John

Lucas

Ham has elected to bring in his own coaching staff, which makes sense for a new head coach. Fizdale, Penberthy, and Lucas were part of the old regime under Frank Vogel but will now be looking for jobs elsewhere. Fizdale’s head coaching experience should allow him to land on his feet smoothly.

Lucas earns honors as the recommended spot play going forward, as C.J. Watson (0-for-8 FGs, one point, three assists, 27 minutes) just hasn’t been right lately. Unfortunately, betting on either of them is going to be a bit of a crapshoot while Derrick Rose (groin) is out.

That’s two straight quality performances from Lucas, who outplayed starter C.J. Watson on the evening. Coach Thibodeau isn’t likely to swap out Lucas for Watson but a timeshare could develop if Lucas continues to play well. Of course, Derrick Rose’s return will heavily impact this situation.

The injury appeared to be non-contact (Rose may have banged knees with Spencer Hawes) and he was in serious pain, all of which leaves the Bulls’ victory feeling very hollow. Tom Thibodeau will be endlessly second-guessed if this is sidelines Rose for any length of time, as Rose was hurt with a 12-point lead and just over one minute remaining. Stay tuned for updates on the health of the reigning MVP.

It’s not a given that Rose will miss any games, yet, but we’re rather pessimistic after watching replays of the injury, coupled with his reaction and the need for an immediate MRI. Watson has played well in relief of Rose all year, as has backup PG John Lucas (who picked up a DNP-CD tonight).

Details are sketchy, MRI results aren’t known, and we’re still awaiting confirmation from Bulls’ writers. This was first circulated by @NBCMiami (which has since admitted it was ‘premature’), but CSN writer John Finger did write, “Word around the United Center press room: Torn ACL & MCL for Derrick Rose.” TNT cameras also caught Rose telling a trainer, “I felt something ‘pop’.” The Bulls have proven their resiliency all season, but if true this could be a death blow for their championship aspirations. C.J. Watson and John Lucas are waiting in the wings.

This is a punch to the gut for Bulls fans, or really anyone who cares about the NBA. Rose simply couldn’t stay healthy this year and although the temptation is reasonable, nobody should be pointing fingers at Tom Thibodeau for leaving his starters in the game with a double-digit lead and 80 seconds remaining. Thibodeau noted that Philly was making a late run and he wanted his team to both stop their momentum and practice closing out meaningful games. In any case, Chicago will soldier on with C.J. Watson starting at PG and John Lucas absorbing backup minutes.

Rose’s return date is still up in the air, so keep playing Watson until you know Rose is going to start again. John Lucas came off the bench for 13 points and four assists in 17 minutes, but would only have value if Watson joins Rose on the injury report at some point.

James’ play will be irrelevant once Derrick Rose returns, but owners in deep leagues should file this away in case Rose goes down again. Neither C.J. Watson nor John Lucas could stop Deron Williams -- James couldn’t either, but he at least played him tougher.

After proving to be a relatively consistent backup PG in both fantasy and reality, Watson has turned into a bit of a case. John Lucas (eight points, three boards, five assists) has outplayed him on enough occasions recently that a change could be in the works, and though Derrick Rose (groin) is still a question mark -- Watson is not a must-own player with a league-worst schedule in his pocket.