Quick: Which of the Bulls received the most votes last season for the NBA’s Sixth Man Award?
The answer: It was a tie. Zero.
Sixteen players got at least one vote, but none punches in regularly at the United Center.
If that seems an unjust snub given the quality of the Bulls’ reserves, consider they don’t really have a Sixth Man. They have three Sixth Men, and that should continue this season when the Bulls open up with the Lakers on Sunday in Los Angeles.
Ronnie Brewer averaged 22 minutes per game, with Taj Gibson (21.8) and Kyle Korver (20.1) close behind. (Gibson did get a boost from starting 19 games.)
C.J. Watson logged 13.3 minutes per contest and Omer Asik clocked 12.1.
Kurt Thomas, who started 37 games and bounced off the bench for 15 more, signed with the Trail Blazers.
But Brewer, Gibson, Korver, Watson and Asik are back. As is crowd favorite Brian “White Mamba” Scalabrine. The newcomer is first-round pick Jimmy Butler, who likely won’t be in the rotation to start the season but draws raves from Korver.
“Jimmy doesn’t make mistakes,” he said. “He plays really solid defense. He’s a strong cutter to the basket. He’s a smart player, someone who can fit into every lineup. He has picked everything up quickly and is a good guy to be around too.”
The strength of the bench is in its numbers, given that few teams have solid reserves at all five spots.
That, and the familiarity factor. Brewer, Gibson, Korver, Watson and Asik have logged enough minutes together to complete each other’s sentences.
“The strength lies in the fact that they’re comfortable with each other,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “They’re also versatile enough that you can play them in both units. If someone gets a hot hand or has a good matchup, we’re not afraid to mix and match.”
It’s expected Thibodeau will lean on the self-titled “Bench Mob” even more this season because of the condensed 66-game schedule and dearth of off days.
Thibodeau would not commit to that, saying: “We’re going to use everybody. We’ll use our starters a lot. We used 10 most of last season, and I don’t see that changing.”
Korver said he expects the Mob to get even more work this season but then joked: “I don’t think we’ll go in and out like hockey teams, with line changes.”
In March, NBA.com writer John Schuhmann rated the Bulls’ bench tops in the NBA. He noted the unit ranked just 23rd in the league in scoring, but he gave it the nod because of defensive standouts Brewer, Gibson and Asik.
Asik is a fine shot-blocker and rebounder. As Thibodeau noted, the 7-foot Turk grabbed six boards in just 11 minutes in Tuesday’s exhibition against the Pacers. And it was his first NBA action since fracturing his left fibula (leg) during the Eastern Conference finals. He missed Game 5 and the injury needed eight weeks to fully heal.
“He’s just coming around now,” Thibodeau said. “His health and conditioning were a concern going into camp. His timing has been a little off. But his reaction to the ball (Tuesday) was very good.
“He’s a terrific defensive player and a great screener and offensive rebounder. And he’s getting more comfortable now with the ball.”
Twitter @TeddyGreenstein
