NEWSLETTER
Here is a Derrick Rose palate cleanser before you read these bullets:
“It feels like a good time to watch some Derrick Rose highlights,” said everyone always.
(🎥 @SportsCenter)
pic.twitter.com/wJW7r0YWfy— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) March 18, 2021
• Have you ever been like, “yeah … I could totally jump over that thing.” Well, that was me in the first half of last night’s matchup with the Spurs. I was drunk of good basketball vibes and was stuffed with confidence. I thought, hell, this team might actually want to buy at the trade deadline. This team might actually be playoff-caliber. This team mi– *FACEPLANT … EAT DIRT … CRY A LITTLE.” The third quarter was the moment you felt your foot hit the object. The fourth quarter was all impact. San Antonio outscored the Bulls 39-19 in the final frame and shot an absurd 75 percent from the field. The last time the Bulls let a quarter get this far away from them was on December 8th, 2018 – arguably the worst games in recent Bulls history.
This is the first time the Bulls have been outscored by 20 points in the 4th quarter of a game since the 56-point loss to Boston on December 8, 2018 (-23).
— Jeff Mangurten (@JeffGurt) March 18, 2021
• The San Antonio Spurs forced Chicago into 17 turnovers (11 of which came in the second half) compared to their nine. They also shot 30 free-throw attempts, while the Bulls only got to the line for nine. After dishing out 15 assists with beautiful ball movement in the first two quarters, the Bulls only added nine the rest of the way. In other words, Chicago did absolutely nothing to combat San Antonio’s surge. They didn’t try to regain control of the game at the free-throw line. They didn’t stick to their identity on the offensive end. And they didn’t take better care of the basketball. It was a complete and utter collapse.
The Spurs were called for 8 fouls tonight, equaling the Bulls franchise record for fewest opponent fouls in a game (multiple times).
— Jeff Mangurten (@JeffGurt) March 18, 2021
• Zach LaVine summed up my frustration best when he said the following in his post-game press conference: “We’ve been saying this for a long time – we have to learn how to win games at the end of the game.” How long is too long? I don’t think there is one person to point a finger at (just like how there are team wins … there are team losses), but when is the tide finally going to turn? Billy Donovan is only 39 games into his Bulls career, and it takes longer than that to get rid of old habits. I get that. However, the more we see this happen, the more we have to question if it’s simply a matter of bad habits or poor roster construction. I’m sure it’s a mixture of both, but only one can be directly dealt with over the next week. The trade deadline is only seven days away, and games like this give the front office a lot to think about.
• For example, finding more steady point guard play has become an increasing priority. While Coby White still has a shot to develop into a solid playmaker (he is only 21-years-old, after all), he isn’t making the players around him better on a consistent enough basis. Tomas Satoransky does have the high-IQ, reliable decision-making the team is looking for, but is he good enough when the going gets tough? Both players struggled immensely when the Spurs started to press, and Satoranksy only dished out two of his seven assists in the second half. If a playoff push is really what this organization has their sites set on, I have to imagine this position is at the top of their trade deadline to-do list.
• Shoutout to Patrick Williams for giving us a bright spot. The rookie recorded his third-career double-double, as he hauled in a career-high 14 rebounds (four of which were offensive). It’s rare that Williams ever feels like a liability when he is on the court, which is something we can’t often say about the rest of the team’s young talent. With that said, I still want to see him more involved on the offensive end. Since taking a career-high 14 shots against Toronto, Williams has fallen back into single-digit shot attempts over the last two games. With his aggressive drives to the hoop and flashes of beautiful live-dribble passing, I hope this team starts to put the ball in his hands more.
• As vaccines as distributed at a faster and faster rate, the NBA has updated its restrictions.
The NBA's fully vaccinated players, coaches and staffers can now also:
– Leave hotel room anytime
– Attend in-person marketing events
– Have in-person team meetings
– PCR testing can be earlier in day (before 5 pm)
– No masks at practice facility https://t.co/O4uoGiT1Dw— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 18, 2021
• I’m gonna get this as a mural in my living room. Do you think the girlfriend would mind?
https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1372346695661535244?s=20
