Rip Hamilton: Do the Chicago Bulls Really Need Him?
The addition of Richard Hamilton to the Chicago Bulls roster was lauded as both a move that filled a much-needed gap at the SG position and enough to make Chicago even more serious contenders than they were last season.
With a good number of games in the books, there is more than enough data to crunch in order to see if the signing was beneficial, detrimental or moot.
Overall, the Chicago Bulls are 9-2 after 11 games and rank in the top 10 for points scored (ninth), points allowed (second), assists (third) and rebounds (fifth). That’s pretty remarkable, but given the fact that Rip Hamilton missed six of those 11 games, it’s hard to measure how much he’s contributed to that proficiency.
The next logical step would be to establish where the Bulls are as a team, then see how those numbers compare with Rip in and out of the lineup:
Points Scored: 97.6
Points Allowed: 87.8
Assists: 23.0
Rebounds: 44.8
With Hamilton in the lineup, the Bulls are 4-1. Their team stats break down as follows:
Points Scored: 100.0
Points Allowed: 93.6
Assists: 24.4
Rebounds: 42.8
When Hamilton is out of the lineup, the Bulls are 5-1 and these are the team’s numbers:
Points Scored: 95.6
Points Allowed: 83.0
Assists: 21.8
Rebounds: 46.5
If you look at the record, there isn’t much to support Hamilton’s addition as being a boon for the team since Chicago wins and loses just as many games.
With Hamilton in the lineup, there is a significant uptick in points scored, but there is an even greater increase in points allowed. When looking at the raw data, it’s easy to deduce that the Bulls’ offensive production gets better at the cost of the team losing defensive potency.
When Rip is absent, it is noticeable that the offense production goes down, however the defense is significantly improved.
The key to these numbers, as it is with any set of data, is context. On the surface the Bulls are not better or worse with Hamilton in and out of the lineup. The results that casual observers look at the most, wins and losses, are virtually identical. However, if you slice into those numbers a little more, something pretty significant is revealed.
You don’t have to be stats geek (but, I sure do love them) to see that the major factor here is not whether or not the Bulls win more with or without Hamilton, but rather whether or not the Bulls play better.
The defense is not necessarily worse with Hamilton on the floor. When you look at the increase in points scored and assists made, it becomes apparent the Bulls play at a faster pace resulting in more possessions for both them and their opponent. The ball moves better making for more opportunities to both score and be set up to score.
It’s obvious the Bulls don’t score as much without Rip. Missing a 12-point-per-game scorer leaves for quite a load for other players to pick up. And while they have their share of weapons in Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer and even Kyle Korver as of late, they rely more on defense to ensure the win, hence the improvement in points allowed.
Even more, focusing on those stats, with or without context, is still missing the forest for the trees. Hamilton was not signed to help improve the Bulls’ regular-season performance. Remember, Chicago won 62 games last season with the oft-injured Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah and the offensive contributions of a four-point-per-game scorer in Keith Bogans. Hamilton was brought in for the postseason.
The Bulls are a young team that learned a slew of valuable lessons from their 4-1 thumping at the hands of the more playoff-tested Miami Heat in last year’s Eastern Conference finals.
Hamilton brings in a veteran presence who has seen four Eastern Conference finals and two NBA Finals. He will give this franchise the poise it needs to perform on basketball’s biggest stage. The regular season is merely practice. The real season starts in May.
So, do the Bulls really need Rip Hamilton?
Yes.
