Rose No Distraction

Permit me to get on my soapbox for a moment, will ya?  Just because I work for a big newspaper doesn't mean I like everything the media throws out there.  The most recent such instance occurred early yesterday evening.

I don't typically watch the program formerly known as Chicago Tribune Live (now SportsTalk Live), but I made an exception yesterday so I can see my buddy Nick Shepkowski of 670 The Score make his contributions to the program.  Inevitably, they started discussing Derrick Rose and the Bulls' struggles during February, which now has a record of 4-8.  Comcast SportsNet posed a question on their website and Facebook page asking if the recent Rose buzz is distracting the team.  I thought it was a ridiculous notion, but the results at the end of the program showed most viewers voted yes.  From this, I can draw one of two conclusions:  either the show's regular viewers are idiots or the media is creating yet another Rose non-story that gets people all riled up to the point where they form an opinion such as the one that was voted on yesterday.

As Rose gets closer to his return, the media circus surrounding him and his relationship with the team is starting to border on ridiculous.  Just because there have been struggles since the USA Today interview doesn't mean it's having a detrimental effect on the club.  Same with Reggie Rose's recent comments.  Too often these days, the press loves to take a team story and correlate it to game performance.  Why would it start popping up now?  The Lakers have been a mess all year and the fact that they've never really been a united unit is perfect reason for others to question them.  The Bulls have not been going at each other's throats and are supremely supportive of their superstar.  Know this:  Derrick Rose is not hurting the Chicago Bulls.  How he conducts himself to the media is no one's business unless he makes some serious off-the-wall comments and he is not the type to do such.

The Bulls are having trouble right now because of injuries and defensive lapses.  If it's not one issue, it's another.  They struggle with Kirk Hinrich out of the lineup.  He returns for a game, sits more, comes back again, but without Taj Gibson, whose sprained MCL will keep him out two weeks.  They don't play well at home against bad teams, which has shown itself all season.  Last night's loss to Cleveland was just the latest example.  Those able to play have enough issues to worry about what Rose is doing off the court.  Dropping to the sixth seed in the East should be the front story right now, but because people love to treat superstars as a team's lifeline, Rose has grabbed the headlines again through little fault of his own.  It's a basketball team.  Focus on basketball business.

Just be grateful we won't be seeing Rose on TNT when the Bulls play the 76ers tomorrow.  A return in the same place against the same team when his injury happened would have just made more media noise.  Ever hear of curbing your need for sensationalistic stories?  Do it.  We're better off when it happens.

No Hustle

Pop quiz time.  You're playing the Cleveland Cavaliers, who don't have their best player in Kyrie Irving due to injury.  Plus, you've beaten them in 11 straight.  You typically respond well after getting blown out and Oklahoma City just did that to you.  You're coming home.  And on top of that, Kirk Hinrich is returning.  What do you do?  Lose 101-98 apparently.

Although Taj Gibson will be missing two weeks with a sprained MCL, the Bulls looked like they might have enough manpower to weather the last-place Cavs.  Early on, Kirk Hinrich provided the spark the Bulls had been missing with him out, an indication that the script was set in motion.  Then, everything after the first quarter happened. 

The offense was all right, but the defensive hustle was severely lacking.  One of Stacey King's keys to the game was 48 minutes of intensity.  I didn't see it.  That allowed the Cavs to gain enough confidence to share the ball and find the best possible shots with it.  They were more than happy to score off turnovers late and there were quite a few of them as the game reached its waning moments.  Although the game was close throughout, it never felt like the Bulls were going to get the lead back once they lost it for good.  That shows the lack of confidence people have in this team right now.

With Irving out, rookie Dion Waiters picked up the slack by scoring 25 points.  Shaun Livingston followed him with 15 and recent acquisition Wayne Ellington had 13, including a three-pointer to beat the buzzer in the third quarter.  Luke Walton also turned heads by playing solid offense and defense in the last two minutes.  I'll let you make your own jokes to end this paragraph.

Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng had solid offensive games, scoring 27 and 26 points respectively.  Yes, Boozer's defense was suspect at times, but he always seemed to find the right shot.  Deng, on the other hand, lost favor with the crowd when he put up a contested jumper with time still on the shot clock in the final minute.  I expect better from the two-time All-Star. 

Kirk Hinrich wanted to prove his importance to the offense and did just that in his first game back from injury.  11 points and 11 assists accomplished his mission.  Without him, we might be talking about another low-scoring effort from the Bulls.  But that only magnifies the recent problems they've had.  No one on this team can create their own shot except Derrick Rose and that's starting to surface.  I'll save my gripes on that for another night.  I'm more concerned about letting a young Cavaliers team gain the confidence it needed to end their post-LeBron skid.

It isn't clear whether tonight's game was more an indication of the yearlong problem of dropping home games to the league's bottom feeders or their February slump.  Whatever it is, I didn't like what I saw during the last 36 minutes.  Failing to grab rebounds, giving Cleveland second chances and overall lackluster play on the defensive front spelled doom.  The conditions were right for a victory and it didn't happen.  This is a team that thrives on hustle.  If it's not there, nights like tonight happen. 

Are they distracted by the recent Derrick Rose hoopla?  Have they gotten too comfortable with their past dominance at the United Center that they have trouble with motivation there?  I don't know, but they better get their act together before they fall further down the playoff ladder.  You want home-court advantage, don't you?  Whether or not Rose returns, at least put on a good showing.  Or does the ghost of Norm Van Lier need to pay our boys a visit?

A national TV audience will get another look at this team Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers.  Maybe that kind of spotlight will break them out of the doldrums.  Hey, if having your point guard return isn't cutting it, maybe playing on TNT will.  This drought has to end sometime, right?

Turn It Over

I prefer to look the other way when it comes to Reggie Rose's comments regarding the Bulls' inactivity at the trade deadline.  There was enough drama going on during the game against the Miami Heat, one that we won't want to remember, but won't forget.  If anyone saw a positive in this 86-67 loss, send me a message so you can explain your logic.

It looked like it would be a close game at first, mainly due to the high number of turnovers by each team.  Miami never quite got complete control of the ball, but the Bulls never had any.  Their 27 turnovers were just one off the 28 field goals they made.  When I heard Kirk Hinrich wasn't going to play due to injury, I didn't think they had much of a chance.  They had struggled since he went out with his last injury, played well against the Hornets when he had 10 assists and reverted back to poor offense tonight.  As I heard on the radio tonight, if Hinrich is making that much of a difference in their playmaking, this team is in trouble.  More on that in a bit.

As is custom with the hot Heat, LeBron James led the way 26 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.  As is also custom, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh trailed the MVP with 17 and 12 points respectively.  Then, for good measure, Ray Allen put up 11.  The Heat had no respect for the Bulls' struggling offense and were more than happy to take the points on the extra possessions.  That's why they now have a nine-game winning streak going and it doesn't appear anything is about to stop them.

Nate Robinson started in place of Hinrich, another custom that has emerged of late, and led the Bulls with 14 points.  That should tell you how much tonight a struggle was for everyone else.  Sure, Carlos Boozer had his usual quiet double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds and Joakim Noah scored 11.  But everyone else struggled badly.  There were only six points for Luol Deng, three for Marco Belinelli and none for Jimmy Butler.  The 67 team points were a season low, breaking the previous low of 69 set just last week against Boston.  That should be just a little concerning, don't you think?

If you're going to lose to Miami, do it playing your very best.  The Bulls didn't provide that tonight.  The inability to take care of the basketball made this the blowout it shouldn't have been.  If you can dominate Miami on their home court as you did a month ago, you should take care of business at the United Center.  Even if you come up short, we'll at least applaud you for effort.  Instead, many left the building before the final buzzer, disgusted at the scene they had just witnessed.

Missing Derrick Rose is one thing, but struggling this badly without Kirk Hinrich speaks volumes of this team's depth.  Nate Robinson can score, not facilitate an offense.  It's not like Hinrich is an All-Star.  Someone else should be able to fill the role of your average NBA point guard in a flash.  I've been quiet on the front office this year, but this is their responsibility.  If no one besides Rose and Hinrich can set up plays, that's an issue. 

Although C.J. Watson wasn't the best at that in the previous two seasons, he at least kept the Bulls in games by finding opportunities for himself and his teammates.  All Robinson does is score.  He's missing the intangibles that shows why the starting point guards on the worst teams have their jobs.  He'll never be a true starter and is well past the point of changing that.

The Bulls will need a short memory so they can concentrate on tomorrow's game in Charlotte against MJ's Bobcats.  Even if Hinrich is out again, there's no reason they can't win.  If another loss is chalked up, well, I have no clue how the rest of the month is going to unfold.

Keeping Midseason Form Rest of Way

Now that I've completed my fawning of Michael Jordan in honor of his 50th birthday, it's time to turn my attention back to the current Bulls.  Joakim Noah and Luol Deng did a fine job representing the team during last night's All-Star Game, but the festivities are over.  Although we can always take time out to celebrate milestones and accomplishments, the real world demands our attention once we're finished.  It doesn't go away.

In that world, we find a Bulls team that has exceeded expectations without Derrick Rose.  You'll find a short list of people who expected them to be 30-22, fifth in the East and 1 1/2 games out of first in the Central, at the break.  For a team that was more about cutting salary than finding a way to stay competitive as Rose recovered from ACL surgery, things aren't that bad.

Let's begin with the All-Stars.  Luol Deng is the offensive heart of a team that continues to rely on defense as its main weapon.  He's a quiet leader, but without him, the Bulls wouldn't be in a lot of games.  If he leads by example, Joakim Noah leads by emotion.  His presence is most felt because he lets everyone know when he's on.  In the middle of the best season of his career, Noah's defensive intensity has made him a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year while putting up points well above his career scoring average.  Averaging a double-double for the year, the only thing that could stop Noah is the recent plantar fasciitis he has developed.  Deng may do what he's being paid to do, but when Noah gets energized, so does the rest of the team.  If Rose is unable to return this year, these two will have to continue to split leadership duties.

Carlos Boozer is doing a fantastic job himself.  While he's still not playing up to the contract he signed in 2010, he hasn't had a better year in a Bulls uniform.  That's the best way to describe a season when he's one of the league leaders in double-doubles.  I wouldn't say he's an All-Star snub, but he merited consideration and might have made it had either Deng or Noah's seasons been subpar.  Rip Hamilton continues to showcase himself as one of the better shooters around.  He can't do much anymore with an older body, but shooting is why the Bulls signed him a year ago.  If he gets going, not much can be done to stop him.  Kirk Hinrich's return has been rather successful.  He leads the team in assists, though his shooting remains suspect at times.  However, that's not likely to change as he's not getting any younger.  Like Hamilton sticks to shooting, Hinrich should worry more about passing in order to make this team work.  Returning from his recent injury should provide a boost to a club that has slumped since he went down at the start of February.

The revamped bench doesn't have the persona of the original Bench Mob, but that's not why these players were brought in.  Nate Robinson has proven to be its best scorer and has even ascended to third on the team in that category.  If he needs to start or provide energy, he's sure to bring what he needs almost every time he's called.  After gaining Tom Thibodeau's trust, Marco Belinelli brought the long ball and will usually deliver when he's open.  As long he gets the opportunity to play, you can count on him to step up.  Some question whether Taj Gibson has truly performed up to expectations as the bench's most tenured member and I'll say he has.  He's not a flashy player by any means, but he fits the Thibodeau mantra of grabbing boards, getting close buckets and playing tough defense.  The most recent addition to the regular rotation, Jimmy Butler, has developed earlier than expected and will stay on his man defensively while providing an offensive spark at times.  His game will continue to develop in the second half as he builds on what I think will be a successful NBA career.

Marquis Teague has shown flashes of a being a good player, but as Thibodeau likes to do, he doesn't feel the need to call upon the rookie every night.  Teague will continue to give good minutes this year, but like Butler last year, we might have to wait until next season before he does anything especially meaningful.  Daequan Cook has been a decent recent addition, filling the role of a veteran who is best off giving you a boost every now and then.  Expect him to log more minutes down the stretch when the veterans need a rest before playoff time.  Not much can be said about Nazr Mohammed or Vladimir Radmanovic.  Mohammed has been disappointing in limited minutes while Radmanovic barely plays.  Many wonder if they'll even survive the end of the season and it wouldn't shock me if one them didn't.

Thibodeau continues to face criticism that he's riding his regular players too hard on game night.  People are worried there won't be enough left in the tank for a deep playoff run if he doesn't back off a little.  I stand by my view of sticking with his philosophy because you're not going to change the way he operates, nor does I think he knows any other way.  If it turns out to be a mistake on his part, he'll learn from it.  Whether he chooses to carry such new found knowledge over into his job won't be seen until it happens.  All of this may not happen for another year or two, when Rose returns and the Bulls are (hopefully) completely healthy.

I made my opinions on the Rose situation clear a couple of posts back, so read that if you really want to know.  I will say that the Bulls have been prepared to proceed without him from the beginning of the season, so that approach should not change.  They sit fifth in the East now and regardless of whether the former MVP returns, this group can still earn home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.  They just have to get out of their recent funk and keep pace with Indiana.  It's nice to get home-court in the first round.  A little insurance by winning the division would be even better.  The Bulls are equipped and they'll work hard to make it happen.

The second half of the season begins tomorrow against the New Orleans Hornets.  Right out of the gate, remind the soon-to-be Pelicans that they're still the Hornets and this is a season they're willing to forget.  Get hot and don't let up.

Michael's 50

We all know there's been a lot of fuss about this over the past week, but there's a good reason for it.  Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player to ever live who happened to find glory with the Bulls, is 50 years old today.  When he was born on that Brooklyn day in 1963, parents Deloris and James couldn't have predicted that their new baby would one day change sports forever.  Few came before him and even fewer are expected after.

LeBron James may in fact surpass many of MJ's records, but there's no denying he'll never be as competitive or famous or beloved no matter how long he plays.  The hype just isn't the same.  Nor is the adoration.  Only MJ's hype took on a life of its own.  Before the media became obsessed with creating celebrities out of athletes at early ages, Jordan forced everyone to pay attention to him.  And unlike many promises today's athletes dish out which turn up empty, Jordan always backed his up.  No one can even come close to the same level.

If you read today's papers, you'll read many anecdotes from those who associated with Jordan, those who played against him and those who simply watched him play.  Now, it's my turn.  I direct your attention to this passage from my post recounting the second Bulls game I saw in person.  It was November 5, 1997 and the Bulls were playing the Orlando Magic.  That's when my best first-person account of MJ took place:

It took a couple of minutes for either team to get on the board, but Jordan finally dunked for the first two points.  Because I got to see this great athlete do what he was best known for with my own eyes (well, maybe I saw it on the video board instead), it will forever be my favorite moment of his career.
 
As great as that dunk was, there was one other moment involving His Airness that I know I looked down on.  I think it captured the essence of just how much people loved to watch this man play.  At some point during the game, he stepped to the free throw line.  Whenever he got into his set motion, dozens of flash bulbs behind the glass went off.  It looked so automatic that I thought a camera had been set up in that area to take a bunch of pictures with the push of a button.  Of course, I also knew that couldn't have been the case.  With the future of the Bulls dynasty in doubt, people wanted to savor every moment they could with its centerpiece.  Plus, at 34 years old, nobody knew how much he had left in the tank.  This was history right here.  A once-in-a-lifetime player.  If you got that kind of photo opportunity from those seats and passed it up, you would have kicked yourself for the rest of your life.  Us Bulls fans knew what we had and never took it for granted.

Watching Michael Jordan play and the Bulls win championships with him played a big part in who I am today.  Were it not for them, sports would not have turned into an obsession for me.  It's what I've built my life around, even if I never had an athletic gene in my body.  Once my dreams of being just like him were dashed as a teenager (a dream I hung onto a little longer than I should have), I continued to look for ways to involve sports in my life.  That's just what happened.  I did play-by-play for my college radio station and now, I'm an agate editor for the sports section of the Chicago Tribune.  Wherever I go from here, I can thank Michael for laying the foundation for at least the early part of my life.


Many of us dread age and getting older.  That's why to some, the greatest player to ever set foot on the court turning 50 is a regrettable moment.  As we get old, so do our heroes.  The children of the '80s and '90s who watched him play are all grown themselves.  This event is a reminder that childhood memories constantly get further away from us.  That's why we hold onto them for as long as we can.

Also as time goes on, we are forced to see the imperfections of people like Jordan, whom we admired as kids.  He certainly has his share (the gambling, the divorce, the grudges, the Bobcats ownership), but this generation prefers to look past that.  Those in the media who covered him as a player tend to be more cynical and thus, have no reservations dishing criticism his way when they feel necessary.  For us, unless he goes the O.J. Simpson route, Jordan will always be the high-flying, slick-moving, clutch player who made highlight reels every single night.

So on this day, I raise my horns to Mike.  May he find happiness in all the time that is to come and be reflective of his past, which made him as famous as he has been for years.  Someday, maybe all of us can be like Mike.  Until then, Happy Birthday to the best that ever was and the best that ever will be.

Returning This Year? Not So Fast

We just can't stay away from Derrick Rose news.  For those unaware, I have a rule of avoiding it unless there's a major breakthrough.  Going from one step to the next in practices doesn't count.  However, what we have now is probably as close to major news as we've gotten in some time.

After telling USA Today Sports he wasn't close to returning, Rose gave some time after last night's Celtics loss to local reporters, some of whom were miffed about being snubbed by the former MVP.  What he told them was enough to make it a "developing story" on SportsCenter.  He reiterated what he had just made public and was quoted as saying "I don't mind missing this year."  Not since "Why can't I be MVP of the league?" has a Rose quote garnered so much media attention and fan reaction.  The press is just doing its job while many fans aren't happy with what they've heard after previous assumptions Rose would be back sometime during the second half.

Almost from the time Rose went down in last year's playoffs, my dad has not backed off on his belief that Rose will not suit up at all this season.  Until now, he's been in a rather small minority.  That got even smaller when Adrian Peterson recently had an MVP season in the NFL mere months after having his own ACL repaired.  Now that we know the feelings of the man himself, many aren't so sure we'll see him in a game before next preseason.  He says he can't dunk, giving an indication that any excitement of seeing him sooner rather than later has been premature.  So, perhaps, was "The Return."  Maybe it's time for Adidas to order a second season.

I won't lie.  It stung me to hear this as much as anyone else.  I'm always an optimist, though I've known from the beginning of the year Rose won't be the same player right away.  We should have expected a first-person progress report soon with the All-Star break looming.  Does that make the news easier to take?  Not a chance.  Any comic book with Superman crippled is difficult to read.  That's why we hate to see the greatest Bull in the lifetime of the youngest fans deliver this punch himself.

We knew this season was a lost cause, even during last year's playoffs.  Rose is the only player on this team who can create his own shot.  While Luol Deng and Joakim Noah earned their All-Star berths, they don't fall under the secondary scoring option category, which everyone knows by now hurts the Bulls.  Quite a few fans have already declared they won't get their hopes up for anything until that problem is fixed.  Rose is out, so you might as well start thinking about next year, they say.

Whenever Rose returns should factor into whether he alone feels he can return (and perhaps Jerry Reinsdorf as well), not so he can make a futile playoff push.  Listening to his fans or his shoe company would only cause problems.  If the towel's already been thrown, the rush isn't there.  The Bulls have already put on a good showing without him, so they can at least look competitive to the rest of the league.  Right now, they would at least like to get past the first round.  Beating Miami in a seven-game series is impossible, but can they at least make them work should they meet?  Those questions will be answered, with or without Rose.

Hang in there, Derrick.  Your fans and this city are praying for your complete recovery.  Don't listen to anybody rushing you.  We'll watch the games.  Just focus on you.  You've earned the right, now use it.

Sloppily Needing a Break

Years from now, people may be questioning whether tonight's game against the Boston Celtics actually existed.  It was that ugly.  Neither team had broken 40 at the midway point of the third quarter, which the Bulls won only 13-8.  In the end, it turned ugly enough for the Bulls that they were sent reeling into the All-Star break with a 71-69 loss.  Those 71 points were the fewest the Bulls have ever surrendered in a loss and it was tough to keep your attention occupied during much of it.

Both offenses finally came alive in the fourth, but as is typically the case in basketball, the team with the fewest turnovers came out on top.  The Celtics had 12, but the Bulls' 22 was the most since Tom Thibodeau took over.  The worst of them came down the stretch, allowing Boston to go on a run that would just be enough to push them over the top.  They also made more clutch shots, many of which came during masterful passing sequences that left the Bulls' defense baffled and scrambling to recover, which mostly went for naught.  Plus, once the home crowd got going, any mental edge the Bulls previously held disappeared.

Brandon Bass led all scorers with, believe it or not, 14 points.  With Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry not far behind on the Celtics with 12, this was an offensive game for them to forget.  Whatever the outcome for either side, nobody was going to leave TD Garden completely satisfied with the persona this game took on.  It's the end result that counts though and the Celtics will make no apologies for that.

Marco Belinelli made the game-winning bucket during the Bulls' last trip to Boston.  This time, he was merely their leading scorer with 12 points.  Jimmy Butler had 11 while Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah had respective double-doubles of 11/11 and 10/16.  The starting backcourt of Nate Robinson and Rip Hamilton hurt as they shot a collective 3-of-13.  Robinson had six assists, which is nice, but I have to imagine Kirk Hinrich would have provided just a little more scoring despite his own shooting being suspect throughout the year.  The Bulls are missing his services right now.  He hasn't suited up at all in February and if he were healthy, things might be looking more up at the moment.

It was clear from the opening tip that the Bulls were more into merely staying in the game than taking control.  While they had a nice mini-run in the fourth quarter, you could tell the mental state just wasn't where it needed to be.  That bit them against the Spurs and the effect repeated itself tonight.  With the injury bug rearing its ugly head and the constant push under Thibodeau's helm, this group is gassed. 

Noah and Luol Deng will do their best to represent Chicago in Houston on Sunday.  For the rest however, they need to take their minds off basketball for a little while.  Whatever the reason for this recent slide, showing up under-prepared against quality opponents is not helping.  This loss has knocked them to fifth in the East behind Brooklyn.  If they don't get back to what they've been doing for most of the year, that playoff position could drop further in the second half, when everyone will be watching the conference standings nightly.

The NBA may be taking a few days off from regular competition, but I won't stop writing.  A special post will come Sunday to commemorate Michael Jordan's 50th birthday, followed by a midseason report for the current crop.  The action picks up again Tuesday as the Bulls play the New Orleans Hornets for the final time.  The Pelicans will replace them and there's a chance the Hornets will return to Charlotte.  That's all in the future though.  Get back on track in the present.

Beaten By Spurs of the Moment

While my seats for tonight's game against the San Antonio Spurs were a little further away, I came to expect a win like I experienced this past Election Day.  After all, with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili nursing injuries, how competitive could this team be?  Yeah, they'd won 12 of their previous 13, but what could these second-tier Spurs do?  The answer was a whole lot and they had me, my dad and most of the rest of the United Center crowd leaving disappointed in a 103-89 final.

The remaining regular starters were the biggest offenders to my enjoyment.  Kawhi Leonard had a career-high 26 points and Danny Green put up 18.  Tiago Splitter shared his 16-point total with Gary Neal, who came off the bench.  It was a cruel reminder that the Bulls are not the only team in the NBA that can compete without its regular starters.  More likely though, the Spurs are just that good.

The Bulls' defense was badly exposed throughout much of this and the Spurs found easy layups and open threes.  The latter brought back memories of the Scott Skiles era when it was a common issue in Bulls defeats.  If the defense didn't get beat, the offense they faced went ahead and beat them anyway.  As a showcase of why they're likely to return to the Western Conference finals this year, the Spurs made a lot of tough shots, even with a defender in the shooter's face.

Conversely, San Antonio forced the Bulls into long possessions and shots they would never be comfortable with taking.  The fourth quarter provided plenty such examples.  Then of course, the turnovers piled up:  some by their own fault and others by virtue of a stronger opposing defense.  The Spurs had five steals in the second quarter alone and one turnover compared to the Bulls' 11 at halftime.  The final score in that count was 19-8.  Just take a look at the box score and you can see one of the more glaring reasons why the Bulls lost.

Nate Robinson, continuing to provide more scoring power than Kirk Hinrich has for most of the season, led the Bulls with 20 points.  Rip Hamilton shot pretty well, 8-for-11 from the field, and scored 16 on a night when he had to carry a lot of the offense.  At his age, it shouldn't have to come to that, though the boost in scoring average is nice.  Carlos Boozer scored six of the Bulls' first eight, but cooled off and finished with 14.  Luol Deng had a quiet double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds.  Deng's fellow All-Star, Joakim Noah, grabbed 15 boards, which would have looked bigger if his scoring output was higher than seven.

For all the talk about injuries and fatigue that have surfaced lately, for all the ways the Bulls contributed to their own defeat, the ultimate one was likely the Spurs are as good as that 41-12 record, the best in the NBA, dictates.  The aforementioned injured trio won't be around much longer as time is beginning to catch up with them.  For the rest of that roster, they're thriving under Gregg Popovich.  With a combination of a smart front office and the league's longest tenured coach, there's no reason why they shouldn't have made the playoffs every year since 1998, the longest active such streak.  They might not have enough to get past Oklahoma City this year, but they won't be a cakewalk either.  That veteran leadership, which guides the promising young blood, makes this roster lethal no matter who is sent out there or what building they enter.

The Bulls have a day to forget this before they wrap up the season's first half Wednesday in Boston against the Celtics.  That team's been hot since Rajon Rondo's season ended, but you still want to try and build some momentum going into the break.  Things don't seem so great right now.  A solid final game before Deng and Noah head to Houston will make things better.  They just gotta bring everything they've got.

Power Forward Swap?

Less than 24 hours ago, the latest in the endless carousel of NBA trade rumors struck, this one involving the Bulls and Raptors.  There have reportedly been discussions involving Carlos Boozer heading north in exchange for former top pick Andrea Bargnani.  As expected, several fans have become giddy at the prospect.  You get rid of Boozer and maybe finally have that second scoring option to compliment Derrick Rose, especially from outside.

Of course, the rumor is nothing more than, well, a rumor.  The Raptors just took on Rudy Gay's large contract and Boozer's isn't exactly peanuts.  They're a franchise desperately looking for a spark, as they haven't had many since entering the league.  To have two big salaries on the books could be something they can ill afford at the moment.  Bargnani is said to be looking for a change of scenery, as is his team's fan base.  Without money considerations, this would be a perfect match on paper.  That's not how the NBA works though.

From the Bulls' standpoint, you have to remember John Paxson's past hesitance to sign off on deals that would swap his previous acquisitions for bigger names.  Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are two names that immediately come to mind.  He would also rather not disrupt chemistry, which has been surprisingly remarkable without Derrick Rose.  Boozer is finally playing up to that contract, at least close to it.  Many may jump on this front office for not taking big chances once in awhile.  That's just how it is though. 

Swapping big contracts is often risky business.  This particular situation is iffy.  Bargnani is struggling after an elbow injury forced him to miss 26 games.  We don't know how Boozer will finish the season or what he'll do over the final two years of his deal.  It would be nice if both could live up to their billing at the same time.  Otherwise, we might not be talking about this.  But in this time when many want to amnesty Boozer and the top pick of the 2006 draft isn't welcome where his career began anymore, it adds up to this discussion.

After giving up the most points in the Tom Thibodeau era against the Nuggets last night, the road trip wraps up tonight against the Utah Jazz.  All trade talks will subside for the time being while the Bulls try to snap their two-game losing streak.  You want to come home with a bit of momentum, especially when the Spurs will be waiting for you Monday.  Maybe the roster will be slightly different by then, though I'm not putting money on it.

Don't Take It Easy, Thibs

A common complaint I heard, and to an extent have about 670 The Score is that there's not enough Bulls coverage, particularly when football is in season.  Now that the Super Bowl has passed, attention has slowly returned to the pro basketball team in town and already, skepticism not related to whether this team can beat Miami in the playoffs has made its rounds on the station.  I'm particularly looking at Dan Bernstein, one of its most notable personalities who has no gripes about what others think of his opinions.  All I've heard from him this week is how Tom Thibodeau should take it easy on the veterans' playing time.  He recognizes the recent injury bug, but feels he should take more from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich in giving his veterans more rest.

It's a good argument and I can see why people would agree with him.  But I think it speaks volumes about the direction sports has gone in these days.  Way back when, coaches didn't care how hard they rode their players and neither did the public.  Thibodeau seems to fit that mold, at least the first part.  He steps on the gas every single day of his job and nothing suggests that's about to change.  Thanks to skeptics like Bernstein, Thibodeau is painted to be the right coach in the wrong time period.  We're so concerned about what's going to happen to players in the future that it''s easy to forget about the need for their talents in the present.  How a coach chooses to push Luol Deng and Rip Hamilton nightly is completely up to him. 

The only reason to put players on a time limit is if they're coming off an injury.   Derrick Rose will be facing that soon and no one will complain.  Thibodeau's mantra is if you can play and bring something, you'll play.  Since he was hired, I haven't heard one player make even the slightest stink over playing too much.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I just can't recall such a comment.

The NBA has a need to protect its players, but it also works to protect the integrity of the game.  That means coaches using their game rosters to put forth every possible effort to win.  None of this was made more clear than two months ago when the Spurs were docked a quarter of a million dollars for sending Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green home before a nationally televised road game against the Heat.  Yep, the same team coached by the supposed modern-day prototype of his position. 

Taking it easy enough on your players one night isn't as big an offense, but in a way, it's still cheating the high-paying customers who walk through the turnstiles night after night and the millions more watching on television and the Internet.  Fans should expect nothing less than a 100 percent effort whenever they watch their teams play.  It's their hard-earned money going toward an organization worth millions of dollars, so why settle for less?

You don't have to agree with my opinions.  I'm just in the camp that says Thibodeau is doing nothing wrong.  Many have pointed this out as the one flaw in an otherwise ideal NBA coach.  I understand that injuries happen and there's a need to look after those who are banged up.  That doesn't mean you should sacrifice healthy minutes from what you can get out of your players. 

This isn't baseball, where you're constantly monitoring your pitchers who have to throw in an unnatural motion every fifth day.  Nor is it football, which forces its players into violent collisions and is under increasing scrutiny for head injuries.  Basketball allows you to move your body normally most of the time and requires minimal physical protection.  Fatigue plays a part, but again, if no one on the Bulls has had anything to say about Thibodeau's playing time philosophy, why are some of the fans and media?  They're in a better position without Rose than previously anticipated and another All-Star has bloomed in the form of Joakim Noah (who is having foot problems, but that's for another post).  I guess it's just in our nature to be skeptical.  The older we get, the more experience we have in watching sports and thus, compare now to past successes.

We'll try to forget this supposed issue when the Bulls face the Nuggets in Denver tonight.  There are only two games left on this road trip and they occur on back-to-back nights.  The Bulls have split the first four of their Disney on Ice trip.  Find some mojo tonight and then keep it tomorrow against Utah.

Run Out

I actually forgot that tonight's game against the Indiana Pacers was the one rescheduled from the earlier postponement.  That said, I hoped for a high-quality game, which is what I got.  Too bad the Bulls were the team bit by the injury bug and facing a club tied for the best home record in the East in their building.  With Joakim Noah and Kirk Hinrich on the floor, perhaps I wouldn't be discussing a 111-101 loss.  By the way, this ends the Bulls' winning streak in games in which they scored 100.

Momentum went back and forth for almost 48 minutes, resulting in run after run that gave each team the lead.  Finally, the Pacers showed why they were picked to win the Central in the preseason and also why they're superior to the Nets, who barely beat an even-less-healthy Bulls squad on Friday.  They're tall, athletic and can shoot from anywhere as long as they create their own shots, which happens often.

David West led the parade with 29 points, showing why he should have been an All-Star.  The Pacer that earned the honor, Paul George, had 21 of his own.  Not to be outdone, George Hill scored 22.  Rounded out by Lance Stephenson's 15, the usually poor-shooting Pacers (.428, 27th in the league) were 53 percent from the floor.  Though they average 92 points (29th), it mattered little on this night.  Even teams that rely primarily on defense have breakout games on the other end.  The Bulls, unfortunately, happened to be the recipient here.

The already shorthanded Bulls nearly became more so when Marco Belinelli knocked down a three on a foul, but landed awkwardly on his foot.  After a swollen ankle was taped up, Belinelli went on to have his biggest game of the year, scoring a season-high 24.  The ankle will probably hurt like hell in the morning, but he'll tell you it was worth it to keep his team in it.  All five starters were in double figures, led by 19 from Nate Robinson, just named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week.  If Luol Deng had scored more than 13 and the remaining three went higher than 10 each, a different outcome might have happened.

The Bulls can step up at anytime regardless of opponent or player availability.  Eventually though, missing key players will catch up.  The Nets and Hawks are decent teams, but not more than second-best in their respective divisions.  In the Central, there's a more squeezed battle to the top.  Though the Pacers are now tied for the lead in the division, they hold the tiebreaker, so that makes them the de facto first-place team.  That's currently the difference between the third and fourth seed in the East, so before you say divisional standings don't matter, yes, they do.

The road trip continues Thursday when the Bulls head to the mountains to face the Denver Nuggets.  It's unusual for an East team to draw the second game on TNT, so grab a nap before staying up late for some basketball.  Of course, if you stay up late anyway, just go about your business until tipoff.  Me?  I'll be working.  No choice but to watch there.  Gotta love your job sometimes.