Paul Zipser scores career high 21 points
While this game was a chore to watch, Paul Zipser was not. The German was making it rain, scoring a career high 21 points in 28 minutes of action.
Zipser was 5-of-7 from behind the arc and was assisted on all five makes, two of them by Bobby Portis! Zipser did a good job of finding little openings in the corner and the Bulls were able to find him.
Perhaps more intriguing was how Zipser looked attacking the rim. He took a pass near halfcourt on the break and realized Andrew Nicholson would have to guard him in transition.
Zipsanity lives in the 1Q pic.twitter.com/Xc7CsxIxJR
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 13, 2017
That’s a clear mismatch for Zipser and it was nice to see him not only recognize it, but convert. He played it smart by driving hard right at Nicholson, neutralizing any shot block attempt. Zipser attacked a closeout and got to the rim for another layup later in the game.
It’s hard to put too much weight into how Zipser played considering who it came against, but I’m going to drink the Kool-Aid. Zipser has shown an ability to gel with Butler when the two play together.
When the two share the court, the Bulls have a net rating of plus four. Chicago’s offensive rating shoots up to 107.7, which would rank twelfth in the NBA, nine spots higher than where the Bulls currently are.
That is certainly overstating Zipser’s impact a bit, as he often plays with the Bulls starters and isn’t tasked with carrying a large offensive load. But if he can continue to play this way, maybe Fred Hoiberg should lengthen his leash a bit.