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The Bulls are taking a 2-0 lead to South Beach and we at Bullscast will be continuing our playoff coverage as we strive for a new run of championships.

It is key for the Bulls to take at least 1 of these two games in Miami and really put the home court advantage to use and maybe even get some media love for being a good basketball team that is maturing before our eyes. Luol Deng? Need we say more?

Stay tuned to Bullscast for more as this first round continues to unfold..

…Because nothing good is happening to a team that according to most experts is a supposed lock for a 1st round playoff win. The Bulls have dropped 2 disgusting games in-a-row and we being kind, generous and merciful hosts are giving this team one more game to give us something good to talk about before we drone on and on and come up with excuses for why we can’t beat non-playoff teams.

Here’s hoping they pull one out tomorrow night vs. the Nuggets.

Tired of hearing Dick Vitale? We know how you feel, and throughout the month of March Bullscast will be bringing a slice of college basketball commentary courtesy of Brad in addition to our ongoing coverage of the recently resurgent Chicago Bulls.

In the newsletter for March (sign-up to receive our monthly newsletter on the Subscribe page) Bullscast host Brad Deibel broke down 10 guys to watch in the upcoming tournament:

So here is the deal, there is all kinds of experts out there telling you everything you need to know, so I am going try and do the same with a little bit more intrigue, or at least I hope! I am going to give you 10 guys to watch in the tournament. They must all be playing and must all be seniors so we are guaranteed they are draft eligible and they might be Bulls. I am staying away from all of the run of the mill guys although you have probably heard of most of my first team (potential first rounders), but the second team (potential second rounders or free agents) might have on a Bulls uniform as well with their second pick. Enjoy watching and maybe this will give you a little bit to follow!

Potential 1st Rounders to watch

G – Acie Law IV – He is the best player on A & M and a potential lottery pick at the point guard spot depending on need and who comes out. His leadership and ability could lead his team to a final for birth for the #3 seeded Aggies.

G – Alando Tucker – This Badger has been a great player for a long time. Always a bit under the radar in terms of star power, but should make a nice pro and will have to pick up the slack for the Badgers of Wisconsin without Brian Butch inside if he wants to dance in the final four during his senior year.

F – Nick Young – Alright, so I cheated on my own criteria, but I had to now that I am a Southern California resident. Nick is a junior for the Trojans and already has a fall away jumper that he can hit from anywhere in the pro game. No clue if he will come out, but if he didn’t want to play next to OJ Mayo, he will most likely be a first round lock.

F – Nick Fazekas – The Nevada Wolfpack forward has been a gem for quite some time. He is a great rebounder with a shooting range in a power forward body. He could be the reason they make noise past the first round and could be a nice pick for someone in the 20’s during June’s draft.

C – Aaron Gray – Gray is the Pittsburgh center who struggled in the Big East tourney, but you still can’t teach 7 feet plus. He is a good steady player that is less of a project than many of the big men drafted recently. He will contribute right away and continue to improve.

Potential 2nd Rounders to watch

We are going with a little different lineup because in college often times you can win without a center.

G – Aaron Brooks – This Oregon Point guard helped his team to win the Pac-10 tourney and could be the catalyst for them making a run deep into March. He is extremely athletic and could make for a nice second round surprise at the PG positions

G – Mustafa Shakur – The Arizona Wildcats will be losing a player they thought they might have lost many times before as Shakur has flirted with the draft in the past. He has size for a point guard, but will have to work on some things before succeeding at the next level. His overall experience and position should earn him a second round selection – the same fate may not be said for his team.

G/F – Derrick Byars – He is the scoring and leadership threat behind the Vanderbilt attack and his experience should help him lead Vanderbilt to a first round victory which in turn should lead him to the land of non-guaranteed contracts during the second round of the NBA draft. Unique size and ability are his biggest selling points for NBA teams.

F – Jared Dudley – The Boston College senior is as gritty as they come. He can shoot he can drive and he can rebound. He has desire and plenty of intangibles. He has tweener size which will hurt him in the draft. However if BC is going to make a run, it will be on his back.

F – Reyshawn Terry – Terry is the lost man of the UNC Tar Heel attack. He is a glue kind of player who can step out and hit the 3 as well as get the big rebound in the post. His consistency will help the kids on the Tar Heels focus and if he can get them to rally around his experience of a previous championship, he can help lead them to the 2007 national title.

If so it sounds like Jason Kidd is out of the All-Star game, so based on Stern’s other picks, the Bulls would be deserving. It is time to start up the campaign for Luol again (or maybe BG7)! He is the hottest Bull right now and over the last ten has started to turn into a star. It’s grass roots time to get a Bull into the All-Star game for the first time since Jordan! For further data see the article below…

So I really wanted to write some sort of piece for this month’s newsletter and I couldn’t figure out what to do. I had the topic picked out and everything, but there was just no good way of representing it. I thought about an Ode, but then realized, “How do I love thee, let me count the ways” may give a different impression than the one intended. I thought about a series of limericks or haikus, but I thought they were a bit simplistic and would cheapen the intent. Finally I thought about a Sonnet and determined that was just too darn difficult and I don’t have the kind of time. So I settled for a campaign speech…without further ado, here it goes!

With the holiday season approaching and the All-Star Game only 2 months away in Las Vegas, it isn’t too early to think about the Bulls having representation outside of the Rookies game this year. When thinking about your candidate, you want someone with athleticism, great play night in and night out and the numbers to back it up. There are a couple deserving Bulls this year, but Lu should really get the nod. His case: As of the writing of this article Luol (in about 35 minutes a game) was averaging 18 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals a game. He does everything with what looks like very little effort even though you know his tenacity and grit are just as tough as everyone else on the team. He has a great slashing game, can play above the rim and certainly hits the 12-18 footers with ease. In the offense he doesn’t have to shoot many 3’s, but the rumor is that shot is in his repertoire should he ever need it.

The kid is a mere 21 years old and has enough flash and flair to play with anyone in the game. Conversely, most people never hear anything bad about him, because he is one of those guys like LaDanian Tomlinson who just goes about his business and lets him game talk for him. He would be great in an All-Star Uni and I am sure David Stern would like to see him there to help the NBA’s image because we know he won’t be packing heat or anything crazy like that.

His great play and image aside, he is also versatile enough to be a reserve on the All Star team because he can play either shooting guard or small forward. Yahoo’s fantasy leagues certainly allow it, so there is no reason he couldn’t be slotted in either position. Speaking of Yahoo’s fantasy leagues, I happen to own him in the league that we are playing through the show. I am in the middle of the pack right now, but Lou from Cubscast may even be a bigger Disciple of Deng (by the way I am trademarking that!) than me because he offered me Paul Pierce for Luol straight up! Quite obviously I believe enough in Luol’s game this year to turn that down. He has got to go to Vegas! To make my point even stronger, let’s take a look at his competition. I have listed the 12 guys who are his biggest competition. I may have missed someone, so if I did and you can provide an argument that they are better than Lu, please let me know. Everyone else wasn’t good enough to make the list.

Luol Deng is a talent that his not come close to reaching his potential. His ceiling is close to limitless and it is amazing that as of no he has already surpassed so many that have already fulfilled their potential. Let’s get our first All Star since MJ back in 1998!

The competition:

• Lebron James - Umm…I think he will make it and start
• Chris Bosh & Dwight Howard - I think they will both be considered Centers and therefore do not count in this assessment
• Paul Pierce & Vince Carter - The only guys on this list with more points than Lu. The average of their other stats mostly works in Lu’s favor - he has more steals, blocks and fewer turnovers than each. Unfortunately do to their popularity skill and veteran status, they will make it.
• Tayshaun Prince & Rasheed Wallace - The Pistons aren’t as good as they were so they are no longer in the 4 All-Star category and their more likely guys come from the backcourt.
• Al Harrington and Jermaine O’Neal - JO could be considered a Center and Harrington has reached his potential. Neither one is outscoring Lu (and let’s be honest that is the number 1 stat for the All Star game) and the Bulls are the better team
• Antawn Jamison & Caron Butler - Both really nice players that I like a lot, but with their stats being close and Luol leading in most categories and the team being better, there should be no competition
• Richard Jefferson - Should not even be on this list. He has already topped out and Lu is quite obviously past him.
• Andres Nocioni - How could I forget his teammate? The crazy Bull will always be a bridesmaid when it comes to All Star voting. He does way too many little things to got this kind of recognition and Luol puts just as much effort out as Noc and makes it look even easier! (This isn’t a slight to Noc - Love him too, but Lu is better and that is just a fact).

Recently Bullscast hosts Brad and Nick sat down and recorded their preseason playoff predictions for the 2006-2007 season. In 8 months, we will see who is a genius and who is way too obsessed with Orlando. Feel free to let us know what you think at hosts@bullscast.com.

* indicates division winners

Brandon Roy Consensus for Rookie of the Year

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The Bulls have charged back from 10 games under .500 all the way into the playoffs with stellar play by Gordon, Hinrich, Noc, and Luol Deng. They’ve won 12 of their last 14 games and will be squaring off as the number 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs tonight vs. the Miami Heat.

Bullscast hosts Brad and Nick will be here covering the playoffs at least as well as the 5 man rotation (Sweetney, Chandler, Allen, Harrington and Schenscher) that will be guarding Shaq. It should be a lot of fun. To subscribe to Bullscast, just click on the iTunes graphic on the right side of this page and then click “subscribe” in iTunes. Also, feel free to e-mail hosts@bullscast.com or call the Bullscast listener line at (312) 235-2662 and leave your first name and location to have your comment or question read or played ‘on the air.’

Let’s Go Bulls!

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