There was a play when Larry Hughes was jogging up court with ball in hand and simply flipped it at the basket.
No one was around.
Then Tyrus Thomas appeared in the screen and hammered it down, nearly bouncing his forehead off the rim. It was part of a second-quarter run that put the Chicago Bulls within striking distance of the New Jersey Nets.
They Bulls put together an impressive effort in their 113-104 victory over Nets. It was one where Joakim Noah ran the court, blocked shots and created easy opportunities for himself and teammates.
It was the kind of game that was, in theory, the way the 2008-2009 Bulls should perform. Rose was electric again, putting together a 22-point, six-assist, six-rebound, game against other point guard sensation Devin Harris.
Say this for Mark Cuban, he's always one for spreading the joy. He basically gave away a perennial all-star for a former, over-the-hill one in Jason Kidd. New Jersey fans should be sending Cuban absurd Christmas greetings with Harris in a wreath with banner: "Buy high and selling low, Mark. That's the Christmas spirit."
Sorry for the digression.
Bulls fans have about given up on the two string-bean bigs. Both of whom have woefully underperformed in every facet of their games and have not been able to take advantage of Rose's playmaking ability, been in the right spot on defense, ran the court (remember Scott Skile's plea about Thomas), or even seen remotely focused on their exact roles.
We can't question coaching in this case. They've both been under two different coaching staffs and produced the same result: bad.
Thomas is the heart breaker. He put together his best performance of the season against a larger Nets team. In one sequence the Nets failed to convert on two layups, where Noah blocked a shot, then Thomas blocked a shot, then ripped away the rebound.
The crowd was elated.
And here is where an understanding of a what a role player is. You can still be a star as role player; for Chicago references, there was Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant.
Right now the San Antonio Spurs are a blueprint for role players outside of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.
Thomas can average a double-double a night if he does what he did on Saturday night. He ran hard, kept his eyes on the ball instead of simply running to a spot and knew when to leave his man on defense to rearrange or block shots.
That's basketball and it's a concept that neither of Noah nor Thomas seemed to understand.
Noah, by some coincidence, had his best game of the year as well. He'll never be more than the player he is--offensively inept, weak and somewhat uncoordinated. But he still offers something.
He just seems to have regressed in every way since he became a pro.
The cynic in me won't believe this is the turning point for the Clueless Twins. History says Thomas makes a strong, controlled effort in one game and disappears for weeks.
Noah is not much different, which shows how important they are to this team and the future.
How do you channel this into another performance? How does Vinny DelNegro get them to run again? He called them out earlier this week, and if we have any barometer, it could have worked in the short run.
But these are NBA players and they don't take well to motivational ploys, demotions or defined roles. They all think they're entitled to something: the ball, playing time, etc.
And it's what so disheartening as a fan. Coaches know better; we know better. It's the players that are on an island. It's the good ones that accept their place in the game and take advantage of it.
Simple in theory, but rarely executed. And it's why this might have been a game for the memories--not the future.
1 comment:
You're exactly right, it's the kind of game that gives you false hope because you think Thomas now gets it. I've seen too many of these, but probably one of the first where they both play well.
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