Back On Track, Though Maybe Not Completely Filling

The Bulls played the second of a back-to-back tonight. This one featured a team miles away from Miami: the Washington Wizards. Some will say it should have been a blowout, but it wasn't as the Bulls really only dominated for two quarters. It was even for the second quarter while the fourth belonged to the Wizards. Still, it was enough to pull out a 98-88 victory.

Fresh off his self-proclaimed responsibility for the Miami loss, Derrick Rose scored a season-high 35 points. His game-high eight assists weren't a bad addition either. Carlos Boozer was quiet for most of the game, but he came alive in the fourth quarter to finish with 18 points. Kyle Korver, starting in place of Luol Deng tonight, knocked down five of his 12 three-point attempts for 17 points. Joakim Noah continued his recent double-double trend with a 14-13 night. He could have had a triple-double, definitely unorthodox for him, but was three assists short.

I definitely agree that this should have been a less interesting game towards the end. The Wizards got the deficit to as close as eight. However, the Bulls may not have had their minds at 100 percent. They just played a hard-fought game they lost to the Heat the previous afternoon. Still, they seemed a bit content at times playing with the lead (they didn't trail the entire night) and it could be seen with some lazy passes with the ball. Consequently, the Wizards finished with three fewer turnovers. Still, I'll write this off as a game that could have gone better, but should be considered good in the sense that it ended with the victory.

On Wednesday, the night that the Disney Princesses and little girls dressed as them begin their invasion of the United Center, the Bulls will be in Philadelphia to take on the surprising 76ers. Time for them to put the jumpstarters in their place and let them know that they still have a ways to go to catch up with them.

Good vs. Evil: Round One is Done

I'm not going to pretend I watched today's 97-93 loss to the Miami Heat. I was taking in Super Bowl activities with my dad down in Indianapolis. However, I did hear how Derrick Rose missed two free throws and a floater towards the end that helped give Miami the victory. That gives me enough material to work with here.

Another thing I heard, and it shouldn't be too surprising if you're a Bulls fan or even just a D-Rose fan, is that Rose was very hard on himself in the postgame interviews. He knows he let the team down. All it will do is make him stronger as a competitor. That's who he is and he intends to learn from this. Even Joakim Noah said so when reporters talked to him after the game.

While losing to Miami in the teams' first match-up of the season is tough to swallow and a bit discouraging, there's no cause for alarm. With the defeat, the Bulls have now dropped five in a row to the Heat, but only the first loss, Game 2 of the conference finals, was a contest dominated by the victors. Every other game between the two since then has been very close and come down to the wire. The Bulls can compete with this team. It's just a matter of finishing them off.

Let's face it. This Bulls team is only in its second season of being a premier NBA club. To be fair though, so is Miami. Here's what separates the teams right now: experience. Wade has a championship ring. LeBron, despite his poor performance in last year's Finals, has come through in the clutch several times before, going back to when Rose was still in high school ('07 Detroit series anyone?). Bosh is...well, I really don't have much to go on for his pre-Miami days. The point is the key players on the Heat know how to step up in the most pressure-filled situations because they've been around the league longer than most key Bulls players.

The good news for the Bulls is that the current core has a pretty large window to win a championship or two. Rose looks primed to perform at his current level for the next decade. If his supporting cast of Noah, Deng, Boozer, Hamilton and others can't help him get a title, the Bulls will find players who will. Presently, losses like the one today will only make the Bulls wiser when it comes to games like this. It may not pay off this year or next year as the Heat look pretty strong, but their day will come and it will be great. Remember, the Jordan Bulls had to sustain three straight playoff defeats to the Bad Boy Pistons before finally getting over the hump. So it's not do-or-die for them in 2012.

Let's pray for a better outcome tomorrow against the Washington Wizards. It'll be pretty easy I think.

Outpaced and the Loss of Deng

I confess I kind of disregarded the tough way the Indiana Pacers played the Bulls last postseason. I think I was just given a jarring reminder of how much a nuisance this divisional rival can be by virtue of a 95-90 defeat. Never mind that all five starters scored in double digits, led by Derrick Rose with 24. The Pacers came to the United Center tonight with a mission and they carried it out. All five of their starters had double figures too, but so did bench player Tyler Hansbrough. Without the services of Taj Gibson, the rest of the Bulls' bench combined for only eight points. That's all you need to know. Actually, no it's not. The second half was horrid in the sense that the shooting was poor from all distances and directions. It was horrid in that they were giving up fouls and losing battles on the boards. Worst of all, it was horrid in that they allowed Indiana, who hadn't won in Chicago since 2008, to take advantage of all of those mistakes. Translation: the Bulls lost on their home court for the first time this season. They better step up their game in all facets against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday so they won't have a bad taste in their mouths for the long road trip to come.

The second part of this post will reflect on the injury to Luol Deng. He missed tonight's game and appears to be out for Friday too. He has opted not to undergo surgery on his wrist and will shoot for a Sunday return in Miami. Let's hope this doesn't hurt the Bulls, who have done well in surviving injuries this season, too much. The last thing they need is for Deng to aggravate something, which would put the rest of his year at risk. He's missed the playoffs due to injuries twice before and this would be the worst time to have it happen. There's a reason Deng is the only holdover left from the days when the Bulls were just becoming somewhat relevant again. His contributions on both offense and defense have been impeccable and there's nobody in the starting lineup more balanced than him. His team needs him and that's why won't have surgery now just to go out for the rest of the regular season.

Let him play if he wishes, but I hope he's careful. Yes, Kobe Bryant has had the same problem this year and with his shooting hand no less, but as Deng put it, maybe Kobe handles pain better than him. In any case, if the Bulls don't win the title this year, I'd hate for it to be because the roster wasn't completely healthy. I'd rather they be healthy and go down in a seven-gamer with the Heat. Injuries have derailed many teams throughout sports history. Don't let the same thing happen to the Bulls.

Immune From the Injury Bug

No, I don't mean the Bulls are actually immune from injuries. Quite the opposite in fact. By now, everyone knows the team hasn't been 100 percent healthy all year except for the first few games of the season. But the bug doesn't appear to have any effect. The top record in the NBA says it all.

My grandmother has flirted with death a few times, as recently as 10 years ago. She's pulled through every time and just turned 80. A saying was developed that while others fear death, death fears her. In this case, I think the injury bug fears the Bulls. It's like a Pikachu attempting to use its electric attacks on glass and rubber: nothing happens no matter how hard the powers are used.

It also shows just how different these Bulls are from those of two years ago. A team that was made up of role players could be in serious trouble if one of them went down. Even one of the bottom feeders of the league would turn into threats on any given night. Not anymore. This team, aside from superstar Derrick Rose, is made up of pure players. Anyone can step into any role at anytime and the results will be exactly the same. Almost a month into the season, the Bulls have only three losses. Anyone not putting them up there with the Heat, Thunder and Lakers is crazy.

For tonight's game against the New Jersey Nets, Rose is a game-time decision yet again, but latest casualty Luol Deng will likely be out. So will Taj Gibson. Let's see how well they respond to adversity tonight. Be confident, Bulls fans. No reason not to be.

Seriously, Don't Hurry Back, Derrick

With my new job at the Chicago Tribune, I usually see the Bulls game on one of the many TVs in the newsroom, but since I'm busy working most of the time, I get to actually watch little to none of it. Last night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, I saw virtually zero, so I had to make sure I wasn't going blind when I saw the growing progressive score on the screen. All I can say is wow, what a blowout.

The team with the best record in the NBA slaughtered the Cavs to the tune of 114-75, once again without Derrick Rose. All starters except Joakim Noah, who hauled down 10 rebounds, scored in double figures. Luol Deng led all scorers with 21 and Carlos Boozer continued his recent hot streak with 19 points and 14 boards. C.J. Watson, who many have said recently would start regularly on many other teams in the league, contributed 15 points and seven assists. Rip Hamilton had 13 and Kyle Korver came off the bench with 14.

What about this? The Bulls set a new franchise record with 16 blocked shots. Omer Asik led the party with three of them and five players each had two. Tom Thibodeau had to have been all smiles in that locker room when talking with his players afterward. As we have seen so far this season, there are a few nights where the defense is MIA, but when it's on like it usually is, there might not be a better team that does it in the NBA. They'll need that every night when the playoffs roll around, especially when the inevitable rematch with Miami occurs (feel free to reference this post in the hopeful event it doesn't come to that).

The Chicago Bears could learn a thing or two from the Bulls. Losing a key part of your roster doesn't have to mean the end of the season. You just need the depth to compete and the Bulls are showing to have plenty of it. You and I know Derrick Rose just wants to play regardless of what the match-up is. Hopefully, his injury doesn't linger long enough to trigger talk about him sitting out of the All-Star Game, but that's for another day. In any case, as long as Rose's toe is bothering him and the Bulls are playing inferior opponents, there's no need for him to come back yet. I would recommend that he sit out tonight's game against MJ's Charlotte Bobcats as well. With the upcoming schedule, maybe he should wait until next Sunday against the Heat to come back. The Bulls are fine and there's no sign they're in trouble. Just win and life is beautiful.

No Rose Needed to Block Out the Suns

I've said before that this could be the year that Carlos Boozer makes the large deal he signed with the Bulls in the summer of 2010 worth every penny. While he'll need more of what he did tonight to make that so, maybe all he needed to have his best game of the season against the Phoenix Suns was Derrick Rose missing his second straight contest. I may jump in on the Rose injury in another post, but for right now, let's talk about what made tonight's 118-97 victory possible.

As mentioned, Carlos Boozer easily had his best game of the season and one of the best tonight in the NBA. 31 points, six rebounds and making two out of every three shots is a nice night at the office. Rip Hamilton returned tonight to score 11 points, but what about C.J. Watson, starting for Rose? His 23 points were just two off of Steve Nash's final total. Joakim Noah may finally be getting things into gear as he had a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds. To round out the starting five, Luol Deng scored 15. Off the bench, Omer Asik had 11. I didn't see the game, but I'm guessing most of them were on layups and dunks. The Suns turned the ball over 20 times while the Bulls had just six. Excellent job of taking care of the ball. Say all you want about Phoenix being a shell of its former self, but this was still an impressive victory.

You know what? I've changed my mind. Let me spill my thoughts on the Rose situation right now. The obvious conventional wisdom is to sit him since it's so early in the season and nowhere near playoff time. I'm not going to take sides on this one way or another, but I will say this. Sitting Rose whenever he's not healthy during the regular season isn't necessarily a bad idea. Just ask the Heat regarding Dwyane Wade or the Clippers about Chris Paul. Rose however just wants to play, so if you're not going to play him, at least take his opinion into consideration. It's nice to be rested for the playoffs, but unless it's a serious injury, you don't want to bench him for so long that he'll be rusty for the postseason. I admit it's apples and oranges comparing this to Aaron Rodgers sitting out the final week of the NFL regular season only to not look like himself against the Giants on Sunday, but it does support the argument of playing your superstar, even if only for a little bit.

The good news is Rose has a couple of days to rest his toe before the Bulls play Cleveland on Friday. The potential bad news is this problem could linger. Let's not think that way though. Lot of season left and no need to preach doom and gloom yet.

Grizzed Out of Memphis

Last night, I speculated on whether the Bulls were fatigued after playing so often during the past week. That may very well be true. Derrick Rose sat out today's game and it didn't help those who have been hustling every game on the court so far this year. C.J. Watson did return from his injury and scored 17 points, but it wouldn't be nearly enough against the Memphis Grizzlies, who avenged their blowout loss on New Year's Day by winning this one 102-86. They were in control almost from the opening tip. Although the Bulls did manage a run during the fourth quarter, their 20-point halftime deficit was too much to overcome. The Grizzlies got the offense they needed down the stretch to seal the victory. At left, you can see Rudy Gay dunking home two of his game-high 24 points while Ronnie Brewer can only watch.

The Bulls were led by Luol Deng's 20 points. Taj Gibson scored 16 off the bench and Carlos Boozer had 13. The hot Grizzlies' shooting in the first half was probably the difference. They shot 69 percent from the field in the first 24, just two percentage points away from the Bulls opponent's record for best shooting half. As for the Bulls, the offense wasn't very good as shots were missed both inside and out. The ball care was poor. But worst of all, the defense allowed enough penetration that led to a barrage of layups and dunks. It was like the Washington Generals looking in awe of the Harlem Globetrotters and not doing enough to stop it. Yes, the reigning MVP was hurt and yes, there will be games like this, but Tom Thibodeau probably screamed himself hoarse both during and after the game over their defensive effort. Thibodeau hates to lose, none more so than this way. At least they have a chance to correct it quickly. They're up against the Phoenix Suns tomorrow night at the United Center.

Also, congratulations to Derrick Rose for being named a finalist for the U.S. Olympic team. I know he'll do the country proud assuming he makes the roster (he will).

Fatigued?

I'll keep this brief. The Bulls saw their 20-point lead dwindled down to one against the Celtics on Friday, but found the gear they needed to build it back up and put a safe enough distance between them and their hosts. They defeated a Boston team that's aging and has struggled in the early part of the season. The next night, the Bulls' fatigue was more obvious as they had a low scoring output against the Raptors. Fortunately, Toronto is an inferior team and the Bulls have been amazing on defense at home this season. They pulled that victory out even though they didn't break 80 themselves.

Now that they've had a day to relax from games, the Bulls will get back at it tomorrow afternoon in Memphis against the Grizzlies. Though they have the best record in the NBA right now, it's become pretty clear that playing so often in the early part of the season has drained them a bit. Every NBA team goes through fatigue at one point or another during the season, but most of the time, it's not due to this type of frequency of games played. So's the result of a lockout-shortened season.

Enjoy tomorrow's matinee and an early Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The Point Position

Over the past few days, the point guard position has become one of particular interest for the Chicago Bulls. It all started with C.J. Watson injuring his elbow over a week ago. He hasn't been in the lineup since. The issue grew when it was announced that Derrick Rose would be unable to go against the Wizards on Wednesday. With only John Lucas III left, the Bulls called up D-League guard Michael James, who didn't arrive on the bench in time for the opening tip-off. Assistant coach Ron Adams had to give James an accelerated lesson on how things worked with the team. Meanwhile, Lucas played nearly 46 minutes and scored a career-high 25 points to lead everybody. A different Bulls team beat Washington 78-64. When James came on at the end, the lack of a name on his back showed just on how short a notice he was signed.

All of this raises the question on just how deep the Bulls are, at least at the one spot. We all know what Rose can do and Watson is a viable backup. With this latest performance by Lucas, does that mean anyone who runs the offense can explode anytime? Perhaps, but keep in mind the Wizards had just won their first game of the season. Take it with a grain of salt. Even so, it's impressive that there are so many scorers at the very top of the key. That anyone of them can explode at anytime has to be boggling for the opposition. We may not get to see James much, if at all. Who knows if he'll even last here?

In the meantime, the Bulls are in Boston tonight to meet the Celtics. Rose insists he'll play tonight. Let's hope so and let's get a win in the Garden.

Nice Try, Minny

I'll admit that I'm late posting about this game because I went to a North Central basketball game last night and only heard a part of it on the radio. Still, I'm glad the Bulls held off a Minnesota Timberwolves rally and won 111-100.

Derrick Rose suffered another injury scare during the game, but turned out okay. He scored a season-high 31 points and completed the double-double with 11 assists. Other contributors in double digits were Luol Deng with 21, Ronnie Brewer with 17 and Kyle Korver, who was three-for-three from downtown, with 13. Joakim Noah continued to show improvement on the boards by totaling 11 rebounds.

Let me share with you a stat from a tweet by Bulls radio producer Jeff Mangurten: while the Bulls have five double-digit victories on the road this season, every other team in the league has no more than two. One could make the argument that that might be inflated by having three of them come at the hands of last-place teams, one against an up-and-comer still trying to find its place among the league's elite (Clippers) and the remainder against a team with not much direction since they don't know where their cornerstone player will be in the near future (Magic). Even so, the Bulls play just as well on the road as they do at home. Maybe not with the same defensive intensity, but they get the job done. Nothing is a given when you're playing against the Chicago Bulls. Every team in the league needs to be aware of that.

With Golden State stunning Miami in overtime last night, the Bulls now have the East's best record at 9-2. They now take on the Washington Wizards, who won their first game last night, at home. Time to bring the worst team in the league back to reality.

No Sympathy For the Motor City

While attempting to be interested in tonight's BCS Championship Game, I snuck in some Bulls viewing tonight. With Luc Longley in the house, the Bulls didn't let up on the Detroit Pistons after beating them down last week. This time, it was to the tune of 92-68. Though the Pistons came back from behind to tie it at the end of the first quarter, the Bulls didn't allow any type of takeover by their guests. They outscored Detroit 22-13 in the second quarter and 24-9 in the fourth.

Another big night for Carlos Boozer consisted of 23 points and eight rebounds. Joakim Noah had eight boards too. I haven't been able to write about him much this year, which isn't necessarily a good thing. He needs to step up his game a bit and make himself known. A bit of a decline from the past couple of seasons. Derrick Rose had his usual highlights, scoring 22 points and dishing out eight assists. He shot 50 percent from the floor and was perfect from the foul line. Ronnie Brewer continues to step up for Rip Hamilton, who sat out again tonight. He scored 12 points and made six of his nine shots. The cherry on top of the proverbial sundae? Brian Scalabrine hitting a close shot toward the end and sending the United Center into the loudest cheers that were heard all night, at least according to a few tweets.

The big number of the night? In three home games, the Bulls have allowed an average of just 68.7 points. Not saying they'll be in that neighborhood the entire season, but it only proves how much they up the intensity whenever they enter the Madhouse. I'm sure there's little doubt that the fans help give the team that extra boost they need. Way to go, Bulls fans!

In the second of a three-day slate, the Bulls head to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves. It won't be easy to contain Kevin Love, but if Boozer and Noah have big games, it can be done.

No Miracle This Time

Well, the winning streak couldn't last forever, right? Nothing does. But if it had to end, I'm not entirely surprised it happened against the Atlanta Hawks. I'll elaborate more on that in a bit, but first, the final score was Atlanta 109, Chicago 94.

I missed this game except for a bit on the radio on the way to the high school game I covered tonight (my final Sun-Times Media assignment by the way). The Bulls were down big early, but managed to come back. Alas, it wasn't meant to be their night.

Four Atlanta starters and two bench players scored in double digits, led by Josh Smith's 25 points. As for the Bulls, only Carlos Boozer reach two figures, scoring 12. The leading scorer for them was John Lucas III, who had 16. Kyle Korver scored 16, Jimmy Butler scored 12 and Taj Gibson added 11. That would normally be a nice night for the Bench Mob, and it was, but too bad it didn't happen in a victory. Derrick Rose was off tonight, recording only eight points and shooting 3-for-10. Rip Hamilton did not play and C.J. Watson is still nursing his elbow.

Look out for this Hawks team every time the Bulls play them. They appear to be your classic trap opponent who'll give you fits when you head onto the same court as them. The Bulls should know judging from the two meetings this year and last year's playoffs that you can't take them lightly. Atlanta as a whole is a good team, but not one to get past the conference semifinals. Still, be on the lookout for them the rest of the way. By the way, Jerry Stackhouse apparently just re-upped in the NBA with the Hawks and he even played a bit tonight.

Just forget about this game and look forward to Detroit at the United Center on Monday. Let's see more of the shell of this former perennial NBA threat.

Magically Successful

The Bulls were quickly down against the Orlando Magic Friday, so Tom Thibodeau called for time to calm his team down. It was just what they needed. The Bulls would take the lead and despite a few runs by the Magic, cutting the deficit to as little as a basket, the visitors would shake them all off and ultimately win 97-83.

Derrick Rose and Luol Deng, who bounced back from a recent two-point performance, each scored 21 points. Carlos Boozer had 20, keeping up his impressive early run. Oh yes, did I mention the Hot Sauce is back? That's because Kyle Korver made five of seven shots from downtown, totaling 18 points. Let's hope this performance wasn't a flash in the pan because Korver is only as good as his shot. I can only imagine being an Orlando fan in the stands watching this man crush you with the main weapon (and really, the only weapon) in his arsenal. All in all, a solid win against a team that honestly has no idea what its future looks like. That rests on what Dwight Howard decides to do, but since this isn't a Magic blog, I won't elaborate on it.

The one troubling sign is that Rip Hamilton's groin injury is lingering and he had to sit out tonight's game. The Bulls are fine with Brewer filling in right now, but let's pray this won't be a problem during the course of the season. We've got a long way between now and the playoffs, so there's no need for injury-filled drama in a promising season (see Cutler, Jay).

The Bulls head to Atlanta on Saturday. This team, the Hawks will be ready to protect their home court and hopefully for them, a large lead. That didn't quite work out on Tuesday and if the Bulls play well and play hard, it'll be a repeat of what happened that night.

Winning Both Ugly and Pretty

I haven't been able to watch much of the Bulls the last two nights as I have begun my job as an agate editor at the Chicago Tribune. I have however heard of enough to make at least a pretty good analysis of their victories against Atlanta and Detroit.

First, the Bulls should have lost Tuesday's game. That poor shooting they had in the second quarter set a league record for the lowest field goal percentage in a quarter by a winning team. Regardless of how unremarkable their performance as a whole was, games like this are what separate the great teams from the good teams. By going on that run in the fourth quarter, the Bulls only strengthened their case as one of the elite squads in the NBA. They're going to contend for a championship this year. No question about it. Of course, the question remains on whether they can overcome similar deficits against the Miami Heat. Again, the answer to that will have to wait for another day.

The Detroit game saw Taj Gibson and every Bulls starter sans Deng score in double figures. Rip Hamilton showed over 9,000 fans at the Palace (yes, you read that right) that he still has it. His smart shots and passes are clear indicators that he's a valuable addition to this team. Those 14 points and five assists don't lie. There was the scary moment in the fourth quarter when Derrick Rose went down on his elbow, but he quickly got back out there and with a couple plays, showed he was all right. Carlos Boozer continues to prove that this is a better year for him. I'm starting to think he has more confidence in himself.

After having today off, the Bulls head to Orlando to take on the Magic. I wonder if any of the players will make a quick stop at Disney World sometime today. Probably not, but you never know when a highly paid NBA player is unable to resist a trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth. Besides, you're never too old for Mickey. Right?

There Are Blowouts and There Are BLOWOUTS

"This is actually a score? Is this the final?" - Utah coach Jerry Sloan after the Bulls beat the Jazz 96-54 in Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals

Joakim Noah, Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer are all smiling on the bench because that's where they got to watch the end of their team's home-opening New Year's Day clash with the Memphis Grizzlies 104-64. Everyone except for Rip Hamilton, who sat out with an injured groin, got in the scorebook one way or another. Only Brian Scalabrine failed to register a point (much to the dismay of much of the United Center crowd and those watching at home).

It's hard to pick what individuals really stood out in a game like this, but here goes. Carlos Boozer continues to show vast improvement from what he was last year. His double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds shows up in the box score, but you could tell just by watching the game that he looks like a completely different player who wants to help his team. He's going to be very dangerous and not look anything like a pushover if these early games are any indication. And I know I've said that already, but it's true and nothing has convinced me otherwise.

Speaking of dangerous, Ronnie Brewer really did his job stepping in for Hamilton in the starting lineup. He also had 17 points and shot 60 percent from the field. With Hamilton out, the Bulls discovered tonight that they definitely have someone who can fill that two-guard spot if faced with this situation again. Personally, I think Brewer should have been starting over Bogans last year, but that's a dead issue. We could see this type of performance coming with the early shooting success Brewer has had.

Derrick Rose had 16 and looked like his spectacular self and Luol Deng scored 11. Omer Asik dunked more than the one he usually has per game. I'll leave the analyses of those players tonight at that.

As long as we're on the topic of players stepping in, another such need may have been created tonight. C.J. Watson injured his left elbow in the fourth quarter. He went to the locker room and didn't return. Hopefully, Watson won't miss any time as his role in backing up Rose is valuable. If he does however, we may have found a new backup in John Lucas III. We only saw him in the fourth quarter, but you never would have known he rides the bench. He knocked in eight points, six of which were scored from three-point land. It'd be really nice to see him get a chance, but let's wish C.J. a speedy recovery at the same time.

Finally, congratulations to Jimmy Butler on getting his first professional rebound and basket on the same play.

The Bulls play next on Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks at the United Center. I'll be starting my Tribune job that night, so I might not be able to watch it. I'll see if I can get my thoughts on what I hear about though.