Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Bobby Portis

Bulls Notes: Wade, Hoiberg, Rondo, Portis

April 29th, 2017 at 5:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dwyane Wade doesn’t feel the need to “ring-chase” as he considers his options for next season, relays Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. Wade has a $23.8MM player option and is in no hurry to make a decision. He plans to take a vacation, then meet with GM Gar Forman and VP of basketball operations John Paxson to discuss their plans for the team’s future. Wade’s first season in Chicago after 13 in Miami didn’t turn out the way he hoped, with the Bulls struggling to make the playoffs, then getting dispatched in the first round. Still, he likes being in Chicago and stands by the choice he made last summer. “If I could say anything, one word I could pull out, it’s just ‘different,’ as I expected to be different,” Wade explained. “Only playing in one organization my whole career [prior to this season]. The biggest thing, I came here and I was embraced, not only by the city. Up top, I was embraced by the coaches, the players, and it was some good moments and bad moments. Just like every season. But I don’t regret my decision at all.”

There’s more today out of Chicago:

  • If Wade does return, he wants Fred Hoiberg to be with him, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Wade defended his coach today and criticized the fans who chanted “Fire Hoiberg” during Friday’s Game 6 loss. “I definitely don’t agree with the chants that were going on in the arena,’’ Wade said. “I definitely believe [Hoiberg] got better throughout this year. And I think you have more a grasp moving forward with what he wants to do with this team. You have to give people a chance.’’
  • Rajon Rondo missed his exit interview today, but it’s not a Kristaps Porzingis situation where he’s protesting the state of the team, Friedell tweets. Rondo had a family commitment and plans to reschedule the interview for next week. His future in Chicago remains uncertain as the Bulls decide whether to pick up his $13.397MM option for next season. Several young players expressed their admiration of Rondo in today’s exit interviews (Twitter link).
  • Second-year power forward Bobby Portis was playing with a severely burned foot since March 4th, Friedell reveals in a separate story. The burn was caused by a heat pack that Portis used before a game, and he kept it secret so it wouldn’t threaten his spot in the rotation. “I had a third-degree burn on my foot,” Portis said. “On top of my foot. Every time I tied my shoe up, it was right there on the spot. After the game, it would be bloody and nasty.”
  • Paul Zipser plans to play for the Bulls’ summer league team, but isn’t sure if he will join the German National Team after that, Friedell tweets.
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Central Notes: Rondo, Bulls, George

April 21st, 2017 at 4:53pm CST by Austin Kent

We learned earlier today that Bulls guard Rajon Rondo will miss the remainder of the first round and perhaps some of the next with a fractured thumb. That bad news complicates how the pending free agent’s summer might unfold, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.

Though Rondo is signed through next year for $14MM, the Bulls can part ways with him should they choose to do so by June 30. Half-way through Chicago’s dysfunctional regular season, such a split seemed inevitable. These days, up two games to zero on the No. 1 seed Celtics, that’s not the case.

A strong finish to the regular season, coupled with his impact on the Bulls’ surprising first-round wins over Boston this week, have bumped the oft-maligned veteran’s value to its highest point in seasons.

Of course retaining Rondo would almost certainly delay Chicago’s supposedly inevitable rebuild, Deveney points out. Then again a team capable of threatening the top seed in their conference may not need to shake things up as badly as initially thought.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • Don’t underestimate the impact that Bobby Portis, Paul Zipser and Nikola Mirotic have had on their first-round series against Boston, Sam Smith of Chicago’s official team site writes. The Bulls big men have helped their team hop out to an unexpected two-game lead on the No. 1-seeded Celtics.
  • After being questioned for comments he made about his Pacers teammates, Paul George has come out and defended himself, Clifton Brown of the Indianapolis Star writes. “Everybody knows how close I am with my teammates,” the All-Star said. “For [the media] to say I’m a selfish teammate, or I don’t think about my teammates, or I’m throwing my teammates under the bus? I didn’t say anything bad about my teammates, other than what I think my teammates can do down the stretch in order to help this team win.“
  • Though his Cavaliers are up three games against the Pacers (two at the time), LeBron James speaks highly of Paul George, Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. “Paul George is one of those type of players that you have to just have your eyes on him every single possession because he’s capable of hurting you,” James said prior to Game 3.
  • The way that the Bucks have been playing in their first-round matchup against the Raptors has served as a glimpse into the future, Genaro Armas of the Associated Press writes. While the emergence of Giannis Antetokounmpo is nothing new, it’s the first time they’ve been on full display on the national stage.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Central Notes: Bulls, Middleton, Beasley

March 7th, 2017 at 7:04pm CST by Austin Kent

Although some Bulls fans may have clamored for a youth movement in Chicago, the team saw first-hand that their young core may not be ready for primetime just yet, Nick Friedell of ESPN writes. Briefly in Monday’s loss to the Pistons, the Bulls trotted out a lineup of Denzel Valentine, Jerian Grant, Paul Zipser, Bobby Portis and Cristiano Felicio but the offense quickly stalle, resulting in the prompt reinstatement of star forward Jimmy Butler.

Friedell explains that the vaunted trio of Portis, Valentine and recently acquired Cameron Payne may not be reliable enough offensively, citing their struggles against Detroit as an example of what life would be like for Bulls fans without Butler or Dwyane Wade there to steer the ship. Should Wade leave via free agency this summer and Butler get traded, there could be more nights just like Monday in the future.

Payne, brought over from the Thunder in the Taj Gibson trade, hasn’t been particularly effective in a Bulls uniform, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes in his own piece, highlighting the supposed “pure” point guard’s abundance of field goal attempts. Head coach Fred Hoiberg echoed the sentiment. “He took a couple shots that he maybe could’ve got one more bounce to the rim or kicked out for a shot,” Hoiberg said. “This is really the first meaningful big minutes that he’s getting in this league. And it’s all valuable experience for him. And he’s not afraid of the moment. He’s going to give you everything he has.”

There’s more out of the Central Division tonight:

  • After battling back from a ruptured hamstring that required surgery, Khris Middleton has wasted no time getting into a rhythm beyond the arc for the Bucks, Alex Boeder of Bucks.com writes. All of Middleton’s shooting numbers since he returned nine games ago are outpacing his career averages.
  • The Pacers have put an emphasis on putting smaller lineups on the floor of late with mixed results, Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star writes. Since the implementation of the changes the team has shot better from the field but struggled on defense.
  • Injured Bucks forward Michael Beasley will be out at least two more weeks, Charles Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. Beasley, sidelined with a hyperextended knee, will be re-evaluated at that time.
  • The Cavaliers are in danger, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, more so now that Andrew Bogut has broken his leg and will miss the remainder of the 2016/17 season. Injuries, coupled with upcoming road games, general fatigue and lingering defensive woes could spell trouble for the squad, he writes.
Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0

Central Notes: Bogut, Portis, Carter-Williams

March 5th, 2017 at 8:20pm CST by Austin Kent

The Cavaliers bench is as deep as its been in 47 years of franchise history, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. The addition of Andrew Bogut, who signed Thursday and is scheduled to play Monday, gives the club an impressively qualified 11th man.

Though Vardon acknowledges that many coaches reduce their rotation to seven or eight players in the postseason, Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue will have every opportunity to keep his at nine or ten.

“You never know what can happen and now you always got those guys on the bench that are ready to play,” Lue said of the new Cavaliers. “They are veteran guys that can step up, been in big positions and are capable of making good plays in the playoffs. So, that’s always a luxury to have.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • He didn’t demote Reggie Jackson to the bench but Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy did tweak the minute distribution at the point guard position, MLive’s Aaron McMann reports. “The only thing we told [Jackson] was, he was going to go in shorter bursts and really pace himself,” Van Gundy said. “Push himself defensively and try and get the pace of the game up on offense. That’s all we talked about.”
  • Head coach Fred Hoiberg spoke about some of the miscommunication issues he’s had with Bulls players like Bobby Portis and Michael Carter-Williams. Mark Strotman of CSN Chicago reports that Hoiberg sounded frustrated when questioned about the reported incidents.
  • Released by the Heat mid-season, Derrick Williams has already found himself in a “perfect situation” in Cleveland, Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. Williams’ confidence is surging thanks to the support of his Cavaliers teammates. “When you’ve got guys like [LeBron James] telling you to shoot, the confidence just goes through the roof,” Williams said.
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Central Notes: Zipser, Portis, Harris

March 4th, 2017 at 3:04pm CST by Austin Kent

With Taj Gibson now a member of the Thunder, the Bulls have shifted Bobby Portis into his spot at power forward and rookie Paul Zipser into the sixth man role, writes Sam Smith of Bulls.com. Zipser, a 23-year-old forward, has stepped up of late as a competent two-way player able to defend opposing team’s scorers while hitting the occasional big shot.

Smith isn’t the only one touting the rookie who returned to the lineup after a month’s absence. “He really kind of solidified himself as our sixth man (before the injury) and a guy who’s closing games for us,” Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg told Mark Strotman of CSN Chicago. “We missed him, there’s no doubt about that. He’s got size, he’s got length, he can put it on the floor and he can really defend.”

The change in rotation goes to show that trades aren’t always about what a team acquires, Smith writes, but also about who they open up opportunities for. Portis has averaged 12.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game since stepping into the larger role with the Bulls seven games ago.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • All season long LeBron James commented that he’d like the Cavaliers‘ front office to go out and get a playmaker. Little did he know then that one would fall into their laps. In Deron Williams, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes, the Cavs got just what they wanted. In his first game with Cleveland, Williams became the first reserve to dish out more than four assists in a game all season (he managed seven).
  • The Pistons made the wrong choice when deciding to shake up their starting lineup, Stephen Shea of Basketball Analytics Book writes. A deep dive on Tobias Harris reveals that he is Detroit’s most efficient scorer and that the team performs better when he’s on the floor.
  • The 15-year-old son of Dwyane Wade won’t stop talking trash, Bulls teammate Jimmy Butler tells Alysha Tsuji of USA Today. Zaire Wade is highly regarded as a high school player. “When he makes it to the league, every single NBA player is going to try to score 50 on him,” says Butler.

 

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Bulls Notes: Rondo, Butler, Hoiberg, Gibson

February 23rd, 2017 at 9:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls don’t plan to buy out Rajon Rondo, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. GM Gar Forman confirmed that tonight, telling reporters the organization would rather hold onto the veteran point guard and use his contract as a trade chip in the offseason. Rondo signed a two-year deal with Chicago in July, but only $3MM of his $13,397,000 salary for next season is guaranteed before June 30. Rondo’s time with the Bulls has been a disappointment, as he was benched briefly, then relegated to the second unit. Although he has been effective in that role, there’s no guarantee it will continue after today’s trade for Cameron Payne.

There’s more post-deadline news out of Chicago:

  • The Celtics were willing to include one of the Nets’ first-rounders in trade talks for Jimmy Butler, but sources tell Johnson that Boston wanted to place protections on it (Twitter link). The scope of those protections was not released.
  • Bulls executive John Paxson says the organization wouldn’t commit to rebuilding without “certainty” and never got close to that in any of the offers for Butler (Twitter link). He acknowledges that trade discussions with the Celtics will probably start again by June, and insists Chicago’s playoff fate won’t factor into the decision on Butler (Twitter link).
  • Paxson hasn’t wavered in his support for coach Fred Hoiberg, saying there has been growth in his second season behind the bench (Twitter link).
  • The deal that sent Taj Gibson to Oklahoma City was made to create more playing time for Bobby Portis and Denzel Valentine (Twitter link). “When you’re trying to develop a team with young players, you need them to get on the floor,” Paxson said (Twitter link).
  • Gibson said he knew of eight teams that were trying to trade for him (Twitter link). “The hardest part was seeing people’s faces on the way out,” Gibson said in a radio interview. “It’s family.”
  • Gibson would consider coming back to Chicago “at the right price,” tweets Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. He will be a free agent this summer after making $8.95MM this season. Gibson also indicated that he would consider being a coach with the Bulls when his playing days are finished (Twitter link).
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Central Notes: Butler, Maker, Drummond

February 11th, 2017 at 2:40pm CST by Austin Kent

Though he hasn’t been officially ruled out for Sunday’s contest, Jimmy Butler may have reaggravated the heel injury that kept him out of three games last week. On Friday night, in his first-game back, the Bulls swingman was seen limping on the court, visibly affected by the foot injury.

When asked if the pain on Friday will limit him heading forward, the Bulls All-Star didn’t seem sure. “That’s a good question,” Butler told ESPN’s Nick Friedell following a loss to the Suns. “That’s a really good question.”

In 49 games with the Bulls this season, the 27-year-old has put forth career-high averages of 24.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Even despite the lingering heel pain, Butler managed to post 20 points in his return from the injury.

Earlier in the week, an MRI concluded that there was no structural damage in the Bulls forward’s heel but it may be beneficial in the long run for the organization to rest their star before it grows worse. As of today, Butler is expected to play in the NBA All-Star Game on February 19.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • Rookie Thon Maker started in place of the injured Jabari Parker for the first time Friday night but wasn’t as effective as he wanted to be. “I thought I came out a little flat, and I can’t do that from here on out,” the Bucks prospect told Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I have to be effective. I can’t wait until we’re down 30 or whatever it was. I’ve got to do that from the jump.” To Maker’s credit, his energy in the second half led to the Bucks at least temporarily cutting into the lead before they ultimately lost to the Lakers.
  • Second-year Bulls forward hasn’t seen as many minutes as he was seeing earlier in the season but he’s committed to staying ready, writes Sam Smith of Bulls.com. “Before every game I psych myself up like I am going to play,” Portis says. Though typically efficient with the court time he’s given, Portis has averaged just 5.6 minutes per game in February after averaging 14.4 in January.
  • Though he’s always posted decent steal numbers, Andre Drummond is starting to round out his game on the defensive end, writes Eric Woodyard of MLive. “I think he’s improved a little bit over the last three or four games, in terms of coming to block,” Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy said. The Pistons have won four of their past six contests and currently sit eighth in the East with a 25-29 record.
Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Bulls Notes: Felicio, Lopez, Hoiberg, Valentine

January 15th, 2017 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cristiano Felicio has taken over as Chicago’s center at the end of games, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Felicio played the entire fourth quarter in Saturday’s win over New Orleans and has established chemistry with the Bulls’ guards on pick-and-roll and lob plays. “The other thing he gives us is a big-time defensive presence,” said coach Fred Hoiberg. “We can get out and trap ball screens with him because of his ability to move. There are not a lot of big bodies that move as well as he does.” The Brazilian big man is putting up slightly better numbers during his second season in the NBA, averaging 4.4 points and 5.0 rebounds through 33 games.

There’s more news out of Chicago:

  • Starting center Robin Lopez has accepted the change without complaining, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “I’m just trying to play my part a little bit,” Lopez said. “I think that’s kind of the good thing about our team. When we’re playing really well, we’ve got a lot of different options.’’ Lopez, who was acquired from the Knicks in an offseason deal, is under contract through 2018/19.
  • The Bulls have been disappointingly average through the first half of the season, Johnson writes in a separate piece. Young players like Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic haven’t become the building blocks that management expected, and the team’s last two first-rounders, Bobby Portis and Denzel Valentine, aren’t part of the rotation. Johnson expects Hoiberg to be brought back next season, but his future after that could be uncertain.
  • It’s too early for the Bulls to write off  Valentine as a failure, argues Cole Zwicker of Fan Sided. Injuries and illnesses have helped to derail his rookie season, but Zwicker contends that Valentine still has the skills to develop into a productive NBA player.
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/7/17

January 7th, 2017 at 10:11pm CST by Austin Kent

Here are the D-League assignments and recalls from Saturday:

10:11pm:

  • The Bulls have recalled forward Bobby Portis from their Windy City affiliate, the team announced in a press release. Portis had 32 points and nine rebounds in Friday’s game.
  • The Spurs have recalled rookie guard Dejounte Murray from their affiliate in Austin, the team posted on its website. Murray is coming off a 25-point performance Friday and is averaging 16.6 points per game in 12 D-League contests. He has played 18 games for San Antonio, getting 5.6 minutes per night.
  • The Pacers have recalled Georges Niang from their Fort Wayne affiliate, according to the team’s website. He connected on five 3-pointers and scored 23 points in his last game for the Mad Ants.

2:07pm:

  • The Suns have recalled Derrick Jones Jr., according to a team-issued press release. Jones comes off of his fourth assignment to the club’s D-League affiliate this season.
  • The Lakers have assigned center Ivica Zubac to the D-League, reports Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times via a team press release. Zubac has already played 11 games for the team’s affiliate, averaging 15.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.
  • The Nuggets have recalled Juan Hernangomez from their D-League affiliate, the team announced in a press release. Hernangomez appeared in just one game for the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

11:30am:

Retweet 8 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/6/17

January 6th, 2017 at 8:07pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Friday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

9:24pm:

  • The Magic have recalled guard C.J. Wilcox, the team announced via press release. Wilcox has appeared in four games with the Erie BayHawks this season, averaging 12.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

9:01pm:

8:07pm:

6:00pm:

3:32pm:

  • The Knicks assigned Maurice Ndour and Marshall Plumlee to their D-League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Both players will be able for tonight’s game.
  • The Bulls have assigned Bobby Portis and Paul Zipser to the Windy City Bulls, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
  • The Spurs have assigned Dejounte Murray to their D-League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, according to the team’s website. Murray is averaging 15.8 points and 6.8 assists in 34.2 minutes per contest during 11 games Austin this season.
Retweet 10 Share 0 Send via email0