The Point Position

Over the past few days, the point guard position has become one of particular interest for the Chicago Bulls. It all started with C.J. Watson injuring his elbow over a week ago. He hasn't been in the lineup since. The issue grew when it was announced that Derrick Rose would be unable to go against the Wizards on Wednesday. With only John Lucas III left, the Bulls called up D-League guard Michael James, who didn't arrive on the bench in time for the opening tip-off. Assistant coach Ron Adams had to give James an accelerated lesson on how things worked with the team. Meanwhile, Lucas played nearly 46 minutes and scored a career-high 25 points to lead everybody. A different Bulls team beat Washington 78-64. When James came on at the end, the lack of a name on his back showed just on how short a notice he was signed.

All of this raises the question on just how deep the Bulls are, at least at the one spot. We all know what Rose can do and Watson is a viable backup. With this latest performance by Lucas, does that mean anyone who runs the offense can explode anytime? Perhaps, but keep in mind the Wizards had just won their first game of the season. Take it with a grain of salt. Even so, it's impressive that there are so many scorers at the very top of the key. That anyone of them can explode at anytime has to be boggling for the opposition. We may not get to see James much, if at all. Who knows if he'll even last here?

In the meantime, the Bulls are in Boston tonight to meet the Celtics. Rose insists he'll play tonight. Let's hope so and let's get a win in the Garden.

Nice Try, Minny

I'll admit that I'm late posting about this game because I went to a North Central basketball game last night and only heard a part of it on the radio. Still, I'm glad the Bulls held off a Minnesota Timberwolves rally and won 111-100.

Derrick Rose suffered another injury scare during the game, but turned out okay. He scored a season-high 31 points and completed the double-double with 11 assists. Other contributors in double digits were Luol Deng with 21, Ronnie Brewer with 17 and Kyle Korver, who was three-for-three from downtown, with 13. Joakim Noah continued to show improvement on the boards by totaling 11 rebounds.

Let me share with you a stat from a tweet by Bulls radio producer Jeff Mangurten: while the Bulls have five double-digit victories on the road this season, every other team in the league has no more than two. One could make the argument that that might be inflated by having three of them come at the hands of last-place teams, one against an up-and-comer still trying to find its place among the league's elite (Clippers) and the remainder against a team with not much direction since they don't know where their cornerstone player will be in the near future (Magic). Even so, the Bulls play just as well on the road as they do at home. Maybe not with the same defensive intensity, but they get the job done. Nothing is a given when you're playing against the Chicago Bulls. Every team in the league needs to be aware of that.

With Golden State stunning Miami in overtime last night, the Bulls now have the East's best record at 9-2. They now take on the Washington Wizards, who won their first game last night, at home. Time to bring the worst team in the league back to reality.

No Sympathy For the Motor City

While attempting to be interested in tonight's BCS Championship Game, I snuck in some Bulls viewing tonight. With Luc Longley in the house, the Bulls didn't let up on the Detroit Pistons after beating them down last week. This time, it was to the tune of 92-68. Though the Pistons came back from behind to tie it at the end of the first quarter, the Bulls didn't allow any type of takeover by their guests. They outscored Detroit 22-13 in the second quarter and 24-9 in the fourth.

Another big night for Carlos Boozer consisted of 23 points and eight rebounds. Joakim Noah had eight boards too. I haven't been able to write about him much this year, which isn't necessarily a good thing. He needs to step up his game a bit and make himself known. A bit of a decline from the past couple of seasons. Derrick Rose had his usual highlights, scoring 22 points and dishing out eight assists. He shot 50 percent from the floor and was perfect from the foul line. Ronnie Brewer continues to step up for Rip Hamilton, who sat out again tonight. He scored 12 points and made six of his nine shots. The cherry on top of the proverbial sundae? Brian Scalabrine hitting a close shot toward the end and sending the United Center into the loudest cheers that were heard all night, at least according to a few tweets.

The big number of the night? In three home games, the Bulls have allowed an average of just 68.7 points. Not saying they'll be in that neighborhood the entire season, but it only proves how much they up the intensity whenever they enter the Madhouse. I'm sure there's little doubt that the fans help give the team that extra boost they need. Way to go, Bulls fans!

In the second of a three-day slate, the Bulls head to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves. It won't be easy to contain Kevin Love, but if Boozer and Noah have big games, it can be done.

No Miracle This Time

Well, the winning streak couldn't last forever, right? Nothing does. But if it had to end, I'm not entirely surprised it happened against the Atlanta Hawks. I'll elaborate more on that in a bit, but first, the final score was Atlanta 109, Chicago 94.

I missed this game except for a bit on the radio on the way to the high school game I covered tonight (my final Sun-Times Media assignment by the way). The Bulls were down big early, but managed to come back. Alas, it wasn't meant to be their night.

Four Atlanta starters and two bench players scored in double digits, led by Josh Smith's 25 points. As for the Bulls, only Carlos Boozer reach two figures, scoring 12. The leading scorer for them was John Lucas III, who had 16. Kyle Korver scored 16, Jimmy Butler scored 12 and Taj Gibson added 11. That would normally be a nice night for the Bench Mob, and it was, but too bad it didn't happen in a victory. Derrick Rose was off tonight, recording only eight points and shooting 3-for-10. Rip Hamilton did not play and C.J. Watson is still nursing his elbow.

Look out for this Hawks team every time the Bulls play them. They appear to be your classic trap opponent who'll give you fits when you head onto the same court as them. The Bulls should know judging from the two meetings this year and last year's playoffs that you can't take them lightly. Atlanta as a whole is a good team, but not one to get past the conference semifinals. Still, be on the lookout for them the rest of the way. By the way, Jerry Stackhouse apparently just re-upped in the NBA with the Hawks and he even played a bit tonight.

Just forget about this game and look forward to Detroit at the United Center on Monday. Let's see more of the shell of this former perennial NBA threat.

Magically Successful

The Bulls were quickly down against the Orlando Magic Friday, so Tom Thibodeau called for time to calm his team down. It was just what they needed. The Bulls would take the lead and despite a few runs by the Magic, cutting the deficit to as little as a basket, the visitors would shake them all off and ultimately win 97-83.

Derrick Rose and Luol Deng, who bounced back from a recent two-point performance, each scored 21 points. Carlos Boozer had 20, keeping up his impressive early run. Oh yes, did I mention the Hot Sauce is back? That's because Kyle Korver made five of seven shots from downtown, totaling 18 points. Let's hope this performance wasn't a flash in the pan because Korver is only as good as his shot. I can only imagine being an Orlando fan in the stands watching this man crush you with the main weapon (and really, the only weapon) in his arsenal. All in all, a solid win against a team that honestly has no idea what its future looks like. That rests on what Dwight Howard decides to do, but since this isn't a Magic blog, I won't elaborate on it.

The one troubling sign is that Rip Hamilton's groin injury is lingering and he had to sit out tonight's game. The Bulls are fine with Brewer filling in right now, but let's pray this won't be a problem during the course of the season. We've got a long way between now and the playoffs, so there's no need for injury-filled drama in a promising season (see Cutler, Jay).

The Bulls head to Atlanta on Saturday. This team, the Hawks will be ready to protect their home court and hopefully for them, a large lead. That didn't quite work out on Tuesday and if the Bulls play well and play hard, it'll be a repeat of what happened that night.

Winning Both Ugly and Pretty

I haven't been able to watch much of the Bulls the last two nights as I have begun my job as an agate editor at the Chicago Tribune. I have however heard of enough to make at least a pretty good analysis of their victories against Atlanta and Detroit.

First, the Bulls should have lost Tuesday's game. That poor shooting they had in the second quarter set a league record for the lowest field goal percentage in a quarter by a winning team. Regardless of how unremarkable their performance as a whole was, games like this are what separate the great teams from the good teams. By going on that run in the fourth quarter, the Bulls only strengthened their case as one of the elite squads in the NBA. They're going to contend for a championship this year. No question about it. Of course, the question remains on whether they can overcome similar deficits against the Miami Heat. Again, the answer to that will have to wait for another day.

The Detroit game saw Taj Gibson and every Bulls starter sans Deng score in double figures. Rip Hamilton showed over 9,000 fans at the Palace (yes, you read that right) that he still has it. His smart shots and passes are clear indicators that he's a valuable addition to this team. Those 14 points and five assists don't lie. There was the scary moment in the fourth quarter when Derrick Rose went down on his elbow, but he quickly got back out there and with a couple plays, showed he was all right. Carlos Boozer continues to prove that this is a better year for him. I'm starting to think he has more confidence in himself.

After having today off, the Bulls head to Orlando to take on the Magic. I wonder if any of the players will make a quick stop at Disney World sometime today. Probably not, but you never know when a highly paid NBA player is unable to resist a trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth. Besides, you're never too old for Mickey. Right?

There Are Blowouts and There Are BLOWOUTS

"This is actually a score? Is this the final?" - Utah coach Jerry Sloan after the Bulls beat the Jazz 96-54 in Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals

Joakim Noah, Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer are all smiling on the bench because that's where they got to watch the end of their team's home-opening New Year's Day clash with the Memphis Grizzlies 104-64. Everyone except for Rip Hamilton, who sat out with an injured groin, got in the scorebook one way or another. Only Brian Scalabrine failed to register a point (much to the dismay of much of the United Center crowd and those watching at home).

It's hard to pick what individuals really stood out in a game like this, but here goes. Carlos Boozer continues to show vast improvement from what he was last year. His double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds shows up in the box score, but you could tell just by watching the game that he looks like a completely different player who wants to help his team. He's going to be very dangerous and not look anything like a pushover if these early games are any indication. And I know I've said that already, but it's true and nothing has convinced me otherwise.

Speaking of dangerous, Ronnie Brewer really did his job stepping in for Hamilton in the starting lineup. He also had 17 points and shot 60 percent from the field. With Hamilton out, the Bulls discovered tonight that they definitely have someone who can fill that two-guard spot if faced with this situation again. Personally, I think Brewer should have been starting over Bogans last year, but that's a dead issue. We could see this type of performance coming with the early shooting success Brewer has had.

Derrick Rose had 16 and looked like his spectacular self and Luol Deng scored 11. Omer Asik dunked more than the one he usually has per game. I'll leave the analyses of those players tonight at that.

As long as we're on the topic of players stepping in, another such need may have been created tonight. C.J. Watson injured his left elbow in the fourth quarter. He went to the locker room and didn't return. Hopefully, Watson won't miss any time as his role in backing up Rose is valuable. If he does however, we may have found a new backup in John Lucas III. We only saw him in the fourth quarter, but you never would have known he rides the bench. He knocked in eight points, six of which were scored from three-point land. It'd be really nice to see him get a chance, but let's wish C.J. a speedy recovery at the same time.

Finally, congratulations to Jimmy Butler on getting his first professional rebound and basket on the same play.

The Bulls play next on Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks at the United Center. I'll be starting my Tribune job that night, so I might not be able to watch it. I'll see if I can get my thoughts on what I hear about though.