Taj Gibson has been officially named the starting power forward of the Chicago Bulls, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. The move gives Fred Hoiberg a completely one-dimensional team with very limited ability to threaten from beyond.
Gibson won the spot over Nikola Mirotic, a big man that can stretch the floor with his deep range and is able to put the ball on the floor and drive with ease.
While Rajon Rondo has shown an improvement in his three-point range during his last year in Sacramento, shooting 36.5 percent from deep, he was only making a tad less than one three per game.
Dwyane Wade has proved an effective shooter when needed, especially last year during the playoffs. He's been vocal about taking more threes this year, but we're yet to see what the volume will be.
Jimmy Butler was a below-average shooter from deep last season, making only one per game while shooting it at a 31.2 percent clip.
“I know how it's going to play out,” Butler said defiantly. “Everybody overlooks us anyway. All we can do is overachieve. I know the group of guys we have. I know how we have been working and preparing. So I know how I think it's going to do.
“I don't pay attention to (critics). But I hear what people say. I understand everybody's entitled to their opinion. The first amendment says that. That doesn't mean I have to take any of their nonsense.”
It's hard to imagine a team that's historically suffered shooting from deep going anywhere in a league that has been stretching players farther away from the basket during the past 30 years.
“There's more than just shooting threes,” Butler said. “We're constantly in attack mode. You have to get in transition. There's pick-and-roll, free-throw line (jumpers). There's a lot more to the game than just shooting threes. But we just have to step up, take them, shoot them with confidence like we do every day in practice.”
While Mirotic and Doug McDermott are available off the bench, the first few minutes of opening quarters can turn into a nightmare for the Bulls if teams choose to clamp down on the paint and force them into shots from deep.
“We've done a really good job of getting into the paint,” Hoiberg said. “(Butler and Wade) play well off each other. Rondo has had some really good moments out there as well. The turnovers were much better at the end of the preseason. It's about taking care of the ball, getting a good look, valuing the possession. If we do that, hopefully we'll be able to take advantage of some matchups with different guys and play to our players strengths.”
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