Fourth-quarter dropoff a persistent issue for Bulls
While Tom Thibodeau's Timberwolves have struggled in the third quarter this season, the Bulls' quarter of trouble has been the fourth.
According to nba.com, the Bulls rank 28th in the league in net offensive and defensive rating in the fourth quarter. Offensive rating is how many points a team scores per 100 possessions and defensive rating is how many points are given up.
The Bulls are minus-11.3 in the fourth quarter. Minnesota is minus-23.3 in the third quarter.
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg tried to explain the Bulls' fourth-quarter frustrations after Monday's practice at the Advocate Center.
"The big thing is, our pace drops off in the fourth quarter," he said. "Our offensive rebounding numbers haven't been as good. We're still working on getting that exact package together that we need to have to be a successful fourth-quarter team. With all the new faces, it's going to take a little time to get exactly where we need to be."
Taj dreads matchup:
Taj Gibson was asked if he's looking forward to facing former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday when Minnesota visits the United Center.
The answer was no.
"Not at all, because anytime you're going against Thibs, you go against a good coach, as far as game-planning," Gibson said. "He's going to have those young guys ready. He knows personnel. He's one of those guys who's a guru when it comes to watching film. He's a real great tactician."
So Gibson expects a challenge, but he did have some nice things to say about his years playing for Thibodeau. Only four players on the Bulls roster played for Thibodeau two years ago, while Gibson and Jimmy Butler are the only guys who spent more than one season with Thibodeau.
"He helped me a lot, on and off the court, being a man, being a player, being a professional," Gibson said. "He's just a tough-minded guy. He wanted perfection from his players and it showed in the way we played over the years. In the NBA, things change and I'm happy he's in a good situation now."
Hoiberg knows Thibs:
Tom Thibodeau's return to Chicago could be an awkward situation for Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg, who stepped in after Thibodeau was fired in May of 2015. Thibodeau led the Bulls to the playoffs five times in five seasons.
Hoiberg insists he has a good relationship with Thibodeau, which began while Thibodeau coached the Bulls and continued into last summer.
"I saw him this summer some and talked to him," Hoiberg said. "We had some guys playing on Team USA, and Tom did a great job as an assistant coach to (Mike) Krzyzewski. I saw him in Vegas a few times when our teams matched up in the summer league final, which I think was a fun game for everybody involved.
"I had the opportunity early in my coaching career when I came through Chicago, because I was recruiting in this area, got a chance to sit down to talk to him, and he was great. So I feel like I have a good relationship with Tom, and when I see him, we have a good conversation."