Chicago Bulls

[reignman]

lmfao
αυτος ο τυπος τα ειχε προβλεψει ωρες πριν!

Καλά δεν έκανε κάτι ιδιαίτερο αφού είναι εντελώς προβλέψιμος ο Καρνισόβας. Δεν θα μου κάνει εντύπωση εάν μας φέρει κάνα Γουόλ ή Γουέστρμπρουν αν υπάρξει buy out.

Με τα χαλια που εχουμε ο Westbrook δεν με χαλαει και τοσο. Τουλαχιστον θα τρεξει η ομαδα και θα γινουμε και λιγο ΜΗ προβλεψιμοι, θα υπαρχει και καποιος να μιλαει τοσο στο παρκε οσο και στα αποδυτηρια, εδω που φτασαμε απο τον Ayo και τον Dragic...
Αν κανουν καμια τρελα ομως και κουβαλησουν τον νεκρο wall με τα 24.5 παιχνιδια ανα σεζον τα τελευταια 5 χρονια... καλυτερα να ψησουν τον Ron Harper να επανελθει για μερικους μηνες.

[j-kidd13]

Oυτε εμενα θα με χαλαγε ο Russell,στην παρουσα κατασταση,που η ομαδα ειναι μια μετριοτητα.

Γενικα η ομαδα παει στον αυτοματο εδω και χρονια.
Η ομαδα, δηλαδη ο Τζορνταν, εχτισε ενα τεραστιο brandname,το οποιο ο Jerry κεφαλαιοποιει ακομα και τωρα, εσοδα υπαρχουν και θα υπαρχουν, οι τσεπες γεμιζουν, και η ομαδα ειναι αφημενη σε ενα επιπεδο μετριοτητας,ουτε εντελως χαλια,ουτε και καλη.

[mixalisgate7]

What a debacle.

Even by the low, low standards of the Bulls organization in recent years, Thursday was something to behold.

Some teams have red-letter days at the trade deadline. The Bulls had a four-letter day.

They made no trades, the team’s top basketball executive finally talked and made fans even angrier and then the Bulls lost to the undermanned, cobbled-together Brooklyn Nets, whose front office cleaned up its own, well-publicized mess in short order this week.

It was a shameful day from top to bottom for an organization that talks a big game and never seems to listen to itself.

That the Bulls made no moves at the deadline isn’t shocking. No matter who is in charge, the organization is usually fairly inert this time of year. Jerry Reinsdorf teams don’t handle change very well. I think the same is true for Michael Reinsdorf as well.

Back when the Bulls were good, they never added anyone of consequence at the deadline, so who really thought they would pull something off this time? In Artūras Karnišovas’ first season as executive vice-president of basketball operations, he did take a big shot, sending Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and two top-four protected draft picks to Orlando for Nikola Vučević. One of those picks became Franz Wagner, who is very good, and the other could convey this season.

Vučević is a pending free agent, but he’ll play out the season with the sub-.500 Bulls, who are destined for the play-in tournament, at best.

The Bulls were one of just two teams (the Cleveland Cavaliers were the other) not to make a trade during this period. Before the game in Brooklyn, Karnišovas made a rare media appearance, on the road, to speak to the handful of traveling reporters. He spent around 13 minutes answering questions. Some of what he had to say was realistic and expected of a person in his position. Some of what he said was shockingly tone-deaf. For example: “I think this group can learn from painful losses.”

Is that a good thing?

Karnišovas made excuses for his team and complimented them on keeping some of their harrowing defeats close. I’m not sure I buy it, but he seemed committed to keeping it positive. Karnišovas, hired during the Zoom portion of the pandemic, has almost no relationship with the local media. Reporters try their best to pin down executives with specifics, but we all know the truths come out of action, not news conferences. If he builds a winner, who cares how conversational he is?

But while he has not built a winner, he has constructed a team good enough to get fans angry. At least they care.

While Karnišovas said plenty of mockable things Thursday — “I think if we pulled it out the last game, we would have been in the eighth (play-in tournament) spot,” he said, as if that’s a positive — he also mentioned that there were 28 games left in just about every answer. Maybe that was a tell that he’s counting down until the end of the season, just like everyone else.

Well, there are only 27 games left after the Bulls’ 116-105 loss to the Nets, and Chicago is 26-29, in ninth place and close to being out of the playoff picture. They haven’t been .500 since early November. This is a middling group that has shown no signs of taking a big step forward. To lose to the Nets, a team in chaos, while shooting 5-for-26 from 3-point range tells you a lot about where this team is at mentally.

The Bulls have talent, but the roster is poorly constructed and everyone knows it. It’s a team without chemistry. A roster of individual talent. They need more 3-point shooting and a point guard. Perhaps they’ll find someone in the buyout market, which should be competitive. Last year, the Bulls did nothing at the deadline and then added Tristan Thompson. This summer, they added a rookie (Dalen Terry), a big man (Andre Drummond) who coach Billy Donovan leaves on the bench and an old point guard (Goran Dragic) who barely makes a difference.

It’s a boring team that has done nothing but frustrate the fan base, and likely, each other all season.

There were some spicy rumors at the end about the Bulls exploring a Zach LaVine deal with the New York Knicks at the deadline. All that Karnišovas would admit to was that they were looking to add, not subtract. (To his credit, LaVine had 38 points on 16-for-25 shooting in the loss.)

“I think we have a good team, we have a lot of good players,” Karnišovas said. “And we made calls, we got a lot of calls, it was pretty busy. But at the end of the day, we were buyers. We wanted to improve our team, but we couldn’t capitalize on that.”

Inspiring.

He added that the costs were too high to add players, and if that’s true, he was right not to sacrifice any future picks for a shoddy present.

So what comes next? Karnišovas said they will evaluate the group for the rest of the season. Of course, this is the same core that went 19-23 and then bowed out of the playoffs in five games last season after Lonzo Ball’s last game. What’s left to evaluate?

Ball likely isn’t coming back this season — Karnišovas said they’ll have an update on him after the All-Star break — and who’s to say what he’ll look like when the season starts in the fall.

This Bulls front office, led by Karnišovas and the tight-lipped Marc Eversley, was celebrated for its makeover of the team two summers ago. It did what the GarPax group could not all those years in attracting free agents to Chicago. But then, in a flashback to yesteryear, a knee injury to the point guard crippled hopes. It was a flimsy rebuild, the kind you see on a home improvement show.

At least those Thibs teams had heart. Bulls fans knew the ceiling was low but appreciated that the players would bump their heads on it.

This Bulls team is just disheartening. It’s not an enjoyable entertainment product, but at least it’s also really expensive to see a game at the United Center.

“Like I said, mediocrity and average is not OK with us,” Karnišovas said.

Prove it.

Ο Jon Greenberg όταν έγραφε το άρθρο

[ggr]

Όλα τα λεφτά ήταν η αναφορά στις ομάδες του Θίμποντο και τη σκληράδα τους. Ο τελευταίος καλός προπονητής που είχε το Σικάγο, κατάφερε να κρατήσει ψηλά την ομάδα παρά τους τραυματισμούς. Μου θυμίζουν τους περσινούς Νικς οι φετινοί Μπουλς. Ο τραυματισμός του Λόνζο είναι σημαντική απώλεια αλλά δεν ξέρω αν φταίει μόνο αυτό.

[mixalisgate7]

Ο τραυματισμός του Λόνζο είναι σημαντική απώλεια αλλά δεν ξέρω αν φταίει μόνο αυτό.

Δεν φταίει μόνο αυτό. Λείπουν από την ομάδα σουτέρ και ο Καρνισόβας δεν έκανε τίποτα γι' αυτό. Πέρσι όταν τελείωσε η trade deadline έλεγε ότι ξέρει τα κενά στο ρόστερ (έφερε παραδείγματα των σουτέρ, ο αθλητικός ψηλός) και στην off season θα έκανε τις απαραίτητες κινήσεις, κάτι που δεν έγινε.

[reignman]

Όλα τα λεφτά ήταν η αναφορά στις ομάδες του Θίμποντο και τη σκληράδα τους. Ο τελευταίος καλός προπονητής που είχε το Σικάγο, κατάφερε να κρατήσει ψηλά την ομάδα παρά τους τραυματισμούς. Μου θυμίζουν τους περσινούς Νικς οι φετινοί Μπουλς. Ο τραυματισμός του Λόνζο είναι σημαντική απώλεια αλλά δεν ξέρω αν φταίει μόνο αυτό.

lets be honest, ο HEALTHY Lonzo δεν ηταν παρα ο 4ος-5ος καλυτερος παιχτης της ομαδας. Δεν ηταν KD-superstar level, ουτε καν allstar level.
Το γεγονος οτι χανοντας τον Lonzo οι Βulls διπλωσαν και εγιναν επιτοπου ομαδα που ειναι κατω απο το .500 δειχνει οτι απλα εγινε ΠΟΛΥ ΚΑΚΗ δουλεια στο team building. Υπαρχουν πολλα κομματια που δεν κολλανε ειτε μεταξυ τους ειτε με το modern basketball του σημερα.

Δεν γινεται να υπαρχουν τοσα guard που είτε δεν σουταρουν , είτε δεν μπορουν να παιξουν αμυνα, δεν γινεται να υπαρχουν τοσα guard που δεν μπορουν να δημιουργησουν.
Δεν γινεται να μην υπαρχει ουτε μισο τεσσαρι στο ροστερ και να παιζουμε στο 4 με 3αρια και 2αρια.
Δεν γινεται να φερνεις ως 1A-1B τον Derozan (η μεταγραφη του και τα λεφτα που δωσαμε για να τον φερουμε μου θυμισαν 100% την κινηση απελπισιας οταν πληρωσαμε τον boozer πριν χρονια... αφου ειχαμε φαει ακυρα απο lebron, wade, bosh, carmelo) για διαφορετικους λογους ομως.
Αρχικα ο DeMar δεν ηταν ποτε "batman" που λεμε πλεον. Ακομα και στο Τοροντο μολις ερχοταν τα playoffs ηθελε να γινει robin στον batman του Lowry ο οποιος ουτε αυτος ηταν batman αλλα εβγαινε μπροστα και ηταν ο ηγετης τους τοτε (ειδικα στα playoffs οπου ο demar εκανε βουτια καθε χρονο.) Οπως ο Boozer στα playoffs τοτε με το Chicago απο 20-10 παιχτης τσακ σε 2 playoff runs οπου τοσο ο Rose οσο και ολη η ομαδα τον χρειαζοταν να ειναι το πραγματικο #2 ο Boozer εκανε 2 playoffs με 13 ποντους και 7-8 ριμπαουντς μεσο ορο.
Ετσι και ο DeMar περαν του οτι στα Playoffs απο DeRozan γινεται DeFrozen... ειναι και ταυτοχρονα ενας απαρχαιομενος παιχτης, περασμενων δεκαετιων, iso ball, hero ball, ball stoper, rythm killer. Για να καταφερει να προσφερει επιθετικα θελει την μπαλα στα χερια του. ΓΙΑ ΠΟΛΥ ΩΡΑ ομως. Να κανει τις ντριμπλες του, να φτασει στο spot του, και αν εχει καταφερει να δημιουργησει seperation μεταξυ του ιδιου και του αμυντικου του να σουταρει, αν δεν το εχει καταφερει θα ξεκινησει 3-4-5-6 προσποιησεις... μεχρι να τσιμπησει ο αμυντικος και να παρει το φαουλ. αν αποτυχει και αυτο τοτε ψαχνει bail out πασα με 3-4" να απομενουν...

Καπως ετσι ομως καιμε και το σημαντικοτερο, νεαροτερο και ΔΥΝΑΤΟΤΕΡΟ χαρτι μας. Τον LaVine , ο οποιος LaVine (οκ ειναι χαζος, το bbiq του δεν ειναι αυτο που τον κανει να ξεχωριζει...) παρα τα κακα του θα μπορουσε να ειναι απο τα καλυτερα #2 ή #3 σε παρα πολλες ομαδες που πανε για deep playoff run, ειναι γρηγορος, αθλητικος, οταν θελει μπορει να παιξει τρομερη on ball αμυνα(το εχει αποδειξει πολλες φορες και φετος) και το κυριοτερο... ειναι καλος και efficient σουτερ και σκορερ και στα 3 επιπεδα.

Ακομα και ο Vucevic ειναι πιο χρησιμος σε μια καλη ομαδα απο τον DeMAr , ναι εχει παναργα ποδια ειδικα οταν μιλαμε για lateral movement, δεν ειναι αλτικος οποτε αμεσως ξερουμε οτι δεν μπορει να προσφερει rim protection, αλλα δεν ειναι αθλιος αμυντικος, κραταει καλα χωρους, παιζει εξυπνα το σωμα και τα χερια του κουνιουνται διαρκως. Ειναι κινητη μηχανη double double, μπορει και αυτος να σκοραρει και στα 3 επιπεδα και κυριως ειναι εξαιρετικος πασερ(που φυσικα επειδη η μπαλα πηγαινει καπου συγκεκριμενα συνηθως... σχεδον ποτε δεν εκμεταλευομαστε ουτε τα δυνατα σημεια του vuc).

[mixalisgate7]

Άλλο ένα ωραίο άρθρο στο The Athletic.

There is no justification for the Chicago Bulls doing nothing at the NBA trade deadline.

In his first public comments since media day about the underachieving and underwhelming team he assembled, Arturas Karnišovas’ attempts came off as tone-deaf as he voiced disappointment rather than defeat.

The whole basketball community can see this Bulls team, without Lonzo Ball, is supremely flawed and in need of a reset. Yet, the Bulls’ chief basketball executive explained his decision to sit idle for a second consecutive trade deadline by expressing continued faith in his failed roster. The same roster that has yet to win four straight games this season and hasn’t been .500 since early November. The same roster that has blown four games while leading by at least 16 points. The same roster that occasionally beats teams with the best records and often loses to teams with the worst records.

The same roster that promptly proved again how utterly unfit it is as a serious playoff contender with a 116-105 road loss to the blown-up Brooklyn Nets before a nationally televised TNT audience Thursday.

“We have a good team,” Karnišovas told reporters hours before the game. “We have a lot of good players. We made calls. We got a lot of calls. It was pretty busy. But at the end of the day, we were also buyers. We wanted to improve our team. But we couldn’t capitalize on that.”

Improvement could have come in many ways.

The Bulls could have used this deadline as a vehicle, like virtually every other team that rode the wild wave one way or another. Instead, after inexcusable inaction, Chicago joined Cleveland as the only two franchises that didn’t make an in-season trade. The Cavs acquired All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, whom the Bulls know quite well, just six weeks before the start of the regular season. Meanwhile, it’s just business as usual for the Bulls.

“I still have confidence in this group right now,” Karnišovas said. “If we would have pulled out the (Memphis) game, we would have been in the eighth spot. So there’s still wiggle room. There’s some parity in the East. I think the trade deadline kind of shifted some quality more toward the West. So there’s a chance obviously to compete in the Eastern Conference.”

Addition by another team’s subtractions?

By following their trade of Kyrie Irving to Dallas with a blockbuster deal that sent Kevin Durant to Phoenix, the Nets no longer are even fringe championship contenders. In theory, they’re one fewer team the Bulls need to worry about. In reality, the Nets still outclassed the Bulls even while short-handed.

As for the teams undeniably better than the Bulls, led by Boston and Milwaukee, they only improved more. The Celtics landed sharpshooting big man Mike Muscala, while the Bucks added another versatile wing in Jae Crowder. Even the teams in the Bulls’ range made attempts to upgrade. Atlanta acquired skilled forward Saddiq Bey from Detroit. Toronto welcomed back center and defensive cog Jakob Poeltl.

With ample evidence that the roster requires more shooting — highlighted again in a 5 of 26 night from 3-point range against the Nets — the Bulls wasted an opportunity to add a much-needed marksman. Shooters like Luke Kennard went from the LA Clippers to Memphis, and Eric Gordon went from Houston to the Clippers. But the cost of doing business, Karnišovas said, was too much to bolster the roster. It’s also worth noting that the Bulls remain short on draft capital due to the pile of compensation Karnišovas sent Orlando and San Antonio to acquire Nikola Vučević and DeMar DeRozan.

“After looking at the return and what we had to give up to improve the team, we thought it was prudent to stick to this group for the next 28 games,” Karnišovas said.

That says the Bulls are only delaying the process.

Karnišovas is known for being silent, not stupid. He sees this roster, his roster, as an abject failure. But it’s not like he can come out hours after the deadline and trash all the players he didn’t trade. Where Karnišovas crossed the line was in expressing belief in anything this bunch is remotely capable of achieving moving forward. We know better. We’ve seen enough. Anything to the contrary is an insult to the intelligence of the observer.

Karnišovas could have taken a hard-handed public stance and reassured his fan base that the product they’ve been subjected to — out-of-sync offense one night, non-existent defense the next — is in no way acceptable. He made a passing mention of mediocrity not being tolerated in Chicago. But by passing once again at the deadline, months after doing little in free agency, Karnišovas sent a round and clear message that, for now, this franchise is comfortable in the middle.

“I am disappointed in terms of results,” Karnišovas said. “Inconsistency is what’s disappointing to me. But those guys are still hanging in there. Players and coaches are doing a great job hanging in there. We have 28 games left. We have to improve our position. Each team probably says the same thing. So we’re going to battle, and we’ll see what happens.”

In a season that began with internal expectations of improving beyond last season’s first-round appearance, the Bulls suddenly are satisfied reaching for low-hanging fruit in an admittedly watered-down conference.

If the league was filled with buyers Thursday, as Karnišovas said, the Bulls missed a plum opportunity to pivot and sell. But after parting with promising young players such as Wendell Carter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen early in his tenure, Karnišovas perhaps is overcorrecting by overvaluing his current players. He can only play that game for so much longer. The team’s underachievement this season, mixed with its clear ceiling and questionable future, suggests Karnišovas should have hunted the highest bidder all along.

What is the point of keeping this collection together? And what exactly is Karnišovas’ plan?

The answers to both Thursday felt like one big, “We’ll see.”

Meanwhile, the clock continues ticking toward this roster’s inevitable expiration. Vučević is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and although Karnišovas voiced confidence in the Bulls’ chances of re-signing him it doesn’t take much thought to deem it unlikely.

Vučević has struggled at times to fit in while being unable to play his preferred style as the third scoring option behind DeRozan and Zach LaVine. Couple that with the team’s losing and one must ask if Vučević truly sees a future in Chicago. When his defensive shortcomings are factored in, you start wondering whether it’s wise for the Bulls to even want him back.

Trading Vučević for the best haul would have been more beneficial to the long-term viability of the franchise than playing, “Let’s See What Happens!” down the stretch. Even if the Bulls took back long-term salary, they likely could have secured future draft capital along with a young prospect. Now, Vučević can walk for nothing.

The clunky fit between DeRozan and LaVine will continue. DeRozan has one more year on his contract after this season, and trading him now could have been the epitome of selling high. He would have given a title contender two postseason runs. But that ship officially sailed last week when DeRozan was named an All-Star for the sixth time. The problem is if the Bulls look to trade him this summer, they’ll now be shopping a one-year rental.

For a few hours, Bulls fans had rumors of a LaVine trade to the Knicks. It was the only buzz that suggested the Bulls brass wasn’t out on the links. It sounds like New York and others called for LaVine more than the Bulls put him on the table. But the rumor built so much traction, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the two sides revisit talks this summer. The Knicks are one of the few teams more desperate for a star than the Bulls. A swap could satisfy all parties, but a lot can happen with more than two dozen games remaining. No one would have batted an eye if the Bulls chose to get off LaVine’s max contract now while he’s in the first year of the five-year, $215 million deal.

As a franchise short on draft capital and one pushing the luxury tax, Chicago has limited options moving forward to significantly improve. That’s why the Bulls couldn’t afford to allow Thursday’s deadline to come and go without the league hearing from them.

“We turned the roster around the last couple of years,” Karnišovas said. “We’ve done deals in the summertime that a lot of people said that we couldn’t do. So I think there are ways to improve it. It’s just the timing is going to depend on when you make those moves. This is just a collection of information in the next 28 games of where we are.”

For the Bulls, that place is comfortably in the middle.

[reignman]

Αλλο ενα παιχνιδι για να μας κλαινε χθες.
Ειμασταν μπροστα σχεδον σε ολο το ματς. Απο την 3η περιοδο σιγα σιγα αρχισαμε να τρεκλιζουμε και στην 4η ηρθε η ολικη καταρρευση οπου καποια στιγμη ειχαμε σκοραρει 6 ποντους σε 8-9 λεπτα. Στα 10 λεπτα ομως ειχαμε βαλει 13!
Ο Drummond επαιξε 11 λεπτα και καταφερε οποτε ηταν στο παρκε να μας καταστρεφει οτι ρυθμο ειχαμε. Κινητη μηχανη λαθων και γκαφας.
Ο Pat williams ξεκινησε καυτος με 9 ποντους στην 1η περιοδο, στο 10ο λεπτα βγηκε και ξαναμπηκε στην 2η περιοδο 3 λεπτα πριν το τελος. Τελειωσε το ματς με 13 ποντους.
Αλλο ενα ματς που πατωνουμε επιθετικα με 89 ποντους (back 2 back 89αρες ).
Το καλο ειναι οτι μενουν 26 παιχνιδια (2 χρονια..) που ο Karnisovas θα κανει evaluation την ομαδα.

[reignman]

[Quincy]

Έκανε και γιουροστεπ ποικιλία προχτές

[reignman]

Oρεξη να εχουν στο ΤΝΤ να φτιαξουν ενα βιντεο μιας ωρας shaqtin a fool ΜΟΝΟ για τον Drummond.

Εδω αυτος ο τυπος με κωμικο τονο τα λεει ολα.

[mixalisgate7]

Ελπίζω στο τέλος της σεζόν να μας αδειάσουν τη γωνιά μετά το φετινό βατερλό οι Karnisovas, Marc Eversley & Billy Donovan.

[ssoulliss]

Οι Bulls και προ Jordan ηταν αυτό περίπου που βλέπουμε σήμερα, δηλαδή ένα Franchise - μη προσιτό σε superstar - και χωρίς ιδιαίτερο διοικητικό πλάνο. Η μια διαφορά είναι πως τώρα έχει περισσότερους φίλους ανά τον κόσμο, ειδικά σε ηλικίες άνω των 35, η δεύτερη πως πλέον είναι οι αυξημένες απαιτήσεις γιατί το κοινό του Σικάγο δεν πιστεύει ότι είναι π.χ. Timberwolves ή Hornets που εώς τώρα έχουν κάνει μια τρύπα στο νερό.

Λες και ο Jordan άφησε κάποια "Ευχή" όταν αποχώρησε το 1998.

[mixalisgate7]

Ο ΝτεΡόζαν έχει πρόβλημα στο μηρό και δεν αναμένεται να παίξει με τους Πέισερς.

[reignman]