What to watch in 76ers-Bulls
Effort is something that is hardly ever missing from the 76ers. Their dismal records over the past three seasons has to do with talent, not how hard the players play. It is, however, coming into question for this season's Chicago Bulls.
Only seven games in the the season, the Bulls (4-3) have been wildly inconsisten under new coach Fred Hoiberg, with extremes including a 130-105 loss to the Charlotte Hornets and a 104-98 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Hoiberg's crew probably could come away with a win against the Sixers even with a lethargic effort, but it is something the team is trying to correct.
The oft-injured Derrick Rose, who suffered a fractured orbital bone in the preseason, has had his ups and downs so far this early season, leading to speculation whether he will remain in Chicago or if the organization is losing patience. He showed flashes of his old self with 29 points against the Thunder, but has been below par for most of the rest of the season.
The Sixers lost their sixth straight on Saturday against Orlando. If you pair that with the 10 consecutive losses they suffered at the end of last season, that's 16 in a row without a win. They have been playing better of late, with nice efforts against the Cleveland Cavaliers (twice) before the Orlando setback.
Here's three things to watch tonight at the Wells Fargo Center against the Bulls:
The play of Derrick Rose. When he is on his game it is easy to remember how good the 2011 league MVP was. But those flashes have been few and far between of late. He is still among the quickest and fastest guards in the league, despite the knee injuries that have cost him so much time. This seems to be an ideal matchup for him, going against T.J. McConnell and Phil Pressey most of the night. If he gets to the hole early in the game and has success, it could be a long night for the Sixers' point guards.
How well the Sixers rebound. This is an area where the Sixers have been improving of late and one where the Bulls are struggling. Nerlens Noel, who was ejected for a swipe at the head of Orlando's Jason Smith on Saturday, leads the team with 9.8 a game. Both teams want to get out and run as much as possible. That, of course, starts with rebounding. Rookie Jahlil Okafor has said that he wants to become a better defensive rebounder, as he is averaging only 3.7 of those a game (5.5 overall). Tonight would be a good time to begin that challenge.
The Sixers' outside shooting. Nik Stauskas scored a career-high 18 points on Saturday and also hit three threes. Sub Isaiah Canaan has made nine of his last 17 from beyond the arc. It will be a theme all season but is so true, this team needs to become consistent from the outside in order to help Okafor get less double-teams. Sharpshooter Robert Covington could be out about another week with a sprained knee, so players like Hollis Thompson, JaKarr Sampson and Jermai Grant need to make some from long range.