Chicago Bulls: Did Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah Right the Ship Against Detroit?
I know it is only one game, but for one game this season, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah were able to co-exist.
For the first time this season, Noah recorded a double-double. Boozer led the team in scoring, totaling 19 points and seven rebounds. The two combined for 32 points and 18 rebounds.
That is much better than the 21 points they were averaging together heading into Wednesday’s game.
Derrick Rose might be able to will the Bulls to a few wins here and there during the regular season, but they need Boozer and Noah if they want to win a championship.
Friday was a perfect example of how dangerous the Bulls can be. Even without Luol Deng having a good game, the Bulls beat Detroit 99-83.
Maybe the most impressive thing about Wednesday’s victory was that Boozer and Noah were on the court in the fourth, unlike the night before. Tuesday against Atlanta, the two combined to play four seconds in the fourth. Noah played those four seconds on the critical in-bounds play that lead to the win.
Against Detroit, the duo of Boozer and Noah added six assists, three steals and two blocks. Also, Noah only committed one personal foul and played 35 minutes.
So the question is whether this the beginning of great things or just a flash in the pan.
To be honest, no one knows, but I personally think that it is the start of things to come. Remember that until the playoffs last season, this pair never had a stretch longer than nine games together.
Counting the end of last season, playoffs, this preseason and regular season, they have played in 32 straight games together. Even if you put all their games together, they have yet to play a full season’s worth of games.
We will get to see how the duo holds up on Friday when the Bulls travel to take on Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. Let’s hope for the best, otherwise Tom Thibodeau may have to look into making some lineup changes.
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Chicago Bulls: Can Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah Coexist?
Last night as the Chicago Bulls pulled off a fantastic comeback against the Atlanta Hawks, they did so with their first-team bigs, Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer, watching while their second-team bigs, Omer Asik and Taj Gibson, led the team defensively.
It has some people wondering whether Boozer and Noah are able to coexist.
Exacerbating this problem is that the Bulls’ starting center and power forward combine for $25 million in salary—about 43 percent of the cap.
There are some big problems with this line of thinking. First and foremost, the tandem of Boozer and Noah has actually been more productive than the tandem of Asik and GIbson on a per-36-minute basis, in spite of last night.
Gibson and Asik combine for 16.8 points per 36 minutes, 19.2 rebounds and are plus-3.8 on the season. On the other hand, Noah and Boozer combine for 27.3 points, 20.2 rebounds and are a plus-9.2.
In spite of last night’s game, the Boozer/Noah tandem is in fact more productive and has a better net value than the Asik/Gibson tandem.
Having said that, it’s more about Noah than Boozer. It’s becoming increasingly clear that the Bulls are a better team with Boozer on the bench than on the court.
Last year while Boozer was on the court, the Bulls were a plus-7.0. With Boozer on the bench, they were a plus-7.5. While Boozer has been on the court this year, they are a plus-7.6 While he’s on the bench, they are a plus-13.6.
To some degree, though, it has to be considered that Boozer’s effect is felt in a positive way. He’s the only Bull who consistently scores in the paint. Last year, the Bulls were a better shooting team while Boozer was on the court, and they shot better from literally every area on the court. Having Boozer’s ability to score at the rim was valuable. Last year, 40 percent of his points were close, and 53 percent of his points came on jump shots. This year, 35 percent of his points are close and 63 percent are jump shots.
The problem isn’t who is playing, it’s more about how Boozer is playing.
He’s playing like a cow, not a bull. He needs to man up and start getting to the rim. When he does that, he spreads the court and makes everything easier for the rest of the team.
The problem with Taj Gibson is he doesn’t really have any post-up game, either. The difference between Boozer and Gibson is that Boozer has one—he’s just not using it.
The pick-and-roll has shown glimpses of promise this year. Rose has certainly improved his passing into the post. Now Boozer needs to start finishing.
While it’s premature to sit him, and Gibson really doesn’t give the Bulls any reason to, it is time for Boozer to start earning that paycheck.
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Bulls vs. Lakers: Chicago’s Carlos Boozer Needs to Dominate LA’s Josh McRoberts
If Chicago Bulls power forward Carlos Boozer wants to make a good first impression, he needs to dominate the Los Angeles Lakers’ Josh McRoberts in the NBA‘s season opener.
Boozer, who signed a huge contract with the Bulls last season, has not made a good impression with Bulls fans. He suffered through injuries that made him miss 23 games while limiting him to under 32 minutes a game.
The Bulls hoped Boozer would be a consistent 20-point, 10-rebound guy, but Boozer struggled to establish himself as a dependable force. He played soft in the post and around the rim last year, resulting in missed baskets and opponents gaining easy points.
Boozer vowed he would play better for the Bulls and worked hard in the offseason to get in athletic shape. According to Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, Boozer is 20 pounds lighter and ready to go.
The Duke product had an uneven preseason with the Bulls. Chicago’s first game against the Indiana Pacers saw Boozer play softly around the rim as Boozer missed his first five shots and finished 3-of-10 from the field with five fouls.
Pacer big men Tyler Hansbrough, Jeff Foster and Roy Hibbert pushed Boozer around in the post all-night long.
Come Tuesday, Boozer seemed a changed man as both Derrick Rose and newcomer Richard Hamilton opened the paint for Boozer to maneuver. Boozer dominated his arch nemeses on the offensive end by going 11-of-17 for 24 points and three assists.
Defensively, Boozer was not impressive, as Hansbrough scored 19 and 24 points with Boozer as his primary defender. Hansbrough is a solid player, but Boozer is more athletic and should stay in front of him more often.
What Boozer is looking for is a fast start, and McRoberts could be the perfect victim for him to achieve that.
McRoberts, a fifth-year player out of Duke, was acquired by the Lakers to the recently traded Lamar Odom. He was a backup power forward for the Pacers, who averaged 7.4 points and 5.3 rebounds a game last year.
However, McRoberts will never be a consistent NBA starter, as he is temporarily filling in for Lakers center Andrew Bynum as he serves his five-game suspension for clobbering J.J. Barea in the playoffs.
Since Bynum is suspended, Boozer will face McRoberts instead of Pau Gasol as the Spanish baller will shift to the middle.
Boozer has a decided advantage by playing McRoberts over Gasol. McRoberts is not a very good defender, who has average lateral quickness and cannot stop more physical power forwards.
The Bulls’ Boozer is healthy and ready to go. Being lighter allows Boozer to be quicker and jump higher. He historically is a physical player and can utilize his superior post moves to dominate McRoberts.
A fast start would be optimal for Boozer, who desires to erase an uneven 2010-11 season.
If Boozer can score 25 or more points against McRoberts, the Lakers are in for a long night as Boozer announces to the NBA his return to top form.
If Boozer somehow does not perform well, the Bulls will have to worry that Boozer will always remain an inconsistent player who will never take his game to the next level.
Bob Bajek is a Featured Columnist for the Chicago Bulls. He is also a freelance reporter and can be followed at Patch.com and Twitter.
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Carlos Boozer Returning to Form? 6 Bold Predictions for the Chicago Bulls
This is an odd season for the Bulls fans. First, the Bulls are coming off a season that saw them post the best record in the league. Before last season, that had not happened in a while.
Second, the Bulls got rocked in the Eastern Conference Finals by a team they swept in the regular season. A team that, no less, has Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, two players the Bulls were favored to get last offseason.
The NBA is also going through a shortened training camp to make way for a Christmas Day start, which means the Bulls aren’t going to have a lot of time to build chemistry before a sprint of a season.
But, finally, the Bulls did not make nearly the kind of splash they did last offseason in the free agency period. They watched Kurt Thomas walk after a remarkable season last year filling in for Joakim Noah (who only played 48 games), and they released Keith Bogans who, regardless of the scrutiny he has received, started every single game for the Bulls last season.
The one real move they did make, however, was sign Rip Hamilton after the Pistons bought out his contract. The question many want an answer to is will Hamilton deliver and make these Bulls NBA champions. I can tell you that I can not answer that question, but I can predict how the Bulls season will play out.
Bold or not, here are six predictions for the Bulls 2011-12 season.
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Carlos Boozer Has More Pressure on Him than ever To Produce for Chicago Bulls
There’s no question that when you win 62 games and make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, you’re doing something right. However, the Chicago Bulls don’t care about doing something right, they care about winning a title—multiple titles to be exact.
That’s why Carlos Boozer will be in the hot seat this year.
He should have the pressure on him. When a team pays you $13.5 million, you’re expected to make a rather large impact while on the court.
Just as the Bulls needed him most during the playoffs, Boozer came up a little short. In the game in which the Bulls were eliminated by the Miami Heat, Boozer had just five points.
That simply won’t cut it.
What many fans don’t realize is just how much pressure will be on Boozer as he heads into this year. Under the new CBA, teams will have to be very smart with their money. That means having to identify which players are being overpaid and subsequently shipping them out.
I’m not ready to say that Boozer wont ever earn his keep, but pretty soon the Bulls are going to be forced to make decisions in the name of the future of the organization.
This is essentially the last season in which the Bulls will be able to build their team with the cap freedom that comes from having your franchise player earn six million dollars a year. After this season, Rose will make max contract dollars, sending the Bulls well over the cap.
Get used to this team Bulls fans, because after this year it will get harder and harder to bring in new talent.
For a guy like Boozer, this is particularly important as he eats up the most cap space on the team. If the Boozer experiment doesn’t begin to pay major dividends, the Bulls wont wait long to pull the trigger on a trade that allows them to get better in the long run.
If Boozer wants to stay in Chicago, he must understand just how much he needs to produce in order to keep his spot. Not only will he have to perform well in the regular season, he must show veteran leadership in the playoffs as they make another run for the title.
The truth is: Anything short of a championship will be considered a failure for the fans in Chicago, and the blame won’t be falling on the young core made up of Noah, Rose, Deng and Gibson.
No, the fault will be Boozer’s—whether he likes it or not.
Who knows if he’ll do what it takes to please management and the Chicago faithful. What we do know is that this season might be the most important one of his career.
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Bulls Rumors: If Team Doesn’t Reach NBA Finals They Must Amnesty Carlos Boozer
The pressure is on Carlos Boozer big-time.
Though the team won’t entertain using the Amnesty clause on him this year, that can’t be the sentiment next year if the team doesn’t advance further in 2011-2012.
Rip Hamilton is in the fold; he is not the best shooting guard for the Bulls‘ needs, but certainly a big improvement from last year.
Derrick Rose will be better, his work ethic and maturity are sure to render great results this season. Luol Deng and Joakim Noah are who they are, both very good role players that excel defensively, but they will never be stars.
The biggest key to the success of this year’s Bulls team is the play of their slimmed-down and highly compensated power forward. His year started off rough last year. He injured his hand in a fall at home, his season had its peaks and valleys, but it reached its low point in the playoffs.
Boozer seemed to be less than 100 percent, and he played like it.
His points per game dropped from 17.2 to 12.6 in the postseason. Boozer had never seen a drop off like that in the playoffs in any other year in his career except 2007-2008, while with the Jazz. His playoff numbers dipped the same five points that year.
The constant in 2010-2011 and 2007-2008: Boozer was playing hurt.
So we understand Boozer’s play suffers dramatically when he’s playing hurt. That makes his health and play this season hugely important. If he gets hurt again, or he stays healthy, and the Bulls don’t reach the Finals, they have to cut him loose.
With Derrick Rose’s extension imminent, the team cannot afford to have such a large chunk of the salary cap committed to a player who can’t play an integral part in leading them to a championship. After this season, Boozer will be owed approximately $46 million dollars for the final three years of his deal.
That amount could be used to sign or trade for a younger impact player. Of course, everyone thinks of Dwight Howard when this type of talk arises, and with good reason. He is the best center on the planet, and he and Rose would be a potential dynasty, but he doesn’t love the Bulls.
Bulls fans have to face it.
In this unfortunate situation, it would be time to look for another star to accompany Rose into the NBA‘s elite.
Here are a few players that are scheduled to be restricted free agents next summer. They essentially could send Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver’s expiring contracts to a prospective team in a sign and trade for one or two of the following players:
- Kevin Love—He likely will garner something just under a max-contract. He isn’t more athletic than Boozer, but he is younger. He extends the Bulls’ championship window. Minnesota could let him walk, especially if Derrick Williams has a good-to-great rookie season and proves he can play power forward.
- Eric Gordon—A great option at the 2-guard. Rip will still be under contract for another year. Gordon and Hamilton would make the best shooting guard rotation in the NBA. Rip could win the sixth man award. Gordon will not come cheap as he will lead the rebuilt Hornets in scoring this year, with somewhere close to 23 points per game. I would project it’ll take about $11 million per year to get it done.
- O.J. Mayo—Mayo is also a very good option. He would come the cheapest of all. He will not have put up big numbers to command the major salary, though he may be capable of it. About $8.5 million should bring in Mayo.
This scenario would mean Luol Deng, the most talented candidate, would need to work on a post game. Without Boozer, the Bulls would have no low-post scoring threat unless they grab Love, who is still more of a face-up shooter.
It doesn’t create the perfect team, but that really doesn’t exist. This must be all or nothing for Boozer as it pertains to his time with Chicago.
This isn’t to say Boozer is the problem, or he isn’t a very good player. Another failure this year just proves this nucleus can’t get it done with so much committed to him.
If the team isn’t playing in the season’s final series, it’s time to go in a different direction.
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Chicago Bulls: Why They Should Not Release Carlos Boozer
Many people, including ESPN’s Bill Simmons, think the Chicago Bulls should use the amnesty clause to release Carlos Boozer.
I am hear to tell you they are all wrong.
If the Bulls released Boozer, it would be a huge mistake.
For starters, let’s look at the amnesty clause. From all reports, teams will have a seven-day window from when camp opens on December 9 to use it. Unlike the last CBA, this amnesty clause can be used during any offseason during the current deal. So the Bulls can use it next year or even the year after.
If Boozer struggles again, he could be released down the road. However, what if Joakim Noah continues to have injury issues and they decide to use it on him?
It would be much smarter to keep all options open.
Secondly, what would releasing Boozer give you? Enough cap space to overpay for one of the restricted free agents. Would adding, say, Nick Young and replacing Boozer with Taj Gibson be enough to get the Bulls past the Heat?
Doubtful.
During the regular season, Boozer is good for 17 points and 10 rebounds a night. In the playoffs, except for last season, he is even better scoring over 20 points a game and grabbing 12 boards.
While his playoff numbers were way down last season (12 points and nine rebounds), I would feel safe betting that he can return to form. Just look at what he was able to do in Games 4 and 5 against the Heat.
Keeping Boozer and allowing Taj to stay on the bench makes this team more dangerous. There is also a good possibility they will be able to solve their shooting guard problem by signing Jason Richardson for the full mid-level exemption.
If not then they could always release Boozer during the summer and make a run at free agency again. Next summer, centers like Dwight Howard and Chris Kaman will be unrestricted free agents while forward Kevin Love and Courtney Lee will be restricted free agents. There might also be many more guys available.
Having Boozer on this team makes the Bulls one player away from possibly winning a championship. However, without him they are at least two players away.
So see the smart move for Gar Foreman and John Paxson is to allow this team to give it another shot and if they fail then there is always next year.
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Chicago Bulls: How Carlos Boozer Can Quiet All the Haters
Carlos Boozer seems to be a passionate guy and the Chicago Bulls power forward said he hopes to be “quieting the haters” in this Chicago Tribune article.
The 30-year-old Boozer, the Bulls’ prized free-agent signing during last summer’s extravaganza, had many fans and reporters critical of his lack of production in the 2010-11 season.
Boozer missed 23 games due to injury, didn’t seem to gel well with Bulls center Joakim Noah on the court (Noah missed 34 games) and did a disappearing act come playoff time.
For the nine-year NBA veteran to prove haters like me wrong, here are a few things Boozer needs to do this upcoming season.
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Chicago Bulls: 5 Ways for Tom Thibodeau to Motivate Carlos Boozer on Defense
Carlos Boozer‘s defense was one of the major disappointments for the Chicago Bulls last season. It was a gaping hole in what was otherwise one of the strongest defensive units in the league.
Tom Thibodeau’s coaching style seemed built into every player on the team—except Carlos Boozer.
So, what can Thibodeau do to motivate the second-year, highest-paid Bull?
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NBA Trade Speculation: 5 Teams Bulls May Be Able to Dump Carlos Boozer on
Keith Bogans may be the odd man out of the Chicago Bulls lineup, but Carlos Boozer isn’t far behind.
Despite averaging 17.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game last season, Boozer proved to be both a liability in terms of durability and defense. As a result, Chicago may be open to moving the power forward and his lucrative contract.
While Boozer can still be effective offensively, his contract is anything but favorable, and if the postseason was an indication of things to come, there is nothing impressive on the horizon.
That being said, there are still a number of teams that may be willing to take a risk on Boozer.
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