Big Red Bus – Episode 228: The Bigs Issue

Episode Notes

In this episode, See Red Fred and the Podfather tackle the growing debate in Bulls Nation surrounding the team’s frontcourt defense and the misconceptions fueling it. Fred breaks down why some defenders keep drawing the toughest scoring assignments—Banchero, Lauri Markkanen, and other oversized, high-usage forwards—and why blaming Billy Donovan for those matchups completely misses the real issue. The truth is simple: Matas is not physically ready to guard NBA power forwards, and Giddey can’t defend point guards or shooting guards, leaving others to absorb those brutal matchups.

Fred details the specific physical challenges Matas faces right now—getting bumped off spots, losing box-outs, and being displaced by contact—and explains why these are normal development hurdles for a young forward entering the league. He emphasizes that Matas’ talent is real and his offensive flashes are legitimate, but a couple of highlight blocks don’t erase the 20-plus possessions where strength becomes a glaring problem.

The episode also explores why the Bulls struggle to close games with a Giddey–Vooch–Matas trio, outlining how their combined defensive limitations create a structural disadvantage that no coach can scheme around.

Ultimately, Fred reframes the conversation: this is not a coaching-mistake problem. It’s a roster-composition problem and a physical-development reality. Until the Bulls add more frontcourt physicality or Matas grows into his NBA body, Okoro will keep being the one tasked with holding the defensive line, even when the matchups look strange on paper.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.