This season’s first episode of Hard Knocks gets an A+ simply because of this scene:
Not only do I respect Aidan Hutchison for giving that performance maximum effort, but his teammates had his back in the most electric fashion. I swear, we better now get a video of Dalen Terry singing Thriller at Bulls’ training camp. It’s the content we deserve!
The Athletic’s David Aldridge has put together some offseason rankings, and I don’t think anyone will be too surprised to see the Bulls fall right in the middle at No. 15.
To be clear, this has little to do with expected seasonal success and everything to do with how much a roster improved this summer. And I think we can all agree the Bulls’ improvements were, well, minimal. As we’ve noted in the past, signing Andre Drummond and Goran Dragic does at least provide needed veteran experience to the bench and locker room. Not to mention, Drummond will at least help bolster the rebounding department, which we all know was a major problem last year due to the lack of reliable reserve size. But no one is going to claim that Drummond and Dragic drastically move the needle for this organization, and rightfully so.
Likewise, re-signing Zach LaVine was arguably the most important thing to check off for the front office this offseason. The fact they were able to do that swiftly and efficiently deserves a round of applause (and a sigh of relief). At the same time, re-signing LaVine doesn’t particularly make the Bulls any better. Sure, it sets the organization up for more long-term success, but nothing in the short-term changes. So while we – fortunately – get to say the Bulls didn’t become any worse over the last couple of months, we also can’t say they got any better.
Mark over at CHGO makes an important point in the thread below:
Even as I’ve been chased with pitch forks and torches, I’ve pretty much stood by Nikola Vucevic. I’m more than willing to admit that last season was an overall bad year for the big man, particularly when we consider the All-Star-level he’s played at in the past. But I’ve also been more than willing to cut him some slack. Vucevic experienced a massive role change coming to Chicago, and he never once played alongside the kind of talent on this roster before last year. Adjusting to a new environment can be hard, especially when you play a position that arguably relies most on others to help you get in a rhythm. With that being the case, I’m open to giving Vucevic another shot to prove his worth this season.
Also, speaking more toward Mark’s specific point of the 3-point shooting, I do find it extremely hard to believe Vucevic will not perform better this season. The guy is a talented and proven downtown shooter (at least for a big man) and rarely do we see that ability just disappear. Now, do I think his 40 percent season is representative of who he is moving forward? No. But neither is the 31 percent we saw last year. With another season next to these teammates and (hopefully) a healthier roster, I think he’ll get more comfortable across the board.
One last thought on Vucevic: I very much disagree with the sentiment that he needs to be planted in the paint more. Could he use some post-ups early in the game to get him in a rhythm? Sure! But Vucevic isn’t on this team to dominate in the paint. The Bulls need his ability to stretch the floor for multiple reasons: (1) They need to clear the lane for their two most talented scorers, (2) they need kick-out options, and (3) they have so few players who can reliably shoot from long range. Vucevic should keep chucking up 3-point shots if the Bulls want to be the best version of themselves. Simple as that.
Speaking of the need for 3-point shooters, why hasn’t anyone fired up the time machine and grabbed both Korver and Kerr?
The NBA world is waiting to see whether or not the Brooklyn Nets will give in to Kevin Durant’s more frequent request.
Marko Simonovic and Goran Dragic will be the two faces representing the Bulls next month:
Check those couch cushions for an extra few million!
Happy Birthday, newbie! Please grab us some offensive rebounds!
WHY DID SHE FALL FOR THAT?
Pen to paper …
Hey, a depth chart!