McGraw: Many reasons behind Bulls recent struggles

[Scoot26]

If the Bulls look up right now, they'll see a strange sight -- the Atlanta Hawks running away with the Eastern Conference lead.

The Hawks, who visit the United Center on Saturday, have won 10 in a row, 24 of their last 26 and lead Washington by 4 games and the Bulls by 5½.

A team that's meshing at midseason and pulling away in the standings -- that was supposed to be the Bulls. They're not in a bad spot right now, but the Bulls have been stumbling, with 4 losses in the last five games.

There's not a single problem plaguing the Bulls. Quite often, the defense has been ineffective, but coach Tom Thibodeau's squad also scored just 77 points in a recent home loss to Utah.

Injuries are a legitimate concern. They haven't built much continuity with players sliding in and out of the lineup. In Wednesday's 105-99 loss to Washington, Joakim Noah was lost to a right ankle injury at halftime, and the Bulls were outscored 61-49 in the second half.

Noah's status for Friday's game at Boston is unknown, though it seems unlikely he'll play.

"The way I look at it, whoever's supposed to step in the game is supposed to do their job," Derrick Rose said. "I think we've got guys on this team that are intelligent enough and know basketball well enough to come in and do what they're supposed to do. I think it's all about communication, especially with the way Thibs' defense is."

The Bulls have recovered from injuries before, so that's can't be a catch-all excuse. Here's a closer look at what might be going wrong:

Gasol and go
Make no mistake, Gasol has been a great addition for the Bulls and is on pace to start in the All-Star Game. But fitting a successful lineup around him has been a challenge.

Gasol is not a defensive stopper. But neither was Carlos Boozer, who was part of excellent defensive teams. Gasol is much better at basket protection, ranking fifth in the league in blocked shots.

So why can't the Bulls make this work? They might still be trying to figure that out themselves. With Gasol on board, the Bulls have transitioned to a much higher-scoring team, which bodes well for the playoffs. But they haven't discovered the defensive secret.

Gasol can't switch onto any defensive assignment, like Noah does. He can get overpowered by strong post players, but so do most NBA centers.
Gasol had a tough night against Orlando's Nik Vucevic on Monday. Vucevic started out by hitting medium-range jumpers, then started driving to the basket and the Bulls couldn't bring enough help to slow him down.

Pick your poison
Tom Thibodeau's defense has traditionally been renowned for clamping down on pick-and-rolls, the staple of NBA offense these days. That's not happening right now.

Against Washington, the Bulls didn't try to jump the pick-and-roll. The big man backed off and the guard tried to get over the screen. The outcome was a number of ridiculously easy baskets for the Wizards. A single high screen led to open jumpers by the guards. If the ball was thrown to the roller, typically one extra pass brought an easy layup.

This is not the Bulls defense we're used to.

Butler not at his best
High-scoring games have become common for the Bulls, and their recent skid has coincided with a shooting slump by their top scorer, Jimmy Butler.

Over the past five games, Butler is shooting just 29.8 percent from the field and averaging 13 points. The Bulls haven't found a way to replace his offense and aren't playing defense well enough to make up the difference.

"Jimmy will be fine," Thibodeau said. "Jimmy doesn't rely on jump shooting. His ability to get to the line is a great strength. His post-up ability, moving without the ball -- those are all things that could help us."

Butler has been playing with a wrap on his left thumb. He's right-handed, so that shouldn't hurt his shooting. It's tough to tell if Butler is beat up or this is just a midseason lull.

Dunleavy on leave
Mike Dunleavy has missed the last seven games. Is he that important to the Bulls' success? Maybe.

Dunleavy is a smart veteran who knows how to play, and when he's shooting 40 percent from 3-point range, the Bulls' offense should benefit.

Then again, the team is just 10-7 when Dunleavy makes multiple 3-point baskets, so maybe his absence is more of a continuity issue.

Rose returning to form
Maybe the most disappointing part of Wednesday's loss is it wasted a season-high 32 points from Rose. He's still inconsistent and trying to get comfortable after his two-year layoff.

If Rose returns to all-star form, will the Bulls' troubles be over? Probably not.

This is a multifaceted slump, but fortunes can always change quickly.

Get the latest Bulls news via Twitter by following @McGrawDHBulls.

 

[clonetrooper264]

So basically we suck right now. K

 

[Scoot26]

So basically we suck right now. K

:yep:

Hopefully Butler wasn't just giving it his all in November/December and now we're stuck with offensive performances like this the rest of the year.

If Rose can continue off what he did in Washington, that's a start, but the whole team is out of whack now and injuries aren't helping. I think getting Dunleavy back, believe it or not will be a big help, but who knows when that'll happen.

 

[clonetrooper264]

I think Dunleavy coming back will help the team in several ways, despite the multiple 3s stat listed in that article.

Spacing...it helps having a legit 40% shooter from 3 on the court. There's not a real dangerous threat like him when he's not in the lineup. Brooks and Mirotic are solid, but they just don't have the same effect it seems.

It may also help that Snell has been doing ok in replacement duty as maybe Thibs will be more willing to play him to rest Butler a little more. Who knows why Butler is slumping, but maybe a few minutes less per game would help.

McDermott should be making his way back into the lineup soon too so perhaps that will also help the spacing and shooting issues we've had.

In general, the team may just be going through a rough patch and they could turn it around as soon as tonight for all we know.

 

[The Hawk]

What do you guys think about just sitting Noah down until his ankle is really healed? Its the play-offs that counts as we should have learned in past campaigns when they won the regular season but were gimpy in the play-offs. Give the big Aussie a chance to bang among the other teams bigs for awhile. I actually thought about that in the last two games with the Wiz. Let him match Nene's physicality for awhile.

As for Gasol, he simply is not a good one on one defender. Never was. He gets killed trying to stay with the more mobile PFs and Cs. Let him play a high post center on offense and a low defender where he can block shots when the opposing guards and SFs come into the paint. I also think that Mirotic needs more minutes than he is getting. Let him try against PFs where his quickness can enable him to knock the ball away and/or tip passes. He also can certainly out-quick the opposing centers and PFs on offense.

And I know that I sound like a broken record but they need another decent big guard. Butler cannot do it all. Rose is pretty soft defensively and Hinrich sucks. I have never seen this guy as bad as he is now. Other teams are making moves and I think that Gar/Pax need to wake up and see what is happening right now before it is too late.

 

[Scoot26]

Noah should sit until his ankle is right.

This allows the Bulls to play lineup matchups to see what works best defensively while he is out. They then need to figure out where to plug Noah in once he's back.

Remember that Asik/Gibson lineup that played the playoffs from Game 5 in the 2nd round all the way the rest out in 2011? Thibs should be trying to find something like that.

 

[Axl Rose]

they need to stop forcing it to Gasol so much in the post

Gasol takes to long to make a move and it really stagnates the offense...hes also got horrible ball control and loses the ball or gets stripped quite often....they need to run more pick & roll/pick & pop with him

 

[clonetrooper264]

Gasol in the post is a great option depending on the matchup. As it was glaringly apparent against the Wizards, he can't seem to get it going against Nene. However, we have seen him do plenty of damage to other teams with good frontcourts. Running the offense through Gasol in the post has been one of our better offensive options, but yeah, if it isn't working we should look to the pick and pop game or something else.

 

[Axl Rose]

not saying don't go to Gasol in the post...actually they should use it often (if its working)

just don't abuse it. get some other flow moving aswell

also they should stop passing the ball to Noah at the elbow and leaving him on a island...do they not know thats playing right into the other teams hands?

how many times do you got to hit your hand with a hammer before you realize it hurts and stop doing it

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

What do you guys think about just sitting Noah down until his ankle is really healed? Its the play-offs that counts as we should have learned in past campaigns when they won the regular season but were gimpy in the play-offs. Give the big Aussie a chance to bang among the other teams bigs for awhile. I actually thought about that in the last two games with the Wiz. Let him match Nene's physicality for awhile.

As for Gasol, he simply is not a good one on one defender. Never was. He gets killed trying to stay with the more mobile PFs and Cs. Let him play a high post center on offense and a low defender where he can block shots when the opposing guards and SFs come into the paint. I also think that Mirotic needs more minutes than he is getting. Let him try against PFs where his quickness can enable him to knock the ball away and/or tip passes. He also can certainly out-quick the opposing centers and PFs on offense.

And I know that I sound like a broken record but they need another decent big guard. Butler cannot do it all. Rose is pretty soft defensively and Hinrich sucks. I have never seen this guy as bad as he is now. Other teams are making moves and I think that Gar/Pax need to wake up and see what is happening right now before it is too late.

The Bulls have Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, and Aaron Brooks (above average NBA point guard). Dunleavy is a solid all-around player and a great three-point shooter. McDermott will gradually improve and he's already a threat and stretches the floor. They really do not need another wing player right now. Especially if they are forced to give up one of their prized bigs. You can't give up Noah and expect to contend; you need to hope he'll pull it together health-wise in order to be at an elite level defensively. You can't give up Taj because you need a big man to relieve Noah of minutes and keep the defense held together. You shouldn't give up Mirotic. Gasol is playing at an All-Star level for a mid-salary cost. So unless you can trade picks or Dunleavy and get a guy like Afflalo, there is no getting a guy like that and keep any hope of winning a title this year, realistically.

Gasol is a decent defensive player, and his strength is underneath the basket in the role of a center. Noah is more of a liability on defense right now than Gasol is, in my opinion. His quickness is just not there, and that is the bread and butter of his defensive prowess.

This team loses to Washington twice and a bunch of bad teams at home, and all of the sudden, you guys start panicking? Please. Making a trade is not going to bring back the focus at home or on the defensive end.

 

[YFC]

I think Dunleavy coming back will help the team in several ways, despite the multiple 3s stat listed in that article.

Spacing...it helps having a legit 40% shooter from 3 on the court. There's not a real dangerous threat like him when he's not in the lineup. Brooks and Mirotic are solid, but they just don't have the same effect it seems.

It may also help that Snell has been doing ok in replacement duty as maybe Thibs will be more willing to play him to rest Butler a little more. Who knows why Butler is slumping, but maybe a few minutes less per game would help.

McDermott should be making his way back into the lineup soon too so perhaps that will also help the spacing and shooting issues we've had.

In general, the team may just be going through a rough patch and they could turn it around as soon as tonight for all we know.

The 3pt games of Brooks, Mirotic and McDermott are different from Dunleavy's. Brooks is the usually the ball handler and likes creating his own shot. He does not have the size to be a threat from the 3pt line that potentially helps spacing. Mirotic and McDermott are great shooters, but they don't have quick releases. Dunleavy is the best 3pt shooter on the bulls roster right now. Believe it or not, he is not a liability on the defensive end either. He is indispensable.

 

[clonetrooper264]

The 3pt games of Brooks, Mirotic and McDermott are different from Dunleavy's. Brooks is the usually the ball handler and likes creating his own shot. He does not have the size to be a threat from the 3pt line that potentially helps spacing. Mirotic and McDermott are great shooters, but they don't have quick releases. Dunleavy is the best 3pt shooter on the bulls roster right now. Believe it or not, he is not a liability on the defensive end either. He is indispensable.

McDermott's release is plenty quick. Mirotic definitely does not have a slow release either. I agree that their way of getting 3s is different than Dunleavy and as far as two way play goes, he's definitely the best option. Brooks imo is definitely a threat from 3 because of his ability to create his own shot. He's a solid shooter...not Dunleavy level, but he's one of the best on the team behind him.

At the end of the day the point is this for me, Dunelavy coming back will help a lot (you can pick you own reasons) and having more shooters never hurts which is why McDermott can still help the team when he gets back.

 

[YFC]

McDermott's release is plenty quick. Mirotic definitely does not have a slow release either. I agree that their way of getting 3s is different than Dunleavy and as far as two way play goes, he's definitely the best option. Brooks imo is definitely a threat from 3 because of his ability to create his own shot. He's a solid shooter...not Dunleavy level, but he's one of the best on the team behind him.

At the end of the day the point is this for me, Dunelavy coming back will help a lot (you can pick you own reasons) and having more shooters never hurts which is why McDermott can still help the team when he gets back.

I agree. I guess what I meant was Mirotic and McDermott's percentage drop drastically when the defender are within 3 feet. They are not as good as Dunleavy at making contested shots. As a result, more often than not, they give up those shots and pass the ball.

 

[Probie2429]

I like the fact that the Bulls are struggling and playing quite poorly to be honest. They have been caught way too many times running away with the conference/division over the past few years only to reach the playoffs with nothing left in the tank. Time to cruise for a bit and learn from what other teams have done to play their best ball in the playoffs when it really counts. The East is so bad that there is not much difference between the top 8 teams.

 

[clonetrooper264]

I agree. I guess what I meant was Mirotic and McDermott's percentage drop drastically when the defender are within 3 feet. They are not as good as Dunleavy at making contested shots. As a result, more often than not, they give up those shots and pass the ball.

McDermott should be able to make shots with defenders draped all over him. That's what he did in college. It hasn't been the case in the regular season as of yet, but in summer league he definitely showed promise there. Give them both time...they're rookies. What Mirotic has provided has already exceed the expectations of many. They aren't Dunleavy...yet.

 

[Axl Rose]

The Bulls have Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, and Aaron Brooks (above average NBA point guard). Dunleavy is a solid all-around player and a great three-point shooter. McDermott will gradually improve and he's already a threat and stretches the floor. They really do not need another wing player right now. Especially if they are forced to give up one of their prized bigs. You can't give up Noah and expect to contend; you need to hope he'll pull it together health-wise in order to be at an elite level defensively. You can't give up Taj because you need a big man to relieve Noah of minutes and keep the defense held together. You shouldn't give up Mirotic. Gasol is playing at an All-Star level for a mid-salary cost. So unless you can trade picks or Dunleavy and get a guy like Afflalo, there is no getting a guy like that and keep any hope of winning a title this year, realistically.

Gasol is a decent defensive player, and his strength is underneath the basket in the role of a center. Noah is more of a liability on defense right now than Gasol is, in my opinion. His quickness is just not there, and that is the bread and butter of his defensive prowess.

This team loses to Washington twice and a bunch of bad teams at home, and all of the sudden, you guys start panicking? Please. Making a trade is not going to bring back the focus at home or on the defensive end.

Denver has no use for Noah/Taj plus they are rebuilding so they don't want players that are 30..i think Denver would be looking for future assets like a pick

Jimmy Butler is good but the rest fall short

Dun is a backup, Brooks to small to play the 2, Doug is a threat....to let the other team to score lol

we can't count on Doug to be a contributor this year especially coming off knee surgery

 

[JosMin]

We're fine.

 

[clonetrooper264]

We're fine.

NO! WE HAVEN'T GONE ON A 27 GAME WIN STREAK SO WE MUST PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Axl Rose]

we can't talk about the Bulls recent slump? we can't talk about ways to improve the team?

what is this forum for then?

sure its some overreactions going around...but thats a sports forum for you

 

[2323]

The fortunate thing about this year is that while there are good teams in the east, none of them that are ahead of the Bulls are really juggernauts. If the Bulls are right, namely defense and health, they should be able to beat any eastern team that's currently ahead of them in a 7 game series, regardless of HCA. I think Noah being healthy is huge. He's the quarterback of their defense and brings a lot to games that doesn't always show up in the box score. He might be the most important player on the team since there's no one who does what he does. If the Bulls go down a scorer, they have others. But Noah is the anchor of the defense.

Btw, this talk of trading for someone like Afflalo or Green is dumb. It's not nearly as important as having guys get healthy. Trading for them would be an overreaction unless it can work with Hinrich being the one going the other way. Other than eating up minutes, I'm not sure he has any discernible value beyond Paxon likes him because Hinrich reminds him of himself. If they can trade Hinrich and Snell for someone, then ok. It would be amazingly shortsighted to trade McDermott at this point.