The Spurs were a turning point in DeMar DeRozan's career, but he didn't lead the Bulls away from starting an All-Star for the first time. Shooting 32 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists on 5-of-22 shooting, 5-of-5 free throws was perfect, and DeRozan in the game also showed his skills and ability at all times. Helplessly, he and the bull can only regret the defeat. Seven members of the Spurs team scored in double figures, and in the third quarter, they completely controlled the game with a wave of 35-23 offensive climax.
One game won't affect the Bulls and Spurs too much, the Bulls are still second in the East with 30 wins and 18 losses, the prospects for the playoffs are very clear, and the Spurs are eleventh in the West with 19 wins and 31 losses, and they are not yet qualified for the playoffs. In fact, this is also a true portrayal of the two teams this season, the Bulls want to have better results, they want to go further in the playoffs, the Spurs are in a state of infancy, and the playoffs are their goal.
Since the goals are different, the requirements of the team are also very different, the Bulls naturally have to be all-encompassing, and the Spurs are justified. In this way, it is clear that the Bulls have not yet reached the level of all aspects, or that they are still at the level of a pseudo-strong team. Of course, when Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball return, the Bulls may be in a better position.
What is not accidental? Look at the stats: The Spurs delivered 35 assists against the Bulls but made just seven turnovers. It's no surprise that such stats appear on the Spurs, who have averaged 27.9 assists per game this season, second in the league; with just 12.6 turnovers per game, they are twenty-seventh in the league. Greg Popovich has no problem coaching the team, and a group of young Spurs are really young and old.
Of course, it is not a simple thing to play 35+ assists in a single game and make no more than 10 mistakes, as of January 29, Beijing time, there have only been eight such cases this season. But what's even more incredible is that four of the eight assists with 35+ assists and no more than 10 turnovers in a single game were on the Bulls: the Bulls on December 11, 2021, the Nets on Jan. 13, the Bulls on January 13, the Warriors on jan. 15, and the Bulls at home on Jan. 29. The Bulls, on the other hand, lost the game all.
It's no accident that the league has had eight assists in a single game with 35+ assists and no more than 10 turnovers, four of which have been with the Bulls. Speaking of which, there is still a problem with the bulls. So, what's wrong with the bulls? The answer is still defensive. So far, the Bulls opponent's three-point shooting rate has reached 36.1%, the fifth highest in the league, and the Bulls have not done a good enough job in limiting the opponent's three-point shooting rate, knowing that the first four teams are the Pelicans, Blazers, Pistons and Magic, they are all the league's fishy team, and the Bulls are only a little better than them.
Limiting opponents' three-point shooting percentage is only one aspect, and the Bulls average only 17.9 three-point shots per game, the fourth lowest in the league and not an excellent report card. In fact, this is the current problem of the Bulls, their defense is prone to power outages, and there are problems with enthusiasm and the rate of arrival, once they enter a vicious circle, the Bulls are easily taken away by the opponent's wave of flow. The game against the Spurs is a good example, the Spurs shot 7-of-12 from three-point range in the third quarter and 16-of-37 from the field, hitting almost as many three-pointers in one quarter as they did in the other three quarters.
The problem is not insoluble, and Caruso's return may be the bull's last straw. The Bulls have been the backdrop of 35+ assists in a single game and no more than 10 turnovers four times, and Caruso missed three of them. It is no accident that Caruso's defensive attitude is not a problem, single defense and co-defense ability are also superior, there are 1.9 steals per game, once he returns, the Bulls' defensive system will be significantly improved, and the team's attack and defense will be more balanced. Of course, the Bulls can also seek a trade to get a good defensive number four, and the team's problems can be properly solved.
Text/Duncan's laugh