Marcus Couch

Bulls Podcast #55

It’s the Bulls Podcast #55 hosted by Marcus Couch and Pat the Designer. We’ve got full Bulls vs Hornets Reaction, our State of the #Bulls – Injury Report Edition, Demote Gar/Pax, and Game predictions for the coming week.
Welcome to the Bulls Podcast, coming to you from BullsPodcast.com. This is where we bring you the latest news, reviews, rants, rumors and opinions on the players, coaches and front office of the Chicago Bulls.
My name is Marcus Couch, and this week I’m pleased to be with one of the finest Chicago Bulls YouTubers out there. From Windy City The Breeze, we’ve got Pat The Designer in the house.
We’ve got several topics for this episode. Including:

Bulls vs Hornets Rundown
State of The Bulls – Injury Report
Game predictions for the coming week

 
Players Wearing #55
Before we begin, we want to praise all the #55’s out there, in congruence with Episode #55 of the podcast. There are no numbers between 56 and 77, and then we only have Rodman after that at 91, so might as well get this segment in while we can.. 
There were two Bulls players to wear the number 55. 
The first was Roger Brown in 1980. He was a 6-11, 225lb 14 year NBA/ABA center that came to the Bulls after 2 years of being out with Injury. He played only 4 games and retired. Nothing notable.
The only other instance of #55 for the Bulls was E’Twaun Moore, who is still playing in the NBA today, in his 4th year with the Pelicans after spending just 2 years with the Bulls. The most memorable moment for ET was certainly the game winning 3 pointer against the OKC Thunder in March of 2015. Pau Gasol took the inbound pass from Mike Dunleavy, who immediately dished to a double-teamed Moore in the left corner. E’Twaun chucked it up to win the game, sealing the victory with just 2.1 seconds on the clock and prompting Benny the Bull to hold his face and pass out on the floor in shock, which has become the most popular Benny Meme online.. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fci_Tk4P1HQ
 
Bulls vs Hornets Post-Game
The Bulls took on the Charlotte Hornets at the UC after some extended rest at the All-Star break. Unfortunately, they got destroyed, losing the game 103-93 
Thad Young led the way for the Bulls with 22 points and 11 rebounds, but the Bulls just couldn’t get their chemistry mixed right. They led a huge comeback charge in the 3rd quarter, much to the mystery of Jim Boylen in terms of how it happened.. But the gap proved to be too wide for the Bulls to traverse, and they never really had a shot to take the lead at any point.
Daniel Gafford, finally played, but limited himself in crunch time by getting into foul trouble and eventually fouling out of the game in the 4th quarter with at least 7 minutes left on the clock.
Notably the Hornets were having fun against the Bulls, laughing and talking trash all night as they coasted to an easy victory over the injury-riddled Bulls.
 
State of the Bulls – Injury Report-
Bulls need to get healthy, and then we have to see if they get better when they’re healthy.  That is the first thing. Do you believe when we get healthier that we’re much better because it felt like we were getting there then everyone got hurt.  
Are we going to see December Lauri when he’s back and solid play by Carter and Gafford?  Can Otto give us anything?    
The Bulls have real legitimate big questions even if they are healthy.  They should be good enough to win much more than they are if that happens, but we haven’t consistently seen that prior to the injuries so it is hard to hope too much.  Also, the Bulls just seem doubly cursed by injuries.
Deciding factors:

Luke Kornet just sprained his ankle in practice today – No return timetable

Bulls Podcast #54

It’s the Bulls Podcast #54 hosted by Marcus Couch and Doug Thonus. We’ve got full Bulls vs Wizards Reaction, our State of the #Bulls, Fizzled out Trade Rumors and Game predictions for the coming week.
Welcome to the Bulls Podcast, coming to you from BullsPodcast.com. This is where we bring you the latest news, reviews, rants, rumors and opinions on the players, coaches and front office of the Chicago Bulls.
We’ve got several topics for this episode. Including:

Bulls vs Wizards Rundown
Bulls Trade Rumors that never happened
State of The Bulls
Game predictions for the coming week

We’ll be right back after this quick time-out.
 
Bulls vs Wizards Post-Game
The Bulls took on the Washington Wizards in a must-win scenario to get a small foothold to the 8th seed of the playoffs. Unfortunately, they got smoked, losing the game 126-114
Zach Lavine led the way for the Bulls with 41 points on 15-21 FGs, but the Bulls were not in a 126-114 loss to the Wizards at any point in the game.
Sato continued to play well against his former team, leading to the question, should we trick Sato into thinking he’s always playing the Wizards?  He needs to play this way all the time, not just showing off in front of his old teammates.
Daniel Gafford, who you heard in the intro of the show, DID NOT PLAY due to a coach’s decision. WHY?????
The All-Star break is upon the Bulls, who are 19-36, losers of 6 straight and sit in 10th in the East.
 
Bulls Trade Rumors
Denzel Valentine could not be moved.
It may not be the move that propels this team in the right direction, but it’s clear that small forward Denzel Valentine needed to be traded before the deadline this season. It’s not entirely his fault, both sides seemed to want to move on, but there were no takers.
Would have been nice to get back something for Denzel, but I think at most you were looking at a second rounder.  When the 76ers traded for Glen Robinson III and Alec Burks the Bulls probably lost their shot at moving Valentine.  Seems highly likely the Bulls would have taken 2nds for Valentine (even 1) so my guess is the 76ers just preferred those players.
Acquiring center Andre Drummond from Detroit.
We had a shot to get Drummond, but there was no interest shown publicly by the Bulls. It would have been a great story to grab both Andre and Derrick Rose, but that story is yet to be fulfilled.
This would have been an interesting move because Drummond went for basically nothing.  There are questions about how much he impacts the game, I mean Detroit was nothing special with him and Rose.   I’m not sure how much you’d have had to give up to make this happen but Porter + 1st might have gotten it done.   You’d then probably want to spin off WCJ for something else in a follow up trade (perhaps in the summer) because there’s no room with him and Drummond.  You’d have to be comfortable with what you think he will demand to keep him most likely because obviously this trade wouldn’t be about doing a whole lot this year most likely.  It might have bumped you up to the 8th seed and 35 wins, but where does it leave you in the future? Still, case can be made the resulting team (especially if you swung Carter for a good wing) would be a 45+ win type team, and the Bulls deifnitely have the personnel to play around a center that can’t shoot.   Low ultimate upside, but right now we’re no where, so it still would have given the Bulls a watchable team for awhile.

Malik Monk
The only player on this list that the Chicago Bulls could’ve traded for at the trade deadline this year that actually didn’t get moved is the Charlotte Hornets 6-foot-3 23-year-old shooting guard Malik Monk. Since Monk isn’t having his best year in terms of offensive production, the Bulls would be able to buy low on him.
So far this season, Monk is averaging 9.

Bulls Podcast #53 – Artis Gilmore

Interview with Artis Gilmore
Early Life
Artis Gilmore was born in Chipley, Florida as one of 10 children. He was reared there, and attended Roulhac High School. Gilmore was 6’5′ at age 15. When public schools were integrated, he attended Chipley High School for one week before leaving home to attend Carver High School in Dothan, Alabama, a larger community 35 miles to the north. He graduated from Dothan’s Carver High School in 1967, at 6’10” as a Third Team All-American.
A star center during his two collegiate years at Jacksonville University, Gilmore led the Dolphins to the NCAA Division I championship game in 1970, where his team was beaten 80–69 by the UCLA Bruins. Gilmore remains the top player in rebounds per game in the history of NCAA Division I basketball.
Artis Gilmore followed five All-Star seasons with the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA by becoming the first overall pick in the 1976 ABA Dispersal draft, which dispersed the players in the ABA clubs, such as the Colonels, that did not join the NBA. During his career, Gilmore was an 11-time All-Star, the ABA Rookie of the Year, and an ABA MVP. Nicknamed “The A-Train”, the 7 ft 2 in Gilmore once played in 670 consecutive games.
Playing career 1971–1989
Position Center
Number 53
Career history
1971–1976 Kentucky Colonels
1976–1982  Chicago Bulls
1982–1987  San Antonio Spurs
1987  Chicago Bulls
1988  Boston Celtics
1988–1989  Arimo Bologna  (Italian League)
 
Career highlights and awards
ABA champion (1975)
ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player (1975)
ABA Most Valuable Player (1972)
6× NBA All-Star (1978, 1979, 1981–1983, 1986)
5× ABA All-Star (1972–1976)
ABA All-Star Game MVP (1974)
5× All-ABA First Team (1972–1976)
4× ABA All-Defensive First Team (1973–1976)
NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1978)
ABA Rookie of the Year (1972)
ABA All-Rookie First Team (1972)
ABA All-Time Team
Consensus first-team All-American (1971)
Second-team All-American – AP, NABC, UPI (1970)
Career ABA and NBA statistics
Points 24,941 (18.8 ppg)
Rebounds 16,330 (12.3 rpg)
Assists 3,050 (2.3 apg)
Nicknames: (The A-Train, Late Sleeper)
Position: Center ▪ Shoots: Left
7-2, 240lb (218cm, 108kg)
Born: September 21, 1949 (Age: 70-106d) in Chipley, Florida
Colleges: Gardner-Webb University, Jacksonville University
Career Averages:
1,329 games
18.8 Pts
12.3 Reb
2.3 Assists
58.2% FG%
15% 3PT%
69.8% Free Throw %
eFG 58.2%
21.4 PER
 
Bulls Timeline

March 29, 1971: Drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the 7th round (117th pick) of the 1971 NBA Draft.
August 5, 1976: Drafted by the Chicago Bulls from the Kentucky Colonels in the dispersal draft.
July 22, 1982: Traded by the Chicago Bulls to the San Antonio Spurs for Dave Corzine, Mark Olberding and cash.
June 22, 1987: Traded by the San Antonio Spurs to the Chicago Bulls for a 1988 2nd round draft pick (Shelton Jones was later selected).
December 26, 1987: Waived by the Chicago Bulls.
January 8, 1988: Signed as a free agent with the Boston Celtics.

Career Accomplishments
Most Defensive Rebounds in Professional Basketball history with 11,514. 
5th in Professional Basketball History in Overall rebounds 1 – Wilt Chamberlain (23924), 2 – Bill Russell (21,620), 3 – Moses Malone (17,834), 4 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (17,440) 5 – Artis Gilmore (16,330).
 
Bulls
When you get to the Bulls, you came back from San Antonio in the summer of 1987 in exchange for a 2nd round draft pick, and for a brief time you are on the court in Chicago with not only Michael Jordan but it was Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant’s rookie years together.

Bulls Podcast #52

It’s the Bulls Podcast #52 hosted by Marcus Couch and Wyse Black with guest Kenyatta Wright. We’ve got full Bulls vs Celtics Reaction, our State of the #Bulls, Trade Rumors and Game predictions for the coming week.
Welcome to the Bulls Podcast, coming to you from BullsPodcast.com. This is where we bring you the latest news, reviews, rants, rumors and opinions on the players, coaches and front office of the Chicago Bulls.
And this week we pleased to present regular contributor Kenyatta Wright to the show.
We’ve got several topics for this episode. Including:

* Bulls vs Celtics Rundown
* Bulls Trade Rumors
* State of The Bulls
* Game predictions for the coming week

Bulls vs Celtics Post-Game
Tonight the Chicago Bulls took on the Boston Celtics in Boston and got blown out 1XX – XX.
The Bulls made it a game throughout most Gordon Hayward and Jayson Tatom padded their lead the whole way through and the Bulls expectedly lost the game. In fact, 6 Celtics scored in double figures on our defense. We wouldn’t stop anyone tonight. And no wonder.. Lauri sat out most of the game.
Bulls Trade Rumors
Denzel Valentine
It may not be the move that propels this team in the right direction, but it’s clear that small forward Denzel Valentine needs to be traded before the deadline this season. It’s not entirely his fault, but both sides seem to want to move on.
Valentine played limited minutes this season despite the Bulls being thin at forward due to injuries. He was getting some playing time up until last week when Boylen reportedly told him he was out of the rotation.
It’s surely frustrating to get the news you won’t be playing regularly anymore, but Valentine clearly wanted more of an explanation than what he got from Boylen. He spoke to the media before Saturday’s game and said this about the situation [Via Chicago Sun-Times]:
“I’m definitely not happy about it. I’m a competitor. I want to play, I want to be productive, I want to help the team win. But that’s out of my control…[Boylen] kind of told me a couple of games ago that I was out of the rotation. He didn’t really say why.”
Valentine kind of trailed off after this and didn’t say more about Boylen’s conversation about his spot on the team. Even though Valentine didn’t go scorched Earth with the media on Saturday, it’s clear he’d rather play elsewhere.
The Bulls may not be able to get much in return for Valentine, but if they can get someone that would fit into the rotation it’d be an improvement. Even if it was just an end of the bench type of guy, it’d be a slightly better fit.
Acquire center Andre Drummond from Detroit
While Valentine may or may not be involved in this move, the Bulls could actually pull off a trade for center Andre Drummond. The center for the Detroit Pistons is a player who many were expecting more at this point in his career.
Despite Drummond playing in his eighth NBA season this year, he’s only 26 years old. He’s got a player option he could exercise for the 2020-2021 season, but he could be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
It would require a lot from the Bulls to acquire Drummond, but reports suggest that the Pistons are determined to trade him before the NBA trade deadline this season. The Bulls could make an offer as it appears several other teams have already.
It would be great if we could get Rose in the deal too…
Others on the Block: EVERYONE but Lauri, Zach and Coby.
State of the Bulls
At 14-27 there isn’t much to say about the Bulls except we need a new coach, a new lineup and a new Front Office. It’s a wonder this team has any fans left at all, but we’re still here, with hope in our hearts and prayers in our mind for the team to deliver us from mediocrity. Time will tell what this season turns out to be and what trades may happen in the next few months,

Bulls Podcast #51

It’s the Bulls Podcast #51 hosted by Marcus Couch and Wyse Black. We’ve got full Bulls vs Pelicans Reaction, Our #Bulls 2020 Resolutions, Trade Rumors and Game predictions for the coming week.
Welcome to the Bulls Podcast, coming to you from BullsPodcast.com. This is where we bring you the latest news, reviews, rants, rumors and opinions on the players, coaches and front office of the Chicago Bulls.
We’ve got several topics for this episode. Including:

Bulls vs Pelicans Rundown
Bulls 2020 Resolutions
Game predictions for the coming week

#51 Bulls Players
And as you heard in the intro by none other than #51, Ryan Arcidiacono, it’s episode 51 of the Bulls podcast. (We’re stepping things up here in the new year Wyse!). Now we’re getting the actual players to get in on the episode numbers being their jersey numbers. And we will say this is just kind of a teaser by mentioning that, because another player with a number in the 50’s is going to make an appearance on the show soon too.. And it’ll be more than an intro…
Beyond Ryan Archidiacono as our featured #51, the Bulls also had a few others that wore that jersey number. In addition to Arch, we have only 2 others to have number 51.
Michael Ruffin was the first to wear #51. He was drafted by the Bulls in the 2nd round (3rd pick, 32nd overall) of the 1999 NBA Draft.
Next, Lawrence Funderburke wore #51 in the last year of his career as he joined the Bulls briefly in 2005 after missing the previous season due to an Achilles injury. He played in 2 regular season games and 5 playoff games for the Bulls in 2005 before closing out his NBA career as the season ended.
Bulls vs Pelicans Post-Game
Tonight the Chicago Bulls took on the New Orleans in The Big Easy and lost 123 – 108. 
The back-and-forth contest wasn’t the prettiest game either team will play all year. Both squads struggled to find an offensive rhythm while continually turning the ball over. 
There was hope at the beginning of the week that Wednesday would serve as rookie phenomenon Zion Williamson’s first game of the season, but the team has still been treating its franchise player with an abundance of caution in the wake of his preseason knee injury. 
Notable Performers: 

* Zach LaVine, G, Bulls: 32 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds
* Kris Dunn, G, Bulls: 15 points, 6 assists, 5 steals, 4 rebounds
* Brandon Ingram, SF, Pelicans: 29 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds
* Derrick Favors, PF, Pelicans: 12 points, 9 rebounds
* Jaxson Hayes, C, Pelicans: 14 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks

 Our Bulls 2020 Resolutions
With the start of the new year, we’re going to present a number of resolutions for the Chicago Bulls to consider and strive for during the remainder of the 2019-2020 season.
Zach Lavine to the All Star Game and Dunk Contest
Derrick Rose is already coming home to compete in the Skills Contest during All Star weekend. Why not make it a Chicago affair by commiting to the dunk contest? Zach is carroting the all star votes, saying he only wants to enter the contest if he’s also an All Star. There is a lot of competition in the East, and voting is going in all directions, even to DRose. 
Lauri Markkanen locks in on Beast Mode
He’s getting better here as we approach half way into the season, but Lauri is still nowhere near the beast he was projected to be. What do you have to lose Lauri? Tear it up! Get so aggressive that it’s actually offputting to opponents. Play a little dirty. You’ve earned the league currency with the refs that y ou can get away with some of that. Take over games the way Zach does. We need you.
Resign Kris Dunn for 3 years, 12 million per year.
Where would this put Dunn in the ranks of highest paid point guards? https://www.spotrac.

Bulls Podcast #50 – Tommy Edwards Interview

It’s the Bulls Podcast #50 with Marcus Couch and Wyse Black with our special guest, long-time PA Announcer and Chicago Radio Legend Tommy Edwards. Tommy graciously shares insight from the Bulls scorers table, his favorite behind the scenes Bulls memories, upcoming NBA developments and how he feels the current roster will grow in the future. All in this exclusive 60-minute Tommy Edwards interview on the Bulls Podcast.
Follow Tommy Edwards on Twitter: http://twitter.com/liltommyedwards
 

Bulls Podcast #49

It’s the Bulls Podcast #49 hosted by Marcus Couch and Wyse Black. We’ve got full Bulls vs Wizards Reaction, Our #Bulls Christmas Wish List and Game predictions for the coming week.
Welcome to the Bulls Podcast, coming to you from BullsPodcast.com. This is where we bring you the latest news, reviews, rants, rumors and opinions on the players, coaches and front office of the Chicago Bulls.
We’ve got several topics for this episode. Including:

Bulls vs Wizards Rundown
#Bulls Christmas List – What do we wish for?
Game predictions for the coming week

Bulls vs Wizards Post-Game
The Bulls hit DC in what we hoped would be an easy W against a limping Washington Wizards team with nearly 6 players for the Wizards listed as out of action. An easy win? Not exactly. In fact, we needed until the last minute of OT to pull off the one point victory.
Lauri Markkanen led the Bulls with 31 points and 9 rebounds. It was a Sato revenge game of sorts, as he had 17-7-7 in his return to DC. Zach Lavine went 11-11 from the line including 4 nail-biting free throws down the stretch.

Bulls Christmas List — What do we want?
[Marcus Wish List]

New Head Coach
A true point guard
Felicio’s Vicious Comeback
Stocking Stuffer – New TV Announcers (Chuck Swirsky & Bill Wennington)

[Wyse Wish List]

New Head Coach
New Front Office
New Ownership
Stocking stuffer – Another forward (3)

Let’s predict our next few games for the coming week
SATURDAY DEC 21  6:00PM CT vs Detroit @Little Caesars Arena
Marcus: L, Wyse: L
MONDAY DEC 23  6:00PM CT vs Orlando @Amway Center
Marcus: L, Wyse: W
SATURDAY DEC 28  7:00PM CT vs Atlanta @United Center
Marcus: W, Wyse: W
MONDAY DEC 30  7:00PM CT vs Milwaukee @United Center
Marcus: L, Wyse: L
Wyse Social Links:
 

* Twitter: http://twitter.com/radical_creator

* Instagram: http://instagram.com/radical_creator

* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6vBYCVNxRnzuxvdQVkWfgg

 
Marcus Social Links
 

* Twitter: http://twitter.com/marcuscouch

* Instagram: http://instagram.com/marcuscouch

 
Everything show related you can find @bullspodcast. Please make sure you are connected with us everywhere we are.
If you can’t remember any of these, you can check out our show notes for this show over at our website, which is BullsPodcast.com where we have all the links we mentioned in today’s show.
Until next time, Thank you for listening everyone, Go Bulls!

Bulls Podcast #48

It’s the Bulls Podcast #48 hosted by Marcus Couch and Wyse Black with guest Kenyatta Wright. We’ve got full Bulls vs Hawks Reaction, Our State of the #Bulls, The Rumor Mill and Game predictions for the coming week.
Welcome to the Bulls Podcast, coming to you from BullsPodcast.com. This is where we bring you the latest news, reviews, rants, rumors and opinions on the players, coaches and front office of the Chicago Bulls.
We’ve got several topics for this episode. Including:

* Bulls vs Hawks Rundown
* State of the Bulls: Is Lavine Turning The Corner to Elite Status?
* Game predictions for the coming week

Bulls vs Hawks Post-Game
The Bulls took on the equally miserable Atlanta Hawks at the UC on Wednesday night. Forget about the Jabari Parker Revenge Game Part 2. This one was all Bulls from start to finish. The Bulls won with a 4-year record for team points with a score of 136-102.
Zach Lavine seemed to have an answer for critics, and the calls on social media for his trade to another team for seemingly nothing. He’s definitely on a mission and with tonight’s performance of 35 points in just 25 minutes, including 7 threes.
This was capped off with Lauri chipping in 22 points in 23 minutes. The offense had 32 assists in a complete victory.
The new pairing of Denzel Valentine and Daniel Gafford is appearing to be a formidable duo off the bench for the Bulls with some productive play together.
But when it came to the win, Bulls Head Coach Jim Boylen gave a lot of credit to Kris Dunn with the way he played against the Hawks, especially guarding Trae Young.
Boylen: “KD is a good player. He’s a top-level defender in this league.”

 

 
State of The Bulls: 
Coach Boylen: “Zach wants to be great. He’s working. His habits are good. I’m happy for him.”
Question for the panel:
Is Zach Lavine turning the corner, even if the Bulls haven’t found their winning ways yet? Can he be a team leader, an all star and consistently play at an elite NBA level?
Last week Wyse and I go every game right except for the Golden State loss. Which don’t get me started on that trash fire of a game..
Let’s predict our next few games for the coming week
FRIDAY DEC 13  7:00PM CT
Charlotte Hornets @ United Center
THEME NIGHT: Star Wars Night | GIVEAWAY: United Airlines Star Wars Socks
Wyse: W, Kenyatta: W, Marcus: W
 
SATURDAY DEC 14  7:00PM CT
LA Clippers @ United Center
THEME NIGHT: Holiday Game
Wyse: L, Kenyatta: L, Marcus: L
 
MONDAY DEC 16  7:00PM CT
@ Oklahoma City – Chesapeake Energy Arena
Wyse: L, Kenyatta: L, Marcus: W
 
WEDNESDAY DEC 18  6:00PM CT
@ Washington – Capital One Arena
Wyse: W, Kenyatta: W, Marcus: W