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Chicago Bulls: Midseason Report Card From 2016-17

By James D. Tillman III

Jan 15, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo (9) and his teammates huddle up during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 15, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo (9) and his teammates huddle up during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 22, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Chicago Bulls associate head coach Jim Boylan grabs center Robin Lopez (8) as he reacts to a play in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets defeated the Bulls 110-107. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Chicago Bulls associate head coach Jim Boylan grabs center Robin Lopez (8) as he reacts to a play in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets defeated the Bulls 110-107. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Robin Lopez

The Chicago Bulls acquired Robin Lopez as part of the trade that sent former MVP Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks.

After watching the previous guy who held down the center spot during the past two seasons, Pau Gasol, attempting to replace that type of production with Lopez may have seemed like a stretch on paper.

However, while Ro-Lo won’t give you a double-double on a nightly basis, there other things that he does quite well. He sets effective screens and he defends the pick-and-roll reasonably well.

Although Lopez’s averages (9.1 points and 7.1 rebounds) do not favorably compare to the numbers Gasol put up during his two-year stint with the Bulls (17.6 points and 11.4 rebounds), Lopez is a solid rim protector (leads team with 1.7 blocks per contest) and he is a big reason why the Bulls are the best rebounding team in the league.

Additionally, Lopez has no problem sacrificing even if it means watching games from the bench in the fourth quarter.

"“If you want to win, when you want to get to the upper echelons of this league, everybody on the roster is going to sacrifice,” Lopez said, via the Chicago Sun-Times. “I think the couple of guys that have won -championships on this team can tell you that.”"

Simply put, Lopez is doing exactly what the Bulls hoped he would when they traded for him during the offseason. His game may not be flashy, but it is effective.

Midseason Grade: B

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