2 in a ROW!!!

It's amazing! Of course the last time the Bulls won two in a row the very next game they lost the biggest lead in franchise history, at home, against the Kings. So I'm not too excited yet. Anyway I didn't get to see the game so I don't have any comment except when Tyrus plays big minutes (like last night) good things usually happen. VDN just continue to turn Tyrus, Deng, Rose, and Noah loose on the league and see what happens. Hell if you did that I might stop screaming for your job!!!

Tyrus is BACK!

And in a shocking move by VDN he actually played 30+ minutes. I know, truly amazing. So what was the end result? Beating the New Orleans Hornets fairly handily. Thanks to a 3rd quarter lockdown on D in which the Hornets only managed 9 points the Bulls finally beat a decent team (N.O. is decent, not good, but I'll take what I can get). My hope, is that Del Firo noticed for the first time what Thomas brings to the table. Defense, athleticism, and lots of energy. Plus he was 10-17 from the field, YES HE CAN SHOOT PEOPLE! Anyway, this was the first step in the long process of rebuilding the confidence of the team and the fan base.

Some random questions involving the Bulls:

With Kirk Hinrich far outplaying John Salmons, will they look to move him for guaranteed cap space this offseason?

Will Noah be an all-star? Because I don't see too many Centers in the League, much less the Eastern Conference, that are better than him right now.

With VDN pretty much secure for the rest of the season, will they decide to make a coaching move in the off season?

Will Ben Gordon ever play again? Oh wait, he thankfully plays for the Pistons now.

If the Bulls turn it around and get to .500 or so by the all-star break will they still look to make a move, or put all their eggs in one basket with FA?

Who will play more minutes going forward Taj or Tyrus? Taj or James Johnson? Miller or the rookies? Salmons or Hinrich? This last question will determine the fate of the team this year!!!

A Christmas Miracle?

How do we fix the Bulls, that's the miracle. Here is my take, with the exception of firing the coach, because clearly that isn't going to happen.

First and foremost, Tyrus Thomas HAS to play at least 30 minutes every single game and play crunch time minutes in the fourth quarter. He is their best shot blocker and a freak athlete. Yes there are times when he makes really really dumb mistakes especially on offense, but he is the only guy on the team that can intimidate opponents on defense. He can alter games with his shot blocking and quick hands. Also, he is a better offensive player than most give him credit for and every game he matures a little bit more. Lastly, he needs these minutes so that the Bulls can make an actual educated decision about him this offseason instead of some knee jerk reaction (which is the path they are currently on).

Second, VDN (or hopefully a new coach) needs to continue to turn Derrick Rose loose. Clearly Rose is healthy, and although it isn't leading to wins, he has played like an all-star the last three weeks. This is the Rose all of us expected to see at the start of the season. Also, the Bulls need to utilize the small aspect of their roster, especially while Tyrus is still out. There is no shame in playing 3 guards, a SF, and a center. In the NBA it's whatever gets the job done and against most teams that lineup will be very tough to guard.

Third, either Hinrich or Salmons needs to stop sucking. Hopefully both of them will turn it around, but one of them has to otherwise...

Fourth, if the trade deadline rolls around and the Bulls still suck, it's time to make major moves and over haul the roster. Here are some players we know are available: Michael Redd, David West, Boozer, David Lee, possibly Chris Bosh, CP3, the entire Golden State Warriors team etc...So what I would do is try to make a move for the following players with trades such as these or something similar

Tyrus Thomas, Jerome James, our first rounder, and cash for David West. The Hornets would save almost 5 million off their payroll while picking up extra cash and a good young PF who is from the area (who I love by the way). For the Bulls this is a no brainer. West is an all-star, brings it every night, and only makes 9-10 million per year for the next three seasons. I doubt the Hornets want to do this trade, but at the deadline the owner may force the team to make a cost cutting move. So the question will become is this the best deal that they can find?

John Salmons, Taj Gibson, and James Johnson for Anthony Randolph and Corey Maggette. G.S. clearly wants to get rid of Maggette's ridiculously long and expensive contract and I think the only way that happens is if they include Anthony Randolph. And as far as I'm concerned, I would trade anyone not named Rose or Noah to get Randolph. This would be my initial offer and since Randolph is only playing 20 minutes a night for them, you might be able to get away with lowballing them if you really sell the idea of taking mister "I got mine" off their hands. If I had to sweeten the pot, I'd have no problems doing that. The key is to get Rose, Noah, Randolph, and hopefully Deng and Thomas on the same team. Two years from now that would be one of the best teams in the league.

I would offer just about anything for Bosh to try and get him into chicago for 30 games or so, so he can see how amazing it would be to play for a team that sells out every night and has a talented PG like Rose. Unfortunately, I doubt the Bulls take a shot at this unless they can get him cheap (which isn't happening). If Bosh doesn't come to Chicago THIS season, I don't think there is any chance he comes here in free agency. My bet he goes to play with either Wade or LeBron.

Anyway, this is just a couple suggestions. There are an infinite number of ways to improve the team, however, if the Bulls stand pat I definitely see dark days coming (see below for full details).

Dark Days are Coming!

Many around the world of basketball think the dark days are already here for the Bulls. But I disagree. I think what we saw on Monday and Tuesday is just a sign of things to come. On Monday the Bulls dominated the Kings for two and half quarters and at one point in the 3rd were up by 35 points. The game looked over, the Kings were playing some bench guys the game was literally over, but the Bulls continued with their starters. The guys started relaxing, they started getting tired, they started turning the ball over. VDN didn't adjust, didn't go to his bench, didn't do anything. So the Kings get momentum and win the game. Did Rose miss a potential game tying floater? Yes. But let's be honest, if you're up 35 in the second half and the other team comes back to take the lead, you're not going to win that game.

So the Bulls make history by blowing the single biggest second half lead...at home...EVER. It's the biggest blown lead in franchise history and more importantly, before this game started the team appeared to have turned the corner by winning two in row (see below for full details).

Last night the Bulls went back on the road for one game, to MSG, to face the NY Knicks and the coach the Bulls should have hired Mike D'Antoni. So what happens, they shit the bed and only scored 31 points in the first half. Shocking!!! Who would have thought the day after blowing a 35 point lead the Bulls would then lose to a shitty team. Anyway, all the talk today is about how D'Antoni should have been the Bulls coach, and both teams are worse off. But to me that is irrelevant. What is relevant, the Bulls have a no talent coach, a very talented top five (including Tyrus Thomas), and a management team that is afraid to fire another coach and is to incompetent to replace him with someone talented.

So where does that leave us Bulls fans and where does that leave the team? My guess, a very dark place. The players are pros, they won't flat out quit on Vinny, but it has become abundantly clear that the players have lost faith. You can see it on their faces whenever they fall behind by more than a bucket or two, you can see it in the post game interviews where Noah says things like, "If you were my friend, I would tell you a lot of things, but I feel like if I say something, it's going to make things really bad," and you can see it in the scoreboard. There is no reason the Bulls should ever lose to the Kings or the Knicks. They are better at virtually every position, except for coach.

In fact, a lot of the Bulls losses this year are against teams where they are more talented from top to bottom. So what does that tell everyone except for Bulls management? That the coach has to go! Well, it doesn't tell Bulls management that, but it tells everyone else that Vinny needs to go. But since VDN won't get fired I just see more and more losing and more and more games being lost because the coach is incompetent. It's amazing the way the Bulls are losing games. Blowouts, poor defense, poor offense, guys not knowing where to rotate on D, zero offensive plays, guys standing around on offense, and the team only going 7 deep no matter what the situation is. This all comes down to coaching, and let me tell you, Ben Gordon wouldn't change any of it. The only thing that will change this trend is a new coach.

FIRE VINNY DEL OVERMATCHEDO AND HIRE A GOOD COACH IN SEASON ALREADY!!! My nominees are Avery Johnson, Sam Mitchell, and Lawrence Frank! This season is about to get out of hand, and unless drastic changes are made immediately we are looking at another lottery pick between 9-14!!!

The Bulls Beat the Hawks?

I can't believe it. I'm downright shocked. But this is what this team can do when Deng, Rose, and Noah are all being aggressive and the rest of the team is just ok. There is no way the Bulls should miss the playoffs, and hopefully this gets them back on track. If they beat Sac-Town tonight then I will be close to calling this team officially back. However, the big question is still going to be what does VDN do with Tyrus Thomas? A good coach would be excited about Thomas coming back, but for Vinny, I get the feeling he wishes he didn't have to deal with him so he can continue to play Taj big minutes, despite the difference in talent.

Nonetheless, I am a Bulls fan through and through and I am excited that the Bulls finally beat a good team in a close game. It's been quite literally weeks!!!

Bulls Win, and VDN Stays

Sadly, the Bulls came back from a 17 point deficit last night and ended up beating the NYK at home. Had the Bulls lost, my money was on him getting fired. However, I now believe there is no way he loses his job this season, unless he rapes a player, he is safe. The organization doesn't seem willing to pull the trigger despite him not knowing how to coach offense, defense, or get his players to play hard for 48 minutes. But apparently they have no backup plan (I guess Bickerstaff doesn't qualify and neither does trying to bring in Avery or Sam Mitchell) so they have resigned themselves to standing pat and seeing what VDN can do. The whole thing makes me sick. He was a terrible hire to begin with, he should have been fired after being overmatched all of last year, including in the playoffs when he basically handed two games to the Celts (not fouling anyone when the Bulls were up three and continuing to play Brad Miller for 15 straight minutes to end games despite him needing a respirator) and definitely this year when he refused to play Tyrus more than 24 minutes a game. And oh, let's not forget this recent stretch of terrible play. But none of that mattered, the Bulls hired him and they are going to stick with there guy 'Through Thick and Thin,' just like it was 2001.

God I hate VDN, he has to be the worst coach in the league at this point. Can anyone think of a worst coach? I think I'd rather have some of the interim guys out there than VDN. It's SIMPLE VINNY, STAY OUT OF THE FUCKING WAY AND STOP FUCKING UP THE ROTATIONS!!!

Trade Thoughts (other than my Bulls)

I think the Pistons should trade Richard Hamilton for 50 cents on the dollar. If they could give him away for expiring contracts they should do it. The Pistons have way too many guards and Hamilton is the old crew while Gordon, Stuckey, and Bynum are with the new crew. So one proposal that works and makes sense for both teams is Hamilton, Wilcox, and Kwame Brown for T-Mac. That's right T-MAC!!! The guy I said would never play for Houston, who incidently suited up tonight and played. T-Mac would be perfect for Detroit because he has a 22 million dollar expiring contract and the Pistons are a team going nowhere, so why not free up more money by getting rid of a guy you don't need in Hamilton. For the Rockets this trade is perfect. They are capped out next year so getting a pure shooter like Hamilton for basically nothing is a steal. And both Brown and Wilcox come off the books after this season. Hamilton would fit right in with the Rockets and you could either start him or bring him off the bench. Guys are always more willing to come off the bench when they've been traded (unless their name is AI). Moving forward, Hamilton also fits for the Rockets because in theory Yao Ming should be back next year and who better to open things up than a spot shooter like Rip. As for Detroit, you're rebuilding, it's obvious, this clears things up and makes the rotation clearer and let's the young guys get big minutes...it's win win baby!

I still think Utah trades Boozer and this trade makes some sense. The Jazz give up Boozer and their first rounder, lottery protected, for Anthony Randolph, K. Azubuike, Speedy Claxton, and Devan George. The Jazz get a seriously talented prospect in Randolph. In fact, I doubt any team would offer anyone close to Randolph's talent. They also get a rotation player in Azubuike and then two expiring contracts in George and Claxton. I'm not sure if it's enough to get them under the Luxury Tax, but it's at least close, plus you don't have Boozer on your team. So that's a big win. For Golden State, they get a PF who can run, shoot, board, and doesn't play any defense. So he fits in perfectly with their system. Boozer can also post up so if they ever do get in the half court he could help them down low or with the pick and roll. Plus GS will have the ability to go over the cap to resign him if they feel like he is a good fit going forward. I really think this makes both teams better moving forward...It's win win!!!

The Portland Trailblazers trade Andre Miller to either Memphis or Philadelphia for anything. I don't care what, anything they will give up is just fine with me. Miller is trying to fit in, he's trying to be a good soldier, but this isn't going to last much longer. Miller is eventually going to get pissed off and Brandon Roy (your franchise) has already complained about playing with him. Trade him for any contract that is of equal or lesser value for no other reason than team harmony, which we all know goes a long way in the NBA.

I'd love to see the Hawks make a move, but looking at their team, I just don't see much they can do without crushing their core. And the way they are playing there is no reason to mess with that. But looking at that team, I just don't think they can beat the big three in the East in a 7 game series, which is why I'd love to see them do something, I'm just not sure what.

Why Wait for 2010?

For the last year I've been all about setting up the Chicago Bulls for the free agent bonanza that is 2010. But recently I've soured on the idea, and by recently I mean the day the Bulls signed VDN to coach their team. Why would LeBron, Wade or Bosh want to come to the Windy (and freezing) city to play with similar talent when other cities have better coaching. With the Bulls struggling this year I find it hard to believe those three would even consider coming here. My guess, LeBron stays put, Wade stays put, and Bosh goes to play with either LeBron in Cleveland or Wade in Miami (my money is on Wade in Miami).

So where does that leave the Bulls? What is their best case scenario if they miss out on those top three guys (which I believe is extremely likely)? I love Joe Johnson, LOVE HIM! And I believe he would next on the Bulls board. But would they have what it takes to lure him here. He's proven once that he wanted the money and to be the man (by begging Phoenix not to match the offer the Hawks made back in the day) so what's to say he wouldn't do it again. He could take the money and stay in ATL, or he could take the endorsement money and be the man for the New York Knicks. As for winning, his best options will be to either stay put, play with one of the big three as mentioned above, or come to Chicago. But those are a lot of ifs, and the Bulls got fucked once back in 2000 when Grant Hill, T-Mac, and Duncan all passed on playing for the Bulls. After Johnson it has to be Amar'e and after that it has to be Boozer and then I would assume it's restricted FA Rudy Gay. Sadly, Gay plays the same position as Deng, and I don't think Deng is really physical enough to play the four. It could work, but I doubt the Bulls ever really try this, unless they lose out on everyone in free agency and make Gay a crazy offer that Grizz just can't match, which is possible.

So my question is, why wait. Of the guys that the Bulls have a realistic chance of getting, only Joe Johnson is significantly better than...David West! It's become pretty clear to me, that just about everyone on the Hornets is available and that includes their all-star Power Foward. The Bulls could get a big free agent right now, potentially saving this season, and putting themselves in position to be a great team for the next two or three years. Is Amar'e better than West, probably, but it's closer than you think, and West brings a lot less baggage to the team than Amar'e does. So here are the stats and I am only going to look at the last two years because there is no way Amar'e is the same player he was back when he was throwing up 26 points a night. Those days are long gone.

Amar'e 2008-09 PPG-21.4 REB-8.1 BLK-1.1 FG-53.9 FT-83.5

West 2008-09 PPG-21.0 REB-8.5 BLK-.9 FG-47.2 FT-88.4

Amar'e 2009-10 PPG-19.2 REB-7.8 BLK-1.0 FG-55.8 FT-74.8

West 2009-10 PPG-15.9 REB-7.0 BLK-.8 FG-45.8 FT-85.0

So last season their numbers were almost identical and this season both players numbers are down. Amar'e has no excuse as the Suns are killing it, but West has had to deal with Chris Paul being out half the season. With Paul back his numbers are trending up and I believe he'll match Amar'e by the end of the year (hopefully while being a Bull). To me, taking the risk in free agency and possibly ending up with no one (or even worse, the injury plagued and uninspired Carlos Boozer) is not nearly as desirable as trading say Jerome James' expiring contract and Tyrus Thomas (who is a Louisiana native) for David West. Acquiring West at less than 10 mil per season for two and half years is a lot better than either Amar'e or Boozer at 14-15 mil for five years. Plus this leaves the Bulls with some money to play with this offseason. Not max money, but enough to sign a could FA and even still make a run at a guy like Rudy Gay who a lot of teams will be afraid of because he's restricted.

A team of Rose, Salmons (or FA pickup in 2010), Deng, West, and Noah is a pretty good team. If Rose ever makes the jump and the Bulls can add a solid two guard the team could compete in the East. Could of course depends on who Bosh decides to play with, LeBron or Wade?

Another Blowout Loss...

And yet, Vinny still has a job. It just doesn't make any sense. The team can't score a hundred points against two of the worst defenses in the league (GS and TOR) and they don't defend worth a shit giving up almost 100 per game. So let's see, you can't score, and you can't defend. And your telling me this has nothing to do with coaching? Seriously, make the fucking move, the team can't get any worse with Bernie Bickerstaff and maybe you can bring in a guy like Avery Johnson, Lawrence Frank, or Sam Mitchell before the end of the year and still salvage this season and have a shot at a solid FA in the summer of 2010!!!

Other Notes:

Under no circumstances will T-Mac ever play for the Houston Rockets. I'm very excited to see how this all plays out. My guess is T-Mac will be shopped and will either be traded for one young average player and expiring contracts or he will be bought out for less money after the trade deadline passes. Either way, you can write it down, there is no chance he suits up for Houston.

Yes the Lakers are one of the two best teams in the League, but let's all calm down with the talk of them dominating night in and night out. They've played 17 home games already, by far the most of any team. Last night they started their first road trip of the season, and oh by the way, they lost in Utah. So yes, they are a great team, but they're not going to win 70 games and it's not a forgone conclusion that they win the title.

I love the Mavericks and even though there is no chance they win it all this year, I love it that they're going for it. The offseason moves may hurt them in 2 years, but this year they are a great team to watch. Lots of ball movement, good defense, and the first open shot is rarely passed up. It's the way the game should be played. I think the Mavs can beat everyone in the West with one exception...The Lakers. The only way the Mavs can beat the Lakers is if Josh Howard turns back the clock and dominates both defensively and offensively like he did when the Mavs went to the Finals and lost to the Referees and D-Wade. Which sadly isn't going to happen.

I've watched Miami play a few times this year, and I can't help but think it would be in their best interests to trade Michael Beasley...for the right player. At this point everyone has to think Chris Bosh is leaving Toronto, so if your Miami why not offer Beez, Haslem, Diawara, and a first rounder for Bosh. Toronto would be silly not to take this because there is no way they will get a better deal for a rental. And all this talk about a sign trade in the off season is silly. Bosh will hold all the cards at that point, and why would he agree to a trade that would gut the team he is going to? It just doesn't make any sense. If Toronto continues to suck, the Raps should trade him because they are capped out, and that team isn't going anywhere without some major moves. Getting Beasley, expiring contracts, and a first rounder would count as a major move. Hell you could even expand the deal and make the Heat take Hedo for O'Neal and then buy O'Neal out! The possibilities for the Raps are endless, but only if they make a move before the deadline! As for the Heat, if they bring in Bosh, they can sign him to the max six year deal and he would definitely take a lot of pressure off of Wade. That pairing would have a chance at a title for as long as their together. The rest of the team barely matters.

What Does He Have To Do?

Seriously, what does Vinny Del Negro have to do to get fired? His team is getting blown out, at home, and the only teams they can beat are the bottom of the barrel. The Bulls are about to lose two more at home (Boston tonight, LA Lakers on Tuesday) and at that point if VDN doesn't get fired, it's clear it's never going to happen. The offense is completely disjointed, half the team looks lost on defense, and other than Noah, Deng, and Rose no one is playing up to their potential.

Other NBA News:

Allen Iverson is back with Philly, and they are yet to win a game with him on the roster. Is it a coincidence? I have no idea, but it's freaking HIGH-larious. AI wanted back, he wanted to start, and I wonder how long it will be before he starts calling out his coach and new teammates? This is so much fun, fans shouldn't be aloud to have this much fun.

The Suns keep winning, and they are beating good teams. Why is this relevant? Because once the playoffs start their record is irrelevant. They will lose to the Spurs, Lakers, and possibly even the Nuggets. The only their regular season does is set me up for disappointment once the playoffs start.

This whole season has already been about where will LeBron, Wade, and Bosh end up in the offseason. The rumors are flying and even someone like me (who loves this kind of talk) is already sick of it. As of right now, Bosh looks like he'll leave, LeBron and Wade will most likely stay put.

What is more interesting is what is going to happen to Carlos Boozer? How he hasn't been traded yet is one of the stories of the year. Everyone knows he won't be back next year, so at this point wouldn't Utah take anything, as in any player that would crack their rotation and not kill their cap? I would think players like Tyrus Thomas, Jordan Hill, anyone from the Warriors, would be very high on the Jazz's trade talk list. Yet we hear nothing.

The Blazers are Fucked...AGAIN! Oden is out for the year. Outlaw is out for who knows how long, and Rudy has been in and out of the lineup. The Blazers had a chance last year to make major moves but chose to stand pat, and now they are paying the price. This team is no closer to winning a championship than the Jazz are or the Heat, or any other middle of the rung team. I feel bad for Oden since he was finally putting it together, but the Blazers could have added serious players to their team and instead all they ended up with is a backup point guard who is getting paid starters money.

What's Wrong With the Spurs?

NOTHING!!! Everyone calm the fuck down. The Spurs are fine, they always start slow, and they are working in several new players that are playing huge minutes for them. Plus guys like Duncan and Parker have missed games. All that matters is that everyone is healthy and on the same page come April and they will be. If that is the case, the Spurs and the Lakers will be on a collision course for the Western Conference Finals. The Spurs are currently 4-6 and these are the six teams they lost to: Bulls, Jazz (twice), Blazers, Thunder, and Mavs. You know what, there isn't an easy game in that bunch and taking it a step further, four of those six losses were on the road! So I'm pretty sure the Spurs will be just fine and will be competing for the best record in the West when it is all said and done. So please, everyone, stop writing them off and just give them 20 games to get their feet wet.

League Notes:

-It looks like Allen Iverson may not have a place to play and he may have shot his last NBA Jumper. Sad but true, one of the top players of the last 15 years, and one of the most arrogant, inflexible, and uncoachable players in the league is unwanted by everyone. Even the Lowly Knicks. And if the Knicks won't sign you for the league's veteran salary, your pretty much done. I have mixed feelings about this. I've never really been a big AI fan, but I did respect what he was capable of doing. On the other hand, he never made any of his teammates better, and I always felt like with all the double and triple teams he warranted he should have averaged 10 assists per game instead of four or five. One thing I will definitely miss though, is the circus that surrounds him. There is nothing else like it in the NBA.

-I love it that G.S. trades for Vlad Radmonovic and than gives him 31 minutes in his first two games with the team. Don Nelson is basically saying "I hate everyone on my team and I wish I would get fired." If I'm a Warriors fan, I'm putting the hit out on Nelson. He is trying to destroy a very young and very talented roster so he can collect a large paycheck without having to go to work. I mean jesus, he isn't working right now anyway, a monkey could do what he is doing. Is anyone on that team not available? I think there is at least a 50-50 chance that either Anthony Randolph and/or Monta Ellis are traded by the deadline. Trading either would be a huge mistake.

-I hate to say this, but Greg Oden is looking like he may develop into...a serviceable center. Hell maybe even a decent starting center. He still looks awkward on the court, his footwork is nowhere near where it should be, and he gets into foul trouble literally every game. BUT, he is a ferocious shot blocker averaging almost 2.5 per game, an excellent rebounder averaging 8.5 per game, and he is doing this in just over 24 minutes per night. I think Nate McMillan would like for him to average more minutes than that, but as I said earlier, he gets in foul trouble EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! Most of these fouls seem to be on guards when he is jumping out on the pick and roll defensively or when he is too late in his rotation. This of course all comes down to footwork. If he can develop that Dikembe Mutombo type footwork he could be a future defensive player of the year, more likely he'll get better and be a good starting center who averages 12ppg, 10rebs, and close to 3 blocks. Those are good numbers, quality starting center type numbers, they're not Kevin Durant type numbers, but at least he won't be labeled a bust.

-Biggest surprises after the first 10-12 games? New Jersey being winless is pretty big. I know they've had injuries, but jesus I thought they might surprise people and compete for that last playoff spot in the East...I WAS WAY OFF! Brandon Jennings being this good. I had no doubt he would be able to penetrate and dish (all the scouts raved about his speed and handle) but I had no idea he would be able to shoot this well and I'm shocked that a conservative coach like Scott Skiles has so willingly turned the team over to a rookie (even though they have nothing else). Do I think Jennings will be better than Rose in five years? No. Do I think Jennings is by far outplaying Rose this season? Yes. I'm also surprised with how bad the Wizards are. I haven't seen them play so I can't really comment on them, but with all that talent I was surely expecting good things from them...Hell I picked them to win the four seed in the East.

-Least surprising turn of events to start the season? The LA Clippers being terrible and their two bright young stars (Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin) both being injured. Was there ever any doubt that this team would have another long season? It's just who the Clippers are. I agree with Bill Simmons on this one, Blake Griffin should have forced a trade before the draft, or signed overseas in order to save his career. I look forward to three years from now when Gordon and Griffin are both playing elsewhere and finally healthy.

Finally...

A fairly easy win. The Bulls won last night keeping the Kings at bay almost the whole game. They led by 10-16 pretty much from the word go and even though the Kings closed the gap to 7 at one point, the game was really never that close. Some bullet points:

-Noah is going to be an all-star. He dominates defensively and grabs every board that is close to him. Hawes and Thompson were often doubling him on the glass and yet Noah still grabbed 14 boards. My only concern, he is playing a lot of minutes and we need him to stay healthy all year.

-Derrick Rose didn't look good all night, and was outplayed by Rookie Tyreke Evans. I'm still going to say this is because Rose isn't 100%, but at what point is he going to be 100%? At times he actually looked like he was limping back on D. I am now to the point where I am worried about him, because he is either still injured or even worse slightly ineffective.

-Deng continues to hit every open jumper, which is why they paid him his money. Plus he is the teams best perimeter defender and a great help defender. I love Deng, always have, and he is proving to be worth every penny of that massive extension he got and was definitely the right choice over Ben Gordon.

-John Salmons may not look like the player he was at the end of last year (my guess is he takes a lot of time off in the off season) but when he is slashing to the hoop, he still looks REAL good!

-The Bulls are 6-4 on the year, which is better than the 5-5 I predicted after 10 games. I have a good feeling about this team and I think a 4-5 seed if definitely a possibility. The big question is going to be whether or not Tyrus Thomas will fit in when he gets back from injury. It's obvious that Taj Gibson (who fouled out in 11 minutes last night) is not the answer at PF, which anyone who watches the Bulls should have realized after game one. So does this mean Tyrus will FINALLY get his minutes? Or does this mean VDN just goes small all season? I have no idea, but if TT can get back to blocking shots, getting out on the break, and slamming home massive dunks this team could be really scary on both ends of the floor.

OTHER NOTES

-Kevin Durant and the OKC Thunder are good. They beat the Heat last night in convincing fashion and have as good a shot as anyone at the 8th seed out west.

-Sadly, the AI saga is over. And the Answer to the question is, the Grizzlies and Iverson reached a mutual agreement to terminate the one year contract. I couldn't be more disappointed. I was really hoping for a season long tirade from AI about how he should be starting and playing 48 minutes a night. Oh well, at least the Knicks are still terrible.

-The Cavs offense is just terrible. They don't run any plays, especially in the second half of games. It's just LeBron on 5. The longer the season goes on like this, the more likely I think it is that LeBron will bolt for NY, Chi, LA, or Miami. Why carry your team every single night having to do everything, when you could play in a better city, have better teammates (This rules out the Knicks), and have a coach who will run plays that aren't LeBron at the top of the key going 1 on 5. I mean jesus at least get him the ball down on the block so he's closer to the hoop like Phil Jackson does for Kobe. Right now, of the big FAs this offseason it is looking more and more likely that LeBron will be the one who leaves.

Stephen Jackson is a...

BOBCAT! Really? This is surprising on many fronts. First, that Golden State found someone to trade him too. Second, that is was the cash strapped Bobcats. And third, that Michael Jordan made a trade that appears to help his team this year as well as in the future. On second thought, MJ probably had nothing to do with this trade, it was probably the GM. It's downright shocking. I don't think the Cats can make the playoffs, but if anyone can handle Jackson it's Larry Brown. Now I'm no Brown fan, but he seems like a players coach and guys always play their damnedest for him. So this could work, and the Bobcats only gave up Vlad Rad and Raja Bell (who might be injured) so this trade could add 4-5 wins on the season for them. Plus Jackson can score and the Bobcats are the worst offensive team in the league. Seriously, go look it up. Anyway I'm just shocked someone was willing to take on that contract and that craziness, but it is the NBA, where 2nd, 3rd and 4th chances happen!

It's Go Time

This next stretch of the schedule is both tough and an opportunity for the Bulls. But it all has to start on Saturday Night!!! The Bulls take on the Sixers at home and Philly is on the second game of a back to back. So winning this game is going to set the tone for the entire Circus Trip. If the Bulls beat Philly they will move to 5-4, and then their trip starts in Sac-town. A very winnable game against a team that is really really terrible and is missing it's best player (K-Mart). You win that game and you move to 6-4 and it gives a little cushion to stay at .500 during the trip. The next four games are obviously very tough. The Bulls aren't going to beat the Lakers in LA, it's just not going to happen. They could beat Denver in the altitude, but I doubt it (unless the refs feel sorry for the Bulls after the overturned called that I will not talk about). So that puts the Bulls at 6-6, which is pretty good considering who they had to play to start the season. I figure a split between Portland and Utah is a pretty good possibility and then they wrap up with a road game just up I94 at Milwaukee. And with Redd still out there is no reason for Chicago to ever, and I mean EVER lose to the BUCKS!!! Which means the Bulls should be 8-7 when this trip ends. If that's the case, they are in great shape moving forward because December sees them play 11 home games versus only 4 road games. They do play both the Celtics and Lakers in December, but that means they won't have to play the Lakers again, and if somehow they can beat the Celts at the United Center it sends a big message to the rest of the league (although I don't think they can beat Boston with KG, they are just too tough defensively).

BUT all of this starts with a win at home vs. Philly. If they lose that game this team really could spiral out of control. You can't head out for six games losing three in a row, especially the way they lost the last two: An overturned call, and missing their last 15 shots from the field, that just spells disaster on a long west coast trip. I also don't think VDN is a good enough coach to motivate his team away from the ledge if it loses four, five, or six games in a row this early in the season.

So if they do as I think they will, the team should be set up for a nice little run in December. I could see them going 10-5 or even 11-4, which would put them right in the thick of the 4/5 seed in the East, which should be the goal this season!

Overturned Call = Unhappy Nuge

I can't write about it, I can't see it again, and I don't want to talk about it. What happened in Chicago against the Nuggets pretty much sucks. My argument, if it isn't obvious, you go with the ruling on the court!!! FUCK YOU REFS!!!

A win is a win...And AI takes a break

The Bulls beat the Bobcats last night, and proved once again they play to their competition. The first half was a display of Turnovers and shitty play that could have cost them the game. Thankfully John Salmons had his best game of the season and looked every bit the player I expect him to be throughout the year. He saved the Bulls in the first half and had 14 points in the first quarter, and in the second half everything clicked a little better for the whole team. The Bulls went from being down 10 to up 9 in the matter of one 3rd quarter explosion. It excites me and saddens me to watch games like this. Clearly the Bulls can be a potent offensive and defensive team, but they can also suck. I just didn't expect it to happen in the same game so often. But once again Derrick showed up in the fourth and once again Deng had a solid game. But the player of the game was without question Joakim Noah. He dominated the paint like never before. He was everywhere on defense and literally moved people out of the way on offense. He ended the night with 21 points, 16 boards, 4 blocks, and shot 10-12 from the field. Just an all-star worthy performance in every aspect of the word. Except for free throw shooting. Noah was 1-3, but the two he missed would have iced the game, in fact the Bulls missed five straight free throws with under 2 minutes left, when making anyone of them would have essentially put the game out of reach. But still, a 93-90 victory is always better than a loss, and it also proves this team is willing to fight the entire game no matter how terrible they play in the first half.

Allen Iverson's career may or may not be over in Memphis after all of three games. Yesterday he took a leave of absence to deal with "Family matters." Whatever the hell that means. He's already bitched about not starting and now he is bitching about the communication between he and coach Lionel Hollins AND how many minutes he is playing per game. Holy shit it's only been three games AND he is coming off an injury. I love every minute of this and want a 24 hour news crew hanging out at AI's house.

And it's...TAJ GIBSON TIME!

Tyrus Thomas broke his left forearm and will be out for 4-6 weeks. That means his starting job is going to go to rookie Taj Gibson, and that means Thomas will never get it back. This is bad news for me, a die hard Thomas supporter, but it is good news for my Bulls viewing enjoyment. Hopefully I no longer have to swear at the t.v. about why VDN is playing certain players at the end of the game. I'm sure I'll find something to complain about, but at least I won't have to complain about Thomas...For at least four months!

There's no 'I' in team, but there's a big 'I' an IVERSON!

Allen Iverson had zero suitors in the offseason, zero! The only reason the Grizzlies signed him was the owner thought he might sell a few extra tickets and bring up their bottom line. I mean my god, the Charlotte Bobcats (who he would have been a perfect fit for) never even made him an offer. That should really tell AI something.

So when he signed with Memphis it was made clear that the Grizz are looking towards the future and that Iverson would come off the bench. So what does Allen say before his first game of the year? “Nah, I won't accept it. Bench came into the play when I came to Detroit. You never heard about Allen Iverson coming off the bench ever in my whole career. It was never something people even thought in their head until I came to Detroit. Now, it's the big topic. I don't look at it as a negative. On a basketball team, you need guys to come off the bench. If that makes us a better team, with me coming off the bench, than that's something I would obviously do -- if it results in wins. But I don't know anybody in the world that would feel like me coming off the bench is the right thing to do if that's not making the team better. Everybody in the world knows I don't want to come off the bench. It's a media thing. I don't think it has anything to do with basketball. Anybody in their right mind, to me, honestly knows that on this team or the teams I've been on, that I deserve to start."

The man is delusional, and there is zero chance that this doesn't explode in the Grizzlies face. Whether Iverson starts or comes off the bench they are going to suck, so why would you start an old man when you need to play your young studs? I am so fascinated by this, I actually watched the first half of the Kings/Grizz the other night just to see what would happen. I can't wait for the inevitable blow up, I just hope I'm watching the game when it happens. My best guess, AI bitches all season long about coming off the bench, the Grizz lose and lose, and they eventually just send him home for the last month or so of the season. This season is going to be great on so many levels!!!

I'm already leading the FIRE VDN MOVEMENT!

Why you ask do I want the coach fired after only three games? Easy, Tyrus Thomas is averaging all of 23 minutes per game...TWENTYFUCKINGTHREE MINUTES!!! Why not just cut him and get it over with, or at least trade him and try to get some value for him. Because this is a clear sign that the Bulls have zero intention of bringing him back, they aren't even giving him a chance. And you know what makes it worse? Taj Gibson, the ROOKIE, is averaging 18 minutes. How does that happen, a player who is one of the best shot blockers in the game, a solid offensive player, a fierce dunker, and a guy who has already hit some big shots for the Bulls ends up getting only 5 more minutes per game than a rookie who was drafted late in the first round? I'll tell you how, cause Vinny sucks my balls. He has basically already screwed up what should have been a tight seven man rotation by giving out big minutes to an inferior player. My question is this, does this come from upper management or more likely is Vinny just a fucking idiot?

All I wanted from Del Sucko was to let Rose turn it loose and to play both Noah and Tyrus at least 32 minutes per game and he is failing on all fronts!!! (Noah is averaging only 28 minutes per game despite looking jacked up and beating everyone up and down the court throughout the game)

Tonight they play the Bucks, and Tyrus is out with the flu. So now Vinny has an excuse to bench him permanently, and trust me, there is at least a 50-50 chance Tyrus never starts again. So from here on in, I hope I start hearing VIN-NY SUCKS chants during the home games.

Preseason Predictions Part III-The East

1. Celtics-A healthy KG means this team is pretty much unbeatable. Also, this the best bench they've had in the last 3 years. I think the big three stay healthy, Rondo stays motivated, and the C's have the best record in the league.

2. Magic-They're deep, they're talented, and they don't have Shaq getting in LeBron's way. I think in just about any other year they would win enough games to be the one seed, but this year they fall just a little, but still win 60 games.

3. Cavs-I just don't think it will work. Shaq has to be in the spotlight, he is really slow, has virtually no offensive skills any more, and is one of the worst defensive centers in the league. Why is he an upgrade again? I think the Cavs take a serious step back, only win 55-58 games (down from 66 last year), and lose to the Magic in the 2nd round. Plus, LeBron staying or leaving will hang over this team all year long, and that is never good.

4. Wizards-No got better in the offseason than the Wiz. Yes, much of that is because Arenas appears healthy, but they also added Randy Foye and Mike Miller. If Antawn Jamison can come back healthy, this team is the only team in the East that can threaten the big three of Boston, Orlando and Cleveland.

5. Bulls-Like I wrote down below, I think they only win 45 games, but I think that is good enough for the five seed. I go back and forth on whether they can beat the Wizards in the first round, but I'm a homer so I'm sticking to it. As long as Rose's ankle isn't an issue all year long, this team should be able to score and rebound with every team in the league.

6. Hawks-Many writers have the Hawks in the four seed, but I think they quit on their coach. Mike Woodson has been rubbing that team the wrong way for almost three years now, and I think it comes to a point this year. Plus, Joe Johnson is the one player that I truly believe will leave via free agency in the summer of 2010. So like the Cavs, that hovering over their heads all year long is never a good thing.

7. Heat-Michael Beasley is your number 2! That's not a good thing, not yet at least. At best this team is a 6 seed this year. At worst, D-Wade misses 20 games and they miss the playoffs. If they miss the playoffs my bet is Wade leaves. If Wade stays healthy, the Heat will still lose in the first round of the playoffs, but if Beez improves enough it could tempt Wade to stay were it is nice and warm. By the way, I hate Pat Riley!

8. Raptors-Lots of talent and a healthy Chris Bosh will mean they will make the playoffs. But if Hedo or Bosh miss significant time, this team is completely fucked! The 7th and 8th seeds are really up for grabs, and I think it will only take 40 wins to get into the playoffs this year.

Preseason Predictions Part II-The West

With the season already under way, I am a little slow to get this out, but I'VE BEEN BUSY!!! So without further chit chat my predictions for the seedings out west.

1. Spurs-I think this is going to be a very tight race all season long, but Manu Ginobili has already said he feels great. And as long as he stays healthy this team will win and win and win. I think 66 wins is in play for them. They are just loaded, I don't think there is a better top 9 in the league than what the Spurs throw out there every night. Kudos to upper management for continuing to show the league how a franchise should be run.

2. Lakers-They will still win sixty games, but this year that will only be good enough for 2nd place out west. I think Artest will fit in fine, I just don't think he is as good a player as Ariza. Ariza is quick and long and fits today's style of game better, whereas Artest is old, bulky and slow. He was much more effective 5 years ago when the league wasn't so uptempo and more contact was allowed. So no shame in second in the West, but home court is going to be huge in the playoffs for the Spurs. By the way, these are the only two teams that have any shot out west, everyone else is playing for third place.

3 thru 8 is going to be separated by like four games, so this is really a toss up. But, at the end of the day here is how I think it will play out.

3. Nuggets-They got to the conference finals last year and choked, it's essentially the same team and as long as George Karl stays interested I think this will be a tough team to beat all year long. Plus, believe it or not, I think Carmelo gets his scroing back up around 25ppg. Everything I've read said he is working and motivated and blah blah blah. So that can only help this team.

4. Jazz-Carlos Boozer in a contract year, a healthy Deron Williams, and one of the all time great coaches in Jerry Sloan. What's not to like here? I think Denver, Utah and Portland battle all season for the division crown, and at the end of the day it will come down to tie breakers for the Nuggets and Jazz with the Blazers finishing just a game or two behind. This could be the toughest division in the league.

5. Blazers-A lot of Writers and Sportscasters are predicting them to win the division and finish third behind the Lakers and Spurs. I just don't see it. They play way to slow, Aldridge isn't physical enough down low, Oden isn't going to be the second coming of Bill Russell, and Andre Miller will be wishing he stayed in Philly by the all-star break after averaging only 25 minutes per game coming off the bench. The one thing that could change is if they make a trade. The Blazers still have waaay too many players and not enough minutes. Jerryd Bayless and Nicolas Batum both appear to be in mop up duty, so if they make a move things could change.

6. Mavericks-I like what the Mavs did in the offseason, they are basically going for it. Unfortunately for them, this team is no where near good enough to compete with the Spurs and Lakers. They could however sneak into that three spot. When you look at the roster it's pretty loaded: Dirk, Kidd, Marion, and Terry, but I have always said this team goes as Josh Howard Goes. And he just doesn't seem right and is already banged up with an ankle injury that kept him out of the opener. Since their championship run he has been the do it all guy that holds everything together, and without him playing like he did circa '06, they are pretty much screwed.

7. Hornets-I don't like this team at all. They have three good players in Chris Paul, David West and Emeka Okafor...AND THAT's IT! Chris Paul's greatness will get them into the playoffs, but just barely. Hell they could end up the 8 seed.

8. Suns-Did you know the Suns averaged 117ppg after Alvin Gentry took over last year? I didn't know that. I expect that trend to continue this season and I see the Suns winning and losing a lot of games in the 120s. I think with Nash, Jason Richardson, and Amar'e they have just enough to get into the playoffs. I think it will be one of the most exciting teams to watch, but sadly they don't have the depth or the interior defense to do anything but lose in the first round of the playoffs!

Preseason Prediction Part I

So I'm going to break down my preseason picks into three parts: Out of the Playoffs, the East, and the West. So here we go, the following teams will miss the playoffs.

East:

These teams aren't really ever going to be in it, there just isn't enough talent on the Knicks, Pacers, Bucks, and Bobcats. These are definitely the cellar dwellers and I don't give any of them a chance to make the playoffs.

The Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets however, I think will be close, but ultimately come up short. I see the Sixers in it all the way until the last week, but at the end of the year I think losing Andre Miller is going to be to tough to overcome. He set everyone up and got open shots for his team and I don't think Lou Williams can do that. The Nets I just don't think have quite enough depth and no team starting Yi Jianlian can make the playoffs, I'm pretty sure that's an unwritten NBA Rule. I like Courtney Lee a lot, and I love Devin Harris and Brook Lopez, but until they get a bench and a quality starter at the four this team will be out of the playoffs.

West:

The west is pretty interesting, there are a couple of teams that I think are going to be just terrible and will give up by the end of November. The Kings, T-Wolves and Rockets just don't have enough horses to be competitive night in and night out. I think all three teams will struggle to win 25 games. After those three though, anything could really happen. I don't think what Memphis is doing will work (so they're out of the playoffs), but it could. And talent wise they are way up there if only everyone could check their ego at the door. The Warriors are already dealing with disfunction and Wacko Stephen Jackson, so I think they are out. But who knows, they could trade him and pull everything together. And maybe Don Nelson will decide to coach this year, but again, I doubt it. The OKC Thunder are on the verge of the playoffs, but I think they are still a year or two away and they still don't have any interior defense. So 2011 seems like a much more likely year for them to make the playoffs, unless Durant becomes the second coming, in which case all bets are off.

So that leaves us with the Suns and believe it or not, the Clippers. I think this race goes right down to the last day of the season and I think the Suns make it into the playoffs. The Clippers will fall just short, not because of anything they do wrong, but because they are a year away with young studs like Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin. I see the Clippers winning 45 games which would be a five seed in the east, but isn't good enough in the west.

Coming next, the Western Conference Playoff seedings

Tyrus Thomas

As of this writing, there is talk Tyrus Thomas might not be the starter at the four. This is a testament to how unbelievably stupid Vinny Del Sucko is. If Tyrus comes off the bench, I am calling for the immediate firing of Vinny. Tyrus is better in every way than Rookie Taj Gibson. He's a better shooter, better defender, better rebounder and much better shot blocker. So why the hell would anyone other than Tyrus start?

MY PRESEASON PREDICTION

I used to run a website with my buddy Sumner, but no one ever went there so we decided to stop paying 60 bucks a year for nothing. So now I am going to start blogging about the Bulls and the NBA in general.

Well, something we did every year was preseason predictions. This year I'll break down both conferences, but for my first post I'm just going to break down my beloved Bulls and give my prediction for the season.

First things first. Derrick Rose gets a lot better this year and starts to be talked about as one of the elite PGs along with Chris Paul and Deron Williams. He won't finish the year as the best PG in the league, but he will be in the discussion. The sky is the limit for this guy, and this year he gets to the line more, he hits more jumpers and with Ben Gordon gone he takes over as the go to guy in the fourth quarter. I also think he improves his defense, but sadly he will still basically suck on that end of the court for at least one more year. I see averages of 18ppg and 8assts and at least two WOW plays per game.

But that is the easy part, everyone knows Rose is a beast. So let's break everything else down. The starting five should be Rose, John Salmons, Loul Deng, Tyrus Thomas and Jokim Noah. I love this lineup. Both Salmons and Deng can knock down open jumpers (Salmons shot 42% from behind the arc last year). Deng, Thomas, and Noah are all finishers in the paint. And Thomas and Noah are two of the best shot blocking big men in the game. This is a well balanced team that should be able to score with the best of them while keeping most teams out of the paint. I also like their sixth and seventh men Kirk Hinrich and Brad Miller. Hinrich does everything well, but nothing great. Good shooter, good ball handler, excellent defender, there isn't anything he sucks at. He may have a shot at the Sixth Man of the Year award as he'll probably average close to 30 minutes a night and be in at the end of games whenever defense is needed. Miller is of course, old, and slow, but still savvy and at 20-25 minutes a night he may be the best backup big man in the east.

Unfortunately, there is some downside to the Bulls. First, they only have one star (Rose) so there is a ceiling here. Second, their bench is very thin. After Hinrich and Miller the next two guys off the bench are rookies (James Johnson and Taj Gibson), so who knows what to expect from those guys. If there is an injury to anyone of the top 7 guys the Bulls could be in for a very long season. Third, last year the Bulls had one of the five WORST coaches in the NBA in Vinny Del Negro. He screwed up rotations, he messed with guys minutes, he refused to turn the team loose offensively, he screws up timeout situations late in the game, he runs the same play over and over and over, and he sucks as a defensive coach. In the playoffs last year he seemed to catch on a little bit, but how much of that was simply the Celtics not having KG and how much of that was Vinny getting Smarter? I have no idea, but I can't imagine Vinny is any worse than he was last year. All I ask from him this season is to not fuck with Tyrus' minutes and to turn Rose loose. If he does those things I'll be happy. Lastly, they did lose Ben Gordon who is a big time scorer and clutch performer. My hope and belief is that Salmons will more than make up for Gordon's loss with his defense and ability to keep the ball moving.

So with all that being said, I think the Bulls will definitely make the playoffs and if things fall right, they could make it to the second round where they will get crushed by the Magic, Celtics, or Cavs. Final prediction, 45-37 (which is four more wins than they had last year), the fifth seed in the east and a first round win.