Not Qualified To Comment » The Nightmare Continues

The Nightmare Continues

March 17, 2010 at 9:00 am | Chicago Bulls
By: South Side Sheik

I’ll admit it. I couldn’t even motivate myself to watch the Memphis Grizzlies’ game last night. I figured I’d feel better watching the Winthrop-Arkansas Pine Bluff play-in game knowing that none of those players would ever play for my favorite pro team. I refuse to call it a Chicago Bulls game because Senator, I cheered for the Chicago Bulls, I knew the Chicago Bulls, I consider the Bulls a friend of mine, and the lineup they put out there last night, was not the Chicago Bulls.

To put it in perspective, Brad Miller in his third year in the league signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls. The 2000-2001 Chicago Bulls finished the season a horrific 15-67, finishing 8th in the Central Division. On March 16, 2001, the Bulls lost to the Seattle SuperSonics by ten points (that team no longer exists!) and lost their sixth straight game. The starting five for that game?

Rumored to have run a 5.7 40-yard dash this year.

Ron Mercer – (in 4th year in league)
Marcus Fizer – (Rookie)
Fred Hoiberg – (6th yr)
Brad Miller – (3rd yr)
Bryce Drew – (3rd yr)

Can it get any worse? How about the bench…

Corey Benjamin – (3rd yr)
Jamal Crawford – (Rookie)
Dalibor Bagaric – (Rookie)
Dragan Tarlac – (Rookie)

One would have hoped that this would have signaled the low point for the Bulls franchise for decades to come but at least Marcus Fizer put up 25 points and 10 boards, with Corey Benjamin scoring 13 points off the bench.

I’m not saying that the 2009-2010 Bulls are approaching the level of the lineup thrown together above. But after suffering their 8th loss in a row, Brad Miller has to be wondering what episode of “The Twilight Zone” he landed in. Here’s the active roster from last night’s game against the Grizzlies:

Give him credit. Brad Miller just keeps answering the bell.

Ronald ‘Flip’ Murray – (8th yr)
Taj Gibson – (Rookie)
Jannero Pargo – (7th yr)
Brad Miller – (12th yr)
Acie Law – (3rd yr)

And the bench?

Hakim Warrick – (5th yr)
Devin Brown – (8th yr)
James Johnson – (Rookie)
Chris Richard – (2nd yr/NBDL)

While the Bulls are not at risk of dropping below the 9th slot in the East, they are digging themselves quite the hole to attempt to catch one of the three teams above them with 16 games left in the season.

Right now I would take just seeing some development from our young players with some additional playing time. Well how’d that go you ask? James Johnson and Taj Gibson combined for 52 minutes played and put together this measly stat line: 6 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 12 fouls. How’d that #2 pick who was sent down to the NBDL earlier this month do? 28 minutes, 10 points, 9 boards, 1 assist, 2 blocks and only 3 fouls.

P.S. As I wrote this, I watched Ben Smith and the Jacksonville Dolphins knock off the Arizona State Sun Devils on the road in the opening round of the NIT. What a finish, can’t wait for the rest of March Madness!