Bulls unveil new free wheeling offense under Fred Hoiberg
CHICAGO -- King James and President Obama were in the building. Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg was making his NBA coaching debut. Stars Derrick Rose and Kevin Love were each returning from injuries.
And yet amidst all the fanfare and chaos of opening night (not to mention the abundance of secret service agents), Hoiberg appeared to unveil a new era of Bulls basketball. Tuesday’s 97-95 win over the reigning Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers, the same team that knocked Chicago from the postseason last May, signaled a more balanced team than the ones built under Tom Thibodeau throughout the past five years.
Not that Hoiberg’s free-wheeling, downhill offense should come as a shock to anyone who followed him at Iowa State, but it was a refreshing recourse from the eye-sore games the Bulls were used to. The most telling sign of the shift was revealed in the starting lineup, where second-year forward Nikola Mirotic earned the start over veterans Taj Gibson and former Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah.
Mirotic had his moments last year, including when he won Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for his 20.8 point per game average last March. But in reality his defense, coupled with the Bulls’ loaded frontcourt, didn’t allow Thibodeau to rely heavily on the rookie. That was hardly the case Tuesday, when Mirotic led the Bulls with 19 points on 3 for 4 from beyond the arc. He had 11 in the first quarter alone.
“I like his offense,” Mirotic said. “Pushing the ball, scoring easy baskets and sometimes just playing free. We enjoy playing in it. You make the right space, you play for each other, a lot of assists, so it’s beautiful how we’re playing right now.”
Another late-game foul and lay-in gave the Bulls an 85-83 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish, and Mirotic was even in throughout the last 7:18 of the game despite the defensive concerns.
“I thought he battled. They went to Kevin Love right on the first play and he got a dunk on it, but after that I really thought he battled on the defensive end,” Hoiberg said. “That’s going to allow us to play him at the power forward spot where it’s a very difficult matchup. For him to come out, you have to guard him. That’s what opens up the space and opens up driving lanes for Derrick and for Jimmy.”
Rose played 32 minutes in his first extended stretches since fracturing his orbital on Sept. 29. He finished 8 for 22 from the field with 18 points with all but four of his shots coming from inside the paint. That was partially because of Rose’s vision, which he says is still blurry. But those lanes, angles and array of floaters weren’t there last year when Pau Gasol and a gimpy Joakim Noah lumbered around the paint.
Rose’s speed allows the offense to flourish, but without the spacing, those lanes would end abruptly.
“(Niko’s) huge for us,” Rose said. “That’s why he’s starting. That’s no knock on any of my other teammates. It’s just that Niko is in that position, and we want him to play well. We’re going to help him play confident … We expect him out there.”
Flex players Tony Snell (11 points) and Doug McDermott (8) each had successful season debuts as well, further evidence that Hoiberg relishes a wide-open court. Butler hardly excelled with LeBron James draped on him, and Gasol looked uncomfortable, finishing with just two points. But the Bulls now have flexibility on both ends of the court and a clear, renewed commitment to running.
PHOTOS: 2015 NBA OPENING NIGHT