Chicago Bulls 2012-2013 Season Recap

Boiled peanuts were the ceremonious gift

The Chicago Bulls just concluded their 2012-2013 season by losing to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals  four games to one. The most amazing part about that series is the Bulls won the first game with the former MVP Derrick Rose whose still recovering from a torn ACL. Luol Deng and Kirk Hindrich also sat out due to injuries. With three marquee players out and the Chicago Bulls won a game was very impressive and shows how good of a coach Tom Thibodeau is. Coach Thibodeau did more with less and deserved coach of the year instead of George Karl of Denver. Personally I wanted the Bulls to tank the season and get a lottery pick in the up coming NBA Draft but instead the Bulls worked hard and defeated the Brooklyn Nets in a grueling seven game first round series then defeated the defending champions Miami Heat in the first game before dropping the next four.

Going into the 2013-2014 season the Chicago Bulls should not only challenge the Miami Heat for NBA supremacy but surpass them as the best team in basketball. With an improved back-court which starts with Derrick Rose (welcome back) and Jimmy Butler (most improved) along with an all-star front-court Boozer, Deng, Noah equals best record and NBA Finals appearance. If Marquis Teague learns how to attack the basket he could be a great addition along with an improved Taj Gibson as the backup power forward.

I know it's early but I'm calling it the Chicago Bulls will win the NBA Title 2013-2014 season!!!!!!

NBA Post Season - Eastern Conference

Well first off let me congratulate the Miami Heat for winning the 2011 NBA Title. Once the new Big Three lead by the regular season and NBA Finals MVP LeBron James defeated the Oklahoma Thunder (which has a Big 3 nucleus of their own) in five games, they went into free agency and reloaded. Ten years ago they were teammates in Seattle now they're reunited in Miami. The edition on Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis gives the Heat more scoring options if James, Wade, and Bosh are double teamed. General Manager Pat Riley still             needs to address his ball club's bench but then again, their week bench are NBA Champions.

Who is the best team in the Big Apple? My vote goes to the Brooklyn Nets formerly of New Jersey. Not only did they keep superstar point guard Deron Williams, but they also pulled off a trade to land all-star shooting guard Joe Johnson from the Atlanta Hawks. They backcourt is one of the best in the league and they have yet to play a game together. Keeping Gerald Wallace and re-signing Brook Lopez was also a step in the right direction as I believe Brook Lopez will turn into a better center than Jokim Noah & Andrew Bynum. Their counter part New York Knicks have also made impact signings but which version of New York Knicks will show up. Today the Knicks signed Raymond Felton and last week inked future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd from Dallas. Kidd no longer possesses the same speed as he did the last time he played on the East Coast but his court vision is still the same. If they're offense turns stagnant once Carmelo Anthony gets the ball, they'll remain the Knicks.

My Chicago Bulls drafted ultra quick point guard Marquis Teague  to temporally replace Derrick Rose. Drafted Teague is a steal. Both Rose & Teague had the same college coach and had the same pro-style system while in school. Last week the Bulls agreed to resign Captain Kirk which could be a good and bad thing for Marquis. Signing Hinrich is temporary until Rose return from and ACL injury but hopefully Kirk will come off the bench for Marquis Teague. I'm finally glad CJ Watson is gone to New Jersey but hopefully they can re-sign Kyle Korver for his deadly shooting. The 2012-2013 is washed but lookout for the Bulls to challenge Miami once a healthy MVP Derrick Rose returns.

Another week in Hoops

My time in Los Angeles draws to a close but just because I'm on the west coast I've clearly been following what's going on in the basketball world. I finally got a chance to hoop in LA and the game is just as I anticipated. Strictly fast break without the flash-n-flare ball handling skills that's displayed in Chicago as well as the NYC. Overall I stand my claim Chicago truly does have the best ball players my city has the best overall players in the country and have the most heart. Let it be known the NBA MVP does hail from the Windy City.

Speaking of the Windy City, props to Derrick Rose for being pissed of at the Indiana Pacer for celebrating on the United Center floor after defeating the Chicago Bulls earlier this week. The rest of the club should have been just as upset Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen would have not allowed the other team to celebrate on our home court. Once again that just shows the Chicago mentality when it comes to basketball WE DO THIS!!!!!!!!

I have no idea what's going on with my Fighting ILLINI?!?!? It seems once they're ranked, that's when they start losing. This team is young but it starts and ends with Meyers Leonard who needs to become more dominant in the post. The legit 7'0 center has pro potential but is not using his skills at all times. DJ Richardson & Brandon Paul have shown promise but still this teams needs to do better or they'll end up in the NIT like they did two years ago.

The D-League of College Basketball aka the Kentucky Wildcats are once again #1 in the nation. The Cats are clicking and Anthony Davis is playing like 2012 #1 NBA pick that everyone projects. Expect this group to cut down the nets in April.

NBA Draft Recap - Part 1

This is a 3 part blog that I'll talk about regarding the 2011 NBA Draft

Last Thursday the annual NBA Draft took place in New Jersey and to nobody's surprise, the Cleveland Cavaliers took Kyrie Irving with the first pick. Coach Byron Scott played poker with the media but finally reveled his has when they drafted the former one & done freshmen from Duke. Why Irving was chosen first even though he only played eight games all year is simple: much like the quarterback in football, point guard is the most important position in basketball and they're an extension of the coach on the floor. Had Irving been healthy during the season, Duke easily defeats Arizona and most likely would have advanced to the Final 4 this past March.

Derrick Rose and John Wall were the previous point guards selected first overall and are the leaders on their team. With the departure of LeBron James last summer, Kyrie Irving realizes he's no Lebron but he has to put the city of Cleveland and the Cavaliers on his back. That's the cost of being drafted 1st overall. The verdict is still out if his turf toe injury is completely healed but when healthy, Irving has lighting speed, low turnover ratio, and extremely athletic. With this new team, he should not have any problem taking over the leadership (this team lost 26 consecutive games) since he hails from a winning high school & college program. Most scout are comparing him to Chris Paul but I see a more athletic Kevin Johnson in Irving. Remember KJ was a scoring PG who also dished 10 assist per game.

The only drawback I see is can the newly number one pick handle losing because he'll loose more games next season than he did in high school and college combined. 

2010-2011 Basketball Season Recap

Congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks, and Connecticut Huskies for becoming newly minted champions. Enjoy the summer and good luck defending your titles next season. Now that college and pro basketball has concluded, AAU and shoe camps are heating up but let's review ten things what basketball has taught me these past few months.

1. Blake Griffin - Karl Malone is training has the makings of becoming the next great power forward of all time. Once The Blake Show realizes the game of basketball is more than just dunking over people and develops a mid-range shot and becomes a decent free-throw shooter, he'll surpass Tim Duncan as the greatest power forward of all time. His ball-handling ability is already above average. 
2. Derrick Rose - Youngest MVP in NBA History. Straight from Chicago I've always said this hometown point guard will not only be the best lead guard for years to come but he'll also become the face of the league with the likes of LeBron, DWade, Kobe, Durant. So far he's right on track. 
3. Chicago Bulls - Speaking of Derrick Rose and his team, not one critic, scout, fan (including me) thought the Bulls will finish with the best record in basketball this season. Next season teams will pay more attention to this defensive minded team lead by the reigning MVP Derrick Rose. 
4. Miami Heat - Cavs owner Dal Gilbert tweeted after the Mavs victory there are no shortcuts. Not shocked they did not defeat the Mavs as my notion about them being only a 3 player team got exposed. Pat Riley's crew need a completely roster to compliment Wade, Bosh, and James. 
5. LA Lakers - After 3 straight NBA Finals appearances, the defending Champs thought they would waltz to the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant's team did not have the same drive in them this season which is why they're no longer champions. 
6. Forming a "Big 3" - Miami, New York, and Boston all have three major superstars on their roster but the Celtics were the only ones victorious. Boston's Big 3 worked because they had the supporting cast to go along with their Big 3. Let's hope Miami follows Boston's example. 
7. Kemba Walker - NYPG!!!! The return of the New York City point guard dominating college basketball is exactly what this now former Huskie did all the way to Houston. His dominant play also elevated his draft status for the 2011 NBA Draft. 
8. Mid majors vs. Big 6 - The Final 4 had 2 mid-majors with Butler in the title game for the second straight season. The mid majors are not catching up what's happening is mid-major players are staying 4 years while the UCONN, Kentucky get the one & done players. Do you build for the future or like Calapari recruit only for that season with the best freshmen then start over again?
9. 2011 NBA Draft - This will go down as the weakest draft class in years due to the pending lockout next season. As a result the 2012 Draft will go down as one of the deepest drafts in history.
10. Dallas Mavericks - The addition of Tyson Chandler was truly the difference which is why they're world champions. Also Dirk & Terry never forgot what took place in 2006. JJ will get a huge paycheck from Cuban. 

Chicago Bulls 2010-2011 Season Recap

Now that the Chicago Bulls season has come to a close, I won't say that this team overachieved but lead my the youngest MVP in league history, The Chicago Bulls exceeded all expectations by finishing with the best record in the NBA going 62-20. Going into the season the Bulls were supposed contend with Orlando, Boston, and Miami but not surpass them. The object was to avoid Boston or Miami until the Eastern Conference Finals meaning land the one or two seed.

On that note mission accomplished but after last weeks heart breaking defeat by the Miami Heat at the United Center, the Bulls now must address the missing piece in their lineup which is a scoring shooting guard to compliment Derrick Rose. Towards the end of the season and all through the playoffs, Derrick Rose was our primary scorer and point guard. As a result, teams forced the MVP to take bad shots which resulted in rare losses for this ball club.

Jokim Noah must work on his offensive game this off-season. If Noah comes back an explosive offensive weapon, that means trouble for the Miami Heat. Taj Gibson must continue to be the spark off the bench providing occasional double-doubles. Carlos Boozer must learn to play above the rim and pretty much must learn how to move his feet and play defense overall. Boozer should not lay the ball up when he's underneath the basket he must learn to finish strong like Blake Griffin.

Along with the Executive of the Year, MVP, Coach Tom also collected hardware by winning the Coach of the Year. The defensive minded Thiboodeau made sure less isolation ball was played and more team defense was played. As a result other than the Miami Heat, the Bulls team was the best defensive team in the NBA which lead to a ton of transition points scored. Keith Bogans made all defensive second team but must drastically work on his offensive game this off-season. Once Kyle Korver learn how to create his own shot rather than going through screen, he'll become an unstoppable weapon on offense. At this point the only advice I have for Omar is to remain healthy but once healthy, he must improve his defense if he want to become a dominant force at the center position.

If this core group stays together, I see a minimum two championships out of this group but first they must acquire  a legit shooting guard.

Bulls/Hawks - Series

The Atlanta Hawks got the split at the United Center as the series now heads to Phillips Arena for Game 3 and 4 this weekend. Game 1 saw Joe Johnson have the game of his life as he and his Hawks shot over 50% from the field. As terrible as the Bulls played, they still almost pulled off the victory and last night's game, Atlanta shot less than 40% which is the Atlanta Hawks I know. A team full of me first players with a terrible shot selection and low basketball IQ. I expect the Bulls to sweep these two games in Atlanta then come home and finish the series in Game 5. 

Kirk Hindrich going down with an injury has led to the increased playing time and confidence booster for Jeff Teague. The Indianapolis native has been the most impressive Hawk and has done a pretty consistent guarding the MVP Derrick Rose (who did attempt one free-throw in game 1). 

Chicago Bulls in 5 

Chicago Bulls - Destination Grant Park

Not only did the Chicago Bulls finish with the best record in the Eastern Conference, but they finished with the best record in the NBA this season going 62-20. The last time a Chicago Bulls team won over 60 games, the end result was a city wide championship with a victory rally in Grant Park. Twenty years ago I attended the first celebration at Grant Park and I remember Michael Jordan saying he waited seven long years for this moment and between 1991-1998, going to Grant Park because as common as the Taste of Chicago.

This afternoon at the United Center, the Indiana Pacers did not go down quietly as they led most of the game until Kyle Korver's 3 with 49 seconds left secured the victory for the Bulls who now lead the series 1-0. When it comes to scoring, like the Jordan era Bulls, this current bunch became stagnant and relied on Derrick Rose to carry the scoring load. Not getting any points from our shooting guard (Keith Bogans) is equivalant to have four or five on the floor. I was not thrilled when management signed Bogans this past off-season because he was not contributed anything to this franchise this season. We're not asking for a huge scoring output but at least 10 points from our starting shooting guard is reasonable.

Game 2 is Monday night on TNT and I expect a more more determined Bulls teams that should dominate the Pacers the same way the Bulls dominated the rest of the Central Division.

Bulls Best in East????

With the loss to the New Jersey Nets tonight the Boston Celtics are now tied with the Chicago Bulls for the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Miami Heat and Orlando Magic will continue to beat each other up in the South Division, The Celtics have the experience but are beginning to show their age which is why the young Bulls lead by the leading MVP candidate Derrick Rose will play in the NBA Finals this year.

During the beginning of the season many projected the Celtics, Heat, or Magic to contend to Eastern Conference supremacy (including myself) but none of the "experts" projected the Bulls to be the Beast of the East. Will they reach the NBA Finals this year remains to be seen but I can tell you why they'll finish with the best record in the East.

Other than the Chicago Bulls, the NBA Central is full of teams that will participate in the NBA Lottery. Currently the Bulls are undefeated in their division and should remain that way the rest of the season. The point guard is the most dominant position in the NBA today but the Bulls have the best of the best lead guard in Derrick Rose who'll most likely win the MVP award this year. Rose's scoring, assist are up this year and has even become more of a vocal leader along with his improved jump shot.

Improved front court: If Derrick Rose is the MVP than Jokim Noah is the most improved. Noah's scoring and rebounding has increased every year and would have been an All-Star if not for his hand surgery. Carlos Boozer is the much need low post scoring we've been missing since Elton Brand. Taj Gibson has shown glimpse of stardom and occasionally gets double-doubles. Lou Deng is the "veteran" of this young core that provides the scoring Rose doesn't. Kyle Korver is the new John Paxton, Steve Kerr (you get the picture).

Their lack of a legit scoring guard will become a problem deep in the playoffs but should be enough to finish with the best record in the East....GO BULLS!!!!!!

Potential Eastern All-Star Lineup

When the all-stars gear up to play the annual game in the Staples Center next center fans are still voting for the starting lineup and as of today, Derrick Rose surpased Rondo for second place only trailing Dwayne Wade for the top spot in guard voting. Coaches get to add the reserves but if it were up to me, this would be the starting lineup for the Eastern Conference:

• PG - Derrick Rose - Leading candidate for MVP for the first place Central Bulls.
• SG - Dwayne Wade - What other shooting guard is better
• SF - LeBron James - Best overall player in the League....hands down!!!!!
• PF - Amare Stoudamire - Playing in the top market has led made him and MVP candidate for the improved Knicks.
• C -   Jokim Noah - Scoring and rebounding has improved each season. Top five in rebounding before hand surgery.

What Basketball has taught me so far....

With the big Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers game headed this Christmas at the Staples Center, we would have completed two months worth of NBA ball and with college basketball just about wrapping up non-conference play, here's what I've learned..

• Kemba Walker is the best player in college basketball and a future lottery pick. The UCONN Huskies are the surprise of the Big East. With a fast start, they're not ranked in the top 5. It starts and ends with the Bronx PG.

• Kyle Irving should stay in school because a 3 guard lineup with Austin Rivers-Kyle Irving-Seth Curry is flat out scary.

• Illinois is my Final 4 sleeper but a bad loss to Illinois-Chicago then again to Missouri now  make me wonder going into conference play are they the best Big 10 team in the state.
• Speaking of Illinois teams in the Big 10, this is finally the year Northwestern does play in the big dance. 

• Unless the Miami Heat land a point guard via trade, they will not represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. 

• Don't count out the former champions Spurs & Celtics. Both teams have a lot of miles on them but they're both off to a great start. Let's hope their health holds up come playoff time. 

• The Dallas Mavericks are making a strong case that they're not only the best team in Texas, Western Conference, but in the NBA. Other than Tyson Chandler, no other Maverick is committed to defense.

• Dirk, Amare Stoudamire are the biggest impacts on they're team and have a strong case for MVP but the trophy belongs to Derrick Rose. 

• The new NBA rules are terrible and the Lakers are still the best team in the NBA...they're just bored until the playoffs. 

Who is the best NBA Point Guard

With the NBA season less than 10 games the point guards have dominated this season. If the MVP award were given today, several point guard are making strong cases. The question so far this season and asked by Kenny Smith..."Who is the best point guard in the NBA"? Well lets meet the contestants:

*For argument sakes Chris Paul & Deron Williams will not be mentioned*

• Brandon Jennings - Young Money is not having a sophomore slump already dropping a triple double in the first week. Some say the Kenny Anderson clone is the best point guard in the Central Division. Once his jump shot matches his quickness and passing ability, you'll have to consider the Compton native one of the best. 14pts 7ast 4 reb

• Russell Westbrook - The FIBA game did wonders for the former guard out of UCLA. He's not a true point guard but very explosive and finishes very hard at the rim. Compliments Kevin Durant very well. 20ppg 7ast 6reb

• Derrick Rose - "I WANT TO BE MVP" That's what Pooh said in the latest issue of SLAM. Already strong, fast, explosive, great passer. So far Simeon's finest has proven to be a leader of this team and is not afraid of Miami. He worked on his jump shot over the summer and if automatic, he'll be the king of the PGs hands down. Expect him to be in the running for MVP all season long. 27ppg 8ast 5reb

• Rajon Rondo - Right now the Black Irish PG is not only the best player on his team, but if the MVP award were given today Rondo would win it in a landslide. Rondo is a classic lead guard and has dished out 60 assist over 4 games (Stockton being the other). Still has a tendency to over dribble but his passing ability is second to none. Jason Kidd never worked on his jumper and he's one of the best ever. 11pppg 16ast 6reb

• John Wall - Whatever John Calipari is doing it's amazing. Flashes of Derrick Rose are completely accurate. Speed, finisher, #1 overall pick, athleticism, court vision, potential rookie of the year. FYI...he's only a rookie. 

Opening Night - Ring Night - Big 3 Battle

Huge night for TNT tonight as they prepare for a double header. The first game of the year has my favorite to win the Eastern Conference the Boston Celtics which features The O'Neals (Jermaine & Shaq), and elite point guard (Rondo), and the old big 3 (KG, Pierce, Allen). They will face the new big 3 (LBJ, DWade, Bosh) and the rest of the Miami Heat. The Heat will be without 3-point specialist Mike Miller until January as he injured his shooting hand in practice guarding LeBron. Plenty of scoring from Miami's Big 3 but they're bench is not a strong supporting cast. Meanwhile Boston lost Tony Allen but gained the O'Neals and have Nate Robinson, Big Baby, Delonte West as their supporting cast which should be more than enough to secure the victory tonight. Rondo should get a tripple double and one of the Celtics Big 3 will have a big game. Celtics by 10 tonight.

On the west coast, NBA Commissioner David Stern presents Kobe Bryant with ring #5 then shortly after Kobe & Co. should blowout Yao Ming & the Houston Rockets. Kevin Martin will have a hard time scoring with Ron Artest guarding him meaning Aaron Brooks will have to elevate his scoring by running circles over Derrick Fisher, Steve Blake, and Shannon Brown.

Both games should be interesting but tomorrow my Chicago Bulls will face the Oklahoma City Thunder. Good point guard match up Rose vs. Westbrook.

 

Preview - Chicago Bulls 2010-2011

With the NBA training camp underway every team has an eye to dethrone the defending champions Los Angeles Lakers. Today we'll focus on my home team the Chicago Bulls and their outlook for the upcoming season. Jokim Noah resigned which gives the Bulls a solid defender for the next six years but the team caught a bad break Sunday when newly signed Carlos Boozer broke his had and is out for 2 months. According to Boozer this injury occurred at home but he's been injury prone throughout his career. Once Boozer returns to action, pencil him in for 20-10 every night. He's the lone low post scorer they've been missing since Elton Brand. All Rookie Taj Gibson will start until Boozer returns and should be improved after an impressive rookie season. 

For the back-court it starts and ends with Derrick Rose. The best point guard in the League has improved his game every season going back to his junior year at Simeon. Ronnie Brewer is an defensive minded guard with great athleticism should be great in transition. The Bulls lost out on JJ Reddick but got a much better shooter in Kyle Korver. Expect Rose to rank top 5 in assist as well as a legit MVP candidate. 

Overall: Coach Tom is a defensive minded coach with championship experience. This team will contend with the Heat, Celtics, and Magic for Eastern Conference supremacy. Another first round exit not excepted. 

FIBA World Championship

With everyone projected Spain vs. Team USA in the championship both teams have struggled in the FIBA World Championships so far. The difference is, Team USA remains undefeated. The defending world champions Spain have lost 2 out of their last 3 losing most recently to Lithuania?!?!?!? Exactly other than Team USA, Spain has the most NBA ready players on their roster.

Last night Brazil gave Kevin Durant & company a scare as this new group of American ball players held on to defeat a Leandro Barbosa squad by a single bucket 70-68.If Team USA is healthy then someone needs to check Andre Iguodala's ankles. Close to the end of the game, Barbosa gave Iggy a sick behind the back dribble that sent AI to the ground. USA Basketball still has two major problems that they need to adjust:

1. Turnovers
2. Consistent lineup

I'm aware any player on Team USA can score 20 plus any given night but Coach K needs to focus on a consistent lineup. Other than Kevin Durant, nobody know if they'll play the next game. Turnovers continue to be a problem for Team USA as they are sloppy and needs better clock management.

Once those two problems are solved, Team USA should win the FIBA Championship as well as the 2012 Olympics. 

USA Basketball Recap

With Kevin Durant's game winning block against Spain a few night ago, Team USA remained undefeated in International play. Team USA is in the pursuit for their first gold medal since 1994. Chicago's own Derrick Rose dominated down the stretch hitting clutch free throws and finishing strong with the left hand (and one).

Ricky Rubio impressed me the most as he showed why the Minnesota drafted him fifth in the 2009 NBA Draft Draft. Rubio reminds me of a taller version of Steve Nash minus the 3-point range. Spain and USA have become quite a rivalry the past five years and I can pretty much say these two teams will meet in the World Basketball Finals.

Without Howard, Boozer, Bosh, Team USA has to rely on Tyson Chandler, Brook Lopez, and Kevin Love as their big man. This current group is more athletic than the Redeem Team but not as talented. Kevin Durant is the new leader of this group according to the coaching staff and the media but Big Shot Chauncey Billups is the one these young ball players need to listen to.

Way too many slashers in this group and not enough big men and shooters. Therefore when the next cuts take place, Coach K should say goodbye to Russel Westbrook, Ruddy Gay, and Danny Grainger. Reasons being Curry, Gordan, Billups are the shooters. Rose, Rondo play the lead guard. Odom, Wallace, and Iggie are the athletic do everything forwards.

The group is good enough to win the gold along with the 2012 Olympics but they better not take Spain for granted.

LeBron'sFinal Home Game?

Many expected (including myself) predicted the Cavaliers would defeat the Celtics today then finish the series Thursday in Boston. LeBron James never got started taking only 14 shots which resulted to Cleveland losing 120-88. The highlight of the game was a double crossover that Rondo displayed which had Rasheed Wallace in stitches.

At this stage in his career Shaq should not be the team's leading scorer when LeBron is on the court. Once again Mo Williams continued to get exposed defensively by his counter part at the point guard position. Derrick Rose is the first round now Rondo's turn. They are passing him around like foreign currency. If Cleveland looses Thursday we know Danny Ferry will not return O'Neal, most likely fire Mike Brown, and probably loos LeBron James via free agency.

Like my Chicago Blackhawks, this is the best chance for the Cleveland Cavaliers to win a world championship. The last time the Cavs had this good of a team to win a title was 1989 but their season ended by The Shot. 

Chicago Bulls Gone Fishin'

Before I blog about teams that have gone fishin' for the summer J.R. Smith just pulled off an incredible dunk in the 4th quarter which is probably on YouTube about now. Now...the Bulls, Heat, Bobcats have all started their summer vacations with Chicago and Miami losing in five games while the Bobcats got swept by the Orlando Magic.

Last night The Chicago Bulls lost by 2 points to the Cleveland Cavaliers 96-84 which was probably the last game for Vinny Del Negro. If Jerry Reinsdorf paid attention he would clean house by firing John Paxon, Gar Foreman, and Vinny Del Negro. But since coaches are always the first to go Del Negro will probably be relieved of his duties by the weekend. Jokim Noah & Derrick Rose displayed that they're the new blood in the NBA with Derrick Rose potentially being the best point guard east of Steve Nash. When the real season begins July 1st, I hope Mark Jackson or Byron Scott is the Bulls coach and my team lands Wade, Stoudamire, Bosh, or Boozer. The future is bright for the madhouse on Madison.

The Cavaliers move on into the next round to face the Black Irish aka Boston Celtics. With Kevin Garnett healthy again, expect this series to go the distance but this time the Cavs moving on the Eastern Conference Finals. The winner between the Hawks or Bucks series will most likely get swept by the Magic in that round (Young Money aka Brandon Jennings in my Rookie of the Year). Side Note: Before the Hawks/Bucks game tonight Jamal Crawford receive his well deserved 6th man of the year trophy.

Chicago Bulls Defeat Cleveland Cavs

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight 108-106 thanks to Anthony Parker's missed shot as time expired. The Bulls were up by as much as 21 points and then LeBron decided to remind the world that he's LeBron. The highlight of the game was Deng going behind the back vintage Kenny Anderson against LeBron for the score. That play got all the oooh & ahhhs at the United Center. LeBron will average his 30 plus for the series but once again Derrick Rose is making a case that he's the best point guard in the NBA.

Derrick Rose has yet to have a bad game this series and and long as Mo Williams is guarding him, he'll continue to have a great game. Mike Davis decided to have King James guard Rose which did not do any good as Inglewood's Finest displayed a clinic for the home crowd. No matter what happens, I still want Avery Johnson or Mark Jackson as the Bulls next head coach.

Game 4 this Saturday at the United Center...let's hope the Bulls tie the series!!!!!!!

Side-note: Not drafting Jimmy Clausen in the 1st round was a huge mistake!!!!!!!

Bulls Down 2-0

MVP...MVP...MVP...MVP

The Chicago Bulls are down two games to none in the best of seven series against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Game 1 was a game to forget as the Cavs just toyed with the Bulls. In game one, the Bulls cut the lead to six with 6 minuets to go after being down by as much as 22. From that point LeBron proved that he is the king to secure the Cavs the victory.

Tonight Derrick Rose and the Bulls played tough and even took the lead in the 4th quarter. Pooh proved once he develops a jump shot that he'll become the best point guard in the League over CP3, Westbrook, DWILL, and Young Money. J. Noah was the leading scorer tonight with 23 but if he's the Bulls leading scorer.....that's a problem!!!!! Game 3 is Thursday at the United Center and the Bulls will bring the same fire they did tonight at Quicken Loans but this time secure the victory.