Chicago Bulls at Houston Rockets: 3 Takeaways From An Opportunity Missed

After a great team rally in the second half, the Chicago Bulls failed to seal the deal in a frustrating OT loss to the Houston Rockets on Yao Ming’s jersey retirement night, 121-117.

These Chicago Bulls (now 25-26) remain remarkably confusing. Though it looked like the team was unraveling after a hilarious week of locker room dysfunction and a demise felt imminent, they remain in the thick of the playoff hunt, because they still have the ability, on any given night, to play up to their competitors’ level for 48 minutes (or, in this case, 53 minutes). Jimmy Butler was a last-minute scratch, the result of a bruised heel. Michael Carter-Williams, not Doug McDermott or Paul Zipser, was inserted in his place.

Yes, the same Michael Carter-Williams who was a DNP-CD in four of the last six games, and was the absolute last healthy body off the bench in Chicago’s blowout 128-100 Wednesday defeat of the superior Oklahoma City Thunder. They went up against James Harden and the Houston Rockets (37-17), and fell in overtime, 121-117. Harden, probably the top MVP candidate, logged a typically terrific 42 points, 12 boards and nine dimes.

Feb 3, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Michael Carter-Williams (7) dribbles the ball as Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Fred Hoiberg Needs To Communicate With His Players

On Friday morning, a K.C. Johnson piece covering Michael Carter-Williams dropped in the Chicago Tribune. The article tackled the uncomfortable reality of Carter-Williams’ benching, with seemingly no end in sight. A telling pull quote from the story: “Hoiberg said Carter-Williams could get a shot sometime during the current trip that continues against the Rockets on Friday night.” That assessment doesn’t exactly sound like MCW is the next man up in Fred Hoiberg’s Hoiball scheme should a perimeter player go down.

Of course, that’s exactly what he was tonight. And he was the second-best player on the team last night! In 35 minutes, he had 23 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the field (he only made 1 of 3 free-throw attempts, though, despite being a 77.5 percent free throw shooter on the season), nine rebounds, and six assists, to go along with some solid defense, and was plus-7 for the evening. Zipser, meanwhile, had another solid night, scoring 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting, playing ruggedly on both sides of the ball — but going an ill-advised 1-of-6 from deep.

Jan 15, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) dunks the ball against Memphis Grizzlies forward JaMychal Green (0) during the second half at FedExForum. Chicago Bulls defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 108-104. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

The Bulls Need To Flip Nikola Mirotic’s Contract

…And then re-sign Taj Gibson. The longest-tenured Bull has been a calming veteran presence amidst the storm that has been the Bulls’ 2016-17 season. In 36 minutes, Taj had 20 points (on 9-of-13 shooting), 6 boards and 3 dimes. He was plus-4 for the evening. The majority of his momentum-shifting output came in the third period, when the USC product had a flurry of powerful dunks, chipping in 12 points in that quarter alone. Taj proved to be a big part of Chicago’s outburst during that time frame, where the Butler-less Bulls outscored the Harden-heavy Rockets 32-19. Though the 31-year-old may have lost a half-step, he is having one of his best-ever seasons, averaging 11.5 points and 7.1 boards in 27.4 minutes per game, and shooting 51.3 percent from the field.

Mirotic saw just 16 minutes of floor time, and went 4-for-8 from the field to match Zipser’s 11 points. He timidly shot just two three-point attempts, making one. He had seven rebounds and three assists. He is shooting 38.5 percent from the field and 29.9 percent from 3. Zipser, the 6’8″ rookie, is shooting 35.1 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from 3-point range. McDermott is shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from the 3-point line (and a spectacular 90.9 percent from the charity stripe). Mirotic’s output can be replaced by these guys, both small forwards who can play some power forward behind Taj.

There is a market (probably just Sacramento, but still) for Nikola Mirotic’s services, I have no doubt, even though the cold hard reality is that the 6’10” power forward’s just not very good as the Bulls’ Ryan Anderson (who, when healthy, has been a beast for Houston). The Bulls should ditch Mirotic and one of their recent draft busts for either a pick or shooting wing help. There’s no way the free agent-to-be is coming back; and the Bulls should not do to Taj what they did to Jo last year, and make it seem like there was any way GarPaxDorf would ever re-sign Pau (in this case, Niko).

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

What Is Rajon Rondo Still Doing Here?

Fine, he had a nice corner bounce pass feed to a cutting Doug McDermott (one of his five assists, to go along with five rebounds), abetting the Bulls’ third quarter run. But, I mean, come on. The latest iteration of Fred Hoiberg’s erratic rotations has Carter-Williams (generally a point guard, though he was the ostensible starting small forward last night) and Jerian Grant playing ahead of Rondo. Though the pricey free agency acquisition has endeared himself to the young pups (including Grant) through constant uplifting shows of support to the media, that doesn’t make his on-court contributions particularly significant. Beyond MCW’s impressive stat line, Jerian Grant had a pseudo-competent showing tonight (the phrase “pseudo-competent” being relative, and only applicable in contrast to Rondo’s night in this context).