@ CHICAGO BULLS (46-31) @ MIAMI HEAT (35-43) Game 79, Road Game 40 Thursday, April 9, 2015 – 6:00 PM CT American Airlines Arena TNT / ESPN 1000 AM BULLS VS. HEAT ALL-TIME BULLS CURRENT STREAK ...... 1 Loss BULLS HOME STREAK ............. 1 Loss BULLS ROAD STREAK ............... 1 Win BULLS VS. HEAT THIS SEASON Dec. 14 @ Miami – Bulls 93, Heat 75 Jan. 25 @ Chicago – Bulls 84, Heat 96 April 9 @ Miami – Game Notes Chicago Bulls (46-32) Home 25-14 Road 21-18 Bulls Season Averages: PPG: 100.7 (Opp: 98.2) RPG: 45.6 (Opp: 43.4) APG: 21.8 (Opp: 20.5) SPG: 6.13 (Opp: 7.63) BPG: 5.79 (Opp: 5.38) FG%: .442 (Opp: .438) FT%: .784 (Opp: .747) 3p%: .355 (Opp: .338) Probable Bulls starters Derrick Rose - PG - Jimmy Butler - SG - Mike Dunleavy - SF - Pau Gasol - PF - Joakim Noah - C - Bulls Stats Leaders Points: Butler 20.1, Gasol 18.5 Rebounds: Gasol 11.7, Noah 9.7 Assists: Rose 5.0, Noah 4.7 Steals: Butler 1.75, Hinrich 0.71 Blocks: Gasol 1.86, Gibson 1.18 FG%: Gibson .496, Gasol .495 FT%: Butler .843, Brooks .826 3FG%: Dunleavy .416, Brooks .392 Injury report Kirk Hinrich (knee) is probable. Derrick Rose (knee) is probable. For a full report and the latest on Bulls' injuries, check out the AthletiCo Injury Report. Orlando Magic (35-43) Home 19-19 Road 16-24 Probable Heat starters Goran Dragic - PG Dwyane Wade - SG Luol Deng - SF Udonis Haslem - PF Hassan Whiteside - C Injury report Josh McRoberts, OUT Chris Bosh, OUT Shabazz Napier, OUT Michael Beasley, QUESTIONABLE Mario Chalmers, QUESTIONABLE Chris Anderson, PROBABLE Luol Deng, PROBABLE Hassan Whiteside, PROBABLE --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It only took a few seconds to google the answer: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...53ad30-df11-11e4-b6d7-b9bc8acf16f7_story.html The Bulls put Tony Snell in the starting lineup in Butler’s place. Snell has started 21 other games this season for the Bulls, including each of the 11 games Butler missed last month with a sprained left elbow.
Snell starts! Notice he's starting at the 2 guard spot. He doesn't play minutes at the 1 of course and isn't a combo guard like Hinrich is. Very different players with different skillsets.
Kirk was signed to be our backup SG this season. They gave him a player option for next year. They must really think highly of him.
Of course, and I don't have a problem with Kirk playing PG ahead of Snell. Not a realistic one, yeah I'd love to have seen Snell tried at PG in some meaningless games, but I'm pretty sure almost every other NBA coach would have played Kirk ahead of Snell at PG. And you can probably drop the "almost". I'd start Kirk at SG tonight if it was 5-6 years ago, he used to be one of the league's best Wade-"stoppers" back then. Not any more. That being said, Kirk did start several games at SG this year, and he played double-digit minutes last game at SG ahead of Snell, which is the only reason I worried it might happen tonight.
Rose out. Dunleavy, Noah, and Snell gave the team ZERO points for the first 7 and a half minutes. 0-4 shooting. Noah had 2 boards and an assist. Snell had 2 rebounds.
Taj with one defensive rebound in six minutes so far, which is sadly ahead of his normal Eddy Curry rebound rate.
