Chicago Bulls Blogs

The face of the Chicago Bulls has drastically changed in recent years.  But, apparently for the better.  Here is a quick run down of who they have under contract and how they stack up in the East.

Continue reading "Bulls to return to glory days."

After being left out in the cold by Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, John Paxson and GM Gar Forman have struck back in the LeBron sweepstakes, signing free agent power forward Carlos Boozer to a 5, year, $80 million contract according to ESPN. 

Continue reading "Boozer signs with Bulls, plans to ..."

They don't have too many parades in Chicago for it's sports teams.  Of course when Phil and Michael and Scottie were plying their trade for the Bulls, they used to have rallies in Grant Park.  But winning the Stanley Cup is so new and unique to this loyal sports town, that loves the Bears, the city had to do something.  So Friday late morning, the city stopped and paid tribute to a bunch of young guys who captivated it's collective heart.

Continue reading "Hawks Are New Heroes in Chicago"

The big news in Chicago sports is not the Bears, or Cubs nor White Sox.  It is not the Bulls either.  No, here we are in May and the Chicago Blackhawks are on the verge of returning to the Stanley Cup Finals.  The last time was in 1992 and the Penguins came away with the Cup. 

Continue reading "Here Come the 'Hawks"

The Miami Heat had a foul to give, and Paul Pierce still intimidated his defender enough to dribble within the arc and take a shot that was so clutch in this series it gave me the chance to shout, "Miami can't 

Continue reading "The Truth in Miami"

It's the All-Star break and time to asses where the season is at.  There are roughly 30 games left and the trading deadline is looming.  Here is a look at the playoffs if they were today.

Continue reading "NBA Playoffs Eastern conference"

That collective sigh you heard was the one coming from New Orleans Hornets fans when they learned that All-Star point guard Chris Paul would be missing for maybe as long as two months in the wake of knee surgery.

Continue reading "Collinson gets his big chance"

I really hate to call this kid a Goon. I think punk ass bitch fits him better!

Patrice Cormier, Team Canada's World Junior captain and forward for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies was ejected from a QMJHL game in overtime on Sunday when he came off the bench for a line change, cut through the faceoff circle at center ice, and layed an elbow to the face of Quebec Remparts defenseman Mikael Tam.

Continue reading "Goons Gone Wild - Jr. Edition"

Psychotic Los Angeles Lakers small forward Ron Artest claimed this week that he boozed a French cognac during games when he played for the Chicago Bulls from 1999-2002.

 

“I used to drink Hennessy at halftime,” Artest, 30, said in an interview with the

Continue reading "Ron Artest is an alcoholic lunatic"

Have you looked at the league leaders yet this season?

There are some familiar faces atop some of the big categories. Kobe leads the league in scoring. Nash leads the league in assists. Rondo leads the league in steals.

Continue reading "New Era of NBA Bigs?"

These 2 days of racing in California, what sticks out the most is the absence of the giants in the industry. The three most respected trainers, McGaughey, Zito, and Nafzger not only don't have any entrants in ANY of the Breeder Cup races, but in none of the other races on the cards.

Continue reading "Breeder's Cup missing the giants"

So all I have had to hear over the last few weeks is about the Jordan's Hall of Fame speech. No one seems to be happy with the speech except Jay Marriotti. So I find myself doing something I don't even remember doing when Marriotti was one of the only three sport's writers I knew (the other's being Woody Paige and Peter Vescey), agreeing with him.

Continue reading "Jordan still Rules (6 Titles, 5 MVP'S, 1 Speech)"

 

Dwyane Wade is one of many star players to become a free agent next summer, although according to basketball betting, he seems to be one of very few who is keen to stay where he actually is at the moment, right in the heart of Miami with the Heat.

Continue reading "Shock as NBA player shows loyalty!"

The Chicago Bulls had a nice summer in Vegas:

James Johnson was the leading scorer with 16 points a game, 7 rebounds and 3.6 assists.  His number one downfall was the 40% fg shooting.

Continue reading "Bulls summer league"

The Chicago Bulls had a really good year and did well in the playoffs without Deng.  With Deng back at full strength and Derrick Rose a year older, another step towards the title can be made.&nbs

Continue reading "Chicago Bulls draft"

It looks like the Los Angeles Lakers, up 3-1 in the series vs. the Orlando Magic, will come up with the title before the series is over.  Maybe the Magic will win game 5 and send it back to LA, but it will likely end in game 6.  The Lakers have the best player, Kobe Bryant, and the best coach, Phil Jackson.  Jackson will end up with 10 NBA titles as head coach.  That is a number that's hard to believe.  Years back Pat Riley was the hot coach, when Kareem and Magic Johnson were in their prime.  You have to have great players to be a winning coach.  And, a great coach finds a way to keep his great players playing at the highest level.  Jackson benefitted from coaching Jordan and Pippen and the rest of the Bulls, not to forget, Dennis Rodman.  He was able to get Rodman to play his best, and that was not an easy thing to do.

Continue reading "Whatever happens in NBA Finals, Jackson is Tops"

The Orlando Magic won game 3 99-89 and took a 2-1 lead in the physical NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

The Cleveland Cavs' LeBron James scored 41 points, but it wasn't enough as the Magic played a smarter game and did not allow for any late heroics as we saw in Game 2.  If not for James' 23 footer in game 2, this would be a 3-0 series and people would be shocked. But the Magic match up well with Cleveland. They have a well-rounded team, with guys contributing points.  Alston and Pietrus played well. And, Hedo Turkelu had double figures despite only making 1 shot from the field.  Free-throws were the difference in this game, and Dwight Howard made 14 from the charity stripe, his high for the Playoffs.

Continue reading "Magic by 10 in Game 3"

Unfortunatly the playoff series that will go down in history has come to an end.  The Chicago Bulls could not pull it off against the defending champions (Celtics).  The Bulls can take so mu

Continue reading "Not all hope is lost"

Last night's game between the Celtics and the Bulls ended what is only going to be remembered as an epic battle. It's finally over and C-nation got the win we wanted and sent the Bulls packing. Clearly, the Celts bench stepped it up to another level -- this is what I have been waiting for during the entire playoffs -- seeing the team play like a unit instead of counting on one guy.

Continue reading "Celtics to Bulls: You're Outta Our House"

In continuation of my post on 04.30.2009 it’s time to take a look at the East and everything it has brought us so far.  And to think, it’s only the first round!

 

Detroit Pistons versus Cleveland Cavaliers.  There’s quite a few of us who are still scratching our heads and trying to figure out where the positive for Detroit was in the Billups/Iverson trade.  Winning their games by an average of 15.5 points, Cleveland sent the Pistons home for the season with just one question: “How quick can we get Allen Iverson out of a Pistons jersey?”  A quick side note: Cleveland is averaging a higher winning margin on the road than they are at home this post-season.  That’s not good news for Miami or Atlanta.

Continue reading "Playoff Excitement Part 2: Beasts of the East"

This series could be one of the best series in basketball history. The game was completly insane! It went to 3 overtimes which is the 4th time we have gone to overtime in 6 games (an NBA record)

Continue reading "Boston Celtics Lose in a Thriller!"

The American sports landscape has been continually tattooed with dynastic labels like “Team of the Year” or “Team of the Decade.”  The NFL in particular has been defined each decade by a juggernaut winning …. a lot.  The dominance of franchises like the 70’s Steelers, the 80’s Niners, the 90’s Cowboys, and the Patriots of the new millennium has immortalized the likes of Bradshaw, Aikman and Montana to deific status.  The NBA has also provided its share of dynastic runs from the Celtics to the Lakers to the Pistons to the Bulls, and examples abound exist in both hockey and baseball as well. 

Continue reading "Bruins Cup could give Boston Most ..."

The Bulls are showing signs of their great days once again..

They have very talented guards in Rose and Gordon, They also have a veteran center finally who compliments his teammates well in Brad Miller.

Continue reading "THE BULLS!!"

This has been the most amazing first round series I have ever seen.  Granted that Boston's  Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe are out for the series, that is a factor in why these games are so competitive. Tonight's game saw the Celtics make clutch plays and the Bulls respond with equally clutch plays.

Continue reading "Bulls top Celtics in 3 OT classic"

After another intense game and another overtime, I'm surprised we're all still standing.  Meanwhile, my boy MIT sat out the first half so he could watch American Idol, leaving me high and dr

Continue reading "Who's Laughing Now, Brad Miller? ..."

I say this not cause they seem to be struggling with the bulls, They went to 7 games in all 3 rounds of the playoffs last year so they are right on track from last year. This year though people have their number and they are banged up a bit like the lakers were.

Continue reading "Celtics will not make finals!"

I'm at a loss for words. Literally speechless.

The consensus among the talking heads here in Boston is that this Celtics team isn't going too far this year. They're getting literally less than nothing from their bench? Check. Their defensive captain and the unquestioned heart of their team is out for the playoffs? Check. Their opponent is a young, athletic team with a lot of poise and a nasty streak to boot? Check.

Continue reading "Another game, another epic battle"

"We'll come back to Chicago, the pizza's good." - Doc Rivers

Yesterday's game was absolutely insane, it wasn't the blow out or back breaker Celtics nation had been hoping and praying for!  With KG and Powe out its been a lot of overtime play for 3 three Big guys and the Celtics still had quite a few chances to pull off the win in this game.  To agree with my colleague; Mr. Denizen of Titletown (hell yeah! Title-town) Big Baby left a lot to be desired in Game 4.  Nearly all of us here in Bean-town had a heart attack watching this game.  

Continue reading "Doc Must Really Like the Pizza in Chicago"

Another one of these games, and I'll be rooming with Danny Ainge down at Mass General.

With the exception of Game 3's blowout victory, neither team has had any breathing room at all in this series. And as I paced around the room with my heart in my throat while the teams traded blows, I realized that this could be a matchup we'll be seeing in the NBA playoffs for a while.

Continue reading "The agony of defeat"

The Boston Celtics came out last night in a sea of red like they were at the Garden, and they played like Celtics' Nation is used to. Up by 22 at the half, the Chicago Bulls' fans booed their team as they walked to the locker room --something that Cs' Nation would never do (and that's what makes us a Nation, by the way).

Continue reading "Boston Celtics: The Truth is told in the Red Sea"

I walked in for the day and turned on the TV, the Bulls had a 5 point lead with 3:14 to play.  Ben Gordon (42pts) had just scored his 36th,   and the TV people were going into super hyperbole about the Bulls, which for me, is the kiss of death.

Continue reading "Bulls Blow One in Boston"

A lot can be said about yesterday's game against the Bulls.  D. Rose and the Bulls showed up in our house, and they played like the defending champs while the Cs fought from behind all game. The Celts were off from the tip off; Ray Allen was 1-12 shooting in a game where the Cs really needed him to step up. Rondo played an amazing offensive game scoring 29 points but, as my boy, the Professor, who went to the game said, not even Rondo or the bench could contain D. Rose. He was on fire and scored 36 points (a career high) and 11 assists and led the Bulls to the overtime win 105-103 over the defending champs.

Continue reading "Boston Celtics: A Lot of Bull in Our House"

I am not a morning person. I'm especially grouchy after being out late drinking $7 beers and watching the KG-free Celtics in a matchup with the Wizards that was much too hotly contested.

So you can imagine how I was feeling when I got an email entitled "Breaking Sports News" that confirmed my worst fears about Kevin Garnett's injury. To the co-workers I startled when I began screaming obscenities - my bad. 

Continue reading "What's next for the Celtics"

Eddie House sank 5 three pointers in the 4th quarter to turn a deficit in last night's game into a C's lead and then a 115-107 Celts win.  House also took the best three point shooting percentage in C's history away from Mr. Danny Ainge, amazing!! Last night's game was also amazing with Leon Powe receiving the 6th Man of the Year Award (very deserving in my opinion, as he averages 7.5 pnts 4.8 reb .5 ass .5 blks and then scored 18 points with 13 rebounds in last night's game. 

Continue reading "The Boston Celtics: Welcome to Our House!"

The Chicago Bulls have been one of the hottest home teams in the league, and their play of the past two weeks have put them into the NBA playoffs. The will not face the Cavs, that honor goes to 8th seed Detroit. But the Bulls might be matched against the Celtics or the Orlando Magic. 

Continue reading "Bulls' Run Right into The Playoffs"

The Detroit Pistons were up against the Chicago Bulls tonight and lost 91-88. This game put the Pistons as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern conference, which will have them play the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. After the loss against the Indiana Pacers, this game looked more like a struggle. The beginning of the game was indeed a little bit of a struggle, but the Pistons were able to take the game under their control by the end of the first quarter. The rest of the game was very close, head-to-head, even to the last 15 seconds. During the last stretch, the Bulls were able to play under pressure and beat the Pistons. This isn't what any of us wanted, but like Hamilton said before the game, the Pistons should be glad to be in any position in the playoffs. Will this make a difference in how far the Pistons will be able to get in the playoffs? If the Pistons keep their heads on straight and are focused like they were for the 3 games before the loss against the Pacers, I don't think that the Pistons will have to worry about the Cavaliers. I don't know what happened tonight, if it was just that the Pistons weren't mentally prepared for this game or if the Bulls were better, but let's hold our heads up high. We have seen a different side of the Pistons over the past week and we should expect

Continue reading "We can't say it's BULL because the ball don't lie."

Final Score: 113 - 86.

Sheed wasn't kidding when he said that the Pistons are ready to step their game up. If the Pistons continue to play like they did Wednesday night, there is great hope for them in the playoffs. THIS is the team I know and love. I've been waiting for this and I know all you other fans have too. I knew it was going to be a good game after watching the first 2 minutes. Yes, 10 points within the first 2 minutes. They brought their A-game and the Knicks weren't ready for it. Richard "Rip" Hamilton (#32) scored the most points, 22 points to be exact, and had the most assists for the team. Of course, the rest of the team contributed to this victory. Each player was a prominent player this game and were all looking for a win. This is the chemistry the Pistons have been searching for all season. It's crunch time and the Pistons are finally ready to play. After this game, the Pistons are now No. 7 in the East, right next to the Chicago Bulls.

Continue reading "The Pistons RIPPED it up ! (NY Knicks)"

The Boston Celtics have already clinched the Atlantic division with a 51-17 record, but I am still bleeding green!  I don't know if it's panic mode yet, but we have lost 3 out of 4, and I know what you're going to say, ''We are hurt"! But that is no excuse for the green to lose to Milwaukee. With only 15 games remaining this season and Cleveland with a 3 1/2 game lead on us and Orlando only a half game back -- What the buck??! 

Continue reading "Celtics-Milwaukee: What the Buck?! 3/17/09"

The Chicago Bulls suddenly look like a winning basketball team. With tonight's win over the Miami Heat, The Bulls tied the Detroit Pistons for 7th place in the playoff race.  They are in the inside, looking to solidify themselves for that elusive perch.

Continue reading "Bull's Rush to Make the Playoffs"

 I am sorry to see Andres Nocioni and Drew Gooden go, but hey, the Bulls needed a change. The Bulls need more of a consistent inside presence, and Brad Miller the new old Bull can give them that. John Salmons can also be what the Bulls needed. The one problem with the Bulls was their lack of size at the two guard spot. With Rose and Salmons you have a pretty big back-court. 

Continue reading "The Chicago Bulls: The Brad Miller ..."

The New York Knicks have made some late deals just before the trading deadline to try to bolster their slumping fortunes. Since they traded Jamal Crawford some 3 months ago, they have been looking for a guard who they felt could fit into their system.

Continue reading "Knicks Trade with Bulls & Thunder"

After all the Amar’e Stoudemire chatter and the Chris Bosh rumors, GM John Paxson and the Chicago Bulls have once again failed to pull the trigger and bring a big name to the windy city. They did however; make three trades in the last two days of dealing, receiving two former Bulls in return. Here’s my take on what were reported as Paxson’s last transactions.

Continue reading "Joe's Trade Breakdown: Chicago Bulls"

One day after the NBA Trade Deadline passed, many Knicks played like they had a world of pressure taken off their shoulders.  With much speculation swirling around whether or not the Knicks would deal away enigmatic guard Nate Robinson and workhorse David Lee, both were able to breath easier last night knowing that they'd be playing in New York for the remainder of the season.

Continue reading "Relieved Post-Deadline Knicks Beat ..."

I recently wrote this piece for RealGM.com and it has a thorough comedic breakdown of my thoughts on the Knicks deals at the deadline. 

http://realgm.com/src_feature_pieces/746/20090220/a_trade

Continue reading "Trade Deadline Ends With Knicks On Top"

Bulls pulled off a blockbuster deal Wednesday night by acquiring Brad Miller and John Salmons, arguably two of the most underrated players in the NBA, from the Kings for Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden, M

Continue reading "Bulls Potential Playoff Push!"

We're about 35 games into the NBA season right now -- nearly to the midway point -- and the New Jersey Nets and Milwaukee Bucks are holding on to the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. I doubt that's the way it will end, however, because the list of teams that are on the outside looking in is quite an interesting one: Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, and Indiana Pacers (to name the true contenders).

Continue reading "Eastern Conference Playoff Race Will Get Dicey"

These days the Memphis Grizzlies seem to enjoy playing from behind. Never mind that they have really been doing it all season. With their bench playing better than ever, it’s been no big deal for the starters to have their struggles.

Continue reading "Grizzlies Spoil Return of Rose"

After laboring through a seven-game losing skid the Memphis Grizzlies suddenly find themselves on the verge of their third straight win as they host the Chicago Bulls tonight. If the Grizzlies are able to beat the Bulls they would have their longest win streak of the season and their first three-game win streak since the final three games of the 2006-07 season under interim coach Tony Barone.

Continue reading "Memphis welcomes familiar face in Bulls' Rose"

Is it just me or is Joel Przybilla one of the most underrated players in the NBA?
 
When most fans around the league think of Przybilla, they think a good rebounding, offensively challenged backup center.  But what many people don't realize is that Przybilla is shooting 83% from the field.  Last time I checked, that's not too bad.  Sure he isn't popping 15-foot jumpers, but he knows his role, and if he outside of five feet, he isn't looking for his shot.  Przybilla is great at setting picks and looking for the offensive boards.  He is averaging over 16 rebounds per 48 minutes.  I will take that kind of production from my center any day.

Continue reading "Przybilla's The Thrilla? More like ..."

Last night in Oakland Derrick Rose was the man down the stretch. He was clutch, go to, prime-time, a closer, and what ever other clichés you want to throw out there. His 12 points in the quar

Continue reading "This Rose Smelling Oh So Sweet for The Bulls"

So this is my first official blog entry for this site.  Pretty exciting huh?  Yeah, not too exciting for me, either.  So in the rare occurance that by happenstance someone stumbles across my posts, I tip my virtual cap to you.  I hope to be updating this relatively frequently. 

Continue reading "Just Starting out"

If you look at half the box score of the Bulls 113-108 loss to the suddenly high flying Atlanta Hawks you’d think the Bulls would have handed the young Atlanta team its first loss of the year.

Continue reading "Chicago Bulls Big Men Just Plain Bad"

Everyone knows 82 wins is not possible, well everyone except a few of my friends who called after every win claiming it was. Now that we finally got that out of the way the Lakers will look to get bac

Continue reading "Lakers look to get back on track"

 The first installment of the official NBA Shankster Rankings. Enjoy.

1. Los Angeles Lakers -Won their first five games by an average of 22 points.

2. Atlanta Hawks - Gotta put them up here because they are only other undefeated team.

Continue reading "The NBA Shankster Rankings [1-30]"

The Celtics started out the season with Paul Pierce crying, then torching the Cavs with 27 points in a 90-85 win on Tuesday night.  Boston started off sluggish after their ring ceremony but came alive in the 3rd quarter outscoring Cleveland 24-13.  Pierce took it to LeBron once again.  Most people talk about LeBron being the best player in the league...but how come Pierce always has his way with him?  I'm not going to consider LeBron to be better than Pierce until he starts making some free throws (4 for 8) or an outside jump shot (0 for 4 from 3 point range).  LeBron had 22 points but they were mostly dunks and layups.  If you watch SportsCenter you'd think James had a great game with a few dunks but if you watched the game you know better.  Rondo had the 2nd best stat online on the Celtics with 14 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in only 30 minutes. 

Continue reading "The Boston Celtics are 2 games into ..."

Preseason Game 1: Minnesota Timberwolves versus Chicago Bulls

All that needs to be said for this game is this: The Wolves scored nine points in the first quarter. And in the fourth quarter. That’s 18 points in two full quarters. Also, there couldn’t have been more than 3,000 people there. The lower half was almost full, and the upper level had fewer than 100 people. Most were napping. It looked like an Expos game.

Continue reading "Preseason Game 1: Minnesota Timberwolves ..."

I get tired of hearing about "BCS Busters". They are nothing other than relatively insignificant little teams begging for scraps from the table, despite how undeserving they are. Oklahoma's

Continue reading ""

A big thanks to everyone who participated in the "Inbound Link Contest".  We have a winner!  A big congratulations go out to Marija.  Thank you for all your hard work on this.  While we had a lot of people participate, Marija was able to win with only 4 links!  So it wouldn't have taken a lot to win this contest!  We'll be having another contest soon so stay tuned.

Continue reading "Inbound link contest winner announced!"

“The Five Best Teams Since 1995”

I decided to nominate the five best teams that I have seen perform since the 1995 season.

There are a few caveats in regard to the list that I comprised.

Continue reading "The Week That Was In Sports"

I decided to nominate the five best teams that I have seen perform since the 1995 season.

There are a few caveats in regard to the list that I comprised.

For one, I focused my list strictly on professional sports teams who participate in the NFL, NBA or MLB.

Continue reading "The 5 Best Teams Since 1995"

It was late Friday evening when Chicago Bull and former Florida Gator superstar, Joakim Noah was (pa)trolling the streets of Gainesville where he once reigned supreme.  At about 1:50 am, a local police officer spotted Noah (hard to miss a seven-footer with a long, flowing mane) carrying a cup which he suspected contained an alcoholic beverage.  For those of you unfamiliar with Gainesville, Florida, walking around with an open container is at best discouraged and at the very worst illegal.

Continue reading "Joakim Noah Busted for Marijuana ..."

To try and motivate our bloggers to get inbound links we're going to have a contest to see which blogger can get the most inbound links to their blog. The contest begins now and ends July 31st, 2008. To be entered in to the contest all you have to do is go out and get as many websites to link to your blog as you can and at the end of the month send us an email listing all those links. All links must be active from August 1st through August 7th when we'll be judging the entries - a winner will be announced on August 7th. All entry emails must be received by Midnight on July 31st, 2008. You can email them to sportsfan@nbabasketballonline.com

Continue reading "Inbound link contest - Win $100!"

    So I missed out on being able to write during the greatest basketball month in the history of my fandom, but luckily for me, the League wisely places the NBA Draft at the perfect time. Just as the dust has settled on the Finals and fans everywhere have mentally prepared themselves for the blankness of the off-season, we get one more chance to scrutinize, debate, and celebrate our favorite teams. This year’s draft was tagged as unpredictable early on, and it certainly lived up to that billing. The beauty of the Draft is that the discussion is pretty much never-ending, as any player’s legacy is up for grabs until the day he hangs it up, but here are one fan’s initial thoughts, coming at you six picks at a time.

Continue reading "Draft Analysis: Picks 1-6"

The Chicago Bulls finally got some great basketball luck and landed Derrick Rose with the number one pick. Rose, a local guy looks to be the real deal. He can pass, split defenders, is great in transition, and can post numbers when need be. But inorder for Rose to flourish, to blossom, he needs players to get the ball too.

Continue reading "In order for Rose To Bloom, Bulls ..."

Now that the no-drama of the number one pick is behind him, Bulls GM John Paxson has a pretty big problem on his hands: he's overloaded at two positions.

He has a wealth of power forwards, but unfortunately, none are the "bruising in the post" sort.

Continue reading "Decision Time for Paxson: Who Leaves?"

Below is the text of a letter sent to Giants season ticket holders on June 26:

Dear Giants Season Ticket Holder:

Continue reading "PSL Bullshit"

In a few minutes, the Chicago Bulls are expected to select Memphis point guard Derrick Rose with the top pick in the NBA draft. In a few years, the Bulls will look back and say, "WTF!."

Continue reading "NBA DRAFT: DON'T PASS ON MICHAEL BEASLEY"

I didn't realize how special this Boston Celtics' championship would be until I talked to my brother, Tom, on the phone Tuesday night.
We had just finished playing in our baseball game and were on our way out to grab a drink and watch the fourth quarter when my cell phone started buzzing on my dashboard. Tom and I both knew that Boston was cruising to victory in the second half, up by more than 20 points at halftime, thanks to a teammate's constant phone updates in the dugout. Still, we both wanted to watch the end of the game. And then a thought hit me square in the face -- Tom's only 24 years old. He was about to see something that he doesn't remember seeing in his lifetime, and he wanted to make sure that I was on the way to the bar to meet him.

Continue reading "Banner 17 helps Celtics turn back the clock"

I have to say I'm a little underwhelmed. How do the Bulls really justify their selection of Vinny Del Negro as head coach? Mike D'Antoni has an impressive record from his time in Phoenix. He, along with Steve Nash, brought that team up from the cellar of the NBA to one of its elite teams. Doug Collins had at least a variety of head coaching experiences and has a grasp on how he likes to run teams.

Continue reading "And the Bulls pick...Del Negro?"

I first heard of the notion of the NBA having its officials influence games fifteen years ago in Sam Smith's legendary book "The Jordan Rules". In the 1990 playoffs the Bulls had taken a 3-0

Continue reading ""

It's shocking to me that the Bulls and Doug Collins haven't gotten together yet. It's as though owner Jerry Reinsdorf bought Collins a drink, chatted him up, then got his phone number, and then puts in a few calls without asking him on a date. It's a good thing there aren't many other suitors, otherwise Doug would have moved on by now.

Continue reading "What are the Bulls waiting for?"

Continue reading "Celebration: Anniversary of Kobe's ..."

The Chicago Bulls hired a new head coach today, and its their old one, Doug Collins who got the nod.  Collins has been a solid head coach with a few different teams, but I do not believe he is th

Continue reading "Bulls Hire Doug Collins as new head coach"

John Paxon will be agonizing over the decision to take Michael Beasley or the home grown product Derrick Rose.  Paxon would be wise if he chose the former.  The Bulls have not had a low post scorer since Elton Brand (which was a mistake to trade).  Beasley would immediately fill that need.  The addition of Beasley would add balance to the Bulls starting line up and would enable us to be multi-dimensional.  Second, with the addition of Beasley we can try and rectify the mistake we made by trading LaMarcus Aldridge for the underachieving Tyrus Thomas.  Tyrus Thomas is perceived by other GM's to have a lot of potential.  The longer we wait to trade him, the more his true colors will shine and his trade value will decline.  Now don't get me wrong, I love Derrick Rose.  However, he has a jump shot that still needs work.  Kirk Hinrich is better than average and although Rose would be an upgrade, it is not a major need.  Lastly, the Chicago media market would not give Rose much time to grow into becoming the player he will eventually become.  Add Beasley and the Bulls will rebound from last year's disappointment.

Continue reading "This "Rose" may not Bloom"

The most unbelievable, inprobable occurence happened last night.  The Chicago Bulls landed the first pick in the NBA draft lottery.  We will be drafting Derek Rose out of Memphis, or Michael Beasley from Kansas State.  I was talking to a friend yesterday and asked at what pick this year could the Bulld land a good player.  He said top three.  I was in agreement.  There is always talent in the draft, but this year there is no bonafied "monster" as we call it.  No manchild.  No Lebron, Kobe, Howard, Garnett.  We will take it though.  In your face Jay-Z.  In your face!  You've got 99 problems and the Nets are definitely ONE with your 10th pick.  Thank-you to DJ Dangermouse on his Grey Album.  I liked the black album a lot, but this mix with The Beatles makes the Black Album outta sight.  Enjoy.  Back to Cubs fun on Thursday.  I had to put a cleaner song on, not sure about the vulgarity in 99 problems, so here is Encore!

Continue reading "I Got 99 Problems and the Nets are One"

Coming out of this winter, I wondered if it is time for me to become an NBA widower. Do not get me wrong, my favorite NBA team was not The Seattle Supersonics; a team with almost four decades of NBA history, and a rabid fan base, which were given the slip by Oklahoma City snake oil salesmen.  Rather my team The Chicago bulls was even more depressing, we watched as Kevin McHale pretty much all but bought the Eastern Conference championship for his beloved Boston Celtics. Then we watched the greatest player of this generation get wooed, and of course John Paxson,  the man who had spent all his time acquiring assets for this scenario, choose to be sheepish, and decided his collection of young players was better than a team led by Kobe Bryant.

Continue reading "OH! HAPPY BULLDAY"

Good morning Chicago! 

Ok. That doesn't sound right. 

My gas light came on while on my way in to work this morning. Times are hard when tears well up at the thought of having to sell my Cubs tickets to fill up my tank. Besides, what's more important? Work? Or a lazy sunday afternoon spent basking in the glow of the summer sun, surrounded by the most passionate (or blind) fans in baseball? Of course I could be working. I SHOULD be working right now. But I'm not. Gas prices are too high and I'm concerned about the Bulls. My stomach hurts because I still hate the Sox and I think Jerry Reinsdorf is an old codger. I'm wishing the Blackhawks would make some noise to get people interested again. Finally, I'm too busy praying that the Northsiders save some runs for the

Continue reading "Introducing...."

The hits just keep on coming. This whole season, it seemed that the Bulls kept missing out on golden opportunities and unfortunately, that is also carrying on into the off-season.

           Over the weekend, former Suns coach Mike D’Antoni signed a four-year contract with the New York Knicks. Last week, reports released assumed that D’Antoni, whose Suns team averaged 58 victories over four seasons according to the Chicago Tribune, was extremely interested in coaching the Bulls. General Manager John Paxson was also interested in the partnership even though D’Antoni has an offensive mindset and Paxson is more interested in defense.

Continue reading "The search continues . . ."

We all can't be too sure about just what the next two games will bring for the Boston Celtics -- their opening round series against Atlanta should have taught everyone a lesson about looking ahead.

Continue reading "Celtics won't bow to King James"

7:39 PM 

Just in time for the last game of the season, my first Bulls liveblog of the year.  To start, I quote from the lamest captain in the league, Captain Kirk in his pre-game address to the fans:

Continue reading "Game #82 Liveblog"

The season for the Chicago Bulls is coming to a merciful end. The Bulls will finish out of the playoff race and will have more time to ponder what went right and what went wrong.

The Bulls have gone through a coaching change and a major mid-season trade. These changes failed to kick-start a moribound start for a club that disappointed this season.  The Bulls had made the playoffs that last three years and based on last years' performance, where it gave the Pistons a scare in its playoff series, the team was expected to at least compete in a 2nd round series. Well, it never got off the ground. 

Continue reading "Bulls: "It's a Wrap""

I saw something on Thursday I've waiting to see all season, the Chicago Bulls playing as a team. Even when they were down in the third quarter, they didn't throw the towel in, they played hard. There was no whining about playing time, there was no yelling at the coaches, there was no daydreaming about summer vacation. They went out there with one goal: to beat the Cavs.

Continue reading ""

Yesterday, I wrote about the Celtics easy schedule heading into their likely first round match up with the Atlanta Hawks.  Today, after watching Cleveland lose to Larry Hughes and Ben Gordon and the Chicago Bulls (the only reason they even get a nod is because of Noah's last second defense on King James, otherwise I'd feel fine about disavowing their existence), I'm just itching to unnecessarily criticize the Cavs and explain to my massive audience (there's at least four of you by now, right?) why I'm salivating at the mere thought of a second round playoff match-up with Cleveland.

Continue reading "I Swear I'm Not Crazy..."

The Boston Celtics appear to be headed towards a top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They added Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett and completely turned-around their season. They beat The Chicago Bulls 106-92 last night, and put a nail in the coffin of the Bulls rush to get the 8th seed in the Conference. Last night it was #1 vs. #11. Guess who won? The Celtics did.

Continue reading "Bulls Drop One to Boston"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/canseco_implicates_arod_of_tak.

When Jose Canseco talks, people listen.

Therein lies the problem.

Canseco's first book, "Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits and How Baseball Got Big", rocked MLB's world with it's thunderous accusations and naming of famous names. Likely looking to capitalize on that poorly written, media-hyped piece of sun-dried tripe, Canseco is back for Round 2 with "Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars, and The Battle to Save Baseball", due out April 1.

Continue reading "Canseco Implicates A-Rod of Taking ..."

Drew Gooden came to the Chicago Bulls in a late season trade and has been a solid contributor. He has scored, rebounds the ball, and plays adequate defense. Tonight he scored 31 points and lead the Bulls to a key win over the Hawks, who were last seen flying over some tree tops.

Continue reading "Bulls Win Means Gooden Has the Goods"

The Bulls are 15 games below .500. They have 13 games left on the schedule. And, are 3 games out of the 8th team in the Eastern Conference.

In other words, the Bulls have their work cut out for them. It's plain as a clear day. They face the improved Atlanta Hawks at home tonight, and have to win this game. Then, on Wednesday night, they go on the road to play Philadelphia in another important game. That would be payback time, for the game they let slip away, losing 110-106 at home. Basically, these are must win games for the Bulls. They could pass the Pacers who play at New Orleans tonight. They are a half-game behind Indiana. A win over the Hawks gets them going in the right direction.

Continue reading "Bulls Need to Win. Period."

As soon as I figure out how to get youtube videos on here, this'll be much better. Until then... courage.

 Anyway, I recently came across this video at the wonderful spot at Deadspin and it made me start thinking about what the greatest in-game sports spectacles are. You know, the coolest thins that happen in sports that aren't the games themselves.

Continue reading "The Pinnacle of Professional Hockey"

The Chicago Bulls had a big lead in the 4th Quarter last night and allowed Philadelphia to outscore them 40-20 in the final frame, to toss away a game they should have won.

If the Bulls do not make the post-season, they will look back at this game, and say,"We could have won that game." I hope it doesn't come that that. But, when you are up by 18 points early the 4th quarter, there is no way you should lose that game.

Continue reading "Bulls Blew One at Home"

Last time I looked at the standings, the Chicago Bulls were a game out of the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. With over a month of regular season games until the second season begins, which is the NBA playoffs, The Bulls have not only a good shot at finishing 8th, but could catch Philadelphia for the 7th seed. The Bulls have a simple formula: win games. Win the games you are supposed to win, and beat some good teams on the road. After all, that's what playoff teams do.

Continue reading "Bulls Have Good Shot At Playoffs"

After a recent article on the Iowa Energy, Iowa State fans were left wondering if Stevie Johnson had any interest in the NBDL. Luckily, I was able to catch Stevie, and he gave a great interview about life in basketball after college. Johnson was one of the stars on the best team in Iowa State history leading the second seeded Cyclones all the way to the elite eight in the 2000 NCAA Tournament. Below are his current stats with Caja Rioja in Spain.

Continue reading "Blaze Interview: Stevie Johnson NBDL Bound?"

http://lebasketbawl.blogspot.com/2008/03/linkbawl-3508.html

• Stop Mike Lupica takes a look back at some childhood nightmares…and fun things. Double Dragon anyone?

• Kyle Korver loves defense! You should have seen this by now.

Continue reading "LINKBAWL: 3/5/08"

The Chicago Bulls got younger, quicker, and have more offensive punch with this trade. Ben Wallace was a great rebounder, capable of changing the complexion of a game, but his days were coming to a slow end. Joe Smith was a decent guy coming off the bench, but he will be a quick afterthought. The Bulls need a exclamatory now and they seem to have gotten one with this trade. Larry Hughes can score, and the Bulls need someone who can score. Luol Deng is really talented, but he has had an injury prone season. Drew Gooden can provide good minutes and can fit into the Bulls offense, whatever that is.

Continue reading "Bulls' Trade Is a Big Plus"

In the last game before the All Star break, the Bulls beat the Miami "Remember 2006" Heat 99-92 at home.

It is a small consolation for a very disappointing first half of the season for the Bulls, who were expected to make a big splash this year after last season's exciting run into the 2nd round of the playoffs. To say this year has been ugly has been an understatement.

Continue reading "Second Half of the Season"

http://lebasketbawl.blogspot.com/2008/02/i-love-rumors-7.html

Continue reading "I Love Rumors 7!"

The four NBA titles in nine years that the San Antonio Spurs have enjoyed? That was supposed to happen in Boston.
Tim Duncan was supposed to be the next great player to carry on the Celtics' tradition. He was the player that would have restored Celtic Pride to what it was during The Bird Era in the 1980s. His effortless skill had every team in the league wishing that the No. 1 pick in the 1997 draft was theirs. 

Continue reading "Celtics snap Spurs hex"

I predicted Shaq would go to New York and be the latest embarrassment for the Knicks.  You can't blame me.  Admit it, you thought that it made great sense.  It would have been the latest overture in the Isiah symphony.

Continue reading "Good Prediction...NOT"

The Chicago Bulls won last night against the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves 96-85. It is a game they desperately needed and there will be many more games to follow that they will desperately need. Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon, and Joe Smith all sat out due to nagging injuries. The situation in Chicago has become desperate.

Continue reading "Future of the Chicago Bulls"

Once again, the Bulls just can't seem to pul out two victories in a row. While they were missing some of their normal starters, they won a game that way the other night. But still, they are just the most inconsistent team I have ever seen. They show signs of being decent and then just flop the very next game. 

Continue reading "Two in a row still out of reach"

With three players who have been starters this season sitting on the bench in Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, and Chris Duhon, the Bulls won. And won big. Not only did they hold leads, but they held on to the game in the fourth quarter, which has been one of their biggest downfalls all year. Kirk Hinrich scored a career high 38 points. When he wanted to score, he pretty much did against an Indiana Pacers team that beat the Bulls pretty bad last time they faced each other. 

Continue reading "An interesting victory for the Bulls"