Play Hard, Play Late
Tiago Splitter sat two starters to win in Milwaukee, got an answer from both against Washington, and still lost the home opener in one bad quarter. Now the schedule turns nasty.
Tiago Splitter sat two starters to win in Milwaukee, got an answer from both against Washington, and still lost the home opener in one bad quarter. Now the schedule turns nasty.
Tiago Splitter closed out the Bulls' first win without Josh Giddey or Matas Buzelis on the floor. Twenty-four hours later both of them were out there at the finish of the home opener, and both had earned it. Chicago still lost 124-120 to Washington, because one quarter undid the rest. That's the season so far: 1-2, a rookie running hot, and a coach who hands out minutes like they cost money.
My barber in Bankstown had the clippers going and the replay of Milwaukee on his phone. "Benching your starting point guard in game two? Either he's mad or he means it."
He means it. The Sun-Times boiled Splitter's rule down to play hard and you'll play late. In Milwaukee the bench mob led by Tre Jones finished the job and won 132-125, Norman Powell scored 25 with nine of nine at the line, and Buzelis got no fourth-quarter minutes at all. Caleb Wilson hit four free throws and grabbed a steal in the last 76 seconds. "I always feel toward the end of the game I'm going to do the right thing," he said. In his second NBA game.
Against Washington the message landed. Chicago led 62-57 at half. Then the third quarter: 7 of 23 shooting, five turnovers, 40 points conceded to 20 scored. "We were very inconsistent with our coverages," Splitter said. Down 21 in the fourth, he went small with Leonard Miller at centre alongside the starters, and they ran 16-4 in a little over two minutes. Giddey had six assists and was plus-10 in the fourth. Buzelis scored nine of his 21 late. "It was good, but it's too late," Buzelis said. Honest kid.
Here's the mechanism. Washington starts Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr together and brings Deandre Ayton off the bench, and Sam Smith counted 62 Wizards points in the paint plus 21 second-chance points. The Bulls aren't big enough to trade layups with that. Go small, shoot it, run. When the threes don't fall, size eats you.
Wilson is the headline either way. He went for 30 and 14 for his first double-double, despite going 1 of 9 from three, and Smith says it's the most points by a Bulls rookie through three games since you know who. Wilson's own read: "I feel like it shows that we have fight, but we put ourselves in that position."
Around the league, Golden State is 0-3 and reportedly exploring trades for Kristaps Porzingis, who is out indefinitely with a health issue. Rumour, nothing close.
Now the gauntlet. Boston twice this week, the champion Knicks twice, Philadelphia twice, then Wembanyama. Patrick Williams (groin) is out tonight and Nic Claxton is still about a week off. Tip in Boston is 10:30am Tuesday in Sydney.
The barber's verdict: "Minutes are the only currency a first-year coach has. Spend them right." Join the List below and I'll tell you straight whether the small-ball fix survives Tatum.
If this one started an argument at the pub, the shop or the group chat, that's the job done. Rico Holt runs on readers, not bookies or big media money. Shout the next column here.
One email when there's something worth arguing about. Australian sport first, no tip sheets, no spam. Join the List and I'll tell you straight how the Bulls handle Boston.
The barber is a composite. Every named player and coach is quoted or boxed on the record.
Rico Holt · ricoholt.com
If this one started an argument at the bar, the shop or the group chat, that's the job done. Rico Holt runs on readers, not bookies or big media money.
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