Chicago Bulls at Oklahoma City Thunder: Game Outlook
Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder visit Jimmy Butler and the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
After coming from 19 points down the beat the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night, the Bulls square off against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. Chicago, and Jimmy Butler in particular, have started off the new calendar year as well as they could have hoped, winning three in a row coming into tonight’s game.
Through their wins over the Charlotte Hornets, a Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving-less Cavaliers and Raptors in the last week, Butler is averaging 38 points, 40 percent from three, 15.3 free throw attempts, 9.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game, according to Basketball Reference. And he does that all while defending the opposing team’s best perimeter player. Jimmy not only forced DeMar DeRozan into many, many tough shots, but also hounded Kyle Lowry late in regulation and overtime. He’s one of the more complete players in the league, and while the Bulls can be a pain to watch at times, Butler is certainly a sight to behold.
According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, Jimmy is a game time decision.
A game against the Thunder without Jimmy would be a test for the Bulls. Here are a few things to look out for.
Jan 7, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts after a play against the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
What will it take to stop a man who can’t be stopped?
Russell Westbrook – I’m sure you heard of him – is still averaging a triple-double, and it is January. The goal of the Bulls should be to slow Westbrook down, suppressing his production and forcing other Thunder players to beat them. Hindering Russ is a tall task, and one that requires a full defensive game from everyone on the floor, and that starts with who guards him.
While Michael Carter-Williams isn’t nearly as good a defender as he has been touted in his short career, he has one notable advantage over Russ’ offensive game. Westbrook likes to post up, especially with smaller guards on him. At 6-foot-6-inches tall, MCW has a couple inches of Westbrook.
Russell pushes the ball in transition with the best of them. His ability to receive the ball from a big, or grab it himself, and seemingly teleport from one end of the floor to another. Getting back on defense in an organized manner and communicating will be important in limiting Westbrook’s effect on the break and force much of his production in the half court.
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Robin Lopez, while not the quickest center by any means, is smart in defending the pick-and-roll. Lopez will likely sit back and bait Westbrook to attack the rim, where Robin forces opponents to shoot 51.1 percent within six feet of the hoop. Cristiano Felicio, who has received most of the backup center minutes for Chicago, is a bit fleeter of foot and should be able to sufficiently defend the paint, but it’ll be a challenge for the young big man.
Because of Russ’ passing ability, the Bulls will need full defensive attentiveness. I’m looking at you, Doug McDermott. Ball watching and falling asleep off the ball will more than likely result in an assist for Russ or a quick swing for a three-pointer.
If Jimmy doesn’t play, Fred Hoiberg won’t have the luxury of throwing his best defender on Russ, forcing him to play different lineups in attempting to solve the puzzle that is Russell Westbrook.
Jan 4, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
What lineups will Hoiberg use?
Down the stretch during Saturday night’s game against the Raptors, the Bulls ran out Dwyane Wade, Butler, McDermott, Nikola Mirotic and Felicio. These five played a majority of overtime and were key to locking up the win.
Not to hammer on Jimmy’s possible absence, Fred won’t have the flexibility of using Jimmy as a crutch in an already weak rotation. If one were to guess, Butler’s replacement in the starting lineup will more than likely be McDermott.
Obviously, without Jimmy, the offense will likely suffer, as he’s been the main contributor for the last three games, and most of the season for that matter.
But the Bulls’ shooting from the perimeter could be a bright spot in tonight’s game, assuming Doug and Niko shoot well, which isn’t promised. The idea of spacing would be helpful for the offense, giving ball handlers like Wade room to get to the basket and allowing low-post scorers like Taj Gibson time to operate.
With Butler, we may see more of the same from the Bulls. Many of the Thunder’s power forwards are quicker, perimeter based players, meaning Mirotic may get more run than normal.
With three wins in a row against playoff quality teams, Hoiberg’s seat on the bench has cooled down, affording him the creative license to play with different matchups and lineups to find what works best.
Dec 31, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard/forward Jimmy Butler (21) celebrates with teammates during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
What does a win or loss mean for Chicago?
As usual, the Bulls have put fans in an interesting position. They’ve won their last three after trade and firing rumors were swirling. Besides Jimmy Butler’s place among the league’s best players, nothing is for sure.
Not to discredit Chicago over the last few games, but they’ve needed tremendous Butler games to defeat the Raptors and Hornets, and the Cavaliers were without their second and third-best players. Butler is dependable, but only to an extent will it translate to wins, which of course begs the question: What are the Bulls?
The front office will take the last few games and turn them into a reason to not change, when in reality, they should do the opposite. Clearly, Jimmy’s supporting cast is lackluster, and not one that lends itself to contention for a championship. Butler is already 27 years old, which is the age at which most NBA players peak.
Trading Jimmy would elicit excellent return depending on the suitor, but that deal seems to be the last option for management. Gibson and Lopez are both incredible serviceable and useful, especially on a good team. But by the time either picks or young players come into their own, Jimmy’s time as a top-ten player may have expired.
Once again, the Bulls are at an impasse. While the wins don’t help to make a conclusion about this team, Butler is still a joy to watch.
