Bobby Breaks Niko's Face

[Gustavus Adolphus]

The Bulls have no reason to waive Portis.

-#1 Sports are emotional and physical. Oh well. Many great players have had physical fights with teammates. Many scrubs as well. It's not always the same result. Sometimes players get closer and better because of it, sometimes it makes things worse.
-#2 Bulls still need to inflate the value of any player they don't want to keep and actually get a return.
-#3 Dude that can throw a mean punch can contribute to intimidation factor. Throw Portis out there against a cheap shot player to send messages.
-#4 Forgiveness is divine? I'm of the school that redemption should always be on the table. His merit rank on the team should go down, but if they're already stuck paying him, doesn't hurt to see if he'll earn back his keep. But of course, if he doubles down and fucks up again, he should be gone.
-#5 And Knee Jerking. Too soon, as usual. Put the jump to conclusion mat away. Stop grinding axes and trying to force prophecy. Blah blah, yeah, I know, must be a homer and accept mediocrity. Just step back, relax. Small shit like this will work itself out, maybe a blessing in disguise. Plus, it conflicts with #2.
-#5 Deep down, about a quarter of the fanbase wanted to see someone punch that chucker square in the face. Not saying people wanted to see him seriously hurt, but something that would give this grown man a wake-up call and respect the game more than play for himself 90% of the time.

my 0.02

1. Keyword being great. This is Bobby Portis we are talking about, a rotational player on a very bad team. This isn't MJ punching Steve Kerr in the face.
2. Again, Portis is a rotational player and probably wouldn't crack the rotation on a lot of .500+ teams. You know whose trade value does need to be inflated? Mirotic. Especially early in the season did his trade value need to be inflated. Unfortunately, thanks to Bobby Portis that's not going to happen now.
3. Nobody has been intimidated by Bobby Portis up to this point. You honestly think him knocking out some soft-ass Euro chucker is going to change that all of a sudden?
4. I'm of the opinion that you haven't done anything for me over the course of your career, and now when the team is trying do something different, you give us this kind of press? Which leads me to....
5. This wouldn't be a knee jerk reaction. You've spent all this time talking about the culture of your team, culture of the locker room. Yet when one of your own sends a team mate to the hospital, you're going to worry about the guy that's done nothing for you??
6. I don't want to see Mirotic hurt, but I also don't want to see him playing for the Bulls anymore. One of the best ways that could have happened was him playing well to start the season. Again, that's not going to happen, because Bobby Portis went off and knocked him out.

I'm not absolving Mirotic of anything here - by all accounts he's the one who started all of this. The fact is that Mirotic is a much more valuable asset to the Bulls than Bobby Portis is, and by the direct result of Portis' actions an asset has been damaged. I don't think you could find me a better example of someone being a 'detriment to the team.'

 

[Crystallas]

1. Keyword being great. This is Bobby Portis we are talking about, a rotational player on a very bad team. This isn't MJ punching Steve Kerr in the face.
2. Again, Portis is a rotational player and probably wouldn't crack the rotation on a lot of .500+ teams. You know whose trade value does need to be inflated? Mirotic. Especially early in the season did his trade value need to be inflated. Unfortunately, thanks to Bobby Portis that's not going to happen now.
3. Nobody has been intimidated by Bobby Portis up to this point. You honestly think him knocking out some soft-ass Euro chucker is going to change that all of a sudden?
4. I'm of the opinion that you haven't done anything for me over the course of your career, and now when the team is trying do something different, you give us this kind of press? Which leads me to....
5. This wouldn't be a knee jerk reaction. You've spent all this time talking about the culture of your team, culture of the locker room. Yet when one of your own sends a team mate to the hospital, you're going to worry about the guy that's done nothing for you??
6. I don't want to see Mirotic hurt, but I also don't want to see him playing for the Bulls anymore. One of the best ways that could have happened was him playing well to start the season. Again, that's not going to happen, because Bobby Portis went off and knocked him out.

I'm not absolving Mirotic of anything here - by all accounts he's the one who started all of this. The fact is that Mirotic is a much more valuable asset to the Bulls than Bobby Portis is, and by the direct result of Portis' actions an asset has been damaged. I don't think you could find me a better example of someone being a 'detriment to the team.'

I guess you glanced over #1. But I disagree with you. This happens every year. Every player that is not currently some level of star is deemed to be at their ceiling. Every scrub that fucks up is at the end of their career for it. In reality, that only happens if people don't allow wounds to heal.

My main point, it's just waaaaaaaaaaaay too soon to know what to do with very little downside to keeping Portis. If there is MORE information that is unreleased to the fans, then sure, maybe there is a good reason to cut him. If he's a dick in the locker room for instance. If it's just because a long-term development player is not a legit starter in the NBA, no that's not a good reason. If he sucks, you bench him because he's young. You waive him because you have a better option. Right now, the Bulls for 2017-18 aren't really looking for better options FOR the 2017-18 season. So it's not going to help whatsoever to cut him, just because fans of this team don't seem to like anyone.

 

[The Hawk]

I guess you glanced over #1. But I disagree with you. This happens every year. Every player that is not currently some level of star is deemed to be at their ceiling. Every scrub that fucks up is at the end of their career for it. In reality, that only happens if people don't allow wounds to heal.

My main point, it's just waaaaaaaaaaaay too soon to know what to do with very little downside to keeping Portis. If there is MORE information that is unreleased to the fans, then sure, maybe there is a good reason to cut him. If he's a dick in the locker room for instance. If it's just because a long-term development player is not a legit starter in the NBA, no that's not a good reason. If he sucks, you bench him because he's young. You waive him because you have a better option. Right now, the Bulls for 2017-18 aren't really looking for better options FOR the 2017-18 season. So it's not going to help whatsoever to cut him, just because fans of this team don't seem to like anyone.

I'd have to know much more about it to criticize either player other to say that skirmishes happen all of the time BUT to haul off and break a guy's jaw and give him a concussion, then he has to be suspended for a long time. There was also some "news" that Portis hit him with a sucker punch. What actually happened is not known but PROFESSIONAL basketball players cannot throw punches like that and remain for long in the sport. I remember when Rudy T. was knocked out by KErmit Washington a long time ago.

ALso I might be the only Mirotic fan on this board but I do like the guy off of the bench and it will hurt the team losing him especially as bad as they are. OF course, this team was probably the worst in all of basketball before this happened so those wanting the team to tank are going to get their wish for sure.

 

[The Hawk]

We've all had the urge to punch Nike in the face many times. Portis is just the one to finally do what we've all been feeling.

Really? Why?

 

[RiDLer80]

Really? Why?

I'm sure Niko the person is a very nice guy.

But Niko the NBA player is the most frustrating player we've had in years.

 

[The Hawk]

I'm sure Niko the person is a very nice guy.

But Niko the NBA player is the most frustrating player we've had in years.

He is somewhat frustrating but that might be because the expectations for him were so high. This kind of tells you, though, has massively BAD Paxson and his alien buddy, Gar, have been. Mirotic stands as one of the Bulls few offensive potential weapons.

 

[RiDLer80]

Niko is the worst shooting "shooting big man" in all the land.

 

[Icculus]

Bobby Portis gave that fairy the North Side Kings to Glenn Danzig treatment. Also, just like the former Misfits lead singer, the Eurotrash POS started the fight and like the North Side Kings lead vocalist, Portis is a nobody.

[video=youtube;zfD7agP1yxw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfD7agP1yxw[/video]

 

[anotheridiot]

I have seen the crazy portis eyes, now we know it runs deep.

I have read that they cannot even begin to fix Nikos face until the concussion is gone.

My God, there has to be some civil litigation coming from Niko, Bobby concussed him?

From the Portis side, here is a first round power forward, thinks Niko is a free agent, he has a shot to be the starter at PF, he agrees to spend a third summer in Vegas summer league to show he is committed, then they sign Niko and draft a PF. He then shows he should be committed.

The left field angle is back to the coach. Here we are thinking that GarPax got rid of all the players standing in the way of Hoiberg being the brightest bulb in the drawer. But this shows these players have no respect for him either.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

I've read/heard that Niko has been at the Advocate Center once since all of this happened, and that he hasn't returned any phone calls or texts. Then yesterday I read a report that he is considering leaving the team and going back to Europe. Has anyone else heard that, or have a reliable source on it? The place I read it didn't seem too reliable.

 

[clonetrooper264]

I've read/heard that Niko has been at the Advocate Center once since all of this happened, and that he hasn't returned any phone calls or texts. Then yesterday I read a report that he is considering leaving the team and going back to Europe. Has anyone else heard that, or have a reliable source on it? The place I read it didn't seem too reliable.

I've also heard that Niko hasn't been responding to anything on his phone, but haven't seen or heard anything about him wanting to go back to Europe. He can go back for all I care though. Won't make much of a difference.

 

[The Hawk]

Niko will go to Europe. His NBA career is done. He will sue and probably win.

 

[Raskolnikov]

Dude probably can't talk.

 

[clonetrooper264]

He's probably so concussed he doesn't know how to talk or sue

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

http://www.espn.com/blog/nba/rumors...a-mirotic-to-seek-trade-if-bobby-portis-stays

 

[clonetrooper264]

http://www.espn.com/blog/nba/rumors...a-mirotic-to-seek-trade-if-bobby-portis-stays

This is probably a good thing either way since neither are any good and we have no use for 3 PFs anyway

 

[Raskolnikov]

beat me to it.

cliff notes: Mirotic's agents finally spoke up. Essentially desiring the Bulls to choose one or the other, Portis or Mirotic.

 

[Probie2429]

What exactly happened that caused Portis to throw a punch in the first place?

I'd get rid of both of them to be honest. Both aren't very good to begin with. Niko just isn't built for the NBA style of game. Had some promise and the excitement around him was legit, but it just hasn't translated. He probably wasn't put into the best situation with Thibs out of the gate either. I imagine he will ask to be released and go back to Europe never to be heard from again.

 

[Probie2429]

Niko might look good in Boston under Stevens who knows how to get creative with his players. With Gordon more or less out for the season probably, Bulls should eat one year of the deal get a pick (which Boston has a lot of) and move Niko.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

What exactly happened that caused Portis to throw a punch in the first place?

From what I've gathered Niko went after Portis and shoved him twice before Portis threw the punch. The Bulls were very quick to say that this was not a sucker punch.

I also read somewhere that this was a long time coming between these two.