Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
rose rose
rookie rankings
The kid can still find a way to blow past top defenders even when they play five feet off him. What do you do with that?
hughes going to be traded? (scroll way down)
The kid can still find a way to blow past top defenders even when they play five feet off him. What do you do with that?
hughes going to be traded? (scroll way down)
Sunday, December 28, 2008
rose and random
rose and beasely
There are perks to being the Nos. 1 and 2 picks in the NBA draft, of course. However, they can be mitigated by circumstances, such as the state of the team the players are drafted to or the quality of teammates surrounding them. Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley have experienced this first hand. And both have been confronted with unique challenges that no other rookies in this class have had to face. Let's examine.
kobe convo with magic (video)
year in numbers
There are perks to being the Nos. 1 and 2 picks in the NBA draft, of course. However, they can be mitigated by circumstances, such as the state of the team the players are drafted to or the quality of teammates surrounding them. Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley have experienced this first hand. And both have been confronted with unique challenges that no other rookies in this class have had to face. Let's examine.
kobe convo with magic (video)
year in numbers
Saturday, December 27, 2008
recomended reading
but first, d-rose and tt better top this list 2 years from now
this is one of the best books i have read in a while
i have not finished this yet, but it is a must read if you're a fan of the association
this is one of the best books i have read in a while
i have not finished this yet, but it is a must read if you're a fan of the association
Friday, December 26, 2008
rose rose rose
i don't have my laptop at home, so no access to my bookmarks. i did find a few decent reads tho ...
"Derrick Rose, he's taken the league by storm with athletic ability," said Heat guard Dwyane Wade, who grew up in Chicago. "I mean, he's one of the best penetrators, finishers, that the league has already. And he's going to keep coming at us. This guy's going to keep coming, keep coming, especially ... because of him and Beasley, first and second pick. I'm sure he wants to live up to the hype."
As far as making comparisons, Wade admitted he sees plenty of himself in Rose, who is probably an inch or two shorter.
east’s most surprising backcourt
"Derrick Rose, he's taken the league by storm with athletic ability," said Heat guard Dwyane Wade, who grew up in Chicago. "I mean, he's one of the best penetrators, finishers, that the league has already. And he's going to keep coming at us. This guy's going to keep coming, keep coming, especially ... because of him and Beasley, first and second pick. I'm sure he wants to live up to the hype."
As far as making comparisons, Wade admitted he sees plenty of himself in Rose, who is probably an inch or two shorter.
east’s most surprising backcourt
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
some rose and a must read
There were plenty of questions after practice Monday concerning how Derrick Rose would defend Allen Iverson tonight at Detroit. ''It's going to be fun,'' Rose said. ''He's one of the best talents in the NBA. It's also going to be a challenge.''
"Derrick's one of the best finishers in the league already from the guard position," the Bulls' leading scorer said. "His strongest attribute is attacking the rim."
must read from rick reilly
baseball?
Teixeira's salary gives the Yankees, who are preparing to move into their pricey new ballpark in 2009, the four highest-paid players in Major League Baseball, including third baseman Alex Rodriguez, shortstop Derek Jeter and Sabathia.
"Derrick's one of the best finishers in the league already from the guard position," the Bulls' leading scorer said. "His strongest attribute is attacking the rim."
must read from rick reilly
baseball?
Teixeira's salary gives the Yankees, who are preparing to move into their pricey new ballpark in 2009, the four highest-paid players in Major League Baseball, including third baseman Alex Rodriguez, shortstop Derek Jeter and Sabathia.
Monday, December 22, 2008
noc
noc fouled himself
nuggets getting david lee?
not hoops -
http://2pie.blogspot.com/2008/12/snow-prints.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT1TSbarW1U&e
nuggets getting david lee?
not hoops -
http://2pie.blogspot.com/2008/12/snow-prints.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT1TSbarW1U&e
Saturday, December 20, 2008
tt less moveable?
Something else we touched on a week ago: Chicago showing a willingness to part with guards Larry Hughes and Thabo Sefolosha as well as forward Tyrus Thomas between now and the trade deadline ... and an unwillingness to part with second-year center Joakim Noah.
According to NBA front-office sources, after some progress from Thomas in the past week, we need to move Drew Gooden to the front of the list of Chicago's availables and push Thomas' closer to Noah's status.
Interest in Thomas remains high, though, while Gooden is also considered highly movable with an expiring salary of $7.2 million.
Former Bull Brad Miller is available. ... Gooden's expiring contract and solid averages that are near a double-double could attract interest.
i'm interested if we don't have to give up tt
dirty 30 from slam
bull are 20 - gross
nba uniforms
mvp rankings and 1/3 awards
According to NBA front-office sources, after some progress from Thomas in the past week, we need to move Drew Gooden to the front of the list of Chicago's availables and push Thomas' closer to Noah's status.
Interest in Thomas remains high, though, while Gooden is also considered highly movable with an expiring salary of $7.2 million.
Former Bull Brad Miller is available. ... Gooden's expiring contract and solid averages that are near a double-double could attract interest.
i'm interested if we don't have to give up tt
dirty 30 from slam
bull are 20 - gross
nba uniforms
mvp rankings and 1/3 awards
Friday, December 19, 2008
q&a
Q: Despite his heroics he's always been completely underrated by fans. He's less appreciated than Hinrich and Deng, and rarely complimented by the media. Here's a crazy stat: Ben Gordon already has made more career three-pointers than Larry Bird. If he makes his usual 150 three's per season this year he'll be in the top hundred by the end of this year even though he's only in his fifth season. He's quite a bit younger than every player ahead of him in this stat. There's a very good chance that he's going to finish his career in the Top 5 ever in made threes. Please tell me that the organization has finally decided that they'd like to keep him over Hinrich.
A: You've got some Ben Gordon love here. And I wrote in Thursday's Tribune that Gordon hasn't ruled out re-signing with the Bulls.
Look, Ben drives everyone crazy with his decision-making and occasional defensive lapses. But name me another Bull not named Rose that has truly mastered one NBA skill. Gordon has in scoring. His 18-point first quarter last week in Memphis should remind all what he's capable of when hot. If I'm management, his ability to play with Rose should make re-signing him an offseason priority.
So bring on the Ben Gordon hate mail. And given that Gordon has to give his consent for any trade this season, Hinrich could be traded before him.
Q: I know Thomas, Noah and Sefolosha haven't exactly done anything to earn much playing time, but isn't it time we just let them loose and see what happens? I think we need to find out what they can do this season so that moving forward, the team can plan appropriately.
A: This, right here, narrows the Bulls' issue to its essence. What is this season about? Is it about limping into the playoffs and getting beat in the first round? Is it about building around Rose and seeing who fits with him? Because right now you don't know if Thabo fits with him because Hughes is taking his minutes. Noah and Thomas are playing more of late but weren't for awhile while Gooden and Gray took all the minutes. It appeared management was almost straddling both worlds, trying to make the playoffs while also building around Rose. But with recent rumblings that the Bulls are quite active in trade talks, I think the strategy is moving toward the future. It's why I wouldn't be surprised if Drew Gooden is dealt, parlaying an expiring deal for a valuable piece that fits with Rose. Moving Gooden also would open up more minutes for Noah and Thomas. As for the Hughes/Sefolosha debate, Hughes is playing well so perhaps you're getting good minutes out of him while also showcasing him. But I'd like to see Thabo get a chance. I'm sure glad I'm not coaching this team. Too many playing time headaches!
eastern conference first-quarter grades
Chicago Bulls (12-13) – C+
Derrick Rose is the future of the team, but there's little else going on with this franchise that screams "long-term success." Their record is mediocre, they're coach still doesn't quite seem to have a grasp on things, and two of their most promising young players aren't getting consistent minutes. Until a ton of kinks get worked out, this team is no better than average.
thomas out tonight v celtics
another rookie ranking has rose at 2 this week
A: You've got some Ben Gordon love here. And I wrote in Thursday's Tribune that Gordon hasn't ruled out re-signing with the Bulls.
Look, Ben drives everyone crazy with his decision-making and occasional defensive lapses. But name me another Bull not named Rose that has truly mastered one NBA skill. Gordon has in scoring. His 18-point first quarter last week in Memphis should remind all what he's capable of when hot. If I'm management, his ability to play with Rose should make re-signing him an offseason priority.
So bring on the Ben Gordon hate mail. And given that Gordon has to give his consent for any trade this season, Hinrich could be traded before him.
Q: I know Thomas, Noah and Sefolosha haven't exactly done anything to earn much playing time, but isn't it time we just let them loose and see what happens? I think we need to find out what they can do this season so that moving forward, the team can plan appropriately.
A: This, right here, narrows the Bulls' issue to its essence. What is this season about? Is it about limping into the playoffs and getting beat in the first round? Is it about building around Rose and seeing who fits with him? Because right now you don't know if Thabo fits with him because Hughes is taking his minutes. Noah and Thomas are playing more of late but weren't for awhile while Gooden and Gray took all the minutes. It appeared management was almost straddling both worlds, trying to make the playoffs while also building around Rose. But with recent rumblings that the Bulls are quite active in trade talks, I think the strategy is moving toward the future. It's why I wouldn't be surprised if Drew Gooden is dealt, parlaying an expiring deal for a valuable piece that fits with Rose. Moving Gooden also would open up more minutes for Noah and Thomas. As for the Hughes/Sefolosha debate, Hughes is playing well so perhaps you're getting good minutes out of him while also showcasing him. But I'd like to see Thabo get a chance. I'm sure glad I'm not coaching this team. Too many playing time headaches!
eastern conference first-quarter grades
Chicago Bulls (12-13) – C+
Derrick Rose is the future of the team, but there's little else going on with this franchise that screams "long-term success." Their record is mediocre, they're coach still doesn't quite seem to have a grasp on things, and two of their most promising young players aren't getting consistent minutes. Until a ton of kinks get worked out, this team is no better than average.
thomas out tonight v celtics
another rookie ranking has rose at 2 this week
Thursday, December 18, 2008
tt
will probably play saturday
could it be true? (scroll down a little)
With things seemingly going so well, is it possible Gordon could re-sign with the Bulls when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer?
"I'm not ruling anything out at all," Gordon said before the Bulls' 115-109 overtime victory over the Clippers on Wednesday night. "My focus right now is to play well, help the team win games and stay healthy. That's a long time from now. But I've always said I'm happy here, and that hasn't changed."
could it be true? (scroll down a little)
With things seemingly going so well, is it possible Gordon could re-sign with the Bulls when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer?
"I'm not ruling anything out at all," Gordon said before the Bulls' 115-109 overtime victory over the Clippers on Wednesday night. "My focus right now is to play well, help the team win games and stay healthy. That's a long time from now. But I've always said I'm happy here, and that hasn't changed."
makin moves?
Paxson has been fielding calls for most of the month trying to find complementary pieces that fit into the new plans to make Derrick Rose the focal point of the team, and to find guys that fit into head coach Vinny Del Negro's "More Effort" game plan.
...
Bulls' sources would not name names on players Paxson may be targeting, but did say John expects to trigger at least one significant deal before the February 19th NBA trade deadline.
''We're trying to find some things that fit [with Derrick Rose]. The fact of the matter is he's very, very good and we're lucky to have him. When you look at the big picture, our goal is going to be to try and get this thing built with Derrick in mind and what fits him. That's going to take a little bit of time here to try and move some pieces.''
A win's a win, they had to win this stretch of easy schedule (oops, they went 4-4), and that's good. But man this Bulls team is hard to watch. It took a miracle Ben Gordon 4-point play to send it to overtime, and several minutes of dodging bullets while the Clippers failed to capitalize on their inside advantage, either by some, um, gritty defense (more on that later) or by their own ineptitude. A couple OT shots by Luol Deng.
...
Bulls' sources would not name names on players Paxson may be targeting, but did say John expects to trigger at least one significant deal before the February 19th NBA trade deadline.
''We're trying to find some things that fit [with Derrick Rose]. The fact of the matter is he's very, very good and we're lucky to have him. When you look at the big picture, our goal is going to be to try and get this thing built with Derrick in mind and what fits him. That's going to take a little bit of time here to try and move some pieces.''
A win's a win, they had to win this stretch of easy schedule (oops, they went 4-4), and that's good. But man this Bulls team is hard to watch. It took a miracle Ben Gordon 4-point play to send it to overtime, and several minutes of dodging bullets while the Clippers failed to capitalize on their inside advantage, either by some, um, gritty defense (more on that later) or by their own ineptitude. A couple OT shots by Luol Deng.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
terrible
truehoop's take on bull v bobcats ...
If you wanted to hear some guffaws, get some real deal basketball experts together and have them watch the closing minutes of last night's Bulls vs. Bobcats game. Seldom have I seen three entities -- the two teams and the officials -- compete so diligently for the "most disappointing performance of the game" award. ...
But, of course, the capper was that the game was essentially won with three D.J. Augustin free throws that replays show never should have been awarded.
blog-a-bull ...
This team will get better as it goes along, but it doesn't mean I can't stomp my feet until it happens.
and preview for tonight ...
Even with strong games from both Ben Gordon and Tyrus Thomas, our fearless leader showed that he was still human and had a dismal game by his standards which to say, was much better than the game that Larry Hughes had.
Regardless of the results of the game and the impending walk of shame after such a loss, we still have a game against another sub .500 team, the Los Angeles Clippers at home in the United Center.
Derrick Rose the All-Star?
This has come up quite a big in chat sessions of late. Is Derrick Rose an All-Star?
The first round of votes have been counted and it's already clear that the fans are not going to vote Rose into the big game, so the real question here is whether or not the coaches will select Rose to join the squad once the starters are officially announced. If the game were held tomorrow, the starting guards for the East would be Allen Iverson at the point and Dwyane Wade at the two.
So . . .who's next?
You're Phil Jackson. You're Jerry Sloan. You're Larry Brown.
Do you pick rookie Derrick Rose over NBA champion Ray Allen? How about in front of Devin Harris, who has taken the league by storm this season? Think Phil Jackson will pick a rookie over Rajon Rondo, who handed his team their hats in helping lead the Celtics to a title last season? What about perennial All-Star Vince Carter?
Still think Derrick Rose is getting into the All-Star game?
The bottom line is Rose will, indeed, be a part of the All-Star festivities in Phoenix. He'll be there with OJ Mayo, Greg Oden, and Michael Beasley. But it won't be Sunday night's game where you'll see Rose doing his thing. Rose, like every top rookie every other year, will be headlining the Friday night action during the Rookie/Sophomore Game. He'll probably lead the Rookies to a rare win, too.
But don't hold your breath waiting for the coaches to send Rose to the big game on Sunday night. His time will come, but not in 2009.
rose not in the top spot
It's easy to see Rose's deficiencies on defense right now. He's not nearly as interested on this side of the ball as he is when the ball is in his hands. He doesn't just struggle guarding some of the quick and crafty point guards, but also is far from understanding how to be a good helper.
This does not make him unique among rookies, as most rookies struggle defensively, but it does prove that he's not a superhero. Yet.
If you wanted to hear some guffaws, get some real deal basketball experts together and have them watch the closing minutes of last night's Bulls vs. Bobcats game. Seldom have I seen three entities -- the two teams and the officials -- compete so diligently for the "most disappointing performance of the game" award. ...
But, of course, the capper was that the game was essentially won with three D.J. Augustin free throws that replays show never should have been awarded.
blog-a-bull ...
This team will get better as it goes along, but it doesn't mean I can't stomp my feet until it happens.
and preview for tonight ...
Even with strong games from both Ben Gordon and Tyrus Thomas, our fearless leader showed that he was still human and had a dismal game by his standards which to say, was much better than the game that Larry Hughes had.
Regardless of the results of the game and the impending walk of shame after such a loss, we still have a game against another sub .500 team, the Los Angeles Clippers at home in the United Center.
Derrick Rose the All-Star?
This has come up quite a big in chat sessions of late. Is Derrick Rose an All-Star?
The first round of votes have been counted and it's already clear that the fans are not going to vote Rose into the big game, so the real question here is whether or not the coaches will select Rose to join the squad once the starters are officially announced. If the game were held tomorrow, the starting guards for the East would be Allen Iverson at the point and Dwyane Wade at the two.
So . . .who's next?
You're Phil Jackson. You're Jerry Sloan. You're Larry Brown.
Do you pick rookie Derrick Rose over NBA champion Ray Allen? How about in front of Devin Harris, who has taken the league by storm this season? Think Phil Jackson will pick a rookie over Rajon Rondo, who handed his team their hats in helping lead the Celtics to a title last season? What about perennial All-Star Vince Carter?
Still think Derrick Rose is getting into the All-Star game?
The bottom line is Rose will, indeed, be a part of the All-Star festivities in Phoenix. He'll be there with OJ Mayo, Greg Oden, and Michael Beasley. But it won't be Sunday night's game where you'll see Rose doing his thing. Rose, like every top rookie every other year, will be headlining the Friday night action during the Rookie/Sophomore Game. He'll probably lead the Rookies to a rare win, too.
But don't hold your breath waiting for the coaches to send Rose to the big game on Sunday night. His time will come, but not in 2009.
rose not in the top spot
It's easy to see Rose's deficiencies on defense right now. He's not nearly as interested on this side of the ball as he is when the ball is in his hands. He doesn't just struggle guarding some of the quick and crafty point guards, but also is far from understanding how to be a good helper.
This does not make him unique among rookies, as most rookies struggle defensively, but it does prove that he's not a superhero. Yet.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
back to back
bull against the bobcats tonight, then i'm 'loving it live' against the clippers tomorrow
Rose is shooting a team-high 49 percent, including 33 percent from three-point range.
Rose is shooting a team-high 49 percent, including 33 percent from three-point range.
random
so many of these are jordan commercials
sir charles
mj playing softball
i got 27
loads of pics of each jordan shoe
sir charles
mj playing softball
i got 27
loads of pics of each jordan shoe
Monday, December 15, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
howard ... and a bull win
superman off the court
finally saw some flashes from TT again, so hopefully he earned more tick
"He gave us the whole package tonight," Derrick Rose said of Thomas.
The Bulls had six players in double figures, including Derrick Rose, who scored nine of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. Joakim Noah led the Bulls with eight rebounds and had three of their season-high 13 blocked shots. ''Our guys gutted it out,'' coach Vinny Del Negro said. ''We got some great performances, especially off the bench from Tyrus and Joakim. The young guys came in and did a tremendous job. Their energy, length and young legs -- when they have games like this, there's no question they're difference-makers.''
and forgot about this from the knicks game the other day
finally saw some flashes from TT again, so hopefully he earned more tick
"He gave us the whole package tonight," Derrick Rose said of Thomas.
The Bulls had six players in double figures, including Derrick Rose, who scored nine of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. Joakim Noah led the Bulls with eight rebounds and had three of their season-high 13 blocked shots. ''Our guys gutted it out,'' coach Vinny Del Negro said. ''We got some great performances, especially off the bench from Tyrus and Joakim. The young guys came in and did a tremendous job. Their energy, length and young legs -- when they have games like this, there's no question they're difference-makers.''
and forgot about this from the knicks game the other day
Thursday, December 11, 2008
ANGRY
The Wizards have the NBA's least-productive back court and have been looking to improve it all season. In fact, according to several league sources, the Wizards and Chicago Bulls nearly had a deal worked out in October that would have sent Daniels and Etan Thomas to Chicago as a part of a package for Larry Hughes, a former Wizards guard. The deal collapsed after Hughes injured his shoulder.
maybe tt and vdn should read this
maybe tt and vdn should read this
ridiculous
2 nights ago had some great games - shaq was young again, double OT, cavs records
then the suns made a big trade yesterday (kerr worked mj!)
melo last night- previous season high = 30 points, tied nba record
bad news about TT
and of course - rose
then the suns made a big trade yesterday (kerr worked mj!)
melo last night- previous season high = 30 points, tied nba record
bad news about TT
and of course - rose
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
not rose, then rose, then obvious
Chris Paul now has 13 games where he had at least 20 points and 10 assists. The rest of the league's Point Guards combined have 16: B. Davis (3), Billups (2), Nash (2), Augustin (1), TJ Ford (1), Ridnour (1), Bibby (1), Devin Harris (1), Foye (1), Calderon (1), Duhon (1). Paul is insane.
rose has company
mj v. kobe (found on truehoop)...
Similar in style and mannerism, maybe, but when we translate the statistics for era, it becomes very clear that Jordan was actually the one "playing chess" while Bryant "plays checkers."
rose has company
mj v. kobe (found on truehoop)...
Similar in style and mannerism, maybe, but when we translate the statistics for era, it becomes very clear that Jordan was actually the one "playing chess" while Bryant "plays checkers."
Monday, December 8, 2008
sad ...
apparently tyrus' time with the bull is running out. i would almost rather see vinny fired and start over next year with a coach that wants to use tt the way he should/can play, than trade him and see him turn into something great in another uniform. i feel like tt and luol can compliment d-rose so well if they have an offense that utilizes their skill set (rather than vdn's worhtless p&r/everyone is a spot up shooter offense)
possible trades that have been brought up recently -
kirk for mike miller
noc + thabo + future pick for brad miller
noc + thabo + future pick for kaman
(i would do all 3!)
also, the knicks want a guard (and obviously want cap space) - so would they take hughes + tt + pick for david lee? or even kirk + tt for lee??
possible trades that have been brought up recently -
kirk for mike miller
noc + thabo + future pick for brad miller
noc + thabo + future pick for kaman
(i would do all 3!)
also, the knicks want a guard (and obviously want cap space) - so would they take hughes + tt + pick for david lee? or even kirk + tt for lee??
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
cost of larry hughes
2008 salary of larry hughes: $12,000,084
games played: 11
minutes played: 287 (26 mpg)
points: 132 (12 ppg)
- numbers from basketballreference.com
the bulls are about 1/4 of the way thru the schedule, but larry missed some time with an injury.
assuming larry hughes plays the rest of the season, he will play about 74 games. assuming his current averages hold true, he will finish with:
1926 minutes played
888 points
that will cost the bull
$6250.57 per minute (the nba average is $3400 per minute) and about $13,513.60 per point scored
compare derrick rose (again assuming the avg holds true)
355 points (18.6 ppg) ... 1525 total points over 82 games
729 minutes (38 mpg) ... 3116 total minutes
@ $4,019,000 (guaranteed salary of #1 pick)
only $5513 per minute played (about $800 less than larry hughes) and $2635 per point scored (almost $10k less than larry)
rose v. oden ... update
games played: 11
minutes played: 287 (26 mpg)
points: 132 (12 ppg)
- numbers from basketballreference.com
the bulls are about 1/4 of the way thru the schedule, but larry missed some time with an injury.
assuming larry hughes plays the rest of the season, he will play about 74 games. assuming his current averages hold true, he will finish with:
1926 minutes played
888 points
that will cost the bull
$6250.57 per minute (the nba average is $3400 per minute) and about $13,513.60 per point scored
compare derrick rose (again assuming the avg holds true)
355 points (18.6 ppg) ... 1525 total points over 82 games
729 minutes (38 mpg) ... 3116 total minutes
@ $4,019,000 (guaranteed salary of #1 pick)
only $5513 per minute played (about $800 less than larry hughes) and $2635 per point scored (almost $10k less than larry)
rose v. oden ... update
Thursday, December 4, 2008
rose
from hoopsworld
At first look in Wednesday's game against Milwaukee, Rose's 18 points, 9 assists in 43 minutes are just another in a typically impressive stat line for the potential Rookie of the Year. But come in a little closer and it's the things he does that don't necessarily have a stat column that make you appreciate just how good he is.
...
For all of the statistics, which are impressive, and the superlatives, which are deserved, Rose also has all of the subtle, intangible factors that make a young rookie one of the potential great players in the league. Learning when to lead and when to defer, when to take over and when to get his teammates going - those are the skills that come with time. And those are the attributes of a championship point guard.
Rose has already shown signs those skills have improved in just five weeks of his climb up the NBA mountain. In five years, we may very well see him standing at the top.
At first look in Wednesday's game against Milwaukee, Rose's 18 points, 9 assists in 43 minutes are just another in a typically impressive stat line for the potential Rookie of the Year. But come in a little closer and it's the things he does that don't necessarily have a stat column that make you appreciate just how good he is.
...
For all of the statistics, which are impressive, and the superlatives, which are deserved, Rose also has all of the subtle, intangible factors that make a young rookie one of the potential great players in the league. Learning when to lead and when to defer, when to take over and when to get his teammates going - those are the skills that come with time. And those are the attributes of a championship point guard.
Rose has already shown signs those skills have improved in just five weeks of his climb up the NBA mountain. In five years, we may very well see him standing at the top.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
first time "loving it live" this season
quick thoughts -
- d-rose is exceptionally fast/quick, especially with the ball. he made defenders look terrible a lot (he even dropped 2 with a crossover, but of course it's not in the highlights b/c we missed the open look it created. rose also seems like he'd be fun to play with. he kills himself trying to win.
- lindsey hunter is a player-coach, brought on to help rose learn the game, and seems to be doing a good job of it. there were multiple time-outs/huddles were he pulled d-rose to the side. i especially liked late in the game, an outlet went to ben "handles" gordon ... and lindsey was up screaming for rose to be more assertive and go get/demand the ball.
- FINALLY saw some explosiveness (not to mention an all around decent game) from TT.
- larry hughes is terrible.
- our best lineup = rose, gordon, noc, tt and gooden (possibly interchanging deng for either noc or tt)
DC's thoughts on the game -
1) Rose is ridiculously fast...Simmons is right, defenders are playing at least 5 feet off of him at all times and he still beats them off the dribble. when he develops a consistent jumpshot he'll be damn near unstoppable.
2) There are two guys who play well off of Rose on the team: Nocioni (who had a horrible game but knew where to be in order to get kickouts from rose) and gooden. everyone else is lost.
3) Gordon and Hughes are just plain terrible.
4) Lindsay Hunter literally yelling at Rose to go and take the ball from Gordon late in the 4th quarter right before Gordon turned it over. Rose needs to take a cue from Hunter and realize he needs the ball in his hands in key spots.
5) With 40 seconds left in the 4th quarter we're down 2 and the 76ers have the ball....Del Negro is screaming for us to foul Iguodala intentionally. Then he looks back and has to ask if the Bulls had any fouls to give, forgetting that the 76ers had been in the bonus for the last 7 minutes.
6) Del Harris told the whole bench to stand up for the last couple of possessions (Noah stands pretty much the whole time, as a side note)...the only player not to listen to this request: Larry Hughes
7) We're paying Luol Deng $12 million to be off the court during 4th quarter crunchtime and the entirely of overtime...good investment.
(dc and i obviously got our pics taken)
blogabull summed things up nicely -
Not the worst game I've seen, but that's only because I'm a Bulls fan so I see a lot of garbage
top 10 d-rose highlights
- d-rose is exceptionally fast/quick, especially with the ball. he made defenders look terrible a lot (he even dropped 2 with a crossover, but of course it's not in the highlights b/c we missed the open look it created. rose also seems like he'd be fun to play with. he kills himself trying to win.
- lindsey hunter is a player-coach, brought on to help rose learn the game, and seems to be doing a good job of it. there were multiple time-outs/huddles were he pulled d-rose to the side. i especially liked late in the game, an outlet went to ben "handles" gordon ... and lindsey was up screaming for rose to be more assertive and go get/demand the ball.
- FINALLY saw some explosiveness (not to mention an all around decent game) from TT.
- larry hughes is terrible.
- our best lineup = rose, gordon, noc, tt and gooden (possibly interchanging deng for either noc or tt)
DC's thoughts on the game -
1) Rose is ridiculously fast...Simmons is right, defenders are playing at least 5 feet off of him at all times and he still beats them off the dribble. when he develops a consistent jumpshot he'll be damn near unstoppable.
2) There are two guys who play well off of Rose on the team: Nocioni (who had a horrible game but knew where to be in order to get kickouts from rose) and gooden. everyone else is lost.
3) Gordon and Hughes are just plain terrible.
4) Lindsay Hunter literally yelling at Rose to go and take the ball from Gordon late in the 4th quarter right before Gordon turned it over. Rose needs to take a cue from Hunter and realize he needs the ball in his hands in key spots.
5) With 40 seconds left in the 4th quarter we're down 2 and the 76ers have the ball....Del Negro is screaming for us to foul Iguodala intentionally. Then he looks back and has to ask if the Bulls had any fouls to give, forgetting that the 76ers had been in the bonus for the last 7 minutes.
6) Del Harris told the whole bench to stand up for the last couple of possessions (Noah stands pretty much the whole time, as a side note)...the only player not to listen to this request: Larry Hughes
7) We're paying Luol Deng $12 million to be off the court during 4th quarter crunchtime and the entirely of overtime...good investment.
(dc and i obviously got our pics taken)
blogabull summed things up nicely -
Not the worst game I've seen, but that's only because I'm a Bulls fan so I see a lot of garbage
top 10 d-rose highlights
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
still smiling
"That's how I've been playing my whole life. I just try to win. For those plays to happen, it just takes a will. I just wanted those plays to happen."
wonder what play he's talking about? this one
wonder what play he's talking about? this one
Monday, December 1, 2008
random video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbZTmcIfdBQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zcE1q4J7PQ&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nAfRFnckuY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWvxijHNWB4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfewtndGnCY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zcE1q4J7PQ&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nAfRFnckuY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWvxijHNWB4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfewtndGnCY
need a smile?
this will make you happy, i guarantee it!
(another clip that includes the block that came just before the ankle-breaker)
mixed bag about the bull in this chat
Q:Will the Bulls be in the running in 2010? Will wade bosh amare or lebron consider playing alongside D-Rose and co. ?
A: The Bulls will be a radically different team in 2010. Wade and LeBon are going nowhere. Unless there are 2-3 better pieces around Rose, don't expect Amar'e or Bosh to spend much time thinking about Chicago.
(another clip that includes the block that came just before the ankle-breaker)
mixed bag about the bull in this chat
Q:Will the Bulls be in the running in 2010? Will wade bosh amare or lebron consider playing alongside D-Rose and co. ?
A: The Bulls will be a radically different team in 2010. Wade and LeBon are going nowhere. Unless there are 2-3 better pieces around Rose, don't expect Amar'e or Bosh to spend much time thinking about Chicago.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
chat on hoopsworld
some stuff about the bull and rose was covered
Q:what player do u think the chicago bulls get in the 2010 market
Pree: One thing is for sure about the Bulls in the 2010 free agent market: they're going to be very, very attractive with a more mature Derrick Rose playing the point. You're only going to have Deng, Rose, Nocioni, and Noah under contract (since Hinrich will probably be moved by then). You'll probably have some more smaller contracts from what they get back after they S&T Gordon in the summer. Thomas and Sefolosha are toss-ups as to whether they'll be around.
So, with that setting the table, let's talk about who they will probably target and could sign. First and foremost, it'll depend on what the team does in trades, but we'll assume that there isn't anything that they'll do (although, trading for Kaman makes a ton of sense).
Here's who I'd call if I were the Bulls in '10, in order of the likelihood that I think it'll happen:
- Dwyane Wade: This one seems so obvious to me .. he works out in Chicago with Grover every summer .. born in Chicago, played ball in Oak Lawn .. will fit in nicely next to Rose ..
- Joe Johnson: I think this guy would really thrive as a 20-25 ppg EFFICIENT scorer playing next to Mr. Rose
- Craig Smith: it would be a much smaller signing, but his toughness is something I would like next to some of the finesse already on the roster
- Dirk Nowitzki: I doubt he'd go, but a run they should make
- Chris Bosh: this is the guy that I think is going to end up being more coveted than anyone else when things are said and done, sort of like Brand was this year. He'll fit in well next to Deng and Rose.
Q:Pree, would Chicago trading for Kaman be enough to get them back to a top for team in the east? Also, who would they give up?\
Pree: I don't know if it'll be enough to skyrocket them atop the East, which is better than I gave them credit for, but it'll certainly help. Aaron Gray and Joakim Noah are not a formidable tandem at the 5, but I can't blame everything the Bulls are going through on those two guys. I love Luol Deng and think he can be such a fantastic player - but good God almighty! - 13.1 points per game? .395 from the field? 5.4 boards is alright, but this guy got paid to be their franchise player. He should be better than this.
Sorry to go on that aside, but if they get Kaman, Rose and Gordon keep playing like this, and Deng puts it together .. then YES they'll be a top team in the East. That's asking a lot.
If I'm the Clippers, my starting point in the Kaman discussions would be Joakim Noah - he can learn from Camby and hopefully become a similar player. We'd have to add a big salary player and I would think Gooden could be a part of that conversation, but I doubt the Bulls give him up, which is where Nocioni might get involved in talks - the Clippers could use him as a 3/4 hybrid and a tough guy. The Bulls would have to sweeten the pot somehow if they're getting Kaman - an almost All-Star center - for Nocioni and Noah, but I could see it happening.
Q:what player do u think the chicago bulls get in the 2010 market
Pree: One thing is for sure about the Bulls in the 2010 free agent market: they're going to be very, very attractive with a more mature Derrick Rose playing the point. You're only going to have Deng, Rose, Nocioni, and Noah under contract (since Hinrich will probably be moved by then). You'll probably have some more smaller contracts from what they get back after they S&T Gordon in the summer. Thomas and Sefolosha are toss-ups as to whether they'll be around.
So, with that setting the table, let's talk about who they will probably target and could sign. First and foremost, it'll depend on what the team does in trades, but we'll assume that there isn't anything that they'll do (although, trading for Kaman makes a ton of sense).
Here's who I'd call if I were the Bulls in '10, in order of the likelihood that I think it'll happen:
- Dwyane Wade: This one seems so obvious to me .. he works out in Chicago with Grover every summer .. born in Chicago, played ball in Oak Lawn .. will fit in nicely next to Rose ..
- Joe Johnson: I think this guy would really thrive as a 20-25 ppg EFFICIENT scorer playing next to Mr. Rose
- Craig Smith: it would be a much smaller signing, but his toughness is something I would like next to some of the finesse already on the roster
- Dirk Nowitzki: I doubt he'd go, but a run they should make
- Chris Bosh: this is the guy that I think is going to end up being more coveted than anyone else when things are said and done, sort of like Brand was this year. He'll fit in well next to Deng and Rose.
Q:Pree, would Chicago trading for Kaman be enough to get them back to a top for team in the east? Also, who would they give up?\
Pree: I don't know if it'll be enough to skyrocket them atop the East, which is better than I gave them credit for, but it'll certainly help. Aaron Gray and Joakim Noah are not a formidable tandem at the 5, but I can't blame everything the Bulls are going through on those two guys. I love Luol Deng and think he can be such a fantastic player - but good God almighty! - 13.1 points per game? .395 from the field? 5.4 boards is alright, but this guy got paid to be their franchise player. He should be better than this.
Sorry to go on that aside, but if they get Kaman, Rose and Gordon keep playing like this, and Deng puts it together .. then YES they'll be a top team in the East. That's asking a lot.
If I'm the Clippers, my starting point in the Kaman discussions would be Joakim Noah - he can learn from Camby and hopefully become a similar player. We'd have to add a big salary player and I would think Gooden could be a part of that conversation, but I doubt the Bulls give him up, which is where Nocioni might get involved in talks - the Clippers could use him as a 3/4 hybrid and a tough guy. The Bulls would have to sweeten the pot somehow if they're getting Kaman - an almost All-Star center - for Nocioni and Noah, but I could see it happening.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
rose rose rose
bill simmons summarizes things nicely -
1. Has Derrick Rose exceeded every conceivable expectation?
Yes, yes and yes. Yes. Yes. Absolutely yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Unequivocally, 100 percent, yes. As God as my witness, yes. May I get struck down by lightning if I'm lying, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes yes yes. Allow me these three points:
A. His worst-case scenario ceiling? Micheal Ray Richardson without the coke problem. (And if you don't think that's a big deal, remember that a clean Sugar knocked the Fo-Fo-Fo Sixers out of the '84 playoffs by himself.) As for the best-case scenario ... I can't jinx it so I won't go there. Just know that I wouldn't change a single thing about his game other than giving him a reliable jump shot (which should come soon), which doubles as the craziest thing about Rose right now: He's beating guys off the dribble WHO ARE ALREADY PLAYING OFF HIM BY FIVE FEET!!!!!! Do you realize how absurd that is?
B. I always judge players by one question: Would I like playing with him? And I'd love to play with Rose ... too bad I was washed up 10 years ago. But to watch Rose's unselfishness slowly rub off on such a messed-up, immature, overpaid, poorly coached, terribly put-together Bulls team has been one of the most random shockers of this season, right up there with Vince Carter looking like Vintage VC again; Jason Thompson being a great pick; Jason Kidd morphing into a Nash-like defensive liability; Marc Gasol being semi-competent; the poor Hawks fans getting suckered in by one of Flip Murray's infamous November hot streaks; the fact that Alexis Ajinca could ever get drafted in the top 20 of an NBA draft; and Tim Thomas being involved in a trade that was delayed because someone else had a heart problem.
Because of Rose (and to a lesser extent, Vinny Del Negro's ongoing Shooter/"Hoosiers" routine which continues to deliver the goods comedically), the '09 Bulls became one of my go-to DirecTV teams even though I can't stand watching 80 percent of the guys on the team. Remember the days when we were worried that we wouldn't have an adequate starting point guard for the USA Olympic Team? Now we have Paul, Williams AND Rose? Holy schnikes.
With Rose, Chicago is no longer the Unwatcha-bulls.
C. I can't think of another sports example to match this one: Bulls GM John Paxson completely butchering an unbutcherable (I just made up that word) situation in Chicago, heading towards the chopping block, then getting bailed out at the last minute by 1.5-percent odds in the 2008 lottery. This was nothing less than a GM Death Row pardon. Incredibly, they still have one of the five worst roster situations in the league -- Ben Gordon will leave treadmarks fleeing after the season, Andres Nocioni, Luol Deng and Larry Hughes have unwieldy/untradeable contracts, and two high lottery picks (Ty Thomas and Joakim Noah) look like ninth men at best. But none of it matters because of Rose. If I were Paxson, I would hug him every time I saw him. Right now, Derrick Rose is like a $500,000 Maybach parked in the driveway of a $200,000 house in the middle of nowhere. Let's hope we still aren't saying that in three years.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3728007
But Rose isn't about to hand anyone a reason to doubt him, or doubt Englewood, which he has tattooed on his left forearm. At Simeon High School, he won all but 12 of his 132 games. Then he went to Memphis and helped the Tigers to a 38-2 season. (He still winces at the mention of helping Kansas win the NCAA title when he missed one of two free throws with 10.8 seconds left in OT.) When he was drafted by the Bulls, Memphis coach John Calipari warned his rookie counterpart, Vinny del Negro: "Tell that kid he's not going to win 82 games. Because he doesn't know that. He's never had a losing streak."
new rookie rankings ... guess who's #1??
At Golden State on Friday night, Rose turned the ball over on a bad pass with 10:36 remaining in the third quarter. At that point he had hit just one field goal and looked out of sorts while playing cautiously.
Twenty-one seconds later, he blew into the lane and made an "and 1" shot, plus the free throw. Suddenly, you could almost see the light come on as he realized that no one on the Warriors could defend him. On the next possession, he hit a 10-foot jumper in transition and dominated the action from there. He carried the Bulls on offense, making seven straight shots on his way to 25 points and a Bulls win.
It's the same for all young players: Sometimes they allow their confidence to come from their current on-court success rather than their cumulative production. Rose will learn from that experience as he continues to find that few players can control him, even if he starts out cold from the field.
1. Has Derrick Rose exceeded every conceivable expectation?
Yes, yes and yes. Yes. Yes. Absolutely yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Unequivocally, 100 percent, yes. As God as my witness, yes. May I get struck down by lightning if I'm lying, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes yes yes. Allow me these three points:
A. His worst-case scenario ceiling? Micheal Ray Richardson without the coke problem. (And if you don't think that's a big deal, remember that a clean Sugar knocked the Fo-Fo-Fo Sixers out of the '84 playoffs by himself.) As for the best-case scenario ... I can't jinx it so I won't go there. Just know that I wouldn't change a single thing about his game other than giving him a reliable jump shot (which should come soon), which doubles as the craziest thing about Rose right now: He's beating guys off the dribble WHO ARE ALREADY PLAYING OFF HIM BY FIVE FEET!!!!!! Do you realize how absurd that is?
B. I always judge players by one question: Would I like playing with him? And I'd love to play with Rose ... too bad I was washed up 10 years ago. But to watch Rose's unselfishness slowly rub off on such a messed-up, immature, overpaid, poorly coached, terribly put-together Bulls team has been one of the most random shockers of this season, right up there with Vince Carter looking like Vintage VC again; Jason Thompson being a great pick; Jason Kidd morphing into a Nash-like defensive liability; Marc Gasol being semi-competent; the poor Hawks fans getting suckered in by one of Flip Murray's infamous November hot streaks; the fact that Alexis Ajinca could ever get drafted in the top 20 of an NBA draft; and Tim Thomas being involved in a trade that was delayed because someone else had a heart problem.
Because of Rose (and to a lesser extent, Vinny Del Negro's ongoing Shooter/"Hoosiers" routine which continues to deliver the goods comedically), the '09 Bulls became one of my go-to DirecTV teams even though I can't stand watching 80 percent of the guys on the team. Remember the days when we were worried that we wouldn't have an adequate starting point guard for the USA Olympic Team? Now we have Paul, Williams AND Rose? Holy schnikes.
With Rose, Chicago is no longer the Unwatcha-bulls.
C. I can't think of another sports example to match this one: Bulls GM John Paxson completely butchering an unbutcherable (I just made up that word) situation in Chicago, heading towards the chopping block, then getting bailed out at the last minute by 1.5-percent odds in the 2008 lottery. This was nothing less than a GM Death Row pardon. Incredibly, they still have one of the five worst roster situations in the league -- Ben Gordon will leave treadmarks fleeing after the season, Andres Nocioni, Luol Deng and Larry Hughes have unwieldy/untradeable contracts, and two high lottery picks (Ty Thomas and Joakim Noah) look like ninth men at best. But none of it matters because of Rose. If I were Paxson, I would hug him every time I saw him. Right now, Derrick Rose is like a $500,000 Maybach parked in the driveway of a $200,000 house in the middle of nowhere. Let's hope we still aren't saying that in three years.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3728007
But Rose isn't about to hand anyone a reason to doubt him, or doubt Englewood, which he has tattooed on his left forearm. At Simeon High School, he won all but 12 of his 132 games. Then he went to Memphis and helped the Tigers to a 38-2 season. (He still winces at the mention of helping Kansas win the NCAA title when he missed one of two free throws with 10.8 seconds left in OT.) When he was drafted by the Bulls, Memphis coach John Calipari warned his rookie counterpart, Vinny del Negro: "Tell that kid he's not going to win 82 games. Because he doesn't know that. He's never had a losing streak."
new rookie rankings ... guess who's #1??
At Golden State on Friday night, Rose turned the ball over on a bad pass with 10:36 remaining in the third quarter. At that point he had hit just one field goal and looked out of sorts while playing cautiously.
Twenty-one seconds later, he blew into the lane and made an "and 1" shot, plus the free throw. Suddenly, you could almost see the light come on as he realized that no one on the Warriors could defend him. On the next possession, he hit a 10-foot jumper in transition and dominated the action from there. He carried the Bulls on offense, making seven straight shots on his way to 25 points and a Bulls win.
It's the same for all young players: Sometimes they allow their confidence to come from their current on-court success rather than their cumulative production. Rose will learn from that experience as he continues to find that few players can control him, even if he starts out cold from the field.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
need a smile?
this will make you happy, i guarantee it!
mixed bag (positive and negative stuff) about the bull in this chat
Q: Will the Bulls be in the running in 2010? Will wade bosh amare or lebron consider playing alongside D-Rose and co. ?
A: The Bulls will be a radically different team in 2010. Wade and LeBon are going nowhere. Unless there are 2-3 better pieces around Rose, don't expect Amar'e or Bosh to spend much time thinking about Chicago.
mixed bag (positive and negative stuff) about the bull in this chat
Q: Will the Bulls be in the running in 2010? Will wade bosh amare or lebron consider playing alongside D-Rose and co. ?
A: The Bulls will be a radically different team in 2010. Wade and LeBon are going nowhere. Unless there are 2-3 better pieces around Rose, don't expect Amar'e or Bosh to spend much time thinking about Chicago.
rose
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10729
George Karl summed it up best after Sunday's game when he said: "That Rose kid is going to be special."
...
"He's already really good, but he's going to be really awesome because he has something you can't teach and that's that speed," raved Billups. "Him being 6-foot-3 and strong and explosive as he is, he's going to be a special, special player for a lot of years."
chat on hoopsworld
How good will Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, and Beasley be? Is this years draft one of those once in a decade drafts like the '03 '84 '96?
Mike Moreau:
All talented enough to be All-Stars for sure, but all very young in their careers. Lots of potential pitfalls on the way to stardom, and character can derail even the most talented. None are Jordan or Hakeem, nor are they Kobe or Nash. All three could be all-stars for multiple years, and Mayo and The Beezer will put up numbers.
Is Derrick Rose a top ten PG in the league? He is putting the Bulls on his back and winning us games. We finally have a superstar in the making
Mike Moreau:
Yes. How many rookie point guards have ever been the best players on their teams? He is in an elite class, and could move toward the front row in the very near future. But, I think Rose has the best chance to lead a team to a championship and ultimately be a Hall of Famer.
George Karl summed it up best after Sunday's game when he said: "That Rose kid is going to be special."
...
"He's already really good, but he's going to be really awesome because he has something you can't teach and that's that speed," raved Billups. "Him being 6-foot-3 and strong and explosive as he is, he's going to be a special, special player for a lot of years."
chat on hoopsworld
How good will Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, and Beasley be? Is this years draft one of those once in a decade drafts like the '03 '84 '96?
Mike Moreau:
All talented enough to be All-Stars for sure, but all very young in their careers. Lots of potential pitfalls on the way to stardom, and character can derail even the most talented. None are Jordan or Hakeem, nor are they Kobe or Nash. All three could be all-stars for multiple years, and Mayo and The Beezer will put up numbers.
Is Derrick Rose a top ten PG in the league? He is putting the Bulls on his back and winning us games. We finally have a superstar in the making
Mike Moreau:
Yes. How many rookie point guards have ever been the best players on their teams? He is in an elite class, and could move toward the front row in the very near future. But, I think Rose has the best chance to lead a team to a championship and ultimately be a Hall of Famer.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
rose rose rose (and some 2010)
not sure the article is worth reading - but i'll link to anything that says d-rose = future superstar
Tonight, the Nuggets will welcome rookie Derrick Rose to Pepsi Center for his first trip through Denver. The Bulls have been inconsistent this season and sometimes looked lost in the half-court offensively. That said, Rose is the truth. Fans will enjoy getting a chance to watch him play, and he's a kid I think has future superstar written all over him.
tired of the "class of 2010 ... knicks are now the favorite for bron" stuff. now the knicks are going to get bron / nash / bosh? seriously?? they made 2 trades to free up cap space, but it's still 20 months away. how many other teams can make similar moves between now and then?? (and on a side note, i want the bull to start freeing up space for little mentioned amare that summer)
Tonight, the Nuggets will welcome rookie Derrick Rose to Pepsi Center for his first trip through Denver. The Bulls have been inconsistent this season and sometimes looked lost in the half-court offensively. That said, Rose is the truth. Fans will enjoy getting a chance to watch him play, and he's a kid I think has future superstar written all over him.
tired of the "class of 2010 ... knicks are now the favorite for bron" stuff. now the knicks are going to get bron / nash / bosh? seriously?? they made 2 trades to free up cap space, but it's still 20 months away. how many other teams can make similar moves between now and then?? (and on a side note, i want the bull to start freeing up space for little mentioned amare that summer)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
sad sad sad
i had to turn the game off in the 3rd quarter - miserable
either vdn is terrible and the offense he is attempting to run is meant to look like 5 confused hs girls playing basketball, or the bull players are dumb. and i think it might be the latter.
bg is proving to be an idiot, and has no friends to tell him "hey man you can shoot, and d-rose can get you open looks if you don't dribble too much and force up bad runners that you have no business attempting." watch how he falls down every time he drives b/c he cannot control his body ("ignore it! it's what a body does!")
plus we have our double-project of joah "5 fouls faster than you can read this sentence" noah and ty "lowest basketball iq on the planet" thomas. then add aaron gray up front. d-rose has to be miserable having to play with (and pass to) these guys.
blogabull made me laugh ...
Aaron Gray. And Larry Hughes. Hughes at SF! Gray at a basketball position! In a regular season NBA game!
related note ... oden's "coming out party" 2 nights ago actually sucked (even tho everyone saw 22 and 10 and assumed he had a great game)
is he serious? Hughes vented his frustrations over playing time to reporters saying something had to change
i missed this from 20secondtimeout after the lakers game (and will post anything positive - meaning about rose - that i can at this point)
Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 25 points and a game-high nine assists. It is obviously very early in the season but Rose has impressed me more than any other rookie so far: he can shoot, pass and rebound, his defense is adequate--particularly for such a young, inexperienced player--and he plays at his own tempo, not allowing other players to force him to slow down or speed up. Rose is very quick, handles the ball well and has already mastered his own variation of the teardrop shot used by penetrating guards as diverse as Mark Jackson and Tony Parker. Point guard is probably the toughest position to play as a rookie, so Rose's performance so far is that much more impressive.
could it be? some non-bull related posts?
bear locker room
hester
either vdn is terrible and the offense he is attempting to run is meant to look like 5 confused hs girls playing basketball, or the bull players are dumb. and i think it might be the latter.
bg is proving to be an idiot, and has no friends to tell him "hey man you can shoot, and d-rose can get you open looks if you don't dribble too much and force up bad runners that you have no business attempting." watch how he falls down every time he drives b/c he cannot control his body ("ignore it! it's what a body does!")
plus we have our double-project of joah "5 fouls faster than you can read this sentence" noah and ty "lowest basketball iq on the planet" thomas. then add aaron gray up front. d-rose has to be miserable having to play with (and pass to) these guys.
blogabull made me laugh ...
Aaron Gray. And Larry Hughes. Hughes at SF! Gray at a basketball position! In a regular season NBA game!
related note ... oden's "coming out party" 2 nights ago actually sucked (even tho everyone saw 22 and 10 and assumed he had a great game)
is he serious? Hughes vented his frustrations over playing time to reporters saying something had to change
i missed this from 20secondtimeout after the lakers game (and will post anything positive - meaning about rose - that i can at this point)
Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 25 points and a game-high nine assists. It is obviously very early in the season but Rose has impressed me more than any other rookie so far: he can shoot, pass and rebound, his defense is adequate--particularly for such a young, inexperienced player--and he plays at his own tempo, not allowing other players to force him to slow down or speed up. Rose is very quick, handles the ball well and has already mastered his own variation of the teardrop shot used by penetrating guards as diverse as Mark Jackson and Tony Parker. Point guard is probably the toughest position to play as a rookie, so Rose's performance so far is that much more impressive.
could it be? some non-bull related posts?
bear locker room
hester
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
rose rose
truehoop rose analysis after lakers game
Rose momentarily hesitates with a little stutter-step that destabilizes Bynum. But there's still work to be done. He then lowers his head, splits the two big men, launches off his left foot as he brings the ball up for an acrobatic finish with his left hand. It's good, and it's beautiful.
...
What Rose seems to have, though, is the ability to improvise with purpose. It's a rare gift, even among pro ballers.
the article linked to this (posted last week)
espn chat
Q: What's Rose's ceiling? Second best PG behind CP3?
David Thorpe: Maybe higher.
Q: Derrick Rose. Wow. I am more and more impressed with him every game. I wonder how good he can be, and how better he would look with some more competent teammates. TT played a good role last night, running around doing a little bit of everything. I want to see more of that.
David Thorpe: Rose was really impressive last night, made me rewind numerous times.
Q: I said before the draft that I would take Mayo #1. Was I right, or would you still lean towards Rose or Beasley?
David Thorpe: Rose yesterday. Rose today. Rose tomorrow.
the bigs on the bull are terrible - (scroll down to #2)
rookie of the year watch - (column on the right) - includes magic johnson on rose:
Rose has been everything that Chicago thought he was going to be. Once he gets a better understanding of the game, he's going to be even better.
Rose momentarily hesitates with a little stutter-step that destabilizes Bynum. But there's still work to be done. He then lowers his head, splits the two big men, launches off his left foot as he brings the ball up for an acrobatic finish with his left hand. It's good, and it's beautiful.
...
What Rose seems to have, though, is the ability to improvise with purpose. It's a rare gift, even among pro ballers.
the article linked to this (posted last week)
espn chat
Q: What's Rose's ceiling? Second best PG behind CP3?
David Thorpe: Maybe higher.
Q: Derrick Rose. Wow. I am more and more impressed with him every game. I wonder how good he can be, and how better he would look with some more competent teammates. TT played a good role last night, running around doing a little bit of everything. I want to see more of that.
David Thorpe: Rose was really impressive last night, made me rewind numerous times.
Q: I said before the draft that I would take Mayo #1. Was I right, or would you still lean towards Rose or Beasley?
David Thorpe: Rose yesterday. Rose today. Rose tomorrow.
the bigs on the bull are terrible - (scroll down to #2)
rookie of the year watch - (column on the right) - includes magic johnson on rose:
Rose has been everything that Chicago thought he was going to be. Once he gets a better understanding of the game, he's going to be even better.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
lebron is good, so is d-rose
compare lebron to kobe? not even close
rose is decent for a young pg, and has a teacher who thinks he'll be great
"There's not much he needs to work on. He pretty much has the total package, but he needs to understand that when he's in a position to make a play, not to second guess himself. A lot of times he'll second guess himself about taking a shot at the free-throw line. If you get that shot ten times, take it ten times, you know? It's not a problem.
"Instinctively he makes the right plays," Hunter continues, "and those are things you can't teach in a young guard. I see him developing into one of the great ones. I can see him being a 20-10 guy like the kid in Utah and the kid in New Orleans. He's in that same mold. He really doesn't have that much to learn."
new rookie rankings
Rose leads the Bulls in minutes played (38.5) and assists (5.6) and is second on the team in scoring (18.9). He has scored 10 or more points in all 10 games the Bulls have played, the second time that has been accomplished by a Bulls rookie. Who was the first? Yep, it was MJ. It is rare for a player as young as Rose to be considered unguardable. Yet that word is always buzzing from scouts' lips after they watch him play. Usually, the line is, "Once he learns to shoot the ball, he'll be unguardable." Well, he's learning. He has hit four of his past 10 3-point attempts and makes enough midrange jumpers to force defenses to pick their poison: Try to stay close to him and risk being scorched by a dribble drive, or give him space and hope he misses. But remember, this young talent is a passer first, so giving him space also means he has more room and less pressure to deliver a pass. Since Nov. 5, he has made at least six assists each game. His on-court demeanor is still too quiet, but I actually like that -- he's earning respect with his game first. That's the only way to win over a veteran club, and he's doing it every night.
apparently i missed the last lil wayne blog
I can't believe Jose Canseco. When he submitted that testimony and you heard him talk it was like, come on, this is not the most intelligent guy in the world. He's sitting there saying the more I look back on the situation, the worse I feel. Come on, man. And now he's saying that if he ever sees those guys he'd definitely apologize to them? That's not enough. He ruined lives and careers and histories and now it's like he wants people to feel sorry for him. I do not have room in my heart for that dude. I am not with the Jose Canseco sympathy movement. I just like to replay the baseball bouncing off his head. That's pretty much what he's good for right now.
and there's a new one
Dwyane Wade actually lives in my building. We have this building where you are the only person living on a given floor, so when the elevator opens it's just your place. People usually just leave their doors wide open like I do and treat the elevator like their real front door because you're not supposed to ever stop on a floor that isn't yours. But one day I got on there and the floor stopped at eight and the door opened and there was Dwyane Wade standing there. I hollered at him and told him he had a nice place. We live on the beach, but the funny thing is some guys in his entourage have a place in another building and my entourage lives directly across from them.So my entourage and his entourage are always out playing basketball together. D-Wade's a cool guy, but I've never really been invited to his games. I guess I need tickets. I guess we could play video games or something together when we're both home, but I don't know if he plays and I'm not so good. I like to play golf and soccer video games, anyway.
I want to learn how to really play golf. I've only been to a driving range once, but I was too young to be interested. I know the game well and I always wonder how good I'd be if I really worked at it. It's a very strategic game and I'm kind of OK at things like that. I will do it one day, but of course I've got to get it right.
rose is decent for a young pg, and has a teacher who thinks he'll be great
"There's not much he needs to work on. He pretty much has the total package, but he needs to understand that when he's in a position to make a play, not to second guess himself. A lot of times he'll second guess himself about taking a shot at the free-throw line. If you get that shot ten times, take it ten times, you know? It's not a problem.
"Instinctively he makes the right plays," Hunter continues, "and those are things you can't teach in a young guard. I see him developing into one of the great ones. I can see him being a 20-10 guy like the kid in Utah and the kid in New Orleans. He's in that same mold. He really doesn't have that much to learn."
new rookie rankings
Rose leads the Bulls in minutes played (38.5) and assists (5.6) and is second on the team in scoring (18.9). He has scored 10 or more points in all 10 games the Bulls have played, the second time that has been accomplished by a Bulls rookie. Who was the first? Yep, it was MJ. It is rare for a player as young as Rose to be considered unguardable. Yet that word is always buzzing from scouts' lips after they watch him play. Usually, the line is, "Once he learns to shoot the ball, he'll be unguardable." Well, he's learning. He has hit four of his past 10 3-point attempts and makes enough midrange jumpers to force defenses to pick their poison: Try to stay close to him and risk being scorched by a dribble drive, or give him space and hope he misses. But remember, this young talent is a passer first, so giving him space also means he has more room and less pressure to deliver a pass. Since Nov. 5, he has made at least six assists each game. His on-court demeanor is still too quiet, but I actually like that -- he's earning respect with his game first. That's the only way to win over a veteran club, and he's doing it every night.
apparently i missed the last lil wayne blog
I can't believe Jose Canseco. When he submitted that testimony and you heard him talk it was like, come on, this is not the most intelligent guy in the world. He's sitting there saying the more I look back on the situation, the worse I feel. Come on, man. And now he's saying that if he ever sees those guys he'd definitely apologize to them? That's not enough. He ruined lives and careers and histories and now it's like he wants people to feel sorry for him. I do not have room in my heart for that dude. I am not with the Jose Canseco sympathy movement. I just like to replay the baseball bouncing off his head. That's pretty much what he's good for right now.
and there's a new one
Dwyane Wade actually lives in my building. We have this building where you are the only person living on a given floor, so when the elevator opens it's just your place. People usually just leave their doors wide open like I do and treat the elevator like their real front door because you're not supposed to ever stop on a floor that isn't yours. But one day I got on there and the floor stopped at eight and the door opened and there was Dwyane Wade standing there. I hollered at him and told him he had a nice place. We live on the beach, but the funny thing is some guys in his entourage have a place in another building and my entourage lives directly across from them.So my entourage and his entourage are always out playing basketball together. D-Wade's a cool guy, but I've never really been invited to his games. I guess I need tickets. I guess we could play video games or something together when we're both home, but I don't know if he plays and I'm not so good. I like to play golf and soccer video games, anyway.
I want to learn how to really play golf. I've only been to a driving range once, but I was too young to be interested. I know the game well and I always wonder how good I'd be if I really worked at it. It's a very strategic game and I'm kind of OK at things like that. I will do it one day, but of course I've got to get it right.
circus trip could be ugly
The Bulls are quiet because talking about a 6-52 mark since Michael Jordan left town is painful. And this season's task is no easier with a brutal schedule that begins with back-to-back games against the defending Western Conference champion Lakers on Tuesday and up-and-coming Portland the next night.
chat from hoopsworld ...
Q: Has Derrick Rose cracked the list of top 10 pgs in the league?
Bill Ingram:
Top PGs in the league (in the order they pop into my head) . . .Chris Paul, Tony Parker, Chauncey Billups, Deron Williams, TJ Ford, Jose Calderon, Baron Davis, Rajon Rondo, Steve Nash . . .you could make a pretty good argument that Rose goes at 10, althought Jason Kidd, Mike Bibby, and Mo Williams are right there.
Q: Two of the top 5 pgs(Nash and Kidd) were out shined and out played by Rose. Is it beginners luck or is he goinf to join D-will and CP3 as the leagues next great pgs?
Bill Ingram:
There's no such thing as beginner's luck twice. For a rookie to take those guys to school is quite an accomplishment. Rose might just be scary good in a season or two!
Q: Seems like the Bulls are finally meshing and learning to play with Rose. Plus Gordon and Deng have been playing very well lately. Are the Bulls gonna be an above .500 team?
Bill Ingram:
The way they're playing right now? They might be a playoff team! You nailed it - they got used to Rose quickly!
Q:You called it Bill. Lindsey Hunter is now with the Bulls. In what aspects of being a PG will Hunter really help develop in Rose? Is it a good signing by the Bulls?
Bill Ingram:
A big part of the game is mental, and about preparation. Hunter's days of putting up big stats are basically over, but he is still one of the toughest-minded guards out there. Just ask Chauncey Billups! He's also a very good defender and has championship savvy. You want guys who can help your rookies from a character and maturiry standpoint, and Hunter really fits that bill. He'll be like another coach for Rose.
chat from hoopsworld ...
Q: Has Derrick Rose cracked the list of top 10 pgs in the league?
Bill Ingram:
Top PGs in the league (in the order they pop into my head) . . .Chris Paul, Tony Parker, Chauncey Billups, Deron Williams, TJ Ford, Jose Calderon, Baron Davis, Rajon Rondo, Steve Nash . . .you could make a pretty good argument that Rose goes at 10, althought Jason Kidd, Mike Bibby, and Mo Williams are right there.
Q: Two of the top 5 pgs(Nash and Kidd) were out shined and out played by Rose. Is it beginners luck or is he goinf to join D-will and CP3 as the leagues next great pgs?
Bill Ingram:
There's no such thing as beginner's luck twice. For a rookie to take those guys to school is quite an accomplishment. Rose might just be scary good in a season or two!
Q: Seems like the Bulls are finally meshing and learning to play with Rose. Plus Gordon and Deng have been playing very well lately. Are the Bulls gonna be an above .500 team?
Bill Ingram:
The way they're playing right now? They might be a playoff team! You nailed it - they got used to Rose quickly!
Q:You called it Bill. Lindsey Hunter is now with the Bulls. In what aspects of being a PG will Hunter really help develop in Rose? Is it a good signing by the Bulls?
Bill Ingram:
A big part of the game is mental, and about preparation. Hunter's days of putting up big stats are basically over, but he is still one of the toughest-minded guards out there. Just ask Chauncey Billups! He's also a very good defender and has championship savvy. You want guys who can help your rookies from a character and maturiry standpoint, and Hunter really fits that bill. He'll be like another coach for Rose.
Monday, November 17, 2008
rose rose rose
Rose's plus-20. 'The plus/minus stat in basketball is the single-best number to indicate a player's performance,' John Dewan, former CEO of STATS Inc., and current owner of Baseball Info Solutions, said via e-mail. 'It measures what really counts: how many points are scored and allowed when the player is on the court. It's more important than scoring averages, rebounds, assists, etc., because it measures defense.
espn rankings (bull = 14)
Derrick Rose's team -- is it too soon to refer to the Bulls that way? -- heads out now on its infamous November Circus Trip with five wins. Know how many times that has happened since His Airness left in 1998? Zero.
espn rankings (bull = 14)
Derrick Rose's team -- is it too soon to refer to the Bulls that way? -- heads out now on its infamous November Circus Trip with five wins. Know how many times that has happened since His Airness left in 1998? Zero.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
rose analysis
from truehoop
Derrick Rose is putting up monster numbers during his first month in the NBA: 18.8 ppg on a very respectable .468 from the field, just under five rebounds per game, and he's working himself five FTAs a night. That's good for a 17.87 PER, and pole position for ROY.
Truehoop links to this article for the analysis -
blooming rose
While the object of this article is to consider how Rose has been so successful despite the history of rookie point guard trials and tribulations, Rose simply does not fit into the traditional point guard designation all too well. The best player to use in comparison with Rose's unique combination of size, speed, approach, skills and talent for his position is a small forward: one named LeBron James.
...
In the long term, it looks unlikely from early returns that Rose will ever be a 20-point 10-assist guy, like Chris Paul. However, he could be a 25-point, eight-assist, six-rebound "Jason-Kidd-on-steroids" type of player, with multiple double-doubles as he continues to mature.
rookie rankings from espn
Although he's ranked No. 2 now, I expect him to be the rookie of the year at the end of the season. That's because he's running an offense that is designed for him to excel in -- the Bulls really stress spreading the floor and keeping the post open to keep driving lanes open for Rose.
He is very difficult to stay in front of and his scoring opportunities are plenty, thanks to defenses staying home and helping onto him less. This is why playing the point is so tough for a rookie, because Rose is unselfish, yet he's "forced" into taking the shots available to him. He has taken 10 more shots than anyone else on the team.
and he's hurt -
pulled muscle in his back
But you don't want to mess with back injuries and Rose admitted to being stiff coming into the game and was getting treatment.
Teammates said Rose, who was one of four Bulls along with Gordon, Deng and Andres Nocioni announced for the All Star ballot Tuesday, appeared to be in considerable pain during the game. Coach Vinny Del Negro said Rose was unable to sit in a chair during timeouts.
Derrick Rose is putting up monster numbers during his first month in the NBA: 18.8 ppg on a very respectable .468 from the field, just under five rebounds per game, and he's working himself five FTAs a night. That's good for a 17.87 PER, and pole position for ROY.
Truehoop links to this article for the analysis -
blooming rose
While the object of this article is to consider how Rose has been so successful despite the history of rookie point guard trials and tribulations, Rose simply does not fit into the traditional point guard designation all too well. The best player to use in comparison with Rose's unique combination of size, speed, approach, skills and talent for his position is a small forward: one named LeBron James.
...
In the long term, it looks unlikely from early returns that Rose will ever be a 20-point 10-assist guy, like Chris Paul. However, he could be a 25-point, eight-assist, six-rebound "Jason-Kidd-on-steroids" type of player, with multiple double-doubles as he continues to mature.
rookie rankings from espn
Although he's ranked No. 2 now, I expect him to be the rookie of the year at the end of the season. That's because he's running an offense that is designed for him to excel in -- the Bulls really stress spreading the floor and keeping the post open to keep driving lanes open for Rose.
He is very difficult to stay in front of and his scoring opportunities are plenty, thanks to defenses staying home and helping onto him less. This is why playing the point is so tough for a rookie, because Rose is unselfish, yet he's "forced" into taking the shots available to him. He has taken 10 more shots than anyone else on the team.
and he's hurt -
pulled muscle in his back
But you don't want to mess with back injuries and Rose admitted to being stiff coming into the game and was getting treatment.
Teammates said Rose, who was one of four Bulls along with Gordon, Deng and Andres Nocioni announced for the All Star ballot Tuesday, appeared to be in considerable pain during the game. Coach Vinny Del Negro said Rose was unable to sit in a chair during timeouts.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
microcosm
11/5 loss to cavs is a microcosm for where this season is headed.
the good:
rose had some great moments and hot stretches, he is clearly the best player we have already and no doubt the superstar we will build around.
tt and noah are ok up front, young and athletic. they are part of where we are headed, but need to work to keep up with rose so we all arrive at the same time. (they probably need more consistent tick to gain confidence and consistency)
the bad:
bg hit some shots and launched some dumb ones. he got his and it didnt help the team win
luol looks absolutely lost - like he thought his deal was going to make him the man, then along came rose and he doesnt know his place
overall:
we are not that good, just good enough to stay close and keep it somewhat interesting. we got down big, then came back - but did you ever think there was a chance we would win that game?
hoopsworld ROTY for week 1
Derrick Rose, CHI [2-3]: Derrick leads all rookies in scoring with better than 17 points per game, with a whopping 45.3% from the field. Not bad for a point guard. Consider that Chris Paul shoots 50.8% from the field and is the gold standard to which point guards in the league are measured, The Chicago Kid is not doing too bad in his first week. From the wins department the Bulls are 2-3, giving Derrick the best record among the top five rookie scorers in the league. There is very little question about Derrick's impact on his team: he has started all 5 games for the Bulls and has been the unquestioned floor leader, averaging 35.2 minutes per game, the second-most of any rookie.
blogabull after the cavs game - angry!
So instead of watching a real basketball team, you instead get a series of gimmicks. And while it's not fair to expect this team to know how to fit together yet, and the Bulls losing to the Cavs on the road is not unexpected, the gimmicks we've seen are obviously not a way to find something sustainable and successful.
the good:
rose had some great moments and hot stretches, he is clearly the best player we have already and no doubt the superstar we will build around.
tt and noah are ok up front, young and athletic. they are part of where we are headed, but need to work to keep up with rose so we all arrive at the same time. (they probably need more consistent tick to gain confidence and consistency)
the bad:
bg hit some shots and launched some dumb ones. he got his and it didnt help the team win
luol looks absolutely lost - like he thought his deal was going to make him the man, then along came rose and he doesnt know his place
overall:
we are not that good, just good enough to stay close and keep it somewhat interesting. we got down big, then came back - but did you ever think there was a chance we would win that game?
hoopsworld ROTY for week 1
Derrick Rose, CHI [2-3]: Derrick leads all rookies in scoring with better than 17 points per game, with a whopping 45.3% from the field. Not bad for a point guard. Consider that Chris Paul shoots 50.8% from the field and is the gold standard to which point guards in the league are measured, The Chicago Kid is not doing too bad in his first week. From the wins department the Bulls are 2-3, giving Derrick the best record among the top five rookie scorers in the league. There is very little question about Derrick's impact on his team: he has started all 5 games for the Bulls and has been the unquestioned floor leader, averaging 35.2 minutes per game, the second-most of any rookie.
blogabull after the cavs game - angry!
So instead of watching a real basketball team, you instead get a series of gimmicks. And while it's not fair to expect this team to know how to fit together yet, and the Bulls losing to the Cavs on the road is not unexpected, the gimmicks we've seen are obviously not a way to find something sustainable and successful.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
rose
1. Derrick Rose, Bulls: He had a nine-assist game and a 26-point game
in his first three outings as a pro, and his fingerprints are all over
the Bulls' 2-2 start. He averaged 18.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.3
assists during the first week; if he maintains those numbers for the
season, he'll be just the ninth rookie to do so in league history.
2. Derrick Rose, Bulls
Quickness. Strength. Craftiness with his change of speed. An explosive jumper. A great first step. And the ability to finish with either hand around the rim. When your point guard has all those qualities -- plus is hardworking and humble, as Rose is -- the All-Star Game is a mere formality. It may take some years, but he's headed in that direction.
in his first three outings as a pro, and his fingerprints are all over
the Bulls' 2-2 start. He averaged 18.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.3
assists during the first week; if he maintains those numbers for the
season, he'll be just the ninth rookie to do so in league history.
2. Derrick Rose, Bulls
Quickness. Strength. Craftiness with his change of speed. An explosive jumper. A great first step. And the ability to finish with either hand around the rim. When your point guard has all those qualities -- plus is hardworking and humble, as Rose is -- the All-Star Game is a mere formality. It may take some years, but he's headed in that direction.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
kinsly playing wii
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeKDZJ7bJw4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1-hduDpKGg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1-hduDpKGg
Thursday, October 30, 2008
good stuff from tmq (on the nba)
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/081028
Weird NBA Trade: Denver sent Marcus Camby, who was Defensive Player of the Year in 2006-07 and is among the NBA's top rebounders, to the Los Angeles Clippers for the option of swapping second-round choices in the 2010 draft. That is, in exchange for a quality player, Denver received only a roughly 50/50 chance of a somewhat improved second-round pick; if the Nuggets draft before the Clippers in 2010, then Denver receives nothing. From Denver's perspective, the point of the trade was to get a guaranteed salary off the team's books. Why? So the cap space can be used to sign someone who is nowhere near as good as Camby? It's one thing to unload the contract of a crummy player. Camby is a good player in a league with an obvious scarcity of good players.
Can't Hit the Broad Side of a Barn? Here's $165 Million! Gilbert Arenas is now one of the highest-paid players in basketball history. A few months ago, Arenas signed the second of two monster contracts with the Washington Wizards; the latest, which guarantees $111 million, means he has inked combined deals worth $165 million. Arenas is popular with fans, has an appealing personality and tirelessly makes time for children; from the standpoint of marketing, he's solid gold. Because he is responsible in the community, Arenas is the sort of athlete you'd want your child to idolize, and this cannot be said of many contemporary sports stars. But during Arenas' five years with the Whizzies, the team is 204-230 and has won just one playoff series. Arenas is a shooting guard with a career 42.7 regular-season field goal percentage and a career 41.1 in the playoffs -- for poor shooting, he should be one of the highest-paid players in NBA history?
Real nice guy, multi-zillionaire -- if only he could hit the broad side of a barn.
Last spring in the playoffs, the Whizzies were 2-1 when Arenas was out injured and 0-3 when he played. That is to say, the team performed better if Arenas couldn't dress. When Arenas is in the game, the other four Wizards simply stand like topiary watching him go one-on-one, and one-on-one is a low-percentage strategy, as Arenas' poor career shooting numbers attest. Pull Arenas off the floor and the Wizards come to life on offense, moving and running plays. And yes, Arenas hits the occasional wild 3 that brings down the house, but anyone shooting every time he touched the ball would hit an occasional 3. To top things off, Arenas, who has a history of knee injuries, got his megadeal despite issues regarding his health. Already he's out injured again at least till the snow falls, and it's an open question whether he will ever recover to full speed. The Whizzies are stuck with the $111 million guaranteed regardless.
That Arenas, a low-percentage shooter who has never led an NBA team to a memorable season -- his clubs are a combined 240-358 -- and never gone deep into the playoffs, should become one of the highest-paid performers in the league's history is everything that's wrong with the sports-culture incentive structure in a nutshell. Arenas has been lavishly rewarded for shooting too much, acting flashy, getting media hype and using poor fundamentals. Given this is what the NBA incentive structure rewards, it would be irrational for young basketball players not to aspire to acting flashy, getting media hype, shooting too much and using poor fundamentals.
NBA Trades of the Year: Everyone heard about the Dallas-New Jersey trade that entailed the Mavericks signing Keith Van Horn, out of basketball for nearly two seasons, to a $4.3 million guaranteed deal solely to trade him to the Nets, who immediately paid him the money then waived him -- NBA salary-cap fine print required Dallas to throw an additional $4.3 million worth of contracts into the deal. Just as amusing but overlooked was the 11-player Cleveland-Chicago-Seattle transaction, in which the Sonics gave up two starters, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West, for three benchwarmers, Ira Newble, Donyell Marshall and Adrian Griffin. As soon as the season ended and the rules permitted it, the Sonics, now the Oklahoma City Thunder, waived Newble and Marshall; a few weeks later, they packaged Griffin to Milwaukee in another three-club deal. That is, the former Seattle team traded two starting players for one guy used as a thrown-in on a deal for someone else.
B-Ball Guys, Forget "One and Done;" Stay in School to Be Drafted Higher and Earn More Overall Through Your Career: Following the NFL draft, TMQ noted that the NFL's advisory committee, which gives underclassmen an estimate of where they will be drafted, and draftnik commentary in general, both overstate a player's odds of being drafted high, or drafted at all. I cited examples of football players who had been enticed by such overestimates to give up their senior years because they expected to be drafted high, then were drafted low or not drafted at all.
The same tendency to overestimate draft chances is drawing underclassman basketball players out of college. In the run-up to the NBA draft, ESPN.com's Insider ranked the top 100 prospects and estimated their draft slots. The estimates had 19 players going in the lottery (where there are 14 positions), 44 players going in the first round (there are 30 choices) and 69 players going in the 30 choices of the second round (that adds up to more than 100 owing to some players listed as likely to go in the "late first to early second" round). Many basketball touts and hangers-on were urging players on the bubble to jump out of college, in part by overestimating their draft prospects. Jump early and become a star, like Kobe Bryant, and you maximize your lifetime earnings. Jump early and struggle -- like the majority of those who jump early to the NBA -- and you cost yourself millions of dollars.
If he still wore Kansas blue, everyone in the Midwest would be happy, he'd get his degree, and his lifetime earnings might rise.
Underclassman basketball players ranked by touts as likely to be drafted in the first round, including Mario Chalmers, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Douglas-Roberts, gave up the rest of their college experience only to last until the second round. After the draft, John Denton of ESPN.com wrote, "Chalmers, the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player and a hero for hitting the clutch 3-pointer that forced overtime, looked on in disbelief on draft night as the first round came and went without his name being announced ... Douglas-Roberts ... has fumed about his horrifying draft experience." I attended the Final Four, and while watching CDR, I thought, "He is a potential star but there is no way he's ready." Egged on by overstated estimates, CDR left college and declared for the draft, only to discover the NBA consensus was that he should have stayed in school.
JaVale McGee left college as a sophomore but after playing for only one year -- he did not start as a freshman, and was not dominant when he did play as a soph. Perhaps he believed projections of himself as a lottery pick; instead McGee went 18th overall, to Washington. Had he stayed in college longer and become a great player, plus well-known, fans would be saying, "Wow, the Wizards got JaVale McGee!" Instead fans are saying, "Who is JaVale McGee?" Because McGee jumped too soon, the odds are he will have a hard climb to be more than an NBA backup, because at the pro level, he's not going to get the minutes he needs to improve his game. In turn, he will have a nice income in the next two years, versus no income had he remained in college. But his lifetime income will likely drop way down because he may never advance to a mega-contract. Jordan was a particularly sad case because he jumped after his freshman year, expecting to go in the first round. Had he stayed in school he had an excellent chance of reaching the high first round and substantially increasing his lifetime earnings. Instead, he went in the second round, will struggle to get minutes, and is now much more likely to have a minimum-scale NBA career than ever advance to a mega-contract. Jumping early may have reduced his lifetime sports earnings by tens of millions of dollars.
Will current college basketball players learn the lesson of overestimation of draft status? Already ESPN Insider is listing the top 100 prospects for the 2009 NBA draft. Seventeen are listed as going in the 14 lottery positions, 56 in the 30 positions of the first round and 71 in the 40 possible positions of first round to early second round. There may be many cases where the universe of basketball agents, gossip Web sites and AAU hangers-on is overestimating the chances that underclassmen will be first-round NBA draft choices if they declare early. Most of these underclassmen will be better off -- and have higher career earnings -- if they stay in school.
Weird NBA Trade: Denver sent Marcus Camby, who was Defensive Player of the Year in 2006-07 and is among the NBA's top rebounders, to the Los Angeles Clippers for the option of swapping second-round choices in the 2010 draft. That is, in exchange for a quality player, Denver received only a roughly 50/50 chance of a somewhat improved second-round pick; if the Nuggets draft before the Clippers in 2010, then Denver receives nothing. From Denver's perspective, the point of the trade was to get a guaranteed salary off the team's books. Why? So the cap space can be used to sign someone who is nowhere near as good as Camby? It's one thing to unload the contract of a crummy player. Camby is a good player in a league with an obvious scarcity of good players.
Can't Hit the Broad Side of a Barn? Here's $165 Million! Gilbert Arenas is now one of the highest-paid players in basketball history. A few months ago, Arenas signed the second of two monster contracts with the Washington Wizards; the latest, which guarantees $111 million, means he has inked combined deals worth $165 million. Arenas is popular with fans, has an appealing personality and tirelessly makes time for children; from the standpoint of marketing, he's solid gold. Because he is responsible in the community, Arenas is the sort of athlete you'd want your child to idolize, and this cannot be said of many contemporary sports stars. But during Arenas' five years with the Whizzies, the team is 204-230 and has won just one playoff series. Arenas is a shooting guard with a career 42.7 regular-season field goal percentage and a career 41.1 in the playoffs -- for poor shooting, he should be one of the highest-paid players in NBA history?
Real nice guy, multi-zillionaire -- if only he could hit the broad side of a barn.
Last spring in the playoffs, the Whizzies were 2-1 when Arenas was out injured and 0-3 when he played. That is to say, the team performed better if Arenas couldn't dress. When Arenas is in the game, the other four Wizards simply stand like topiary watching him go one-on-one, and one-on-one is a low-percentage strategy, as Arenas' poor career shooting numbers attest. Pull Arenas off the floor and the Wizards come to life on offense, moving and running plays. And yes, Arenas hits the occasional wild 3 that brings down the house, but anyone shooting every time he touched the ball would hit an occasional 3. To top things off, Arenas, who has a history of knee injuries, got his megadeal despite issues regarding his health. Already he's out injured again at least till the snow falls, and it's an open question whether he will ever recover to full speed. The Whizzies are stuck with the $111 million guaranteed regardless.
That Arenas, a low-percentage shooter who has never led an NBA team to a memorable season -- his clubs are a combined 240-358 -- and never gone deep into the playoffs, should become one of the highest-paid performers in the league's history is everything that's wrong with the sports-culture incentive structure in a nutshell. Arenas has been lavishly rewarded for shooting too much, acting flashy, getting media hype and using poor fundamentals. Given this is what the NBA incentive structure rewards, it would be irrational for young basketball players not to aspire to acting flashy, getting media hype, shooting too much and using poor fundamentals.
NBA Trades of the Year: Everyone heard about the Dallas-New Jersey trade that entailed the Mavericks signing Keith Van Horn, out of basketball for nearly two seasons, to a $4.3 million guaranteed deal solely to trade him to the Nets, who immediately paid him the money then waived him -- NBA salary-cap fine print required Dallas to throw an additional $4.3 million worth of contracts into the deal. Just as amusing but overlooked was the 11-player Cleveland-Chicago-Seattle transaction, in which the Sonics gave up two starters, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West, for three benchwarmers, Ira Newble, Donyell Marshall and Adrian Griffin. As soon as the season ended and the rules permitted it, the Sonics, now the Oklahoma City Thunder, waived Newble and Marshall; a few weeks later, they packaged Griffin to Milwaukee in another three-club deal. That is, the former Seattle team traded two starting players for one guy used as a thrown-in on a deal for someone else.
B-Ball Guys, Forget "One and Done;" Stay in School to Be Drafted Higher and Earn More Overall Through Your Career: Following the NFL draft, TMQ noted that the NFL's advisory committee, which gives underclassmen an estimate of where they will be drafted, and draftnik commentary in general, both overstate a player's odds of being drafted high, or drafted at all. I cited examples of football players who had been enticed by such overestimates to give up their senior years because they expected to be drafted high, then were drafted low or not drafted at all.
The same tendency to overestimate draft chances is drawing underclassman basketball players out of college. In the run-up to the NBA draft, ESPN.com's Insider ranked the top 100 prospects and estimated their draft slots. The estimates had 19 players going in the lottery (where there are 14 positions), 44 players going in the first round (there are 30 choices) and 69 players going in the 30 choices of the second round (that adds up to more than 100 owing to some players listed as likely to go in the "late first to early second" round). Many basketball touts and hangers-on were urging players on the bubble to jump out of college, in part by overestimating their draft prospects. Jump early and become a star, like Kobe Bryant, and you maximize your lifetime earnings. Jump early and struggle -- like the majority of those who jump early to the NBA -- and you cost yourself millions of dollars.
If he still wore Kansas blue, everyone in the Midwest would be happy, he'd get his degree, and his lifetime earnings might rise.
Underclassman basketball players ranked by touts as likely to be drafted in the first round, including Mario Chalmers, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Douglas-Roberts, gave up the rest of their college experience only to last until the second round. After the draft, John Denton of ESPN.com wrote, "Chalmers, the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player and a hero for hitting the clutch 3-pointer that forced overtime, looked on in disbelief on draft night as the first round came and went without his name being announced ... Douglas-Roberts ... has fumed about his horrifying draft experience." I attended the Final Four, and while watching CDR, I thought, "He is a potential star but there is no way he's ready." Egged on by overstated estimates, CDR left college and declared for the draft, only to discover the NBA consensus was that he should have stayed in school.
JaVale McGee left college as a sophomore but after playing for only one year -- he did not start as a freshman, and was not dominant when he did play as a soph. Perhaps he believed projections of himself as a lottery pick; instead McGee went 18th overall, to Washington. Had he stayed in college longer and become a great player, plus well-known, fans would be saying, "Wow, the Wizards got JaVale McGee!" Instead fans are saying, "Who is JaVale McGee?" Because McGee jumped too soon, the odds are he will have a hard climb to be more than an NBA backup, because at the pro level, he's not going to get the minutes he needs to improve his game. In turn, he will have a nice income in the next two years, versus no income had he remained in college. But his lifetime income will likely drop way down because he may never advance to a mega-contract. Jordan was a particularly sad case because he jumped after his freshman year, expecting to go in the first round. Had he stayed in school he had an excellent chance of reaching the high first round and substantially increasing his lifetime earnings. Instead, he went in the second round, will struggle to get minutes, and is now much more likely to have a minimum-scale NBA career than ever advance to a mega-contract. Jumping early may have reduced his lifetime sports earnings by tens of millions of dollars.
Will current college basketball players learn the lesson of overestimation of draft status? Already ESPN Insider is listing the top 100 prospects for the 2009 NBA draft. Seventeen are listed as going in the 14 lottery positions, 56 in the 30 positions of the first round and 71 in the 40 possible positions of first round to early second round. There may be many cases where the universe of basketball agents, gossip Web sites and AAU hangers-on is overestimating the chances that underclassmen will be first-round NBA draft choices if they declare early. Most of these underclassmen will be better off -- and have higher career earnings -- if they stay in school.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
d-rose debut
saw this and thought i should post it ... even tho i think it's
terribly wrong about d-rose (link from truehoop)
David Berri of the Wages of Wins: "The model -- which looks at both
college and preseason performance -- projects that Derrick Rose, Brook
Lopez, Eric Gordon, Jerryd Bayless, Russell Westbrook, D.J. Augustin,
and Joe Alexander will be below average for rookies. And a below
average rookie is really not someone who will help a team win many
games."
http://dberri.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/the-nba-rookie-polls/
here is the espn game summary from last night-
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=281028004
REACTIONS TO OPENING NIGHT -
from blogabull (who went to the game) -
http://www.blogabull.com/2008/10/28/648918/chicago-bulls-defeat-milwa
david thorpe on espn had this to say about rose's debut -
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=thorpe_david&page=thorpe-081029
Rose, who had 11 points and nine assists in 32 minutes of a 108-95 win
over the Bucks, looked much more adept as a distributor as the game
evolved. Most of his passes were easy ones (which means he wasn't
forcing them) but he did have a couple beautiful "dimes."
Derrick Rose showed some impressive moves in a winning debut.
• Rose looked for his shot far more than he looked to pass, early on.
He did make some nice passes in transition. Looking to score first is
smart -- it forces the defense to make a commitment because Rose is an
excellent finisher inside.
• He was more aggressive off the ball and in passing lanes on defense
than on the ball. He has the ability to be a real pest as a ballhawk.
• His off-the-ball habits, however, are poor. Too often he locked in
on the ball instead of "seeing both" -- having an awareness of the
ball and opponents. That leaves him very vulnerable to any type of
cut.
• Over-penetration will be a problem for him, partially because he can
get by anyone. But NBA bigs know how to put little guys in jail if
they don't release the ball early enough.
• Rose has that extra gear, like Monta Ellis and Leandro Barbosa. But
he's shiftier on the move, throwing shoulder fakes like a tailback
hitting open spaces. He reminds me of Dwyane Wade when he does that.
• He made a terrific above-the-rim rebound, then raced it up the floor
and got an easy bucket for a teammate. Exactly what Bulls GM John
Paxson and the coaching staff envisioned.
• He can finish with his left hand, off a bump.
• Rose mostly passed up catch-and-shoot attempts. He's much more
comfortable driving. But the few he took looked OK. He just needs
confidence.
and a flurry of articles from the local papers -
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/chi-081028-chicago-bulls-milwaukee-bucks,0,4615320.story
"Words can't describe how it felt," Rose said. "I was just hoping I wouldn't trip because I was so excited. With the turnovers, I would have to give myself a C. We got the win, though."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/chi-29-morrissey-bulls-bucks-chioct29,0,2931000.column
On a dunk in the third, Rose went from 0 to 40 inches in a nanosecond. A few minutes later, he went around Bucks guard Luke Ridnour as if he were a traffic cone, got fouled and finished the three-point play.
"Man, the turnovers get to me," Rose said. "A perfect game for me is no turnovers, I don't care how many points and a whole bunch of assists."
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/telander/1247579,CST-SPT-rick29.article
http://blogs.suntimes.com/fullcourtpress/2008/10/good_start_for_rose_better_sta.html
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/1247407,CST-SPT-bull29a.article
terribly wrong about d-rose (link from truehoop)
David Berri of the Wages of Wins: "The model -- which looks at both
college and preseason performance -- projects that Derrick Rose, Brook
Lopez, Eric Gordon, Jerryd Bayless, Russell Westbrook, D.J. Augustin,
and Joe Alexander will be below average for rookies. And a below
average rookie is really not someone who will help a team win many
games."
http://dberri.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/the-nba-rookie-polls/
here is the espn game summary from last night-
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=281028004
REACTIONS TO OPENING NIGHT -
from blogabull (who went to the game) -
http://www.blogabull.com/2008/10/28/648918/chicago-bulls-defeat-milwa
david thorpe on espn had this to say about rose's debut -
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=thorpe_david&page=thorpe-081029
Rose, who had 11 points and nine assists in 32 minutes of a 108-95 win
over the Bucks, looked much more adept as a distributor as the game
evolved. Most of his passes were easy ones (which means he wasn't
forcing them) but he did have a couple beautiful "dimes."
Derrick Rose showed some impressive moves in a winning debut.
• Rose looked for his shot far more than he looked to pass, early on.
He did make some nice passes in transition. Looking to score first is
smart -- it forces the defense to make a commitment because Rose is an
excellent finisher inside.
• He was more aggressive off the ball and in passing lanes on defense
than on the ball. He has the ability to be a real pest as a ballhawk.
• His off-the-ball habits, however, are poor. Too often he locked in
on the ball instead of "seeing both" -- having an awareness of the
ball and opponents. That leaves him very vulnerable to any type of
cut.
• Over-penetration will be a problem for him, partially because he can
get by anyone. But NBA bigs know how to put little guys in jail if
they don't release the ball early enough.
• Rose has that extra gear, like Monta Ellis and Leandro Barbosa. But
he's shiftier on the move, throwing shoulder fakes like a tailback
hitting open spaces. He reminds me of Dwyane Wade when he does that.
• He made a terrific above-the-rim rebound, then raced it up the floor
and got an easy bucket for a teammate. Exactly what Bulls GM John
Paxson and the coaching staff envisioned.
• He can finish with his left hand, off a bump.
• Rose mostly passed up catch-and-shoot attempts. He's much more
comfortable driving. But the few he took looked OK. He just needs
confidence.
and a flurry of articles from the local papers -
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/chi-081028-chicago-bulls-milwaukee-bucks,0,4615320.story
"Words can't describe how it felt," Rose said. "I was just hoping I wouldn't trip because I was so excited. With the turnovers, I would have to give myself a C. We got the win, though."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/chi-29-morrissey-bulls-bucks-chioct29,0,2931000.column
On a dunk in the third, Rose went from 0 to 40 inches in a nanosecond. A few minutes later, he went around Bucks guard Luke Ridnour as if he were a traffic cone, got fouled and finished the three-point play.
"Man, the turnovers get to me," Rose said. "A perfect game for me is no turnovers, I don't care how many points and a whole bunch of assists."
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/telander/1247579,CST-SPT-rick29.article
http://blogs.suntimes.com/fullcourtpress/2008/10/good_start_for_rose_better_sta.html
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/1247407,CST-SPT-bull29a.article
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
preview
I have fairly low expectations for this team, and mainly see this as a building (not rebuilding) year. I want to see the top 3 players develop and fit into their respective roles. I also want to see the team develop an overall identity under VDN. The record this year is not important, tho it would be fun to sneak into the 8th spot or something. Really tho, it's much more about seeing where we start, how we finish, and how to use the experience moving forward.
39-43 (10th in east)
D ROSE
I'm hoping to see rose use his quickness to get into the lane to create shots for himself and others. I would love to see consistent development (becoming more comfortable with the flow of the NBA game, court vision getting better, etc) throughout the year. VDN's fast-paced offense should suit rose, I'm just hoping he gets time with the first unit so he can work the pick-and-roll with TT and gooden (rather than gray and noah). The comparisons to Beasley can stop before they start, because MB will put up a lot of points and possibly win ROY (not if Greg Oden has any say in it). It should take about 2-3 years before we know what kind of player Rose really is (that's about how long it took cp3 and d-will), but I'm hoping to see gradual development this year. My real goal is to see Rose, Luol and TT be the centerpieces of a great team in 3-4 years
** update
after rose dropped 30 (and14 in the 4th) last week on dallas ... it's hard not to raise expectations. The mistakes i've seen (driving and jumping to look for a pass, skip passes) all seem to be differences from college v. nba, which will be corrected with time/experience. I wasn't sure before the preseason, but Rose has displayed: great court vision and an ability to hit some jump shots (both are great). The dallas game showed an unbelievable explosiveness with the ball and ability to get to the rim whenever he wants, and probably most important, the ability to take over a game. Stacey King called it a coming out party for derrick rose, and i hope he was right. I dont want to depend on him dropping 30 every night, but seeing flashes of greatness and him takeover a few games (like in the dallas game) will make this season great.
LUOL
I have high hopes for Luol this season, and want to see him establish himself as a legitimate 3 in the league. He's got the talent and the contract to be compared to LeBron, Igoudala, Melo, etc. I don't need 30ppg, but I'd like to see him drop 20 a night, and have an occasional explosion (where he takes a game over offensively). Can he eventually be the scottie to rose's mj?? On a side note, the over/under on 3-point attempts is his jersey number ... anyone taking the over??
TT
I am excited to see what Ty brings this year. He had a great summer with David Thorpe and I want to see that translate to games. I realize he is still a “project” but it is time to see the next step. I hope he continues to develop and become a threat on the mid-range jumpshot so that he and Rose can be an unstoppable force in the pick-and-roll in a couple years. If the D has to step out on him, he should have some great cuts to the hoop for some throw downs. For this season, i'll be content to see steady numbers (assuming he gets consistent tick) somewhere around 14 and 7 per game.
KIRK
I would love for Kirk to return to the form of a few years ago. He was a great defensive player, and overall very consistent. I need nothing spectacular, just a consistent player alongside Rose. Captain kirk just needs to knock down open jumpers and share the ball-handling responsibilities.
NOC
Same old thing ... scrappy and filling up the box score. I hope he stays with the bull forever b/c he is one of those guys you hate when he's not on your team.
BG
I'm disappointed he signed the QO, he has been one of our best players over the last 3 years and I would hate to lose him for nothing at the end of the year. Pax is willing to keep the crowded back court b/c he wants to have either BG or kirk going forward, and I'd personally rather have BG. I think he is a great 6th man and perfect for an uptempo system (think of him as the trailer knocking down open 3s, or the kickout guy when the D collapses on the Rose/TT pick-and-roll). As for this year, no expectations for BG – I hope VDN uses him appropriately and he plays well. I also hope no other teams want to spend $$ on him next off-season and the bull resign him.
GOODEN
Love the facial hair. He is actually great for the development of Rose, as he can consistently knock down the jumper, making him very useful in the pick-and-roll. He can be the consistent (at least offensively) post player that we need while our other front court players (projects – TT and noah) find their way.
NOAH
Love the goggles. Love the intensity. I just want to see him continue to develop. I hated him at Florida, but I like him as a center in the league. If he can develop a decent (think bill cartwright) offensive game, he could be a great piece to have alongside our core. Him and TT could be a big and athletic 4/5 that can run with rose, luol, etc.
GRAY
Hoping to see more than one post move this year. He had to spend the summer doing something, right? He's a serviceable backup center, so I like him if he keeps developing.
THABO
Haven't seen the offensive development over the past few years. I don't know if it will ever happen, and at this point, I don't care.
HUGHES
Can we trade him? He's not part of this franchise going forward, so ...
awards in the association ...
defensive poy – kg
6th man – ben gordon
roty – beasley (barely edging out oden)
mvp – bron (no one will be close!)
finals – cavs v lakers
champ - lakers
39-43 (10th in east)
D ROSE
I'm hoping to see rose use his quickness to get into the lane to create shots for himself and others. I would love to see consistent development (becoming more comfortable with the flow of the NBA game, court vision getting better, etc) throughout the year. VDN's fast-paced offense should suit rose, I'm just hoping he gets time with the first unit so he can work the pick-and-roll with TT and gooden (rather than gray and noah). The comparisons to Beasley can stop before they start, because MB will put up a lot of points and possibly win ROY (not if Greg Oden has any say in it). It should take about 2-3 years before we know what kind of player Rose really is (that's about how long it took cp3 and d-will), but I'm hoping to see gradual development this year. My real goal is to see Rose, Luol and TT be the centerpieces of a great team in 3-4 years
** update
after rose dropped 30 (and14 in the 4th) last week on dallas ... it's hard not to raise expectations. The mistakes i've seen (driving and jumping to look for a pass, skip passes) all seem to be differences from college v. nba, which will be corrected with time/experience. I wasn't sure before the preseason, but Rose has displayed: great court vision and an ability to hit some jump shots (both are great). The dallas game showed an unbelievable explosiveness with the ball and ability to get to the rim whenever he wants, and probably most important, the ability to take over a game. Stacey King called it a coming out party for derrick rose, and i hope he was right. I dont want to depend on him dropping 30 every night, but seeing flashes of greatness and him takeover a few games (like in the dallas game) will make this season great.
LUOL
I have high hopes for Luol this season, and want to see him establish himself as a legitimate 3 in the league. He's got the talent and the contract to be compared to LeBron, Igoudala, Melo, etc. I don't need 30ppg, but I'd like to see him drop 20 a night, and have an occasional explosion (where he takes a game over offensively). Can he eventually be the scottie to rose's mj?? On a side note, the over/under on 3-point attempts is his jersey number ... anyone taking the over??
TT
I am excited to see what Ty brings this year. He had a great summer with David Thorpe and I want to see that translate to games. I realize he is still a “project” but it is time to see the next step. I hope he continues to develop and become a threat on the mid-range jumpshot so that he and Rose can be an unstoppable force in the pick-and-roll in a couple years. If the D has to step out on him, he should have some great cuts to the hoop for some throw downs. For this season, i'll be content to see steady numbers (assuming he gets consistent tick) somewhere around 14 and 7 per game.
KIRK
I would love for Kirk to return to the form of a few years ago. He was a great defensive player, and overall very consistent. I need nothing spectacular, just a consistent player alongside Rose. Captain kirk just needs to knock down open jumpers and share the ball-handling responsibilities.
NOC
Same old thing ... scrappy and filling up the box score. I hope he stays with the bull forever b/c he is one of those guys you hate when he's not on your team.
BG
I'm disappointed he signed the QO, he has been one of our best players over the last 3 years and I would hate to lose him for nothing at the end of the year. Pax is willing to keep the crowded back court b/c he wants to have either BG or kirk going forward, and I'd personally rather have BG. I think he is a great 6th man and perfect for an uptempo system (think of him as the trailer knocking down open 3s, or the kickout guy when the D collapses on the Rose/TT pick-and-roll). As for this year, no expectations for BG – I hope VDN uses him appropriately and he plays well. I also hope no other teams want to spend $$ on him next off-season and the bull resign him.
GOODEN
Love the facial hair. He is actually great for the development of Rose, as he can consistently knock down the jumper, making him very useful in the pick-and-roll. He can be the consistent (at least offensively) post player that we need while our other front court players (projects – TT and noah) find their way.
NOAH
Love the goggles. Love the intensity. I just want to see him continue to develop. I hated him at Florida, but I like him as a center in the league. If he can develop a decent (think bill cartwright) offensive game, he could be a great piece to have alongside our core. Him and TT could be a big and athletic 4/5 that can run with rose, luol, etc.
GRAY
Hoping to see more than one post move this year. He had to spend the summer doing something, right? He's a serviceable backup center, so I like him if he keeps developing.
THABO
Haven't seen the offensive development over the past few years. I don't know if it will ever happen, and at this point, I don't care.
HUGHES
Can we trade him? He's not part of this franchise going forward, so ...
awards in the association ...
defensive poy – kg
6th man – ben gordon
roty – beasley (barely edging out oden)
mvp – bron (no one will be close!)
finals – cavs v lakers
champ - lakers
Thursday, October 23, 2008
rose will start!
first of all, why was this a question? who is the best pg on the bull ... kirk? obviously it's rose so that's who should start. the hughes injury makes that pretty much certain
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10338
hoopsworld was crazy with bull buzz today ...
GROSS:
Bulls Interested in Zach Randolph?
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10338
hoopsworld was crazy with bull buzz today ...
GROSS:
Bulls Interested in Zach Randolph?
A league executive said that the Chicago Bulls have interest in New York Knicks forward Zach Randolph to solve their low-post scoring problems, but don’t have a package that would interest New York.
downplaying the inexperience of vdn - i kinda like the idea of a new coach, new system (and soon new identity) that rose can grow with. hopefully this works and rose and vdn will spend the next 12 years together winning 6 more titles
downplaying the inexperience of vdn - i kinda like the idea of a new coach, new system (and soon new identity) that rose can grow with. hopefully this works and rose and vdn will spend the next 12 years together winning 6 more titles
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
rats playing basketball
busy with school, but hoping to post my bull predictions sometime next week (before the first game). haven't had a chance to read this, but espn predictions of the the bull ...
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dime-ChicagoPreview0809
looks like i missed the last lil wayne blog on espn ...
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3636731
here's the most recent ...
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3648826
this is from truehoop on espn today ...
These rats play basketball. Actual rats. Some of the training, as described on the website of Heureka, the Finnish Science Center. (No joke, in some ways this reminds of what us journalists learned at IMG, although if you watch the video you'll see that the rats get tons of snacks from their coaches, while we did not.): "The rats are gradually taught to play basketball. First, the rat kitten is taught to grab the ball and to find it on the court. The next phase involves coaxing the rat to travel with the ball in its mouth. At first, the distances are only a few steps in length, but slowly they increase. The rat is guided by hand to travel to a particular end of the court, because each rat must learn to recognise their own hoop. The basketball rat teams are established by teaching half of the rats to put the ball in the basket on the right side and half on the left side of the court. How does the rat learn to score? Scoring a basket is not taught to the rat kittens until the very end of their training period. To start, a platform is used to enable the rat to simply drop the ball down through the hoop. Gradually the platform is lowered and the rat learns to lift the ball up and into the basket. Finally, the rat kitten begins to be ready for an actual game with another rat. In Heureka's basketball programme, rats become professional players within 2-4 months of training. Does every rat learn to play? Any tame rat can learn to play basketball, but brave rats which are relaxed playing in front of an enthusiastic audience will be the best professionals!" UPDATE: More video.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dime-ChicagoPreview0809
looks like i missed the last lil wayne blog on espn ...
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3636731
here's the most recent ...
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3648826
this is from truehoop on espn today ...
These rats play basketball. Actual rats. Some of the training, as described on the website of Heureka, the Finnish Science Center. (No joke, in some ways this reminds of what us journalists learned at IMG, although if you watch the video you'll see that the rats get tons of snacks from their coaches, while we did not.): "The rats are gradually taught to play basketball. First, the rat kitten is taught to grab the ball and to find it on the court. The next phase involves coaxing the rat to travel with the ball in its mouth. At first, the distances are only a few steps in length, but slowly they increase. The rat is guided by hand to travel to a particular end of the court, because each rat must learn to recognise their own hoop. The basketball rat teams are established by teaching half of the rats to put the ball in the basket on the right side and half on the left side of the court. How does the rat learn to score? Scoring a basket is not taught to the rat kittens until the very end of their training period. To start, a platform is used to enable the rat to simply drop the ball down through the hoop. Gradually the platform is lowered and the rat learns to lift the ball up and into the basket. Finally, the rat kitten begins to be ready for an actual game with another rat. In Heureka's basketball programme, rats become professional players within 2-4 months of training. Does every rat learn to play? Any tame rat can learn to play basketball, but brave rats which are relaxed playing in front of an enthusiastic audience will be the best professionals!" UPDATE: More video.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
loss, and rose good (not great)
it took d-rose almost half of his freshman year to adjust at memphis, so i am expecting a fairly slow start. it took other pg's (ie cp3 and d-will) two or three years to get established.
things i liked:
the fast pace / pushing the ball
rose looked fast and explosive
rose carries himself like superstar
tt knocked down some jumpshots
(i cannot wait for the d-rose/tt pick-n-roll offense late this year and moving forward. if tt can nail jumpshots, it will open up lanes for him to slash after the screen ... and lead to quite a few oops, right?)
why did the bull (and all those other teams) pass on cdr??
do you think the bull passed on cdr because him and rose went to the same college? maybe they wanted to separate rose mentally from the college game / mindset?
change i can believe in ... small ball
and another reason i love d-rose -- small ball is the future, and d-rose is the perfect guy to build around. more teams are building around a small/slasher that can create for himself and others ... cp3, d-will, monta, wade, and tony parker all come to mind.
things i liked:
the fast pace / pushing the ball
rose looked fast and explosive
rose carries himself like superstar
tt knocked down some jumpshots
(i cannot wait for the d-rose/tt pick-n-roll offense late this year and moving forward. if tt can nail jumpshots, it will open up lanes for him to slash after the screen ... and lead to quite a few oops, right?)
why did the bull (and all those other teams) pass on cdr??
do you think the bull passed on cdr because him and rose went to the same college? maybe they wanted to separate rose mentally from the college game / mindset?
change i can believe in ... small ball
and another reason i love d-rose -- small ball is the future, and d-rose is the perfect guy to build around. more teams are building around a small/slasher that can create for himself and others ... cp3, d-will, monta, wade, and tony parker all come to mind.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
d-rose love gummi bears
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=241519&src=150
anyone want to read this book and let me know how it is?
Expatriate Games: My Season of Misadventures in Czech Semi-Pro Basketball - David Fromm
great article on elgin baylor
anyone want to read this book and let me know how it is?
Expatriate Games: My Season of Misadventures in Czech Semi-Pro Basketball - David Fromm
great article on elgin baylor
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
bull updates
d-rose
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/chi-08-bulls-derrick-rose-chicagoct08,0,5097100.story
ty-thomas
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/1208127,CST-SPT-bull08.article
http://www.chicagotribune.com/
ty-thomas
http://www.suntimes.com/
Thursday, October 2, 2008
why do we follow sports?
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=manny
So, how will this play out? I see Manny leading the Dodgers to the 2008 World Series, breaking their hearts and donning pinstripes next season. He won't feel bad, because he's Manny. The L.A. fans will feel bad. I will feel worse. It will be the single most painful sports transaction of my lifetime. It will make me question why I follow sports at all, why we spend so much time caring about people who don't care about us. I don't want to hear Manny booed at Fenway. I don't want to root against him. I don't want to hold a grudge. I don't want to hear the "Mah-knee! Mah-knee!" chant echoing through the new Stadium. I am not ready for any of it. You love sports most when you're 16, then you love it a little bit less every year. And it happens because of things like this. Like Manny breaking the hearts of everyone in Boston because his agent wanted to get paid, then Manny landing in New York because the Yanks offered the most money.
long article from bill simmons on espn, brings out a great issue at the end ...
why do we care? why do we invest ourselves into a team and players that almost always end up spurning us in the end?
we care because of the joy that comes with seeing our team win ... but there is so much more possibility for being crushed. only one team wins every year, but there is a chance of being crushed by players leaving for more $, the team missing the playoffs, or making the playoffs and crushing us with a tough loss ...
So, how will this play out? I see Manny leading the Dodgers to the 2008 World Series, breaking their hearts and donning pinstripes next season. He won't feel bad, because he's Manny. The L.A. fans will feel bad. I will feel worse. It will be the single most painful sports transaction of my lifetime. It will make me question why I follow sports at all, why we spend so much time caring about people who don't care about us. I don't want to hear Manny booed at Fenway. I don't want to root against him. I don't want to hold a grudge. I don't want to hear the "Mah-knee! Mah-knee!" chant echoing through the new Stadium. I am not ready for any of it. You love sports most when you're 16, then you love it a little bit less every year. And it happens because of things like this. Like Manny breaking the hearts of everyone in Boston because his agent wanted to get paid, then Manny landing in New York because the Yanks offered the most money.
long article from bill simmons on espn, brings out a great issue at the end ...
why do we care? why do we invest ourselves into a team and players that almost always end up spurning us in the end?
we care because of the joy that comes with seeing our team win ... but there is so much more possibility for being crushed. only one team wins every year, but there is a chance of being crushed by players leaving for more $, the team missing the playoffs, or making the playoffs and crushing us with a tough loss ...
official
bg signs qo --
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=239782
interesting note from that article ... almost everyone who signs the qo ends up signing for the mid-level exception the following year. that might not apply b/c i think bg is the best player to turn down the long-term deal for the qo, but we'll see.
if the bull are truly trying to run a fast offense this year, can they go small and compete? alternatively, can they slow the game down and go extra big?
here's how i see them going small -
pg - rose
2 - ben
3 - luol
4 - ty
c - gooden
if the bull go big, they could trot out
pg - rose
2 - luol
3 - ty
4 - gooden
5 - noah
i'm not sure that ty can guard a 3, but if he has developed any post skills, it would create matchup problems on the other end also.
i would love to see them try the combo lineup with a big back-court / small front-court lineup with play luol at the 2 (a big 2 in a small lineup) and noc at the 3, and the rest of the small lineup listed above (rose, ty, gooden). that would be a very athletic, "small" team ... but would be big at the 2 and 3 spots. it would also get noc and luol out there, arguably 2 of our best players, and create all kinds of crazy matchup problems.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=239782
interesting note from that article ... almost everyone who signs the qo ends up signing for the mid-level exception the following year. that might not apply b/c i think bg is the best player to turn down the long-term deal for the qo, but we'll see.
if the bull are truly trying to run a fast offense this year, can they go small and compete? alternatively, can they slow the game down and go extra big?
here's how i see them going small -
pg - rose
2 - ben
3 - luol
4 - ty
c - gooden
if the bull go big, they could trot out
pg - rose
2 - luol
3 - ty
4 - gooden
5 - noah
i'm not sure that ty can guard a 3, but if he has developed any post skills, it would create matchup problems on the other end also.
i would love to see them try the combo lineup with a big back-court / small front-court lineup with play luol at the 2 (a big 2 in a small lineup) and noc at the 3, and the rest of the small lineup listed above (rose, ty, gooden). that would be a very athletic, "small" team ... but would be big at the 2 and 3 spots. it would also get noc and luol out there, arguably 2 of our best players, and create all kinds of crazy matchup problems.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
bull and lil wayne
gordon to sign qo? he would not reveal earlier, but that seems likely
http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/fullcourtpress/2008/10/gordon-update.html
i've heard there were no big roster moves b/c pax is afraid of going into next year without kirk and ben (he wants to have at least 1 of them going forward). with ben likely to sign the qo and walk next year, and kirk would be the main part of any trade that occurred (to uncrowd the back court), pax was handcuffed to stick with our current roster.
either way it sucks to lose ben (arguably our best player for the past few years) and get nothing in return. maybe we can put together a package at the deadline for more than a bunch of junk from cleveland.
lil wayne blog #2 on espn
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3619710&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos2
hollinger bull forecast
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/trainingcamp08/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=BullsForecast0809
http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/fullcourtpress/2008/10/gordon-update.html
i've heard there were no big roster moves b/c pax is afraid of going into next year without kirk and ben (he wants to have at least 1 of them going forward). with ben likely to sign the qo and walk next year, and kirk would be the main part of any trade that occurred (to uncrowd the back court), pax was handcuffed to stick with our current roster.
either way it sucks to lose ben (arguably our best player for the past few years) and get nothing in return. maybe we can put together a package at the deadline for more than a bunch of junk from cleveland.
lil wayne blog #2 on espn
http://sports.espn.go.com/
hollinger bull forecast
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
alexei
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCulf-6l71o&eurl
mj photos from the tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-michael-jordan-chicago-bulls-archive-photos,0,7890901.photogallery
mj photos from the tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-michael-jordan-chicago-bulls-archive-photos,0,7890901.photogallery
Monday, September 29, 2008
new rankings + bear
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerranking?season=2009&week=-1&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1
bull are ranked #17.
i think the celtics should be 2 and the lakers #1. bynum and ariza are huge additions and the celtics lost posey
cannot believe the bear are 2-2, and the 2 wins have come against indy and philly. we could easily be 4-0 (or 0-4). at least we will hang around the top of the division for a while (already thru 25% of the schedule and tied for first!
risk v. reward -
devin hester is awesome, and awesomely stupid. how he can pick up a rolling punt and return it for -8 yards and then return the next kickoff past midfield baffles me.
he is also terrible as a wr and one of our best options ...
how did he drop that deep slant (that hit him in the hands) and then catch that td??
bull are ranked #17.
i think the celtics should be 2 and the lakers #1. bynum and ariza are huge additions and the celtics lost posey
cannot believe the bear are 2-2, and the 2 wins have come against indy and philly. we could easily be 4-0 (or 0-4). at least we will hang around the top of the division for a while (already thru 25% of the schedule and tied for first!
risk v. reward -
devin hester is awesome, and awesomely stupid. how he can pick up a rolling punt and return it for -8 yards and then return the next kickoff past midfield baffles me.
he is also terrible as a wr and one of our best options ...
how did he drop that deep slant (that hit him in the hands) and then catch that td??
Sunday, September 28, 2008
jason williams retires
not sure why he signed with the clippers a couple months ago? sad to see him go ...
pretty sick
pretty sick
Thursday, September 25, 2008
bg & lil wayne
from hoopsworld ...
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10052
In an ongoing story that's yielded nothing but the same news the last several weeks, we've finally got a little tidbit of something new—a source close to the Bulls has indicated that Ben Gordon is still unsigned not because the Bulls haven't given him a fair offer, and not because his agent has blown the negotiation process for him; it's because Gordon's ego might be getting in the way of his financial stability.
lil wayne is blogging for espn the mag ...
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3607474
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10052
In an ongoing story that's yielded nothing but the same news the last several weeks, we've finally got a little tidbit of something new—a source close to the Bulls has indicated that Ben Gordon is still unsigned not because the Bulls haven't given him a fair offer, and not because his agent has blown the negotiation process for him; it's because Gordon's ego might be getting in the way of his financial stability.
lil wayne is blogging for espn the mag ...
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3607474
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
bears & derrick rose
from tmq on espn:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/080923&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1
Single-Worst Sequence of the Season -- So Far: Chicago had led 24-14 at home with 6:38 remaining, and managed to lose in overtime. When City of Tampa took over on its own 7 in overtime, Bears defenders repeatedly casually jogged toward the ball carrier, rather than going all-out to pin the Bucs deep and force a punt. As Tampa relentlessly moved down the turf for its winning points, play after play, many Chicago defenders only jogged toward the ball, especially on the 36-yard pass to Antonio Bryant that set up the visitors' victory. Sure the Bears were tired: Tampa players were tired, too. NFL players receive serious money in part to do offseason conditioning. In consecutive weeks, the Chicago defense couldn't hold 14-point leads, and both times, appeared to be dogging it. When the Tampa offense went hurry-up in the fourth quarter, Chicago's defense seemed to lack the conditioning needed to respond. Bears defense, you are guilty of the single-worst sequence of the season -- so far.
from david thorpe at espn
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=thorpe_david&page=RookieWatch-080919
Rose's most glaring weakness in both the NCAA Finals and his brief stint in summer league was his inability to exploit ball screens set for him. They are not typically found in the dribble-drive motion offense that he ran for Memphis, so it's not surprising that he was easy to defend in July. Studying the options he has as a ball handler and practicing them each day should get him up to speed quickly.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/080923&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1
Single-Worst Sequence of the Season -- So Far: Chicago had led 24-14 at home with 6:38 remaining, and managed to lose in overtime. When City of Tampa took over on its own 7 in overtime, Bears defenders repeatedly casually jogged toward the ball carrier, rather than going all-out to pin the Bucs deep and force a punt. As Tampa relentlessly moved down the turf for its winning points, play after play, many Chicago defenders only jogged toward the ball, especially on the 36-yard pass to Antonio Bryant that set up the visitors' victory. Sure the Bears were tired: Tampa players were tired, too. NFL players receive serious money in part to do offseason conditioning. In consecutive weeks, the Chicago defense couldn't hold 14-point leads, and both times, appeared to be dogging it. When the Tampa offense went hurry-up in the fourth quarter, Chicago's defense seemed to lack the conditioning needed to respond. Bears defense, you are guilty of the single-worst sequence of the season -- so far.
from david thorpe at espn
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=thorpe_david&page=RookieWatch-080919
Rose's most glaring weakness in both the NCAA Finals and his brief stint in summer league was his inability to exploit ball screens set for him. They are not typically found in the dribble-drive motion offense that he ran for Memphis, so it's not surprising that he was easy to defend in July. Studying the options he has as a ball handler and practicing them each day should get him up to speed quickly.
josh howard
i was attempting to avoid writing about this ... but here we go
i've heard it said that the nba is a thug league that has lost touch with reality. you can label all the stereotypes you want based on a bunch of tattoos and identity problems. my thought (as i once read somewhere) is that the major problem with the league is the "finish line"
for older players (best example: mj), signing a huge multi-million dollar deal was not the "finish line" or goal of their career. i'm sure making some mad coin was a goal, but it was not the ultimate end. for all these younger guys (who all seem to have the same story of growing up poor, getting out of rough situatiions) things are different. they do not have the same "athletic" goals (read: desire to be champions). instead, they grow up using sports to overcome the rough situation/neighborhood, so the "finish line" (or ultimate goal) is a multi-million dollar contract.
they reach that "pinnacle" and have nothing left to aim for, so they are a direction-less millionaire with a lot fo free time and a lot of money to waste.
i'm sure these broad generalizations don't apply to everyone ... but look at the recent nba news: josh howard, the drug incident at transition. these guys seem to lack a sense of direction. imagine if you were given multiple millions right after college (or after a year of college) ...
here's why i'm glad we won the draft last year: this upcoming draft looks weak! but we would prolly take rubio (so we would have ended up with a stud pg anyway)
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=DraftWatch-080922&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab5pos1
i've heard it said that the nba is a thug league that has lost touch with reality. you can label all the stereotypes you want based on a bunch of tattoos and identity problems. my thought (as i once read somewhere) is that the major problem with the league is the "finish line"
for older players (best example: mj), signing a huge multi-million dollar deal was not the "finish line" or goal of their career. i'm sure making some mad coin was a goal, but it was not the ultimate end. for all these younger guys (who all seem to have the same story of growing up poor, getting out of rough situatiions) things are different. they do not have the same "athletic" goals (read: desire to be champions). instead, they grow up using sports to overcome the rough situation/neighborhood, so the "finish line" (or ultimate goal) is a multi-million dollar contract.
they reach that "pinnacle" and have nothing left to aim for, so they are a direction-less millionaire with a lot fo free time and a lot of money to waste.
i'm sure these broad generalizations don't apply to everyone ... but look at the recent nba news: josh howard, the drug incident at transition. these guys seem to lack a sense of direction. imagine if you were given multiple millions right after college (or after a year of college) ...
here's why i'm glad we won the draft last year: this upcoming draft looks weak! but we would prolly take rubio (so we would have ended up with a stud pg anyway)
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=DraftWatch-080922&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab5pos1
Friday, September 19, 2008
glad we picked rose!
was beasley's involvement even mentioned when the report first came out?
they talked about the 2 kansas kids, but i didn't see anything about the k-state problem child. and now he gets the biggest fine of the 3??
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3596442
they talked about the 2 kansas kids, but i didn't see anything about the k-state problem child. and now he gets the biggest fine of the 3??
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3596442
Friday, September 12, 2008
busy with stupid law school
but couldn't resist this post ...
http://www.docksquadsports.com/2008/09/lebron-james-song.html
(posted on truehoop on espn)
http://www.docksquadsports.com/2008/09/lebron-james-song.html
(posted on truehoop on espn)
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
random
red line world series?
i am hoping for an ozzie rant sometime very soon to get the streaky sox back on track. despite the poor play, the white sox are holding on to a first palce tie (with the also terrible twins). the problem is that both are falling behind the red sox on the wild card race ... so we need to start winning to pull away from the twins.
as to the minor league half of the red line series ...
are the cubs done now that zambrano is hurt? they have a big enough lead, but prolly can't go anywhere in the playoffs without their ace.
random basketball
i hate that people (ie john hollinger) think that mario chalmers is good. if he never made that shot, he prolly would have been a very late second round pick and maybe not even make a roster.
http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=22179
Joe (Stanford): John, who is your second round rookie of the year this year (aka the Paul Millsap award).
John Hollinger: Gotta be Chalmers. I had him rated in my top 12 and was surprised he fell so far, plus he might be an opening-day starter.looks a lot less likely now ...
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3567481
luol deng dropped 30 v israel
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-34-21/Luol-Deng-Plays-for-Great-Britain.html
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