This Day in Sports (Jordan Scores 63)

Playoff Trivia: Bulls and Blackhawks

What is the only year in history of Chicago did both the Bulls and Blackhawks make it to the Finals?

MJ and Scottie Courtside. So Close, Yet So Far

In case you missed it, last night during the Bulls game against the visiting Charlotte Bobcats Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen had courtside seats for the action. According to this article, when showed on the Jumbotron the two of them received a standing Ovation. It's always great to see Micheal back in Chicago.


Here is a clip of my favorite MJ standing ovation, His last professional game in Chicago.

Chicago Sports Power Rankings

Our fine city by the Lake has gone through some tough times in the last decade in sports. Without exception, every single team representing the Chi has absolutely stunk at one time or another. The Sox winning it all in 2005 and the Bears' Super Bowl in '06 were high points, but other than that, the mid-2000s were a bit of a struggle for Superfans.

Now that we're in the offseason for the NHL, NBA, and NFL, and in the stretch run for baseball, it's a good time to see which organizations are doing well, and which ones are flailing.

1. Chicago Blackhawks - They just won the Stanley Cup, and have an excellent young group of stars to build around. New management has turned around fanhood with more accessible games on TV, and hey, everyone likes to back a winner. The 'Hawks bandwagon has never been more full.

On the downside, all of the cost-cutting moves this offseason, while necessary, have left something of a bad taste in fan's mouths. Losing Niemi and Byfuglien reminds me of the Sox having to dump Rowand after the World Series. Still, things are looking good for the Blackhawks going forward.

2. Chicago Bulls - Despite losing out on LeBron James and the rest of Miami Thrice, the Bulls have a new coach, lots of fresh blood, and emerging superstars in Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.

Top to bottom, this might be the best roster in the NBA (at worst, it's still Top 10), and Tom Thibodeau knows what to do with good depth. (DEFEND! PRESS!) Also, the Bulls have made the playoffs the last two seasons in a row, and fan support barely even wavered during the crappy years.

I expect the Bulls to be a fast-breaking, fiercely aggressive team this year, a joy to watch even if they don't get to the Finals.

3. Chicago White Sox - Ozzie Guillen is the best coach in Chicago, and with his seven years' experience, the dean of Windy City coaching. He has his team, once again, in position to battle it out down the stretch with the Twins for the AL Central crown.

Is this a dominant team? No, but quality pitching and steady leadership (not just Oz, but also Buehrle, Don Cooper, Paul Konerko) make being a Sox fan easy these days. Also, US Cellular has the best food in town, ballpark-wise.

4. Chicago Bears - No doubt, this is OUR team, the team that every sports fan in Chicago really cares about. So why No. 4? Well, they were 7-9 last year. Lovie Smith is gone if they don't make the playoffs. Key players, like Brian Urlacher and Olin Kreutz, but including many others, are getting old.

This is a make-or-break year for the Bears. Succeed, and reclaim the top spot in Chicago fan's hearts. Fail, and we know we're in for a rough 2010-2020 at Soldier Field.

5. Chicago Cubs - Yes, it warms the cockles of my evil lil' heart putting the Cubs down here. Seriously though, they are overpaid and terrible, and Lou Pinella is on his way out.

On the bright side, Wrigley still fills up for games, Starlin Castro and Tyler Colvin look like they'll be good, and new ownership is willing to spend.

6. Chicago Rush - In case you hadn't heard, they just got eliminated from the playoffs. You hadn't? Oh. Right.

7. Chicago Wolves - I'll be honest. I have no clue how the Wolves did this year, or are doing. But I do know they signed Chelios for a minute there, so that counts for something. And they've always been a decent AHL/IHL team.

8. Chicago Fire - Technically they play in Naperville, so that's Strike One. Also, they have a losing record this season and are scuffling in their international league. Strike Two. I'm not ready to give up on the Fire yet, but with solid soccer teams emerging in LA, New York, and even Salt Lake City, it looks as if the Fire may be stuck in reverse.

9. Chicago Sky - We have a WNBA team? Yes, and they stink.

Did I miss anything? Lacrosse? Rugby?

Meet The New-Look Chicago Bulls

I figured I better get something up to avoid Armchair Superstar's first ever donut, and a lot has gone on at the Berto Center in Chicago, so let's see who we'll be rooting for next season on the Bulls:

Guards: Derrick Rose is a lock to start, and it looks as if new acquisition Ronnie Brewer will be his backcourt mate.



Brewer is just 25, and is 6-foot-7. Although he had a rough year in '09-'10, his previous seasons with the Jazz (he was drafted in 2006) showed a player who is skilled on defense (hopefully a defensive replacement for Hinrich) and can fill the net as well, though he's much more of a slasher than a pull-up shooter.



The other new additions to the guards lineup are Kyle Korver and C.J. Watson.
Korver, of course, made more of a splash, signing after his former teammate Carlos Boozer and filling the Bulls' need for a three point shooter. But ultimately, especially if Brewer emerges for Chicago, I think the Watson signing may prove the wiser of the two. Check out what he can do on the fast-break:



It's possible that Chicago may tap John Lucas III to fill the last PG post, and Tracey McGrady will be in for a workout Monday, with Derrick Rose on record as saying he'd like to see T-Mac join the squad.

What I like about these new guys can be summed up pretty succinctly: They're young, quick, athletic, and high-character. That's Brewer and Watson. Which means they have room to grow, and they're coachable. Korver fits one of those (high character) and he's a deadly shot. Altogether, I like this four-guard group a lot.



Forwards: This is the place where the Bulls had the most continuity, since Luol Deng, Taj Gibson, and James Johnson have all survived the offseason.

The addition of Carlos Boozer has been thoroughly discussed, but I also have high hopes for Gibson's continued development. Let's not forget that he was no slouch last year!



Johnson, on the other hand, didn't show much in Summer League, struggling to stay within the offense and to focus in general. However, since Brewer and Korver both have decent size, it's possible that they can sub in for Luol at small forward if the second-year kid isn't up to the task.

Deng is good for 18/7 a game, and so is Boozer, giving the Bulls improved scoring punch from the forward position. Boozer's passing ability give the forwards an added dimension as well.

Centers: Not much needs to be said about Joakim, except that I really hope his feet are okay this season.

However, the addition of 7-footer Omer Asik, who has been playing in Turkey since Chicago drafted him in 2007, is one of the most mysterious moves of the offseason. Apparently, he's ready. I hope so, because a competent backup center is essential. According to YouTube, he's a good shot blocker!



With Kurt Thomas just having signed today, the Bulls have pretty much filled their quota at big man.

Rotation:
PG: D-Rose
SG: Ronnie Brewer
SF: Luol Deng
PF: Carlos Boozer
C: Joakim Noah

PG2: Watson
SG2: Korver
SF2: Johnson/Korver
PF2: Gibson
C2: Asik

PG3: Lucas?
SG3: McGrady?
PF/C3: Thomas

Is this team good enough to win in the East? A lot depends on how well Thibodeau adjusts to his first season at the helm, and if Rose can stay healthy after the World Basketball Championships (he looks likely to make the team and log serious minutes).

But I think the bench has improved a ton, and Brewer and Boozer make the starting lineup stronger. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Bulls Summer League Game II: The Clippers

I realized today that one of the big reasons that the Bulls didn't land LeBron was that Chicago management told him they wouldn't provide paid positions for all of LeBron's boys. Forget where I read that - New York Times, maybe?

If that's the case, then good riddance and I'm proud of Reinsdorf, Gar, and Pax.

Just some tidbits from tonight's game:

Derrick Rose is in attendance, taking notes on players with Randy Brown, who I believe does player development for the Bulls.

Chris Webber is one of the announcers: Cool!

The squad seems to have found a good lineup with John Lucas III (8pt, 2ast in first quarter), Matt Bouldin, Samardo Samuels, James Johnson, and Trent Plaisted. All of these guys have at least a 25% to make the team. More coming later. They're interviewing Coach Thibodeau now.

Lucas is absolutely on fire, hitting two treys in a row to open the second quarter as the Bulls lead 26-16.



So the interview with Thibodeau wasn't all that exciting. He seems like a pretty laid-back guy, he said at one point that it's important for the best players on his teams to lead, which when you have D-Rose and Noah and Boozer seems like a pretty good idea.

I see this team being hard working and talented - I just hope they can keep an even keel through adversity and maintain some serious fire, which I haven't really seen out of Tibs.

Matt Winer, the other announcer, just noted that Sofoklis Schortsanitis (aka "Greek Shaq") is in the game for the Clippers. All 315lbs of him. Webber: "I'm just goanna call him Summer Shaq, cause I can't pronounce his name."



Morris Almond, for the Bulls, was a late first-rounder in 2007 out of, I wanna say, Rice? He's getting a shot for Chicago. Just converted off a nice feed from James Johnson around Greek Shaq, and the Bulls are comfortably ahead by 14.

Honestly, I wasn't too impressed with the Clips' draft class of Aminu (soft, tweener, couldn't win in college), and Bledsoe (too young!). And so far they're proving me right.

James Johnson with a nice block and maybe he's picking it up.

Some halftime stats: Bulls 39 - 22 Clippers

Al-Farouq Aminu was part of the Clipper's early 10-0 lead, scoring eight points to go with a pair of rebounds and a pair of steals.

Eric Bledsoe, in seventeen minutes, has been simply dominated by the Bulls' John Lucas, being held without a score and committing three turnovers.

Other notables on the Clippers: Willie Warren, DeAndre Jordan, Greek Shaq, Nick Caner-Medley.

Lucas, in sixteen minutes, was 4-4 from the three point line and has 14 points, two assists, and a steal.

Matt Bouldin was +23, with Trent Plaisted and Samardo Samuels both +19, and Samuels also notched a game-high seven boards.

Starters Derrick Byars and Chris Richard, on the other hand, haven't fared as well and are losing momentum to the other guys. Should be an interesting second half. Joe Alexander and Jerel McNeal have yet to play in either game, while AJ Ogilvy hasn't gotten into this one.

A nice moment there as current Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro chats up his former protege, D-Rose. I like Vinny. Nice guy. Don't think he can win a title, but a nice guy.

Bulls are going with their original lineup (Lucas, Byars, Biggs, Richard, Johnson) to start. Lucas is really owning Eric Bledsoe every time up and down. Bledsoe can't buy a bucket, and Johnny just made a 3/4 court pass to Tyrell Biggs under the basket. Chris Webber: "Just heard somebody yell out in the stands, that's a good backup for Derrick Rose, and I agree with that guy."

Chris Richard has my beard. More hair, but my beard. He's also the winningest player in Florida history. (Thanks Matt Winer for the stats)

This Bulls roster is a LOT older than the Clippers, who have a ton of rookies and second year guys. Chris Richard and James Johnson and John Lucas, even Almond, are guys that have been around awhile and spent a fair amount of time in school. Bledsoe's nineteen, Aminu's what, 20, DeAndre Jordan is 20 too! Damn. No wonder the Bulls are winning.

AWWWW... Lucas just got a GREAT fast break pass negated by a James Johnson missed dunk. Then Jeremy Richardson (Clippers) traveled and got away with it. 48-23 Bulls. They're doing to LA what Denver did to them yesterday. Chicago is 4-13 at the free throw line. Ouch.

Oh, I forgot: Johnson and Aminu probably know each other from Wake Forest, huh?



Dude, the main downside to watching these games on The Ocho is the NONSTOP WNBA commercials. "Can't Be Tamed" by Miley Cyrus, at least 30 seconds of it, just jammed into my head. If they really want to make an impression, send a WNBA team out to Summer League and see how they do.

"Chicago is on a 32-9 run since the start of the second quarter." - Winer

Matt Bouldin has a great looking three point shot. Lucas has 18 points. Could they both sneak onto the roster somehow?

Chris Webber loves Pete Carrill (he keeps calling him "Coachie"). He's been telling some great stories about their time together (in Sacramento). Webber on Sofoklis: "Was that a Greek god?" Winer: "I know Socrates was, but Sofoklis..."

Wait a second. Lucas just hit his fifth trey of the day. And Chris Richard is doing some solid hard work on Summer Shaq down in the post. Once he finally goes out late in the 3rd, Sofoklis scores a couple nice layups in a row.

Willie Warren forces a shot-clock violation on John Lucas with four seconds to go, and the third quarter ends 58-32. We'll see if anything exciting happens in the fourth, eh? Commercial time! You know what that means!



uuuuuuuuuugggggghhhh. Ooh, a Del Negro interview! Let's see.

James Johnson just missed what would have been a total POSTERIZATION of Summer Shaq.

Del Negro seems really comfortable talking about teaching younger NBA players. What strikes him about his roster? "Well, we're young. I was happy to lock up Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes, Brian Cook, some veteran guys..." Gomes! Foye! Kaman! It's your 2010 Clippers!

Four quarter update: Bouldin, McClinton, Samuels, Biggs, Plaisted out there for Chicago. Samuels is no match for Baby Shaq. McClinton isn't playing badly, but it's just not showing in the stat sheet. Also, this female referee is calling every foul super tight in the fourth: WHY? It's not even close! She's auditioning too, I guess.

The Clippers, so far, have shot 26% tonight. Wow. 5 minutes left. How much am I getting paid for this?

I like Trent Plaisted. Apparently he dunked lefty on Summer Shaq earlier - he's played pretty solid in both games. So has Mo Almond. Here's how I'd rate the summer guys' shot to make the Bulls going forward, keeping in mind we have the following spots:

PG: Rose, _____
SG: Korver, Redick (?)
G: ____, _____
SF: Deng, _____
PF: Boozer, Gibson, (James Johnson?)
PF/C: _____
C: Noah, Omer Asik

Basically it looks like we have a home for at least one point and one shooting guard, maybe even one more, and probably just one big man beyond James Johnson if that. Numbers are where they stand in the pecking order after two games.

John Lucas (1) and Matt Bouldin (3), along with Morris Almond (4), probably have the best chance at those guard spots, with McClinton on the outside looking in.

At forward/center, you've got James Johnson (2), Chris Richard (6) (the favorites going in) but then Samardo Samuels (7) and Trent Plaisted (5) have both made good cases at times. Plaisted has 13 and 9 tonight and is 6-foot-11. So he's gotta be on the rise. Let's learn a little bit about the former BYU Cougar to close things out, eh?



Bulls win, 79-50! Good game, fellas.

Bulls Summer League Game One: Nuggets

How sad am I that the World Cup is over/desperate for real sports to start up again?

Well, the Chicago Bulls have their very first Las Vegas Summer League match (starting NOW on ESPN3: The Ocho) and I'm goanna watch it and report back for everybody! They're playing the Nuggets, who star Ty Lawson from UNC (28pts, 7ast in their last game) as well as J.R. Smith (what is he still doing playing Summer League?).

First off, let's take a look at the Bulls' roster. A couple of guys have NBA experience. James Johnson should probably be the standout on the team. He's the only guy I expect to contribute for Chicago this season, and if he doesn't play well in Summer League, Gar and Pax better be looking for a replacement.

Other "veterans" on the squad include Joe Alexander, who came from the Bucks in the Salmons trade, Chris Richard, who signed a series of 10-day contracts with the Bulls and played fairly well, and others.

Game on! Chris Richard wins the tip. After a Derrick Byars made three-pointer, Johnson blocks a shot with a foul.

I'll be back with some analysis after the first quarter.

Bulls starters: John Lucas (OK State), Byars (Vandy), Johnson (Wake), Richard (Florida), some other guy I can't spot.

FIRST QUARTER: The announcers note that Jeff Van Gundy is very high on John Lucas III, who has bounced around between D-League, overseas, etcetera. He's only 5-foot-10 but obviously has the NBA pedigree with his dad being John Lucas. Backup PG?

Johnson has played okay but did get an offensive and a defensive foul. The announcers are definitely trashing him in comparison to Taj Gibson, as well they should be, but he has now scored four in a row for the Bulls, and has eight total points early in the first.

Ty Lawson is the only one so far looking like a man among boys (eleven points without a miss midway through the first), though Coby Karl and Lucas have also played well.

Matt Bouldin from Gonzaga takes over running the point for Chicago. Bouldin makes a beautiful inside pass to Samardo Samuels, another rookie from Louisville for the Bulls. Commercial break!

Lucas: not a great shooter.

Announcers on Bouldin: He's a legit NBA prospect. "kind of a tweener 1/2" He has a nice assist and a nice pop-up 3 so far.

SECOND QUARTER: (bulls down 30-21)

Jack McClinton, the gunner from Miami (the U, not the Heat), is in for the Bulls now. Also Bouldin, Samuels. Pete Myers is coaching Da Bulls.

Lawrence Ekparrigan just owned Chris Richard on a drive to the hole. Who?

"You can tell this is game one for the Bulls and game four for the Nuggets." 37-21 Nuggs.

More on McClinton: He was originally drafted by the Spurs. An undersized two, he's basically a gunner. Which means, maybe, the Bulls could use him! "He's utterly fearless" say the announcers. He's also only 6-foot-1. By the way, it's David Aldrich commentating on this game, and some other guy.

Lucas likes the sideways-fading jumper. I've seen him one for two on 'em. Richard is ordering guys around like he knows he's making the team. Chicago is down 45-25 with 3:38 to go in the quarter. Apparently, Tyrell Biggs (from Pittsburgh, no?) was the guy the Bulls added to their roster late.

Derrick Byars, who is 6-foot-7, 220, really likes to shoot the three. But he's only hit his first two, and missed at least three more since then. His teammate, Ogilvy, has yet to get in for Chicago.

It's almost halftime, I promise after the game I'll distill this ramble into some coherent conclusions for everybody, but so far no one on the Bulls has much impressed.

Halftime stats:
James Johnson 17 min, 8pt, 1reb, 3TO, 3fouls. Grade: D+
Derrick Byars has the least lousy plus/minus, at -6. He has two threes and two turnovers. We'll give him a B.
Bulls overall: D-

Ty Lawson: 13pt, 3ast, 0 to, hasn't missed a shot. Grade: A
Coby Karl has a +16 in twelve minutes of very solid play. Grade: A
Nuggets overall: A- They're shooting 21-30. The Bulls? 12-25.

Lotta love for George Karl, who's trying to come back from cancer.

THIRD QUARTER: 54-30, Nuggets.

Lucas hits a big pull-up three. Maybe I need to revise my thoughts on his shooting skills. Lawson continues to play well. He's clearly the best player on the court. Meanwhile, Pete Myers is laying it on James Johnson about his lazy defense. They're talking about LeBron dunking on JJ in the playoffs.. let's see if I can do somethin' about it:



Oh right, that is nasty.

AJ Ogilvy is finally in for the Bulls. But JR Smith and the Nuggets continue to pour it on, they're up 64-33 now, with 6:44 to go in the 3rd. McClinton just got embarrassed by Ty Lawson. These two know each other from the ACC, by the way.

Bulls have another big, goofy white guy in. Let's see, who is this? Aha, Trent Plaisted, who just got a block! Only down 71-35. Ouch. You ready for something awesome? Here's Ty Lawson dunking on DJ Mbenga:



Meanwhile, McClinton is starting to pick it up in garbage time, with a couple of nice drives. He's got eight points now.

Coby Karl just had a great pass to Othello Hunter. Bulls are playing terrible. Well, except for Morris Almond, who has gone 3-block-2 in the last 30 seconds to end the third quarter. Nice little series for him.

FOURTH QUARTER is coming.

Yeah, this is basically garbage time. They're talking about (drumroll) the Heat.

Samardo Samuels is one guy who might have a chance with the Bulls. I guess John Lucas III is another. James Johnson didn't play well, nor did Chris Richard, who didn't do much wrong, but also not much right. I'm wondering why Marquette's Jerel McNeal didn't play at all?

Bouldin looked pretty legit, too.

Carlos Boozer > Chris Bosh

Well, tonight is the night. And we still don't know where LeBron is going. Hell, I kind of think that LeBron doesn't know where LeBron is going.

Amidst reports that the Miami scenario is a "done deal," I got to thinking, and here's what I came up with after some film study; Carlos Boozer is better than Chris Bosh.

Let's go to the video, shall we?



God, the Fugees are awesome. I had to search for a few minutes to find a video without some crappy metal in the background. Now let's see some video of Bosh...



Here's my point. Did you see Bosh in that highlight, at all? Wasn't he supposed to be his team's star last year? Maybe his girlfriend should have been heckling him instead of LeBron.

Stats. Boozer averaged 19.7 and over 13 rebounds a game in the playoffs this year. Bosh didn't make the playoffs. You can compare them at NBA.com. Chris averaged a double-double in Toronto on a bad team (24 and 10), but watching video it just seems like he disappears in the post. Definitely not a strong presence.

I think that with Boozer and Noah in the post, Chicago is freaking scary. Add Taj Gibson to the mix and the Bulls are, perhaps, the best rebounding team in the league.

Bill Simmons today notes that Bosh has only played in ONE big game in his entire career as a basketball player. That would be the 2008 Olympics. Let's see...



Yep. Bosh is invisible again. Except when he fails to get over on defense. Then you notice. Like at 5:20. By the way, Simmons also really seems to be warming up to the Bulls, as noted in the Free Agency Summit from last week. I always think of him as a Chicago hater, so this is interesting.

"What should LeBron do? Pick Chicago. That's where the rings are. The fact that he didn't say to Bosh, "Come to Chicago with me, we'll play with Rose and Noah and win six titles together" was the single most disappointing outcome of the summer. That team would have been a true juggernaut with pieces that actually complemented each other, unlike this pickup-basketball situation that's brewing in Miami.

Even with Boozer there in Bosh's place -- and I think he's a great fit for them, with or without LeBron -- it could still translate to multiple titles, because Rose could have been the best second banana since Kobe in 2001. "

Nice. What do y'all think? Here, by the way, is one more of Boozer, just for education. Check out the post defense and fast break skills, and passing.



How lucky is Boozer to have played with Deron Williams, Jay Williams at Duke, and now Derrick Rose? That's one hell of a point guard list. By the way, let's not forget, Boozer won a title in college, and, as Simmons notes, Bosh never even made the Sweet Sixteen.



Yep. I'm happy with Boozer.

Bulls Free Agency Derby

I thought we'd lead today with some linkage from around the world, and see what's being written about this story you may have heard about - there are a few decent free agents in the NBA this year, apparently?

One of the top three picks from the 2003 draft JUST SIGNED A HUGE DEAL WITH MINNESOTA!!!!!

ESPN's Jon Greenberg: Chicago is ready for new sports King <- This is a well-written and honest look at where the Bulls and the sports fans of Chicago stand. There are bits that LeBron might not love hearing...

"The Bulls don't need a leader. Joakim Noah has donned that mantle. He's earned it. Teammates like him and they have started to look to him to speak to the press on their behalf and as a last line of defense on the court.

I know it sounds crazy to outsiders: The guy who acted the fool after winning NCAA titles and wore the bow tie to the draft is a legit NBA leader?"

... but where Chicago has a serious edge with LeBron is exactly in this respect. We don't need to BS with him like Miami, New York, New Jersey. There's no Kool-Aid to be drank here in order to get the King to sign. Just look at Chicago. Just look at the Bulls. I love it.

Six out of eight ESPN experts think Bron is coming to Chicago.

Chris Bosh loves twitter. A good source for updates straight from the guy himself. I don't like Twitter but I will make an exception here.

Pooooooor Cleveland. Did you know they lead the nation in drifters? From the Trib...

"AKRON, Ohio — There's a consensus among sports fans here that — despite the Jordan shot over Craig Ehlo, John Elway's Drive and Jose Mesa's blown save in the World Series — the worst tragedy in Cleveland sports history occurred when Art Modell packed up the Browns and left for Baltimore for seemingly no good reason.

As the countdown to the start of free agency neared an end, fans in this passionate but championship-deprived sports town were bracing for the sobering possibility that LeBron James may play for another city next season."

So, yeah. The Nets and Knicks are in Akron today to talk with LeBron, the first of the suitors to make their pitches. Let me guess. You're goanna tell him New York is awesome. Hey, we have great deli in Chicago too, man. And it's less crowded and dogs don't crap on the sidewalks as much. And it smells better in Chicago. Anyway. From the NYTimes' great sports section...

“We tried to put him in a New York state of mind,” Knicks Coach Mike D’Antoni said after the meeting with James.

After two years of diligently creating the cap room to pursue James — but without being able to say so publicly, D’Antoni got a little giddy.

“You know what was good? LeBron James being there,” D’Antoni said. “No one can call me for tampering. It’s liberating, really.”

I kinda think the Knicks have given up. That article mentions they've already offered Joe Johnson a max deal, too. Plus, they know they're terrible, no matter what eternal optimist Coach Mikey has to say. Now, the (soon-to-be) Brooklyn Nets, with Russian Mark Cuban and Jay-Z, they interest me a bit more, because LeBron does want to be a global icon. Times?

The Nets’ contingent, led by the new owner Mikhail Prokhorov, President Rod Thorn, Coach Avery Johnson and the music mogul Jay-Z — a Nets shareholder and a close friend of James — arrived at the offices of IMG in a series of black town cars at 10:58 a.m. James, who grew up in nearby Akron, arrived earlier, in a white sports-utility vehicle.

“Meeting went well,” Johnson shouted while walking out.

I don't think LeBron wants to play for The Little General, though. He might be more interested in Byron Scott, the Cavs' new coach. Cleveland sure thinks so, anyway.

God, I could go on for days with this stuff. Here's my prediction as of now:

Bosh/Wade to the Heat. Though I'm still not giving up on D-Wade coming to Chicago if the chips fall a certain way. Mostly, I think he's just trying to avoid living in the same town as his ex wife.

Johnson/Amare in New York, reunited with D'Antoni. God, I could get ten assists a game playing point guard for that team. Steve Nash won the MVP with those guys in 2004-05, by the way. Chris Paul, anybody? Joe Johnson actually may well be staying put in Atlanta and taking the money, according to ESPN.

LeBron/David Lee for the Bulls. Which gives us probably the best top seven in the league, especially if we add a SG like Korver or (sigh) Redick. Yes, that hurt.

Dirk stays in Dallas.

More to come. God, the 24 hour news cycle is rough!

Bosh and Wade Together... In Chicago

My sources have informed me that Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade are in Chicago hearing presentations. My sources being ESPN and Twitter of course. Seriously though, Bosh and Wade have heard the Bulls' presentation. According to ESPN, Miami has the leg up on all the teams for both Bosh and Wade. But my question is: Why are they both in a hotel in Chicago then? Why wouldn't Wade be at his home in Miami? If Bosh wanted to join him during the Free Agency process, Wade could show him around Miami. Instead, Bosh is getting to see Chicago and all that this city has to offer. It makes no sense to me.

But then again, maybe their all looking for a home in Chicago. While LeBron is the dream, Wade isn't the worst consolation prize ever. Perhaps Wade sees the writing on the wall: You need room to sign three max free agents to three max deals. The Heat don't have that. Instead, the Bulls have a far better surrounding cast, and a third superstar on the rise. So, if Wade wants to be a part of a championship team for a while, he should probably try to join the Bulls.

On top of all of this Wade actually fits in perfectly with the Bulls' roster. We need a Shooting guard and a power forward. You get both of them from that signing. With that said, I'd still much rather land Bosh and James. Which I still remain confident we will. After that, we will dominate for years to come!

Wilbon, Kornheiser, Simmons and Le Batard Discuss NBA Free Agency

Wait... I have the Internet?

Hello everyone. I finally got internet today, as I've been without it since May 29th. So, now I can post again. I'd like to address today's big news: Lebron, Wade, and Bosh meeting in Miami.

The good news is Lebron has been very non-committal. In fact, Chad Ford puts the Bulls chance of landing him at 40%. Which is by far the highest. If he comes here, I think it's a done deal with Bosh. I figure a huge selling point should be the fact that while Wade is very good he will be 29 this next season. While LeBron and Bosh are 26. The Bulls should emphasize that in a few years Wade's abilities will taper off. So, once Bosh and LeBron's career reaches its twilight there will be no one to pick up the slack. However, the Bulls have D-Rose who will be in his prime at the time Bosh and LeBron's ability tapers off, and thus he could lead them to extra titles.

The Bulls roster would be incredible next year with both of them, as we know. Can you say dynasty?

Rose - PG

Deng - SG

James - SF

Bosh - PF

Noah - C

Let's get this done Bulls!

Lebron and Bosh to the Bulls? Vegas Thinks so

I'm not saying this is meaningful, but Vegas/Bookies always seem to know more then anyone else when it comes to setting lines. That is why I found this comment from Bill Simmons, on his sports guy page at ESPN.com, so intresting. Simmons says "48 hrs ago: sportsbook.com had LeBron at +125 to sign w/ Bulls. Bosh was +300. Now? They're both -500. Hmmmmmm."

NBA Draft Quick Hits

In no particular order...

1. I can't remember a year where I cared less about the draft. Mostly it's the impending Free Agent Shootout, but also this is just a pretty uninspiring class.

2. The Bulls shipped Captain Kirk and the #17 pick to Washington for, basically, cap space. After surviving rumor after rumor, it looks like this one is for real. We will miss you in Chicago, Mr. Hinrich. Here's hoping some kind of buyout lets us bring you back for cheap.

Word is, we might be bringing back Chris Duhon to take his spot. Here is a picture of the old school boys getting down.

3. In the category of MMMM... THAT'S EFFIN DELICIOUS... I just cooked a pork chop and green beans in a cast-iron skillet. Total prep/cook time: 15 minutes. Spices used: Kosher salt, mixed-up salt, pepper. Extra virgin olive oil, a little cayenne, and a splash of the beer can just for a second, just for flavor.

Cook the chop first, then the green beans in the mixed fat and olive oil. Pretty self explanatory. Damn good. And that's your moment of zen. I ate it with some crusty white bread.

4. I think the Lakers might have gotten a couple of second round steals tonight, proving once again that the rich tend to get richer.

They took Devin Ebanks, former Indiana commit, at No. 43, and then picked Derrick Caracter with the No. 58 pick. Ebanks reminds me of a Lamar Odom Lite, and Caracter is a big guy who has finally put it together despite what has been a troubled career. I expect both of these guys to contribute in the Lakers rotation.

5. My pick to flop from the Top Ten is Al-Farouq Aminu. If you can't win in college, you won't be able to win in the League. Fittingly, Aminu went to the Clippers. PS- Dino Gaudio, Wake's coach, just got fired this year.

6. My pick to surprise, outside of the Top Five, is Token White Guy Gordon Hayward. Fittingly, he went to Utah (at No. 9). Who saw that coming?

7. Jordan Crawford (Xavier, formerly Hoosiers) was drafted by New Jersey and went to Atlanta, while Damion James (Texas) was drafted by the Hawks and will be a Net. This is a bit strange to me, since I see these guys being better fits on their original squads.

Jordan and Jamal Crawford can't really coexist, seeing as they are basically the same guy. But I like Jordan's game and think he will be okay wherever he ends up.

8. Predicted flops from this draft: Aminu, Cole Aldrich, Ed Davis, Eric Bledsoe (shoulda stayed in school, he's Daequan Cook v. 2.0).

9. Predicted all-stars: John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins.
a. If I'm right on this, I'm the man: Miami got Da'sean Butler from West Virginia with the 42nd pick. If anybody from that second round can surprise people and be an all-star, it's Butler.

10. Safest rotation players from Day One: Ekpe Udoh (Baylor/Golden State), Patrick Patterson (Kentucky/Houston), Hassan Whiteside (Marshall/Sacramento, 2nd round), Evan Turner (Ohio State/Philly, the only Big Ten player drafted).

11. Less than a week 'til Free Agency. Let's get LeBron!!!!

I Know, I Know, Lakers vs. Celtics, But...

Props to Send Lebron to Chicago for this.



At this point, let's do the math. Nets, Knicks, Heat, Bulls, Clippers. I pretty much think that's it.

The Nets have a core of Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, and the #3 pick. They are also coming off just a godawful season.

The Knicks are terrible.

The Heat would give Bron a great sidekick in D-Wade, but not a whole lot else.

The Clippers' have a nice supporting cast, not too bad -- Kaman, an aging but still effective Baron Davis, Eric Gordon.

And then we have the Bulls. As this video points out, LeBron James and Derrick Rose may be the two most athletic stars in the game today. Rose is only 21. James still has, what, eight good years left (if we use the Garnett model for high school sustainability)?

Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, Kirk Hinrich, and Luol Deng are rock solid in their roles. This is a team that could become a dynasty with one simple move. No reaching for Bosh or Joe Johnson, or Amare. No complications.

Call it 'Just Add LeBron,' because unlike every other suitor, that is all the Bulls have to do to become instant championship favorites. Of course, we knew this already. But hey, cool video right?

Kelvin Sampson next head coach for the Bulls?

I saw this today thought it was interesting. KC Johnson of the Tribune mentions in his article that the Bulls could look at former IU and Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson for the vacant head coaching position. I always thought he was a solid X's & O's coach, but not sure how he would do at the NBA level. Any other thoughts on this?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/ct-spt-0520-bulls-chicago--20100519,0,3151299.story

The LeBron Derby...A One Team Race?

This morning I awoke to the following text from ESPN Alerts (which, btw, is the greatest service ever):

"ESPN CHI CLE - Chad Ford: Three NBA GMs think Bulls will land Lebron James; more at http://budurl.com/FordOnLeBron"

So is LeBron on the verge of becoming a Bull? Assuming those three GMs aren’t complete idiots (which is entirely possible with the state of some NBA teams)…then I say YES, yes he is.

According to Chad Ford’s story, one of the GMs offered up a scenario that would send Luol Deng to the Cavs in a sign and trade in order to land Wade or Bosh as LeBron’s running mate. I don’t know if the Cavs go for that – but assuming it’s a sign and trade than, correct me if I’m wrong, I believe the Bulls would be able to add on that extra $3oM and 1 year that only the Cavs currently can.

Chad also mentioned that two of the GMs believe that Calipari will be the Bulls next head coach. Cal mentioned last week he had no interest in the Bulls coaching vacancy, however, I don’t think you can turn down an opportunity to coach this line-up:

PG: Derrick Rose

SG: LeBron James

SF: James Johnson? (With no Deng this will be an interesting position…the Bulls could try and draft somebody like Gordon Heyward or Damion Jones to develop and then use the mid-level exception to sign a veteran SF)

PF: Chris Bosh

C: Joakim Noah

All the points above are moot if LeBron chooses to stay in Cleveland…but we ARE talking about Cleveland –

Do you think LeBron would rather be a part of this:



Or this…:




My early prediction? LeBron to the Bulls. The Knicks will sign Joe Johnson to a max deal and regret it for the next decade.

Three Candidates Emerge To Fill Vinny's (Tiny?) Shoes...

SI's rumor page is reporting...that the Sun-Times is reporting...that the Bulls have three guys in mind for the newly vacant coaching gig. (Keep in mind that these are rumors...)

My ranking of the three:

1) Mo Cheeks - No reason other than "Mo is better" (I went there).

2) Doug Collins - He knows his basketball...not sure his style of play will fit with D-rose, Lebron, Bosh, and Noah next year.

3) Calipari - I would only contact him when I needed a crappy used Chevy...at least NBA players don't need to worry about their GPAs...

Who do you want for the job??

Best Chicago Fight Song! Poll

I haven't posted in awhile but I was listening to the Bears fight song and this got me thinking, "What do other people think is the best fight song in Chicago?" Well let's find out. Rank your favorite fight song in order of 1-5 from best to worse. (Note there has been some discrepancy with my choice for the Bulls [Jamie] so if you can come up with a better song then my choice, let me know.


Chicago Bears





Chicago Blackhawks





Chicago Bulls





Chicago Cubs





Chicago White Sox

Sports and Hollywood: Chicago Sports most Famous Fans

While watching Hollywood congratulate themselves last night during the Academy Awards my mind started drifting towards sports, as it usually does. When Demi Moore walked on stage, one of the first things I thought of was her and Ashton Kutcher going to Bears game. This thought then lead me down the path of, who is the most famous fan for each team in Chicago (I’ll throw in IU too, if Ryan wants to add Illinois, Fodor NU etc.)

Chicago White Sox



I’ll start off with the easiest team first. The White Sox most famous fan is the First fan, President Barak Obama. After Bernie Mac died, the void for famous fan was quickly filled by President Obama. On the campaign trail, when asked about Cubs or Sox, he didn’t give a political answer, he gave the typical White Sox answer of, People on the south side watch the game, northsiders go to have a good time. When he threw out the first pitch of the 2009 All-Star game, guess what jersey he was wearing, yup White Sox. Other famous White Sox fans: Simpson Creator Matt Groening

Chicago Cubs

As you all know, I am not a Cubs fan, so I could be way off on this. The Cubs most famous fan is, Bill Murray. Bill Murray regularly attends games, and occasionally watches them from the bleachers. I have him beating out John Cusack because of clips like the SNL debate where Bill Murray asked that candidates how they will prevent the Cubs from losing again. Other famous Cubs fans: Vince Vaughn, Ferris Buehler,




Chicago Bears

I believe Ashton Kutcher is the most famous Bears fan. He can be seen at multiple games a year with Demi. He wears his Bears hat around Hollywood and even to Lakers
games that he attends. I’ve heard him on national Sports shows, where all he will talk about his entire segment is Bears and not about a movie he is trying to pitch. Other famous fans: Demi Moore, but more because of Ashton. Vince Vaughn, Jim Belushi (is that a good thing?)




Chicago Blackhawks




This was a tough one, but in the end I went with Vince Vaughn. He is probably Chicago sport’s most famous fan right now, because he seems to attend more games then everyone else. He has been seen at multiple Blackhawks games, we already knows He likes hockey (link).

Chicago Bulls

Even though he’s not around as much anymore it’s has to be Michael Jordan. Since he is a GM/Owner of another team, he might lose this status. But anytime Michael was in attendance at any game, it was a story. The TV camera’s stay on him as much as the action on the court. He is a larger the life person in Chicago.

IU

Has to be John Cougar Mellencamp. We all know the story, he grew up in a nearby town of Seyborn, and started playing at the Bluebird before he made it big. He still regularly attends games which always gets applause from the crowd. Other famous fans: Mark Cuban, Doc Rivers, Stephen Noffke, Mark Fodor

U of I

I’m going to throw My U of I pick out there too. I say MJ, but I only saw him once at that was at the Maui Invitational and we are still unsure if he was there to see his son, or if he happened to be playing golf there while his son was playing. I do find it funny that MJ, Bobcats GM, is too busy to come to Illini games, while Doc Rivers is coaching the Celtics and has showed up to so many games that I got sick of the, Did you know Jeremiah is Doc’s son? Storylines. Other Illinois fans, Hugh Hefner, but he doesn’t come back to Chicago/Illinois often if ever. He does have other distractions so I think it’s ok.


I’m sure I missed tons of fans, and probably a big name or two, but weigh in with your thoughts below.