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By Sam Smith | 1.23.2015 | 3:00 p.m. CT
When Derrick let his frustration show after the loss to Cleveland, it of course opened the door to fans and media speculation on dissension within the Bulls locker room. Suddenly everyone wants to throw someone under the bus. Some blame Gasol, because he's the new guy I guess, so he must be the reason for the bad defense. And of course Thibodeau is getting his share of blame for the usual reasons (too demanding, cause of all the injury problems, players are tired of him). Perhaps there is something to these theories, but I tend to the believe the truth lies somewhere in the gray area. When asked to name names, Derrick says its 'the whole team'. And what else would you expect from a great teammate? My question, what do you think is causing the most frustration among the Bulls core that has played under Thibs for a few years now (Rose/Noah/Taj/Butler)? They cite lack of communication, lack of energy, etc. Are they frustrated with the newcomers (Pau, Niko, Brooks)? Do you sense they are questioning Thibs as a leader? Or are they honestly just frustrated with the team's performance as a whole, themselves included?
Dan Michler
Do you see any similarities between this current Bulls skid and the horrible finish the Pacers had at the end of the regular season last year? I sure hope not.
Mark Zylstra
Since we're definitely not a top team in the East, losing to the Hawks, Cavs, Wizards, barely beating the Celtics, losing to the Magic, etc, should we just trade all but Jimmy, Mirotic, McDermott, Snell, and rebuild? Why be over the cap for a 1 and done team - ousted in 1st round and maybe 2nd round if we're lucky?
Abram Bachtiar
I got worried with the statement Thibs made today after canceling practice, mentioning locker room problems and possible changes. I read this on a Bulls fan news page. “We have a problem. It’s more than just basketball; it’s a locker room issue. We’re ready to make a change if have to.” Is there any truth at all to this or this is just the school of making things up?
Jay Vidal
Don't [you] think the big man rotation would be much better suited and balanced if we moved Noah to the bench and started Taj Gibson? I just think the substitutions would be much smoother and we would always have a 7' out there instead of going with the smaller lineup of Taj and Mirotic. It would also spread the floor out much better because Taj has deeper more consistent range than Noah.
Rocky Rosado
Nothing like a good slump to bring out the wacky trade ideas, huh? OKC gets Gasol and Brooks; Bulls get Reggie Jackson, Steven Adams, and Tobias Harris; Magic get Snell and Jeremy Lamb. I would hate to trade Gasol - he's been arguably our best and most consistent player and his contract is looking like a steal - but him and Jo both play the 5 and it seems pretty clear that Jo at the four is not the best way to utilize him.
Joey Maassen
After all the talk of the offensive strength of this team, the Bulls are not getting consistent and adequate scoring from either forward spot. With Pau at the 5, the 4 has been a combination of Noah, Taj and Mirotic. While Mirotic has a very promising future, he is not earning regular minutes either offensively or defensively. Noah was never a shooter and Taj seems to have regressed with his attempts to score in the paint. I don’t prefer Boozer but he was a solid fifteen a game.
John Petersen
About a year ago I wrote in just before the Luol Deng trade with essentially the message of “let’s not panic, we’ve got so much young talent why lose any of that for the sake of mixing things up.” And I believe the same applies today with Rose’s and Thibs’ comments about being unhappy with the team. I even read somewhere that the Bulls cancelled practice today due to a ‘locker room issue.’ Whether or not any of this is true I think everyone needs to calm down; talk of Thib’s job being on the line and talk of major trades is just silly. The Bulls have 2 of their starters injured (Noah and Dunleavy), bags of young enthusiastic talent that will take time to get used to playing with each other and a healthy Derrick Rose. Why is everyone panicking? I don’t think the Bulls need to make a move they just need to give it time let the injuries heal and for the team chemistry to build. All this is showing to me is 2 things already knew – firstly that Noah is really important to this team. Secondly that Rose really wants to win badly, in a way it’s great to see Rose out there fired up again. The road to a championship is never an easy one but if we just give it time there’s no reason why this season can’t be a success story.
Thomas Dryland
I know this isn’t a question about the Bulls (though after yesterday’s meltdown, I’m thinking you might want a question that’s not about the Bulls), and believe me, I am not suggesting we trade for Lance Stephenson. But I was reading during the previous off-season that Jordan met with Stephenson and laid out the various ways that he could fit in with the Hornets, all the different things he could do on the floor with the opportunity MJ was giving him. And supposedly LS was all excited about it and gung-ho, and the man is certainly talented, albeit a head case. So what happened? Did MJ misjudge Stephenson’s talent, or did he just give him too much credit from the neck up?
Stuart Gilbert
I seem to always be "sticking up" for D Rose among many fans, as it also seems you usually give him the benefit of the doubt. Many fans think he is slacking on defense and not really giving his best overall effort, and at the same time saying the wrong things in the media. I, on the other hand, still love how he is approaching the game more cautiously (waiting til the 4th, waiting for the playoffs to go 110%), and I understand his frustration with the team. If the Bulls were winning, he would not be questioned as much, but right now is a time that so many Bulls fans are jumping ship and acting like the season is a waste before the All-Star break even hits. Do you still agree with how Rose is playing and how he is talking and acting on and off the court, or are you questioning anything he does or says right now?
Jon Kueper
With our deep team do you think we can compete for a title without Derrick Rose?
Rollen Decuzar
I watched Rose score 29 tonight and know that he had 32 in his previous game, but can we just accept that we're not going to see the same MVP caliber Derrick Rose again? Anybody that watches how he moves on the court knows that he does not look the same. Instead of finishing over defenders at the rim, he's finishing around them. I understand he's easing his way back, and he'll turn it up come playoff time, but this isn't a Russell Westbrook or Adrian Peterson situation. When those guys came back from injury, they moved exactly how they did pre-injury. Derrick is a different player now, and I believe that is something Bulls fans have to come to terms with.
Yousuf Shamsie
34 minutes for Snell and 2 minutes for McDermott Thursday. Way to build up your rookie after a tough injury. What is Thibs seeing in practice from McDermott that warrants a whole 2 minutes in a 20 plus point blowout?
Yuriy Fomin
The Chicago Bears started their season last fall with high expectations. These were immediately tempered by a terrible defense and an offense, though stocked with many so-called “weapons,” that was frequently predictable and plodding, and struggled to score. Despite a lengthy run of home games, the Bears had no advantage there, frequently losing to bad teams. Meanwhile, the team suffered increasingly embarrassing losses to good teams. The Bears coach, a noted specialist on one side of the ball, struggled to fix the problems on either, as speculation increased that he was losing the locker room, and amid reports of simmering tension with his general manager. Bears players, meanwhile, kept insisting that the solution to the team’s issues lay within, even as many of them visibly regressed and the team as a whole began look disinterested in competing. Along the way, the leadership of the Bears’ most important player was questioned, and he endured withering criticism from the press and from many fans. Whoops — have I been saying “Bears?” I meant the Bulls! OK, even though the Bulls storyline is alarmingly similar so far to the 2014-15 Bears, I don’t expect them to play out the same. The Bulls have practically enough wins already to make the playoffs, for example. But the Bears just provided us with an object lesson in how a promising season can spin quickly out of control. So how do you think the Bulls can right the ship before they become the Bears?
Mark Ullman
Someone said to me as a life long Lakers fan the Bulls won’t win as Gasol is a soft player and cited the Boston series that they lost in the finals. I have been thoroughly impressed by Gasol I was so wrong thinking we should take a chance on Stephenson and move Butler back to 3. Gasol has played better D than I think he ever did in his life under the proper coaching. Yes I don’t expect 46 and 18 a night but he has been a massive pick up.
Kevin Franzen
What in the world is with all the whining the Bulls players are doing this season? They look like the Pistons, Celtics, and Heat of the last 10 years except those teams didn’t generally start this level of whining until after they each won a championship. Do I sound whiny?
Dawn Parker
Remind me again why the Bulls got rid of Korver?
Jacob Dallek
I would like your thoughts on comparing the Bulls to the 12-13 Lakers. Looks great on paper, but failed the execution of two centers, former MVP point guard, and a strong two-way shooting guard. Since the season is obviously no where from over, I really hope the Bulls soon understand they can't wait for a teammate to take over, which is the curse of the luxury of having so many great players that can be game changers; they all have to play hard, help each other on defense, and then ride the hot hand once established.
Keith Lasken
So the Bulls have a losing streak and the (media is) blaming it on Thibs because it turns out he's a mean scoutmaster and makes the team work too hard. Should Thibs be waterboarded before being fired?
Kirk Landers
There is common theory that the smart NBA teams don't take the regular season too seriously. Once you are assured of getting in the playoffs, the smart thing to do is just rest your key guys and be healthy for the postseason. Assuming this is true, we should see teams that settle for a 3 or 4 seed come out as champions with some regularity, no? I looked at the conference seed of every NBA champion since 1990 (25 seasons). Here is the breakdown....1 seeds (14 titles)....2 seeds (6 titles)....3 seeds (4 titles)....4/5 seeds (0 titles)....6 seeds (1 title)....7/8 seeds (0 titles). There seems to be a pretty strong correlation between regular season performance and postseason performance. In fact, if you aren't a Top 3 seed, then your chances of winning the title are next to nothing (unless your the 1995 Rockets). Maybe Thibodeau isn't a lunatic afterall? Is it possible that pushing for every win in the regular season is actually what prepares you to win in the playoffs? Yes, the Spurs are noted for giving a few nights off for their aging stars the last couple of years. But, they've also finished with the best record in the West in 3 of the last 4 seasons. You don't accomplish that by coasting.
Dave Micler
Judging by body language Thibs is disgusted with this team. Has he lost the team?
Mario Persico
Isn't this what Phil Jackson refers to as the journey?
Pete Zievers