NEWSLETTER
You think you can trust your family. I sent ONE unflattering, filtered selfie of myself in the family group chat the other week, and I’m now the not-so-proud owner of a t-shirt with that image on it.
Honestly, the issue isn’t really owning a shirt with my morphed face on it, but rather knowing that someone else outside of my family had to make a shirt with that image on it. To whomever was in charge of pressing that shirt, I’m sorry. (Michael: Well, Eli … now you’ve got to show us).
• Sloppiness and rust are bound to seep into the start of the regular season, but the Bulls have two more preseason games to try to shake off as much of that as they can. All things considered, the next two contests should be a bit easier than the previous two, as the Oklahoma City Thunder roster has taken a number of hits this offseason. Chris Paul was traded to Phoenix. Danillo Gallinari signed with Atlanta. Steven Adams is in New Orleans. Dennis Schroeder found a new home in Los Angeles. A lot has changed for one of the more consistently competitive franchises in the NBA. Oh, silly me, and the guy who helped turn them into that consistently competitive franchise left the organization for Chicago. I know! I’m still surprised, too.
GAME DAY in OKC‼️ pic.twitter.com/C85LYFoSaS
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 16, 2020
• When the Bulls have to leave for Chesapeake Energy Arena later today, head coach Billy Donovan might as well have them board a tour bus. On your left is where I did my dry cleaning. Coming up around the corner is the best steak in Oklahoma. On your right is the rodeo …. YEEHAW (I don’t know what the hell is actually in OKC, but it does truly seem like a fun place). Chicago’s new head coach spent five seasons with the Thunder franchise, helping guide them to the playoffs year in and year out. Tonight will be his homecoming, albeit an incredibly underwhelming one. There will be no rowdy fans to welcome him back, and I’m not even sure whether or not he can go hug his old players and co-workers due to NBA protocols. Bummer.
• Donovan does have to feel pretty good about being on the opposite bench for these next two preseason games, though. Remember, he was the one who decided to leave the organization, which tells us that this franchise decided to head in a direction he wasn’t the most excited about. We’ve seen what that new direction for the Thunder will look like already, and it has the makings of a slow-methodical rebuild. Donovan didn’t necessarily put himself in a heavily different situation in Chicago, but he gave himself more immediate talent to work with. Also, if we’re being honest, sometimes a change of scenery is just needed.
• These next two games for Donovan should prove extremely helpful in evaluating his talent and establishing confidence in his roster before the regular season. Not only can he compare them to the players he coached on the other end of the floor, but this team will arguably be the easiest matchup they have for several weeks. The next two games will be a great opportunity to get someone like Lauri Markkanen in a groove and to build a more comfortable lead guard in Coby White.
• Those two players – Markkanen and White – should also clock plenty of minutes. Both Tomas Satoransky and Thaddeus Young will not travel with the team for this road stint for differing reasons. After impressing in each preseason game so far, this also means Patrick Williams should continue to see plenty of action, as well. Good. Let the rook cook.
• We should also expect to see a lot of the same from Wendell Carter Jr., but hopefully with different results. Donovan has proven early that he is a big fan of Carter Jr.’s versatile game, and he told reporters on Tuesday that he doesn’t expect the big man’s 3-point attempts to go down any time soon. Fine by me. Now is the time to try to get Carter Jr. more comfortable in his new role. If it still isn’t working a couple of weeks into the season, then it would be time to confront the idea of changing things up.
Billy Donovan continued to offer strong support for Wendell Carter Jr. to fire away on 3-pointers despite his early struggles. Donovan noted it has been 2 preseason games and just 6 contact practices — and suggested it would be shortsighted to scale back so soon.
— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) December 15, 2020
• I never knew this existed, but I want back on the air this second.
Y'all remember when Michael Jordan had his own talk show? Long live the short-lived Michael Jordan's Airwaves.
(I swear this looks like the same studio Jerry Springer used.) pic.twitter.com/Clc9iWzoUh
— Justin Tinsley (@JustinTinsley) December 15, 2020
• James Harden is doing his best Dennis Rodman impression, but he’s missing one important attribute: winning championships.
“Whatever James wants” has been the Rockets’ philosophy since James Harden arrived in Houston. That changed when he wanted to leave. Ex-Rocket assistant: “Now they have to live with the fallout.” https://t.co/ymTogDUPic
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) December 16, 2020
