Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls - 11/28/18 NBA Pick, Odds, and Prediction

The Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks meet Wednesday in NBA action at the Fiserv Forum.

The Chicago Bulls could use a victory here after losing seven of their last eight games. The Chicago Bulls are averaging 103.6 points on 44.2 percent shooting and allowing 112.7 points on 45.6 percent shooting. Zach LaVine is averaging 25.7 points and 4.5 assists while Jabari Parker is averaging 16.3 points and 7.2 rebounds. Justin Holiday is the third double-digit scorer and Wendell Carter Jr. is grabbing 7.1 rebounds. The Chicago Bulls are shooting 35.5 percent from beyond the arc and 77.9 percent from the free throw line. The Chicago Bulls are allowing 34.9 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 42 rebounds per game. The Chicago Bulls have lost their last four road games.

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Bucks look for a spark of consistency after winning four of their last seven games. The Milwaukee Bucks are averaging 121 points on 48.7 percent shooting and allowing 110 points on 43.9 percent shooting. Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 26.8 points and 13 rebounds while Khris Middleton is averaging 19 points and 4.1 assists. Eric Bledsoe is the third double-digit scorer and Malcolm Brogdon is dishing 3.3 assists. The Milwaukee Bucks are shooting 35.8 percent from beyond the arc and 76.4 percent from the free throw line. The Milwaukee Bucks are allowing 35 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 50.6 rebounds per game. The Milwaukee Bucks have won 10 of their last 12 home games.

The Bulls are 7-19 ATS in their last 26 road games, 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Wednesday games and 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games overall. The Bucks are 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 home games, 2-9 ATS in their last 11 Wednesday games and 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS loss. The Bulls are 16-7 ATS in the last 23 meetings in Milwaukee. The over is 38-15 in Bucks last 53 overall. The under is 7-2-1 in Bulls last 10 overall.

The Milwaukee Bucks just beat the Chicago Bulls by 19 points a couple of weeks ago, and they've won the last three games against the Bulls, all by double-digit points. The Chicago Bulls are being outscored by 10.8 points in their last five games and 12.6 points on the road this season overall. The Milwaukee Bucks are outscoring teams by 15.3 points at home this season. The Bulls are also just 1-7 ATS this season as a double-digit underdog. So, while laying massive chalk in the NBA isn't ideal, most things suggest that the Bucks are going to win this game rather easily.

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Bulls' Next 5 Game Prediction: 1-4, With a 6% Chance at 3-2

NEXT 5 GAME OUTLOOK: STORMY

The forecast for their next 5 games is not good. They are are the clear underdog in 10 out of the 5 games. The most likely scenario over the next 5 games is a record of 1-4 (42% chance). Their chances of winning 3 or more are 5.8%. At #13 in the conference, they are behind the Knicks by 2 games. With a -1.02 disadvantage in projected wins over their next 5 games they may find themselves further behind in the conference. They are in a battle with Cavaliers in the conference. In the short-term, we do predict much of a change in the gap between them and the Cavaliers. There is only a -0.34 advantage in projected wins over their next 5 games. The Fatigue Index factors for travel (miles, time zones crossed) and games played. Based on this index the Bulls are the 12th least fatigued team heading into the next game. Over the next few weeks, the Bulls are playing 7 games, traveling 2767 miles crossing 4 time zones. They rank #22 on the Fatigue Index during this time period.

Win%, Opp, and Distance to Road Game (**Indicates Back-to-Back)

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SEASON-TO-DATE GRADE: F

[NOTE: Early in the season, we include last season in the analysis] Even at 5-16 the Bulls are just slightly behind their money line projected win total of 6 wins. If you consider winning as an underdog or winning by 10+ as a slight favorite, then they have 4 good wins vs 0 bad losses. They have won 22% of their road games and were expected to win 21%. At home they have a 25% win percentage vs an expected win rate of 33%. Losers of 3 in a row they have a 55.3% chance of seeing that extend to 5 straight. In simulations where the Bulls played every other team (neutral court in playoffs) they won just 24.2% of the time (#30 in the league). Their peak rank was #25 in the league back on 10/12.

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STATISTICAL STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES

SHOOTING (WEAKNESS): They are a bad shooting team with a true FG% of 53.7% (#26 in League). They average 103.6 pts per game vs an expected average (based on pre-game odds) of 106.3. On the road they average 101.8 (106.2 expected), and at home 104.9 ppg (106.4 expected).

DEFENSE (AVERAGE): They are an average defensive team allowing opponents to shoot 55.6 true FG% (#15 in League). They allow 112.7 pts per game vs an expected value of 113.4. They are allowing 114.3 (115.9 expected) on the road, and at home 111.5 ppg (111.6 expected).

REBOUNDING (WEAKNESS): They are outrebounded by opponents by 7.6 per game (#30 in league).

TURNOVERS (WEAKNESS): Their average turnover margin is -1.3 per game (#22 in league).

The Chicago Bulls' next game is on November 28. Visit Sportsline.com to get picks, free trends and player projections for this game.

LONG TERM OUTLOOK: MIXED BAG (DOWN OVERALL)

Before the season, the Bulls were projected to win 21.2 games (average per simulation), and their projected win total has been up and down this season. On 10/12 their projected win total was up to 29.2 before dropping to 16.8 on 11/19. From the start of the season to now their projected win total is down to 18.9 wins.

Season Strength of Schedule is Relatively Hard

• Remaining Opponents' Win Percentage Rest of Season: 50% #10 Toughest
• Season-to-Date Opponents' Win Percentage: 52% #11 Toughest

Bulls' Season Forecast Changes

Date	Projected Wins	Playoff%	East Champ	NBA Champ
Nov 27	18.9	0%	0%	0%
Oct 12	29.2	3.6%	0%	0%
Difference	-10.3	-3.6%	--	--

FANTASY PROFILE

Based on rest of season projections, these are the 6 most valuable fantasy players based on their projected position rank (Guards, Forwards, Centers). Overvalued players are rated higher by the market based on ownership% and vice versa.

Rest of Season Leaders	FP Per Game	Own % and Value
Zach LaVine	32.9	100% Own (Overvalued w/ Market Rank #10)
Lauri Markkanen	25.6	96% Own (Undervalued w/ Market Rank #36)
Jabari Parker	25.1	98% Own (Overvalued w/ Market Rank #22)
Wendell Carter Jr.	22.8	94% Own (Undervalued w/ Market Rank #37)
Robin Lopez	5.8	8% Own (Overvalued w/ Market Rank #39)
Kris Dunn	20.8	84% Own (Overvalued w/ Market Rank #46)

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Time to show Ryan Arcidiacono some love

Chicago Bulls point guard Ryan Arcidiacono is making a case to be the team’s backup point guard.

The Chicago Bulls entered the 2018-19 NBA season with the point guard position pretty much squared away. Kris Dunn proved to be team’s best option at the lead guard spot because of his ability to be effective at both ends of the floor.

Also, the front office felt comfortable with Cameron Payne at the backup spot based on how he played during the second half of last season. Bearing that in mind, everything was pretty much set, right?

Well, not exactly.

Dunn sustained a sprained MCL injury that will keep him on the shelf until sometime in December. Secondly, Payne didn’t exactly shine when he was inserted into the starting lineup.

So the question became which player would step up until Dunn returns to the court? That player in question is none other than Ryan Arcidiacono.

Wait, what?

Surely we can’t be talking about the guy who played on a two-way contract for the Bulls last season and posted averages of 2.0 points, 1.5 assists and 1.0 rebound per contest in 24 appearances. But while Arcidiacono didn’t make a huge splash in 2017-18, it has been a different story for the former Villanova Wildcat in Year 2.

This season, he is averaging 6.8 points, 4.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 19 games (including eight starts) on 44.6 percent shooting from the field and an efficient 42.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Obviously, his overall scoring output won’t make anyone forget about Dunn anytime soon, but Arcidiacono has already had a few noteworthy performances this season.

For instance, in Chicago’s 112-110 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 24, Arcidiacono chipped in with 10 points on 2-of-3 shooting from the field to go along with a pair of assists. Scoring 10 points on just three shot attempts? Not a bad night at the office, to say the least.

A few nights later, in the team’s 97-85 win over the Atlanta Hawks, Arcidiacono had another solid outing. In that contest, he scored 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting while going 3-for-6 from 3-point range. He rounded out this performance with seven assists, two rebounds, two steals and a block for good measure.

While those performances were solid in their own right, Arcidiacono took his game to another level in Chicago’s recent loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night. Not only did he score a career-high 22 points, he hit two huge buckets from downtown to bring the Bulls within one points after the Spurs had reeled off 10 straight.

After Zach LaVine missed a contested 3-pointer, Arcidiacono managed to steal the inbounds pass, but his desperation jumper was a bit short from the right baseline, allowing the Spurs to escape with a 108-107 win.

Sure, LaVine scoring 11 of his 28 in the final frame, along with Justin Holiday (17 points) knocking down five of his eight attempts from long range helped keep the Bulls in the game. But when the offense stalled and it appeared the Spurs were about to run away with the game, Arcidiacono hit two clutch buckets and was one jump shot away from helping the Bulls avoid a three-game skid.

Next: Week 7 NBA Power Rankings

All in all, Arcidiacono came into this season buried behind two other players at the point guard spot. In light of these performances, though, he should be the backup point guard when Dunn returns to the lineup.

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Justin Holiday doesn't want to hear about his shooting streaks

Justin Holiday is having a strong season for the Chicago Bulls this season. In fact, he’s about to break Kirk Hinrich’s franchise record for consecutive games with a 3-pointer. But don’t tell him that.

“No, no, I don’t want to know,” Holiday pleaded to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. “Don’t tell me. Please don’t. Ignorance is bliss.”

Justin Holiday is having one of the best seasons of his career. He’s averaging a career-high 13.0 points while  shooting 41.4 percent from deep on 7.7 attempts per game. The 29-year-old guard is embracing his role as a 3-point specialist for the Bulls, and it all started with hard work.

“To be honest, this summer I worked a lot more on putting the ball on the floor and finishing around the basket than shooting the 3-ball,” Holiday said. “I have found that getting myself comfortable doing those other things have freed me. I know I can shoot.

“I want to be even more consistent. I’ve shot the ball well. But I feel I should’ve made more than I did. That’s how I’m always thinking. I guess that’s the way I’ve become more consistent is to always have that thought: ‘You’ve got to be better than this.’”

The University of Washington product is a huge success this year and is coming into his own as a player. The 3-point shot is as relevant as it’s ever been and Holiday is making a wise choice to put in the time towards improving that aspect of his game.

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The Chicago Bulls get overpowered by Anthony Davis on the road

The Chicago Bulls traveled to New Orleans to take on Anthony Davis and the Pelicans. Not surprisingly, Davis was too much for the Bulls to handle.

Coming into the game against New Orleans, the Chicago Bulls hadn’t won consecutive games all season. Unfortunately for the Bulls, that wouldn’t change against the Pelicans.

The Bulls were coming off of a nice double-overtime win against the Knicks and were squaring up with a very beatable Pelicans team. The Bulls came out fairly solid on defense, but couldn’t get things going on offense.

Chicago held the Pelicans to under 30 points in each quarter but couldn’t manage to score more than 26 points in a quarter themselves.

Final score: Bulls 98, Pelicans 107

As far as individual performances go, there was a lot to like for the Bulls.

Ryan Arcidiacono had another extremely effective night off the bench, scoring 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range. He also added 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in 33 minutes of action. “Arch” continues to prove that he’s a solid NBA player who can make a difference for this Bulls squad.

Zach LaVine led the Bulls in scoring despite an inefficient shooting night. LaVine finished the game with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists on a rough 9-of-26 shooting from the field. The best part of Zach’s night was the way he took care of the ball. He’s turned the ball over a lot this season, but against New Orleans, LaVine only committed one turnover. If LaVine can manage to keep his turnovers down while posting 4 or 5 assist games, he’ll continue to earn that lucrative contract he signed in the summer.

Jabari Parker posted his first double-double of the season, scoring 20 points and adding 13 rebounds. Parker shot the ball well on 2-point field goals but struggled from 3-point land. He shot 7-of-14 from the field overall but 0-for-3 from beyond the arc.

Perhaps the most encouraging performance for the Bulls, though, came from Wendell Carter Jr. Carter scored 17 points and reeled in 11 boards. He also contributed on the defensive end, blocking 3 shots.

Unfortunately, the best individual performance of the night would come from Anthony Davis of the Pelicans. Davis was basically unstoppable, finishing with 32 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 blocks while shooting an efficient 13-of-24 from the field and 2-of-4 from 3-point range.

The Bulls simply didn’t have an answer for one of the best players in the NBA. That’s understandable, I guess.

Next: Is it time to forgive Gar and Pax?

Next up for the Bulls is a winnable game against a bad Cleveland Cavaliers team on Saturday, November 10.

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Late-game breakdowns aside, Chicago Bulls defense getting better

For the most part, the Chicago Bulls are enjoying the ascent of Zach LaVine and otherwise marking time until several key players return from injury.

There has been evidence of defensive improvement in the past week or so. At least on paper things have improved. The Bulls defense still frequently fails the eye test.

Looking at the numbers over the past six games, the Bulls actually rank fifth in the NBA in defensive field-goal percentage at .436. New York shot 38.7 percent Monday in the double-overtime loss to the Bulls, while top scorer Tim Hardaway Jr. was sidelined by a back injury.

Over that same period, the Bulls rank 14th in points allowed at 110.0 and 12th in defensive rating, which is points allowed per 100 possessions.

That's not bad considering the six-game span includes the loss to Golden State, in which the Bulls surrendered 149 points and literally watched as Klay Thompson set an NBA record with 14 3-pointers.

Not much has changed since the season began. This Bulls lineup isn't likely to excel on defense, but it can be halfway decent if the players simply lock in, bring some energy to the defensive end and limit fastbreak opportunities.

It was tough to ignore some of the bad possessions that could have been costly at the end of Monday's game, so let's take a closer look:

Trier ties it: The first was Allonzo Trier's tying 3-pointer with 48 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Trier could accurately be described as wide open when he let the shot fly.

This sequence started with LaVine launching a 3-point miss, which created a long rebound. Trier gather it in and took off downcourt.

The problem was, LaVine and Cameron Payne both went to guard Emmanuel Mudiay, who was standing near the basket. Justin Holiday picked up the ball, but the Knicks didn't even need to use a screen.

Trier handed it off to teammate Damyean Dotson, Holiday had to stay on the ball, and when Trier drifted out to the wing, there were no defenders around.

Poor communication and recognition is the culprit here. Mudiay probably was Payne's man, but LaVine was the first defender back and took Mudiay, the closest Knick to the basket.

The suspicion here is Payne should have recognized what was happening and taken Dotson on the perimeter. The two other Bulls, Jabari Parker and Robin Lopez, both got back and were in decent defensive position.

Watching the rebound: The Bulls were fortunate on the last play of regulation when the Knicks had a chance to win.

Holiday did a nice job of getting through a screen and contesting Trier's jumper, but Mario Hezonja raced in for the offensive rebound and got a clean look but missed the shot just before the buzzer.

Payne was the closest Bull to Hezonja and made no effort to box out. Holiday also could have helped, but he stood and watched at the foul line. Rookie Chandler Hutchison was in position to get the rebound but didn't see Hezonja coming and got knocked off the ball. Lopez had Enes Kanter boxed out.

Mudiay on the move: The Bulls' last defensive possession of the night was another bad one, with Mudiay tying the game on a fastbreak lay-in with 2.7 seconds left.

This one started with another errant LaVine jumper, but this time it wasn't a long rebound. The Knicks got possession beneath the basket, Mudiay caught the outlet pass a few steps short of the foul line and simply beat the Bulls downcourt.

A couple of mishaps ensued. Holiday and Payne both were back to stop Mudiay in front of the basket. You could almost see the wheels spinning in Payne's head.

He noticed Dotson trailing the play, about to set up at the exact spot where Trier hit the tying 3 in the fourth quarter, so Payne took off to guard him. It was a 2-point lead at the time, so the decision made sense.

That left Holiday 1-on-1 with Mudiay, since the other three Bulls on the court (LaVine, Parker and Lopez) seemed to ease up seeing their two teammates had the basket covered. Holiday had good position, but one slight bump knocked him off course and Mudiay finished the uncontested lay-in.

This seems to happen to Holiday now and then, where he doesn't have the strength to hold his ground. Holiday does other things well, such as when he anticipated a Knicks inbounds play and got a steal in the waning seconds of the first overtime.

There are tougher opponents ahead. But since this season is more about progress than victories, the defense deserves a little credit.

• Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls

        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        

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Is it time to forgive Gar Forman and John Paxson?

The Chicago Bulls have made a number of bad draft picks in recent years, but since the Bulls traded Jimmy Butler, have Gar Forman and John Paxson done a better job?

The Chicago Bulls were once a team that drafted extremely well. They made numerous good selections, including, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic, Jimmy Butler, and Derrick Rose. However, that all changed after Derrick Rose’s ACL injury in 2012. The Bulls went from a great team in the draft, to one of the worst.

If you look back at the selections they made, a majority of them ended up being busts. Here is the list of players they have selected since 2012.

Bulls draft picks since 2012

2012: Marquis Teague

2013: Tony Snell and Erik Murphy

2014: Doug McDermott and Cameron Bairstow

2015: Bobby Portis

2016: Denzel Valentine and Paul Zipser

2017: Lauri Markkanen

2018: Wendell Carter Jr. and Chandler Hutchison

The beginning of the list isn’t pretty, but do you see the pattern of how well the Bulls drafted since the start of the 2017 season?

When the Jimmy Butler situation didn’t work, the front office made the decision to rebuild and since then, they have been drafting extremely well. Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr., and Chandler Hutchinson have all showed promise in their development.

Even though the Bulls haven’t been winning as many games as they would like, the recent draft picks have shown strong improvement and development. Now to be fair, it’s only the start of the season and things are bound to change, but you have to like what you have seen so far from them.

That brings up the question of whether or not it’s time to forgive Gar Forman and John Paxson for their horrendous draft mistakes in the past. Do you believe they deserve forgiveness?

I don’t think they do… yet.

Until I see consistently strong drafts be put together, I’m not ready to forget some of the bad decisions they’ve made.

The front office has mismanaged so many drafts in recent years, so history really isn’t on their side. However, if they continue to show improvement in their upcoming drafts, then you can start to wonder if it’s time to forgive and forget. If the Bulls have another strong draft next year, that will continue to put the rebuilding effort in a good place.

For the Bulls to have a successful draft, they will need to draft someone that’s a strong defender. The Bulls have shown already that they are capable of scoring a ton of points, even without Lauri Markkanen, Bobby Portis, and Kris Dunn. Their biggest issue has been defense.

It’s early, but the best option for the Bulls in the 2019 draft is looking like Zion Williamson from Duke. Inserting Zion at small forward would add another defensive and athletic freak to the already strong young core.

Next: Grading the Bulls through the first 10 games

It takes time to rebuild a team. The Bulls are on the right track.

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Spurs show they can win even when playing poorly

I hope Manu didn’t watch this game. I hope Boris didn’t watch this game. To be honest, a part of me hopes you didn’t watch the Spurs near-defeat at the hands of the five-win Chicago Bulls.

The Spurs came out disinterested and disengaged, and kept that same energy the whole game. The bench mob provided a bit more pep, but had little to offer in the way of execution. At times, it seemed like they didn’t even really want the ball.

In order, that’s a) Derrick White and Rudy Gay miscommunicating on a 15 foot pass off a baseline out of bounds play, b) nobody warning DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge about help defenders coming for a steal, and c) Bryn Forbes throwing the ball to no one in particular because no one was open on the last play of the game.

(As an aside, how about throwing the ball deep for Rudy Gay, once Ryan Arcidiacono switches onto him? LaMarcus flashes up towards the ball, drawing the Bulls last defender away from the hoop. There’s a very good chance Rudy makes an easy catch on a ball thrown to the far side of the court on the other side of the half court at that point. Even if he doesn’t, the ball would be much farther from the hoop. If Rudy could even tip it up in the air, time would be on the Spurs’ side.)

But even when they did something right, or at least didn’t do anything wrong, the ball still wouldn’t bounce in their favor.

Patty Mills digs for the steal at the perfect time. Robin Lopez is working baseline and has no idea he’s coming. Patty rips the ball away without fouling... and it goes right between his legs and out of bounds.

Bryn Forbes inbounds the ball to LaMarcus and takes the handoff as he comes over the screen. Unfortunately, he also takes an unintended shot to a very sensitive area, causing him to very understandably lose focus, jump up and down a little, then dribble the ball off his foot and out of bounds.

Not all of their mistakes led to turnovers, though. Sometimes they managed to turn their mistakes into an advantage, like an absurdist interpretation of the beautiful game.

Derrick and Jakob Poeltl are running a pick and roll on the right side with the strong side corner empty, and Derrick is able to get past Robin Lopez on the baseline. Justin Holiday helps off Davis Bertans to stop penetration and leaves Arcidiacono on the weak side guarding both Davis and Patty Mills. Davis is moving up to the towards the top of the key to create separation between him and Patty, but Derrick throws the pass way behind him. Davis just barely gets a paw on it with his left hand while falling down, then tips it to Patty with his right.

Three points is three points.

This is the Spurs’ Motion Offense at its worst. Their Motion Ugh-fense, if you will. The ball swings around the top of the key before Marco reverses it to Derrick cutting over a Davis pick just above the free throw line. This pass, too, is way behind it’s intended recipient, and Derrick has to stop and recover back to the three point line to regain possession.

Marco likely expected Derrick to catch and shoot from behind Davis’ screen, but Derrick obviously had other ideas. His next move is to pass to Davis on the left wing, who dribbles directly into the defense before trying to toss the ball to Jakob Poeltl, who is right next to him. Robin Lopez deflects the pass, but Jakob gets the ball back and heads straight towards Derrick for a handoff. Somehow, this works.

Derrick hesitates briefly before accelerating to the rim for an open layup.

Two points is two points.

Justin Holiday falls down while trying to navigate a screen from Jakob, which should leave Davis with an easy read: Patty on the cut or Jakob at the free throw line. But Davis fumbles the ball so he misses Patty, though he’s still able to get the ball to Jakob in the paint. Jakob throws the ball to the right person but in the wrong place. His slow bounce pass draws Patty back into a 14 footer instead of leading him out to the corner for a three.

You guessed it, two points is two points.

Ugly wins are still wins, and winning games like this, when the team clearly isn’t on the same page, is important for a team still looking to find its way. But let’s hope for our sake and theirs that we don’t have too many more of these in our future.

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Spurs notebook: Second unit providing salvation

MINNEAPOLIS — For the second game in a row Monday, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had seen enough of his starting unit.

Less than four minutes into the second half of a 108-107 victory at Chicago, Popovich benched his five starters and turned the game over to his reserves.

A game earlier in Milwaukee, Popovich did the same after his starters dug a 15-point hole in what became a 135-129 defeat.

“Their movement has been really good,” Popovich said of his plucky second unit. “Not as talented as the first group, but they move really well and play with a lot of energy. We’ve got to figure out a way to inject some of that into the starting team.”

Popovich’s starters say that message has been received.

“Hell yeah,” starting guard DeMar DeRozan said. “Those guys pulled us together. When the bench is playing like that, the starters have no choice but to step it up.”

Popovich emptied his bench in Chicago after a 13-2 Bulls run to open the second half.

Behind 17 points from Patty Mills, the Spurs’ reserves outscored Chicago’s 44-14 to key the much-needed victory.

“At the end of the day, our job is to bring energy off the bench and change the pace of the game,” Mills said.

Heading into Wednesday’s game at Minnesota that closes a four-game road trip, Popovich is hoping his at-times sluggish starting unit can learn a thing or two from their backups.

Those starters are hoping to oblige.

“The second unit has been bringing the juice,” starting point guard Bryn Forbes said. “The ball movement has been amazing. I think they’re doing everything right right now.”

White comes through:

Derrick White logged 24 minutes in Chicago, his most since moving from the starting unit to the bench six games ago.

It was his most productive night with the second unit, including eight points, six rebounds and a pair of steals. With the game in the balance in the fourth quarter, White made the Spurs’ go-ahead shot, a transition 3-pointer with 4:11 remaining.

“I’m trying to get back in rhythm, get my confidence back,” said White, who did not make his season debut until Nov. 7 after suffering a foot injury in training camp. “It’s tough, being out for a month and then the minutes are inconsistent. I’m trying to get a rhythm and help the team.”

Popovich said part of the process with the second-year guard is “trying to convince him he belongs.”

Monday marked a step in the right direction.

“He made a couple aggressive moves, took some shots,” Popovich said. “I think he’s starting to feel comfortable.”

White nears debut:

Rookie guard Lonnie Walker IV is expected to make his professional debut Friday, with plans to suit up for the G-League Austin Spurs against the Agua Caliente Clippers.

Walker, who is recovering from a torn meniscus in his right knee suffered Oct. 5, has been practicing with the Spurs’ G-League club this week.

“The knee is great, honestly,” Walker said after a G-League workout in San Antonio on Tuesday. “It feels like I am back to Lonnie Walker. Day by day, it’s nothing but improvement.”

The Spurs will continue to exercise caution with Walker, selected No. 18 overall in the June draft. He will be on a minutes restriction for Austin on Friday.

Walker’s October surgery marked the second meniscus repair in 16 months, after he suffered a similar injury in July 2017 just before the start of his lone college season at Miami.

“You got to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run,” Walker said. “So it’s all about stages and taking steps little by little until it’s my opportunity.”

Jeff McDonald is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | Jmcdonald@express-news.net | Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN

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Bulls need sustained effort against 1st place Bucks

It’s been less than two weeks since the Bulls made the short trip north on I-94 to take on their long-time division rivals at the brand new Fiserv Forum.

Bulls fans won’t forget what happened that night. Fred Hoiberg’s guys ran out to a 22 point lead then completely fell apart in the 2nd half as the Bucks flipped the script and cruised to a 19 point win, leading Milwaukee fans to start serenading Bulls fans with a few choruses of “Go Cubs Go”, just to rub salt in the wounds of Cubs’ fans for the Brewers’ improbable run to the N.L. Central championship.

Let’s be honest, until Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn and Bobby Portis return there is a huge discrepancy in the talent level of these two teams. Milwaukee owns the 2nd best record in the Eastern Conference at 14-6, despite losing 2 of their last 3 games, including a home date against lowly Phoenix.

Meanwhile, the Bulls are off to a 5-16 start with 8 of those losses coming by 8 points or less. In the first meeting in Milwaukee, Jabari Parker scored 15 1st quarter points against his former team and Justin Holiday drained all 6 of his three point attempts in the opening half. The Bulls were up by 19 and cruising.

Then the 2nd half began and all those long jumpers started clanking off the rim, allowing the Bucks to unleash their lethal fast break, led by point guard Eric Bledsoe and MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo. Bledsoe had one of his best games this season, leading the Bucks with 25 points, while Giannis and Khris Middleton each added 23.

New Bucks’ coach Mike Budenholzer has instituted the share-the-wealth, 3 point heavy offense that brought so much success in Atlanta. The biggest beneficiary so far has been Robin Lopez’ twin brother Brook, who’s among the league leaders in 3 point attempts. The Bucks have also benefited from the return of Ersan Ilyasova for a 3rd tour of duty in Milwaukee, and the signing of under the radar free agent Pat Connaughton, the former 2-sport star at Notre Dame.

The Bucks now have one of the deepest rosters in the East, while Fred Hoiberg is just trying to hang on until reinforcements arrive. Zach LaVine continues to rank among the league’s top 10 scorers, but his decision to wave off Hoiberg’s play call in the final seconds of Monday’s one point loss to San Antonio could have a lasting effect.

LaVine has resorted to low percentage long jump shots on several occasions with the game on the line this season, and that tendency towards “hero ball” will have to change when the Bulls are back at close to full strength.

Markkanen should return to game action sometime next week, and you can bet Hoiberg is looking forward to pick and roll options with the 7 foot Markkanen and LaVine on need possessions in the future. Ultimately, it will be up to LaVine to make the right decision with the ball in his hands. It’s a situation that bears a close watch for the remainder of the season as the front office evaluates the chemistry among the talented young players on the roster.

As for Wednesday night, the Bulls figure to be up against it against a Bucks’ team that’s bound to be frustrated after last second losses to Phoenix and Charlotte. What can the Bulls do to hang with Giannis and company?

1. BOMBS AWAY.  Holiday has made at least one three pointer in his last 32 games to establish a new franchise record. Hopefully the rims in the Bucks’ new arena continue to be kind to the veteran swingman, and teammates Jabari Parker, LaVine and Ryan Arcidiacono are also hitting from beyond the arc. In case you hadn’t noticed, Arcidiacono is currently 16th in the NBA from 3 point range at 44%, solidifying his status as the Bulls’ backup point guard once Dunn returns.

2. LIMIT 2ND CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES.  Rebounding continues to be an issue for the short handed Bulls, as is points allowed in the paint. Because of the injuries to Markkanen and Portis, the Bulls have been forced to go with small line-ups once the reserves come in, and that’s often led to big runs for the opposition.

3. PARKER’S PLACE.  Jabari speaks fondly of his 4 year run in Milwaukee, but you know he’d love to help hand the Bucks another unexpected home court loss. Now that Parker has ramped up his conditioning level, he’s starting to show some of the explosiveness and scoring skills that made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 draft. Remember when Parker arrived in Milwaukee, the expectation was he would become the Bucks’ leading scorer, with Giannis and Middleton as co-stars. Those plans were derailed by Parker’s two ACL injuries, but he looks healthy again and ready to take on his old teammates.

Kelly Crull is with the team in Milwaukee, and she’ll report from Fiserv Forum on Bulls Pregame Live, Wednesday at 6:30 on NBC Sports Chicago and the My Teams by NBC Sports app. The Bulls-Bucks game broadcast will be on WGN, but as soon as the action goes final, flip back to NBC Sports Chicago for Hoiberg’s media session and player reaction on Bulls Postgame Live with Kendall Gill and me.

Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Bulls easily on your device.

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Another setback in Chicago Bulls Denzel Valentine’s recovery from ankle injury

Those waiting for Denzel Valentine to come help save the Chicago Bulls won’t be happy with this news.

Over at the Chicago Sun-Times, Joe Cowley reports that John Paxson indicated Valentine will remain out indefinitely after his left ankle didn’t respond well to a workload increase. The Athletic’s Stephen Noh was in New Orleans last night as well, and reported that Valentine “looked dejected in the locker room”.

Valentine initially injured his ankle way back during a Sept. 28 practice and at the time the Bulls ruled him out for only one to two weeks. Forty one days later, and the issue with Valentine’s ankle hasn’t been resolved. That’s bad news for a player who the injury bug has bitten hard throughout his short NBA career. Valentine underwent arthroscopic surgery (this word haunts the nightmares of Chicago Bulls fans) on his left knee in April. During the 2017 offseason, he underwent surgery on his left ankle precluded by two separate ankle injuries during the 2016-2017 season that forced him to miss 25 games.

When healthy, Valentine showed marked improvement between his first and second years in the league and his most marketable NBA skill (his 3-point shooting) is something that is at a premium across the league. Valentine’s evolution into a fairly reliable playmaker on the Bulls second unit last season was something many hoped he could build on this season. Remember, he averaged almost eight assists per game his senior season at Michigan State.

But he can’t stay on the court right now, and you have to wonder to what degree the injuries put his NBA career in jeopardy. The Bulls did recently pick up the team option for next season, so he’s guaranteed $3.4m before potentially hitting restricted free agency after that season.

Until he does get healthy, expect to continue to see heavy dosages of Chandler Hutchison at small forward, Antonio Blakeney at the Bulls backup two guard position, and Jabari Parker running the second unit.

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Bulls' Ryan Arcidiacono scores career-high 22 in loss

Bulls' Ryan Arcidiacono scores career-high 22 in loss

Chicago Bulls point guard Ryan Arcidiacono scored a career-high 22 points (8-of-12 field goals, 4-of-6 3-pointers, 2-of-2 free throws) with 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 turnover in 36.2 minutes of a 108-107 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.

What It Means:

Arcidiacono was averaging a mere 7.5 points and 1.9 3-pointers on a 40.0 field goal percentage, so this was unexpected, to say the least. Kris Dunn's (knee) impending return will likely slash Arcidiacono's value. The Bulls visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

Arcidiacono scored a season-high 34.8 FanDuel points on Monday. He's averaging 19.0 FanDuel points through 20 games overall.

written by 


Josh Levinson on Tuesday, November 27th, 2018 at 11:28am EDT

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Chuck's Daily Check In - 11.17.18

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Third quarter collapse leads to fourth straight loss

The Chicago Bulls took on the Toronto Raptors in hopes of getting back on track after a few tough losses. Unfortunately, the Bulls would only continue to struggle.

The Chicago Bulls were back home on Saturday night to take on the Toronto Raptors after three straight losses to the Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.

The Raptors were coming off a tough OT loss in Boston where superstar Kawhi Leonard played 43 hard minutes. Going to Chicago to square up against a really bad Bulls team provided Toronto with a nice opportunity to give Leonard some well-deserved rest as opposed to forcing him to suit up on back to back nights.

For those of you that thought the Bulls would be able to take advantage of a Kawhi-less Raptors team, I regret to inform you that you could not have been more wrong.

The Raptors would dismantle the Bulls 122-83.

Chicago was without their best player, Zach LaVine, due to a respiratory illness, so it’s not entirely fair to say that the Bulls should’ve been able to hang with this deep, talented Raptors team.

Without LaVine, the Bulls’ offense struggled to get anything going. As a team, they shot a poor 34.9 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from the 3-point line. The Bulls also turned the ball over 22 times – 14 of those turnovers came from the bench.

Despite struggling to produce offensively, the Bulls hung around in the first half. At the break, they were down by a very manageable 13 points. But for the second straight night, the Bulls would start the second half playing like a team that has no business being on the court with an NBA playoff team. Maybe that’s a sign that the Bulls aren’t anywhere close to contending with the league’s elite.

As far as individual performances go, there wasn’t much to be excited about.

Antonio Blakeney led the Bulls in scoring with 13 points but shot an extremely poor 6-of-19 from the field and had a -30 plus/minus.

Jabari Parker also struggled, shooting 5-of-14 from the field and finishing with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. To his credit, he was one of the Bulls’ top performers. Unfortunately, that isn’t saying very much at this point.

Shaquille Harrison was the best individual performer for the Bulls even though he shot 1-for-7 from the field and only finished with 7 points. His hard work and defensive tenacity showed just how badly he wants to be on this team. Not only does he want to be a consistent part of the Bulls’ rotation, but he deserves it. Harrison added 6 assists, 5 steals and 4 rebounds to his 7 points.

The bottom line for this Bulls team is that without Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, Bobby Portis and Kris Dunn, they just aren’t talented enough to hang with the best teams in the East. Hopefully, as those players start to return, the Bulls will start to find their identity and subsequently start winning some ball games.

Next: What is the biggest storyline of the Bulls season?

Next up for the Bulls is a home game against the struggling Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, November 21. This is a must-win game for a young Bulls team trying to get back on track.

 

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