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!!!!!!

THIS WEEK IN HOOPS

With Syracuse Orangeman raining as the consistent #1 team in hoops, Simeon the best high school team in the country, the NBA going on it's third week with the Bulls & Heat the best two teams in basketball.....HOOPS IN FULL SWING!!!!!!!

Tom Cream has his Indiana Hoosiers back to college hoops relevance. So far this year they're the only team to defeat the #1 (Kentucky) and #2 (Ohio State) team the same season. The scary part is next year's Hoosier class is scary. It was only a mater of time before the former Marquette coach to turn a program around. I still think he's the next Spartan coach once Tom Izzo bolts for the NBA.

Miami Heat I just don't get them. Earlier this week they loose to the Atlanta Hawks at home then turn around and beat the same Hawks at full strength in triple overtime on Thursday. The amazing part was Miami played without LeBron James or Dwayne Wade who sat out with injures. With a year under their belts, the Heat would not shock anyone if they made it back to the NBA Finals. Speaking of Atlanta, on Tuesday they played a thriller in the United Center dominating the entire game until the forth quarter where Derrick Rose had to show Jeff Teague why he's the reigning MVP. These two teams square off tonight in Atlanta.

Speaking of the Bulls other than Miami, they're the most consistent team in the NBA. Coach Tom has my team playing with a chip on their shoulder as well as they should. Finishing with the best record in basketball last season they should waltz through the Central Division until they face the Heat in the East Finals.  

Congrats to Keith Smart for the new coaching gig in Sacramento. Now that Paul Westphal is out of town, hopefully DeMarcus Cousins will listen to this coach instead of being labeled a headcase. The young former Wildcat does have talent and worked hard on his game this summer. Speaking of talent, that's all John Wall appears to be relying on which is the reason why his Wizards are the only win-less team in basketball. He & Russel Westbrook need to broaden their basketball IQ and become a better point guard.

While I'm thinking about making the transition to Los Angeles full-time, I'm going to the Staples Center this Wednesday to checkout the Clippers play the Heat.

Basketball is Back!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome back NBA!!!!!!! Christmas time is coming and so is the NBA. The opening game of the 66 game NBA season is between the Chicago Bulls lead by the reigning MVP Derrick Rose facing The Los Angeles Lakers with Kobe Bryant and new coach Mike Brown. The NBA Finals rematch between the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks where they receive their rings also take place. Overall there are six games on Christmas which have all the marquee stars playing on opening night. Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, and Stephen Curry also highlight the Christmas night. The NBA was smart to have their young stars open the season trying to capture the fans that strayed away during the lockout. Building back the fans trust is key. Let's hope when this new bargaining agreement expires the owners and players are at peace to avoid another lockout. 

In college hoops over the weekend the two team that I project will meet in April to cut down the nets played in Lexington, KY as Kentucky defeated North Carolina by a last second block from 2012 #1 pick Anthony Davis.  Watching that game featured at least five future 1st round NBA picks. Harrison Barnes, Anthony Davis, Marquis Teague, Kidd-Gilchrist are lottery picks and Kendall Marshall is late lottery mid-round one pick. 

NBA free agency begins this week and training camp next week looking forward to all the signings. Also My ILLINI are 8-0 and ranked in the top 25 this week. 

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. 

NBA Finals - Game 5 Preview

With the series tied 2-2 and this now becoming a three game series. "It's Now or Never" is what LeBron James posted on his Twitter profile and after a nine point performance in game 4. Scottie Pippen is eating his words now because there is now way Michael Jordan would have scored only nine points in an NBA Finals game and loose.

If the Miami Heat want to win tonight LeBron James needs to play like the 2-time MVP that he was. The problem with LeBron is he becomes too passive in the fourth quarter and relies on Dwayne Wade to carry the team. There is no way Shawn Marion or any other Maverick can guard James 1-on-1. Moments like this is when superstars need to dominate and take over games. I know Wade will do this but also Bosh needs to become more assertive as well. Chris Bosh needs to return to the Toronto Raptor form because he's been inconsistent all year long. The Heat also need great point guard play from Mike Bibby & Mario Chalmers to set up the offensive. The last time I check James Jones was the reigning 3-point champion. I bring this up because Miami should use him the way the Chicago Bulls use to use Craig Hodges. Put James & Miller in the game strictly for 3-point shooting.

What about Dallas? The key for the Mavericks is something Miami has had trouble with all year which is strong point guard play. Future Hall-of-Famer Jason Kidd must continue to dictate the offense for Dallas and score when necessary. Jose Barea & Jason Terry must continue to knock down shots and push the tempo when Kidd is not in the game. Speaking of knocking down shot, Peja Stojakovic needs the confidence he had in Sacramento and when open, provide long range shooting. Since Caron Butler is not available this series, Shawn Marion must also continue to provide garbage buckets, rebound, and run the fast break. The Mavericks need another strong defensive game from Tyson Chandler who has been a monster on the boards. Last but not least all roads start and finish with Dirk Nowitzki. Dirk is the offensive that keeps this team alive and they need his scoring if they want to be champions or else, they'll suffer the same fate they did back in 2006. In order for the Mavs to win tonight, the veteran Mavs club must stay in the half court offense which Miami has trouble defending but if they try to make this a transition game, the Mavs are done.

It's a toss up tonight but I still see this series going seven games. 

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-Heat Eastern Conference Finals

After witnessing the bench mob led by Taj Gibson and his two dynamic dunks after, the Chicago Bulls resume play tonight hoping to go up two games on the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. The problem with the Heat is that their game is predictable....due to poor point guard play they're all about the transition baskets. They're probably one of the worst half court teams in the NBA because they rely so much on LeBron James or Dwayne Wade to go one-on-one.

Deng did a fantastic job neutralizing the two-time MVP LeBron James to only 15 points while Deng had 21. The Chicago Bulls defense also made sure after opening dunks by Wade & James, that would be the end of that. One only positive for Miami was Chris Bosh scoring 30 on Boozer (who's not know for his defense).

The Chicago Bulls must continue their strong defensive play by making sure they don't get into a track meet with Miami because they're one of the best transition teams in the League. Continue playing their half court game and making the extra pass for the high percentage shots. If Tom's crew is successful led by MVP Derrick Rose, Chicago will head down to South Beach up two games. 

Florida and Texas...Best NBA Teams?

Tonight in America Airlines arena the top two NBA Teams in the Western Conference squared off in TNT as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Dallas Mavericks. Not only are these two teams the best in the West but they make a strong case for who is the best pro team in Texas? Further east in the state of Florida the new look Orlando Magic led by Dwight Howard claim they're the best team in the NBA but the triple three in Miami claim that the Heat are not only the best team in Florida but also the NBA.

All four teams make strong cases for best team in the NBA but for now lest decide who's the best team in Florida and Texas:

Heat vs. Magic: With the addition of Jason Richardson and Gilbert Arenas, the Magic added additional scoring for Dwight Howard. Most Improved candidate JJ Reddick is improving every game and even regained his long range shooting. The biggest advantage for the Magic is Jamer Nelson. Miami has been unable to contain calaber point guards all year and Nelson and drive and dish all day. For the Miami Heat, it starts and ends with The Big 3. James, Wade, and Bosh can score any given night but the with the return of Mike Miller, he must provide the long rage shot when the triple threat are in trouble. Without a quality point guard I give the edge to the Orlando Magic.

The Texas Showdown: Tonight we saw the San Antonio Spurs victorious and I believe they're still the best team in Texas for reasons why. The Spurs are the smartest team in the NBA. The veteran team that's won 4 titles since 1999 has the same formula working since they won their first title. This team breathes defense and never takes any bad shots. Tony Parker is still one of the quickest point guards in the league and Manu Ginobili provides the additional scoring for Tim Duncan. Richard Jefferson has secured his role which is attacking the basket and having DeJuan Blair is a huge plus. Dallas is getting older and still does not practice defense. Jason Kidd can no longer guard the speedy guard and Dirk is still soft on the defensive end. Kidd's guard play, Dirk's scoring, Marion doing everything, and Tyson Chandler rebounding & blocking shots is still not enough for Mark Cuban's crew to win Texas.

Problems with the Miami Heat???

With the hype that the fans and media pretty much gave the Miami Heat the NBA Title before the season began, somebody forgot to tell the rest of the NBA that they must play the games. The new Big 3 are currently on a two game losing streak (both home losses) to the Utah Jazz and tonight to the Boston Celtics.

 When Pat Riley put this team together, he forgot to include a solid point guard, center and bench. This unit will have their share of blowout victories (like they did against Orlando) but their lack of not having a lead guard and bench will be the main reason this team will not win an NBA Title unless they address those issues. Deron Williams made a case why he's one of the best point guards in the lead but dictating the pace of the game. Tonight Rondo added 16 assist and the Heat were not able to control him. Chris Bosh is doing double duty playing the 4 & 5 positions and his stats are not worth $100 millions only averaging 15 pts 5 rebounds. Other than Rondo tonight, the Celtics bench ran the floor the entire night out playing the Heat bench.

How can the Heat win...the new Big 3 needs to restructure their deal so Pat Riley can afford more quality players. Mike Miller will help once he returns but he's not the solution. 

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.

 

LeBron James 2010

Not even 72 hours have past and the world wants to know where will LeBron James play next season. Expect his phone (and his agent's phone) to ring non-stop come July 1, 2010. Let's look at some possible destination for King James:

• New York Knicks: Why would LeBron want to come here? The positives are they have done a pretty decent job by tanking the season, clearing cap space, potential high lottery pick, have run-n-gun offensive style of play, and it's NYC. 
• Chicago Bulls: The Madhouse on Madison. Out of all the potential team, this is where King James should call home next season. A starting five of Noah, Gibson, James, Deng, Rose challenges only Boston & Orlando for Eastern Conference supremacy. This team is pretty much the same each and they could all grow old together.
• New Jersey Nets: Billionaire owner and potentially landing John Wall or Evan Turner. Friends with part owner Jay-Z and right next door to the Mecca. Overall it's still New Jersey. 
• Los Angeles Clippers: Can the two biggest basketball stars share the same limelight in Hollywood. Landing the 1st or 2nd pick boast it's chances. 
• Miami Heat: Three words...tax free state....Two words....Dwayne Wade.....Pat Riley & South Beach..nuff said
• Cleveland Cavaliers: There's no place like home. Since this bird has never left the nest it will be hard to leave Cleveland .

My prediction: LeBron James wears #6 for Chicago Bulls