Watson fouled!!! Maybe 3 fts! Ruling is 2 fts. Foot on the line. FTA made both. Game tied. Man...how big was Dengs two missed Free throw attempts? a little over 11 seconds left
Wow, that last shot was like a bad BG flashback, a three point flail. Deng standing wide open 10 feet away. This team still has some growing to do.
It's easy to get upset about game like the one they played tonight, but joy cometh in the morning. The Bulls played flat -- and you can't expect them to bring energy every night in the dog days. The bench played well, and Asik has officially broken out. It's only up from here. The only three real negatives I take away from the game (and two of these are connected): (1) I'm not thrilled by Thibodeau's substitution patterns. I think it's fine that he tries to script the first half, even if consistency leads to occasional mismatches. But by the second half, I'd like to see some more flexibility in his patterns. (2) Deng played way too many minutes again. He's heading for an injury unless Thibs reigns in his minutes. (3) Taj Gibson has no place on this team. If Thibodeau couldn't fine a place for him in a game like tonight's he has to be on borrowed time. Gar Paxdorf need to suck it up and find him a better situation.
You have to pin this loss on Thibs. Where was Boozer in Q4? Deng too many minutes. He insists on playing Bogans in Q1 and Q3 like clockwork. It's up to the coach to have the team prepared for every game.
I'll agree with you that if Thibodeau coached differently the Bulls would have won. But I have no issue with Boozer sitting out the fourth. He was a sieve the whole game, and wasn't providing enough consistent offense to make his presence worthwhile. Thibs has to do something to reign in Deng's minutes though. And I'm done with Bogans. I really am.
