1/28/2005 05:20:59 PM|||Shep|||I was at this game (Bulls v. Bobcats, in case you were wondering; and I'm 2-0 now in live games)... I can't explain it. It didn't seem like the starters were letting the game get out of hand, sure they got outscored at the beginning fo the second half, but they bounced back; they were fighting. I think Skiles is lucky that his starters are all so young, or the short leash he has on them would break as the ran away from him.

My theory is this: This was the 3rd game in 4 days, and maybe Skiles felt the starters were tired... Also, the Bulls are playing Boston on Saturday (their 4th game in 6 days), so resting the starters is not a bad idea... especially if the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th men can still win the game.

I would view this more as an isolated incident of bizzare coaching (okay, so maybe not, but this is certainly at the extreme end of the Skiles Scale) ... and I wouldn't go out trying to find someone to replace Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, or even Chris Duhon. They all played pretty decently, and I don't understand why Ben Gordon didn't get more time AT ALL.

On the other hand, as a Bulls fan, it was impressive to see Pike, Wildman, and JP take over the game. JP (Jannero Pargo, for those who don't know) hit at least two pull-up jumpers over the long reach of Emeka Okafor, who could do nothing but shake his head in disbelief. He wasn't the only one with a bobble head last night, though...

Deng was on fire and I can't believe the didn't keep riding him for longer... Also, it wasn't like Skiles didn't substitue at all during the 4th quarter, cause he did bring in Adrian Griffin. I guess maybe they're all bench buddies and play more together in practice or something? It nearly defies description.

The final thought though is as I said before: It's unlikely to happen again. Perhaps in the 3rd week of February (4 games in 5 days), but that will be after the All-Star break, so the guys should be more rested. Maybe in late March when the games start piling on... but they'll probably be battling for a play-off spot at that point, so perhaps Skiles will recognize that the starters are starters for a reason and let them win games. Deng, Duhon, and Gordon probably aren't the be-all and end-all of your team (if they are, you've screwed up somewhere along the way), so keep an out for times when the Bulls play frequently, especially against poorer teams.

Next time, Skiles, give ME the rock. |||110695041263881867|||Skiles' 12 man rotation