The Bulls Aren’t Getting Talked About Enough
From ESPN mock trades to a wild game in Madison Square Garden, I broke down everything notable from last night’s games. Let’s get into it.
Chicago Bulls vs New York Knicks
This game was crazy. It was a tale of two halves for both teams. The Bulls dominated the first half, making things look too easy on offense.
But the Knicks, as they always do, made things interesting. A wild start to the 4th quarter saw the Knicks take the lead and it was a heated contest down this stretch.
However, the Bulls proved to be too much in the end, hanging on for a dramatic win between the offseason’s two most aggressive suitors.
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls continue to play well, against all odds. Through a series of injuries, a tough schedule, and no depth down low, the Bulls have remained an elite team in the Eastern Conference. In this game, they nearly blew away a 20-point lead, but once again, came through late to break the heart of New Yorkers.
Let’s break down their offensive magistery in this game.
Nikola Vucevic Is Back
After struggling for most of the season, Nikola Vucevic has turned in some strong performances as of late. After a great game against Charlotte last Friday, he dominated the Knicks last night.
Vucevic was killing the Knicks with his pick-and-pops. While Mitchell Robinson is a great interior defender, he looked like a fish out of water trying to stay with Vucevic on the perimeter.
Here, the Knicks commit hard to a driving DeRozan, leaving Vucevic open on the perimeter. Robinson has to try and close out from the paint, which is damn near impossible when you’re dealing with Vucevic.
I don’t have to analyze these two 3’s. Vucevic, twice in a tightly contested 4th quarter, just simply pops off of a screen and finds himself wide open. You would think that New York would change their defense at some point, right?
When Vucevic is clicking, I don’t know how on earth you’re supposed to stop the Bulls. They already have two mid-range maestros in DeRozan and Lavine. If those two weren’t hard enough to stop, here’s one of the best shooting big guys in the NBA.
Oh? And Lonzo Ball is distributing the basketball? Yeah, that’s a wrap.
The Immense Value of Alex Caruso
If you’ve been keeping up with me this season, you know I love Alex Caruso. The Bald Eagle has turned into one of the best role players in the NBA. With his superb defense and excellent playmaking, he is the perfect 6th man for this Bulls team.
While his value might not come in the scoring department, he does so many other things well that help the Bulls win. When you see this stat line, it doesn’t scream valuable.
6 points – 6 rebounds – 6 assists – 29% FG – 4 steals – 30 minutes
Sure, the assists and rebounds are good, but he didn’t do all that much in 30 minutes, right? What I forgot to mention in that box score was Caruso’s plus/minus from last night;
+21 (Game-High)
So even though he wasn’t scoring, Caruso was incredibly effective when he was on the court. And that trend has followed Caruso throughout his 2022 campaign.
Chicago Bulls ORtg W/ Caruso (620 Min): 113.1 ORtg
Chicago Bulls ORtg W/O Caruso (437 Min): 107.9 ORtg
Chicago Bulls Opp ORtg W/ Caruso: 104.9 ORtg (opp)
Chicago Bulls Opp ORtg W/O Caruso: 108.6 ORtg (opp)
Caruso on floor = good things
New York Knicks
Why can’t this team be more consistent? The Knicks looked great in the 2nd half, after looking like crap in the first half. Their defense looked poor again and they couldn’t get anything going. The Knicks came up short in the end, as they couldn’t contain the Bulls and all their weapons.
It’s been the same story for the Knicks all year long; not consistent enough. The Knicks have been the most disappointing team in the NBA this year and they can’t figure things out.
Missed Opportunities In The 4th Quarter
The Knicks had opportunities to win this game down the stretch. While they came up short in the end, a few plays earlier on the in the 4th kneecapped their attempts to win this game. Get ready to watch some cruel basketball.
Obi Toppin makes a great defensive play, spurring a fastbreak opportunity. Going against the smaller Caruso in a foot race to the rim, Toppin is in a prime position to score.
Instead of doing that, Toppin loses the ball on the way up, and then Caruso steals the ball. Luckily for the Knicks, the Bulls aren’t able to grow their lead after this. A score from Toppin would have cut the lead to three.
Alec Burks had a chance to tie the game at 99. Instead, he missed and the Knicks were down one. To make matters worse, Nikola Vucevic hit another 3 to push the lead to four. Had Burks made that free throw, it would be a one-possession game.
Cruel
Even worse, Burks was 9/10 from the line during the game. This was his only miss.
CRUEL
IQ has a chance to put the Knicks up 3 and send the Garden into a frenzy. But Lonzo Ball plays perfect transition defense and Chicago responds shortly thereafter to reclaim the lead.
Again, CRUEL!
One final example for the road, and this one may hurt the worst.
Randle, one of the most crucial possessions of the games, loses the ball. He’s out of control and the Knicks throw the game away.
The Knicks had 4 turnovers in the 4th quarter. While they did shoot 60% from the field overall, they missed some give me’s at the rim. Off of great defensive plays, the Knicks were unable to capitalize and ran out of steam in the end.
Mitchell Robinson Is A Defensive God
While there weren’t too many positives from this game, Mitchell Robinson again proves to be the unsung hero of this team. Robinson might have been torched by Vucevic from the perimeter, but no one can get by him down low.
While his injury concerns are prevalent, Robinson is an elite defender that nobody talks about. So I will.
Look at the ground he covers on this play to get the block. He starts on the perimeter, shading Zach Lavine.
The ball gets swung over to Dosunmu, so Robinson scrambles like a mad man to cover Vucevic down low.
Eventually, Javonte Green gets the ball on the baseline. Robinson, still running around, somehow blocks Green’s floater. Using his 7’4″ wingspan, Robinson gets his 2nd block of the night.
Robinson again stays level on the screen, right on a driving Lonzo Ball. As Ball attacks, Robinson takes away a lob down low to Vucevic while also playing ball.
When Ball eventually shoots the ball, Robinson’s contest is enough to force a miss. Superb pick-and-roll defense.
Robinson is such a good defender. His length and quickness make him a lethal combo for opposing players to try and score on him. You saw his great athleticism on display when he ran around, eventually blocking Javonte Green. And you just saw his great fundamentals, shutting down a pick-and-roll action involving Ball.
It’s a shame that the Knicks are back to being awful again, but Robinson has been having another great defensive season.
Portland Trail Blazers (114-83 L)
I get that Dame and Nassir Little were out, but seriously? The Spurs?
The offense struggled to get going all night, as Portland shot just 35% from the field. The starting unit again struggled to keep an offensively challenged Spurs team in front of them and Portland trailed for most of the game.
This team continues to struggle, but this was a very winnable game. The Blazers have the 2nd toughest schedule in the Western Conference in December. We’re going to be playing good teams every night, so this is now or never.
“My biggest concern, I think, at the moment, is I want us to compete harder, man. I want us to compete harder,” Billups said. “I want us to be competitive in every game. And I don’t feel like every night we do that. We don’t. And it concerns me. And I’ve felt that way in a lot of our wins. This is not just after a loss, me saying this.”
I think that sums up things well.
(Anfernee Simons got hurt in this game as well. Everything that can be going wrong is going wrong).
ESPN’s ‘Five Big Trades That Could Shake Up The Playoffs’
An ESPN+ article came out yesterday, talking about some trades that could impact the playoffs. From contenders fixing their minor flaws to fringe teams trying to make a push, there were a lot of ideas thrown out in this article.
There were a few trades that caught my eye, so I reacted to them and gave my thoughts.
https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/32763408/five-big-trades-shake-nba-playoff-picture
Golden State Gets Another All-Star
Golden State Receives: Domantas Sabonis
Indiana Receives: James Wiseman – Johnathan Kuminga – Moses Moody
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors got bullied by the Suns’ center tandem of Ayton and McGee, exposing their lack of size down low. Sabonis isn’t a great defender by any means, but he’s physical and would be another obstacle in front of the rim.
Offensively, Sabonis would be a match made in heaven with Golden State. He can shoot, pass, rebound, and handle. Similar to Draymond Green, he would be a versatile weapon for the Warriors to move around a lot. A frontcourt featuring two of the best passing bigs in the league would be nearly impossible to stop.
The Warriors are losing three of their better youngsters, but if they’re getting a player like Sabonis who can help them this much? I don’t think they would hesitate for long before pulling the trigger on this trade.
Indiana Pacers
The only reason this trade wouldn’t happen is because of the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers have had good teams over the years, but they don’t have any success to show for it.
After years of mediocrity and disappointment, it’s time for Indiana to pull the plug and rebuild. However, I don’t expect this decision to come. While Sabonis’s trade value has never been higher, Indiana would have to do a lot more.
If they were to move Sabonis, they would also have to move a lot of other guys. From Turner and Brogdon to TJ Warren, Indiana would have to clean house. They have a lot of talented veterans who wouldn’t fit their new rebuilding timeline.
However, while it would be a lot of work, I think Indiana has to bite the bullet. Instead of settling for mediocrity, why pass up on the chance to start fresh? If they sold most of their assets, they would be loaded with picks and players for the future. While it’s a tough decision, it might give them the perfect opportunity to enter a new era of Pacers basketball.
Realism: 6/10
Warriors Grade: A+
Pacers Grade: A-
Minnesota Swings A Trade; Tries To Make Postseason Push
Minnesota Receives: Larry Nance Jr
Portland Receives: Josh Okogie – Jake Layman – 2022 FRP (with a bunch of dumb protections)
Minnesota Timberwolves
I don’t get this move for Minnesota. While Nance is an upgrade, do they actually need him? They already have Jaden McDaniels and Jarred Vanderbilt, two versatile wings that fit their style perfectly. While Nance would give them a small-ball center look to throw a curveball at teams, I don’t see the point.
Losing an elite perimeter defender like Josh Okogie would suck because he’s been great this season. If the T-Wolves wanted to make a push for the playoffs, they should do something like this;
Timberwolves Receive: Harrison Barnes – 2023 2nd Round Pick (Protected)
Kings Receive: Taurean Prince – Josh Okogie – Jake Layman
Adding Harrison Barnes, a more offensive-minded wing, would help Minnesota more.
Portland Trail Blazers
No.
Realism Grade: 1/10
Timberwolves Grade: D+
Blazers Grade: F
What Are Your Thoughts From Last Night’s Games? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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