Feeling lazy today, so consider this my lazy intro.
• The Chicago Bulls asked a question, and the fans made sure to answer:
“Who is the THIRD best player in Bulls franchise history behind MJ & Scottie?”@ctsbulls wants to know.
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) August 11, 2020
• The right response is Derrick Rose. I know he doesn’t have his jersey retired. I know he isn’t a Hall of Famer (yet). And I know his prime turned out to be far shorter than many of us expected. However, at the end of the day, when you’re only the second player in franchise history to win MVP, you belong near the top of this list. Rose did things on a basketball court that no Bull has done before or since. And while we shouldn’t necessarily consider the fact that he’s a hometown kid, it’s almost unavoidable. Rose had this city in the palm of his hands in a way that only Jordan and Pippen could (and, okay, kind of Dennis Rodman). In my opinion, he currently belongs in the No. 3 spot.
• Now, with that said, it’s rather difficult to construct an ordered list of all-time Bulls. We have to decide what we value and consider who guys played with. Especially after The Last Dance hype, I bet many people want to put Rodman in the No. 4 slot (I even saw many throw him into No. 3). I’m not going to say that’s entirely wrong, but my brain tells me Jerry Sloan and Bob Love deserve a spot in the top-5. While neither won a ring in Chicago, they both represent a great era of Bulls basketball. Sloan grabbed rebounds like a center (he was a shooting guard), and he played some of the best defense in the league. He may have only been a 2x All-Star, but he was a 4x Defensive First-Team member. Sloan is also 1st in defensive rating, 2nd in steals per game, 3rd in defensive win shares, 3rd in minutes played, [gasps for air] 4th in games place, 5th in points, and 5th in rebounds. Meanwhile, Love averaged 22.6 points per game and 7.1 rebounds over his seven seasons with the Bulls. He made three All-Star games, three NBA All-Defensive Second Teams, and two All-NBA Second-Teams. For the franchise, Love checks in at 3rd in points, 2nd in made free throws, 6th in minutes played, and 9th in win shares. Sloan and Love join Jordan and Pippen as the only players to have their jersey’s in the rafters.
• As I tweeted out this morning, I probably have it as Jordan, Pippen, Rose, Love, and Sloan. And … I’m already thinking about how Sloan should probably be ahead of Love. I fully anticipated offering up a Top-10 list in these bullets, but the more I think about it, the more I waffle. Do I go with 90s greats like Dennis Rodman and Horace Grant next or do I stay on the old-timers’ route and go with Norm Van Lier, Chet Walker, or Artis Gilmore? We also have more modern names like Joakim Noah and Luol Deng to throw into the conversation (though, I think these guys would be close to the No. 10 spot). In conclusion, I’m horrible at making decisions, and I give up. Feel free to share your lists.
• NINE MORE DAYS UNTIL THE NBA DRAFT LOTTERY!
As Expected, the NBA Draft Lottery Will Take Place Virtually on August 20thhttps://t.co/IJMhNJUqqO
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) August 10, 2020
• While I’m terrified the Bulls will get screwed over again, I’m extremely excited for the upcoming lottery. We’ll finally have something to chew on over the next couple of months as we think about who the Bulls might land. Also, in general, we should begin to get a lot more information about players teams are interested in and how they might approach draft night. The Delete Eight teams have been an afterthought in recent weeks, so this should at least throw some of them back into the spotlight.
• Also, HOPEFULLY, this means we’ll hear from Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley soon. It’s been quite some time since either spoke to the media, and we all want some kind of update from the belly of the best on how things are going behind the scenes.
• Some big games are on today:
Playoff clinching and elimination scenarios in the NBA today … pic.twitter.com/BGYAAcIWnX
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 11, 2020
• MICHAEL JORDAN SPOTTING!
A star-studded ensemble at Wrigley Field. pic.twitter.com/UVIv4Mia6O
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 11, 2020
• HOLY BUCKET.
Devin Booker is on another planet right now pic.twitter.com/3Ix1dnnlO5
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) August 10, 2020