The Chicago Bulls Beat

Join in for a discussion about how to solve problems for different types of people within your organization and the unique challenges that come depending on the context of your relationship.

While communication is a broad topic, today's discussion is a few minutes on how you can bridge common gaps between corporate level communication and your staff so that they feel they are being communicated to well.  

How do you filter information? I suggest some small changes in how to filter information that will increase trust with leadership and staff.  At the core, you want an approach where you take ownership of failures and give credit to your staff for successes, and small changes in the way you filter information can go a long way towards achieving these goals. Subscription links found here: https://linktr.ee/bytesizedleadership

Byte Sized Leadership is a podcast geared towards improving your leadership skills in just a few minutes a day. In today's lesson, I discuss: The importance of trust Why the foundation is authenticity Some dos and don'ts of being your authentic self in a professional setting    

Summer League discussion featuring Matas Buzelis The AKME Paradox AK's latest interview showcases once again how in over his head he is

Nuanced Josh Giddey discussion Pat Williams new contract Matas draft discussion

Discussion of what it means for Giddey to improve his shooting Discussion of what this trade means when evaluating AK and the other types of moves he will make Discussion of likelihood of different roster moves being made after the trade than where we were trending before the trade

Start with some common misconceptions on Will Gottlieb's reporting of Alex's trade value Discuss Giddey's fit and overall value prop to the team Discuss how this trade should change plans we've presumed would happen

Discussion of Lonzo Trade up potential for Clingan Eversley's secret extension How to build a team moving forward

Donovan is staying, the front office is staying Changes need to be made, explicitly in the big 3 DeMar and Pat are coming back We need to be top 4 to pay the tax We aren't going to look to take a step back to take two steps forward All of this is going to happen because AK is creative despite the fact the math doesn't work

I move two steps more positive on the Bulls A discussion of Billy Donovan Future implications of Zach vs DeMar Should we trust clutch play

Discussion of our latest injuries and conspiracy theories Some good old fashioned Vuc hate What to do at the deadline Our ownership is bad, just not as bad as you think AK still a disaster

Discuss the Bulls improved play Coby's need to adjust to defensive attention Vucevic myths and the odd desire to credit him Can Zach integrate back into the team High floor Pat Williams is back Injuries catching up to us What to do now

The effect of the four game win streak on our mentality and LaVine's trade value Why we need to trade Alex Caruso but won't anyway A breakdown of economic principles and how they apply to roster building to show why our current path is failure

This podcast contains a lot of bad language Holy shit is the Vuc in the post argument dumb God damn does our general manager fucking suck

Bulls start / rebuild potential / schedule harder than it appears What does a Donovan coaching change look like? Why our players are the problem Why losing on the margins hurts our trade position New thoughts on Zach trade destinations / restrictions Saying thanks to all of you

Corrections on how Zach's trade bonus works Discussion of rebuilding around AKME

Timing logistics Management's desired outcome Discussion of our negotiating ability The Luxury tax and the Trade Kicker 

Discuss the Bulls start to date Alex Caruso is the Bulls best player Rotational changes we should but won't make The long road ahead for the Bulls to actually be back

Discuss the Bulls overall status after three games Quick reviews of players after three games Look at upcoming schedule Discussion of rotations and how they can be fixed Bulls paper tiger defense exposed and why

Why we couldn't get involved in a Lillard trade What a Jrue Holiday trade avoiding the tax looks like Lonzo + Caruso + Pat + Portland pick for Jrue Zach for Jrue straight up Possible outcomes and future costs

Wrap up of all the Bulls moves Negative outcome of overpaying AKME guys based on sunk cost mentality Terry Taylor vs DJJ Was this a good off-season? The new superstar trade (Harden, Lillard, and Beal) Twitter questions answered

General off-season thoughts Summer League of Dalen Terry / Julian Phillips DPE granted for Lonzo Ball AK doubles down on the 14-9 banner The idiocy of the Marko situation Ayo's QO is now guaranteed and what is holding up our final roster spots Pat Williams wants to be a wing

No, it's not Zach, DeMar, and Vuc - Fred and Mark join in on the Bulls Beat Mostly the same fights we always have but now on a podcast instead of twitter And Fred is in a closet

Recap the Vuc extension Drummond opt in Coby Signing Carter Signing Remaining cap situation / recommendations Overall thoughts 

Break down everything said at the AKME press conference Bulls trade for Julian Phillips  Derrick Jones Jr opts out Zach Lavine trade rumors and a new worst case scenar Economic theory behind team building

AKME's failed attempts to be like Denver DJJ/Drummond opting in isn't a bad thing Why the Bird Rights Trap doesn't really apply to the Bulls Hollinger's scary analysis of Vuc's contract status vs what we're looking at paying Analysis of all draft pick haul for player trades

Salary cap corrections Recap of Doug's best go-forward plan Deep discussion of the roster problems imposed by our players and strategy Discussion of how to leverage the new CBA to our advantage Quick hits on things that piss me off

A different take on the Scottie Pippin interview What culture means inside a team and inside a front office An unnecessary defense of Jimmy Butler Why the Bulls shouldn't apply for a DPE on Lonzo Ball

I discuss the new CBA and how it will impact the league as well as the Chicago Bulls.  I get into Jimmy Butler's magic run a bit as well as various older trade rumors.

Discuss individual players going forward Discuss the Bulls offensive / defense A bit on the best path forward as a team Random old NBA topics

I discuss AK's press conference and the Bulls 2023 off-season plan.

The Brooklyn Nets walloped the Chicago Bulls last night, but people need to relax! One regular season game doesn't change the narrative or make the Bulls less of a contender, something the lads try to ram home on the show. From there, the conversation moves to the NBA trade deadline, with questions asked about whether Patrick Williams or Coby White should be moved, if Jerami Grant solves the Bulls' Nets problem, if the Bulls should pursue PJ Washington, and much.

With Fred and Mark out for the week, I discuss Coby White's outstanding play and the impact this has on the trade deadline and Bulls long term decision making as well as throw a bunch of flowers at the Front Office for their brilliance this off-season.

The Bulls play the Hawks twice in one week, and on both occasions, it was Chicago that proved too good for Atlanta. Sure, the Hawks had most of their players in health and safety protocols, but Nikola Vucevic has looked awesome the past five games, which begs the question: Is Vooch all the way back from his season-long slump? The lads discuss if this is the case, as well as pondering where the Bulls' big 4 of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Vucevic, and Lonzo Ball compare to other foursomes around the league. Finally, the show closes with some well-earned love for Ayo Dosunmu, who continues to be a rookie revelation. 

Mark and Fred are on holiday, so you are left with a classic, Doug Thonus solo Bulls Beat today.  I discuss coming to terms with the Vucevic trade, how AKME may deal with mistakes in the future, and the league's shifting stance on COVID testing, and no Bulls Beat would be complete without a special story time.

With two games postponed and most of the roster remaining in health and safety protocols, there hasn't been development for our Chicago Bulls this week.  So, with little news to discuss, naturally, Doug, Mark and Fred get into the most pressing topic: arguing about the Nikola Vucevic trade for the millionth time. Doug wasn't a fan of the trade at the time it occurred, and continues to voice his concern with the trade, whilst Mark tries to fly the flag for Karnisovas, suggesting the trade remains a win for the Bulls. Later in the show, the lads dive into several trade suggestion offered up by the listeners, as well as Fred offering up a Coby White for Derrick Rose trade.

Doug, Mark and Fred are back with a new episode of the Bulls Beat, and given the number of Bulls players entering the NBA's health and safety protocols, naturally, the podcast begins with this pressing topic. Can the Bulls navigate through this period without five rotation players? Should the league even be letting the Bulls play games when half their rotation is out? Worse still, why are they playing if they could be passing on the virus to other teams? From there, the lads get into the Ayo hype, specifically wondering the city of Chicago has overrated and fallen too quickly for the hometown kid.  A sacrilegious question or is there some merit to this idea? The Ayo talk leads nicely into an open debate about the Bulls trading their young players for ready-made, win-now veterans such as Harrison Barnes, Domantas Sabonis, or Myles Turner. Finally, the show closes with a story, this time from Doug. Make sure you're not eating when listening to that part...  

The Bulls score an impressive win against the Charlotte Hornets, and did so on the back of Nikola Vucevic having his best game of the season. On the Bulls Beat, the fellas get into Vooch's return to form, how the Bulls should use him going forward to ensure he continues to play like this, debating the merit of posting the center up more for touches. Also on the show, a discussion on how long the Bulls should persist with an inconsistent Coby White; ways the Bulls can improve their output against zone defenses; whether to move Derrick Jones Jr. into the starting lineup; and as usual, a completely random story from See Red Fred, which he somehow tries to use as an analogy to this Bulls season.

The Bulls loss to the Pacers had See Red Fred enraged, so much so he couldn't bear to join Doug and Mark on the Bulls Beat. Instead, Doug and Mark play a two-man game, covering the following topics: The loss to the Pacers and why this loss an outlier performance that should cause no concern Why DeMar DeRozan has a real case for being the most important player on the team Comparing the Bulls of this season to last year's Phoenix Suns Why we should consider the Bulls a defense-first team When Fred realised he was prophet How effective DJJ has been playing in the Daniel Gafford role And finally, the show closes with Silvy trashing Fred

Two games in Los Angeles, two fantastic win for the Chicago Bulls. On a new episode of the Bulls Beat, the lads discuss the Bulls' impressive wins against the Clippers and Lakers, including the work Billy Donovan has done to make key adjustments without Nikola Vucevic. The guys also discuss whether Alex Caruso should continue to start, the embarrassing roster the Lakers have surrounded LeBron James and Anthony Davis with, and how the Lakers passing on Caruso and DeMar DeRozan has been to the betterment of the Bulls. From there, a discussion breaks out on the Vucevic trade and, knowing what we know now, if the deal stills makes sense. Finally, the show closes with Fred offering some advice in the form of seduction techniques, including the importance of acoustic renditions of Air Supply and REO Speedwagon classics.   If you want to join Doug and a bunch of other Bulls fans at an upcoming game, email Doug for free tickets: dougthonus@gmail.com

The Bulls beat the Brooklyn Nets, which begs the obvious question: Are the Bulls the new Kings of the East? On a new Bulls Beat, Doug, Mark and Fred discuss the way the current landscape is shaping up, which, at present, has no dominant team, thus leaving the door ajar for a team like the Bulls to sneak in an unlikely title run. After his fantastic performance against the Nets, Fred waxes poetic about Ayo Dosunmu, as well as slandering those people who hated the Ayo draft pick.  In other news, Coby White getting closer to a return, conversation turns to how White will garner minutes, especially with Ayo emerging as a real rotational player. Later in the show, some fake trades! This time, grand plans are hatched to steal Harrison Barnes from the Kings. Finally, the show closes with a deep dive into Nikola Vucevic's severe slump to start the season, and an argument develops about Scottie Pippen and his constant shots at the Bulls and Michael Jordan.

Two extremely impressive wins against the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics have Doug, Mark and Fred in a very good mood. The lads posit if there needs to be a collective adjustment made on how good this Bulls team actually can be in a wide-open title fight. Also on the show, some love for DeMar DeRozan, who has been instrumental in carrying the Bulls whilst Zach LaVine learns to live with a thumb injury.  The platitudes don't stop there, with some early Billy Donovan coach of the year predictions, as well as the prophet suggesting Ayo Dosunmu will win the Rookie of the Year. All that and much more on the Bulls Beat!  

The Bulls Beat is back, this time with friends! In a new show format, Doug (@Doug_Thonus) welcomes in new co-hosts of the show, Mark K (@mkhoops) and Fred Pfeiffer (@cbefred). The trio discuss the Bulls' perfect record to start the season, the areas the team needs to improve on if they're to continue taking the league by storm, a necessary conversation on Patrick Williams' poor play, and so much more.  

I discuss the Bulls fit, remaining FA space available and cap outlook going forward.

I discuss the Bulls signings (Lonzo, Caruso, DeMar) and the Ayo draft pick.   DeMar addendum added onto the original podcast from this morning.

I discuss the excellent mechanics of the Bulls day one in free agency which left them with significant options without giving up much in terms of assets as well as the fits of Lonzo, Caruso, and Ayo.

K.C. Johnson joins the show to discuss what the Bulls can, will, and should do this off-season as well as the Coby White injury and how it may impact the Bulls plans.

Who doesn't love a plan named after a specific year?  When has such a plan ever gone wrong?  I briefly discuss the disappointing end to the Bulls season, what they should do in the off-season, and how they can legitimately position themselves to add that third star player.

I break down the fallacies people use to discuss why the Bulls won this trade including overrating Nikola Vucevic, underrating the assets we gave to acquire him, the synergies we may gain with this pairing, and the difficulties that will come up in making the next move.  

I discuss why I am on an island of not loving the Bulls deadline moves and what options they have left to make the next move to improve the team.