Somebody’s first Bulls game, Dennis Rodman sighting and Bulls in the post-season

Where else would any true Chicagoan want to spend St. Patrick’s Day weekend but at the United Center for a Bulls game?

While some may go all in for the dyeing of the Chicago River, or head to a parade or other Chicago area establishment, Bulls Banter organized a field trip to the UC for a game to celebrate the occasion.

And we could not have asked for a better experience, which officially marked our friend Jacqui’s first ever Bulls game!

Despite appearing on the injury report – foot AND eye, she powered through it and made it to the game. Along with many other first-timers, Jacqui even got a “My First Bulls Game” banner, which she displayed proudly.

The Bulls won in convincing fashion, beating the Wizards 127 to 98. While my favorite player, #11 DeMar DeRozan seemed to have been a bit nervous with me there (he “only” scored 13 points), Ayo Dosunmu was on fire. He scored 34, and Vooch added an impressive 29.

It’s obvious that the advance prep by our trio (Jacqui, Tiffany, Cindy) played a key role in the victory. After all, we had a conference call to run through the timed agenda. Yours truly sent out numerous updates to the calendar invite and photo opp schedule. Pre-game dinner reservations were not allowed! How could anyone miss warmups, Benny the Bull’s antics and possible star sightings?

But not even all of our run-throughs and spreadsheets could have prepared us for the biggest surprise of all – the return of Dennis Rodman. I read it was his first time back in 13 years, and the standing ovation and welcome were totally warranted and memorable, and something we’ll never forget.

Benny the Bull cheers Dennis Rodman at Bulls vs. Wizards game at the United Center – March 16, 2024. Source: YouTube and NBC Sports Chicago.

However, as is always the case with project management, we could stand to improve in a few areas. First is to ensure that the fan we choose to take our photo in front of the Michael Jordan statue actually manages to capture the entire MJ statue in the photo. (Photo intentionally not featured in this award-winning article.)

Second is we all need to be injury-free for the next game, and the “somebody” who procures tickets ideally will score seats a little closer to center court, while of course still behind the Bulls bench. Lastly, it would be ideal to take pics of the players and the game itself.

It just means we need to get to another game. And good news on that front. The Bulls are facing the Atlanta Hawks in a play-in game, so post-season play is a reality. Assuming our Bulls prevail versus the Hawks, it’s onto another play-in against a TBD team.

There’s plenty of time between now and then for enhancements to our planning and on-site implementation. We’ll game plan it, and be ready for a long playoff run, and many more nights at the UC cheering on our Bulls – on St. Patrick’s weekend or otherwise.

See Red!

Go Bulls!

Beat the Magic!

A new year brings hope and new opportunities

Happy New Year to all! To the Bulls, to Bulls fans everywhere, and to Bulls Banter. As we enter 2024, there is a lot to celebrate and be thankful for, and we will also look ahead with excitement at all that we can accomplish. Looking back, the Bulls closed the season with vast improvements, including winning six out of their last nine games, and the welcome, yet not surprising performances by Andre Drummond. (Go UConn!). The team seems to finally be adopting the pace of play and ball movement, and sharing of the basketball that head coach Billy Donovan envisioned the team would employ. It just took a little bit longer than anyone likely anticipated. “I think that our guys have done a pretty good job executing and at least being on the same page,” Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said to the media. “There were clearly, last year, times that I didn’t think we executed well enough. I can’t sit here and tell you that every single night we executed perfectly, but that you’re trying to do. Generate the best shot or have the best communication on defense, and then certainly second chance and opportunities to rebound, all those thingsplay a factor.” [credit – ClutchPoints, Scotty White – December 30, 2023] The Bulls are currently ranked 10 in the Eastern Conference, and if this new resurgence continues, it could be time to start saving up for those playoff tickets. Bulls Banter celebrates its 10th anniversary this month, and to signify the milestone, the team (author Cindy “Cinjo” Olsen) and two of her pals are headed to the March 16 game at the UC versus the Wizards. So look for us in section 102, row 8 behind the Bulls bench. So things are looking up all-around for the Bulls as we enter 2024! To start off the year, I hit the court yesterday (New Year’s Day), and got up 150 shots. I’ll be ready for a much-improved 2024, as will our Bulls. See Red! Go Bulls! Beat the 76ers (again)!

Bulls beat the Bucks – time to be thankful

The Bulls are back, and so is Bulls Banter. On Thursday, our beloved Bulls beat the Bucks, rather unexpectedly, most would say, giving us a reason to be thankful and even hopeful.

And Bulls Banters readers can be even more thankful that they didn’t have to read the Thanksgiving weekend blog I was supposed to write, where I was trying to think of five reasons to be thankful for the Bulls, but all I could think of was they have the best mascot, Benny the Bull.

I just watched a replay of the game, and it exceeeded expectations, and there are reasons to be thankful.

First of all, they beat the Bucks. Yes, those Bucks. The ones who play in the United Center North, north of the cheddar curtain, the team you want to hate but really can’t because Giannis Antetokounmpo is such a likeable guy.

So when times get tough, when the Bulls lose again, when the team is on the verge of being blown up, we will always have this date to remember. On November 30, 2023, the Bulls beat the 2021 NBA champion Bucks, and a team that will continually remain atop the Eastern Conference (as long as Antetokounmpo is there). So kudos to the Bulls. No one can take this memory from us.

Back to the game. The guys brought a lot of energy. Everyone was involved. The ball moved around, and there was no isolation play. I am still learning who’s who on this 2023-2024 Bulls team, and I enjoyed seeing the rookie, Julian Phillips play, along with veterans Torrey Craig and Jevon Carter.

And the Bulls led the Bucks in two key stats.

First, rebounds – Bulls 51 and Bucks 43. Note that Giannis had 14 for the Bucks – in 39 minutes of playing time, and our UConn man Andre Drummond had 14 for the Bulls – in 13 minutes of play. (Shoutout to the Huskies.) Second, steals. Bulls 14 steals and the Bucks 12.

The victory came on a night when the two superstars were both out. So perhaps the winning performance is proof that the Bulls have “more than enough” with their other players? While I love DeMar DeRozan, and would hate to see him go, I get that this Bulls team as constructed is not on its way to the NBA Championship.

While we see how it plays out, we can be thankful for victories, for the play of the younger guys, for Vooch stepping up his game, and of course for Benny the Bull.

See Red! Go Bulls! Beat the Pelicans.

 

Bulls end the season on a high note – literally

Thanks to DeMar DeRozan’s daughter Diar’s winning performance during the Bulls’ play-in game versus the Raptors a few weeks back, the season literally ended on a high note. While Diar’s screams whenever the Raptors took a free throw seemed to lead in part to the Bulls’ victory, we likely also need to give Zach LaVine some credit, with his 39 points, what some are calling a “signature moment” and “best game as a Bull.”

The come-from-behind victory against Toronto, where they erased the 19-point deficit is a highlight, and a game to be remembered.

Unfortunately, two days later, the Miami Heat and the pesky Jimmy Butler – beloved Bull turned not so well-loved foe proved to be just too much for our Bulls.

While this was not the season any of us had hoped for, especially following last year’s unexpected appearance in the NBA Playoffs (and season-long appearance somewhere in the top half of the Eastern Conference standings), there were some bright spots in 2022-2023.

To me, it was critical for Zach and DeMar DeRozan not only to co-exist, but to play well together, and most importantly – that they like one another. This was not always evident throughout the season, but by the end, they seemed to have figured it out.

The question for next season will be about Nikola Vučević (Vooch). Will he stay or will he go? Is this core trio enough to enable the Bulls to win a championship?

Short answer. Well, with two full seasons playing together, and everyone starting their summer vacations in April versus June, it seems like we do not have “more than enough” to win with. The construction of the Bulls roster would even be questions by the likes of Thibs.

What I really liked about this season was the Bulls’ defense. I’ve heard it said that “defense wins championships,” and while the Bulls have more to improve upon, with the addition of Patrick Beverley, it felt like the Bulls amped up their defensive focus. For those smarter than me, you can dive into the details of the defensive ratings here: NBA Defense Team Rankings – 2023 Defensive Rankings (lineups.com). The Bulls are ranked seventh for the regular season.

Two younger players showed improvement this season – Patrick Williams and Coby White. In fact, according to Wikipedia, Coby White became the fastest player (237 games) in Bulls history to make 500 career three-point baskets. Here’s a rhetorical question – do the Bulls need someone who can make three-pointers?

And the Bulls were just more fun to watch. It looks like fans rather enjoyed taking in the games at the United Center. According to a Forbes article titled The 2022-23 NBA Season In Review And A Look Ahead, the Bulls were one of three teams to average attendance over 20,000, with a total of 20,527, ahead of the 76ers (20,469) and the Mavericks (20,177).

You know what I like most about my Bulls? They’re all just good guys. From Zach and DeMar to our UConn friend Andre Drummond to Alex Caruso to the ultimate cheerleader, the rookie Dalen Terry.

So, we shall see what the 2023-2024 season brings.

And I’ll make you, my loyal readers and fans a promise. I’m going to spend my Bulls playoff ticket money on playoff tickets next season, versus this season’s backup spending plan, which involved purchasing new outfits to wear later this week when I take my talents to South Beach in Miami for a few days of much-needed sun and fun.

See Red!

Go Bulls!

Les Chicago Bulls ont battu les Detroit Pistons à Paris

It was a memorable week for the Bulls, their fans in Paris, and fans here at home. And it seems like it was a good win for the NBA.

I used Google Translate to write the headline, which is supposed to say, “The Chicago Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons in Paris.” This I wrote all by myself: “C’est très magnifique.” (It’s very beautiful.) It seems my nine years of French study have finally paid off.

When it comes right down to it, the fact that the Bulls got the win is most important. But hopefully, this feel-good week in the city of lights will help propel the Bulls into the kind of second half that lands them a playoff spot.

Stacey King likes to say that Bulls fans travel. By this he means Bulls away games can sometimes become home games because the Bulls fans outnumber the home team fans.

And this week was proof that Bulls fans are everywhere, even Paris! I saw pictures posted on Twitter of fans getting in line three hours before doors opened. There was a really cool moment when a French student journalist/basketball player told Zach he wears #8 because Zach is his idol, and he asked why he chose #8. You can watch the: video here on YouTube.

I caught part of a chat between Chuck Swirsky, the Bulls radio play-by-play mean and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver this week and, I’m paraphrasing from memory, but Silver said something to the effect, “It’s too bad the Bulls’ current record is isn’t on the same level with its fan following.” We have Michael Jordan and the six-championship dynasty to thank for the worldwide recognition. I realize many could have been confused, assuming that it was Bulls Banter and its author helping the Bulls maintain this global appeal and basketball rock star status. It definitely is the MJ effect.

It was so fun to see so many former players at the game, and participating in NBA-led activities with future NBA players and the community—Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, the amazing Magic Johnson. And then there was Benny. I know he was busy brushing up on his French before making the trip, and he definitely took center stage in the team photo at the Eiffel Tower.

Now, it’s back to reality. The reality of winter in Chicago, of sitting at #10 in the Eastern Conference, and having back-to-back games on Monday/Tuesday versus Eastern Conference foes stuck around the same place in the standings – the Hawks (#8) and those dreaded Pacers (#9).

On the Mully & Haugh Show on 670 the Score radio, there’s always a debate about games being “Must win” or “Must win plus,” and I venture to say all the games are “Must win plus” from here on out. So here’s to the Bulls taking the positives from their two recent signature wins – versus the Warriors and the Pistons – to propel themselves to a winning second half and a playoff berth. After all, I’m saving up my $$$ for a front-row seat for a playoff game at the UC.

Paris may love you, but we here in Chicago and at Bulls Banter love you more! Voir rouge…

See Red!

Go Bulls!

Beat the Hawks!

Note: Image sources from Chicago Bulls twitter account.

Cookies – more or less

Cookies – more or less

During this holiday season, I’ve been thinking a lot about cookies. Actually, truth be told, it’s been a lot of eating cookies. Anyhoo.

Stacey King, the Bulls’ television color commentator is known for his many descriptive phrases, and there are a few food-related ones – gimme the hot sauce, Sriracha, and of course – “COOKIES.” He typically yells this, in a Cookie Monster voice when someone gets a steal, leading to a fast break resulting in the Bulls scoring.

Perfect example was this week in the final seconds of regulation, when DeMar DeRozan stole the inbounds from the Bucks, passed to Ayo Dosunmu, who dunked to tie up the game.  Bucks vs. Bulls December 28, 2022 – Source: ESPN. For for the Bulls – it’s all about more cookies.

On the other hand, for me, it really needs to be about less cookies. My wonderful colleague gifted me with her annual homemade holiday cookie sampler assortment, 20+ different kinds of cookies, and another friend just gave me some yummy store-bought cookies. My cookie eating is out of control. So less cookies for me – or at least – cookie consumption in moderation starting in 2023.

The final part of December has brought welcome outcomes for our Bulls. As part of some required training for work yesterday focused on belonging and developing resiliency, part of Thrive Global, we were asked to begin writing down five things we’re grateful for every day. I did that earlier, and won’t share my personal list.

When it comes to our Bulls, here are five things I’m grateful for:

1. Watching the Bulls vs. Hawks and Bulls vs. Knicks games in Connecticut with my Dad, the only bigger basketball fan I know other than me! Important to note that the Bulls won both contests, which they often do when I’m in CT.
2. The Bulls have won five of their last six games!
3. Moving on up in the Eastern Conference standings – now #10.
4. DeMar and Zach seem to be back to their winning ways – as closers, with at least one scoring 40 points/game.
5. I’m going out so early for New Year’s Eve that I’ll likely be home in time to watch the second of tonight’s game against Cleveland.

See Red

Go Bulls!

Beat the Cavs.

Bulls dominate Mavs, extend win streak to two

The Bulls are having fun again and are also fun to watch. Their convincing victory over the Dallas Mavericks brought a little of everything, most important of which was joy.

Saturday evening’s annual holiday dinner at Topo Gigio prevented me from watching the game in real-time, so I settled in on my couch on a grey Chicago Sunday afternoon to experience a replay of one of the brightest performances of the season, and what we expected all year.

The ball movement, steals, fast breaks, dunks, overall block party – all accompanied by lots of hot sauce made this one of the best games I’ve seen in a long long time. Even more, it was great to see everyone involved – from the starters to the bench players.

To tell the truth, this superfan may not have watched every single Bulls game in its entirety this season. In fact, re-watching any episode of Ted Lasso she’s already seen five times often was more inviting than making it through four quarters of Bulls basketball.

With this recent domination of the Mavericks, building on to the victory against the Wizards, we have ourselves a two-game win streak, and it will be all Bulls all the time until Ted Lasso season three launches.

It looks like I’ll need to hold true to my promise sooner than expected, as the Bulls play again tonight. “Every choice is a chance,” says Ted Lasso, and I choose to cheer on the Bulls as they take on “Hotlanta” – a chance for a three-game win streak.

See Red!

Go Bulls!

Beat the Hawks!

Note: Image source: Chicago Bulls website

A new season

The Bulls are back, and I think we can all agree – their performance thus far this season has not been what we expected. Last year, we were pleasantly surprised, when they held a record of 9 wins and 4 losses 13 games into the season.

Thus far this year, it’s quite the opposite – a twinge of disappointment, as they stand at 6 and 7.

Oh, but it’s early going, and Lonzo Ball is still out, and Zach LaVine is not playing every game due to knee management.

Bulls Banter favorite and former UConn Huskies star Andre Drummond had been a bright spot until he sustained a shoulder sprain in the Spurs game. He’s back now, and we all have high expectations for him.

And the same goes for Goran Dragić, who is a key team leader for the second unit, a much-needed three-point shooter and a point guard when the Bulls seem to be a little lacking in that position.

My loyal readers likely have been wondering – “what in the wide world of sports” (as Dustin Rhoades from 670 The Score radio likes to say) has taken me this long to post a blog about the Bulls’ 2022-2023 campaign?

Like the Bulls, I too am entering a new season in my professional journey, having started a new job on November 1. So we’re all figuring it out – understanding roles, how we fit in, and recognizing that we may encounter ups and downs along the way.

I venture to guess that the Bulls will bring a bit more collective excitement to their fans and world at large than my new gig will. Either way, looking forward with anticipation as wins and collective success—both great and small—bring us all together.

It’s my hope that our Bulls find their winning ways, and that I do the same, along with all of you.

See Red!

Go Bulls!

Beat the Nuggets.

Re-setting expectations

The Bulls are in the playoffs, yet, you don’t hear a lot of cheers – from fans, the media, the players, and even from me. This is due to the fact that the Bulls have been on a downward spiral during the stretch run – falling far and fast from their perch atop the East. Their ability to win another game is highly questionable.

My last post, “Championship dreams,” on February 26 may have played a role in the unfortunate spiral of lost games, blowouts and all-around awful close to the regular season. Note to files – don’t get too far ahead of oneself.

Now we’re all coming back down to earth, to the current reality. And it means we need to re-set, and count our blessings, and try not to get too wound up about these recent losses.

First, the Bulls’ unexpected rise to the top of the East…and their residence there for a good part of the season brought welcome distractions to Chicago sports when other teams were either awful (Bears), behaving badly AND awful (Blackhawks), or unavailable due extenuating circumstances (Cubs and White Sox). Watching the Bulls when they WERE winning at least gave us something to enjoy and cheer for during winter hibernation.

And it’s important to remember their record over the past four seasons, so we can see just how far they’ve come. In 2017-2018, they won 27 games, and it got worse the following two seasons with just 22 wins. Last season, when a real basketball coach finally arrived on the scene, they won 31. Thank you Billy Donovan. And as of today, their record is 45 and 36.

Being described as “the surprise of the NBA season,” “intriguing,” “one of the best teams in the NBA” is preferable to the less-than-favorable adjectives that used to come to mind when one described our Bulls: mediocre, irrelevant, laughingstock of the NBA – to name a few that are fit to print.

With the new management team – Artūras Karnišovas, executive VP of basketball operations and Marc Eversley, general manager, the Bulls have a competent, professional management team that will lead this team to a championship…in due time. Their acquisitions of DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Nikola Vučević – legit players – has already made a big difference. FWIW, to quote Michael Jordan, “The ceiling is the roof. Let’s make it happen. Let’s keep moving forward.” With AK and Eversley, there’s hope that MJ’s aspirations can be a reality for these Bulls.

And to close, playoff experience will be invaluable. The short list of current Bulls players who have been to the playoffs is made up of Tristan Thompson, Alex Caruso and DeMar. The fact checkers will have to correct me if I inadvertently missed anyone. Either way, by my calculations, that leaves a pretty large contingent of players who will get their first experience in the next few weeks.

No rookie to the playoffs, yours truly will make her second appearance at a to-be-announced playoff game. While championship dreams may need to be tempered a bit, the Bulls are playoff-bound and relevant again.

Me at my first Bulls playoff game on April 18, 2015. Bulls beat the Bucks.

DeMar DeRozan kind of says it better than I can, in an April 6 article titled Bulls clinch playoff berth for first time in five years despite loss to Bucks on nba.com.

“It’s always an honor to be able to get into the playoffs. The franchise hasn’t been here in five years. So for us to make the jump that we made to be in the position to be able to compete in the playoffs, it’s definitely great. It will give us an opportunity to further our season and play for something bigger. As long as the opportunity is there, it’s a chance. It would be different if we weren’t making it and we were talking about next year. For us to still have a chance and have an opportunity to pick it up and use these next couple games to be going in the right direction at the right time, that’s what it’s all about. Anything can happen. You always kind of look at it from the positive point of view.” – DeMar DeRozan.

See Red!

Go Bulls!

See you at the playoffs!

Championship dreams

Benny the Bull at the UC, taken by the author of Bulls Banter in March 2015.

Like Benny, it’s time to start dreaming again.

While I cannot speak to Benny’s likelihood of being named Mascot of the Year, I can say that the Bulls are on a trajectory toward a championship – something none of us expected. In a time when baseball may or may not happen, the Blackhawks as an organization are being questioned overall for past actions, and football (thankfully) has finished up, it’s time to get on board the Bulls bandwagon. The Bulls are the hottest ticket in town.

Benny is dreaming, and so should we.

There are many reasons to be excited, so much so, that pretty soon, we’re all going to start tossing bags of popcorn like Benny.

There’s the NBA MVP (IMHO) DeMar DeRozan, who seems to score between 30 and 40 points per game, making it look easy. The fourth-quarter closer is an absolute revelation, and this super fan couldn’t be any more proud of the fact that she’s got a DeRozan jersey to wear to the playoffs! The DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine combination is one to watch down the stretch – staying healthy and rested is being talked about a lot out here on local sports radio.

The Bulls continue to win despite missing three of their key players! At the beginning of the season, the hope was to just make the playoffs. Now I’m all wound up about seeding, and matchups, and don’t want to see Brooklyn, Milwaukee, the Heat. Just wondering, is it necessary to have an opponent during a playoff game?

So the “second half acquisitions” for the Bulls are in the form of welcoming back Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso and Patrick Williams. The anticipation of what this team can do when these key players return is better than any trade they could have made.

But then there is the new addition, and another reason to join the Bulls bandwagon. Tristan Thompson, a player I loved to hate during his Cleveland days adds a whole new element. He’ll be an important big man down the stretch, and I know there was some bad blood between him and Joakim back in the day. We can expect some of that defensive sensibility, and Tristan adds the “art of the unexpected” to an otherwise rather quiet, and uncontroversial group of Bulls players.

What I find ever so satisfying is that this team seems to like each other. From what I can tell, they leave their egos in the locker room, not on the floor.

The Bulls are relevant again, and Chicago knows it, and soon the world will. I re-watched the second half of the Bulls vs. Hawks game, and the UC was rocking. While I always want a double-digit lead (like the UConn Women), that’s not always possible, and it’s definitely not good for my heart. But the Bulls prevailed vs. Atlanta, and let’s hope they do the same tonight vs. Memphis.

See Red!

Go Bulls!

Beat the Grizzlies!

And throw some popcorn!