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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Blogabull goes over FT improvements since 12/14.

FT%	at 12/14	since 12/14
Rose	76.1%	88.0%
Noah	72.4%	72.9%
Boozer	70.6%	68.9%
Deng	68.5%	78.0%
Gibson	70.5%	66.7%
Korver	90.6%	87.0%
Brewer	64.3%	64.7%
Watson	77.1%	72.2%
sum	72.9%	78.0%

I had no idea that Rose was in the mid 70s. I knew Deng was awful. Those are some nice jumps for Rose and Deng. Rose seems as of late to be automatic at the line. Even when the game is on the line he is pretty clutch. He showed this in the Pacer lose.

A Great youtube of the Rose taking over vs the Bucks. Its from a dude in the front row. You get a real feel of what it was like to be there that you can't get from a TV broadcast.



By the Horns sheds more light on how great Derrick Rose is.

Rose has more blocked shots on the season (48) than LeBron James (46). While I was double-checking that stat, I also noted that Rose has more offensive rebounds (78) than LeBron (77).

Thats pretty freaking awesome. He also points out he beating out Dirk and Durant in offensive rebounds. Guys who got seven inches on him. Derrick Rose is a freak.

Pippen Ain't Easy does some hating on Keith Bogans(what blogger hasn't?).

As much as I rag on Bogans and dawn the nickname Bogus Bogans on him, he is nevertheless more of a contributor to the team than me. 

I only have a problem when he doesn't hit at least two 3s and takes a dumb shot. I mean if you can't give at least 5 points in 17 mins than you can't help. For the most part he has and plays decent to good defense. Hes not as awful as we make him out to be but still not ideal for a starting SG.

Bulls confidential covers the other teams fighting for home court through out the playoffs and how that effects the Bulls.

The tie breaker for San Antonio works like this.  Unless the Bulls lose to the Suns or Spurs lose to the Hawks (unless they both lose) the teams will finished tied for the final tie breaker rule for home court in the finals.   In that case, home court will be figured out by random draw.

Read more: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-bulls-confidential/2011/04/denver-beats-the-lakers-improving-bulls-magic-number-vs-la.html#ixzz1Idhb1yF2

Oh... That sounds simple enough.

On The Bulls realGM forums user angelmaker666(extreme name dude) makes a great Derrick Rose back ground.

You really have no reason not have one these back grounds on your PC.

NBA and the Bulls give Derrick is own MVP site Here. The Detroit Free Press attacks Scottie Pippen for his Pistons comments. After what the Free Press did to Michigan football they can go to hell for all I care.
Three Bulls headline the Bullsketball Hall of Fame Class.




What is Scottie trying to say in this ad? Also a Indian style sitting Pippen is full of awesome.

Blogabull links an interesting article about the Bulls injuries on the season and perception that we have been hit hard with Noah and Boozer being out. But maybe not that hard...

Yet, what I found remarkable is that the Bulls have otherwise had almost pristine health. Out of the other nine players who've seen significant time this season, there have been three games lost to injury, total (Rose, 1; Gibson, 2). That's a shockingly low number. I think the perception is that Chicago has been hit hard by injuries.

Yeah the loss of Noah and Boozer might be a bit over blown. But you still can't discount what Rose has done without some of his players in the starting five.

Doug at BC talks the Bulls three main flaws.

When the Bulls hit the playoffs, it makes sense to shorten the rotation.  Every coach in the NBA shortens their rotation to maximize minutes for their best players.   The Bulls are regularly going 10 deep, sometimes 11 deep.   A typically playoff rotation is 8 deep.   The Bulls should probably shorten their rotation to go 9 deep, and the guy who needs to get cut is Bogans.

Read more: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-bulls-confidential/2011/03/bulls-loss-shows-three-flaws-opponents-can-exploit.html#ixzz1I4NMZkKF

 I just can't see Thibs and the Bulls cutting out Bogans mins. He has been our starting guard on possibly the number one seed team in the east all year long. His mins may get cut a bit but he will still have a role. As long as he hits open threes the Bulls are getting the most out of him.

Chicago Bulls KY did it's annual one month post.

CJ Watson could very well be a starter as well.

Alright lets not get crazy. I love CJ as much as the next fan but he's a backup for life and a damn good one.
These guys can post once a year for all I care. With a great profile picture like this.

Kukoc champion jersey FTW.

By the Horns 76er review 

Assumptions can be dangerous things.

Never assume a team can’t stumble.

Never assume a team is unbeatable at home.

Never assume that superstars can’t have an off night that will prove disastrous.

Never assume a team is ready to contend for a title before the regular season has even ended.

Speaking of which…the regular season hasn’t even ended

Word brother.

I guess the good stories get tucked under the MURDER DEATH KILLS.. In the News Paper. Bulls Team saves 17 kids from a burning orphanage. Glad Thank You Isiah noticed.. Because I didn't. Some great threads over at the GM boards.. Here,Here and Here(I forgot about some of the Bums we had from 99 to now). DaBullz joins the sadness with his 76er review.

Blast from the Past!

Wow I have enough internet to Post! I do all my blogging at work and since being back from a death in the family I haven't been able to blog due to no internet(which is still shaky at best). Lots has happened since my last post but I will just stick to the Bullsophere for now. Oh and the Hawks are the best AAU team I have ever seen.

BlogaBull does the pimp slap review of the Hawks game.

I'd say something smug like 'you think his stroke is back?', but hell if I know. 

 It was nice seeing Rose and the entire team shoot completely out of theirs minds. I think some nights in basketball the ball just goes in and tonight they could have beat the Lakers by 20 shooting like that. Just one of those nights. I was getting a bit worried about Rose jacking too many threes. Early March was ugly for him but he seems to found it again. Lets hope he doesn't slump(if he starts every miss will be short) going into the playoffs.

User TheGallopingSweetness on RealGM Bulls message board shared some amazing pictures from his awesome seats during the Hornets game. #drool
By the Horns goes over "injury insurance"

I’m sure Brian Scalabrine and Rasual Butler are relieved to know their Gatorade-and-towel handing out duties have been effectively cut in half. I’d heard a rumor that Scal’s towel-waving shoulder was starting to show signs of tendinitis. So: Whew! 

Bulls Comedy gold right there.

Dont read this crap... I had to.. These forums hold the worst Bulls fans in the world.

Deciding to dump BG was the biggest mistake this team made a few seasons ago. They've had a gaping hole there since his departure and that's probably a spot that will prevent them from taking that next step.

Sorry for wasting your life. I read these boards for pure laughter. Its like watching COPS.

Nick Friedell writes about Thib's intense nature. A true rare breed. He also gets in on the Hawk revenge.
Yahoo sports writes some MVP bullshit. No really its a pile of shit. Does Age really matter?

Blast from the past! I leave you with MJ vs MJ.... JAM!

This new baby has me away from the PC most the days. Hell it was hard to watch the Bulls melt to the Hawks last night. I would have loved to do game reviews for the Buck,Wiz and Hawks but with a new born it just wasn't possible. I am now shooting for a Magic review after tomorrows game. There wasn't much to say about the Hawks game that hasn't been said. The Bulls played sloppy and didn't put their foot on the Hawks throats. You have to have that killer instinct. The Bulls don't have that yet. Rose is still cold so lets hope some Florida sun helps warm that jumper.

On to the Bullsosphere!

Behind the box scores hits on a few points(yahoo) I have been thinking about most the year...

Sure, he's going to flame out in a few years in a way that will have Doug Collins, Larry Brown, Scott Skies, and Rick Vermeil saying, "geez, guy; chill out a little bit," but for now Thibs is the man.

I have often wondered if Tibs will start to grow old on the players. He demands a lot and you can tell he coaches,coaches and coaches which great since we came from a guy who was beyond clueless. I just know how good Skiles was before his tough ways grew old on players and they started to tune him out. I tweeted BlogaBull on his thoughts about Tibs going down that same road.

BullsBlogger BullsBlogger 

@ 

@dabullcrap I think so, as long as he has Rose's ear. Plus while he's very hard-nosed and screamy now, he could mellow as he gets more time

 I like the point that Rose responds to him well but this is year one and I can't see him going mellow due to his age and length in the league. Winning in the playoffs would be the difference between Skiles and Tibs. Getting to the ECF would be a huge deal for this team this year(win or lose it) which means they dig Tibs for the long term if I had to guess. Winning sells the players on any style of coach.

Behind the box scores also talks about the subbing Boozer and how Tibs rotations are a bit odd..

And what kills me, all year, is the way that Boozer leaves the court as soon asDerrick Rose(notes) does, instead of using Boozer as a go-to guy when the Bulls trot out their "can't score in an empty gym" bench crew in the second quarters of games.

I think this "can't score in an empty gym" group has been better than I thought they would be but they still lack something. Having Boozer over lap into this group would help us score more when this rotation takes the court. Also FYI Boozer didn't get enough touches in that Hawks game. Lets feed are first legit post since Elton freaking Brand.

More Blog a Bull. Since I didn't have time for the Hawks pecking out our eyes review... Blog a Bull did.

He(Al Horford) played so well and was such a huge part of their comeback I almost give him a pass for throwing the ball in the air like he won the NCAA title (and hugged Joakim as part of that feeling too?).

Al was off the hook. You know it was his night when he hits his first 3 ball of the season. Just like the Empire, Noah will Strike Back.

Pippen aint easy is back! They talk about the Rasual Butler signing. I am glad they had time to because I didn't.

It’s no secret that Keith ‘Bogus’ Bogans has not been the answer for the Bulls at shooting guard. In fact he raises far more questions.

Why is he starting? Why is he playing? Why is he getting paid to do what I’m doing right now.

A bit harsh but the truth hurts. Lets hope Butler can add a bit more to the SG once he gets in the flow.

Pippen Ain't Easy also has a Bulls Podcast worth checking out. By the Horns puts up a nice Hawks review and an honest one which I admire. He never derails like so many Bulls fans but keeps it real. Doug at Bulls Confidential goes over the SI article with the Rose text that was sent to Ledrama.

Bulls recent twits and tweets

TajGibson22 Taj Gibson It's was a hard one, but we are moving forward. Let's get the next one

quietstorm_32 cj watson 

We let one slipn Tough loss got to learn from the losses and move on and get bak on the winning track 

quietstorm_32 cj watson Want to welcome our new teammate Rasual Butler to da bulls!!!

quietstorm_32 cj watson Good practice this morning nice day out in orlando bout to enjoy the sunshine for the day

scottiepippen Scottie Pippen 

Deng is keeping it hot in chi-town. You go boy!

Boozer needs to get Tweeting.

Bosh gifs galore!