It's Time for Carlos Boozer to Go

The relationship between Bulls fans and Carlos Boozer has been mostly terrible. Upon arrival, Boozer immediately looked like an overpaid player. He was lazy on defense, making t-rex swats at the ball handler, while falling in love with long jumpers on the other end of the court. Boozer's lost playing time to the much studlier Taj Gibson, and it is clear Boozer has lost a step or two. He no longer has the explosiveness that made him a perennial 20 point scorer in Utah.

Fans have wanted Boozer amnestied since the lockout, and I think it's clear Boozer feels the same way.

Boozer finally complained about his lack of fourth quarter minutes:

"I think I should be out there," said Boozer, who is in the midst of his worst season as a Bull. "But it's [Thibodeau's] choice. He makes the decisions out there, so I play. I don't coach. He coaches. So he decides that.
"But honestly, he's been doing that a lot since I've been here, not putting me in in the fourth quarter. Sometimes we win; more times than not, we don't. But that's his choice."

"Super tough," Boozer said. "It's very frustrating, especially when I've got a great game going or what have you. Obviously as a competitor, you want to be out there to help your team win and especially when the game is close. You can do things that can help your team win. Not being out there, all you could do is really cheer them on. But that's [Thibodeau's] choice."

Ouch. Boozer wants to play, as anyone would in his situation, but it's completely his fault. Defense is [mostly] an effort issue, and Boozer has never showed interest in becoming an elite defender in the same way Gibson has. Boozer has approximately 40 lbs on Gibson, yet Taj does not allow himself to get bullied in the post. Boozer does. 

I was particularly shocked to hear Boozer say more times than not, the Bulls don't win. My quick calculation would suggest that the Bulls have won 68% of their games with Boozer on the roster.

Realistically, I'm sure Boozer is frustrated like everyone else, and more importantly, he wants to get paid an exceptional amount of money to not play for the Bulls next year. Nonsensical commentary like this will ensure that his dream comes true.

Luol Deng Happenings

Just a moment for our lost hero, Luol Deng. He hates the Cavs' culture, which includes Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving bullying coach Mike Brown. There was a great story in the New York Daily News about the Cavs' situation, and if you love Lu, I highly recommend checking it out.  

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Game Preview: Bulls (7-9) Vs Heat (14-4)

Live from Chicago tonight at 8:30PM, the Bulls will take on the hated Miami Heat. The Heat may be without the Birdman (personal reasons/getting tatted up) and  Dwyane Wade, who will be icing his knees for the next 4 days and tending to the sale of his River West condo. Still, the Heat have the best player on earth in LeBron James as well as a rejuvenated Michael Beasley and future Hall of Famer Ray Allen.

As a quick side note: watch this video on Nikola Mirtoic.  You won't be disappointed.

It's quite popular for Chicagoans to hate on LeBron James or try to position him against Michael Jordan. LeBron is one of my favorite players, but more importantly, it doesn't matter that he's not as good as Michael Jordan. Jordan hates the Bulls organization, and his relative skill set has nothing to do with tonight's game.

What's relevant for tonight is that LeBron is SHOOTING 59.5% from the FIELD. He also happens to be connecting on 47.4% of three pointers, on his way to averaging 26 points per game. Wow. So, LeBron doesn't miss. We can only hope that he actually wears his new shoes, which will cause his feet to ache.

Luckily, Luol Deng is the best LeBron stopper in the league at this point. Without Dwyane Wade, expect the Bulls to clog the paint and force LeBron to become primarily a passer tonight. Unfortunately, we all know LeBron's an elite passer. Crap.

The Bulls Will Make Miami Earn EVERY POINT

I was at the Bulls-Heat game last season where the Bulls ruined Miami's huge winning streak. This is one of those things that doesn't show up on paper, but the Bulls play the Heat extremely well. I think Taj Gibson will absolutely abuse whoever Miami tries to throw at him in the post, and the Bulls might be able to pair him with Carlos Boozer against the undersized Heat front court.

The Bulls lack of energy on defense this year does scare me quite a bit, especially because the Bulls haven't closed out on three point shooters. And the Heat have a lot of capable three point shooters (Ray Allen, James Jones, Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Beasley sort of). Still, expect the Heat to EARN every damn basket.

Miami is a defensive juggernaut itself, and the stalling Bulls offense could struggle mightily. I'm already scared about every minute Marquis Teague has to play with Mike James out due to injury. Look for the Heat to go on huge runs whenever Kirk Hinrich is out.

It should be a great game tonight. We know Miami is the superior team at this point, though I'm not sure that's the case with Derrick Rose healthy. Regardless, the Bulls will give the Heat everything they can handle on both ends of the ball. Taj and Boozer are the keys to tonight's game.

Without Wade, the Heat lose a scoring punch, but I think they pull out this game.

Final Score: Heat 98 Bulls 93

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What Should the Bulls do without Derrick Rose?

My initial reaction to Derrick Rose's injury was rash, but certain in its message: blowup the team. However, after further reflection, I think the Bulls have several possible directions to go in the off-season or regular season. Let's take a look at a few possible scenarios.

Rebuild on the Fly

Realistically, the Bulls do not have to break-up the team, even if that is an attractive option. The Bulls have approximately $64.5 million in salary obligations for the 2014-2015 season. Early projections suggest the cap will be about $62.1 million, putting the Bulls slightly over the cap.

With Taj Gibson playing well recently, I think the cries to amnesty Carlos Boozer will finally be met. Let's not forget that this is a real cash expense of $16.8 million, though it will lower the Bulls' cap figure to $47.7 million, freeing up around $14.1 million. In other words, the Bulls will have enough money for good player, but not a superstar.

Pau Gasol

If the Bulls do indeed amnesty Boozer, I think Pau Gasol could be an interesting fit on a two-year deal in the neighborhood of $20 million. The Lakers are armed with tons of cap room, but I am not sure Gasol wants to return to a team that doesn't enjoy using one of the best post scorers in the league.

This idea is far from flawless, as Gasol is going to be 34 years old and his numbers have dropped as he has been plagued by a bad system and injuries. The other problem with this idea is Taj Gibson. His large contract is simply too much for the minutes he plays. I'm a firm believer that most of a team's cap space should be allocated to finishers: those players you want on the court in crunch time. Yes, Gibson often plays down the stretch, but that forces the uber expensive Boozer to ride the pine. I want as much of my cap as possible on the court in the last few minutes, and that simply isn't possible under this arrangement.

Deng/Humph

The Bulls could also opt to amnesty Boozer, resign Luol Deng, and pursue a larger power forward with the mid-level exception/left over cap room. I really don't like this idea because the Bulls will have to rely on Taj Gibson playing heavy minutes and hope they can sign a backup in the ilk of Kris Humphries who can play as a small 5 or averaged sized 4.

Deng/Mirotic

The wild card option remains Nikola Mirotic. The dude is a stud, and he looks like the next Toni Kukoc, except better defensively. However, Mirotic won't be cheap because he's making a run for a second consecutive Euro League MVP trophy. Mirotic will probably want (and earn) at least $7 million per season, so the Bulls will be forced to amnesty Boozer and possibly trade Gibson to free-up some cap space.

To be completely honest, I think this is the ONLY way it makes sense to keep Deng. Deng is a fantastic NBA player, but the Bulls desperately need an offensive creator, and I think Mirotic can be that guy. This team would be scary good offensively with Rose in the fold, and the Bulls could play a fairly small, but deadly, offense that involves Rose/Butler/Deng/Mirotic/Noah. Miortic weighs basically nothing and will have a hard time defending powerful 4s in the mold of Zach Randolph, but this lineup could light up the scoreboard.

Full Rebuild

Let me get this off my chest first and foremost: the Bulls will not tank this season, and unless new commissioner Adam Silver enjoys rigging drafts like David Stern, the Bulls will not be able to acquire the first overall pick/Jabari Parker.

Strong Mid-1st Round Talent

That being said, the 2014 NBA draft class is insanely talented, and the Bulls will be served well if they can utilize 2 1st round picks (one from the Bobcats/Hornets). Even in the middle of the first round, the Bulls might be able to grab Arizona's Aaron Gordon, Kansas' Wayne Selden, Michigan's Glenn Robinson III, or Kentucky's Andrew Harrison. The talent will be there even if the Bulls can't sneak into the lottery.

Interestingly enough, this probably applies to the Bulls in the event of a full rebuild or just a quick retooling. I think the Bulls will have the chance to acquire some strong rotation players regardless of where they land in the draft. 

Deng or Boozer for Hardaway/Shumpert/Bargnani

If the Bulls want to fully rebuild, I think the team should acquire some "damaged" goods or make moves for players who may be underutilized in their current situations. I think this would be the perfect opportunity for the Bulls to trade Deng to a team like the New York Knicks who are desperate to compete for a title. Carmelo Anthony could move into the PF role, and the Bulls could give up Deng for Andrea Bargnani (ew), Tim Hardaway Jr., and Iman Shumpert. This would allow Jimmy Butler to move into his more natural role as a small forward, give the Bulls a creative offensive player in Hardaway and a strong defender in Shumpert. It's definitely a risky trade, but the Bulls get younger and deeper.

The Knicks might be hesitant to do it, but I can't imagine another team that would be bold enough to move some young assets for an established all-star in hopes of an NBA title. Deng can defend LeBron James much better than Anthony can, and when Tyson Chandler returns, the Knicks could be a great defensive team. The Knicks could also be interested in taking on Boozer for the same players.

Deng for Waiters/Clark/Gee/1st Rounder

If the Cavs want to go all-in for LeBron James (assuming he opts out of his deal), then they will need some cap space. The Bulls get upside in Dion Waiters and a 1st round pick, a cheap bench player in Alonzo Gee, and a player who can have his contract terminated in Earl Clark. I think the Cavs may be suckered into a rental, particularly if owner Dan Gilbert thinks the Cavs have a legitimate shot at LeBron James. I'm not sure the Bulls would want to acquire such a significant amount of players and contractual obligations, but I think it is an interesting idea worthy of further investigation.

There are several trades and moves the Bulls can make, but they might simply stand pat. The only move I think fans can fully expect is the amnesty of Boozer in the offseason. In fact, the Bulls might be able to vault themselves into championship contenders with the largely the same core (Rose/Butler/Deng/Noah/Gibson) if they are able to sign Mirotic. While I'm not crazy about giving GarPax another shot at building a contender, Bulls fans should be excited about the various possibilities going forward. If the Bulls don't go into full-tank mode, I would love for them to acquire somebody--anybody--that can create shots off the dribble.

If I had to put money on it, I would say the Bulls' starting five next year will be:

Rose
Butler
Deng
Gibson
Noah

With Tony Snell, Nikola Mirotic, Marquis Teague, Mike Dunleavy, and league minimum veterans coming off the bench.

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The Bulls Fall to the Jazz

In case you didn't believe that the loss of Derrick Rose was going to ruin the season, the Bulls tried their best to refute that notion,  losing in overtime to the pathetic Utah Jazz 89-83. By no means did I think the Bulls would be good,  but losing to possibly the worst team in the NBA without Enes Kanter and with Derrick Favors limited to 26 minutes thanks to foul trouble is simply inexcusable.

The Bulls hit 1-13 three pointers to shoot a whopping 7.7%. That simply is inexcusable when the opposing team is trotting out Richard Jefferson, Alec Burks, John Lucas III, and Trey Burke as perimeter defenders. 

The Bulls looked fine defensively, forcing Gordon Hayward into terrible drives and even worse jump passes. Though he was occasionally bailed out by the officials, the Bulls did a great job containing Hayward, who I'm convinced has a much lower ceiling than many experts believe.

Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer Audition for the Rest of the League

While we know that Coach Tom Thibodeau  was forced to give both Marquis Teague and Tony Snell considerably playing time (we'll get to that in a second), I think it was clear that the Bulls wanted to feature Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng in order to make them more enticing acquisition targets. Deng and Boozer attempted 18 and 23 shots, respectively, and ended with solid games of 24/10 and 26/16. Deng managed to get 13 free throw attempts, and it goes without saying that he will be in high demand throughout the entire league. Because he isn't signed for next season, he may not yield an amazing return, but he will certainly be able to net at least a 1st rounder if he continues to score so efficiently. I still think the perfect fit for him is in Memphis.

As for Boozer, while he experienced his normal defensive lapses, he provided much-needed fire power, showing limitless confidence from everywhere on the floor. Boozer took some terrible shots, but hell, someone needs to shoot. I'm confident Washington would love to add him to the fold. The rumors of his untradeableness are greatly exaggerated, in my opinion, particularly because he only has the rest of this year and next year remaining on his contract. Washington has another year of Nene. The Bulls could also afford to eat Eric Gordon's bad contract, which would happen to fill the Bulls' void at shooting guard.

The Kids Can't Play

Tony Snell and Marquis Teague are not very good--yet. Snell showed some flashes with his beautiful, high-arcing three point shot that should develop into a fantastic weapon in the lower part of the Bulls rotation. Teague is scared to death of Thibs, and frankly, it's time to move him. He's quick and can occasionally get to the rim, but his coach despises him. He will never thrive on the Bulls.


Can We Please Stop the Derrick Rose Hate?

I understand why fans would be frustrated by seeing the Bulls' best player go down for yet another season. However, fans and radio talk show hosts alike need to calm down. It's too early to say that Rose "won't ever be the same player" especially since he's ONLY 25 YEARS OLD. He's not ancient, and he could easily have another decade left in his career. Yes, it hurts to see him miss some of his formative years, but it isn't the end of the world. There is NO REASON to want to trade him, nor is there any reason to believe he won't be a superstar when he returns. Maybe he should have gone to Germany like Kobe Bryant, but in any case, he's still a star point guard who is the heart and soul of the Bulls and Chicago. 

If you want to trade Rose or think it's time for him to retire, then you can also denounce your fandom. You think you're frustrated? How do you think Rose feels?

And if you look at his stats and say "he wasn't that great anyways," then you don't know a damn thing about basketball. The Bulls are a great team with him and a bottom of the barrel team without him. Need I say more?

Yes, the Bulls need another superstar, but not to replace Rose, but because you need multiple superstars to win an NBA title. Parker/Duncan, Wade/LeBron, Kobe/Gasol - the list goes on and on. Stars matter more in the NBA than any other sport, but luckily teams are dumb enough to let them go (I'm looking at you OKC). The Bulls will find one, fans simply must be patient. Or, Reinsdorf could fire GarPax and make the process go much quicker.  

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Game Recap: The Bulls fall to the Nuggets

There are things I hate doing in life, and then there is addressing the issue of a Bulls' loss. This marks the 7th consecutive time the Bulls have fallen to the Nuggets in Denver, though for 2 3/4 quarters this game looked like it was in hand.

What went wrong?

It wasn't rebounding. The Bulls out rebounded Denver 58-48 while grabbing a whopping 22 offensive boards. Unfortunately, these second chance opportunities didn't matter as the Bulls shot just 38.8% from the field. The Nuggets' defensive wasn't necessarily lockdown, but the Bulls simply aren't a great shooting team, and the Nuggets' limited the Bulls post game in the second half, making scoring nearly impossible.

Carlos Boozer got off to a great start in the first quarter, but he couldn't help himself from broadcasting his shot. Thus, he finished with just 15 points on 7/18 shooting.

Deng was horrible offensively. He also began the game with a corner snipe, but he missed nearly every shot thereafter, shooting 3/18 on the night for 6 points. If you didn't notice there's a trend developing here--the Bulls can't score.

How about Derrick Rose? The star point guard scored 17 points in the first half, and for the first time all season, he looked comfortable every time he took the ball to the rim. Rose only had 2 turnovers, one of which was inexplicably thrown up the court and easily intercepted by Kenneth Faried.

In the second half, Rose mostly settled for jumpers, and things got ugly quickly. It's easy to see that Rose's jumper looks NOTHING like should. For some reason, not only are his feet staggered, but he is clearly not shooting at the peak of his jump, making him push the ball towards the rim. It was my understanding that Rose spent his time off honing his jumper, but as of right now, it looks uglier than it did in high school. He seems able to take threes, but any other jumper is a huge concern. I expect teams will start to sag off until he proves he can shoot.

Nasty Nate

Nate Robinson ignited a crucial 7-0 rally by himself last night, and Bulls fans across the world collectively cursed GarPax for not keeping him. Even in his post-game interview with Rachel Nichols, Robinson sounded devastated about his departure. Robinson only shot 3/13 from the field, but it was enough to spark solid play from Darrell Arthur and 17 points from Jordan Hamilton.

It hurts to see Nate do what he did best for the Bulls for the Nuggets, but it pains me even more to know that the Bulls do not have a comparable presence off the bench. Yes, Tom Thibodeau coined the good Nate/bad Nate moniker, and we know he hates players who don't play great defense (Nate tries!). However, it is easy for me to see the value of a high volume, irrational confidence scorer who can come off the bench and spark the offense. And Nate did just that for the Nuggets: Wilson Chandler was scoreless, Randy Foye and Ty Lawson weren't scoring much either.

Nate came in off the bench, took a lot of shots and gave the Nuggets are comfortable lead that boosted the confidence of everyone around him. The Bulls could use a guy like that, but they simply do not have one at this juncture. My hope is a Ben Gordon reunion next season but that seems like a pipe dream at best.

The Nuggets game was difficult, but I'm more upset from seeing the value of Nate Robinson than anything else. Perhaps the Bulls will find an irrational confidence guy at some point, but it probably will not happen this season.  

As a side note, I loved watching Taj Gibson and Thibs show emotion, even if it resulted in technical fouls. I do not like to see the Bulls go down silently.

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Game Preview: Chicago Bulls (5-3) Vs. Charlotte Bobcats (5-5)

No need to do a double take, that is indeed a .500 Charlotte Bobcats (Hornets soon, but not soon enough) squad taking on your Chicago Bulls. I generally try to go to Bobcats games, prompting you to ask, wtf is wrong with Stormin Normin? Well, I love Ben Gordon, and I go give him a solo standing ovation amidst the swarm of boos. I can't make it this year, so I'll just have to do that in the comfort of my living room. And I'll dream of what could have been...



Enough about a guy who probably won't play. The Bobcats aren't as terrible as usual thus far this season. But this team simply isn't very good, though they may win 25-30 games this year. In years past, the Michael Jordan storyline used to be fun, but it doesn't really matter much at this point. Jordan has moved on, and the best thing he can do is hope his team's name change boosts merchandise sales...next season.

The Bobcats Don't Have Any Scoring

It really pains me to see Ben Gordon sitting on the bench this year because the Bobcats don't have any scoring or any shooting. Al Jefferson was a big free agent signing, a typical baffling signing by a GM looking to improve overnight that causes him to get in a bidding war with himself for a player no one else really wants at that price. Jefferson is only 28, though it seems like he's been in the league forever, so he will have a shot to chase a title if things don't work out in Charlotte, as he's only signed for 3 seasons.

Naturally, Jefferson's shooting percentage and scoring are in the gutter so far this season, as Jefferson is shooting just 40% from the field and averaging only 15 points per contest. Jefferson is a well-known black hole, though he did torch the Bulls last season for 32 points.

I don't expect him to get it started tonight against the Bulls, and Jefferson's black hole tendencies tend to disrupt offensive movement and other players' interest in the game. No one wants to play with a guy like this, even in the NBA.

Kemba Walker is essentially a thinner BG who can pass, but his numbers are down across the board this season, as he is shooting a hideous 34% from the field and not distributing like he did last season. The Bobcats offensive was actually a little more run 'n gun last year with Walker, Ramon Sessions, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Gerald Henderson getting out on the break.

This season, Basketball Reference rates the Bobcats as the slowest offensive in the league (thank you Al Jefferson). The Bulls may not always have the best half-court offensive, but the team's half-court defense is unmatched. The Bobcats are playing right into the Bulls' strength.

The Bulls will DOMINATE on the Boards

Al Jefferson may be averaging nearly 9 rebounds per game, but the rest of the Bobcats team just doesn't rebound at all. Sometimes starting center Bismack Biyombo (I always read that name in Marv Albert's voice) is a good rebounder, but he might be the worst offensive player in the NBA.

Therefore, the Bobcats will rely on Josh McRoberts (4.6 RPG) and MKG (5.9 RPG) to pickup the slack. Noah and/or Boozer might go off for 20 rebounds tonight. The Bulls will punish this team with several second chance opportunities.

The Bulls are the far superior team, and I don't have any question that the team will win easily tonight. I'd like to see a huge game out of Carlos Boozer, and it might be the perfect time to let Jimmy Butler rebuild his confidence. Gerald Henderson and MKG are decent defenders, but both will have their hands full trying to help their big men in the post.

The Final Score: Bulls 102 Bobcats 75

And I think that's a generous 75 points.  I do not expect a letdown game after the big win versus the Pacers, but rather a continuation of beautiful Bulls basketball.

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Chicago Bulls (4-3) Vs Indiana Pacers (9-0)

The Indiana Pacers are dismantling the NBA and making a mockery out of the rest of the league. Paul George's troops are thus far undefeated, and I've yet to see a team really threaten them. Admittedly, it's only been 9 games, but Paul George looks like the frontrunner for this year's MVP. The team plays an ugly offensive game, but so do the Bulls.

I really really do not buy the Indiana Pacers as an NBA champion, but with George and Roy Hibbert making the leap, it may be time for me to capitulate.

The Bulls played well last night against the Raptors, but the Pacers blew out the Milwaukee Bucks, 104-77.

Quick Stat Lines:

Paul George: 24.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, 48.7% FG%

Roy Hibbert: 11.4 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 4.8 BLOCKS PER GAME

Hibbert is the best rim protector in the game, and the Bulls are going to have a very difficult scoring inside. As hard as Joakim Noah tries, he is simply not a real threat offensively, particularly against a strong defender like Hibbert. I assume Hibbert will matchup with Boozer most of the time, so hopefully Boozer lingers outside of the paint to open up the lane for Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose (if he plays).

Key Matchup: Derrick Rose Vs George Hill

George Hill and GF

The Bulls did a masterful job containing Paul George last time these two teams played. Thus, I'm not concerned about stopping him. Rather, I want Derrick Rose to abuse point guard George Hill.

CJ Watson started the last time, and Rose owned him every time he asserted himself. However, those moments were few and far between. Hill can't guard Rose--well, no one can guard Derrick Rose--so if he plays and is healthy, he NEEDS to exploit this matchup for the Bulls to win. Boozer will be largely contained, so Rose needs to drive to score and create open shots for his teammates.

My Prediction... Do I break my addiction and go against the Bulls?




No, I can't do that, even against the Pacers.

Final Score: Bulls 92 Pacers 89

Bulls Passion Preview: Chicago Bulls (3-3) vs Tornoto Raptors (4-5)

There are few things I love more than Friday night basketball. You're not stressed from worrying about your job, the weekend possibilities seem endless, and I get to force my girlfriend to watch the game with me. There's no excuse on a Friday night.

Tonight, your Chicago Bulls take on the Toronto Raptors.  Back in the days of half-man, half-amazing Vince Carter, I would be unbelievably hyped about this game. Now, I'm excited to see a mix-matched bunch of great athletes who can kind of play basketball.

Derrick Rose out tonight?

There's a very good chance Derrick Rose doesn't play tonight.  I've seen people speculate on Twitter that he definitely won't play, but I'm not sure of that.

If he doesn't play, be prepared for an ugly offense tonight. The Bulls look very stagnant, and they often work the shot-clock to under 8 seconds, often settling for bad shots when Rose isn't on the court. Toronto is only allowing 94.9 points per game, good for 5th in the NBA, so Bulls fans should be worried about a sneaky loss tonight.

Know thy Opponent:

Rudy Gay

Rudy Gay has always been a prolific chucker, and this season is no different. Gay's taking 19 shots again, shooting just 36.5% from the floor and averaging 19.7 points per game. At least gay is playing decent defense and averaging 7 boards per game, while also chipping in with 2 steals.

As a Bulls fan, you want the opposing team's best scorer to be a wing. Look for Luol to shut him down. Gay will get his 20 points, but he may shoot under 30% with the defensive presence of Luol Deng. With Gay unable to score (but still attempting to score), expect the Raptors offense to become stagnant and uninterested.

DeMar DeRozan: Rudy Gay Part 2

DeMar DeRozan has a great name and gets paid a lot of money, as he just started his 4 year, $38 million contract extension. Unfortunately for Raptors fans, he's essentially the same player as Rudy Gay. DeRozan is a high volume, inefficient scorer who is also poor at three pointers (shooting just 30% this year) and likes to isolate to score. DeRozan is accounting for 18 points per game on 37.7% shooting, but he doesn't do much else.

Jimmy Butler, though he refuses to stop pump faking, should be able to hold DeRozan to another poor night of shooting. Gay and DeRozan are basically the only real scorers on the Raptors, so if the Bulls are able to shut them down, then it will be a competitive game.

Tonight will be a close game, and I'm not feeling great about the Bulls' odds of winning. With the Raptors allowing just 94.9 points per game, and the Bulls potentially missing Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer will need to step it up offensively. Raptors' power forward Amir Johnson is a hardhat and lunch pal kinda guy, but he won't be able to stop Boozer's vast array of post moves.

Defensively, the Bulls match up incredible well against the Raptors, especially because Raptors' point guard Kyle Lowry has struggled mightily this year. Plus, Kirk Hinrich is a tenacious defender, and he will do his best to stop Lowry from making plays.

The Raptors' "best" bench player is probably Tyler Hansbrough. Yes, that's a real statement.

Poor three point shooting, a weak offense sans wing players, and few offensive options off the bench characterize the Raptors this season.

While I simply do not feel good about the game, I'm picking the Bulls to win.

Bulls 89 Raptors 82

It's Friday, so you should spend the afternoon reading:

Bulls Passion: The Best NBA Stories And a Bad One

 Or figuring out:

What's Going on with Derrick Rose? 

 

 

Derrick Rose Shows Some Real Progress while Dominating the Cavs

#TheReturn hashtag may have come a year too early, but I can finally tell you with confidence that #TheReturn is in full swing. Derrick Rose and the Bulls easily disposed of the Kyrie Irving-led Cavaliers, winning the game 96-81.

Without question, the highlight of the game was Rose, who finally looked like an all-star. I can't emphasize that he looked like an all-star enough--not the last MVP not named LeBron James, not a future Hall of Famer, but an all-star.

After a slow first half, Rose destroyed Irving offensively with his trademark explosive drives and acrobatic finishes. Rose also made some fantastic passes, some so excellent that the receiving player didn't see them coming (I'm looking at you, Taj).

While at times Rose looked lost defensively, a fast break drive by Irving where Rose was literally facing the wrong direction comes to mind, he did a great job locking down one of the league's best scoring point guards.

Rose only shot 8/21 from the field, but he had 16 points and 7 assists, and in his defense, the officials missed a few calls that would have sent Rose to the line. DRose did leave with a hamstring injury that occurred at an unknown time, but I doubt it will be anything serious. SB Nation posted a painful GIF of Rose limping. Every game like this is a major stride for the Bulls' MVP caliber point guard.

Boozer: Mr Efficient

Carlos Boozer played another wonderful game on Monday night, shooting 7/11 from the floor with 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Boozer bullied Tristan Thompson in the post as expected, and he even demonstrated his excellent passing skills, highlighted by a beautiful dish to Joakim Noah in the post for an easy layup.

Boozer continues to keep his feet flat defensively. It becomes frustrating seeing such a powerful, athletic guy look unable to stop any decent offensive player. Still, Boozer wasn't signed to be a great defender, and his efficient scoring this season makes up for any defensive short coming.

Jimmy Shoots...No He Doesn't

Jimmy Butler played well defensively. Dion Waiters made some crazy shots, but still scored just 13 points and was a non-factor in the final outcome. I love Jimmy defensively. He's quickly becoming an elite perimeter defender.

Unfortunately, his confidence is not there, and it's painfully obvious. Butler received some great passes that gave him wide open three point looks, but instead, Butler pump faked, took 2 steps forward, and missed mid-range jumpers. Essentially, Butler trades higher expected value shots for lower expected value shots, and the reason is clearly confidence.

Butler has always had a flat shot, but last season it looked like he had made strides, connecting on 38% of his attempts. This year, he's down to just 25%. Hopefully Butler spends this large inter-game gap focusing on his shot because the Bulls desperately need his offense to get going.

Mike Dontleaveme

Mike Dunleavy earned his pay check last night, scoring 15 points in just 24 minutes, connecting on 2/3 threes and all 5 of his free throw attempts. Admittedly, 3 of those free throws came on an absolutely terrible call,  but Dunleavy still looked like a very capable scoring 6th man. I'd like to work out those long 2 pointers out of his repertoire, but I don't believe the Bulls organization supports sabermetrics, so that's just a dream.

Overall, you should be very encouraged. No, Cleveland is not a very good team at all. They have loads of potential, but the Cavs still largely go as far as Kyrie Irving takes them--which wasn't very far last night.

Still, Rose played a great second half of basketball, Boozer remained efficient, and Dunleavy showed confidence in his deadly three point shot. The Bulls get another shot at Indiana this Saturday after facing the lowly Raptors on Friday.

I'll be back with previews and some features throughout the week, and, as they say in France, Let's Go Bulls.

Chicago Bulls (2-3) Vs Cleveland Cavaliers (3-4)

With the battle of the pathetic Florida teams headlining Monday Night Football, tonight is the perfect night for Chicago Bulls basketball. The Bulls take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cavs continue to build a solid core around star point guard Kyrie Irving, and if this team acquires LeBron James in the offseason, the Cavs will dominate the East once again. Let's take a look at some key players.

Kyrie Irving

I can't recall a more obvious number 1 pick who was a less of a consensus pick than Kryie Irving. Due to injury, he didn't play much at Duke, and we've also seen him slowed in the NBA. However, don't let some injury trouble and his slow start in 2013 fool you: Irving is an elite point guard. He certainly showed it last night, dropping in 39 points with a career-high 12 assists.

Irving isn't a one dimensional scorer; rather, he's a quick guard who can get to the rim and finish with fantastic three point range. Irving is one of the most unguardable players  in the league, so Derrick Rose will have his hands full in their first ever head-to-head match-up.

While we've seen the Bulls do a fantastic job clogging the paint, Irving is incredibly talented, so he will get his buckets. If the Bulls sufficiently clog the paint, he can display his solid passing skills by hitting one of his strong three point shooters like Jarrett Jack, Dion Waiters, or C.J. Miles. Ouch. That's dangerous.

Andrew Bynum: 2nd Bust in a Row?

Cavaliers fans were rewarded this offseason with gobs of cap room, but let's face it, the team  hopes LeBron James opts out of his contract with the Heat in order to return home to Ohio. Whether or not you think there's a chance that happens (it's either Miami or Cleveland, IMO), the Cavs' front office wanted to retain maximal flexibility, hence the team took a chance on former Laker stud Andrew Bynum.

Bynum has played in just 5 of the Cavaliers' 7 games, and he has not looked good.  Like many 7 footers, Bynum's knees have been horrible for the majority of his career, and he was also sidelined all of last season as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.

If Bynum does play (doubtful since this would be a back-to-back), he will not make a meaningful impact. Bynum has looked lost offensively, shooting just 32% from the field--an impressive task consider how short his average shot is. Bynum is not the double-double machine that he was for the Lakers in 2011-12. In fact, he's hardly worth mentioning at this point, less his $12 million contract.

Tristan Thompson

Tristan Thompson had a disappointing rookie campaign, but he's become a solid and durable power forward. We can assume he'll match-up against Boozer defensively, but Boozer respond by banging the ball inside against the much lighter defender. The trio of Taj Gibson, Boozer, and Jokaim Noah should help keep Thompson off the boards on both ends of the court. Along the same line, Thompson won't be able to do much inside, so look for him to settle for some long, inefficient jump shots.

Although Kyrie Irving is a top 5 point guard, the Bulls will win tonight. However, I think it will be a struggle. The Bulls have not played well against teams with great three point shooters, and the Cavs are just that with Waiters, Irving, and Jack on the court at the same time. The Bulls should be able to get some easy buckets offensively, especially since Anderson Varejao hasn't to form after he missed considerable time last year with a blood clot.

Boozer should go off for at least 20 points tonight. Rose should have another solid game, showing some strides, though Irving will embarrass him on the defensive end a few times. The Cavs aren't a great rebounding team, so Taj and Noah should generate several second chance opportunities. With the Cavs taking the 11th most three pointers in the league, the Bulls should have several fast break opportunities that will lead to easy buckets for Jimmy Pump Fakes.  

More importantly, the Cavs are not a deep team and have to play the Bulls after a double-overtime victory last night. 4 of 5 starters played 40+ minutes, while the Cavs' best bench player, Jarrett Jack, played 37 minutes. The Cavs will be tired, and the game could get ugly if the Bulls get out on the break like they did against Utah.

The score: Bulls 97 Cavs 89

Interesting reads on the NBA

1. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/michael_rosenberg/05/21/lebron/index.html

Goes into how great LeBron is. I agree, but the best ever? Nahhhh.

He is doing the same thing he thrived at in Cleveland: Carrying a bunch of scrubs to playoff victories.

2. http://basketball.realgm.com/blog/221103/Noah_To_Seek_Tutoring_From_Kareem

Joakim's working with Kareem. And I do think this will work to improve his post game a bit. Jo's on the cusp of being a top-5 center as is (if he isn't already).

3. http://sports.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981346591

Nonsense, why would any team take on Boozer's contract?!?

4. http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7955050/craig-sager-suits-sideline-sartorial-disasters

Hell yeah, this clown's married to a Luv-a-Bull!!!

Dispair...Nah we got this

I don't mean to be an eternal optimist...okay I admit I'm a permaBull...but I really don't think we're out of this series.

Game 3 shook me literally so badly that I couldn't write about it. I was depressed. I was angry. I haven't seen a team Thibs team lose their fight like that. For a second I thought maybe LeBron had joined us.

Game 4 wasn't much better. Even though we controlled the tempo, you never really got the feeling we would win. Omer Asik filled in valiantly for Joakim, but it didn't matter. CJ and JL3 were...meh. Mike James sat on the bench, and we started the #freemikejames campaign. So far I think we have a follower. Maybe.

I can't help but wonder how differently things would have played out assuming we had Ben Gordon instead of Carlos Boozer (motivated Ben). We'd be able to score easily with BG bombing 3's in the clutch. But instead we have Boozer flailing like Dwyane Wade looking for fouls and brick city from Rip, Ronnie, and co.

Our main hope for game 5 is that Philly is awful. I mean, they are really fucking bad. I don't know if anyone but maybe Jrue Holiday would even get burn on a playoff team. So far we've been destroyed by CJ's poor defense forcing Asik to stay at home to help and leave Spencer Hawes open for 20 footers. Spencer HAWES is killing us. That's not a good thing.

I think we'll be fine, and Philly should eventually beat themselves.

#freemikejames and go Bulls!

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.