OSS: Bulls play hero defense in the last possession to avoid giving away a game they commanded nearly the entire time.
Nothing But Net
1. Nikola Mirotic started for the 4th time in his career and was quite good. Niko lead the Bulls with 19 points on 6-11 shooting (3-4 from 3) and adding 9 rebounds. His ability to shoot the 3 from anywhere should open up driving lanes for the guards on the team.
2. It's abundantly clear that Jimmy Butler is the best player on the team. His defense on LeBron wasn't as good as it's been previously, but he's one of the very few people in the league that you can put on him and be reasonably sure he's not going to explode. Butler added 17 efficient points, 5 boards, 2 steals, and a block.
3. Pau Gasol's block with 4 seconds left in the game is enough to give him a spot here. He had a half-dozen blocks in the game, which took the sting off a 1-7 night from the floor.
Airballs
1. None, really. Gasol was the only one who was truly putrid offensively, and he more than made up for it with his blocks (though his interior defense was characteristically sloppy). I guess Derrick Rose? He took 22 shots and only came away with 18 points, but his defense (in my opinion) was actually fairly stout.
Vital Signs
| Four Factors | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pace | eFG% | TOV% | ORB% | FT/FGA | ORtg | |
| CLE | 99.5 | .452 | 9.0 | 21.6 | .106 | 95.5 |
| CHI | 99.5 | .466 | 11.8 | 15.2 | .184 | 97.5 |
Pythagorean projected record: 42-40
Next Game: Tonight, @ Brooklyn Nets, 6:30 PM
Comments
Ah, the Bulls and the epic year-long struggle to be the last team in line to get their season wrecked by LeBron in June.
And to think I bitch about baseball postseason because it can be so unforgiving to the best teams in the playoffs. Better than the long trudge to almost certain doom in the conference finals.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
It sure feels that way. It’s also crazy that the 7th or 8th best team in the West probably wins 52 games in the East.
mylesQuote Reply
Just one game, but it seemed like the offense got a lot more easy shots. Shots within 10 feet and open threes. Defensive rotations were fairly suspect, especially at the end when Love connected twice to pull the Cavs back in the game.
JonKneeVQuote Reply
Sorry to hear about your dog, dmick.
mylesQuote Reply
That too.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Am I the only one to find it a bit discombobulating that honest-to-god basketball has begun and the Cubs only just stopped playing?
ceruleanQuote Reply
Thanks. I’ve got tonight to spend with her so I’m pretty happy about that, but getting old sucks. And she’s old.
dmick89Quote Reply
Even more so that I didn’t start thinking about the offseason until about a week ago. Usually I’m on that shit in May.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
Yeah, Iowa is 7-0 in football and I didn’t really stop to care about that until they were 7-0 since they had an off week this past weekend.
dmick89Quote Reply
Same.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Wow. Apparently a LOT of people are baffled or even angry at the first-pitch fastball to Alcides Escobar yesterday. I thought that was just announcer stupidity.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
To state what should be obvious:
1. Escobar is bad hitter, good ALCS notwithstanding
2. No one on, none out is not a pitch-around situation.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Bud Black—>Natinals
PerkinsQuote Reply
Announced during the World Series? My god. Baseball will surely end now.
dmick89Quote Reply
Not sure if it’s officially official, but I saw a report on HBT.
PerkinsQuote Reply
AA —–> out of Toronto
JonKneeVQuote Reply
Available GM positions:
LAAoAoD
Boston Red Sox
JonKneeVQuote Reply
Daniel Murphy through two games: .222/.364/.222
JonKneeVQuote Reply
JonKneeV,
False. The Red Sox hired Mike Hazen. Which is probably why you don’t remember. (dying laughing) I had to look it up.
Same with the Angels and Billy Eppler.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
JonKneeVQuote Reply
JonKneeV,
Isn’t there potentially an opening in Toronto?
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
I’d think so, since Shapiro is the president. But he may already have someone in mind for the GM role.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Let’s trot out the old “Player A vs Player B” trope.
Player A (last 3 years):
38 HR, 115 wRC+, 14.6 fWAR in CF-RF, 407 games
Player B (last 3 years):
52 HR, 115 wRC+, 13.1 fWAR in LF, 416 games
mylesQuote Reply
Gotta go with player A since he’s about 5 years younger (though presumably $100MM more expensive).
PerkinsQuote Reply
myles,
I gotta go with Player C: Daniel Murphy. My projection system has him hitting 97 home runs next year in 128 games.
/Mets fan
dmick89Quote Reply
This is a pointless excercise unless you give us R+RBI
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
The stat graphic that tv stations show for a player should simply be R+RBI. No need for average and HR.
dmick89Quote Reply
Who is Player B?
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Alex Gordon.
mylesQuote Reply
Alex Gordon might be the better deal, but where would the Cubs put Schwarber?
dmick89Quote Reply
I don’t know. It probably doesnt work out for the Cubs, but the team that signs Gordon could easily get a steal relative to Heyward.
Alex Gordon gets no pub and is very good. He will either sign for way more than I think (likely), or I dont know what’s going on.
MylesQuote Reply
He is past his prime and the injury this year has to be somewhat concerning. I think he’ll get a big contract, but it won’t be anywhere near what Heyward gets.
I was just looking at his stats and was surprised to see how much he’d played over the last 3-4 years. He’s made headlines locally a lot over the last 4-5 years for injuries, but it doesn’t show up in his playing time. I was surprised to see that, but that could be a knock against him. It doesn’t appear to be true, but at his age and with his injury, you’ve got be a little concerned about his health going forward.
dmick89Quote Reply
Mattingly—–>Marlins
Sideburns—->trimmed
PerkinsQuote Reply
Grantland ———-> donezo
Writing was on the wall for a long time.
berseliusQuote Reply
Awful. Now where will I go for my Two and Half Men retrospectives?
The Internet is a cruel mistress.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
The Mets remembered how to play baseball tonight.
dmick89Quote Reply
Murphy is now slugging .154 for the series.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Thanks.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
new shit: http://obstructedview.net/starlin-castros-trade-value/
dmick89Quote Reply