Hell Froze Over. Sam Smith: PLAY TYRUS THOMAS!

[bullzman23]

It doesn't look like Barack and Hillary are going to make up any time soon, so there really is no change. But I'm a true change agent, and I say it's time for change, with the Bulls, and for myself and Tyrus Thomas.

I vote for Thomas to play, play more and play regularly.


Forget experience.

Tyrus today!

I'm excited, and I didn't even know Iowa and New Hampshire were real states. Iowa, I was sure, was really a Farm & Fleet superstore.

I got to thinking about Thomas after a solid 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in the Bulls' win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. Interim coach Jim Boylan even seemed to know his name.

Thomas has been the forgotten man of the Bulls' disappointing season, which might be better than being the picked-on and discarded man of the Bulls' disappointing season. Former coach Scott Skiles offered the second-most trenchant observation of his tenure when he volunteered that Thomas never once sprinted the court. This, of course, was second only to the immortal advice offered to Eddy Curry, who is here with the Knicks on Tuesday, about how to rebound better: Jump.

I'm already getting weepy about Skiles being gone.

Anyway, a reader asked about Thomas not playing, as readers often do, and claimed the Bulls were 20-5 when Thomas played at least 15 minutes. I'll call the reader Joe only because that is his name.

So I looked it up, and it wasn't quite that. He was close. It's 6-9 this season.

But the Bulls were 25-5 last season when Thomas played at least 15 minutes, and though Boylan is working the veterans to get wins, which he hopes will lead to a return engagement next season, the real priority is to find out about players like Thomas.

Thomas and I didn't start off well, which is a little like saying Britney Spears is having some trouble with parenting. (I really don't know who this Britney Spears person is, as I'm over 50, but we have a pop culture handbook that allows us to use such clever references to pretend we're hip.)

Now, if you're talking hip replacement, I can dig that.

What we seem to have forgotten is the reason we were so high on this Bulls team. Perhaps we were just high? Nah.
http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com ... -headlines

That's the updated version of the stat I constantly mention (it was 16-2 when I stopped updating it). It's a number that can't be ignored.

[jax98]

Wow, so you can teach an old dog new tricks. Interesting..

I can't believe I'm about to say this.. But I agree with Sam Smith. It's nice to see he actually saw the Kings game and made some observations based on Tyrus' play, instead of just printing stuff out his behind.

[HINrichPolice]

It's interesting that Smith basically admits to having a personal vendetta against Thomas. However, he does use that fact to emphasize his point - play Tyrus Thomas because he can contribute.

That Kings game was fun to watch although we should've handled them easily, but Thomas was the primary reason for the excitement.

[BullSoxChicago'sFinest]

Smith 08: Play Tyrus!


I actually wanted to go to the next game (and get there early) with a big 'Play Tyrus' sign across court from Boylan and Co. but I figure he'll get it anyways, esp with Deng out

[DASMACKDOWN]

I cant believe Sam Smith wrote that..

[suckfish]

WRITE IT GOD DAMN IT! I SAID WRITE IT. REPEAT AFTER ME, TYRUS NEEDS TO PLAY MORE!

TYPE!

FASTER!

[eierluke]

Were the Bulls 25- 5 last season due to Thomas playing more than 15 minutes? - Or did Thomas just climb the 15 min mark in these games because of getting extra garbage time in wins?

[Mr. Tibbs]

Were the Bulls 25- 5 last season due to Thomas playing more than 15 minutes? - Or did Thomas just climb the 15 min mark in these games because of getting extra garbage time in wins?

some of those games was garbage time at least early on...and i remember that was fuel for much arguing over the validity of the stat. Further into the season though it was pretty much all big time minutes that mattered and there wasn't really much more arguing if the stat held merit or not.

[DASMACKDOWN]

I mean, I hear what he is saying and I applaud him for trying to make a new chapter with Tyrus. But I think we all know, that this will not continue. Im not talking about Sam having Tyrus back, im talking Tyrus consistantly having playing time and making an impact.

The team roster, accompanied with the coach makes the situation impossible for it to happen. Like I have said before, Tyrus's uprising comes at the expense of Noah...and vice versa. And even that, its because we didnt have Deng is the reason why Tyrus even played more than 15 minutes.

Right now its pretty much a given that the moment, Tyrus has 2 fouls he is done for the game and in comes Noah. Then we are back to square one. None of them makes any progress, none of them gets into a rhythm. Thats the problem.

If Smith and Wallace were a foul machine, maybe things will be different. But since the coach believes that one jump shot from Smith makes up for his overall night and one offensive rebound tip from Wallace justifies him being out there 40 mins per game, Tyrus and Noah have no chance. No matter how good they look when they get out there. Its as simple as that.

So even though Sam finally sees the light for Tyrus and basically Noah, they wont get anywhere unless a trade is made.

[JCrossover#1]

Were the Bulls 25- 5 last season due to Thomas playing more than 15 minutes? - Or did Thomas just climb the 15 min mark in these games because of getting extra garbage time in wins?

It reminded me of the importance of the +/- stat!!

[TB#1]

John Paxson: Well, when Tyrus was first starting out, he was surly with his teammates and with a certain columnist. And as his career got better and better, he wanted to get better press. Now, Tyrus is Jerry Reinsdorf's godson. And Reinsdorf went to see this columnist, and he offered him $10,000 to write a positive column about Tyrus. But the columnist wrote a hack piece about Scottie Pippen. So the next day, Jerry went to see him, only this time with Gar Forman. And within an hour, Sam Smith wrote a glowing column about playing Tyrus Thomas more.

Red Kerr: How'd he do that?

John Paxson: Jerry made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

Red Kerr: What was that?

John Paxson: Gar Forman held a gun to his head, and Jerry assured him that either his brains - or his signature - would be on the column...That's a true story...That's the Bulls organization, Red. It's not me.

[dougthonus]

some of those games was garbage time at least early on...and i remember that was fuel for much arguing over the validity of the stat. Further into the season though it was pretty much all big time minutes that mattered and there wasn't really much more arguing if the stat held merit or not.

There were very few garbage minutes in those games. He played most of those minutes because Nocioni was out, and we didn't have anyone else to throw out there besides PJ Brown.

The team as a whole played better in this stretch, and this stat is the ultimate in correlation does not prove causality. However, despite the fact that I think the record where he plays 15+ minutes is a meaningless stat, I think he needs to play 20+ minutes every night anyway.

[Magilla_Gorilla]

The long national nightmare is over.

[Wingy]

Hmmm...wouldn't doubt it if it were one of our posters that wrote to him.


Watch..next there will be an article where he talks about the horrible choice of using Wallace in the pick and roll. I sent him a question outlining the multitude of negatives from the BW P-n-R and he replied that he's never really understood it either...stay tuned.

Perhaps we should just send him a link to the board and Sam can use more of the good ideas generated here.

[myboyz33]

the issue with tyrus frustrates me!! i really think that he could one day be a scottie pip type player. even scottie said that himself. but he needs someone to allow him to play to get more experience. so annoying!

[BrooklynBulls]

There were very few garbage minutes in those games. He played most of those minutes because Nocioni was out, and we didn't have anyone else to throw out there besides PJ Brown.

The team as a whole played better in this stretch, and this stat is the ultimate in correlation does not prove causality. However, despite the fact that I think the record where he plays 15+ minutes is a meaningless stat, I think he needs to play 20+ minutes every night anyway.

Although I'd like to see these stats when the game is decided by less than 8 or so, I think these stats do have some importance to me. It tells me, whatever Tyrus is messing up in terms of being in the right spots on both ends of the floor, him playing significant minutes does not hurt our chances of winning, or at least it hasn't. At worst, they're about the same, and at best they're far better.

Either way, I agree Thomas has to play.

[Shootdabull]

Watch..next there will be an article where he talks about the horrible choice of using Wallace in the pick and roll. I sent him a question outlining the multitude of negatives from the BW P-n-R and he replied that he's never really understood it either...stay tuned.

That would be great. Everyone knows Ben can't shoot. Maybe there can be some hope for us yet this - even Sam is seeing the light.

[cool007]

meh, I am happy that finally sam had something good to write about and something that makes sense.

I am not too happy actually, that everyone can see except for our coaches.

This actually makes me more sad

[kyrv]

meh, I am happy that finally sam had something good to write about and something that makes sense.

I am not too happy actually, that everyone can see except for our coaches.

This actually makes me more sad

Yep.

I also wonder, did Skiles influence Sam or was Sam just following Skiles' lead in disliking Tyrus?

Maybe this means no more cheap shots (for a while). Super.

You are the best, Sam.

[AirP.]

I think Sam pretty much goes along with who the best person to get Bulls info from... it's been the Head Coach so he sided with Skiles, and you're more likely to give info to a reporter who sides with you.... now with an interm coach, you side with the best person to get info from.... the GM... John Paxson.

I figured this flip flop of Sam on Tyrus would happen a little bit further down the road, maybe the youth movement has been accelerated because of the way we're winning against bad teams. Paxson has to know this team isn't close, we lost badly against top teams and we're barely being able to get by bad teams and teams that are depleted.

If the decision hasn't been made yet, then tonight could be the game that pushes Paxson to hit the youth movement button. I would not be surprised tonight or in the very near future to see Tyrus back at starting PF and Smith coming off the bench.