One Adjustment Chicago Bulls Must Make to Ensure Postseason Success

The Chicago Bulls, enjoying a successful postseason thus far, don’t need to make a ton of adjustments. But one move coach Tom Thibodeau should consider is increasing Nate Robinson’s playing time.

Signed by the Bulls for the veteran’s minimum last July, Robinson wasn’t expected to do much this season in the Windy City. He was supposed to serve as a decent—not great—backup for starting point guard Kirk Hinrich, and later fall down the depth chart once the injured Derrick Rose returned to the lineup.

Little did anyone know that Robinson would go on to have a sensational debut season with the Bulls.

The 5'9" Seattle native finished the regular season averaging 13.1 points, 4.4 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.0 steals per. In addition, he shot 43.3 percent overall as well as a team-best 40.5 percent from beyond the arc.      

Robinson has emerged as a phenomenal scorer off the bench. He actually received four third-place votes for the 2013 Sixth Man of the Year award.

While Robinson helped Chicago out during the regular season, he has also done an admirable job in this year’s playoffs.

The Bulls currently own a 3-1 lead in their first-round series with the Brooklyn Nets. No doubt about it, Chicago wouldn’t have won Game 4 without Robinson’s scoring. That’s not an opinion; it’s a fact.  

Robinson was nothing short of spectacular during that game, as he led the team to a 142-134 triple-overtime victory. He scored 34 points, including 23 in the fourth quarter, one shy of Michael Jordan’s franchise postseason record for most points in a quarter.

A huge fan of Jordan shoes, Robinson basically resembled a shorter MJ on that wild Saturday afternoon.  

Here are the highlights of his memorable Game 4 performance.

Following the game, Robinson compared himself to a classic video game (via ESPN Chicago).  

"

I always think I'm on fire, kind of like the old school game NBA Jam. You make a couple in a row, the rim's on fire. You shoot the ball, the ball's on fire. I feel like that at times—all the time. Whenever I'm in the game, I just play with a lot of confidence. You kind of have to lie to yourself and feel like you can't miss.     

"

Thibodeau also spoke about Robinson’s outing (via USA Today).

"

It was big shot after big shot, but that's what he does. That's what makes him so valuable. It doesn't take him much to get going. Once he gets going, he can have a great run. I thought he played with a lot of energy. He played a great game.

"

Robinson is averaging 22.8 minutes per contest so far this postseason. Perhaps Thibs should increase those minutes to around 28 per contest.

Robinson is currently averaging 17.3 points, which ranks second on the team behind Carlos Boozer. He also produces a whopping 27.3 points per 36 minutes. Just image, though, what he could do while logging more minutes.    

Increased minutes for Robinson would result in less playing time for Hinrich, who averages a hefty 40.5 minutes per game.  Although Hinrich is one of the Bulls’ top defenders, a minute reduction could benefit him, seeing that he’s quite injury-prone.

The chart below compares Robinson’s playoff minutes with those of other quality reserves.  

Obviously, Robinson doesn’t play as much as 2013 Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith or runner-up Jamal Crawford.    

The Bulls are one of the league’s worst offensive teams. They finished the regular season ranked just 29th in scoring with 93.2 points per game.  

Bumping up Robinson’s minutes could certainly help the team out, especially if they advance past the first round and take on the defending champion Miami Heat. He isn’t the defender that Hinrich is, but he provides a great deal of scoring punch to the lineup.

The Bulls will definitely need Robinson’s scoring, especially if Rose doesn’t return for the second round of the playoffs.

We’ll see if Robinson's minutes increase going forward. He’s a major key to Chicago’s postseason success.