Talkative Tom

I realize I'm a little late in weighing in on this, but I didn't have time over the weekend.  After the Bulls came up short in an attempted comeback against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, Tom Thibodeau was noticeably upset.  The Bulls had a large deficit at halftime, during which we can only assume things boiled over in the locker room.  Good thing we didn't have to hear the uncensored version of the postgame comments Thibodeau delivered.  You'd think we wouldn't hear a coach's soundbite on the local radio sportscast after a preseason game, but they were interesting enough to air to a broad audience.  Thibodeau was particularly upset with the lack of production from his bench, which saw two players start (Jimmy Butler and Marco Belinelli) in the following night's loss to Minnesota.

To the new Bulls, here's what you signed up for.  Thibodeau is attached to basketball the way teenage girls are attached to cell phones.  He's been said to sleep in his office.  He's not married, so that leaves even more time for analyzing game film and planning strategy.  There's a reason he's so respected around the NBA and many are left scratching their heads as to why it took so long for him to become a head coach at this level.  The Bulls had Vinny Del Negro, who currently runs a Clippers team with more talent, but has the same mannerisms that cost his former team more victories when he was at the helm.  Once Del Negro was out the door, the team rightfully decided Thibodeau was the right captain as the NBA was about to enter a new era.

This is a situation that could be applied to any work situation out there.  If you think your supervisor is a jerk for calling you out in any setting as Thibodeau did, don't think he/she finds it enjoyable.  They do it because they care.  They want you to do a good job and they don't want to look bad themselves.  When things go to hell, they're the ones that have to take heat for it, so they need to express themselves somehow.  We may not agree with that method, but that's how many choose to go about their business.

Supervisors can also add that some tough times are ahead, giving them more reason to tell you to step up your game.  Such was the case here when today's Sun-Times reported Thibodeau as saying to his guys that some tough times are ahead without Derrick Rose.  He's right.  Everybody has seen it coming since that dark moment last spring.  This may only be the preseason, but it can give you an idea of what to expect out of a team when the 82-game grind begins (not always, though).

What's done is done.  Time to look ahead to tomorrow's exhibition clash with the Milwaukee Bucks, who could contend for the final playoff spot in the East this year.  Thibodeau will be on his game.  Will his team be as well?

Not Bad For the First Fake Game

I admit I only saw the first half of last night's preseason opener against the Memphis Grizzlies.  Still, it was nice to watch some basketball again.  Those who attended were happy to see the Bulls have a winning effort to the tune of 92-88.

Luol Deng led all scorers with 18 points, shooting 9-of-11 from the field.  A trio of players put in 13 points:  Rip Hamilton, Nate Robinson and Nazr Mohammed, who achieved a double-double by also hauling down 12 boards.  There was also solid play from Joakim Noah with 10 points.  The Bulls' 32-13 third quarter out did the Grizzlies' 23-11 fourth, assuring that no loss would come on this night.

The starters don't seem to have missed a beat, which is good news.  As for Bench Mob 2.0, I'll give them a passing grade, but they were far from perfect.  I like that Mohammed and Robinson had solid debuts in Bulls uniforms.  I hope they can put up those numbers regularly when the games count.  However, I'm more interested in how that group functioned as a whole.  It was clear in the first half that they'll need some time to become consistent.  They struggled at times, failing to make shots from many angles and looking somewhat lethargic.

Even so, I won't be too harsh on anybody since these games are merely scrimmages.  Fesenko, Jaric and Allen are names that had zeros in the scoring column at the end.  But since they all have long shots of making the cut, they're not really worthy of criticism either.  If you want to question their value to the team, by all means, but don't throw them under the bus for doing nothing.  Just relax and enjoy some basketball that has no merit until the regular season causes real stress.

The Bulls will travel to Assembly Hall in Champaign on Friday to play a "home" game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.  The bench will probably see even more time.  And Thibs, maybe you can get Andre Emmett in there?  Just throwing that out there.

The Fun Begins Tonight-ish

I admit that it's a little unusual for me to be blogging right before any game, much less a preseason game that has no merit.  But this is the first one of the season, our first official look of the new Chicago Bulls.  They'll be taking on the Memphis Grizzlies tonight at the United Center.  I'm currently downstate in Charleston, but I'll watch what I can when I'm out tonight.  If my postgame blog doesn't come tonight, it'll be sometime tomorrow after I get home.  But enough about me.  Let's talk about what we have here.

As mentioned, the new-look Bulls will play in front of paying customers for the first time tonight.  Folks have formed opinions about the new players already going by what's been observed by their play with other teams.  Truthfully, many Bulls' fans opinions aren't entirely objective or informed because they spend most of their time watching their team as opposed to the other 29 in the NBA.  We know what to expect out of Hinrich since he's been around these parts before, but what will see tonight out of Teague, Belinelli, Radmanovic, Robinson and Mohammed?  We can catch a glance of what to expect when the real games begin.

Despite earlier claims to the contrary, Joakim Noah, who has been away from the team for personal reasons, will start tonight.  It's important to have what is often thought of as the heart and soul of this team in there.  Luol Deng is a quiet leader.  Noah shows his emotions and hustle less subtly.  It's important for the new players to realize early on just what kind of center they'll be counting on to play tough post defense and grab loose balls wherever they go.  While it's equally crucial, probably more so, to get a feel with Derrick Rose, Noah will have to lead by example so his new teammates can pick up on his tendencies and intangibles that make him stand out in this league.

Speaking of leading, it appears I won't have to worry about the new players and their relationship with Tom Thibodeau.  Early reports out of camp indicate that they're already buying into what he has to say.  While many of us are a bit skeptical of what the so-called new Bench Mob can bring to the table, at least we can't say that their tuning Thibodeau out.  It's all a part of the magic the head coach seems to possess.  I can tell you I would have loved to play for someone like him back in junior high.  Really, the strongest seem to survive through him. 

The main thing to watch tonight is how they're currently able to carry out Thibodeau's strategy.  It might take some time for them to adjust to it.  Remember that Michael Jordan struggled with the Triangle the first year he used it.  The trust issue will be nonexistent though and that's an early sign that there's some pretty good chemistry between the roster and staff.

Jo's Workout with Kareem and Taj's Beliefs

Much has been made lately about Joakim Noah's offseason workouts with NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  And there are quite a few reasons why.  Just consider who's wing Noah was taken under over the summer.  All Kareem did in his career was win six championships, six MVP awards and became the league's all-time leading scorer, a distinction he continues to hold. 

True, Noah is nowhere near the player Kareem was.  He's not a pure scorer, likely won't enjoy 20 professional years and doesn't exactly have a legendary Sky Hook.  But taking all that into consideration, there's a lot of experience in that tall frame of a man who was a formidable force during the '70s and '80s.  We all know Noah's value to the team.  Can you imagine what greater improvement looks like?  Soon, we'll see if Kareem's student can put the things he learned into use during a big game.

Taj Gibson recently told reporters that the Bench Mob nickname "will never be retired" and a new Bench Mob is currently taking form.  White I have to admire Gibson's desire to keep it going, there will never be another Bench Mob like the one that electrified the United Center for two years.  These were characters just as much as terrific backups.  C.J. Watson, Kyle Korver, Omer Asik and of course, Brian Scalabrine made themselves known with their personalities as well as their stellar play.  They'll never reach the 1985 Bears as far as glory and recognition, but all of those guys will receive rousing ovations once their teams return to Chicago.  They might be imitated, but they'll never be duplicated. 

Sure, they might still sell the t-shirts and other assorted merchandise with the name, but will this new bench offer the same electricity as the previous crop?  Too soon to tell.  However, I do know that they won't capture our hearts in the same way unless they find a way to get past Miami in the playoffs.  Am I being too rough on them?  Perhaps, but they can still sway me.  Once the regular season tips off, we'll see if they're deserving of us Bulls fans showering a great amount of love upon them.

Thibs Is Here For Awhile

It's not often you see a smile cross the face of Tom Thibodeau, but he has all the reason in the world to flash one today.  He's just agreed to a four-year contract extension on top of his current option year, assuring that if he and Derrick Rose are going to find even greater success in the NBA, they'll be doing it together.  This story was the clear focus of Media Day today at the Berto Center.  The news that Rose will not be cutting for another couple of weeks isn't exactly a story unless you consider it one along with every time he breathes the wrong way.  Hearing a Rose update every few minutes would tire as quickly as the coverage of Anna Nicole Smith's death (insert that is so 2007 joke here).

Thibodeau won 100 games faster than any coach in NBA history, so he's only scratched the surface as far as his realized potential.  The Bulls core of the last two years adapted quickly to his system.  The stars remain, but the bench has changed for the coming season.  Thibodeau's new challenge is to reach the new group of players who will come on in relief for Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, Rip Hamilton and for the first few months, Kirk Hinrich.  This is when we'll really find out what he can do as a head coach.  It's one thing to properly guide the same group for two years running, but if he can keep it going with the revamped bench, his value will shoot even higher than it already is.  Other players have been known to act skeptical toward a new head coach initially, but the defensive philosophy Thibodeau preaches has proven so successful that it'll (hopefully) be difficult for Nate Robinson, Marco Belinelli, Vladimir Radmanovic and Nazr Mohammed to even think of giving a cold shoulder.  I have to assume Marquis Teague will be easy to sway since this will be his first professional coach.

Thibs is already up there with Johnny "Red" Kerr and Dick Motta as far as successful coaches in Bulls history, but to reach Phil Jackson standards might take some time.  I've already talked about how it might take another year before the Bulls are championship contenders again, so we may have to cut Thibs some slack for his option year.  Once that new contract kicks in however, some special things could happen.  I'll be waiting patiently for the day he hosts the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, but until then, I'll sit back and enjoy the roller coaster ride to come.  Care to join me?

New Season, Lower Expectations

The Bulls officially kick off the 2012-13 campaign with Media Day at the Berto Center tomorrow.  Their first team practice will take place on Tuesday, followed by two-a-days Wednesday and Thursday.  And that's just the beginning of what promises to be a tumultuous season.

This won't be so much a transition year as it will be a rehabilitation year.  Thanks to Derrick Rose's ACL recovery and a completely new bench minus Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler, this year's Bulls will will be different from the group we've been accustomed to for the past two seasons.  They're not expected to contend for the championship.  This summer, Miami got stronger with the addition of Ray Allen, the Lakers received the services of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash and Oklahoma City looks stacked from top to bottom.  That makes the title a tall order until Rose is completely healthy, which isn't expected to be the case until next season.  That's a tough pill to swallow, but if you're planning around a recent MVP who still has years left in the league, you have to make sacrifices.  In the Bulls' case, it's the coming season.

The new bench will look to Taj Gibson for leadership.  It's a given by now that were it not for Carlos Boozer, Gibson would be starting at the four.  Add that to his familiarity with Tom Thibodeau's system and that makes him a natural.  Even Kirk Hinrich, who provided decent numbers for the Bulls for seven years before being shipped to Washington, will have to learn under a coach unfamiliar to him.  Don't be shocked to see him in a different role from what he was used to during his first stint here once Rose comes back.  Keep in mind that there's a lot of talent surrounding him now, so he may not be relied on as heavily in clutch situations.  Until then, he'll return to his former role as starting point guard.  Anything he's able to provide for this club will be huge and he's a frontrunner for the second best player on the bench when that time comes sometime after the All-Star break.

All the talk about Luol Deng's wrist appears to have disappeared after he got through the Olympics unharmed and then continued to work out elsewhere.  Reports indicate that it's no longer a major issue and in fact, he's ready to assume the leadership role in Rose's absence.  If that wrist gets worked on, it won't be until next offseason at the earliest and even then, it might be just to rid himself of discomfort.  Props to the Bulls' longest tenured player for recognizing the team needs him and willing to do whatever it takes to help them win.  An All-Star nod this year would be the ultimate testament to what he truly means to this organization.

The Bulls are still the team to beat in the Central with the Pacers the only other potential threat in that division.  However, we all know a divisional crown only assures home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.  Any after that depends on where you're seeded.  What really matters is what you can do in the postseason.  Unless a not entirely healthy Rose catches fire at the right time, we probably won't see this club make it out of the East.  Then again, we've seen surprises in the NBA before.  Can the Bulls be among the feel-good stories of the league over the past decade?  We'll know soon enough, but for now, let's watch the preseason unfold.

Rose-y Pizza and Other Tidbits

As I explained in my last post, my lack of updating this blog recently can be attributed to the fact that not much significant news breaks in the NBA over the summer, especially after all the player movement period has passed.  That said, a few things have come to light over the past week.

The item creating the most headlines is that Derrick Rose has become an equity partner in Giordano's Pizza.  By appearing in the chain's ads among other things, Rose will help it expand its popularity beyond the Chicagoland area.  In the picture above, he's filming a commercial for them.  As for Rose himself,, this is an opportunity for him to cash in on his fame and make even more money beyond his contracts with the Bulls and Adidas.  It could also lead him on a path for what to do with his life after his playing days are over.  We saw Michael Jordan invest in various business ventures when he played for the Bulls.  We just didn't know how far it would take him.  I'm not saying Rose will buy the Bulls one day as MJ purchased the Bobcats, but this will really get him thinking about what he wants to do later on.

Don't forget he also has a kid on the way.  While he most certainly has enough money to support the child, it never hurts to have a little extra.  You don't want him to join the ranks of professional athletes who have blown all their money from their playing days on various things.  Sadly, that list is longer than we'd like it to be.

Along the lines of contracts, the Bulls have resumed talks to extend Tom Thibodeau's beyond this coming season.  His option has been picked up for 2012-13, but that's as long as his tenure is currently supposed to run.  It would be nice if Gar Foreman could get this down quickly and painlessly.  Hopefully, it'll be out of the way before the season tips off.

Let's face it.  We know the Bulls are in for a year rougher compared to the past two seasons.  A disgruntled head coach, who also happens to be one of the best in the league, is the last thing they should have to worry about in a season likely to be filled with turmoil as Derrick Rose works to return from injury before getting his game back.  Thibs has most definitely earned the right to coach in Chicago for the long run and I have little doubt both sides will agree to a new deal soon.

There is also no doubt that Brian Scalabrine's playing days are numbered as well as his time in Chicago.  He declined the opportunity to become a Bulls assistant coach for the coming year and will instead showcase his broadcasting talents as a color commentator for the Celtics.  Whether or not he becomes as colorful as Stacey King remains to be seen, but we know he'll be loved over there.

Let's face it.  While I'm sure he would have been a nice addition to the Bulls' coaching staff, Scalabrine's actual responsibilities would have risked being trumped by who he is made out to be.  We know he's popular for reasons we may never fully understand, so maybe his duties would best be served where he can serve as a cult hero in the proper capacity.  And even though his popularity soared here, he truly belongs to Boston.  They always cheered him whenever the Bulls came to town and he even won a title with them (though he sat on the bench that entire Finals).

Hopefully, he'll be recognized in some way when the Celtics come to the United Center next season (a video tribute perhaps), but that's about the best we can hope for as far as the Bulls doing something to honor him.  I wish him well and hope his popularity continues to soar.