It took a while, but Bulls assistant coach Tex Winter finally is happy with the way the offense is functioning.
Winter, the guru of the Bulls’ “triangle offense,” has been pleading with the rest of the team to get involved on offense to take pressure off Michael Jordan, the league’s leading scorer.
Winter’s urgings have translated into better team basketball. Going into Friday’s game against the Washington Bullets here at USAir Arena, the Bulls had 78 assists in their previous two games, including a season-high 42 in a victory over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday. Jordan had 22 assists in those two games, including a season-high 12 against the Nuggets.
And Scottie Pippen led the Bulls in scoring in each of those games, the first time all season Jordan hasn’t led them in scoring in successive games.
“The thing that happens to this ballclub is when Pippen and Toni (Kukoc) are shooting very well, then Michael will involve them more in the offense,” Winter said. “But Michael is a smart enough player that he knows if they’re not doing the job, if they’re having a difficult time scoring, then he has to carry the load. We want ball movement, we want Michael to involve his teammates more. Michael understands this and that’s what he’s done the last couple of games.”
The players are getting the point.
“We’re a better team when Michael is getting 11 or 12 assists and 25 points and Pippen is coming in with his 20 or 25 points and even Toni and (Steve) Kerr are picking up the slack,” Winter said. “But when we have to have Michael score 50, it means the other guys aren’t involved to the point they should be.”
Friends in high places: On Tuesday at the United Center, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton took in a Bulls game. On Friday at USAir Arena, President Clinton dropped by to check out the Bulls.
Keeping quiet: Bullets coach Bernie Bickerstaff, who replaced the fired Jim Lynam at the All-Star break, was careful when talking about Jordan before Friday’s game. He didn’t want to provoke Jordan into a big scoring night, as New York’s Jeff Van Gundy and Seattle’s George Karl did.
Jordan scored 51 points on the Knicks after Van Gundy irritated him; he scored 45 on the SuperSonics after Karl chided him for not going to the basket more.
“Michael represents what’s really good in the National Basketball Association,” Bickerstaff said. “Not only in terms of fan appeal but the messages he sends young players. He’s a great ambassador for basketball.”
Talking trash: While Bickerstaff took the high road, Knicks General Manager Ernie Grunfeld stirred up more potential trouble for his team. In Friday’s editions of the New York Post, Grunfeld said the Bulls won’t make the NBA Finals and the Knicks are the team that can stop them.
Before Friday’s game, Jordan was shown the paper and smiled.
“This is the wrong game,” he said. “Bring it to that game.”
The Bulls play the Knicks in New York on March 9.
Good riddance: The Bulls will make their final trip to USAir Arena on April 3. The Bullets, who are changing their name to the Wizards next season, move into the MCI Center in downtown Washington in November.
It can’t be soon enough for Bulls coach Phil Jackson.
“There are some places you’re happy to see end as arenas and this is one of them,” Jackson said.
Are you still here? Reserve forward Dickey Simpkins thought he might be shipped off before Thursday’s trading deadline, but nothing happened.
Simpkins, in his third season with the Bulls, entered Friday’s game having played a total of three minutes in the team’s four games since the All-Star break.
“I guess Phil needs me against teams with bigger guys or stronger rebounders,” said Simpkins. “I just have to sit on the bench and wait my turn. It’s easier said than done.”
At home: Stomach flu kept center Bill Wennington from making the trip to Landover.
