Way to Go, Jo

Joakim Noah has plenty of reason to raise the roof right now.  After weeks of debate over whether he belonged in this year's All-Star Game, we got our answer Thursday night.  For the second straight season, Noah will be competing with the best the NBA has to offer.

With season averages of 11.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists, Noah already made a solid case for himself.  However, what he helped the Bulls accomplish in January seemingly defies all logic.  As I've recounted on here several times already, Derrick Rose's injury and Luol Deng's trade should have meant the end of enjoyable basketball in Chicago this season.  But Noah had other ideas.  He elevated his status as the natural-born leader of this club to new heights both on and off the court.  Suddenly, the Bulls have a shot at home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

As he continues to play the best basketball of his career, Noah will not allow his team to quit as long he's out on the court.  If he's confident, so is everyone else.  On Monday, I saw with my own eyes what happens when he's not around his team.  Everyone looks disoriented and can't find opportunities that would otherwise be there.  He makes that much of a difference, people.

I'm glad he's here in Chicago and should be kept around for as long as he can be a major contributor to a basketball team.  The good news is Gar Forman and John Paxson highly value the players they draft themselves, so letting him go won't be so easy when the time comes.  With luck, he'll be part of the core that brings the Bulls their seventh championship in the next few years.  In the meantime, just enjoy what this man has to offer.

Getting the Melo Fellow?

Carmelo Anthony may be battling to box out Joakim Noah now, but could he soon be clearing way under the basket so Noah can get those boards?  That's the question on a lot of people's minds right now in Chicago.  After the indication that the Bulls were more in play for Anthony this offeseason than the Lakers, the rumor brewed up to the point where it took on a life of its own.  Now, Anthony himself is being asked about it, but he has predictably pushed it off to the side so he can concentrate on helping the Knicks win right now.

Obviously, other moves would have to be made in order to make this work.  Carlos Boozer would need to be amnestied and one of either Noah or Taj Gibson would have to be dealt, freeing up the cap space that could fulfill Anthony's salary he could make if he signs anywhere other than New York this summer.  Whatever it takes for the Bulls to land the defending scoring champion is a must for people like Charles Barkley, who considers it a good way for the team will be able to stay relevant for the next few years.  Yes, Derrick Rose's knees are more important, Barkley says, but this would help.

While I'd appreciate the services of Anthony in Chicago, I think he'd need to change in a couple ways.  First, a career average of 3.1 assists is a little low for a player of his stature in my opinion.  He's been known to put scoring above all other facets of his game and I don't know if Tom Thibodeau would welcome someone who's a little one-sided.  Second, and most importantly, he needs to rid himself of all the drama he's been known to cause.  He had a messy exit in Denver and now, he's not completely happy in New York.  It has to be contributing to the downfall of a Knicks team with a lot of winning talent, but coupled with injuries, is trying to stay in the playoff picture.

If there's one thing the Bulls organization won't stand, it's a lack of unity among the players.  Yes, there have been quite a few quarrels between the front office and coaching staff in recent years, but the roster is able to win together because they put aside all personal agendas except to win.  Anthony must be willing to accept that if he ends up signing here.  Unfortunately, he's been in the league long enough that I don't think he's going to completely change.  Empty promises do not sit well anywhere and I think that's what it would all come down to.

A lot can happen between now and July, but until then, take the rumor for just what it is.  There's going to be plenty of conversation for topics like this and here's another example.  Worry about that when the time comes and keep the focus on winning games now.

Doubles for Everyone

Never mind that the Bulls started their six-game road trip against a San Antonio Spurs team that had four of their key players out with injuries, Manu Ginobili among them.  Any win against a perennial contender that's a threat to win their conference yet again can only do wonders for your confidence going forward.  That's exactly what happened tonight with a 96-86 final.

Things looked even for much of the first half, but the Bulls closed it on a 12-0 run to take a four-point halftime lead.  From there, they answered every Spurs run with one of their own.  By the fourth quarter, it seemed every close shot attempt was falling for the Bulls and anything the Spurs put up was off target.  That pretty much told the story for the night as far as who had both the better luck and the healthier bodies.

In something you don't find in box scores too often, all seven Bulls who found the bottom of the hoop reached double figures.  Each of those players made at least three field goals and six of them had at least five.  Jimmy Butler, back in his home state of Texas, led the Bulls with 19 points.  Carlos Boozer's latest double-double consisted of 16 and 12.  Joakim Noah, back after missing Monday's game against Minnesota with an illness, recorded 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.  His final rebound, occurring on the game's last possession, kept his double-digit rebounding streak alive at 17.  Kirk Hinrich returned from a hamstring injury and totaled 11 to show his time off was worth the wait, even if he came off the bench.

This is exactly what the Bulls needed to kick off their Disney on Ice trip.  Everyone not named Derrick Rose was healthy.  They knew that even though the Spurs have been in a slump thanks to injuries recently, they can be dangerous with less than what they had available tonight.  They were ready for that and took full advantage of the situation.  Tom Thibodeau is most certainly happy with what he saw.  To go into the defending Western champions' house and kick them while they're down is extremely gratifying.  Yes, it would have been nice to beat them at full strength, but beggars can't be choosers and every opponent is taken equally around here.  That's why this team always goes all out.

After two days' rest, the Bulls will take on the New Orleans Pelicans.  Hopefully, not only can they win, but they'll have all potential bodies available once more.  Those two combinations will make the fan base and the team itself happy.  And again, if you're one of those pulling your hair out over them not tanking to take advantage of the best of this year's draft, I can only apologize.  This is who the Bulls are and nothing will change that.

USA No Way?

Even when Derrick Rose thinks he's doing the right thing, it appears he's actually doing the wrong one.  As The Return II continues to take shape, everyone seems ready to analyze whatever the next move is six ways from Sunday.  So it should come as no surprise that Rose's intention to play for Team USA at this summer's FIBA World Cup in Spain has been a hot topic ever since it was made known less than a week ago.

Making this extra intriguing is that Tom Thibodeau, an assistant for the team, is fully backing his star point guard even though he likely won't suit up for his primary basketball employer again this season.  Naturally, there has been a mixed reaction to this.  The line has been drawn between those who consider this part of his rehab and those who wish he would continue to play it safe at all costs.  The stage appears set for another PR battle the Bulls would rather not deal with.

As I've said several times on here, I'm no medical expert and therefore, can't give a professional recommendation as to what he should do.  However, Rose has made it clear there is no doubt he wishes to compete in this tournament.  He even went so far as to post a message about it on his Facebook page.  That's how serious he is about taking up this challenge.  We know that once he makes a commitment to something, he will stick to it as long as he's able.

Considering this, I'm all for respecting his wishes if this is what he truly wants to do.  Perhaps he recognizes this as the rehab assignment to end all rehab assignments.  Think about it.  Many of the best players in the world, both in the NBA and otherwise, will be competing hard to bring gold back to their homelands.  It's not the Olympics, but it's bigger than anything that comes after it on an international scale.  This is the kind of competition Thibodeau loves and since Rose has played his very best under Thibodeau, he's going to love it too.

Even though Rose has played in fewer meaningful NBA games recently than those that make up an NFL team's entire schedule, this could also be a crash course in high-class competition.  We could see him next year almost as seasoned as anyone who will play all 82 games plus the playoffs this year.  The less experienced players in that tournament certainly will, so Rose might have that happen as well considering recent events.

I will certainly cheer for him as he plays in Spain.  I hope you do the same instead of just praying he doesn't get hurt the third time around.

Tough Love

Whatever it was that ailed Joakim Noah tonight didn't do either me or the Bulls any favors.  You see, I happened to be in the stands tonight along with friends Jeff Berta and Andrew Birns.  That itself was exciting, but upon learning that Noah was too ill to play and even left the United Center, I knew their chances of beating the Minnesota Timberwolves weren't so great.  With Kirk Hinrich also out, the Bulls struggled with Kevin Love and company, losing 95-86.

Carlos Boozer made the first shot of the game, giving the Bulls their only lead at 2-0.  For the rest of the first half, Minnesota did their best to show it was their game.  They forced turnovers, played tight defense and made the most of almost every opportunity.  Remarkably, they led by only eight at halftime.

The playing field leveled out more in the second half as the Timberwolves cooled off.  Unfortunately for the Bulls, they came up empty on many possessions, missing shot after shot and losing precious time to come back in the process.  They never got the deficit to smaller than five the rest of the way.  Whenever they had a chance to make it a one-possession game, it just didn't happen.  An average shooting night would likely have brought the contest down to the final seconds, but here, the Bulls shot just 37.6 percent from the floor.  Most teams will lose those games.

Love was as good as advertised, showing why he was voted to start this year's All-Star Game.  Without Noah to guard him, he scored 31 points and made all 14 of his free throws, matching a career high.  Even when Nikola Pekovic exited with an injured right Achilles' heel after only six minutes, Love did most of his damage in the first half.  He plays basketball a way few big men in the league can.  Whether it's by shooting, rebounding or defense, it's easy to see why he's become so popular.

Ronny Turiaf, who entered averaging just 2.3 points per game, suddenly caught fire by scoring 14 off the bench.  Chase Budinger didn't start either, but put up 12.  Even though Ricky Rubio dished out only four assists, J.J. Barea made up for that by totaling seven.  This was a bench that came up big in a lot of areas, unlike that of the Bulls.  More on that in a bit.

All five Bulls starters scored in double figures, led by 20 from Boozer, who also grabbed 14 rebounds in a game that saw him catch fire offensively in the second half after struggling mightily in the first.   D.J. Augustin did well on offense too, totaling 19 points and six assists.  Jimmy Butler carried the offense in the first half on his bobblehead night and finished with 16.  Taj Gibson, starting for Noah, joined Boozer in the double-double club with a line of 10-10.

Those are all decent stats, but the problem lies with who was starting.  Augustin and Gibson can be counted on for those lines on a routine basis.  However, when they're forced into the first rotation, that drains the bench of its resources.  It showed tonight as only 11 points, nine of which by Nazr Mohammed, came from that group.  The Bulls pride themselves on being a deep group with the potential to spawn unexpected heroes at any given time.  Still, we all saw what happens when they're stretched too thin when Hinrich and Luol Deng missed all of last year's playoff series with the Heat.  Most of the time, talent wins out and it doesn't help when everyone is struggling to make up what's unavailable.

Noah's absence made clear one thing I haven't talked much about recently, but couldn't be truer.  The Bulls have done just fine since trading Deng, defying the expectation that offense would suddenly be harder to come by.  Take away Noah and you have a team that's just flailing about.  That's not to say he would have made every single shot missed down the stretch tonight, but he would have taken away a lot of Minnesota's second chances that were pounced on.  Offensively, the Bulls just flow better together with him.  All this considered, Noah is the undisputed leader of this team, at least until Derrick Rose returns.  Whoever doubts whether he should be an All-Star should look at tonight as well as what he's done recently.  Without him, the Bulls are lost as far as identity and competitiveness.

This was the last game before the annual Disney on Ice trip, so the Bulls will have to find momentum elsewhere.  It doesn't get easier either as they'll travel to San Antonio to play the Spurs on Wednesday.  Hopefully, Noah will have gotten over whatever bug he's contracted and can at least make a game of it.  Until then, enjoy the picture of tonight's giveaway I received.

PS - This guy is all for twerking as well as country music.

Villains Take WWE Night

Were the Bulls really the villains in this game?  It could be argued since they were the opponents on the night of a Cleveland Cavaliers promotion.  Regardless, the Bulls couldn't care less about that and stayed focused on bringing down Luol Deng in his new home.  They did just that with a 98-87 final.

Even though Carlos Boozer and Kirk Hinrich both sat out with injuries, they weren't needed on this impressive shooting night.  The Bulls shot 52.9 percent from the floor and 10-for-21 from behind the arc.  Early on, it was clear good shooting and defense would prevail on this night.  Though just 3-for-6 at the start, the Bulls got off to a 7-0 lead, setting the tone.  They survived Kyrie Irving's scoring binge in the second quarter and his 26 total points, outscoring the Cavs 28-18 in the third.  That decided the game, putting any fears that Deng, who shot just 2-of-11 from the floor and scored 11, would haunt his old mates in their first meeting.

Backing up an increasing notion that almost any point guard can thrive in Tom Thibodeau's system, D.J. Augustin led everyone with 27 points and seven assists.  He just might be the Bulls' best player not named Joakim Noah in January.  That's how much of an impact he's made, especially considering he's had his minutes increase due to an injured Hinrich on more than one occasion.  Don't forget he picked up the slack for Marquis Teague as his time with the Bulls winded down.  At least now, he has Mike James, the same guy whose job he took, to give him a breather when needed.

Taj Gibson, starting for Boozer, scored 26 and had three blocks in 43 minutes.  It was surely a glimpse of when he likely becomes the regular starting power forward next season with Boozer amnestied.  Mike Dunelavy showed Deng his old starting spot is in good hands by pouring in 22, though I doubt Deng is that concerned with how that's holding up.  Noah's campaign for an All-Star berth continued by collecting 18 rebounds and dishing out six assists.  Seriously, if he's denied a trip to New Orleans a few weeks from now, bring me the Eastern Conference coaches who snubbed him on their ballots so I can hear why.  The Bulls don't go on this January tear without him.

Just when you thought the Bulls were finished with the Derrick Rose injury and the Deng trade, they suddenly find themselves one game over .500 at 21-20.  They sit just one game behind the third seed in the East.  You have to praise a team that's clicking offensively, playing shutdown defense and playing that grind-it-out style they've become known for in the absence of their former MVP.  There's no way a team with considerably less talent than they had to start the season should be doing this, yet they are.  If you can't appreciate it because you're hoping for a high lottery pick in June, I sincerely apologize.

The fun will continue Friday when the Bulls welcome their second Los Angeles team to the United Center this week.  The Clippers will be the foes and while I'm not predicting a good outcome, at least it should be entertaining.  Lob City is coming, so prepare for the rim to come close to shattering.  Sorry if it sounds like cheerleading for the enemy, but when you have an exciting opponent, entertainment is plentiful.

Ending the Lake Show Before Late

TNT has to be kicking themselves for not keeping tonight's game against the Los Angeles Lakers on their schedule.  They switched to Houston-Portland, which saw the Rockets win by 13.  On the West Side, fans got treated to a game that was even right up until the very end.  That's when 21,626 were able to redeem their ticket stubs for free Big Macs following a 102-100 Bulls victory in overtime.

With the Bulls up 92-90 and 7.4 seconds left, Joakim Noah got to the free throw line and split a pair.  After a Lakers timeout, Nick Young missed a three, but drew contact from Noah and proceeded to hit all three free throws.  Noah's questionable shot selection on the ensuing possession forced the overtime.  The wind was sucked out of most of the crowd.

Fast forward to 30 seconds remaining in the extra session and the Bulls leading 100-98.  D.J. Augustin, who had taken over for the Bulls by then, milked as much time as he could, but lost the ball out of bounds.  After a timeout, Young got open and hit a baseline jumper, tying the game again and giving him 31 points.  The Bulls had six seconds to end it and despite taking too much time to find a shot, the ball went out off a Laker with 0.9 seconds remaining.  We may never know what Tom Thibodeau drew up in the 20-second timeout that followed, but we'll be grateful for Taj Gibson's layup with no time left that followed.  Game over.  The Bulls are back to .500 at 20-20.

As mentioned, Augustin had himself a night, leading the Bulls with 27 points and hitting five three-pointers.  Nate Robinson's replacement has truly arrived.  It just took until after the season began for it to be found.  It was also impressive considering he had to carry the entire load at point guard after Kirk Hinrich exited with a right hamstring injury.  He's going to keep the Bulls in a lot of game going forward.

Noah, whose recent play is building a serious case for a second straight All-Star appearance, had a terrific line of 17 points, 21 rebounds and six assists.  The way he handled Pau Gasol tonight should be on his highlight reel for the season.  He didn't always succeed, but Gasol really had to earn his paycheck tonight, scoring 20 of his toughest points of the season.

Jimmy Butler finished a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds.  However, he struggled from the field for much of the game, shooting 6-of-19.  Carlos Boozer fared worse, scoring 11 on a night he was 4-of-16.  He didn't even see the floor late in the game, showing how much of a liability he was to Thibodeau on this night.  That's not the first time he's been in this situation either, just one reason folks wouldn't be sad to see him amnestied after the season.  Mike Dunleavy scored 13 and Taj Gibson added 12, the last two of which came on his first game-winner at any level.

With the Bulls hot and the Lakers not, it probably shouldn't have been as close a game as it was.  Instead, we got another reminder of the grind-it-out style the Bulls are going to have utilize for the rest of the season.  With Derrick Rose out and Luol Deng gone, pure scoring is harder to come by and the best offensive performances, like with Augustin tonight, will mostly come from players getting hot at the right time.

It would also be better if they slowed the pace down a little bit.  It seemed too often in this game, they tried to perform certain tasks quicker than their bodies would allow them.  That led to turnovers, although the Lakers had plenty of similar mistakes.  If the Bulls would just play their own game instead of trying to counter with their opponents', they should have more success.  Then again, I'm not an NBA coach, so I can't decide what their best strategy is.  I just think their style is the most preferable method.

The Bulls get to check out Deng's new digs in Cleveland when they visit the Cavaliers Wednesday.  We'll have an idea of who can survive more without the other, although the Bulls have played very well since the trade went down.  We love you, Luol, but the NBA is always business first.  Sentimentality will have to be put aside for one night.

Never a Marquis Pick

One of my more common themes this season has been the minimal impact made by Marquis Teague.  Failing to perform up to par when called upon and being assigned to the D-League made me wonder just what kind of impact he would eventually have here.  The answer is none.

With the front office's patience apparently having run as thin as the fan base's, Teague was dealt to the Brooklyn Nets for forward Tornike Shengelia.  However, the trade won't be official until the league's office reopens for business Tuesday.  Teague's immediate departure would leave the Bulls below the 12-player minimum on game night, so in one of the most unusual arrangements you'll ever hear of, Teague dressed during last night's win over Philadelphia and will also do so tomorrow when the Lakers come to town.  He's already logged his last minutes for the Bulls, but it has to feel awkward putting on the uniform of a team he no longer works for.

In 67 career games for the Bulls, Teague averaged just 2.1 points and 1.4 assists.  This season, he shot 24 percent from the field.  By trading the Kentucky product, Gar Forman and John Paxson indicated they were pessimistic that those numbers were going to improve under the circumstances and the system Tom Thibodeau runs.  He's far behind where Jimmy Butler was during his sophomore campaign a year ago.  Perhaps with guidance from Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Deron Williams and rookie head coach Jason Kidd, Teague will get opportunities that would never have been available here.

Shengelia is in a similar boat as Teague.  He's 22, in his second NBA season and has spent time in the D-League.  In 36 career games, all with the Nets, the 6-9 forward has averaged 1.5 points, one rebound and shot 45 percent.  Granted, he's only attempted 47 shots, but with luck, that's an indication of what will be a productive NBA career for the Georgia native.  Of course, the question is now whether he'll be battling Erik Murphy as to who can get more playing time.  My reasoning is if the Bulls bothered to trade for him, he should see the floor a bit.

As for Teague, I feel a little bad that he barely got a chance here and was very unimpressive when he did.  He's only 20, so he's got some time to show he belongs in this league.  He just needs a system that will allow him to thrive to the best of his abilities.  In the end however, whether he actually does is up to him.  The best thing for him to do is take his Chicago experience and build upon it.  He can only get better from here, so I wish him luck in his future endeavors.

Like I indicated earlier, the Bulls will host the Lakers tomorrow in an MLK Day matchup.  It was originally supposed to be on TNT, but thanks to the injuries to Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant, the national interest evaporated, so it will just be locally televised instead.  Regardless of the circumstances, I hope Teague takes one last chance to soak in the atmosphere of his about-to-be former home arena.  There's nothing else like it in the NBA, so all players who come through Chicago are very lucky.

Marathon in Magic Kingdom

The post-Luol Deng era never promised to be pretty.  Tonight's game against the Orlando Magic proved to be just that.  Both teams were eager to pull away at various points, but ended up in a dogfight instead.  Yet somehow, the Bulls pulled it off in triple overtime 128-125.

Derrick Rose made his first appearance on the bench since losing his crutches, looking as sharp as anyone at the Amway Center in an expensive suit.  He's known for coming through in the clutch and some of that rubbed off on his teammates.  Mike Dunleavy hit a three that sent the game into a second overtime.  Joakim Noah made a tip shot late in that period before a three by Glen Davis forced a third extra session.  Noah and Tony Snell had keep buckets which this time, proved enough to end the game and give the Bulls a 4-1 record since trading Deng.

Helping the Bulls to overcome Victor Oladipo's career-high 35 points and Jameer Nelson's 31, Noah registered a thrilling line of 26 points, 19 rebounds and six assists.  Not far behind were Carlos Boozer with 23 and Jimmy Butler, who played in a franchise regular-season record 60 minutes, with 21.  Butler and Dunleavy each tied Noah in the assists column, but finished behind D.J. Augustin, who had nine dimes off the bench and added 19 points for good measure.  Snell, becoming the rare rookie who's thriving to an extent under Tom Thibodeau, scored 15 and grabbed seven rebounds.  That was impressive, but Snell couldn't match Taj Gibson's boards total of 11.  Contributors were aplenty tonight.

I know after the previous game, I said the Bulls were not a team that thrives on getting into shooting contests with opponents.  That's largely true, but when you're battling an inferior team like the Magic, whose losing streak reached nine tonight, it's easier to find those ways to beat them.  The Bulls shot 12-of-33 from three-point range.  Dunleavy, Augustin and Snell evenly split nine of those.  All three are mainly shooters, so if there was ever a game for them all to put those skills to good use, this was it.  I don't know if we'll see that kind of game from this trio again this season, but at least we got to see what they could do when they all peaked.

Games against lesser opponents are not going to come as easily as before.  Deng provided a scoring punch that would have brought tonight's contest to an end in regulation.  I know that sooner or later, we're going to have to let this deal go, but everyone will continue to bring it up until enough time has passed that it falls out of the news.  Perhaps next week.

Regardless of who comes along, the Bulls are still going to make the other team earn their wins.  I know it's easier to write them off against Miami and Indiana now, but they've beaten those teams with less of a packed punch before.  The difference now is this team is weaker by design in addition to injuries.  The Magic thought they had this game won, but the Bulls continued to battle and in the end, said no to mercy for Orlando.  They're continuing to battle hard and that makes true basketball fans around Chicagoland happy as can be.

The Bulls will have a chance to avenge their Monday loss to the Washington Wizards Friday in our nation's capital.  Fatigue might play a little bit of a factor after tonight's never-ending win, but at least they have a day to rest up before going all out for another 48 minutes.  That's the mentality of this team and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.  Weak or strong, the Bulls can go long, even 63 minutes.

Can't Get Ahead

Some nights, good hustle pays off to the point where you find yourself ahead on the scoreboard at the end of the game.  Then, you have those nights where no matter how hard you battle, you just can't find enough of a rhythm that will allow you to pull ahead.  Such was the case tonight as the Bulls' five-game winning streak ended against the Washington Wizards by a 102-88 final.

Thanks to a series of kickouts to the perimeter, taking advantage of turnovers and forcing the Bulls into an offensive game they're not built for, the Wizards dictated the flow of the game almost the entire way.  They never trailed once and there were a few stretches when it appeared they would give the Bulls the game.  Instead, they regrouped and took advantage of every opportunity that came their way.  It was a reminder of why they hold the sixth seed in the disgrace known as this year's Eastern Conference.

Six of the eight Wizards who saw the floor reached double digits.  Leading that group was likely All-Star John Wall and veteran import Nene with 19 points.  Nene particularly made an impression late in the game by throwing down a couple of impressive dunks.  Trevor Ariza lagged just behind with 16, shooting 3-for-6 from behind the three-point line.  Marcin Gortat grabbed 11 rebounds and dunked with authority over Carlos Boozer early on.  Perhaps biggest of all, the Wizards scored 22 points off 18 Bulls turnovers.  The team that pounces on the most chances will usually win and that's what happened tonight.

Besides being Gortat's victim, Boozer had 19 points to lead the Bulls.  Joakim Noah, trying to keep his mind off the Luol Deng trade and with no more media silence cloud hanging over him, totaled 16 rebounds, five on the offensive end.  Jimmy Butler started and Tony Snell came off the bench, but both scored 12.  Mike Dunleavy, in his new role as regular starter, finished with 10 and three players tied for eight.  The offense was pretty balanced, but not to the extent of Washington.

The Wizards shot an even 52 percent and the Bulls shot 43.  Not every opponent will have this kind of game, but tonight was a lesson that no matter how hard the Bulls battle, it won't always be enough.  With Derrick Rose sidelined and Deng gone, points are even harder to come by now.  The effort was certainly there.  There have been games in which listlessness was evident, but not tonight.  Unfortunately, that doesn't matter in terms of winning and losing.  It's always who has more points than the other when the clock hits zero.

Despite recent success, the Bulls are likely destined for more games like this during the second half of the season.  Whether other players are dealt remains to be seen, but we know this roster has less talent now than at the start of the season.  Although that can't be controlled, the Bulls can dictate how points are scored on a given night.  They let the Wizards pass the ball wherever they wanted, which played right into that team's shooting strengths.  The Bulls have shooters too, but not as many as other teams.  That's why driving to the hoop and mid-range jumpers are a big part of their plan.  Looking for more chances at backdoor passes is also key.  If they can do that, more winning streaks will be in the near future.

The Bulls have a chance to get back the Wizards Friday in Washington, but first, they must do battle with the Orlando Magic in Florida Wednesday.  That's a team with a high chance to land their next Shaq or Dwight with the top pick in next June's draft.  I won't get into the pros and cons of winning or losing that game because the Bulls will try to win without question.  That's in their DNA regardless of roster makeup.  Nothing else I've written here could be more accurate.

Martin's the Man

Recently, the Bulls found D.J. Augustin as the replacement for Nate Robinson they couldn't late during the offseason.  True, the Derrick Rose injury necessitated it, but it's worked out pretty well for the team so far.  If they're lucky again, they truly have Luol Deng's replacement in Cartier Martin, who was signed to a 10-day contract Friday.

A journeyman small forward who can also play shooting guard, the 29-year-old Martin is well-traveled since being undrafted out of Kansas State in 2007.  He began his career in Turkey and has also played in Italy and China.  Perhaps Marquis Teague has learned a little about him during his D-League stint with the Iowa Energy, for whom Martin has played on four separate occasions.  In the NBA, he's suited up for Charlotte, Golden State, Washington and most recently, Atlanta.  This past Tuesday, the Hawks waived him after averaging 6.6 points and shooting 40.5 percent from three-point territory in 25 games.  He started there twice this season, so that doesn't rule out him doing the same for the Bulls.

Martin did not appear in Friday's win over the Milwaukee Bucks, but did put in some extra work with the coaching staff before the game.  Players who sign 10-day contracts are always interesting because you never know how long their tenure is going to last.  With Deng gone, Teague still on assignment and injuries continuing to be an issue for this team, Martin might stick around for awhile.  He can shoot from long range and his 6-7, 220-pound frame is perfect for an NBA body.

The Bulls are playing well right now, having climbed up to the fifth seed in the East, so they could use reinforcements to get their record to .500.  Yes, this move was as much a requirement as trying to find another small forward, but another body could be just what they need to keep this winning stretch going.  They did well in finding Augustin, and it would be great if it could happen again with Martin.

The train will run again tonight when the Bulls play the Charlotte Bobcats at the United Center.  Whether you want MJ's team to win or lose for the Bulls to get their draft pick this year is your choice, but Tom Thibodeau's choice will be to take control and send the fans home happy.  He won't change his ways now, so don't plan on it ever happening.  Martin will learn that sooner than later.

Deng It All

With the Chicagoland area still in a deep freeze, the Bulls tanking crowd is a feeling a little bit warmer today.  It's all thanks to a development most didn't hear about until they woke up this morning.  It happened so late, local newspapers couldn't get it into their print editions.

In a clear sign of waving the white flag, the Bulls traded their longest tenured player in Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Andrew Bynum and three future draft picks.  Deng's contract comes off the books and Bynum, who has a similar contract, will be released within a few hours after this post's publication.  That will free the Bulls from paying a luxury tax and save them over $20 million.  If Carlos Boozer is amnestied this summer, that will create even more space for them to legitimately go after a big-name free agent.

Try and follow me for this next part because it gets a little tricky.  The Cavaliers were not the original owners of the picks coming the Bulls' way.  The first-round pick belonged to the Sacramento Kings and that will go to the Bulls this year if it's outside the top 12.  If not, the Bulls will receive it if it's not in the top 10 in any of the following three drafts.  The final resort would be what was the Kings' second-round pick in 2017.  In addition, the Bulls are now the owners of what used be the Portland Trail Blazers' second-round picks in 2015 and 2016.  Finally, if the Cavaliers' first-round pick in 2015 falls outside the top 15, the Bulls will have the right to swap draft positions.  Whew.

I know I've been unwavering in my position that the Bulls should tank the season, but remember, I said they should compete hard with what they have, which they'll continue to do.  Still, ever since Derrick Rose's season ended, I've always thought the Bulls should get something for Deng if they could.  His contract was set to expire and with neither side on the same page as to what he should be paid next, just letting him walk via free agency with no compensation would have been unacceptable.

The Bulls were never going to meet Deng's demands with how the market for players of his stature has shaped up.  According to a Yahoo! Sports report, there were very recent talks of the Bulls extending his contract by three years and $30 million.  The responding rejection was when the Bulls realized there was no hope of anything getting done.  We now know what happened to conclude this story.

While it comes as a disappointment that the front office has finally admitted the window for this core group of players has closed, it was the right thing to do.  When you have a chance to round out your roster with good, young players over the next few years, you have to take the offer that will best allow you to do that.  With the Bulls' leading scorer and two-time All-Star ready to hit the market, the conditions were right to benefit two teams by giving up something of great value to each of them.  The Cavaliers can win now and the Bulls can legitimately plan to go after seasoned top-tier talent that will push them back into the NBA's elite class.

There are many options for the Bulls to be competitive in the future.  Rose, Joakim Noah, Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson are undoubtedly the core to build around.  Nikola Mirotic is said to be tearing it up for Real Madrid, so next year could finally be the time we see him make significant contributions to a winning Bulls squad.  What's more, Gar Forman and John Paxson have done pretty well in finding draft sleepers, particularly Gibson and Butler.  With more picks to work with, they've increased their chances of finding another one, which could result in that one piece the Bulls need to push themselves over the top.  Of course, some of those could be traded again to pull off another significant deal or two, but given how highly Forman and Paxson regard their draftees, that appears unlikely.

Then of course, we get to the bad part of this whole thing, which is being subjected to worse basketball in the present.  Whether Mike Dunleavy or Tony Snell take Deng's place in the starting lineup is unknown as of this writing, but regardless, the current roster just became less talented and less intimidating.  Even though some solid players remain, that's not enough to compete with a good portion of NBA teams.  The bad East might allow them to still reach the playoffs, but they're one or two deals away from being a legitimate lottery team.  While the thought of pulling the trigger on that makes some people giddy, it won't happen unless the right offer comes their way. 

My gut tells me those same people were through watching the 2013-14 Bulls anyway, but for those of us who wish to continue watching the best basketball the city has to offer (all the college teams here stink), it will be gut-wrenching to watch.  Trying their best won't always be good enough anymore, though lately, that wasn't getting many results anyway.  I'm not saying everyone has to keep watching, but if these latest developments are what you wished for, you better be happy with whatever comes on the horizon, for better or worse.

Whether the Bulls will be a lottery or playoff team this year remains to be seen, but if you're one of those ready to order a custom Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins Bulls jersey, I advise you to slow down.  No matter how many chances you get in the lottery, a top-3 pick is not guaranteed.  Chances are those two players will be off the board once that portion of the draft ends, so if the Bulls miss the postseason and don't have their numbers pop up, they're out of luck with those guys.  I know this is a deep draft class coming up, but there's always the chance the Bulls won't finish with a record bad enough to earn even a top-10 pick.  A lot will happen between now and mid-April, and with the talent remaining with the Bulls, don't call those dreams legitimate.

On a sentimental note, I will definitely miss Deng.  He gave us nearly a decade of solid basketball.  While it took him later than expected to blossom into an All-Star, he still personified what it means to be a Bull:  someone who quality gets the job done, but does so well enough that opponents have to consider you when making their game plan.  He provided offense the way only a handful of Bulls before him did and had the heart of a workhorse that made us love to watch him play.  That's why this deal is especially hard for Tom Thibodeau, who saw Deng as the player he always wanted.

Deng came to the Bulls at a time when they were finally ready to play well again in the post-Jordan era.  Along with Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry and Andres Nocioni, he helped the city fall in love with the 2004-05 Bulls, who made the playoffs after a six-year drought.  Paxson knew what he was getting when he acquired Deng on draft night and his product did not disappoint.  Deng will always represent the glimmer of hope we in Chicago have had for our basketball team over the past decade.  Hinrich is on his second stint here, but only as a shell of his former self.  Deng, meanwhile, was solid until the very end despite numerous health setbacks throughout his tenure.  We love you Luol, and there will always be a place for you here.

This new chapter in Bulls history begins tonight when they take on the Phoenix Suns at home.  It will be interesting to see what kinds crowds fill the United Center in this and every other game for the rest of the season.  When the towel is thrown in, you often wonder just how loyal your fan base is.  Keep filling those seats, Bulls fans.  It's what Luol would want.

Climbing Up the Bad East

The Bulls' offense clicked at just the right time Thursday, leading by as much as 19 in the second half before beating the Boston Celtics 94-82.  Leading the six players who scored in double figures was Joakim Noah, who finished one assist shy of a triple-double, but still impressed with a line of 17/11/9.  Mike Dunleavy also led the charge during the half in every fashion.  His 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks don't seem eye-opening, but he seemingly did it all at the same time, which put the game out of reach well before the final minutes.

Coupled with Charlotte's loss to Portland, the Bulls jumped from ninth to seventh in the Eastern Conference standings, making their first appearance in the top eight in weeks.  While that seems cool and all, consider what it looks like:

                 W  L    PCT  GB

Chicago7	13	18	.419	12.0
Charlotte8	14	20	.412	12.5
Boston	13	19	.406	12.5

Long story short, it's just as bad as it looks.  It sums up the entire East and how it is producing no true championship contenders outside of Miami and Indiana.  However, the conference has to send eight teams to the playoffs.  The bottom teams could be the same number of games below .500 in mid-April and it won't matter.  They'll be destined for the postseason and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

For the sake of last night's game, let's examine the opponent.  How in God's name are the Celtics in the playoff picture?  It certainly doesn't help that they're only behind the 15-15 Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic.  But look what they have.  Brad Stevens is fresh off his time at Butler, Rajon Rondo is out with a torn ACL and anyone else who made that team worth watching in the past six years is gone.  Granted, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were already starting to decline before heading to Brooklyn, but they've decided to showcase what little they have left there instead.

As a final insult, I played this game on my new copy of NBA 2K14 and beforehand, learned the Celtics' highest-rated active player in the game is Jeff Green.  What?  Jeff Green?  Yes, he's their leading scorer at 15.8 points per game, but does that sound like a team even worthy to get beat up by the Heat or Pacers in the first round?  No way.  Yet because of the disgrace that is the Wastern Conference, they have a chance to do just that.  That's brutal.

When I hear people say they can't watch the NBA this year because of all the bad basketball being played, I can't say I blame them.  I only watch because I remain true to my team, but they're right on the money.  Many marquee stars are hurt, teams are underachieving and as a result, we get what we're seeing right now.  The league was an exciting product for the past few years, but now, the casual fan is turning away in favor of watching future league stars named Parker and Wiggins.  Those of us who continue to watch invite you to join us, but we won't hold it against you if you think otherwise.

A team somewhat worth watching, the Atlanta Hawks, will play the Bulls Saturday at the United Center.  That team currently sits third in the East with an amusing record of 18-14.  Of course, with leading scorer Al Horford out for the season with a shoulder injury, they might fall from that position soon.  Of course, they still have Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague, so there still might be some quality basketball.  You just have to find out yourself.