Reserves step forward for Chicago Bulls
This summer will be an unprecedented free-for-all in the NBA. Because of the skyrocketing salary cap, essentially every team will have the ability to sign any free agent.
There are minor exceptions. Cleveland and the Los Angeles Clippers have the league's highest payrolls and won't have cap room to sign a max free agent outright, but they could easily create cap room by trading a player to one of the many teams that will have the room.
Those circumstances make it tough to predict what will happen. Which, if any, of the league's 30 teams has the best chance to sign Kevin Durant? How about Al Horford or Pau Gasol?
With all that in mind, the Chicago Bulls should feel good about a couple of their minor transactions paying off. Center Cristiano Felicio and swingman Justin Holiday have led a late-season surge by the Bulls' reserves, which bodes well for next season's roster.
In Saturday's 105-102 victory over Cleveland, the Bulls went on a 15-0 fourth-quarter run with Felicio, Holiday, Aaron Brooks, Bobby Portis, along with a mix of Doug McDermott and Jimmy Butler, on the floor.
That wasn't the first time the subs stepped forward. In the March 29 win at Indiana, Felicio and Nikola Mirotic scored 12 of the Bulls' 14 fourth-quarter points in a narrow victory. Holiday has been a fourth-quarter regular late in the season.
For much of the season, the reserves were a weak spot for the Bulls. Part of that can be explained by injuries taking away some of the team's depth.
But there's no question Felicio and Holiday have had a good run in recent weeks. E'Twaun Moore also would fit into the category of a solid reserve worth keeping, but he likely won't play again this season because of a hamstring injury.
The Bulls signed Felicio after he played for their summer-league squad last year. Holiday was acquired from Atlanta in the Kirk Hinrich trade. Moore, a native of East Chicago, Indiana, is in his second season with the Bulls.
"I think the biggest thing with our second unit is just the overall energy they're playing with right now," coach Fred Hoiberg said Sunday at the Advocate Center. "They completely changed the dynamic of (Saturday's) game when they got in.
"We dug ourselves a hole in the first quarter. A lot of that had to do with LeBron James making unbelievable plays. But when that second unit went in there, they turned the game around with their energy and their physicality.
"Aaron Brooks was very good. Holiday had a huge impact on both ends of the floor. Doug hit a couple shots, then the two young guys were great. When you have that youth in that group, you have to be the harder playing team, and our bench has done that the last few games."
The Bulls were eliminated from the playoffs with Sunday night's 129-105 Indiana Pacers victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
• Get the latest Bulls news via Twitter by following @McGrawDHBulls.
Bulls scouting report
Bulls vs. New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Arena, 7 p.m. Monday
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Radio: ESPN 1000-AM
Outlook: When it comes to teams with bad injury luck, it's tough to top the Pelicans (30-50). Anthony Davis' season ended March 18 due to left-knee surgery and a partially torn labrum. Jrue Holiday (eye), Tyreke Evans (knee), Eric Gordon (finger), Ryan Anderson (sports hernia) also have been knocked out for the season, while Norris Cole is likely to stay out with a back injury. New Orleans' top scorers in recent weeks are SF Luke Babbitt, SG Toney Douglas, C Alexis Ajinca and PF Dante Cunningham. Despite all the missing players, the Pelicans are 4-4 in their last eight games. The Bulls beat New Orleans 98-94 at the UC on Dec. 12.
Next: Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center, 7 p.m. Wednesday
- Mike McGraw