Well, the Bulls finally ended their longest losing streak of the season with a 115-109 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night. They now sit just 1/2 game back of the Milwaukee Bucks for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 15 games left to play. But the suddenly-relevant Miami Heat hold an identical 32-35 record and Chicago faces playoff-bound opponents in their next four games. Can Fred Hoiberg and his ragtag group of misfits muster enough energy and execution down the stretch to squeeze into the playoffs? A better question might be: should they even try?
Before this ugly 5-game losing streak, which showcased Hoiberg's inconsistent coaching decisions and the lack of talent among the roster's young "core", the Bulls looked like a lock to return to the postseason after a rare miss last year. But blowout losses to Houston and Boston, plus an embarrassing failure against pathetic Orlando, have this aimless bunch on the outside looking in. How did we get here?
Perhaps taking orders from his bosses, Hoiberg spent that losing streak constantly tinkering with his rotation. He used twelve different players in several of their recent games, probably trying to follow Gar Forman and John Paxson's plan. You know, the one Gar restated over and over on his post-trade deadline explanation tour? Paraphrasing, it goes something like this: "We want to spend some time developing and evaluating the younger talent on this roster, while also remaining competitive and hopefully making the playoffs."
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Clashing Ideologies
Good ol' Freddie, always the willing puppet to his puppet masters. That's why they hired him in the first place, right? In recent weeks, Hoiberg gave big minutes to some of the younger guys that his bosses are so excited about. The trade that sent Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott to the Thunder opened up windows for Bobby Portis, Denzel Valentine and Paul Zipser. Returns from those three have been lukewarm at best. Once the starter who supplanted Rajon Rondo, Michael Carter-Williams is now an afterthought; playing just 12.3 minutes per game in March after averaging 22.7 in January and February. Those minutes are going to Jerian Grant and newcomer Cameron Payne. Bulls management has expressed optimism that both Grant and Payne could be the team's point guard of the future, but neither is playing like it. Payne doesn't appear to be a capable floor general, and he can't shoot. Grant displayed some improved three point shooting, but he can't run the offense smoothly either.The Old Ways
After their face-palm display against Boston on Sunday, Hoiberg shook things up. The coach cited a lack of pace and energy as his reason for benching Grant. He became the latest - and third total - point guard to go from starter to DNP-Coach's Decision in consecutive games. Seemingly out of options but desperate to turn things around, The Mayor went back to Rondo. It was the alpha's first start since late December. It wasn't just Rondo who got another chance on Monday thanks to Hoiberg's grasping at straws. Nikola Mirotic, whose tenure with the Bulls looked all but doomed, served as Fred's sixth man off the bench against Charlotte. After a stretch of disappointing performances, Niko got the DNP-CD treatment in losses to Orlando, Houston and Boston. The forward admitted he was frustrated about the benching, particularly losing his active spot on the roster to the useless Isaiah Canaan on Sunday. What purpose did that move serve, exactly, other than to dishearten the struggling sharpshooter? Well, it may have been the kick in the rear Mirotic needed to get back on his game. In a rare gem, Niko led the Bulls with 24 points on Monday. He knocked down 5 three pointers and added 11 rebounds. Rondo also made the most of his reinstatement, scoring a season-high 20 points while grabbing 7 boards and dishing 6 assists. Both the veteran point guard and one of his passing targets played their roles, and the Bulls offense looked legitimate and dangerous for the first time in weeks. The "three alphas" of Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade and Rondo - who hadn't played 20+ minutes together since December 21 - combined for 66 points, 22 assists and 14 rebounds. Just like GarPax planned it last summer.[USE ARROWS TO CONTINUE READING]
