Bulls Preseason Game No. 2: Evaluating the Starters
Playing the second game in two nights, the Chicago Bulls tweaked Monday ‘s starting frontcourt by starting last year’s Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Taj Gibson.
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Joakim Noah was given the night off against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday due to his offseason knee surgery. With Gibson alongside Pau Gasol and Mike Dunleavy Jr. in the Bulls frontcourt, coach Tom Thibodeau went with Derrick Rose for the second-straight game and Jimmy Butler stayed in the two-guard slot.
We’ll take a look at how the starting lineup fared in the Bulls’ 111-109 loss to the Pistons on Tuesday night, along with some additional thoughts on the bench and what’s next for Chicago as they prepare for the regular season opener on October 29th against the New York Knicks.
Derrick Rose – 6 points on 0/4 shooting
Although the 2011 NBA MVP’s performance on Tuesday did not follow up his sharp outing on Monday night, Derrick Rose playing in consecutive games with no type of knee soreness is an encouraging sign for Bulls fans. Rose missed all four shots he took on Tuesday night, but his aggressiveness led to eight free throw attempts in just 14 minutes of action.
"“It’s all just coming to me,” Rose said. “I wouldn’t say there’s one area that’s better than another. It just takes playing. Going out there and actually getting game-time minutes under your belt. Practice is another thing. But when you’re actually playing against and competing against another team, that’s all I need.”-Derrick Rose on his preseason performance so far, ESPNChicago.com"
Jimmy Butler – 18 points, 3 rebounds and a steal
Arguably the biggest x-factor to the season for the Chicago Bulls is shooting guard Jimmy Butler. In 29 minutes last night, Butler tied a team-high with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Butler’s performance on Tuesday severely outdid his 1-for-7 shooting on Monday night against the Washington Wizards, where he was involved in a mini-scuffle as well.
The most encouraging sign of the night for Butler was his ability to work Pistons guard Brandon Jennings into the post and scoring. Butler’s jumper has been one of the most-critiqued features of the Bulls coming into this year and with contract extension talks looming for Butler, more plays like the one seen above could lead to a nice payday for “Jimmy Buckets”.
Mike Dunleavy Jr. – 13 points on 3/3 shooting from deep
“Money” Mike Dunleavy falls into that x-factor category for the Bulls as well. If Dunleavy shoots the rock like he did on Tuesday, the Bulls offensively will be one of the toughest teams to stop this season.
In 19 minutes of action, Dunleavy shot 4-for-5 from the floor, including three three-pointers. The 6’10” veteran was a +8 on the night and pulled down three rebounds.
Taj Gibson – 17 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists
The man of the hour was the man who was inserted into the starting lineup in place of the resting Joakim Noah. Taj Gibson carried the load for the Bulls during the first half and also played 31 minutes on Tuesday. Blazing off to a 7-for-8 shooting start, Gibson showed his usual array of post moves on the block, along with showing off his improved mid-range jumper.
If Gibson was to become a starter at any point in the season for the Bulls, the production would not plummet. Outside of Noah’s hustle and pure intensity, no one on the Bulls roster is more intense than Gibson. One of the hardest-working reserves in the game, Gibson’s minutes will not take a hit whether he’s starting or not.
Pau Gasol – 5 points, 10 rebounds in 27 minutes
How good has Pau Gasol looked in a Bulls uniform so far? In 27 minutes of action on Tuesday, Gasol pulled down 10 rebounds, dished out five assists and blocked two shots.
Gasol is clearly finding his role for the Bulls in the early going by producing in many ways offensively and protecting the rim on the defensive end. Bulls fans will be ecstatic once Gasol and Noah get going together in the frontcourt. The two-headed monster of a tandem should give teams plenty of fits moving forward.
Thoughts + what’s next for the Bulls
The Bulls are 0-2 (PANIC!), but it’s early October. Losing in overtime in the preseason is the equivalent of losing a late April game when your have the conference’s top seed and home-court advantage already wrapped up. Nobody cares.
Like I personally stated on Tuesday, the most important thing for the Bulls is building chemistry and getting your stars ready to go for October 29th.
Up next for the Bulls is a preseason game inside their “home away from home”, the Bradley Center in Milwaukee against the Bucks. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 CT on Saturday night. Bulls fans will get their first look at Simeon High School superstar Jabari Parker as a pro.