Cascade of whistles spoil Carter's promising start
That promising start by Bulls rookie Wendell Carter Jr., which had him looking like a good bet for all-rookie first-team?
Well, it's hit a snag. Bench time has slowed his progress.
He fouled out of Wednesday's 116-113 loss in Milwaukee and that was the fifth-straight time Carter finished with either 5 or 6 fouls. He averaged 23.2 minutes in those five contests.
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said he sat down with Carter recently and watched every foul over a five-game stretch.
"We're trying to eliminate the ticky-tack, silly ones that he was picking up," Hoiberg said. "There are some that we like, when he wraps up a guy when he has to take one."
There seems to be no common denominator to Carter's foul trouble. He gets some contesting shots, gets some out on the perimeter. Some are basic rookie mistakes, others seem like referees are giving him the rookie treatment with some touchy calls.
"That's one thing we're talking to him a lot about is you have to play through frustrations in this league and for the most part he's done that," Hoiberg said. "We've just got to keep his spirits up, keep watching him, keep teaching him. He'll grow, he'll learn. He's a smart kid, he's got a high IQ. We feel he's had a very good early part to his career. He'll get it cleaned up."
Not long ago, Carter had an eight-game stretch where he averaged 15.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and shot better than 50 percent from the field. In the past five games, he's been at 9.2 points and 6.0 boards, thanks to the foul trouble.
"Sometimes we all forget he's a 19-year-old kid," Hoiberg said. "He's going to keep growing, getting better."
Narrow loss revisited:
Here are some observations from the Bulls' narrow loss at Milwaukee on Wednesday:
• Jabari Parker went 2-for-7 from the field in the fourth quarter and took some ill-advised shots while being guarded by Giannis Antetokounmpo. Parker finished with 24 points and obviously wanted to do well against his former team, but Zach LaVine took just 2 shots in the fourth quarter.
• Trailing 113-111 with 36 seconds left, the Bulls tied the score in less than three seconds when LaVine curled around a screen at the top of the key from Robin Lopez, caught the inbounds pass and drove in for a reverse lay-in. This was mostly a product of poor defense by the Bucks. Instead of helping block LaVine's path, Brook Lopez took a step toward Robin at the 3-point line, as if determined not to let his twin brother hit a go-ahead 3 - which was unlikely, but not out of the question.
• Antonio Blakeney got his first "DNP - coach's decision" of the season after playing just three minutes Monday against San Antonio.
Lopez goes for splash down:
Brook Lopez has taken on the nickname, "Splash Mountain," which is incredibly appropriate because he's a 7-footer, has been knocking down 3-pointers and the Lopez brothers are well-known Disney fans.
And of course, Bulls center Robin Lopez had a great reply when asked if he was jealous of his twin brother being named after a Disney theme park ride.
"Not at all," Robin said. "I'm sure it's a reference to the inferior Florida version."