It's hard to take much satisfaction in a too-close-for-comfort victory over a Michael Redd-less Bucks team, but you still have to win and on Tuesday night, the Bulls were able to do just that. As Vin Diesel once put it: "It doesn't matter if you win by a second or a mile, winning is winning."
Note: winning may not actually be winning when it comes against Derek Anderson.True that, Vin Diesel. True that.
I could complain about how the Bulls played like garbage against a team they should have blown out, but there are other places to go for that. Besides, I've recently decided that we should avoid being overly negative about the Bulls this year. We know that the Bears won't be making us anything but frustrated, and it's hard for casual hockey fans to care much about the Blackhawks until the playoffs start. If there's one team I'm willing to find silver linings in this winter, it's got to be the Bulls. Is this by default? Obviously, but I'm sticking with it nonetheless.
Now, are these Bulls great? Of course not. They have zero chance to win a title this season. There aren't any Cinderella's in the NBA, and that's part of the reason the league rules. But that doesn't mean the Bulls can't be cool, likable, and fun to watch. So let's run with an old theme here and try to stay positive on an early season victory over a terrible team.
I never stopped loving you, Luol Deng
And don't let the pesky Full Court Press archives tell you any differently!
On Monday, following a loss in Miami to D-Wade's Heat, I wrote:
Three games is a dangerously small sample size, but I'm damn close to saying "Luol Deng is back".I still can't go 100 percent yet - it's you, not me, Milwaukee - but Deng may have had his best game in two years last night. He finished with 24 points and 20 rebounds, and also added the quote of the night. From KC Johnson's Twitter page:
Deng with line of night. Told the last Bull to post a 20-20 game was Marcus Fizer, he said, "Wow. Proud to join that group."
Fantastic.
Deng has now been very solid in three of the four games this year, and I'm willing to give him a pass on the Celtics game because the entire team was awful. This is exactly what the Bulls need from Luol Deng. Is he performing like a $71 million player? No, but (get your tomatoes ready) we can't hold him to that.
/ducks.
Listen: a) everyone in the NBA is overpaid, and b) Deng signed that extension before the recession. I'm not concerned that Deng won't ever play like a $71 million player. I just want him to play like a $50 million player. That's what he's doing right now, and I'm perfectly content with it. The Bulls are going to be pretty good if he keeps this up.
Brad Miller would have been a great Halloween costume
You know it's a good game when Miller gets to unleash his signature taunt.
Cue I can watch him do this 500 times, and it will still be awesome 500 times.
*
Your silver lining is this: the Bulls didn't have Tyrus (stop laughing) and Rose is still hobbled. They need all the victories they can get - for both playoff position and 2k10 free agent position - so I'll take them however they come. Even in games as ugly as this one.
Also: how do we feel about Brandon Jennings? Legitimately good or just flashy and fun? I'm kind of hoping for option No. 2, but I fear option No. 1 may be inescapable in the not-too-distant future.
Ricky O'Donnell is the editor of the Chicago sports blog Tremendous Upside Potential. Contact him at richardopodonnell@gmail.com.
Ricky's n dhouse!
Agreed on dabull. Sometimes bad hoops is better than nothing at all. And the bulls can actually be pretty good at times. I think they are likely playoff team.
If you take over this blog, have fun!
Abominable Bucks? The abominable bucks almost toppled the Bulls if it weren't for the 4th quarter.
It's going to be an up and down year with the Bulls no doubt.
There will be few blowouts (probably more negative blowouts than positive), most games will come down to the wire, and the circus road trip is coming up which means the Bulls will probably be fighting to get back to 500. So are the joys of rooting for a middle tier team.
But like Ricky said, improvement on last season is all that should be expected. As long as the Bulls make the playoffs and Rose/Deng show well, all is not lost. It will set the stage for the big 2010 Free Agent courtship coming up.
BullsAllDay.com
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Ricky;
With this latest changing of the guard, it might be prudent to reflect on the work of your predecessors, and learn from their accomplishments and shortcomings alike. This is great opportunity to lay the groundwork for your own brand of journalism, and put your indelible stamp on the FCP forum. Throw out the template and make this thing your own.
If I may be so bold as to offer a few recommendations:
I genuinely liked Stu. I also appreciated his insight, fairness, and objectivity, along with the overall respect that he showed toward the majority of us, in spite of the occasionally senseless jibberish that on occasion we have all been guilty of posting. (see: Hitman ;')
Nevertheless, he was a bit too PC, and rarely got down and dirty. He had a distinct reluctance to roll around in the mud with the rest of us. In any given thread, it was rare that Stu would offer a rebuttal, or comment, and many a topic was devoid of his opinions other than those which he expressed at the top of the page.
Mix it up and trade barbs with us every once in awhile. In this medium it's possible to be a referee and a combatant at the same time. Take advantage of it.
Every now and then don't be afraid to push the envelope and post topics on controversial subjects; topics that are sure to generate the kind of heated debates that transcend the usual arguments about roster moves, coaching decisions, or the "X's" and "O's" of the game. Stir the pot as often as possible, and chime in every now and then to keep the cauldron roiling.
I know that this is but a small portion of your daily obligations, but refreshing the blog and it's various threads more than once or twice a day would give it more of a real time feel. Weekends are all to frequently devoid of activity, and postings made on a Friday night of early Saturday morning often don't see the light of publication until Sunday evening, and sometimes don't show up until the following Monday, by which time they are already old news. Keep it current.
Most importantly ... have fun with it. Be outrageous whenever the mood strikes, and throw a few curve balls every now and then. Don't be reluctant to mix it up with the rest of us. It's your blog, and defending your positions should be a natural function of the dialog.
Best of luck.
Ricky responds: Ha, thanks for the kind words, but I'm just filling in until they figure out what they're going to do with this thing. I figured you guys needed something fresh up top to argue about.
why r u quoting Vin Diesel. Of all people who have stated that cliche'.....why Vin DIesel? WHY?
Ricky responds: Ha, that was meant to be a joke, making fun of that horrible movie.
The Bulls have .500 team written all over them.
Deng looks better but Thomas is turning into a waste of a uniform.
I will stick with my prediction of 41-41 and a quick exit in the post season... if they get there.
The Bulls have a cool Logo........come to think of it....so do the Blackhawks....the Bear Head Logo is cool, too....We can spell Sex with a Sox Logo....and the Cubbie Logo...well, what's more Wrigleyville than that!?!?....Answer: "The Song Go Cubs Go"
heck, queue a Donna Sommer song while we're at it
"Logo"....Alternative Cable Channel or Chicago Sports?
I say both
Alright Ricky, you're the fantasy guru, so since your brought it up, I'd like to call you out on Mr. Deng. You said you never stopped loving him right? If you want to say he's back, then just say it, to heck with sample size. But really, Luol Deng is back from what? From mediocrity? Sure, he had a nice game against Milwaukee. In fact, let's make that a great game. Moreover, I'll even say that's the best game I've seen him play as a Bull, period. He's obviously playing with a chip on his shoulder trying to prove the critics wrong and you know what, that's great to see! Heck, I hope us "critics" keep it up because the moment we stop riding on him to perform better, you know he's going to go back to his soft ways. I saw him do things on the court in that Milwaukee game that I've never seen from him before like snapping rebounds from the air and using his a$$ down low to bump off his defender for a layup after an offensive reboung. Heck, he even hit a buzzer beater three point shot!... too bad it wasn't a game winning shot at the buzzer, but still.... Not once have I ever seen that from him in any other game as a Bull, ever, so very impressive indeed. However, 1 great game doesn't make him an all-star. Let's see him start doing that against the better teams of the league, then we can start talking. Look, I for one never said I hated Deng because of the money. That's all on Bulls management, particularly Mr. Reinsdorf. Now I know you Ricky are a big Reinsdorf supporter based on older posts if I remember so I'd love nothing more to debate on him against you anytime any day, but we can stick with Luol Deng today. I'm upset more with Deng because it has taken him this long to finally give us at least 1 crazy stat game like the game with Milwaukee. But that's just it... that's Milwaukee, a team he should have been able to match up well against, same with Miami. Another good test for him will come tomorrow against Cleveland and LeBron. If he blows that matchup with underperforming numbers, then I don't want to hear another excuse giving him a pass like you just did with the Celtics game. That's the other problem, people have been giving him a pass to get his act together and perform like at least better than average the last 4-5 years. Sorry bud, 1 great game ain't gonna cut it for Deng with me. Prove it to me more. I've been teased enough.
Oh, and let me say this about Brandon Jennings -- he'll be a stud point guard one day. He also has one of the best guard mentors in the NBA in Scott Skiles.
I guess I should know you by now....sorry for questioning you....Say are you taking over the blog? If not..then WHY? I know, I think you got your own thing going...WCW? I can't remember. We need some consistency here. Or we will end up like the...............Bears.
Ricky responds: Oh, I don't know. I just posted something to keep it fresh. Not sure if they figured out what they're going to do with this thing yet.
I agree with Mark...
but I also say that Mark's suggestion describe Rickys style to a T.
Who better to handle this montley crew, than someone who has been with us for many years?
ROD is the only choice if you ask me.
To throw an outsider into the mix just doesnt make sense.
the only other person I could think of who would be suited for the job description is Bubbas Mom!?!?! Think about it!!!
Ricky responds: Ha, thanks. Not sure what they're going to do with this yet. I'd be willing to take over, but only if they paid me lots and lots of money, haha.
Ok I guess I missed something somewhere, Stu is no longer overseeing FCP? Well first Roman leaves us for greener pastures now Stu (not that he interacted much) and Ricky wants Deng like money? Wow I'm kinda feeling like the unwanted red-headed step-child LOL.
I have to agree with Edgar on Jennings, look at the numbers he's putting up and imagine what he'd be doing with a legitimate team. I also want to see that kind of consistancy from Deng before moving him out of the ranks of another Duke Fluke.
According to reports Tyrus' illness is legit. He showed up for practice the last two days and was sent home because they didn't want the rest of the team exposed. He didn't make the trip to Cleveland with the rest of the team so tonights game against the Cav's will be interesting to say the least.
I hope Ricky gets PAID and takes over! He will DO the Job because his heart is in it. It helps to not just have a job, but to have someone who ENJOYS getting down and dirty. There is nothing like Full Court Press. I have been to all of them and do not like their formats. I know the big important New guys have something more important to do than converse with fans online, but that is where they LOSE. Most of those guys have idiots that drop in and post foolishness. FCP is a carefully cultivated interactive audience with wonderful insights from passionate posters. We give because we have received. Would be a SHAME for the Times to let this go and I know thats a consideration.
I will NOT let Deng or Kirk off the hook until they play up to those contracts. They signed didnt they??? They spent the money didn't they??? That's what's wrong with the country!!!! :( BAIL OUTS!!! Do not let them off the hook until they EARN every cent. Thats from top to bottom!!! I am sick of accepting mediocrity! PRODUCE! See what is so wrong is that everyone is riding ROSE like he is supposed to do it all by himself while the folks sucking us dry are just free to show up against MILWAUKEE without Redd - at HOME! You realize that if Deng had turned in this kind of performance in Boston, we definitely would have won that game. We have to STOP picking and choosing who we HOLD ACCOUNTABLE!!! Especially the folks that are cashing all those checks! They spent OUR money too! That's right fans. And especially us that live in this city! They doubled us up! Don't want to hear it - PRODUCE! Deng is 7ft!!! And his contract 72 million dollars. Thats about 72 Pargos. And enough to buy Hunter a lifetime pass at every buffet across the United States!!!
Ok ... I can't hold this in any longer.
The Chicago Cubs organization is the sorriest excuse for a professional sports franchise on the planet, and maybe even the entire universe.
They make the Raiders and the Clippers look good in comparrison.
Cubdom (CubDumb?) didn't want Joe Girardi as a catcher anymore so in their infinite wisdom they ship him off to New York where he wins three World Series rings with the Yankees. He obviously wasn't good enough to catch all the Cy Young winners in the Cubbies rotation.
A decade later didn't want him as a Manager either, preferring instead to pay a kings ransom for sleepy Lou. Meanwhile jilted Joe pilots the Yankees to another title in just his second year.
Cub fans have no reason to live.
BTW ... I didn't watch even a single minute of MLB post season play.
Keith - the nba is littered with guys who make WAY too much $..guys much worse than deng and hinrich. And guys who might be better, are these guys worth it?
Iverson is earning $21M and is Memphis' 6th man. Ultimate team cancer.
Shawn Marion is the highest paid small fwd at $18M. Ever see him shoot?
My God Jermain O'Neal makes over $21M...JERMAINE O'NEAL!!!!
Don't forget, Lovie Smith is tied for the HIGHEST PAID coach in the NFL...and he's a .500 coach.
BTW - am I the only one who thinks Lebron might go for 35-15-12 tonight? I am tempted to roll my NBA winnings this year and lay the 10 1/2.
Ben Gordon was the most underrated and undervalued player in recent Chicago sports history. He wanted the big shots at the end of games and he wasn't afraid to take them. I don't see Salmons having that type of ice in his veins. While Salmons can get hot have score high 20s or 30 some nights, he will not do it on a consistent basis like Gordon did. All year, people will talk about how we miss Gordon's points. He wasn't a good defensive player, but I don't see Salmons as a vast improvement in that department either.
What a great confidence builder last nihts game has got to be for the Bulls. Inspite of a couple questionable calls (in some cases non-calls) in the fourth quarter they hung on to beat the Cav's on the road. My first thought at the final buzzer was that Keith had them at 1-4 to this point and here they are 3-2 and on top of the division half a game ahead of Cleveland. Granted I don't expect them to win the division but with the annual west coast trip coming up a road win over the Cav's should help to build confidence. And if I'm not mistaken this is the best start the Bulls have had since the Championship years. Also the more I see of Cleveland the more I believe they are not a better team than last year with the addition of Shaq. Infact for the most part the Bulls played Shaq straight up and did not resort to fouling him. All in all they played good defense through out the game never falling behind more than 6 points.
Keith you might want to rethink your game by game prediction. I really hate to say this but I told you Cleveland woud not sweep the season series.
TOMMY - you are right, but only ONE TEAM has players that are spending money I invested as a fan of the Bulls. Its up to each fan to fight for their teams. I applaud what the Cleveland Browns fans are planning this Sunday. (Saw it on Monsters in the Morning) Do you know the owner of the Browns met with the Dog Pound concerning their upcoming protest and actually learned something. FANS are what's wrong in Chicago! Cubs, Bulls, Bears have the fans sewed up and the management does NOT respect them. The only thing that is top notch are the facilities, ticket prices and concessions. And the Cubs don't even have state of the art facilities. What is so wrong with asking the management of the Bulls to BUILD on last year and move forward??? What is so wrong with asking Deng and Kirk to EARN THAT MONEY??? That is why I rooted for the Yankees and will root for anyone that PAYS, including the Lakers! When the folks at the top spend - they show they respect the fans, the game and the city. When they don't they send another message - which involves expletives and kissing.
MATT - you will not find a bigger Ben Gordon fan here, but in a way its good for Ben to be gone. He was a crutch for this team. They would get lazy because he was always there to pull them out of the fire or try to. He was always a convenient excuse for why noone was playing defense. Now he is gone and they are all going to have to step up or lose. They ALL must be held to task, not just Rose and Tyrus Thomas either. People have already gravitated over to calling Rose and Thomas out. Noone wants to say anything about the two highest paid players and CAPTAINS - until they do something THEY SHOULD BE DOING EVERY NIGHT.
Boy, I can't wait 'til the shooting picks up!
Actually that's a double edged sword.
Ever notice in sports how the concentration level goes down when your team is scoring well. Pitchers give up big innings, football defenses give up chunks, basketball defenses are not on their toes? Now, when the game is close, the concentration level of the defense is at an all time high. So is the case with the Bulls right now. Their lack of scoring ability is alerting their defensive signals, and rightfully so. I'll be eager to see how this teams 'D' responds to a decent lead, but right now they are doing exactly what they have to do to survive.
I knew Cleveland wouldn't be the same with Shaq. He's an anchor, not a motor, for most teams. Oh well, I'll take it!
Along with the 'D', our FT shooting, and Clevelands lack of, was the difference in the game. When these kids realize the value of the charity line, that possible 4 game difference at the end of the year will be very valuable.
GO BULLS!!!
I can't believe the team is 3-2. That's a decent start considering how brutal the first few months are. The defense is actually better which is a plus, but offensively we are pretty crummy.
I really hope Rose is hurt cause he hasn't come out strong. It does appear his D and passing has improved. Still haven't seen him take the next step to All-star status but it takes time to get back into rhythm after an ankle injury.
Besides one game, Salmons has looked really bad shooting. Really really bad. He needs to step it up cause he was supposed to be our main scoring option. His career average is 8 pts so I hope last year wasn't an aberration.
Kirk has played ok for 6th man, still inconsistent shooting but he schooled Mo Williams on a beautiful spin move layup.
Tyrus...the enigma wrapped in a riddle. Some of this is his fault but I also blame the org and coaching. We've all had a boss who didn't help develop his workers and played mind games. That boss sucked, didn't he. Vinny is obviously playing mind games....Tyrus is playing into the trap by pouting. If he just accepted the idiot coach and played hard, then he would get sympathy. I don't blame him cause he is getting jerked around. He has actually played well and was the one who won the game in San Antonio. Taj really should only be getting 10 minutes...he's the new version of Malik Allen. It just is suspect when one player gets singled out for occasionally doing something that everyone on the team does...not rotate properly. The whole team misses rotation, but I don't see Salmons getting benched even though his FG is somewhere around 35%
Noah is playing pretty well, on his way to be a top rebounder in the league for a long time and can pitch in 10-12 points consistently
Ricky:
I know this isn't your full time gig, and fully I understand that you're filling in on short notice due to the fact that Stu has wandered off the ranch, ... BUT ...
... Even when this was Roman's blog, (and you were filling in on weekends when he was unavailable) the same thing happened that is happening now:
No updates for anywhere from 48 to 72 hours at a time.
FCP has been totally devoid of new content and response to existing content since around three O'clock on Friday afternoon!
I don't know where to put my comments on current events because this blog is anything BUT current.
Sorry about the gripe, but I have a feeling that others share my sentiments.
Give us something to argue about, and then post it before it becomes yesterday's news.
Ricky responds: There was a reason I didn't post this right away. A) It was pretty much only intended for me, and I saw it and read what you said. B) The reason there was a lapse in content is because I don't know what my boundaries are here. Though I'd certainly be willing to write this blog every day, no one has "given" it to me yet. I need to get official clearance. Also, though I love writing about sports and talking with you guys, posting five times a week is sort of a lot of work, so I need to find out how I'm going to be compensated. Business things, man. Once they all get settled, I'm sure Full Court Press will be firing on all cylinders again in no time, whether it's with me at the helm or someone else.
This could take time, though. Remember, Stu's main job wasn't to write this blog -- he was the sports editor of a major newspaper. This blog was just a side thing for him, so there's more damage left in his wake than just an empty blog. But yeah: this should be taken care of soon.
Thats right RickDog...
In life...you gotta ASK for it...no wait, you gotta demand it.
You know That old saying...
"Good things come to those who wait...."
well, there is a second line to that phrase and its...
"Good things come to those who wait, but only whats left over after the go getters came and took theirs"
Ricky - I remmeber thanking Roman for doing this blog many moons ago. He told me to relax, because I was very emotional and heartfelt. (men really hate that coming from other men) But I said it then because I knew what a sacrifice it was for him. Stu was good, but Roman was the man. But now I find out that Stu was really overwhelmed with his other responsibilities. It makes me even more thankful. Saying thanks is a virtue forgotten. The Lord healed 10 lepers and only one of them came back to say "thank you". I only said that to make a point, and to emphasize why its important to me. And with that being said, Thank You!
I agree with Keith here and share the same sentiments, but that's as far as I'll go with the "emotional" stuff in a sports blog, ok? ;) I have enough of that other stuff to deal with 4 females (1 wife and 3 baby girls) at home. ha! Now please, either just get rid of the FCP blog moniker overall or get those darn people up there in corporate heaven to find someone to take over this blog on a consistent basis or I'll just have to start ignoring this overall and switch on over to rival newspaper companies. Keith, Tim Little, Navarro, Swagger, Gigs etc.... anywhere else you guys blog on Bulls/sports topics? Let's put some heat on these people to get their acts together!
Edgar, unfortunately I don't blog anywhere else about the Bulls or the Bears but if someone points us to a decent place, especially if FCP goes belly-up I's be more than happy to go there to commiserate and exchange opinions with you, Keith, Navarro etal.
Gentlemen I have been other places, and FCP has been like Cheers - the Chicago version. Well I guess its time for a FCP spinoff! I don't like posting in the Trib. But since Stu is there, maybe he will show them how its really done??? Comcast has some good blogs, but just like most of these folks, people just don't like to refresh the blog or post new topics. And Comcast won't let you go back and post to an old topic. Do they know that we read their writers and they read us as well! I can tell by some of their writing that somebody has been looking in FCP to see what We The People think, and rightfully so. Be a shame to shut down the people Sun Times! Remember, "we live in a cynical world". Dare to be different.
Ricky responds: I really don't know what you guys are complaining about, haha. I'll keep writing here every day until they tell me to stop. I don't think this place is going anywhere.
I usually go to BlogABull. pretty informative
I can't say I've been everywhere in terms of the sports-blog-o-sphere, but in the many I've visited, nothing comes close in terms of honest-to-goodness, thought-provoking, insightful, and generally respectful postings on the part of those here at FCP, especially amongst the regulars. Even most of those who aren't quite as strong in the aforementioned areas can be and would be if given the chance. That's my sense. I often have a dream of meeting everyone, especially the regulars, at FCP and having a cold one or two. It would be great however difficult it would be living near Seattle. I get the sense that most of us are honest folk who work hard for the money, have healthy senses of humor, and understand "what's really important" at the end of the day in spite of our sports passions. I really like Keith's reference to "Cheers." Somehow, that resonates.
If this blog were to self-destruct, I doubt very much that I would venture elsewhere, especially based upon what I've observed at those other blogs. It would be a shame for me personally although I'd certainly get over it. I, for one, would at least like to share emails (or Facebook) with each of the regulars somehow without publishing myself. That would be a very nice consolation if this blog were to get axed. Nevertheless, I think I'd like that even so. I really like the guys here and hope this thing continues.
Just in case FCP gets the life sucked out of it, I want to make my declaration that I've loved being a part of it for the time I've been here. Thanks to each and every one of you.
Let's hope it's not goodbye anytime soon.
Gig
You tell us Keith...ill go where you go.
B-Culzie I was just about to ask for your direction! Gig and William and I are on facebook. I just got on there two weeks ago and do not know how to navigate it yet.
Thanks Ricky for the vote of confidence.
Time to talk about the Bulls last night! Good drama. Baby Seal has been earning his salary. Still have to keep it up and stay healthy. But I have to throw him a fish at this point. Now the other guy - is stealing. Won't even mention who he is - I am going to let you guys do all the criticising - all I ask is that you treat him like you did Gordon.
But I am feeling really good because of NOAH. That is passionate basketball. Deng and Noah are solid and Rose has been good enough to give the Bulls 3 very good players. When Salmons and the thief decide to kick in we will be a pretty good team. Taj has fallen back down to earth and Pargo is sometimey. And what is with Vinny and Johnson now?!?!? First Tyrus and now Johnson. I don't like that stuff. Play that kid man. Know we need his minutes. I still do NOT want Bosh. He is playing very well now, but I don't see him as a Superstar - which is what he will command in salary. Labron, Wade or Dirk. That's right - I said Dirk. He is soft, but he is a REAL star. Would be moot if we could get Wade, but I just don't see that happening. Bulls should try to get a sign and trade for somebody like Bosh. I would move Deng for Bosh. Trust me all of those teams are thinking about sign and trades. Would you really let one of them walk away for nothing???
Gig, now is not the time to make some of us weep and cry, buddy.lol FCP appears to be still alive based on Ricky's last comment, it looks like we'll be ok here... for now. I just reacted to some of Ricky's comments much earlier about not being sure what the S-T folks wanted to do with this and then him making fun of getting a raise or something to that extent. ;) Swagger, I've read some of the Blog-A-Bull (I believe he has a contract with Yahoo! Sports, does he not?) pieces before also and yeah, he's not bad. Cool, I'll check up on that from time to time and join in when I can.
If some of you guys are real hardcore hoops fans more than just the Bulls, check out www.draftexpress.com. I used to be a part of the web production team that helped design that website during its infancy stages. I'm no longer involved with them of course (it was only a side job at the time, not a full time gig), but I still keep in touch with some of the main guys there like Jon Givony and Kyle Nelson and they have grown immensely over the years. It's great nerdy hoop stuff if you're really into player profiles and scouting reports.
Oh I almost forgot, guys... what did you guys think of the buzzer beater controversy last night against the Nuggets? My opinion -- Unless you can zoom in the camera right to the very fingertips, it's almost impossible to tell whether Miller got the shot off in time. Bottom line, the call on the floor was that it was good and I didn't think that any of the replay angles were conclusive enough to overturn the original call. The Bulls got robbed in my opinion and I'm trying to be as open-minded as possible without bias when I'm saying that.
Keith I am happy to see you have acknowledged Deng's play so far and like you I hope he can keep it going and stay healthy. Salmon's I believe will come around and Kirk has always been streaky.
Edgar I concur with your position on that buzzer beater. Ther was NOT indisputable proof that the ball was not clear of Miller's fingertips and had it been called no shot from the get go I would say there was not enough in the replays to overturn it so by the standard of indisputabl proof yes tyhe Bulls got robbed. But that did not shock me because they were on the short end of many questionable calls last night including the call that sent Billups to the line with .6 seconds remaining. First of all I think that should have been a no call, Hinrich had dislodged the ball from Billups hands long before hitting him across the forearm and after watching that replay several times the whistle blew with .9 on the clock which would have made no question about Miller's shot.
But beyond all that you still have to give the Bulls their due in that they finished strong in the closing minutes against what is perceived to be one of the elite teams in the west.
Edgar, I agree that it was a bad call and I did want the right call. I was in no way caught up emotionally. My wife, who hates sports, also thought it was good. The first angle that the TV showed was obvious. Then, they began showing other angles that made it questionable. Still, what happened to the adage that calls don't get overturned unless there's conclusive evidence? 0.4 seconds left and the Bulls win without any question whatsoever.
The thing that makes it easier for me to accept is that the refs did put 0.3 seconds on the clock making it possible when I thought the Bulls caught a break getting any time left at all. Also, did Hinrich need to hack Billups in the first place? I think his lay-up would have been too late resulting in OT.
I really like what I'm seeing from Noah by the way. I'm actually amazed! He's playing like a top ten draft pick to me. Moreover, Luol is showing me something as well. They can't score much, but you gotta love a team the plays hard. That's all I can ask of players and coaches. The overall talent is somebody else's job. If they can't score close to 100 points per game, then something needs to done if they're serious about a title in the near future. Perhaps a 45-win plus season could be attractive enough to a one of those prospective and long-anticipated 2010 free agents?
Edgar - was Miller Time! Refs took that one away because the clock should have run out on that rebound the play before. Bulls received a lot of favorable calls - and rightfully so at home. That shot was good! But the refs were done giving out freebies.
I, don't post anywhere else but Biggs and SI, and those are rareties. I'll just sit back and wait to see what happens. The way the Bears have been playing makes it easier to avoid my negative thoughts, but the Bulls are playing tough, regardless of those two last losses.
Edgar, Vinny's back to his old ways in the substitution game, but unless you've been on the floor, it's not easy. Still, there's no excuse for not giving Johnson more time, excusing players to the bench in the last 5 minutes for not matching or playing well, and starting a game with an excellent motion offense and ending it with one-on-one play calling. Personally, and this aint no bull, I would have put my team in a better position than Del Bobo Negro to win in Toronto.
Keith, Deng is doing well but Hinrich is stinking up the place. That's a 50-50 draw on the caps. If Salmone ever gets his head out of his Wisconsin Breeze we'll be much better on the offensive end, but the 'D' has been exceptional.
Ricky, I know little about your situation at the Times, but considering the situation of our economy, I just hope you stay above water, regardless of where this blog goes.
Bulls notes:
Gibson's the real deal if he can stay out of foul trouble.
Rose still is having trouble staying between his man and the basket.
Pargo, Kirk, Miller and Salmons are making it tougher on the short rotation Vinny is playing by not contributing on the offensive end to their capabilities.
Johnson is VERY athletic and deserves as much time, if not more, than at least Pargo?!?
We're not in dire trouble when guards have to switch to a big any longer!
Vinny still has a lot to learn. Do the other veteran assistants have a pulse?
Ahhh...nothing like back2back games in the NBA to fatten the wallet
Navarro good post. I appreciate the honest assessment of Kirk's game. For whatever reason, folks refuse to call this guy out. He is making 10 million, and is a veteran and captain. And folks won't even hold him to the task of hitting a wide open jump shot. They got nothing but love for him. Deng is in the same boat but at least folks will call him out. But Deng is at least treading water.
Its just as difficult to score as it is to play defense. And scoring is tricky because there are sneaky scorers who score on misdirection and because of open looks. And then there are imposing scorers who you know will get the ball and you are right there trying to stop them and they just impose their wills on you regardless. Bulls have ONE of the latter and thats Rose. And then there is the most difficult part in scoring - and thats during spells and at the end of the 2nd and 4th quarters. And even Rose is going to struggle with that. During the 4th is when the game is decided and the lights are on and the adrenaline is flowing. A gifted fearless scorer draws the double/triple teams and still makes his baskets or finds the open man. Bulls will struggle until they find such a player.
The real trick with the Bulls offense is that its predicated on balance and that means everyone has to pull their load. And the guys with the heavy minutes have been failing to just do their regular average scoring. Check it out for yourself. And for an opposing team, all you have to do to stop the Bulls is cool off one or two of their jets and thats easy.
And I am going to pull the wool off that cloak of a defense we have. Yes we are playing good team defense, but not stellar defense. As someone noted, we are not rotating properly. I think we confuse a scrappy effort (slapping and chopping - aka "hacking") with real bonefide defense. A good defender will steal the ball, block a shot, keep a defender in front of him or shade the defender to the help, deny a pass to a prime scorer, force bad passes and bad shots. A good defender is a nightmare and pesky defender is nothing more than a "hack". Good defenders are usually quick, long or tall or physical and will contain or shut a player down. Bulls are playing decent team basketball, but they don't have lock down defense/defender or clutch pressure shooters.
A good defender and a cold blooded scorer are the epitomy of great NBA drama. I enjoyed every second of the Kobe/Anthony battle in the conference finals last year. And I used to love the Artest/Kobe battles. Now Artest is going to lay hands on Mello.
First of all, I’ll certainly give my credit to the Bulls for a decent start to the season and that’s great to see, but they still show many of the same issues that we’ve been worried about from the very beginning. I think we knew that the defense would be better, but to say they’re at the level of defense of the Celtics or even that of the early Skiles’ Bulls teams that once led the league in fg% defended is still far fetched. I thought Randy Brown was brought in to help the guards defend on the ball better? I haven’t really seen it yet, especially from Rose, hurt or not. And is it me or is there way too much kool-aid on the tv airwaves about the praises of Taj Gibson’s play? I mean, for me, he is what he is, a solid role player and an older rookie by NBA standards, but his potential ceiling is already almost max’d out. I’m not surprised he’s playing decent, but to say he’s playing well enough for the Bulls to not address the power forward position in the 2010 free agent sweepstakes is way off. The Bulls will have to address this position soon enough. You can’t win any Championship totally void of an inside offensive back-to-the-basket post game. You have to give the other teams something to think about from the offense. Right now, all the teams in the league know that the Bulls live and die with the jump shots and offensive boards. I’m worried that GarPaxDorf better not view Taj Gibson as the final answer to the power forward slot. Those cheapos might just end up using him as an excuse to ignore that position later on.
Anthony, I definitely agree about Vinny. There’s no excuse not to give James Johnson more playing time. This is the same crap he’s been doing with Tyrus Thomas. I can’t understand why other NBA teams in the league are able to play their rookies meaningful minutes like DeJuan Blair, Ty Lawson, Brandon Jennings, Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, Chase Budinger… I mean, really, the Bulls already have a depleted bench as it is and they only give Johnson less than 5 mins of playing time and give him the quick hook after his first mistake on the floor? They think they’re championship contenders with no room for developing younger talent in a real game? Ridiculous. Yes Anthony, Vinny still has a long ways to go. This circus road trip ought to be a good test for progress in his coaching skills/potential.
And Keith, you know Kirk will always be a fan favorite among the casual observers. Remember Mike in Ft Wayne from John Jackson’s Bulls blog columns? Well, let me just say, case in point right there. You're fighting a losing battle there, my man. ;-) haha But that doesn’t mean that Derrick Rose is off the hook either. I know he’s probably not “100%” healthy yet, but regardless, I haven’t really seen any part of his game that has improved. In fact, his passing and turnovers seem to be getting worse if you ask me. I know teams are collapsing on the driving lanes, but the same can be said about other top point guards in the NBA. I’d like to see Rose pattern his game to the former NBA guard great, Kevin Johnson ("KJ") of the Cavs/Suns who had that uncanny knack of driving in at will and drawing contact and fouls like crazy.