Tonight, the Bulls took this to a whole new level during a hard fought game with the Indiana Pacers. With nearly a minute remaining in the game, Tom Thibodeau called upon Brian Scalabrine. Yes, Brian Scalabrine. Instead of Carlos Boozer or Omer Asik, Scalabrine entered the game. And not only was he in during the most critical possessions of the game, he took the most important shot which unfortunately may have cost the Bulls the game. They probably should have turned to reigning MVP Derrick Rose instead. But with the bench playing solid basketball this season, it really wasn't a bad decision considering Scal was wide open.
Despite the loss, the Bulls record stands at 16-4. This is pretty impressive considering the injuries the team has dealt with. So far the bulls have dealt with injuries to Rip Hamilton (10 games), C.J. Watson (9 games),Derrick Rose (5 games), Taj Gibson (3+ games), and Luol Deng (2+ games). Besides these injuries, the Bulls have also dealt with the poor play of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer. Considering these injuries and the poor play from Noah and Boozer, Thibodeau has called upon the bench to step up. And they have answered that call.
Omer Asik has been a solid contributor off the bench, playing important minutes in most games. The same can be said of Taj Gibson who recently went down with an ankle injury. The two have combined to play the majority of 4th quarter minutes. Ronnie Brewer has also played well in the absence of Rip Hamilton and Luol Deng. But perhaps the biggest surprise has been the play of the backup point guards. John Lucas III stepped in and played solid minutes when both C.J. Watson and Derrick Rose went down with injuries. When Lucas III went down, Mike James stepped in from the D-League and almost picked up a double-double. Also, the continuous hard work of Kyle Korver and Brian Scalabrine has been effective.
When a player goes down, the next guy comes in and doesn't miss a beat. This has proven to be a huge asset for the Bulls. The condensed and busy NBA season has seen the Bulls play back to back to back games. The Bulls are built perfectly for this type of season. With a rotation that includes ten very talented players, the Bulls do not slow down. Many teams would struggle with the loss of a reigning MVP , but the Bulls did not miss a beat. If the bench keeps playing well, the Bulls are a force to be reckoned with. This makes them a perfect match up for a Heat team that lacks talent coming off the bench.
The Bulls are built like an old school team from the 80's or early 90's. Thibodeau has built this team on depth and defense. Nowadays, this is uncommon in the NBA. Not to forget, they also have one of the best players in the NBA, Derrick Rose. Rose's leadership and althleticism, the ferocious defense, and the solid contributions from the bench are promising. If the bench can keep performing well, the Bulls should make a deep run into the playoffs.
Despite the loss, the Bulls record stands at 16-4. This is pretty impressive considering the injuries the team has dealt with. So far the bulls have dealt with injuries to Rip Hamilton (10 games), C.J. Watson (9 games),Derrick Rose (5 games), Taj Gibson (3+ games), and Luol Deng (2+ games). Besides these injuries, the Bulls have also dealt with the poor play of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer. Considering these injuries and the poor play from Noah and Boozer, Thibodeau has called upon the bench to step up. And they have answered that call.
Omer Asik has been a solid contributor off the bench, playing important minutes in most games. The same can be said of Taj Gibson who recently went down with an ankle injury. The two have combined to play the majority of 4th quarter minutes. Ronnie Brewer has also played well in the absence of Rip Hamilton and Luol Deng. But perhaps the biggest surprise has been the play of the backup point guards. John Lucas III stepped in and played solid minutes when both C.J. Watson and Derrick Rose went down with injuries. When Lucas III went down, Mike James stepped in from the D-League and almost picked up a double-double. Also, the continuous hard work of Kyle Korver and Brian Scalabrine has been effective.
When a player goes down, the next guy comes in and doesn't miss a beat. This has proven to be a huge asset for the Bulls. The condensed and busy NBA season has seen the Bulls play back to back to back games. The Bulls are built perfectly for this type of season. With a rotation that includes ten very talented players, the Bulls do not slow down. Many teams would struggle with the loss of a reigning MVP , but the Bulls did not miss a beat. If the bench keeps playing well, the Bulls are a force to be reckoned with. This makes them a perfect match up for a Heat team that lacks talent coming off the bench.
The Bulls are built like an old school team from the 80's or early 90's. Thibodeau has built this team on depth and defense. Nowadays, this is uncommon in the NBA. Not to forget, they also have one of the best players in the NBA, Derrick Rose. Rose's leadership and althleticism, the ferocious defense, and the solid contributions from the bench are promising. If the bench can keep performing well, the Bulls should make a deep run into the playoffs.
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