Pippen Ain't Easy
Fansided

Chicago Bulls vs. Orlando Magic Takeaways: Magic, WYD?

By Daniel Coughlin

Apr 10, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Bobby Portis (5) reacts after making a basket against the Orlando Magic during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Bobby Portis (5) reacts after making a basket against the Orlando Magic during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 10, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Paul Zipser (16), guard Jerian Grant (2), center Robin Lopez (8) and forward Jimmy Butler (21) huddle during the second half against the Orlando Magic at the United Center. Chicago defeats Orlando 122- 75. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Paul Zipser (16), guard Jerian Grant (2), center Robin Lopez (8) and forward Jimmy Butler (21) huddle during the second half against the Orlando Magic at the United Center. Chicago defeats Orlando 122- 75. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /

The Jerian Grant Occurrence

I think the wording I have chosen for the title of this slide is correct. This is kind of like some Nicolas Cage movie where he can see the future and has a different face and there are solar flares.

Seeing this made me feel like I just watched Nicolas Cage pretend that his face was on a different body even though it was clearly still his body type and not just the face, which was still the same and I don’t even know:

Grant was doing great passing. It was genuinely like watching a Cage movie because it required the suspension of disbelief. I’m not pro-Grant. I don’t have anything against him, but there hasn’t been anything this year that makes him seem like the answer to the point guard problems in Chicago. And then they run some nice action and he finds the pass like this:

Here’s the thing, I do not believe, nor do I think anyone else should believe, that a single game like this is indicative of long-term success. He hasn’t had a standout game since the Circus Trip and he hasn’t done anything to emerge from among the ranks of Rajon Rondo, Michael Carter-Williams, Isaiah Canaan and Cameron Payne. If you can’t emerge from among that grouping, there’s more reason to believe your upside is limited than to believe that you’re just not getting a fair shake.

And, having said all of that, what a great game from Grant. I grabbed two clips of assists for you, but he went for a double-double of 17 points and 11 assists, so there are plenty more where those came from. He shot 2-for-5 from 3-point range, including a really ugly miss, and was 7-for-12 from the field overall. He also had two steals. However, the stat that I believe is the most important of all Jerian stats from this game is this one – zero turnovers. Between all the assists and complete lack of turnovers, Grant easily had his best game as a Bull.

Now we’ll just have to see what Fred Hoiberg does about it in Game 82 and what this means for Rondo and Carter-Williams as the Bulls need a win on Wednesday to secure their playoff fate.

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