Posts tagged ‘Derrick Rose’

Big ups to living-legend Doug Thonus over at Chicago Now for bringing attention to this great (and incredibly frustrating) video posted by Sham Sports. Watch the video, get pumped up for Game #2!

Derrick Rose Can\'t Get a Call!

We haven’t blogged (much less podcasted . . . oops) in quite sometime. My apologies. Nick and I are enjoying our last few weeks of off-season vacation before the season starts up again full swing. In the meantime, here are some must-read Bulls-related articles from “Blog-A-Bull”, “Ball Don’t Lie”, and “Dime” to keep you busy:

James Johnson Beating Buzzers and Dunking in London (ed. the put-back is insane)

Bulls Win Thriller in London, Rookies Impress Those w/ Little Expectations (ed. Mr. Blog-a-Bull is strangely positive/optimistic)

Joakim Noah Loves to Dance

The NBA’s 30 Best Go-To Players (#17: Derrick Rose)

BBC Presenters Struggle to Call a Bulls-Jazz Game

Fantastic (lengthy) article by Austin Burton in Dime Magazine.  Ironically, this story was posted the same day as Derrick’s NCAA-record 38 win season with Memphis was stripped because Derrick cheated on his SAT . . . oops.  Nonetheless, a must read article.  Only 70 more days until Bulls start back up again!

From Dime:

Derrick Rose is the Future

Earlier this summer, I went to Chicago for our Dime #50 cover shoot with Derrick Rose. Going in, we’d decided not to waste anyone’s time doing a generic studio shoot with Derrick wearing a Bulls uniform that could’ve been done anywhere, by anyone. Authenticity was the objective. So we went back to the roots: two blocks from Derrick’s childhood home in the South Side, at the park where he became the player you see today. Here is the shoot and story that transpired… READ MORE

They’re selling these on the official league store!  Since when does the NBA Store carry cool merchandise?  Weird, I thought the NBA Store only sold collard shirts and other apparel for Dads that want to dress up like the team’s assistant trainer.

This topic has been discussed ad nauseam. Nonetheless, I’m certain Nick and I will have to dedicate numerous shows to the topic all summer. Why not bite the bullet now . . . from Dime:

SHOULD BEN GORDON GET PAID?

Remember last summer when Ben Gordon said that he wanted “Luol Deng money” from the Bulls? (It’s kind of ridiculous that such an expression exists.) If he was asking for $70 million then, his pricetag could have only shot up since his 22.8 ppg seven-game stretch against the Celtics. As of right now, there’s no way that Chicago could afford to give him that kind of money. So is it worth restructuring the books to make room for BG?

While BG’s 42-point game and his clutch shooting throughout the series justifies an extension, his game is a double-edged sword. He’ll shoot through slumps at inopportune times. (Gordon went 10-35, 28.6% FG during the final two games of the Boston series.) He’ll take ill-advised shots that can burn his team. But just when you’re fed up with his antics, he’ll flip the switch and look like one of the top 10 shooting guards in the League.

If Chicago thinks that his offensive output is a crucial cornerstone of their bright future, they’ll need to make some moves. They probably can’t afford to keep Kirk Hinrich at $26.5 million over the next three years. In the short term, they’d also have to try to move Jerome James or Tim Thomas‘ expiring deals, both of which will come in next year right around $6 million. If that happens, they’d probably be able to sign Gordon in the $10 million per year range, which is actually still a drop under what Deng is raking in.

But does that fit with the Bulls’ long-term plan? In building around Derrick Rose, they don’t need too many guys who fall in love with their own dribble. The Bulls really like John Salmons, who figures to be a bit cheaper than BG and can provide some of the same explosive scoring at times. They’re stuck with Deng’s big deal, and will have to play him at the three – at least to make themselves feel like that money isn’t totally going to waste. If they let Gordon walk, they’ll have more wiggle room to go after a scoring big man when Brad Miller’s contract expires at the end of next season.

Why do we have to rehash this argument every summer? Sick of it yet? Oh well, here’s Mike McGraw’s take . . . from the Daily Herald:

As the Bulls’ season came to a close Saturday night, the prevailing personnel question heading into the off-season is whether leading scorer Ben Gordon will return or depart as a free agent.

Neither side has complete control of the situation. Gordon is free to leave, but he may not have many options with only a few teams expected to be under the salary cap.

One thing the Bulls should do, though, is not let the luxury tax get in the way of doing what’s best to for the team to keep moving forward – whether that’s re-signing Gordon or making another move to improve the team. Here are five reasons why:

• Most importantly, the Bulls owe it to their fans, who have filled the seats at the United Center and helped make the franchise the most profitable in the NBA this decade, according to an estimate by Forbes Magazine.

• Paying the tax would be only a one-year proposition, because the Bulls will have around $25 million in expiring salaries next season between Brad Miller, Tim Thomas and Jerome James.

• As much as the Bulls would like to make a taller lineup work with John Salmons at shooting guard and Luol Deng at small forward, that’s a risky proposition. Salmons is coming off a nice season, but it’s the first time he’s averaged more than 12 points in his NBA career.

Plus, there is no telling whether Deng’s stress fracture in his tibia will continue to be a problem. If Gordon leaves and Deng is unavailable at the start of next season, the Bulls are down to Kirk Hinrich at two guard and Salmons at small forward, without much in reserve. If everyone turns up healthy and playing well, the Bulls will have options in the trade market.

• If a trade opportunity comes along at next year’s deadline, whether it’s for Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire or anyone else worth acquiring, the Bulls will need some depth to have enough pieces to make a deal.

• The Bulls only have themselves to blame for being close to the luxury-tax level, thanks to the Ben Wallace signing that didn’t pan out beyond one season.

For the past several years, it was set in stone that the Bulls would not let their payroll grow beyond the luxury-tax threshold, which triggers a dollar-for-dollar tax on any excess salary.

They’ll probably need to pay the tax in order to re-sign Gordon, and some team insiders believe there is a possibility that could happen. The team certainly finished the season on a high note, taking the defending champion Celtics to seven games in one of the most dramatic playoff series in NBA history.

The Bulls still need some help to become an elite team. But if the same group returns next year, it’s reasonable to assume they could move their victory total into the upper 40s and challenge for a top-four seed.

Gordon is free to leave, he but won’t have many options in free agency. At this point, Detroit, Memphis and Oklahoma City are the only teams that seem certain to have salary-cap room. Gordon isn’t an ideal fit for any of them.

“Well, you only need one team, right?” Gordon said Sunday at the Berto Center.

He also said he’s not pursuing a change in management. The relationship between Gordon’s agent, Raymond Brothers, and the Bulls appeared to be rocky the last two summers when they failed to agree on an extension. Gordon calmly addressed the situation in response to a Daily Herald question after Saturday’s Game 7.

“At the end of the day, it’s a business,” Gordon said. “I’m able to put my feelings aside and if there’s animosity, the organization needs to be able to do the same thing. We’re not kids in the playground arguing over a basketball. This is a business and we need to sit down and figure something out. If there’s nothing to figure out, move on and do something else.”

Last year, Gordon turned down an offer believed to be worth around $54 million over six years. After a deadline set by the Bulls passed, Gordon changed his mind, but the Bulls wouldn’t budge.

Still, the team was very impressed with the way Gordon handled himself this season and if the tax was no issue, they would gladly re-sign him.

If the tax is the only issue, the Bulls should get it done.

Ugh.

Bulls suffer disheartening fourth quarter meltdown in an awfully winnable game.  Sure, I could breakdown the multitude of missteps: Tyrus’ “shot selection”, Derrick’s ineptitude on defense, and Vinny’s sheer existence.  But let’s just not.  Instead, let’s reminisce about how amazing MJ was . . .

This was posted earlier today by the fabulous Austin Burton on Dime.  Enjoy and try and push that filthy Devin Harris crossover out off your mind.

Michael Jordan vs. Today’s Rules

Among NBA fans who followed the game as far back as 1998, there’s a pretty commonly accepted theory, which was most recently brought to the table in yesterday’s “Getting to the Basket 101″ post:

If Michael Jordan played in his prime under today’s no-hand-check rules that are friendly to scoring guards and wings, he’d average at least 40 points.

For the most part, I agree. On talent alone, MJ would be a monster if he didn’t have to deal with the physical style of the 1990s (or the extra-physical style of the 1980s). But there’s another facet you have to consider, something about the old-school rules that made Jordan the player he was.

With today’s laid-back rules, the “Bad Boys” Pistons wouldn’t have been allowed to beat the crap out of MJ during his formative NBA years, when he was making that leap from flashy superstar to cold-blooded killer. Without those early experience, would Jordan have developed the same drive and motivational fire that made him JORDAN? Or would he have been closer to another Iceman Gervin, a jaw-dropping scorer who is known more for getting buckets and not as much for being a winner?

While I’d like to see as much as anyone how 28-year-old MJ would fare in today’s game, I’m also thankful he got to make his bones in a rougher era, where his championship-caliber intangibles were hewn.

How would MJ’s career had turned out without those Detroit playoff series losses?

Share your thoughts . . .

I must admit, the recent bombardment of Chicago Bulls trade rumors is beginning to overwhelm me.  Tyrus, Joakim, Gooden, Hughes, Thabo, Luol, Noch, virtually the entire team—minus Derrick Rose of course—seems to be on the market.  I’ve been refreshing ESPN like a maniac searching for Bulls updates.  Moments ago I learned from super-sleuth John Hollinger and his team of spies that the Bulls might be considering the possibility of pursuing a trade sending Captain Kirk Hinrich for unknown players on an unknown team.  Hollinger writes: 

“I’m hearing for the first time discussion of the Bulls moving Kirk Hinrich, though the destination is still unknown – ‘not Portland,’ my spy says.  Such a deal makes great sense for the Bulls but it’s hard to know who would find his contract palatable in these times.”

What is he talking about?  What “deal” makes great sense?  I wonder if this ever so vague little tidbit of “inside information” is enough to make Kirk-worshipper Nick form a few beads of sweat.

My guess, absolutely nothing will happen.  I know, it’s devastatingly unfortunate.  I believe Pax, the Great Gar Forman, and JR foolishly put all of their eggs in the Amar’e basket (the deal was so utterly illogical from the Suns perspective that it was never realistically going to go down—see: Kobe for Luol Deng).  Now, with less than 24-hours before the deadline, the Bulls brass is in panic mode aimlessly searching for another deal . . . hence, Kirk for (fill in the blank) on (fill in the blank) is newsworthy.

Alright, I must admit, I have yet to purchase a single Christmas gift.  Only 6 more days?!  Really?  Wow, the Holidays really crept up on me this year!  So in the interest of further procrastination, I’ve decided to dedicate my quickly dwindling “gift shopping time” to compiling a few gift ideas for your everyday Bulls fan.

It’s a tough call.  Do you go the authentic Jersey route (replicas are wack and entirely out of the question)?  Maybe, but they’re expensive, and often suffer from a short lifespan.  For example, my Tyson Chandler jersey is buried deep in my closet next to my Jalen Rose (if only Derrick Rose had opted for #5).  Any day now, my Hinrich jersey will be packed into a box for storage, and that Deng jersey might not be too far behind.  Derrick Rose seems like a pretty solid bet, but how many of you own never-to-be-worn again Jay[son]Williams jerseys (knock on wood a million times)?

Throwbacks are an option: the MJ and the Pip are obvious classics, but it might be even cooler to rock Grant’s #54 or Van Lier’s #2!  But I’ll admit, these retro J’s often cost a fortune, and many shoppers are required to stay within the confines of the Secret Santa Salary Cap. 

So, I suggest acquiring some player-neutral gear.  However, be wary of any neutral garments sold by the official NBA Store . . . you don’t want the recipient of your gift to be mistaken for Bulls strength coach (or, even worse, Jim Boylan)! 

Very Bad

I’ve linked to a few solid options from MooseShirts.com.  Check out the following Tee’s: Upper Playground’s “Pit Bulls”, Playing for Keeps’ “Skull”, Upper Playground’s “We Fly High” and  New Era’s “We Fly High” Hat.  Please, don’t hesitate  to email Nick or myself for our respective shipping addresses!  I own a couple of these, so gift receipts are encouraged.  Happy Holidays.

Recommended Reading:

That quote makes me oh so happy!  The crew over at DraftExpress has begun a series of “Rookie Retrospectives”, in which they revisit there initial draft-day scouting reports based on the player’s first twenty-ish games in the Association.  Read their review of Derrick Rose.  Pretty comprehensive and inspiring stuff.  I’m almost certain to jack a few insights and pawn them off as my own on the podcast.

Recommended Listening:

Annoyed that Nick and I aren’t banging out podcasts with the frequency you desire?  Listen or watch The Basketball Jones everyday!  It’s dope!  Two guys from Toronto who are both very funny.  Plus, unlike Bullscast, it’s short, snappy, and well-produced (wink)!

Wow. If there was any question to how devoted to Chicago sports Derrick Rose is, the question has been answered. In all caps. And with misspellings. D-Rose put Kerry Wood’s hot tub injury to shame in one fell slice on Monday. It’s a shame that we can’t hear the trash talk that the lauded Bulls guard will hear starting later tonight.

Here are a few guesses at some of the on-court banter:

How bout’ dem apples!?! — opposing guard, after making a 3-point play after a weak foul by Aaron Gray

Hey Martha Stewart…(trails off) — Charles Barkley, en route to making a point about turnovers

Welcome to the Jungle of Fun. Please remove your shoes. — Judd Buechler

A knife! In the bed! What were you thinking! — Reggie Miller

‘Now it cuts like a knife…but it feels so right’ — jukebox at bowling alley

Can I get a witnesssss! — Rev. Jeremiah Wright

Can I get a witnesssss! — Larry Hughes

Who will I pretend to want to pass the ball to after dribbling 20 seconds off the shot clock? Heal up, son. In the meantime, did I say you guys could stop counting my money? Count it! Count it up! — Ben Gordon

Go Bulls, and Go Bizarre Injuries!