Looking Toward the Summer

While the Bulls are currently in a tight race for a playoff spot, it’s still never too early to speculate about the upcoming offseason.  There was an article in yesterday’s edition of Chicago’s Daily Herald that focuses on Chris Bosh’s potential availability this summer.  The Toronto Raptors currently have the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference and there is a chance that Bosh will be moved this summer.  There has been much speculation that Bosh has no intention of re-signing with Toronto in the summer of 2010, when he can become an unrestricted free agent.  Some people think the franchise will see this coming and try to move him this summer as opposed to letting him walk for nothing in 2010.

The Bulls would have to throw their name into the Chris Bosh sweepstakes, were it to happen.  Bosh is exactly the kind of player the Bulls need to take them to the next level.  Ideally, they could pair Bosh with Derrick Rose for the next decade or so while the two players try to bring a championship back to the Windy City for the first time since MJ left.  There are sure to be a number of teams that would take a run at Bosh, but one would think the Bulls would trade almost anyone aside from Rose to get a deal done.

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Raps Best Bulls in OT

The Bulls sit two games ahead of the Charlotte Bobcats for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference despite a tough overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors yesterday.  The Bulls made a nice comeback in the fourth quarter but fell 134-129 after the overtime.  Ben Gordon had a big scoring day, leading all players with 37 points in the contest.  Derrick Rose added 23 points, on an efficient nine of 13 shooting, to go with nine assists in the game.  Each Bulls starter scored in double figures in the contest, as did Brad Miller coming off the bench.

The Bulls simply did not have an answer for Toronto power forward Chris Bosh.  Bosh scored 31 points and pulled down 15 rebounds in the game.  Andrea Bargnani dropped 28 points of his own, while Jose Calderon had 22 points and 19 assists.  The Raptors have a lot of talent, but haven’t been able to put it all together on a consistent basis this season.  Toronto has made the playoffs in recent years and they showed why in this game.  The Bulls fought hard and had a good night on the offensive end, but they didn’t have an answer for Toronto’s three-pronged attack.

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Big Win Pushes Bulls into Tie for Seventh Seed

The Bulls made a statement at home last night, trouncing the Miami Heat 106-87.  John Salmons led the team in scoring yet again, scoring 27 points in the contest and adding two rebounds and five assists.  One can’t reinforce enough how well the Bulls’ deadline deal with Sacramento is working out, as Brad Miller also had a solid game with 12 points, seven boards and four dimes.  Each of the Bulls’ starting five scored in double figures as the rotation seems to become stronger and stronger by the game.  Tyrus Thomas notched a double-double in the game, going for 15 and 12.

This win, along with a Detroit loss to the Lakers last night, moves the Bulls into a tie with the Pistons for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.  Detroit had been playing well since moving Richard Hamilton back into the starting lineup, but recently the team has begun to slip a bit.  If Detroit can’t right the ship quickly, the Bulls are going to be in great position to snag the seventh seed.  They’d still have to play the Celtics or Magic in the first round of the playoffs, but that’s better than heading to Cleveland to face LeBron James.  All the Bulls need to do is focus on continuing their strong play.

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Deng Eyeing Return

Bulls forward Luol Deng, who has missed the last 12 games due to a stress fracture in his right leg, is leaning against surgery and is looking to return in time for the playoffs.  Deng plans to increase his workouts and see how his leg responds to the activity before making a more firm decision on surgery.  “I want to play,” Deng was quoted as saying in the Chicago Tribune.  “It’d be great if I can get back, especially because we should make the playoffs.”  Deng has been training in a pool, on a stationary bike and on a weightless treadmill designed to decrease impact while running.

It’s encouraging to hear Deng express his desire to play and for the team to make the playoffs.  As the team’s highest paid player, some doubted his drive when he first experienced this injury.  Deng would be a nice addition for the playoffs, but would likely come off the bench due to potential rust and the recent play of John Salmons.  Salmons has played extremely well as the team’s starting small forward, showing himself to be the best player on the floor on multiple occasions.  The Bulls gained a half game on the Bobcats last night thanks to Charlotte’s loss to Washington.

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Bulls Beat Pistons

Kirk Hinrich reminded Bulls fans that he was once the team’s starting point guard, filling in for an injured Derrick Rose in the starting lineup last night.  Hinrich scored a game-high 24 points to help lead the Bulls to a 99-91 victory over the Detroit Pistons.  Every Chicago starter scored in double figures in the contest and both Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah finished with double-doubles.  Brad Millers was the only player to score of the bench, but the starting five were able to get the job done largely by themselves.  Hinrich added eight assists, three rebounds, three steals and a block to go with his 24 points.  Rose was unable to play because of wrist pain stemming from a play that happened a few nights ago; the injury is not thought to be serious.

This was a big win for the Bulls as it creates a two-game cushion between them and Charlotte Bobcats and brings them within one game of the Pistons, who currently sit as the seventh seed in the East.  The Bulls have a chance at the seventh seed if they can play a little more consistently.  The team seems to have the tendency to bring it one night and then underperform the next, which will not fly in the postseason.  Still, at this point the Bulls are in good shape to make the playoffs.

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Bulls Sneak Past Wizards

The Bulls snuck by the lowly Washington Wizards last night at the Verizon Center, beating the Wiz 101-99 after blowing a significant lead late in the game.  Ben Gordon led the team in scoring with 21 points on seven of 14 shooting, while John Salmons chipped in 19 to go along with four rebounds and four assists.  Derrick Rose didn’t shoot all that well from the floor, but had a solid all-around game with 12 points, eight assists, five rebounds and just one turnover.  Kirk Hinrich added 12 points off the bench, while Brad Miller chipped in a double-double off the pine as well.

Chicago did not have much of an answer for Washington’s Antawn Jamison in this contest.  The former Tar Heel scored a game-high 34 points and added 12 rebounds.  Several other Wizards players fared well in the game as well.  Starting center Andray Blatche put up 15 and 12, while Javaris Crittenton scored 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out five assists off the bench.  This blogger is a bit surprised that the Wizards don’t give Crittenton more playing time on a regular basis.  He’s got a lot of talent and possesses great size for either guard position.  It’s obvious that the Wizards are not making the playoffs this season, so why not give the kid a few starts?

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Lakers Edge Bulls

The Bulls are still one game ahead of the Charlotte Bobcats for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference despite a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.  The Bulls hung tough with L.A., even entering the final quarter of play with the lead, but were unable to close the game with a strong performance.  Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol were just too much for the Bulls, leading the Lakers to a 117-109 victory.  It’s encouraging to see the Bulls hang with arguably the best team in the NBA, though, even if the end result was a loss.

John Salmons continued his impressive play of late, scoring 30 points in efficient fashion.  Salmons shot 10 of 15 from the floor, including three of four from distance, and seven of eight from the stripe.  His play has helped the Bulls a ton lately, filling the void left by the injured Luol Deng.  Derrick Rose added 25 points in the contest, again showing himself to be light years beyond most rookie point guards historically.  Brad Miller and Kirk Hinrich contributed solid games off the bench, as usual.  This blogger likes the makeup of this team and thinks that the club is headed in the right direction.

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East Playoff Picture

Let’s take a look at the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.  Currently the Bulls have a solid hold on the eighth and final playoff seed with a one and a half game lead over Milwaukee and Charlotte.  New York, New Jersey and Indiana are all also in the hunt for the eighth seed, but those three teams have not been playing that well as of late.  Chicago is only two games behind Detroit for the seventh seed, but Detroit has been playing very well as of late and catching them in the standings may not be the most likely scenario.

At the top of the conference, Cleveland, Boston and Orlando have all locked up playoff spots, and it would be extremely surprising to see a different top three at the end of the regular season.  Atlanta has a strong hold on the fourth seed, and has for some time.  Miami is in good shape to nab the fifth seed thanks to the incredible play of Dwyane Wade this season.  The Sixers are currently the sixth seed, but the Pistons are just a game and a half behind and look to be surging.  There could be a switch in seeding between these two teams before the season is out.

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Rose Heats Up to Down OKC

Derrick Rose was simply magnificent in the second half of last night’s 103-96 win over the Thunder.  Rose was perfect from the field after halftime, going 10 for 10 from the floor in the final two quarters.  The Chicago native finished with 25 points in the contest, pushing his team to the win over fellow rising superstar Kevin Durant’s squad.  Rose also added six rebounds and three assists in the game.  Durant played well also, scoring 28 points and grabbing six rebounds in the contest, but it wasn’t enough to take down Rose and the Bulls.

Rose was one of five Chicago players to score in double figures.  John Salmons continued his solid play with 20 points, while Ben Gordon chipped in 18, Brad Miller had 14 and Tyrus Thomas added 12.  The Bulls currently stand a game and a half ahead of both the Milwaukee Bucks and Charlotte Bobcats for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.  If the Bulls do make the postseason, it’s going to be difficult for voters not to name Rose as the rookie of the year.  Russell Westbrook, O.J. Mayo and Brook Lopez are all in the running as well, but Rose remains the frontrunner in most people’s eyes.

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Salmons’ 38 Sink Cs

The Bulls won a major statement game last night at home against the reigning champion Boston Celtics.  Not only was it a win against one of the best teams in the association, but it pushed Chicago into sole possession of the final playoff spot in the East.  The Bulls were down by double digits at times in this contest, but stormed back led by John Salmons’ 38-point effort for the 127-121 win.  Salmons has been fantastic since joining the team last month and has scored 62 points in the team’s last two games combined.  This season has truly been a breakout campaign for Salmons, who has always shown his potential to be a do-it-all swingman.

Brad Miller also had a phenomenal game, scoring 21 points on an efficient seven of 12 shooting from the floor.  He added 14 rebounds and five assists as well.  Salmons and Miller have been the best players on the floor for Chicago more often than not since coming over in a trade from Sacramento last month.  The Bulls certainly looked like a playoff team last night, even though Boston was without Kevin Garnett.  Chicago seems to be in the driver’s seat as far as the eighth seed goes, as they appear to be peaking at the right time.

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