Bulls vs Celtics 7pm CT

[erlim]

He was never meant to be the best player on the team

True, but it is also true that he is the Bulls' #1 future hope. That is a dangerous position to be in. Zach was there a few years back, as a guy who wasn't a #1 option being regarded as one by Bulls fans, and the backlash against Zach today for not meeting that expectation is something fierce. I would be unhappy if Coby suffered the same fate. Let's let him being who he is.

People are already pinning future hopes on Coby and Ayo. That will be a very underwhelming if those are our two best player. Coby White looks like a great 3rd option on a contender. Maybe a 2nd option if he takes another massive leap. He will never be a 1st option a legit great team. He would literally have to be Steph Curry level. Unrealistic.

Co-signed. He's a nice piece but even blasting through his very highest possible ceiling, Coby will never be in the same stratosphere as Tyrese Hailburton and Donovan Mitchell. That's just our division. Cade Cunningham will probably be better than him soon. It's great Coby really has worked himself into a space to make Zach expendable, but the FO had no foresight to get anything of value when Zach's value was higher.

[RSP83]

If we ignore the continuity part and look at this team from future development perspective, it's not actually that bad to follow.

It stands that this team has 2 good young players on friendly contract, high prospect in PWill, interesting prospect in Phillips. We have 2 expirings in Demar, and AC next year.

The dead weights are Vuc and Zach and his contract.

I think this team is still in good position to pivot if the FO really wants to.

I don't think full rebuild is necessary, but we do have to improve the "health" of our assets. It should definitely start with sorting out the 3 main assets: Zach, Demar, Vuc.

1. Demar, we absolutely need to replace him. Easiest thing to do: let him walk in the summer, embrace Zach to fill in his spot. Whatever it is, move on from Demar, including if Zach decides to leave via trade.

2. Zach, there's nothing we can do about his contract. Either play him and let him catch up to his value as much as possible, or trade him soon before his value continues to detoriate. I'm among the people who wants to give Zach and Coby a fair shot without Demar. There's no downside to doing this, it will only improve Zach's value or hopefully we finally found the right formula.

3. Vuc, same like Demar, he's not necessary for this team especially for his contract. He really offer not much upside for this team, and the floor for this team is already low with him. So he should be top priority for FO to move. Try to get as many young/future assets as possible. Vuc is on a relatively friendly contract, he can still put up 18-10 for most teams if that's what they're looking for.

4. About AC: his value will drop next year due to his expiring contract. However some desperate playoff team will still be there and probably still willing to overpay for him. And when the happens FO should sell. But I can see this FO still clinging on to him past summer with the continuity and competitiveness mantra (sigh). I think AC and Vuc should be actively shopped this coming summer.

So, when I think about the options available in fixing this roster, it's actually not that doom and gloom. The problem is whether AK will be making the right decisions or not. I really hope he comes to his senses and wave the white flag on this roster.

[RSP83]

Celtics is unconscious from 3. Just scratch this one out. At least we're competing.

I hope this is sarcasm. We are gonna finish with a losing record again.

Is there anybody who seriously buy into this "competing" agenda? It's a mandatory soundbite now.

However, I genuinely enjoy these Bulls games vs. top teams, and want Bulls to win them.

[WindyCityBorn]

If we ignore the continuity part and look at this team from future development perspective, it's not actually that bad to follow.

It stands that this team has 2 good young players on friendly contract, high prospect in PWill, interesting prospect in Phillips. We have 2 expirings in Demar, and AC next year.

The dead weights are Vuc and Zach and his contract.

I think this team is still in good position to pivot if the FO really wants to.

I don't think full rebuild is necessary, but we do have to improve the "health" of our assets. It should definitely start with sorting out the 3 main assets: Zach, Demar, Vuc.

1. Demar, we absolutely need to replace him. Easiest thing to do: let him walk in the summer, embrace Zach to fill in his spot. Whatever it is, move on from Demar, including if Zach decides to leave via trade.

2. Zach, there's nothing we can do about his contract. Either play him and let him catch up to his value as much as possible, or trade him soon before his value continues to detoriate. I'm among the people who wants to give Zach and Coby a fair shot without Demar. There's no downside to doing this, it will only improve Zach's value or hopefully we finally found the right formula.

3. Vuc, same like Demar, he's not necessary for this team especially for his contract. He really offer not much upside for this team, and the floor for this team is already low with him. So he should be top priority for FO to move. Try to get as many young/future assets as possible. Vuc is on a relatively friendly contract, he can still put up 18-10 for most teams if that's what they're looking for.

4. About AC: his value will drop next year due to his expiring contract. However some desperate playoff team will still be there and probably still willing to overpay for him. And when the happens FO should sell. But I can see this FO still clinging on to him past summer with the continuity and competitiveness mantra (sigh). I think AC and Vuc should be actively shopped this coming summer.

So, when I think about the options available in fixing this roster, it's actually not that doom and gloom. The problem is whether AK will be making the right decisions or not. I really hope he comes to his senses and wave the white flag on this roster.

We don’t have assets to trade for a star, no stars want to come and we refuse to get bad enough draft players likely to become stars. All our cap space will get is a bunch of another mediocre roster. I doubt we be able to acquire a player better than Coby which is necessary. We are gonna make the same mistake we made did with Zach. Trying to build a team around a borderline all-star. I think he is going end up better than Zach, but not enough to move the needle as our best player.

[DASMACKDOWN]

He was never meant to be the best player on the team

True, but it is also true that he is the Bulls' #1 future hope. That is a dangerous position to be in. Zach was there a few years back, as a guy who wasn't a #1 option being regarded as one by Bulls fans, and the backlash against Zach today for not meeting that expectation is something fierce. I would be unhappy if Coby suffered the same fate. Let's let him being who he is.

People are already pinning future hopes on Coby and Ayo. That will be a very underwhelming if those are our two best player. Coby White looks like a great 3rd option on a contender. Maybe a 2nd option if he takes another massive leap. He will never be a 1st option a legit great team. He would literally have to be Steph Curry level. Unrealistic.

This same conversation was said about Jimmy Butler.

So basically, don't write anyone off.

[MalagaBulls]

Meanwhile back at the ranch:

Read on Twitter

[nekorajo]

On a positive note, Julian Phillips looks like he's going to have a very nice set shot. He was the best 3 point shooter on the floor during pregame warm-ups. It's worth noting that Coby wasn't on the floor with the rest of the team until the end of warm-ups, but I saw him out there much earlier.

[DuckIII]

If we ignore the continuity part and look at this team from future development perspective, it's not actually that bad to follow.

It stands that this team has 2 good young players on friendly contract, high prospect in PWill, interesting prospect in Phillips. We have 2 expirings in Demar, and AC next year.

The dead weights are Vuc and Zach and his contract.

I think this team is still in good position to pivot if the FO really wants to.

Even if I accepted this premise, and I definitely don’t, the issue of timing would remain. And it is by far the most important issue.

Had AKME moved DDR, Zach and Vuc at the 2023 deadline - which so many fans and analysts believed to be the clear call and it turned out to be a massive seller’s market which AK admitted - we would be in a vastly, vastly superior forward looking position. But he has now effectively wasted all three assets. It’s still a massive failure even if he “pivots” by using capspce (to sign all those stars who want to signed with rebuilding teams).

As for the premise, you can polish the turd all you want but it’s just spin. Do an objective comparison of our young talent and trade assets to that of other bottom half teams and get back to me about how good we are a set up for the future relative to our competition.

[DuckIII]

True, but it is also true that he is the Bulls' #1 future hope. That is a dangerous position to be in. Zach was there a few years back, as a guy who wasn't a #1 option being regarded as one by Bulls fans, and the backlash against Zach today for not meeting that expectation is something fierce. I would be unhappy if Coby suffered the same fate. Let's let him being who he is.

People are already pinning future hopes on Coby and Ayo. That will be a very underwhelming if those are our two best player. Coby White looks like a great 3rd option on a contender. Maybe a 2nd option if he takes another massive leap. He will never be a 1st option a legit great team. He would literally have to be Steph Curry level. Unrealistic.

This same conversation was said about Jimmy Butler.

So basically, don't write anyone off.

Of course not. But you still have to play the odds.

[Ice Man]

So basically, don't write anyone off.

Except for Cam Bairstow.

[drosestruts]

some of you will just never be happy.

Our young players are good but not good enough.

Our all stars and all-nba players aren't good enough.

Our vet role players aren't good enough.

Until we have LeBron everyone just isn't good enough.

It's all so "Grass is greener on the other side". Haliburton will probably never be the best player on a championship team, should Indiana trade him?

Another poster mentioned Cade Cunningham as being better than Coby White - please stop. Stop loving non-Bulls players. Cade Cunningham is not better than Coby.

Onto the actual game - it turns out that team dominating the conference is pretty good eh? Can't wait to see them somehow choke vs Miami in the playoffs.

In a desire to be more positive in this overly pessimistic space I was really happy with Juliun Phillips' performance. Most minutes off the bench and scored efficiently from the field. Even had some nice drives he created all himself. There's an opportunity to show up with Pat and TC injured and he's stepping up to the plate.

I also thought that we throughout the game played rather good defense, those Celtics are just really freakin good. A shot would go up, I'd be happy with the defense, and it'd be nothing but net. We play this way against 90% of the league and we win.

[ChettheJet]

Too much BOS not enough Bulls.

The one coaching move I want to object to in the first half last night was playing Terry and Phillips at the same time. Neither brings enough on either end, they don't shoot great, make inexperienced mistakes on defense. So yeah I want to see them both get in the game but just not at the same time. The 4 veterans out there with either of them can cover their inexperience but if they're 40% of the team out there, that's not good.

When you look at the real contenders vs the Bulls what you see almost across the board is the top teams bring in unspectacular mostly one dimensional role playing bench guys. BOS has Pritchart and Houser just shoot the ball, Kornet just bangs around, MIL has Connaughton, Beauchamp, Green who shoot and Portis who defends.

The Bulls when starting Caruso and Dosunmu come in with Carter, a healthy Craig and Williams who aren't great shooters, not one-on-one scorers, good defenders. Even dropping down to Terry and Phillips nobody specializes or is very good at anything that the defense fears. Besides having more capable PFs and fewer guards getting on the floor for next year I would really like to see a couple of one dimensional players who maybe hit the boards hard but don't shoot but really might not be much on defense but shoot the ball once they get off the bus. Now maybe a healthy Zach is back and fills that role when the other starters go out.

[DuckIII]

Our young players are good but not good enough.

Our all stars and all-nba players aren't good enough.

Our vet role players aren't good enough.

I didn’t read the rest of your post, but it looks like
you’re starting to get it.

[DASMACKDOWN]

People are already pinning future hopes on Coby and Ayo. That will be a very underwhelming if those are our two best player. Coby White looks like a great 3rd option on a contender. Maybe a 2nd option if he takes another massive leap. He will never be a 1st option a legit great team. He would literally have to be Steph Curry level. Unrealistic.

This same conversation was said about Jimmy Butler.

So basically, don't write anyone off.

Of course not. But you still have to play the odds.

Yes cf course. I only say this as I was of the guys that advocated that he could. Being a #1 option on a great team is so cliche anyway. It has no true defined meaning. That could be best scorer, best player. Not mutually exclusive.

[Stratmaster]

Looks like Coby is going to take a game or two to get back in the flow. I hope he isnt starting back off slow again

He's a good player, but might not be the star that some people want him to be.

Coby is a streaky player. Always has been, still is; don't know if he always will be but no reason to expect otherwise. When he is good, he is very good. When he isn't...well, fill in the blank.

All that to say that IMHO people banking on Coby to be the catalyst of the team in the future are really basing it on a lot of "hope"; or the Bulls being a very bad team.

[Stratmaster]

Ayo is going to make a lot of money before its all said and done. Just a joy to watch play.

As someone who had about given up on him, I have been really, really impressed. Ayo is the player who really seems to have leveled up.

[Stratmaster]

He was never meant to be the best player on the team

True, but it is also true that he is the Bulls' #1 future hope. That is a dangerous position to be in. Zach was there a few years back, as a guy who wasn't a #1 option being regarded as one by Bulls fans, and the backlash against Zach today for not meeting that expectation is something fierce. I would be unhappy if Coby suffered the same fate. Let's let him being who he is.

I predicted this the minute everyone went nuts over Coby. He became the great new hope, and when he turns out to be the super 6th man I think he will be, it will be considered a failure instead of the success story he is.

[Stratmaster]

Celts shot light out 45% on 47 3s.

We shot 35% on 28 3s.

ATA boy AK with that “shot profile.”

Either there was never any intention to change the profile, or the front office and coach are plain stupid. I mean, they spent a year trying to get rid of the guy who had been their most consistent 3 point shooter, re-signed a Center who bricks 3's, and reaffirmed their commitment to the God of mid-range basketball. If you think their 3 point profile and results look bad now, imagine if Caruso hadn't stepped up.

[jc23]

pretty much what we have to look forward to assuming we make it out of the play in.

[drosestruts]

pretty much what we have to look forward to assuming we make it out of the play in.

my 6th seed dreams still aren't dead.