Haven't had a chance to give the Bulls a little credit in some time, and they certainly deserve it for the way they've played lately (Hawks game notwithstanding).
The 2nd Unit- 40%
The starting 5 was -24 total (although Keith Bogans was -13 of that himself.) Korver/Watson/Brewer/Gibson/Asik? +64. They outhustled the Magic on every posession, took smart shots, closed out on every shot the Magic took, and kept Dwight Howard off the glass. Blogabull called this group something like the "can't buy a bucket unit" (can't find the quote, but it was disparaging the bench's offense) but the defense that group plays is outstanding. Hollinger pointed it out in an article (that you have to be an "ESPN insider" to read, which is fucking stupid) how the secret to the Bulls' success is the 2nd unit's defense. I don't need to pay $5 a month or something dumb like that to know, all I have to do is watch the first half of the 2nd and 4th quarter.
82games.com has that five at -14, which kind of surprises me, and defends Blogabull's point by showing they have the lowest ppp (points per possession) of the top 20 5 man units at 0.84. But they have one of the best defensive ppps at 0.91, and any of those 5s with Deng in for one of the forwards is a positive +/-.
Ronnie "The Baseline Ninja" Brewer- 20%
Now that Big Sexy is back in the role he was signed to play, I need something else to be mad about, so here it is: Ronnie Brewer can be a legit starting 2 guard on a championship team. Not one where they need the 2-guard to put up a lot of points, but this Bulls team doesn't need that. They need the shots coming from Derrick, Boozer, and Deng, with maybe some Joakim pick-and-roll action mixed in. They need the 2-guard to play solid defense on other team's best offensive backcourt player, and maybe stretch the floor for Derrick in the process. Yes, Ronnie doesn't do the latter so much, but what he brings to the team is exactly what helps the Bulls the most. I think if the proposed Ronnie and 3 picks for OJ Mayo deal had gone through, the Bulls would be a worse team right now, let alone the 3 picks down the road.
Also, Ronnie is officially to be called "The Baseline Ninja" from here on out, for his ability to sneak along undetected until it's too late for the defense to do anything about it.
Turkish Delight- 15%
Asik played 31 minutes of +13 ball against the best center in the NBA. Who still wants to argue that Asik isn't a legit NBA big man? Joakim played 17 minutes, and it wasn't just because of his conditioning. Mark my words: the key to an extended run in the playoffs this year will be how well Asik plays against Dwight Howard and Shaq.
Derrick Rose- 10%
Still struggling with the 3, but 45% shooting is an improvement from what's been going on of late. Nice to see him looking to drive a little more, hopefully we see more of that tomorrow.
TT- 10%
I have nothing negative to say about TT's rotations as of late. Despite my love of TBN (not always going to type out Baseline Ninja. Get used to it.) I still like Bogans starting and Brewer bringing energy around the 4:00 minute mark of the 1st and 3rd quarters. Asik and Taj are playing about as much as they should given the matchups, and aside from Korver sometimes playing over TBN late in close games when it might be more beneficial to have a defensive stopper, I have nothing to complain about. I just hope the addition of Rasual Butler doesn't get me started again (especially if TBN's minutes are affected.)
Luol Deng- 5%
Gotta give Lu a little credit. He didn't make Turkoglu his bitch like the last time we matched up with the Magic, but he took smart shots, attacked the rim, and played the solid D we've come to expect. Keep it up, Lu, so I can stop being worried about your late-game decision making.
No credit-
Boozer- 5-17? I realize Dwight Howard is down there, but come on. Also, Brandon Bass rained jumpers on you.
Bogans- I'm one of the few Bogans defenders, but I can't defend last night's performance. A couple of those 3s weren't the kind I want him taking (Only wide-open 3s fall in that category) and he didn't play good D to make up for it.
Liveblog for the Heat coming tomorrow. Stay tuned.
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