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.