Chicago Bulls vs. Charlotte Hornets: 3 Takeaways from Another Bulls Letdown
Trouble Down Low
Though it isn’t usually a weakness for the Bulls, they struggled mightily in the paint against the Hornets.
The Bulls finished the game 16/49 (32%) in the paint tonight.
— Jeff Mangurten (@JeffGurt) December 24, 2016
Per NBA.com, the Bulls shot 37.8 percent in the restricted area against the Hornets, which isn’t good (league average is about 60 percent) . The real problem, however, was the non-restricted area of the paint. The Bulls were 2-for-12 on those shots, good for an abysmal 16.7 percent (league average is around 40 percent).
A big reason for these dreadful percentages was the Hornets’ outrageous block numbers. The Hornets recorded 13 blocks on Friday; an absolutely absurd number.
Roy Hibbert had four by himself. Roy Hibbert. This man.
These struggles in the paint would be frustrating for anyone. It’s no wonder that one of the Bulls would crack eventually.
Robin Lopez goess full heel, gets TWO Hornets simultaneously with elbows to the throat https://t.co/XpxGGA7W8b
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) December 24, 2016
The Bulls can’t afford to shoot poorly inside because of how few 3-pointers they take per game. They can’t afford to sacrifice points anywhere otherwise they can’t hope to score enough points. It’s crucial that Wade and Butler make enough of a living driving and either laying it up or getting to the line.
The alternative would be that the Bulls shoot a league average number of 3-pointers at a league average rate. This leads me to…