Pippen Ain't Easy
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Doug McDermott as Jazz’s Pistol Pete and Paul Zipser as Sixers’ Bobby Jones

By Michael RENE KANOY

Mar 14, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Chicago Bulls forward Doug McDermott (3) during the game against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Bulls beat the Raptors 109-107. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 14, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Chicago Bulls forward Doug McDermott (3) during the game against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Bulls beat the Raptors 109-107. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NBA probably forgot about the 76ers best Sixth Man ever, Bobby Jones, when they passed on Paul ZIpser in the draft. Meanwhile, Doug McDermott is trying to get better on defense and as a playmaker. Who else can these guys look up to but two of the all time greats in Pete Maravich and Jones.

Paul Zipser as NBA Best 6th Man, Sixers’ Bobby Jones

Nobody really knows who Paul Zipser is. Or how he can play until he hits the court for the Chicago Bulls as part of the Bench Mob. If you are old enough to remember Julius Erving and the NBA champion Philadelphia 76ers, you might remember the best NBA Sixth Man ever, Bobby Jones.

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Zipser’s game resembles Bobby Jones so much with his underrated defensive skills. And the Bulls draft pick has nice long-range sniping skills. Zipser is a hardworking three-and-D, power forward tweener who plays tough post defense. He can dive to the rim strong for thundering dunks just like Bobby Jones in his prime in the late 70s and early 80s.

The great thing about Paul is that once you swing him the ball, he knows exactly what to do with it. Hoiball depends heavily on the instinctive, read-the-defense-and-flow-into-movement-traps, to execute a scoring opportunity.

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His Bundesliga game impressed NBA scouts who ranked him the 31st pick, coming into the NBA draft. Which is actually the lottery pick player of the second round. If Zipser can play a strong game like Bobby Portis did in his early Bulls games, he’s definitely a keeper.

Zipser is a scrappy yet highly efficient scorer and rebounder for the limited minutes he played for Bayern in the Bundesliga. Just like last year’s surprise Bull, Cristiano Felicio. The Brazilian forward had the same high production per minutes contribution as a role player.

Efficient players are the cog pieces in Fred Hoiberg’s flow offense system and if the Bulls can get good minutes from their bench guys, they are back in the running. No matter who they face off against.

A modern-day Bobby Jones playing for the Chicago Bulls isn’t such a bad pick up from the NBA draft. In fact, Zipser may be more the steal of a player than Denzel Valentine was at the 14th pick in the first round.

If both 2016 draft picks can excel like Portis and Felicio did last year, the Bulls front office will have less headaches looking for player solutions in the post-Joakim Noah-and-Derrick Rose era.

Doug McDermott as Crafty Playmaker Pistol Pete Maravich

Doug’s past Summer League games show how awesome he plays if he is the team’s lead scoring option. Hoiberg can have the team’s offense revolve around his craftiness as a scorer who can also pass. Most of his trick shot floaters glimpse a Pete Maravich attacking style we all miss and want to see again. Plus, some of the good assists to Jimmy or other players really remind us of Jazz great, Pistol Pete Maravich. NBA fans don’t really see Doug McDermott as a playmaker. However, he can play more dangerously as a creator once he gets his offense established.

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In the middle of last season, Doug shone as the Bulls’ much vaunted scoring machine when Jimmy Butler got sidelined by fatigue injuries. McDermott now commands serious defensive attention from other teams.

Doug shouldering the scoring role for the Bulls should allow him to gun for all-star scoring numbers. If Doug is on the court, the coaching staff should design scoring plays for him. Or else they waste his minutes because he is a weaker one-on-one defender.

This summer, McDermott is working out with Jimmy Butler.  Jimmy wants Doug  to defend better next year so expect good things to come from their workouts.

As a Pistol Pete-style point forward, Doug’s game is way underrated. He is better than his stereotype as designated catch-and-shoot gunner. Just because Doug is almost unstoppable as an off-ball scorer when he is in the zone, doesn’t mean he can work as a scoring playmaker. McDermott can lob or dump the ball to Jimmy at the rim. He can also swing cross-court passes to Nikola Mirotic for long-range, knock-down opportunities.

The last time someone like Pistol Pete was playing in the NBA was when Jayson Williams and Jason Kidd started for their respective teams in the West. Doug can pass the ball well running Hoiball sets. McBuckets is the perfect lob passer to Jimmy Butler with Pau Gasol gone. The two may be more potent as an offensive tandem than Gasol and Butler.

It remains up to Hoiberg if he wants to exploit Doug as a playmaker. Or just as a pure, lights-out scorer. Running decoy plays with Doug and getting him to pass like Noah to diving Bulls bigs should make the team hard to beat.

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