Chicago Bulls Backup Point Guards Must Step Up

The way things have been going this postseason, Bulls starting point guard Derrick Rose may need to play 40+ minutes per game if they expect to have a chance to close out this series. In terms of number of bodies, the Bulls are four deep at the point guard position. In their first round match-up against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Bulls have received almost zero production from any of their backup point guards. This is a huge problem.

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In the 2014-2015 playoffs, Rose is averaging 38 minutes per game. With the depth at the point guard position, ideally the plan was to have him ease back into things during the first round of playoffs in an effort to prevent overburdening his knees. However, that plan has quickly lost its value as Rose has been the only point guard on the roster during this series that has proven capable of playing at a high level.

Jan 23, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Chicago Bulls forward

Pau Gasol

(16) and guard Derrick Rose (1) and guard

Aaron Brooks

(0) and forward

Taj Gibson

(22) and guard

Kirk Hinrich

(12) celebrate during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Brooks:

Brooks’ problem is that he is too small to defend Milwaukee’s point guards. Thibodeau has always mandated that those earning playing time must perform on the defensive side of the ball. This explains why Brooks has only earned 12 minutes of playing time per game this series, and that is a significant reduction from the 23 minutes he was given in the regular season. Brooks was picked up by the Bulls to be an offensive catalyst off the bench. He did just that during the regular season, averaging 11 points per game. He scored prolifically at times; he is capable of hitting 3s and finding creative ways to score the ball on drives to the paint. The most impressive aspect of his game in my view is his extension on lay-up attempts. He has the uncanny ability to keep the ball away from the outstretched arms of defenders while still managing to find ways to get the ball into the basket. Unfortunately for Chicago, he hasn’t reciprocated those efforts in the playoffs.

If Aaron Brooks continues to play defense at this level, he can’t be trusted to be on the floor. The Bucks guards instantly post him up, forcing double teams that collapse the defense and ultimately leads to open shots for Milwaukee.

Apr 27, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard

Jerryd Bayless

(19) is defended by Chicago Bulls guard Aaron Brooks (0) in game five of the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at United Center. The Bucks won 94-88. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Kirk Hinrich

Surprisingly, Kirk Hinrich has hardly played during this series. A veteran player and a Thibodeau favorite, I predicted that Hinrich would still receive significant playing time once the postseason began.

2014/2015 playoffs: 3.5 minutes per game, 0 points per game, 0 rebounds per game, 0 assists per game.

Although Kirk Hinrich is on the tail-end of his career, at this point in the series he is a better option than Brooks because he plays defense at a higher level than Aaron and has the size to match-up with Milwaukee’s guards. Normally, sacrificing Brooks’ scoring for Hinrich’s mediocre defense wouldn’t be an intelligent move; however, Brooks isn’t scoring in this series and is hurting the team with his horrible defense. Don’t be surprised if Tom Thibodeau reverts back to his old habits and starts giving Kirk Hinrich more minutes.

Mar 25, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich (12) passes the ball behind his back against the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre. Chicago defeated Toronto 116-103. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

E’twaun Moore

He is a forth string point guard, and so it really isn’t too shocking that he hasn’t seen any court time during this series. Moore deserves a chance because he plays defense better than any other point guard on the roster. Once again, Brooks isn’t scoring so the Bulls won’t be sacrificing scoring for defense if they opt to play Moore over Brooks. With Aaron performing at a low-level, Coach Thibodeau has little to lose by giving Moore an opportunity.

Obviously, the Bulls need their backup point guards to step up, because the length of an NBA game necessitates that quality reserves fill in when the starter has to come out. The Bulls can’t trust Brooks defensively and should explore other options for the rotation at the point guard position moving forward in the playoffs.

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