What Mat, Kobe, and Russell Westbrook Have In Common

Until Mat is proven wrong, and that can't be until at least October, he is certain that the Bulls will still be a contender to win the NBA Finals next season.

Hearing this from Mat should not come as a shock to you, as this is about the 5th time he's uttered this phrase.

However, now he has some of the leagues best have Mat's back.

Kobe Bryant and the oddly dressed Russell Westbrook have each said that they expect the Bulls to be in the mix come April and May of next season.

This is no surprise as players will say that about any team you ask them about this far away from the season starting, but Kobe had some words about Tom Thibodeau that showed he wasn's just blowing smoke up ESPN Chicago's ass.

"I felt like Thibs did a great job of putting guys in a position to be successful and they really held it down for as long as they could, man."

Kobe is usually one to tell the truth.  So Mat believes him, man.

Mat also couldn't hold back a smile when he read Westbrook's quote from the piece.

"He's doing well ... Chicago don't got to worry, buddy."

During the regular season the Bulls still have the pieces to win a lot of games.  And come playoff time, when Derrick is back, they'll be right there on everybody's radar just like they were before Rose went down.

Mat just asks that you have some faith... buddy.

New Name on the Block: Michael Redd

Remember a few years back when Michael Redd was the missing piece on the USA Basketball roster? Well, Mat does.

Now, Mat doesn't think Michael Redd is the missing piece to the Bulls, but he could be a nice replacement.

Redd can still score.  He averaged more than a point every two minutes last season.

The guy can shoot the 3, he's an average defender that couldn't certainly be affected positively by Thibs, and a well seasoned veteran.

Pretty much everything the Bulls are looking for... if the price is right.  Redd made the league minimum $800,000 (isn't that ridiculous, every basketball player makes that much), and is expected to accept a similar deal this offseason.

Following this Bulls offseason has been kind of a bore, and Michael Redd's name is not about to change that, but a healthy Bulls team in Mat's mind is good enough to win it all.  Therefore, adding a piece like Redd could be just what the Bulls need come next April.

Don't believe Mat, just look at that Battier guy in Miami.

Thibs' Contract, Not A Problem

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau still does not have a contract extension on the original one he signed two years ago.

Mat's not worried, and fully expects Thibs to be roaming the Bulls sidelines for years to come.

The reason behind Mat's confidence is simple.  The Bulls are an elite coaching job in the NBA.  This is not some mid major school coach who can get wooed by UK.  Thibs has it made in the Windy City.

He's got one of the best players in the league.  He's got a fan base that supports the team by selling out the building night in and night out.  And he has an owner and front office who support his style and what he's trying to do.

Mat wonders what more a coach can ask for?

Usually when people deny being upset about contracts Mat scoffs and writes them off as liars.  But in this case, he truly believes Tom Thibodeau.  There is no rush to sign a deal.

Thibs was the Coach of the Year two years ago and was snubbed the award this year.  He's coming into a season where a lot is expected, but without Rose, he basically has a free pass to have a tough year.

It's a dream scenario for any coach.  Top notch franchise, top notch players, top notch facilities (and getting better), and a city that loves the team.

When they say they haven't had time to sit down and talk contracts.  Mat believes it.  When the time comes that it's truly necessary to re-up, Mat's sure the Bulls and Thibs will reach a fair deal.

Luol Deng to Skip Surgery, Start Opening Night?

Tom Thibodeau has reportedly told ESPN Radio's Waddle & Silvy program that Luol Deng will not have surgery to repair ligaments in his left wrist after the Olympics, and the small forward will be ready to start the season with the team.

Mat's immediate reaction is to be very, very wary. Luol Deng had easily the worst shooting season of his career last season, and it's hard not to chalk that up to the injury. Throw in the training staff's spotty history and Thibs's tendency to play guys even when they shouldn't be in, and it seems like a dicey experiment.

Upon closer look, though, Mat can see the argument for playing through. Luol knows his body -- knew his body better than team doctors when they implied he was playing up what turned out to be a fractured leg -- and if he's become acclimated to the pain, if it's gotten better to any degree, if he thinks he can make it through another season as a productive player? That's his prerogative.

Furthermore, there's no definitive proof of causation between Deng's wrist injury and his poor field goal percentage. He wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire before he got hurt (43.1% FG) and he actually had a better field goal percentage in the month following the injury (41.7%) than he ended up with on the season (41.2%). He closed out the last month of the season on an uptick (42.4% FG) and put up a solid 45.6% from the field in the playoffs.

Deng has had a similar outlier season on the other end of the spectrum, shooting 51.7% from the field in 2006-07. The two seasons are almost exactly as far removed from his career average: 2006-07 was 52 points higher, '11-12 was 53 points lower.

Obviously, Mat still has reservations about this decision. Deng didn't lose his shooting stroke; he shot 36.7% from three at a career-high volume. Part of his decreased efficiency was due to subpar midrange shooting, but it's also because he lost his ability to attack, drawing fouls at a career-low rate. That, above all else, seems directly attributable to a desire to avoid pain.

Until Deng continues to struggle, though, Mat is willing to give Lu the benefit of the doubt.

Mat also thinks this helps explain the Bulls' draft and pretty significantly affects how they will approach free agency, but he'll have more on that later.

Dissecting Marquis Teague

With the 29th pick of the 2012 NBA Draft the Chicago Bulls selected Marquis Teague point guard out of the University of Kentucky. Mat was hearing plenty of rumors of Tyshawn Taylor and various amounts of small forward prospects, but the drafting of Teague caught this mouse by surprise.

Previous to the pick, Mat was very vocal in his displeasure with the possibility of his Bulls drafting a backup point guard to bridge the gap while Rose was out. He would have much rather seen coverage for Luol Deng's absence be drafted with the 29th pick.

However, the fact that Teague was the starting point guard on essentially a very quality D-League team in college has grown on Mat. His experience running the offense for the national champions falls right in line with what GarPax usually looks for out of their draft picks, which is reputable college and big game experience.

Teague is 6'2" in height and weighs 180 pounds. For his position and height he walks around with a very solid frame. He is a psychical specimen not to be overlooked. His explosiveness while running the point at Kentucky was another of his strong suits. Time and time again defensives couldn't deny him the ability to get to the rim. Similar, in some ways, to how Rose plays the game. Mat believes this will come in handy when speaking to the issue of fluidity without Rose on the floor this season.

His work on the pick and roll at Kentucky was lauded amongst experts. Mat noticed his ability to work with the likes of Anthony Davis and others which turned them into such a success. Imagining running this type of pick and roll with Boozer, Jo, or Taj makes Mat salivate. Hopefully that part of his game can translate well to the Bulls offense.

His defense is something of a project. Coach Thibs is the perfect person to take on this project as well. Teague has the psychical tools to matchup well with NBA PGs, but the question is how much will his size hinder his performance on that end of the court.

Mat believes his consistency is a huge question mark. His jump shot has been a cause for concern all through out his college career. A PG playing Thibs' system is usually asked to handle a portion of the scoring for the offense, and Mat believes this will be a key to the Bulls success without Rose on the floor. Considering Teague will most likely see plenty of minutes without the starting PG on the floor, this will be a huge issue as to whether or not he can adapt to a much longer schedule against much better competition night in and night out. If he can stay consistent, we may see something of a prodigy being molded right in front of our eyes.

Overall, Mat believes Teague is a project. A project that will see an increased amount of NBA time so he will literally be growing right before our eyes this upcoming season. As previously stated, a better pick could have been made at that position. Mat believes a small forward in that spot would have aided the Bulls in coping with the loss of a integral portion of their minutes and defense in reference to Deng. Signing a veteran point guard in the offseason made more sense from a stand point that PG means a lot more to the Bulls offensively.

Mat congratulates Marquis Teague and wishes him well on his endeavors with the Bulls, just as he would with any new member of the team. He looks forward to seeing him running the point hiding amidst the shadows of the Madhouse. Truth be told, he misses seeing his beloved Bulls play in general.

Go Bulls.

What To Do With #29?

With the NBA Draft taking place tomorrow night, much has been made about what the Bulls will do with the 29th pick. Mat previously entertained the thrones of trade ideas that came about involving various scenarios that probably won’t happen anyways.

This provoked Mat to begin to think about the possibilities of who the Bulls might actually take in that 29th spot and how they would translate to the Bulls roster immediately. After perusing various mock drafts and reading copious amounts of scouting reports, Mat feels these players would be good options to take at 29 tomorrow night:

Jeff Taylor SF Vanderbilt

Mat believes his game at Vanderbilt would translate well to the Bulls over time in many positive ways. He is an athletic small forward whose size at 6’7” translates well to the NBA game. Mat believes his most important asset he brings to the floor is his defensive ability. A noted lockdown defender that would bring a much needed bridge between the gap of missing Luol Deng. Mat has seen him use his athletic ability well while running the floor for Vandy

His 3 point shooting is nothing to scoff at either, shooting a very good 42% for Vandy last year. Where he struggles is with his ball handling. Mat has noticed his ability to create his own shot is somewhat concerning.

His consistency at the NBA level would come into question as well. For Mat, this prospect would be good to take a shot on at 29. He has shown incredible defensive and 3 point prowess. Thibs could do some work on this kid.

Will Barton SF Memphis

Mat has seen this small forwards ability to score and it has intrigued him. His instinct to get to the basket and create his own shot is something that is NBA ready right now. Mat believes it is an intangible the Bulls are looking for immediately. Helping out Rose with the scoring is never a bad thing, and Barton would certainly be able to do that.

His size at 6’6” and overall body is something of a concern. He has above average defense in college, but the question arises as to whether he would be able to guard the bigger SF’s and/or SG’s he would encounter in the NBA.

Mat believes a player of his capabilities would adapt well on the offensive end in the Bulls scheme, however the overall readiness of his NBA defense leaves something to be desired.

Quincy Miller SF Baylor

Mat noticed this kids size and was immediately impressed. 6’10” at the 3? Yes please. Quincy has a noted knack for creating his own shot. Give him the ball and his handles come into play. Above average 3 point shooter, but where Quincy comes in handy is when he is asked to shoot from mid range.

His height makes him a nuisance in the post. Noted at Baylor for his ability to post up down low and create a shot. Mat can only imagine Rose bringing the ball up and already seeing Quincy establishing a presence down low with his 7’4” wingspan.

His defense is above average as well, but his size makes him that much more of a presence guarding across a multitude of positions. Mat has noticed however his jumper leaves a little more to be desired, in addition to his lanky frame causing him to not be as strong as he should be. Quincy is also young. At just 19, Mat has to question his ability to come into a mature league and show what he is made of.



Mat obviously has a preference of the Bulls drafting a small forward to cover for Luol’s early season absence. However, regardless of what the Bulls do, everyone knows Mat cannot wait. All this talk of trades and draft picks is making this mouse a tad bit anxious.

How About Jason Kidd?

After coming up with a few options of his own regarding the new Bulls point guard, Mat ran across another idea that he really likes.

Bryan Crawford of NBC Chicago recently penned the possibility of Jason Kidd joining the Bulls roster this offseason.

Mat believes the addition of a veteran point guard is not only smart for coverage purposes, but also for the mentoring role Kidd could bring to Rose and his teammates alike.

Mat, whilst discussing with his other mouse friends the future of the Bulls backup point guard position, came to the conclusion that where Kidd's influence would really shine is actually after the return of Rose from his knee injury. The thought of Kidd coming off the bench for Rose and changing the pace of the game would provide the Bulls a much needed new dimension to their overall basketball repertoire.

Mat also salivates at the thought of Coach Thibs drawing up late game sets in which both Kidd and Rose are on the floor together. Adding something like that late in the game would be a game-changer.

The next question that arises is one to do with the Bulls dwindling availability with salary cap space. Could they even pull off a Kidd signing? Mat's answer to that is simple; yes. Kidd has openly stated he is willing to fill in for Rose during the injury time, and as Mat mentioned when talking about Dragic, if Kidd wants another ring there is no better place to look than Chicago.

Mat expects the Bulls to make a valiant effort for the services of Kidd. Overall, his control of a basketball game will play off of the high tempo and electrifying abilities of Rose. Mat knows for certain this type of move will cause plenty of regular season match up constraints for opponents of the Red and Black, and those should continue well into the 2013 postseason.

No Rose, No Deng, No Problem

Mat is fed up with the national and local pundits who are already counting the Bulls out for next year.  From ESPN to Comcast Sports Net Chicago, pretty much every "expert" is claiming that the Bulls are going to have a tough time next season without Derrick and Luol in the lineup for an extended period.

While Mat does agree that wins will not be easy to come by, he disagrees that the Bulls are not a contender to win the NBA Finals next year.

16 teams make the playoffs, which means more than half of the league qualify.  Mat cannot fathom a Tom Thibodeau lead team not being able to be among the top 8 in the Eastern Conference.

A conference including the Bobcats, Cavaliers, Wizards, Raptors, and Nets.  Mat knows the Bulls are not the same team without its 2 stars, but to think they are not in the top 53% of the East boggles his little mind.

Mat doesn't believe that Derrick will be out for the entire year, and he certainly doesn't think Deng will be out past the All Star Break.  So, all the Bulls need to do is tread water for the first few months.

If they can stay in the mix, maybe within 3 or 4 games of 8th place, which should be a given, for the first half of the year, Mat asks why they can't use the second half of the year, with a healthy Deng, and eventually Rose, to make their push into the postseason.

Then, if the Bulls end up making the playoffs, they will have Rose and both on fresh legs having played only a few months of basketball.  Might have to take down #6 and the Heat a little earlier than planned, but there's no convincing Mat that the Bulls can't get it done.

The goal for the regular season may have changed, but the ultimate goal remains.  Mat thinks the Bulls have what it takes to get in, you tell him if they are contenders with a healthy squad and a 7 or 8 seed.