Bulls Win 2nd Straight, Defeat the Bucks 90-77

By Sean Mackey

The Bulls pulled off another victory Tuesday night when they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks at home 90-77. Carlos Boozer lead the way with 24 points and 9 rebounds. Derrick Rose had another double double with 18 points, 12 assists and 6 rebounds. Luol Deng continued to quietly be awesome by tallying 24 points and 5 rebounds. Former Bull, John Salmons lead the way for Milwaukee with 18 points and 4 rebounds.

I only watched a few parts of this game. It was one of those uneventful games where you were never really scared the Bulls would blow a lead. Carlos Boozer has been ridiculously helpful lately averaging 20 points and 9 rebounds in his first 15 games. He absolutely manhandled the Bucks defense. The Bulls' reserves were able to almost completely shut out Andrew Bogut who finished with just 4 points. It's funny because everyone was so high on the Milwaukee Bucks at the beginning of the season but they've been kind of a disappointment and I wouldn't be surprised to see Philly sneak up and grab the 8th seed from them. Sure, having Brandon Jennings out hurts but so does having about 5 or 6 wings instead of having any real power forwards.

With this win, the Bulls have won 11 out of their last 13 and improve to 20-10 for the season. This would really be something if the Celtics and Heat weren't doing so damn good. January is a very easy month for the Bulls and they're going to need to continue to play hard even against mediocre opponents to keep the 3rd seed in the east. With the Orlando Magic starting to win games again, it's imperative that Chicago can beat teams like New Jersey and Indiana on a consistent basis.

The Bulls take on the New Jersey Nets in a special New Years Eve matinee game Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on WGN America. Hopefully the Bulls can keep taking care of business until Noah returns.

Go Bulls!

Boozer & Rose Lead Bulls Past Wizards 87-80

By Sean Mackey

The Bulls pulled off a win in what seemed to be a terrible game, beating the Wizards 87-80. Carlos Boozer lead the way with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Derrick Rose tallied 25 points, 5 assists and 3 blocks. Former Bull, Kirk Hinrich lead the way for the Wizards with 19 points and 9 assists starting in place of injured rookie point guard, John Wall. New Wizards acquisition Rashard Lewis made a rather quiet debut for Washington, coming off the bench to score just 8 points.

I didn't get a chance to watch this one. I actually fell asleep for the entire duration of the game. When I woke up to watch it on League Pass replay, I saw that it was a NBATV game and was blacked out. I really think the league should do something about that. TNT, ESPN & ABC are all channels that are on every basic cable plan. NBATV is not. If it's a station owned by the NBA, you should be able to access it through League Pass, especially if you're paying $110.00 for a plan to watch games on the freakin' internet.

Anyways, after watching highlights and looking at the box score it looks like the Bulls played kinda loose the first half and then held Washington to just 30 points in the 2nd half. I'm really glad Boozer has been able to come back from that broken hand injury and play like the all-star caliber player the Bulls are paying him to be. Taj Gibson made his return after his concussion from the Clippers loss. He played only 31 seconds. I guess Thibs just figured they didn't really need to use him and to let him rest another day before they need him on Christmas against the Knicks. Kurt Thomas once again started in place of Taj and scored just 4 points but also tallied 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. It looks like Thomas will be starting against the Knicks.

The Bulls will be playing their first Christmas game this Saturday since 1997 when they beat the Miami Heat 90-80. Interestingly enough, the first Bulls game I ever watched was the 1994 Christmas game against the New York Knicks where they won 107-104 in overtime.

The Bulls take on the New York Knicks at 12:00 p.m. on ESPN this Saturday. This is a game that will really test how well the Bulls can play without Joakim Noah.

Go Bulls and Merry Christmas!

Bulls Blow Out 76ers 121-76!

By Sean Mackey

The Bulls avenged their one point loss from Saturday night with a 45 point win over the Philadelphia 76er's, winning 121-76. Derrick Rose lead the way for Chicago scoring 22 points along with dishing out 12 assists. Carlos Boozer had 16 points and 11 rebounds. Luol Deng had a solid outing with 22 points but the player of the game was quite unexpected. Kurt Thomas started in place of the injured Taj Gibson and tallied 12 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks. Wow. Andre Iguodala lead the 76er's with 17 points and 4 rebounds. The Bulls shot a ridiculous 64.5 % from the field and at one point lead by 51 points. This was the Bulls 8th win in 9 games.

This was obviously a great win to help the Bulls regain some swagger after losing to the VDN lead Clippers on Saturday night. It's fantastic to see a veteran like Kurt Thomas step up during a starting role when he's barely played the first 2 months of the season. Thomas manhandled former Bull, Elton Brand. Ronnie Brewer has been awesome lately. He's definitely fully recovered from his injuries and is really making a case to be a full time starter. Deng looked way better than Iguodala last night. I really wish that all of those Deng for whoever trade rumors would just stop. It would be hard to even find someone who's as consistent as him. Yes, he's overpaid but he knows his role and has added a 3 point shot to it. The Bulls just need a shooting guard and they'll be considered a real threat.

The Bulls are now 17-9, currently sitting on the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference. Chicago is one game ahead of the Atlanta Hawks and 2 games ahead of plummeting Orlando Magic. I really think that the #2 seed is achievable if one of the Miami Heat's big three goes down

The trade the Orlando Magic pulled off on Saturday is going to be a complete bust. Pretending Hedo Turkoglu is still good and bringing Gilbert Arenas off the bench is just silly. Jason Richardson is the only real steal the Magic got from that deal. The Magic lost again last night actually starting Turkoglu at the 4 (WTF). This desperate move will probably have Dwight Howard heading out west in two years. Great job Otis Smith!

The Bulls start a 3 game road trip tonight against the John Wall-less Washington Wizards. Look for Rashard Lewis to make his debut with Washington. It'll be interesting to see how well he performs for the Wiz. The Bulls really need to get out there and put Washington away fast so they can concentrate on their Christmas matinee game against the now relevant New York Knicks.

Go Bulls!

Noah's Looming Surgery Overshadow's Bulls 7th Straight Victory

By Sean Mackey

The Bulls were able to pull off a 17 point victory over a shorthanded Toronto Raptors team Wednesday night, winning 110-93. Carlos Boozer absolutely manhandled the Raptors front line scoring 34 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. A hobbled Derrick Rose scored just 6 points but added 11 assists. The always solid Luol Deng scored 19 points including three 3-pointers. The Raptors were without their two best players, Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon. New Raptors acquisition Jerryd Bayless lead the way for Toronto, scoring 20 points. This was the Bulls 7th straight victory which pulled them ahead of the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference standings.

This was a nice win against an already awful team that was REALLY shorthanded. Derrick Rose just had to distribute the ball inside to Booz and the points would keep coming. It's nice to have such an efficient post guy down low who can disassemble a team's front court with even trying. The Bulls scored 63 points in the paint.

The night was overshadowed around halftime when K.C. Johnson tweeted some really bad news that the Bulls were prepared to announce surgery on Joakim Noah's thumb after the game. While Noah played last night putting up 11 points and 11 rebounds in just 26 minutes, he will undergo surgery today and be out an estimated 8-10 weeks. Noah will be back the 2nd week of February at the earliest. So what does this mean for the Chicago Bulls? Possible disaster.

The Bulls have a somewhat easy schedule over the next month or so with the exception of a few games against Boston, Miami, Dallas & New York (even though I don't want to acknowledge that they're good). While no game is ever a given in the NBA, there's about 21 winnable games before the Bulls reach the 2nd week of February.

Chicago will most likely look to start Taj Gibson at center. I don't know how I really feel about this since I think Asik would probably do well starting. He's a great defender and can throw down Turkish white boy style on any given night. Noah's injury also means more minutes for Luol Deng and Kurt Thomas. Deng's already playing too many minutes but has emerged as the most consistant Bull this season so his ability to contribute on rebounding and defense is a must.

The Bulls only have 1 game in 5 nights this week when former Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro makes his return to the United Center Saturday night with a 5-21 Blake Griffin lead, L.A. Clippers team.

Bulls Send Cavs to 6th Straight Loss, Win 88-83!

By Sean Mackey

The Bulls won their 3rd straight game on Wednesday night when they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 88-83. Derrick Rose lead the way as usual, scoring 29 points and dishing out 9 assists. Joakim Noah put up another double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds including 2 really big free throws in the last 30 seconds of the game to help seal the win. Antwan Jamison lead the Cavs with 21 points and 6 rebounds. Anderson Varejao also had a great game scoring 17 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.

I started watching this game at the beginning of the 2nd half due to me thinking the game was on at 8:00 p.m. instead of 7:00 p.m. The Bulls were up by 6 at that point but quickly lost the lead when Antwan Jamison turned it on. Coach Thibodeau went small most of the game at one point putting Rose at the 2 with C.J. Watson running the offense. Carlos Boozer only played 20 minutes after Thibs decided that he wasn't athletic enough to guard Jamison on the perimeter.

The 4th quarter was pretty exciting with Kyle Korver catching fire and hitting 5 straight shots along with a free throw before throwing up a clanker. It was funny since the Cavs broadcasting crew mentioned that if Korver gets two shots to go that he might not miss. Korver is a great shooter and REALLY needs to be promoted to the starting SG job. Bogans starting and playing only 8 minutes makes zero sense. All coaches are stubborn about at least one stupid thing and this is Thibs' glitch. Skiles' was not starting Ben Gordon, VDN had way too many to name.

Derrick Rose eventually took over the game, weaving in and out traffic and somehow finding openings and getting ridiculous layups. I'm going to have to agree with something Kelly Dwyer said on Balls Don't Lie the other day...Rose may be the fastest basketball player in the league in terms of getting from the 3 point line to the basket. He's simply remarkable and it's great to see him in a sort of MVP mode. Rose made the play of the game when he went up for a layup, was fouled by Mo Williams and willed a shot in. Noah sank two free throws after an offensive foul at the other end of the floor and the Bulls went on to win.

This game reminded me why Anderson Varejao is still my least favorite player in the league. That guy would fall down and try to sell a foul if someone threw a box of toothpicks at him. In one particular instance while going up for a shot, faded away and faked a hit to try to get an and-1 play. Varejao made the shot but no foul was called. The next instance was a few moments later when Noah put maybe 1/2 lb of pressure on Varejao's shoulder going for a rebound and he fell to his knees as if he was tripped. The refs actually bought that call. Play the freakin' game and stop falling down all the time! I do think Varejao is a solid defender and a high energy guy but let's face it, he'll always be a poor man's Noah.

In the end it was great to see the Bulls win a game that they should have won. Building up confidence before a home game against the Lakers is always a good thing. Cleveland has been in a real funk since LeBron came to town and raped their hopes and dreams with a 39 point explosion. I feel bad for the Cavs and would have much rather seen LeBron stay there than go down to Miami but like Noah said, Cleveland does suck. With this win the Bulls improve to 12-8. Chicago is now 2 games ahead of the Pacers in the Central Division after their loss to Milwaukee last night. The Bulls are only 1.5 games away from obtaining the 3 seed in the East trailing the Miami Heat.

The Bulls will be hosting the Los Angeles Lakers tomorrow evening in a nationally televised game on ESPN. The action starts at 8:00 p.m. Chicago has lost 7 straight to the Lakers and haven't had a win against them since December 19, 2006. The Bulls are dodging a big bullet since Andrew Bynum won't be making his return to the Lakers until next Tuesday against the Wizards.

Go Bulls!

Boozer Gives Thunder the Business, Bulls Win 99-90!

By Sean Mackey

The Bulls were finally able to dish out some payback for their opening night loss on Monday night when they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 99-90. Carlos Boozer was in full swing showing Bulls fans how awesome it is to finally have a post presence in the Windy City. Boozer put up 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Derrick Rose had an off night shooting 3-13, scoring only 11 points and dishing out 9 assists. Joakim Noah got into foul trouble early and only played 20 minutes but still managed to pull down 12 rebounds. Luol Deng also had another solid outing (aren't they all solid at this point?) with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Kevin Durant lead the OKC Thunder in scoring with 29 points in an otherwise uninspiring performance.

This was a game the Bulls really needed to win. After barely coming away with a win against Houston the other night, it was great to see them actually play as a functioning unit. Derrick Rose is the best player on the Bulls but tonight showed he doesn't even have to put out a great performance for the team to pull off a win. While I expect Rose to probably fall out of the top 10 in scoring this season with the arrival of Booz, Rose is still the best scorer on the team.

The OKC Thunder are a great team, everyone including myself projects them to go deep into the playoffs this season. The problem with the Thunder is Jeff Green. He's a 3 playing a 4 and it's evident that they're missing a post up guy. It'll be really interesting to see if Green's contract is extended after this season. I could see a team like the Cavs making a push for him if they can't pry Iggy from the 76ers. I've read a lot of rumors of Marcin Gortat possibly getting shipped out to OKC as well. He'd be a pretty good fit.

Also, sorry for the long gap in updates. I was on vacation for about 2 weeks in November and while the circus trip was a success, I wasn't excited enough to write about a team without Boozer. Some Bulls fan I am...anyways, hopefully blog entries will be more frequent again.

The Bulls take on the Cleveland Cavaliers tomorrow night at the United Center. With a relatively weak schedule coming up (with the exception of the Lakers on Friday night), the Bulls should be able to build up a decent win streak somewhere in there.

Bulls beat Nuggets 94-92, improve to 3-3!

By Sean Mackey

The Bulls were able to squeak out a win Monday night as they defeated the Denver Nuggets 94-92 at home. Derrick Rose was able to muster up 18 points on a terrible 7-21 shooting night along with dishing out 6 assists. Taj Gibson continued to impress scoring 16 points, grabbing 6 boards and blocking 5 shots. Luol Deng scored 17 points and grabbed 7 boards. Joakim Noah was easily the player of the game recording his 6th consecutive double-double of the season scoring 12 points, pulling down 19 rebounds and blocking 4 shots. Carmelo Anthony had a ridiculously good game for Denver scoring 32 points and grabbing 8 rebounds but it wasn't enough.

This was one of those back and forth games that lasted the whole 48 minutes. Chicago was just scrappier in the end with Joakim blocking some big shots down the stretch and Derrick Rose trying to fix what he did wrong in the first half. It wasn't a pretty game but a win is a win.

It's great to see the Bulls come out with a victory after losing 2 games they should have won this last week against New York and Boston. New York just got lucky and couldn't miss from the 3 point line and Chicago just slipped up a little in overtime against Boston. All of the Bulls games this season have been close, it's not like they're not putting in a good effort and getting blown out. Chicago comes out to play every night and once Boozer comes back and gets acclimated into Tom Thibodeau's system, the Bulls will be good. In fact, I think they'll be better than the overachieving Skiles lead, 49 win squad from a few years ago.

If Chicago was able to somehow acquire a more consistent double figure scoring shooting guard and a decent back up point guard, they'd be right up there with Boston and Orlando in terms of talent. Trading away Kirk Hinrich was a big mistake, he would have been perfect in this offense. The Bulls always make a trade mid season and it'll be interesting to see who gets shipped off at the deadline this season.

The Bulls have 2 home games left against Golden State (Thursday) and Washington (Saturday) before heading out west for the dreaded 7 game circus trip. Chicago really needs to win both games to help pad their record because the road trip is going to be really rough with games against Dallas, San Antonio & the LA Lakers.

Bulls host David Lee and the Golden State Warriors on Thursday (11/11). You can catch the game on CSN Chicago and NBA League Pass.

Game 1 of 82: Bulls Fall to Thunder 106-95

By Sean Mackey

The Chicago Bulls fell to the Thunder Wednesday night 106-95 in the first of the 82 game regular season. Derrick Rose was fantastic scoring 28 points and adding 6 assists. Joakim Noah had a monster game after starting off slow in the first half scoring 18 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. Taj Gibson also played well starting in place of the injured Carlos Boozer scoring 16 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Kevin Durant lead the Thunder with 30 points and 7 rebounds. Russell Westbrook matched Rose's 28 points and pulled down 10 boards as well.

This is a game the Bulls really could have won had Rose not been in foul trouble so early in the first half. The second unit seemed to be sort of hobbled and inefficient. CJ Watson is a better version of Jannero Pargo but has no business running an offense. Ronnie Brewer looked injured. Kurt Thomas looked old. Omer Asik barely played. Brian Scalabrine played too much & Kyle Korver only got 2 of 5 to fall. It's infuriating that the Bulls can't be efficient without Rose on the floor at all times.

I think Luol Deng is the guy that's going to need to step up. Yeah, he was being guarded by Kevin Durant and Sefolosha the whole night but he's much better than the way he played last night. Thibs is going to have to set up an offense that can get Deng and Korver open in the corners for some 3's otherwise Rose is just driving the whole game.

The effort that Taj Gibson put in was impressive. He had an absolutely terrible preseason but looked a lot better than Jeff Green did. Although, I think Jeff Green is a bit overrated and really isn't a PF, Taj should be dominating guys like him at all times.

Keith Bogans has no business starting on this team. I would love to see Korver start as the team's starting shooting guard but it doesn't really seem to be an option in Thibodeau's mind. The Bulls need scoring off the bench and Korver is the only one efficient enough to be that guy.

Oh well, the Bulls played a great game. They overachieved in my mind. The Thunder are poised to be the #2 team in the west and Chicago was tied or leading most of the game all while their new all-star PF sat on the bench in a suit. Had it not been for some silly fouls, a goaltending call against Deng (which was a clean block) and a few turnovers, Chicago would have pulled this out.

I know, it's just one game but it's depressing to see the Bulls lose a game they should have won. Chicago hosts their first home game on Saturday night against the Detroit Piston @ 8:00 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcasted on CSN Chicago and NBA League Pass (which is free until November 2nd). Go Bulls!

8 Things We Learned From the Preseason/2010-11 Season Predictions

By Sean Mackey

The preseason is finally over...thank God. We can all finally move on to big boy, regular season NBA basketball.

The Bulls finished the preseason with a 4-4 record including 2 blowout victories over teams that Chicago needs to be blowing out on a consistant basis. Derrick Rose lead the Bulls in scoring and assists averaging 16.9 ppg & 4.5 apg. Joakim Noah almost averaged a double-double with 10.8 ppg & 9.3 rpg.

With all of the sloppy preseason action over, how much did we learn about this Bulls team? A lot actually.

1. Kyle Korver is going to be used just as Ray Allen was in Boston the last 3 seasons. He's going to be coming off screens and shooting in transition. Korver is ridiculously underrated and takes good shots. Catch and shoot baby!

2. The Bulls need a better SG. Ronnie Brewer seems like a bust. He's always injured and well, he's a shooting guard who doesn't really have much of a shot. Keith Bogans has proved to be servicable on the defensive end as well as having a reliable 3 point shot but he's not a guy that needs to be starting. I really wish the Bulls would have signed Allen Iverson or Tracy McGrady. The Bulls need shooters plain and simple.

3. Chicago doesn't have a back up point guard. CJ Watson is more of shooting guard than someone who runs an offense. Watson's going to be great when the Thibs decides to go small and play Rose alongside him but the Bulls can't do that all the time obviously. At times like these, I wish we still had C-Du.

4. James Johnson has really put in some work over the offseason. He's slimmed down, he's faster and is making decent shots including shooting .429 from the 3 point line during the preseason. This is probably what lead the Bulls to pick up his option last night. JJ is proving that he wants to be better and the organization can see that.

6. Omer Asik is not a project. This guy is NBA ready, guards the rim well and rebounds the ball. This is a guy who is going to have to match up with Noah at every practice and it's really going to help make him into a hustling good back up. I'm very excited to see he's going to probably going to get several minutes this season.

7. Luol Deng is back to being awesome...so far. He's always the guy that everyone wants to trade but he's out to prove that one season a few years ago wasn't a fluke. Deng averaged 16 ppg and shot a ridiculous .517 from the 3 point stripe. Thibs is giving Deng the green light to shoot the 3 ball and it's paying off. I'm excited to see he's back to his old self and that he really is a top 10 SF.

8. The Bulls need Carlos Boozer back soon. This is a guy who they really couldn't afford to lose for even a few games but he's out for a month or so and well, the circus trip is coming up in just a few weeks. Boozer and Noah could be the best front court in the NBA and they're going to need to be if the Bulls want to go anywhere in the playoffs this season. Taj isn't going to cut it.

2010-11 NBA Season Predictions:

The Bulls are most likely going to enjoy their best record since 1998 this season but they're still about one piece away from having an elite team. A trade (minus Noah) for Carmelo Anthony would probably push the Bulls up there with the Heat in terms of talent. I believe this is the year the Bulls make the 2nd round of the playoffs but will probably stall out there. Boston and Orlando are just way too deep.

Chicago Bulls 2010-11 record: 51-31

Eastern Conference Playoff Seeding:

1. Miami Heat

2. Orlando Magic

3. Boston Celtics

4. Chicago Bulls

5. Atlanta Hawks

6. Milwaukee Bucks

7. New York Knicks

8. Charlotte Bobcats

Note: I have a feeling the Bucks may bottom out this year. They have really high expectations this season with Bogut coming back and added some shooters but how long before they tune Skiles out? If the Nets can somehow trade for Carmelo Anthony, they may have a decent shot at making the post season.

Western Conference Playoff Seeding:

1. L.A. Lakers

2. OKC Thunder

3. Utah Jazz

4. Dallas Mavericks

5. Houston Rockets

6. San Antoio Spurs

7. Golden State Warriors

8. L.A. Clippers

Note: Denver is going to trade Carmelo Anthony and I doubt they'll have the pieces to make the post season. I also think the Suns run is finally over and agree with Sam Smith that Steve Nash will most likely be dealt before the trade deadline. I think the Clippers are gonna edge out the Trail Blazers as well. That's my bold prediction for the year. Last season it was the Timberwolves making the playoffs...boy was I wrong.

2010-11 Eastern Conference Finals:

Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics (Miami in 6 games)

2010-11 Western Conference Finals:

L.A. Lakers vs. OKC Thunder (L.A. in 7 games)

2010-11 NBA Finals:

Miami Heat vs. L.A. Lakers (L.A. in 6 games)

2010-11 MVP:

Kevin Durant (runner up LeBron James)

2010-11 Defensive Player of the Year:

Dwight Howard (runner up Joakim Noah)

2010-11 6th Man of the Year:

Courtney Lee (runner up Steve Blake)

2010-11 Most Improved Player of the Year:

Danilo Gallinari (runner up Brook Lopez)

2010-11 Coach of the Year:

Erik Spoelstra (runner up Tom Thibodeau)

The NBA Season kicks off tonight with the Heat vs. Celtics...can't wait! The Bulls regular season opens up tomorrow in OKC vs. the Thunder. The Bulls starters will be Rose, Bogans, Deng, Gibson & Noah. Get excited.

Noah Agrees to 5 Year/$60 Million Extension plus Boozer's injured 6-8 weeks!

By Sean Mackey

The Chicago Bulls and center Joakim Noah were able to finally agree on a contact extension over the weekend. Sources are saying the deal is around $60 million for 5 years plus incentives. This will lock Noah up well into prime and should end any talk regarding a trade to Denver for Carmelo Anthony. Here's what Sam Smith of Bulls.com had to say:

League sources confirmed the Bulls have come to an agreement with Joakim
Noah on a contract extension.

Sources said the deal is for five
years and is worth about $60 million. It would go into effect after this season.
An announcement is expected this week.

Noah would be just the second
player from the rookie Class of 2007 along with Kevin
Durant to agree to an extension.

It would be a relief for the Bulls
to sign Noah, especially with the potential for a lockout looming after this
season with new rules that could alter dealings regarding contracts.

I love Joakim. He's easily my favorite Bull and this deal is very good news for Chicago fans fearing that he may be shipped off to Denver or stuck in a Ben Gordonesque contract standoff. You always like to see a guy play with his passion and energy and he deserves every bit of the money he's going to get over the next 5 years. Congrats to the Bulls for getting a deal done for this guy!

Unfortunately, the good news of Joakim Noah's contract extension was cancelled out earlier on Sunday afternoon. The Bulls big name acquisition of the summer, Carlos Boozer apparently tripped over a gym bag in his house on Saturday night and broke his hand. Boozer's injury will require surgery on Tuesday and will be out 6-8 weeks.

Bulls.com's press release:

Chicago Bulls forward Carlos Boozer sustained a fracture of his right hand (5th
metacarpal) on October 2, 2010. He was evaluated by team physician Dr. Brian
Cole and hand specialist Dr. Marc Cohen of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush. The
fracture will require surgery and Carlos will likely be out 8 weeks.

This is a HUGE blow to the organization who already had ridiculously high hopes of starting off the season healthy. The whole tripping over a gym bag story has me sort of sceptical. It's a bizarre occurrence and I'm really hoping he's telling the truth and not pulling a Monte Ellis. The last thing the Bulls need is to issue a suspension on top of the 2 months Boozer will already miss.

Taj Gibson is the obvious starter for tomorrow's first preseason game of the year against the Milwaukee Bucks. Kurt Thomas will most likely be putting in some extra time at the PF spot while Boozer is out.

Also...NBA 2K11 comes out tomorrow and hopefully by Thursday I'll have a review up of what IGN is calling the "greatest basketball video game of all time".

Brian Scalabrine signs with Bulls! More Melo talk!

By Sean Mackey

The Bulls signed former Boston Celtic, Brian Scalabrine to a non-guaranteed contract Tuesday evening. Apparently, Thibs has been lobbying for Gar Pax to sign Scalabrine for a while now. Scalabrine was offered some sort of non-playing position with the Celtics but turned it down at a chance to play for the Bulls. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports broke the story.

Woj's Twitter:

Tom Thibodeau has been lobbying for Scalabrine's signing this summer, sources say. Still believes Scal can contribute -- on and off floor.

Woj column:

After five seasons with the Boston Celtics, forward Brian Scalabrine has agreed to a non-guaranteed contract with the Chicago Bulls, a league source told Yahoo! Sports.
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau wanted Scalabrine as part of his first season in Chicago and pushed hard for him with general manager Gar Forman and vice president John Paxson, sources said.
Scalabrine, 32, played sparingly for the Celtics a season ago, where Thibodeau was an assistant coach.

Scalabrine has averaged 3.3 points in nine seasons with the Celtics and New Jersey Nets. He’s gone to the NBA Finals four times – twice in New Jersey and twice in Boston. The Bulls enter training camp with 12 guaranteed contracts and sources said Scalabrine is a “good bet” to make the roster

I look at Brian Scalabrine as I did with last year's Lindsey Hunter signing, he's a good locker room guy. I'll admit I haven't been much of a Scal fan over the last few years. This is mainly because anytime he was on the floor in Boston, the already obnoxious Celtics fans went nuts. My guess is that this is a gateway position and Scal will most likely end up as an assistant to Thibs next season.

In more interesting news, the Carmelo debacle is heating up over in Denver. Over the past few days, ESPN has been flooding Twitter with trade chatter regarding the 3 time all-star. The Nets, Knicks, Rockets, Lakers, Clippers and of course the Bulls seem to still be the likeliest of destinations for Melo. Former Knicks coach Isiah Thomas has went on record to say he believes that Melo will be a Knick or a Bull by the time the dust clears. According to ESPN Over the past 72 hours, Melo has been pushing hard for a trade to happen before next week's training camp. Here's some of the more interesting tweets regarding the situation:

ESPN NBA Insider Chad Ford's Twitter:

Nets have made best offer for Melo, but he still prefers NY or Chicago. Nuggs still hoping he'll sign extension in Den http://es.pn/94yYuz

No. Nets are on his wish list. But NY & Bulls are higher RT @Nymetsfan14 so nets have no shot because melo wont sign extension with then

Dont think so. Nets have better offer if Bulls wont include Noah RT @NW_7 Does Chi have any chance to get Melo while still keeping Noah?

ESPN NBA Insider Chris Broussard's Twitter:

Sum execs baffled by CHI's refusal 2 part with Noah 4 Melo

One exec made great point that u can't pay big $ to Rose, Booz, Melo & Noah anyway, so why not move Noah

Tribune Beat Reporter K.C. Johnson's Twitter:

Carmelo can state desire to play for Bulls all he wants. Unless Denver changes mind on Deng---or Bulls find 3rd team---he won't play here.

I'll take K.C.'s word over any ESPN NBA Insider at this point. ESPN likes to spin stuff just to stir up some news. As much as I'd like Melo on the Bulls, Noah is arguably one of the biggest faces of the franchise and is on his way to becoming one of the most popular players in Bulls history. Do you throw that all away for Melo? That's a real tough decision. Melo is definitely a piece that would push Chicago into being considered an elite franchise. They'd be right up there with Miami & Los Angeles in terms of talent but losing defendors like Noah & Deng could really come back to haunt the Bulls.

After the whole free agent bust of 2010, I have little to no confidence that Melo is coming to Chicago. It's hard not to get caught up in the hype but I'd just as well land Rudy Fernandez and see what the Bulls can do with the team they've assembled. Melo wants to play in New York. That's always been his plan and he can sign there outright next season if he just plays out this last year in Denver. However, the Nuggets don't want to lose him for nothing like Toronto and Cleveland did this summer with Bosh & James (those draft picks aren't worth anything). I have a feeling that Melo will play out with Denver until the trade deadline and then be dealt after agreeing to sign an extension to the team of his choosing.

Also, on a completely unrelated note, be sure to follow the Bulltimate Warrior on twitter @ http://twitter.com/BulltmteWarrior!

Bulls considering dealing for Melo...internet goes crazy!

By Sean Mackey

I hate September. It's a month in which sports writers start to speculate and concoct trade scenarios that aren't really going to happen just to make some headlines. The last few days have been perfect examples of this with the whole Carmelo Anthony debacle that's going on over in Denver. It was only a matter of time before Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski planted the first seed with a "breaking" story two weeks ago that Melo wanted out of Denver and then Marc Spears followed with a column Wednesday night dragging the Bulls into this mess.

Carmelo is supposedly telling his peers that he prefers a trade that will send him to New York or Chicago. However, I believe Chicago's name is just being penned to this report because of their possible trade pieces.

The Bulls are more than willing to give up Luol Deng as they attempted to do so all summer with zero takers. Deng's a great SF, he's not flashy and doesn't really have a 3 point shot but is a decent defender who can post up a little and hit down the mid range shot. Teams are scared of his recent injury problems and his ridiculous contact. Is he worth the deal he was given? Probably not but that was the price you had to pay for a top 10 SF with all-star potential 3 years ago. Will Denver mind taking him back? Probably not if they can grab Joakim Noah....and that was the big story of Thursday.

ESPN first reported that the Bulls were having internal discussions on whether or not to include Joakim Noah in an offer for Melo. Bulls fans are pretty divided on any sort of scenerio where Noah leaves. It should also be noted that Hoopsworld "insider" Andy Kennedy claimed Thursday afternoon that Noah had been offered a 5 year/$60 million extension. Rumors were immediately going around that maybe Noah thought he was worth more than that and may not accept the offer. Are the Bulls preparing to trade Joakim before another Ben Gordon like situation arises?

Joakim is a top 10 center and has argueably the best motor in the NBA. He also may be the most passionate player in the professional basketball and has a devoted fan following in Chicago. Would a team of Boozer, Melo & Rose be a big enough "big 3" to pounce Miami, Orlando & Boston? Who knows but losing Noah's leadership, rebounding and defense would probably really hurt Chicago in the long run. John Paxson has always been about improving the team for years to come, he's never been interested in a win now situation.

With all this being said, I sincerely have doubts about any of this Melo to Chicago noise. I'm sure Melo wouldn't mind coming here but losing Noah would probably be too much of a defensive hit to the Bulls. Doug Thonus over at Chicago Now made a good point that Boozer needs a defensive center to be effective offensively and I agree. You take Noah away who's going to provide that? However, if the Nuggets (and Melo) were to agree to a sign & trade sending Deng, Gibson, J. Johnson & the Charlotte pick for Melo, the Bulls couldn't (and shouldn't) pass that up. Adding one of the most prolific scorers of the past 5 years and throwing him on a team with a top 10 center, power forward and point guard would make the Bulls instant title contenders.

Chicago is one really good piece away from being a power house. If they could snag Carmelo away from the Nuggets, it would be a dream scenerio. However, until this actually happens I would suggest that Bulls fans not get their hopes up too high. The whole situation sounds like bored September NBA story just to cause some Real GM forum chaos.

Rudy Fernandez anyone?

By Sean Mackey

I know it's been like 20 days since I wrote last but Chicago Bulls basketball has been super quiet. There's been absolutely nothing to write about. This dead period of Aug-Sept is usually a depressing time for NBA fans. Trades are done. Free Agents have signed. Teams are pretty much set. Yeah, the Bulls went ahead and signed Keith Bogans to a 2 year partial guaranteed deal but is that news? The guy can defend and hit the three on occasion but I'm not that excited and I doubt anyone else is either.

However, the only glimmer of semi-exciting news is that the Bulls are still in play to snatch Spanish guard, Rudy Fernandez from the Portland Trail Blazers. Over the years, Portland has overvalued their talent and have asked for an arm and a leg, draft picks and ridiculously better players in return for Rudy. With Portland's old GM out, Portland may want to go ahead and take a deal from the Bulls rather than see Fernandez disrupt team chemistry by being buried on the bench and demanding a trade or watching him bolt for Europe as soon as the season is over. The Bulls were in a similar boat last year with Tyrus Thomas and ultimately decided to trade him for a draft pick. Thomas would have left the team the following season and the Bulls would have got nothing in return.

Rudy didn't have very many suitors besides NY and Boston and they were both unwilling to give up a draft pick in return for the Spanish guard. It's rumored the Blazers really want Taj Gibson but why? They already have Oden, Aldridge and Camby & Jeff Pendergraph. Yeah, Gibson is a step up from Pendergraph but he'll end up getting reduced playing time and probably be unhappy. The Bulls also don't want to give him up after nearly averaging a double-double. He could very well be the best back up power forward in the east this year and with Boozer's shaky injury past, it's a good idea to hold on to him.

James Johnson and a first round pick "should" be enough. The Bulls can afford to ditch their pick this year anyway with a team that's poised to make the 2nd round of the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

Portland....stop overvaluing your talent and hook us up. We'll appreciate Rudy Fernandez far more than you ever will. We've been wanting an obnoxious foreign guy to fill the gap since Andres Nocioni left.

Bulls sign Ronnie Brewer and acquire CJ Watson in S&T

By Sean Mackey

The Chicago Bulls signed slasher Ronnie Brewer this last week to a $12.5 million 3 year deal. Presumably, Brewer will be the Chicago Bulls starting shooting guard after the Orlando Magic matched JJ Redick's $19 million offer sheet. Ronnie Brewer averaged 8.8 ppg, 2.7 ast, 3.2 rb & 2.6 steals last season between his time with the Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies.

The Bulls also acquired their backup for Derrick Rose Monday evening when they agreed to a $10.2 million/3 year sign and trade with the Golden State Warriors for point guard CJ Watson. The Bulls will send their 2011 2nd round pick in return. Watson averaged 10.3 ppg, 2.3 ast & 1.6 steals last season for Golden State.

I'm not particularly happy with either of these signings. I know, pickings are slim at this point but signing a shooting guard who can't really shoot and a point guard who doesn't really pass puts us right back where we were late last season. Ronnie Brewer is a dunk specialist. Yeah, those are fun, I was a Tyrus Thomas fan but Chicago could have taken a risk with someone like Tracy McGrady.

JJ Redick would have been perfect for the Bulls. It's a real shame that Orlando matched his deal. Redick was surprised himself. He wanted to be a Bull, he wanted to start. Orlando overpays for their bench and are really deep into the luxury tax now because of this. The Magic knew that Redick would thrive in Chicago and they didn't want him going to a team who might be able to knock them out of the playoffs next season.

The CJ Watson signing completely caught me off guard. I was skimming through YouTube videos just to see who in the f*ck CJ Watson is. He looks like a more athletic version of Flip Murray. I never liked Flip Murray last season and I'm glad we didn't look into re-signing him but now we have this younger, faster incarnation of him backing up our star player. I was really hoping Chicago would lure Jason Williams. Williams is a decent veteran and knows how to run an offense. I know Tom Thibideau likes this Watson guy for his defense but the Bulls are going to be set defensively, they need shooters. Right now, we have one guy who can shoot the ball. I'm sorry but James Johnson isn't going to miraculously develop a 3 point shot this season.

I really hope the Bulls wise up and offer a contract or trade for a decent shooting guard. My gut tells me they're done with moves but I really hope they're not.

Bulls ink Kyle Korver and Omer Asik

By Sean Mackey

The Chicago Bulls officially signed three point specialist Kyle Korver and 2008 draft day acquisition, Omer Asik on Tuesday.

Kyle Korver will rake in $15 million over the next 3 seasons. Euro league player, Omer Asik will make $4 million over the next 3 seasons. If Asik turns out to be a good gamble, the 3 year deal will have been a good choice because they will have Bird rights on him.

Neither signings are of huge significance but Korver does bring some great bench scoring to a team who ranked 29th in 3 pointers last season. Ever since, Ben Gordon bailed for Detroit, the Bulls have struggled taking 3 pointers. Luol Deng has started to slowly incorporate the 3 point shot into his game but with the exception of him, the recently traded Kirk Hinrich and the once in a month James Johnson garbage time attempt, the Bulls barely used the 3 pointer as a weapon. With Carlos Boozer and Derrick Rose drawling double teams, they should be able to use Korver in kick out situations.

Omer Asik is still a bit of a mystery. With the exception of a few poor youtube clips, I haven't seen much of his game. He seems to be able to rebound and pass but seems to be like most Euro centers, kind of soft. The Bulls gave up 3 future 2nd round picks for him so I'm assuming they saw something they really liked in Asik. It's also a mystery if the Bulls will attempt to bring back Brad Miller next season with the signing of Asik. Are they confident enough that Asik can take on the load that Brad Miller did last season off of the bench? Brad averaged 9 points and 5 boards a game, a fantastic passer and a great locker room guy.

It's going to be really hard for a rookie Euroleaguer to bring everything that Brad did. With that being said, I'd love to see Brad Miller sign a final 2 year contract with Chicago. That gives the Bulls 2 years to mold Asik into a permanent, cheap back-up for Noah.

In other Bulls news, Orlando Magic restricted free agent, JJ Redick was signed to a 3 year $20 million offer sheet by Chicago last Friday night. Orlando's GM Otis Smith has until this Friday (7/16) to match the offer. The Magic would likely go into luxury tax if they matched the deal after giving swingman Quintin Richardson a multi year contract.

Although, a lot of fans assume that Q-Rich was picked up to replace JJ Redick, he's more likely going to be taking over the position Matt Barnes occupied last season. Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy and Otis Smith have both made indications that the Bulls deal will be matched but the choice is ultimately up to the owners and if they want to pay the tax for a back up guy like Redick. A similar situation like this happened last season when the Dallas Mavericks threw out a ridiculous contract to Magic center Marcin Gortat. The Magic surprisingly matched the deal wanting to keep the bench core together after making the NBA Finals that season. ESPN analyst Ric Bucher has indicated that the Magic will most likely match the deal and make Chicago wait until Friday to find out. If the Bulls strike out with Redick, they'll most likely set their sights on signing former Utah Jazz starting SG, Ronnie Brewer.

Personally, I want JJ. We'll see what happens though.

LeBron chooses Miami, ruins NBA.

By Sean Mackey

Well, it's over and I'm glad.

LeBron James made his big decision last night and pissed off a good 90% of fans worldwide. Miami? Did anyone see this coming 2 years ago when everyone started talking about the summer of 2010? I didn't.

The whole buildup with a television special was ridiculous. Yes, I would still think it's ridiculous if he had chose the Bulls. While I've always hated LeBron James, I would have welcomed him to Chicago, just like any Bulls fan would have. You can't argue the guy is a machine but it's REALLY easy to hate him, even more so now. Having something to hate is good in my book. I hate the Miami Heat. I hate Pat Riley and I hate Wade, James & Bosh. I hope they all get injured and LeBron still never wins a title. It would be hilarious but I'm fairly sure 2011-20 will be the decade of the Heat. Did the Heat build a dynasty? No, they gave everyone away their whole team to sign 3 of the greatest players of the the last decade.

Where does this leave the Chicago Bulls? Well, it's safe to say we might be able to win the division for the next 5 seasons but going any further than the conference finals would be a stretch. Yeah, we got Boozer, I'm excited but what about having a shooting guard? Mike Miller announced he's going to the Heat for 5/$30 mill. That leaves us with Ashton Kutcher....I mean Kyle Korver. I like Korver but he's hardly an upgrade from Kirk or Ben Gordon. Do the Bulls submit and trade for Rip Hamilton or Michael Redd and their terrible contracts? One thing's for sure, we need to lock up Brad Miller before the Heat do. The last thing I want to see is B-Mill playing for the dark side.

The Bulls have $19 million to spend. How they will spend it is a complete mystery.

Carlos Boozer signs with the Bulls!

By Sean Mackey

The Chicago Bulls made a huge move in the right direction last night as they signed all-star PF Carlos Boozer to a five year contract. Boozer will receive around $75 mill over the next five seasons. While it's a big contract, it is not a max and it still leaves the door open for LeBron if he chooses to sign a max deal with Chicago. Although Boozer has been injury ridden over the last few seasons, while healthy he's averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds a game over his career. Averaging a double-double over 7 seasons is quite an accomplishment. Boozer also fills a need the Bulls haven't had since Elton Brand left, a good (great) post threat.

The Bulls swooped in and landed Boozer right after Chris Bosh confirmed he was headed to the Miami Heat. The Nets who also have been flirting with Boozer over the last few weeks were stunned by Boozer's signing to Chicago. According to ESPN's Ric Bucher, Chicago was Boozer's top choice long before free agency began last Thursday. Adding Boozer to the mix makes Chicago the best frontcourt in the NBA next to the Lakers' Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

Also, in the LeBron front, it's been reported by several sources that LeBron will be joining the Miami Heat. This now seems like his most likely destination on the day of his big announcement and I'm going to give ESPN the benefit of the doubt that their report is correct. This was first mentioned by Fox Radio host and former ESPN Insider Stephen A. Smith. ESPN's Chad Ford wrote a piece back in November about the possibility of it happening as well.

While Miami can offer a dynasty, it also will give him a tarnished legacy. LeBron James will be forever known as one of the best players to never be able to win a title on his own. He's came close over the last few seasons with the Cavs, why not go back and try again? Miami is Dwayne Wade's town. Wade won a title with a supporting cast, not a superstar entourage. Does LeBron really just want to be a sidekick and make the same money as two players that aren't as good?

LeBron's best possible situation just got better last night with the adding of Boozer. A team with a great young center, a former all-star PF and a budding Derrick Rose would give him a title with Chicago that wouldn't damage his legacy. He'd be top dog in Chicago as well, which he won't be in Miami.

LeBron will be announcing his signing with Miami* at 9:00 p.m. tonight on ESPN. The whole world will be watching.

Report: Bosh & Wade Teaming in Miami....Plan B?

By Sean Mackey

According to ESPN's Chris Broussard Chris Bosh will be joining Dwayne Wade in Miami. This ends a year and a half of speculation that Bosh would be leaving Toronto for the Miami Heat or Chicago Bulls. Bosh will most likely be dealt to Miami for Mario Chalmers, 2 or 3 future first round draft picks and a trade exception. It's also likely that Michael Beasley is included and Jose Calderon is also sent to the Heat.

6 days into free agency and we're only down to 3 big name free agents. LeBron James, Carlos Boozer & David Lee. LeBron James is reportedly going to announce his decision tomorrow night live on ESPN in an hour long press conference. The Cavs, Bulls & Nets are still his most likely suitors. Over the last few days, Cleveland has gained the most steam in their quest to re-sign James. The Cavs recently hired former LA Lakers player and NJ/New Orleans coach, Byron Scott. Although it is widely speculated that LeBron will return to Cleveland, insiders in the LeBron camp were caught off guard by the announcement of the press conference. Those close to LeBron aren't even sure what he's going to do.

With World Wide Wes being kicked out of LeBron's inner circle, whispers of LeBron to Chicago have quieted. The Bulls have almost completely fallen out of the picture in their quest to sign a top notch, max contract free agent. With LeBron, Bosh & Wade out of the picture, it's most likely the Bulls will go after Carlos Boozer and possibly JJ Redick or Ray Allen to fill out their roster. Boozer and Noah would most likely be the top rated defensive front court in the NBA. Will Boozer be enough to get the Bulls past Cleveland, Boston, Orlando or Miami? Will David Lee be the Bulls top free agent aquisation of the offseason? David Lee is decent also but I see him joining another squad. Perhaps a trade to Cleveland is in order?

The next 48 hours should be interesting.

After 2 years of anticipation, July 1, 2010 is finally here

By Sean Mackey

Here we are....July 1st 2010. Hopefully by this time next week, all the free agent deals will be worked out and these ridiculous rumors can finally end.

LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire, Joe Johnson and Carlos Boozer remain the most coveted free agents this offseason and from what everyone is saying....most of them will probably remain with their current teams.

Every one of these free agents can sign a 6 year max deal with their current team and rack up an additional $30 million they wouldn't be able to obtain if they signed elsewhere. Most athletes are going to take $30 million over a championship ring any day and wouldn't anybody? 30 million is a lot of money. However, when 50% or more of your income is from endorsements like LeBron's is, a better chance at a title might be more of an incentive than the extra $30 mill.

According to ESPN analyst Ric Bucher, Cleveland is now the favorite to land LeBron & Atlanta is the favorite to land Joe Johnson. Next to Dwayne Wade, Joe Johnson is the best shooter in this free agency and while I don't think he's worth the max, he's going to get it. He'd also be stupid to pass it up because this will be his last big money deal in his career.

If LeBron James stays in Cleveland, this whole fiasco was a waste of time. Granted, it would make him look like a good guy if he came back to his home town, but the Larry King interview, the WWW rumors, the condo hunting in NY...free agency will have been a complete sham and will make LeBron look like the biggest attention whore in all of sports.

Last night the Bulls were at Chris Bosh's doorstep at 12:01 a.m. While it's widely believed that a deal is already in place to send CB4 to Miami, the Bulls still might have a chance.

We need two free agents that are going to at least help the team get to the conference finals. Who they will be is a complete toss up. The Bulls need LeBron. They are also the only other team that I think has a real shot at landing him. Let's break down the teams vying for James services and their current assets.

Chicago: Rose, Noah, Gibson, Deng, J. Johnson (cap space to almost sign 2 max free agents)

Miami: Wade (he'll re-sign no doubt), Beasley, Chalmers, Joel Anthony (cap space to sign almost 3 free agents if players take a pay cut and Beasley, Chalmers & Anthony are traded)

New York: Wilson Chandler & Danilo Gallinari (cap space to sign 2 max free agents)

New Jersey: Brook Lopez, Devon Harris, Derrick Favors (space to almost sign 2 max free agents)

L.A. Clippers: Chris Kaman, Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin (cap space to sign one max free agent)

Cleveland: Varejao, Mo Williams, Jamison (Cap space to sign one max free agent)

New York has nothing. LeBron won't go to the Clippers because they're the Clippers. He's not going to go to Miami because he wants to be top dog. This leaves Cleveland, Chicago & New Jersey as his top suitors.

Where will LeBron go? Check our twitter feed for updates throughout today. This things gonna get crazy.

Thibodeau introduced! NBA Draft Tonight! Deng Trade Rumor!

By Sean Mackey

The Chicago Bulls introduced Tom Thibodeau as their 18th head coach on Wednesday.

While his introduction wasn't as smooth as Vinny Del Negro's, Thibs did a pretty good job of letting the press know what he was all about. Defense first and then easy baskets. He also mentioned his family was his support system mentioning his siblings and nieces/nephews but leaving out any wife or children. I'm assuming he's not married and may just be all about his job.

I'm down with all of that and I'm pretty sure the organization and Bulls fans have a lot to be excited about. If Derrick Rose can improve defensively, this team is going to be DAMN good. I don't really feel like writing out the entire press conference but you can view the whole video at Bulls.com.

Tonight, the real excitement begins. The 2010 NBA Draft will take place tonight live on ESPN @ 7:00 p.m. Are you excited? You better be.

While the Bulls own a rather mediocre pick at the #17 spot, there may be some hidden gems hanging out around there. Whether the pick is Avery Bradley or James Anderson, it doesn't really matter. The Bulls are in a great spot (the best spot) to land a top notch free agent this summer. Speaking of free agents, LeBron James to Chicago rumors were in full effect yesterday after former NBA player and current ESPN analyst, Jalen Rose posted this on this Twitter account:

"my sources say that it is almost CERTAIN that LEBRON JAMES WILL NOT be returning to the CAVS! (Bulls/Heat/Clips)"

&

"as of 2day the Bulls have the best chance of landing LBJ...Miami would need to make more roster moves...Clips have a punchers chance! "

While I'm a firm believer of not reading into rumors posted on Twitter, you can't help but wonder how legit ESPN analyst's sources are. I would imagine pretty legit, especially a former player like Jalen Rose. I'm not getting my hopes up but I'm certainly excited.

There was also a major trade rumor that was posted last night by Chris Broussard and Chad Ford at ESPN that the Clippers and Bulls were talking a trade that would send Luol Deng and the 17th pick to Los Angeles for the #8 pick. I'm assuming we would attempt to draft Xavier Henry if we had this pick which was something I was pretty okay with about 3 or 4 months ago. This would also save the team a ton of money and put the Bulls in a position to be about 2 million short of a 2nd max contract. Would Chris Bosh take a pay cut? Doubt it, but it would definitely look appealing to LeBron if the Bulls possibly get David Lee or Joe Johnson first.

With the Miami Heat trading away Brian Cook & their draft pick to the Thunder yesterday, I put them in a slightly better position than the Bulls. They now how the cap space to re-sign Dwayne Wade, sign LeBron James along with a 2nd tier kind of player such as Joe Johnson or David Lee. It'll be interesting to see how the Bulls respond to that this evening. It should be noted that Bulls may draft a player at #17 for another team to package in a Luol Deng or Kirk Hinrich trade. However, I'm still standing by my word that Kirk will never be traded.

Draft at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN! It's gonna be a trade crazy night and you know some sort of blockbuster completely out of left field will happen. Very exciting indeed.

Lakers Win the 2010 NBA Championship!

By Sean Mackey

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers for closing out the Boston Celtics and winning the 2010 NBA Championship. It was an UGLY game (REALLY ugly) but the Lakers got lucky in the end and Ron Artest hit a big 3 to seal the game. This was also the last game with Boston for newly hired Bulls head coach Tom Thibideau. His defensive sets got his team this far and I'm really anxious to see what he can do for the Bulls, Joakim Noah & Taj Gibson especially. Thibideau will be introduced to the media on Monday morning so Bulls fans get excited!

I think it's really awesome that Ron Artest has a ring now. I also think it's awesome that the Celtics were taunted by Artest's entourage after the game. That's what you get Boston for having the WORST fans in the NBA. I hope Phil Jackson returns but I want the Bulls to win the whole thing obviously. I'm hoping this Laker win prevents them from wanting to trade away Andrew Bynum for Chris Bosh.

Adam Morrison 2 rings....D.J. Mbenga 2 rings....LeBron James 0 rings.

If LeBron comes to Chicago....the next 3 seasons are ours.

Why the Lakers need to win game 7

By Sean Mackey

The Los Angeles Lakers miraculously forced the first NBA Finals game 7 since 2005 last night when they blew out the Boston Celtics 89-67. Kobe Bryant had 26 points and 11 rebounds. Pau Gasol was one assist shy of a triple double tallying 17 points, 13 rebounds and 9 assists.

For Chicago Bulls fans, this was a game that needed to be won.

While our new coach is the main assistant for the Celtics, that doesn't mean we need to root for him until next week when he's introduced to the media. Bulls fans should root for a Los Angeles Lakers championship. A Lakers loss Thursday night could force ripple effect throughout the NBA and a huge shakeup in LA. The most likely scenario being that our original free agent target, Chris Bosh would be traded to LA for Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum. Bosh is really the key to free agency. He's the sidekick that every great player wants. While it's hard to pinpoint where exactly he'll go next season, the Bulls need him more than LeBron or Dwayne Wade do.

Bosh is most likely going to want to participate in a sign & trade situation which will give him a max deal that includes an extra 30 million he couldn't get from any other sort of deal. The Bulls can offer Taj Gibson, Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng plus multiple draft picks (which isn't bad). Miami doesn't have the goods for a trade. If Pat Riley couldn't get Keyon Dooling for Beasley, he's surely not going to get Chris Bosh. New York has zero assets. New Jersey could offer Devon Harris plus some filler if they're feeling crazy enough. The Rockets & Mavericks have some tradeable pieces but when it comes down to it, the Lakers have the best package to offer.

Andrew Bynum or Pau Gasol along with Ron Artest & Luke Walton for Chris Bosh & Hedu Turkoglu would work. This is a trade that could become a reality if the Lakers lose game 7. Jerry Buss is going to be pretty angry if he's paying for a team that's underachieving and he's going to have to re-load. While I'm not sure if Pau Gasol & Chris Bosh could co-exist, it would be worth a shot to get the often banged up Andrew Bynum out of town. This trade would keep the Lakers as contenders for the next five seasons. It would also ruin 2010 free agency.

As much as I respect Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson, the Pau Gasol trade was bizarre and changed the Lakers into title contenders. Pau was a guy the Bulls were in active trade talks with for almost 2 seasons. The Bulls would have offered one of their core players for Gasol (Deng or Gordon) plus some garbage and probably multiple draft picks. The Grizzlies wanted both Deng & Gordon and at the time that wasn't a good deal (however, if Pax could have done that last season he would have pulled the trigger in a second). Instead, the Grizzlies took the contracts of Jarvis Crittenden & the rights to Pau's brother Marc. The Bulls were offering better talent yet the Lakers still got him for tooth picks and a few happy meals. A Bynum for Bosh trade would be the 2nd screwy trade the Lakers had pulled off in 3 years and this time, Bulls fans will be legitimately mad about it. We're not going to be happy with Joe Johnson. We want Bosh....and that LeBron guy seems pretty decent too.

Go Lakers.

Bulls hire Tom Thibodeau for head coaching gig

By Sean Mackey

First of all, sorry for the lack of updates this week. You'd think that when the Bulls finally make a HUGE move like hiring a new coach, we'd write something about it as soon as it happens. Blogger was down most of yesterday and I was unable to post anything. That and we keep finding ourselves checking the plays on our Bulltimate Warrior video which has left us completely baffled. It was a shoddy effort at best but somebody out there must be spreading the word about it or else it wouldn't have 35,000+ views in a week. Expect a less rushed follow-up in HD if this continues.

Anyways, let's get to the real excitement. The Bulls hired a coach and it's not even July! Instead of going through a full stable of interviews like 2 years ago, John Paxson and Gar Foreman flew out to Los Angeles on the eve of Finals Game 1. With a 3 year offer already on the table from New Orleans, the Bulls had to act fast if they wanted a shot at Celtics defensive specialist Tom Thibodeau. After news broke of a semi-secret Pax-Gar interview, New Orleans pulled their offer and gave it to Portland assistant Monty Williams. Thibodeau agreed to become Chicago's new head coach.

Tom Thibodeau wanted the Bulls job over anything else that was offered to him and can you blame him? The Bulls are in the best position they've been in for a long time. They have Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and a bunch of possible trade chips along with enough room to sign one max contract free agent. Thibodeau is a defensive guru which totally fits the philosophy of the Bulls organization. Del Negro was a holdover until this season and everyone knew it. This is really the guy we wanted to takeover from where Scott Skiles left off.

The most curious perk about Thibodeau is that he's signed to William Wesley's agency, the same as LeBron James. Thibodeau was rumored to swear to never join an agency but he did. It also wasn't until after he signed with Wesley's CAA, that the Bulls became serious about signing him to a 3 year $6.5 million dollar deal. Thibodeau is expected to keep Bulls' Pete Myers on his staff along with former Bulls assistant Ron Adams and possibly Mo Cheeks to fill out his bench.

While I was leading the Kevin McHale bandwagon over the last month, Thibodeau was the best hire possible for Chicago. I'm glad the Bulls actually got what they wanted this time and didn't just interview everyone and settle with a no-namer. The NBA Draft is 16 days away, and July 1st, 2010 is 22 days away. This is becoming an exciting summer, I hope everything pans out in Chicago's favor.

The Bulltimate Warrior

By Sean Mackey



Here's our submission for Waddle & Silvy's "Bring Bron to Chicago" video. While we only mention LeBron a few times, this is more of a plea to the Bulls to make some moves. Give Alex credit for being a good sport.

The Washington Wizards win the 2010 draft lottery

By Sean Mackey

Yesterday, I was expecting to wake up on Wednesday to numerous LeBron to New Jersey rumors. Thank God this wasn't the case.

The Washington Wizards were given a glimmer of hope when they won their first draft lottery since 2001 on Tuesday evening. Washington overcame 10.3 % chance over the favored New Jersey Nets to land the #1 pick. New Jersey owner Mikhail Prokhorov was fairly confident the Nets would win but dropped to #3 in a two man draft. The 76ers moved up to grab the #2 pick. Here's the order for the first round of next month's NBA draft:

1.Washington Wizards
2.Philadelphia 76ers
3.New Jersey Nets
4.Minnesota Timberwolves
5.Sacramento Kings
6.Golden State Warriors
7.Detroit Pistons
8.Los Angeles Clippers
9.Utah Jazz
10.Indiana Pacers
11.New Orleans Hornets
12.Memphis Grizzlies
13.Toronto Raptors
14.Houston Rockets
15.Milwaukee Bucks
16.Minnesota Timberwolves
17.Chicago Bulls
18.Miami Heat
19.Boston Celtics
20.San Antonio Spurs
21.Oklahoma City Thunder
22.Portland Trail Blazers
23.Minnesota Timberwolves
24.Atlanta Hawks
25.Memphis Grizzlies
26.Oklahoma City Thunder
27.New Jersey Nets
28.Memphis Grizzlies
29.Orlando Magic
30.Washington Wizards

While I'm sure the fan's of Washington are excited they have a great player in John Wall to replace Gilbert Arenas, I feel kind of bad for John Wall. I think it would have been way more beneficial for the league and for Wall if the 1st pick had fallen to the 76ers. The 76er's have a great legacy and could use someone to overshadow the failures of Allen Iverson. Washington has always kind of been a boring franchise, especially after Michael Jordan was kicked out of town. I also really hate that their the Wizards and not the Bullets. Changing their team name and their colors has kind of destroyed that franchise for me.

Regardless, I was ecstatic that the New Jersey Nets didn't land the #1 or #2 pick. Plus, the picks went to teams that will have little to no relevance in the eastern conference next season. The rumors would have been flying all night and morning regarding LeBron going to the Nets. While he still may end up their in 3 years, last night's draft may have prevented him from going there for a while or ever.

The mock drafts are all over the place today. ESPN NBA Insider, Chad Ford has Patrick Patterson falling to #22 (Portland) and Xavier Henry to #19 (Boston). On other mock drafts, both players are in the top 12. After pick #2, it really is going to be interesting to see where everyone goes. The NBA draft combine is coming up soon along with an onslaught of private workouts, so I wouldn't take any mock draft too seriously at the moment. The only thing that's for certain is that Wall is going to be a Wizard and Evan Turner is going to be a 76er.

Regardless, the Bulls still have the #17 pick and I'm still hoping they can land James Anderson from Oklahoma State.

The 2010 NBA Draft Lottery is tonight!

By Sean Mackey

The defining moments of the summer of 2010 begin tonight with the NBA draft lottery. With rumors swirling on where LBJ and other free agents will land, tonight's lottery could have a huge impact on the future destinations of players.

For those unfamiliar with NBA Draft lottery procedure, the draft machine has approximately 1,000 balls with team logos on them. The team with the worst record has 250 balls in the machine. The New Jersey Nets are sitting in the best seat in the house tonight with a 25% chance to land the number one pick. The Minnesota Timberwolves (19.9%), Sacramento Kings (15.6%) & Golden State Warriors (10.4%) follow. It is noted that the team with the worst record in the NBA hasn't won an NBA Draft Lottery since 2004 when the Orlando Magic won and later selected All-Star center Dwight Howard.

League consensus has every team regardless of already having a franchise point guard in place, picking UK freshman John Wall. Most analysts and mock drafts have Ohio State guard Evan Turner being picked second. After that, like almost every year, your guess is as good as any. This draft is slightly deeper in the big man field as opposed to last year's draft which was more guard oriented.

The reason this draft lottery is so ridiculously important this year is because of LeBron James. After his team's uneventful meltdown last week against the Celtics, the whole world has been talking about where LeBron is going to go next season. While the most popular choices among NBA nerds and analysts are Cleveland, Chicago, New York & Miami, the NJ Nets could pull ahead of the pack after tonight. The New Jersey Nets are partially owned by rapper and friend of James, Jay Z and and also by Russian billionaire, Mikhail Prokhorov. The Nets are scheduled to move to Brooklyn in a few years, Prokhorov is determined to spend big money, they have a future all-star center in Brook Lopez and a great trading chip in Devon Harris. It isn't hard to believe if they get John Wall or Evan Turner that they'll have some serious leverage on other teams also trying to covet the King. If LeBron doesn't bite, you have to think a player like Amare Stoudemire or Carlos Boozer would also take a good hard look at the Nets as a possible 2010 destination.

Another interesting scenero would be if the Timberwolves won the draft. They would HAVE to take John Wall and that would open up the door to trade Ricky Rubio's rights to New York or L.A. It would be sort of nice to see that happen since the Knicks' draft pick goes to Utah this year due to the Tom Gugliotta trade that happened way back in 2004. They've been screwed over by terrible trades over the last 10 years and this is one of them.

As a Bulls fan though, you have to hope a team like Golden State or Sacramento wins the draft and New Jersey drops to #3 or #4 so that the Nets won't look any better than the already stellar package GarPax has put together in Chicago. Wall going to Golden State and Sacramento also aren't isn't going to hurt the Bulls Eastern Conference playoff race either.

Personally, I'm willing to bet the Detroit Pistons win tonight's draft. Why? Because it's completely ridiculous and the oddball always rolls away with a win. I'll be tweeting during the draft lottery @ www.twitter.com/chicagobullsky . Follow us for up to the minute Chicago Bulls and NBA rumors/news.

Born Here. Raised Here. Plays Here. Fails Here.

By Sean Mackey

We may have witnessed LeBron James' last game in a Cleveland jersey on Thursday night as the Boston Celtics finished off the Cavs 94-85 to win the best of 7 series 4-2. The Celtics will meet the undefeated Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals Sunday afternoon.

After LeBron James' terrible almost triple double performance in game 5, the Cavs tried to rebound from 2 days of bad press but couldn't seem to put it together. Mo Williams had almost 20 points at the end of the half and only trailed by 2 points. Every time the Cavs tried to make a run, the Celtics handed it right back to them on the other side of the floor. LeBron finished with a triple double with 27 points with 10 assists, and his 19 rebounds. It's safe to say, the elbow wasn't a factor.

After last year's controversy with not shaking the Orlando Magic's hands, this year, LeBron took the time to congratulate the Boston Celtics. LeBron was also the last person to speak at the post game press conference as ESPN waited on air for almost an hour for his appearance. LeBron was vague about his plans for the offseason but said that winning would be the most important factor.

While New York can offer bright lights and possibly another semi top tier player, New Jersey can offer Brook Lopez and possibly John Wall or Evan Turner (if they hit it big in the draft) and Miami can offer a team that has Dwayne Wade, the best possible situation for LeBron has seemingly become the Chicago Bulls.

Chicago is loaded with a team already built for the King. Derrick Rose is a top 5 point guard, Joakim Noah is a top 10 center and Taj Gibson has a great future in front of him. The Bulls also have two huge trade pieces in Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich. The Bulls are also one of the hardest, workman like teams out there. They overachieve and REALLY want to win. This is a team that's not going to lay down the way the rest of the Cavs did in the last two playoff games against Boston.

ESPN analyst Chad Ford sent out this tweet after the game last night:

"Most of you think Knicks or Bulls. I just heard from 3 GMs. All said
Bulls."

followed by

"Note to all of you bemoaning no Kobe vs. 'Bron Finals: If LBJ joins the Bulls this summer, you won't be waiting long"

And then the interweb erupted with LeBron to the Bulls with sign and trade scenarios that involved Luol Deng. It's crazy how much LeBron owns the NBA right now. As much as I detest LeBron James, I would welcomingly accept him as a Bull. While it would be way more ideal for Derrick Rose to tear apart a LeBron lead squad with Chris Bosh at hand, the Bulls would win the titled immediately with James.

However, I still think he's going to sign a 3 year deal with the Cavs, see how things go. Regardless of if he wins a title there in that time or not, he'll bolt for the Brooklyn Nets after that contract is up. Stay tuned for any developments via the Chicago Bulls KY twitter feed www.twitter.com/chicagobullsky . The next few months are going to be nuts, and just as it has all season, the 2010 free agency frenzy has already overshadowed the outcome of the 2010 NBA playoffs.

Vinny Del Negro officially fired, UK coach John Calipari possibly interested.

By Sean Mackey

Vinny Del Negro's 2 year tenure as head coach of the Chicago Bulls ended Tuesday when the Bulls announced that Del Negro was relieved of coaching duties during an hour long press conference. Bulls general manager Gar Foreman was the first person to speak. Gar acknowledged that Vinny did a good job with the development of players and remaining professional but in order to improve, a coaching change needed to be made.

Foreman tiptoed around a lot of questions and assured the media that he was in charge (until John Paxson said the same thing later on) and he was the one who initially decided to fire Del Negro. He claimed that the incident on March 30th with John Paxson had no effect on his decision. Gar mentioned that money was not going to be a factor in finding a new coach.

Vice president of basketball operations, John Paxson was the 2nd person to speak and finally apologized to Vinny, the organization and the fans regarding his behavior on March 30th. Pax went on to say that Vinny was a great guy, a hard worker and he wishes him luck. He also went on to say that Vinny didn't fail and helped the organization.

Vinny Del Negro also surprisingly made an appearance but didn't take any questions from the media. He thanked Jerry Reinsdorf and the Bulls organization for the opportunity they gave him and said he was proud of his accomplishments with the team and his players.

VDN is a classy guy and I liked him a lot. It's a shame the Bulls aren't retaining him for his final year but he's getting paid $2 million to sit at home so I don't feel that sorry for him. He put up with an organization who never stood behind him and the media while Pax laid low after the March 30th incident. He'll get another job and he'll do well. Pax did a good job of clearing the air saying that Vinny and him were competitive individuals and just got caught up in the heat of the moment. It happens.

According to a report that broke Tuesday evening by Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo Sports, University of Kentucky coach John Calipari would be interested in the Bulls head coaching job. Calipari coached Derrick Rose 3 years ago when he was still at Memphis. Calipari is also said to have close ties to LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Although these reports have yet to be debunked, Calipari insured fans on his Facebook that he was happy at UK. Reports have also broke this morning saying that UK is scrambling to revise Calipari's contract to make it more appealing for him to stay. A report from the Daily Herald claimed that the Bulls have a short list of candidates for the head coaching job including former player/coach of the Philidephia 76ers, Mo Cheeks, former Boston Celtic and Timberwolves general manger/coach Kevin McHale and former NBA coach and current broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy.

Kevin McHale was a guy that I mentioned earlier this season as a decent replacement for VDN when talks of him being fired back in December surfaced. While McHale's coaching track record isn't that great, he's the best post player in the history of the NBA. His knowledge would especially help Joakim and Taj . He's also a dirty player of the game and the Bulls need a guy who can fight since it seems every other team plays that way. Mo Cheeks was a terrible coach for the 76ers and Jeff Van Gundy has zero interest so I'd have to think McHale is the top option if this short list is accurate.

I'll be posting tidbits on the Chicago Bulls KY twitter feed (www.twitter.com/chicagobullsky) regarding rumors and news for next few months regarding the search for a new coach, draft and free agency probably more than the actual blog. Sign up and follow us by phone for quick Bulls news updates! The draft lottery is 13 days away and is something that will definitely shape free agency. If the Cavs lose (which I hope they do) and the New Jersey Nets get the number 1 pick, I have feeling LeBron may actually consider leaving. With Brook Lopez, John Wall and Devon Harris as trade bait along with the move to Brooklyn, the Nets may look like an attractive stop for a free agent such as LeBron. I'm still sticking with my prediction that the Magic will win the title this year. Go Magic!