Team USA news has been relatively quiet since the team has not held practices (until today) since the terrible injury to Indiana Pacers forward Paul George.
However, before that, all the news out of Team USA practice was the incredible bounce and explosion that Derrick Rose has shown in his return to competitive basketball on the national stage with Team USA.
Rose seemed like his old self, flying from coast to coast to score and explode to the rim for dunks and athletic finishes.
All of the positive news about Rose seems to have bouyed the hopes of Chicago and BullsNation, despite news that the Cleveland Cavaliers, fresh off of winning the free agent lottery by getting Lebron James back, have also in principle, agreed on a deal with Minnesota for the services of Kevin Love.
Such an outpouring of good fortune on a Central Division rival would usually be looked at with pessimism about the upcoming season, but not with the hope of Derrick Rose returning to his MVP-form of the 2010-11 NBA season.
With Team USA in Chicago to practice and play an exhibition game against a very good Brazil team at the United Center on Saturday (8 PM CT), Chicago Bulls fans will have an opportunity to see Derrick Rose live in person tomorrow and judge with their own eyes if #theReturn 2.0 is hype or hope.
Hold on to your seats because DRose may have something special in store for all the diehards of BullsNation this weekend!
While this is just an exhibition game, there will be pressure on Rose playing at the UC, in front of the Chicago crowd. How will Derrick play against Brazil at the UC, under that pressure? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
The Chicago Bulls, in the minutes before the deadline, officially amnestied the contract of Power Forward Carlos Boozer.
It has been a move that has been anticipated for years and expected since the Chicago Bulls' season ended with a first round playoff loss to Washington.
The Chicago Bulls front office has been in contact with Boozer throughout the summer to make sure that he was the first to know about any moves.
The Bulls had been holding out hope for a trade that would include the still productive Boozer, but his contract is seen as one of the bigger overpays in the league.
Boozer is owed $16.8M for the final season of his contract. As part of the amnesty procedure, Boozer will go through waivers, where other teams can bid on what they would want to pay for his production with the highest bidder winning his services. The Chicago Bulls will be responsible for the difference.
However, the benefit for Chicago would be that Boozer's $16.8M will not count against the salary cap, opening up about $13M in salary cap space.
That space has already been designated for the acquisition of free agent Pau Gasol (3 years, $22M) and for 2011 draft pick Nikola Mirotic (3 years, $17 to 18M).
In lieu of acquiring their primary target this summer, Carmelo Anthony, the Chicago Bulls have run their alternate plan to perfection.
Meanwhile, with Carmelo Anthony returning to essentially the same team in New York under a new head coach, and Lebron James returning to Cleveland under a new head coach and with all new teammates, Chicago's moves quietly put them at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Lance Stephenson Signs With Charlotte Hornets
In another move that strengthens the Chicago Bulls' claim to the Eastern Conference crown, Indiana Shooting Guard Lance Stephenson has agreed to a deal with the Charlotte Hornets.
Stephenson lead the league in triple-doubles last season and was offered a 5 years, $44M contract to return to the Indiana Pacers.
The offer from the Charlotte Hornets is reportedly 3 years for $27M.
How do you feel about the Chicago Bulls' chances in the Eastern Conference and how far will that go in the NBA Playoffs? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
With the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat battling in the Eastern Conference Finals, the two front-runners in the East all season are vying for the easiest ticket to the NBA Finals. Only problem is that it was supposed to be the Chicago Bulls that was to be the top seed in the East.
After posting their first undefeated preseason in years, and Chicago's MVP, Derrick Rose, back and looking like the player he was during his MVP season, except BETTER, the Chicago Bulls were looking like the team that was going to topple Lebron and the Miami Heat.
The Chicago Bulls could be celebrating their first NBA Championship of the post-Jordan era if they make the right moves this summer.
However, Rose went down with his second knee injury in three years, and the Bulls were essentially looking forward to cashing in on a high lottery pick in the NBA Draft of the Decade.
Except that between their coach, former Coach of the Year, Tom Thibodeau, and their newly minted Defensive Player of the Year, Joakim Noah, the Chicago Bulls are the toughest team to beat in the NBA because they can make a game ugly with the best defense in the NBA, and you can't defend against heart and hustle.
If only they could get through the regular season without injuries to their key players and had a second option on offense.
Instead, this is the second year in a row that the Indiana Pacers played the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, and if you bothered to watch any of it, you would see two defensively lazy teams without a heart between them.
Indiana came out of the gate HOT and by the All-Star Break, they were within sight of being on pace for the Chicago Bulls NBA record setting regular season record of 72-10. But a catastophic second half to the regular season nearly gave the Heat the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and it was later revealed that the Pacers were in disarray as a team, with stories of practice and locker room fights involving Evan Turner and soon to be free agent, Lance Stephenson. You can chalk up their elimination to not playing with a common purpose.
Miami essentially played the entire regular season with only two of the big three and because the Eastern Conference is so weak, they nearly got the best record in the East. And now, they took Dwayne Wade out of the ziploc bag for the run to the NBA Finals.
You can't tell me that if the Bulls had one Carmelo Anthony and half of the minimum wage vets that ended up on the Los Angeles Clippers that the Chicago Bulls wouldn't be in the NBA Finals right now.
Just remember how many championships Doc Rivers won as a coach without Tom Thibodeau. None.
The Chicago Bulls are a carefully assembled, well-coached group that, in the absence of Rose, lacks only one thing. A dominant offensive player that can carry the load when the game is close in the final minutes.
Carmelo Anthony would give them a closer, and when DRose returns, they would provide more options that would have to be guarded in those final crucial seconds of the game, making each of them more effective.
In the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls are one dominant offensive player away from being in the NBA Finals on an annual basis.
Instead, fate has us watching a floundering Indiana Pacers team being the only speed bump to the Miami Heat on their way to the NBA Finals.
If the front office can get it done this summer as I wrote in my previous article, mark my words, Carmelo will have the Chicago Bulls in the 2015 NBA Finals.
Do you think signing Carmelo Anthony this summer will get the Chicago Bulls into the NBA Finals? Why or why not? What moves do you think the front office needs to make? Tell us in the comments below!
CHICAGO, IL. It was another gutsy team effort in another season full of gutsy efforts as the Chicago Bulls welcomed their Central Division rivals, the Indiana Pacers, to the Windy City.
Taj Gibson solidified his case for Sixth Man of the Year with 23 points and 8 rebounds off the bench for the Bulls.
The Pacers came in with the best record in the Eastern Conference (51-19), and they were looking to clinch the Central Division crown with a win over the Bulls at the United Center on Monday. They would be leaving town denied and disappointed.
Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson once again lead a balanced team effort to slug out an emphatic 12 point victory at home, 89-77, over Indiana.
Taj Gibson tallied 23 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block in 33 minutes off the bench, another strong effort for the potential Sixth Man of the Year.
And of course, Noah had another complete all around game on both ends of the court, finishing with 10 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks. JoNo's effort has the Bulls pulling out another fearless victory over an elite team that continues to have Noah's name mentioned in the MVP discussion.
The Chicago Bulls defense was once again the story, forcing an ugly dogfight of a game between the Eastern Conference rivals. The Bulls held the Pacers to 37% shooting from the field on the night, and Joakim Noah dominated the Pacers front court to earn the Bulls the win.
How far do you think this Chicago Bulls team can go in the playoffs? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
CHICAGO, IL. The Chicago Bulls got a second look at the Indiana Pacers this preseason, this time at the United Center.
Once again, the Bulls weren't at full strength, missing Joakim Noah, once again, as well as, this season's anointed starting shooting guard, Jimmy Butler.
Unfortunately for the Pacers, Derrick Rose did suit up.
Derrick Rose had his best showing yet since returning with 32 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists vs. the Pacers.
In his best game so far since missing the entire 2012-13 NBA season, Rose looked fluid, explosive, dominant, and most of all, comfortable in tallying a game high 32 points to go with 4 rebounds and 9 assists.
Rose was extremely efficient, scoring his 32 points on 9 of 15 shooting, including 4 for 7 from beyond the arc.
He showed of his entire arsenal of weapons during the game: his explosiveness to the basket, his coast-to-coast speed, his consistent mid-range jumpshot, and his reliable three-point shot.
And despite being a preseason contest, Rose showed his ability to close out games with 10 points in the final 5:50 of the hotly contested 4th quarter to get the Chicago Bulls the 103-98 win. His ability to close out games was what set him apart from Lebron James in laying his claim to the 2011 NBA MVP, and it seems that Rose is still the closer he was during his first MVP season.
The victory pushed the Chicago Bulls 2013 preseason record to an undefeated 5-0, a result of the established chemistry between the returning core players and the hard work old and new players alike have put into chasing the 2014 NBA Championship.
The victory was not without its casualties as Kirk Hinrich suffered a concussion during the 4th quarter; he will be out indefinitely, leaving the team with a significant void to fill.
While it is too early to know how the Eastern Conference will pan out, from their preseason play so far, who do you feel will be at the top of the Eastern Conference playoff seeding? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
INDIANAPOLIS, IN. #theReturn of Derrick Rose can be summed up in a simple statement that hasn't been uttered in the Windy City in 18 years:
Rose was aggressive in his return, testing his knee and the Pacers interior defense.
He's Baaaaack!
While all of the Windy City knew that Derrick Rose would be suiting up for the preseason contest in Indianapolis, no one knew what Rose, returning from missing the 2012-13 season after tearing his ACL, would look like on the court.
And while Chicago Bulls' Head Coach Thibodeau had a plan to use the former MVP in 6 to 8 minute stretches to let Rose slowly acclimate to the speed and intensity of competitive play, Rose had his own plans.
In an early play, Rose drove to the rack and challenged Pacers center Roy Hibbert, and after missing the first attempt, Rose bounced right back up to beat three Pacers to the the rebound for an easy putback layup.
If anyone had any doubts about Rose's repaired knee, those thoughts completely evaporated as Rose looked like his old explosive self by the conclusion of the game, and if the easy 82-76 Bulls' victory over Central Division rival Indiana Pacers is any indicator, Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls will rise back to the top of the NBA very quickly.
One has to imagine that the sight of a 100% healthy Derrick Rose allowed the entire city of Chicago to breath a collective sigh of relief. However, at the same moment in South Beach, that same sight may also have instilled the fear of potential loss in another city, and another team.
That sets the stage for a very explosive regular season return for DRose on opening night against the Miami Heat.
Here are highlights of #theReturn of Derrick Rose in preseason action vs the Indiana Pacers on October 5th, 2013:
Where do you think the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers will finish in the Central Division and Eastern Conference standings? Who will emerge from the Eastern Conference to play in the 2014 NBA Finals? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
CHICAGO, IL. There is some uneasiness in the city of Chicago. The top seeded Bulls have held their home court and have a 2-0 edge in the series going to Indianapolis, but it is the way the team has looked in getting the two game series lead that has fans worried.
When the Bulls grabbed the best record in the NBA on the final day of the season, there seemed to be a promise made to the fans of Chicago Bulls basketball that this team was not satisfied with just a berth in the playoffs. They were looking ahead, to the NBA Finals.
Tonight, after the 3 quarters and a 3/4 court shot made by the Pacers, the game was tied at 67 - 67. It was another frustratingly close game against an inferior opponent that the Bulls had barely beat two nights ago after trailing by double digits with under 3 minutes left in the game.
If it had not been for DRose to the rescue, the Bulls might have lost their first first round home game as the number one seed in franchise history. With another close game at home, it was of course, DRose to the rescue again.
DRose has gotten good at his Superman impression; tonight, he saved the Bulls with his 36 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals.
The Bulls and Pacers traded baskets until halfway through the 4th quarter when Derrick Rose, with the ball in his hands, crossed over on Danny Granger, drove to the basket, and finished with a teardrop over both the 6'8" Granger and the 7'2" Roy Hibbert and was fouled. Rose hit the free throw to give the Bulls a 79 - 78 lead.
The Bulls defense was able to string together consecutive stops, and the Bulls scored with greater efficiency on the other end lead by who put in 9 of 11 Bulls points during a stretch when the Bulls built a narrow 4 point lead.
The scrappy Pacers would not go away easily. They kept the game tight, and went back to a defensive scheme that had forced a turnover earlier in the game, a quick trap of Derrick Rose after he crossed half court. Rose was able to center the ball to Joakim Noah, who then found Kyle Korver in the corner for a wide open 3-point shot which essentially sealed the win for Chicago.
Tyler Hansbrough and the Pacers' scrappy play have been a match for the Bulls own passion and energy in the series so far.
It was an uncharacteristically sloppy game for the Bulls, who racked up 21 turnovers for the game and missed several shots at point blank range. There is concern that the Bulls who went through much of the regular season below the radar are now succumbing to the pressure of being the top seed. With the leadership of Coach Tom Thibodeau and Derrick Rose, this is highly unlikely.
Unfortunately, the truth is that the Indiana Pacers pose a troublesome matchup for the Bulls in a number of ways, and the first two games proved this. They are scrappy and play with a lot of passion. They have big bodies to clog the lane. They are also able to extend the Bulls defense with three point shooters.
However, when it comes down to it, the Bulls have the best player on the floor (and the NBA MVP leader) in Derrick Rose, and the plays he has made in "Jordan-time" have been the difference in the Bulls' two home victories.
Here are highlights of the INDIANA PACERS vs. CHICAGO BULLS, 2011 NBA PLAYOFFS, FIRST ROUND, GAME 2:
Expect that the Bulls will be more in sync and more focused on the road in Games 2 and 3. These games will be the better test of what the Bulls will be capable of in this playoff run.
CHICAGO, IL. If 82 games has not proven to everyone that Derrick Rose is the NBA's Most Valuable Player and the best basketball player in the universe, then certainly, the performance Rose put on in Game 1 of the Chicago Bulls first round series against the Indiana Pacers is all the proof anyone could need.
In the opening round, DRose proved to the Pacers and the world who the NBA Most Valuable Player is by carrying his Bulls to the Game 1 win.
The Indiana Pacers won their last meeting with the Chicago Bulls, and they came into their first round playoff series with the Bulls saying that they would rather face the Bulls than the Celtics or the Heat.
Danny Granger reiterated the Pacer's "preference" despite the line Derrick Rose put up in the Bulls recent loss to the Pacers: 42 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, including a stretch closing out the game where he almost single-handedly brought the Bulls back from a 16 point 4th quarter deficit to force overtime. The fortunate Pacers held on to win the game in overtime after Rose fouled out early in the extra period.
Well, the Bulls were not going to be disrespected by their 8th seeded opponents and division rivals, and several Bulls took exception to the Pacers' words. They simply said, we'll find out who's right when we play them.
Game 1 finally arrived, as the Bulls and their first round opponents were featured in the opening game of the 2011 NBA Playoffs. And it would be another game to be added to the legend of Derrick Rose.
The Indiana Pacers came into the game with a chip on the shoulder and knowing that they had the matchups to be able to win against the Bulls, but the question was, could they contain DRose enough to take 4 out of seven games and take the series?
The Pacers came into the United Center and played with energy. They were able to gain an early advantage and had the Bulls trailing for much of the game.
The Bulls could not seem to exert their defensive will on the Pacers with any effectiveness for much of the game, and during the 3rd quarter, the Pacers' lead ballooned to 10 points, and the quarter ended with the Bulls trailing by 8.
The Bulls began to chip away at the Pacers lead to start the 4th quarter, and finally, on two free throws by Derrick Rose, the Bulls had slashed the deficit to only 3 points halfway through the quarter.
The two teams traded baskets until the Pacers, behind Tyler Hansbrough, who made two big baskets followed by a huge three-point play, had pushed the lead back up to 10 points with a mere 3:28 left in the contest.
It is now undeniable; DRose is a bonafide top 5 player in the league, and he is the most worthy of the NBA MVP Award.
It looked for a moment as if these inexperienced Bulls would start off the 2011 NBA Playoffs with a loss, but DRose had other plans and was not about to let that happen. Rose had been attacking the basket all game long, and in Jordan-time, he stayed aggressive.
With less than two minutes remaining in the game, Derrick Rose made a layup and was fouled. The three-point play put the Bulls within 2. The Bulls defense finally made its appearance, and the on the next play, DRose scored on a turn around shot with 1:36 left to tie the score at 99 - 99.
The Bulls defense once again stood firm, and on the rebound, DRose once again took command. He drove and watched the Pacers' defense collapse on him, so he kicked the ball out to Kyle Korver, who got a wide open look at a three-point shot, and calmly buried it to give the Bulls their first lead since 2 minutes into the first quarter of the game.
And that would be all the lead the Bulls would need, as the defense stifled the Pacers, keeping them at 99, until the final buzzer sounded to seal the 104 - 99 victory for Chicago.
Here are the highlights from the INDIANA PACERS at the CHICAGO BULLS, 2011 NBA PLAYOFFS, GAME 1:
Derrick Rose had a final line for the game of: 39 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN. This one is going to sting for a while for the self-critical NBA MVP leader Derrick Rose, although the truth is, what more can one man do?
On a night where the Bulls were without starter Carlos Boozer and the Bulls' usually deep bench shot a combined 9 for 28 (32%) from the field AND the Bulls went into the 4th quarter trailing by 16 points, the Bulls ended up having a chance to win this game.
After Michael Jordan sang his praises less than one week ago, presumptive NBA MVP Derrick Rose did his best homage to the NBA legend by taking over the fourth quarter for the languishing Bulls.
DRose poured in 19 points in the 4th quarter to force OT and matched his career-high with 42 points for the game.
With the Bulls looking up at a 16 point deficit to end the 3rd quarter, Rose knew it was time for him to take over. In Jordan-eque fashion, Rose scored 19 of the Bulls 29 points in the 4th quarter, including sinking 3 from the free throw line with 1.2 seconds remaining to tie the game up at 102 - 102, and force overtime.
It seems that Rose was spent from the effort as the Bulls were outscored in the overtime period 6 - 13 by Indiana. Rose scored 4 of the 6 points in OT to finish with 42 points, to tie his career high, along with 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block.
Luol Deng was the second highest scorer for the Bulls with 21 points on 7 of 18 shooting, but he shot a combined 0 for 5 from the field in the 4th quarter and overtime.
A lot of credit is due to the Indiana Pacers, who currently hold the 8th and final playoff spot in the East and who may have approached this as a statement game against the Bulls. Chicago, if they win the race for 1st place in the East, would then have to face the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs.
For now, the loss drops Chicago back into a statistical tie with Boston, pending the outcome of their matchup with the Houston Rockets tonight.
