Both Chicago and Memphis struggled early
In a game that ended in exciting fashion, the beginning was quite the opposite. The Bulls and Grizzlies missed far more shots than they made. And I mean FAR more.
Even though NBA players are professionals, this will happen from time to time. But to the extent to which it happened to the Bulls especially, is a little strange.
All U Can Heat
To be fair, Chicago is by no means an offensive powerhouse. They rank 19th in Offensive Efficiency and 29th in True Shooting Percentage, according to John Hollinger’s Team Statistics on ESPN. Apart from Jimmy Butler, the team just doesn’t score the ball well, and in a quarter when even Butler below average, it didn’t look good.
Paul Zipser, starting for a resting Dwyane Wade, shot the best of any Bull. He looked pretty calm and cool out there, and disregarding a couple of errant turnovers, played well.
Chicago’s early trips to the line were putrid, missing seven of their first nine attempts from the charity stripe. Both Robin Lopez and Jimmy Butler missed three freebies.
Taj Gibson’s shots weren’t falling in the mid-range; an area where he generally scores from. He was attempting multiple different maneuvers to get his shots, from step-backs to turnarounds to floaters, rather than simply setting himself for a jumper. He missed four of five attempts.
To add to his free throw woes, Jimmy settled for two threes and a long two, thanks in part to Tony Allen and the Grizzlies defense. Butler was obviously a focal point for Memphis early, and no matter what he tried, it didn’t work.
Luckily, the deficit was only five points after one, leading to an odd, but thrilling quarter from Doug McDermott.