NEWSLETTER
I’m going to keep this brief because … well … I just don’t have the energy to talk about this team anymore today.
On the same exact day that the Chicago Bulls double down on continuity and insist change wasn’t needed, they lose to the team that arguably changed the most over the last few days. Both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant were gone.
Both Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith were playing their first game in a Nets jersey this season, while fellow newcomers Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson watched from the sideline. This was a team with zero stars and practically zero experience playing together. Yet, the very Bulls team that is supposed to have experience as its deadliest weapon, lost by double digits.
Even more impressive, Chicago lost despite holding Brooklyn to just 42.9 percent shooting from the night. Why was that? Well, the 3-point shooting differential was absolutely brutal. The Nets scored 51 points behind the arc compared to the Bulls’ 15. Chicago didn’t even hit a bucket from downtown until there was 5:40 left in the 3rd quarter. But, ya know, they didn’t need to add 3-point shooting or anything!
I guess I got to at least give some props to Zach LaVine for dropping 38 points on 16-25 shooting and being really the only reason the Bulls had a chance. However, he also had numerous costly mistakes in the 4th quarter, which included some sloppy turnovers and his usual questionable shot or two. Meanwhile, Vucevic and DeRozan combined for just 29 points.
So, yeah, here we are. I have no idea what to look forward to or think of this team right now. I guess we’re just going to have to make it through the next 27 games and see if they can do enough to at least get some of their youngsters some postseason experience. Yippie.
Check out the full box score here.
