Draft Notes

The Bulls are currently out of the playoffs and would have a 0.7 percent chance of landing the number one pick in the 2009 NBA Draft if the season were to end today.  They’d be likely to land the 12th pick in the draft and ESPN.com’s Chad Ford currently has the Bulls selecting DeMar DeRozan in his latest mock draft.  DeRozan is a freshman shooting guard at USC that came into this collegiate season with a lot of hype.  Thought to be one of the most NBA-ready freshmen in the country, DeRozan has struggled at USC.  He’s got world-class athleticism and projects to be a Vince Carter-like player, but he hasn’t produced on the collegiate level like many expected.

Still, DeRozan has a lot of potential and the Bulls will probably need a shooting guard after Ben Gordon’s likely departure this summer.  With Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah progressing nicely, the Bulls need inside is less glaring than it was a few months ago.  Still, guys like Cole Aldrich and B.J. Mullens have to be considered.  The Bulls are eyeing the playoffs first and foremost, but if they land in the lottery they’ll have a shot at some good players.

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Harris’ Big Fourth Quarter Sinks Bulls

The Bulls entered the fourth quarter of last night’s game with a four-point lead only to see Nets guard Devin Harris go off for 19 points in the final period and New Jersey go on to win the contest 111-99.  Harris finished with 42 points in the game, almost single-handedly outscoring the Bulls in the fourth.  The Bulls didn’t shoot the ball well in this contest, going 42 percent from the field as a team.  Ben Gordon and Tyrus Thomas had especially off nights and were unable to score efficiently.  The team was able to stay in the game by shooting 50 percent from behind the arc.

The Bulls received solid play from their three main bench players, Kirk Hinrich, Brad Miller and John Salmons.  Each of the three scored in double figures and contributed in other facets of the game as well.  Chicago is currently tied with New Jersey for the ninth position in the Eastern Conference.  Just one game out of the eighth and final playoff spot, the Bulls are in position to make a push for the postseason.  The team’s recent trades have definitely improved their playoff hopes, but giving up 19 points in a quarter to one player just isn’t going to get the job done.

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Bulls Beat Magic

The Bulls scored a quality win last night, defeating the Orlando Magic 120-102.  The victory was a team effort, as seven Bulls players scored in double figures in the contest.  Each of the three new Bulls players contributed solid efforts in the win.  Tim Thomas had the hot hand from outside, hitting four three pointers on his way to 17 points in the game.  Brad Miller, still coming off the bench for the time being, had nine points, seven rebounds and five assists.  John Salmons also showed his versatility with 11 points, six rebounds and four assists in the contest.

Derrick Rose rebounded well from his one for nine shooting performance on Sunday with a team-high 22 points in this contest.  Ben Gordon chipped in 20, while the other three starters scored in double figures as well.  The game showed what this revamped Bulls roster can do when things are clicking.  The team now has four solid bench players that are capable of contributing significantly on a nightly basis.  The trades have really improved this team’s depth and should help the Bulls make a playoff push.  Taking down top teams like the Magic is a great way to get things going.

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Rose Was Benched

Bulls rookie Derrick Rose had what may have been the worst game of his pro career on Sunday, going just one of nine from the field against the Indiana Pacers.  Rose was benched in favor of Kirk Hinrich by head coach Vinny Del Negro in the third quarter due to a poor defensive effort.  “(Rose) is still young and he’s got to learn defensively,” Del Negro was quoted as saying in an article in the Daily Herald.  “When you’ve got Kirk sitting over there as one of your best defenders and a guy’s hurting you, then I’ve got to get Kirk out there and try to control the penetration.  We still weren’t able to control T.J. the way we would like.  He carves people up a lot.”

Though Bulls fans can’t be happy to see the team’s stud rookie benched, the situation did not escalate as it would have with some high profile players.  Rose showed his great character yet again, accepting the decision that his coach made.  “I’ll never be surprised when I come out,” Rose said.  “It’s the coach’s decision and nothing I can do about it.  There are games like that when I’m going to miss shots.”

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Bulls Debut New Players, Fall to Pacers

The Bulls fell to the Indiana Pacers last night despite a 28-point scoring outburst from Ben Gordon.  The Pacers were able to pull away in the fourth quarter of a contest that was pretty close most of the way, winning the game 98-91.  Tyrus Thomas and Luol Deng both scored in double figures, as did new arrival John Salmons.  Salmons and Brad Miller both logged at least 20 minutes for the Bulls in their first game with the team.  Salmons scored 12 points and dished out three assists while Miller grabbed 10 rebounds in the contest.  Tim Thomas, who was also acquired in a trade last week, contributed five points in eight minutes off the bench.

The Bulls did not upset their starting lineup in this contest, starting Derrick Rose, Gordon, Deng, Thomas and Joakim Noah, but things may be shaken up a bit as the new guys mesh with the rest of the team.  There’s a good chance that Miller becomes the starting center over Noah, while Salmons and Thomas are likely to remain reserves.  Salmons, though, figures to get significant minutes as one of the first guys off the pine.  Regardless of who starts, it appears that Vinny Del Negro is prepared to go forward with a nine-man rotation that includes the eight aforementioned players and Kirk Hinrich.

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Bulls Swing Another Deal

The Bulls made another deadline deal yesterday when they shipped disgruntled shooting guard Larry Hughes to the New York Knicks in exchange for Tim Thomas, Jerome James and Anthony Roberson.  It’s been no secret lately that Hughes was unhappy with his role with the team and desired to be traded.  The Bulls were happy to oblige and they got a decent package for him.  Jerome James’ contract expires after this season and Anthony Roberson makes less than a million dollars.  Tim Thomas will probably be the only player to make an impact on the court, but his versatility, size and long-range shooting should be an asset for the Bulls.

It doesn’t really matter what the Bulls get out of Thomas, because they were getting minimal contribution from Hughes anyway.  The Bulls’ rotation will now probably look something like Derrick Rose, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas and Brad Miller starting, with Kirk Hinrich, Joakim Noah, John Salmons and Thomas contributing minutes off the bench.  That’s a pretty solid nine-man rotation that could make a serious run at a playoff spot.  Chicago currently sits just a game and a half out of the eighth and final playoff spot, the Bulls are certainly in position to make a push for the postseason.

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Bulls Land Miller, Salmons

The Bulls pulled off a trade yesterday, but it didn’t net Amare Stoudemire or Chris Bosh.  Chicago acquired center Brad Miller and swingman John Salmons from Sacramento for Drew Gooden, Andres Nocioni, Michael Ruffin and Cedric Simmons.  While some Bulls fans were anticipating a blockbuster deal, this is still a good trade for Chicago.  Miller is a skilled big man that can score in a variety of ways.  He’ll provide the team with some inside scoring, something that they’ve lacked for a long time.  Salmons is a versatile perimeter player and should be a major part of the team coming off the bench.  He’s had his locker room issues in the past, and coming off the bench could draw the ire of the former Miami Hurricane, but if he can stay focused he’ll be a solid contributor.

A projected starting lineup for the new-look Bulls could be Derrick Rose, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas and Miller, with Kirk Hinrich, Salmons and Joakim Noah coming off the bench.  This looks like a pretty solid rotation and could push the Bulls into the playoff picture.  It remains to be seen how well the new players mesh with the rest of the team, but the Bulls didn’t have to give much up in this deal, so it was definitely worth it.

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More Trade Chatter

It’s just one day until the trade deadline, and the rumors are swirling.  Yesterday’s hot rumor that had the Bulls acquiring Chris Bosh is apparently dead, but some new ones involving Chicago have surfaced.  It seems that the Minnesota Timberwolves are interested in Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich.  The Wolves don’t have a reliable point guard on their roster and are rumored to covet Hinrich’s services.  It’s been said that the Wolves are willing to move two expiring contracts, those of Jason Collins and Rashad McCants.  If the Bulls are looking for cap space, then this could be a good deal for the team, though Hinrich has been solid coming off the bench as of late.

While the scenario mentioned above is possible, there’s a much less likely but juicier rumor floating around involving the Bulls.  This rumored deal has the Bulls acquiring Amare Stoudemire in a three-way trade involving the Timberwolves.  This blogger thinks the window to acquire Stoudemire has closed, as the team has returned to a more up-tempo style of play under Alvin Gentry.  Another deal that has been discussed is the Bulls sending Hinrich and Thabo Sefolosha to Minnesota for Collins and Brian Cardinal, two players with contracts that expire in the next year or two.

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New Trade in the Works?

A new rumor involving the Bulls appears to be gaining steam as Thursday’s trade deadline approaches.  The deal involves the Phoenix Suns, but would not result in Amare Stoudemire donning a Bulls’ uniform.  This rumored trade would be a three-way deal involving the Toronto Raptors, in which the Bulls would send Tyrus Thomas, Drew Gooden’s expiring contract and a first-round pick to the Phoenix Suns, who would send Stoudemire to Toronto, who would send Chris Bosh to Chicago.  The Suns covet Thomas, while the Raptors would be able to provide an environment where Stoudemire could be the focal point, a desire of his that he’s expressed in the past.

This would be a dream scenario for the Bulls.  Bosh is one of the best power forwards in the league and would immediately make the Bulls a playoff team with upside.  If Bosh and Derrick Rose could develop a rapport on and off the court in the next one and a half seasons, there would be a chance that the Bulls could convince Bosh to stay in Chicago past 2010.  It would be surprising to see the Raptors move Bosh, but they may do so if they’re convinced that he’s leaving in 2010.  Bosh looks to have more room for improvement than Stoudemire, and one could argue that he’s already more productive.

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Monitoring the Trade Front

It appears that All-Star weekend has not brought about any major changes on the Amare Stoudemire front as the Bulls are still considered the favorite to land the Phoenix big man.  However, Suns coach Terry Porter is rumored to be on his way out of Phoenix, and some pundits think that such a move would decrease the probability that Stoudemire is shipped.  The deal this blogger keeps hearing about centers around Tyrus Thomas and the expiring contract for Drew Gooden.

There is also talk that the Bulls are formulating potential backup plans if they’re unable to pry Stoudemire away from the Suns.  It’s been rumored that the Bulls have been in contact with the Los Angeles Clippers and could be interested in acquiring Chris Kaman or Marcus Camby.  Both of these players have their negatives, though.  Camby is a defense-first kind of guy who won’t be able to fill the low post scoring void in Chicago, but he will block a lot of shots and provide leadership to this young team.  Kaman is much better offensively than Camby, but he’s been on the shelf for a couple of months and is expected to remain out of action for a while.  Camby is probably the better option right now because he’s healthy and has a friendlier contract than Kaman.

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