Click-a-Bull (Tyrus/Taj, Vinny, Tyrus, and more)

Good For The Goose, Bad For The Gander

Taj versus Tyrus:“Should Tyrus start over Taj?” is one of the biggest questions about the Bulls right now…which probably explains why they’re a sub-.500 team. But after a hot three-game stint after his return, Ty has been struggling. He was woeful against the ‘Wolves, as foul trouble 5 limited him to 22 minutes. He finished with 9 points 3-for-7, 5 boards, 2 steals, 3 blocked shots and a game-high 6 turnovers although several of those TOs came in garbage time.Meanwhile, Gibson had 13 points 4-for-8, 9 rebounds and zero turnovers in his 23 minutes. The reality is, Gibson is the more steady and consistent player, while Thomas is the more effective and impressive game-changing defensive force. If only there was some way we could merge them into a single player…

via A timely win: Bulls 110, Timberwolves 96 » By The Horns.

Tyrus Thomas is Amir Johnson is Tyrus Thomas.

I’ve been a supporter of Taj Gibson. He came into a hard situation and has made the most of it, while everyone screams he sucks. He’s old. He has no jumper (even though it’s fallen for most of the season). He doesn’t rebound. He sucks. He sucks. He sucks.

Tyrus Thomas has been the occasional golden calf of this site. I wish nothing but the best for Thomas and hope he becomes a productive player. But I do have some questions which Bulls fans are a little too close to home to answer.

Is the worst over for Vinny?

Has the worst passed for Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro?

Yes and no.

The Bulls are 5-4 since the home disaster against Sacramento when they couldn’t hold a 35-point lead. Coaches rarely survive losses like that – especially when faced with daily speculation about job security even before the capitulation – but Del Negro has handled the scrutiny admirably and his young team has managed to regroup.

That’s the good news.

The bad news: Only five of Chicago’s 16 remaining games before the All-Star break are at home. Worse yet: Del Negro has to deal with that tough schedule knowing deep down that he doesn’t have the support of his bosses . . . and that everyone in the league has known it since this report from my ESPN The Magazine colleague Chris Broussard and the Bulls’ subsequent refusals to publicly stand up for their under-fire coach.

It’s undeniably true that Del Negro is occasionally betrayed by his inexperience on the bench, which results in regular second-guessing of his in-game decisions. It's also true that the Bulls gave him a head-coaching opportunity when pretty much no other team regarded Del Negro as a head-coaching candidate.

But his Bulls superiors simply haven’t backed him. They’ve actually done more to undermine him, which has surprised even Del Negro's critics after the team publicly acknowledged Del Negro's lack of experience when it hired him and made it sound as though they'd work through the growing pains together.

Mark Stein: Tyrus is available but no one wants him

Per Mark Stein:

I've been reliably assured that Chicago's Tyrus Thomas, back at last from a forearm injury, remains highly available.

No trade partner has emerged for the enigmatic former No. 4 overall pick, but moving Thomas before the deadline is still Chicago's intention.

The Bulls drafted Taj Gibson at least partly because they saw him as an ideal replacement for Thomas and they like the progress Gibson is making as a starter.

Hardly surprising.

Not just because Tyrus simply hasn't been that good in his career so far, but this is the least desirable he's going to be for a team wanting to take a chance on him. Even if you trade for Tyrus and he completely blows up and plays great you'll be facing a contract extension with him after the season left to wonder if he's going to keep it up or not.

Bulls find the range in big win over T-Wolves

Bulls guard John Salmons endured some taunting in the locker room following Saturday's 110-96 victory over Minnesota.

Lindsey Hunter pointed out that Salmons wore a green shirt, supposedly in tribute to his hometown Philadelphia Eagles, who lost a playoff game badly while the Bulls rolled past the Timberwolves at the United Center.

At no time did anyone show appreciation for Salmons' recent stretch of improved outside shooting. Locker room humor can be cruel sometimes.

But it's true that Salmons has been on an impressive roll as a long-range shooter. During the past eight games, he's knocked down 15 of 26 attempts from 3-point range, good for 57.7 percent.

"Shooting comes and goes. You've got to ride it while it's hot," Salmons shrugged. "I haven't been doing anything different."

The Bulls have been among the league's worst all season in 3-point shooting percentage, but made 7 of 14 shots against Minnesota. In the last three games, they're a shocking 20-for-42 from behind the arc.

Kirk Hinrich, who accounted for 4 of the Bulls' 3-point baskets and a season-high 20 points, offered an explanation.

"I just think the ball's moving a lot more," he said. "Usually when you're doing a good job moving the ball and sharing the ball, you get open threes and they're easier to knock them down."

Power Rankings

22 (22) Bulls 15-20 For all the early fuss about the Bulls' annual circus trip, Chicago's January looks just as rough with eight of this month's 10 remaining games on the road.

Click-a-Bull (Tyrus, Rose, Bosh, Inconsistency)

What do you do with Thomas?

Tyrus Thomas has been a big boost to the Bulls since he returned from an injury.

Tyrus Thomas is a hard guy to figure out.

There are days when he has games that show why he was the fourth pick in the 2006 NBA draft. He's long, athletic, and he can play solid defense when he wants. In short, he can be the type of difference-maker that successful teams must have.

The LSU product has proven that at various points since returning from a broken forearm injury on Dec. 26. In his first game back, he had 21 points and nine rebounds, a performance which helped get the Bulls back on track and off to a four-game winning streak.

But Thomas can also be a non-factor. His energy level has been called into question since he came into the NBA, and there are games in which he doesn't provide the type of boost that you might expect from a guy with his talent.

But one thing about Thomas is certain: The Bulls are a much different team with him in action. That was clear during the recent winning streak when Thomas averaged 14 points and nine rebounds.

Rose to defend skills challenge title

Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose will defend his title in the skills challenge during All-Star weekend.

The reigning Rookie of the Year won the event last year in Phoenix. Held during All-Star Saturday night, the skills challenge is an obstacle course consisting of dribbling, passing and shooting stations.

Rose's return was revealed Wednesday along with the announcement of the NBA and Taco Bell's "Driving Better Choices" program to promote health and fitness. Taco Bell is the sponsor of the skills challenge.

The other three contestants for the Feb. 13 event in Dallas have not yet been selected.

Finding his place

Is it a coincidence that the Bulls have lost two in a row and Tyrus Thomas hasn't played a significant role in either game?

It depends on who you ask.

The only thing that is clear surrounding the Bulls right now is that Thomas has struggled to get back on the roll that he started off on since returning from a broken forearm two weeks ago.

"I don't think he's been in as good of a rhythm as he was the first few [games]," Bulls head coach Vinny Del Negro said after practice. "He gave us such a big boost when he came back. He'll be fine. I thought he had an excellent practice [Thursday]. We need his activity and his shot blocking. Running the court and doing the things he's capable of. He gives us more of a shot-blocking presence in there. We'll get him back on track [Friday] night. The more consistent he is on the court, the more minutes he'll get just like everybody else. We need him to play well and he knows that."

What is Chris Bosh worth to you right now?

It's highly unlikely that Chris Bosh is traded at the deadline this year. At least, I think it's highly unlikely, perhaps the Raptors will prove me wrong. However, there's a danger for both sides in the trade. The Raptors are obviously going to lose the most talent and not get back anything equivalent, losing their opportunity to build around Bosh. The other team is going to take over Bosh for half a year and then have to worry about whether he'll bolt in the summer. Bosh won't sign an extension right away, not when he can get an extra year this summer.

So that being said, what would you give up for Chris Bosh right now, knowing that if you get him right now and the team stinks that he'll likely leave us for Miami in the summer.

Definite No's for me:
Derrick Rose

Maybe's for me:
Joakim Noah

Definite Yes's for me:
Everything else

Inconsistent Bulls are tough to figure out

Finding a winning formula

Bulls win/loss record:

when they outrebound opponent: 12-8

when they win bench points: 9-4

when they win fastbreak points: 8-9

when Derrick Rose scores 20+: 4-8

when Rose has 7+ assists: 5-7

when Rose has 5+ turnovers: 5-3

when Luol Deng scores 20+: 4-10

when Joakim Noah grabs 15+ rebounds: 3-5

when John Salmons scores 15+: 8-6

when Salmons shoots 50 percent or better: 7-7

when Brad Miller scores 10+: 7-5

when Kirk Hinrich scores 10+: 6-6

when James Johnson plays 10+ minutes: 3-10

when Jannero Pargo takes 5+ shots: 3-7

Just a few days ago, the Bulls stretched their winning streak to four by beating Orlando and their slump appeared to be over.

Now they're back on a two-game skid following losses to Charlotte and Oklahoma City. Once again, there is no telling how the season with turn out.

Since the Bulls took Wednesday off, this is a good time to search for their elusive winning formula, if one exists. For example, playing a bad team at home doesn't fit, otherwise the 3-31 New Jersey Nets would be 2-32.

The Bulls (14-19) have plenty of losing formulas, such as 0-7 in the second leg of back-to-back games and 0-11 when the opponent scores 100 points.

A cursory check of their performance based on certain milestones showed a couple of trends. Outrebounding the opponent is good, with the Bulls producing a 12-8 record when that happens.

Click-a-Bull (Kirk/Caron, TMac, Lovie Smith, Noah, Rose, Stats Outlier)

Caron Butler for Kirk Hinrich: A Move the Chicago Bulls Should Strongly Consider

Recently it's been rumored that the Washington Wizards are interested in trading former All-Star Caron Butler for longtime Chicago Bulls point guard Kirk Hinrich.

While Washington star guard Gilbert Arenas has the team reminiscing about past mascots, the Wizards have began openly talking about dumping a star player in order to get some sort of order back to such a distraught organization.

Butler and current leading scorer Antawn Jamison have both been rumored to be on the trading block as long as the Wizards can find some guys that don't like to shoot, per se.

And what better person and leader is there to try to organize a team than Kirk Hinrich?

VOTE IN THE POLL --->



Shots just not falling for Hinrich

Kirk Hinrich does a lot of positive things that don't show up in the box score, but you can't have a starting shooting guard bricking wide-open shots the way he did Tuesday night.

He missed a wide-open three from the left corner with about a minute and a half left that would have given the Bulls the lead, and then two possessions later missed a 16-footer with about 25 seconds left that would have tied the game.

''The first one ... I thought was going in,'' Hinrich said. ''But then the second one, I came off [a screen] naked, and I just felt like my feet weren't set.''

T-Mac takes his spot on the NBA trading block

I thought I knew where Tracy McGrady was headed last week. I thought I had it figured out given the Rockets’ parameters. They seem to want most a potentially unexplored talent underutilized where he is. I am fairly confident from talking to some general managers that nothing much is going on yet regarding McGrady, whom the Rockets conceded last week they are prepared to trade as he left the team to return to Chicago to train.

My guess then was he would end up with the Washington Wizards for a package of players that included some expiring contacts to get the Rockets below the luxury tax and little used JaVale McGee, who has star potential.

Perhaps it’s still possible, though who knows anymore with last week’s gun incident with Gilbert Arenas (of course) and Javaris Crittenton. I’ve since heard the Wizards are on the verge of a deal that could be completed in the next day or so. I don’t know what it is, but it’s not the latest speculated deal involving Kirk Hinrich (happy 29th birthday already, Kirk on Saturday) and Jerome James for Caron Butler and Mike James. I’ve heard the Bulls have had some talks with the Wizards, but none involving Butler.

Lovie Smith keeps his job and how it relates to the Bulls

The Bears announced yesterday that they're keeping Lovie Smith on for at least one more year though they're dumping all of the offensive assistants and agreeing to bring back in a defensive coordinator rather than having Smith run the defense while being the head coach. I'm sure many Bears fans are disappointed in the lack of action against Lovie, but here's the thing:

It's not Lovie's fault. Your team stinks. Your team stinks in the way the Bulls stink. They have some high caliber pieces, but they don't match the talent of most teams in the NFL. Jay Cutler is your Derrick Rose, the rest of your team is the rest of our team.

What do the Bears really have after that once Brian Urlacher [already in decline] went out for the season? A putrid offensive line, the worst receiving core in the NFL, and a running back who was overrated after a strong rookie campaign. On defense, they have no quality safeties, one quality linebacker, no pass rush, and decent corners.

Sit and ask yourself, how are the Bears going to win games? They can't rush the passer, they can't really stop the run. On offense they can't run the ball, and they don't have the receivers to have a really high powered passing game. They have no real competitive advantage against another team. They show flashes of everything, but consistency at nothing. There's no consistency because the team isn't good enough.

Sounds exactly like the Bulls, and much like the Bulls, fans have looked to blame the head coach. Much like the Bulls, the head coach isn't the primary problem. Do you really think another head coach comes in and takes that same team last season to the playoffs? Do you really think a new head coach would have figured out a way to protect Cutler better with that offensive line? Do you really think a new head coach would have gotten Cutler to not through so many interceptions?

Seven Surprises this NBA Season

6. Last season, neither Joakim Noah nor Gerald Wallace were in the top 30 in rebounding. This season, Noah is 2nd with 12.2 rpg and Wallace 3rd with 11.9 rpg. Kevin Love, who started the season injured, is also having a breakout year, grabbing 12.3 (only 17 games).

Only the Bulls can stop Derrick Rose

Charlotte is around the same level as the Bulls, and with them at home and the Bulls playing the night before, it's not a surprising loss.

What is alarming is the Bulls still being clueless in late-game situations. It looks like the pattern will be being terrible for 40 minutes and then hope Derrick Rose bails them out (until Rose's recent surge, it was just 48 terrible minutes). That's fine, superstars bail out bad teams (and organizations) all the time.

But after scoring several baskets upon entering the game midway through the fourth, Rose was unable to get a chance to follow through with the comeback. Some of it was his own doing, with lazy passes (and an iffy offensive foul) earning him 3 TOs in that final stint (I believe these were called BG TOs from commenters way back when?). And the Bobcats did make a good adjustment replacing DJ Augustin in the lineup and more effectively trapping Rose up top. Though it helped the 'cats cause with the Bulls lack-of-adjustments, always sending Noah up to screen and bringing an extra defender for Rose to go through...

What happened afterwards was worse, though. Rose took 2 shots in the final 3:30, one of those being a desperation 3-pointer after Salmons was caught in the air and passed him the ball in the final possession. Salmons managed to miss another three in that same possession, and it's pretty safe to say the Bulls should try and avoid 3-point deficits.

Early nominee for Statistical Outlier of the Year

We have a nominee for Statistical Outlier of the Year: Bobcats 113, Bulls 108. I'm not sure exactly what the odds were of the Bulls and Bobcats playing a 113-108 game in regulation, but I'm thinking they were well south of 1 percent.

The two teams entered Tuesday ranked 29th and 27th, respectively, in offensive efficiency, and 10th and third, respectively, at the defensive end. Charlotte had played only one game all season in which both teams eclipsed 105 points in regulation, a 106-105 win over Philadelphia on Dec. 5. That was one more than the Bulls had played; Chicago had seen both teams break the century mark in a game just once, a 103-101 loss to New Jersey on Dec. 8.

Somehow, all those tendencies went out the window Tuesday and neither side could miss, as both squads made more than half their shots. It was a fluke, of course, but it produced what was probably the most watchable game either team has played this season.

Random thoughts from last night's Bulls/Thunder game

Last night we all went to the Bulls/Thunder game (accompanied by Joe C.) and were pretty excited to see two of the best young guns in basketball, D-Rose and the Durantula, battle it out. The Bulls were seeking their 5th straight victory...so it seemed they were due for an awful performance...and it turns out they definitely were. Just some quick notes/observations/rants/quotes from the game:

- Although at $11 its pricey, the pulled pork sandwich with sweet potato fries are damn tasty

- I'll never get over how quiet the UC is during Bulls games. Did they even consult sound engineers when designing it? Even though I was still wearing short pants, I remember how crazy loud the Chicago Stadium was and I miss that. The loudest moment of the evening was when the crowd went ballistic cheering for cartoon bagels and coffees in a jumbotron race (Biggie Bagel FTW). Not the best atmosphere. Though I've heard its a different story at Hawks games. They should consider pulling an Indianapolis Colts move and pump in crowd noise to throw off the opponent...I mean they already rest their best players for too long during the game like the Colts do, why not take another page from their book?

- Noah had 6 rebounds in the first 3 minutes of the game...I know he had some minor foul trouble, but probably not a good idea to sit him for long stretches (especially when you're losing your lead) if he can control the boards that well against a team without a dominant rebounder. Brad Miller isn't exactly getting that done for you.

- "I'm pretty sure Derrick Rose and John Salmons have never met each other off the court....they have the worst chemistry of any backcourt in NBA history"

- yelled toward VDN after one of his stellar tactical decisions when the game was spiraling away from the Bulls in the 3rd quarter, "We're down 16 points and you're answer is James Johnson?! Are you serious?"

- The crowd almost reached jumbotron-race decibels toward the end of the game to berate VDN. Almost. He's on borrowed time with this team...has to be.

- "I was really hoping to watch Nenad Krstic and Thabo Sefolosha run the two man game. That's why I dropped $100 on this ticket. Thanks."

- at one point both teams had what we determined to be their most boring possible lineups in the game for about 10 straight minutes. We decided that each coach couldn't believe the other was sticking to those lineups for so long and it became an agonizing game of chicken to see who would play their starters again first. Again, $100 ticket. Thanks.

- Kevin Durant's jumper is the smoothest I've seen. Gorgeous. Before I knew it he had 17 pts....he makes it look to easy.

- Rose could not buy a call driving the lane last night. He was getting hammered out there. A guy in our section was screaming at VDN to stick up for him with the refs, get in their face, etc. to get some respect for Rose. I have to agree with him. Need to protect the franchise.

- Rose played pretty well last night...but his lack of defensive polish was evident again. Westbrook ran rough-shod over the Bulls last night. 2J describes him as the dumbest PG in the NBA, so that's probably not good when he almost pops off for a triple-double and outscores Durant.

- The Thunder have a weird habit of not isolating Durant when holding the ball for a final shot. He's the best player on the court almost every night but they aren't getting him the ball in those situations. Odd.

- After sitting for much of the 3rd quarter (when the Thunder put the game away) Rose instantly sparked the offense and mounted a mini-comeback that ultimately fell far short. But why wait until your down around 14 with 8 mins left to unleash YOUR BEST PLAYER. Why let the lead get that big? What good is having a rested Rose play at the end of a blowout? He can't spark the offense from the bench. Put him in the game, if you're still down huge late, then sit him down.

Hate the Bulls sometimes....last night was definitely one of those times. My only hope is there was a players only meeting where they realized VDN will never get fired if they keep winning. Then they accidentally went up 21-10 in the first quarter and made the conscious decision to completely tank the game.

Click-a-Bull (Vinny, Rose, NBA, Grades)

Winning allows Del Negro to joke

Vinny Del Negro couldn't help but take a jab at all the reports regarding his future on Sunday afternoon. When a reporter asked how his players were responding to all the rumors surrounding his future, the second year head coach stopped him mid-sentence.

"There has been?" he said sarcastically. "I didn't know that."

Obviously, it's a lot easier to joke about things when your team has won four games in a row. But, as both Del Negro and his players admitted, it's never easy hearing all of those reports during a season.

VOTE IN THE POLL ------->


What the NBA has learned this decade

When I think of how the nation changed this decade, I consider the cars in my town, and I think back to the day several years ago when I saw a Hummer with a personalized license plate that claimed "8 MPG" -- as if the owner were proud of eradicating the earth's natural resources one block at a time. I thought of that guy when gas prices hit $4 a gallon, and wondered whether he still felt that way, or whether he begged for mercy and swapped his Hummer for a Prius. Even if he didn't, enough others felt that way to drop Hummer sales by 85 percent this year.

The NBA, just like the rest of America, is capable of learning, even if it sometimes requires a good deal of error amid the trials. This was the decade we discovered that gas-devouring SUVs aren't so cool when you're paying $4 a gallon at the pump, we learned not to throw all of our investment dollars in a company just because it had dot-com in the name, we found out that green-lighting mortgages for homeowners already deep in debt isn't such a bright idea, and the NBA realized it's not wise to become infatuated with players just because they have foreign names or to lavish huge contracts on centers who can't get you a double-double.

Fiscal responsibility became the league's focal point by the end of the '00s, whether it was saving salary-cap space for the 2010 free-agent market or trying to save a franchise from bankruptcy. One team executive estimated that up to 70 percent of trades are now made for financial reasons.

Grading the First 30: Bulls

Few teams have been more confusing than the Chicago Bulls so far this season, especially after how great they played in last year's postseason, but losing Ben Gordon has proven to be a much bigger deal than anyone expected (even if everyone still agrees that Chicago simply couldn't have paid him $11 million a season) and now the team is fighting and clawing its way back to .500. How did this happen? A lot went into it, but things aren't all bad here, even if the first third of the season was pretty dismal.

Best Offensive Weapon: Derrick Rose – An injured ankle sort of limited Rose early in the season and probably shook up his confidence a little bit, but once he got fully healed he really started tearing things up on the offensive end of the floor. He hasn't quite lived up to the expectations fans had for him this season, but he's getting there. As the leader of the team in scoring with 18ppg he is up from last year's average despite the slow start, but his assists and shooting percentages are down a little from his Rookie of the Year campaign. He's steadily finding the groove, though, and there's little question that by the end of the season he'll be back on top of his game and having critics oohing and ahhing again.

Bulls riding Rose's wave

Derrick Rose has the types of skills that bring video games to life.

He has the ability to leave opponents' heads spinning with the type of quick cuts he makes. He has proven that over and over during the Bulls recent four-game winning streak. The second-year point guard is averaging 25 points a game over his past seven games and is playing like the player everyone in Chicago grew to love last season when he earned the Rookie of the Year Award.

"That turbo button is a little bit different in the last six, seven games than it was early in the season," Bulls center Joakim Noah said of Rose. "He's been playing at a really, really high level so that definitely gives a boost to our team when D Rose is playing like that."

It's no coincidence that the Bulls have found their stride at the same time Rose has found his.

Post-Game: Could the Bulls be GOOD?

Luol Deng is always my emotional barometer for the Bulls, meaning that when he's happy and talkative, it's probably with good cause. I've always felt like nobody in that locker room takes the game more seriously than Deng, to see him in such a good mood and talking so positively about the team speaks volumes.

Derrick Rose led the Bulls tonight towards their season-high fourth straight win, scoring 30 points and chipping in 7 assists and 6 rebounds. Taking 23 shots is a lot for him, but his offense was on point tonight--so much so that he got the line ten times. That's exactly the sort of game Rose is capable of every night, and it was enough to fuel Chicago towards a big home win tonight.

What was interesting in this evening's game was the substitution patterns Vinny Del Negro used, opting to play Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah only minimal minutes despite really hot play of late in favor of Taj Gibson and Brad Miller, both of whom played their Magic opponents very tough tonight. Miller especially got into Dwight Howard's head, causing the big guy to have an off night which certainly didn't help Orlando's cause much.

I'll tell you this: the Chicago Bulls
are starting to look suspiciously like the team everyone thought they could be coming into the season. They still have some work to do closing out games, but they do look good. Maybe Vinny can breathe easy for a while longer...

I tweeted something similar to that during the Bulls W over the Magic: @bullbearsock: These Bulls appear to be good at basketball and fun to watch. 2010 is different/odd, but I am loving it


The Vinny Distraction

It's hard to explain what's going on in Chicago right now. For about two weeks now there have been a number of reports coming out of the Windy City indicating that Vinny Del Negro, the team's head coach, could be fired any day. The GM of the team passed on giving a definitive show of support to his coach, and there were even rumors that preliminary background checks were being done on potential replacements.

But somehow, Del Negro has survived, but that doesn't mean he's out of the woods, even taking his team's four-game winning streak into considering. One gets the impression that he's one more embarrassing loss from getting shown the door, which in most cases would be a huge distraction for an NBA team.

Not this one, apparently.

"We're not worrying about it all," said Bulls Player of the Month, Derrick Rose, who averaged over 20ppg in December. "That's in the front office, and they have to make that decision. We're just trying to play basketball right now."

Click-a-Bull (Kirk/Caron, Rose, Gar/VDN, James Johnson)

I already posted my quick reactions to the Kirk Hinrich/Caron Butler trade rumor. Here is a little more detail on the finances / cap implications ...

Caron Butler to Miami or Chicago?

Even before the whole gun thing with Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton, the Washington Wizards had been a disappointing team this season. Finally healthy, many expected them to compete with a big three that should be among the league's best. Instead, they're 10-21, one of the worst records in their conference, and the discord in the locker room just seems to grow and grow.

Before the incident, Wizards brass was reportedly looking at some sort of major trade, likely in the next two weeks according to former Washington Times' beat writer Mike Jones. Originally believed to be shopping Arenas and his monster contract, the recent happenings make it more likely that a different Wizard is moved, and the chatter right now is that could be Caron Butler.

VOTE IN THE POLL ---->

According to Jones, a source close to the situation is suggesting that Butler could be packaged up with the seldom-used Mike James and sent to the Miami HEAT or Chicago Bulls. From Chicago they'd likely be looking for Kirk Hinrich and the expiring contract of Jerome James. There was no mention of who might be offered up from the HEAT.

The offer for the Bulls would be a huge upgrade in talent that wouldn't compromise the team's desire to pursue a marquee free agent this summer. Mike James and Jerome James are both expiring deals in the $6 million range, and both Hinrich and Butler make in between $9.5 and $10 million this season. Financially it would even help the Bulls because Butler has one less year on his deal than Hinrich does—something that could prove to be very helpful when it comes time to extend Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose.

Rose scores 30 to lead Bulls over Magic 101-93

Derrick Rose(notes) made a statement and issued a warning.

If there are any doubts about his ankle, forget it. And if anyone wants to count out the Chicago Bulls, forget that, too.

“If we continue to play this way, good things are going to happen for us,” Rose said.

Like this.

Rose scored 30 points and the Bulls beat the Orlando Magic 101-93 on Saturday night for their season-high fourth straight win.

For all the speculation about coach Vinny Del Negro’s job status, the Bulls are playing their best ball of the season—and so is Rose, who finished two points shy of a career high he set against Atlanta last month.

Slowed by an ankle injury early on, he started the new year on the right foot after averaging just over 20 points in December.

“I was just trying to attack,” he said. “I’ve told you that I’d do anything to help my team win, and that’s what I was doing out there tonight.”

Gar sent the correct message

There was an interesting contrast in the last couple of days between two struggling Central Division rivals.

Indiana president Larry Bird gave third-year coach Jim O'Brien a resounding show of support, saying if any players have a problem with the coach, the players are more likely to be leaving.

Bulls general manager Gar Forman was asked Tuesday if second-year coach Vinny Del Negro has full support of the organization and replied “Our organization is behind what we’re doing. We’re still optimistic with where we’re going. I don’t think anyone is happy with where we are today and our goal is to get better each and every day."

I've got to declare Forman the winner in that exchange. If you're paying money to watch a 12-17 team (or 9-21 in the case of the Pacers), do you really want to hear that a coach has full support of management? No, things need to improve.

Play better and there will be no reason to make a change -- that's the only message worth sending right now.

Happy New Year

If Derrick Rose and the Bulls keep playing the way they have over the past week, there's no doubt that the new year will be much better than anyone could have hoped for at the end of the old one.

The reigning rookie of the year started off 2010 in style on Saturday night, scoring 30 points and leading his teammates to a 101-93 victory over the Magic.

"It's great," Bulls head coach Vinny Del Negro said after his team's fourth consecutive win. "Our guys are playing with confidence. We're sharing the minutes a little bit. We've got more bodies to go to. All of that's a plus. [We've] got to continually attack and play more sound. We turned the ball over a little bit in some key times, but I was very happy we kept attacking. We got to the [free-throw] line 27 times and we shot it well at the line. A lot of positives overall. To beat Orlando, one of the top teams in the league, is a good confidence [boost] for our team."

A huge boost is more like it. This win was the Bulls' biggest of the season to date and it proved to the young team that when they play well as a group they have the ability to compete with the upper echelon teams. After weeks of frustration, misery and speculation about their coach's future, the Bulls locker room has suddenly turned into a more confident and much happier place.

Johnson starting to gain Del Negro's confidence

The Bulls have two rookies on their roster, forwards Taj Gibson and James Johnson, and they have followed different paths through the first third of their first season.

Gibson, 24, out of USC, worked his way into the starting lineup quickly when Tyrus Thomas got injured. He has started 18 games, averaging 8.3 points and 6.1 rebounds.

Johnson has played in 22 games but averages a little more than 10 minutes a game. Now, though, coach Vinny Del Negro's confidence in Johnson appears to be growing.

"He makes some mistakes, but his preparation is better, and he can do a lot of things off the dribble," Del Negro said of Johnson. "I try to give him a little feel for the game. He's a good kid with good intentions. He's just got growing pains."

Del Negro said it is inappropriate to compare Johnson to Gibson.

Quick Reaction to Bulls Trade Rumor

Just got back from the north woods, so I am out of the loop on NBA / Bulls rumors ... but I just found this rumor:

I'm hearing [Caron] Butler and [Mike] James could be headed to either Miami or Chicago. Some of the pieces Washington could be trying to get back from Chicago, the source said, could be Kirk Hinrich and Jerome James. Before, the Wizards hadn't wanted to take on more money, but it appears that as they grow more desperate to turn things around, their main motivation is bringing in new life to kick-start a rebound.

My first thought was "what are the cap ramifications?" ... but it seems like we would be swapping Kirk's contract (about $8.5m per year for 3 years) for Caron's (about $10m per year for 2 years). So that shouldn't have a major effect on cap space this summer.

Next I thought the Wizards must be expecting a suspension for Agent Zero if they are looking for a point guard. (Also, I read that they might be "hoping" he is charged with a felony so they can get out of his awful contract - "the NBA, it's faaantastic").

Third (and most important), if the Bulls make this deal it would seem that they are going to go hard after Bosh this summer. I dount they would bring in another wing (adding to Luol, Salmons, JJ) and then try to lure someone like Wade or Joe Johnson here this summer. It would seem somewhat redundant to trade for an athletic wing player.

Definitely not complaining about going after Bosh ... I would LOVE to see Bosh and Rose running the pick-and-roll, with Deng and Caron spotting up and Noah crashing the boards.


Note: I will be tweeting during the Bulls/Magic game tonight ... @BullBearSock