That didn't go so well.
Through the first 30 minutes of this game, the Bulls offense took everything the Raptors defense gave them. And the Raptors defense gave the Bulls everything, because, well, they're the Raptors defense. Going into tonight's game, Toronto had given up the most points per game in the NBA, as well as scored the most points per game of any team. That slightly brilliant achievement has only happened once in the NBA, with the 1981-82 Denver Nuggets, and it's probably not a good thing. It would explain their 3-4 record before tonight.
So, when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object, who wins? Clue: it wasn't the Bulls. Here's the report card.
Joakim Noah continues to be brilliant. He played Chris Bosh as well as he could be played, essentially shutting him down in the third quarter. He boarded as usual, passed as per usual, and finished as is now usual for him too. He was the reason the Bulls were winning, and, as it turns out, the reason they didn't get blown out. Our relatively successful 4-4 start so far has been because of him.
Salmons continues to be awful. As bad as his jumpshot has been, it's been perhaps better than the alternative, which seems solely to feature driving to the rim and being blocked. He has absolutely no elevation right now - he never did, but it's gotten worse - and even though he's contributing occasionally on the glass and on defense, he's here to score. And he couldn't be doing a much worse job of it.
Rose, too, is here to score, but he's no doing it eithert. The Bulls thoroughly depressing lack of spacing is denying him many of the driving opportunities that used to gape at him, and in fairness to him, he's countered with an effective midrange jumpshot that he's using at timely intervals. Yet worryingly, even when he's in the paint, Rose has almost exclusively chosen to pass out of it. There's no reason for this, but it's happening, and even when it leads to Bulls baskets it's rarely a good play. These are his shots that he's turning down. Furthermore, his defense on Calderon was open season, and while he's not making mistakes, he's not making a great many plays either. I'd rather the latter, warts and all.
Gibson did what Gibson does. He challenged around the rim, including one poster block on DeMar Derozan, and he hit the 15 foot jumpshots over defenders who apparently still aren't aware that he can do that. He also fought on the offensive boards, to good effect, and won some points through "energy" and "hustle" alone. (Tired old cliches for the win.) However, he did his usual thing of not defensive rebounding, took some bad shots at times, and picked up some silly fouls. He was once again a useful contributor, yet once again he was overplayed and overmatched.
Taj played as much as he did, though, because Brad Miller was awful. This is perhaps to be expected; second games of back-to-backs aren't kind of already-slow 11 year veterans, and Toronto's highly athletic front line made this game a terrible matchup for him too. Nonetheless, Miller contributed roughly nothing, much like the rest of the bench.
Kirk Hinrich has gone through month-long shooting slumps before, so this isn't a new wrinkle. But we can't afford him to keep doing it. He normally takes only decent looks, but when he gets an open 18 footer, he's got to hit it if he's not going to be a detriment to the offense. And he's not been doing that.
Deng started well, but the man who has always disappeared in fourth quarters did so once again tonight. He hit a good deal of his shots early, but he wound up with only 18 points on 19 shots overall, a very poor ratio. Deng boarded well and played decent defense, but without a premier wing player to focus on, that wasn't worth as much tonight as it usually is.
For the Raptors, Reggie Evans redefined the term "smart casual" with a seminal jacket-and-rugby-shirt combo, and Raptors coach Jay Triano wore a poppy that looked more like a fresh bulletwound. Their interior defense was terribly shy, but at least Jose Calderon got to be a slasher again for one night only. The highlight of the game was a lone Toronto fan giving Taj Gibson a "FLAAAAAAAAAANDERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRS!!!!"-like chant as he missed a pair of free throws. Other than that, it was a highly forgettable night.
Through the first three quarters, the Bulls moved the ball, ran the floor, channelled as much of the Raptors offense into the lane as they could, and suppressed it as best they could. They never led it huge - because, you know, they can't hit a shot - but they led comfortably.
But once the fourth quarter came around, it all went to pieces. The Bulls went ice cold, not making a basket over the last 9 minutes of play, and somehow put up only 28 points in the second half to over 60 in the first. I had jokingly tweeted at half time that the Bulls would score 32 points in the third quarter and none in the fourth, thus still managing to avoid cracking the 93 point barrier at any point this season, but I didn't think they'd actually come close to that. And yet they did.
They stopped scoring the ball because they stopped running. There were no transition opportunities any more, and no off-the-ball movement. All the things they had done with such aplomb in the first half, they stopped doing, and it wasn't because the Raptors denied them. Instead, the Bulls looked extremely tired, as was perhaps befitting of a team that was playing the second night of a back to back, on the road, after a hell of a game one, with only an 8 man rotation.
With 26 sets of back-to-back games this season, the Bulls can't just afford to write off all the game two's as losses, particularly when talking about winnable games such as this. Yet it's also inevitable that a team with such a short rotation will really feel it on the second night. And that's exactly what happened here. They were getting high percentage looks, winning the rebounding battle and causing turnovers on defense, yet all of those things just disappeared as players started doubling over at halfcourt.
These are the unfortunate side effects of a transition season.
Filed under: Game Threads
Tags: Bad Times, chicago bulls, Game 8, game thread, report card, toronto raptors
Also, I don't normally find much fault with VDN's rotations, but he got a few wrong tonight. He took out Noah when he picked up his fifth foul with 5 minutes left, which is OK I suppose, but he didn't put him back in until there were two minutes left, with the Bulls already down 9. What was he saving him for if it wasn't for those game-deciding minutes?
In Vinnys defense Noah looked like he was about to drop.
He can't have been slower and flatter footed than Miller was.
Mark you were slow with the post game tonight lol. The first half was real fun and we were great both offensively and defensively and than came the 2nd half. We still were ok in the 3rd but you could just see as the game went on the legs got heavy. We could buy a shot, Derrick who was hitting the jumper in the 1st half could do it in the 2nd. We were getting out rebounded on the defensive end by Bosh, Bargs and Amir which gave them 2nd chance points. Brad and John made me cry for Nocioni tonigth. The game pretty much ended when Deng inbounded the ball to Noah who looked like he had cement shoes on because of fatigue and than he commited the clear path foul. As for Rose wow just wow. He dribbles and he dribbles and thats about it folks. Either he goes to the basket and kicks it our or take a funky little mid range j that makes you cringe. Is he hurt or is he suffering from yeast infection?
I was slow because I was giving myself the opportunity to calm down. Got a bit annoyed towards the end.
I understand fully. I actually turned it off when we went down 8.
Oh and Mark on NBA LP the Toronto Broadcast only was shown and wow it was brutal, there was 48 minutes played, 40 of which were all Reggie Evans on the bench cheering and 8 minutes dedicated to the actual game. Also their broadcasters are extreme homers with all of the Toronto players, made me sick.
I watched the Toronto broadcast too. Leo Rautins talks way too much, and only talks about what just happened, not what's going to happen. He bugs me.
for some reason LP only showed the Toronto broadcast and not the Bulls.
Mark,
The more I see Taj Gibson develop, the more I think this trade could work.
To Bulls: Marcus Camby (defensive-minded veteran and double-double guy) and Mardy Collins (he shot 40% from the 3pt-line last year)
To Clippers: Tyrus Thomas and Jerome James
http://www.realgm.com/src_checktrade.php?tradeid=5278402
The Clippers have 4 Centers (Camby, Kaman, Jordan and Skinner), so Camby might be very attainable. What do you think?
I'd do the trade, but don't be relying on Mardy Collins to be a shooter. He's a big guard, a turnover prone slasher, but not a shooter.
Actually, I might not do the trade. Not sure.
No, forget it, I wouldn't do it.
We wouldnt lose any cap space because both Camby and Collins both expire at the end. Collins has gotten no time after having a solid 2nd half last season. Not sure how Camby is playing this year but once Blake comes back it will be very very croweded front court.
Mark,
Wouldn't Camby make for another good mentor for Taj and Joakim?
If Tyrus isn't in the Bulls long-term plans, why not start Taj and see what he can do? Not too mention, give him another veteran to learn from. That way, the Bulls can get a better feel for what to do next summer in free-agency.
Joakim doesnt need a mentor, he is a man now and a beast.
Brad Miller seemed to help Joakim Develop, maybe Camby could help Taj develop?
That's a nice reasonable trade to make.
Of course, the way are guards are shooting the ball, I wouldn't mind seeing the Bulls go after Anthony Morrow or Kelenna Azubuike from Golden State. I guess the Warriors are in the top 5 when it comes to 3pt-shooting and both those guys are free-agents next year. Just pray that the Warriors can't trade Stephen Jackson.
Morrow is pretty untouchable in GS, Azubuike can be had but I believe he has two years left and I am not sure what would work between us.
Actually, Kelenna Azubuike is in a similar situation to John Salmons. They both have a 1 year player option left on their contracts. Azubuike is making $3 million, so I have to believe he will opt out. Salmons is near $5 million, so he could go either way.
PF - Gibson/Miller
C - Noah/Camby/Gray
Does that really look all that bad for the rest of the season?
Mark - thank you for the reference to Reggie Evans' wardrobe malfunction. hahaha. even as a Raps fan, my boys & i were all making fun of him last night. and for the Leo Rautins diss... that being said, i'm glad you guys have Chuck Swirsky and not us. i hate that little bald man. he can take his salami & cheese and stuff it!
more importantly, a big kudos for the uncensored, unbiased recap of the game. so refreshing to just be told as it is. i'm sick of all these Toronto reporters saying 'the Raptors defense came alive in the 4th quarter' - because it didn't. the Bulls just got worn out from running in the 1st half and putting up 60 fricken points on this terribly weak defensive squad.
no comment on the turnover when Jarret Jack beat a cement-filled-boot-running-in-quicksand Rasho Nesterovic to the loose ball for the lay-in? c'mon son, that was priceless!
Brad Miller was so slow running back on that play that I think he's still going.
I am pretty sure Brad has taken Taj under his wing as well. I would do the trade. Tyrus time in Chicago ended for me last year and i rather get something for him than just seeing him walk in the offseason.