BlogaBull thinks the Hawks aren't worth sweating over.

I realize that there's an inherent guarding against taking the Hawks lightly, but...screw it: I'm taking them very lightly.

Do I think the Hawks play basketball the wrong way? Yes. Do I think they have no shot in hell... No they can get hot enough to win games(they can also suck enough to be blown out). I always call the Hawks the best AAU team in the NBA. Thats how they play really. Run and gun and play team ball last at times. After the Pacers series I take no one lightly.

 By the Horns with game dates.

Game 1Monday, May 2, on TNT

Game 2Wednesday, May 4, on TNT

Game 3Friday, May 6, on ESPN

Game 4Sunday, May 8, TBD

Game 5*Tuesday, May 10, on TNT

Game 6*Thursday, May 12, on ESPN

Game 7*Sunday, May 15, on TNT

*If necessary

Game times to be announced.

Seems like the NBA got the memo. STOP having 3-4 day breaks! Last year it killed any sorta buzz series had. It just takes to long. Every other day is perfect. Thank you NBA Gods.

Korver with his first dunk...ever.


Great read with Hawk tidbits from from Mr.Mitchell and his blog Bullish Thoughts.

Josh Smith can out-jump Carlos Boozer while wearing a backpack of bricks on a Sunday morning after a night at the club.

 Thats my kind of humor. I just wish it wasn't true.

Nick Friedell at ESPN says Bulls in 5. He does a position by position match up as well.

 If Boozer can break out of his funk in this series, it will go a long way toward winning back some of the fans he's already lost in Chicago. If he doesn't, the scrutiny surrounding him will only intensify.

Nick has kept the fire hot on Boozer since day one. But even I can't defend Boozer at the moment. Turf toe or not. Dude gotta show up. If Javid Best can play football with turf toe on each foot then Boozer can bang out 10 and 10.

Load O Bull finds ZubaZ!!! If you read my about me page you will know... Yes I still own mine.
 Ahh.. The 90s... Simple times. Flat tops,Zubaz and Melcolm X hats.

RealGM on Howard Watch. Possible rule changes? Makes shooters touch extinct. Watch out for fake jerseys Bulls fans.

Time Freeze. 
I have been watching my Bulls dvd set(playoff time gets me in the mood) and came across this gem while watching the 98 DVD. WhattheFisRinHarperthinking?

Sorry for the delay. Having a 2 month old makes my days at home impossible to write. Anyway...FINALLY!
Bulls put for the most part a full game together. They did have some bag stretches but nothing like games 1-4. They were tough and for once set the tone and weren't gonna take any bull shit from the Pacers.

Derrick Rose still had moments of jacking a few threes I think he shouldn't but overall was back to the norm.
Noah was off the charts. He is now a 100% back.

The Pacers were a nice challenge for the Bulls. The Bulls learned what it was like to be hunted. I mean really the Bulls have been the Pacers the last two years in the playoffs. Now everyone is gunning for you. The Bulls got pushed to the limits and didn't panic or freak. They found ways to win. We now find out if we play the best AAU team in the NBA or the under achieving Orlando Magic.

Can he get any worse?
Boozer just had his worst playoff series of his career. He looks nothing  like the Boozer I saw earlier in the year. He is just one of those players that when they get down on them selfs they get worse. Hes not one to bounce back well. He may get even worse. Maybe the break he will find something in practice. He knows he was terrible. He was missing point blank layups in game 5. Thats all mental. I almost wanna just say bring him off the bench and let him find his way and let Taj(who was amazing on Tue) start but that would with out a doubt would crush him and he might be found in the basement of the UC huddled up on the floor in a small ball. We just have to stay the course with him(even when his contract becomes terrible in two years).

"Everybody get frustrated a little bit," he said. "But the biggest thing about us is we hold together as a group of guys, and we have one goal in mind, to win. And no matter what happens, as long as we win, that's all that matters."

At least he always says the right thing.

I love Noah's Grandfather.
You can forget what someone like Noah brings when he hasn't been 100% for so long. He looked the dude from the last two years who will put everything he has into winning a basketball game.He finally stepped up and didn't take crap from the Pacers. Did some of the things Pippen talked about.  It took 5 games for someone on the Bulls to do it but Noah did and proved why we pay him what we do. Glad to have him back going forward.

Thibs adjusted
It was nice to see some small adjustments. The traps he threw once and while to shorten shot clocks. Being a bit more diverse on offense(not just running Korver off screens for 5 mins). These things we have waited for since the series started.

The Good
-Can Noah's Grandfather come to all the games?
-Rose looked good, ankle shouldn't be a issue
-Dengs complete game.
-Bogans goes all Wildcat on us.
-Lack of turnovers finally. Took care of the ball.
-Ball movement was out standing
-3ball!
-Korver can dunk?!?!
-Da Bench showed well
-Foul trouble for Rose isn't good but he got a nice break with only 30 mins.

The Bad
-Brewer only 12 mins.
-The shots the Pacers pull out of their ass.
-How did D.Jones not play until game 3?

The Ugly
-Boozer
-Boozer
-Boo.... Its ok buddy you'll bounce back... I hope.

The Players

Noah: Was the man
Boozer: See "The ugly".
Deng: Looked like 10-11 Deng
Bogans: ahhhh who are you?
Rose: Took care of the ball and made better choices. He could still cut down on some bad threes.

The Bench MOB

Gibson: I love when you become a poor man Horace Grant.
Korver: Finally wasn't the one but still did some nice things. 13pts!
Brewer: Seems a bit lost. Maybe he will find Boozer down there.
Watson: Played a good game finally. Stayed with in the offense.
Asik: Welcome to the Playoffs big fella.
Butler: Has he missed in any garbage time?

The Bulls continue to disappoint me. If they came out and played with half the fire and passion as they show in the 4th than the Bulls would have swept and won each game by 20. They still seem to be in cruise control. Only putting the gas down on the 4th come backs. Tonight it bit their asses. Rose struggled pretty bad. Might have been his worse game of the season. Not sure how much was the ankle and how much he is just off right now. The injury is a whole other can of worms.

I am not sure I have seen a series were the other team out plays the other 75% of the time and is still down 3-1. The Bulls lack a lot of effort on defense which is bizarre. The Pacers do pretty much whatever in the paint and not much is done about it. It goes back to how this team just doesn't have that killer instant(I really dont wanna use the word soft). They are beyond lovable but they have failed time and time again at stepping on opponents throats They have yet come out and just wanna murder someone yet. Hell the Bulls have yet to send a real message to Jeff Foster for his antics and its going on game 5! You know back in the day that shit would have been dealt with by game 2.

The Bulls need to come out with a fire lit under their ass and I'm not sure it will happen. It hasn't happened yet. Not sure if it ever will but if they don't take care business in game 5 then consider the Bulls in trouble.

Put it on the shelf for just a bit Derrick
His three point shot has been hideous. He needs to kill the jack a 3ball stuff for a while. I mean if hes open then he should take it but the dribble dribble jack needs to stop. Or to come down with 18 secs left in the shot clock and just jack a 3 is just dumb basketball. Derrick Rose is 5-28 in the series. Let the 3 come to you.

Careless
Its even more alarming how careless the Bulls have gotten with the Ball. I'm pretty sure they lead the NBA in turnovers in the playoffs. It just goes back to playing regular season ball with a team that is playing playoff ball. I thought it was a one or two game thing but even tonight they were wasting their positions. At one point the Pacers scored 18pts off turnovers. The blame is going all around but Rose again has put the team in some bad situations with some of his choices.

Why?
I didn't get why Noah sat so long in the forth. He was the Noah we all know and love. Hes pretty much back. Why was Korver in on the out of bounds play where he lost Dunleavy and then fouled him? Why didn't Thibs or a player call time out when  the play went to hell?

Officiating
It was pretty bad tonight. From Boozers BS foul for smacking a hand away to his lame Tech. What was even better was the phantom calls on the Dunleavy 3pt shots. He pretty much acted on both. I never really complain about refs to much since I am one but tonight they were pretty bad.

The Good
-Noah is back
-The Bulls crowd
-????

The Bad
-Deng still hasn't played 4 quarters of good basketball.
-The Pacer crowd
-Watson on all fronts

The Ugly
-Maybe Rose's worst game of the season.
-The Bench has been out played pretty bad by the Pacers bench.
-Rose's skill to finish at the hoop has vanished.
-Turnovers not just a problem but a team trait thus far

The Players

Noah: The only one who has shown energy(not surprising but still...). He is now back to form.
Boozer: Struggled with the refs tonight. They were out to send a message. I think he got it.
Deng: Picked up his game in the 4th, Needs to do it for 48 mins.
Bogan: Zilch,zero,Nata
Rose: Played like Marbury tonight. Just jacked bad shots. At least he found teammates.

The Bench Sad

Korver: Still on fire. Needs even more PT
Gibson: puts out the effort. Just needs to knock down the jumpers.
Watson: His playoffs play gets worse by the game.
Brewer: Where did this dude go?
Asik: Not enough data..
Thomas: Still waiting on him to enforce the paint area... has not makes me sad.

This was a jump ball call.... All Ball.

That was ugly..again. Some stepped their games up(not Boozer)and some others struggled. The Bulls still have yet to play on the same page in the 2011 NBA playoffs. Rose really struggled but credit the Pacers for throwing a bunch of different traps at Rose. This game does prove that the Bulls can win without Rose doing all the scoring.

Some of the officiating was a bit off. Rose was hit,scraped and fouled on his go a head score to give the Bulls a win. Deng was back to doing was he has done all year and that is score and rebound. Noah as well looked as sharp as he has in a while. You can see him getting back to form. He even hit a jumper. It coming along for him.

Boo on the finish.

Boozer has a hell of a time finishing. He just can't when bigs with wing spans the size of a Pterosaurs defend him. He either gets striped or blocked... Or just misses if challenged. At least he stilled rebounds. Going forward with the Hawks or the Magic he will struggle there too. Both have athletic,long,high flying freaks that block shots. Let just hope he keeps boarding.

Kyle knows kung foo 

Dude has been a key reason why this team is up 3-0. He has missed liked one shot or something all series? at least someone is hot. Lets hope he can stay around or at least at his avg for the rest of the playoffs. His stroke is so pretty... He is Neo now when he shoots. He is the one...

Turnovers

Some more JV girls basketball out there tonight. Its mind boggling to me how careless this team has gotten with the ball over the last two games. 15 tonight. There go for periods where they forget what team they play for. Rose has to be more sure with where he is throwing the ball. He just tends to get careless with it. Lets hope it gets back to season avg come game 4.

Jeff Fuckster

This dude makes you wanna punch a dolphin. No for real. This is how all the other fans around the league feel about Noah. The dude looks like he should be a insurance adjuster. Not a NBA player. Someone on the Bulls needs to step up and give some hard fouls. We have yet to do this. I wanna fuel the hate more... Some Jeff pictures to make your piss boil!

@McGrawDHBullsMike McGraw

Keith Bogans was 3-for-3 from 3-point range in Game 3. Bulls now 27-2 when he scores at least 6 points.

Rose: Off tonight but is still Clutch. Needs to be better with the ball.

Bench Mob

Korver: He can see the ball go in before he shoots it.
Gibson: Played great night. Defense(2blks) and made a few plays on offense.
Brewer: Keeps struggling. Looks the player we had in the first month of the season.
Watson: Struggled again. In the Playoffs he has been pretty brutal.
Thomas: Needs to punch Foster or at least have a few hard fouls. ENFORCE!
Asik: Meh... incomplete.

You know when you screw up really bad as a kid and you think your parents are just gonna bury you? But when they sit you down there is no screaming or groundings or any of that. Just... I am very disappointed in you. That's like the worse. That's how I feel about the Bulls right now in the first two games of these playoffs. I am just disappointed with how they have came out.

They have showed no energy for most the games besides the last 3 mins of both games. Have played ugly sloppy ball. Just really let down with their play. At this rate they will scratch by the Pacers and then be beaten in the 2nd round.

The Bulls once again looked flat and stiff last night. I could have swear I was watching a girls JV basketball game with all the turnovers. Once you hit 20 you should lose my default. They just have zero fire right now. I saw Noah bring it a bit in the first 5 mins but everyone is pretty wooden. I guess I am just shocked at the level they are playing for playoff basketball. This won't stand... man.

Deng 2008 

Deng has looked 2008 esk. He was off again but this time all game. For the series he is shooting 10-30. Not very good. He has even missed some easier shots at the hoop. I hope he finds his shot on the road because its not in Chicago. The one thing I know about 2011 Deng. He will bounce back.

Boozer gets Boozin

People will point to his 2nd half as not doing much but this Boozer came back and played about 20x better. He seemed to get lots of touches which only help him

Out rebounding 

Thats great and all but it really doesn't matter when you miss all the put backs or end up having 20+ turnovers. The Bulls have showed great effort on the glass but they need to get the ball in the hoop after the rebound and cut down on turnovers. Its a wash when you pass it to the wrong team for 3-4 mins at a time.

The Good
-Noah showing more energy than anyone.
-Rose still getting what he wants.
-Bogans hit a shot(3ball)!
-Boozer back.
-Webber as a color comm

The Bad
-Noah shot 20% and hes a 5 man.
-When Rose misses a shot, its always short(two air balls)
-Bogans has hit only one shot in two games
-Bench Mob dead??

The Ugly
-20+ Turnovers JV girls esk.
-Still flat and show a lack of fire.
-Pretty scary that we could have been down 0-2 going to Ind.
-Dick Stockton doesn't know where he is... Rose hit a 4 pointer and he plays for the "Bills".

The Players

Noah: Showing great Noah effort but can't find the hoop.
Boozer: Loud and effective, what more do you want?
Deng: Couldn't make a shot. Will catch up to the Bulls if he doesn't figure this out.
Bogans: Welcome to the series. I will give him credit for great defense.
Rose: Saved the Bulls again. Some of his turnovers did not show off his Jason Kidd vision.

Bench Mob

Korver: Hit a huge three. Been clutch. Even if he struggles all over the court.
Gibson: 2pt and 4rebs in 12mins. I think he should be playing more.
Watson: Was better.
Thomas: Ahh was ok..but not sexy.
Brewer: Still looks off but hit two big FT in the end.

This is a great CNN article about Rose and Family and just how hard he works.

Rose brings a list of demands. A list the size of a postage stamp. And there's only one item on it: He asks for access to the Bulls' practice facility at all hours because sometimes the urge to work on his game dawns upon him at the break of dawn. Take last summer. After spending an entire day at his youth camp -- and you don't know the definition of "exhaustion" until you've worked with a few hundred boys with short attention spans -- Rose recuperated by shooting jumpers for a few hours at the team gym. And the season was still months away.

Just adds more to the Rose legend. The dude is low key and a work horse. What more could you want in a NBA Super Star?

I got the urge to look up Derrick Rose's scout profile.

Rose's ability to create scoring opportunities, his willingness to share the ball and his capability of taking over a game with his scoring during crunch time make it clear that the top priority for Rose is winning. Skill wise, he has lightning speed and power with the ball, he gets into the lane with ease and he is a very good rebounder. His outside shot, although reliable, is the weaker part of his game, but expect it to become more consistent over time. 

 Yeah I think his shot has become more consistent. Some interesting rankings of note in the 2007 Scout 150 are Rose at 3 with Beasley at 1,Eric Gordan at 2, Kyle Singler ahead of Kevin Love at 5. Bill Walker at 7. And get this Blake Griffin at 23(!)....

A bit late but a very nic Bulls Playoff hype video.


Nick Friedell, Bulls beat writer for ESPN took a few low key shots at Boozer.. 

Boozer’s effort stuck out like a sore thumb.

“Me and [Thibodeau], we watched tape this morning,” Boozer said, using the same foul-trouble excuse. “Anytime you get in foul trouble, I think it changes how you play a little bit. I think you guys have seen that throughout the course of basketball; no different for me [on Saturday].” 

I think Carlos is better than what he showed but he needs to man up and just say it. "I could have been better". "I need to be better on the defensive end". Etc etc etc... Just come out and man up. You get more respect in the end.

BlogaBull looks ahead to game 2 and beyond.

The look of difficulty Booz had in getting clean looks was worrisome, whether it was seeing his shot blocked, altered, or him getting caught with an offensive foul trying to create space. The Pacers bigs really shouldn't be this much trouble for him, especially in terms of speed, and I look for Boozer to cause contact yet this time get himself to the line instead of sending it the other way.

I think a lot of Boozers shots were on Boozer not so much the defense. Like I said in the game review. He had Rush on him in the block and he choose to fade away behind the basket for a very tough shot. Just dumb shot selection all game.

More late Youtubes. Players react to Granger's comments.



By the Hons Game 1 review. He had a hunch that Boozer was throwing the game..

 And yes, there was a stretch in the fourth quarter when I thought Carlos Boozer had been paid off to throw the game. But Collison, Granger and Hansbrough were crazy-hot from the outside. Those guys combined to shoot 12-for-22 from 16-23 feet (Hansbrough was 7-for-10) and Collison and Granger went 6-for-10 from downtown. Furthermore, Brandon Rush and A.J. Price combined to go 4-for-5 from beyond the arc.

That’s some unusually accurate long-distance shooting. And several of those shots were contested.

By the Horns is always good. That's how bad that foul was on Hansbrough. The ball was about all the way through the hoop when Boozers pushed him. On the shooting I had the smiler thought. DAMN! They really shot out of their minds. Outside of Granger no one should be shooting out of their minds. That stat should come back down to earth in Game 2.

More Horny notes from Alex at Load o' Bull. Dabulls.com can see the future and I like it. Some cool Bulls Ebay Listings.BJ Jersey. The 1996 Banner. Ugly Black Jordan Jersey(hate the pin strips). Noah bobble head.

I had this awful feeling leading up to this game that the Bulls might come out flat and nervous and they did both. The media spent a good four days talking about how great they are and loving them and picking them make a Finals run. Today they had to live up to that and I think that got to them a bit.

They looked tight and nervous in the first few positions of the game. I think everyone did besides Rose who seems to never be rattled. What really surprised me was how they played as the game went on. Almost like they were waiting for the Pacers to suck, back off and let them take the game. That never came until 48 secs left.  Before that I pretty much mailed the game in after the Psycho T and one dunk.

@dabullcrapRyan

When you shoot like this you win. Bulls just got a reality check.

Then Rose pulls yet another rabbit out of his hat and the Bulls win. This is the one worry I had going into the playoffs. Are the Bulls like Lebron's Cavs where you stop everyone else and let Lebron or Rose do their thing. I hope not because we won't get close to sniffing the Finals if thats the case. I'm glad they figured out how to win but the holes are there and lets hope they find ways to plug them.

Deng late to the party.

As well as he played in the 4th he was late to this party. Doing nothing to help Rose in the first half. He played Granger great on defense but he needs to be the other guy to fill it up when Rose is resting. Lucky enough Deng hit some big 3s in the 4th and even grabbed a tech as he stood up for Rose. It was bizarre to see Deng grab a tech and get the crowd going. Not always in his nature. That leads me to the next thing.

Tough

I asked this question during the season. How tough is this team? We know they are easy to like and love but can they step on peoples throats? Can they get down and dirty? I really thought they were a bit soft today to be honest. The Pacers played physical ball while the Bulls didn't. This team needs to get tough and fast. People are now gunning for you. Bums like Foster want to knock knock your block off and "Goon" it up. And you better not back down like you did today for 3 plus quarters.

The Booz

I have supported him for all season. I know his short comings. I know his d sucks, I know he struggles vs bigger defenders but today he had terrible day. A melt down really. Boozer is one of those players that when things get tough or don't go his way(foul trouble) he goes into his shell. He gets worse. He won't forget it and bounce back. Thats what he did today. Gotta hand it to Thibs for sticking with him. After the and one dunk I would have pulled his ass. There were also mind boggling moments when he had guys like Rush on him in the post and he would pull out a fade away to the corner jumper when he could have pounded the dude for a lay up. He gotta be smarter and tougher if the Bulls are gonna do this thing. He gotta get to the hoop.



The Good
-Rose is with out a doubt the MVP
-Noah finding some bits of his game
-Korver was huge

The Bad
-The bench wasn't great
-CJ went back to Warrior CJ
-Rose's three point shot
-Pacer shooting %(I don't think it lasts)

The Ugly
-Carlos Boozer
-Brewers fear
-Don't let Jon Berry near a mic.
-Overall defensive effort

The Players

Noah: He wasn't great all game but he looked more like Noah. He got his normal double double and brought us energy. I think he is getting closer.
Boozer: A day he needs to forget. When shit its the fan he needs to respond better.
Deng: His inner emotion awoke. He had a few clutch shots.
Bogans: No where to be seen. Missed all three shots.
Rose: The only Bull to not get rattled. Hung in and showed how to lead.

The Bench Mob

Korver: His shot was on today and without we lose. He had some bad TO but he saved this teams ass.
Brewer: He almost made me eat my TV remote when he stole the ball at the end of the 3rd and could have attacked the rim on the fast break, he got scared and kicked out to a trailing Rose who had to take a tough three. If you don't want to score then get off the court. Nothing makes me more pissed then a hesitant player. Rant over.

Thomas: Was tough and kept the Bulls going with some hard plays. He was a huge signing.
Gibson: Shy and was nervous. Needs to shake it.
Watson: For whatever reason CJ went into jack a shot mode. This was the CJ I couldn't stand in the start of the season.
Asik: Didn't get much of a run.

Leave you with Noah overload....

The way the man went out(with the Bulls)

This is pretty much the most legit list of the NBA awards you find. No Dr.Jack here.

The All NBA DaBullcrap Team
C Dwight Howard
F Kevin Durant
F Lebron James
G Kobe Bryant
G Derrick Rose

The All NBA Defensive DaBullCrap Team
C Dwight Howard
F Lebron James
F Gerald Wallace
G Derrick Rose(Yes its true... Stats+ locked down top PGs all season)
G Rondo.... Ugh Hate you.

The All NBA CRAP Team
C Eddy Curry(I count his Heat work out as playing)  Alright thats not fair. Its Hasheem Thabeet(1ppg and 1reb?)
F Kwame Brown(D league coming soon)
F Evan Turner
G Joe Johnson(Hey Max contract... Do something)
G Johny Flynn

Most improved
Kevin Love

Runner Up
Derrick Rose

This is how hard this man rebounds. Eats elbows while doing it.

You gotta "Love" the way this dude plays. He went to work every night and didn't complain at all about playing for that joke of team. He would look great in a Bulls uni but I know thats not happening(but no really he would be a perfect fit for a aging Boozer down the line). He set the double double record and made the AS team. Last year he couldnt even get a start.

Coach of the Year

Jordan Flu game. Maybe the toughest performance in NBA history. 1997 Game 5.

Site Note: Sorry no Nets review since I wasn't able to watch. Still to many minutes for Rose and Noah IMO.

Derrick Rose finds himself on the SI cover.. Last Bulls player? Jud Buechler. That's a lie.

Alex at Load O' Bull has a few Horny notes to pass along.

The Celtics don't scare me anymore because they're a bunch of pussies and the Bulls are bigger, faster, and stronger. Without Kendrick Perkins and with Marquis Daniels injured, along with Delonte West not caught up to the system, ouchy again, and at the point instead of the wings, they are nothing short of soft, old, and slow.

Read more: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/load-o-bull/2011/04/horny-notes-april-13-2011.html#ixzz1JTuLiUEK

When I see Pussies and Celtics in the same sentence(not to mention horny in the title) it serves as a nice reminder how far things have come since 2008 playoffs. As Alex points out... Bean town is our Bitch now.

Great Bulls vs Knicks review by By the Horns.

Live by the sword, die by the sword, right? This Bulls team succeeds because it has a ravenous nature to win every game every night. That’s not something that can be turned on an off. Not at this point. Older, more experienced teams that have played together longer — the Celtics, Lakers and Spurs, for instance — can flip the switch. I’m not sure the Bulls are there yet. That’s what they’re trying to build to. What they’re trying to become.

I agree to a certain extent. Do I think Rose should be in up 13 with 2mins left? no. Also I don't think the Celtics can turn it on and off anymore. They may prove me wrong but we will see. I have seen the Bulls do this in the season but not to the effect of losing games because of it.
 Also this gem from the post

 The KnickerBlogger game thread features a lot of Knicks fans who were genuinely upset the Bulls tried to win this game. Last time I checked, that was the point of professional sports, right? One commenter said: “It’s so cute seeing the Bulls come out after half-time with Game 7 like intensity. They are going to be in for a surprise come playoff team when their effort and hustle is not greater than the other team’s.

JRed................... ............... Sorry that VanGundy gif is making it impossible keep writing. Anyway, user JRed at the GM forums shared his sig banners and Bulls wallpapers. Good stuff.

Day three is for the Three Peat! Bulls vs Suns(my fav series of the Bulls six rings). Game 6. I have been watching a lot of this series as of late and something hit me. The Suns never really had a chance. They matched up awful with the Bulls. I mean Thunder Dan covered Jordan most the time and had no right. Grant while not a Barkley stopper could make things hard on him. Our bench was better too. Hell their starting center Mark West played like 10 mins a game.

In game 6 I felt Paul Westphal made some error with putting in Frank Johnson who sucked and had a key TO late in the game. Also Thunder Dan choked and air balled a 10 foot corner shot(the same dude who was hitting from the parking lot all year). I guess God lied to Charles. 

Well that was interesting. I think we found out where Thibs falls on the play vs rest debate. I really don't have much of an issue with it but having Rose and others on the floor up 15 with 3mins left doesn't make since to me. as we saw with Brewer and Noah anything can happen and will. Not worth it imo. Hell he was gonna send Noah back in but the game ended which is a bit bizarre but ankles can be played through better right after the sprain if its not to serious. It still seems dumb. I hope for the Nets tonight that we see very little of Rose(20 mins please) and just keep Noah out.

As for the game the Bulls turned it off and on as they have been with lesser teams. They played some lazy defense in the first half. It also doesn't help that the Knicks shoot like 65% anytime the Bulls play them. Melo was doing whatever but was also just making his shots. Not much they could have done. Rose had three monster dunks in this game that stole any thunder Melo made. They sent the Garden into a craze.

I thought Noah looked pretty damn good even though his rebound stat will say different. He just looked more active. He seem to be tipping everything and had several strips and blocks. He looked sharper. Of course he tweaked his ankle. It will never get better unless the Bulls sweep someone and get a solid week off. Even then I don't think it will be right until after the season.

The Bulls came out in the 2nd half and decided they let the Knicks play enough and went on a 20 to something run. The Knicks couldn't even get a shot off as the Bulls ran the floor after misses or turnovers. The Knicks did gain some ground with the second the unit but they play zero defense so if they get down its hard for them to come back. This team is still flawed, even with Amare, I feel they will flop for the next 2-3 years.

Boozer stole(from even his own mates) rebounds all night. He was terrible from the field with 4-14 but whatever you grabbed 20+ rebounds. It felt good beating the Knicks. I hate them.

The Good
-Rose shows his stuff on a great stage
-Deng had 23 and 10 and out played Melo for 48 mins.
-Boozer owns the boards(not hard since knicks play small ball)
-Noah more active

The Bad
-First half defense
-Asik's hands
-Letting Toney Douglas play like a All Star again.

The Ugly
-Brewer hurts thumb
-God hates Noah's ankle
-Boozer shootings %
-Thibs keeping starters in too long..Bring Noah back in?!?!

The Players

Noah: Looked better. Way active. Just didn't get to the boards since Boozer was being a hog.
Boozer: Ate every reb in sight. Couldn't make a lay up.
Deng: Played great. He is now the best mid range shooter in the game.. Sorry RIP.
Bogans: Played pretty well and has of late. 8pts? That's playing with house money.
Rose: Started off slow but brought the house down after his lob from Brewer.

Bench Mob

Brewer: Hurt but hustled his ass off. Lets hope he can get back.
Korver: Cold as ever. Seems like some nights the dude is on and other he can't hit shit. If he is not hitting jump shots or threes than he is sorta useless. Lets hope this changes.
Gibson: Had a nice game. Almost served a facial on Turiaf but couldn't get it to go down.
Watson: 9pts and kept the team going once the Bulls first unit hit the bench. Keeps improving.
Asik: Omer played alright. Had a Turkish hammer slam. Still struggles catching the ball.

The shot. Nothing more needs to be said.

Bulls TV won't let me embed but this video of Derrick Rose showing off the Berto Center(almost this blogs name!) is a 10 out of 10. You get to see how much the players work on a everyday basis. Also the place is amazing. I am sure the Bulls have a some of the best stuff in the NBA. Derrick shows off some personialty which is like bizarre since he is so "wooden" in a lot of interviews. Its a must see. Plus Randy in a hot tub is a plus. Check it out Here

SSSFreak on the GMforums made an awesome Derrick Rose MVP Mix. #twothumbsup


Thanks!
Wanna throw out some love to Ryan James of the http://schultzbeast.blogspot.com The dude has been helping this blog on Twitter. He has RT many of my tweets and pushed my content to his 473 followers. His blog covers all Chicago sports. He seems like a giant hockey puck as he covers the Blackhawks with great passion. Jump over to his blog and catch up on his great coverage.

Blogabull hits the major question. To play or not to play... That is the Question.

The usually mentioned downside to such an idea is that the team would 'lose their edge' before when they most need it. But that idea, especially with this team (and its leader) just doesn't seem like an actual possibility. Heck, even if something is lost, the first round is there to get it back.

I agree. As much as I don't wanna be swept by the Knicks I just don't wanna see Rose go down with an injury. Also Noah needs to still get right. Give him 20 mins tonight and call it good.

Anthem? Check.


I didn't get a chance to watch all of the Magic game... Thus no Review but highlights? YES!


Derrick Rose MVP news stories Here, Here and Here

Since I saw Randy Brown in a Hot tube I had to dig up a highlight. Dude had hops. This is Randy brown wearing "1" and not his 1996 "0". Monster dunk on a crappy Laker team.

Jordan's game winner vs Utah. Game 1. 1997 NBA Finals.
I remember when he hit this shot. I ran around the room in my rare at the time white champion Bulls MJ jersey. As Pippen said... Mail doesn't deliver on Sundays.

Bulls vs Cavs 1989 Playoffs. Game 5. It was this shot that started Michael Jordan on super stardom imo.

I love Bill Simmons. The dude just knows basketball. He should be on ESPN SC everyday. He wrote his end of the year NBA Power Poll. Here some great gems.

Six reasons we need a lockout ...

$16,324,500
$18,038,573
$19,752,645
$21,466,718
$23,180,790
$24,894,863

That's what Atlanta owes Joe Johnson, by year, through 2016. You know, because any time you can totally overpay someone hitting his 30s who isn't one of the best 15 players in the league, you have to do it. To be fair, at least Johnson played the best basketball of his career once he locked that money do- ... oh, wait, that's not what happened at all. He had his worst season in six years. 

I have said for some time that Joe Johnson is a taller Ben Gordan. His contract will be one of the worse if not the worst contract in the NBA in the coming 2-5 years. The next R.Lewis contract really.

Seventy-Fifth team: I really think they should add this one. Who were the five worst players who played at least 700 minutes this season? My picks ...

• Jonny Flynn: Ranks seventh from the bottom with Hollinger's PER and can't guard anybody. But hey, at least that draft pick made no sense.

• Rasual Butler: I watched him for a year and a half -- he doesn't possess a single averagebasketball skill. He's a 3-point shooter who can't make wide-open 3s. I think the Bulls acquired him so their fans would feel better about Keith Bogans.

• Yi Jianlian: I have no idea what he does or why he's in the league. You know what really scares me? Danny Ainge was ready to take him fifth in 2007 if the Ray Allen trade fell through. Yikes. I'd be talking about my dad in the past tense.

• Juwan Howard: Because he looks the same, it's almost like Miami is trying to pull a Jedi Mind Trick on opponents. Look, it's Juwan Howard! That guy scored 20 a game not too long ago! I wouldn't leave him open if I were you ...

• Travis Outlaw: A one-dimensional player who lost that dimension (making just 29 percent of his 3s this season) just one year into a five-year, $35 million deal. Anytime you're a wealthier, cap-killing Rasual Butler, you're my Least Valuable Player. I'm glad we settled this.

Our own Rasual Butler makes his All NBA all 57th Team! Also what did happen to Outlaw? He was flying around for the Blazer for a while. Got some money... He is no Bo Outlaw(the dude who didn't hit a jump shot in his whole career).

With 20 seconds left in a blowout, Carlos Boozer got tangled with Nenad Krstic and decided to shove him six feet, got called for a foul, then stared him down before sauntering back to his bench and being greeted by smiling teammates. Honestly, it was like watching a deleted Cobra Kai scene. 

This is reason alone to pay Boozer. Also any Cobra Kai reference is a win in my book.

The 2011 Bulls are better than any 2010 Eastern team. There's no comparison, actually. All season long I've been watching them with the same frightened look that Mickey had during Clubber Lang's fights in the beginning if "Rocky 3."

Bill knows basketball. Hes a hardcore Celtic fan and never backs off that. He is in love with this Bulls team and he wishes it were his own.

  Rose carries his team's offense more than anyone else carries their team's offense. He's the Bulls' only player who can create his own shot, and he's their only player who can create shots for others. Night after night after night, he walked onto the court knowing that Chicago's entire offense hinged on how he played. His usage (32.4 percent) and assist (39.4 percent) rates tell some of the story; in crunch-time per 48 minutes, he's averaged the second-most field goal attempts, the eighth-most free throw attempts and the ninth-highest assists (nobody else made the top-15 for all three categories, much less the top-10). The dude does everything for Chicago offensively

I wish he had an MVP vote but he is pretty much the most respected guy in NBA circles and voters will soak this column up. It can't hurt how he gives all the right reasons to vote Derrick MVP.

I could quote that column for the whole post but we must move on to.... TOYS!
Yes thats right you can now get your very own Carlos Boozer figure at Toys R Us

Its really not very good. Besides the shoes and the jersey and tats it looks nothing like Boozer. He has some light hair, no huge nose, wrong facial hair. But its something cool to add to the Bulls collection.

Doug knocks it out of the park again with his Celtics Preview.

 I mean Shaq can't even make it onto the court anymore, so he has Jermaine 'knees' O'Neal no less as his stand in. TNT's lucky Kenny and Charles were off after their NCAA Lousiest Finals ever gig

Read more: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-bulls-confidential/2011/04/celtics-put-the-no-show-in-showdown.html#ixzz1J6tlzuyx


Oh how I miss NBA on NBC. Brings back my Saturdays as a kid. Plus Bob was the shit.