Bobby Portis was hitting some shots, and the Bulls were dominating the offensive glass securing 10 offensive boards compared to the Nuggets one in the first half. While they never pulled away, the Bulls largely controlled the play in the first two stanzas with the score sitting at 59-56 in their favor. In reality, the Bulls should have had a larger lead at this point in the game. The Bulls showed signs of pulling away in this one but either a poor turnover or a clutch Denver three would pull them back within reach. Eventually this would come back to haunt the Bulls as the play shift decidedly in the final two frames of this one.

The Nuggets had balanced scoring in this one, with seven players scoring at least 12 points, but it was the play of Danilo Gallinari and Nikola Jokic that were the difference in the second half. Jokic kickstarted things doing it all by himself. Between putting back his own offensive rebounds, hitting un-assisted outside jumpers, or setting up his teammates for easy layups, the Nuggets Nikola willed his team back in front in the third quarter. Once Jokic had put the Nuggets in front, Gallinari ensured they would stay there. Danilo hit three huge long-balls in the second half and kept the Bulls defense of-balance on his way to a game high 22 points on 7/10 shooting (3/4 from deep).

On the other end of the floor, the off-ball movement was nonexistent. There was a lot of one-on-one play and very few screens to create any type of separation from the defense. There was poor shot selection, little communication, and for once, the Bulls didn’t have Jimmy Butler to bail them out. Butler ended with a pedestrian line of 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. He also managed to make just three of his 13 shots from the field on the night. You could tell he wasn’t confident in his shot from the get go passing up open jumpers he would normally put up without hesitation.

Shockingly, the offensive hero on the night was Rajon Rondo, although he still managed a +/- of -15 on the night. But Rondo was miraculously hitting jumpers pretty consistently throughout the night shooting 8/15 from the field and even knocking down a trey. However, Rondo is long past the point of being able to carry on offense on his own, and this night received very little help. Wade ended up with a quiet 19 points, but no one else on the Bulls ended up with more than 12 points (Bobby Portis).

We all knew the Bulls winning streak wasn’t going to last forever. However, with a chance to push that streak to five at home against the Nuggets on two days rest, you expect better than this. The offense was stale, the defense showed no ability to adapt as they continuously went under screens despite Denver’s hot shooting, and no one stepped up to cover Jimmy’s off night. There were flashes of good, such as Bobby Portis finding his stroke and Cristiano Felicio

bringing his energy to go a perfect four of four from the floor. But there were too many negatives to really enjoy those, whether it was Cameron Payne going 2/10 from the field, or Portis continuing to struggle on the defensive ends to stay in front of his man or grab a rebound in traffic.

Next Up: The TNT Bulls are back to take on The Beatles, err, the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night at the UC probably sans Kevin Durant after his injury last night.

Note-A-Bulls: Bulls Win 4th Straight, Top “Kingless” Cavs 117-99

In their second game as the “new-look” Bulls, Jimmy Butler and company faced the Cleveland Cavaliers without Superstar LeBron James. With their recent trade of Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott, the Bulls started Bobby Portis and Jerian Grant, alongside Butler, Wade and Lopez. Both teams got out of the gate extremely slow, missing many of their first shots from the field but the Bulls were able to keep it close and play neck and neck with Cleveland for the first half. A hot shooting night from 3pt-land and a depleted Cavaliers team allowed the Bulls to come out of Cleveland with a win, their 3rd against the Eastern Conference favorite this season.

• The shorthanded Cavaliers looked beatable tonight without their entire Big 3, especially early on in the game.
• 4 ½ minutes into the game the Bulls were shooting 31.3% from the field, and the Cavaliers were shooting 35.7%, prompting announcer Jeff Van Gundy to want to leave the game early.
• The Bulls came into tonight last in 3pt field goal percentage and 3pt field goal attempts, and completed a season high tonight of 15 made 3 pointers in the game.
  • In their second game without sharp-shooter Doug McDermott, the Bulls shot a surprising 50% from behind the arc with the help of rookie Denzel Valentine, newcomer Cameron Payne and the continued great play from Jimmy Butler, who finished with a triple double (18pts, 10reb 10asts).
  • I am still trying to figure out the Bulls plan with Valentine. A month ago, Valentine was between the D-League and the NBA, and I wrote that if he couldn’t crack this version of the Bulls roster, there wasn’t really much hope for him moving forward. However, it seems with the trade of Taj Gibson, Valentine will get that consistent chance he’s been waiting for. With Portis continuing to struggle, and after a 15-point game last night, Valentine finished with 11 points from the field tonight, 3-5 from distance, including two big threes in the 4^th quarter to put the game away. It was nice to see him actually given a chance out on the floor and to see him deliver efficient results.
• It was the Bulls bench that carried them in the first half, accounting for 21/35 points at the 7:58 mark in the 2^nd quarter.
  • Newly acquired guard Cameron Payne made his Bulls debut and finished with 6 points on two 3 pointers. He looked a little uncomfortable bringing the ball up the floor, but was confident shooting. It should be interesting to see how the Bulls use him moving forward, as there is a logjam at the point guard position.
• Former Bull Kyle Korver was quick to impress again, finishing 4/7 from 3pt land and 14 points. He now is 5^th all-time in NBA history for most 3 pointers made in a career, just passing Vince Carter and Jamal Crawford. Korver will be remembered as one of the premier 3-pt shooters in NBA history, yet I still look at his time with the Bulls as a disappointment, as they never were able to run plays for him effectively, never able to get the looks he got tonight from the field.
• At the half, the Bulls, playing one of their better halves of the year besides a few defensive lapses, found themselves down 56-55.
• The second half showed consistency for the Bulls. They were able to take advantage of a Cavaliers team that is now 0-9 when playing with only 1 of their 3 stars.
  • However, their star that did suit up, Kyrie Irving, finished the night with 34 points, an impressive showing.
• To note:  Former Mavericks Guard Deron Williams will be signing with Cleveland for the remainder of the season, adding another scoring piece to Lebron’s arsenal.
• A clock malfunction at the end of the 3^rd quarter allowed Rajon Rondo’s buzzer beater to count, giving them an 89-76 lead and by the 9:14 mark in the 4^th, they were up 20 points, 98-78.
• New Bulls Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne and Antony Morrow (DNP) did not see the floor in the second half, as Fred Hoiberg went the rest of the half with his normal rotation.
  • Unlike last night, Hoiberg decided to stick with Nikola Mirotic down the stretch vs. Denzel Valentine, a questionable decision in my opinion. While Mirotic finished the night with 14 points, and had a big 3-pointer at the end of the game to put it away, he was still only 2/5 from 3 and chose not to box out on a missed free throw by Christiano Felicio, again giving more reason to question his on-the-court commitment that we hear about in media reports.
• This article cannot be complete without mention of Dwyane Wade. After his “poster” of a dunk last night, he continued to turn back the clock, finishing with 20 points, including some nice slashes to the basket and vintage step-back jumpers.

In my eyes, for the first time this season, the Bulls played a full 4 quarters. They were up for the challenge of a road-trip to Cleveland and proved that they still have some fight in them this season. While many of us are hoping they are just good enough to stay out of the playoffs and get that lottery pick, it was encouraging to see good play from young talent. While I don’t cheer often watching this team, I enjoyed seeing a Denzel Valentine 3-pointer swish through the net at a pivotal movement in the game. The rest of the season is about development and seeing what you have in young talent moving forward. While I do not think they did enough at the trade deadline, freeing up the rotation ever so slightly, to now give newcomer Cameron Payne, Jerian Grant and Denzel Valentine an actual opportunity allows the Bulls to actually be watchable. While it may not be pretty at times, these kids have to play to see how you can build for the future.

A funny ending is always nice when you can walk away with a win. Dwyane Wade was a rebound away from a triple double; when Jimmy Bulter swiped away the Cavaliers missed shot to ensure his own triple double. The next possession as the horn sounded, the Cavaliers missed again, Wade jumped to grab the rebound, all alone under the basket, and Christiano Felicio knocked it out of his hands out of bounds as time expired. All Wade could do was smile and succumbed to the fact that Felcio denied him of as he put it,  “greatness.”

• Up Next: the Bulls look to keep their winning streak alive as they take on the Denver Nuggets at the UC on Tuesday.