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Open Thread: Washington Wizards vs. Chicago Bulls, Preseason Game 9

Washington Wizards at Chicago Bulls, Oct 23, 2009 8:00 PM EDT


My create-a-caption juices aren't flowing for this one.  Anyone want to take a stab at it?

Nam Y Huh - AP

My create-a-caption juices aren't flowing for this one. Anyone want to take a stab at it?

The Essentials:

Wizards (19-63 last season) vs. Bulls (41-41)
8:00 p.m.
United Center
TV: None
Radio: 106.7 The Fan

Notable Bulls numbers last season

16th in expected winning percentage (.491)
10th in pace (93.1 possessions per game)
15th in offensive efficiency/offensive rating (108.4)
18th in defensive efficiency/defensive rating (108.7)

Pre-game links

Blog-A-Bull, SB Nation's Chicago Bulls blog
By The Horns, a Bulls blog
Chicago Bulls Confidential, a Bulls blog and podcast
Chicago Tribune's Full Court Press
Give Me The Rock's season preview
Ball Don't Lie's Bulls preview
Blog-A-Bull's Bulls season preview
ESPN's Experts Preview: Bulls
GameDay Chicago

Tonight's Projected Starters
Wizards vs. Bulls
Gilbert Arenas
PG Kirk Hinrich
Mike Miller
SG John Salmons
Caron Butler SF Luol Deng
 Fabricio Oberto
PF Tyrus Thomas
Brendan Haywood C Joakim Noah

 

UPDATE: Thomas is starting, Rose is sitting.  Kind of puts a damper on what's below, unfortunately.

Anyone else tired of preseason?  Half the games aren't on TV, and Flip Saunders is using this year's preseason like a scientist would use his lab.  He's trying a zillion different combinations, and it continues tonight as Fabricio Oberto and Mike Miller get their shot at playing together with the starters (sans Antawn Jamison of course).

Luckily, the preseason ends tonight against Chicago.  A couple interesting things are going on with this Bulls team right now that are worth noting.  The first is that Derrick Rose hasn't really played much this preseason because he's recovering from an ankle injury.  There was talk that he might even miss the season opener, but he practiced yesterday and might play tonight.  The other odd thing going on is that Vinny Del Negro is starting Taj Gibson, the 26th pick in this year's draft, over Tyrus Thomas because ... well, I guess Gibson is having a good preseason?  I mean, yes, the Wizards are changing their starting lineup every day, but they're all guys who can handle it.  Tyrus Thomas, on the other hand, doesn't seem like the type of guy who will respond well to this.  As much as that might be a character flaw on Thomas' part, why bring it to the forefront during the preseason just to start your late first-round draft pick that wasn't expected to do much this season?

Del Negro said not to read anything into Gibson starting in the last preseason game, so maybe this is nothing.  The problem is, as anyone who knows Thomas' temperament could have guessed, Thomas himself read something into it.  So, I ask again, what's the point?  I'd be upset if I was Thomas too.  It's one thing if Gibson was a veteran who had been in the league for several years, but he's a rookie.  He's proven nothing.  So why do this?

It honestly reminds me of how Eddie Jordan used to bench Brendan Haywood to try to motivate him.  At a certain point, that intention became transparent, and Haywood hated EJ for it.  I think Thomas has reached that point too. 

Anyway, tip-off's at 8.  Hopefully, we don't get hurt and we look good.

GO WIZARDS!

0 recs  |  Comment 38 comments

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looks like

one of the classic bob marley posters

"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler

by little stevie colter on Oct 23, 2009 6:01 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I like that Flip is trying this lineup

It might be our best starting lineup with Antawn out and so its good that Flip is taking a look at it.

by Manimal Smith on Oct 23, 2009 6:29 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

It's nice

That Flip is actually trying to construct the best lineup, instead of trying to construct the most veteran lineup.

by bigrm18 on Oct 23, 2009 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Well..

In this case, how can we tell the difference. That lineup IS a highly veteran lineup. In fact, its our MOST veteran lineup.

It just happens to also be our best lineup.

by Manimal Smith on Oct 23, 2009 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

goddammit brendan

FREE THROWS!!!!

"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler

by little stevie colter on Oct 23, 2009 8:18 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

any other way to listen to the game… this damn CBS radio doesn’t work all the time… keeps giving me the same commercials over and over again.

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Oct 23, 2009 8:31 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

there's the video feed

in the is-it-illegal-if-i-don’t-know-it’s-illegal? mode.
http://atdhe.net/7458/watch-washington-wizards-vs-chicago-bulls
bad feed, but it’s something

"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler

by little stevie colter on Oct 23, 2009 8:36 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

it’s not working

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Oct 23, 2009 8:50 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

this might

http://www.justin.tv/freeloader11

"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler

by little stevie colter on Oct 23, 2009 8:51 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Except I have League Pass Broadband – they DON’T

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Oct 23, 2009 8:56 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

It’s a free preview on LP. If you get the channels at all.

by MR on Oct 23, 2009 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Not signed up for LP on DishNetwork….

I’ve got LP-Broadband

Channels on Dish say I need to subscribe – Not gonna do that when 95% of the Wizards games will be broadcast this year on Comcast / ESPN / TNT / NBATV / etc…

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Oct 23, 2009 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Sorry. My Time Warner cable is giving me the game although I haven’t paid for LP yet.

by MR on Oct 23, 2009 9:10 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

so far very good defense

not so good offense – too many turn-overs. blatche playing great, but still shooting mainly jumpers. he’s making them though.
bulls however have no good guards active tonight.

"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler

by little stevie colter on Oct 23, 2009 8:38 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

TV

If you have comcast in the DC area the game is on 752. Looks like the free League Pass includes the pre-season.

by TracyMurray on Oct 23, 2009 8:39 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Butler. Lost your man on D, didn’t you?

by MR on Oct 23, 2009 8:56 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Is Mcgee

having a terrible game?

by forthepeople on Oct 23, 2009 8:58 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I just tuned in

but Brad Miller has 9 pt, 6 assists.

by MR on Oct 23, 2009 8:59 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I could see him

giving mcgee a lot of trouble.

by forthepeople on Oct 23, 2009 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Just turned on the game

but from the box score it looks like we played pretty well. Our defense head them to a low percentage and we out rebounded them. Only problem is high tos, which I can understand with guys still learning the system and each other. Mike needs to shoot the ball in the second half.

by forthepeople on Oct 23, 2009 9:22 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

ugh

offense is troubling. arenas looks kind of out of it – no swag.
too many jumpers from everyone but mike miller.
actually offense was better with foye and blatche in over arenas and oberto

"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler

by little stevie colter on Oct 23, 2009 9:34 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

The 3rd quarter has been terrible

We look like a bunch of guys who just met.

Can we get a pass?

Nope. Just another long jumper.

by MR on Oct 23, 2009 9:45 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

This=pathetic

We can’t run a halfcourt set.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Oct 23, 2009 9:43 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I don't know why

But everyone just looks terrible. Or “turribul” as Charles Barkley would say.

by bigrm18 on Oct 23, 2009 9:48 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

yeah i'm hoping it's just

end of pre-season syndrome

"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler

by little stevie colter on Oct 23, 2009 9:49 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Long jumper. Long jumper. Long jumper. Turnover. Long Jumper.

by MR on Oct 23, 2009 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

C'mon Gil

Shoot the rock.

by Unselds on Oct 23, 2009 9:50 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

oh he has been

and it has not been pretty

"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler

by little stevie colter on Oct 23, 2009 9:52 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Hahaha

I don’t care. It’s new to me. Shoot the rock, man. The fourth quarter is the only one that matters.

by Unselds on Oct 23, 2009 9:53 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

he's probably done for the night

"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler

by little stevie colter on Oct 23, 2009 9:55 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

The ball is sticking too much

The ball needs to move around the top of the key more.

by forthepeople on Oct 23, 2009 9:56 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

again - UGH. i'm out

time to go out and enjoy friday night beverages. bring on the regular season!

"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler

by little stevie colter on Oct 23, 2009 9:57 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

The Bulls

are a good playoff team that grew a lot in the celtics series last year like Atlanta the year before. Atlanta and the Bulls will probably be competing with us for the 4 or 5 seed. With Jamison we probably weren’t playing at their level, yet. Jamison has been a staple of our lineup for so long he was the identity of our team offensively. Players know if you get in trouble, find a way to get the ball to Jamison. He will bail you out.
We have to find our new identity in a hurry and it might be an ugly process.

Gill’s one three a game plan probably has to be scrapped. He’s destroying guys with his dribble and hesitating letting his man get back and giving the whole defense a chance to adjust. Caron should pick up some of Jamison’s flashing around the baseline during the pick and roll. It seems like the bigs were playing really extended on the pick and roll. That might just be due to the Bulls being a really good defensive team. Caron can keep them honest and pickup some rebounding. Caron needs more attempts around the basket anyway and he has to finish start finishing them. I’m not to worried about Haywood and Oberto. Defensively they were good and the offense will come. It seemed like Haywood was setting a lot of the high screens and he couldn’t really make it back to the basket. Oberto sets a good screen and is slippery enough to get back for the pass or rebound. I only started watching late in the second quarter so maybe I just missed it. Finally and most importantly, MIKE MILLER, SHOOT THE GODDAMN BALL!

by forthepeople on Oct 23, 2009 11:04 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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