The Bulls without Derrick Rose

The Chicago Bulls season just started and they are 4-3 on the young season.  The team with the best record in the east for the last two seasons are coming into the 2012-2013 season as an entirely different season and the underdogs. Yes, the underdogs even though they had the best record in the eastern division for the last two years and won the Central division both seasons. This is because this year they don't have their star player and leading scorer. The NBA is a star driven league and without a star of his caliber many experts and myself (not a expert) don't consider the Bulls a top team in the Eastern division and the NBA.

The key is the eastern Eastern division is not a strong division.  Without Rose the Bulls could probably make the playoffs, but the bottom of the playoffs. I think the 6 or 7th seed. Last year they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs when Rose got injured. Without Rose they would not have a chance to advance far into the playoffs.  If the Bulls can hang in there until they get Rose back they could be a strong enough playoff team. 

Please vote in the poll on side with how many wins you think the Bulls will win this season.

Why doesn't Dwight Howard want to come to Bulls?

Dwight Howard originally said he didn't want to come to play for the Chicago Bulls. No one understood why he wouldn't want to play alongside MVP Derek Rose and the other great role players we have in Chicago. With a great point guard and Howard the Bulls would have a great chance to win some Ring's for years to come. With a young dominant point guard in Rose (23 years old) and Dwight Howard (26 years old) the most dominant defensive center and a great inside scorer, the Bulls would have a great combination. With the right role players, like the Bulls have now, it’s hard to imagine what the Bulls could do.

The one obstacle was Dwight Howard said he only wanted to be traded to five teams and the Bulls were not one of those five teams. It came out from this Yahoo Article that it was because Howard and Rose are both Addias big endorsers. It wouldn't be good for Addias to have two of their young superstars on the same team. It would be harder to reach more markets if there in the same market!

Later he backed on his statement in the public and said he would go to the Bulls, but we don't know if he actually changed the list he gave the Magic on the Teams he would play for. Adding a player of Howard's Caliber would bring the Bulls to the next level if they don't have to give up Loul Deng who is the glue of the team. The Bull's have a lot to offer the Magic so let's make this deal happen.

Derrick Rose Following Lamar Odom's Candy Fix

Lamar Odom has made it known that he eats candy before a game to give him a sugar rush which he says helps his game. It makes me skeptical that it really gives an NBA player an edge like Odom claims.


Derrick Rose told reporters at the end of last season that he loves Skittles and can eat them all the time. The Wrigley company heard of this and acted on it.

"A Skittles spokesperson said the company has been sending the candy to
Rose since his sweet tooth was exposed in several articles."

They decided to give Derrick Rose a customized Skittles machine that has:

""D. Rose" on the bottom, right corner, has a motion-activated sensor that plays
a recorded message -- perhaps taped by Rose -- when someone walks past."

He will also get a 3-year supply for the machine. Hopefully it will give him the edge like candy does for Odom. Expect to start seeing these around the Untied Center some timesoon or maybe even closer to home. I thought this machine was really cool and had to share it.

The Boston Celtics Did Not Get The Memo

Derrick Rose At Panera

John Berry: "I Can't Breath Right Now"

Derrick Rose cocks it back for the flush

Cubsfan4evr Top Sports Memory Of 2009

The past few days I have been seeing a lot of stories in the paper and segments on t.v. showing the best sport moments in the past year. So I thought I would share my favorite sport memory. I thought long and hard about the baseball season and the Cubs, but couldn’t think of many great memories. When I thought about the Cubs things that came to my mind were:

1. The Milton Bradley Saga
2. Kevin Gregg blowing save after save. One specific night comes into mind when I was at Champs with TBO and Sexy Rexy and the Cubs game was on. Gregg came in against his former team for the save and before I could blink the game was over and we lost.
3. Carlos Marmol getting himself in trouble by not being able to find the plate. He would walk batter after batter. I hope this whole off-season he is somewhere just pitching trying to get the ball with his movement over the plate.
4. Kerry Wood coming to Chicago and helping the Cubbies out by blowing some saves.
5. Soriano looking like age is catching up with him and his timing being a mess at the plate.

Hopefully the 2010 baseball season will bring me more positive memories for the cubs. I would have thought my best sports memory would be from the Cubs, but this was a bad and ugly season at times, so I had to think elsewhere. After the cubs I thought about the Bulls and Bears. The Bears had an uglier season than the Cubs, but the Bulls had some bright spots.

In 2009 the Chicago Bulls got lucky and had the number one draft pick in the NBA lottery. Instead of drafting Michael Beasley they choose Chicago native Derrick Rose. Even though I don’t know if he will ever be as good as Rajon Rondo or Chris Paul like some thought/think, he was the better choice. The Bulls were able to trade Larry Hughs and bring in John Salmons and Brad Miller that sparked the bulls. Even though it is still 2009 and they both look terrible, last season they were the spark plug that jumped the Bulls to make the playoffs and have an incredible run in the playoffs. So if you’re still reading this and a Bulls fan, then you may agree with me that the Bulls/Celtics series was incredible. That was some of the best basketball I have seen since the Jordan era and that was one incredibly fun series. Even though if they did have Kevin Garnet we probably wouldn’t of had a chance, but they didn’t, and that was some fun basketball with almost every game going down to the wire. So that series is my favorite sports memory in 2009.

Here is a clip of that Bulls Celtics series:


Watching it again makes me remember how much fun I had watching each game and where I was for most of those games.

What was your favorite sports memory for 2009?

Joakim Noah Making A Name For Himself

Joakim Noah was drafted by the Chicago Bulls 9th overall in the 2007 NBA Draft. I was not a big fan of drafting him at the time because I didn't think he would be good in the NBA. My colleague TBO didn't like him for other reasons. When I looked at the Bulls centers before the season started I did like his defensive numbersin a limited role, but looked at Brad Miller for being a bigger option for the Bulls at Center. I did think Noah would have good numbers with more playing time but I did not think he would be this good.

In the two months of this NBA season Noah has stepped up to be the leader of the team. Yes, Rose is better and the best player we have, but he is on the quiet side and not that vocal leader which Noah has become on the court and off by being comical relief.

Noah has quietly put together a very good season and he is one of the few bright spots on the team. This season he is averaging a double double with 10.5 PPG and 12.40 PPG. You have often heard the Bulls and media say we need a guy like Carlos Bozer, Chirs Bosh, or Admare Stoudmire because we need a guy who can score inside and be that double double guy. Noah may not be a great offensive force, but he is a double double guy that many people keep saying the Bulls need, but no one talks that we already have one. Noah is also second in the league in rebounds behind Dwight Howard. So Noah may not make it to the NBA all star team, but he should as Dwight Howard's back up. So do your part and try to vote him in!

Does Vinny Get Fired Before, After, Or On Christmas?

Let's just be frank, Vinny Del Negro is getting canned sooner or later. There is no way Lebron, Wade, Bosh, or even Kwame Brown will want to sign with the Bulls next off-season if Vinny is running the show. 1ust like every other non-football sport, the coach doesnt do jack squate in the NBA. Just look at Doc Rivers, who magically went from coaching the leagues worst record to the champions the very next year. And by magic I mean trading for Garnett and Ray Allen. Or how about Lawrence Frank, who took the Nets to the finals twice with Kidd and Carter. Now he has the distinction of beginning an NBA season loosing 18 straight games with Josh Boone and Trenton Hassell.

I believe Jerry Reinsdorf will open up the vault after the season and finally bring superstars back to the windy city. The problem is that so many teams have money to spend next offseason such that the Bulls organization will have to offer free agents something more enticing than money. Based on the list of free agents and payroll projections on hoops hype, I see several obstacles in the way of our salvation.

1) As many as 15 teams have payroll space next summer to sign one and at least 7 teams who have payroll to sign 2 superstars. The Bulls are by no means the only team that has spent the last 3 years preparing for the upcoming free agent class. The Bulls have 44 million guaranteed for next year assuming they offer Tyrus Thomas the 6 million qualifying offer which I believe they will do. Indications are that the bulls are willing to go up to the 80 million dollar range, just 10 million above this years total, allocating just enough money to sign 2 stud free agents. In the NBA all you need is 2 superstars to make you a contender. You put an all-star shooting guard and forward next to Derrek Rose and you are in the Finals next year.

The biggest competition for the Bulls will be the Miami Heat. They have done the impossible. Assuming Dwayne Wade opts out for free agency, the Heat will only have 8 million dollars guaranteed to Beasley, Cook, and Chalmeres. Meaning they can sign Wade for 25 million and have cap space for 2 more max players. Boozer or Bosh will surely end up in Miami. The Knicks, Clippers, Nets, Pistons, Cavaliers, T-wolves, Thunder, Blazers, and Rockets all potentially have the money to lure away the great free agents.

2. The best thing about being an NBA player, is living the lifestyle of an NBA player. If you thought Tiger Woods had it good, just know that all his skanks are Dwight Howard's sloppy seconds. Who wouldnt want to go to Miami? I basically had my bags packed to go to med school in Miami even though i would never have time to see the sun or Miami beach. Then there is New York. The only thing that separates the Bulls and the Knicks is Derrick Rose. Is that enough to entice Wade to chose Chicago over New York? I'm not so sure. Given the past 10 year post Jordan history, players are not lining up to come to the United Center. Some cities dont even have income tax, something the state of Illinois cannot claim.

3. Some players even want to have a chance to win. Despite the Bulls performance in the playoffs last year against the Celtics, it is difficult to project the current roster as a perennial contender. They have lost 10-11. Have the 3rd worst scoring offense, point differential, and shooting percentage in the NBA. The teams looks as listless as they did in the last weeks of the Scot Skiles era. And most importantly Derrick Rose has yet to make the 2nd year jump that I predicted earlier. Given the quality of his teammates and coaching staff it shouldnt be that big a surprise. Though his medium range jumper should be automatic by now.

The Bulls are required to make some serious organizational changes if they intend on landing any free agents. Regardless if Vinny is or isnt a good coach, his reputation around the league is overly negative. Something has to be done about the United Center. As exciting as it gets during the Blackhawks games, it's as equally dull during the Bulls games. I went to the season opener this season and was actually upgraded to lower level seats because there were so many empty seats. The Bulls need to become cool again and maybe the city can land a Wade or Lebron. A Bosh or a Staudemine. And dont overlook Joe Johnson who is the best passing shooting guard not named Lebron. Believe me, he would be worth the money.

Greg Oden gets posterized twice

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Lindsey Hunter

On July 15, 2009 the Bulls re-signed Lindsey Hunter for his second year as a Chicago Bull. Hunter is a 16-year NBA veteran who has appeared in 28 games with the Bulls last season averaging 2.6 ppg and 1.3 apg in 9.5 mpg. In his career he has averaged 8.6 ppg, 2.7 apg, 2.2 rpg and 1.21 spg in 25.0 mpg. He owns a career shooting percentage of .388 from the field, .361 from downtown and .746 from the free throw line. Hunter is toward the end of his career and not expected to play much because his best days are well beyond him.

Lindsey Hunter is here to be more a mentor to Derrick Rose. Hunter is an experienced point guard who is here to teach Rose how to see the floor and distribute the ball. There was rumor in the off season that he would retire and the Bulls were going to hire him to help out in player development. The Bulls decided to keep him on as a player to teach Rose and help with his development. The Bulls also needed some more players on their roster so instead of going with a young guy they decided to bring Hunter back for his final year as player with the Chicago Bulls. Hunter is not expected to play much, but if a player gets in foul trouble or injured, he could be forced into action.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009………. Kirk Hinrich

Kirk Hinrich was drafted in 2003 by the Chicago Bulls with the 7th pick overall. He went in possibly one of the best draft classes ever with Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade being drafted ahead of him. After him several good players went including T. J. Ford, Mickaël Piétrus, Luke Ridnour, David West, Boris Diaw, and Josh Howard. Josh Howard and David West are bigger guys that the Bulls might have been attracted to if they weren’t in a market for a point guard. A few months before the draft the Bulls second overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft Jay Wiilliams, was injured in a motorcycle accident. Jay Wiilliams was supposed to be our point guard of the future, but after his accident where they didn’t know if he would ever walk again, they drafted Kirk Hinrich. Jay Wiilliams can walk now and tried to make a comeback in 2006 and was signed by the New Jersey Nets, but released before contracts are guaranteed. Back to Kirk Hinrich……..

I remember the pre-season for the 2003-2004 season. I was watching a game and remember this little white guy running up and down the court who looked winded and 2 steps behind everyone else. When I found out that he was Kirk Hinrich, our first round pick who was drafted 7th overall. Later I found out he had a viral infection that took him months to recover from. After the season started and he recovered from the viral infection he looked much better. He solidified his position as the starting point guard pretty quickly and was named to the NBA's 2004 All-Rookie first team. He held the distinction for being the only rookie during that season to record a triple-double, with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists versus the Golden State Warriors on February 28, 2004. Hinrich has gone on to have a good career with the Bulls. He has career averages of 13.9 points per game, 6.1 assists per game, 3.4 rebounds per game, and 1.3 steals per game.

In the 2006-2007 season Hinrich averaged 16.6 PPG, 6.3 APG, and looked to be the Bulls point guard of the future and one of the cornerstones to build around. Then Hinrich took a step back during the 2007-2008 season and the Bulls drafted a true dynamic point guard in Derrick Rose. This pushed Hinrich to the bench which he accepted and the captain of the team never complained. Hinrich got injured last year, but when he came back he gave the team a big lift. His assist were down at a career low, but hopefully him and Rose can learn to play together and Hinrich and Rose could be a deadly combination. This is because both handle the ball very well and they both can shoot. Last season with the Bulls pushing to make a playoff run Rose coach Vinny Del Negro played Rose a lot playing him most of the game. Because of this at times Rose did look tired. This is why the Bulls need to play Hinrich more backing up Rose because he is more than capable. This way Rose will stay fresh and be ready when we need him. Many people seem to think Hinrich is a back-up and bench player, but I think he is still very good and should be a starter on most teams in the NBA.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Derrick Rose

The Chicago Bulls had a disappointing 2007-2008 season. It was the first time in a few years they missed the playoffs. Thus, they were expected to have a draft pick in the top 15. The Bulls hit the jack pot and with a 1.7% chance won the number one pick in the 2008 NBA draft. There was a lot of debate if the Bulls should draft Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose. Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose both came out of college after their freshman year. Beasley had a great freshman year and accomplished more than Rose did during his year at college. Rose had a great run during March madness and raise his stock. We have seen many players do very good during March madness and turned out to be over rated so far. Some of those players are Tryus Thomas, Glen Davis, among others. Thus, I didn’t want the Bulls to draft Rose because Beasley was better over the whole season and would fill the big hole the Bulls have for a big man who has double double potential. With the number one pick in the NBA draft the Bulls drafted Chicago native Derrick Rose. I am glad I was proven wrong pretty quickly.

Last year Derrick Rose had a great rookie season to win Rookie of the Year honors. He became the third Chicago Bull in history to win it with Michael Jordan (1985) and Elton Brand (2000). He averaged 16.8 points on 47.5% field goal shooting, 6.3 assists per game, and 3.9 rebounds per game. Rose showed last year he is a great distributor and can take the ball to the bucket at will. Last Year when Paxson was general manager he said that Derrick Rose is the future of the team and the Bulls are rebuilding around him. That is why the captain of the team, and one of their best players Kirk Hinrich was moved to the bench to make room for the sensation in Rose. The trades we saw made during last season were to find players to complement the game of Derrick Rose. After this upcoming season the Bulls will have salary cap room to make some changes and bring in a big guy for Rose to feed the ball inside too. Rose is young and should keep developing and there is no limits to where he can take the Bulls!

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Point Guard

The Bulls have three point guards on the roster in starter Derrick Rose, back-up Kirk Hinrich, and veteran Lindsey Hunter who is more of a mentor to Derrick Rose than player at this stage of his career. Derrick Rose and Kirk Hinrich will mainly be the only players handling the ball and distributing it. We will probably only see Lindsey Hunter come in at point guard for a few minutes a game unless Rose or Hinrich are injured or in foul trouble. The Bulls also have Jannero Pargo who can handle the ball, but will be used as a shooting guard. If any of the three point guards get injured or two of them get in foul trouble in the same game then we would see Pargo handle the ball. Pargo is a small guard who can handle the ball well, but it a shoot first pass second player like Ben Gordon was. We brought Pargo back to be a back-up shooting guard, but he gives us a little extra flexibility if needed at point guard.

The Bulls should be in very good shape at point guard. We have a young guard in Derrick Rose who is still developing and will hopefully continue to blossom during his second season. In my opinion, Kirk Hinrich is a starting point guard, and would be starting on most teams. With Hinrich around we should be able to keep Rose fresh and not have to play him most of the game like we did last year when Hinrich was injured. I like the Bulls bench a lot, especially compared to many teams and this is because of Kirk Hinrich who will be the best player off the bench. It will be interesting if Hinrich and Rose will even play a little bit together. I think that could be an interesting combination for a few minutes during a game. This will depend on the other bench players though in Pargo and Johnson to give Vinny Del Negro that option.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009………. Expected Depth Chart

Basketball will be starting soon with the season officially starting towards the end of October. Here is how the Bulls roster is shaping up after the off-season where they added James Johnson, Taj Gibson, Jannero Pargo, and brought back Lindsey Hunter for reasons I will never understand. Aaron Gray is still a free agent, but supposedly they are talking to him and want to bring him back. I guess we will see what happens.
Position Starters Back-up Reserves
Point Guard: Derrick Rose Kirk Hinrich Lindsey Hunter
Shooting Guard: John Salmons Jannero Pargo
Small Forward: Luol Deng James Johnson
Power Forward: Tyrus Thomas Taj Gibson Jerome James
Center: Joakim Noah Brad Miller Aaron Gray (FA)

Now that we have previewed the front office and coaching staff……on to the players! I was debating if I should look at the players by starters and then the bench or go by position. You will have to see what I decide.

Is Derrek Rose Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?

Recently reports came out that current NBA Rookie Of The Year and former Memphis star Derrek Rose had someone else take his SAT for him so he could academically qualify to go to school at Memphis. Another report came out today that another former Memphis basketball player Robert Dozier also had someone else take his SAT so he could play college ball. You know what I have to say to that? WHO CARES!

Have you ever had an athlete in one of your classes? Generally speaking, they don't care. It would normally at this time that I would make some claim for the sake of "good journalism" or being "politically correct" or something but no one reads this blog... and what I'm saying is true. I was in a Speech class last semester with a fairly talented and well known WR on the football speech. We had to write a handful of five minute speeches and create a corresponding PowerPoint presentation. This kid made up his speeches on the spot and obviously did his PowerPoints a few hours before he had to deliver his speech. He also did not have a grasp on the English language. He has six siblings. He was raised by a single mother. Now there are obviously many exception to cases like this; however, my description IS the majority.

Football and basketball players, especially those on scholarships or who are good, just don't care about their education. I can guarantee you that Derrek Rose did not care about his education. Derrek was only going to college for one year anyway and only went to college because the NBA told him he had to. Matt Leinart, in order to eligible to play his senior year at USC, only took one class- ballroom dancing with his girlfriend.

Every kid who has the chance to go to college or any institution of higher learning should take advantage of that. Even if you major in a "bullshit" major like art, psychology, communication, or political science, you are still taking courses to educate yourself. On average, people with a bachelor's degree make 2 million more in their lifetime than people who do not. But if any kid chooses not to take advantage of their opportunity while in college, that's their own fault. They are given a great chance, but that's all it is, a chance. No one is forcing these kids really to go to class or educate themselves. If they don't care about their classes, it is nobody's business to judge.

And these kids do not go to college to learn anyway. Sure they have the opportunity to do so, but they don't care about that. They just want to play sports. Right now Memphis is coming under fire because of the educational eligibility of their basketball athletes. But what did John Calipari's kids want to do or care about: basketball. All they wanted to do was win a championship, not learn about stupid things like square roots or the basics of the English language.

I don't think people should get so "worked up" about instances like the ones Memphis is going through. Now, don't get me wrong, I think every single kid should be encouraged to complete their education, but if they don't, don't worry about it.

Comparing Rose to LeBron Rookie Years

Us Chicago Bulls fans have seen the immense potential of Derrick Rose lead the Bulls from a lackluster start all the way to the 6th spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Although smaller in size than LeBron James, Rose's athleticism and basketball IQ all point to the fact that he will be a superstar for many years to come. But how does Rose's rookie campaign compare to LeBron, as well as other young successful point guards Chris Paul and Deron Williams?

Truth be told, Rose's season compares favorably with each of the NBA superstars listed above. The most impressive part of Rose's game is his shooting percentage. While most rookies shoot in the low 40% range, Rose has a top shooting percentage for guards at 47.5%. Not to say that Rose is a pure shooter, which he definitely is not, but he has the unique ability to finish in the lane over or through centers. His ability to constantly penetrate the defense is possible the most important quality of any point guard, as it breaks down the defense and allows the player to finish or find the open man.

The assist numbers are very comparable among these particular players, except Chris Paul showed a superior ability to distribute with an 8 assist avegare, while the other players sit in the 6 assist range. Rose's greatest weakness was his ability to distribute the ball to the appropriate player, however, the Bulls recent stretch of 15 home wins in 16 games has been partially a product of Rose's ability to run the fast break and pitch the ball out to shooter like Gordon, Salmons, and Hinrich. Still he has yet to record a double digit assist game this season, but i expect his assist totals to jump into the 8 range much like Paul, Willians, and James had.

A second major complaint I have of Rose this season is his low free throw attempt numbers. He is only averaging 3.0 attempts per game. As i had pointed out in a previous post, nearly every NBA superstar is in the top 30 of free throw attempts per game. If he is able to improve in this essential category, Rose's point per game average can sky rocket from 17 to 22 points per game. This would be concurrent with James(+6.3) Paul(+1.2) Willaims(+5.4).

The biggest jump in production for most NBA players comes in the second year in the league, just look at players like Wade, Roy, and Bosh etc...if you need more verification. I'll go as far as predict that next year Rose will be the first Bulls all-star since the Michael Jordan era. I can't say if the supporting cast will be talented enough for the Bulls to compete for a title, but look out 2010.

Did I mention he's still 20?

A Sample Basketball Highlight

Here's an example of a prototypical basketball highlight:

Random ESPN announcer [highlights of the basketball game show over voice]: Now let's go to Chicago/Orlando game. Here's Derrick Rose, he's in between three defenders, he does an amazing spin move, he goes around Dwight Howard, and OOHHH look at that amazing jam. Derrick Rose again in the 2^nd quarter. He gets the steal, he runs down the lane and makes the easy lay up. Rose later again, drives towards the lane, makes an unbelievable behind-the-back pass to Ben Gordan and Gordan get two. Last drive, two seconds left in the game, Derrick Rose throws it up at half court and MAKES THE SHOT as time expires. Derrick Rose had an amazing game: 42 points, 15 assists, 2 steals, and 5 rebounds.

Announcer again [a stat sheet up on screen]: Let's look, at the last Chicago players to get 40+ points and 14+ assists in Orlando. As you can see Rose joins an impressive list including Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen

OhByTheWayTheBullsGetBlownOutByOrlandoMagic132Chicago92

So here's the template for a basketball highlight

1. Show three to four amazing plays that happen during the game. Overhype those plays. If you can find audio of the team's announcer over blowing the play, that would be even better. If you can't find an amazing play, just take a random play of a player everybody knows and make it sound like the player is doing more than he actually is.
   
2. Compare what one person did during the game so some other great players. It doesn't matter what stat you make up to compare the players, this is just a time filler
   
3. Say the score of the game. This is trivial. No one care about this. The highlight actually should not even coincide with the score.