QUOTE
MARK SCHANOWSKI
Hard to believe the Bulls will emphasize the fast break this season despite the fact one of the fastest players in the NBA, Derrick Rose, will be out until at least the All-Star break.
In Tuesday’s preseason win over Memphis, the Bulls ran at every opportunity against one of the better teams in the West, outscoring the Grizzlies 32-15 in fast break points . The running game was keyed by the all-around excellence of Kirk Hinrich on the defensive end. Hinrich seemed to be everywhere, deflecting passes, blocking shots and making perfect passes to his teammates streaking down court.
Actually, pushing the ball in the open court without Rose makes a lot of sense.
Rose is one of the league’s best players at breaking down an opponent’s half-court defense with his ability to split double teams and get to the rim on almost any possession. As a result, with the shot clock running down the Bulls became comfortable with putting the ball in Rose's hands and letting him go to work. Now, with Rose out, points in the half-court are harder to come by, so why not run whenever possible and get some easy baskets?
The return of Hinrich may be an even bigger benefit than the Bulls’ front office and coaching staff first anticipated. Hinrich worked hard in the offseason to get himself in better shape, and he’s very comfortable with the type of system Tom Thibodeau will run.
Even after nine seasons in the league, Hinrich still has better-than-average quickness and anticipation on the defensive end, and he’s very comfortable working with his former teammates Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. Hinrich had a number of great battles with Rip Hamilton over the years, and seems to enjoy the chance to play with the former Pistons’ star, who also showed up to training camp in much better physical condition.
Hinrich’s strengths fit perfectly into Thibodeau’s defense-first approach. When Rose returns in February or March, you can bet the Bulls’ coach will play Rose and Hinrich together at times to exert maximum defensive pressure on opposing guards. With Hinrich eventually joining the second unit, that group has the potential to be even better than the celebrated “Bench Mob” of the last two seasons.
Chicago native Nazr Mohammed had 13 points and 12 rebounds in his Bulls’ debut, and little Nate Robinson looks like a potential spark-plug, scoring 13 points against the Grizzlies. Second year man Jimmy Butler struggled with his outside shot in the preseason opener, but after a strong summer he should be a factor on both ends this season. And, the Bulls are counting on European imports Marco Belinelli and Vladimir Radmanovic to replace the 3-point shooting lost when Kyle Korver was traded to Atlanta in a salary cap move.
Yes, there is a lot of work to be done, but you can count on the tireless Thibodeau and his staff to get the most out of the current Rose-less roster. The Bulls just might be better than a lot of the experts are predicting, especially if they continue to excel on the defensive end and get as many fast break baskets as possible.
Hard to believe the Bulls will emphasize the fast break this season despite the fact one of the fastest players in the NBA, Derrick Rose, will be out until at least the All-Star break.
In Tuesday’s preseason win over Memphis, the Bulls ran at every opportunity against one of the better teams in the West, outscoring the Grizzlies 32-15 in fast break points . The running game was keyed by the all-around excellence of Kirk Hinrich on the defensive end. Hinrich seemed to be everywhere, deflecting passes, blocking shots and making perfect passes to his teammates streaking down court.
Actually, pushing the ball in the open court without Rose makes a lot of sense.
Rose is one of the league’s best players at breaking down an opponent’s half-court defense with his ability to split double teams and get to the rim on almost any possession. As a result, with the shot clock running down the Bulls became comfortable with putting the ball in Rose's hands and letting him go to work. Now, with Rose out, points in the half-court are harder to come by, so why not run whenever possible and get some easy baskets?
The return of Hinrich may be an even bigger benefit than the Bulls’ front office and coaching staff first anticipated. Hinrich worked hard in the offseason to get himself in better shape, and he’s very comfortable with the type of system Tom Thibodeau will run.
Even after nine seasons in the league, Hinrich still has better-than-average quickness and anticipation on the defensive end, and he’s very comfortable working with his former teammates Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. Hinrich had a number of great battles with Rip Hamilton over the years, and seems to enjoy the chance to play with the former Pistons’ star, who also showed up to training camp in much better physical condition.
Hinrich’s strengths fit perfectly into Thibodeau’s defense-first approach. When Rose returns in February or March, you can bet the Bulls’ coach will play Rose and Hinrich together at times to exert maximum defensive pressure on opposing guards. With Hinrich eventually joining the second unit, that group has the potential to be even better than the celebrated “Bench Mob” of the last two seasons.
Chicago native Nazr Mohammed had 13 points and 12 rebounds in his Bulls’ debut, and little Nate Robinson looks like a potential spark-plug, scoring 13 points against the Grizzlies. Second year man Jimmy Butler struggled with his outside shot in the preseason opener, but after a strong summer he should be a factor on both ends this season. And, the Bulls are counting on European imports Marco Belinelli and Vladimir Radmanovic to replace the 3-point shooting lost when Kyle Korver was traded to Atlanta in a salary cap move.
Yes, there is a lot of work to be done, but you can count on the tireless Thibodeau and his staff to get the most out of the current Rose-less roster. The Bulls just might be better than a lot of the experts are predicting, especially if they continue to excel on the defensive end and get as many fast break baskets as possible.