Some numbers of note from the East this week:
1: After grabbing 15 boards in Thursday's loss to the Lakers, Chicago's Joakim Noah has failed to reach double digits in rebounds only once in 11 games this season. Tops in the league in rebounding at 12.6 rips per game at this early juncture, Noah is trying to become the first Bull to lead the NBA in rebounding since Dennis Rodman did it three times in the 1990s.
18: Since Rodman's rookie season in 1986-87, Detroit's Ben Wallace has recorded 18 games with at least 10 rebounds and zero points -- including Wednesday's zero and 12 in Portland -- which is second only to Rodman's 27 such games in that span.
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Much Like Milk, The Bulls Shot Selection Is A Bad Decision
The dark orange coupling near the upper right shows us that the Chicago Bulls take an outrageous number of long jumpers inside the three point line. To put it in perspective, the Bulls take more long twos than the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets combined and five more than any other squad. On average, an NBA team takes about 18 three pointers per contest but the Bulls only take 12 which is just about a third as many as they take from long-range inside the line. It’s no surprise that the Bulls have the lowest ratio of long twos versus threes in the NBA.
via Hoopdata – NBA in Polychromatic Form: Shot Location.
Some brilliant early-season analysis from HoopData regarding shot location. You look at the teams that shoot lots of long twos versus threes and their records, then the reverse, and those teams, and it’s pretty evident the effect it has. I get that the Bulls don’t have any offensive weapons to draw defenders or create, but still. You have a choice on each possession about which shot you’re going to work for, or settle for, and the Bulls are opting for the least efficient shot over and over again.
Salmons regains touch
After busting out for 41 points on 16-for-31 shooting in the first two games of the road trip, John Salmons has raised his average to 14 points and his shooting percentage to .357.
He was averaging 12.6 points on 31.7 percent shooting when the Bulls began the five-game Western road trip and was mired in a horrific slump.
So after putting together two solid performances in a row -- including 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting despite second-half foul trouble in the Bulls' 108-93 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night -- Salmons was asked after practice Friday if he was back.
''I'm just taking it one game at a time,'' he said with a big smile.
6 Reasons Why Bulls Better Be Careful What they Wish for in 2010: Aaron Gray is Not Coming Back
I think the loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, told us what we needed to know about this team despite Derrick Rose’s season-high 28 points.
They are really counting on a mini miracle when free agency begins in 2010.
1. Dwayne Wade? Doubtful. It’s 80 degrees in February, and Michael Beasley can still get the good weed for the off-days.
Chicago Bulls' effort lacking, coach charges
Analyze the Bulls all you want.
Break down how they take the third-fewest 3-pointers in the league, how their defense is improved, how their half-court offense too often bogs down into standing around or pounding the ball.
But what this season hinges on, as much as anything, is plain and simple effort.
That's why Vinny Del Negro's uncharacteristically stinging rebuke late Saturday rang so true. And why following Sunday's film session and practice, the coach didn't back off.
"I didn't like the way we approached the finish of that game," Del Negro said. "Our effort wasn't good enough."
Bulls: Let's get physical
When Vinny Del Negro assembles Bulls practice at a downtown hotel here Sunday morning, one wonders if he will bring blocking sleds and tackle dummies.
For the second straight postgame, Del Negro has questioned his players' physicality and effort following a blowout loss.
Losing to the Lakers in a landslide is one thing. Denver obviously is a strong team, particularly at home. Nevertheless, the lack of competing from the Bulls' end was apparent to more than just Del Negro.
The 2009-2010 Derrick Rose Conundrum, A Shot Selection Story
The situation with Derrick Rose this season has been confusing for fans, teammates, and even coaches. The common belief for his struggles compared to last season’s success have been some combination of battling injury and a poor jump shot. But is that really what’s going on? The last week or so I’ve been trying to figure out what’s wrong. I decided to use Hotspots to take a look at Rose’s shooting, and I found some very interesting things.
2008-2009 Season:
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