Andrew's Chicago Bulls Dynasty - November 2006

[Andrew]

A little, but I did anticipate it would take a couple of games to adjust to playing without Gordon. Even though the scoring is a bit more evenly distributed than it was earlier in the year he's still the first option and the most effective player when I need to put points on the board in a hurry and the offense is stalling. I think that can be ironed out within the next couple of games, from there it's a matter of holding the fort until he's ready to play again.

I'm not too upset by the injury because it makes things more interesting, but it's a shame about the timing because he'll miss out on the All-Star Weekend and six weeks is a long time for him to be out.

[Matthew]

Are you thinking of a major reshuffle to the starting lineups to try to compensate for the loss of Gordon?

[Andrew]

No, but with Duhon returning in the next game (or the game after that if he hasn't healed) I'm planning on moving Chandler back to the bench since he seems to play better there, while sliding Hinrich over to shooting guard and starting Duhon at the point. That'll give me a lineup of:

C: Kemp
F: Nocioni
F: Deng
G: Hinrich
G: Duhon

That's a lineup I do use at times during my regular rotation so I feel it will be effective.

[Matthew]

If you get desperate, you could shorten your roatation by bringing in chandler, and having kemp at the 5, chandler at the 4, nocioni at 3 and a backcourt of deng and hinrich. or you could bring in paitkowski, see if the old man has anything left in the tank

[Andrew]

Pike still has his moments but he's yet to have the same kind of clutch performance he turned out in my NBA Live 2005 Bulls Dynasty. I'll probably run that lineup at some point though I find Chandler's usually more effective at the five.

[Matthew]

Have you made a decision about giving yourself the knicks pick, which is rightfully yours anyway?

[Andrew]

Not yet, though I'm leaning towards leaving it as it is.

[Jugs]

Dajuan Wagner, he's awesome. I hope he gets more minutes while Gordon is gone.

Okur should be starting at the Center position instead of Ostertag (for the Jazz)..

chandler only 2 points, wow... Are you considering trading him before the deadline or in the offseason?

[dada]

I was kind of expecting a better performance out of Wagner in his debut however he really couldnt do much in 11 minutes. 4 assists in that span isnt bad though. Maybe next game he'll get more playing time and give gratitude for it by playing well.

Tough loss but in time things should get back to normal. I hope Gordon's recovery is going well.

[Matthew]

Not yet, though I'm leaning towards leaving it as it is.

Why though? You lost out on eddy curry and the draft pick was the top compensation in the deal. It also adds to the realism, just becuase live 06 didnt have it set doesnt mean you should miss out . Just think, you could be like joe dumars in 2003, only this time you draft a carmelo or wade and not darko

[Andrew]

Why though? You lost out on eddy curry and the draft pick was the top compensation in the deal. It also adds to the realism, just becuase live 06 didnt have it set doesnt mean you should miss out . Just think, you could be like joe dumars in 2003, only this time you draft a carmelo or wade and not darko

True, but I like to think of a Dynasty game as its own reality and I already brought Kemp back (albeit signicantly lower than his Legend ratings) so I'm not sure if I want to bother with the Knicks' pick. But I haven't decided yet.

February 8th, 2006
Chicago (136) at Denver (130) 2OT
Chandler comes up huge in double-OT victory
[ Boxscore ]

With Ben Gordon sidelined, the Chicago Bulls are looking for a new hero. Against the Denver Nuggets help came from the usual suspects, as well as an unexpected source. But no player was more impressive in extra time than Tyson Chandler, who totalled 14 points and 5 rebounds in the two overtime periods, finishing with 26 points, 19 rebounds and 3 blocked shots.

With just over two minutes remaining regulation it didn't appear as though the game was headed for an overtime period, let alone two. After Chicago finished the first half up 50-48, Denver went on an 11-0 run to begin the third quarter and held a seven point lead through most of the quarter. Dajuan Wagner's jumper late in the period tied the game at 74 before Earl Boykins made a three to put the Nuggets back on top. Denver would lead 79-77 heading into the fourth.

The Bulls recaptured the lead early but found themselves down by eight in the closing minutes. After Chicago took a 105-104 lead, Voshon Lenard converted on a three point play to put Denver up 107-105. After a timeout, the Bulls tried to pound the ball inside but Carmelo Anthony, who finished with 41 points and 7 rebounds, stripped the ball from Andres Nocioni and ran the court for an uncontested layup. Chicago scored on their next possession then Nocioni came up with a steal on the perimeter and fed Shawn Kemp for a layup to tie the game at 109. Andre Miller took a three that rolled out as time expired, sending the game into its first overtime.

Chicago appeared to be in control early in the first overtime but a couple of costly turnovers allowed Denver to take the lead. The Bulls were forced to foul Andre Miller with the Nuggets leading 120-119 in the hopes of getting off one last shot. Miller made both free throws and the Bulls called timeout, bringing on their best three point shooters including recently acquired Matt Carroll.

Carroll received the ball at the top of the key, faked out Lenard and calmly drilled a three to tie the game at 122. The Nuggets still had time for a final shot but Miller airballed a three out of the timeout, giving Chicago a chance to win the game with 0.7 seconds remaining. Carroll once again received the ball, this time on the right wing, but the rushed shot didn't fall resulting in a second overtime.

The Bulls were determined not to let another opportunity slip away but the Nuggets played hard, physical defense and hassled Kirk Hinrich and Chris Duhon, preventing penetration attempts. Chandler would shoulder the load however, scoring 10 in the second overtime including the go-ahead basket as Chicago escaped with a 136-130 victory.

Notes: Chicago is 3-0 in double overtime games this season. Their most recent double-OT win came against Indiana on January 14th...Denver won the rebounding battle 48-47 with a 20-17 advantage at the offensive end...11 players scored in double digits with 9 of those players scoring 15 or more.


Kemp had another flashback performance against Denver with 24 points (including the game-tying shot in regulation) and 8 rebounds

[Matthew]

Ever thought about trading for payton while gordon is out? Kemp and Payton... . Nice victory in Denver. This is what I meant about how injuries add to a dynasty. The way you dug deep to beat the nuggets in denver was impressive, but surely it was more sweeter becuase gordon was out, right?

[Andrew]

Definitely, it's a lot better than the days when there'd be no injuries and everyone would play 82 games except the guys at the end of the bench who'd usually pick up a couple of DNP-CDs. I mean, I'm disappointed to lose him for so long and just before the All-Star Weekend because I'm sure he would've been picked for some of the events but I like that I have to make the adjustments and take on the challenge.

I'd trade for Payton but I'd have to give up someone like Duhon to get him which won't be productive long term. I'm hoping to go a few years with this one, simming a lot in the second year onwards.

[Andrew]

February 9th, 2006
Chicago (98) at Sacramento (101)
Bibby's three sinks Bulls
[ Boxscore ]

Mike Bibby capped off an 11 point fourth pointer with a three pointer with 8.7 seconds left as the Sacramento Kings held on to defeat the Chicago Bulls 101-98 in Arco Arena. Bibby finished with 19 points and a game high 9 assists, shooting 8/14 from the field in 35 minutes.

Peja Stojakovic also punished Chicago scoring 9 of his game high 26 points in the fourth quarter. Defensive mixups on consecutive possessions saw the Bulls leave one of the league's best shooters open the perimeter in the midst of a run that allowed the Kings to go up by 10 late in the fourth. The Bulls managed a run of their own as Luol Deng stole an inbounds pass and fed Andres Nocioni for a layup to cut the deficit to five. Deng nailed a three on the Bulls' next trip down the floor and broke loose for a fastbreak dunk on the next to even the score at 98.

Sacramento called timeout and Bibby dribbled off the clock before launching a three from the right wing that found nothing but net with 8.7 seconds remaining. Out of timeouts, Chicago rushed the ball up court and found Matt Carroll on the left wing but his three point attempt was off-target. Kenny Thomas grabbed the rebound as time expired, preserving the Kings' victory.

The Kings had led most of the game, scoring 7 straight points after the Bulls made the first bucket of the night. Chicago would not lead again until the final minute of the third quarter when they went ahead 72-69 and held a 74-73 advantage heading into the fourth.

Notes: Sacramento shot 41/77 (53.2%) from the field...the Bulls outrebounded the Kings 43-29 in a losing effort...normally stingy with fouls and free throws, the Bulls sent the Kings to the line for 17 attempts, of which they made 15...at the 50 game mark, Shawn Kemp is the only Bull to play and start in every game.

[Matthew]

I'd trade for Payton but I'd have to give up someone like Duhon to get him which won't be productive long term. I'm hoping to go a few years with this one, simming a lot in the second year onwards.

Why not trade pargo/othella/piatkowski for him? try to come up with a package of seldom used role players and you should be able to get him .

Stong effort with kemp starting each game, and tough loss to sacramento. are you confident of being able to catch cleveland?

[Andrew]

I've already traded Harrington to Charlotte. Pargo and Pike aren't attracting much interest. At this rate I don't think I'll catch Cleveland, but I might get the chance to knock them off in the Playoffs.

February 12th, 2006
Chicago (73) at L.A. Clippers (94)
Bulls struggle in fourth, Clippers win by 21
[ Boxscore ]

The Los Angeles Clippers got a surprising lift from rookie forward Yaroslav Korolev, who came off the bench to score 18 points and grab 9 rebounds in the Clippers' dominating 94-73 victory over the Chicago Bulls. Kirk Hinrich led the Bulls with 16 points but was just 7/19 from the field and missed all five of his three point attempts.

After losing the lead in the final minute of the opening quarter the Clippers struck early in the second and soon built a ten point lead. Although the Bulls would reduce the deficit they were unable to get by the Clippers who held a six point lead at the half having outscored Chicago 26-19. The Bulls struggles continued through the second half as they failed to even match their first half total.

"They just outplayed us, man," a visibly dejected Chris Duhon told reporters after the game. "We didn't bring our game in the fourth quarter. We didn't fight for it tonight." Duhon had 12 points and 7 assists starting his third straight game after returning to action following a sprained finger but was 5/16 from the field.

It was the first time in nearly two months that the Bulls have dropped two straight, with the last back-to-back loss coming December 14th against the Toronto Raptors. The win allows the Clippers to inch closer to the .500 mark, as they now sit at 24-26, fourth in the Pacific Division and 11th overall in the West.

Notes: The Clippers held the rebounding advantage 47-38...the Bulls were just 1/18 from downtown with Chris Duhon making the lone three...the Bulls' total of 73 points is a season low and the first time the club has been held below 80 points this season. Their previous low was 90 in a loss to Utah on February 6th...the Bulls shot 36% from the field (31/86) while the Clippers shot the ball at a 48.2% clip (41/85).

[Matthew]

Yeah that would be a sweet storyline: Cleveland gets the top seed, has the new king of basketball leading them. Then they meet chicago and a rivalry is renewed. Are you confident of being able to beat Cleveland in a 7 game series?

[Andrew]

So long as I have Gordon, I think I can do it. I'm 1-1 against them this year so we'll have to see how the next two games play out. But I think I can find a way to do it.

February 14th, 2006
Sacramento (116) at Chicago (100)
Kings sweep season series with Bulls
[ Boxscore ]

It may have been Valentine's Day, but the Sacramento Kings showed the Chicago Bulls no love in their return to the United Center. Peja Stojakovic scored 15 first quarter points as the Kings went up 34-20. They never looked back, leading by as many as 28 during the third quarter and never allowing the lead to dip below 11.

Shawn Kemp, who had 4 points and 8 rebounds in the loss, was disappointed but philosophical about the loss. "We're just in a funk right now," he explained, "Ben's out, we're tired and we're rattled. We just need to get our heads on straight and give 100% from start to finish." Kemp and the other starters rested most of the fourth quarter but did return midway through the period when the Bulls looked to be on the verge of an unlikely comeback. The run stopped dead however and the starters were pulled for good with 4:23 remaining.

Mike Bibby was again a thorn in the Bulls side despite only playing 27 minutes due to foul trouble. Bibby hit the game winner in their previous contest in Sacramento and this time delivered a solid performance with 17 points, 8 assists and 2 steals. Bonzi Wells was also a key contributor with 16 points and a team high 9 assists, while Kenny Thomas grabbed a game high 14 rebounds.

Notes: Chicago has lost four of its last five games, their worst stretch since a five game losing streak from November 7th to November 16th. The team had not lost three straight since then...Sacramento shot 58.5% from the field, connecting on 48 of 82 attempts...both teams grabbed 39 rebounds with the Bulls winning the battle on the offensive glass 17-11.

Current Record: 31-21
Next Opponent: Philadelphia 76ers (31-20)

Obviously not my best two performances but if there's one positive I can draw from them it's that it improves my standing in the Draft. One of the players I'm most interested in as moved up from being projected late first round to top 20 so I might miss out on him. I'll be trying to trade up before the deadline but I might have to trade for him after the Draft since he's likely to go before my pick.

[Matthew]

Do you hope you meet cleveland in the conference finals or semi finals? Tough losses against the kings, do you think they are better in live with artest or stojacavic? Also, do you get the feeling that your guys are playing at a lower level becuase of the gordon injury?

[dada]

30 more games to go. What would be your ideal record during that span?

[Matthew]

30-0? :crazy

[Andrew]

30 more games to go. What would be your ideal record during that span?

At my current form, even 15-15 would be nice. Anything over .500 would be ideal since I'd like to finish as high as possible though I don't mind the idea of being an underdog challenger or getting a pick closer to the middle of the first round. I'm not going to tank any games but if I do struggle a bit while Gordon's out I still believe I can make it work in the long run.

[dada]

Thats close to what I thought: 16-14. It would be nice to hit the 50 wins but oh well. You would have to get flashbacks or yuor early January form. At least the first round should provide a challenge.

[CouchPotato94]

Elden Campbell

I used him in my old Pistons dynasty, he was a great bench player.

Good as always, sucks to see Gordon out. But you're doing well without him. Keep it up.

[Andrew]

Thanks for the comments, though I wouldn't say I'm doing all that well without Gordon.

February 16th, 2006
Philadelphia (95) at Chicago (92)
Sixers hand Bulls fourth straight loss
[ Boxscore ]

The Bulls will not be heading into the All-Star Weekend with the momentum they would have liked, having dropped their fourth straight and their second consecutive home game to the Philadelphia 76ers 95-92.

Chicago finished the first quarter 19-18 but were again outplayed at the beginning of the second quarter and found themselves trailing at halftime. Clearly mindful of their second half struggles in recent times the Bulls tightened up their defense and attacked relentlessly in the third, getting 11 points out of Dajuan Wagner who appeared in just his fourth game for the Bulls. Wagner would finish with 17 points in the game, shooting 8/16 from the field. The Sixers relinquished the lead and trailed 67-63 heading into the fourth.

The fourth quarter would not go to plan for the Bulls as a cold streak and turnovers plagued the team early on. Philadelphia took the lead but Chicago stayed with them tying it up at 79. John Salmons then hit a three pointer that put the Sixers ahead for good at 82-79. The Bulls would attempt one last rally but a second three pointer by Salmons put the game out of reach. Hinrich would nail two threes from the top of the key but time ran out on the Bulls, whose record now stands at 31-22 heading into the All-Star break.

Notes: Chicago committed 17 fouls and 24 turnovers, well above their season averages of 11.3 and 15.3 respectively...the Bulls attempted only four free throws, making three. They are averaging 18.9 free throw attempts per game on the season, making an average of 15.5 per game. Philadelphia made 18/20 free throws.

February 16th, 2006
Nocioni to represent Bulls in Rookie Challenge

CHICAGO, IL -- Forward Andres Nocioni will represent the Bulls at the 2006 All-Star Weekend in Houston, TX, as a member of the Sophomore team in the Rookie Challenge. Nocioni has appeared in all 53 games for the Bulls so far this season starting 41 times, while posting averages of 13.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 2 apg. He is also shooting 55.7% from the field and 89.2% from the free throw line.

This will mark the seventh straight year the Bulls have had at least representative in the Rookie Challenge beginning with Elton Brand in 2000. Since 2000 the game has featured a team of the top rookies taking on a team of the league's best second year players. The Sophomores lead the all-time series 5-1 with the Rookies' lone victory coming in 2002.