NEWSLETTER
Mug choice is key to enjoying your morning coffee. The wrong mug and you might as well have woken up on the wrong side of the bed.
• Thaddeus Young is as good at hiding his angst as a 13-year-old who’s got Twenty One Pilots on repeat. Be it complaining about his minutes or holding his teammates accountable in the locker room, Young’s first season in a Chicago Bulls uniform hasn’t exactly gone according to plan. With that said, I don’t really blame him for expressing any level of frustration. He joined the organization as the dumpster fire reached its peak, and I admire his ability to maintain professionalism while simultaneously oozing frustration.
• Speaking of which, we saw him do exactly that again during an interview with AAU Sports (embedded below). When asked how he fits in with the Bulls style of play, Young hesitated a bit before putting together the following answer: “The Bulls style of play is slightly different than any other team I’ve kind of played been on. Mostly because what they’ve kind of done is kind of change into where it’s a lot of 3’s and layups as opposed to just having an overall game. So I see myself fitting in as kind of the in-between guy who can kind of help get those guys shots and kind of go out there and do all the dirty work.”
• I decided to put Young’s answer through the B.S. Translator (I’m already in the process of getting a patent, so don’t think about stealing it!), and here’s what came out: “The Bulls don’t really have a style of play. In fact, this season was the biggest mess I ever experienced over my 13-year-long career. Jim Boylen decided we should shoot a bunch of 3’s and layups because that’s what the advanced analytics say is best, but he failed to consider that’s not what the talent on our roster is best at. My fit for this team – as things currently stand – just doesn’t make sense. I mean, I averaged a career-high in 3-point attempts per game this season … that’s dumb. Anyway, screw it all. This season sucked eggs.” Amen.
• The rest of Young’s interview has nothing to do with the Bulls season, but it’s still an entertaining listen. He’s one hell of a smart guy and does a lot of good. It’s easy to see why he’s such a respected player.
• I’ve actually seen some folks say Daniel Gafford should be this team’s starting center. We all know I love me some Gafford, but Carter Jr. is still easily the right choice. While I too would like to see him clock some minutes at power forward next season, Carter Jr. has already proven he can hang with some of the more traditional centers in the NBA.
We Have Plenty of Reasons to be Pumped About Wendell Carter Jr.’s Future in Chicagohttps://t.co/BmlKURbeBH
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) July 7, 2020
• Also, I think we should stop putting so much weight on the fact that he’s undersized. Not only does that matter way less in today’s NBA, but he’s proven he can hang with the big boys when fully healthy. I want to see him add more muscle and get an opportunity to play in more of a dropback defensive system (as opposed to the blitzing scheme that forced him to play toward the perimeter). The guy has an elite wingspan and generally solid athleticism … he should be able to play the center position just fine.
• Is Jerry Reinsdorf trying to use reverse psychology? If so, that is not the time nor place.
Jerry told Lebron to do whatnow? https://t.co/X10XNih0Q5 pic.twitter.com/nnaHXihiDz
— Matt Peck (@Bulls_Peck) July 8, 2020
• Just saying, the NBA food situation has to get a lot better. These are grown-ass professional athletes who are supposed to play playoff-caliber basketball in a couple of weeks … please feed them something other than coach airplane food.
Troy Daniels shares his first meal inside the Orlando Bubble on Instagram pic.twitter.com/jpORX6P7cn
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) July 8, 2020
• Do this in Orlando but with all the “It’s a Small World After All” dolls.
Since no fans are allowed to attend games, a Japanese baseball team placed more than 20 robots in the stands to cheer them on https://t.co/MGnSiG5TCk pic.twitter.com/qHiQuJpo2S
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 8, 2020
