Bulls waive Rondo

Chicago Bulls waive point guard Rajon Rondo

CHICAGO -- The Bulls announced Friday they have waived veteran point guard Rajon Rondo. Rondo had a team option worth more than $13 million that would have become fully guaranteed had the Bulls not waived him by Friday's deadline. As it stands, the Bulls are on the hook for a $3 million guarantee still owed to Rondo.

Rajon was a one year rental.  Healthy, he made the playoff Bulls competitive against the Celtics. He's also volatile.  At $13 million, in a rebuilding, year a playoff berth is a stretch.  With more downside than upside, waiving him is the right choice.  There's more minutes for Dunn.





 

Blow out in Brooklyn

The Bulls won their first road game in the first quarter against what is considered an average to below average team, the Nets.  They built up the lead every quarter for a blow out win. 

This is what good teams do, they put an opponent away early and rest their starters.  Offering starters rest in the 4th Q while winning should keep this team healthy going into the winter.

You could not ask for a more ideal start albeit its just three games.   

2-0 and rightfully so.

The Bulls, projected to be a 43 win team, are 2-0 after beating two Eastern Conference teams, Boston and Indiana.  Both opponents were on the backside of back-to-back games.  This start is good and to be expected for a Bulls team projected to win 43 games.

The Bulls took 1st period leads in both games, and won according to how they were put together in the off-season; they moved the ball on offense, shot well and out rebounded their opponents. They ran when it was opportunistic and defended. Surprisingly they shot the 3pt well.

Chicago plays on the road in Brooklyn, then at Boston. The Knickerbockers come to Chicago and then Chicago travels to Indiana the next day for a back-to-back. 

Winning one of the three road games and beating the Knicks at home (2-2) would be par.  Chicago beating The Knicks and then Indiana the following day would be superb.

Winning

Rajon Rondo attends Bulls summer league.   

Dwayne Wade, in China, tweets recognition to first round pick Valentine after the Bulls win their Summer league series on Valentine's last second overtime shot.

For this rebuilding team, caring and winning matter.  Wade is there to set a standard.  Rajon too.  I think their actions show they understand.   Let's see how this attitude plays out going into Feburary.

Update:

With a projected 43 win season, the Bulls should be about .500 in Feburary and competing for the 8th playoff spot.

That's where these two veteran free agents should have this team.  

2016-17 Bulls forecast

16 wins and 66 losses. That's 538's forecast for a NBA team with minimum salary players.

Using NBA salary data, 538 calculates $2.6 million as the value of a win over the league baseline.  That is the price for talent that will give a team an edge and a win. It would factor into assessing a free agent's salary. 

41 wins is the league average.  

The team goal is to spend money on better than minimum salary players to get wins over the NBA baseline and hopefully over the NBA average of 41.

To evaluate a player, 538 created a "Wins Above Replacement projection" WAR measurement to assess the number of wins a player is forecast to add to a minimum team's seasonal win total. Each WAR over zero is a win added to the team's 16 win baseline. 

A high WAR number means the player contributes more to the win total and can be compensated more.  538 set a win's value at 2.6 M per win.  That price creates a way to evaluate a team salary and player contracts but that's another topic.

The Bulls backcourt has some aging stars. Their WAR tells us what will they contribute in 2016.  We can total each player's WAR for a team forecast.

SG Dwayne Wade is forecast to produce 3 wins above a minimum replacement (3 WAR) player.

PG Rajon Rondo is also forecast to produce 3 wins above the minimum.

SF Jimmy Butler is forecast to produce 7 wins or WAR

That's a backcourt generating 13 wins over the baseline.

Front court  C Robin Lopez WAR is 4 and PF Taj Gibson has a WAR of 4.

Key rotation player Nikola Mirotic is a WAR of 4.  Denzel Valentine. the rookie, is projected with a WAR for 2 his first year. 

Doug McDremott, Bobby Portis and Tony Snell project to add nothing at best. Doug and Snell maybe play a bit under the average minimum NBA player.

Total Bull's WAR is 27. Add it to the 16 wins projected for a replacement player team, or baseline, yeilds 43.

The roster isn't set but salary cap is limited so assume any other player they add will be a minimum baseline player (WAR=0) which adds nothing to the team's seasonal WAR.

Note: T'wane Moore who left the Bulls is a 0 WAR player.  

Can these guys play together ? The WAR metric doesn't care.  

Isn't Wade a scrappy veteran capable of winning a critical game ? Yes and WAR factors that character and veteran benefit into the WAR score.

A 43 wins Bulls team is one more win than last year.  It's one win less than the 8th seeded team which slid into the playoffs with 44 wins.

43-39 Should put us right where we were at the 2016 NBA draft.

Deng to LA Lakers

Loul Deng signed with LA Lakers.   He's an older player now but hard work pays off. 

The Lakers added a hard working veteran to anchor a young roster.

Kobe is gone.   It's Deng's team.

Who's on first?

Hoiberg insists  he can work with Bulls All-Star Butler

Called out by Jimmy Butler last season, Chicago Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg insisted Monday that he can still work with the two-time All-Star guard.

This headline is troubling.  Jimmy Butler played successfully for one coach and his game wasn't fully compatible with his team's all-star point guard.  Hoiberg isn't the only one needing to show he can work with a team.

As an example, Golden State moved hybrid PG/SG Monta Ellis and drafted the taller Klay Thompson to play next to Steph Curry as a SG/SF.  Under both Jackson and Kerr, both players figured a way to move the ball and work together to win a championship and set NBA win record.

Jimmy Butler will need to find a way to work within a more dynamic offense.  That's the NBA right game now and it's up to Bulter to figure a way to fit into Hoiberg's offense.  Isolation plays are for stat hounds and LeBron James.

Rose was sent packing and it's time for Butler to respond.

Jimmy Butler, Olympian

Daily Herald:

Bulls guard Jimmy Butler made the cut. He'll join Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Kyrie Irving, Paul George, DeMarcus Cousins, DeAndre Jordan, Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and three members of the Golden State Warriors -- Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes."http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160627/sports/160629145/

The NBA season is long but not as long for Jimmy Butler who missed the playoffs.

DeMarcus Cousins aside, it's a good collection of players and good for Jimmy to play this summer.

Game 2: Bulls beat Brooklyn Nets

115-110 Bulls win.
All five Bulls' starters scored in double digits.

Bulls edge Cleveland.

This NBA season snuck up like a trick or treater.

Chicago's treat was a a win over Cleveland.  The trick was played on Lebron James, a blocked shot.

Credit late game Defense for the win.  Holberg's Bulls are a cipher.

Irrational Exhuberance

It's the dog days of August for Bulls fans. Time to speculate how this team will do in the upcoming season. This article caught my eye Why the Chicago Bulls will NOT make the playoffs  and first thought "trolling", but a negative outlook is just as rational as a positive one so let's look at the playoff competition and  a few underrated players on the Bulls roster.

First we read the Pacers will finish ahead of the Bulls for spot #8. The Pacers get George back and really, if he were Rose coming back from an injury we'd be thinking he's not 100% so George isn't going be 100%. Furthermore, with recent changes to the pacers roster, he's going to playing agisnt bigger players at PF.   

" That means playing George at power forward, even though he had achieved his success with Indiana while playing at small forward." 

Pacers signing Monta Ellis is not that big a boost. As a Warriors fan since '91 I've seen Monta rack up the stats and take bad shot after shot.  The W's brought in Jerry West and he quickly shipped Ellis off and they've been better at the guard positions since.  

There is no reason to think the Celtics at #7 are going to be better than the Bulls excpet that Coach is squeezing more than expected out of the roster.  

How far the Celtics go under Stevens will come down to the talent they manage to acquire. Clever schemes can't make up for lacking stars that can elevate a team's ceiling on their own. What is crystal clear even now, is that Boston is still trying to find that elite player, and in just two years Stevens has established himself as one of the best coaches in the league, and the Celtics greatest asset.

How did the 2015 draft go ?

The Celtics tried to trade up to draft Kelly Oubre but couldn't work out a deal, according to Sporting News' Sean Deveney. This latest report only seems to confirm the terrible, terrible draft night the Celtics had.

Ainge had draft pick assets he wanted to use to trade up but had no takers so he drafted best players and now has some players to trade.  He's first pick was a surprise, another back court player.  That's not a team headed to the playoffs.

So that's two playoff spots the Bulls should land given the returning roster.


What about that Bulls roster?

Let's address Dunleavy since I'm a Warriors fan by geography and watched that franchise select him 3rd in the NBA draft.  First, Dunleavy never fit in.  He was loathed by Golden State fans.  Too slow and cannot defend. Well a guy that plays too slow who sticks in the NBA for knowing the game isn't going to lose much when he's older.  He's developed a skill set and role that doesn't depend on speed. Another year isn't going to diminish his game.  Having him with his shooting skill for the low cost they paid is a big plus.

Kirk Hinrich is a veteran PG SG which I think is needed for a playoff run. Did they over pay to keep him? No.  He's another steal for the current market and a veteran that can help a first year coach.  So that's another player they are fortunate to have kept.

Noah and Gibson are 30 and supposed to have an age related drop off.  Well LeBron James is 30 and more reliant on athleticism. Any one heard about him dropping off his game in 2015? Furthermore the front court players can play longer as they age.  A 30 year old Center/PF isn't dropping off as much as a 30 year old SF/SG.

A lot depends on how much Nikola Mirotic, Tony Snell and Doug McDermott play. Of course these are first round draft picks so it goes without saying they all need to contribute. That's the same for any team. Rookie Bobby Portis might even help out the front court.

Rose should be healthier and his wingman Jimmy Butler tells us this offseason he added PG skills. If true then the Bulls have a LeBron light. If not then the Bulls resigned a defender for James and scorer.

Do something!

Free agency time and the Bulls are bringing back the team. Jimmy Butler returns at a much higher salary.   

Fans want the Bulls to do something but what?

The Chicago Bulls have drafted well and now have to pay to keep their talent.  Their strength has been depth and now they have to develop and use it more than they have.

A new Coach must find ways to give players enough court time and get more out of a pretty familiar roster. 

Nothing is guaranteed until games are played but Tony Snell has shown he can defend and shoot threes. McBuckets should bounce back from his injury last season and develop confidence in his shot.  Old man Kirk Hinrich will back along with Mike Dunleavy.  Both return at a bargain compared to what the market is paying free agents. Guard  E'Twaun Moore will have to contribute as an alternative PG backup to Hinrich.

Cliche here and there 

I like the team chemistry and work ethic and really see them improving under Hoiberg.  

No free agency magic.  They have the squad and players will have to improve the old fashion way.  Practice.

 

Awful Tribune

Steve Rosenbloom needs to find a new job.

Fare Well Tim Duncan

X-Golden-State Warrior Matt Barnes played free safety tonight and deflected a Spurs' alley-Opp pass in the final second of play in the seven game of the series. 

That deflection sent the Spurs home for the season. The Clippers move to round two. 

The final game of the best of seven is possibly the last time we see Tim Duncan in uniform.  

As exciting as the game was with multiple lead changes in the fourth quarter, I expected more. 

Duncan accomplished so much in this era of superstars.  He needs to be remembered for what he didn't say in the media as much as what he achieved.  

This Clippers victory also marks the first time we see a red face Steve Balmer cheering from the sidelines during the playoffs.  Ugh! 

Mike Dunleavy

Watching Chicago Bulls Mike Dunleavy play against Milwaukee in game 6 reminded me of his tenure with the Warriors.

Mike was the third pick and never lived up to expectations.  When it came time to resign him, GM Chris Mullen signed Mike to a generous contract to lock him into the team.  That was it.  

Fans of the chronically dysfunction franchise soured on Mike.  He was criticized for bring slow and soft and awkward and etc. 
Check it out here.
How the Warriors remember Mike Dunleavy

He's still slow but effective.  He's not soft.  He's tough and no talker.  Dunleavy got under the Bucks' skin and helped turn the 6th game into a rout. He kept his cool and stayed in the game while contributing 20 points.

Coach Don Nelson wanted Dunleavy at PF and did the usual roster gimmicks putting Mike in and out of rotation.  Coach Thibs seems to have found a way to use a much older Mike and win.  

TNT on Tuesday

TNT will tip off the NBA season Oct. 29 with the defending champion Miami Heat celebrating last year's title against the Chicago Bulls, who will return with star Derrick Rose after more than a year's absence.

Sam a Bull

Sam Smith looks forward to the NBA's 2013-14 season | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE CHICAGO BULLS

Warriors: If Andrew Bogut is healthy... yes, we hear that a lot. But he stands the best chance of being so this season as it's his contract year. The Andre Iguodala move is questionable given they had to let go Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry, who were key players off the bench and especially in their three-guard play. The theory with Iguodala appears to be he can play point forward and free Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to play off the ball as neither looks to pass much. They talk now about a shot at the top of the West, and that move should determine it. But if Bogut does give them that inside game they could take a big jump up the Western Conference ladder.

"Assists per 48 minutes"is a ESPN stat.

The top ranked SG is .... Iguodala. He has the most Asists normalized for 48 minutes played.  The only other non-PG ahead of Iguodala is Lebron James. 

Jack "The Indispensable" and Curry "The Ball-hog" are about tied.  Unfortunately for Jack, Curry also plays SG, (that's so he can shoot 3pt shots which he does very well and at the coach's urging). Jack is on the floor feeding Curry and Klay who moves to SF.  So Jack's got two sharp shooters pumping the stats.  Curry has Klay and rookie Barnes on the floor.

Curry's stats are for the PG and SG position. Jack is primiarly at PG.  That makes Curry the better PG as measured by assists since he plays that position less than full time.  Anyone following the team would know Curry is creative passer as PG, and that Jack at PG has to shoot or penetrate and shoot given Curry and Thompson are heavily covered. 

For assist per game (regardless of minutes played) Curry is ranked 12th for all PGs - not so bad. Again that's for his minutes at PG and SG compared to all PGs.

So it's complicated and basically Sam is being Sam.

Acquiring an injured Bogut tanked the season and gave the W's the pick which produced Harrison Barnes and eventually the trade that landed the 30th pick for Festus (center). It also sent Ellis packing and freed minutes for Klay and Curry.  If Bogut never plays again the trade worked out for the Ws.

"Personal slight" at work is not personal.

I don't know if Adams was let go over a personal slight. It is not definitive AFAIK, why he was not renewed. 

I do know most of us would not be retained if we slighted our boss or boss's boss, aka the GM.  It's not personal when it's a disagreement with your boss. It's professional so I have a beef with Kelly Dewer's comment:

Whatever happened behind the scenes between Adams and the Chicago front office had to be so severe that the team was willing to cut loose one of this league’s great basketball minds in order to avenge a personal slight. Of course, this can’t possibly be enough – because no amount of behind the scenes carping and complaining should be enough for a team to let Ron Adams walk.

No amount of carping by an assistant coach is going to sway a front office so why bother?  It just undermines authority to "go after" your boss's decisions.

If Adams was speaking candidly about the roster or front office decisions, that second guessing the organization would have been enough to warrant not bringing him back. Adams was not fired, he was not renewed.

Who can take a Rainbow ..?

The Camby Man.
The Camby Man can.

Bulls and Rockets are in the running for Marcus Camby.
Internet tells me he lives in Houston. Texas does not have a income tax.  Hmmmm.

Rockets a ‘leading contender’ to land Marcus Camby once he becomes a free agent | ProBasketballTalk

“It’s his adopted hometown. It’s premature right now. We’ll see what happens in the next few days”

If Camby picks the Bulls it will be for the shot at The Title and Camby recognizes Dwight Howard's an uncompetitive flake. 

Game , Set, Match and Cake

Really?!
What's with the rocket science analysis on why Dunleavy is an upgrade ?

Why Chicago Bulls Will Be Better Next Season | Bleacher Report

The Bulls addressed their needs this offseason, and Rose is icing on the cake, but how exactly will these improvements make them an elite team again?

The NBA MVP returns.  Rose is the Cake.