Bull of the Day: Tyrus Thomas

There's nothing more rare on Bulls Passion than negative commentary from me regarding a Bulls' player. Even Corie Blount's drug trafficking charges aren't enough for me to dislike him. However, there's one Bull who I don't appreciate, and that is Tyrus Thomas.

Way off here

For some reason Tyrus Thomas always reminded me of Pharrell, though on further investigation, they don't really look alike at all. Similar facial features aside, I'd say that's one of the worst celebrity comparisons I've held in my head.

There are many reasons to hate Tyrus Thomas. For one, he cost the Bulls LaMarcus Aldridge. In the 2006 NBA draft the Bulls held the #2 pick and originally selected Aldridge-- a no-brainer productive NBA player. The Bulls (apparently) were worried about his chicken legs. No body likes chicken legs. So they traded him for Tyrus Thomas because he was just skinny all over.

How the hell did the Bulls decide to make that deal? I'm pretty sure management fell in-love with his insane athleticism, length, and age (he was 19!). Unfortunately Paxson & Co. couldn't figure out that Thomas had zero offensive game, a terrible work ethic, and an unabashed love for taking bad jumpers.

Good old Tyrus added maybe 1lb of muscle during his tenure from the Bulls, and I never saw much in terms of developing an NBA skillset. But, boy, could he jump! To put his career in perspective, his numbers during his best years were only SLIGHTLY better than Dickey Simpkins. Tyrus sucked.

The one good thing about Tyrus is that the Bulls were able to con a 1st round pick out of the Bobcats for him. This is THE first round pick that analysts and such have been talking about since 2009, and it could finally come to the Bulls this season.

Not surprisingly, sensing his career was nearing an end, Tyrus played very well in limited minutes for the Bobcats, prompting MJ to sign him to a 5 year, $40 million contract extension. Tyrus was subsequently amnesited, and he now spends his time getting tattoos and tweeting at @IamT_Time . I think it's safe to call him the worst Bulls' first round pick of my lifetime.

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Shut Him Down: Derrick Rose is Out for the Year

This was a traumatic weekend as a Bulls fan, and even worse for a Chicago sports fan. I couldn't bring myself to write until we had solid clarity on what's going to happen to the Bulls' fallen superstar, Derrick Rose.

The loss against the Portland Trailblazers: terrible.

The loss against the Los Angels Clippers: pathetic.

The loss of Derrick Rose: heartbreaking.

Rose is more than just your everyday player, and he should be to all Bulls fans. He's a poor kid from Englewood who had a meteoric rise from amazing high school talent to become the first overall pick for his hometown team. He came into the league just as the Miami Heat were on the cusp of creating the greatest NBA villain since the 90's New York Knicks, and the selfless, all-about-basketball Derrick Rose was the perfect foil to the "I'm taking my talents down to South Beach" LeBron James.

Instead of becoming our generation's Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, the Rose/James rivalry has been more of a Kobe Bryant/Tracy McGrady. And it saddens me. Believe it or not, as great as a team Miami is, this Bulls team had a 2-year window where they could have taken them down. That time is over.

Derrick Rose's torn meniscus in his right knee should be fully repaired if it needs to be, and that means he will be out for the entire season. That means another lost year. But more importantly, it means it's time to break-up this beloved Bulls team.

It pains me to say this, because I really do love Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, and Carlos Boozer like family. I respect and cherish every bit of effort we have received from these wonderful players, and I'm incredibly grateful that I was able to experience the second greatest era in Chicago Bulls basketball. Unfortunately, the Bulls only have one real superstar, and with the status of his health a question mark in perpetuity going forward, it is time for the Bulls to be bold and acquire another.

#1: Trade Luol Deng

I love Deng, and he is a one of a kind person. I love his effort, and I've really loved watching him grow into a perennial all-star. He's a fantastic third star on a team that has three third stars. 

Now is the time to strike. Luol does literally everything well, and he never slacks off. However, the Bulls need to lose games to receive a better draft pick, and Deng's will to win would not work towards that goal.

Deng is an expiring contract, so moving him shouldn't be a problem, especially since it would give a team that might want to sign him in the off-season a leg up on the competition. Still, he somehow earns more than both Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.

Why this trade works: Memphis, run by a true sabermetrics guy, picks up 4 wins while dumping Tayshaun Prince's fairly terrible contract. The Bulls depart with Marquis Teague while picking up a wonderful chucker in Jerryd Bayless, who would love to put up 20+ shots a game running the show for the Bulls. Ed Davis can fill in for Boozer when we trade him (just wait a minute for that), and Memphis receives a player in Deng who is a perfect fit for their system

#2: Trade Carlos Boozer

Boozer is playing the best basketball of his Bulls career, so he's too good, and must be traded. Why not trade him for Nene's horrendous contract? The Wizards could use a versatile 4 like Boozer while the Bulls could start Nene until they amnesty him in the offseason.


#3: Trade Taj Gibson

Taj Gibson has performed his own #TheReturn this season, but he must go for a player with less offensive talent. Drumroll...

Why this trade works: Houston receives a player who can come in and start at power forward right away, while ridding themselves of Omer Asik and his bad attitude. The deal provides Houston with reasonably priced power forward for the next four seasons. Asik comes back to Chicago where he will get playing time because...

#4: Trade Joakim Noah

It pains me to say this because I absolutely love Joakim, but with Asik back on the roster, he becomes expendable. Noah is quite injury prone, and he's the heart and soul of this Bulls team. What better way to crush a team's spirits than to trade its emotional leader. I really do not think the Bulls will part with Noah, but hey, it could happen.

Why this trade works: The Charlotte almost Hornets really want to compete, and Noah gives them a premier defensive center to pair with Al Jefferson. The Bulls receive a capable scorer, and, I assume, a decent draft pick. Ben Gordon can be resigned for a quickly rebuilt Bulls in the offseason for a reasonable deal, but in the meantime, he becomes an extremely good salary match.  

Our Starting 5:

PG: Bayless
SG: Gordon
SF: Butler
PF: Nene
C: Asik

That is a team that's poised to tank.

Good luck to Derrick Rose on his surgery. He will come back as great as ever, and I will reveal the next step in my plan later this week...

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How to Make the Bulls Look Bad

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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Game Preview: Chicago Bulls (5-3) Vs. Charlotte Bobcats (5-5)

No need to do a double take, that is indeed a .500 Charlotte Bobcats (Hornets soon, but not soon enough) squad taking on your Chicago Bulls. I generally try to go to Bobcats games, prompting you to ask, wtf is wrong with Stormin Normin? Well, I love Ben Gordon, and I go give him a solo standing ovation amidst the swarm of boos. I can't make it this year, so I'll just have to do that in the comfort of my living room. And I'll dream of what could have been...



Enough about a guy who probably won't play. The Bobcats aren't as terrible as usual thus far this season. But this team simply isn't very good, though they may win 25-30 games this year. In years past, the Michael Jordan storyline used to be fun, but it doesn't really matter much at this point. Jordan has moved on, and the best thing he can do is hope his team's name change boosts merchandise sales...next season.

The Bobcats Don't Have Any Scoring

It really pains me to see Ben Gordon sitting on the bench this year because the Bobcats don't have any scoring or any shooting. Al Jefferson was a big free agent signing, a typical baffling signing by a GM looking to improve overnight that causes him to get in a bidding war with himself for a player no one else really wants at that price. Jefferson is only 28, though it seems like he's been in the league forever, so he will have a shot to chase a title if things don't work out in Charlotte, as he's only signed for 3 seasons.

Naturally, Jefferson's shooting percentage and scoring are in the gutter so far this season, as Jefferson is shooting just 40% from the field and averaging only 15 points per contest. Jefferson is a well-known black hole, though he did torch the Bulls last season for 32 points.

I don't expect him to get it started tonight against the Bulls, and Jefferson's black hole tendencies tend to disrupt offensive movement and other players' interest in the game. No one wants to play with a guy like this, even in the NBA.

Kemba Walker is essentially a thinner BG who can pass, but his numbers are down across the board this season, as he is shooting a hideous 34% from the field and not distributing like he did last season. The Bobcats offensive was actually a little more run 'n gun last year with Walker, Ramon Sessions, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Gerald Henderson getting out on the break.

This season, Basketball Reference rates the Bobcats as the slowest offensive in the league (thank you Al Jefferson). The Bulls may not always have the best half-court offensive, but the team's half-court defense is unmatched. The Bobcats are playing right into the Bulls' strength.

The Bulls will DOMINATE on the Boards

Al Jefferson may be averaging nearly 9 rebounds per game, but the rest of the Bobcats team just doesn't rebound at all. Sometimes starting center Bismack Biyombo (I always read that name in Marv Albert's voice) is a good rebounder, but he might be the worst offensive player in the NBA.

Therefore, the Bobcats will rely on Josh McRoberts (4.6 RPG) and MKG (5.9 RPG) to pickup the slack. Noah and/or Boozer might go off for 20 rebounds tonight. The Bulls will punish this team with several second chance opportunities.

The Bulls are the far superior team, and I don't have any question that the team will win easily tonight. I'd like to see a huge game out of Carlos Boozer, and it might be the perfect time to let Jimmy Butler rebuild his confidence. Gerald Henderson and MKG are decent defenders, but both will have their hands full trying to help their big men in the post.

The Final Score: Bulls 102 Bobcats 75

And I think that's a generous 75 points.  I do not expect a letdown game after the big win versus the Pacers, but rather a continuation of beautiful Bulls basketball.

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