Doug Thonus

Haha, super old, but because it is a team option it really doesn't matter.

www.espn.com/nba/insider/...

Bulls getting calls on Vuc/LaVine, interesting to see if anything comes of it.

NEW FROM ME: for Awful Announcing, I wrote about the biggest crisis facing the NBA today. It isn't the increase in three-point shooting and it isn't ratings, it's that the NBA's media has become so unbelievably negative that its most prominent personalities won't stop relentlessly bashing it.

I could see the US still being the favorite, but probably no longer a favorite vs the field. There are a lot of young guys who haven't had a chance yet that will be in their absolute primes in 3 years, and the US will always have unbelievable depth.

Excited to see what they do this year in the playoffs with more experience. I wonder if it takes them one more year to get over the hump or if they can do it this year.

For Rodman, you could argue not do anyone else from either threepeat, but Dennis stands out, because I think he was critical and irreplaceable (at least not without an all-star replacing him). I don't think that's true of Toni or Grant whom would be the other options.

When looking at legacy guys, Chet and Gilmore could be as good (or better) cases than Norm, but Norm stayed connected with the franchise for decades, was constantly in the UC, passionate about the team, the fans, and made the Bulls his life's passion. That means a lot to me.

I think you retire jersey's of guys who represent good eras for your team. Joakim is such a guy (along with Rose) for a good era and only good era for a generation of Bulls fans. They deserve to be up there together.

Random jersey retirement thoughts:

Rose deserves his jersey retired. Joakim Noah, Dennis Rodman, and Norm Van Lier are the other jersey's I'd retire.

That would be true, but Hollywood Jimmy wouldn't go along with it. He'd be bitching and moaning from day 1.

Yeah, you'd have to find some team that wants him and could give you something you like more than LaVine, but from the Bulls perspective, even if not, just waive Butler and let him sign elsewhere and save the cash.

I'd do this before I'd do the Nuggets trade if they're desperate just to move LaVine rather than to build with him.

It makes some sense for the Bulls. They just clear a ton of salary space, look to turn it into a 3 way and give Jimmy to whomever wants him for expiring salary so they can chase their draft pick.

Every year I play a game of trying to guess what went down on the red dot days.

So far, our best play-in tournament result is 3rd out of 4 teams, so we can't even hang that banner.

We wish we were mid.

Random thought:
24 teams have more playoff wins than Chicago in the AK era (1 tied, 4 less).

Chicago has earned 0 top 10 picks over that period. Those other 5 teams have had 2, 3, 4, 4, 4 top 10 picks.

The Big Red Bus - Episode 189 - Quarterly Grades The Big Red Bus: A Chicago Bulls Podcast · Episode

@dougthonus.bsky.social is here on Blue Sky, afaik See Red Fred is not.

Regardless, I got on the mic w/Fred on The Big Red Bus podcast while Doug enjoyed a vacation!

Listen to me and Fred give the Bulls 1st qtr season grades here ⤵️

open.spotify.com/episode/3wqj...

According to @thesteinline.bsky.social the Bulls are holding out for a 1st rounder for Nikola Vucevic

Late to the party, but it is the hole created for the NBA cup

"Arturas is trying to drive up attention for all of his guys — he's smart," said one league figure with knowledge of the Bulls' thinking.

ROFL, is this Eversley or AK himself sourcing this.

I don't know that it would happen, but if Lonzo Ball played healthy up to the trade deadline, he might be the Bulls best trade asset.

I would counter that you are underestimating the injury risk given the years.

Nothing says 2 years too late like Patrick Williams coming up in trade rumors.

I was rooting for the Bears to sign either Henry or Barkley this off-season, it feels to me like an elite RB is such a bargain in the marketplace. The teams that got those guys are sure reaping the benefits.

I mean maybe, because its kind of all you have, but unless you move up in the lottery to get one of the superstar type talents its not going to be much of a rebuild.

Has a player in his 14th-season ever won the most improved player award?

Nikola Vučević, through 16 games:

•FG%, 58.1
Previous career-high, 52.3

•3P%, 46.5
Previous career-high, 40.6

•TS%, 67.3
Previous career-high, 59.4

•2PFG%, 63.5
Previous career-high, 59.4

(h/t @bballref.bsky.social)

It certainly could have worked, hindsight is always 20/20, and with injuries that happen to injury prone players, it looks obvious in retrospect, but I get why Philly took the risk, their other options weren't great.

Who would have thought signing Paul George would be a disaster almost immediately and this had almost no chance of working?

Haha, I'd mostly be throwing darts, but I'd guess one of Dalen Terry, Julian Philips, or Jalen Smith which is half the roster now but guessing its one of the energy type guys.