Kings of Halloween and Keeping Taj

I wasn't able to watch most of last night's opening game against the Sacramento Kings due to work.  It also may be a little while before I actually get to sit down and watch a full 48-minute game for the same reason.  Plus, the Bulls are playing on Election Night.  Still, like the opening of any Broadway show, the first night of the season must be reviewed.  It's a positive won as the Bulls have a perfect 1-0 record thanks to a hard-fought victory to the tune of 93-87.  Some will say it should have been a blowout, but pickers can't be choosers.

What more can one say about Joakim Noah last night?  He led all scorers with 23 points, but more impressive is his 11-of-12 shooting at the free throw line.  Not bad for shooting 72 percent from the line over his career.  He won't get those opportunities every night, but at least we can chalk it up as to one reason why last night was a success.  His 10 rebounds gave him his first of what should be many double-doubles this year.

Also having big scoring nights were Rip Hamilton with 19 points and Carlos Boozer with 18.  Luol Deng had just seven, but he added 12 boards to his career total to lead everybody for the evening.  What little I saw of the game last night showed me he and Boozer still have the great chemistry I saw during the preseason.  Keep an eye on that as the season progresses.  That could mean some good things over the next several months.  Leading the assist parade was Kirk Hinrich, who had seven dimes on an otherwise quiet three-point night.  He's not expected to be a big scorer, but if he can make up for that with quality passes, he'll find greater favor here.  Still, I'd like to see a better shooting night from him than 1-for-7.

As thrilling as winning the first game of the season was, a bigger event unfolded afterward when Taj Gibson agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $38 million.  He was scheduled to become a restricted free agent after the year and the Bulls only had until 11 p.m. local time to lock him up.  He can now sleep easy knowing his future is secure.

Gibson, the bench player who has been around the longest, will be an integral part of where this Bulls core goes in the future.  He won't start, at least not as long as Boozer's here, but there's no denying how much value he brings to the team.  Had he gone elsewhere next summer, the front office would have been faced with the dire situation of replacing a player with his scoring ability and athleticism.  While it's too early to tell what the new bench is capable of, Gibson has proven he would start almost anywhere else.

Look no further than James Harden, who started his first game with Houston last night after he was traded from Oklahoma City.  Both are quality sixth men.  At least the Thunder still have plenty of star power in players like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.  The Bulls can't quite boast the same.  Derrick Rose is comparable with Westbrook, but Durant is far superior to Luol Deng.  Also, with both players healthy, the Thunder will make another run at the Finals this season.  Fortunately, we won't have to find out what subtracting Gibson from the equation would bring to the Bulls.

The club hits the road for the first time this year tomorrow night when they take on Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers.  It should be another win, but the Kings proved last night that nobody will be taking the Bulls lightly.  Everyone wants to kick this team when its down without its superstar.  Let's see them not allow that.