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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

Saturday, November 22, 2008

rose of course

"Rose showed why he was the No. 1 pick in the draft," Warriors coach Don Nelson said. "Wow, what a show he put on in the second half. He's an incredibly talented point guard, right up there with the best of them."

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Friday, November 14, 2008

sports guy mailbag

ridiculous -
OK, so we have Kumar coaching the Heat, Shooter coaching the Bulls, Jim Carrey coaching the Mavericks, Ron Jeremy coaching the Magic, Stanley Roper coaching the Bobcats, Terence Howard coaching the Wizards, John Lithgow coaching the Nuggets, Nic Cage coaching the Grizzlies, Tony Soprano coaching the Clippers, Maverick's mentor from "Top Gun" coaching the Knicks, the star of "Hang Time" coaching the Kings, someone coaching the former Sonics who a reader just described as having gotten his glasses from the windshield of a '68 Catalina, and someone a reader just described as "wear-your-skin-and-dance crazy" coaching the Spurs. And this ISN'T the best NBA season ever?

Thursday, November 13, 2008

too many guards?

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10581




d-rose endorsement deal with wilson

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.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

5 things

about the nba from hoopsworld

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.

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.

Monday, November 3, 2008

things i like to read

Derrick Rose will win rookie of the year easily.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

kinsly playing wii

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeKDZJ7bJw4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1-hduDpKGg