Pete Zievers: Hoo-ray for Joe (Dumars - the NBA's Vice President of Basketball Operations). Hope Joe D can make it stick. Though Popovich has achieved pretty highly, I'm not an overly big fan and this is one reason why. "Load management" is one of the singularly fan-unfriendly concepts in all of sport. Period. Namely, once upon a time the NBA was a wanna-be league that fought like crazy to attract fans. Nothing is irreversible. No one is irreplaceable.
Sam: You can tell the new TV contract negotiations are under way. We’ve all been moaning about this for several years, and the league in its concern about accommodating players (I understood since that’s mostly been about making sure to get a new labor agreement without a lockout) allowed this execrable practice of load management to go on. Of, you know, not caring about the game or their jobs. And then sticking it to the networks with all those big Thursday night TNT games often featuring, well, a lot of very good G-league players. Which did enable Barkley to get more sleep in the green room. So I’m guessing the TV execs said, “So you guys want billions. How about some of your best players actually showing up for the TV games?” So I also loved the league finally said what we all knew, that there’s no science to this ridiculous resting policy that had become yet another ego thing, that you were important enough to rest. That the Spurs and the Warriors were the worst offenders was giving others pause because they were the most successful teams. It turns out the league checked and they actually had better players. But load management did spawn another issue which is infecting much of sport, as we see now in the baseball playoffs, and the NBA, that the regular season is relatively meaningless. At least if you make the playoffs. And with so many teams now making the playoffs it’s not that big a stretch. Miami and the Lakers last season going deep in the playoffs out of the play-in tournament may have been the tipping point for the NBA. Yes, the players now need 65 games for post season awards in the league’s load management crackdown. But there’s likely no more race for excellence. Which actually could help the Bulls, at least in the regular season. I can see them stealing some games with Miami sitting guys out all the time, Dame and Giannis alternating, Embiid preparing for the Olympics. DeRozan, LaVine and Vučević like to play, and putting together a hard playing group could net the Bulls some wins when several other teams are measuring what’s the big deal having one fewer home game in the playoffs?
Richard Meagher: How is the Bulls young core coming along? With Patrick Williams, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Dalen Terry, management has done a good job of adding young talent behind the starters. Is Adama Sanogo going to make this team? Looks like many of these young players could be Bulls for years to come.
Sam: Well.... I believe Sanogo is a two-way-player who’ll probably be with the Windy City Bulls all season. Who, by the way, have great Bulls souvenir giveaways. Find a way to get to Hoffman Estates! I think Coby is the one who looks like he’s taking the biggest step in development, though I don’t see that group as core players as much as supporting players. I believe Coby has a growing upside that we saw briefly in his rookie season when he had that run of nine games averaging about 25 points. But he’s been moved around so much from starter to bench to point to shooter and with injuries that it looks like we’re just about to see his true abilities. My question will be how much he defers on offense to the three scorers if he does remain the starting point guard. My sense is he is more assertive than Williams and would defer less. With Williams it seems like it all depends on who he plays with since he seems secure and comfortable being in a role rather than taking on the role. He’s looked that way again. It’s looking like it’s going to be difficult for Terry to get substantial playing time until there are injuries. Though Dosunmu looked like against the Nuggets that he more than Carter was emerging as the backup to White. For them it seemingly will depend on their opportunities.
Kieron Smith: What about the reports of a new team for Las Vegas? Is this for real? And what will this new team be called. Will Seattle regain The Supersonics again? If yes, that would be cool.
Sam: That was LeBron last week lobbying for the NBA to award he and whatever group he puts together a Las Vegas franchise when the league does expand. There’s not going to be any serious talk about it until the new TV rights deal is negotiated after the 2024-25 season. But I expect LeBron to get a Las Vegas franchise then and probably another team a return to Seattle if there’s an appropriate arena. The concern, however, with an expansion is while there’d be a huge fee shared by the owners—maybe $5 billion per team—the negative effect on the league’s play could be substantial with team depth further depleted stocking new teams and relatively uncompetitive expansion teams being added to the schedule to prop up teams with questionable wins. The question also will be whether and how soon those new teams share in the media revenues. It’s not a slam dunk quite yet, as we say.
Ateeq Ahmed: Is the starting PG job Coby’s to lose? I love Coby and believe he’s earned minutes. I just think he would be better with the 2nd unit. He’s not a ball distributor and he may defer too much with the other starters. He’s a scorer. Hope coach tries Jevon with the first unit to start the season. Coby has a 6th man award coming in near future.
Sam: It’s looking like it is with White starting again Thursday in the exhibition home opener. Billy Donovan continues to maintain starting is irrelevant and what’s most important is the rotation and who each is playing with (we’re not buying it). It does matter because the starters always seem to end up with more minutes. My sense is training camp suggested Coby is better with the ball and more confident with the regulars than Carter and Dosunmu, and because the team is prioritizing an offensive improvement that he will help provide more fire power. The surrounding concern has been playing another offensive-minded player with a starting unit of primarily offensive-oriented players. My guess is Donovan is confident in the defense they have with the additions of Carter and Craig to join Alex Caruso that he’d like to see the team off to faster starts with more scoring. And, frankly, the trend in the NBA despite defense supposedly winning championships is you’ve got to keep up with the scoring. With their lack of three-point shooting the Bulls last season had trouble doing that. And the first priority is not about winning a championship as much as it is about making the playoffs.
Bruce Metz: Ben Simmons looked good. Don't think he will ever be an all-star again but he is the x-factor for the Nets.
Sam: Uh oh, did East Group C for the tournament just get tougher for the Bulls? All eyes on November 3 in the UC? I actually was always a fan of Simmons’ when he was making those All-Star teams, the way at his size he just blew down the court and got in the post and could dominate, yes, without shooting. Maybe Harden is right; maybe it is Philly. The city/team just about ruined Markelle Fultz, who has made a nice comeback in Orlando, another in-season Bulls tournament rival, by the way (is everyone talking in-season tournament like me?). And now Simmons apparently making his way back from the curse of the cheese steaks. Maybe just basketball, however, seeing the Eagles and Phillies. Mama, don’t let your babies grow up to be 76ers.
Tim Flynn: I have nothing against Coby as starting PG but, as I have said in the past – since DeRozan is obviously going nowhere – they should trade PWill. If Coby is the starter, PWill then becomes the fifth scoring option and will never really have a chance to break out. I know that his lack of rebounding is still a problem, but since he will certainly not average more than his 8 shots per game of last year if everyone is healthy, he is wasting his time being a Bull.
Sam: It may be something they should consider with Williams approaching a decision on an extension, but I still doubt it highly given their fondness for him. I know it’s preseason, which we all have to say for a bit still, but it’s been another slow start for Williams, especially on the boards, two rebounds in 22 minutes in Milwaukee and then three in 18 minutes Thursday against the Nuggets; no offensive rebounds in the two games. After nine shots against the Bucks just four against Denver when LaVine and DeRozan, as you note, exerted themselves more offensively. It’s perhaps what Donovan indicated he’s doing with the staggered lineups when he got Williams out first for Craig both games. We saw Williams fall behind Javonte Green last season and then only return to start when Green was hurt. It may be that road again with some speculation that Green could return to the Bulls at some point following his continued rehab. Williams needs a breakout, but maybe the comfort level is off the bench were he can play with a less offensively prioritized defensive group with Carter, Dosunmu and Caruso.
Mike Sutera: What a bargain Coby Whites extension is? Props to Art on that one.
Sam: It’s just preseason, and just two games, you know, but it is looking like Coby to start and Ayo to follow. It’s been interesting to listen to Donovan talk about Jevon Carter and watch how he uses Carter. Carter primarily has been off the ball, which suggests in training camp practices, which media didn’t see, Carter wasn’t as good with the ball. He’s seemed to fit better between he and Craig as a spot-up type shooter. That may be his role while Coby looks like he may be the right fit to start. White has played with assurance and while not a gifted facilitator, Zach and DeMar are going to create for themselves. Coby can add some needed offense. One thing to watch is Ayo has looked the best for Vučević and that might be a better pairing during games to get Vučević more involved. I don’t see it happening in the starting lineup since Donovan never goes against star power. But Drummond has looked spry, and since he assured everyone this summer he’s the best rebounder ever it might be interesting to see how he functions more with LaVine and DeRozan instead of the defensive group he’s mostly played with the two exhibition games.
Mack Worth: Are you worried we are just 2 small? Even in today's era I feel we are just small. Drummond and Vooch and who else? Pat, Alex, Torrey, Julian all giving us minutes at the 4. We will struggle to rebound and defend the paint.
Sam: It may well be it’s one of those things that you can’t have everything—now, Drummond did say he is the best ever rebounder, you need to remember—and that small ball remains the rage as I see the Warriors being a contender are playing Klay Thompson at power forward. I agree about the need for size, and I think we saw it made a difference in the playoffs last season and against the US in the World Cup. Donovan’s philosophy and comfort zone, obviously, has been playing smaller to be quicker, and that’s seemed consistent to start this preseason and the way he’s talked about addressing the offensive shortcomings. Maybe you heard how excited he was post game Thursday about Dosumnu’s sequence of three offensive rebounds. I suspect that’s still the way he sees the remedy. But Drummond has been more of a rotation regular in this preseason than it seemed last season.
Rui Dias: How do you see the recruiting of Embiid to be part of the US team? That Worlds didnt go the way people thought?
Sam: I was surprised he agreed to play. I’d be a little worried if I were the 76ers, who have enough worries, anyway. Here’s a guy who has held up remarkably well after missing injured the first two and half years of his career and still sits out 15 to 30 games a season as he hits 30 this season. That may be a recipe for what’s uglier than a Pat’s cheesesteak.
Raj Sheth: On Derrick Jones Jr. Yes we know he opted out after saying he wouldn't. But he signed for the same AAV. We could have resigned him + one of the PGs from my above question for the cost of Ayo Felicio. Why didn't we try? And what's going on with Javonte Green? Everyone loves him. Is his knee injury that bad?
Sam: Jones’ departure certainly was a surprise to me, and I suspect the Bulls after he said he would pick up his option to stay. While Drummond kept hinting he wouldn’t and then did. Which also could leave the door open for Green’s return. I heard his rehab has finally gone well and he should be back in the NBA with some team this season. Like you note, he was a fan favorite and well liked by management and teammates. And even if I didn’t love him at power forward, Donovan seemed to and often used Jones there. Despite my misgivings, Donovan’s decisions continue to maintain more weight than mine. Yes, the Bulls added Torrey Craig for what seems like that role, but I could see the Bulls getting involved if Green wants to return. He seemed to like it here as much as he was liked. He was one of the more likable guys to deal with on the team. I wrote this story last season about his really interesting journey.
Brian Tucker: I’ve tried to make sense of all this while watching the conference’s top teams get in an arms race and add more star quality while the Bulls seem to be part of every rumor but not going for a big change to stir things up. And then seeing the major media outlets tear the Bulls apart with low win totals and barely even a chance at playoffs. What’s left but to shrug shoulders and enjoy the show? I was curious what you thought of all the disrespect for this team that has 3 all-stars, including an all-NBA guy, and a historically winning coach. My only hope is that this lights a fire of intensity in our mellow mood big 3. The talent is there to be a 50+ win team, but can they be that?
Sam: Maybe not plus, but I do believe they can be right in the mix of that group after Milwaukee and Boston, assuming the aging Bucks take the regular season seriously and Porzingis remains healthy. So, see, there’s openings. Look, the truth of being a media expert is not experience or knowledge as much as the opportunity. And these days it mostly goes to people with the loudest megaphone. Also, everyone most remembers the last thing they saw. So from year to year you get ranked pretty much the way you were before. It’s not like the rankings I’ve seen this season suggest any places much different from the way they finished last season, and there remains a closing gap of excellence around the league with more parity and fewer super teams. The ones that seem to have been put together also look like the aged variety built as much on past reputation as future results. It doesn’t mean I’m suggesting you get your May and June pizza orders in now. But I believe the Bulls subtle additions of depth have been overlooked, and this is the healthiest this group has been since the start that surprised everyone in 2021 when they went into early January 26-10.
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