DOY: Taj Gibson!

I really think I need to go to the gym when I watch sports because something cool happens all the time. This happened in the gym, and the Big Cat working out next to me, I went absolutely bananas.  Big Cat looked at me like I was a Leper.  Seriously, just an awesome dunk. I love Dwyane Wade's attitude about the whole thing saying "I have done that 90 times to people, and it happened to me once."  "I will take the 90 to 1 ratio."

-Charlie.

Heat-Bulls Preview

If you were to rank the NBA Playoffs right now from the best teams to the worst remaining, BCS style, would the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat get the top spots?  I mean it might be crazy to think but if a team like Memphis or Oklahoma City gets into the NBA Finals, I will believe whoever loses this series got robbed at an opportunity to play for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.  People have jumped back on the 'Heat are unstoppable bandwagon,' and some are even calling for a quick series. I don't see that, and nor do I think the Heat are winning this series as I am taking the Chicago Bulls in seven games.

The first reason is obvious, Derrick Rose. The Heat has no point guard that can keep up with D-Rose in an enduring playoff series such as this one. Dywane Wade will do his best, but I do think a la Paul Pierce, his offensive numbers will fall off by exerting so much on the defense. Even though Wade is a top notch defender, Rose is so much quicker than anyone else on the court and find his way to the basket efficiently.  I think he learned a lot after losing game four by shooting over 30 times that he needs to do his best to get everyone involved in the offense.

While I was wavering on who to pick for this expected great series, Michael Wilbon of ESPN and noted Chicago fan made a great point about Luol Deng and Keith Bogans.  He said 'They are defensive-minded guys first, Deng and Bogans would rather being doing that then scoring on offense.'  That earned a complete co-sign from me and think Chicago's man to man defense is going to cause the role players of the Heat to step up in ways we haven't seen all year.  If the Heat's much criticized bench lives up to this challenge, they deserve to win because as I have said before, I will doubt something until you make me a believer.

The point about Deng and Bogans also means Chris Bosh needs to play at another level in this series for the Heat to win. We haven't seen it out of Bosh all playoffs, but with the Bulls' only defensive liability in Carlos Boozer, Bosh might get his opportunity to put his stamp on this team. Also trust that the Bulls will give him his shots, just like no one forgets the kid who peed his pants in the 6th grade, no one forgets Bosh's woeful 1 for 18 performance against the Bulls earlier this season. I assume the Bulls attempt to shut down LeBron and DWade, and make the other players beat them. Call it the Anti-Dwight Howard if you will. 

The Heat are playing at the highest level, so are the Bulls, this usually equates to a great series. I think you are going to see LeBron get his chance to close out a pivotal game (Game 5 did speak volumes to me personally).  You also will see a bunch of great defense, and I will be shocked if either team gets over 100 points in regulation. There is a lot of things to like in this series and I for one cannot wait for tip off in the Windy City tonight.

-Charlie.

NBA Semifinals Predictions

The NBA Playoffs have been terrific so far.  Every series had one or two nail biters, we have a Cinderella team, and a couple great series to look forward to in the upcoming weeks. I myself misfired on the Portland-Dallas series, Orlando-Atlanta series, and of course, Memphis-San Antonio. I thought the Grizzles would give them a series, but I didn't expect them to win the series.  

Eastern Conference  

1.) Chicago versus 5.) Atlanta- I am personally surprised to see the Hawks playing in the second round, and hopefully, they will give a better effort this season compared to past years.  Not having Kirk Heinrich will definitely hurt them because the guy has been a catalyst on offense, but he is just another body to guard Derrick Rose on defense. I think the Hawks' big men could make a difference, but Rose will once again be too good to stop on a nightly basis.  Chicago in six. 

2.) Miami versus 3.) Boston- Some please explain to me how Boston can look completely dead in the last two months of the NBA season, and now look like an entirely different team?  I feel like Ashton Kutcher should come out of hiding and tell me I have been Punk'd.  So many interesting story lines in this series, whether it's LeBron vs. Boston, Chris Bosh v. Kevin Garnett, old crown vs. new royalty. Remember how Michael Jordan took down Detroit finally after two unsuccessful tries?  That's what LeBron needs to do with Boston to take that next step, or this season is a complete failure plus we have to reevaluate LeBron's ceiling in the NBA. I expect a knock down drag out fight in each game with LeBron finally coming up big in a clutch moment.  Miami in seven 

Western Conference 

4.) Oklahoma City versus 8.) Memphis - The Grizzlies and Thunder find themselves in a new position, the second round. Zach Randolph will have to find ways to score against the twin towers of Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka.  I think this has to be Russell Westbrook series for the Thunder to win. In my opinion, Kevin Durant will not have much success against Tony Allen who is a top notch defender, and Westbrook will be forced to put this team on his back for at least a couple games.  This will be a very competitive, exciting series.  Oklahoma City in six 

2.) Los Angeles versus 3.) Dallas- The Lakers seemed to find their swagger in games five and six  against New Orleans, and Dallas did the same thing against Portland. It's unreal we haven't seen a Kobe Bryant vs. Dirk Nowitzki series, and I can guarantee we will have one game where both of the guys will just go absolutely bananas trading buckets with each other.  I will also tell you Pau Gasol is going to have a hell of a time with Tyson Chandler, same goes for Andrew Bynum.  Shawn Marion will need to find his old defensive self because the Mavs might be some trouble with who is guarding Kobe.  Even though Boston-Miami has a chance to be great, I think this will be the best series of them all. Los Angeles in seven. 

First game starts at noon tomorrow, should be special.

-Charlie.

Mitsy's NBA Bracket

Eastern Conference                                                                    Western Conference

               

First Round:                                                                                First Round:

Chicago beats Indiana 4-1                                                             San Antonio beats Memphis 4-3
Miami beats Philadelphia 4-2                                                         Lakers beat New Orleans 4-0
Atlanta beats Orlando 4-3                                                             Portland beats Dallas 4-2
New York over Boston 4-3                                                          Oklahoma City beats Denver 4-3

Second Round:                                                                           Second Round:
Chicago beats Atlanta 4-2                                                            OKC beats San Antonio 4-2
Miami beats New York 4-3                                                         Lakers beat Portland 4-3

Conference Finals:                                                                    Conference Finals:
Chicago beats Miami 4-2                                                             OKC beats Lakers 4-3

NBA Finals

Hate to say it but Bulls over Thunder 4-2

-Mikko

NBA Eastern Conference First Round Predictions

We are on to the Eastern Conference where I think for the first round, it's much more easier to pick and feel most of the series will not be long lasting in my opinion. I actually hope there are no upsets because the second round will be absolutely bananas. If you missed the Western Conference picks, you can check those out here.



1.) Chicago Bulls v. 8.) Indiana Pacers- This brings back memories of the late 90s with the great Bulls-Pacers playoff matchups where they fought down to the wire. Sadly that will not happen this season. No one can guard Derrick Rose on the Pacers, and the Bulls have enough defensive weapons to keep up with Danny Granger and friends. Hopefully fans show up for Game 3, the Pacers are currently last in the NBA in fan attendance, ouch. Ugly series though, don't expect a ton of scoring.  Bulls sweep.

4.) Orlando Magic v. 5.) Atlanta Hawks- The rumblings have begun that the Hawks gave up on another coach, and I hope that's not true for their fanbase. If I am Joe Johnson or Al Hortford, I want to make a statement in the first game after getting embarrassed by the Magic last season. I am throwing a big elbow, or putting someone on their ass to show this year is different. But the crazy thing is I think the Hawks don't care once again therefore the Magic are going to make quick work of the Hawks.  Orlando in five.

3.) Boston Celtics v. 6.) New York Knicks- A very excited series, and I look forward to Game 3 at Madison Square Garden in a couple days because it will probably be the best atmosphere in the first round. Originally, I said the Knicks would beat the Celtics in six games and was ready to stick to my word. But after listening to Bill Simmons' podcast where six, count them six NBA analysts said there is no chance this will happen, I started to get nervous. I hate to go against my word, but it's hard not to trust the C's even with their struggles. I do think this will be a slugfest that goes the distance.  Celts in seven.

2.) Miami Heat v. 7.) Philadelphia 76ers- The Heat played very well in the final month, and I think they might be hitting their stride at the right time. The Sixers played inspired all year under Doug Collins, and I see them winning one game in the city of Brotherly Love due to the good play of Andre Igoudala.  But the Sixers do not have the talent to keep up with both Dwyane Wade and LeBron James on a nightly basis. Heatles in five.  

-Charlie.

NBA Regular Season & Playoffs From The Only Writer Who Knows The NBA

By now, I'm sure all of our readers know that I am the only writer on this fine blog that knows anything about the NBA. Because of this fact, I will take on the task to breakdown the fantastic, albeit long, NBA regular season; and predict, to the best of my abilities, the possible outcomes from what will be the greatest NBA playoffs since "The Jordan Years."

Regular Season

My predictions at the beginning of the NBA regular season proved to be completely wrong. Both the Heat and Lakers failed to break the Chicago Bulls 72 win season record. I failed to take into account the complacency factor for the Lakers, and I believed the Heat would gel far more quickly. That being said, the regular season was extremely entertaining. Here are some of the highlights from what I witnessed:

• The rejuvenation of the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs is truly remarkable. The Spurs fizzled out at the end, but their start to the season was record-breaking. They achieved their success without significant play from Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, and their defensive prowess reminds me of their dynasty days. The Chicago Bulls' success surprised all of us. Everyone knew that the addition of Boozer and Korver would help this team, but to have the best record with the amount of early injuries they had is a testament to the season Derrick Rose had. Which leads me to.....


• Derrick Rose had himself an MVP season. He took the 8th team in the East to a 60-win season basically by himself. The Bulls star showed throughout the season he can get to the rim against every team, and his improved shooting skills trumped any defense the league put in front of him. He may not have a personality, but his talent and will is something to behold.


• For the first time in Kobe Bryant's career, I think he realizes the success of the Lakers flows through Gasol, Bynum, and Odom, not himself. He should be the runner-up MVP for the regular season. Watching Kobe spread the ball to his bigs through the triangle offense, is the epitome of offensive efficiency. The Lakers were complacent at times, but at their best, no team will be able to beat them.


• Blake Griffin's dunks thrilled and excited every person who watched the woeful Clippers. (who failed to make the playoffs......Charlie)


• This is the first time that I can remember where the NBA Trade Deadline wasn't about saving cash, but about obtaining premium talent. Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks makes New York a credible threat in the East for the next couple of years. Deron Williams to the Nets satisfies The Communists need for a star player.


• The importance of having a great point guard has surpassed the importance of having a great big man. We are in the Year of the Quarterback and the Year of the Point Guard. Derrick Rose, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, and Russell Westbrook are coveted assets by their organizations.


• Dwight Howard had himself a great season, but he needs to get out of Orlando. If I were the coach of the Magic, I would take an entire regular season, and focus my entire offense through Dwight Howard. Right now, the Magic are 50% Howard, 50% three-pointers. If I were the coach, I would scrap a regular season to develop a complete Dwight Howard that would terrorize a league for multiple regular seasons. Keep feeding him the ball on every possession. He still hasn't reached his full potential, and I don't think he will reach that point in Orlando.


• Kevin Durant's high caliber season of 2009-2010, never transferred over to 2010-2011. Durant is an extremely good player. He is a terrific scorer who can get buckets from anywhere on the court. But, his game has an exploitable flaw that I have stated countless times. He does not look for teammates. For a player who has the ball as much as he does, his inability to spread the ball hinders the Thunder's offense. This fact will be the downfall of a promising season for the Thunder.


• And Finally............


• The Miami Heat failed to live up to my lofty expectations; however, I have never had so much fun watching an NBA team (see kicked down door). Wade and Lebron consistently carried Chris Bosh. Bosh was not ready for the start of the regular season. He wasn't ready for the intensity and hatred, and he wasn't ready for all the expectations. Wade and Lebron's friendship seems to be genuine, and their games actually compliment each other at times. Erik Spoelstra failed miserably at the beginning of the season. His offensive game plans were woeful, and he commanded no respect from his team. But, he prevailed. The success of the Heat stems from his ability to place Wade as the go-to-guy in the clutch, and use Lebron and Wade in pick-and-roll situations. The Miami Heat needed two more weeks of training camp, but I still consider their season a success.

The NBA regular season was a complete success. It captured and enthralled viewers. But, for as great as the regular season was, the playoffs will surpass expectations and astound anybody who watches.

NBA Playoffs

I have never been this excited for the NBA Playoffs to begin. Think about all the great matchups. Durant vs. Bryant. Lebron vs. Rose. Rondo vs. Wade. Howard vs. Entire East. I mean, Good Lord! Plus.......No Gus Johnson and ALL CHARLES BARKLEY BABY!!!!!

Here are some of my predictions for these immaculate NBA playoffs:

• 
  
  Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls had a great NBA regular season. I do not think this will translate over to a NBA Finals berth. The Bulls remind me too much of the Cleveland Cavaliers of the last 3 years (Best record, MVP, Role Players a plenty, Defensive Minded Head Coach, Probably Coach of the Year). Rose will constantly be double-teamed and triple-teamed and it will be up to the role players to carry this team. If Korver, Boozer, and Deng can make shots, the Bulls will ruin my prediction. But, those players couldn't do it in Utah, and I don't think they are ready to do it in the hostile East.'


• 
  
  The San Antonio Spurs won't make it to the Finals either. They are actually "too old." The Boston Celtics are old, but the Spurs are "too old." Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward of all-time, and I believe that this is his last relevant playoff run. It's unfortunate, but the passing of the torch needs to come sometime.


• 
  
  The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers are the only two teams in the West who I believe have a shot at making the finals. With the addition of Kendrick Perkins to the Thunder's lineup, the Thunder can now compete physically with the Lakers. The Lakers triangle offense and big man prowess will ultimately carry this team to the Finals. Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson want this title badly. Phil wants to go out on top, and I believe he will inspire Artest, Fisher, Brown, and Odom to step up like they did last season.


• 
  
  The Boston Celtics are the wild-card in these NBA playoffs. Before the Perkins trade, the Celtics were the easy choice for the Finals. Now, they seem like they will be lucky to get out of the first round. I believe the Celtics will pony up and make one more run, but their lack of skilled size in the middle will ultimately be their demise in the East. Sorry Bill Simmons, but your Celtics have no shot of winning an NBA title this year.


• 
  
  The New York Knicks don't play defense. You don't win championships without defense.


• 
  
  The Denver Nuggets' coach George Karl is the only challenger for Tom Thibodeau for Coach of the Year. Their success is totally out-of-left-field. They lose their two best players and then have one of the best records in the league since.


• 
  
  And Finally...........


• 
  
  The Miami Heat on the verge of being a dynasty. Lebron, Wade, and Bosh are playing well together. They have stifling defense at times. Their role players step up at times. They have experience, they have the pedigree, and I believe they will make the NBA Finals, and win their first championship together. I don't know if the Heat will struggle in the half court offense. I don't know if their role players can live up in the extreme pressure of the playoffs. I don't know if they can defend Derrick Rose. But, I do know that the will of the two superstars of Lebron and Wade will push this team harder than any team in recent memory. The Chicago Bulls succeeded because they feared Michael Jordan's retribution. The Miami Heat will succeed because Lebron and Wade won't let them fail.

Prediction: Heat vs. Lakers

Heat in 6 games!

The Answer

For starters nowhere in the article did I say the Bulls were starting a Dynasty. I ended the article the way I did for this very reason, to stir things up.

Comparing this Bulls team to the Cleveland LeBron’s is preposterous!

Mike Brown a defensive-minded coach? I would call him more of a manager; we all know LeBron ran that organization more than owner Dan Gilbert himself.



Anthony Parker averaged 7 points 3 rebounds his first year in Cleveland, 8 points and 3 rebounds this season (without LeBron sucking in defenders). Luol Deng logs 40 minutes a game averaging 18 points and 6 rebounds. He may very well be the bulls best perimeter defender and offensively is a solid “second” option. Deng is our number two guy. Is he Wade, Garnett or Gasol? No, but he is most certainly not Anthony Parker.

Noah barely beating Hickson? When healthy Noah is one of the best post defenders in the league and an offensive rebound machine. What does J.J. Hickson do besides dunk?

Curse? Sure, we don’t have a “big three” or four All-Stars like the Heat or Celtics, but we have something neither of them presently have, chemistry. The Heat can’t rely on another player outside of the “big three” for consistent offensive production; while Boston is sticking it to Danny Ainge for trading Big Perk.

I’ll take guys like Asik, Bogans, Brewer, Gibson, Korver, Watson and Thomas contributing pieces to the puzzle every night over having the strain and stress of relying on three players. Noah and Boozer have missed a combined 54 games; did the Bulls lose a beat? No, because they are a collective team that fits into and fills individual rolls.

I’m not saying the Bulls are going to win the NBA title this year or even that Derrick Rose is the best player. All I’m saying is if I’m going to start a franchise from scratch Rose would be my guy for every reason outside of skill and athleticism.

I’m sorry LeBron couldn’t get it done in Cleveland (but not really).

Keep posting things like this. It will only motivate the hungry Rose to higher feats.

Jordan T.

Response: Every Rose has its Thorn

Because our fearless leader Charlie Tritschler feared that I would delete his wonderful blog (3 more days to free-write friday), I cannot start a debate on his post. So, I may as well start one right here.

Let me start out by stating that Derrick Rose is this year's MVP. He is the best player on the best team in the East. He ranks in the top ten in two of the major statistical categories. His Bulls beat the Heat three times this year, and they are the hottest team in the league at this moment. Rose is the MVP.

I watched Rose lead the Bulls past the Milwaukee Bucks from the comfort box seats at the Bradley Center. Rose's cross on Jennings left me speechless.

But....... A Dynasty?

Let me stop you right there. I'm sorry to Jordan and Michael Fant, but the Bulls are going nowhere near the championship this year.

They are the Cleveland Cavaliers of the 2008, 2009, and 2010 season. They are riding the wave of the regular season, following their MVP star and defensive-minded coach to a second or third round knockdown. The Chicago Bulls are faced with the same curse that the Cleveland Cavaliers faced for the last 5 seasons. They do not have the #2 scorer/defender that a team in the East needs to win a championship. Carlos Boozer is an excellent player; however, as shown with the Utah Jazz, he and a stellar point guard won't bring the Finals back to Chicago.

Luol Deng is Parker, Noah bests Hickson (but barely), Korver is the combination of Pavlovic, Gibson, and Szczerbiak. Lebron's talents were only good enough to bring the Cavs to a sweep at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. I do not foresee Rose bringing the Bulls past the Celtics, Magic, or Heat; let alone the Lakers, Spurs, Thunder, or Mavericks.

Derrick Rose is a truly amazing, one-of-a-kind athlete. However, I just see too many similarities between these Chicago Bulls and my beloved Cleveland Cavaliers of old.

There are two things that I can absolutely guarantee. These NBA playoffs will be something of folklore. The matchups in the divisional, conference, and final rounds will be the best we have seen in a long time.

The other guarantee is that Derrick Rose is the MVP. But, the MVP does not mean he is the best player in the league, and it does not mean the Bulls will even get to the Finals, let alone start another dynasty.

Look at the picture above. This is what Derrick Rose will experience when he steps on to the court in the playoffs. You can't win 1 on 4, no matter if you are the MVP.

-Charlie.

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

After recently attending the Bulls home away from home game in Milwaukee on Saturday night it became evident to why Derrick Rose will be named the league’s most valuable player.

In a sport that plays an 82-game schedule one game is not going to make you MVP, but if you need one performance that certifies such a decision this may very well be the game. The Bucks and Bulls were both playing their second game in as many days so it was to no surprise to see both squads come out lethargic.

Rose took the “pass first” approach in the early going looking to get other teammates involved; especially Noah and Boozer. But, by the end of the first half it became evident if the Bulls were going to pull away a D-Rose surge would be required.

Bucks forward Carlos Delfino helped stifle a Chicago run as he connected on 5 of 7 from downtown. A former Bull, John Salmons, also contributed 25 points to the Bucks effort.

The Bulls needed Rose to take control of the game and that’s exactly what he did. Rose scored 8 points and assisted on two baskets in the game’s final three minutes. That brought Rose’s stat line to 30 points and 17 assists for the contest (only the 3rd Bull to do so, first since MJ 89’). He surged the Bulls to a 12-0 run to end the game; and the hopes of a Bucks victory.

I’m not willing to say Derrick Rose is the NBA’s best player, but find me a player more deserving of the MVP? It simply can’t be done. Rose is averaging 25 points and 8 assists per (the only player in the top ten in both categories); however the category that brings him above the rest has no stat, drive.

Michael Jordan was a freak athlete sure, but what made him the best was his drive and determination. He had the drive to win at everything from monopoly to NBA titles; along with the determination to put the work in to reach such feats. Rose has also displayed these traits. Evolving his game from an athlete into a complete player in just a few short years and has gained the label of “gym rat”.

Hearing “MVP” chanted Saturday as much as “Jerry” during the Jerry Springer show became both redundant and annoying at times. This made me ponder, what does Rose think of the chants? When asked about his accomplishments after the game he responded, “I haven’t done $#!@!” Sounds like a player determined and driven to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy this June. What do you think LeBron would have said?

Maybe Bret Michaels was wrong, every “rose” doesn’t have a thorn? But every Dynasty has a MVP.

Jerry's Optimism

At least 4 championships? As a Bulls fan, I like the sound of that. Chicago Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf had this quote in the Chicago Sun-Times, "We have an outstanding coach, an outstanding bunch of players, the team is deep, and if we stay healthy, we have an awfully good chance of winning at least four championships." I like the optimism that Jerry has but I would just say this, let's win one title first with this team.



The way that this team is built does not follow the same pattern as multiple title winning teams. The best player on the Bulls by far is point guard Derrick Rose. The NBA is a big man's league and it is rare for a team to win the title with their best player being a point guard. One of the only teams that come to mind is the Detroit Pistons from the 1989 and 1990 NBA Finals when Isaih Thomas was the best player on those teams. Even winning back to back titles does not qualify the words "dynasty" to come out of my mouth. Lets look at the past 3 decades and the main title winners of those decades:

2000's: Lakers (Shaq and Kobe)
1990's: Bulls (Jordan)
1980's: Celtics (Bird and McHale) Lakers (Johnson and Worthy)

The best player on those teams were of a height that was 6'6 or taller. And yes I do realize that Magic Johnson was a point guard. But he was 6'9 and playing on some very talented teams. And if you did throw the Spurs (Duncan) of the 2000's and the Rockets (Olajuwon) of the 1990's in the mix of teams to win multiple titles in their decade, their best player was still a big guy. I hope that Rose and the Bulls make an exception to the rule, but as history in the NBA shows, don't bet on it.

The Bulls defense is one of the best in the league. They give up a league's best 91.5 points per game on the defensive side. Defense is more than just a player guarding a player. It takes 5 players to work together for a team's defense to be succesful. However, I do worry about their ability to get easy scores on offense at times. There are times when they rely heavily on Rose's ability to penetrate and score too much. There are also times when they run set plays that they look like they are just running the play instead of making the right reads and looking to score quickly. I think they can get some easy, quick scores if they would pass to the first option of the play instead of running the play through for all the options. They have found a low post scorer in Carlos Boozer, now they need to find a wing player that can score easily from the perimeter to compliment Rose and Deng.

Another thing that this Bulls team has going for it is it's chemistry. The reports out there make it seem that the players get along with one another very well off the court. To be frank, I'm not suprised. I mean, how could any team that has Brian Scalabrine have bad team chemistry? He has the look of a guy who you would play basketball with at your local YMCA. And he also has the look of a guy who you would go out and get Larry O'Brien'd with and have an awesome time. I think the importance of team chemistry should not be underplayed. Though you can not statistically measure the importance of team chemistry, I feel more confident in my team if their team chemistry is good.

I have no doubt in my mind that the way the current Bulls are built, that they can win one or two titles. The Knicks and Heat are still a year or two away for being NBA Finals ready, and the Celtics appear to be on their last run. So this season and next, may be the best years for the Bulls to get to the Finals and win the title. The Heat kind of screwed the pooch in getting Chris Bosh. They may have been better off served to use that money to sign better role players and an actual starting NBA center and point guard. As far as the Knicks, they still need a point guard that isn't on his last knee and some better role players as well. They are also not going to win a title with Mike D'Antoni as their head coach. In the NBA, to win titles you have to be able to play defense in crunch time, and with Mike's system, I do not have confidence in them. Cheers to you though Chairman Reinsdorf. I'll be drinking your Kool-Aid this weekend.

This Day In NBA Trades

It seems liked just a normal day with the NBA Deadline...

Chicago Bulls sends SF James Johnson to Toronto Raptors for a draft pick

New Jersey Nets sends PF Troy Murphy to Golden State Warriors for C Dan Gadzuric, PF Brandan Wright

then, a mega deal went down.

The Nets receive Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz for..
PF Derrick Favors, PG Devin Harris, New Jersey's 2011 1st Round Draft Pick, and Golden State's 1st Round Pick via New Jersey.

Obviously, more to come later.

Bulls Season Review at the All-Star Break

If someone would have told me before the season that the Bulls would play 10 games or so fully healthy before the All-Star break and still had a 38-16 record at the break I would have thought they were crazy. Carlos Boozer missed the first month and Joakim Noah has missed the past two months with injuries. The one constant throughout the season has been Derrick Rose. Across the board, he is setting career highs in almost every one of his statistical categories. He is the top scoring point guard in the NBA and 8th overal leading scorer at 24.9 points per game, his assists are at 8.2 per game, good for 9th in the association, and he his 3 point shooting percentage and free throw percentage are at career highs of 35.5% and 83.8% respectively. Along with LeBron, he is one of the top canidates for MVP this season.



I have also been impressed with the play of Luol Deng this season. Though he is only scoring 17.6 points per game, which is about his career average (16.0 ppg), it has been his ability to consistently hit the 3 point shot that has suprised me the most. The ability to hit the corner 3 ball is critical for a team that has a player, in Derrick Rose, that can get to the hoop any time he wants. That corner 3 was limiting Deng in the past. This season, Deng has hit many big three's that he could not hit in the past. He also has had trouble staying healthy in the past. He has started and played in all 54 games this season. The last time he played an entire 82 game season was in the 2006-2007 season.

I am very interested to watch the rest of season unfold in the Eastern Conference to see who will get the 1,2, and 3 seed between Boston, Miami, and Chicago. As it stands today, Boston is leading the East by percentage points over Miami, who is number two, and Chicago is third only 2 games behind the two teams. The difference in being the one or two seed and the third seed in the East is going to be significant. As being the number one or two seed, you will face teams with losing records such as Indiana, Philadelphia, Charlotte, or Milwaukee (just for you Bucks fans out there). As opposed to the 3 seed, you are going to play New York, who can be a pesky team to play because of their ability to go off and make a ton of 3 pointers in a game, as was the case earlier in the season when they played the Bulls. The Knicks were 16-24 from the three point line, which is at a 66% clip.

However the real reward in obtaining the number one seed will be the second round opponent. A second round matchup of Orlando or Atlanta is more appealing than having to face Miami or Boston in round two. If you defeat Miami or Boston in the second round, you still have to go and play the other team of those two to get into the Finals. Quite the gauntlet if you ask me.

Playing at the United Center has been key all season for the Bulls. They have a 25-4 home record, which is second best in the NBA. Compare their home record to their road record, 13-12, and you will see that the Bulls are much more comfortable playing at home this season than on the road. The Bulls have 28 games remaining this season, 16 of which are coming on the road. They must find a way to improve their road record if they want to obtain the number one seed.

A question that I am pondering is if the Bulls need to make a trade before the trading deadline to improve at the 2 guard spot. Keith Bogans has started every game this year, but is only averaging 17 minutes a game. Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver are the backups for the 2 guard spot. The problem with these 3 guards is that they all are good in one area and less than average in the other. Brewer and Bogans are more of defenders, however Bogans can occasionally hit the open 3 point shot. Korver is the exact opposite. He is a shooter who spots up and runs off screens for shots. His defense is defintaly a liability for this team. It would be ideal if they could combine these 3 guys into one player, but humans have not reached that part of science yet. There are rumors floating out there of the Bulls acquring Courtney Lee from Houston or Anthony Parker from Cleveland. The Bulls have great team chemistry and the question Gar Foreman and John Paxson have to answer is whether they want to roll the dice and make a move to improve their team with the risk of upsetting team chemistry.

I can see this team going 20-8 the remainder of the season to put their final record at 58-24. You want to be playing your best basketball in the later months of the season and this team has not played it's best ball yet because they have not been fully healthy. They play 16 games against teams that have less than a .500 winning percentage and only 3 games against either Miami or Boston, and 2 of those games are at home. Barring another injury to a key player in the rotation this team should finish as the number two seed and be right there for the number one seed in the East.

DOY: Ronnie Brewer

It's funny we were watching this game as well as the Bucks-Nets game and somehow we missed this dunk from Ronnie Brewer. He destroys Josh McRoberts, I also love the color guy's response to all of it. If you didn't hear, the Indiana Pacers fired their coach as their record is shit since Reggie Miller left.

Thunder & Blazers Both Open With Win

Paxson's New Problem

One NBA player being robbed at gunpoint is frightening.

Two NBA players being robbed at gunpoint within weeks of one another, in the same city, sure feels like something even worse.

In an incident eerily similar to what happened to Antoine Walker three weeks ago, the Knicks' Eddy Curry was robbed today at his Chicago area home;

"Deputy chief of police John Madden said three offenders restrained Curry, his family and an employee with duct tape inside the Burr Ridge home."

While the primary concern in both Walker and Curry's situations rests with their safety and well being, the timing and location of the two robberies should also concern someone else;

The Chicago Bulls and GM John Paxson.

Whether it is fair or not, these two robberies are going to give the perception around the NBA that players in Chicago are being targeted. Only time will tell whether or not the two robberies are linked in some way, but at present the robberies are going to make Chicago seem like a much less attractive destination for NBA players than it was at the beggining of July.

The timing is especially troubling given the fact that the Bulls were obviously aiming to make a big push next Summer in free agency. The Bulls were set to enter the 2008 offseason with more cap space than almost any NBA team. The 2008 free agent class should feature far more star power than this year, with the likes of Kevin Garnett, Baron Davis, Antawn Jamison, Shawn Marion, and Jermaine O'Neal likely being available. Now that Chicago seems a little less safe for NBA players than it did just a month ago, how will that change the thinking of a player like Garnett or O'Neal if they are offered similar money by both the Bulls and another team?

What Chicago may end up doing, and what they may have done regardless of the two robberies, is focus on signing their young core to lucrative extensions. It is almost certain that the Bulls will sign Luol Deng long term, but if the Bulls are unable to sign any big ticket free agents next Summer they would be much more likely to re-sign the likes of Ben Gordon and Chris Duhon. Only time will tell if the two recent robberies will force Chicago's hand in choosing whether to maintain their core or to go the free agent route.

NBA Draft: Picks Breakdown

In examining the picks from last night's draft some of them are pretty simple to evaluate. Greg Oden to the Blazers. Good. Kevin Durant to the Sonics. Good. There were a number of intriguing picks and stories that developed during draft night, so here is a look at some of the most intriguing picks, whether they be steals, terrible picks, or just plain great picks:

The Pick: The Milwaukee Bucks selecting Yi Jianlian with the #6 pick
The Scoop: Leading up to the draft myself and many others pointed out the rather odd choice by Yi Jianlian and his representation not to let Milwaukee see Yi work out. Speculation was that Yi's camp wanted him to play in a large market with a big Chinese population, a description that did not exactly fit Milwaukee. Some even believed that if the Bucks were to select Yi that he would either try to force a trade or go back to China. The truth behind those beliefs is set to be revealed as there are already rumblings that Yi might not only miss the team's training camp later this year, but that he may not even show up for Milwaukee's post draft press conference tomorrow. Something tells me this pick may not have been worth the trouble. By the way, check out this picture of Yi from Time Magazine in 2003 when he was *15* years old. Yeah right, my left foot he is 15 in that picture.



The Pick: The Chicago Bulls selecting Joakim Noah with the #9 pick
The Scoop: I don't often agree with Stephen A. Smith, but I am completely with his analysis on this pick. To put it simply, The Bulls already have what Noah is selling. Isn't Tyrus Thomas the same player except with a slightly better offensive game? The Bulls did not need another high energy rebounder, what they needed was a scorer in the low post. The most distressing aspect of this pick was that there was indeed such a player available in Spencer Hawes who went to the Kings at #10. It isn't that Noah is a bad player, he just does not seem to be what the Bulls needed with that pick.

The Pick: The Washington Wizards selecting Nick Young with the #16 pick
The Scoop: Young fell a bit lower than where many people had projected him to go, but ending up in Washington may well be the perfect spot for him. The Wizards started DeShawn Stevenson at SG this past season essentially on a one year rental. Young is a major upgrade at that spot, and at worst will be the Wizard's 6th man headed into the season. His offensive skills combined with the Wizards up tempo style and hole at the SG spot will make Young an impact player sooner rather than later.

The Pick: Everything the Portland Trailblazers did
The Scoop: The Blazers had an unbelievable evening. Putting aside the Zach Randolph trade, here is a quick rundown of the moves and picks they made: Drafted Greg Oden with the #1 pick, traded cash to the Suns for the #24 pick which they used on Rudy Fernandez, traded cash and the #42 pick to the 76ers for the #30 pick Peteri Koponen, drafted Josh McRoberts with the #37 pick, drafted Taurean Green with the #52 pick, and finally they drafted Demetris Nichols with the #53 pick. It goes without saying that Oden is a great pick. The other five selections however, are what make this draft truly special. Fernandez and Koponen are great talents that can take the time to develop overseas and then come to Portland a few years down the road to contribute. The three second round picks of McRoberts, Green, and Nichols are complete and utter steals. McRoberts is a lottery talent that came out too early, Green was the floor general and leading scorer of the two time national champions, and Nichols was arguably the best three point shooter in the entire draft. To put it bluntly the Blazers' draft picks tonight, the $30 million in contracts that they have coming off the books in two seasons, and the fact that they already have Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge makes this team a championship contender sooner rather than later.

The G(m) Spot: Do You Like It In The Front?

I want to sell you a cable TV package.

At first it's going to be decently priced, and have all of the channels that you want.

Then the subscription price is going to get a little higher every year, but it is ok at first since you still have all of your favorite channels.

After a few years though I am going to take away some of your favorite channels, charge you much more than I did at first, and offer the old channels in an expensive premium package.

You will only have enough money left over to buy a TV Guide and read about your favorite shows.

So, are you interested?

Evidently NBA General Managers are interested in such a deal, as it is the type that they make all of the time. NBA contracts are almost uniformily backloaded, as yearly salaries for players jump up from a few hundred thousand each year to a few million each year. Now, in a league such as the NFL where the only money a player is sure to get is in signing bonuses and gaurantees, these type of backloaded contracts are not that big of a problem. The Redskins and others in the NFL make outrageously backloaded deals every offseason, with no intention of ever letting those contracts reach their overly expensive base salary peaks. In the NBA however, a team is stuck with the contract in full after it is signed. This creates some very NBA specific player phenomena, such as teams often having their highest paid players sitting on the end of their bench by the end of their contracts and the ever-present discussions of "expiring contracts" in NBA trade talk. Just take a look around the NBA landscape. You have Grant Hill being paid $16.9 million this year. Jamal Mashburn was paid $10.8 million. Alan Houston got $20.7 million. All three of these examples are players that arguably were worth that kind of money at the front end of their contracts, but have over time had their skills and playing time decrease to a point where their current level of compensation is laughable. Going hand in hand with this is the fact that these ever increasing salaries cause their teams to have less and less cap space to bring in complimentary players as their aging star sees their skills decline.

So why don't NBA teams frontload contracts? In a league where the money is is coming to a player whether he produces or not (See: Jerome James, Jalen Rose, Derek Anderson,...) why would a player care if he was getting $16 million as oppsosed to $13 million in the first year of his contract, as long as he was still getting the same money in the end? Well, there are a couple of reasons why this may be, first being the cultural reality of the United States where people across the nation are crippled by credit card debt. "We want to pay later. Gimme gimme now, consequences be damned." The other factor is that NBA GMs know that according to the collective bargaining agreement the salary cap is going to be tied to league revenue, meaning that for the foreseeable future the cap is going to rise a bit every season and provide teams with that extra room to compensate for their star's incrementaly rising salary.

Now this is all heading towards the potential benefits of front loading contracts. First off, it will prevent teams (See: Knicks) from being saddled with albatross contracts for players that are not even playing. They will still be bad contracts, but not so bad that it will prevent the team from bringing in a player to help. This is where the true benefit lies: with the salary cap looking to continue increasing, a lower contract number for a star in the future, combined with a larger cap, will make for an even greater ability for that team to sign a player that could make said team playoff or championship caliber. In other words, players should desire this type of deal since it would help them be able to pursue a championship later in their careers.

Looking across the NBA landscape, it is hard to find examples of how this would manifest itself. Mainly, this is because there are very few frontloaded contracts in the NBA. In fact, there are only four players in the entire league that are signed to long term contracts that are front loaded, Speedy Claxton of the Hawks, David West of the Hornets, and Ben Wallace and Kirk Hinrich of the Bulls. Now, lets look to how the case of the Bulls would be different depending on how Wallace and Hinrich had their contracts constructed. Hinrich and Wallace are slated to make a combined $26.5 million next season, as opposed to $23.5 million in the final year of Wallace's contract three seasons from now. The NBA cap has been rising steadily lately, so assuming that the cap goes up $5 million in the next three years (to be conservative), the backloading of Wallace and Hinrich's contracts will provide the Bulls with about $8 million of space against the cap to bring in help.

While it would take a collosal change in philosophy for the frontloading of contracts in the NBA to ever become commonplace, the ability of the Bulls to continue building their squad in the upcoming years could serve as a test case for the wisdom of such a practice. I know I'll be watching. As long as I still have ESPN on my cable package by then.