Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Chicago Bulls Preview Spectacular!

All of the best Chicago Bulls' 2010-11 previews in one place:



BBS: Chicago Bulls: 2010-11 Season Preview (Part 1)

Back in May, I posted a "Season Preview ... Review" in which I looked back at my predictions from last October and compared them to what actually happened last season. That would seem like a good place to start my annual "Bulls Season Preview" - except that so much has changed since last May.

Prior to the end of last season, the Bulls traded away John Salmons and Ty Thomas. After the season, when it appeared the Bulls actually had a shot of signing two of the "Big 3" free agents, we traded away Captain Kirk to free up the required cap space. When the "Big 3" copped out and went to Miami, the Bulls had to rebuild via a different model.

I posted some quick thoughts about the Bulls' off-season moves back in July, and I stand by what I said at that time:

Turns out, we never had a shot at Wade or LeBron, and we never even had a chance to sign Bosh. The "Big 3" agreed to play together a long time before free agency started, and all of the meetings were for show (literally, as Wade and Bosh might make a documentary about the "experience").


What has been lost in all of this is just how good of a summer the Bulls have had when weighed against plans and expectations. If Miami wasn't stealing all of the attention, more people would be talking about how the Bulls have addressed some major needs and really improved.

With signing of Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver, along with signing JJ Redick to an offer sheet (that Orlando is expected to match), the Bulls have done just that. We also signed former-draft-pick Omer Asik to add some depth to the front line. We're not done, but if Redick is matched, we can go after other SG options: Ronnie Brewer or Josh Childress. We still need a backup PG, possibly Shaun Livingston or Kyle Lowry. Once we fill those needs, the Bulls will be a significantly improved team from last season.

But beyond the improvements the Bulls have made to the roster, the organization put on a great display of integrity and class. It's somewhat buried in the link above, but worth linking again and pointing out:

It was also made known to James that the Heat would take care of his friends the same way the Cavs did -- special treatment at the arena, changing practice and travel schedules to allow for money-making late-night parties in various cities, and perhaps even hiring a James associate in a high-paying position in the organization.

...

The Bulls' chances were diminished for two central reasons. Wade wasn't willing to go to his own hometown. And the Bulls made it clear James' friends would not be given the privileges they were given in Cleveland or the high-paying jobs.


So maybe the Bulls didn't land LeBron (or Wade or Bosh), but the organization did the right thing. Instead of getting caught up in doing or saying anything to lure a FA to Chicago, the Bulls took the high road. I'll admit it sucks to lose out on those "top tier" FAs, but I could not be prouder to be a Bulls fan this summer. I'm glad the Bulls made the difficult (but correct) choice not to pander to the needs of a prima dona punk. LeBron has won as many NBA titles as I have, and is not bigger than the game of basketball.


Orlando ended up matching on Reddick, so the Bulls signed Ronnie Brewer instead. We then traded for CJ Watson (from the Warriors) to backup Rose at the PG spot, and signed Keith Bogans for some backcourt depth. We added veteran Kurt Thomas for some toughness and leadership up front, and it's looking like the Bulls will round out the roster with one more big body, and that will be a wrap. So with new head coach Tom Thibodeau replacing VDN, this truly is a new-look Bulls team from last season.


So that leaves me with a lot of guesswork tough predictions for the upcoming season. Here we go:




BlogaBull: Chicago Bulls NBA Blogger Preview (2010-11 Season)

Team Name: Chicago Bulls
Last Year’s Record: 41-41
Key Losses: Kirk Hinrich, Brad Miller
Key Additions: Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, CJ Watson, Ronnie Brewer, Tom Thibodeau (head coach)

1. What Significant Moves were made during the off-season?
The Bulls have spent the past 2 seasons clearing out long-term contracts in preparation for the 2010 free agent class. Rotation players John Salmons and Tyrus Thomas were shipped out for expiring contracts at the trade deadline, and the Bulls used their 2010 first-rounder to dump Kirk Hinrich and his two remaining contract years on the Wizards. Bulls fans knew to expect that most of the team that made the playoffs the past two seasons would be gone, but a strong group remained in Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, and Taj Gibson with enough cap space to entice a star to join them.

Didn't work out, as the Bulls failed to land any of the top free agents. But the front office regrouped in making solid signings to fill out their roster, leading with Carlos Boozer. Boozer is one of the biggest acquisitions in franchise history, and finally ends the drought of frontcourt scoring that has plagued them for years. Coming from Jerry Sloan's Jazz, he should be a great complement in the pick/roll game with Rose on offense, and also fits in well on defense alongside an athletic tall big like Noah.

With Boozer in the fold as the team's major piece, the Bulls worked to fill out their collection of wings, making solid signings in young veterans Kyle Korver, CJ Watson, and Ronnie Brewer. Each filling a role and two of them having played with Boozer in Utah, these weren't inherently exciting signings, but were smart moves to be made in the wake of missing out on the biggest fish of free agency.

The Bulls also made a major change in firing Vinny Del Negro and hiring long-time NBA assistant Tom Thibodeau, who had become one of the league's hottest coaching candidates after gaining notoriety as architect of the Celtics defense. While a first-time head coach like Del Negro, Thibodeau comes in with a much more accomplished resume.


2. What are the team’s biggest strengths?





PBT: NBA Season Preview: Chicago Bulls

Last season: 41-41, same as it ever was with Vinny Del Negro

Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau, the defensive guru from the Boston Celtics gets his first head coaching gig. He's earned it, but this is not a soft landing sprt -- there are expectations.

Key Departures: Kirk Hinrich, Brad Miller, Hakim Warrick

Key Additions: Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, CJ Watson, and the aforementioned Thibodeau. In any other summer they Bulls would have had the best haul in free agency. But this wasn't like any other summer.

Best case scenario: Title contender out of the East. Most people -- myself included -- have them on a second tier behind Miami and Boston, kind of there on the "good but not quite good enough" level. But we don't really know. If they can defend, if the chemistry really is there, this is a roster with a lot of potential.

For that to happen: Tom Thibodeu is going to have to work his defensive magic, and prove he can devise an offense that uses some interesting talents.



SBNation: 2010-11 Chicago Bulls Preview: Can The New-Look Bulls Challenge The Eastern Conference Elite?

The Chicago Bulls didn't get LeBron or Wade, but they did get a facelift this summer. Is it enough to challenge the elite of the elite in the Eastern Conference?


Over the past year and a half or so, the Chicago Bulls did something that many teams discuss, but few actually do. They decided their team that initially surrounded Derrick Rose was good, but not good enough to win a championship. So they began downsizing their roster, all in the hopes of creating enough cap space in 2010 to lure a superstar.

They let talented but enigmatic guard Ben Gordon go in free agency for nothing last summer, traded away John Salmons and Tyrus Thomas for cap space during the season and dumped Kirk Hinrich and the 17th pick for nothing on draft day. Somehow, thanks to the brilliance of Rose and the emergence of Joakim Noah, the Bulls snuck into the playoffs, where they were promptly dismissed by the Cavaliers.

What was the payoff for all that dismantling? Despite being rumored as the early favorites for LeBron James, the Bulls didn't get him. They also didn't get Dwyane Wade, despite meeting with him twice. However, they did get one big name, reeling in Jazz all-star Carlos Boozer to provide the low-post scoring threat they've needed for years. They also got some decent role players on good contracts with the rest of their money, bringing in Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver and CJ Watson, and the switch from the overmatched Vinny Del Negro to the highly-regarded Tom Thibodeau at head coach is a major upgrade.

They still can't approach the top teams on paper, even if Rose takes a major leap. But as SB Nation's Bulls blog Blog a Bull writes, they should bother a lot of clubs defensively.




NBA PlayBook: 2010-2011 Season Preview: Chicago Bulls


From now until the start of the NBA season later this month, we are going to be running our season previews. Each day, we are going to look at two teams and talk about one thing they did well last year and one thing that they did poorly last year. Then, we are going to talk about the chances of maintaining what they did well/changing what they did poorly. In this edition we will look at the Chicago Bulls.

One Thing They Did Well

Defend The Post

Last season, the Chicago Bulls were one of the best teams in the NBA when it came to defending the post. This was interesting because of who their big men are. Sure Joakim Noah is a strong post defender, but he tends to be undersized. They you have Taj Gibson and Brad Miller. So what the Bulls like to do is send double teams, and their timing of these doubles is why they succeeded.

The Bulls never came right on the catch, where a big man could kick the ball out. They always seemed to time their double when the big man seemed committed to making a move to the hoop, or where a kick out pass was impossible:





SLAMOnline: Bulls ‘10-11 Preview


Aside from the Miami Heat (of course), the Chicago Bulls had one of the most impressive summers of any NBA team in free agency this year. Without signing anyone with a superstar name, the Bulls still managed to address the two most glaring holes in their personnel that have plagued them for quite some time and should make them a squad to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference this year.

First they went out and took care of their long-standing need for a low-post scorer and true back-to-the-basket player by inking Carlos Boozer to a five-year contract. He wasn’t the team’s first option, but as a back-up plan, the Boozer signing was about as good as you can get. The guy is a guaranteed 20 point, 10 rebound per game player and also adds a level of physicality down low. The Bulls haven’t had someone with either of those characteristics on the roster since, ironically, another former Duke Blue Devil played in the Windy City 10 years ago in Elton Brand.

Of course getting amped about Boozer is moot at this point since he’s going to be out with a broken hand for the next eight weeks, but when he does appear in uniform, it’s going to be exciting to see him and Joakim Noah give opposing frontcourts fits.




The Works: The Works Season Previews: Chicago Bulls

BS: Luol Deng has been trade bait almost ever since he signed his contract. Has he been devalued past the point of no return? How did he have trade value if he's never really lived up to the expectations that came with his deal?

Luol DengTZ: This is another case of "Kobe Bryant ruins everything." Deng's trade value precedes the monster contract, going back to the Great Ric Bucher Crisis of 2007. Luol played the bizarre role of being the player the Lakers wanted most in a Kobe trade but also being the Bull Bryant most wanted to play with, to the point where No. 8 (never forget) said he'd veto any trade in which Lu went to L.A.



BDL's 2010-11 Season Previews: Chicago Bulls

Last year's record? 41-41, lost in the first round.

Significant departures? Kirk Hinrich(notes), Brad Miller(notes), Hakim Warrick(notes), Aaron Gray(notes)!

Significant arrivals? Carlos Boozer(notes), Kyle Korver(notes), C.J. Watson(notes), Ronnie Brewer(notes), Kurt Thomas(notes), Omer Asik(notes).

Projected record, as predicted three months ago in time to publish in Yahoo! Sports' NBA Preview Magazine? 49-33

Why I think that sounds about right?

Depth, and a roster that could be greater than the sum of its parts with the right style of coaching, could see this team elbowing its way toward 50 wins.

If the health is there (and we're beyond dealing with Carlos Boozer at this point and into discussing the work of Taj Gibson(notes) and Joakim Noah(notes)) a smartly run Bulls team with ever-increasing offensive options and a sticky defense that moves its feet could load up on wins against lesser opponents while holding its own against the big boys. Then, as April rolls around, 50 wins might not seem super-laughable.

Especially if Derrick Rose(notes) continues to improve, Luol Deng(notes) hits his stride as he enters his prime, Noah can give the team 70 games at 35 minutes per game, and Boozer shows up in early December as if nothing ever happened.




BBS: Chicago Bulls: 2010-11 Season Preview (Part 2)



STARTING LINEUP: DERRICK ROSE, *RONNIE BREWER, LUOL DENG, *CARLOS BOOZER, JOAKIM NOAH

  • DERRICK ROSE




Where do I even begin with Derrick Rose? Prior to last season I compared D-Rose to CP3, and I'm not sure it was too far off. CP3's second season included a jump in both scoring and assists (from rookie stats of 16.1 and 7.8 to sophomore stats of 17.3 and 8.9), while Rose had a big jump in scoring and a tiny drop in assists (rookie stats 16.8 and 6.3, sophomore stats 20.8 and 6.0).

We all know CP3 is a slightly better passer, but I am going to attribute the change in Rose's numbers to what was asked of him in VDN's (lack of) offense. Last season, Rose was our best scoring option virtually every night, so his scoring was bound to make a big jump. But that all changes this year with the Bulls bringing in a new coach (presumably with an offensive plan) and the addition of Carlos Boozer. (Note: I'm painfully aware of Boozer's injury, more on that later.)

With Derrick Rose just turning 22 years old, and about to enter his 3rd NBA season, I'm not going to shy away from predicting big things for him. Maybe I'm overrating him, and maybe the comparisons are not fair, but here's another batch of D-Rose and CP3 (points and assists):


CP3

D-Rose

Year 1

16.1 and 7.8

16.8 and 6.3

Year 2

17.3 and 8.9

20.3 and 6.0

Year 3

21.1 and 11.6

??



Year 3 is when CP3 made the jump and became an elite passer, and I was hoping for a similar-but-not-quite-as-big jump from D-Rose. Boozer being out for the first 15 games, and then taking time to adjust into the flow of the team, will surely hurt that. But I still expect an increase in D-Rose's numbers by the end of the season.

And now the fun stuff: D-Rose's improved J. DockSquad posted some great video that shows the slight change D-Rose made, basically everything (release and ball flight) is a bit higher:



And the normally quiet D-Rose even talked confidently about his newly-developed range:
Keep in mind that Derrick Rose is not the boastful type.

Now fear for NBA defenses.

"It's there; I have a consistent 3-point shot now," Rose said Wednesday night. "You'll see. I just have so much confidence in my jump shot now. It's coming along so good. It's past even my expectations at this point."


That new confidence is a big part of what will help Rose take a big step forward this season (despite no real improvement on the 3-ball in the preseason).




Prediction for 2010-11: 22p/3r/7a

Basically, more scoring and a slight increase in assists. Rose will be asked to take on more of the scoring to start the season (with Boozer out), and will continue to establish himself as a crunch-time scorer even when we have our full lineup healthy.




  • RONNIE BREWER

Chicago Bulls: 2010-11 Season Preview (Part 2)

For Part 1 of my preview, click here: Chicago Bulls: 2010-11 Season Preview (Part 1)




STARTING LINEUP: DERRICK ROSE, *RONNIE BREWER, LUOL DENG, *CARLOS BOOZER, JOAKIM NOAH

  • DERRICK ROSE




Where do I even begin with Derrick Rose? Prior to last season I compared D-Rose to CP3, and I'm not sure it was too far off. CP3's second season included a jump in both scoring and assists (from rookie stats of 16.1 and 7.8 to sophomore stats of 17.3 and 8.9), while Rose had a big jump in scoring and a tiny drop in assists (rookie stats 16.8 and 6.3, sophomore stats 20.8 and 6.0).

We all know CP3 is a slightly better passer, but I am going to attribute the change in Rose's numbers to what was asked of him in VDN's (lack of) offense. Last season, Rose was our best scoring option virtually every night, so his scoring was bound to make a big jump. But that all changes this year with the Bulls bringing in a new coach (presumably with an offensive plan) and the addition of Carlos Boozer. (Note: I'm painfully aware of Boozer's injury, more on that later.)

With Derrick Rose just turning 22 years old, and about to enter his 3rd NBA season, I'm not going to shy away from predicting big things for him. Maybe I'm overrating him, and maybe the comparisons are not fair, but here's another batch of D-Rose and CP3 (points and assists):


CP3

D-Rose

Year 1

16.1 and 7.8

16.8 and 6.3

Year 2

17.3 and 8.9

20.3 and 6.0

Year 3

21.1 and 11.6

??



Year 3 is when CP3 made the jump and became an elite passer, and I was hoping for a similar-but-not-quite-as-big jump from D-Rose. Boozer being out for the first 15 games, and then taking time to adjust into the flow of the team, will surely hurt that. But I still expect an increase in D-Rose's numbers by the end of the season.

And now the fun stuff: D-Rose's improved J. DockSquad posted some great video that shows the slight change D-Rose made, basically everything (release and ball flight) is a bit higher:



And the normally quiet D-Rose even talked confidently about his newly-developed range:
Keep in mind that Derrick Rose is not the boastful type.

Now fear for NBA defenses.

"It's there; I have a consistent 3-point shot now," Rose said Wednesday night. "You'll see. I just have so much confidence in my jump shot now. It's coming along so good. It's past even my expectations at this point."


That new confidence is a big part of what will help Rose take a big step forward this season (despite no real improvement on the 3-ball in the preseason).




Prediction for 2010-11: 22p/3r/7a

Basically, more scoring and a slight increase in assists. Rose will be asked to take on more of the scoring to start the season (with Boozer out), and will continue to establish himself as a crunch-time scorer even when we have our full lineup healthy.




  • RONNIE BREWER




Err, um, Keith Bogans. I wrote Part 1 of this preview last month, and I basically assumed Bogans was an 11th or 12th man for the Bulls. And why not? He's 30 years-old and never had a PER above 11. Last year he averaged about 8 points per 40 minutes. And now he's our starter?! I think this is temporary until Brewer gets his timing back. So Bogans will play mnore of a role than I thought, especially if he continues to make 3s, but I'm sticking with my analysis of Brewer. As it stands, both of these guys will be depended on more for defense than offense. However, when it comes down to it, Bogans appears to have better range, while Brewer is the better slasher/finisher.

For Brewer, not really sure what to expect ... he hasn't been healthy in a while. Two years ago he played 81 games and put in 13p/4r/2a for the Jazz. Not exactly mind-blowing numbers from your starting 2-guard. But as I said, he's in there for defense, and will hopefully continue his career rate of 1.5-2 steals per game.

Haven't seen enough of him this pre-season to know exactly how he fits in the Thibs' offensive scheme, so we have to see. And as I said previously, he's currently coming off the bench behind Bogans, so I don't have great expectations from our SG spot. Who would have thought I'd be this upset wi missed out on JJ Reddick this summer?!


Prediction for 2010-11: 9p/4r/2a/2s



  • LUOL DENG





OK, here we go: I see big things from Deng this season. Vinny's lack of an offensive plan could not have been worse for Deng, and Thib's offensive plan could not be better. Even if he fails to keep draining 3s (like he has in the preseason), I still like what I'm seeing from Deng.

And for all the rips against Deng (not athletic, bad contract, etc.), he actually does a lot of things well (defends, rebounds, etc.). And his contract isn't as bad as you think. I'm picking Deng to thrive in the new system, and improve on his already-really-good defense at the other end. However, the addition of Boozer and improvement of Noah could eat into some of Deng's boards.



Prediction for 2010-11: 19p/6r/2a

Nothing spectacular, but just what we expect from Luol. Consistently good production on a nightly basis.


  • CARLOS BOOZER





Maybe I should have my Taj Gibson analysis in this space? I think Boozer will come back with a flurry at the beginning of December, and help the Bulls get back on track after what could be a rough start. I love Boozer, and I know he has been a consistent 20-10 guy, but I see his numbers coming down a bit this year.

That's not to say he won't be great, because I think he was the perfect addition to the Bulls. The offense will be run through him, but part of that will be the pick-and-roll to get D-Rose going to the hoop, and him giving the ball up to open shooters (Korver/Deng). So while I expect him to be very productive, I see a slight drop in his overall numbers.


Prediction for 2010-11: 19p/9.5r

Like I said, not a huge drop from 20-10, but a slight decrease. And that shouldn't be cause for panic, but rather should be seen as Boozer accepting his role within the system and playing within the team.



  • JOAKIM NOAH





Another interesting summer for Joakim Noah. Rumors swirled that he (and Luol) would be traded to Denver for Melo. I was vehemently against it, until there were rumors Noah wanted to extend for 5 years and $70-75 million!! As much as I love everything about Joakim, aying $14-15 million per year seemed like a big mistake. But when Noah's extension was finally signed, it was reported at 5 years, $55-60 million + incentives. That's a fair offer for both sides, and I couldn't be happier to keep Noah in a Bulls uniform. He's someone you want on your team, after all, he knows who his friends are:





I realize that I'm here to provide analysis, but how can I do better than this ... ByTheHorns: 2010-11 Scouting Report: Joakim Noah:

2010-11 Overview:
Last season, Joakim was breaking out. Seriously. He ranked in the top 10 in Rebounds Per Game (11.0), Defensive Rebounds Per Game (7.6), Offensive Rebounds Per Game (3.4), Rebounding Rate (20.4) and Defensive Rebounding Rate (12.9) and Defensive Rating (101.0). Furthermore, he set career highs in Minutes Per Game (30.1), Free Throw Percentage (.744), Points Per Game (10.7), Blocks Per Game (1.6) and most of his advanced stats as well (Player Efficiency Rating, Assist Percentage, Usage Percentage and all his rebounding stats).

Noah also had 28 double-doubles last season. That’s more than Kevin Durant, Lamar Odom, LaMarcus Aldridge, David West, Andrew Bynum and Dirk Nowitzki. And it’s only four fewer than LeBron James. It’s no wonder Charles Barkley thought Noah should have been an All-Star.

I’m just sayin’.

As 2010 began, Joakim was playing the best basketball of his career. His January numbers: 14 games, 13.4 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 52 percent shooting from the field and 88 percent shooting from the line (52-for-59). It’s probably no coincidence that the Bulls went 10-5 that month. It was their best month of the 2009-10 season.

Unfortunately, Noah developed a nagging case of plantar fasciitis. In February, he played only six games, starting twice. In March, he again played only six games, all off the bench. The Bulls went 12-17 during those two months, including 4-11 in March. That was their worst month of the season.

But Noah was ready for the playoffs, during which he averaged 14.8 PPG (52 percent from the field, 94 from the line), 13.0 RPG adn 2.6 APG against a pretty ginormous Cleveland frontcourt. Unfortunately, the Bulls lasted only five games.

Still, as long as he stays healthy, I think Noah could become an All-Star this season.


I don't foresee Noah dropping 20ppg. That's not why he's here. But I do foresee continued improvement on his offensive game, as he has sneakily become pretty good at draining that 12-15 foot J, no matter how awkward it looks and spins.

A lot of people are predicting a slight decrease in rebounds with Boozer around. But I see Boozer biting into Deng's boards more than Noah's, so I don't predict much a of a decrease for the man in the middle.


Prediction for 2010-11: 11p/12.5r/1.8b

Even with Boozer around, I see Noah slightly increasing both his points and rebounds.





Overall Predictions:

Record: 45-37

It kills me to not predict 49 or 50 wins for this team, but I just can't predict a number quite that high. It was an incredible summer: rumors of LeBron (or Wade or Bosh), then rumors of trading for Melo, before finally landing Boozer a bunch of really good players for excellent contracts. And an obvious upgrade at coach, as we switch from VDN's lack of a plan/scheme, to Thibs' well-known defensive system and underrated offensive game-plan.

But, and there's always a "but" - this team is missing Boozer for the first 15 (+?) games, and it's a very tough bunch of games. The only non-playoff teams we face before the "Circus Trip" are: Pistons, Knicks, Warriors and Wizards; then the trip is ridiculous: @Rockets + @Spurs (back-to-back), @Mavs, @Lakers + @Suns (back-to-back), @Nuggets + @Kings (back-to-back) ... then home for Magic! Good luck with that, Bulls!

(And on that note, time for a mini-rant, courtesy of my friend Big Fil (which I'm paraphrasing and expanding): How long is the United Center / Barnum and Bailey contract?? We have been dealing with this 12-game road-trip at the start of the season for the last decade, which makes no sense. If it was 2-3 years it might make sense, but 10 years?! Couldn't the circus come to Chicago in October? Or September? Or August? How poorly was the planning that the UC would schedule a 20-day circus during the season for both of their main occupants?!? It's a ridiculous and unnecessary hurdle for the Bulls to overcome EVERY SINGLE YEAR! /end rant)

I'm all for hoping we can go .500 with Boozer out, but we might realistically be 5-11 at that point. Then we have to play 40-26 (.600) the rest of the way to get to my prediction of 45 wins, or 45-21 (.680) to get to 50 wins. Either option will be tough, but 45 seems way more achievable. So I'm predicting (and hoping for) 45 wins, and maybe a playoff series with home-court advantage?

Playoffs: I definitely like the Bulls to get through the first round. The Hawks (who I predict to finish 5th below) are a really good team, but these Bulls can beat them in a 7-game series. I then have the Bulls running into the Heat.

I hate the Heat. HATE. THE. HEAT. But I cannot take the Bulls to beat them in a 7-game series. I do like the Bulls to push them to 6 games, hopefully wearing them down a bit for the Celtics in the next round.

45 wins and getting to the 2nd round might not seem like a very bold or optimistic pick, but it's a nice step forward for this Bulls team.


-------------------------

And just for good measure, my NBA predictions:

Western Conference Playoffs:

1. Lakers
2. Mavs
3. Thunder
4. Rockets
5. Blazers
6. Jazz
7. Suns
8. Clippers


Eastern Conference Playoffs:

1. Heat
2. Celtics
3. Magic
4. Bulls
5. Hawks
6. Bucks
7. Knicks
8. Wizards



Conference Finals:

West: Lakers over Thunder

East: Celtics over Heat



NBA Champ: Lakers

_________________

League Leaders:

Same exact picks I made last season.

PPG: Kevin Durant

APG: Chris Paul

RPG: Dwight Howard

BPG: Dwight Howard





Awards:

ROY: Blake Griffin

6th Man: James Harden

DPOY: Dwight Howard

MVP (same pick I made last year): Kevin Durant


---------------------




Thoughts + disagreements are greatly appreciated in the comments, or via twitter @bullbearsock

Monday, October 25, 2010

Where do we go from here??

Well bears fans we have reached the bears bye week and I'm pretty sure we are all more confused about this team than we were before the season. This will be a season-so-far recap mostly because if i just talked about yesterday's game there will be too much swearing. A few words about yesterday's game. Classic bears. Defense good. Offense pissed away the game. The game left me wondering if this team really does have a chance to make the playoffs and if I might be partially rooting for the bears to lose in order to get rid of Lovie. But here is a look at the season so far:

Encouraging:
1. Defensive turnovers. The defense as a whole has been impressive and pretty much as good as advertised. They have keep the bears in every game and they are creating turnovers like the '06 bears. No one is better than Peanut Tillman at punching the ball out and the pressure created by Peppers and Co. have forced errant throws and made it hard for the quarter to identify the coverage. Urlacher and Briggs are still at the top of their games and the defense is getting valuable contributions from Idonje, Jennings, and Chris Harris. Perhaps the 2 most impressive things have been the bears ability to mask coverages and therefore confuse opposing offenses. (Lovie's defense has never been big into disguising what they are doing). Danieal Manning has been very surprising with his safety play. He has played great in run support and his coverage has been so good on TEs that none so far have had a good day against the Bears.
2. Matt Forte and Chester Taylor. I know the bears dont run the ball much (see below) but this combo of backs has really impressed me with their versatility and consistency. They make people miss and are great runners after getting the ball in their hands. In my estimation, these 2 guys are the best play makers on the offense and need to touch the ball more either on running or passing plays. I would like to see these 2 get 30+ touches combined a game as we saw in the Carolina game and the Bears will win those games.

Discouraging:
1. O-Line. I understand they have not started the same O-line in more than 2 games but that is not an excuse. These guys are paid professionals and are just getting beat on a consist basis. There really arent encouraging signs for this group because it is mostly low draft picks/free agents without much potential. They have been unable to communicate more than getting beat 1 on 1. I would say half the sacks so far are attributable to miscommunication or lack of communication in pass protection which is really only shooting yourself in the foot. This communication has to be fixed right away because this line is gonna get beat some based on their talent level. This line will never be good. It can maybe an average offensive line but it has a long way to even reach that. Prayers are welcome to try and improve this.
2. Jay Culter & his WRs. I said in my season preview that Martz's offense depends heavily on the QB & WRs being on the same page. Well from their play Culter and the WRs might have been given different playbooks. I know Martz's offense is very complicated and has like a million plays but these guys are professionals and need to sort this out. The 4 picks yesterday half were the WRs fault and half were Culter's. Cutler has played alright this year minus yesterday's game considering every time he drops back he has to believe that his head has a chance of being removed from his shoulders. Culter can play better and the WRs have to play better and make the tough catches that make their QB look good. *Sidenote: I think Earl Bennett has been the only WR that has performed better than expected. He seems to get the offense and runs very precise routes and has great hands.
3. Coaching................or lack there of. This isnt just Lovie that I'm talking about. This falls on every coach on the team especially the offensive coaches. Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith have said many times that they have the talent needed to win on this roster. But there are some major problems that are lacking with this roster. Either Lovie & Angelo are full of it (entirely possible) or the bears' coaches arent coaching up or getting the best out of the players. Martz has refused to compromise his system to the talent he has on this roster. His offense is running the ball 36% of the time (if you exclude the Carolina game). His offense is not scoring either. Once they get inside the 30, they have shown an inability to put the ball in the endzone. Shouldn't the genius that we were all told Martz was be able to dream up plays to score? Mike Tice's offensive line is a mess. Darell Drake's WRs are running the wrong routes and dropping passes. And Lovie is letting Martz run the offense totally on his own and now looks like a tool because he doesnt know what is going on on that side of the ball. Plus, Lovie is a bad in game coach. He makes terrible challenges (see this week) and is terrible, terrible at managing the clock.

Where now?
I dont know where this team goes now. I think they have the talent to compete and win this division but not the coaches or the system. In an earlier post, I said that if the bears could go into the bye week 5-2 they will be likely to win the division. Now, at 4-3, their record is the same as the packers and their schedule is incredibly tough the 2nd half of the season. Unless there are great giant steps made over this bye week, the bears are staring directly at a .500 record and being left out of the playoffs for the 4th straight year.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Must-Follow NBA-Related Twitter Accounts (#FollowFriday)

OK, here's a formalized version of NBA "Follow Friday" before the NBA season starts next week. I had some comments for some of these, others you should just check out and follow. I tried to focus on general NBA, rather than Bulls-focused accounts, but hit up the comments with any other great NBA or Bulls twitter accounts that I missed.



@voiceonthefloor -
New collaborative audio blog. Follow, and check out the site.



@talkhoops -




outsidethenba -




@teamziller -
Writer of "The Works" with @freedarko




@KDonHoops -
Kelly Dwyer from BDL. One of the best basketball writers on the interwebs.





@ShamSports -
Everything you could want to know about NBA player salaries + international hoops.




@basketballtalk -





TBJ: @tasmelas + @jeskeets + @treykerby -
The creators of my favorite NBA podcast are also entertaining and informative on twitter.




@SI_ChrisBallard -





@RMcClanaghanNBA -
D-Rose's trainer.





@LarryCoon -
Salary cap wizard.





@freedarko -
Follow, and buy the FD book: FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History




@TheNoLookPass -
Not always about hoops, but always entertaining.





And my personal favorite:

@HPbasketball -
Unquestionably the best NBA-related rants you will find on twitter. Reminds me of Sheed: super talented (great analysis), and holds the record for techs in a season (gets sent to twitter jail more than anyone else).




Apologies to anyone I missed, tough to come up with everyone.

CLick-a-Bull (Rose Rising; Best Disappointing Summer; Rose Chef; Weird Noah "Cribs")

Very excited for my fantasy draft tonight. We're headed out of town for a 2-day draft ... which makes sense considering we are in a fantasy league with a luxury tax. It's a keeper league, and we've worked out a way to add a new manager this year, so the draft should be interesting.

I know most people don't care about someone else's fantasy league, so I'll try to limit how much I talk about the league (and my team) here at BBS. But as you remember from last season, you are going to hear about the players I love (and follow more closely because they are on my team), like Kevin Durant.

Part of the reason I bring up the draft is because I'm road-tripping with another of the BBS writers, Kmart (@kmartbbs), and we will spend the trip discussing our future podcast. We're both very excited to go Audi-Bull. The plan is to mainly discuss the Bulls, some NBA, and maybe even some fantasy. Plus, it's going to be live, so anyone can call in and talk to us. It will be a lot of fun. Check back next week for updates.


As always, the links:


The Bulls’ Rose Also Rises

If the road to N.B.A. superstardom were paved with All-Star votes and YouTube highlight reels alone, Derrick Rose would already be a player of legend. He would be the subject of folk songs, star in countless tall tales, and be immortalized in bronze alongside Michael Jordan outside Chicago’s United Center. Unfortunately for Rose, such are the spoils reserved for the game’s true elites, and while the young Bulls guard is among the brightest up-and-comers on today’s N.B.A. scene, Rose’s rise hasn’t quite mirrored the meteoric brilliance of, say, Kevin Durant.

Durant’s status as a top-tier star is indisputable; he’s a phenomenal player by almost any evaluative standard. Rose, on the other hand, resides in a gray area just shy of being a full-fledged star.

Not that Rose himself sees the discrepancy. Durant is the early favorite in the most valuable player race, and Rose, according to FanHouse.com, puts himself in the same class.

“Why can’t I be M.V.P. of the league?” Rose said. “I’m more comfortable this year, with both our defensive and offensive sets. I’m way more comfortable out there now, and that should make me a better player this season.”

Why can’t Rose be M.V.P. of the league? Let me count the reasons.

Based on last season’s statistics, Rose’s résumé doesn’t stack up to his elite contemporaries. For a player whose primary contribution is scoring, Rose doesn’t do enough to compete for the honor. He’s efficient enough with his shooting, but his deficit in total scoring production gives him an advantage on that front. Rose’s playmaking is fine, but he’s far from a point guard in the mold of Steve Nash (according to HoopData.com, Rose’s assist rate, or the percentage of his possessions that culminate with an assist, is comparable to the less-than-immortal Sebastian Telfair and Jonny Flynn). His defense is often marked by poor effort and faulty execution, and over all, Rose’s teams have been decent, but hardly noteworthy. Rose won’t contend for a most valuable player discussion without considerable growth.

Such growth is not all that uncommon among third-year N.B.A. players.



Bulls had the best disappointing summer ever


In any other summer, the Chicago Bulls would have been off-season darlings.

They acquired what seemed like half of the Utah Jazz’s roster — Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, C.J. Watson and Ronnie Brewer (the long-time Jazz player who had a cameo last year with the Grizzlies) — and hired the league’s most well-regarded assistant, Boston defensive guru Tom Thibodeau, to be their head coach.

Of course, this was not any other summer. Instead, they tried and failed to sign LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. (At one point, they seemed particularly close to getting Wade, a local product.)

Still, though, there is plenty to like about the Bulls, who could throw an interesting wrench into a Celtics-Heat Eastern Conference final that it seems everyone has agreed will happen.

“I think they definitely filled the one void that they’ve always needed for a number of years,” Raptors point guard Jarrett Jack said Wednesday after his team had prepared for a meeting later in the evening against Chicago.

“Even with Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich, when they had all those effective perimeter players, the one thing they always needed was an effective low-post scorer, somebody who they could throw the ball to in the waning moments and get those easy baskets or easy looks when things got a little hectic. Adding Carlos Boozer is definitely a tremendous help.”



Derrick Rose has new weapon: a personal chef


Derrick Rose was looking forward to this Friday for two reasons.

Foremost, the Bulls play their final exhibition game and he is eager to get started with the regular season. Secondly, Rose was anticipating the first day of services for his personal chef.

The idea, Rose says, is to lead a disciplined lifestyle so that he can stay healthy throughout the arduous NBA season.

"I just got a chef, so eating right, getting rest, not going too many places. … If I'm in the house, just laying around the house after practice, not going out …. things like that," Rose told us Thursday following the annual Bulls Luncheon at the Hilton.



From ESPN (via BlogaBull)