Derrick Rose Top 10 Dunks

The start of fooball season means only one thing: we are that much closer to the start of NBA season! This should get you excited:

It sure doesn't feel like a win...

but it counts as one. Bottom line is that the bears are 1-0. The lions lost the game on technicality which i dont agree with but I and the bears will take the W. Now my general impressions of the game was mostly positive for the bears.

The Good: The offense looked good/better than i thought it would. They moved the ball on the Lions and racked up a ton of yards. The offense looked to be in sync and I was impressed with Martz's play calling. It was as good as advertised.

- Jay Culter was very good in yesterday's game. Yes, he threw an inception and had a fumble but he was poised in the pocket after he got hit a lot. He even threw the ball away a couple of times where his WRs were covered after forcing the ball on his inception. He even took a couple of sacks in those situations where last year he would have chucked it up. This is the type of improvement that I think every bears' fan has been looking for from Jay. Plus he threw for 370+ yards. I would give him a B+ for the game.

- Brian Urlacher & the defense - Urlacher looked like the guy that won a Defensive Player of year award. He was everywhere and huge on sunday. He looked faster and hitter harder than I have seen him since 2007. There was no question that his presence on defense made a huge difference. The line keep the O-line off of him and he flew through the gaps and made big impact plays. The defense as a whole was very impressive. Not just because they held the Lions to 1 first down until the last drive in the 2nd half. But because they pretty much shut down Calvin Johnson who is ridiculously good and they held the lions to 20 yds rushing. They had pressure on the QB and Peppers knocked out Stafford. They made plays and created turnovers and only allowed the Lions to convert on 29% of their 3rd downs. We never saw the defense look this good last year. It gives me hope for the rest of the season.

The Bad: Turnovers - The bears turned the ball over 4 times and twice in the red zone. It cost the bears what should have been a blowout. Also, the only points that the Lions scored happened right after a bears turnover. Most games you cant turn the ball over 4 times and win. Forte had 2 fumbles in what was an otherwise spectacular game. Greg Olson also had a fumble and I swear I feel like he is gonna fumble every time he gets hit. The bears must protect the ball better next week to win and as a result put more points on the board.

- Run blocking - Did the bears run block? I'm not sure there was a hole for Forte or Taylor had to run through. The line did alright pass blocking too but they only averaged 3.3 yds per carry. Maybe the Lions' defensive front is that good this season with Suh and company. And did i mention they couldn't pound in the ball from the 1 in 3 tries. The run blocking needs to improve a lot.

- Devin Hester - Was Devin even on the field with the offense? On a day which Culter threw for 372 yds, Hester caught 1 pass for 7 yards. Either Devin did something to piss Culter off or he just wasnt able to get open against a Lions' secondary that was burned by all the other bears. Hester has too much break away ability to only touch the ball once a game on offense. Martz & company need to remedy this for next week v. Dallas.

The Ugly: I think Lovie is a fucking moron for not kicking the FG to go ahead in the game and his explanation after the game was even more idiotic. If your justification is that your defense has been stopping the Lions the whole game then how you do you not take the lead and then let your defense stop them??? Just a stupid decision.

Also, Lovie's bears with the lead have always gone into what i like to call their "shell" defense which is really a cover 3 or quarters pass defense and it drives me insane. Here the bears had been killing the Lions all afternoon by only allowing them 1 first down the entire 2nd half but instead of keeping your aggressive defensive style, they drop into passive coverage and allow the Lions to dink & dunk their way down the field. It kills me and they do it all the time and it should have cost them the game. I will never understand it and they do it every time they have the lead and the other team is forced into passing drive to try and win it. It is just so stupid to all of a sudden change the type of defense you have been playing all game!

The bears played better than I thought they would and except for their own mistakes, they would have won this game by a lot more. I happy to say it was a good first game and I look for more improvement next week.

Bears Season Preview

Honestly, this could be an 8 page post but I will struggle to keep it brief as possible. I will go on the record right now and say I'm not a big Lovie fan and didn't agree with the hire of Martz. With that said, every sunday I go into the game thinking that they will win. It's gonna be a very interesting season that I know for sure with a ton of ups and downs.

Offense

QB - We all know that Lovie is full of it when he says that "this team still gets off the bus running". The offense of Martz's has always depended on the QB and this team will depend on Cutler's right arm. Cutler has all the talent in the world and we can only hope that he will turn it around in his 2nd year in the bears' uni. He will throw a boat load of interceptions there is no doubt but he should be up in the 30s in TDs and should average 270+ yards per game. This team will lean on Jay and he has to step up and respond. This season has the chance to propel him into the elite tier of NFL QBs. As for the backups, Cutler has been as durable and if the Bears see Todd Collins or Caleb Hanie on the field for more than 1 game then you can kiss this season and Lovie's job goodbye.

RBs - So, the last time Chestor Taylor went to a team to split carries with a back, the back turned into the machine known as Adrian Peterson. Could this be a repeat theme with Matt Forte? I certainly hope so (othewise, i wasted money on that Forte jersey!). Seriously, though both Forte and Taylor are exactly the type of RBs needed for Martz's offense. They are both great in space and have good hands. Martz will run the ball probably because Lovie has told him he has to and so that Cutler wont get hit every play. I dont think either back will get 1000 yds rushing but the bears running attack should be vastly improved just because of a healthy Forte and because draws will work when you throw 70% of the time. Also, look for Martz to really use Forte and Taylor in the passing game to offset some of the lack of running. Screens, designed swing passes and deep routes for the RBs are frequent in the Martz offense and fit nicely with the bears' backs skill set. Bell and Wolfe provide some nice depth but really should factor into this season besides maybe on special teams.

WRs - I'm not sure if this Martz offense makes WRs look good or vice-a-versa. But either way Martz's WRs have a history of having big years. Now, this is the position that I really think will make or break the bears offense. The bears have talent at the position with Knox, Aromashadu, Hester, and Bennett. The question is can they be on the same page as Cutler because this offense is all about timing with them running their route precisely and not allowing the defense to disrupt their timing. If the WRs are not on the same page as Jay and off with their routes, this offense wont be as successful as we have seen in the past and hope it will be this year.

O-line: I'm not gonna beat a dead horse here. The line needs to be better than it was in preseason. I think Lance Louis and Frank Oh-my-god wouldnt start for a lot of NFL teams but that is who the bears are stuck with and we must hope the line can work as a unit together. I dont think they will ever be a great O-line and maybe not even a good O-line but they can be an average O-line which would be enough for the bears to win quite a few games. Under Martz historically QBs get sacked around 2-3 times per game. (yes this stat includes his time with the rams). So, we know Cutler is gonna get hit and sacked. The biggest question is can this line run block and can Jay have enough confidence to stand in the pocket and not get happy feet? I have no idea to the anwers but i hope yes.

Defense - They arent the monsters of the midway anymore and they wont regain the title either. But they have enough talent to be a top -10 defense in the league.

D-line: Peppers is a stud and should get 10+ sacks. Tommie Harris looks to be somewhat healthy and can maybe play the whole season without getting hurt. But now in the NFL, you have to have atleast 3 good pass rushers on the team and i dont whether/if the bears can find the 3rd one. I have given up on Mark Anderson, Idonije will be solid player but nothing special, and Anthony Adams is a solid middle filler but not a pass rusher. The bears must hope that Henry Melton, Marcus Harrison, Matt Toenia or Corey Wotten can take a huge step forward and provide the pass rush that is needed in the NFL today. The bears have always stopped the run when healthy and it will be more of the same this year. Its really all about getting to the QB.

LBs: There is no question that this is the most talented position on the bears and when healthy they have 3 potential pro bowl LBs in briggs, urlacher, and tinoisamoa. The questions are two-fold. 1 - Can they stay healthy? 2 - Can they just be allowed to play LB? #1 is kind of out of anyone's control and we just have to hope for the best. But what i mean by #2 is that the bears LBs are not at their best when they are blitzing or having to take on OL men and shedding the blockers. The bears LBs and specifically Urlacher and Briggs are best when they can see the play and attack the play with their speed. Their ability all comes down the Dline really. If the Dline is able to absorb/engage the offensive line then the LBs can roam and attack the ball. (why Urlacher had his best years with people eaters like Ted Washington and Keith Traylor on the Dline). Also, the LBs are pass rushers and their strength isn't blitzing either. If the D-line can get get pressure then the LBs should be allowed to roam and we should see atleast 2 pro bowlers from this group.

DBs: This is the bears thinist position talent wise. Bowman on the corner could be a very good player and Peanut Tillman will be solid although not great in man to man coverage. After that the bears have no depth at CB. If bowman or peanut have to miss significant time, it will get ugly. The bears have to hope that an improved pass rush will take some pressure off the CBs. At safety, the bears are unsettled. To start the year, Chris Harris will start at Free safety a position that he doesnt have the speed to play and Danieal Manning will start at Strong safety. I think sooner than later you will see Major Wright start at Free and move Harris to strong where he can be alright player. Manning has all the talent in the world but cant seem to put it to good use. The overall point of the bears DBs is that there isnt a play maker among them. Unless Bowman or Wright emerge as playmakers, this secondary is at best average and the defense will need the front seven to be good to great to cover up the secondary.

Special teams: The bears have had one of the top special teams units in the NFL for years and that shouldnt change this year. Robbie Gould is automatic and Brad Maynard is skilled at directionly punting which the bears value over leg stregnth. Hester, Manning and Knox will all be returning punts and kicks and i would look for 2+ TDs from them combined this year and pray that Devin can regain his 2006/7 form.

The Schedule: The bears schedule goes in waves with incredibly hard stretches followed by easy games. After much agonizing, here's what i think will happen this season.

Week 1 - Lions at home -- W (34-21 The lions are better but still not good)

Week 2 - at Cowboys -- L (The cowboys have too much talent and too good of pass rush)

Week 3 - Packers at home -- L (The pack is the class of the division and sadly they will win big)

Week 4 - at Giants -- L (Same as the coboys, too much talent and too much pass rush)

Week 5 - at Panthers -- W (Bears shut down the run & run all over the panthers, plus revenge game for peppers)

Week 6 - Seahawks at home -- W (Seahawks are terrible)

Week 7 - Redskins at home -- W (McNabb will be hurt by then)

Week 8 - bye

Week 9- Bills in toronto -- W (Bills are like a triple AAA football team)

Week 10- Vikings at home -- W (They have split with the viking 7 out of the 11 seasons)

Week 11 - at Dolphins -- L (Their defense will disrupt Culter & the passing game)

Week 12 - Eagles at home -- W (Kolb will have many bumps along the road including this game)

Week 13 - at Lions -- W (The lions still arent good)

Week 14 - Patriots at home -- W (Its not the same Pats team of years past and yep this is a gut call)

Week 15 - at Vikings -- L (I hate that stupid horn they have)

Week 16 - Jets at home -- L (Can the bears get more than 150 yds against the Jets D?)

Week 17 - at Packers -- L (Unless the pack doesnt need this game for playoffs, this will be a L)

Overall Record of 9-7. Yesterday I had them at 8-8 with losing both to the vikings but the vikes looked bad last night and i think the bears can steal one from them. Still they wont be in playoff contention because i think year in the NFC you need to win 10 to get the playoffs and their schedule in december is brutal. We will see flashes from the offense but the defense will be up and down every game. There might be a chance to sneak in the playoffs but the real suspense will be, does 9-7 save Lovie's job?? Let's settle in for a season of ups and downs and it will glue all us bears fans to the TVs every week.

Melo to Bulls? ... Updated Thoughts

This morning I woke up to rumors swirling that Melo wanted to be traded to the Bulls (or Knicks). Then I heard rumors that the Bulls were looking at Melo for Luol Deng and Taj Gibson. So what did I do? I played devil's advocate, and made the argument that the trade would not help the Bulls. In reality, I would make that trade in a heart-beat. I realize that it's only an offensive upgrade at small forward (and a clear defensive downgrade), plus we're giving up our (potentially much-needed) depth at power forward by including Taj. Oh well, it's Carmelo Anthony! As DC pointed out in the comments on today's earlier post, Melo is the go-to scoring option that the Bulls have lacked since 1998. Make that trade!

Then later this afternoon, there were rumors that the trade was not Deng + Taj for Melo, but instead it was Deng and Noah for Melo, and I was no longer playing devil's advocate. I hated the thought of including Noah. Even if that's the only way to shed Deng's terrible contract, I don't want any part of giving up our young center. Especially not to make a one-sided upgrade at small forward. Substituting Melo for Deng + Noah might make us the worst defensive team in the league, even with Thibodeau coaching the Bulls. It seems like a bad idea no matter how you look at it.

But then I read this: Bulls offered Noah 60 million?

Per Alex Kennedy's twitter:

The Chicago Bulls offered Joakim Noah a five-year, $60 million extension two weeks ago. Hard to believe that they're ready to move him now.

Well that's a sobering thought for anyone who thought Noah would come cheaply. That's more than I'd offer this season, it could be the max contract next season, and depending how the cap rules change that's not such a hot deal.

This is part of the reason I'm willing to part with Noah for Melo, even though I absolutely love him as a player, when his extension kicks in, he's going to be very highly played for a guy who's relatively limited offensively and isn't a shut down defender.

So if Noah was offered $60M, and presumably did not accept, he is clearly looking to be paid MORE THAN that on the open market. I love Noah, just read my season preview from last season:

I have never had a bigger swing on any athlete (except daily with BG for the last 2 years). I hated JoaNoah at Florida. I convinced myself to give him a chance when the Bulls drafted him. He started to grow on me, then last season I started to like him. A young, energetic center who can play D, grab boards and doesn't care about offensive stats ... what's not to like? Then came the Celtics series, and the steal. If it didn't happen before that, that was the moment when JoaNoah entered Bulls lore and became a true Bull in the eyes of Bulls fans. He went from being some guy we didn't really understand, to "our guy". And for all that, at some point he became the most un-tradeable Bull not named D-Rose.

But I love him slightly less at more than $12M per year. Actually, significantly less. I'm not saying that I want to make the trade of Deng/Noah for Melo, but it is worth considering. Paying Noah all that money (and owing Rose am extension at some point in the next 2 years) would really handcuff the Bulls. We would have a very solid core, but we would be locked in. And would it be enough to compete for a title?? If the choice is paying all that money for a top 10-12 CENTER, or paying it to a top 10-12 OVERALL TALENT in the NBA, I think the choice is harder than it originally seemed.



Let me know what you think in the comments: Should the Bulls really consider Deng + Noah for Melo?!

Carmelo to Bulls? ... Confessions of a "Melo Lover"

I will say it up front: I love Carmelo Anthony. I have loved him since he lead Syracuse to the NCAA championship with a 20/10 in the title game. I love that he is with Jordan Brand. I love that he can straight up score the basketball. But I don't think I would love Melo in a Bulls uniform ...

If the title and tone of this post seem familiar, it's because I wrote the exact opposite piece about LeBron a few months ago:

As a die-hard NBA fan, I watch a lot of basketball. I recognize talent, and it's obvious that LeBron is the best player in the Association. (I might technically argue that Kobe is a better basketball player and LeBron is the best athlete playing basketball, but that's not the point.) LeBron is awesome. I went to game 3 of the Bulls/Cavs series a couple weeks ago, and it was incredible. I hated every single second of it, but LeBron was ridiculous. Just so we're clear, I get it: he's great. So would I want the best player on my team? Seems dumb to say no. But I hate him so much, how can I possibly say yes?


I will cheer for the Bulls. I will hope they win every game, just like I do now and always have. But I will never love LeBron the way I love those 1990s Bulls players: MJ, Pippen, BJ Armstrong, Jud Buechler, Horace, Rodman, Will Perdue, Craig Hodges, Cliff Levingston (the list goes on and on ...) and current Bulls D-Rose and JoaNoah. I will never love LeBron like that. He will never be included in my list of "Top 10 Favorite Bulls' Players" (or even my 'Top 25'). I hate him enough that I can be sure of that.

Now the rumors are swirling that Melo wants to be traded to the Bulls:

Carmelo Anthony(notes) still hopes to persuade the Denver Nuggets to trade him, preferably to either the Chicago Bulls or New York Knicks, an NBA source with knowledge of Anthony’s wishes told Yahoo! Sports.

The Knicks have limited assets to offer the Nuggets, which makes the Bulls a more appealing potential trade partner. The Bulls can offer a replacement small forward in Luol Deng(notes), as well as two young forwards in James Johnson(notes) and Taj Gibson(notes). New York officials would like to make a run at signing Anthony next summer if he were to opt to become a free agent. The Knicks will have salary-cap room with Eddy Curry’s(notes) contract expiring after the season.

At first glance, I wouldn't hesitate ... we have make that trade. Deng has a terrible contract, and the other 2 players aren't even starters. But then I got to thinking about everything I've been reading over the last few months ...

Is Deng's contract really that bad? I hate to admit it, but no, it's not:

Now let’s take a quick peek at the comparitive 2010-11 salaries of Dwyer’s top eight SFs (from ShamSports): LeBron ($14,500,000), Durant ($6,053,663 from his rookie contract but jumping to $13,603,750 in 2011-12), ‘Melo ($17,149,243), Wallace ($10,500,000), Iggy ($12,345,250), Granger ($10,973,202), Pierce ($13,876,321) and Deng ($11,345,000).

This biggest knock against Deng is his supposedly cap-killing contract. And yet based on Dwyer’s rankings, Deng’s pay is roughly commensurate with his standing among the league’s elite small forwards.

And is Melo really as good as we think he is? I hate to admit it, but no, he's not:

Of course, whether he actually is on that level is another question. The “is Melo an elite player?” debate was widely discussed throughout the blogosphere over the past few weeks. (We miss you, NBA. Please grab this stupid summer thing by the nose and banish it forever). Statistical master wizard (it’s when you’re too masterful to be just a wizard, but too wizardy to be just a master) Tom Haberstroh pointed out over at ESPN Insider that Melo’s greatest skill – scoring the basketball – is overblown because of his less-than-stellar efficiency at doing so.

“Let’s first talk about Anthony’s shot volume. It’s not exactly a secret that ‘Melo likes to shoot the rock, but his propensity to launch shots may raise some eyebrows. This past season, no player in the NBA took more shots per minute than Anthony — not Kobe, not LeBron, not even scoring champ Kevin Durant.

[Note to readers: be sure to click on both of the above links for a great breakdown of both Deng (from 'By The Horns') and Melo (from 'Both Teams Played Hard'). Both posts are must-read when you are considering this trade.]


So now the trade seems less like the obvious, no-doubter that I first thought it was. And that's just considering that maybe Deng isn't so bad after-all. Then we have to consider that we're also including our backup PF, a second-year player who put up a steady 9/7.5 his rookie year. I'm not trying to imply that Deng and Taj should be untouchable ... they definitely should not be that. But I think the Bulls made some legit improvements in the past two months, and I don't think Melo is the missing piece that gets us from contender to NBA championship. I would rather let this team go into the season as is and see what happens, rather than salvaging part of the young core for a player that might not be the missing piece.



I could be wrong, I am the same person who hated the Taj pick because I was certain Ty Thomas was our PF of the future. But coming from someone that loves Melo, and has openly hated on Deng and his contract, maybe my hesitation actually means something this time.

Click-a-Bull (Derrick Rose Links; Bulls NBA Jam Roster) + Derrick Rose Crossovers [VIDEOS]

It's my birthday today, and nothing makes me happier than reading about D-Rose adding more elements to his game. We've watched two years of teams playing five feet off him to prevent him from getting to the rim, and it hasn't worked. If he develops a true 3-point shot, forcing defenders to step out, he will be unguardable ... and I cannot wait to witness it.

Enjoy!


Bulls' Rose putting in extra practice on shooting NBA threes

In his two seasons with the Chicago Bulls, point guard Derrick Rose(notes) has produced an unimpressive 3-point shooting percentage of .242.

Rose tells the Chicago Tribune that he's been working extra on nailing those long-range shots to open up his game and the floor for his Bulls teammates. His work paid off for Team USA the other day when he hit three-of-four shots from 3-point range.

Derrick Rose Wants to Become a Three-Point Shooter

Derrick Rose became one of the NBA’s most exciting players by doing one thing, and one thing alone: attacking the cup with reckless abandon. It resulted in countless highlights, and all kinds of exposure for the young point guard.

Rose plans on adding another layer to his already impressive offensive repertoire.

As a member of Team USA, and encouraged by the shorter three-point line in FIBA play, D-Rose has begun to tinker with his outside shooting. Derrick tells the Chicago Tribune that we could see him hoist a few more threes next season in Chicago:

Averaging 8.5 points and 2.9 assists in six starts, Rose has emerged as a vocal leader at the advice of coach Mike Krzyzewski and has continued to develop a 3-point touch that will dangerously round out his offensive game.

No ego, no maintenance, that's Rose

Bulls point guard impresses Coach K, Team USA teammates on European trip



Standing in his hotel along the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Derrick Rose confessed there have been times since his European basketball tour began last month when he has just stood around and watched with wide eyes.

But only when taking a shot meant pointing a camera.

"There's a bridge by our hotel that connects two continents, can you believe that?" Rose said in a phone interview Monday night after Team USA's 121-66 romp over Angola in the FIBA World Championship. "If I go out the back by the pool, I can see Asia. That's crazy."

That's the same reaction Rose had in an Athens museum, staring in awe at a bronze statue of the Greek god Zeus. And in Madrid, where the way the Spanish capital lit up its buildings at night impressed a Chicago kid who knows a majestic skyline when he sees it.

"Every city has its own special sights," said Rose, who had nine points and six assists Monday. "I'm blessed to be traveling and soaking it all in right now."

Chicago Bulls NBA Jam Roster Revealed - Includes Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, No Jordan

The upcoming NBA Jam game recently added a couple of Bulls greats to its roster, but don't expect The Great One to appear. ESPN.com confirmed Tuesday that Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman are the Bulls' "Legends" that will appear in NBA Jam, coming to Nintendo Wii next month and as a downloadable bonus with new copies of NBA Elite 11 for Xbox 360 and PS3.

Michael Jordan is a no show, but that's probably because he has an entire game to himself on the way - NBA 2K11.
Each NBA team has three or four active players to represent them, as determined by fan voting (with the exception of Gilbert Arenas, who made the cut but was left out of the voting after that handgun debacle), explained ESPN.

The final Bulls roster in addition to Scottie and Dennis consists of: Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah. The game will also feature the infamous Miami trio of LeBron and Wade and Bosh as well as host of other legends like Larry Bird and Dr. J.

Click-a-Bull (Boozer on Winning Championship; Thibodeau on Rose; Rudy F)

Carlos Boozer thinking big

Chicago Bulls power forward Carlos Boozer has lofty expectations for his new team this season.

"A championship," he told ESPNChicago.com on Wednesday night after a Nike House of Hoops event. "I think a realistic goal for us is a championship. I think anything shorter than that we're setting ourselves up to be shorter than what we can reach. I think [we have] potential to be a championship-level team."

One of the reasons Boozer feels so confident is due to the fact that he gets to play with the Bulls' 21-year-old All-Star point guard, Derrick Rose.

"He's tight," Boozer said. "He can play. With our combination of what we have on our team, with myself in the post, with D. Rose at the point guard spot, Joakim [Noah] plugging that middle up, Luol Deng being very versatile on the wing, I think we have a team that can rival anybody. I think we'll be able to compete against every team in the league."

When it comes to Rose's progression specifically, Boozer isn't surprised at all that his new teammate is succeeding under the tutelage of his former college coach at Duke and current Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

"I think [Rose] went out there and made that team, proved to be the starter for that team," Boozer said. "Coach K loves him, of course, and they've been able to compete and have a chance to win. I think they're a game or two away from winning the gold and hopefully they can bring it back for us."

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Thibodeau says he's not worried Rose is getting burned out

New Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau says he is not concerned that his All-Star guard, Derrick Rose, might be burned out for the start of the NBA season after playing for Team USA this summer.

"He has been terrific," Thibodeau said. "And the way he practices ... I'm real excited. I thought he showed great leadership out there, and their team is playing extremely well right now. … I think being around those types of players and being around that type of competition is great. I think he will take a lot from it."

Joakim Noah also endorses Rose's European experience: "I see Derrick on TV and he looks pretty good," said Noah. "I know that Derrick always works very hard and he is going to be in great game shape. He has a chance to win a medal. He's doing big things ... sometimes you forget he is only 21 years old."

Bulls / Blazers still working on Rudy trade?

Per hoopsworld:

Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls are continuing their weeks-long pursuit of Fernandez, and do have a first round pick to offer. The Bulls were rumored to be offering James Johnson and a pick back in August, but nothing ever came of that deal. Johnson, a second-year pro out of Wake Forest, would add additional depth at the four spot for Portland. The Blazers, you'll recall, signed restricted free agent Paul Millsap to an offer sheet last summer, only to see it matched by the Utah Jazz. The Blazers added Jeff Pendergraph last season, but would like to have another young prospect at the four behind starter LaMarcus Aldridge.

The closer we get to training camp the less likely it seems that Fernandez will be in a Blazers uniform when he returns from playing overseas. Chicago looks like the early favorite, but the Blazers will likely wait until the last minute to make sure no other suitors step into the conversation.

James Johnson and a 1st makes a lot of sense for the Bulls, does it make sense for Portland? I think it does. It gives them a pick and a prospect, and if they don't like Johnson, then they can just take the pick because we have cap room.