Grieving 101...Dealing with the Joakim Noah Injury

Another great win for the hot as fire Bulls. If you saw the game, you already know the following:

• Boozer can BEAST against a team with no inside presence. Absolutely beast.
• We can win games without Rose scoring much
• The Raptors are easily the worst offensive team I've ever seen. Well...wait no...they are pathetic. Bayliss should score like 40 points per game, because who the hell else on that team is supposed to?

On a side note, have you ever been offended so much by how a team plays? Toronto literally does not move on offense. I felt like I was watching a pick-up game where one guy is just soooo much sicker than the rest so they all stand by and watch him, alas the Cavs from 2003-2009. The problem? No one on the Raps is THAT sick. I love Bayliss, but he is not quite that dopeness.

That being said, let's look at who may be signed to help fill the void left by Joakim's injury.


Option 1 (most likely option)

The Return of Chris Richards


Y'all know Chris Richards? Well, maybe you don't. The current Bulls regime loves ridding the team of players that don't fit the attitude of the team, and bringing back players who do. Chris Richards is the epitome of that.

He was boys with Joakim back on the Gators' National Championship team. Is he good? Well, no. But he hustles, grabs some boards, and is willing to play some d. Sadly, he might be juuuust a touch to small to really be effective.

Chance of signing: 75%

Option 2

Rasheed Wallace

No. Do I really need to elaborate? He would KILL the energy on this young, exciting team. Cancer.

Chance of signing: 2%

More likely, we shall see the team change the line-up from within. I don't like Boozer shifting over to center. As any reader knows, I loathe the idea of letting Asik on the court for anything but getting up for the starters for a time-out.  He might start, but I will not be excited about it. He is getting slightly better on defense, but he's completely and utterly lost on offense.

Taj? Too small, and way too valuable spelling the other the bigs when they need some rest.

Personally, I'd start Kurt Thomas. He's a savvy vet who doesn't need the ball, can rebound, and can even knock down a 15 footer if he's open. Additionally, I like his size, and he can protect the basket a weeee bit better than Asik.

If Omer Asik starts, don't be surprised, but feel free to break something, because I can assure you I will.

Weekly Wrap Up

Wonderful week of basketball, mostly in the sense that I was able to watch every game, except the TWolves last night (but do they really count as an NBA team??)

Let's reflect on the win against the Lakers...

Was it awesome for D. Rose to go off and make Kobe cry? Hell yes it was. But this Laker's team was without Bynum, and near the tail-end of a long road trip where they had played 4 games in 5 nights. It was a good win, but nothing that we should get too excited about. Not yet anyways.

Every other game this week (less the Cavs, what the heck was that) was pretty much what any fan could have expected. The Cavs reeked of classic trap game, but luckily Rose hates losing, an MJ-like quality that will serve us well now and in the future.

On another note, cut Asik. Thanks.

RJ

Lakers tonight

Should be a great game. ESPN writer Mike Wilbon has an awesome story about Kobe and how he is kind of labeling D. Rose that next dude.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nba/columns/story?columnist=wilbon_michael&id=5905182
If he can be anything close to the next Kobe, we're in for a real treat.

I think we've got a real shot at this one tonight, at the very least, a close game.

I'll go Bulls 98 Lakers 95

Lakers haven't really won against good teams on the road yet.

Beat These Cavs

The team is pretty much awful without Bron.


Bulls 102  Cavs 79

Zebras are messing with us so far. Let's see Rose abuse Gibson.

Black and Red

Weekend Wrap Up

I'll have to admit, I missed the Rockets game but it sounded great. But I did watch the entire Celtics game. Disappointment.

It was great to see Boozer work his post moves. He's literally the piece we've been missing since Eddy Curry left. However, he's horrendous defensively and still looks rusty. Basically the Grey Goose to Taj Gibson's Dimitri's.

Though its great to have Booz back, I've noticed a disturbing trend in D. Rose...an unwillingness to drive. Initially, I assumed it was overconfidence in his much-improved jumper, but his face tells a different story. He fears getting clobbered. Now, do I blame him? Not at all. The NBA powers-that-be have failed to identify him as a top 5 star (which he is), and he does not get the protection he deserves. Dwight Howard has been known to nearly murder him underneath the hoop, and Shaq straight up cleared his ass to the ground. What is this?

I'd also like to see some more effort. The Bulls have a terrible habit of forcing themselves to play from big-time behind.


RJ

Half time

Wow...NO EFFORT TONIGHT!!! 




Boozer sucks at defending


Rashard Lewis looks 75 years old


Vince looks 80...

Deng Solid Number Four, Probably No More

As a long time Bulls fan, like everyone, I have trying to understand the enigma that is Luol Deng. Is he not very good? Is he just overpaid? Maybe his crooked smile hides a tortured soul? Well, maybe not...


In a lot of ways, Luol Deng is the archetype of "well, just not quite there." If you're looking for examples, check out Shia LaBeouf. He's paid like a Brad Pitt type, but he's just not that good. He's okay. He showed some comedic promise on Even Stevens and has since had flashes, but ultimately, he's not what Hollywood wants him to be. It's still too early to write him off, we think, but really, he's pretty much just an average actor. 


This brings me back to Luol Deng. Similar career arc. Back in the day, Lu was "raw" and 2nd only to LeBron for professional prospects. He had a decent season at Duke and the Bulls picked him in the first round. Throughout his first several seasons we saw terrible three point shooting, mediocre rebounding, and decent slashing. He wasn't much to think about. 


Then this preseason, I thought I saw someone knew. Lu was knocking down three's, keeping his dribbling to a minimum (which is good for my heart attack count), and playing intense defense.


Now, a month into the season, we have experienced the best of Luol (40 point game), some AWFUL disappearing acts, and terribly unclutch play. He's clanked some crucial layups off THE BACKBOARD! What the hell? He's better than that. 


But not much. Pending Boozer's return (maybe he is the number two we need), the Bulls probably won't win a title until Luol is the fourth best player on this team. Rose might need another a scorer, but the way he's scored at ease this season, I'll assume he doesn't. That leaves Joakim Noah as one hell of a third best player on a great team, and hopefully, Boozer can be that number two. Much like I gave up on Shia after the 1st Transformers movie, it's time to throw in the towel on Lu. 


Don't get me wrong, I love Deng. Great defender, gritty, long. Awesome mid-range shot. 


He's just not the guy. (If Ben Gordon were 6'4 oh boy would he be the guy)


For now, Deng must be our fourth best player, and thrive in that role, bringing his energy and defense to the table. Or, in my ideal scenario, we would use him to pry OJ Mayo from the Grizzlies, who seem to be a little disgruntled with his poor shooting. I love OJ as the third or fourth best player on a great team, and the Bulls are the perfect fit.


As for Deng, I still love him, goofy smile and all, but cannot say I'd rather have him on this team than BG... Only time will tell. 

Circus Trip Wrap Up

Well ladies and gents, the infamous circus trip is over, and I've drawn quite a few conclusions based on what I saw.




1. Obviously, D. Rose is on another level.


Yeah, I probably don't need to say this, but he's shown that he truly isn't a number two. Rose is an alpha, give me the damn ball and watch what I do with it, kinda guy. More impressive than his position as the number two scorer in the league, Rose looks to bIe scoring effortlessly, and continually scoring in spite of not being on his game. Top PG in the league? Everyone says D.Will, but I think so.


2. Thibs still needs to work on his in-game coaching


Nuggets game.


3. An upgrade at shooting guard wouldn't be nice, it's borderline essential.


Yes, Ronnie and Korver have been a solid 1-2 punch, but we need a consistent scorer who can shoot and defend. Rip Hamilton seems like a perfect fit, as would BG if Detroit would rather dump his salary. In my opinion, either one could put this team on another level.


If neither of them, maybe give Vince Carter *don't kill me* a shot. He's been banged up this season, and clearly, the Magic don't really need him. I wouldn't hate the move.


4. CJ Watson is a decent back-up


SN contributor Corey Hickman has ragged on CJ  a lot, and even called for them to bring in anyone to replace him. As much as I love Patrick Beverly, CJ can play, and not half bad at that, when given some time.


5. The Kings are the worst team in the NBA


To see that team quit at the end was downright disgraceful. Paul Westpal should be ashamed of himself, especially considering the insane amount of talent he has in Tyreke Evans and Demarcus Cousins. Cousins is the next Al Jefferson. You can quote me on it.




Stay tuned for my next post breaking down Luol Deng.




Just for fun...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYFlzJyxWlw

Playing Really Weak so far...

But seriously, thank God D. Rose is back. Also, this is the most random thing ever on Bulls.com


http://shop.bulls.com/Johnny-Bach-Chicago-Bulls-Autographed-8x10-Photograph-with-3-Peat-91-92-93-Inscription-_651357191_PD.html

I've Survived Finals 2010

Well, I didn't think I would make it out alive, but somehow I did. 4 tests in 24 hours, only the slightest sleep for 4 days, and a 12 page forecasting paper. 


Either way, you know the deal, Bulls vs Lakers tonight, and sadly, maybe one of the worst things that has ever happened to me, I happened to make plans with my girlfriend so I won't get to watch the game.


I think the NBA is rather romantic, especially a battle between D. Rose and Kobe, but she does not agree. Hopefully I'll catch a replay tomorrow. This game's going to be great.

A Good Start to the Circus Trip... Bulls 95 Rockets 92

In a lot of ways, this was a really strange game. The first quarter was played fairly tight, but each quarter after that resulted in enormous point differentials and momentum swings...and a lot of strange offensive foul calls. 


The Good:


Derrick Rose: 33 Points, 7 Assists, 3 steals... AND... 4-5 from 3 point range. Yes 4 three's in a single game. And yes, Derrick Rose. So pretty it hurt. 


Ronnie Brewer started to look like an NBA player. That's excellent news. 


The Bad:


Taj Gibson: Luis Scola looked much more like Hakeem out there than himself. Taj also couldn't buy a bucket. 


The Highly Irrelevant:


Omer Asik seems intent on increasing his random two handed power dunk from one to two per game. 


Sadly, there isn't much to say about this game. It was somewhat ugly outside of Rose. 

Bulls Vs Washington Tonight

I would do an exhaustive analysis of the Wiz, but frankly, they are rather mediocre. 


John Wall is obviously one of the top few rookies in the league. He can score, he's almost as explosive as Derrick Rose, and might be a slightly better passer already. 


That being said, Rose is a warrior, the true alpha dog we've been waiting for since MJ retired. Expect a HUGE game from Derrick tonight. I'm talking huge explosion. He has to prove he's the best of Calliparri's henchman, and also clam his position as top young point guard in the league. Big things tonight. 


A little about the Wizards...


They are 25th in the league in scoring.


Last in the league in rebounding.


And they're allowing 104 points per game.


This game might get out of hand early. On the plus side, Al Thorton has played pretty well for them in a hybrid 3/4 position. John Wall is clearly the next great point guard. Andray Blatche will also be someone to watch tonight, but I think Joakim will shut him down. JaVale McGee also has shown some potential this year, as he's come off the bench and grabbed a few boards and is blocking a whole lot of shots. 




Final Score tonight:


Bulls: 109


Wizards: 83


Blowout. 

Sports and Life...Shockingly Inter-twined

This post is going to be a little different. A little more serious, but I'll make sure to throw in some dry humor.


So I came home today, looking to relax, and really looking for some preseason NBA basketball. No luck. Well, I do have this fantasy hockey team now, so I figured, why not give watching this Tampa Bay-Philly game a try?


I watched it for a while and was fairly entertained. I watched two periods and hit the gym.


I haven't picked up a basketball in about a month. I had some time to kill and couldn't really run, and I gave it a shot. I felt like Mugsy Boggs when he started dribbling after getting his powers back in Space Jam. The feeling was absolutely incredible. The fluidity in which I crossed the ball over, the way it curled off my finger tips as I drained jump shots. It felt like catching up with your best friend, the way the game just is. It just is. And it's incredible.


It got me to thinking about a million different things, but what really struck me was how dribbling a basketball changed my day. And I decided, I'll give you a list and save my Derrick Rose statistical projections for tomorrow. I'd love to get your own stories and feedback too so feel free to comment!


Here they are, the top ten sports moments/events/athletes affecting my personal and sports fan life.






#10 - Maurice Clarett/Chris Gamble


This could easily just be the 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, but these guys really got me going. I loved Maurice as a cocky freshman who just dominated the Big Ten. Such a warrior. I almost made my college choice based on it!


And Chris Gamble was a poor man's Charles Woodson. So sick.

Look at that smile!

#9 - The Dismantling of the Blackhawks


This really hit me today. What if the Blackhawks never betrayed me and traded Chris Chelios and Jeremy Roenick? With MJ retiring, the Hawks had a great opportunity to grab my attention. But what the hell? You trade my favorite players? Alexei Zhamnov...


I rebelled by loving Joe Sakic and rooting casually for the Avs. This pretty much killed the sport for me. I doubt it can reach a pinnacle.

#8 - Game Six vs the Marlins


Need I say more? This is easily the most devastating moment of my life as a fan. I don't want to talk about it.




#7- Madden 96/NBA Jam


Oddly, these games started an obsessive compulsive interest in both sports. Steve Young to Derrick Lovelle on the HB screen all day baby. And this game gave me too much of a vested interest in the 1994 draft class. To the point where I can probably name half of it right here : Jason Kidd, Eric Montross, Jim Jackson, Jalen Rose, Brooks Thompson (thought he was going to be great!), Tony Dumas and Juwan Howad. This list of guys probably earned more excessive/overvalued salaries than any thing imaginable. Either way, Madden 96 really really made me love stats.

Still Fly

#6 - Steve Young

Find me this jersey and I will marry you.

For some reason, my first memories of football are Joe Montana. Whether it was the sick 3-d shadowing of their jersey numbers in '94, or the Bulls colors, I loved the Niners. Still do. I love the Bears too, but the Niners will always be number one.


Steve: efficient, savvy, quick thinking, tough as nails, and athletic. Pretty much everything I came to value in life. He's one of those rare athletes that I cried for. When he got hit by Aenas Williams on MNF after stupid Lawrence Philips missed a block, I wanted to go beat him. Kind of tearing up thinking about it. :(






#5 - The White Sox letting go of Robin Ventura


I'm sure this sounds like a particularly random thought. Honestly, Robin Ventura will always be may favorite baseball player, and the love I developed for him forced me to abandon the Sox when they let him go. I wanted nothing more than to spite them.


I still have a Robin Ventura jersey sitting in my closet at home. This, coupled with Kerry Wood, made me a fan of the lovable losers. Life-altering? I think so. I probably wouldn't even live in Wrigleyville now, had the Sox just kept Robin.






#4 - 2003 Bulls vs Lakers - 


Easily my favorite sporting event I have ever attended. I was able to see the Lakers with Shaq, Kobe, Karl Malone, and Gary Payton playing together! Four hall of famers on one court. And I got to see Marcus Fizer go into beast mode and single-handedly destroy them. He had like 30 points and 20 boards. Marcus Fizer. Marcus Fizer.


Best sporting experience of my life, and I was on TV doing the YMCA. Oh, everyone at Woodlawn Middle School saw. And I got made fun of. But who cares? MARCUS FIZER!!

From the infamous Bulls Ninja Turtles Era, which included Corey Blount part deux

#3 - Quitting Stevenson Football due to injuries


Somewhat of a regrettable decision, but it completely ruined me for high school. I was lost and didn't have any idea what to do. Although it seemed  everything was coming together for me, this ruined it. I didn't ask a girl to homecoming, a became increasingly introverted, and it ruined me. I became a jerk for four years of my self.




#2 - 14 Points and 10 Rebounds vs Aptakisic


If you were on my team, you remember this game. We lost by a pathetic 43 points. Schwabe rolled the ball down the court and the entire stadium laughed at the blow out.


As always, ME ME ME. I finally got some serious PT after riding the pine. I played really well, and went smash mouth with local manchild Matt Riskin.


The next game? 0 minutes played. Never been so mad at Mr. Donofrio before. Screw that team. 


#1 - Like Mike...If I could be like Mike


I feel sorry for those of you who did not grow up in the Chicago area when MJ was playing in the 90's. I couldn't think of a better role model (seriously).


On the court, MJ exemplified everything you could ask for in an athlete: competitiveness, unwillingness to lose, and he was the hardest working player in the league. Oh yeah, and the best. And he got cut from his high school team. And Bulls fans were initially unhappy with the pick. Oh yeah, that guy. The ultimate alpha underdog. 


Like it or not, my win at all costs attitude came from this man. He made me love winning, and I'm not shaking that any time soon. Thanks, Michael. 




Feel free to share any stories of your own, I'd love to hear them. This post took me some time.




-RJ

Ty Lawson is on fire right now

Holy crap turn on the game if you're not reading this blog... and peep this cd...




http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Bulls-Greatest-Hits-3/dp/B00000DCX8/ref=pd_sim_m_1




RJ

ONLY THE BULLS

Great game tonight! It's always excellent to see the entire team score like this and light up a pitiful defensive team like the Warriors. Lu and Rose were feeling hot hot hot. Unfortunately, your humble blogger had an interview so I didn't catch the entire game.

Eh

Such has been the start of this season. We've seen mixed results. The team has yet to really gel and play cohesively. 


Pure Goodness:


D. Rose's absolute dominance of the Pistons. Grant it, BG kind of dominated the first half (okay, it felt somewhat like a stabbing), but D. Rose  came-up with the Bill Simmons' "eff you" mode performance of the season. He wasn't going to let them lose. 




Kind of Bad:

Everybody's favorite Ashton Kutcher look-a-like, Kyle Korver has been disgustingly on-fire or colder than Chicago in November...


He shot lights out against the Knicks, but otherwise, we haven't seen the Korver that looked like a stud in the pre-season. He'll turn it around. 


What the Heck is going on??


Luol. I'd hate to say you complete me because when I do, you shoot 6-18. When I give up on you, you drop 40 points and shoot three's like Korver's supposed to. I don't even know, Lu, I don't even know. 

How Could I Forget... Game vs Thunder

I can't think of any better way to open the season... ESPN...National Audience...Pre-eminent MVP candidate. 

Damnit. 

Let's take a look at tonight's opponent real quick shall we.

The Good:

Kevin Durant # 35

The biggest "overrated for being underrated" as an MVP candidate of the season. You saw the world championships. KD can light it up better than anyone in the NBA. I'm to the point now where I just might take him over Kobe Bryant in the closing seconds of a big game. I would imagine Lu and Ronny Brewer try to guard him, but it's going to be tough. He will probably go for 30 tonight, even with the Bulls improved team defense. 

Russell Westbrook #0

Where the Durant hype machine ended, the Westbrook machine picked right up. And rightfully so. He can run the floor, plays suffocating defense, and can pass the ball quite well. That being said, he torched D. Rose for about 20ppg last season. The two guards have come to the point where they are both just too good to guard each other. Luckily, he shoots the three maybe slightly better than myself. 

Jeff Green #22

Green is often considered the swing dynamic of this team. He can be a lock-down defender, and he also attacks the glass on the defensive end allowing KD to really run the floor. That being said, he reminds me of a young Josh Smith, in the sense that he really likes taking bad shots. Brewer, Taj, or Lu could all guard him sufficiently. And we know the way Joakim owns the paint. Great player, but not much of a threat tonight. 

The Bad

White Clones (Byron Mullens #23, Nick Collison #4, Cole Aldrich #45, Nenard Kristic #12)

Honestly, they aren't all bad. Mullens is a Buckeye, but even given my bias, he sucks. 

Nick Collison came out of Kansas with Captain Kirk way back in 02, and he has been a solid back-up power forward. Pretty much the ceiling of Mullens' career.

As for Cole Aldrich, he's another Kansas boy. But he ain't in Kansas anymore. Now, his new point guard is a bit of an improvement of Sherron Collins (not that I don't love him!), but if there's one thing I can spot, it's mediocre white bigs. No threat to Joakim, and I bet he gets into foul trouble early.

Nenard sucks. 

The Unknown

Serge Ibaka #9

Undoubtedly raw, I like Ibaka. He defends, rebounds, and can even put in an easy shot or two. He easily projects as Eric Dampier on steroids, which isn't half bad if you don't pay him over $10 million a season. Or maybe he's the next Tyson Chandler. Who knows? Either way, he'll probably play for the Mavs someday. 

James Harden #13

I would be lying if I said it doesn't hurt, just a little, to see anyone losing PT to Thabo Sefolosha. I loved him as a Bull, but he just has no offensive game. Harden is a solid defender, insane athlete, and could be a Jeff Green-like ex-factor for the Thunder. Regardless, don't expect much more than 15 points out of him tonight, and that's assuming a good game. 

The Incredibly Mediocre (maybe the Chris Duhon)

Thabo Sefolosha #2, Morris Peterson (Mo-Pete) #42, DJ White #3, Royal Ivey #7, Daequan Cook #14

There's a common theme among these guys: None of them are bad. 

There's another common theme: None of them are good. 

Thabo provides lock down defense, as we all know, but looks like that kid in a pick up game that missed one shot and the overzealous-wanna-be-D-Leaguer just screamed at him, so no way in hell is he taking another wide open shot. 

Royal Ivey kind of sucks, maybe he should go under the bad. 

Mo-Pete is past his prime, but we all know he has the potential to light it up.

Daequan Cook just keeps getting put on teams that probably have no use for his three point shooting prowess. But hell, maybe one day they'll let him spell Russ and he''ll go for 25 points.   

Guy I really like, like kind of how I liked Casey Jacobsen, Roger Mason Jr, and Mario Austin. And I'm still hoping he gets more burn some day because he will be good, I promise.

Eric Maynor #6

He's just a really good player. Phenomenal scorer, great passer good defender, great athlete. I could go on and on. He just happened to come around at a time when very good point guards aren't hard to find. Poor guy. 

As for tonight's match-up, I like the Bulls new team defense and outside shooting to give OKC a really big fit. Durant will get his points, and so will Westbrook. But D. Rose is too quick to be guarded by anyone, and I think he will make this a statement game. Anyone who says he's a second star guy (not me if you've read previous posts) will be put to shame tonight. Look for Rose and Deng to be the focal points, with the outside shooters having a field day when these defenses have to collapse on Rose. And to Thunder Coach Scott Brooks: Please leave Thabo out there to kill your extremely fun and fluid offense.

Final Score: 

Bulls 101

Thunder 97

RJ 

 

     

 

Opening DAY!

Opening day is here, you know what that means... Predictions.

For the Bulls, I ran a few statistical regressions and such. Here's my line for Derrick Rose...

24.6 ppg, 6.7 apg, 4.1 rpg while shooting 51%! (data tables...just email me)

That assist number even seems a little low now, considering we have Boozer down low and some nice shooters to spread the floor.

Bulls record this season?

Well, after seeing the Heat game last night, I'll say this is a 55 win ball club. So much more complete. I'm loving the likely addition of Patrick Beverly as our third point guard. It's an under the radar move, but the boy can ball.

Kyle Korver, finally having some plays run for him, looks like Ben Gordon light, which I can deal with. Expect him to really light it up in excess of 15 points a night.

[Amhad Rashard] My main man Luol Deng [/end Ahmad Rashard] played his heart out this preseason. He looks like a top ten pick again, and I think he will take a huge burden off D.Rose now that he can hit three's. Remember Lu, just don't dribble.


Joakim... He's Joakim. I'm fine with that.



I also see that LeBron is destined to return to premier chucker status, and absolutely ruin Pat Riley's dream of a championship team. Frankly, I couldn't be happier. Sorry for the short post, but Stormin Normin' should become significantly easier once the only contributor's future job situation gets shaken out.

-RJ

Initial Pre-Season Reactions

When I looked at my notes for this post, the one thing that stuck out is that Omer Asik is absolutely terrible. As I told fellow contributor Corey Hickman, his top potential is 13th man off the bench. He doesn't put his hands up on defense, he looks more scared than girlfriends around centipedes. He can explode, but he compliments that explosiveness with the ability to airball fade-away hook shots like nothing we've ever seen. He would exceed my expectations if he could even be better than Dalibor. WOW.

Other observations:

• Derrick is ready to take the leap to top 10 player in the NBA, if he's not already there. Such an improved jumpshot.
• The defense is swarming. Tommy T's got even Lu playing D!
• Luol is much better in this offense. I'm hoping this year I don't have a heart attack every time he puts the ball on the floor. Shoot it Lu, but please do not dribble.
• Korver can play. Not defense, but his offense is superb. Can you imagine the drive and kicks? Either he'll score 15-17ppg or Rose will score 30 if they don't collapse on him. 
• Whoever starts in the backcourt opposite Rose is 100000x better than Pargo or Kirk. Make that 1000000000x. 
• I am getting hot and bothered thinking about Boozer in this offense. Yes.

Boozin' and Losin'

If you don't know, now you know. Our new hog, Carlos Boozer, is out 6-8 weeks after he tripped over a bag and broke is hand.

Regardless of how dumb this story sounds (let's take him at face value), we do have a solid replacement in Taj Gibson to step up, put his hard hat on, grab that lunch pal, and get to work. I can see Taj filling in with maybe 12/9/2, which although it is not nearly what Booze could do, it's not that bad.

In addition to Boozer being out, Joakim Noah re-upped for 5 years and $60 million. Jo's 25, and he appears to be only getting better and better. I'm loving what he's provided the Bulls in terms of both leadership and great defense. He never fears getting into it with LeBron, and he is an animal on the boards.

However, his injury history has me all hot and bothered. $12 million a year for a healthy Joakim is a fine deal (albeit a little overpaid). His plantar fasciitis can come and go. It's a calculated risk that has a very high reward attached to it. I'm excited.

More importantly, it crushes the Melo rumors, and gives us a true picture of what we'll be heading into the season with.

Coming up this week:

-Season predictions
-Reactions to the preseason
-Some statistical analysis of Derrick Rose and why he will finish top 5 in MVP voting.

Way too Long

I've been MIA, and since, I've got a great new job, school started, and I'm studying for the GRE and GMAT. Hasn't been much time for blogging.

Regardless, August was marked by a dominate performance from the US at the World Championships. I loved seeing KD absolutely destroy the rest of the world. Our boy, Derrick Rose, played well, but he really couldn't mesh with KD the same way Russell Westbrook did. We did see out of Derrick:

-Improved on ball defense
-Better outside shooting
-The trademark atheleticism
-And my favorite...the team first mentality.

I will be posting at least twice a week until the season starts, which then we will have daily updates!

MUAHAHAAH

Our Newest Big 3: CJ Watson, Ronnie Brewer, and Kurt Thomas

Its been a while, and as I sit in the gas station, both severly tired and in severe sun burn pain, I realized its time to fill you in on the newest Bulls.

Ronnie Brewer: Good defender, great athlete, can hit three's. Not my ideal choice to start at the 2, but it could be worse. He should be able to hang a little better with handling the more elite 2's.

CJ Watson: Already an underrated signing, Watson can really light it up, is a great combo guard, and has enough size to play with Rose on occasion. He's everything I wanted JamesOn Curry to become. Great deal.

Kurt Thomas: Remember KT running the floor with the Knicks putting up 18 and 12? Yeah, this is not him. Though not nearly as lifeless as Theo Ratliff, expect Thomas to come in and bang for Joakim for a few minutes every game. Still a decent role player.

As far as possible new Bull Tracey McGradey... I have the solution:

No one knows what he has. These work-outs have been closed door and he is still coming off the dreaded microfracture surgery. We all know he's dying to start, but he's the 6th man on this team. The potential reward of him accepting a bench role and becoming a starter if he becomes the TMac of old is incredible.

The risk? He becomes a cancer, upset about being the new Allen Iverson and a distraction for an otherwise promising young team.

Am I on board? Yes. We need to take this risk.

Welcome Omer Asik and Ashton Kutcher

Damnit, I think I meant Kyle Korver, but sometimes its hard to tell.

Korver inked with the Bulls for 3 years and $15 million. He brings with him a career 41% 3 point shot, and a sizzling 54% last year. Can he play defense? Well...um...no, but he can play up on shooters and hope Noah can provide good help.

He also completely dissed MJ and the Bulls, which was absolutely hilarious. He was a Lakers' fan. He told us that, "Michael Jordan was selfish, and I hated the Bulls."

Omer Asik?

He's huge. 7 feet, 255 lbs. And Turkish. He's a big-time rebounder and pretty decent scorer in the Turkish basketball league, and he can allegedly block shots quite well. The next Dalibor? Maybe. But who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and he'll grind out and Erick Dampier-like niche.

Speaking of which, Michael Jordan compounds his resume of stupid basketball moves by swapping Tyson Chandler for Dampier and Matt Carroll. Maybe the Bobcats need some good outside shooitng, but reacquiring Carrol does not really make this team any better. I suspect its better than the horrendous deal taking on Reggie Evans and Jose Calderon that MJ recently cancelled.

I'm still holding out hope that the Bulls can get any point guard not named Keyon Dooling.

I'd much rather take a flier on Shaun Livingston (Peoria-Richwoods) or even former Crane Tech and Kansas star Sherron Collins.

A Moment of Astonishment

Well, not everyone gets paid to sit and occasionally take care of a customer while doing whatever you want. I do, so I'm currently watching MJ's 69 point explosion against the Cavs. No current NBA player can ever be this good. He's literally unguardable.

Every shot he takes is great, he has an aresenal of counter moves and runs the court like he just took a bottle of adderall. This is truly a pleasure to watch.

Not only is he quick, but I've never seen a player with such excellent basketball iq. He knows the best play almost every second he's on the court. It's pretty obvious he would score at least 45 points per game in today's soft NBA.

On another note, I was chatting with a friend of mine last night. Somehow Michael came up, and I am not kidding you, she didn't know he played for the Bulls. You could probably ask somehow living in a Pakastani cave and he'd know MJ was a Bull. I think any person who grew up in America has been exposed to MJ in a Bulls jersey at least 1,653,407 times, according to my calculations. I still am having a hard time grasping this, and recovery is doubtful.

Don't Let the Negativity Get You Down

Well hello there...

As fans, let's not freak out. LeBron...he might come...ditto for Wade and Bosh. But let's not worry about it!!

I was looking through old Bulls teams a few minutes ago and was able to remember the likes of Andrew Lang and Kornell David. Exactly.

Let's also not forget this:

Wade isn't necessarily a great fit. He has such a similar game to D. Rose and has been banging around a lot. He's already 28 and has only a year or two more left in his peak.

Bosh...well...frankly he's not THAT much better than Boozer. Not just numbers wise, but toughness as well. Bosh has a tendency to fall in love with his jumper and sag off on defense. You won't ever see Boozer take a night off when you need him.

And as for LeBron...well, he's really damn good, but he's not a closer, which we already have with D. Rose. Also, Rose is good enough to win a championship with a decent supporting staff, meaning, I'd love LeBron, but frankly, I'll settle for T-Mac, Boozer, and Kyle Korver.

Finally, big props to the local boy Jon Scheyer. He'll be playing with the Heat summer league team, and frankly, they'll probably need him.

I'm Sad. I'm Crying. I miss you Kirk.

Farewell to one of my all time favorite Bulls', Kirk Hinrich.

You harassed D-Wade in the playoffs, hit clutch shots, played great d, and you did everything we asked for. Sure, you may have regressed a little offensively with BG and then again with Derrick, but man, you were awesome. I'll never forget how you stepped in for the practically deceased Jason Williams and took over at point guard. So clutch. So meaningful. So fluid. You rocked all of our worlds. And now, you've turned into a future 2nd round pick. If you turn into Chris Bosh, I'll be happy.

On the plus side, I'm becoming very certain that LeBron + 1 are coming to the Bulls. The plus one is Bosh or Joe Johnson, either of which I'll be very happy with.

As for our bench, it's going to be ugly. It looks like Chris Duhon could be coming back (like), Jon Scheyer (like), Brad Miller (ehhhhh), and then, we're relegated to the words of Chris Richards (are you kidding me, he could be on this team again?), Linton Johnson III (wtf mate?), and more random D-League scrubs. It doesn't sound promising UNLESS, the possible Deng trade goes down.

Marcin Gortat and Mikael Piertras for Luol. I'm getting aroused just thinking about it. A starter and rotation player. Mmmmm mmmm good.

As for the draft...pretty much as expected. Lame. John Wall + Kirk Hinrich = Crack music.

July is coming up fast...............

I hate the Celtics + Draft Talk

So, I was happy the Lakers won. They're a good team, good to see Kobe win. But I am far more happy the Celtics lost.

Rondo is pretty much my number one most hated player this side of John Starks. Paul Pierce is lame, Big Baby sucks, and KG has lost it.


NBA Draft talk...it looks like a trade for a big name player is quite possible. However, if not, looks like James Anderson out of Oklahoma State. He's a 6'6 scorer...apparently not that athletic, but brings size and the ability to get to the rim.


Some GM has them picking Damion James, a 3/4 out of Texas. Sounds like another Taj type, minus he's a little younger...

Neither option seems that appealing to me...

What Could Have Been

Yes, now that I have time, I'm dedicated to this blog. Anyways, finals study break...so let's take a look at the really odd veteran team the Bulls could have had. Let's assume the stupid Tyson Chandler trade never happened, and Jalen Rose never came to town. This team actually could be a contender...

Point Guard

Jay Williams (Jason again at this point)

I know he gets a lot of blame for ruining his own career, and some people, but I was always sippin the Kool-Aid.

My projected line for Jay:

13ppg 8apg 4rpg 1.5spg, 43% FG 37% 3FG

He's a crucial member of this veteran Bulls' team.

M

Jamal Crawford (my lovely 2guard)

Thanks to a great season with ATL where he somehow shed the ballhog reputation by being paid to be a ballhog, you may not think I've lost my mind yet. Jason didn't turn in the scorer, but Jamal sure did. And he can hog it on this team.

My stat line:

24ppg 4apg 5rpg 1 spg 45% FG 39% 3FG

R

Ron Artest (Not Ruffin, why the hell is he in this same class?)

Yeah, I know, he drank Hennesse at half time. He punched a few fans. He's a nut. But I love his defense, and role on this team, because you damn well know Crawford s not d-in up LeBron, Kobe, or Wade. And *spoiler* we don't have Kirk.

Drunken stats:

15ppg 4apg 7rpg 2spg 1bpg 42%FG 36%3FG

E

Elton Brand (My PF)

Elton Brand was, at the time, my favorite Bull. I thought him and JWill was meant to be something special. Then Jerry Krause made the worst trade in the history of trading, making the Pilgrams trading Native Americans small pox blankets look like a good deal. This deal basically can be broken down like this:

Elton Brand becomes Tyson Chandler who becomes PJ Brown and Ben Wallace who becomes Larry Hughes...ewwwwww. Now hopefully that can turn into something this off-season, otherwise, I'm disgusted.

Dream line: (he's regressing now)

14ppg 3apg 9rpg 1.5bpg 54% FG and I hope to God he's not taking three's.

E

Eddy Curry

In this universe, he laughs at the word heart condition...the only thing he has...is too much heart. He decided not to get fat, cut out McDonald's and stopped trying to seduce chauffier's.

He's good!!

16ppg 2apg 8rpg 1bpg 56% FG


That's a sick ass starting five. Especially with Eddy pretending like he enjoys the game.

Our bench looks great too!

C - Joakim Noah (money defense, energy, hustle, and plays a lot spelling Brand and Curry)
PF - Marcus Fizer (instant offense, hell, EB is old, maybe he gets a few starts as Brand sits out)
SF - Andres Nocioni (I dare you to find another option...Tim Thomas? Fizer?)
SG - Ben Gordon (BG, Crawford, and Fizer are involved in a triple homicide of each other over the ball)
PG - Chris Duhon (He won't mind riding the pine, he's probably not going to get much burn with JWill, JCrawf and BG, not a CHANCE at taking any shots)

This is an...interesting team... but more importantly really fun to do.

Honorable Mentions:

Tyrus Thomas: Just too much of a headcase

LaMarcus Aldridge: Dream...but we did have him before inexplicably trading a sure fire solid big man for some "raw" (read: not very good) talent.

Derrick Rose: Sadly, with this team, we probably wouldn't have sucked so bad and had a chance to get him. Basically, in this reality, the Bulls are kind of set at PG.

Michael Pietrus: We might have drafted him, I was obsessed, but I'd rather have Noc airballing three's and getting crazy boards.

Luol Deng: I really really really wanted to put him on here, but I love the defense and toughness Ronny Ron gives us.

Kirk Hinrich: I felt bad making him play with all these ballhogs.

Tommy T!!!

Without a doubt, I love the acquisition of Tom Thibodeu  as the new coach of the Bulls. My favorite columnist Bill Simmons has a conspiracy theory up...

http://thephoenix.com/BLOGS/phlog/archive/2010/06/08/bill-simmons-suggests-that-tom-thibodeau-to-chicago-means-lebron-james-to-chicago-via-arne-duncan-and-barack-obama.aspx

 Either way:

Apprentice of Doc Rivers, Skiles-like demeanor. A dream come true.

My first wish for our new coach is to teach Derrick Rose how to play on ball defense. He's not as bad as his rookie year when pretty much any point guard lit him up for 30 points, but he has the drive and physical tools to be an elite defender. I'm pretty sure he'll be a much better shooter (god is that possible) and defender next year.

ESPN Insider is going crazy about LeBron to the Bulls. I have the answer...no one knows. LeBron might not know. I will say this, LeBron comes to Chicago, he is still NOT the number one guy. Nope, that's Derrick Rose.

If I've learned anything from watching the NBA playoffs, its just that. He's not a number one now. Can he have a Kobe-esque climb to closer and best MJ impersonator? Ehhhhhh. I'm not sure.

Does DRose have a shot? Oh hell yes he does. Rose is a clutch. Rose has nerves of steel.

But most of all, Rose wants to win as bad as MJ and Kobe do. There's something about him that makes you realize he is just like MJ in that respect...not sure if he treats women as poorly and positive he doesn't treat Joakim that poorly.

I'm excited regardless of whether LeBron or Joe Johnson comes here, or even a combination of Bobby Simmons/Jon Scheyer/Tractor Traylor/Oliver Miller/Kenny Smith.

It is really too bad the draft is before free agency because just this second I did develop the ultimate fail-safe that makes a ton of sense for the Bulls and Sixers.

Swap Hinrich + 1st rounder for Brand + 1st rounder and take Cousins or Turner. A dream...but it would give Philly one less year and a player they don't hate. Plus, remember how sick Brand was in Chicago?

Either way, it's likely to be better than:

Other important things needed this off-season (regardless of LeBron/Wade/Bosh/Amare/etc.)


Joakim developing another move or two, he can be a solid 15ppg, bank it. I've loved Joakim so much since I met him and realized he gets mad ladies and is cool as hell.

Luol Deng dunking. Just dunk the ball Lu, I hate how you must lay it up. Just stop.

Get rid of Janero Pargo. I'll admit, I loved Pargo coming here. But he sucks and can't play with Rose. Be gone wanna be be gone!

Bring back Brad Miller! He's basically said he'll play for nothing, and he's the man. Slow, does the same move every single time and occasionally falls in love with the three. BUT he can be a good back-up.

That being said, bring in another defensive monster center. If we don't get LeBron, I would love nothing more than some big ass dude who can stand in front of Dwight Howard. Aaron Gray, sorry, you were too bad to even do that. It would be sooooo dirty to see Joakim able to play-off on Rashard Lewis or KG rather than banging with Howard and Perkins.


If these things get done, plus Jon Scheyer = Championship.

I've Been bad...

So, basically, I didn't get around to posting as much as I wanted...but let's look at the positives...

1. Derrick Rose is a legitimate superstar. NO doubt about it. He came to play, and really showed me something. I thought he had a top ten ceiling, now, I don't see one. Future MVP

2. Taj on the All Rookie team: He's a junkyard dog, and he does work. 'Nuff said.

3. Bosh didn't make the playoffs: This guy is leaving town, and I think its between New York and Chicago. Perfect compliment to DRose check!

4. I now have a clear off-season plan. I'll make sure to post that one and link it to Facebook, Twitter, etc. Be up soon! A lot different from the Hickman plan.


5. Janero Pargo Sucks: You probably know this, but he really does suck.

Loss to Memphis

Wow, that was doomed from the start. Come on, Randolph with no Joakim...no shot.

Let's hope Los Bulls rebound tonight!

The Hickman Plan...

Corey Hickman, the only other diehard Bulls' fan I know, and someone who always has a different take than me provides his off-season plan. It is both well thought out and a damn good idea. 

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The 2010 class is undoubtedly the most highly coveted free agent class in the history of basketball.  As the Bulls season winds on and we all hope for the best, the day we are really waiting for, July 1, is only 119 days away. The day free agents can begin negotiation with teams. Let the countdown begin.                      

We are all extremely familiar with what happened 10 years ago when the 2000 free agent sweepstakes resulted in the profound, remarkable acquisition of Ron Mercer. This made the Bulls an immediate Championship contender as Mercer was surrounded by unbelievable talent such as Khalid El-Amin, Dragan Tarlac, Dalibor Bagaric, and Steve Goodrich. Unfortunately, these high expectations fell remarkably short as the Bulls won a disappointing 15 games.             

Sarcasm aside, the 2000 fiasco is not going to repeat itself for 2 important reasons:

1)      Jerry Krause is history – With Jerry Krause on board, free agents knew to stay away from the Chicago Bulls. He treated Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, the greatest players Chicago has ever seen, with total disrespect and gave himself credit for the Championships that the players achieved. Pippen even went so far as to demand a trade numerous times and state that Chicago was the worst team in the league to play for. Personally, I don’t fault Tim Duncan or Tracy McGrady whatsoever for not wanting to come play for the Bulls. He probably would’ve treated them the same way.

2)      Derrick Rose  - I know it’s hard to fathom, but playing next to Derrick Rose is a more attractive prospect than playing next to Fred Hoiberg. Derrick Rose has shown that rare combination of strength, speed, and explosiveness that only LeBron James possesses. He has shown the ability to completely take over games by scoring at will and in bunches. More importantly, he can flourish in crunch time better than Ben Gordon ever could. The kids got ice in his veins. He earned his first all star appearance this year and is only going to get better. I see MVP’s in his future.

Now it’s time to get down to business. The Bulls are on the hook for about $32,000,000 next season with the salary cap predicted to be around $52,000,000. That leaves them with approximately $20,000,000 to spend; about enough to sign one max free agent. Everybody else has their say so it’s my turn to share my realistic hopes for the Bulls Summer of 2010:

1)      Big Free Agent Splash

Drum roll please…

…

Chris Bosh –

Put a dominant offensive big man on a team with Derrick Rose and those occasional Taj Gibson post-ups we see now will turn into 25 points a game. Bosh would give the Bulls offense not only a post up option, but a reliable mid range jump shooter, and an athletic power forward that runs the floor and takes advantage of easy basket opportunities (something Tyrus Thomas rarely did). Also, with Taj Gibson proving since the All-Star Break that he is a respectable offensive force on the block, the Bulls would have a nice option to back up Bosh. Not surprisingly we would see Derrick Rose’s assist average skyrocket without taking away his scoring opportunities on the perimeter. Defensively, the tandem of Bosh and Joakim Noah would give the Bulls one of the tallest and most athletic frontcourts in the NBA. This season, the Bulls are among the league leaders in rebounds and blocked shots. Add Bosh’s 10 rebounds a game, his athleticism, and his phenomenal lateral quickness to that and it is scary what the Bulls defense could accomplish; not to mention the intimidation factor Bosh brings by looking so much like predator.

***Despite everyone’s hopes that we somehow lure hometown hero Dwyane Wade from South Beach, I don’t see the Bulls doing this. Don’t get me wrong, Wade is a top 5 NBA player at the moment, but he does not fit with the Chicago Bulls. Wade and Derrick Rose are very similar players: strong, athletic guards who can attack the basket at will, who can knock down the mid-range jumper consistently, and struggle from 3 point land. Both demand the ball a lot to dominate the game and I just don’t see enough touches to go around for both players. I believe Rose being forced to defer to a proven NBA superstar would halt his individual development and leave me wondering: How good could Derrick have been? Because to me, clearly, Derrick Rose has what it takes to be even better than Dwyane Wade in the coming years.

2)      Sign and trade to acquire a 2^nd top-tier free agent

Simply put: not gonna happen. I’m sorry to all the NBA fans and writers who think a certain team will end up with three top players on their roster next year. My reasoning is simple: These players want to be the go-to-guy. They want the team to be built around them. This is not the same as the Boston’s Big 3 of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett assembled a few years back.  Those former superstars were in the waning years of their career and none of them had ever won a Championship. They realized their window was closing and were willing to put their individual stardom aside in order to finally win. The 2010 free agents are all in the primes of their career. They are still building their individual games and building their individual legacies. Despite their achievements in Boston, nobody will ever forget Kevin Garnett’s reinvention of the power forward position in Minnesota. Nobody will ever forget Ray Allen’s unprecedented sharpshooting in Milwaukee and Seattle. Nobody will ever forget what Paul Pierce did for the Celtics organization this decade. Today’s superstars are still building their legacies and unforgettable individual memories. At this stage of their careers, I don’t see any of them being willing to sacrifice individual numbers and the opportunity to lead a team in order to team up with each other and win an uncontested championship.

3)      The Supporting cast – Starters

*Luol Deng – It is clear to me that Luol Deng is at his best catching and shooting mid range jumpers and slashing to the basket using mainly curl cuts. Luol has one of the deadliest mid-range games in the NBA, but when he over dribbles or tries to be too flashy he gets himself into trouble. Chris Bosh would attract enough attention and double teams on the block that Luol could find numerous opportunities cutting off the post-up for slashes and mid range jumpers. He would be a deadly third option in the offense.

*Kirk Hinrich – Kirk’s contract could be used as a valuable trade chip this summer to sign either one or two role playing free agents. This option will be explored, but overall I think Kirk will remain with the bulls for a few reasons. First, the Bulls have shown an enormous dedication to Kirk over the years by not shedding his hefty contract even during his last two sub-par years. His stellar perimeter defense and hard-nosed style of play is invaluable in an NBA full of athletic guards.  In addition, he has shown the ability, though very streaky, to hit the 3 ball. If he can increase his shooting percentage next season he would be a valuable offensive tool and spread the floor nicely for Derrick Rose to attack the basket.

4)      The Supporting cast - Bench

Since the Bulls will spend basically all of their available cap space on Bosh’s contract, they are going to have very minimal money to spend on other free agents to fill out the roster, unless, of course, Jerry Reinsdorf is willing to pay the luxury tax. He has been very reluctant to do so in the past unless he believes the product on the court is a championship contender. So who knows, maybe the acquisition of Bosh would convince Reinsdorf? I think so. Here are my picks for the Bulls 2011 bench:

*Taj Gibson – Gibson has been one of the biggest rookie surprises around the NBA.  Despite a bout of plantar fasciitis, Gibson has steadily averaged 8.6 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per game in about 25 minute of action per game. He has been very consistent defensively all year and recently has really begun to show that he has some offensive skills. If Taj can add a little bulk over the summer, he should continue to improve and be a major contributor.

*James Johnson – The jury is still out on JJ. He has shown he has vast athleticism and can knock down the open jumper occasionally, but he often forces the issue and drives into traffic. He gets his shot blocked a lot more than it should and needs to learn to finish under pressure. With more experience and an entire summer to get in shape, JJ could surprise us next season.

*Jon Scheyer – I’m hoping the ping pong balls will give the Bulls a chance to make this pick happen in the upcoming draft. Assuming we acquire Chris Bosh, one of the few weaknesses of the Bulls would be their 3 point shooting and the height of their starting guards. Scheyer would address all of these weaknesses as he is a deadly 3 point shooter for Duke and measures 6 foot 5. He is a high effort, hard-nosed perimeter defender who could give the Bulls valuable minutes off the bench.

*Eddy Curry – I’m going out on a bit of a limb with this one, but I hope it happens. There is talk of the Knicks negotiating a buyout of Eddy’s contract as he is not in New York’s future plans. If this happens, I would expect that few if any teams would be willing to sign Curry to much more than the league minimum given his legal troubles, notoriously bad work ethic, and history of injuries. Despite all this, as a Bulls hand I have seen firsthand the production that Eddy is capable of.  The Bulls could sign him to a minimum contract and hope for a slim, fit Eddy Curry hungry to prove he can still be an NBA caliber center; low risk, high reward. And Eddy recently said he would love to come back to the Bulls.

*Travis Outlaw – A 6 foot 9 small forward who could back up Luol Deng. He has had some injury issues during his career but is very long and athletic and able to knock down the triple consistently. He is also only 25 years old and with his potential he could blossom into a very good 3 man.

*Mike Miller – Despite the hideous mustache Miller is currently rocking, he would provide the Bulls with the instant 3 point shooting off the bench that they are severely lacking. He would keep defenses honest and spread out the floor nicely for Derrick Rose and Chris Bosh isolations. His height, 6 foot 8, is also a bonus.

*Omer Asik – Asik is a 7 foot, 255 pound Turkish center drafted 36^th in 2008 by the Blazers, but his rights now belong to the Bulls. He has yet to play in an NBA game, but speculation is that he will be in training camp with the Bulls next season. He would provide an insurance center in case of injuries and also gives the Bulls a massive body for Joakim Noah and Chris Bosh to bang against during practice.

         5)   Coach

*Vinny Del Negro – Despite the criticism earlier this season, Vinny has composed himself nicely and has not allowed his team to lose their focus. Since Christmas, the Bulls have one of the top records in the Eastern Conference and have played arguably the best defense in the NBA. Nobody can argue with the amazing job Del Negro has done with the development of our young corps of players. Derrick Rose is rising fast to superstardom, Joakim Noah has become a rebounding machine, and Taj Gibson has developed into a complete power forward. Most importantly, hearing Derrick Rose say last week that he hopes Del Negro returns next season shows that their relationship is strong and that Rose respects the job Del Negro has done. I do think Vinny could use some work on his offensive schemes and drawing up timeout plays, but he has shown major resilience and improvement in the face of unfair criticism. I hope he returns next season.

Final thoughts

If Gar Forman and John Paxson fulfill my wishes I believe they would be instant championship contenders. Chris Bosh gives them the proven post scorer this organization has been lacking for years. He would demand double teams and increase the effectiveness of the players around him. Defensively, his athleticism and rebounding skills would give the Bulls one of the scariest defenses in basketball.  The acquisitions of 3 point shooters, height, and athleticism coming off the bench would provide the energy and scoring punch necessary for the second unit. Chicago Bulls 2011 champs!