Chicago Bulls Preseason Game No. 4: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly vs. New Orleans
Oct 12, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Tony Snell (20) grimaces after landing on the court during the second half of their game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the United Center. The New Orleans Pelicans beat the Chicago Bulls 123-115. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
The Bad:
- It sucks having to put this photo of Tony Snell up after his performance last night. Not only did Snell tweak his right ankle on a drive in the final two minutes of the contest, he used a crutch when moving around after the game. (But, the good news is that Snell doesn’t think it’s anything severe.)
Snell said his ankle isn't bad. Said he'll be back "in no time." Is using one crutch for support.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 13, 2015
- The bulk of the second half: Sure, that seems pretty broad, but the Bulls gave up 69 second-half points on Monday night, and haven’t really taken any strides into improving their performance defensively. In their four preseason games so far, the Bulls have given up 108.7 points per game in their 2-2 start. Of course, there’s a lot missing in terms of personnel, but it’s still not good.
- To put that into perspective, the young Minnesota Timberwolves gave up 106.5 points per game last season, which was last in the NBA.
- The assist total on Monday night. Ball movement is vital in this new offense, and when the ball stops, that’s when Tom Thibodeau arrives. (Wait, what?)
Bulls assists in 2 preseason losses: 18, 14. In 2 preseason wins: 21, 30(!). Pretty clear to me that will be an important trend in Hoiball
— Will Gottlieb (@Will_Gottlieb) October 13, 2015
Next: The Ugly