Welcome to another edition of Chuck Checks In.
The Bulls are back at the Advocate Training Center as the Bulls brass evaluates the current roster of players assembled. This is a tremendous opportunity for Vice President Arturas Karnisovas and General Manager Marc Eversley to evaluate players in person, and just as important, acquaint themselves with players in their comfort zone. The Bulls have a boatload of young talent and finding the right coach, staff, and development instructors is vital as the Bulls move to the next level. The NBA Draft is scheduled for November 18.
Outstanding feedback was received on last week's question, "If you could change one thing about the NBA what would it be?" The league and Commissioner do a great job in keeping our game the best it could be, but it's always fun to see the creativity of the fans. Some responses below:
"More Western/Eastern conference matchups during the regular season. Make some kind of incentive to make the All Star game competitive (like Finals home court advantage or something)." -Daniel
"I'd move the 3-point line out another 3 feet. That would also eliminate the corner 3, as the arc would meet the sideline about 14 feet from the baseline. That wouldn't eliminate the 3-pt. shot, but greatly reduce the number of players who shoot them consistently (or should I say ‘constantly')." -Arthur
"Let high school players enter the draft." -Cortu
"Add a 4pt line. Would be fun seeing dudes chuck up from half court." -Landon
"Change the goal tending rules. If the ball hits the rim it should be free to go. Also, the league needs tougher punishments for tactical fouls that are used to prevent opponents from easy fast break goals and so on." -Karnis
"Go back to wearing white at home and dark on the road." -Larry
"Drop the amount of regular season games all the way down to 58. Two games against each team is enough, man. Home and away and that's it." -Grande
"Make the court wider and longer. Guys are much bigger and more athletic now versus 40 years ago. Half the time it looks like they get up and down the court in 10 steps. Would also allow room to add a 4-pt line that people advocate for." -Adam
"3/5/7/7 format for the playoffs. They go for 2 months, you have some teams sweep and are waiting a week for their opponent to finish their series, upsets in the early rounds are too rare. 7 in the early rounds has always been a bit much imo but I know I am in the minority." -Bully Pit
Love the posts. Great insight. Thank you!
CCI News and Notes:
Down 2-0 in their series against the Heat, the Celtics knew they had to bring it in game three which they did. This series could go the full seven games. Was the locker room meltdown after a tough game two loss overblown by the media? Words were exchanged as emotions reached a level of frustration. What's the big deal? It's the playoffs. A lot is riding on each and every possession, especially at crunch time. Players have been in the bubble for two months and let's not forget they are human beings, not robots. Let's cut them some slack. The series is far from over, but Boston's end-of-game shot selection in the first two games has come under justified scrutiny. However, give credit to the Miami Heat. They are extremely well coached and play with toughness and grit and are doing it without a "superstar." I'm telling you right now, Eric Spoelstra is a future Hall of Fame coach. One other thing, every NBA scout is looking for the next Bam Adebayo. Miami is so fortunate to have him. He does everything you ask for in a player. Point two: The series still comes down to Boston's Kemba Walker.
What a ballgame last night with Anthony Davis draining a three at the buzzer to win it for the Lakers. A defensive error by Denver cost them dearly. This one hurts if you are a member of the Nuggets, or even a fan of the team. You simply can't make mistakes that are so magnified, especially in playoff basketball. I'm a bit biased here, but I love the Denver Nuggets. They've put together an excellent team via the draft, free agency, and trades. Do they have enough to beat the Lakers in seven games? Taking absolutely nothing away from Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray who are outstanding players, LA features the two best players in the series in LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Giannis Antetokounmpo won his second straight MVP award which drew a strong response from runner-up LeBron James, who received 16 first place ballots. I don't believe the theory that James is so good the media has taken him for granted. James is NOT taken for granted. James is a fabulous talent; arguably a top three player of all time. However, Antetokounmpo's season was one for the ages. He deserved the honor. Period.
Thanks for reading CCI. Look for our draft night coverage in mid-November. Until then, always a pleasure. You can continue to reach out at cswirsky@bulls.com or Twitter @ctsbulls.
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