I Always Wanted a D-League News Source

While I was doing random searches to find out about Towson before Thursday, I ended up down the Internet rabbit hole and found a li'l site called Ridiculous Upside. Here, they devote all of their attention to the NBA's D-League. Good writing, entertaining, some catchup with old favorites from college.

And, of course, Rod Benson news! Don't know who Rod Benson is? You should. He's easily the best D-League player of all time, in addition to being hilarious.

FIBA World Championships, Hell Yeah

It's like the World Cup, only basketball! The United States' "B-Deem Team" is starting out with Croatia today as they kick off the world championships in Turkey.

One awesome thing about this tournament is that you can watch every game on ESPN3, The Ocho. Another awesome thing is that Derrick Rose has worked his way into the USA starting lineup, which makes me really want a D-Rose #6 USA jersey. Isn't that LeBron's jersey number?

Also, we get to see Rose vs. Rubio in a preview of what will be a great point guard matchup in the NBA in coming years.

Anyway, there are a ton of games on every day, and this seems like just the thing to keep us occupied for the few days 'til college football starts.

Coming soon from me: Previewing the Big Ten's Week 1 matchups, and who the heck is Towson, anyway?

ESPN Doesn't want to Upset Lebron

This Article from NBC is very interesting. ESPN apparently pulled an article about Lebron hosting a party in Las Vegas only minutes after it went up.

Was This the Best Football Offseason Ever?

I say Yes! Why was it? Was this the best draft class ever? Was it because the Bears got some of the top free agents? How about USC being suspended from post season play? All good reasons to think it was a good offseason, but no. There has not been a lull in sports since the final seconds ticked off the Saints Super Bowl win over the Colts. Think about it, the Super Bowl was played on February 7th, 2010. Let’s take a look at what’s happened since then.

Just five days after the Super Bowl the Winter Olympics began. The Olympics started February 12th and went all the way through the month of February (normally the most boring sports month of the year). Even if you don’t normally get caught up in the Olympics, it was hard not to follow the USA hockey team on it’s way to the Silver Medal. It was even harder to avoid Olympic hockey if you were a Blackhawks fan who send 6 players, all of whom played in the Gold or Bronze medal games. The USA set the record for medals in a Winter games while their neighbors to the north took home the most Gold Medals in a good showing for the host nation.


Once the Olympics were over, the Madness of March was upon us, which means the greatest sporting event in the country, NCAA Tournament. The conference tournaments had some dramatic moments.

Not to be outdone, the NCAA tournament might have had the greatest first day ever . March Madness kept us entertained rolling into April as the nation watched Butler go home to Indy and play in one of the most exciting championship games ever, while missing, only by a matter of inches, what would have been the greatest shot in basketball history.


Right as March Madness was winding down, baseball started. I will be the first to admit that the baseball season is too long. Saying that, there is something special about watching opening day and baseball becoming part of your everyday life once again.

Along with baseball starting up, The NHL and NBA playoffs started. Chicago, Boston and Denver were lucky enough to have teams in both playoffs. The NBA’s oldest rivals met in the NBA finals that went to Seven games. Chicago was all wrapped up in the Blackhawks who nearly choked out of the playoffs in the first round to Nashville, only to dominate it’s way to its first Stanley Cup since 1961. After they won it, Chicagoans had fun trying to figure out which player was drinking with the cup at which bar for the next week or so.

About the time the NBA and NHL playoffs were wrapping up, the world turned it attention to sports for the second time in 6 months. On June 11th The World Cup of Soccer started in South Africa which was the first time the continent of Africa ever hosted a World Cup. Two of the top three favorites had never won the World Cup (Spain and Netherlands) while traditional powers Germany and Brazil looked tough to beat.

USA had high hopes after a great performance at last year’s Confederations Cup only to struggle in their first game against England and the first half of their second game against Slovenia. USA made a dramatic comeback to tie (should have won on a disallowed goal) Slovenia and keep their chances alive. Then, in the most dramatic play in USA soccer history, Landon Donvaon scored the game winning goal in extra time to not only send USA through, but win their group. Spain went on to win the World Cup winning each of their elimination games 1-0, included the World Cup final where the scored during the second extra time period.

The World Cup wrapped up July 11th, which was only a few days away from “The Decision”. The most hyped NBA Offseason in history was as crazy as everyone expected. Rumors were being reported as fact while news outlets were desperately trying to find any indication of where the players were leaning. It came to a dramatic conclusion as Lebron James announced he was “taking his talents to South Beach” to play with Team USA friends Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.




After most of the dust had settled from the NBA offseason, you can look up and see the month of July is almost over, which means, as amazing as it sounds, teams start reporting to camp. Football is back upon us. If only every off season was so nice.

Team USA: The Blue-White Scrimmage

Anybody else watching this scrimmage (ESPN3, probably also on TV) ? Team USA Basketball is trying to cut down from 19 players to 15 before going to training camp.

Important players on the bubble include Eric Gordon, OJ Mayo, Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala, and Brook Lopez.
Derrick Rose has been playing heavy minutes for the White team, where he is joined by Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Tyson Chandler, and others.

It's definitely a youth movement on the new Team USA - this is not exactly a "Dream Team" - but Chauncey Billups and Lamar Odom are notable veterans.

Updates and conclusions at the half.

POSTGAME REACTIONS:

Well, our guy from the Chi played some very impressive basketball, as his White team won 114 - 96 behind 28 points from Durant, the undisputed star of Team USA.



Rose played over 30 minutes, the most of anybody on his team, and scored 15 points on an array of highlight-reel layups, fastbreaks, and even a pretty three point bucket. But that's not all he did. He also looked ready and willing to play the point and embrace his role.

His eight assists were tops in the game (Rajon Rondo had six for Blue), while his five steals also led all players. Oh, and he didn't turn the ball over once. For comparison's sake, Durant and Rudy Gay had seven TOs each.



Rose made a strong case to be the starter for the US at point guard going forward, a position previously assumed to belong to Chauncey Billups. The Nuggets' floor general was just 2-for-10 tonight in 21 minutes and looked more comfortable shouting instructions from the bench than actually playing.

In a loaded backcourt which also includes budding stars Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, and Rondo, D-Rose looked like the class of the organization tonight.

Others who played impressively included Durant, Tyson Chandler, and Andre Iguodala for the White team, and Kevin Love and JaVale McGee for the Blue side. I know. JaVale McGee? Well, he looked ready to hustle and has some great low post moves.

Can't wait to watch the WBCs in Turkey this year.

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.

LeBron James: The Moron

A bit late but better than never. This is my article on why LeBron James is a total moron. LeBron James just left a team that in two consecutive years had the best record in the NBA. They were eliminated last year possibly because of his injuries in the playoffs. Oh, and the fact that he quit.

Now, LeBron James has taken his talents to South Beach. He has abandoned a team that he essentially built up. He has taken his "brand" and thrown it down the toilet. He is playing on Dwyane Wade's team with the uber-overrated Chris Bosh. He seems to think he has given the Cavs fans a lot. Well, he gave them nothing but playoff losses and heartache.

Would I have loved him in Chicago? Of course. However, since he is not in Chicago I can look at this objectively.

He is number two in Miami. He joins a team with 3 of the top 15 players in ESPN's Jon Hollinger Ball Efficiency Rating (or something like that). Basically, they are 3 of the top 15 players when it comes to having the ball in their hands during a game. Wade and James being number one and two in the NBA, respectively.

How is that going to work?

Beyond how it is going to work, LeBron has taken his status as a hero and turned himself into a villain. He said, I'm not good enough to beat other teams, so I am going to join Wade on his team.

He publicly ripped out the hearts of every single fan that has loved him for the last 6 years. He has made himself out to be perhaps the biggest villain in NBA history. Take that Pistons.

On top of all of this, he has irreparably damaged his legacy. Even if he wins 6 championships over the next 6 years, he will never be able to fix it. Sure, Dwyane Wade will look great, and be immortalized, because it is his team after all, but LeBron will never look good. He is the ultimate villain in NBA history, and will remain that way.

What does this mean? He has absolutely no chance of ever being the greatest player ever. Not that he was ever going to be, but he had a chance before. Now not so much.

Michael Jordan took Chicago, a team that had been wading through futility, and lifted up that franchise as he won 6 NBA championships, without ever losing a single one. LeBron turned his back on a city in futility to go play for someone else's team. That is why he will never get the treatment in this video.

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.

Wade and Bosh to Miami

Well, it appears that D'wyane Wade and Chris Bosh will sign with the Heat. So, where does that leave the Bulls? It no longer looks promising if you ask me. Chris Bosh and Lebron were seemingly linked together, yet LeBron wanted Bosh to come to Cleveland. Bosh refused. So, doesn't that mean LeBron has decided to stay in Cleveland? Otherwise, wouldn't he be joining James in Chicago? I'm starting to see now that the Bulls are not going to get jack shit. Whose excited for Carlos Boozer and JJ Reddick? This sucks. Oh well, I guess, we'll know for sure tomorrow at 8 pm when LeBron announces on ESPN. Let's hope that I am wrong.

Your Future Chicago Bulls?

Everyone is talking about the possibility of Wade, Bosh, and James playing together in Miami. But that begs the real question: Why Miami? The Bulls have $30 million available in cap space. However, Deng's contract is worth $11.5 million. That would leave the Bulls at 41.5 to 42 million dollars available. Putting each player at about 14 million dollars each.

Sure it's one million dollars short of what the heat can offer. But the Heat don't have Rose and Noah. Not to mention you throw in Johnson and Gibson and there is more room. Look, if you are going to pick a team with only two players left why not pick the team that has two all-stars (calling Noah an all-star because he deserved it last year and should be one next year)?

So, all in all, I'm calling it right now. The starting lineup for your Chicago Bulls will be:

PG - Derrick Rose

SG - D'wyane Wade

SF - LeBron James

PF - Chris Bosh

C - Joakim Noah

Only way this team could be better is Dwight Howard. The nice thing about this team is that there are only three people who really feel like they NEED to score. I think it is going to happen, I think it was decided in Miami.

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

Mike D'Antoni, You Are Insane

This gem is from the New York Post today.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/hinrich_maneuver_EYxQj5hD0CoYEBmMNnic3M#ixzz0rsqbQ7gg

"This sets the course of the franchise for the next 10 years," D'Antoni said.The Bulls have a stronger cast in star point guard Derrick Rose, two young big men Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson, and scoring forward Luol Deng.The Knicks' lone hope in landing James was having him come aboard with either Bosh or Stoudemire to join their young corps of Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Toney Douglas and Bill Walker."Our core young players can be put up against anybody," D'Antoni said. "You might smirk, but we have some pieces that are very interesting. I'm confident because we have a great product. We're selling the best place in the world to live and play."

Okay, let's see: Derrick Rose vs. Toney Douglas. ROSE

Luol Deng vs. Bill Walker. DENG

Danilo Galinari vs. Taj Gibson. GIBSON (close, but he did average a double-double most of the season!)

Joakim Noah vs. Wilson Chandler. NOAH

I'm smirking, Mikey, I'm smirking. It's okay though, Joe Johnson is a good fit in your system! And he will enjoy the hell out of that max contract.

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?

NBA Playoffs: Finally Watchable?

I've been having a hard time paying attention to the Association's playoffs this year.

Partially, it's just the host of distractions; Where are LeBron/Bosh/Wade going? Who's goanna win the draft lottery? Is there hockey on? (note - we apparently are continuing our reverse jinx of the Hawks here at ACSS due to the kidnapping of our head hockey writers.)

Mainly, though, it just hasn't been a very exciting postseason. Derrick Rose and the Bulls got bounced in five. The Celtics manhandled the Cavaliers, and are poised to do the same to the Magic, despite tonight's game effort by Orlando, who won 96-92 on the road.

The Lakers had some exciting matchups in their road to the Western Conference Finals, but neither Kevin Durant and the Thunder nor Deron Williams (The Flyin' Illinoisian) and the Jazz looked like much more than a speed bump in Kobe and Co.'s way.

Yawn. For somebody that loves basketball like I do, this is torture.

My friend (and occasional ACSS contributor) Alec Kinczewski and I have been having an exchange on Facebook, where he asked me for my predictions on the Suns-Lakers series. I predicted the Suns winning in six games.

This of course was immediately followed by the Suns getting stomped in Game One, leading to...

Alec Kinczewski So, Suns in 6 games? I'll give you a chance to reconsider. Also, with a close enough score at half Kobe puts down 21 in the third. James scored 28 in all of game 6. Thoughts?

Mark Fodor My primary thought is this : If it's the Lakers in the Finals, I probably won't be watching the finals, despite my love for Lamar Odom and like for Pau Gasol. The rest of the Lakers just annoy me that much. Including Smug Phil. It's just not the same when he's not YOUR Zen Master.

And, two days later...

Alec Kinczewski So, despite Grant Hill playing like the advertising departments for Fila and Sprite were watching ('I'll show them!'), the Suns are in the hole 2-0. Change your prediction?

And, another two days later...

Mark Fodor Suns. Suns. Suns.

My point is this. We finally have ourselves a potentially interesting series in the NBA Playoffs, and I'm coming down hard on the side of the Phoenix Suns. There are a number of reasons that the average pro ball fan should be rooting for the Suns here:

5. Owner Robert Sarver got out the "Los Suns" jerseys as his team took a bold stand against Arizona's anti-immigration laws in the early going of the playoffs. The ability to make a statement without being maudlin or painfully obnoxious about it demonstrates class and intelligence.

4. Steve Nash had his eye blacked by Tim Duncan in Round Two as the Suns finally dispatched their longtime rival Spurs. Then, last night, he finished the game despite a broken nose! He's having surgery on it and will play in Game Four. No doubt inspired by playoff hockey (and Los Hawks!), the Canadian is all toughness and passing ability, even at his advanced age.

3. Amar'e Stoudemire and Lamar Odom have engaged in a mostly one-sided war of words throughout. On the court, both big men are entertaining as hell to watch. Odom, with his well-rounded skill set, is one of my favorites to watch, and he was the stud of my NBA 2k5 dynasty (along with Arenas, Wally Sczcerbiak, Nene, and Marcus Camby). He had 19 and 19 in Game One and another double-double in Game Two.

Amar'e openly attributed Odom's great games to his being "lucky" (if he was that lucky, he would have landed the hot Kardashian sister, no?), and then went out last night and backed up his big talk, notching 43 and 11 in a sick, sick game. He one-upped Kobe Bryant's near triple double and made up for an awful game from most of the Suns' bench.

Also, Amar'e is bringing back the RecSpecs.

2. Robin Lopez. Everyone thought his brother was going to be much better. Well, Brook and the Nets won, what, ten games this year? Eleven? Robin dropped twenty last night, many of them in the face of All-Star Pau Gasol. He's a crazy looking dude and adds extra entertainment factor, for sure. SI.com's Chris Ballard has a nice feature on Lopez today. Here's one highlight from the season, if you've been missing out.



1. Aren't you sick of the Lakers? It's not that I don't admire their style of play. I really do. And Odom, when he's on, is one of my favorite guys to watch in the league.

But Jack Nicholson, Kobe Bryant, the Laker Girls, those awful yellow and purple uniforms... I have had enough. It's time for some real excitement in the NBA finals, not the same ten teams we've been seeing since the seventies. So I say, Viva Los Suns! Time to hit the comeback trail.

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