NEWSLETTER
I wish I was on my way to the United Center to watch the Bulls tip-off in their first playoff game since the 2016-17 season, but I guess I have to settle for Bucks-Heats Game 1. Off to the Fiserv Forum I go!
If you’re trying to find me on TV, I’ll be the guy cheering for neither team and shedding a single tear.
• As the NBA playoffs officially tip-off today, you will see significantly more fans in the stands and significantly more mouths on the sideline. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, fully vaccinated coaches will be allowed to remove their masks permanently, which aligns with the recent CDC guidance.
Fully-vaccinated NBA head coaches are no longer required to wear facemasks when coaching games, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. This is in light of vaccination rates among coaches and recent CDC guidance.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 22, 2021
• Meanwhile, I guess the league has chosen to stop issuing suspensions or fines for breaking protocol at a VERY convenient time.
LeBron James won't be suspended for protocols violation, sources tell ESPN. Nature of event didn't rise to a threat level of virus spread, as described in @McTen's story below. Suns-Lakers Game 1 on Sunday. https://t.co/nEAcnBsbvv
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 22, 2021
• We all know if this was some random role player on the Knicks that a suspension would probably have already been issued. James broke the rules. Simple as that. But, whatever, I’m not going to waste much energy getting heated over this.
• For more league news, check this out:
New ESPN story: Adam Silver says it’s “no secret” he wants the play-in tournament to stay, thinks arenas could be nearly full by the Finals, close to 80% of players are vaccinated, Nate McMillan “knows better” and more in an interview with @KeyJayandZ. https://t.co/9GHTL3fV7C
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 21, 2021
• While the Steph Curry show, unfortunately, came to an end last night, Ja Morant looks ready to take his time slot. The 21-year-old reminded everyone why he is one of the league’s next superstars with his clutch victory over the Warriors. He finished with 35 points behind a career-high five 3-pointers. The league is in good hands, folks.
35 points (15 in the 4th/OT)
6 rebounds
6 assists
4 steals
5 3PM (career high)Playoff 12 has arrived. pic.twitter.com/x9Gw4bGF62
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) May 22, 2021
• Speaking of rising superstars …
On #Bulls' difficult needle to thread this offseason and why Patrick Williams' potential ascension — sooner rather than later — is so important in the organization's eyes https://t.co/KRzfoOlI4Y pic.twitter.com/QpIwzbQJd7
— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) May 21, 2021
• I worry a tiny bit about the Bulls putting too much pressure on Patrick Williams. As 670 The Score’s Cody Westerlund wrote about above, this organization is kind of banking on a rather drastic leap from the rookie in Year 2. The moves made at the deadline suggest they see Williams possessing immediate winning potential. He will undoubtedly have to be the team’s No. 3 guy behind Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic next season, and while I don’t doubt he has the skills necessary to do that, it is a lot to ask from a 19-year-old.
• Not to mention, Williams didn’t show the fastest learning ability in his first-year campaign. While he did achieve his career-high toward the end of the season, he still struggled to figure out how to take the aggressive leap his coaching staff wanted him to take on the offensive end. In fact, he rattled off a stretch in the second half where 12 of 13 games were single-digit scoring efforts, averaging just 5.3 shot attempts per game. It felt like a bit of a step backward at the time. I don’t mean any of this an insult. I still believe Williams is on a track toward stardom, but I’m also not sure how fast that track moves.
• With all of that said, there is no question his first full offseason will help. He came into the league at a very weird time and he had to deal with one of the most condensed seasons ever recorded. Considering the lack of true practice time he had to hone his craft, his ability to stay in the starting lineup and find a way to contribute on a nightly basis was ridiculously encouraging. Now, he will have a real opportunity to work on specific parts of his game and dive deep into the film. Hopefully, the more he does that, the more he will realize just how large of a role he can play for this team moving forward.
Even Patrick Williams Knows the Next Step is All Mentalhttps://t.co/N0LTDEY2xh
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) May 21, 2021
• Put what Ja Morant did on steroids, and I think we have what a Zach LaVine play-in tournament game would look like.
Guys imagine Zach LaVine in a play-in game. The buckets would be unreal.
— Elias Schuster (@Schuster_Elias) May 22, 2021
• I have to imagine a postseason berth is the next step for LaVine. The guy has managed to improve year after year, and even though he fell short this season, he played his most winning basketball yet. We saw his effective field goal percentage jump from 53.0 percent (56th percentile) in 2019-20 to a pretty ridiculous 60.0 percent (91st percentile). He shot a career-high 45 percent in the mid-range and 42 percent from downtown, per Cleaning the Glass. LaVine recorded career-highs in rebounds and assists per game, recording three double-doubles this season. The 13 assists he dished out against the Raptors on April 8th were his most since his rookie year. He figured out how to impact the game on a nightly basis without just scoring the basketball. Learning how to do this should pay dividends in 2021-22 as he plays alongside another high-usage talent like Vucevic.
• A good overview by our friends and NBC Sports Chicago …
https://twitter.com/NBCSBulls/status/1395842965352980482?s=20
• Whether he is in Chicago or not next season, The Finnisher will always be an elite nickname. Happy birthday, Lauri!
Happy Birthday, @MarkkanenLauri 🎉 pic.twitter.com/Dv1JNNROHC
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) May 22, 2021
