Bull Run

After drafting Derrick Rose first overall in the 2008 draft, there was no question whether or not he would be able to get to the basket in the NBA and finish. There were concerns though, that he would not be able to develop a jump shot in the NBA. Recently, those concerned fans have been silenced as the Bulls have been winning and Rose has been hitting from the outside.

The Bulls began their seven-game western road trip poorly. They lost to the Warriors and Clippers, two mediocre teams in the Western Conference. Bulls fans were worried that this could turn into an 0-7 trip, as the Bulls have to face five playoff contenders in a row to finish off the trip. Instead, the Bulls beat the Suns 115-104, and Rose led the Bulls with 32 points. More importantly, most of his points came from the outside. 17 of his 32 points came from beyond 15 feet and he made 8-12 shots from that range.

But Rose and the Bulls didn’t stop there. They traveled to Houston the next day and overcame a fourth quarter deficit to beat the Rockets. They then handed the Spurs a loss two days later on January 25^th. Rose had 27 points in that game despite playing with the flu. Once again, he was hitting jump shots, making him a threat all over the court, rather than just in the paint.

Then the Bulls traveled to Oklahoma City to take on a good Thunder team on Wednesday. They continued their winning ways and Rose continued his hot streak Rose had 26 points and six assists to lead the Bulls to a ten point win and bring their record back to .500. Most impressive, though, is that the bulls have put together this nice streak away from the United Center. The Bulls started the season just 4-15 on the road, but have since improved that to 8-15.

The Bulls finish up the road trip Friday, January 29^th against the New Orleans Hornets. In order to win, Rose must keep playing efficiently. During the win streak, he has shot over 50% from the field in each game. He has also turned the ball over just seven times while handing out 22 assists over the past four games. Other players have performed as well. Despite being hurt, Noah has contributed a lot including a gutsy performance against the Spurs, where he scored the final five points of the game. Rookie Taj Gibson has picked up the rebounding while Noah has been playing hurt, averaging over ten rebounds per game during that span.

Derrick Rose also did something that has not been done since Michael Jordan was on the Bulls. That is to be announced to the Eastern Conference All-Star roster. Rose was selected as an All-Star reserve Thursday, marking the first time a Bull has made the team since Jordan did it in 1998. Last year Rose competed in the Rookie challenge and the skills competition during All-Star weekend, but not the all-star game.

Right now the Bulls stand tied for seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. They are just 1.5 games out of fifth place, and if they keep playing like they have, that is a great possibility. To continue their streak they need to stick to the formula: win on the road and a whole lot of Rose.

Bulls early season review

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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