November 3, 2021: Digging Out

Da Bulls… How about that comeback the other night at Boston? Yeah, that was sweet. They tried to do the same on Wednesday night in Philly, but came up short. No worries though… this Bulls team is good; they’re exciting to watch, and they’re never out of a game. I think this is going to be a good year.

There are worries of course; there always are. Digging out of big holes on the road against good teams is not a good way to proceed this season. Yes, we did it against Boston, but for every time we don’t complete a big comeback, there will be 2-3 times that we don’t. It’s not a way to make a living, at least not one where you expect to finish towards the top of the NBA in the standings, where the Bulls sit today. Tied for the 2nd best record in the East, with these Sixers, who we’ll face again on Saturday night on our turf, behind the Heat, and 4th overall behind the Jazz, who we already beat, and the Warriors out west, at least the Bulls aren’t digging themselves an early hole in the standings. We’re in a good spot right now; it doesn’t get any easier.

One thing we don’t have to worry about at this point is that 4th quarter scoring. Sure, Zach was a bit off in Philly on Wednesday night, but you know he can bring it down the stretch. Yes, he still has to fine tune his shot selection at times, especially late in the game, the best part about it, is that he’s not by himself any more. How about Demar Derozan? That dude is as close to automatic from the mid range as you can get. He’s giving us some confidence… not quite the level of the ultimate ace in the hole we had back in the day with MJ, but kind of like when Jimmy Butler took over as the number one guy for us. You get the feeling that Double-D is going to get his, kind of like Buckets that year or two. To have two guys that can pump in big baskets down the stretch is niiiice. Stacey actually wanted a third… Vooch needs to look at the rim then down the stretch. In Philly, he seemed content to catch and pass the ball, as the offense ran around him. If Vooch is going to be that third guy, he needs to get a little more aggressive down the stretch… kind of like that night against Utah, where he had that nice drive and step back three to seal that deal. Two is really good; three is a straight up luxury. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Another nice thing: these guys can hit their throws. It’s the little things, but when you have the ball in your hands late in the game, you’re going to get fouled, like the one they reversed against Embiid… what a joke… but anyways, you need to make your free throws. Was talking to my son about that, as he begins his 4th grade basketball practices. Get to the line, get a routine you’re comfortable with… your stance, pre-shot dribbles, whatever, and stick to it… and practice, and practice. I remember MJ, that one, two dribble, spin the ball with both hands, and swish… 80%+ of the time. Zach and DD give me some confidence from the stripe.

OK, like I said… this is going to be a fun year; it already has been. And yes, we won’t win them all, but we will win enough to get a chance in that second season, which is something to really look forward to. But first thing’s first; let’s pay back Philly on Saturday night, and get back in the win column. Go Bulls!!!