Game Thread: Bulls/Bucks

Derrick Rose, high schooling kids.

Bulls (8-10, 3-7 road) @ Bucks (7-12, 3-4 home)

Gametime: 7:00 p.m. central time (FSN-W)

Injuries:

Bulls: Kirk Hinrich (thumb) is out.

Bucks: Andrew Bogut (knee) is probable. Charlie Bell (ankle) is questionable.

08/09 Series:

08/09 Advanced Stats:

Bulls: Offense: 24th (102.5 points/100 possessions) Defense: 13th (105.4) Pace: 5th (95.0)

Bucks: Offense: 25th (101.9 points/100 possessions) Defense: 10th (104.5) Pace: 15th (91.7)

Three points:

Inside hoops. Tyronn Lue isn't the only Buck struggling to make shots close to the hoop this year. The Bucks are converting 52.4 % of their inside shots this year, which ranks 29th in the NBA. The Bulls are 28th in the league, at 53.5 %. Both teams do rank in the top 10 in offensive rebounds per game, so they are at least following up and getting second chances at points in the paint. And the expected return of Andrew Bogut can only help.
Not much in reserve. The Bucks can't seem to get everyone healthy at the same. While Michael Redd is back, Charlie Bell might be shutting it down for a while. The lineup's unsteadiness has frequently depleted a bench that wasn't exactly deep or prolific in the first place. Milwaukee has the third worst +/- bench/reserve rating in the NBA, at -215. That contrasts the Bulls' bench, which ranks third best in the league, at +183.
Highly capable. How many rookie point guards have led their team in field goal percentage? That's not a rhetorical question, but I imagine you can count the number on one healthy hand. In any event, Derrick Rose tops the Bulls at 49.3 % in his strong Rookie of the Year bid. He's adding 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in a team-leading 38.1 minutes per game. Rose scored 24 points but committed a career-high six turnovers in a 103-95 loss to the Sixers last night.