The Chicago Bulls are preparing for the upcoming season opener and the news and rumors are ramping up.
Check out the latest buzz below.
Gasol to Come off the Bench?
The big man rotation is still up in the air and Pau Gasol could come off the bench.
“Watching a few of these preseason games it seems obvious to me that we got two natural 5’s and two natural 4’s. And I wonder if the Bulls are better off moving Gasol to the bench so Taj can play the 4 with Jo instead of playing an undersized 5. The Gibson/Mirotic pairing just seems awkward. It’s undersized, lacks playmaking in the high post (though I imagine Mirotic will get there eventually), and is poor on the boards,” a reader wrote to Sam Smith of NBA.com.
But Smith says that the Bulls are locked in starting Noah and Gasol, “part for respect and part for reality.”
“It’s not easy to bring an older player off the bench for spurts and get him going more quickly. Especially someone who’s never done that. Pau starts. Then you need Noah to defend the stretch fours as Pau and Gibson can’t do that as well, though you are right that could be difficult. Plus, Noah’s physical issues remain a question. He says he’s doing fine from that knee surgery, but he is wearing a brace,” Smith said.
“So can he exert himself to that level? Maybe he should come off the bench as backup center? But do you do that to the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and all-NBA first team center? Thibs doesn’t have easy choices here. Maybe you have Dunleavy in against stretch fours like Kevin Love, though Love would have a rebounding edge. I do think the Bulls have to nurse Noah some through the season as much as he fights that stuff. So Taj should get enough starts. Then Mirotic gets time with Pau some.”
Smith says that he would also start rookie (but European veteran) Nikola Mirotic at the small forward and bring both Mike Dunleavy and Doug McDermott off the bench.
Noah’s Injury May Hamper Him
