Here’s an Idea: Start Cristiano Felicio
The Chicago Bulls are so decimated by injuries right now that it looks unlikely they make this year’s playoffs. With that outlook, why not try something different, like starting Cristiano Felicio?
Taj Gibson just wore his legs down in an offensive system not suited for the Bulls’ current personnel. Fred Hoiberg doesn’t have the athletic bigs built for running up and down the court and swatting shots down low, while covering opposing shooters at the same time.
All the Bulls bigs are hurt or playing hurt.
Except for Cristiano Felicio.
“Big Cris”, as Felicio is called by teammates in practice, is a 6’10”, 275-pound bruiser in a smaller, less-talented mold of Shaquille O’Neal. The Bulls can actually use to run the twin-post offense or the point-center offense; an effective and proven staple of Tom Thibodeau to keep games close and prevent opponents from running up leads.
When Thibodeau was running the twin-post offense, the Bulls had two big men down low to knock people around and get rebounds or post up. The Bulls have Pau Gasol and Cristiano Felicio — a player from Brazil’s national basketball team for Christ’s sake. We’ve seen how strong both can be down low when both are in the game together. Both bigs can pass the ball and both capable of running the pick-and-roll.
The players the Bulls have right now suit that style of play more than a fast game for four quarters using “Hoiball” flow-offense. With that said, there’s no use forcing a faster play-style the entire game for the final 22 games.Do you still want to see Bulls’ opponents score over 100 points every game? The Buls can run and play some Hoiball with some quick sets every now and then.
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But, knowing when to rip it and when to slow it down is probably what Hoiberg should figure out.
After reviewing all the other successful and dominating Bulls plays by rotation players that can fit the twin-post Thibs offense, and even adapt it to his flow offense should help.
Plays like a Felicio swing pass to a cutting Doug McDermott, walk-up threes that McDermott is efficient at knocking down, along with Tony Snell running Gasol’s alley-oop lob too (Butler staple).
If Hoiberg only made the effort to run those plays.
In the fourth quarter, if the Bulls have any semblance of a lead or are trying to catch up, deferring the twin-post to defend against free lay-ups might be a better system.
For now.
Until the playoffs.
If there’s any.
Felicio can run the pick-and-roll with Doug McDermott or any other Bulls slasher (Snell) like a song. A slower game in the fourth quarter will keep Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose from getting hurt. Running mini-Hoiball inside the twin-post offense with Felicio, Portis and McDermott — plus Rose and Butler — may save the Bulls’ season. But, they should play off each other with synergy.
Play Felicio, Gasol and Portis together, even if it slows down the game. Big Cris and Mad-Eyes Portis can do enough inside the lane for those precious rebounds. The Bulls really need to keep working the guys who have shown better promise.
Hoiberg tends to forget what makes his team a really dangerous offensive machine and do totally mind-boggling roster combinations like starting Cameron Bairstow or playing Snell and Brooks both in the fourth quarter without a facilitator like Noah (before his injury) or Felicio at the least.
With 22 games left, it might be that the Bulls should run Hoiball when advantageous, but they should close out games defensively with the twin-post, since it is designed to keep an opponent from getting easy baskets.
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A return to the twin-post offense for closing out games with Felicio and Gasol or Felicio and Portis synchronizing with the Bulls’ perimeter players might just help the Bulls get through the last 22 games and steal a playoff spot.
And hopefully more than just that.