There have been expectations the Bulls will do something to improve their frontcourt depth before next month’s trade deadline, but that may be much more difficult due to backcourt injuries, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes. Long-term injuries to Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso could alter the Bulls’ plans, since their backcourt trade assets are now depleted.
“We’re thin there now, and we went from really having a deep backcourt – but our backcourt was never really deep this year because we were always dealing with something,” Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said. “It’s been a flux of guys in and out so we were never whole back there. So I haven’t had enough conversations with (executive VP) Arturas (Karnisovas) to really get into any details of what the thought process may be at this point and time.’’
We have more from the Central Division:
- The Bucks issued a statement voicing their displeasure over Grayson Allen‘s one-game league suspension, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Allen’s hard foul caused Caruso’s wrist injury. “We disagree with the suspension. We support Grayson and look forward to him rejoining our team for Friday’s game vs. New York,” the statement read. The Bulls, on the other hand, feel Allen barely got a proverbial slap on the wrist. Nikola Vucevic said, “The play Grayson Allen made has no place in basketball,” adding that it was a “very, very dirty play,” K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets.
- While development of young players is the Pistons’ top priority, coach Dwane Casey is weary of moral victories, Pistons.com Keith Langlois writes. The Pistons committed 22 turnovers in a six-point loss at Denver on Sunday. “We’re getting to the point, going into the end of the year and next year, where close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades,” Casey said. “It’s things we can control. Last 10 games we were fourth in the league in turnovers, 12 a game, and then we had this tonight. That’s what was more disappointing.”
- Pacers third-year center Goga Bitadze has received extensive playing time in three of the last four games. Bitazde, who hails from the country of Georgia, is excited for the opportunity. “For three years everybody has been waiting for me to play and waiting for me to play,” Bitadze said to the Indianapolis Star’s James Boyd. “It was frustrating for them and me as well, but finally for me to get these minutes and for people to get to see me play against the Warriors … it was a really good game for me and for my country.” Indiana has already exercised its option on Bitadze’s contract for next season.
I didn’t find that Grayson Allen play to be dirty. Many of his plays in the past, sure, so he deserves his reputation but that one was just a hard play. Nothing excessive IMO.
Watch it again. First arm was hard, but a basketball play – a common foul. Second arm was strictly to grab him and throw him to the ground. It was not a basketball play. It was dirty and he deserves retaliation. I’ll bet he sits out with a hangnail the next time they play Chicago.
Definitely was a dirty play.
I didn’t think the second play with his other arm was dirty. It’s reckless and aggressive, but it was a play on the ball. I would say the exact same sentence to describe THT and Oubre’s foul.
The combination of what Allen’s two arms were doing is what took Caruso to the ground. Caruso fell less violently than Suggs or Hunter did (both of whom were ok) but unlike them, was twisted onto his side and broke his fall with his arm, which is what likely caused the fractured wrist.
If any other Buck had done this, people wouldn’t be calling it dirty. It’s because it was Grayson Allen, who from 2015–19 made some dirty plays, mostly in college. Without that reputation, which has waned in the years since, people wouldn’t be up on their soapboxes about Allen. No one is on their soapboxes about THT and Oubre, whose fouls were no less egregious than what Allen did.
Was a deliberate intent to injure and the NBA just said hey, it’s cool to injure guys without penalty. Silver just put open season on all players driving the basket. Allen is a coward.
Couldn’t agree more.
Also, if you watch the flow of the game, you can tell that Allen was already getting frustrated offensively..Then, he took it out on Caruso with that completely unnecessary follow-through to put more force on knocking him to the ground…
Anyone who watches the game, and cannot see that it was clearly done with intent is wearing blinders.
The NBA should have made a statement with Allen, especially when the cameras caught him smiling and snickering for everyone to see while Caruso was receiving treatment..
Absolute BARE MINIMUM he should have received a 10 game suspension that the Bucks would have fought and was reduced to 7 or 8.
By the sheer lack of punishment you’re opening up a can of worms for any player to take out another player without having to worry about any real consequences…
That punishment was an absolute joke, just like the pompous, immature Greyson Allen..
nba made their statement. slap on the wrist for a slap on a wrist.
Exsctly, to say its a malicious or dirty play, or that it deserves more than the ejection, is to judge the players reputation only, rather than what actually happened on the court.
I couldn’t stand that little d-bag in college either, but a suspension for this play is stupid.
“Anyone who watches the game, and cannot see that it was clearly done with intent is wearing blinders.”
This is your opinion, colored by Allen’s past. I understand why you say that, and prior to 2020 I’d have said the same thing. Allen started to change in Memphis and I believe him when he said he had no intent to injure Caruso. Wouldn’t have believed him a year or so ago. He was pompous and immature before, but based on his conduct off the court and on he’s gotten past it.
No one saw this because it wasn’t a nationally-televised game, but two days before the Bulls game Allen shouldered Ja Morant to the ground. Instead of taking the ball and starting a fastbreak opportunity, Allen tended to Morant. Perhaps in opposition to what his teammates wanted him to do. Ja was down for much longer than Caruso was and in more obvious pain. So don’t try to tell me that Allen does this deliberately. Here’s the video if you don’t believe me:
link to youtube.com
Watch the video after what he did to Caruso again. Allen was laughing at jokes two of his teammates said while Caruso was standing in the huddle.
10 games is ridiculous. If he’s getting one game (which I don’t really have a problem with), THT and Oubre should be getting the same. Injury or no injury is irrelevant to the precedence. If punishment is only meted out when a player is hurt, it’s not serving its purpose to deter players from doing it again.
You’re only saying it was a deliberate attack because Allen did it before. There’s literally no evidence to indicate what Allen did this time was deliberate: it’s just a narrative people are applying because he tripped guys in college.
I don’t think the Allen play was as dirty as it’s being made out to be. 1 game is more than enough.
Easy to say he intended to cause injury AFTER said injury. If Caruso was fine this wouldn’t even be a story. The media loves a villain
I think every take on this situation has a little truth to it, but this is probably the closest.
Can’t see anything wrong in Grayson’s action, can’t see why the league would ban him for a game & can’t see why MIL doesn’t appeal & makes a big stink trying to protect their player from all the media & fan harassment going on!
Certainly not going to get into the psyche of Grayson Allen. Bad foul and Vooch is right, it has no place in the game. League handled this appropriately. Bulls will get theirs in the end, and they don’t even have to play dirty.
Not likely since the Bucks are the better team.
The Bucks are actually defending that dirty player?! Not a good look, Milwaukee. Karma is a b***h.
far worse look not to defend a player from your own organization on a subjective call. you think they should have waived him and maybe pressed charges? lol
Staying silent is the norm if your player simply made a mistake. Questioning the call is actually encouraging the act that caused the foul and suspension.
But, ok, Bucks think it’s perfectly ok to smack players to the ground? Got it. 3 more games left, and I know what they will look like.
it wasn’t a random call in the game i.e. a mistake — he was given a suspension. totally within reason for them to comment.
you seem to be thirsty for blood. in that case AEW Dynamite airs Wednesdays at 8 EST on TBS!
You’re assuming that Allen did that with intent, and recent evidence from the game literally 2 days prior to the Bulls game as well as Allen’s history since 2019’s summer league suggests he did not.
link to youtube.com
To defend a play that hurt another player is not a good look. Intentional, reckless, dirty, whatever word you want to use, he has a history of doing this kind of nonsense since college. If you have an employee that has a history of being late, they don’t get the benefit of the doubt, even if they weren’t late literally 2 days prior.
I’m not defending the play, I’ve said nothing defending what Allen did. If that employee had a history of being late at another job, would they not get the benefit of the doubt at their new job? Because Allen’s history is primarily from college. Also, if they’d been working at the company for nearly 3 years without being late should they also not get the benefit of the doubt? Because that’s the last time this happened with Allen, and it was in an exhibition game.
First off, I’m not referring to you. I’m referring to the Bucks. Secondly, that’s exactly what you’re doing. You’re not changing my mind about him. Good luck with your crusade.
I changed my mind about him a year or so ago, and I’m not the one on some crusade. You’re the one banging the drum about having a longer suspension.
How is defending the player equivalent to defending the play? A player is not necessarily defined by a single play. Do we define Giannis only for his dunk over Tim Hardaway Jr.? No.
You can argue that the Bulls are getting karma right now for having 3 games canceled while everyone on their team had COVID, meanwhile the rest of the league had to play through it and take Ls while most of their team was in quarantine
On a side note, Allen has a very punchable face.
he looks like spence (patton oswald) from king of queens.
Looks like he has friends named Bryce, Tanner, Skyler and Bodie.
comments like this are further proof that there is a difference between “not a good look” and “I don’t like that they did that!”
Don’t pull something on that reach. You tried though.
Usernames like yours are further proof you have no credibility.
Ah so now you’re resorting to personal attacks. This is how I can tell that you know your argument is flimsy. You have no ammo left.
Ted Cruz was what I always thought. Say what you will about who he was on the court in his dirtier years, but off the court he’s always seemed to be a good dude, unlike his lookalike…