You better BULLieve it
The Chicago Bulls are best remembered for the Michael Jordan era, but there is a chance to start a new one. The Bulls ended their season with a record of 62-20, the best in the NBA. They don’t get as much credit as the Celtics or the Lakers, but that could be because they are recent champions. This could potentially be the year for the Bulls.
The regular season showed what the Bulls can do, but now it’s the playoffs where it is do or die, so everyone steps up their game. The Bulls started the playoffs in a pretty nice way, playing the Indiana Pacers in the first round.
The first game was on Saturday, April 16th and the Bulls started off slow. Towards the end of the game they stepped it up while trailing the Pacers all game and pulled off the victory. The second game on Monday, April 18th the Bulls again were trailing, but picked it up much faster than the first game.
The Bulls eventually finished the series in five games, despite a minor tweaked ankle for star Derrick Rose. They have moved on to face the Atlanta Hawks, and are now down 0-1 in the series, pending tonight’s result.
As the playoffs have developed, the Bulls have hauled in major season awards. Coach Tom Thibodeau won Coach of the Year honors earlier this week. Yesterday, Rose took home the NBA MVP trophy. Derrick Rose has been on fire this whole season and he won the award by a large margin. In his first two playoff games, Rose had 39 and 36 points. This isn’t a one game thing because Rose’s average per game during the season was about 25 points. Not only can this be the Bulls year, it can also be Rose’s year.
Senior Jimmy Capone said, “ They have a chance to come out the East, but Boozer has to play like the All Star Veteran he is and they have to step up their defense as a team. I do believe though!”
The Bulls are a legitimate team this year and can win the championship. Chicago wants Rose and the team to bring the championship back home for the first time since 1998 in the Jordan era. Chicago BULLieves in the Bulls and will support them throughout the playoffs.
Bulls playoff run begins
The NBA’s best team during the regular season certainly waited 45 minutes into their first postseason game to show up. Derrick Rose’s career playoff high 39 points helped lead the top seeded Bulls past the Indiana Pacers 104-99 late in game one of the best-of-seven conference quarterfinals series.
Danny Granger led Indiana with 24 points, while former University of North Carolina standout Tyler Hansbrough scored 22. The Pacers led the entire game until Rose found Kyle Korver who hit a wide open three-pointer with 48 seconds left to put the Bulls ahead 102-99.
It was a sloppy performance for the Bulls, while it may have been the best possible performance all year for the Pacers. The Bulls’ tenacious defense didn’t rise to the occasion until the final minutes of the game. Joakim Noah ended the game with two straight key blocks of Josh McRoberts, and the Bulls were able to pull out the victory against a scrappy underdog.
Bulls Head Coach Tom Thibodeau will have his gang ready to go for round two. Game two is tonight at 8:30 at the United Center.
Bulls trade Derrick Rose
March 24, 2011 by flamj
Filed under April Fool's
APRIL FOOL’S DISCLAIMER:
The story below is intended as humor only and is not intended to be accurate. All RB community participants in the story provided written permission for their names to appear.
It became official last night after weeks of speculation, as a solemn Bulls locker room tried to process the impact of Chicago’s latest roster move. The Bulls were forced to part ways with superstar point guard and MVP candidate Derrick Rose after the team was unable to say no to Michael Jordan.
Rose was sent to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for a 2021 conditional second round pick and Jordan’s undying love.
Jordan said, “We’re incredibly excited to have Derrick come aboard our team, especially when we’re fighting for a playoff spot. I love the way he plays. I just called up [Bulls GM] Gar [Forman] and asked if I could have him.”
The Bulls owed Jordan a favor after he won six titles for them during the ‘90’s.
Despite going 51-19 and holding the number one seed in the Eastern Conference to this point in the season, Bulls General Manager Gar Forman felt that it was time for a rebuilding project.
“It’s honestly nothing personal against Derrick. We just felt that it was time to move on and try again. Plus, M.J. wanted to develop D.Rose himself,” Forman said.
Many NBA scouts around the league have been speculating for weeks that the Bulls would make this move after Jordan spoke at a Bulls game on March 12th against the Utah Jazz and made his admiration for Rose prevalent.
Nobody quite knows what kind of impact this will have on the team going forward, but the fan base is remaining faithful. Eighty year old and Chicago resident Del Delgado has lingering hope for a depleted Bulls team. He said, “If the Bulls can get Stormin’ Norman [VanLeer] and Artis Gilmore going, I think they’ll be okay.”
Other players on the team offered a grimmer outlook. Veteran Keith Bogans said, “Just look at our team. [Carlos] Boozer only grows hair on his face. Joakim [Noah] looks like a girl. And have you seen the size of Kurt Thomas’ head? None of these guys are capable of running a team like Derrick is.”
The Bulls have also drawn some comparisons to the Miami Heat after a few guys were seen crying in the locker room.
Still, at the end of the day, Forman believes this is the best thing for the Bulls. “To be honest, we don’t really care about winning a title. We just want people to see how we can keep rebuilding from nothing back into a young, exciting, inexperienced playoff team that tries hard and everyone roots for,” Forman said.
The rebuilding era begins now.
Bulls take lead in East
After last night’s win at United Center against the Washington Wizards (16-50), the Chicago Bulls (48-18) jumped into sole possession of first place of the Eastern Conference, a half game ahead of the Boston Celtics. This win extends their win streak to seven games in a row.
At home, the Bulls have an impressive 30-4 record, the NBA’s second best home court record.
Chicago despite missing two key starters in Joakim Noah (flu) and Carlos Boozer (ankle), managed to win. Leading MVP candidate PG Derrick Rose put up 29 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. The Bulls were also supported by Luol Deng who scored 20 points and Keith Bogans adding 17 points of his own.
The team is quickly establishing themselves as a team to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference. Former player and the legendary Michael Jordan said at ceremony held last game against the Utah Jazz that, with this team, the Bulls could be adding six more rings to their resume.
Bulls cruising(6 straight wins)
After losing to the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics, two Eastern Conference contenders, the Chicago Bulls have won six straight games. The Bulls are on a roll right now, and they need to be. The Bulls are 15-8 and are in first place in the Central division.
The Bulls have defeated the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Indiana Pacers in their past six games. The Bulls started this run with a win against the Rockets 119-116. They then defeated the Thunder at home 99-90. The Bulls traveled to Cleveland to beat the Cavs 88-83. Then they came back home to finish off Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in a thrilling 88-84 win. Derrick Rose hit a game winning shot from the left elbow of the key to put the game out of reach for the Lakers. The Bulls then went on to beat the Timberwolves 113-82 and the Pacers 92-73.
Rose has been cruising since the return of Carlos Boozer. Rose is averaging 24.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and shooting 46% from the field this season. Boozer is averaging 15.5 points, 8 rebounds, and shooting about 50% from the field in the eight games he has played in this season.
If Rose and Boozer can keep up this play they can extend their winning streak in the next three weeks. For the next three weeks the Bulls play opponents who have a record of under 500. All of the upcoming games are winnable for the Bulls. These are the games that the Bulls must win in order to get ahead while it is easy.
The Bulls play the Toronto Raptors Wednesday night at seven in Toronto.
Bulls finish “Circus” road trip with a 4-3 record
The Chicago Bulls have just recently finished their “Circus” road trip with a 4-3 record. This is pretty impressive for this year’s team because they finished 4-3 even without their key free agent pick up Carlos Boozer. The Bulls had a chance to win every game by not losing any game on the trip by more than nine points.
The “Circus Trip” has been a nightmare for the Bulls for a long time now. This year’s team is the first time the Bulls finished their “Circus Trip” with a winning record since the Jordan Era 1997-98 season. This team finished with a 62-20 record and won the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz four games to two.
The Bulls played great on this road trip. The trip started with a win and ended with a win. The Bulls first defeated the Houston Rockets 95-92. They then lost a very winnable game to the San Antonio Spurs(best record in the NBA right now) 103-94. The Bulls traveled to Dallas to get a 88-83 win, and they lost to last year’s champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, 98-91. The next day they beat the Phoenix Suns in double overtime 123-115. Two days later the Bulls(without Derrick Rose- stiff neck) lost a heart breaker to the Denver Nuggets 98-97 on a Carmelo Anthony game winning buzzer beater. The Bulls then traveled to the home of the Sacramento Kings to finish their “Circus Trip” with a 96-85 win.
In the six games that Rose played in, he played phenomenally. He finished the trip averaging 30.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.6 rebounds. Rose has been playing like the All-Star he was last year. The Bulls are hoping he can keep this play up when Boozer returns.
Charles Barkley, an NBA analysis and former player, predicted the Chicago Bulls to win the Eastern Conference to advance to the NBA Finals.
The real question is if the Bulls can play their whole season like the 1997-98 Bulls and maybe even do some damage in the NBA playoffs as Barkley predicted.
Bulls lose to Thunder, then top Pistons
The Chicago Bulls lost their season opener Wednesday night to the Oklahoma City Thunder 106-95. The Bulls and Thunder were both the number 8th seed in their conferences in last year’s playoffs. Both teams lost in their opening series.
Throughout the entire game, the lead was only by single digits until the end of the game in Oklahoma City. The Bulls trailed for most of the game up to the end of the 3rd quarter when they tied the game at 82. There were 19 lead changes in the entire game and 11 tie games.
The Bulls had trouble scoring the basketball in the final four minutes of play. This is when the Thunder began their run to stretch their lead to double digits with steals and dunks by Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. The Bulls continued to turn the ball over late in the game which led to easy baskets for the Thunder. The Thunder pulled away and received their first win of the season and handed the Bulls their first loss.
Durant and Westbrook had a very impressive night Wednesday. Durant led all scores with 30 points, and Westbrook was right behind him with 28 points. Durant led the NBA in scoring last season. Durant and Westbrook are a very dangerous combo in the NBA and continue to prove themselves. Thabo Sefolosha, former Bulls player, had four key blocks and two steals for the Thunder.
Even though the Bulls lost, they did show that they are a different team than last years. Derrick Rose showed that he is more confident in his jump shot than he was last year. He continued to shoot the ball from any place on the court. Last year he passed up many open shot attempts, but he looks like he is more confident to shoot the basketball. Rose shot the ball 31 times scoring 28 points. Joakim Noah also had a strong performance with 18 points and 19 rebounds. Taj Gibson had 16 points and 11 rebounds as well. The Bulls seemed to be miss Carlos Boozer late in the game when they had trouble scoring the basketball.
The Bulls defeated the Detroit Pistons Saturday October 30th 101-91. The Bulls trailed by 21 points at one point of the game. Rose led the way with 39 points. The Bulls face off against the Portland Trailblazers tonight at the United Center in Chicago.
Boozer’s got a boo boo (Carlos Boozer’s injury)
Carlos Boozer, recently acquired by the Chicago Bulls, broke his hand on Sunday October 3rd. His injury will require surgery, and he will be out eight weeks. Sadly for Boozer, the injury is to his hand.
The real story is how Boozer broke his hand. He did not break his hand doing what he is paid millions of dollars for, but rather by it tripping over a bag in his house. That’s right, a bag in his house, not playing basketball. Boozer described his injury. He said that it was dark in his house, his doorbell rang, he tripped over his gym bag, and his hand popped. He also said his hand was numb after getting up. Boozer said he had his hand looked at right after his fall. Boozer underwent surgery on Tuesday October 5th, so he can begin rehab as soon as possible.
The Bulls will miss Boozer for the two months he is out. The team was excited after signing Boozer this summer to a five-year, $75 million dollar deal. Then again, who wouldn’t miss Boozer as he averaged 20.5 points per game and 11.8 rebounds per game last season? Boozer is a game changing player, and he will attempt to prove this to the Bulls after two months.
Not only will the Chicago Bulls organization miss Boozer, but the fans were also excited to see Boozer with the Bulls. Senior Jimmy Capone, a local Bulls fan, said, “I think Taj Gibson will step up now that Boozer is out.”
Getting injured off the court also leads to many doubts of how a player may have been injured. This is because the player can tell the press and or his organization whatever he wants explaining their injury. For example, Monte Ellis, a Golden State Warrior, broke his leg in the offseason two years ago. Ellis claimed he broke his leg playing basketball at first, but later came out to say he actually broke his leg falling off a scooter.
Regardless of Boozer’s story, the Chicago Bulls will miss Boozer for two months as the preseason just started up with a loss 92-83 to the Milwaukee Bucks. Boozer has been known for being on the injured reserve list. In the 08-09 season with Utah he missed 44 games with a knee injury, in his 05-06 season with Utah he missed 48 games, and in 04-05 he missed 30 games.
Will King James rule Chicago?
May 14, 2010 by skowronskid
Filed under Sports
On May 11, Lebron James was dealt a strong blow by the Boston Celtics. The Cavaliers lost by an astounding thirty two Points, 122-88. The Celtics just dominated like they did in the postseason last year against the Chicago Bulls. How did James and the Cavs follow up in Game Six? They lost 94-85, even when James had a tripe double. It wasn’t enough to lead the team to success.
The playoff defeat raises questions about Lebron James’ future. The current speculation is that the Cavs loss in Game Six has placed James’ future in Cleveland in doubt. ESPN analyst Chris Broussard raised eyebrows by suggesting that James’ number one free agent destination might be Chicago.
But what does Jamesmean to Cleveland organization? Right now he is their top scorer, so the Cavaliers need him and they want him. They can throw around enough money at him if he wants it. If he should leave, the Cavaliers will have hard decisions trying to fill his slot in the line up.
However, what else can you expect from a high caliber player like Lebron James? He still has a whole career left in the NBA. Several years ago people said he was the next Michael Jordan, but what do the Cavaliers think now? Lebron James has done wonders for the Cavaliers, bringing them to the NBA Finals. He’s been with the Cavaliers for seven years. He was drafted when he was only 19 years old and has shown his tremendous ability to make plays and to make his teammates even better.
But the whole story is where Lebron “The King” James will be next year. Will he be a Cavalier still or will he be in a different uniform, in a different city?
Bulls early season review
January 4, 2010 by morrisseyc
Filed under Sports
The Bulls were back at home on Wednesday after a grueling end to November. Coming off a seven game road trip primarily out west, the Bulls want to look reminiscent of their 4-2 start, not their 1-6 road trip.
The Bulls find themselves in the middle of the pack in the Central Division after the first 16 games of the year. With a 7-10 start to the year, the Bulls do need to elevate their play, especially Derrick Rose, the catalyst of the offense.
Rose is averaging about 15 points per game and about 5 assists per game, which is good by most standards. The problem is that Rose has the high standards that come with being the number one pick in last year’s draft. Though he has been slowed by an ankle sprain, this is the year in which he needs to elevate his game and improve both himself and the team. Expect Rose to look among the league’s best by the end of this year.
A pleasant surprise on the Bulls roster this year is former fan enemy, Joakim Noah. When he came into the league, Bulls fans thought he was a joke, all hype from Florida’s NCAA championships. He is proving those fans wrong this year as the NBA’s second best rebounder. Yes, that is not a typo, Noah is second in the entire NBA in rebounding with 12.3 rpg, trailing Dwight Howard by a tenth of a rebound.
Preseason predictions had the Bulls as high as fourth and as low as eleventh. They are a team that when playing well can compete with some of the top teams, as we saw in the first round matchup against the Celtics last year, but a team that can and will play down to their opponents. Throughout the month of December, the Bulls have a pretty winnable schedule, where they face teams such as the Knicks, Pacers, Kings, and the 1-19 New Jersey Nets. The December round-up is not too soft because the Bulls have to face the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Lakers, but all but four December games are home games.
When Tyrus Thomas and Kirk Hinrich are 100 percent, the team should be ready to make a run. Currently seventh in the Eastern Conference, despite having a losing record, the Bulls are seemingly in good position to make a run. Teamed with a friendly December schedule, Chicago needs to make its move in the upcoming weeks. Rose and Luol Deng need to carry this team like they should.
Like Noah, Deng was criticized for being overrated after several injuries and sluggish play since his fine first couple seasons. Deng is averaging 18 point per game this year, which is exactly what Bulls fans like to see.
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