Changes to be made?

Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah may not be with the Bulls come next season 

I'm convinced that the Bulls will be a solid team come next season. I do feel however that this team may look a lot different than this past season's team. There have been rumors  floating around that they might trade Jimmy Butler during the offseason. If this were to happen it would be such a DUMB move. Jimmy Butler is the best player that the Bulls have right now. Why the heck would they even consider doing that?! Makes no sense. Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah will be a free agents this offseason. Pau has expressed that he does want to stay in Chicago. Pau has been a very productive player during his time with the Bulls but I think it's time for him to go. Pau is a good player don't get me wrong, but he's getting up there in age. I also think that his skill set does not fit well with the way Coach Fred Hoiberg wants to play. My view on Noah is the same as well. Again a great player but he isn't getting any younger and he continues to struggle to stay healthy. And as for Derrick Rose......... These last few seasons I've had a love/hate relationship with Derrick. There are nights when he is the best player on the floor. This is when he attacks the rim and does not settle for long range jump shots. His quickness and explosion is still there at times. And then there is the bad Derrick. This Derrick makes bad plays with the basketball and takes jump shots that are outside his range. I cringe every time Derrick takes a contested three pointer. That is not your game Derrick! Attack! Attack! Attack! That is when he is at his best. Having said all that, I'm willing to give Derrick another year. When he is on he is one of the toughest players to guard in the NBA. After next season Derrick will be a free agent so it will be interesting to see if he wants to re-sign with Chicago. This Bulls team needs to focus on rebuilding through the draft and exploring whatever players are available in free agency. Changes need to be made! This current roster isn't going to get it done......


Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bullsssssssssss


Ryan  

Season over :(

It is a sad time to be a Bulls fan as the season is officially over. The Chicago Bulls will be watching the playoffs from their couches this season. Who would have thought? Going in to the season the majority of people thought that the Bulls would contend for the number one or two spot in the Eastern Conference. But once again the Bulls caught the injury bug losing Joakim Noah who was the heart of this Chicago Bulls team for the season in January. The Bulls did show some flashes of being a good team by getting quality wins against good competition. However, their ups and downs ultimately lead to their downfall. The Bulls would have a big win against the Cavs and I'd say to myself, "Wow this Bulls team is good!" Then the next night they would play a bottom feeder in the NBA and they would get their butts kicked. It was a frustrating season to watch to say the least......

John Paxson and Gar Forman 

At this point I think it's time for the Bulls to make some serious changes. They should fire their General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations- Gar Forman and John Paxson respectively. However from what I have been hearing it is likely that both Forman and Paxson will keep their jobs. This front office has done nothing to improve this team over the years. They keep thinking that what they currently have is going to win them a championship. But I've got news for ya....... THE BULLS NEED TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ROSTER!!!! I would say the Bulls should hang on to Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose. Everyone else on this roster is fair game to get rid of. They might as well just blow this whole team up and start from scratch. It will be an interesting offseason and hopefully the Bulls will add some pieces to help this team.




Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bullssssssssss


Ryan  

Bulls Playoff hopes all but dead

Barring any type of miracles, it looks like the Chicago Bulls will not be making the playoffs this season. The Bulls have lost two straight games and now remain three games behind the Detroit Pistons for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. With only three games remaining in the regular season the Bulls would have to win out in order to give themselves any chance of making the postseason. And even if that happened it is still unlikely that the Bulls will make the playoffs. This season the Bulls have suffered numerous injuries which in the end came to haunt them. Joakim Noah, Jimmy Butler, Nikola Mirotic, Mike Dunleavy, Derrick Rose, and Taj Gibson have all missed multiple games this season. It is hard for any team to win games when you don't have a healthy roster throughout the year. Now I had my concerns going into the season about how the Bulls would play under new coach Fred Hoiberg. But NO way did I think the Bulls would miss the playoffs this year. The last time the Bulls missed the playoffs was during the 2007-08 season.  Even if the Bulls did make the playoffs I don't think they would have gotten past the Cleveland Cavaliers whom they would play in the first round. Lebron James and Kyrie Irving would be too much for the Bulls to handle. The season overall has been a letdown and this Bulls team was just average at best.


Daaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bullssssssssss

Ryan

Niko only bright spot for Bulls as of late

Despite losing the last two games the Bulls have one positive that they can take away and that is the play of Nikola Mirotic. Nikola was shooting lights out against the Knicks on March 23rd making 9-13 shots from three point range. He finished that game with a total of 35 points. I have always loved Nikola's ability to shoot the basketball. The fact that he is a big man who could shoot threes at will is such a valuable asset in the NBA that not all teams have. The only criticism that I have for Nikola is that he can sometimes be a streaky player. He could have great games like he had the other night and then there are nights where you don't even notice that he is out on the floor. He needs to provide a spark for the Bulls during this last stretch of the season.

Nikola Mirotic

As for the rest of the Bulls team there needs to be a sense of urgency moving forward. They are still fighting for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The top players need to step up. (I'm talking about you Derrick Rose!!!!!!!!) It sucks that they are even in this position, but IT IS WHAT IT IS. They need to accept it and come ready to play each game.



Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bullsssssssssss

Ryan

Bulls with a much needed win on St. Patty's Day

The Bulls came up  with a big win Thursday night while sporting their St. Patty's day green uniforms. The team was lead by Doug McDermott and Jimmy Butler who both had big nights for the Bulls. Doug Mcdermott continued to stay hot as he scored 25 points coming off the bench. Doug's ability to stretch the floor while knocking down threes was huge Thursday night. After some of those threes you hear Bulls tv announcer Stacy King yell, "Give me the hot sauce Dougie!"  Jimmy Butler scored 22 points shooting a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line. Jimmy also had an alley-oop dunk that came off of a nice cut. It seems like Jimmy gets at least one of those a game. (I say to this to myself every time it happens lol)

Doug McDermott goes up for a contested layup
against the Nets. 

Now the Nets are not the most talented team in the NBA by any stretch, however the way the Bulls won this game should give the Bulls some momentum. The Bulls moved the ball great offensively and this lead to some great looks. Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, and Doug McDermott all need to play well as the Bulls try to get back into playoff contention. By far the most important of these players is Jimmy Butler. Jimmy is the straw that stirs the drink for this team. The Bulls will only go as far as Jimmy takes them. Keep hope alive Bulls fans! These next few weeks could make or break the Bulls season. My heart tells me that the Bulls will make the playoffs. My brain is telling me that they have no shot. I'm gonna go with my heart on this one. Go Bulls!!!!!!!!!


Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bullssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Ryan  

The Chicago Bulls Continue to Struggle

Man oh man have the Bulls been hard to watch these last few games. The Bulls have lost four straight and their record is now 30-30. No that is not a misprint....... I would have laughed in your face if you told me before the season started that the Bulls would be a .500 team. If the playoffs started today the Bulls would not be in it. This was a talented team entering the season but unfortunately they have been plagued by injuries. Joakim Noah was lost with a season ending injury in January. Nikola Mirotic and Jimmy Butler have been out these last few weeks as well. And of course Derrick Rose has missed a handful of games over these last few weeks. Every other day it seems like Derrick Rose is hurt............ (But that is another story for another day)

Pau Gasol looking to pass against the Magic (Photo Courtesy of chicagosuntimes.com) 

The Chicago Bulls looked horrible the last two games against the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic. The Heat's shooting percentage against the Bulls was 67.5%. That set the franchise all-time record for shooting percentage in a game for the Miami Heat. When I saw this stat my jaw dropped. Give some credit to Miami, but over sixty percent?! This tells me two things 1) The Heat shot the ball extremely well & 2) A lot of that also had to do with how poorly the Bulls defense has been playing. The Heat scored 129 points and 74 of those points were in the paint! That is ridiculous!  Against the Orlando Magic it was no different. The Magic kept getting WIDE OPEN shots! That can't happen! I noticed guys from the Bulls not getting back on defense and not making the proper rotations on defense. These are two fundamental concepts that need to be executed at all times. And a lot of it just has to do with effort. Besides Jimmy Butler and Joakim Noah there are not really any other good defensive players on this team. But what you lack in talent you need to make up with effort and right now the Bulls are not doing that. I don't see that same fire/passion this year that I have seen from previous Bulls teams.

Derrick Rose looking to drive against the Heat 

The good news Bulls fans is that Jimmy Butler should be returning in the next week or so.  And when he is back the Bulls should be able to string a few wins together and hopefully that will get them going. But getting Jimmy Butler back does not fix everything. Other guys on this team need to step up as well. As the old saying goes, "There is no "I" in team!" The Bulls need to WAKE UP FAST!!! Because if they don't they willing be sitting on their couches come playoff time instead of playing.



Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bullsssssssssssssssssssss

Ryan


Game highlights: Bulls vs Heat  Bulls vs Magic

Great article about the Bulls recent struggles: Have the Bulls hit rock bottom?

Doug McDermott Lighting it Up

Doug McDermott has been killing it lately for the Bulls. He as averaged 20 points a game over his last three games. He set a career high with 30 points against the Toronto Raptors on February 19th. Doug has had a lot of ups and downs during his time with the Bull struggling with some injuries in his first two seasons. But I am very pleased with what I have been seeing from him lately. Coming into the NBA a lot of people labeled Doug as just a spot-up-shooter. He has shown that he could put the ball on the floor and get to the rim and score. He is also very good at moving without the ball and coming off screens. The only concern that I have with him is his defensive ability. His defense to date has been sub par at best. If he can improve defensively he could become a very good player in the NBA. I believe that McDermott will be a key piece moving forward for the Bulls. He is by far the best pure shooter the Bulls have on their roster. Keep making it rain out there Doug! 

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bullsssssssssssssssssss

Ryan    

Benny the Bull

In my opinion Benny the Bull is one of the best mascots in all of sports. I love when I see Benny interacting with the fans during the games. Whether he's dancing on the court or spilling popcorn all over people in the stands, Benny is very entertaining to watch. Benny the Bull was front and center at the All Star game last weekend. He was court side with Guy Fieri from the Food Network at the game. Benny is always roaming around the United Center getting everyone jacked up during the game. Benny adds another dimension to the Bulls games. Whether the Bulls are winning or not you know Benny is always going to put on a great show.  Keep doing you Benny!


Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bullsssssssssssssssssssssssss

Ryan


Check out Benny the Bull in action: Benny the Bull Mr. Steal yo Girl    Benny getting after it

Guy Fieri and Benny the Bull at the All Star game in Toronto

Thoughts heading in to the All Star Break

We have reached the All Star weekend in the NBA which means that the Bulls are half way through the season. My grade for the Bulls up to this point would be a C...... And I think that is a pretty fair grade considering the way the Bulls have been playing. The Bulls record is 27-25 which is sub par. They have lost their last four games and it is only going to get tougher with Jimmy Butler still having to miss about two weeks after the All Star game. This team shows signs of greatness with wins against some of the NBA's best teams. But then there are other nights when the Bulls lose to some of the league's worst teams. They are just too inconsistent and inconsistency will not get you far in the NBA. The Bulls need Jimmy Butler and Niko Mirotic to play well once they are back in the lineup after returning from injury. These two players are key cogs in the machine and without them the Bulls are just an average team.

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bullssssssssssssssss

Ryan

Give Fred some time

A lot of Bulls fans are questioning the hire of new head coach Fred Hoiberg. The bottom line is you have to give Fred at least three years or so with this team before you can make any judgements on him. The Bulls were looking for a good offensive mind to replace Tom Thibodeau and Fred Hoiberg has just that. He was known at Iowa State for his fast paced and efficient offensive system. I think that over time the Bulls offense is going to get better. The problem is that the Bulls do not have the right personnel in order to run that system.

Fred Hoiberg (courtesy of the New York Times) 

The main objective for Fred Hoiberg's offense is to run the floor and keep the game fast paced. Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose fit that style perfectly. Besides them there are only a couple other guys on the Bulls that fit the system. Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson have been great contributors for this Bulls team over the years. However their style of games do not fit the type of offense that Fred Hoiberg wants to run. The Bulls need to acquire athletic big men that could run and spread the floor at will for the majority of the game. They drafted forward Bobby Portis over the summer and I believe he is going to thrive for this team over the next few years. He is an athletic big who could stretch and run the floor all day long. The Bulls need to keep drafting bigs like Bobby in the future.

All the hard core Bulls fans right now are probably thinking, "What about defense? The defense sucks now that Thibs is gone." I cannot argue with that. The defense has significantly dropped off since Tom Thibodeau has left. However right now the Bulls are leading the league in the defensive statistic opponent's field goal percentage which is very impressive. To me defense is very important but I believe that you do not need to be perfect the whole game on D. You just need to be able to lock down during the late stages of the game. At the end of the day the Bulls need to be able to outscore teams, which they have struggled to do in the past- especially in the playoffs. I believe that Fred Hoiberg will succeed with the Bulls. However you may have to wait a little bit before you see the results. Stay patient Bulls fans!

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bullsssssssssssssssss

Ryan

About Me and Jimmy Butler is a STAR

About Me

My name is Ryan Menke and I am DA Bulls Blogger. I just wanted to start off this blog by telling you a little bit about myself.  I've been a big Chicago Bulls fan ever since I could remember. I just love the game of basketball in general and I consider it to be my favorite sport. I played basketball growing up while I was in grade school and I still play from time to time now. I have also coached basketball for two years at Most Holy Redeemer grammar school in Evergreen Park, Illinois. I am currently not coaching this year because of my heavy class load at school. 

Now let's talk about the matter at hand and what I'm going to be writing about: DA BULLS! I would like to think that I know what I'm talking about when it comes to Chicago Bulls basketball. I try to watch every game live but if I don't I always try to make sure I watch the highlights the next day. I also try to stay current with things that are going on off the floor with the Bulls as well. Over these next some odd weeks (or more) I will try to give you the readers my analysis on what is going on with the team. This will include my opinion on games, players, coaches, management, etc. Do I know it all when it comes to the Chicago Bulls? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! So do not expect any "expert" analysis because you are not going to find it here. What you can expect is passionate fan who is just speaking his mind. Feel free to comment on any posts. I'm anxious to see what you guys have to say!

Jimmy Butler is a STAR! 

When the Bulls drafted Jimmy Butler in 2011 I knew they were getting an above average player. Never in my wildest dreams did I picture Jimmy becoming one of the best two way players in the NBA. Coming out of Marquette University Jimmy was known for being a good defender with a limited offensive skill set. For the first couple seasons with the Bulls Jimmy saw little to no playing time. A lot of that had to do with the Bulls former coach Tom Thibodeau. He did not give rookies or second year players a lot of minutes.

Jimmy did not let this lack of playing time bring him down. He continued to work on his game and year by year I noticed that his offensive game was getting better. I'd say that his breakthrough from being your middle of the road player to a star took place in the 2014-2015 season. I remember reading about Jimmy Butler's offseason going into the 2014 season. He did his workouts in San Diego, California where he basically played basketball all day long. He rented an apartment and said he did not watch any television, use his cell phone, or use any type of technology period. All of this paid off big time. Jimmy averaged about 20 points per game and was named to his first All Star game in the 2014-15 season. He also won the Most Improved Player award.

Jimmy Butler 

This 2015-2106 season is no different. I consider Jimmy Butler to be the Bulls best player. Just yesterday Jimmy was named to his second straight All Star game. He had two games already this season where he scored 50 points or more. He is asked to guard the opposing teams best player every game and he still puts up great numbers offensively. I also love the way Jimmy plays. He brings intensity and passion to every game. Along with that Jimmy is a great teammate. I hear all the time the other players on the Bulls talking about how much they love and admire Jimmy. The bottom line is Jimmy Butler is a flat out stud and I am so glad that the Bulls have him on their team. He is going to be a great player for years to come!

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bullsssssssssssssssss

Ryan