NEWSLETTER
I woke up at 4:45 a.m. this morning, because some birds were (rudely) chirping outside my window. I’m not necessarily a light sleeper, so trust me when I say these feathered fiends were quite loud. I considered calling the bird police to file a noise complaint, but ultimately figured they weren’t worth the hassle. If they do it again though, I won’t be so kind.
• Hey, we actually got quite a bit of Bulls and NBA news over the last 24 hours! Not only did we learn that Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley’s decision on Jim Boylen is basically made, but also that Bulls assistant coaches are reportedly sniffing around for new gigs. I never like to celebrate lost jobs … but these are some positive updates all things considered. I think we can now feel pretty darn confident that when the NBA finally makes its decision on the fate of the 2019-20 season, the Bulls will begin a coaching search.
• Speaking of which, we now have an idea of when the NBA plans to make that decision:
REPORT: Adam Silver “Aiming for Decision” on Resumption of Play in the Next 2-4 Weekshttps://t.co/SjU6nUBthv
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) May 13, 2020
• Obviously, this doesn’t mean the league’s decision will be to resume the season, but most signs are currently pointed in the right direction. And if the decision is to resume play from where things ended, I’m incredibly interested to see what method of play they choose. In my opinion, a continued regular season in any format feels a bit too much. The fewer people involved, the better, so a jump right to the playoffs or a limited play-in tournament seems like the best option. At the same time though, most deals with RSNs are completed in full when 70 games are played. All teams are only a handful of games away from reaching this benchmark, with the Chicago Bulls currently have played 65.
• We’re also dealing with the problem of “fairness.” Sure, the Bulls are far enough out of the playoff picture where any regular-season games wouldn’t shake anything up, but what about the Trail Blazers? Or the Pelicans? I don’t think many would complain if the Eastern Conference went through with the current 8 seeds, especially with No. 9 seed (the Wizards) still 5.5 back from making the cut. However, owners in the Western Conference would certainly have some complaints. The Blazers, Pelicans, and Kings are all only 3.5 games back from a playoff spot. So is it fair to just shut these teams out? Probably not. However, is fairness a top priority right now? Not really. Not if it means a potentially less safe or more complicated environment. Anyhow, I’m glad I don’t have to make these decisions. I’m very happy to see we finally have a timeline for a decision to be made, but now means the NBA has to kick things into high gear. A lot can happen in a 2-4 week timeframe, in both a positive or negative direction.
• I found another dumb trade idea: Lauri Markkanen straight-up for the Minnesota Timberwolves first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. To be clear, I’m not here to attack the folks who come up with these bizarre proposals. We’re all stuck looking for content and not everything can be a home run … but come on! Grabbing another high lottery pick in this year’s draft isn’t necessarily the most intriguing option. While it never hurts to add young assets, Markkanen is still a young asset himself. Even better, he’s a young asset whom we know a lot more about. Given how rocky this third season was for him, I expect to see many weird trade ideas pop up. Just know, I think his value is perceived far too low right now, and I don’t think the Bulls feel the urge to move him.
• ESPN’s NBA Experts finished ranking the Top-74 players of all time. Who came in first? I don’t even have to answer that question.
• I always like to see praise for my boy Arturas (yeah, we’re on a first name bases now … no big deal).
Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard has known new Bulls exec Arturas Karnizovas since he was a young player. "Arturas is going to do great things for Chicago … he played on a broken foot … going to do whatever it takes to get it done."https://t.co/anafkdF3XB
— Henry Abbott (@TrueHoop) May 12, 2020
• LOL
The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. #TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/hWqdu1HCvY
— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) May 13, 2020
• No. 2 looks like the fabric you’d see in a coach bus from the 90s.
Dennis Rodman was a man of many looks during his time with the Bulls.
In honor of his birthday today, which do you think was the best? pic.twitter.com/uqfYpMILKe
— The Ringer (@ringer) May 13, 2020
