IGT: Wizards vs BULLS Tuesday Mar 3 @ 7pm on CSN

[Bear Pride]

Just hope he isn't in there guarding Durant Thursday lol.

Durant is out right now I thought. Although I don't know if anyone can check Durant that well, I want to see McD check some better guys. I think he'll do better than most anticipate, myself.

I really think people need to get away from this "McD can't play defense" stance. Just like they need to bail on the "Niko can't play defense" thing as well. Niko was banging with Nene last night I thought. :yep:

 

[Axl Rose]

and Niko hit Nene with a step back 3

that's why he is quickly becoming my favorite Bull

 

[Scoot26]

Durant is out right now I thought. Although I don't know if anyone can check Durant that well, I want to see McD check some better guys. I think he'll do better than most anticipate, myself.

I really think people need to get away from this "McD can't play defense" stance. Just like they need to bail on the "Niko can't play defense" thing as well. Niko was banging with Nene last night I thought. :yep:

I thought Durant was coming back... Maybe that's just Westbrook.

 

[Bear Pride]

and Niko hit Nene with a step back 3

that's why he is quickly becoming my favorite Bull

I stood up and was screaming on that shot. It was one of the things I wanted to see against the Wiz, was to pull those bigs outside. And then when he shot that right in Nene's face, I was like woohoo. Niko is gonna be a matchup problem for teams.

He can draw big guys out with his shot, but he can use the pump fake now, and has been driving on those guys too. If they put smaller guys on him, then he's also showed the ability to post them up. Keep in mind that he's only 24, he'll add some bulk yet with maturity alone, let alone if he get's in the weight room.

 

[Bear Pride]

I thought Durant was coming back... Maybe that's just Westbrook.

I think that's Westbrook coming back. Durant is supposed to be re-evaluated in a week or so. All the better for McD to get some minutes. :elephant:

INJURY REPORT

Oklahoma City
P	Player	Status	Notes	W/L	O/U
G	R. Westbrook	Prob Wed Face 03/03/15	Westbrook missed Sunday's game after undergoing surgery for a facial fracture but is expected to return Wednesday against the 76ers.	1-0 $+0	1-0
C	S. Adams	Ques Wed Hand 03/03/15	Adams has been out since early-February after undergoing hand surgery. He is questionable to return Wednesday against the 76ers.	8-2 $+0	7-3
F	K. Durant	Out indefinitely Foot 02/24/15	Durant is sidelined after undergoing a procedure on his right foot.	4-2 $+0	5-1
F	S. Novak	Out indefinitely Appendix 02/24/15	Novak had an appendectomy and is expected to miss an extended amount of time.	2-2 $+0	3-1

Chicago
P	Player	Status	Notes	W/L	O/U
F	T. Gibson	Mid March Ankle 03/03/15	Gibson is expected to miss about a week with an ankle injury.	1-1 $+0	1-1
G	J. Butler	Early April Elbow 03/02/15	Butler could miss a month of action with a sprained elbow.	1-1 $+0	1-1
G	D. Rose	Mid April Knee 02/27/15	Rose had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. He is expected to miss four-to-six weeks.	2-2 $+0	1-3

 

[2323]

Durant is out right now I thought. Although I don't know if anyone can check Durant that well, I want to see McD check some better guys. I think he'll do better than most anticipate, myself.

I really think people need to get away from this "McD can't play defense" stance. Just like they need to bail on the "Niko can't play defense" thing as well. Niko was banging with Nene last night I thought. :yep:

It's not like Hinrich is good at defense...or Rose and Gasol for that matter. But those guys are veterans who have been given the opportunity to put up numbers to kind of offset their defense. McDermott hasn't been getting that opportunity. And it's worth parsing out that you don't have to be a great individual defender to help defensively in this system. Ray Allen was a bad individual defender but did well in this system.

 

[Bear06]

He's progressed defensively quite a bit, however he was this talented offensively when he got here. I understand his lack of minutes, but only to a degree. He's way too good to keep off of the floor regardless who is in front of him.

Yeah, I'm really glad the Bulls were finally able to get him off Real Madrid after waiting a couple of years.

 

[The Hawk]

I know nothing about Mirotic work ethic, though I would assume it has to be good, but I hope he continues to put a lot of work in. This guy is going to be a future all pro selection.

There is no doubt. He can handle the ball very well for a big man. He plays with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. I loved his actions against Jordan in that Clips game. Jordan was throwing his weight around and gasol backed away. But Mirtoic swung an elbow a couple of times while fighting for a rebound. That I love about the guy. He certainly is no soft Euro. He sees the floor like a guard and once he and Rose and Butler get on the sae page, look out. I can see the guy actually playing point forward offensively for the Bulls.

It is also a great sign with how much Noah loves the guy's game.

 

[The Hawk]

It's not like Hinrich is good at defense...or Rose and Gasol for that matter. But those guys are veterans who have been given the opportunity to put up numbers to kind of offset their defense. McDermott hasn't been getting that opportunity. And it's worth parsing out that you don't have to be a great individual defender to help defensively in this system. Ray Allen was a bad individual defender but did well in this system.

Um.......does McDermott or anyone for that matter have a "right" for an opportunity in a game? Since when? As far as I am concerned, no one is owed anything when it comes to playing time. That is what they pay coaches to decide and if they don't win then they get fired. Do you forget how very little Gibson played his first year? How about Butler? How about Asik? Snell? To listen to this endless drone about McDermott, you'd think that Thibs was somehow singling him out as some kind of failed pick which was undeserved. Seems to me, those players who SAT mostly in their first season turned out pretty damned good.

A coaching friend of mine went to a basketball clinic a long time ago that was given to coaches by John Wooden. He told me that one of the best things that Wooden related to them in that clinic had nothing to do with Xs and Os but that he said that a coach needed to convey to his players to BE READY when your number got called. And to me, this pertains to McDermott just like it did to those guys who have preceded him under Thibs. Thibs has proven that he somehow can develop players but he will not GIVE THEM anything. THey need to work their asses off and be ready when their number gets called. This is what McDermott needs to do

 

[2323]

Um.......does McDermott or anyone for that matter have a "right" for an opportunity in a game? Since when? As far as I am concerned, no one is owed anything when it comes to playing time. That is what they pay coaches to decide and if they don't win then they get fired. Do you forget how very little Gibson played his first year? How about Butler? How about Asik? Snell? To listen to this endless drone about McDermott, you'd think that Thibs was somehow singling him out as some kind of failed pick which was undeserved. Seems to me, those players who SAT mostly in their first season turned out pretty damned good.

A coaching friend of mine went to a basketball clinic a long time ago that was given to coaches by John Wooden. He told me that one of the best things that Wooden related to them in that clinic had nothing to do with Xs and Os but that he said that a coach needed to convey to his players to BE READY when your number got called. And to me, this pertains to McDermott just like it did to those guys who have preceded him under Thibs. Thibs has proven that he somehow can develop players but he will not GIVE THEM anything. THey need to work their asses off and be ready when their number gets called. This is what McDermott needs to do

No one is owed anything. But it benefits Thibs to play guys on his roster. Like I've cited before, Thibs wasn't exactly willing to give Nate and Bellinelli minutes. But those guys stepped up big time. And it was partly because they were veterans. McDermott is not. Does Thibs learn/grow from any of this? You have to wonder.

 

[Scoot26]

No one is owed anything. But it benefits Thibs to play guys on his roster. Like I've cited before, Thibs wasn't exactly willing to give Nate and Bellinelli minutes. But those guys stepped up big time. And it was partly because they were veterans. McDermott is not. Does Thibs learn/grow from any of this? You have to wonder.

That's true.. when it comes to rotation, Thibs is terrible until his hand is forced.

I don't think he really wanted to play the bench mob in 2010-11 early on either, but settled into it as 5 on the bench constantly displayed that they could play.

So it'll be interesting to see what happens when all the starters eventually return. As well as Taj. Niko probably deserves 30 mpg at this point over Taj. Moore deserves backup PG minutes over Kirk and I think he can spell in at SG once Rose is back. Kirk should be further reduced to Scalabrine like appearances at this point (He didnt play at all during 2010-11 playoffs. Overpaid to be in that position, but he's done alot to play himself out of the lineup.

 

[The Hawk]

whats he playing? tight end?

:derbulls:

He'd probably do okay as a 6'10" QB