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I think I will take it too. Idk if it will happen though.
Bulls offseason Thread
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by coldcity,
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5 Bulls make Sports Illustrated's list of the top 100 NBA players
Jimmy Butler is a top 20 player, according to SI.
Player rankings are fine. Not 'fine' like a dog drinking coffee inside a burning house or a jilted celebrity, but actually alright: mindlessly enjoyable and harmless and probably not something worth getting totally worked up over. This is, admittedly, a controversial stance.
Player rankings exist in part because people love to hate them. This is the likely outcome for Sports Illustrated's Top 100 NBA Players list, a yearly exercise conducted by the always great Rob Mahoney and Ben Golliver to give us something to talk about during the two months a year the NBA goes dormant. If your thing is getting upset at perceived slights for Your Team, this is basically Christmas morning.
It feels like the annual debate over Kobe Bryant's #NBARank will be an essential footnote for the twilight of his career. In SI's list, Kobe ranks No. 54, which is either about 100 spots too high or 45 spots too low depending on who you're listening to. It feels like Draymond Green is set to be Bean's inverse on lists like these for years to come. Green is No. 16 here, even though some people will say he "only averaged 12 points and eight rebounds per game."
SI's list will conclude with the top 10 players in the NBA on Thursday, but every Bulls player who is going to make the list has already been named to it. There are five in all. Let's take a look:
No. 90 Taj Gibson
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Who is he ahead of? Andrew Wiggins, Lou Williams, J.J. Redick and Roy Hibbert
Who is he behind? Amir Johnson, Ricky Rubio, Kenneth Faried and George Hill
Taj Gibson set a career high in true shooting percentage and offensive rating last season, which is a bit surprising because he didn't look like the same force of nature we remember dunking all over the Heat and solidifying the backline of the Bulls' defense. Which is to say: it was hard to watch Gibson last season without noting that something looked wrong.
Turns out, something was wrong: he had surgery on his left ankle earlier this summer and is sidelined for four months because of it. Taj still played through the pain for most of the season, providing a slightly less efficient but still valuable presence in the Bulls' front court. His rebounding percentage and block percentage each slipped to the lowest mark of his career, but there's reason to believe he still has a few good years left in the tank even at age 30 if he can get healthy.
Outrage level: 2 out of 10
No. 60 Derrick Rose
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Who is he ahead of? Bradley Beal, DeMar DeRozan, Paul Pierce, Chandler Parsons
Who is he behind? Kobe Bryant (!!), Luol Deng (!!!!!!!!!), Tyreke Evans, Monta Ellis
Given the incredibly ugly allegations Derrick is currently facing, it feels like the best thing to say right now is nothing at all. With that in mind, let's only focus on basketball for a minute.
There's no point in sugarcoating it: Rose's first season back from injury wasn't particularly promising. He was No. 25 among point guards in RPM, behind luminaries like Patty Mills and Jeremy Lin. He was, essentially, the second worst volume three-point shooter in the NBA (thank you to my old friend Lance Stephenson!) by making only 28 percent of the 5.3 attempts he took from deep per game. The ferocious dribble penetrator we once remembered has been replaced a knockoff brand model that often appears tentative and cautious.
He was better in the playoffs, save for the disastrous last two games against Cleveland. This is a big, big year for D. Rose. I will write something on that soon. Let's just leave everything that's set to go into it alone for now.
Outrage level: -null-
No. 43 Joakim Noah
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Who is he ahead of? Andre Iguodala, Danny Green, Greg Monroe
Who is he behind? Derrick Favors, Brook Lopez, Tyson Chandler
Noah was No. 17 on this list a year ago, so the drop we all witnessed on the court was captured in these rankings. With that being said, I would be thrilled if Joakim Noah was a top 50 NBA player this year, and it would likely mean the Bulls are the second best team in the Eastern Conference.
I said my peace on Noah already, and I'll note again I'm not particularly optimistic he can bounce back in full. He was always a center who thrived on his athleticism, and now age and injuries are catching up to him. That hurts for a player who has always been undersized at his position and has never been able to beat the defense with a consistent jump shot. That said, even if Noah can elevate himself to, like, playable this season, it would be a big boost.
Maybe playing less minutes under Fred Hoiberg will benefit him. Perhaps he'll start next to Nikola Mirotic instead of Pau Gasol, allowing him to captain the defense from center once again. The time off he's had this summer just might help him rediscover his explosiveness around the rim on each end. Here's hoping it all happens.
Outrage level: lmao
No. 40 Pau Gasol
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Who is he ahead of? Andre Iguodala, Danny Green, Greg Monroe
Who is he behind? Derrick Favors, Brook Lopez, Tyson Chandler
My hope for Pau this year: instead of the Bulls walking the ball up the court, dumping it into Pau in the post and trying to manufacture a quality offense with zero margin for error, Hoiberg's schemes will keep Gasol involved while changing how he's used.
You realize Pau shot 48.1 percent from 16-feet to the three-point line last year, right? And that he made 46 percent of his 26 attempts from three? If some of those post touches get replaced by catch-and-shoots earlier in the shot clock, I think it would go a long way to alleviating some of the Bulls' spacing issues and help open an offense that looked clogged up for so much of last year.
Outrange level: 0 out of 10
No. 18 Jimmy Butler
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Who is he ahead of? Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving, Paul George
Who is he behind? Draymond Green, Kevin Love, Carmelo Anthony
Jimmy was No. 98 on this list last season, which puts his incredible rise in perspective. Just look at those names he's ranked ahead of here. How the hell did this happen?
One thing I've been thinking about lately: after watching the way LeBron detonated the Finals (35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game), Jimmy deserves a lot of credit for holding him to 26.2 points on 39.9 percent shooting while averaging nearly 22 points per game himself.
If Jimmy can keep producing at last season's level, the Bulls don't just have their long sought after two guard of the future, they have a star in the present. With so much about this team in flux over the next couple years, it's nice to know that Butler is a foundation from which another great team can be built.
Five
Jimmy Butler is a top 20 player, according to SI.
Player rankings are fine. Not 'fine' like a dog drinking coffee inside a burning house or a jilted celebrity, but actually alright: mindlessly enjoyable and harmless and probably not something worth getting totally worked up over. This is, admittedly, a controversial stance.
Player rankings exist in part because people love to hate them. This is the likely outcome for Sports Illustrated's Top 100 NBA Players list, a yearly exercise conducted by the always great Rob Mahoney and Ben Golliver to give us something to talk about during the two months a year the NBA goes dormant. If your thing is getting upset at perceived slights for Your Team, this is basically Christmas morning.
It feels like the annual debate over Kobe Bryant's #NBARank will be an essential footnote for the twilight of his career. In SI's list, Kobe ranks No. 54, which is either about 100 spots too high or 45 spots too low depending on who you're listening to. It feels like Draymond Green is set to be Bean's inverse on lists like these for years to come. Green is No. 16 here, even though some people will say he "only averaged 12 points and eight rebounds per game."
SI's list will conclude with the top 10 players in the NBA on Thursday, but every Bulls player who is going to make the list has already been named to it. There are five in all. Let's take a look:
No. 90 Taj Gibson
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Who is he ahead of? Andrew Wiggins, Lou Williams, J.J. Redick and Roy Hibbert
Who is he behind? Amir Johnson, Ricky Rubio, Kenneth Faried and George Hill
Taj Gibson set a career high in true shooting percentage and offensive rating last season, which is a bit surprising because he didn't look like the same force of nature we remember dunking all over the Heat and solidifying the backline of the Bulls' defense. Which is to say: it was hard to watch Gibson last season without noting that something looked wrong.
Turns out, something was wrong: he had surgery on his left ankle earlier this summer and is sidelined for four months because of it. Taj still played through the pain for most of the season, providing a slightly less efficient but still valuable presence in the Bulls' front court. His rebounding percentage and block percentage each slipped to the lowest mark of his career, but there's reason to believe he still has a few good years left in the tank even at age 30 if he can get healthy.
Outrage level: 2 out of 10
No. 60 Derrick Rose
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Who is he ahead of? Bradley Beal, DeMar DeRozan, Paul Pierce, Chandler Parsons
Who is he behind? Kobe Bryant (!!), Luol Deng (!!!!!!!!!), Tyreke Evans, Monta Ellis
Given the incredibly ugly allegations Derrick is currently facing, it feels like the best thing to say right now is nothing at all. With that in mind, let's only focus on basketball for a minute.
There's no point in sugarcoating it: Rose's first season back from injury wasn't particularly promising. He was No. 25 among point guards in RPM, behind luminaries like Patty Mills and Jeremy Lin. He was, essentially, the second worst volume three-point shooter in the NBA (thank you to my old friend Lance Stephenson!) by making only 28 percent of the 5.3 attempts he took from deep per game. The ferocious dribble penetrator we once remembered has been replaced a knockoff brand model that often appears tentative and cautious.
He was better in the playoffs, save for the disastrous last two games against Cleveland. This is a big, big year for D. Rose. I will write something on that soon. Let's just leave everything that's set to go into it alone for now.
Outrage level: -null-
No. 43 Joakim Noah
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Who is he ahead of? Andre Iguodala, Danny Green, Greg Monroe
Who is he behind? Derrick Favors, Brook Lopez, Tyson Chandler
Noah was No. 17 on this list a year ago, so the drop we all witnessed on the court was captured in these rankings. With that being said, I would be thrilled if Joakim Noah was a top 50 NBA player this year, and it would likely mean the Bulls are the second best team in the Eastern Conference.
I said my peace on Noah already, and I'll note again I'm not particularly optimistic he can bounce back in full. He was always a center who thrived on his athleticism, and now age and injuries are catching up to him. That hurts for a player who has always been undersized at his position and has never been able to beat the defense with a consistent jump shot. That said, even if Noah can elevate himself to, like, playable this season, it would be a big boost.
Maybe playing less minutes under Fred Hoiberg will benefit him. Perhaps he'll start next to Nikola Mirotic instead of Pau Gasol, allowing him to captain the defense from center once again. The time off he's had this summer just might help him rediscover his explosiveness around the rim on each end. Here's hoping it all happens.
Outrage level: lmao
No. 40 Pau Gasol
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Who is he ahead of? Andre Iguodala, Danny Green, Greg Monroe
Who is he behind? Derrick Favors, Brook Lopez, Tyson Chandler
My hope for Pau this year: instead of the Bulls walking the ball up the court, dumping it into Pau in the post and trying to manufacture a quality offense with zero margin for error, Hoiberg's schemes will keep Gasol involved while changing how he's used.
You realize Pau shot 48.1 percent from 16-feet to the three-point line last year, right? And that he made 46 percent of his 26 attempts from three? If some of those post touches get replaced by catch-and-shoots earlier in the shot clock, I think it would go a long way to alleviating some of the Bulls' spacing issues and help open an offense that looked clogged up for so much of last year.
Outrange level: 0 out of 10
No. 18 Jimmy Butler
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Who is he ahead of? Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving, Paul George
Who is he behind? Draymond Green, Kevin Love, Carmelo Anthony
Jimmy was No. 98 on this list last season, which puts his incredible rise in perspective. Just look at those names he's ranked ahead of here. How the hell did this happen?
One thing I've been thinking about lately: after watching the way LeBron detonated the Finals (35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game), Jimmy deserves a lot of credit for holding him to 26.2 points on 39.9 percent shooting while averaging nearly 22 points per game himself.
If Jimmy can keep producing at last season's level, the Bulls don't just have their long sought after two guard of the future, they have a star in the present. With so much about this team in flux over the next couple years, it's nice to know that Butler is a foundation from which another great team can be built.
Five
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^hes right if noah just improves a little bit it would be huge for us. that plus rose improving has this team in great shape. it won't be the same as last year if things go our way Hoiberg will get the credit but really hot got a stacked roster that has players that have more talent than they showed last year.
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You lost me there...
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[COLOR=#red]article overload coming.......[/COLOR]
The Bulls Have Been Great in the Clutch, Can That Continue Under Fred Hoiberg?
The Bulls have been great in close games for the past five years. What is behind their success, and can they maintain it under new coach Fred Hoiberg?
It takes a lot of little things to win close games in the NBA. Part of the formula is smart coaching decisions, another part is players who can perform in the clutch, and it doesn't hurt to have random chance on your side as well. For the past 5 years, the Chicago Bulls have been lucky to possess all of the above. The team has been great in close games, and here's why:
The Right Coaching
Tom Thibodeau's regular season record in games decided by 3 points or less was an impressive 38-21, including 7-2 last year.
His success in close games changed in the playoffs though. In those contests, he was a far more disappointing 3-7.
*2011 and 2012 playoff records were both 0-1
Despite the lack of success in the playoffs, the Bulls' consistency in winning close games over the years is very impressive.
Thibodeau did a lot of smart things at the end of games. He would save timeouts judiciously, substitute offense for defense, and get the Bulls good scoring opportunities at the end of games.
NBA Writer Kelly Scaletta tracked various teams' offenses in situations where a shot would tie or take the lead in the last 24 seconds of a game. According to his statistics, the Bulls were faced with this situation 18 times and produced 17 points with an effective field goal percentage of 47.22%. Only the Grizzlies, Rockets, Hawks, and Spurs shot better.
On the defensive end, opponents had 26 opportunities to tie or take the lead against the Bulls and produced only 11 points in those situations. The Bulls held opponents to a paltry 21.2% effective field goal percentage on those shots.
The Bulls used this combination of one of the best defenses in close-game situations along with a surprisingly great late game offense to pull out a bunch of close victories last year.
Thibodeau's success in late game situations was often taken for granted. His predecessor, Vinny Del Negro, was a far worse 11-13 in regular season games decided by 3 points or less. That record improved to 3-3 in the playoffs, mostly due to the incredible first round playoff series that the 2009 Bulls played against the Celtics which included 7 overtimes.
Del Negro had the terrible habit of wasting all of his timeouts early on in games, making it difficult to substitute in players, draw plays, or advance the ball.
One of the most noteworthy examples game after Game 2 in the 2009 playoffs against the Celtics. KC Johnson wrote in the Chicago Tribune article the following day:
After Ray Allen's three-pointer with 2 seconds left Monday night, Tyrus Thomas attempted a desperation 60-footer because Del Negro had burned the Bulls' final timeout with 20.1 seconds left and the Bulls trailing 115-113.
"People are going to second-guess and first-guess," Del Negro said. "So what? I don't care. I'm the coach. I will make the decisions. That's the way it is.
Despite scoring 42 points, Ben Gordon sat on the bench for defensive purposes. If the Bulls had had a timeout, Gordon could have re-entered and the Bulls would have inbounded the ball at half-court.
"Yeah, it was tough to watch," Gordon said. "We definitely wish we would have reserved one of those timeouts."
Allocating timeouts is a skill - Cavs coach David Blatt almost cost the Cavs game 4 of the playoffs last year by forgetting how many he had left. It was rumored throughout the year that assistant coach Tyronn Lue was in charge of timeouts because Blatt was having a hard time understanding TV timeout rules. Del Negro's poor timeout usage continued to haunt him in his next stint with the Clippers.
Thibodeau was an often-overlooked master at using his timeouts, and it helped him win the close ones more often than not.
The Right Players
In addition to good coaching, the Bulls have had the luxury of some really great clutch performers on their team.
Here's how the individuals did in regular season clutch situations (less than 2 min left, game within 3 points)
The first thing that stands out is Pau Gasol was really good for late game offense. He shot a very high percentage from the field, (59%) hit his free throws at a good clip (18/23), and got some huge offensive rebounds. He was the Bulls' most reliable option on offense down the stretch, leading the team in points. He also had two notable game winning dunks last year.
Derrick Rose got the brunt of the opportunities down the stretch. He didn't shoot a very good percentage (30% FG), but he did set his teammates up frequently and hit a couple of exciting game winners throughout the year.
Jimmy Butler was the team's number 3 option in terms of opportunity. He shot a poor percentage (22%), but he made up for it by getting to the line a lot and hitting nearly all of his free throws in the clutch (14/15).
Other notes - Hinrich was surprisingly good and Brooks was a total dumpster fire, turning the ball over a ton and shooting a horrible percentage. The key to the team's success though might be how outstanding it was at playing the free throw game. The Bulls shot an incredible 86% (55/64) on clutch regular season free throws.
How Will Hoiberg Fare?
Hoiberg's record in 5 years at Iowa State was similar to Thibodeau's. He was a very impressive 16-9 in regular season games decided by 3 points or less but suffered some crushing close losses in the NCAA tournament.
In 2015, his #3 seeded Cyclones were eliminated in a first round upset. They lost by a single point to #14 seed Alabama-Birmingham. Hoiberg lost another close one in the 2013 tournament, losing by 3 points to #2 seed Ohio State in the third round. Overall in the NCAA tournament, he was 0-2 in close games.
Hoiberg inherits a team of seasoned veterans that are used to high-pressure situations. He has all the tools to continue the team's success of being very good in close games. The NBA has strange TV timeout rules, intentional fouling rules, and other late-game adjustments that coaches need to get a handle on quickly.
As a former NBA player, Hoiberg should have a leg up on other new coaches in adjusting to late game NBA strategy, but only time will tell if he can continue the tradition of leading a team that can find a way to win the close ones.
The Bulls Have Been Great in the Clutch, Can That Continue Under Fred Hoiberg?
The Bulls have been great in close games for the past five years. What is behind their success, and can they maintain it under new coach Fred Hoiberg?
It takes a lot of little things to win close games in the NBA. Part of the formula is smart coaching decisions, another part is players who can perform in the clutch, and it doesn't hurt to have random chance on your side as well. For the past 5 years, the Chicago Bulls have been lucky to possess all of the above. The team has been great in close games, and here's why:
The Right Coaching
Tom Thibodeau's regular season record in games decided by 3 points or less was an impressive 38-21, including 7-2 last year.
His success in close games changed in the playoffs though. In those contests, he was a far more disappointing 3-7.
*2011 and 2012 playoff records were both 0-1
Despite the lack of success in the playoffs, the Bulls' consistency in winning close games over the years is very impressive.
Thibodeau did a lot of smart things at the end of games. He would save timeouts judiciously, substitute offense for defense, and get the Bulls good scoring opportunities at the end of games.
NBA Writer Kelly Scaletta tracked various teams' offenses in situations where a shot would tie or take the lead in the last 24 seconds of a game. According to his statistics, the Bulls were faced with this situation 18 times and produced 17 points with an effective field goal percentage of 47.22%. Only the Grizzlies, Rockets, Hawks, and Spurs shot better.
On the defensive end, opponents had 26 opportunities to tie or take the lead against the Bulls and produced only 11 points in those situations. The Bulls held opponents to a paltry 21.2% effective field goal percentage on those shots.
The Bulls used this combination of one of the best defenses in close-game situations along with a surprisingly great late game offense to pull out a bunch of close victories last year.
Thibodeau's success in late game situations was often taken for granted. His predecessor, Vinny Del Negro, was a far worse 11-13 in regular season games decided by 3 points or less. That record improved to 3-3 in the playoffs, mostly due to the incredible first round playoff series that the 2009 Bulls played against the Celtics which included 7 overtimes.
Del Negro had the terrible habit of wasting all of his timeouts early on in games, making it difficult to substitute in players, draw plays, or advance the ball.
One of the most noteworthy examples game after Game 2 in the 2009 playoffs against the Celtics. KC Johnson wrote in the Chicago Tribune article the following day:
After Ray Allen's three-pointer with 2 seconds left Monday night, Tyrus Thomas attempted a desperation 60-footer because Del Negro had burned the Bulls' final timeout with 20.1 seconds left and the Bulls trailing 115-113.
"People are going to second-guess and first-guess," Del Negro said. "So what? I don't care. I'm the coach. I will make the decisions. That's the way it is.
Despite scoring 42 points, Ben Gordon sat on the bench for defensive purposes. If the Bulls had had a timeout, Gordon could have re-entered and the Bulls would have inbounded the ball at half-court.
"Yeah, it was tough to watch," Gordon said. "We definitely wish we would have reserved one of those timeouts."
Allocating timeouts is a skill - Cavs coach David Blatt almost cost the Cavs game 4 of the playoffs last year by forgetting how many he had left. It was rumored throughout the year that assistant coach Tyronn Lue was in charge of timeouts because Blatt was having a hard time understanding TV timeout rules. Del Negro's poor timeout usage continued to haunt him in his next stint with the Clippers.
Thibodeau was an often-overlooked master at using his timeouts, and it helped him win the close ones more often than not.
The Right Players
In addition to good coaching, the Bulls have had the luxury of some really great clutch performers on their team.
Here's how the individuals did in regular season clutch situations (less than 2 min left, game within 3 points)
The first thing that stands out is Pau Gasol was really good for late game offense. He shot a very high percentage from the field, (59%) hit his free throws at a good clip (18/23), and got some huge offensive rebounds. He was the Bulls' most reliable option on offense down the stretch, leading the team in points. He also had two notable game winning dunks last year.
Derrick Rose got the brunt of the opportunities down the stretch. He didn't shoot a very good percentage (30% FG), but he did set his teammates up frequently and hit a couple of exciting game winners throughout the year.
Jimmy Butler was the team's number 3 option in terms of opportunity. He shot a poor percentage (22%), but he made up for it by getting to the line a lot and hitting nearly all of his free throws in the clutch (14/15).
Other notes - Hinrich was surprisingly good and Brooks was a total dumpster fire, turning the ball over a ton and shooting a horrible percentage. The key to the team's success though might be how outstanding it was at playing the free throw game. The Bulls shot an incredible 86% (55/64) on clutch regular season free throws.
How Will Hoiberg Fare?
Hoiberg's record in 5 years at Iowa State was similar to Thibodeau's. He was a very impressive 16-9 in regular season games decided by 3 points or less but suffered some crushing close losses in the NCAA tournament.
In 2015, his #3 seeded Cyclones were eliminated in a first round upset. They lost by a single point to #14 seed Alabama-Birmingham. Hoiberg lost another close one in the 2013 tournament, losing by 3 points to #2 seed Ohio State in the third round. Overall in the NCAA tournament, he was 0-2 in close games.
Hoiberg inherits a team of seasoned veterans that are used to high-pressure situations. He has all the tools to continue the team's success of being very good in close games. The NBA has strange TV timeout rules, intentional fouling rules, and other late-game adjustments that coaches need to get a handle on quickly.
As a former NBA player, Hoiberg should have a leg up on other new coaches in adjusting to late game NBA strategy, but only time will tell if he can continue the tradition of leading a team that can find a way to win the close ones.
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Will the YOUNG BULLS Make an Impact?
http://www.blogabull.com/2015/9/3/9252635/tony-snell-doug-mcdermott-breakout-seasons
http://therunnersports.com/2015/08/03/young-bulls-can-tony-snell-make-difference/ -- TONY
http://therunnersports.com/2015/08/15/young-bulls-can-nikola-mirotic-make-difference/ -- NIKO
http://www.blogabull.com/2015/9/2/9252765/will-doug-mcdermott-make-an-impact -- DOUG
http://www.blogabull.com/2015/9/3/9252635/tony-snell-doug-mcdermott-breakout-seasons
http://therunnersports.com/2015/08/03/young-bulls-can-tony-snell-make-difference/ -- TONY
http://therunnersports.com/2015/08/15/young-bulls-can-nikola-mirotic-make-difference/ -- NIKO
http://www.blogabull.com/2015/9/2/9252765/will-doug-mcdermott-make-an-impact -- DOUG
Last edited:
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How Difficult Were the Bulls' 3 Pointers Last Year?
Over at Nylon Calculus, Seth Partnow charted the percentage of 3's players took that were open and wide open. We look at which guys on the Bulls had tough looks, which had easy ones, and how difficult the team's shots were as a whole.
The problem with evaulating an NBA player's shooting ability is that it is very closely tied with the quality of looks that a guy gets from his team's offensive system.
This is the argument that Seth Partnow makes over at Nylon Calculus when talking about ranking Draymond Green (ICYMI, Ricky O'Donnell noted where Bulls players sit on SI's top 100 Player Ranking list ). Partnow notes:
Amidst yet another interminable pre-preseason "no, YOUR rankings suck" conversation, I mentioned in passing that it was hard to evaluate a player like Draymond Green in that way because his value is so tied to the context in which he plays.
Over 56% of Draymond's 3FGA came with no defender closer than 6 feet, while over 12% came with no defender closer than ten feet. Across the league, those percentages were around 40% "open" and 8% "wide open."
To put it another way, Green was getting more open shots than most, and was still making them at a rate of just-competent.
All of this is mostly just a preamble to establish, again, that context matters when evaluating shooters.
Partnow went on to publish a list of shooting stats for players across the league, noting how many of their shots were open and wide open. Here's how our Bulls fared:*
3PA 3FG% Open % Wide Open % Catch & Shoot%
Nikola Mirotic 308 31.8% 44.2% 8.4% 76.0%
Aaron Brooks 300 40.0% 21.0% 4.0% 50.7%
Derrick Rose 260 28.5% 20.4% 2.7% 50.4%
Mike Dunleavy 259 40.5% 34.7% 9.7% 88.0%
Tony Snell 194 37.6% 41.2% 10.3% 90.7%
Jimmy Butler 185 39.5% 44.9% 6.5% 84.9%
Kirk Hinrich 167 34.1% 37.7% 13.8% 78.4%
League Average 35.0% 40.0% 8.0%
*One brief weird thing I'd like to note is that Partnow's stats have small discrepancies from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference. He mentions he removes desperation heaves, so that might account for it.
---------------
Aaron Brooks easily stands out as the Bulls' most impressive shooter. Maybe we underrated Brooks a little bit - the assortment of 3's he took throughout the year were on very tough shots. He had way fewer open (21% for Brooks vs. 40% league average) and wide open (4% for Brooks vs. 8% league average) looks than the average player and still managed to hit 40% of his 3's.
Even though Brooks hit a high percentage of 3's without getting many open looks, there are still legitimate criticisms you can levy against his shot selection. Per NBA.com, Brooks was somehow on fire when defenders were draped all over him (57% with defenders 0-2 feet away!!!), but those made up a very small percentage of his contested shots. Overall he only shot 34% on contested 3's.
Partnow's stats confirm too what many were saying about Derrick Rose's 3 point shot selection. Rose took a lot of contested 3's on a level similar to Brooks - only 20% of Rose's looks were open and only 2.7% wide open. While Brooks overcame bad shot selection to still maintain a good percentage overall, Rose was the worst 3 point shooter in the league for players that took such high volume 3's.
Worth noting too that both Brooks and Rose had a low catch & shoot %, meaning that they created a lot of their own 3's rather than spotting up and getting (presumably easier) open looks from teammates.
While Brooks and Rose had worse looks than average, Nikola Mirotic, Tony Snell, and Jimmy Butler all had slightly better than average looks from 3. That is a little discouraging for Mirotic given that he shot a poor percentage (31.8%).
Looking at the Bulls' top 7 volume shooters as a collective, 34% of their shots were open and 7.5% were wide open. This means that the Bulls generated less open and wide open 3's than the average NBA team.
Post-Korver, the Bulls have been in the bottom third of the league in 3 point percentage and volume. Last year, the team made a huge improvement and managed to finish 10th in 3 point percentage (35%).
Hoiberg depended heavily on getting open 3's in the college game, so it's reasonable to expect that if his offense can generate at least league-average looks, we will see an uptick in shooting percentages for the Bulls next year.
Over at Nylon Calculus, Seth Partnow charted the percentage of 3's players took that were open and wide open. We look at which guys on the Bulls had tough looks, which had easy ones, and how difficult the team's shots were as a whole.
The problem with evaulating an NBA player's shooting ability is that it is very closely tied with the quality of looks that a guy gets from his team's offensive system.
This is the argument that Seth Partnow makes over at Nylon Calculus when talking about ranking Draymond Green (ICYMI, Ricky O'Donnell noted where Bulls players sit on SI's top 100 Player Ranking list ). Partnow notes:
Amidst yet another interminable pre-preseason "no, YOUR rankings suck" conversation, I mentioned in passing that it was hard to evaluate a player like Draymond Green in that way because his value is so tied to the context in which he plays.
Over 56% of Draymond's 3FGA came with no defender closer than 6 feet, while over 12% came with no defender closer than ten feet. Across the league, those percentages were around 40% "open" and 8% "wide open."
To put it another way, Green was getting more open shots than most, and was still making them at a rate of just-competent.
All of this is mostly just a preamble to establish, again, that context matters when evaluating shooters.
Partnow went on to publish a list of shooting stats for players across the league, noting how many of their shots were open and wide open. Here's how our Bulls fared:*
3PA 3FG% Open % Wide Open % Catch & Shoot%
Nikola Mirotic 308 31.8% 44.2% 8.4% 76.0%
Aaron Brooks 300 40.0% 21.0% 4.0% 50.7%
Derrick Rose 260 28.5% 20.4% 2.7% 50.4%
Mike Dunleavy 259 40.5% 34.7% 9.7% 88.0%
Tony Snell 194 37.6% 41.2% 10.3% 90.7%
Jimmy Butler 185 39.5% 44.9% 6.5% 84.9%
Kirk Hinrich 167 34.1% 37.7% 13.8% 78.4%
League Average 35.0% 40.0% 8.0%
*One brief weird thing I'd like to note is that Partnow's stats have small discrepancies from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference. He mentions he removes desperation heaves, so that might account for it.
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Aaron Brooks easily stands out as the Bulls' most impressive shooter. Maybe we underrated Brooks a little bit - the assortment of 3's he took throughout the year were on very tough shots. He had way fewer open (21% for Brooks vs. 40% league average) and wide open (4% for Brooks vs. 8% league average) looks than the average player and still managed to hit 40% of his 3's.
Even though Brooks hit a high percentage of 3's without getting many open looks, there are still legitimate criticisms you can levy against his shot selection. Per NBA.com, Brooks was somehow on fire when defenders were draped all over him (57% with defenders 0-2 feet away!!!), but those made up a very small percentage of his contested shots. Overall he only shot 34% on contested 3's.
Partnow's stats confirm too what many were saying about Derrick Rose's 3 point shot selection. Rose took a lot of contested 3's on a level similar to Brooks - only 20% of Rose's looks were open and only 2.7% wide open. While Brooks overcame bad shot selection to still maintain a good percentage overall, Rose was the worst 3 point shooter in the league for players that took such high volume 3's.
Worth noting too that both Brooks and Rose had a low catch & shoot %, meaning that they created a lot of their own 3's rather than spotting up and getting (presumably easier) open looks from teammates.
While Brooks and Rose had worse looks than average, Nikola Mirotic, Tony Snell, and Jimmy Butler all had slightly better than average looks from 3. That is a little discouraging for Mirotic given that he shot a poor percentage (31.8%).
Looking at the Bulls' top 7 volume shooters as a collective, 34% of their shots were open and 7.5% were wide open. This means that the Bulls generated less open and wide open 3's than the average NBA team.
Post-Korver, the Bulls have been in the bottom third of the league in 3 point percentage and volume. Last year, the team made a huge improvement and managed to finish 10th in 3 point percentage (35%).
Hoiberg depended heavily on getting open 3's in the college game, so it's reasonable to expect that if his offense can generate at least league-average looks, we will see an uptick in shooting percentages for the Bulls next year.
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How Nikola Mirotic Can Fit Into Fred Hoiberg's Offense
http://www.blogabull.com/2015/9/9/9...o-plays?_ga=1.257448331.1251659944.1438366281
http://www.blogabull.com/2015/9/9/9...o-plays?_ga=1.257448331.1251659944.1438366281
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I have followed the Chicago bulls since the early 90s and have always wanted to see a game live. I will finally get the opportunity to do it later this year. I just got two questions I would really appreciate some help with. I have been unable to find how to get access to pre sale tickets on September 21st, the say before on sale to the public. How do I get access and are they more expensive? Also I was wanting to get to the United centre 1.5 Hours before the game when the stadium opens to see the players train and hopefully get some Autographs. Do I need level 100 tickets to get autgraphs or can anyone go near the court and get autographs before the game?
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Good questions
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We just signed Jordan Crawford to a non-guaranteed deal. Not sure how he fits into our new system but I wouldn't mind some more scoring off the bench if he could make the 15 man roster even though he's just another looter in a riot 
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He's definitely got some offensive power in him... But, can he play within the system and do what's ask of him as a team in a whole?We just signed Jordan Crawford to a non-guaranteed deal. Not sure how he fits into our new system but I wouldn't mind some more scoring off the bench if he could make the 15 man roster even though he's just another looter in a riot
I always thought he was more of a independent player like Jamaal Crawford where he comes in as the scoring punch off the bench.
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We just signed Jordan Crawford to a non-guaranteed deal. Not sure how he fits into our new system but I wouldn't mind some more scoring off the bench if he could make the 15 man roster even though he's just another looter in a riot
don't think hes a looter bro... great signing if he can do wk off the pine
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Scored 41 points when he was with the Warriors.. Good at using screens on high screens..
Consistencies is key.
Not to mention, I believe this the guy that posterized Lebron. Lol
Consistencies is key.
Not to mention, I believe this the guy that posterized Lebron. Lol
Lake Shore Drive
formerly slp product
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New dance floor design for Rose & Butler to show out their moves...
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:x If it aint broke why fix it?
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I kinda like it. Gives out that Chicago Stadium feel.
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Damn, the previous court is my favorite court ever man. Timeless imo
everysingletime
formerly amel223
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I'll be honest. If it wasn't pointed out, I probably wouldn't have noticed the change
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Looks better. More BOLD.
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arstyle27
Supporter
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I dig the new court.
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gotta leave the old ghost's from past seasons in this thread ... made a new thread for the next season & our media day is on Monday .......
http://niketalk.com/t/636674/chicag...s-season-opener-10-27-7pm-the-uc-vs-lebro-com
http://niketalk.com/t/636674/chicag...s-season-opener-10-27-7pm-the-uc-vs-lebro-com
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So yea...Derrick man idk.
What's the time table forthe return?
Mask Derrick?
What's the time table forthe return?
Mask Derrick?