Pippen Ain't Easy
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Chicago Bulls: Three questions Monday night’s game rekindled

By Nicholas Niendorf

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 5: Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls makes the game winning free throw against the New York Knicks on November 5, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 5: Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls makes the game winning free throw against the New York Knicks on November 5, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Is Fred Hoiberg capable of fixing the Bulls offensive system?

Much has been said about Fred Hoiberg and his brand of offense. Hoiball, a pace and space offensive system that relies on running the floor and getting shooters on the move, is what Hoiberg employed to much success at Iowa State.

Hoiberg has struggled to implement his flavor of basketball since he entered the NBA as a coach. First he had a roster centered around Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose, and Pau Gasol. Then he found himself forced to incorporate Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade into his the Bulls’ offense, which led to ugly results.

Since Chicago elected to rebuild last offseason, there has been optimism that Hoiberg would finally be able to implement his offense with younger and more athletic (cue Gar Forman used car dealer pitch) players who fit his system better. Between last year and this season so far, Hoiball is nowhere to be found

The numbers

The Bulls offense has been a train wreck for long stretches so far this season.

Chicago is 23rd in both pace and fast break points scored this season, a testament to how plodding the Bulls’ offense is at times. This team simply doesn’t know how to run the floor without resorting back to transition three after transition three.

And while the Bulls are actually doing well around the arc this season (they’re shooting 38.5% from three, good for fifth in the NBA), their offensive rating is still 22nd in the league and they have the sixth-worst margin of victory due to their horrid defense. The ball will inevitably begin to stop and Bulls players will start jacking up contested shots while the rest of the team stands along the perimeter.

The Bulls are also only 23rd in the league in passes made per game. And while teams like the Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks pass less than the Bulls, both those teams have superstars that you’re okay giving the ball to and letting go to work.

It’s easier to justify LaVine taking difficult shots outside the flow of the offense largely because he’s damn good at them and he’s forced to take them to keep the Bulls in games. But when other players are taking bad shots off three to four dribbles, it’s inexcusable.

There is obviously a lack of talent on the Bulls’ roster and it’s arguable that a system like Hoiberg’s is not conducive to elevating lesser players like former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau’s offense did, but rather makes good-to-great players as effective as possible.

Hoiberg, however, doesn’t have that cast before him and has been unable to instill an effective offense onto this team. That’s not to say that any system would be able to fix the Bulls, but rather that the Bulls are trending in all the wrong directions on offense and there’s no clear solution in sight.

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