Chicago Bulls - Welcome to Hoiball

[jmcole33]

Header.png
Pau Gasol.jpg

Bulls Handle Celtics
Chicago, IL - In a game in which no one played more than 27 minutes, the Bulls got a very balanced effort in a 106-95 win over the Boston Celtics. The game wasn't as close as the score indicated, as the Celtics ended the game on a 8-0 run in garbage time.

Pau Gasol continued his strong play with 20 points on 9-11 shooting, six rebounds, and four blocks. There wasn't much resistance for the big fella, as the Celtics don't have anyone nearly the size of the Spaniard. He was able to turn and shoot over the visiting frontcourt all night long.

Jimmy Butler scored a season low 10 points, but his usual effort was not required. The Bulls have clearly found their stride since winning in Oklahoma City on Christmas Day. The team has been sharing the ball much better in the last few weeks, racking up 29 assists on 45 field goals.

"The guys have really picked up their play," Fred Hoiberg shrugged his shoulders. "It's not me. I've been preaching the same thing since the beginning of the year. Move the ball. Push the pace. Play with urgency. We always felt that this team was capable of some big things this year, and it's finally starting to look like it."

The Celtics got nice games from Jared Sullinger (15 points, 10 rebounds) and Isaiah Thomas (20 points, 10 rebounds), but there is only so much this group of role players can do. They are clearly missing a guy who can take over a game and be "That guy" when the team needs a bucket. Thomas does his best, but his lack of size really limits him when he attacks the basket. This Celtics team absolutely has some nice pieces, but they need to make a splash via trade or free agency if they want to take the next step.

Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls
Jan 7, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Boston (14-21)	21	25	23	26	95
Chicago (17-16)	30	28	27	21	106

Boston Celtics
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Isaiah Thomas	40	9-19	1-5	1-1	3	8	1	0	6	20
Marcus Smart	34	4-9	1-2	0-2	4	9	1	0	2	9
Evan Turner	35	4-9	0-0	0-0	7	3	0	1	2	8
Jared Sullinger	32	6-14	0-1	3-4	10	1	2	1	0	15
Kelly Olynyk	35	7-13	0-3	3-3	8	0	0	0	0	17
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Jae Crowder	23	6-10	5-7	0-0	0	3	0	0	0	17
Tyler Zeller	9	2-6	0-0	0-0	2	1	1	0	0	4
David Lee	12	1-3	0-0	1-2	1	1	1	0	0	3
Amir Johnson	10	1-2	0-0	0-0	3	1	0	0	0	2
James Young	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Terry Rozier	9	0-1	0-0	0-0	2	1	0	0	0	0
Jonas Jerebko	-- DID NOT PLAY --
Jordan Mickey	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		40-86	7-18	8-12	44	28	6	2	10	95

Chicago Bulls
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Derrick Rose	27	6-15	0-1	2-2	3	8	2	0	1	14
Jimmy Butler	25	5-8	0-1	0-0	5	3	1	0	2	10
Mike Dunleavy	26	3-6	3-6	1-2	3	3	1	0	0	10
Joakim Noah	25	3-3	0-0	4-5	8	5	0	1	1	10
Pau Gasol	26	9-11	0-0	2-2	6	0	0	4	1	20
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Lance Stephenson	20	6-8	1-2	1-2	2	0	1	0	0	14
Etwaun Moore	20	2-5	0-2	0-2	4	6	0	0	2	4
Nikola Mirotic	20	4-10	1-3	0-0	3	2	0	0	1	9
Doug McDermott	18	3-8	0-2	0-1	3	0	1	1	1	6
Bobby Portis	21	3-5	1-1	0-0	8	2	1	0	0	7
Kirk Hinrich	4	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	1	0	0	0
Cristiano Felicio	4	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	2
Aaron Brooks	3	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		45-82	6-20	10-16	49	29	8	6	9	106

[jmcole33]

Header.PNG
Paul Millsap.png

Bulls Relapse in Atlanta
Atlanta, GA - After a convincing victory over the Celtics two days ago, the Bulls experienced a setback in Atlanta, losing 117-92. The Bulls looked tired and lethargic, something that hadn't been an issue for almost a month.

Paul Millsap dominated, scoring 22 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. His frontcourt mate, Mike Muscala, replacing Al Horford in the starting lineup who is out with a pinched nerve in his back, tallied 12 points and 14 rebounds. Former Bull, Kyle Korver, was a sizzling 9-12 from the field including 4-5 from deep on his way to 22 points.

Derrick Rose played his best game of the season, with 28 points and five assists. He was in attack mode all night long, but it was not enough to carry his team. Jimmy Butler scored only 11 points, and looked disengaged for much of the night.

"That's a bad loss," Rose said afterwards. "We're better than that. We can't take nights off. Yea we're playing well lately and have been winning, but we can't forget that we're only one game over .500. This is no time to relax."

After the game Joakim Noah brought up his impending free agency and made it clear he wanted to stay in Chicago. "This is my home. I have been here my whole career. I have given everything I have to this organization and to the fans and the city. I don't want to leave them."

The Bulls will have a tough decision come the off season. Jo, who is obviously the heart and soul of the Chicago Bulls, is going to be due a substantial amount of money. The Bulls are rumored to want to make a big splash in free agency will have to decide if the team as currently constructed is good enough to compete for a title against the likes of the Cavs and Warriors. They have a similar decision to make with Pau Gasol, who is likely to decline his Player Option and test the market.

As we approach the back third of the year and the off season - do the Bulls try to compete with this current core group of guys, or do they shake it up significantly?

Chicago Bulls at Atlanta Hawks
Jan 9, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Chicago (18-16)	21	24	25	22	92
Atlanta (15-22)	28	30	27	32	117

Chicago Bulls
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Derrick Rose	36	9-15	2-3	8-8	2	5	0	0	3	28
Jimmy Butler	34	4-12	1-3	2-3	3	3	3	1	1	11
Mike Dunleavy	22	0-0	0-0	0-0	3	1	0	0	1	0
Joakim Noah	22	2-2	0-0	0-0	7	1	0	0	1	4
Pau Gasol	32	8-12	1-1	3-3	7	2	2	3	2	20
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Lance Stephenson	20	1-6	1-2	0-0	2	3	0	1	0	3
Etwaun Moore	13	1-5	0-2	0-0	1	1	0	0	0	2
Nikola Mirotic	24	6-15	2-9	0-0	6	3	1	1	0	14
Doug McDermott	16	2-12	1-8	0-0	2	1	0	0	0	5
Bobby Portis	15	2-4	0-1	1-2	5	2	0	0	0	5
Kirk Hinrich	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Cristiano Felicio	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Aaron Brooks	2	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		35-84	8-29	14-16	44	22	6	6	8	92

Atlanta Hawks
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Jeff Teague	25	5-9	3-4	0-0	3	8	1	0	1	13
Kent Bazemore	28	6-9	0-0	2-2	6	3	1	0	2	14
Kyle Korver	28	9-12	4-5	0-0	1	4	0	0	0	22
Paul Millsap	36	7-18	2-4	6-6	15	2	1	1	1	22
Mike Muscala	36	6-9	0-0	0-0	14	2	1	3	0	12
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Shelvin Mack	16	5-10	2-4	0-0	2	3	0	0	0	12
Mike Scott	23	2-6	0-1	5-5	3	0	0	0	0	9
Tim Hardaway Jr.	15	3-8	2-4	0-0	1	1	0	0	0	8
Dennis Schroder	22	2-10	1-4	0-0	3	10	0	0	2	5
Justin Holiday	9	0-1	0-0	0-0	2	0	0	0	0	0
Walter Tavares	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0
Lamar Patterson	-- DID NOT PLAY --
Erick Green	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		45-92	14-26	13-13	54	33	4	4	7	117

[jmcole33]

Header.png
NBA Logo.jpg

Around The League
Chicago, IL - The Bulls went 3-1 this week with their lone loss coming earlier tonight at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks. Chicago has put themselves into the playoff race with their play of late, and Joakim Noah has announced that he wants to return to Chicago.

In Other News:

-Tyson Chandler and Markieff Morris are being shopped by the Suns

-The Philadelphia 76ers are the surprise of the season. At 17-22 they are currently in the playoff hunt and 7th in the Eastern Conference.

-With the Celtics under achieving, they are looking to trade Avery Bradley

-Miami Heat have now won nine games in a row, propelling them to third in the east

-As the deadline approaches next month, it will be interesting to see who is made available and what contenders are looking to solidify their rotation and make a championship push

Injury Report:

-Terrence Ross will miss the rest of the season with a broken leg. This is a huge loss for the already struggling Toronto Raptors. He was averaging 10.2 points in 25.3 minutes per game before his injury

NBA Standings - Updated: Jan 9, 2016
EAST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB
Cleveland Cavaliers	29	5
Detroit Pistons	26	11	4.5
Miami Heat	25	12	5.5
New York Knicks	21	17	10.0
Chicago Bulls	18	17	11.5
Washington Wizards	16	19	13.5
Philadelphia 76ers	17	22	14.5
Atlanta Hawks	16	22	15.0
Orlando Magic	16	22	15.0
Brooklyn Nets	15	22	15.5
Boston Celtics	14	22	16.0
Toronto Raptors	15	24	16.5
Milwaukee Bucks	14	24	17.0
Indina Pacers	13	23	17.0
Charlotte Hornets	12	24	18.0
WEST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB
Golden State Warriors	32	5
San Antonio Spurs	28	10	4.5
Oklahoma City Thunder	26	11	6.0
Los Angeles Clippers	24	13	8.0
Portland Trail Blazers	22	17	11.0
Memphis Grizzlies	20	18	12.5
Minnesota Timberwolves	18	19	14.0
Sacramento Kings	18	19	14.0
Los Angeles Lakers	18	20	14.5
New Orleans Pelicans	16	19	15.0
Houston Rockets	16	21	16.0
Phoenix Suns	16	23	17.0
Dallas Mavericks	14	23	18.0
Utah Jazz	13	23	18.5
Denver Nuggets	8	29	24.0

[jmcole33]

Header.PNG
Doug McD.jpg

Bulls Make Wizards Vanish
Chicago, IL - I know I've been saying this for a while now, but this Bulls team is playing like a team that wants to contend for a championship. There are going to be bumps in the road, but the good teams are able to come back after a loss and play with a sense of urgency. The Bulls did that tonight on their way to a 110-90 win over the Washington Wizards.

Jimmy Butler, who has been a non-factor in the two previous games, scored 12 of his 21 points in the first quarter. He was in pure attack mode during the first 12 minutes, getting to the rim at will. When he left the game for rest, Doug McDermott filled the void on his way to a game high 22 points.

It's really great to see McDermott being aggressive, especially when his shots aren't falling. He shot 1-6 from deep, but he was able to get to the line seven times, converting six of his free throws. It's a sign that his confidence has grown, and it's showing on the court. Dougie is averaging double figures over the last two weeks for the first time in his young career.

"Just knowing that my teammates have faith in me," Doug said when asked about his offensive surge. "It helps a lot when the leaders of the team are telling me to attack. Mike (Dunleavy) has really taken me under his wing. He tells me to look for my shot every time I catch it. I'm out on the floor to score. That's why I was drafted, and that's what is going to make me successful in this league."

The Chicago Bulls are all smiles lately, especially Fred Hoiberg. After looking lost and overwhelmed for the first two months of the season, Fred is looking like he belongs on the sidelines. Gar Foreman and John Paxon also deserve an abundance of credit for the pivot of this team's play. They made the tough decision of getting rid of a consistent veteran in Taj Gibson and bringing in the high risk/high reward player of Lance Stephenson.

So far it has looked like all reward, as Stephenson came in and immediately changed the attitude in the locker room with his passionate play on the court. The Bulls have gone 9-2 since his arrival, and he is quickly becoming a fan favorite here in Chicago.

Washington Wizards at Chicago Bulls
Jan 11, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Washington (16-19)	18	19	34	19	90
Chicago (18-17)	34	26	22	28	110

Washington Wizards
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
John Wall	36	6-15	2-4	0-2	2	10	4	1	1	14
Bradley Beal	34	8-24	3-7	2-6	2	2	0	0	1	21
Jared Dudley	36	6-11	1-1	1-2	3	2	2	0	2	14
Nene	32	2-5	0-0	0-2	8	2	1	0	0	4
37	37	3-5	0-0	9-10	11	1	0	1	1	15
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Gary Neal	13	2-7	1-4	2-2	3	0	0	0	0	7
Kris Humprhries	14	2-4	0-0	3-3	3	0	1	0	1	7
Ramon Sessions	21	2-5	0-0	0-0	4	4	0	0	0	4
Kelly Oubre Jr.	8	1-4	0-0	0-0	2	0	0	0	0	2
Gary Temple	9	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	2	0	0	1	2
Dejuan Blair	-- DID NOT PLAY --
Alan Anderson	-- DID NOT PLAY --
Dwight Gooden	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		33-81	7-16	17-27	47	23	8	2	7	90

Chicago Bulls
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Derrick Rose	31	8-12	0-0	2-2	2	7	2	1	3	18
Jimmy Butler	30	7-12	0-0	7-7	5	3	0	1	1	21
Mike Dunleavy	18	3-3	1-1	0-0	2	1	0	1	2	7
Joakim Noah	21	0-2	0-0	1-2	6	4	0	1	0	1
Pau Gasol	28	6-13	0-0	0-0	14	3	0	3	1	12
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Lance Stephenson	18	5-9	0-2	3-3	2	1	0	0	1	13
Etwaun Moore	18	1-2	0-1	0-0	1	3	0	0	0	2
Nikola Mirotic	28	4-9	2-3	2-2	9	1	0	0	0	12
Doug McDermott	30	7-17	1-6	7-8	4	1	1	0	1	22
Bobby Portis	18	1-2	0-0	0-0	4	0	0	0	0	2
Kirk Hinrich	-- DID NOT PLAY --
Cristiano Felicio	-- DID NOT PLAY --
Aaron Brooks	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		42-81	4-13	22-24	52	24	3	7	10	110

[jmcole33]

For anyone who is reading - thank you! I appreciate the support and hope that you are enjoying this season as much as I am. This is the most fun I've had playing in a long time, and I don't see myself stopping any time soon.

Since I do this is for you guys as much as I do it for me - is there anything specific you guys would like to see? A player profile? In depth look into how your favorite team is doing? Interview with a Bulls player/coach/front office member?

[jmcole33]

Header.png
Pau Gasol.jpg

Bulls Catch Fire, Blow By Bucks
Milwaukee, WI - A day after the Bulls dominated the Wizards in Chicago, they traveled to Milwaukee and defeated the Bucks easily, 117-96. Pau Gasol led the way with 26 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks.

Gasol is averaging 15.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game this season, and has turned into the Bulls' most consistent player. Although Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose are arguably the most explosive players for this Chicago team, Pau has been the steady hand to stabilize and keep the Bulls headed in the right direction over the last few weeks.

The Bulls had a season-high 32 assists on 44 field goals, and shot 55% from the field. The Bulls offense, after being extremely inconsistent early in the season, has become a strength for this team. Rose has embraced Fred Hoiberg's philosophy of pushing the ball, and although it sometimes causes him to get out of control and turnover the ball, he is excelling at keeping the defense off balanced.

"I like playing fast," Rose smirked when speaking to reporters after the game. "I'm one of the quickest players in the league, and Freddy wants me to take advantage of that. We got bigs like Jo and Pau, and even Bobby [Portis], who like to run the rim and get easy buckets. It makes my job a lot easier, especially with Jimmy running the wing beside me. This team has a lot of weapons and we're at our best when we're running and gunning."

He's not wrong, as the Bulls are at the top of the league in fast break points. The biggest difference between this last month and the beginning of the season is the fact that the Bulls are taking care of the ball. They lead the league in fewest turnovers per game at 10.2 per game.

The Bulls play the 76ers and the Mavericks later this week before having to face the Warriors next week. The Bulls schedule has been light as of late, and they have been able to take advantage. Beating the teams that they're supposed to beat makes games like the Warriors less of a "must win". Instead it turns into a way to determine how they measure up against the best teams in the league.

Chicago Bulls at Milwakee Bucks
Jan 12, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Chicago (19-17)	25	24	30	38	117
Milwakee (15-25)	22	29	24	21	96

Chicago Bulls
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Derrick Rose	32	7-13	0-0	5-5	2	4	0	0	2	19
Jimmy Butler	32	6-10	0-1	1-1	5	5	1	0	0	13
Mike Dunleavy	18	4-6	1-2	0-0	3	1	0	1	0	9
Joakim Noah	25	1-4	0-0	0-0	12	6	1	2	2	2
Pau Gasol	32	9-15	0-0	8-8	8	2	1	3	0	26
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Lance Stephenson	20	3-6	1-2	3-5	0	4	1	0	0	10
Etwaun Moore	16	2-4	1-2	3-4	0	4	0	0	0	8
Nikola Mirotic	23	4-5	2-2	0-0	6	2	0	1	0	10
Doug McDermott	30	7-13	3-6	0-0	3	3	1	0	0	17
Bobby Portis	12	1-3	1-1	0-0	3	1	0	0	1	3
Kirk Hinrich	-- DID NOT PLAY --
Cristiano Felicio	-- DID NOT PLAY --
Aaron Brooks	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		44-79	9-16	20-23	48	32	5	7	7	117

Milwakee Bucks
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Grievis Vasquez	35	4-12	0-4	0-0	7	7	0	0	4	8
Khris Middleton	33	8-16	2-4	0-0	3	1	1	0	0	18
Giannis Antetokounmpo	37	6-11	0-0	2-3	4	6	1	0	2	14
Greg Monroe	36	10-16	0-0	5-5	8	3	0	1	0	25
Miles Plumlee	31	5-1	0-0	1-2	5	3	0	1	1	11
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
O.J. Mayo	20	6-13	1-6	1-2	3	2	0	0	0	14
Johnny O'Bryant	15	1-3	0-0	2-2	1	0	0	0	0	4
Rashad Vaughn	12	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	1	0	0	0	2
Jabari Parker	19	0-3	0-0	0-0	2	2	0	0	0	0
Tyler Ennis	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Damian Inglis	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jarred Bayless	-- DID NOT PLAY --
Chris Copeland	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		41-82	3-14	11-14	34	25	2	2	7	96

[jmcole33]

Header.PNG
KD.jpg

No News On Kevin Durant Extension
Chicago, IL - Former MVP and four time scoring title winner, Kevin Durant, has heard no news regarding the Thunder's intention about resigning him. KD publicly announced that he wants to resign with the Thunder about a month ago, and the fact that the Oklahoma City front office didn't jump at the opportunity to sign him on the spot is a little strange.

KD is averaging 28.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game this year, and is behind only Steph Curry for another scoring title. He is one of the best players in the league and is in the MVP discussion year after year. There were rumors earlier in the season that he might be looking to move on from Russell Westbrook and the Thunder, considering places such as Washington, LA, and even Golden State. He put those rumors to rest and declared his allegiance to the Thunder and the Oklahoma City fans.

Sam Presti would be out of his mind to let KD walk. The only explanation would be if he wants to hand the keys to the car to Westbrook and try to put a less ball dominant star around him. The fact that the two parties have no reached an agreement yet is a little odd. This is a situation worth keeping an eye on as the year progresses.

[mpac]

Quote: Originally Posted by jmcole33

For anyone who is reading - thank you! I appreciate the support and hope that you are enjoying this season as much as I am. This is the most fun I've had playing in a long time, and I don't see myself stopping any time soon. Since I do this is for you guys as much as I do it for me - is there anything specific you guys would like to see? A player profile? In depth look into how your favorite team is doing? Interview with a Bulls player/coach/front office member?

Nice going. What difficulty are you playing currently? Im trying out the bulls but lost twice already on superstar difficulty and im still learning how to use them id like to see player profile and some little drama hows my celtics doing?