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A massive collection of "Bulls Season Preview" Columns

BBS Bulls 2009-10 Season Preview

Last April I posted a "Season Preview Review" which compared my pre-season predictions for 2008-09 to how last season actually went. Read that first because where last season ended seems like a good place to start this 2009-10 Season Preview ...


* With BG in Detroit, where will the points come from?


I'm not the first person to ask/answer this question, so I don't claim to be offering anything new in this space. Losing BG surely hurts, as I've said before: he is an incredible scorer, and probably the Bulls best player for the last few years. But for everything he got us on the offensive end, he cost us the almost-the-same with bad shots and terrible defense.

Replacing BG with Salmons in the starting line-up should be looked at as an upgrade. Salmons is over the groin injury that slowed him last season, and has an entire pre-season and training camp to get into the flow of the Bulls' system. He is better suited to play off Rose than BG. BG was an offensive black-hole, but Salmons should be better at letting Rose handle the rock and create shots for him, rather than needing the ball in his hands.

Luol Deng is also healthy, and has put on some muscle in the off-season. I'm hoping the muscle will help more on the defensive end when he has to stay in front of guys like Lebron and Joe Johnson. If he really is healthy, there's no reason to think he will not benefit from playing alongside D-Rose. I could see him moving back toward the player we had 3-4 years ago, and actually earning some (but not all) of his $71 million.

We also have Kirk and Pargo off the bench, so replacing BG's 20ppg is not as tough as it first seems. Kirk can play either the 1 or 2 spot, and provides a great defensive option that we never had with BG. Pargo can give us the quick scoring spark on some nights. Those two provide great versatility as far as creating difficult match-ups for opposing second units.

We should also expect to see a big jump (or more realistically, a small increase) in TT's points/offense if he continued to work on his jumpshot this summer. D-Rose's jumper will undoubtedly be improved, which should open up more options in the pick-and-roll with TT. Hopefully both of those players will have a decent enough jumper to keep opposing defenders honest, which will open up some lanes to the hoop.

So while we no longer have 1 player who can get hot and fill it up on any night, we have Salmons and Deng healthy, D-Rose with a year of NBA experience, two guards coming off the bench, and what should be an improved TT. That group of players should be able to collectively make up for the offense that left with BG, and won't cause bad match-ups for us on the other end.

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ESPN Bulls Preview Page.


ESPN Expert Bulls Predictions.




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2009 Expert NBA Basketball Picks: Chicago Bulls Preview

CHICAGO - APRIL 30: A member of the Chicago Bulls dance team 'The Luvabulls' performs during a time out in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs between the Bulls and the Boston Celtics at the United Center on April 30, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Celtics 128-127 in triple-overtime.

The NBA season is quickly approaching and the Chicago Bull’s fans couldn’t be more excited. Not that they really did anything to improve their team this offseason, they just generally get excited before every season.

They keep hoping that Michael Jordan will walk back through the door and it will be 10 years ago and he can lead them to another title. Short of that happening, they probably aren’t going to go very far this season. If you’re looking for free NBA picks, don’t expect the Bulls to return to glory this season.

Chicago Bulls ‘09-10 NBA season preview

Last year we debuted the “Highs and Lows” system — previewing the NBA season by predicting the respective ceiling and basement for each team. Same theme, different season…

Added: James Johnson, Taj Gibson, Jannero Pargo, Derrick Byars

Lost: Ben Gordon, Tim Thomas, Linton Johnson, Anthony Roberson

Ceiling: Eastern Conference semifinals

NBA Blog Previews - Chicago Bulls

Below is my entry in this year's NBA Blog Previews. If you're a frequent reader, a lot you may have read before...often. But even for those sick of my offseason whining analysis, there's at least a juicy prediction at the bottom to be mocked in April.

Team Name: Chicago Bulls

Last Year’s Record: 41-41

Key Losses: Ben Gordon, my faith in the franchise

Key Additions: Jannero Pargo, James Johnson (draft), Taj Gibson (draft), cap flexibility

1. What Significant Moves were made during the off-season?

Will Rose and Chicago build on their playoff run against Boston or fall off in 2010?

Today’s team: Chicago Bulls.

Key Question: Will Chicago build on last year’s playoff against the Boston Celtics or fall-off in 2010?

The Quick Answer: For years, Ben Gordon polarized fans.

Some saw him as a dynamic scorer, capable of dropping big numbers and even bigger shots. Others felt his size was a liability -on offence, he could never be a legit first-option and, on defense, opponents would take to him to the block to create mismatches.

Chicago management was also split on Gordon. At times, they tried to lock him up long-term by offering multi-year contracts worth big money. At other points, management seemed to be pushing the former ‘Sixth Man of the Year’ out the door.

Chicago Bulls Season Preview

CHICAGO -- A couple of weeks ago, at the Bulls' mind-numbingly dull media day, I was obsessed with the idea that the Bulls need a singular go-to scorer to replace Ben Gordon, the Gucci-wearing, 3-point-dropping, late-game gunner who led the team in scoring 43 times last season.

Derrick Rose is the natural successor to Gordon's honorary title as Last Shot Taker, given his skill set and position as point guard, but most people I questioned assured me that the team will have to find its late-game identity organically and that more than one guy could assume Gordon's status. Joakim Noah even patted me on the shoulder good-naturedly as I rambled on about it.

Season Preview: Chicago Bulls

Lets slow down a little bit with the “Derrick Rose is the next Chris Paul” talk. Did Rose have an excellent rookie season? Absolutely. Was he as good as everyone thought he was in the playoffs? Not so much. Does his rookie season compare with what Paul did? It’s not even close. Check out the following stat lines:

22.6 USG%, 108 ORtg, 28.8 AST%, 6.1 RB%, 51.6 TS%

22.2 USG%, 114 ORtg, 38.2 AST%, 8.5 RB%, 54.6 TS%

The first line is Rose. Now, that’s a perfectly respectable rookie season. It was good enough to win him the ROY award, and he deserved it. However, it pales in comparison to the bottom line, which is Paul’s rookie season. Paul was a much better offensive player, better rebounder (despite his smaller size), and that doesn’t even touch on defense, where Rose was abysmal last year. Good? Yes. Showcased a lot of potential? Yes. On par with the greatest point guard of this generation? No. I’m excited to see what Rose can do in his second year; how much of his potential he actually realizes, but I want to see him do it before I crown him the next big thing.

2009-10 Season Preview: Chicago Bulls

2008-09 Record: 41-41, Lost in First Round

Last Season’s FIC Rank: -0.8, 17th

Key Additions: Jannero Pargo

Key Subtractions: Ben Gordon and Tim Thomas

Key Rookies: James Johnson and Taj Gibson

Probable Starters: Derrick Rose, John Salmons, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Brad Miller

BDL's 2009-10 NBA Preview: Chicago Bulls

Do I trust Vinny Del Negro? No, I don't trust Vinny Del Negro.

This is a carryover from last season, his first campaign as Bulls (or anyone's) coach, and I don't mind working with a mindset finalized last May. It's the hole he's dug.

For all I know, the man's turned it around. One season was all he needed, he's ready to lead, he's ready to complain about the offense when the offense was the problem (instead of when the defense was the problem, or vice versa), and actually mean it. Not in some passive/aggressive, Scott Skiles-like way. Skiles used to needle the defense when he knew the offense stunk, as a way to motivate. I don't quite assume that level of panache from VDN.

But I could be wrong, there's a great chance of it, but that's what I'm going with until I'm proven wrong. Most of you know where my fandom lies, so here's hoping I'm way, way wrong.

SI.com's NBA Enemy Lines

An opposing team's scout sizes up the Bulls

I don't think they're going to miss Ben Gordon that much. Of course, he was a different option for them and he scored, but Derrick Rose is going to fill in nicely and they'll be able to get Kirk Hinrich on the floor more. Plus, they've got John Salmons now [for a full season].

I was impressed with Rose's mid-range jump shooting, which was better than advertised last season. Just his stroke, the way he released the ball, being able to get to a spot and pop off the dribble -- he was very good. His athleticism and ability to get to the basket are off the charts. And if he can stop and hit jump shots when people are waiting in the lane to beat him to the spot of his drive, then he's really got it. I like his demeanor leading the team. I don't want to call him a leader yet, but they're following him and he's out there fighting. He looks to distribute the ball, he runs sets, he can control the tempo with his offense and he's tough defensively. If you put him and Hinrich on the floor together, that's two pretty tough guards.

Chicago Bulls 2009-10 season preview/predictions

I may take a shot at breaking down the Eastern Conference in a future article, but we're here to talk about the Bulls, how everyone plays and where they finish. Jump in at the bottom and leave your own Bulls predictions, go on the record, be mocked like me at the end of the year.
Team Record: 45-37
I enjoy being optimistic, and I see the Bulls winning somewhere between 35-50 games. I picked at the high end of that range, hoping things go well. The problem with narrowing this team's range is that it doesn't have dominant players yet. Derrick Rose isn't a dominant player yet, and no one else is even close.

Why is that a problem? Well on the Lakers if Kobe and Gasol stay healthy, you know the team is going to be great. On the Bulls, there is no single gate keeper who needs to stay healthy to make the season. This team could be hurt considerably by an injury to Rose, Hinrich, Salmons, Deng, Tyrus, Noah, or Miller. Since the loss of any single player for a considerable period of time could really hurt the team, they have significant downside.

If everyone stays healthy, this team wins 42+ games. If everyone stays healthy and Derrick takes a big step forward, this team wins 45+ games. If this team stays healthy and Derrick, Tyrus, and Noah take steps forward then they're a 50+ win team.

So I'm going with 45 wins. A healthy team and solid improvement by it's young players.

TrueHoop Network 2009-10 Season Preview: Chicago Bulls

Crowd Says: 43-39
By The Horns Says: 46-36

Yes We Can!
The sun is out. The seas have parted. The basketball gods are shining upon us!

During the offseason, the Bulls lost free agent Ben Gordon, whom many people considered the team’s best or second-best player (after Derrick Rose). Memo to Chicago fans: Don’t sweat it. Seriously. Gordon will be replaced by John Salmons, who not only gave the Bulls almost as many points per game (18.3 versus 20.7) but was slightly more efficient in how he scored them (Salmons had a True Shooting Percentage of .596 and an Offensive Rating of 117 compared to Gordon’s .573 and 112). Even better, Salmons has the size (6-foot-7) and ability to defend opposing shooting guards … something Gordon couldn’t do unless he was exposed to Cosmic Rays or bitten by a radioactive spider.

And that’s not the only good news. Derrick Rose spent the summer working on his jump shot (500 or more jumpers a day!) and seems poised to blossom into an All-Star. Kirk Hinrich (who could start for several teams) and Jannero Pargo (a fearless and streaky shooting assassin) might be the best backup backcourt combo in the league. Luol Deng should be healthy (I hope) and ready to party like it’s 2006-07 (when he had a career-high Player Efficiency Rating of 18.7). It’s a contract year for Tyrus Thomas, which means he’s likely to blow up. Joakim Noah would dive face-first into a swarm of man-eating sharks to win a basketball game, so expect him to be a rebounding, shot-blocking beast. Like Hinrich, Brad Miller is a starting-caliber player who proved last season he can be very effective in a reserve role. Rookies James Johnson and Taj Gibson have the raw talent necessary to provide support in short bursts off the bench. Lindsey Hunter is a first-rate (and mostly non-playing) locker room leader, and Aaron Gray hands out a mean cup of Gatorade.

To sum up, the Bulls have height and depth across the board. They have guys who can get to the rim (Rose and Salmons), guys who can shoot the ball (Deng, Hinrich, Pargo and Salmons), guys who can clean the glass (Miller, Noah and Thomas), and guys who can swat some shots (Gibson, Noah and Thomas). They still don’t have a low post scoring threat, which is a problem (maybe even a big problem), but they don’t have a gaping hole at any position. The Bulls won’t win the East (thanks to the Cavaliers, Celtics and Magic) or even the Central Division (because of the Cavs), but they’re going to be much better than the naysayers are predicting.

Bulls season preview with Andrew Lawrence of Sports Illustrated

Are you ready?

Of course you are.

Opening night. NBA basketball is back.

No more preseason, no more lethargic play, no more guys working themselves back into game shape, no more guessing, no more predictions, definitely, no more replacement refs it's time to see who's for real and who's got some explaining to do.

Numerous publications have their NBA previews up and on newsstands and Sports Illustrated is no different.

I sat down with SI columnist Andrew Lawrence, who in the newest issue, previews the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks, to get his opinion on some storylines facing the Bulls this season.

The talk has been about focusing on defense this season. How good can this team be if they focus more on that side of the ball?

I think they can be a top-tier outfit, no question. Scott Skiles wrung a lot out of this roster when he was coach, and they figure to be improved by another year of Brad Miller (a huge addition to the maturing frontcourt of Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas) and the subtraction of Ben Gordon, who made no secret of his allergy for defense. On the other hand, his replacement, John Salmons, is both bigger and legitimately eager to distinguish himself as a premier perimeter defender while building on last year's breakout offensive year.

Bulls Links / Previews

Some previous BBS posts: Injury Update; Bulls Season Preview.



BleacherReport Bulls Preview -

The NBA season is quickly approaching and the Chicago Bull’s fans couldn’t be more excited. Not that they really did anything to improve their team this offseason, they just generally get excited before every season.

They keep hoping that Michael Jordan will walk back through the door and it will be 10 years ago and he can lead them to another title. Short of that happening, they probably aren’t going to go very far this season. If you’re looking for free NBA picks, don’t expect the Bulls to return to glory this season.

The Good News: The good news is that they still have Luol Deng, John Salmons, Derrick Rose, and Brad Miller. They added Jannero Pargo in the offseason which should help with depth in the backcourt. They still have a pretty good coach in Vinny Del Negro. They finished .500 last season without quite playing up to their potential.

I think John Salmons is a serviceable scorer and player at the shooting guard position. Deng is a borderline All-Star type player on the wing. Rose is an up-and-coming player in the backcourt. They really do have some pretty decent players already on the team.

Dime Magazine Bulls Preview -

Last year we debuted the “Highs and Lows” system — previewing the NBA season by predicting the respective ceiling and basement for each team. Same theme, different season…

Added: James Johnson, Taj Gibson, Jannero Pargo, Derrick Byars

Lost: Ben Gordon, Tim Thomas, Linton Johnson, Anthony Roberson

Ceiling: Eastern Conference semifinals
Everybody’s favorite underdog in ‘09 has the pieces to advance in the 2010 postseason. Derrick Rose leads the way, quickly climbing up the ranks as one of the best point guards in the League and taking his place as the focal point of the offense now that Ben Gordon is gone. John Salmons takes over as the #2 scorer; he averaged 18.3 points in 26 regular-season games with Chicago last season, and 18.1 in the postseason. Along with Rose, he’s another guy who can create his own shot, and while his long-range shooting isn’t as effective or consistent as Gordon, he is a better defender and can play the two or the three.

Impact Rookies -

Usually, pro athletes shy away from mingling with fans, but Chicago’s two newest Bulls, 6’9” forwards James Johnson and Taj Gibson, can’t wait to get out there and say hello.

“I’m just a laid-back, cool person, so if you see me, don’t be afraid to come say hi,” says Johnson. “I’ll have a conversation with anyone.”

“I get along with everybody real easily,” says Gibson, the more soft-spoken of the two. “Once I meet you, I’ll remember your name. I’m cool with everybody.” The two big-hearted forwards were picked in the first round of this year’s NBA Draft; Wake Forest sophomore Johnson was selected first, at number 16 overall, while the Bulls used their second pick to grab USC’s Johnson, a third-year player, at the 26th spot.

TT did not predict 20/10 -

There are reports going around that Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas suggested he’s capable of averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds.

That’s not exactly true. What happened at Thursday’s practice was a reporter asked Thomas is he envisions himself as a 20-10 player. At the same time, Derrick Rose walked past and gave Thomas a hard time for not wearing a shirt during the interview. But it did seem as though Thomas heard the question correctly.

“Yeah, I feel that’s something I can do,” he answered. “I have to figure out my role on the team first as far as the offensive end, figuring out where I'm going to get my shots. On the defensive end, definitely 10.”

So what he said was he’s confident he can average 10 rebounds this season, but doesn’t think his role in the offense will be to try to average 20 points. Not a bold statement by any means.

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I have an interest in this because of my fantasy team (watch for a post early next week about that), but I think any NBA fan wants to know what Durantula thinks about +/- -

It's no surprise Kevin Durant is really pushing the team angle this week.

When asked by FanHouse if he wants to play for Team USA in the World Championships next summer in Turkey, the Oklahoma City forward couldn't stop talking about how badly he wants to represent his country. Sounds as if he'd settle for the role of scorekeeper.

Asked, though, about wanting to play next February in his first All-Star Game, Durant mostly just shrugged. This is apparently not a good time to be talking about such an individual accomplishment.

Durant made news on his Twitter page last Sunday by responding to an Oct. 9 ESPN TrueHoop post that, due to his poor plus-minus rating, Durant "has been killing his team.''

"Everybody that is doubtin' me as a player and my team as a whole ... all I can say is that we all are tryin' and workin' our hardest!'' Durant wrote. "What more do you want? Let me be the player I am," he added in another post. (The Daily Oklahoman reported his full comments.)

News travels fast these days. Soon, Durant's thoughts were all over the Internet.

Looking back a few days later, Durant wondered if he should have held his tongue, er, keyboard.

Lots of (mostly) Bulls Links

ESPN Bulls Preview Page.





SLAM player rankings -

The time has come! The guy you all love to hate has finally appeared on the rankings. If you’ve been following our Top 50 list as of late, then you already know that DRose has been meDerrick Rosentioned in the comments section more than the featured player. And for the most part, the comments haven’t been too positive.

Many of you feel Rose is too high. Maybe he is, maybe not.

There is no point for me to sit here and try to convince those who aren’t happy with where is ranked or even those who don’t like his game. An article will not all of the sudden change your perspective on him. Instead I will evaluate his rookie season, what can be expected from him next season, and what could have led to him landing at No. 18.

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We all witnessed history on April 18, when DRose had a historic playoff performance against the defending champions – the Boston Celtics – finishing with 36 points, 11 assists and 4 rebounds, while shooting 63 percent from the floor. His 36 points tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most points ever scored by a rookie in his playoff debut. I should note that Abdul-Jabbar was 22 years old at the time and Rose was only 20. And…. 10 inches of height makes a difference. Rose also became only the second player in NBA history to finish with more than 35 points and 10 assists in his playoff debut (regardless of years in the League).

All over-rated team -

The Detroit Bad Boys blog, part of fanhouse, came out with an all over-rated team. Guess who's on it? Derrick Rose.

G- Derrick Rose

Rose moves up to the first team this year, after a decent rookie campaign has everyone talking superstar. He could make the leap, but it's equally possible he simply turns into an above average combo-guard, and it's not out of the question that he turns into Larry Hughes. Minus the defense, of course.

I actually like most of their list, and I don't even mind including Rose on it. I do think Rose has been overrated when people talk about him as if he's an all-star or super-star caliber player already.

Bulls season preview -

2008-09 Record: 41-41, Lost in First Round

Last Season’s FIC Rank: -0.8, 17th

Key Additions: Jannero Pargo

Key Subtractions: Ben Gordon and Tim Thomas

Key Rookies: James Johnson and Taj Gibson

Probable Starters: Derrick Rose, John Salmons, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Brad Miller

Point Guard: The Bulls have great depth at point guard with Derrick Rose and Kirk Hinrich, who will probably be mentioned in trade rumors for the remainder of his time in Chicago. Rose is unquestionably the team’s present and future at the position, and Hinrich saw a significant reduction in both his time and production last season.

Not sure why that projects Noah and Brad Miller to start?! Makes no sense.


Not sure how D-Rose crossing up Andre Miller isn't on this list ...




Just for Kmart: Why Lebron James Isn't Mr. Popular -

Anyway, despite a glitch here or there, LeBron was a public-relations victory in his early NBA years.

But entering what certainly feels like a crucial season on his legacy file, James now is perceived as a little more high maintenance than we expected. Please note we believe it's only a coincidence that two days after a public rebuke from LBJ, the NFL's Cleveland Browns shipped Braylon Edwards to New York. Subsequent reports suggest the incident preceding Edwards' dismissal from Ohio didn't even involve James' friend.

A LeBron James Mafia? Deep down, we don't believe it; The King just remains loyal to his boys. There's a book about James and his high school teammates written by the guy who did "Friday Night Lights" as proof.

Yet the nationwide King James glee club hasn't been making such a robust sound.

Bulls chemistry -

Last week, I said it seems like the players on this year’s Bulls squad really like each other. Well, I must have been onto something, because Mike McGraw of the Daily Heraldjust wrote an article about how much the players really like each other: “Since training camp began, players have been emphasizing how well they’ve gotten along. No doubt, the locker room is louder and livelier than it’s been in the past. Excessive laughter could be heard in the hallways even after a mundane Monday practice at the Berto Center. ‘The practices are fun,’ Joakim Noah said. ‘We’re having a great time together.’”

Added Lindsey Hunter: “It’s like family and that’s how you want it. It’s hard to get that, too, by the way. It’s really hard to get. It takes time to develop that and you have to put the right personalities in place where egos won’t come into play and if anybody has one, you have enough guys to put him in line. I think we really have the makings of having that special type of chemistry.”

KC Johnson mailbag -

It's about that time again, and I am wondering … honestly, given the clear distinction between what I would call the "elite" teams in the East (i.e. Boston, Cleveland, Orlando) and the "not so elite" teams, really what should we, as Bulls fans be most focused on this year, aside from whether or not D-Wade is coming in 2010? Is it the development of Rose, or perhaps will Tyrus stop taking ill-advised 18-foot jumpers? Steve Scaccia, Chicago

Will Luol stay healthy? Can Vinny become a long-term coach? Will the Bulls pull off another trade-deadline deal? That's the great thing about every sports season: You never know what twists and turns are coming.

After years of Kirk and Luol's "leadership by example," I want to see a Bulls captain that can speak up during a huddle. Joakim, for example. Who do you think should be the Bulls captains this season? Jon, Elmhurst

One of Brad Miller or John Salmons needs to be in there. Neither probably wants it because they're just pros who do their thing. But both have added a nice dose of veteran leadership to the locker room in different ways -- Miller with humor and Salmons with class. I really think this team started to grow shortly after both those players arrived via trade last February.

This also needs to be said about NBA captains, though: It's more of a ceremonial thing and doesn't carry as much weight, to me, as in hockey. But your question does speak to a larger point. This Bulls team has lacked strong leaders for some time. I think this team will get along well enough and has enough camaraderie that this won't be as much of an issue this season.

From TMQ -

Right now NASA's budget is $18 billion annually, and the quarter or so spent on science -- planetary probes, telescopes that scan the far universe -- is going very well. The rest of NASA is a mess. The agency has just thrown $100 billion of your money down the drain on the space station, which has no scientific achievement and no known purpose other than keeping checks in the mail to favored contractors and congressional districts. The station is such a white elephant the current plan is to "deorbit" the thing in 2016. "Deorbit" is polite for "make it burn up in the atmosphere." So after spending $100 billion to build a space station, we'll destroy it. Your tax dollars at play!

Since 2004, NASA has said its next goal is a manned outpost on the moon, as a stepping-stone to manned travel to Mars. There's nothing a person could do on the airless, lifeless lunar surface that a tele-robot operated from a Houston office building could not do at a fraction of the price and risk. And the moon has nothing to do with Mars. Any Mars-bound mission will leave directly from low-Earth orbit to the Red Planet: stopping at the moon, then blasting off again, would consume the mission's fuel to accomplish nothing. Though NASA has been studying moon-base and Mars-mission proposals for five years, the agency refuses to give a cost estimate -- a sure sign the plans cannot pass a giggle test. Considering the space station price was $100 billion for a limited facility that was not accelerated to the speed necessary to reach the moon -- speed means fuel which means higher price -- even a Spartan moon base easily could cost several hundred billion dollars. For what? Why, for "economic expansion"! Today, no one is interested in economic expansion at Earth's poles, which are far more amenable to life than the moon, have copious resources, and can be reached at one-ten thousandth the cost of reaching the moon.

Always very long, but worth reading for the "stats of the week" and the part about space.

Friday Links

Gibson, Johnson should make positive contributions this season -

A couple of weeks ago, at the Bulls' mind-numbingly dull media day, I was obsessed with the idea that the Bulls need a singular go-to scorer to replace Ben Gordon, the Gucci-wearing, 3-point-dropping, late-game gunner who led the team in scoring 43 times last season.

Derrick Rose is the natural successor to Gordon's honorary title as Last Shot Taker, given his skill set and position as point guard, but most people I questioned assured me that the team will have to find its late-game identity organically and that more than one guy could assume Gordon's status. Joakim Noah even patted me on the shoulder good-naturedly as I rambled on about it.

I bring this up because -- in a game that probably no one watched live -- rookie James Johnson dropped in a game-winning, buzzer-beating jumper from the baseline to beat the Utah Jazz in London's O2 Arena the other day. The shot came off a Derrick Byars miss, and if you forgot this was a preseason game, Byars' taking the last shot is a good reminder. Perhaps Byars was inspired by wearing Gordon's old No. 7 jersey, but mostly it was because Rose sat out the game, flying to London on his 21st birthday just to make some promotional appearances for his personal brand that he's touting. Tyrus Thomas missed the game, as well.

NBA Season Previews: Derrick Rose and the Bulls could be the most surprising or disappoint team in the Central -

There is nothing interesting about the top of the Central. The Cavs are going to win the division again, and it's not even going to be that close (don't get too excited Cleveland ... playoffs are another story).

The rest of the division is divided evenly. Chicago and Detroit are playoff teams who will fall somewhere in the 4-7 range, Milwaukee and Indiana have no shot.

My thoughts on the Pistons are readily available on the Web, so let's focus on the Bulls here. They might be the most intriguing team in the NBA.

Derrick Rose will join the Chris Paul/Deron Williams group of young, elite point guards this season. He might not be a MVP contender yet like his PG brethren, but he's very close. Ben Gordon had the big scoring numbers in last year's near-upset of the Celtics, but make no mistake: the Bulls pushed the champs so much because of D-Rose.

His supporting cast is pretty good. They will rotate athletic freak of nature Ty Thomas, with rebounding machine Joakim Noah and non-rebounding/non-athletic but decent offensively Brad Miller up front.

Luol Deng is healthy -- remember, the Bulls didn't want to include him in a potential Kobe Bryant trade a couple years back. He can play. They may have overvalued him a tad by not including him in proposed deals for Kobe, KG and Gasol, but don't let that undervalue him: if he's right, his mid-range game is only rivaled by Rip Hamilton's.

Monitoring Luol's minutes -

When the Bulls return to practice Friday at the Berto Center, it will mark two weeks since Luol Deng conceded even he wouldn't know how his right leg would respond until he played hard on it every day.

Deng has played actively and aggressively through the Bulls' first two exhibition games, thrilling his adopted hometown fans with 18 points in 25 minutes during Tuesday's preseason victory over the Jazz in London.

Some of those fans chanted Deng's name as he sat the entire fourth quarter, hoping he'd return.

But even though the stress fracture that Deng recovered from hasn't caused anything more than minor irritation, it remains an influence on Deng's preseason.

"It was exciting to be home and I wanted to play a lot of minutes," Deng said. "But coach ( Vinny Del Negro) and I talked, and it's right to keep managing my minutes. Overall, I feel happy with where I am. But we want to stick with the plan."

That plan, according to Del Negro, calls for Deng's minutes to increase as the preseason progresses. That likely won't happen in Saturday's game against the Bucks in Green Bay, where Deng's minutes should hover in the 24-28 range.

How can you not be an "October Guy"? (Simmons mailbag) -

I consider myself to be an October guy for four reasons. First, hay fever season starts in late April (and always crushes me). Second, living on the West Coast makes me ineligible for April's "Cool, it's gonna be nice outside soon!" buzz in cold-weather cities. Third, I'm a sucker for Halloween, dating back to my first costume (Freddie Lynn, a big hit) and the original John Carpenter "Halloween" movie (my first favorite scary movie and the one that prompted me to once write a "SportsCentury: Michael Myers" column). I love Halloween so much that I'll be stopping my book tour for two days -- even though it's the first week, only the most crucial part of the tour -- so I could fly cross-country to trick-or-treat with my kids. It's my favorite day of the year other than Kanye West's annual public breakdown.

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Fourth, only October (and this year, thanks to a random calendar fluke, the first few days of November) features games from all four professional sports. We're headed for a surreal final week Oct. 25-31: Week 7 of the NFL and a possible Game 7 of an ALCS/NLCS (Sunday); "Monday Night Football" (Monday); opening night for the NBA (Tuesday); Game 1 of the World Series (Wednesday); Game 2 of the World Series and two TNT NBA games (Thursday); an NBA doubleheader on ESPN (Friday); college football, Game 3 of the World Series and Halloween (Saturday).

"The more you know ..." (Educational link) -

In the hope of helping oncologists remove every piece of tumor tissue during surgery, researchers are developing new imaging tools that work in real time in the operating room. European researchers have now demonstrated that a chemical analysis instrument called a mass spectrometer can be coupled with an electroscalpel to create a molecular profile of tissue during surgery. The researchers have shown that the method can be used to map out different tissue types and distinguish cancerous tissue. The device will begin clinical trials next month.

"When a surgeon is performing cancer surgery, he doesn't have any direct information on where the tumor is," says Zoltán Takáts, a professor at Justus-Liebig University in Giessen, Germany. Instead, surgeons rely on preoperative imaging scans and on feedback from pathologists examining tissue biopsies under a microscope. "We want to provide a tool that's right in their hands, so that if they think a structure looks suspicious, they can just test it," says Takáts.

Mass spectrometry, a very precise method for identifying molecules by analyzing the ratio between their mass and charge, is already being used by a handful of research groups to study biological samples. Researchers have known for many years that tumor tissue and healthy tissue have different molecular profiles and that this can be used to tell them apart, or even to determine how aggressive a particular tumor is. Other research groups have used mass spectrometry to analyze biopsied tissue and have shown that it can make these differentiations. The problem with using mass spectrometry in the operating room is sample collection. Before molecules can be analyzed, they have to be ionized and sucked up into the machine. Creating ions requires bombarding a sample with a stream of charged particles, often a gas, and these methods aren't suitable for the operating room. "A high-voltage nitrogen jet is not compatible with the human body," says Takáts.

Bulls links, and even some rare White Sox links

Don't the Bulls already have a project at the 4? That we've been developing for the last few years and hoping his offensive game comes around?! Well if 1 is good, 2 must be better ...

From TrueHoop -

The Bulls have a project in James Johnson. He's capable of moving the ball, looks like a competent defender, but I don't think he's realized what kind of offensive player he is, wants to be, or the Bulls want him to be. He's 12 for his last 43 shots from the field, though he's managed 24 free throw attempts over that span.

Reinsdorf speaks on BG -

From Ben Gordon's exit, to Ben Wallace's short and costly stay, to Pau Gasol's bypass of the Bulls on the way to L.A., Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf weighed in on numerous subjects Monday.

Reinsdorf, also the White Sox owner who allowed he might have bought the Cubs had the timing been different in 1981, sat down with Bulls beat reporters from the Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, and Daily Herald for an hour of free-wheeling conversation at the United Center.

Question: What do you think of Ben Gordon's signing as a free agent with the Detroit Pistons?

Answer: Actually, we made a decision a year ago not to commit long term to Ben. We tried, and he turned it down. Then, near the end, [now GM] Gar Forman and John [Paxson] decided it probably wasn't a good idea to make a long-term decision. We wanted to see what other options might develop. So we withdrew the offer [six years, $54 million] we had on the table. Ben ultimately said he would take it, but it was too late.

Now, fast forward to the end of the year, we have [John] Salmons and we have a hell of a three-guard rotation with [Kirk] Hinrich and Derrick [Rose]. Ben wasn't going to get a whole lot of playing time. [It] was going to be diminished. So Ben really no longer fit. Ben's a terrific player. But Ben needs minutes. He would not have been happy with the minutes he was going to get.

Q: What about letting Gordon go and getting nothing in return given he was the third overall pick in the 2004 draft?

A: You can't just look at a player by himself. You've got to look at what his departure enables you to do in other ways. You do have to have [salary] cap flexibility in this league. It's not like baseball where, if you have the money, you can do whatever you want. The cap really constrains you. So you're constantly looking at your roster to see maybe two or three years out.

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Q: Would you ever exceed the luxury-tax threshold?

A: I don't mind [paying] the tax if it's an intelligent expenditure. I don't care what the tax would be; if we had a guy who was going to put us over the top and put us in the Finals, I'd pay the tax. I wouldn't hesitate.

Q: Does it take three All-Stars to contend for a championship? MJ was the last Bulls All-Star in 1998.

A: We have Derrick [Rose]. He clearly shows the potential to be an All-Star. A healthy Luol is going to become an All-Star. Boston showed three stars helps you a great deal. The Bulls championships, we really had two stars. Maybe we had three stars in Michael Jordan himself. But it's still a team game. If you have the right role players and play the game properly, you can win. But with three All-Stars, it makes it a lot easier.

Boozer rumors -

Among the more intriguing rumors that surfaced on Monday was a three-team deal reported by Bulls.com that would send Shane Battier and Carl Landry from the Houston Rockets to Utah, Boozer to Chicago, Jerome James and Tyrus Thomas from the Bulls and Kyrylo Fesenko from the Jazz to the Rockets.

The Bulls have shown interest in acquiring Boozer in recent weeks as a way to clear cap space in order to pursue a big-ticket free agent in 2010.

Previous rumored deals involving Chicago had the team shipping off combo guard Kirk Hinrich to another team. That scenario is something the Bulls have become more reluctant to make a reality. Since the departure of Ben Gordon to Detroit, trading Hinrich as well would leave them with little depth in their backcourt.

Craig Hodges (one of my favorite former-Bulls) thinks he was black-balled -

Craig Hodges is one of two players to have won the NBA's annual three-point shooting contest three times. The other is Larry Bird.

Hodges, a Park Forest native, also has two championship rings courtesy of his 3½-year stint with the Bulls. He has another coming as shooting coach for the champion Los Angeles Lakers, whom he has served since 2005.

Between those highs were some gut-wrenching lows. The 1978 Rich East graduate's career ended at age 32, when he was released by the Bulls and never signed with another team -- despite the fact he connected on 40 percent of his three-point attempts in his 10-year career.

Hodges remains convinced he was blackballed from the NBA after showing up at the Bulls' White House celebration in 1992 wearing a dashiki and handing President George H.W. Bush a letter asking him to address injustices in the black community.

Roberson waived -

The Chicago Bulls have waived guard Anthony Roberson.

Roberson played in just six regular-season games with the Bulls after being acquired in a four-player trade with the New York Knicks on Feb. 19.

The 6-2, 195-pound Roberson played overseas during the 2007-08 season after stints with the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors.

Roberson attended the University of Florida.

Ozzie a racist? -

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said he received several e-mails Monday accusing him of being a racist after backup outfielder Brian Anderson was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte to make room for Carlos Quentin.

Guillen replied that he wouldn't have stuck with Anderson as long as he had if he didn't like the White Sox's 2006 Opening Day center fielder.

"If I don't like one player, believe me, he'll be out of here in a hurry because I've got the power," Guillen said. "If I told Kenny [Williams], 'This guy's no good for the ballclub,' Kenny would do everything he can to get him out of here.

"If people don't think we like Brian, yes, we do. Brian didn't produce the way we thought he would. For four years in a row, we gave him a shot to be the every-day center fielder, and that didn't work. If Brian showed us he can come out here and do the job, he'd be our center fielder."

Anderson's locker was cleaned out before the clubhouse was open to the media.

Guillen said Dewayne Wise was chosen to stay over Anderson because "we can use Wise a little bit more."

Wise, who is left-handed and out of minor-league options, is batting .196, compared with Anderson's .238 mark in 65 games.

Quentin returns and Sox 1 game out of first -

Carlos Quentin rejoined a White Sox offense that didn't skip a beat Monday night.

Leadoff batter Scott Podsednik reached base safely four times and scored twice, and Paul Konerko hit a three-run home run in the third inning to increase his RBI total to 64, two more than he had in 2008.

But for all the hoopla over Quentin's return after missing 45 games because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot, the Sox showed improvement in two areas to preserve a 4-3 victory over defending American League champion Tampa Bay before a sellout crowd of 39,024 at U.S. Cellular Field.

First, catcher A.J. Pierzynski threw out two potential base stealers, including Jason Bartlett at third base for the second out in the eighth inning.

"We had a party after the game," deadpanned manager Ozzie Guillen, taking note that opponents had stolen 55 bases in 59 attempts with Pierzynski behind the plate before Monday.

Second, the bullpen had allowed 22 earned runs in their last 29 2/3 innings entering Monday night's game.

Matt Thornton, however, struck out Evan Longoria on a slider with the tying and go-ahead runs on base to preserve a one-run lead in the eighth, and closer Bobby Jenks struck out Bartlett on a 3-2 slider with the bases loaded to end the game.

As a result, the Sox moved one game behind AL Central leader Detroit.

Thome wins player of the week -

Chicago White Sox designated hitter Jim Thome was named the American League player of the week for the period ending July 19.

The 38-year-old Thome set a club record with 14 RBIs in a three-game span after the All-Star break against the Baltimore Orioles. He went 5-for-10 with a double, two home runs and had a career-best seven-RBI game Friday night.