How to maintain/protect a lead: <table class="latestplays" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr class="ysprow1"><td class="playtime" align="right" valign="top">1:30</td><td> CHI - B. Gordon hits the second free throw</td></tr> <tr class="ysprow2"><td class="playtime" align="right" valign="top">1:30</td><td> CHI - B. Gordon hits the first free throw</td></tr> <tr class="ysprow1"><td class="playtime" align="right" valign="top">1:30</td><td> UTA - Personal foul on C. Miles</td></tr> <tr class="ysprow2"><td class="playtime" align="right" valign="top">1:41</td><td> CHI - Team rebound</td></tr> <tr class="ysprow1"><td class="playtime" align="right" valign="top">1:42</td><td> UTA - D. Williams misses a layup</td></tr> <tr class="ysprow2"><td class="playtime" align="right" valign="top">1:50</td><td> CHI - B. Gordon hits the second free throw</td></tr></tbody></table>
On the other hand... Getting an 8 point lead with the 4 guard lineup and then not switching out for defense with real position players doesn't make sense.
I agree, but unfortunately he's the best ballhandler and best threat to get to the rim or get fouled.
:59 left, they get it to Rose. He singlehandledly killed most of the :24 and made a slick drive move to get the layup. Couldn't ask any more of the guy.
Big win for the Bulls. Once again as the Bulls PF goes, so go the Bulls. Imagine if they got a a great one like Stoudemire or Bosh.
16 assists and 17 TOs. There's something we can take forward. I guess I'll just be happy we're winning, but man, we're winning ugly.
Our back court rocked tonight: <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr class="ysptblthbody1 yspboxscore-columnheader-row" align="right"><td class="yspdetailttl player" align="left" height="18" width="17%">Starters </td> <td class="yspdetailttl" width="4%"> </td> <td class="yspdetailttl" width="7%">Min</td> <td class="yspdetailttl" width="7%">FG</td> <td class="yspdetailttl" width="6%">3Pt</td> <td class="yspdetailttl" width="6%">FT</td> <td class="yspdetailttl" width="6%">+/-</td> <td class="yspdetailttl" width="5%">Off</td> <td class="yspdetailttl" width="5%">Reb</td> <td class="yspdetailttl" width="5%">Ast</td> <td class="yspdetailttl" width="5%">TO</td> <td class="yspdetailttl" width="5%">Stl</td> <td class="yspdetailttl" width="5%">BS</td> <td class="yspdetailttl" width="5%">BA</td> <td class="yspdetailttl" width="5%">PF</td> <td class="yspdetailttl" width="7%">Pts </td> </tr> <tr class="ysprow1" align="right"> <td class="player" align="left"> B. Gordon </td> <td class="player"> G </td> <td>36:00</td> <td>8-17</td> <td>3-5</td> <td>7-10</td> <td> +4 </td> <td>0</td> <td>4</td> <td>3</td> <td>4</td> <td>0</td> <td>1</td> <td>0</td> <td>1</td> <td>26 </td> </tr> <tr class="ysprow2" align="right"> <td class="player" align="left"> D. Rose </td> <td class="player"> G </td> <td>31:31</td> <td>10-17</td> <td>0-1</td> <td>4-6</td> <td> +4 </td> <td>2</td> <td>5</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>0</td> <td>0</td> <td>0</td> <td>3</td> <td>24</td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr class="ysprow2" align="right"><td class="player" align="left"> T. Sefolosha </td> <td class="player"> </td> <td>33:43</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>2-2</td> <td>0-0</td> <td> +10 </td> <td>1</td> <td>4</td> <td>2</td> <td>3</td> <td>4</td> <td>0</td> <td>1</td> <td>5</td> <td>10 </td> </tr> <tr class="ysprow1" align="right"> <td class="player" align="left"> L. Hughes </td> <td class="player"> </td> <td>32:18</td> <td>4-9</td> <td>0-2</td> <td>2-2</td> <td> +20 </td> <td>0</td> <td>4</td> <td>2</td> <td>1</td> <td>2</td> <td>0</td> <td>0</td> <td>3</td> <td>10 </td></tr></tbody></table>
You could ask him to pass to BG or Hughes like once a quarter. I mean, is this conducive to winning in anything but the shortest of terms?
I figure his driving would actually be even more deadly if he could develop the ability to actually find players when he drove, particularly other players near the rim. I just don't like to see Gordon and Rose almost never passing to each other in the fourth quarter.
Oddly... Bulls backcourt scored 50 points and had 6 assists. Crawford scored 50 and had 5 assists by himself. Not every night, of course.
The problem with Rose, is that his game doesn't work when the other team has a shotblocker, yet he keeps on being selfish. The Charlotte game was a perfect example. He blew off the play and drove in by himself only to get swatted by Okafor. He's still young. He has to learn to trust his teammates, especially one as good as Gordon.
I couldn't see this game since it was blacked out for me but did Utah going to double OT yesterday effect Memo, Deron, Millsap, and AK since they all played big minutes?
They don't pass much to each other at any point in the game except the first five minutes where it's a contest to see who can avoid pissing off the coach first by not running the play that's called.
As I see it, he's learning to take that reverse layup. He's not making it, but when he does -- look out!
The problem probably isn't so much with Rose/Gordon. Gordon is playing like one of the 12 best players in the East this year, and Rose is the 2nd best rookie so far, and looks to be a special one. Vinny probably won't be our coach long term. Coaches either come in with great working ideas, or they don't for the most part. Vinny doesn't seem to be that great of a coach. Maybe in two years, we fire Vinny and hire Thibodeau as our coach. I think that's the direction we need to take. We need an elite defensive coach more than anything. Rose/Gordon have enough offensive talent to carry us pretty far.
I love how when it's pointed out that BG has a lowsy ast/TO ratio it's due to the fact that BG can't get assists because his teammates are lousy finishers. But when Rose is the one who didn't get enough assists, it's because he's selfish, not that he's clearly the most adept at getting to the rim without turning over the ball.
