Vaya Con Gimmick

Seems to me that in the midst of a five-game losing streak and with the Bulls' entire starting frontcourt out tonight on the road against Orlando, Vinny Del Negro might as well let this team have some fun. I'd like to see some four-, and even five-guard lineups on the floor tonight. (Think Rose, Pargo, Law, Hinrich, and Murray.) On offense, spread the floor, identify the largest mismatch, and go at it one-on-one off the dribble. When the Magic go to Howard on the offensive end, just have Law foul the shit out of him and send him to the line. Indeed, Hack-a-Howard should be the order of the night (I'd like to see Joe Alexander get about 4 minutes in the mid-late 2nd quarter, and foul Howard on six straight possessions.) Just something to make the game's pace a little herky-jerky, maybe frustrate Dwight, and, if nothing else, have a little laugh for yourself. Because at this point, with this roster and the current injuries, there's not a chance in hell of the Bulls getting off the shnide tonight if they play straight-up and conventional. So what the hey? Misbehave, make some mischief, get crazy, and fuck with the program a little. If you're VDN, what's the worst that can happen? You lose the game, miss out on the Playoffs, and get canned? I don't think Vinny's under any illusions that all of that is probably in the cards anyhow. So what the fuck? If you're going to the gallows, might as well have a good time on your way there.

What Could Roust Me From My Bulls-Blogging Lethargy?

Only the searing hatred I felt last night, as I watched the Bulls' lead dwindle and dwindle, as Rose's stellar penetration-and-kick allowed for wide-open trey after wide-open trey by Kirk Hinrich, who proceeded to brick just about every fucking one.

The hatred burned so deeply, my loathing of this "shooting guard" becoming so bilious, that I was moved to try to understand why this oft-familiar sight bothered me so much. And I think it comes down to this: When Kirk Hinrich shoots even halfway decently, the Bulls are a good, if not very good, team.

To wit, Hinrich has missed 6 games this year and the Bulls went 1-5 in his absence. That means they're 30-25 when he's on the court, and I went through his game log to check his FG% in Bulls' wins vs. losses. The difference is astounding.

In the Bulls' 30 wins, Hinrich has made 140 of the 313 shots he's taken, a FG% of 44.7. That's almost identical to his career high in '06-'07 when he shot 44.8%.

But of course, Hinrich isn't anywhere near his career-high FG% this year. That's because in the Bulls' 25 losses, Hinrich has made only 74 of his 228 shots, a FG% of 32.5. (To get a sense of how bad that is for a regular player, click on the FG% stats at Hoop Data. No one who takes as many shots per game (9.5, in Bulls' losses) is worse. No one.) And, of course, when you combine the two, you see that Hinrich is having the worst shooting year of his career since he was a rookie. (Actually, worst ever if you're counting his TS%.)

Conclusion? (Other than that while "thrust" and "hustle" are nice, they are nowhere near enough.) The Bulls really need to upgrade the shooting in their shooting guard position next season. Which is why, assuming the Bulls whiff on Wade, TYI is now officially on the Anthony Morrow bandwagon.