Chicago Bulls vs. Philadelphia 76ers Takeaways: Bulls and Butler back
The Chicago Bulls managed a much need a much needed win over the Philadelphia 76ers following a week of stars airing out grievances through the media, a players only meeting and an embarrassing loss. Some defensive issues still linger for the team, though Paul Zipser is giving Bulls fans something to smile about.
Things couldn’t possibly get worse after the week the Bulls just had, right? Only so many more things could go wrong, so it’s only right they managed to get a win tonight against the sixth worst team in the league.
There were several blatant differences in the way Chicago played tonight compared to their bad loss against the Miami Heat on Friday. One big difference was Bobby Portis getting the start at power forward while Taj Gibson was out resting his ankle again. Portis didn’t make much of a difference though; he only ended up playing 13 minutes. I also have to shout out Robin Lopez for a really solid game, though he didn’t make it into my takeaways.
After this game I was left with a few different thoughts, some obvious and some maybe slightly less obvious. I’ll start where it all starts for the Bulls, Jimmy Butler.
Jan 29, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) goes to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (20) during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Aggressive Jimmy is Back
It turns out Butler is a pretty big key to the Bulls success, or whatever success they’ve found this season.
After scoring only three points in the loss to the Heat, and playing with out his usual fire, Jimmy Butler gave something Bulls fans to cheer about once again. He attempted 15 free throws in this game. Getting to the line is probably the most important part of his game, if he’s not sucking in the defense and getting calls it’s going to be tough for the team to accomplish much.
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Butler made almost no impact at all against Miami, getting to the line for a grand total of just two free throws in that entire game. Butler, and Chicago, is much better when he gets to the line frequently. It creates foul trouble for the other team, gets a high-percentage look for Jimmy and that’s exactly what you want him to fall back on if his shot isn’t going down.
It was nice to see aggressive Jimmy turn up tonight. Point Jimmy showed up tonight as well while he racked up seven assists and finished the game with a plus-13. Fans know how important Jimmy being assertive is to this team, it was nice to see aggression back tonight.
Jan 29, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Nik Stauskas (11) shoots the ball against Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) and forward Cristiano Felicio (6) defend during the second half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Defense, Still a Problem
The Bulls won, though defensive struggles still showed for many players. And it really shouldn’t be surprising who struggled on that end the most. Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo and Doug McDermott all struggled badly at times. Wade and Rondo got blown on several occasions. They both played well on the offensive end but it’s still hard to dismiss the defense. The Sixers have been playing well, but there is no reason that you should be getting torched by T.J. McConnell and Nik Stauskas.
Credit must be given to Rondo for how he played with the bench unit tonight. He was finding the 3-point threats right in their shooting pockets as well as getting easy looks for guys around the rim. He even attempted four free throws and made a 3-pointer! Always a nice sign from a guy who seems afraid to shoot at times.
Still, T.J. McConnell looked like an All-Star or at least like the old version of Rajon that Gar Forman probably thought he was signing, recording a double-double on 14 points and 12 assists. And this shredding came without Joel Embiid to screen, roll, or send up alley oops for. Not a great look for Chicago’s defense.
Oct 14, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Paul Zipser (16) is congratulated for scoring by forward Bobby Portis (5) during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center. Chicago won 118-108. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Paul ZipSTAR
Paul Zipser, man Paul Zipser.
Obviously no star, but we received yet another very solid performance from the second-round pick. This season has been pretty, let’s say, not ideal thus far for Chicago. Though Bulls fans should really start to feel good about the young German. Posting a plus-20 tonight (leading the Bulls in that stat), Zipser has really started to reward those who talked him up after a couple good showings. He’s not just making shots, 3-for-5 from the 3-point line, but he’s shooting when he should shoot and passing when he should pass.
It sounds overly simple, but he seems to really understand his role with in the offense when he’s out there. He just looks comfortable. The best part about him is his capability on defense, nothing flashy. He just doesn’t make boneheaded mistakes; he stays on his man until a rotation is necessary. Added bonus, his name is undoubtedly fun to say.
The Bulls are going into a rough stretch of schedule as they head out west, though they should be happy they were able to pull off the win tonight. It was clearly needed and will hopefully allow the players to feel more relaxed headed into their next game. And if the trip out west doesn’t go well, all Bulls fans can at least smile upon the surprise rookie performance of Zipser.
