The formula to make the Chicago Bulls look bad (or average) over the past three seasons appears to be the same: be a below average team. For whatever reason, the Bulls can destroy the Pacers one night, but then be perplexed at how to stop one of the worst teams in the league. Don't listen to Neil and Stacey: this wasn't a good Bobcats team by any measure. Sure, they played hard, but the Bulls simply played terribly.
You already know what the worst part of the game was: Ben Gordon's DNP - Coach's Decision.
The Bulls held the Bobcats to 36.3% shooting, but the Bulls responded by shooting 36% from the field. Not surprisingly, the Bulls murdered the Bobcats on the boards, outrebounding them 54-44, with Carlos Boozer compensating for his poor shooting by grabbing 17 boards.
Derrick Rose looked like Ramon Sessions. Rose had no aggressiveness, little lift on his shot, and he genuinely looked disinterested in taking the ball to the hole--until the last minute, where Derrick Rose looked like Derrick Rose.
I'm not that surprised that Rose is falling in love with his jumper, as is the case for any player following a hot performance. Last night, Rose shot just 4-13 from the field, hitting only 1-5 three pointers.
Throughout the season, we've seen Rose mostly take a baby steps forward, but I would say last night was his first step backward. Rose wasn't confident, and he did not show many flashes of an all-star. I don't think there's anything wrong with Rose physically, but mentally, that's another story.
For whatever reason, Rose, unlike EVERY OTHER NBA PLAYER, doesn't even play pickup games over the summer, and it certainly showed. Rose must relearn the game, and if he doesn't do it quickly, he won't be able to carry the Bulls on a given night like he has in the past.
Is Thibobdeau Wearing Down the Bulls?
My number one fear at this point of the season is that Tom Thibodeau has worn on this team. It happened to Scott Skiles, another fantastic head coach, and there is reason to believe the same fate could befall Coach Thibodeau.
The Bulls main problem last night was effort. Mike Dunleavy is completely unable to throw an entry pass to the post, and the Bulls had numerous lazy passes picked-off. The Bobcats reminded me of a hungry high school team playing as hard as humanly possible. As my high school basketball program used to say, "Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard."
Minutes are down slightly for starters pretty much across the board, but the damage may already be done from Thibs riding this team for years. I can't imagine the Bulls EVER playing down to the level of competition like this in the first few seasons of his tenure.
If I've learned anything from reading Phil Jackson's books, it has been that the journey of an NBA season involves games like this. Assuming the Bulls right the ship and put some effort into their next contest, then this won't be a concern. However, a damaging pattern could emerge, and in the event it does, I expect GarPax to use it as an opportunity to fire Thibs.
Altogether, last night's performance was poor, but it was still a win. The Circus Trip starts this week, and the path won't be easy, with tough opponents like the Warriors and Trailblazers ahead.
You're not scared of 'em, are ya DRose?
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