I realize I've been neglected my blog a bit lately, but as I've warned, my job has kind of prevented me from updating as much as I've liked. That said, I'd like to take these early moments in the Bulls-Celtics game to congratulate Luol Deng on his first All-Star selection.
Luol is the final holdover from the days in which the Bulls were just starting to become a postseason team again. And for good reason. Any fan could look at his career numbers and find those of nothing more than an above average player at best. If you've watched him throughout his career though, you know the intangibles he possesses make him a player 29 other NBA teams would love to have. His smart and aggressive play with the ball as well as his ability to create opportunities for his teammates are just a wonder to watch. Bulls fans might tell you that he should have been an All-Star sooner in his career.
He was billed just that as early as the year the Bulls made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals against Detroit in '07. Injuries and sub-par play may have delayed that, but now, he's not only embraced his role as part of the glue that holds the core of this team together. Without question, he's playing the best basketball of his career right now. That's clearly reflected in the trip to Orlando he's earned. Once again, way to go, Luol! Hope there's more to come.
While I'm at it, I might as well talk about Derrick Rose's latest injury concerns, this time with his back. As I've said already, I'm watching the Bulls-Celtics match-up while writing this. Rose is sitting on the bench with back spasms and he won't play for the second straight game. This injury apparently goes back to his senior year of high school and just now, it's starting to reemerge, at least to the point where he can't step out on the court. And it's gotten serious enough that he's going to see a back specialist tomorrow.
I'm not questioning the Bulls' depth or stating that the loss of Rose for the time being will hurt their playoff position. I'm wondering about Rose himself. He's never been more banged up than he has this season. I realize that injuries are a part of sports, but this newest trend is something to think about. We just need to pray that this is a minor nuisance and the other Bulls All-Star won't miss any significant time. Otherwise, well, I'd rather not think about what could happen. Pretty soon, people will start placing bets on what Rose will injure next. I don't want it to come to that. No one does. We need him for not just this year, but also the next few. A flash-in-the-pan MVP? Please. That's for baseball. If we have a future Hall of Famer on our hands, let's see it happen.
As I end this, the Bulls trail the Celtics 28-23 after one quarter. I'll watch what I can before work and until then, will kindly ask Jeff Van Gundy to shut up.
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