When Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson have it going as they did in Friday’s 103-87 win over the Golden State Warriors, fans can ease up on anticipating the return of Derrick Rose.
Well, maybe just a tad bit.
Hinrich scored a season-high 25 of those points, knocking down six of his seven three-point field goals attempted; moving comfortably off the ball and letting Nate create his own offense (22 points on 10-of-16 shooting), or playmaking for the dynamic scorer.
The lineup gives the Bulls a new dimension and only showcases the versatility of Hinrich.
“That was a big part of why we signed Kirk; the fact that he’s played both positions and has played well,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He can run a team and you can move him to the two-guard. I liked the way that Nate and [Hinrich] can go back and forth. I think it’s a good option to have. You have multiple guys that can go off the dribble, get into pick and rolls and read things.
The way the two have looked on Friday, you would have never thought that they’ve never shared the backcourt in practice.
“We never really done it in practice,” Hinrich said. It’s just one of those things where we just go out there, play to our strengths and try and make the right basketball play.”
Hinrich has been hesitant this season to look for his offense, passing up various open shots to try and find a better shot for his teammates. Thibodeau has said that sometimes the point guard’s focus is too much on running the team and passing up the open look, resulting in a lesser shot.
When Hinrich’s aggressive in looking for his offense as Robinson always is, the Bulls are a different team because it only opens up things for everyone else as shown on Friday.
“A lot of times they’re open because it’s so much attention on the rest of us,” Carlos Boozer said. “The last few games, Kirk has been playing great. Nate’s always aggressive offensively. It makes the game easier for everybody else.”
Robinson said playing with Hinrich feels “natural” and with a lot of teams going small; the two are bound to share more time together.
“We’re just trying to play as hard as we can for as long as we can,” Robinson said. “Guys are coming into [their own] and just having fun.”
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