Hoiberg loves having D-League affiliate nearby
Bobby Portis made the most of his trip down I-90 to the Sears Centre on Friday night. He scored 32 points in the Windy City Bulls' victory over the Westchester Knicks.
Portis was back with the Bulls for Saturday's game against Toronto, while rookie forward Paul Zipser stuck around to play a second game with the D-League Bulls.
Before facing the Raptors, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg talked about having a D-League affiliate just down the highway.
"It's a great opportunity for these guys to get game minutes, to play in pressure situations, to go out there and get timing that's so important in this game," Hoiberg said. "So it was great for Bobby.
"He was in great spirits this morning. It sounded like he was having fun doing the things he does, going out there and playing with a chip on his shoulder, with a swagger and had a great overall game. So it's great having him down there."
Hoiberg liked the fact that those players didn't miss anything at the Advocate Center. Portis and Zipser both participated in Friday's practice and Saturday's shootaround.
Last year when the Bulls sent Cristiano Felicio to the D-League for four games, he played for the Canton Charge.
"It's great to have your own affiliate right down the road," Hoiberg said. "To have that, running the same actions that we run, same defensive philosophies, it's a great luxury to have."
Zipser played his third game with the Windy City Bulls on Saturday. Jerian Grant has played twice, Felicio once and R.J. Hunter played in five games before he was released. Grant set the Windy City season-high with 34 points on Nov. 26 against Delaware.
MCW measures up:
It's interesting to look back at the measurements from the 2013 NBA pre-draft camp. Three eventual first-round picks turned in vertical leaps above 40 inches.
Victor Oladipo and Ben McLemore recorded 42-inch jumps, while Bulls guard Michael Carter-Williams was at 41. Carter-Williams, however, beat the others in the three-quarter court sprint and at nearly 6-6 in sneakers, was also more than an inch taller.
The Bulls won two of their first three games after putting Carter-Williams in the starting lineup. He was drafted No. 11 overall in 2013 by Philadelphia and won NBA rookie of the year.
Bull horns:
Heading into Saturday's action, Jimmy Butler averaged 32.6 points in his previous five games, second in the league in that span behind Boston's Isaiah Thomas (34.0). … The Bulls had recorded at least 10 offensive rebounds in nine consecutive games. They had 1 in the first half against the Raptors.