Open Thread: Washington Wizards vs. Chicago Bulls, Preseason Game 9
by Mike Prada on Oct 23, 2009 6:00 PM EDT
in Game Threads
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PrintWashington Wizards at Chicago Bulls, Oct 23, 2009 8:00 PM EDT
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!
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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
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.
It's nice
That Flip is actually trying to construct the best lineup, instead of trying to construct the most veteran lineup.
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
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
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......
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
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
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
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......
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
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
TV
If you have comcast in the DC area the game is on 752. Looks like the free League Pass includes the pre-season.
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
I could see him
giving mcgee a lot of trouble.
by forthepeople on Oct 23, 2009 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions
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.
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
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
This=pathetic
We can’t run a halfcourt set.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
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
Long jumper. Long jumper. Long jumper. Turnover. Long Jumper.
by MR on Oct 23, 2009 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions
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
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!
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