John Salmons and Tyrus Thomas are playing at high levels for their new teams
I questioned the moves the Bulls made at the trade deadline. Trading Tyrus Thomas (Bobcats) and John Salmons (Bucks) to teams that the Bulls were competing with for the playoffs has turned into a huge mistake. Coaches Scott Skiles (Bucks) and Larry Brown (Bobcats) have gotten both Salmons and Thomas playing at very high levels which leads me to also question if Vinny Del Negro is the right coach for the Bulls as he couldn’t get either of those guys to play up to their ability. Since Salmons has left the Bulls he has played in 12 games (10 starts) in which he is averaging 36.5 minutes, 19.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Thomas has played in 11 games (0 starts) for the Bobcats in which he is averaging 26.8 minutes, 11.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 2.3 blocked shots per game. The Bulls are in disarray and they will have to get focused over the summer from the top of the organization all the way to the 12th man on the bench. Maybe watching the playoffs on T.V. will get them more inspired starting next month.

You’re right, the Bulls are definitely missing both of these guys. I had a feeling that Thomas would start to flourish as soon as he left the Bulls, but I put more blame on Thomas than Del Negro. He didn’t give the Bulls the same type of effort he is now giving in Charlotte, and his big ego was always a problem in Chicago. A fresh start has really sparked a fire under him, but who knows how long that will last. Now with the injury bug hitting the Bulls hard, I’m sure they would love to have Salmons and Thomas back.