Bulls and Blackhawks

It's been so long since I've posted anything on here.  Lots of stuff happening right now in Chicago sports, so let's get started.

I am very excited about the start of the new NBA season.  The NBA is coming off of one of their best seasons since the Jordan era ended in Chicago, and it would have been horrible for the league to cancel the full season due to the lockout.  Thankfully, there is a new deal in place, and we can forget about the lockout and concentrate on actual games. 

The Bulls had the best regular season record last year, but struggled really throughout the whole playoffs.  The five game series loss to the Heat made it perfectly clear that the Bulls needed a scoring wing-man to help Derrick Rose.  Enter Richard Hamilton.  The Bulls almost picked up Hamilton last season, but that deal fell through.  Now he joins the Bulls on a 2 year deal, and is expected to start in place of Keith Bogans.  Hamilton is an immediate upgrade on the offensive end.  He has a better than average jump shot, can shoot from 3-point range, posts up on shorter defenders and can create his own shot when called upon.  The best thing about Hamilton on the offensive end, at least in my opinion, is how he plays without the basketball.  Hamilton is kind of like Ray Allen without the ball.  He's always running the baseline, coming off of screens, and when he does catch the ball, he doesn't stop the offense.  If he doesn't have a good shot, he passes the ball and continues to move.  That is exactly the type of offensive threat they need.  Somebody who can play without the basketball so that Rose can have it.  A perfect fit in my book. 

Hamilton will fit in on the defensive side of the ball as well.  He may not be the on-ball defender that Bogans is, but he does give a great effort, and plays good team defense, which is what coach Thibodeau is all about.  The way I see it, the Bulls aren't losing much defensively, and are gaining an extra 10-15 points per game on the offensive side of the ball.  It will be exciting to see just how much Hamilton can do.  He's averaged about 18 points per game over his career, and does have an NBA championship ring, so he brings a great deal of success and experience with him.  In my opinion, this was a great pick up, and I think the Bulls did a great job in bringing him on board.

With Hamilton in the fold, the roster for the coming season should look something like this:

Starters:
PG- Derrick Rose
SG- Rip Hamilton
SF- Luol Deng
PF- Carlos Boozer
C- Joakim Noah

Bench:
PG- CJ Watson
SG- Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver
SF- Jimmy Butler
PF- Taj Gibson, Joel Pryzbilla
C- Omer Asik

I think the Bulls will probably miss Kurt Thomas, who ended up signing with the Portland Trailblazers.  He was great last season when Noah was injured, and gave the Bulls a tough, veteran presence off the bench.  Just looking at that starting lineup though, it looks impressive on paper.  You have to believe that Derrick Rose will continue to grow and get better, which is scary for the rest of the league since he is coming off an MVP season.  Hamilton gives the Bulls a fourth scoring threat in the lineup, as Deng and Boozer are both capable scorers, if not dynamic scorers at times.  Another great thing for the Bulls this offseason is that they kept their bench in tact.  One of the big advantages they had over many teams last season was their depth.  They went 9-10 players deep on their bench on a nightly basis, where most teams only go 7 or 8 deep.  Their deep bench should be a great advantage again, especially in a season with a condensed schedule.  It will be exciting to see the Bulls get back to basketball though.  I'm looking forward to a great season.

The hockey season is rolling along, as are the Blackhawks as well.  They've won three straight games, all in overtime or shootout, and they've also won five straight on the road, which is always a characteristic of championship contenders.  The win last night in Minnesota was especially important.  Knocking off the top team in the league on the road is always a big win.  Plus, we got to see Patrick Kane juke Wild goalie Nick Backstrom out of his pads in the shootout.  That was one of the better moves you'll ever see in the shootout, and it actually made number 1 on Sportscenter's Top Plays.  That is impressive considering that ESPN doesn't often show hockey highlights.

The most impressive part of this year's Hawks team is their offensive fire power.  Jonathan Toews is having his best season so far, which is saying something because he has been great since he came into the league.  Toews is tied for second in the league with 18 goals, and is third in points with 34.  Sharp has 16 goals and 32 points, Hossa has 13 goals and 32 points, and Kane has 31 points, although only 8 of those are goals.  For a while, the Hawks had 4 players in the top ten in scoring in the league.  They need all of that scoring because their defense has been suspect at times this year, as well as the goaltending.  Lately the Hawks' D has been a little bit better, and Ray Emery has replaced Crawford for the time being.  He's played really well too, and I think the Hawks need to continue playing Emery while he's going good.  Hopefully Crawford finds his game soon, because I think ultimately he will be the guy in net down the stretch. 

The Hawks have a good stretch of games coming up where they should be able to pile up some points.  Home games against the last place Ducks and Calgary Flames this weekend, then a road tilt against the Penguins on Tuesday (no Crosby for the Pens, which is horrible for the league).  Then they come back home on Wednesday to play the Montreal Canadiens before having a few days off for Christmas.  They play the day after Christmas at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets.  That's five straight games that the Hawks should be favored in, and it is extremely important that they put up alot of standings points over this stretch.

It's Been A While...

I just realized that it has been over 2 months since I have made an entry on my sports blog.  That just means there is alot to talk about in Chicago sports.

The baseball season has not gone very well for either Chicago team.  The Cubs are currently 47-65, which is only good enough for fifth place in the NL Central because the Houston Astros are just awful.  Even with the Cubs' poor record this season, they are still 9.5 games up on Houston, which is really the only positive about this season for the North Siders.  Just about everything has gone wrong this season, starting with their pitching staff.  Zambrano has been up and down again, and I think it's safe to say that his days of being an ace starter are over.  Dempster hasn't been any better.  Lately, Matt Garza has pitched extremely well, however, he only has 5 wins on the year because when he pitches he doesn't get any run support.  The back end of the rotation, which looked promising at the beginning of the season, has been a mess.  Cashner has only pitched one game due to injury, and Randy Wells is terrible and needs to go.  The bullpen has been poor as well.  Marmol was replaced as closer for a few games after stumbling coming out of the all-star break.  Marshall and Samardzija have been the most consistent pitchers for the Cubs on the season out of the pen, but their middle relief is bad.  James Russell has gotten better out of the bullpen, but John Grabow is not worth anywhere near what his contract is, and the stable of aging right handers (Lopez, Ortiz) that the Cubs have tried throughout the season has just been embarassing. 

The Cubs' offense has seen its ups and downs throughout the season as well.  Castro seems to hit all the time, and Ramirez kicked it up a notch once the weather warmed up, but by then it was way too late.  The team seems to lack the "clutch gene" as Skip Bayless would call it.  They routinely leave runners in scoring position with less than 2 outs, and can't seem to string together enough hits to put up big innings when they have the chance.  There have been bright spots though.  Castro and Barney are really good, young middle infielders who the Cubs can build around for the future.  That, and Marlon Byrd has been worth every penny of his contract.  While the Cubs haven't played well this season, they have been winning recently.  The are currently on a five game winning streak, which is the longest they've had this season.  Hopefully they can keep it rolling.

Over on the south side, the White Sox have been extremely disappointing.  There were several analysts at the beginning of the season that picked the White Sox to not only win the division, but go to the World Series on the strength of their offense.  Their offense has been weak, and you can look no further than the free agent acquisition of Adam Dunn.  Dunn was signed in the off-season to be the DH, and it looked like a good pick up at the time.  A homerun hitting player in a homerun hitters park seemed to make good sense for both sides.  It hasn't worked out that way.  Dunn is hitting in the .160's, and only has 10 homeruns.  He has definitely been the bust of this year's free agent class.  The White Sox do have a better record than the Cubs (52-58), but they have played well below their expectations this season.  It has definitely been a season to forget for both sides in Chicago baseball.

The Blackhawks have done some interesting things this off-season.  It was obvious in the playoffs that the Hawks lacked toughness and depth of front.  In fact, the only time that they could really keep the Canucks from taking the body on the superstar players was when John Scott (professional goon) was in the lineup.  However, it was pain-stakingly obvious to everybody that John Scott should not have been on the ice due to his general lack of hockey skills, such as skating, passing, receiving the puck, shooting, and defense.  So, the Hawks made several signings and trades in order to add that toughness.  Dan Carcillo, Andrew Brunette, Jamal Mayers, and Sean O'Donnell all signed one year deals, and all should see a decent amount of playing time on the fourth line (or 3rd D-pairing in O'Donnell's case).  I really like the Brunette signing.  He is capable of scoring 20 goals, which gives the Hawks more depth and secondary scoring.  He also is a big body, and plays physical, so I would expect to see him get a chance with Kane and Toews on the top line at some point during the season.  The Hawks also made a couple of trades on draft night.  They sent Brian Campbell to the Florida Panthers for Rostislav Olesz, a 25 year old winger who hasn't lived up to expectations thus far in his career.  This move was basically a salary dump, which was important for the Hawks.  They needed to get under that cap to be able to sign the depth and role players necessary to compete with the elite teams.  The Hawks also traded Troy Brouwer to the Washington Capitals for draft picks, and also acquired defenseman Steve Montador from the Buffalo Sabres.  Montador signed a 4 year deal after the trade as well.  To me, the biggest signings were re-signings.  I love the fact that Patrick Sharp got a 5 year extension, and Frolik and Crawford are back for 3 more years as well.  Viktor Stalberg is back on a 2 year contract.

So going into next season, the Blackhawks have locked up all of their core players, and have added some good depth on one year contracts while they wait for their younger players to develop.  They do have a great collection of young talent in the minor leagues too (Beach, Lalonde, Kruger, the Hayes brothers, McNeil, Saad, Danault are all great looking prospects who should all see time in the NHL soon). I am pretty excited about the moves the Hawks made.  I think they should be right back in contention for a top 4 spot out west once the season begins. 

The football season is right around the corner, thanks to the players and owners agreeing to a new CBA just before the preseason.  The Bears had a fantastic year last year, which nobody expected.  11-5, and hosting the NFC title game is a great season, regardless of how it ended.  However, they had too many question marks leaving that game.  The offensive line was brutal the whole season, and eventually it did effect Jay Cutler, who had to leave that NFC title game with an apparent knee injury.  That injury caused everybody to question his toughness, so Cutler has alot to prove going into the season.  The Bears have made a couple of moves to try to improve the O-line (drafting T Gabe Carimi, and signing C Chris Spencer), but they released Olin Kreutz, who was their best and most consistent lineman for the past 13 years.  He was also a leader in the locker room, so he should be sorely missed.  The Bears also brought in a trio of former Cowboys (WR Roy Williams and Sam Hurd, and RB Marion Barber), while bringing in  d-line help as well (DE Vernon Gholston, and DT Amobi Okoye).  You know that the Bears' defense is the strength of the team, and has been for years.  As long as they stay healthy they should be a top 5 defense again.  However, the offense seems to be in a make or break year.  Cutler needs to have a big season to justify the trade, and the Bears are obviously bringing in alot of new players to try to revamp the offense.  Heck, they even traded away their best receiver (Greg Olsen) because they didn't believe he fit with their offensive philosophy.  Hopefully they can put the offense together in time for the regular season, which opens with a gauntlet of tough games (vs. Falcons, at Saints, vs. Packers).  There are an awful lot of new players learning a new and tougher system with a short training camp and no off-season activities to fall back on.  I think the Bears are expecting alot from their offense this season, but it wouldn't surprise me to see them fall short of expectations again.

What do you guys think?  What are your thoughts or predictions for any of Chicago's sports teams?  Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading.

Bulls Off-Season

Well, I've had a few days to forget about the Bulls' loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.  After a terrific regular season, and a wildly unpredictable and poorly played playoff run, the Bulls now look to the off-season, needing to find ways to compete with the Heat.  Clearly the Bulls and Heat are in the best position to compete for championships in the Eastern Conference, with many of the other teams having too many questions.  The Celtics are too old, and eventually some of their key players will be leaving.  The Magic aren't a threat anymore, and their best player (Dwight Howard) is likely to leave through trade or free agency.  The Knicks have 2 superstar players, but they are poorly coached, especially on the defensive end.  The Hawks are inconsistent, and really don't pose a threat to any of the top teams in the league.  Unless those teams make some improvements, the Heat and the Bulls are the best two teams in the East, with the Heat obviously having the advantage going forward.

There are many different opinions out there about what the Bulls should do in the off-season to improve their team.  I have heard many analysts say that the Bulls will bring in a more athletic starting shooting guard, somebody like Shannon Brown from the Lakers, who can score on his own and play defense.  I've also heard the name Rip Hamilton come up as a possible target for the Bulls, along with Ray Allen and Kirk Hinrich.  There are some that want the Bulls to perform some type of miracle to bring in a second superstar, like Dwight Howard.  The Bulls will have many options to play with, so let's take a look at what they might be able to do to improve their team in order to compete with the Miami Heat.

Most people believe that the Bulls need to bring in a second perimeter scoring option to help Derrick Rose shoulder the scoring load.  Rose has improved every single year, and last year he grew by leaps and bounds.  However, we've seen time and time again in the history of the NBA, that one person cannot get it done by themselves, and many times that what the Bulls relied on Rose to do.  The problem with bringing in a permeter scorer is that there really aren't any great players out there in free agency.  Ray Allen is a catch and shoot guy at this stage of his career, and the same goes for Rip Hamilton.  Those are both aging players at the end of their careers, which really isn't what the Bulls should be looking for.  The Bulls are one of a few teams in the league that have arrows pointing up for the next ten years (Thunder, Heat also are built for long-term success).  Another problem with those players is that they can't really create their own shots.  They rely on crisp offensive movement, and cutting off screens, which is necessary, but leaves players worn down. 

Shannon Brown is an interesting player that I am sure the Bulls will consider in free agency.  He is from Chicago, so I am sure he would love to be able to play on a nightly basis for the team he grew up cheering for.  He is also super athletic, and only 25 years old.  He has ok size for a 2 guard (6'4"), and is a more than capable defender.  He has a good three point shot, although he is not known for his outside shooting ability, which is what the Bulls need.  He is a tremendous athlete, and playing with Rose would make for some awesome alley oop and fast break dunks.  However, he has been a bench player his entire career, so signing him to start and play starter's minutes might be a little risky.

Kirk Hinrich is another name I've heard mentioned as possibly going back to the Bulls.  He would definitely fit in with the defensive minded Tom Thibodeau's system.  He can also hit catch and shoot jumpers, and has better than average three-point capabilities.  He was a huge fan favorite when he played with the Bulls before, and he is a durable guy, with veteran leadership.  He also knows how to play with Derrick Rose, and would be somebody who could defend other proven perimeter scorers, like Wade and Carmello Anthony. 

Some analysts have said that JR Smith from Denver should be considered, but I think that would be a huge mistake.  Smith was once a part of the Bulls, and before he even played a game with them they traded him because he was a locker room nightmare.  For a team with great chemistry, that would not be ideal. 

The Bulls could also look to upgrade their perimeter scoring in the draft.  They have 2 late first round picks (picks 28 and 30) that they could either package in a deal to acquire a better shooter, or they could use the picks on draft night to grab a scorer, such as Marshon Brooks from Providence, who was the second leading scorer in the country, and also put up 50 points against Notre Dame. 

The biggest and most unlikely move the Bulls might be able to pull off is acquiring a second superstar through a trade.  The name mentioned by most fans is Dwight Howard.  Now don't get me wrong, a Rose/Howard duo would be unbelievable.  They would both have career years.  Teams would be unable to guard them in the pick and roll.  Not only that, but the Bulls would have the best point guard and the best center in the game, and those positions are historically the hardest to find superstar players.  Howard is a defensive and rebounding beast, not to mention he added a great post up game to his offense last season.  It all sounds great, but it is extremely unlikely for a couple of reasons.  First of all, Howard is still under contract with the Magic, and they still believe that they can re-sign him.  Secondly, if they do trade him, it will likely be to a team out west.  Many analysts have said that Howard would like to play for the Lakers, who could offer up Andrew Bynum in a deal.  For the Bulls to get him, it would likely take a great combination of starting talent and draft picks, which as of right now, they have.  They have 3 picks in this year's draft, 2 in the first round, and they also have a lottery protected pick from the Charlotte Bobcats in next year's draft.  Players that would most likely need to be included in the deal would include the Bulls' big guys.  Noah, Boozer, Gibson and Asik would be considered, and Orlando would likely have to take on Boozer in order to make the salaries work.  Would the Magic want to take a combination of draft picks and big guys that includes Boozer, and trade the best big man in the league to a conference rival? Probably not.

Obviously the Bulls have to get a player who can put up points, and be the second scoring option that Rose needs.  They thought they had it in Boozer, but his first year was up and down, and his playoff performance left alot to be desired.  They do have a very young team, and they need to make sure the core of the team stays together.  I would like to see the Bulls hang onto the following players: Rose (obviously, they'll lock him up long term very soon), Deng, Noah, Gibson, Brewer, Korver, Watson, and Asik.  I still think Boozer is a decent player, but he is not worth the money they paid for him.  I doubt anybody will take on his contract, and he'll most likely be a Bull next season, but if they can package him with another player or picks to bring in a superstar, or a second perimeter scoring option, they should do it.  I also think the Bulls will move forward without Keith Bogans.  He is a great defender, and he showed that in the Heat series by locking down Dwyane Wade.  Wade had a hard time getting anything going in those 5 games, and he was frustrated by it.  However, the Bulls need to get scoring from their starting 2 guard, and he doesn't have the ability to put up big points game in and game out.  I also think that Kurt Thomas and Rasual Butler are likely to move elsewhere, so the Bulls will have some moves to make.  It'll be an interesting off-season to say the least.  Hopefully the Bulls will take their time and make the right moves to put them in position to not only compete with the Heat, but to put them over the top, and into the NBA Finals.

Bulls move on, while Hawks go home

Tuesday night was a big night for Chicago sports fans, and it ended with mixed results.  I'll start with the bad news, and end with the good.

The Chicago Blackhawks lost game 7 in overtime to the Vancouver Canucks, by a final score of 2-1.  They rallied back and fought hard from a 3-0 series deficit, but fell just short.  Even in game 7 they showed alot of grit and resiliency, especially from their starting goaltender, Corey Crawford.  Crawford allowed only 2 Alex Burrows goals, neither of which were his fault.  The first goal of the game resulted from a bad line change, and the Canucks made the Hawks pay.  The final goal of the game was due to a terrible turnover in the Hawks' zone, and Burrows didn't make any mistake with the shot.  It was a laser right over the shoulder of Crawford that sent the Hawks home for the summer.  Crawford stopped 34 of 36 shots, many of them spectacular, ridiculous saves.

The captain, Jonathan Toews, tied the game with just 1:56 left in the third on a short-handed goal.  At that point I thought the Hawks might pull it out, and when they were sent on the power play just seconds into the overtime period, I really thought it would happen.  Patrick Sharp had a fantastic opportunity to end the Canucks' season, taking a great pass from Toews through the crease and aiming for the top shelf on the short-side of the net.  Luongo made a terrific stop, and the Hawks never got close to scoring in the overtime after that.  It was a disappointing end to the season, but I was very happy with the effort the defending cup champions showed in the final four games of the series.  There is no shame in losing the series the way they eventually did, and Hawks fans should be proud of the effort they showed in the last four games.

The biggest issue for the Hawks this year was that they waited way too long to play anything resembling championship hockey.  It is tough to repeat in any sport as champion, and it hasn't happened in 13 years in the NHL, so the Hawks were up against it to begin with.  However, they played sluggish and unmotivated all season.  They backed into the playoffs on the last day of the season after losing to Detroit, but getting some from the Minnesota Wild, who defeated the Dallas Stars to send the Hawks to the postseason.  When I think about it though, they could have easily been in a better position.  They lost several games earlier in the season that they had no business losing.  Three times they lost to the Colorado Avalanche, who were the second worst team in the Western Conference.  They lost twice apiece on home ice to the Edmonton Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets, which just shouldn't happen.  They also made it a regular habit to blow multiple goal leads, and leads in the third period, which good hockey teams just don't do.  Winning those games earlier in the season would have put the Hawks in a much better playoff position than playing the top-seeded Canucks, who were just a little bit better this season.

On the court, the Chicago Bulls finally did what all of their fans wanted them to do, and they put a whooping on a clearly inferior, although competitive Indiana Pacers squad.  I had been talking with a buddy of mine before the game, and we were convinced that if the Bulls could have a good shooting night, they would destroy the Pacers.  That is exactly what happened.  Rose hit 3 three point shots, Bogans was 5-7 from the three point line, Deng and Korver each knocked in a couple of threes, and the Bulls absolutely ran away from the Pacers in the second half.  Joakim Noah had his second straight great game, finishing with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks, not to mention getting in the Pacers' heads.  He played physical with Hibbert, Foster, Hansbrough, and McRoberts at times in the Bulls' game 5 116-89 victory over the Pacers.  McRoberts was ejected from the game for throwing a forearm punch at Noah during a basket altercation at the end of the third quarter.  AJ Price, who really pissed me off in this series with the way he played, was also given a technical foul for trash talking to Noah following another altercation with Tyler Hansbrough.  When Noah is going like he was last night, the Bulls feed off of his energy.  It was great to see, and the crowd at the United Center was fired up all night.

The glaring weakness coming from this series is obviously the play of Carlos Boozer.  The Bulls brought him in to take some of the scoring load off of Derrick Rose, while also grabbing big rebound numbers. Boozer's last two performances in games 4 and 5 of this series were brutal.  He scored 2 points and pulled in 5 rebounds last night, and that was it.  He routinely missed easy layups and close range shots in this series because he went up soft at the rim.  He was constantly in foul trouble, and they were legitimate/stupid fouls.  Pushing people in the back on rebound opportunities and lowering his shoulder when driving to the basket are clear-cut fouls, and yet he continues to do those things early and often.  If he isn't going to pick his game up in the playoffs, I'd rather see Taj Gibson, who was brilliant last night, get those minutes.  He's much better defensively, and isn't too bad offensively either.

I would talk about Derrick Rose, but there really isn't a need.  He's been fantastic all season long, and was again last night, going for 25 points and 6 assists.  He's clearly the MVP of the season, and as long as he is on the court, the Bulls will have a chance to win any game they play.

So now the Bulls wait for their second round opponent.  It will be either the Hawks or the Magic, and I think they can defeat either team in a 7 game series.  I think I would rather see the Atlanta Hawks, simply because they don't have the talent to match up with the Bulls.  Either way, it'll be great to have NBA Playoff basketball in Chicago in May.  Hopefully they can keep it going into late May and June.

So overall, Tuesday was a bittersweet night for Chicago sports fans.  The Bulls certainly looked like a team that deserved the number one seed and homecourt throughout the NBA Playoffs.  The Blackhawks, while in a losing effort, showed championship heart, and proved that there is still reason to believe they can contend in the NHL for years to come. 

Bad Loss for Bulls in Toronto

The Bulls dropped their post All-Star Game opener on the road in Toronto this evening, 118-113.  The only bright spot in tonight's game was Derrick Rose, who finished with 32 points and 10 assists, and kept the Bulls in the game in the fourth quarter.  It was also Joakim Noah's first game back from injury, which makes the outcome all the more disappointing. 

The big problem in the game tonight was the Bulls' defense, or lack there of.  Allowing 118 points to a 15 win team is pathetic.  You could see it all night too.  They gave up easy buckets, were falling for pump-fakes all game long, fouling in stupid situations, and leaving wide open looks to every Toronto shooter all over the floor.  The Raptors ended up shooting around 58 percent for the game, which for the Bulls is awful.  They pride themselves on playing some of the best defense in the league, and tonight, they just didn't bring it.  If you would have told me the Bulls would put up 113 in the game tonight, I would have said they'd win by 20.

The other big let down is that this loss comes on the heels of a pretty tough stretch for the Bulls.  They have a home game against the Miami Heat tomorrow night, and then go on the road for 5 straight, against the Bucks, Wizards, Hawks, Magic and Heat.  A win tonight was almost a 'must' to start the second half, especially on the heels of the Knicks making a trade for Carmelo Anthony.  All of a sudden the Eastern Conference is stacked, and the Bulls need to get wins and fight for playoff positioning. 

If the Bulls stand any chance of winning against the Heat tomorrow night, they need to play lights out defensively.  They should be ready to go, and a little upset about tonight's performance, which was just pathetic.  Toronto doesn't even belong on the same floor with the Bulls, and to lose to them in the first game that they've been completely healthy since early December is extremely disappointing.

Oh well, you can't dwell on the bad losses.  The Bulls should learn a lesson from this game, though.  You have to be ready to play against every opponent, every single time out.  Hopefully we will see an inspired defensive effort before the Bulls go on a tough road trip.  They've been one of the best home teams in the league, and having Joakim Noah healthy should be a huge boost, and give the crowd alot of energy.  I am excited to see how the Bulls play against the "Big Three". 

NBA at Mid-season

We are just over halfway through the NBA regular season, and the playoff picture in both conferences has pretty much taken form, especially in the top half of each conference.  While the playoff seeds are still very much up for grabs, the top teams in each conference have clearly separated themselves. 

The conference standings as they are right now are as follows:

Eastern Conference:
1. Boston Celtics (34-10)
2. Miami Heat (31-13)
3. Chicago Bulls (31-14)
4. Orlando Magic (30-16)
5. Atlanta Hawks (29-17)
6. New York Knicks (23-21)
7. Philadelphia 76ers (20-25)
8. Charlotte Bobcats (19-25)
9.Milwaukee Bucks (17-26)
10. Indiana Pacers (16-26)
11. Detroit Pistons(17-29)
12. New Jersey Nets (14-32)
13. Washington Wizards (13-31)
14. Toronto Raptors (13-33)
15. Cleveland Cavaliers (8-37)

Western Conference:
1. San Antonio Spurs (39-7)
2. Los Angeles Lakers (33-13)
3. New Orleans Hornets (31-16)
4. Oklahomo City Thunder (29-16)
5. Dallas Mavericks (29-15)
6. Denver Nuggets (27-18)
7. Utah Jazz (27-19)
8. Portland Trail Blazers (25-21)
9. Memphis Grizzlies (22-24)
10. Houston Rockets (22-25)
11. Phoenix Suns (20-24)
12. Golden State Warriors (19-26)
13. Los Angeles Clippers (17-28)
14. Sacramento Kings (10-33)
15. Minnesota Timberwolves (10-35)

Obviously it's still early in the season, and things are going to change before the playoffs begin.  In fact, just after I started this post, the Knicks beat the Heat, allowing the Bulls to jump up to the number 2 spot in the Eastern Conference.  The thing that I think is pretty clear by looking at the two conferences is just how tough the Western Conference is.  Sure, the Eastern Conference has four very good teams (maybe all four of those teams are elite) in the NBA, but overall, the Western Conference is much tougher. 

For this post, I decided to go through the list of teams I think could be championship contenders this season, and predict how the rest of their seasons might go.  We'll start in the Eastern Conference.

East:
1. Boston Celtics: This has to be the team to beat in the East.  Almost everybody, including myself, had given the conference to the Miami Heat, but after watching them play the first half of the season, it's clear that they have issues that aren't going to be solved easily, if at all before the end of the season.  The Celtics, however, only have one major issue to deal with, and that is injuries.  Garnett, Shaq, Perkins, Jermaine O'Neal, Rondo, and Delonte West have all missed time with injuries this season.  They were still able to post the best record in the East over that span, and now that they are all healthy, they will be scary the rest of the way.  They have 3 Hall of Famers in their starting line up, the best pure shooter in the game today in Ray Allen, one of the best players in the clutch in Paul Pierce, and the deepest bench in the league by far.  The rarely lose at home, and they should be playing at home throughout the Eastern Conference Playoffs.  Prediction: 62-20, and a trip back to the NBA Finals.

2. Miami Heat: The Heat have too much talent not to be considered a title contender this year.  Wade and James are the obvious go to guys come playoff time, but they do have some other players on their team that can contribute.  James Jones has proven to be an asset from behind the three point line, as has Mike Miller.  The problem with the Heat is that they are a finesse team.  They like to play "pretty" basketball, running the floor off of turnovers, and scoring alot in the fastbreak.  Teams in the playoffs won't allow that.  Playoff teams don't turn the ball over nearly as much, and they play tough, physical defense.  I know the Heat can't play that style, especially not with Chris Bosh as the big man.  Bosh is one of the softest players in the league, and he proved as much with his comments following the Heat's  loss to the Bulls, in which he injured his ankle.  Prediction: 55-27, and a loss in the Conference Semi-Finals.

3. Chicago Bulls: The Bulls are my favorite team, and I love how they have been playing the first half of the season.  They have only played 9 full games with a healthy roster (Boozer and Noah have each missed significant time), and not only have they weathered the storm, they've thrived in it.  They went 9-6 without Boozer to start the season, and are 15-6 since Noah went out with an injury.  Derrick Rose has emerged as a star in the NBA, and that seems to be one of the characteristics for teams to make a deep playoff run.  The thing the Bulls lack though is winning playoff experience.  I think this team is built for long term success, and may be a solid shooting guard away from actually competing for a championship.  Prediction: 54-28, and most likely a loss in the Conference Semi Finals, although I want to say they'll play the Celtics in the Eastern Finals.  That would be a great series.

4. Orlando Magic: I don't like the Magic, and I hated the trade they made earlier this season because of Gilbert Arenas.  However, the trade has worked out pretty well so far.  Dwight Howard is the best center in the NBA, and it's not even close.  His offense is much improved, and his defense is just as good as it has been the past 2 seasons, when he has won the defensive player of the year award.  The Magic can spread the floor, and they are averaging a league best 11 made three pointers per game since the trade.  One player to watch on this team: Ryan Anderson.  The Magic traded away Rashard Lewis, and have improved with Ryan Anderson.  He can stretch the floor just as well, and plays decent enough defense, a foreign concept to Lewis.  Prediction: 58-24, and a loss in the Conference Finals to the Celtics.

None of the other teams in the East really have a chance.  The Hawks and the Knicks are the only other teams with winning records, but I can't see them doing much in the playoffs, depending on who they'll play in the first round.  The Knicks just want to get in, and they'll take their chances next year when they are likely to sign Carmelo Anthony.

Western Conference:
1. San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs are playing the best team basketball in the league, and that includes the Boston Celtics.  The Spurs are just as old as the Celtics, and in much the same way, they depend on evenly spread scoring contributions, and solid team defense.  Ginobli, Parker and Duncan are still playing well, although Duncan is on the downhill portion of his career.  The window is closing for the Spurs, but I like them in the West this year.  Prediction: 65-17, and a trip to the NBA Finals to take on the Celtics.

2. Los Angeles Lakers: L.A. has to be considered a major contender to get back to the Finals this season.  They haven't played well, and haven't come close to playing their best basketball, yet they are 20 games over .500, and are second in the conference.  Kobe is starting to show his age, but is still one of the best scoring players in the league.  It wouldn't shock me to see the Lakers back in the Finals, but I can't stand them, so I won't pick them.  Prediction: 60-22, and a loss in the Conference Finals in 7 games.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder: The Thunder will be the team to beat in the West in the next 2 seasons.  Durant and Westbrook are the best scoring pair in the league, and the rest of the team fits around them extremely well.  They are a young, athletic team, and with some winning experience in the playoffs I can see them taking off in years to come.  I like them in the long run, but not for this season.  Prediction: 54-28, losing in the Conference Semi Finals to the Lakers.  I would love to see them get passed this point, but don't think it happens this year.  Watch out for alot of Thunder/Heat or Thunder/Bulls Finals in the next few years though. 

I think those are the only realistic contenders this season.  I'll admit that the Bulls might be a stretch this season, but they are playing extremely well to this point in the season, and being second in the conference after tonight, you have to throw them in the mix.  It should be fun to see how the rest of the season plays out going into the Playoffs.

Let's Make a Deal!

There has been alot of trade speculation surrounding the Chicago Bulls since the beginning of the season.  They have been loosely linked to Carmelo Anthony, who seems destined to be playing in a new jersey by the end of February.  There have also been a plethora of other shooters that have been mentioned as possible names that could be moved by the trading deadline.  The Bulls are an improving team, and should be a lock to at least move passed the first round of the playoffs this season.  If they want to actually contend, they need to find somebody who can shoot well from the perimeter.  So, with that in mind, I decided to take a look at some of the players they currently have on their roster, and possible players they could add.

Untradeable:
Derrick Rose: Nobody in their right mind would trade Rose to another team this early in his career.  He is a legit MVP candidate this season, and will be the starting point guard at the all star game this season.  He will only get better, and will be the face of the franchise for many seasons.

Joakim Noah: The Bulls just recently locked Noah up with a 5 year deal.  Besides that, he is a top 5 rebounder, the second best defensive center in the conference, and his offense has improved alot (it will continue to get better as well). 

Carlos Boozer: The only real scoring option the Bulls have in the post.  Boozer is a double-double machine, and a legit 20-10 guy.  Those are tough to find, and when you get one, you don't trade him.

Good Trade Candidates:
Luol Deng: Deng would look very good to other teams for a trade if he didn't have such a huge contract.  He puts up decent numbers (18 points, 6 rebounds per game), but those stats aren't worth the money he makes, which is right around 11 million dollars per season, for the next 2 seasons.

Kyle Korver: I like Korver, especially in the role he plays for the Bulls.  He is a three point specialist, and is the only real sharp shooter the Bulls have on their roster.  However, if the Bulls are going to acquire a good perimeter shooter, they will likely have to give up a good shooter in the deal, and Korver would likely be the guy.

Ronnie Brewer: I almost put Brewer on the untradeable list, because Brewer is the type of player winning teams have.  He comes off the bench, plays spectacular defense, chips in key buckets, and is a great team player.  Championship teams have those kinds of players come off their bench.  Other teams know that too, and may want Ronnie Brewer if they are to give up a quality shooter.

Taj Gibson: Taj has played unbelievable basketball lately, especially on the defensive end.  He has had at least 5 blocks in 3 of the last 5 games, and continues to improve his mid-range jumpshot, along with his post game.  I really like him coming off the Bulls' bench, because he would be starting on alot of teams in the league, which gives the Bulls much better depth in the backcourt when they are healthy.  Teams around the league especially like Gibson's talent, and he may be a focal point of any deal the Bulls try to make.

CJ Watson: Watson is the only other player the Bulls have that can run the point, although he is more of a combo guard.  He can score pretty well too, which is why some teams might request Watson be part of a trade if the Bulls want a quality shooting guard.

Others:
James Johnson: Some teams may take a flier on Johnson, as he has raw talent, but has not developed like a first round pick should.  He doesn't get enough minutes to develop, but he really doesn't deserve the minutes either.

Omer Asik: The Bulls wouldn't trade him anyway, and even though other teams around the league might like this guy, he is also pretty raw.  He is a defensive machine, and can rebound very well.  He also makes alot of hustle plays, which players like Chris Bosh know nothing about.  I think the Bulls want to develop Omer's game over the next couple of seasons, and see if they can hang on to him for a great option to replace Noah off the bench.

Keith Bogans: At this point Bogans continues to start, but he only plays 12-14 minutes per game, and doesn't really contribute much offensively. 

Kurt Thomas: Thomas has played extremely well in Noah's absence, and the Bulls should be grateful for the job he has done.  I don't think many teams would want him because of his age (38), but he does have an expiring contract, so who knows.  Still, I think he stays with the Bulls to finish the season.

Players the Bulls could trade for:

1. Carmelo Anthony: It has been widely reported that Anthony, who is one of the best scorers in the league, only wants to play for the Knicks.  If I'm the Bulls' GM, I say let him.  Denver is asking way too much in any trade, and earlier this year, when the Bulls asked what it would take to land Anthony, the Nuggets said they would need Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, and 2 first round picks.  The Bulls answered by giving Noah a massive contract extension.  Sounds like a big middle finger to the Nuggets to me. 

2. J.R. Smith: Smith is the starting shooting guard for the Denver Nuggets, and plays alongside Carmelo Anthony.  He can shoot the ball lights out from distance, but tends to play out of control.  He is also wildly inconsistent.  He'll score 25 one night, and only score 6 the next night.  The Bulls need a consistent shooting guard who can start for them, and I don't know that J.R. Smith is it.  Plus, the Bulls had J.R. Smith on their roster a couple of years ago, and they traded him before he ever played a game.  I think they knew back then that they didn't want him.  Why would they now?

3. O.J. Mayo: Mayo is a player I wouldn't mind having actually.  He comes off the bench for the Memphis Grizzlies, but that is a gross misuse of a talented player.  Mayo would be averaging 20 points per game with alot of different teams in the NBA.  He can shoot well from the perimeter, and has the ability to create his own shot.  I don't know that he would be the best fit in Chicago, but he is a talented player that I am sure the Bulls are looking at.

4. Andre Iguodala: Iguodala is the most athletic player in this group.  He is the starting shooting guard for the 76ers, and is probably the best defender out of this group.  However, he is more of a slashing guard, who likes to get to the rim.  There is nothing wrong with that at all, but the Bulls need a guy who can spot up and shoot from the perimeter with great consistency, and Iguodala just isn't that type of player.

In my opinion, I don't think the Bulls need to make a trade.  They have only had their full complement of players for 9 games this season.  Boozer has missed 17 games with injuries, and Noah has been out since mid-December, and isn't expected back until late February.  When Noah and Boozer were both in the lineup, the Bulls were 7-2, and were winning games by double digits.  Derrick Rose is quickly becoming one of the best players in the NBA, and the last thing the Bulls need to do is bring in a player who is going to take the ball out of his hands.  The bench is deep now, and the Bulls should do everything they can to maintain the depth they have.  They need to do this if they hope to compete with the Celtics in the next couple of seasons.  I think the Bulls should look big picture.  They have alot of young players on their team right now, and they will need time to learn how to win playoff games.  Let this team take their lumps now.  Use your draft picks well, grab a couple of good shooters, and sign a decent free agent if one comes available.  But don't trade away good pieces of a good, young, improving team that is just starting to build good chemistry. 

Bull defeat the Heat to win their second straight!

The Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat game tonight was a fantastic game to watch, especially for us Bulls fans.  I know alot of people will say that the Bulls got lucky in this game, because the Heat played their second straight game without arguably the league's best player, LeBron James.  LeBron was out with a sprained ankle, and the Bulls took advantage, defeating the Heat in a closely contested, 99-96 basketball game. 

The fun part about this game, for me, was that it was kind of like games were when I was a kid.  I saw so many games where Michael Jordan would go at it with whoever the best player on the other team was (Dominique, Reggie, Ewing, Barkley, Bird, Magic, Drexler).  This game was exactly like that with Wade and Rose.  Rose would hit a gigantic shot at one end, only to be matched by Wade the next possession.  Rose ended the night with 34 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 blocks.  Wade ended up with 33 points, 6 rebounds and 5 blocks.  Great performances by what should be your starting backcourt for the Eastern Conference All-Stars.

The game was full of big runs by both teams.  The Bulls raced out to a 14 pont lead in the second quarter, only to have the Heat go on a 19 point run, and take a 5 point lead at halftime.  The Heat were unconscious from the three point line in the second quarter.  Miller, Eddie House and Dwyane Wade each hit multiple three pointers in the second quarter, and it looked like the Bulls were going to have their hands full in the second half.

Then Rose joined the three point party, hitting a pair of threes during a huge Bulls' run in the third quarter.  Chris Bosh then caught fire, and even he knocked down a three point shot to bring the Heat closer.  I think the turning point in the game was probably when Bosh left the game with a sprained ankle.  He had 17 points, and had to take 18 shots to get them, but he was playing very well, and carrying the load offensively for Miami in the third quarter when he went out. 

Overall, this was a great win for the Bulls.  Korver hit a huge three pointer with under 30 seconds left to give the Bulls a 2 point lead, which will hopefully give him some confidence.  He has been struggling with his shot for the last couple of weeks, so it would be nice to see him get on a nice roll here.  The Bulls improved their record to 27-13, and are now only 2 games back of the Miami Heat for the second seed in the Eastern Conference. 

The one thing that I disliked about this game was that LeBron James didn't play.  I really wanted to see how the Bulls would have played against a healthy Heat team, especially since the Bulls are playing without their best defensive player and rebounder (Joakim Noah).  I personally think that the Bulls match up very well against a healthy Miami team.  There is no answer for Wade and James, at least for their offense.  However, the Heat are a finesse team.  They like to get steals, and run the floor in transition for easy buckets.  In the half court they like to isolate, drive and kick out for open three point shots.  They have no inside presence, and nobody that can score in the post, not even Chris Bosh, who should be able to play post up basketball, but can't.  The Bulls have Boozer, who is a fantastic post up player (at least on the offensive end), and Joakim Noah, who defends the post extremely well, and also plays off the post very well on the offensive end.  Plus, the Bulls have somebody who the Heat have no answer for either in Derrick Rose.  While having LeBron James definitely would have made a difference in the game tonight, I don't think it necessarily would have guaranteed the Heat a win.  I am really looking forward to the next matchup between these teams.  Let's hope everybody is healthy by then, and we can see what each of these teams is capable of.

Good Bounce Back Game for the Bulls!

The Chicago Bulls had an up and down week.  It started out very strong, with a 110-90 win at home over the lowly Toronto Raptors.  They got their starters alot of rest in the late stages of that game in preparation for a 2 game roadtrip against two of the weaker teams in the Eastern Conference, the New Jersey Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Those are two teams the Bulls should beat by double digits every time out.  However, the Bulls turned in by far their worst performances since Carlos Boozer's return against Orlando early in December.  Low energy offense and terrible rotations on defense led the Bulls to consecutive road losses against teams at the bottom of the conference standings.  Not only that, the Bulls had a small problem at the end of the Nets game, with Carlos Boozer being upset over sitting on the bench for the final 14 minutes of the game. 

Coming off of back-to-back road losses, and playing the second night of a back-to-back at home against the first place Celtics didn't bode well for the Bulls, who were struggling really for the first time this season.  I was not really expecting the Bulls to play particularly well against the Celtics, and even worse, I had tickets to the game, so I was ready to witness my favorite NBA team lose for the third consecutive night.

Instead, the Bulls played inspired basketball for almost the entire game.  Fueled by the fact that they had already lost twice to Boston this season, the Bulls really got after the Celtics on the defensive end of the court.  In fact, three times in the game last night the Bulls forced 24 second shot clock violations in which the Celtics didn't even get the shot off.  There was one other time when they forced another such violation when the shot didn't hit the rim.  They challenged shots almost every time down the floor, and outrebounded the Celtics by a wide margin.

On the offensive end the Bulls received large contributions from their two star players.  Carlos Boozer finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds.  Boozer was hot and cold all night.  For instance, he scored 2 points and had a few turnovers in the first quarter, only to score 11 points and have several key rebounds in the second quarter.  Then in the third quarter Boozer turned the ball over and missed easy shots. In the fourth quarter, he made 2 critical baskets to keep the Bulls ahead by a safe margin in the middle of the quarter.  I wouldn't say this was his best game, but he played outstanding in key stretches, which allowed the Bulls to sustain a good offensive attack.

Derrick Rose had a fantastic game.  He finished with 36 points, 5 rebounds.  He only had 2 assists, but that was clearly not his fault.  He tried to get his teammates involved early in the game, but nobody could hit a shot early on, so he decided to take over the game.  It was great to see him get to the foul line.  He shot 19 free throws and made 15 in last night's game.  Hopefully that is a sign of things to come.  He needs to get to the line more often in order to slow the game down, end opposing team scoring runs, and to improve his overall game.  I have always enjoyed watching Rose play, but seeing him live was awesome.  He took over the game in the first quarter, and in the fourth quarter he made three huge jumpers, including a high arching shot over Shaq that basically sealed the win.

The Bulls ended last night's game with a 90-79 victory over a great Boston team.  Both teams were dealing with injuries (Boston was without Garnett, Perkins and Delonte West, while the Bulls were missing Noah).  However, when both teams are healthy, their contests should be just as competitive.  The Bulls improved to 24-12 with the win, and continue to have the most comfortable division lead in the NBA (a 9 game lead over the Pacers).  The Bulls have a tough week coming up.  They play tomorrow night at home against the Pistons, who have played the Bulls very tough so far this season.  They have road games against the Bobcats and Pacers later in the week before returning home on Saturday to face the Miami Heat.  I am really excited to see that game.  It'll be interesting to see how the Bulls stack up against Miami's "Big Three".  

Bulls continue to roll!

The Chicago Bulls won their 4th straight game, and 22nd overall on the season as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 100-91 at home earlier this evening.  It was their third straight home game, all against weaker Eastern Conference opponents.  Their previous two games were victories against the Milwaukee Bucks (90-77), and the New Jersey Nets (90-81).  The wins haven't been pretty by any means, especially offensively.  In two out of those three games the Bulls shot less than 40% from the field.  However, the Bulls have made up for any offensive shortcomings with much improved defense.

Tonight's game really didn't start or end well for the Bulls, even though they did get the victory.  The Bulls came out flat, which isn't all that surprising since they played yesterday as well.  They let the Cavs shoot 56% from the floor, and score 61 points in the first half.  The Bulls themselves scored 53 in the first half, and normally that would be good enough for a double digit halftime lead, but the Cavs came ready to play, and shot the ball extremely well in the first two quarters.  Then came the third quarter.

The Bulls outscored the Cavs 33-9 in the third quarter.  The Cavs settled for every outside shot they could get, and the Bulls challenged them on the perimeter to force several missed shots.  Rose dominated the quarter as well, scoring 12 points and dishing out several assists in the pick and roll game as well.  Rose and Boozer are starting to look like a great pick and roll tandem, possibly one of the best in the league.  Boozer put up 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Rose added 28 points and 11 assists.  Rose is starting to put up double figure assists regularly, and hopefully he'll start getting more foul calls when he drives to the rim.  The officials can't seem to officiate him correctly.  He gets to the rim so easily, and there is contact on a good percentage of plays, yet Rose still only averages about 6 foul shots per game.  That number should be much higher.

The Bulls ran their record to 22-10, which is the highest over .500 that I can remember them being since 2005, when they went 49-33.  They still have a relatively weak schedule for the next couple of weeks, although they do have games coming up against the Celtics and Heat.  It'll be interesting to see how the Bulls play against those two teams, and the Heat in particular.  Hopefully the Bulls can keep racking up wins against the weaker teams until Joakim Noah gets back.  Go Bulls!

NBA Eastern Conference after 2 Months

We are now two months into the NBA season, and things in the Eastern Conference are starting to take shape.  There are 4-5 teams clearly separating themselves from the rest of the pack, and really there are only 2 teams that I think are serious contenders for the championship.  Here are the current NBA Eastern Conference standings:

1. Boston Celtics (23-5)
2. Miami Heat (23-9)
3. Chicago Bulls (19-10)
4. New York Knicks (18-12)
5. Orlando Magic (18-12)
6. Atlanta Hawks (19-13)
7. Indiana Pacers (13-15)
8. Milwaukee Bucks (12-16)
9. Philadelphia 76ers (12-18)
10. Toronto Raptors (10-19)
11. Detroit Pistons (10-20)
12. Charlotte Bobcats (9-19)
13. New Jersey Nets (9-21)
14. Cleveland Cavaliers (8-22)
15. Washington Wizards (7-21)

Obviously only the top eight teams make the playoffs, and right now things are shaping up like many of the experts thought they would.  Its pretty clear who the best teams in the conference are, so let's take a look at each of the teams who might be contenders to make the NBA Finals this season.

1. Boston Celtics: I think they are easily the most complete team in the NBA.  I know they have some questionable losses (Toronto and Cleveland), but those were near the beginning of the season.  The Celts have unbelievable depth in the front court with Garnett, Shaq, Big Baby Davis, Jermaine O'Neal, Kendrick Perkins (when he comes back from injury), and Semih Erden.  That is just their front court.  They also have a great rotation of guards, and three all stars in their starting back court (Rondo, Pierce, Allen).  They do everything well on the offensive end, and are the best defensive team in the league.  Clearly they have the best chance of representing the Eastern Conference in the Finals. 

2. Miami Heat: The Heat seem to have figured out how to use their "Big Three" effectively.  LeBron James continues to play at an MVP level, Wade has rebounded very strongly from a terrible start to the season, and Chris Bosh has shown that he can be a really good third wheel.  However, the Heat still struggle in the post.  They are near the bottom of the league in points in the paint, but it doesn't really matter because they are very good in transition, and they spread the floor with good shooters as well.  Mike Miller coming back from injury will only help them, and give them another shooter to spread the floor for LeBron and Wade.  They aren't as complete a team as the Celtics, but they have an all-star cast, and should be capable of competing with the Celtics in the Eastern Conference.

3. Chicago Bulls: The Bulls have had bad luck with injuries this season.  Boozer missed the first fifteen games of the season, during which the Bulls were 9-6.  When Boozer came back the Bulls went on a stretch where they went 7-2, including wins over the Thunder and Lakers.  Then, just at the end of a seven game win streak, Joakim Noah goes down for at least 8 weeks, and they have to figure everything out all over again.  They should be alright without Noah in the meantime, especially since they are in the weakest portion of their schedule.  Derrick Rose is having an unbelievable season, and Carlos Boozer has been better than advertised since his return.  When they get Noah back, and if they can trade for a bonafide starting shooting guard, the Bulls can compete with anybody.  The problem is that they are young, and don't have much experience when it comes to winning a long series. 

4. New York Knicks: The Knicks have been a surprise.  Amar'e Stoudemire is playing the best basketball of his career, and Raymond Felton has given them a spark as well.  They are running the D'Antoni offense perfectly, and they can spread the floor with fantastic three point shooters (Gallinari, Fields, Chandler, Douglas, etc.).  They don't play enough defense to be a serious championship contender this year, but they are good enough now to attract Carmello Anthony is next summer's free agency.  If that happens, they might jump into the championship equation next season.

5. Orlando Magic: Orlando is a completely different team from the start of the season.  Gone are Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat and Mikael Pietrus.  The Magic in return for those players got Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Gilbert Arenas.  They will still be able to shoot the three, and they still have Dwight Howard, but they don't have enough around him to seriously contend anymore.  Plus, they gave up their back up center, so now when Howard gets in foul trouble, they have nobody to back him up.  Howard gets into foul trouble almost every game, so that could be a problem.  However, they did just beat the Spurs and the Celtics, two of the best teams in the league, so I guess they do have the potential to contend in the East.

After those 5 teams the talent pool in the East gets thin.  The Hawks are up and down, and without Joe Johnson, they shouldn't be a major player in the East this season.  The Pacers and Bucks are improving, but will most likely be one and done in the playoffs.

Here are my revamped predictions for how the rest of the season will play out:

1. Boston Celtics (62-20)
2. Miami Heat (61-21)
3. Chicago Bulls (54-28)
4. Orlando Magic (52-30)
5. New York Knicks (48-34)
6. Atlanta Hawks (45-37)
7. Milwaukee Bucks (44-38)
8. Indiana Pacers (40-42)

We'll see how the rest of the season pans out, but I don't see how anybody other than the Celtics and Heat can get to the Eastern Conference Finals.  I thought maybe the Bulls would have a chance to get there, and I really didn't expect the Celtics to be as good as they have been to this point.  Those two teams at the top are the best in the conference, and I would expect to see them playing eachother at the end of the season in the playoffs.

Bulls/Bears/Blackhawks

There is lots of interesting stuff going on in Chicago sports right now.  I figured I would take a look at all three teams currently in season.

I have really liked what I have seen from the Chicago Bulls all season, but especially in the past 3 weeks since Carlos Boozer has joined the team.  With Boozer in the lineup the Bulls are 8-3, and are winning games by double digits, which is nice to see.  Boozer has been a double-double machine as of late, averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds per night since coming back from injury.  The bad news for the Bulls is that Joakim Noah is out for at least 8 weeks with a torn ligament in the thumb of his shooting hand.  He was playing so well, and looked poised to make his first all-star game.  Not only that, but he and Boozer were playing fantastic basketball alongside each other.  Noah's outstanding defensive play gives Boozer more opportunities to bring down rebounds on the weak side, and Noah's ability to play pick and roll basketball also gives Boozer opportunities to score from the post offensively.  They had won seven straight games, and then Noah goes down and the Bulls let up for one game against the Clippers.  They did rebound tonight with a blowout win against the 76ers, and their schedule for the next 3-4 weeks is extremely favorable, so they should be able to continue winning games until Noah gets healthy.  It's just a shame that he went down when the team looked poised to put together an unbelievable win streak.

The Blackhawks have been an up and down team this season, as they too have been bit by the injury bug.  Kane and Hossa have not seen game action for 2-3 weeks, and it has hurt the Hawks.  They can't seem to find any consistency for a solid length of time.  They'll win 2, then lose 3, then win 2, then lose 2, etc.  They recently defeated the Red Wings and Kings at home, so that is good.  Corey Crawford has taken over the number one goalie spot, and deservedly so.  Turco hasn't played anywhere near what he is capable of, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Hawks just went with Crawford for the rest of the season.  Toews and Sharp have been great lately, Bryan Bickell and Troy Brouwer have increased their offensive production as well.  They just aren't finding enough wins right now, and in a tough Western Conference that is so tightly packed, they need all the standings points they can get right now, while they play a heavy portion of their next 10-12 games at home.  Hopefully Kane and Hossa get healthy within the next few days, and the Hawks can put together a nice win streak.

Finally, the Bears did what most analysts said wouldn't happen this year.  They won the NFC North Division Championship, and secured a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2006.  At the beginning of the season I said it wouldn't shock me to see the Bears win 10-11 games, and I am glad they helped me out.  The game against the Vikings was so much fun to watch, especially the Devin Hester punt return TD to break the return TD record.  A 40-14 romp was exactly what this team needed to regain their confidence after being manhandled against the Patriots a week ago.  I don't care what everybody thinks of him, I actually really like Jay Cutler as the quarterback for the Bears.  He can make all of the throws, he is very accurate, he is athletic, and this season he has played great football compared to last season. He has four games this season of 3 touchdown passes or more, and hasn't played a terrible game since the Redskins game where he was picked off 4 times.  Take away that game, and he has 20 TD passes, 9 interceptions.  Those are very good numbers.  The Bears' defense is one of the best in the league again this season, and with an improved offense in a conference where there are no guarantees, it wouldn't shock me to see the Bears playing deep into January.  I am not predicting that they will be in the Super Bowl or anything like that, but it wouldn't shock me if they were in contention.

Bulls win seventh straight, but lose Noah for 8-10 weeks

The Chicago Bulls continue to roll through what should be their easiest stretch of the season by far.  The Bulls beat up on an extremely weak Toronto Raptors team tonight, winning by a score of 110-93, but it took a big fourth quarter from the Raptors against the Bulls' bench just to get to the 17 point loss. 

On a night where Derrick Rose wasn't exactly healthy (sprained wrist and ankle, and apparently a sore hip as well), Carlos Boozer continued to show why he is a huge pick up for the Bulls.  He scored a season high 34 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as well.  His offense has gotten better every game, and tonight his ability to finish at the rim while taking contact was on display.  The first three quarters of this game belonged to Boozer.  Toronto had no answer for him, or anybody else for that matter.  The Bulls basically ran a layup drill for the first three quarters of this game, and it was a route from start to finish.

Rose only scored 6 points in this game, but he was not looking for his own points because Boozer was unstoppable.  Rose did have 11 assists, and was excellent at leading his team on both ends of the floor.  Korver stepped in off the bench with a big game, Deng played another solid game offensively, and Ronnie Brewer continues to play stellar defense off the bench.

The worst news coming out of the game was about Joakim Noah.  He played very well tonight, scoring 11 points and collecting 11 rebounds along with 2 blocks.  However, after the game it was reported that Noah will have surgery to repair the torn ligament in his right thumb, and he is expected to miss 8-10 weeks.  That is a huge loss for the Bulls, who were just beginning to gain confidence and improved chemistry. 

The good news about Noah going down with an injury at this point in the season is that the Bulls play against inferior teams for the next 3-4 weeks.  Hopefully they can continue to win games while figuring out a new rotation for their big men.  Taj Gibson and Omer Asik should see alot of minutes now, and Boozer is going to have to be consistent with both his rebounding and scoring now.  The Bulls cannot afford anybody else to get injured if they are going to stay near the top of a very competitive Eastern Conference.

The Bulls currently sit in first place in the Central Division, a full five games ahead of the Indiana Pacers.  They are also 3rd in the Eastern Conference.  Hopefully they won't lose too much ground in either race, but it has to be a huge let down for the Bulls, who were just starting to play with confidence and swagger. 

The Bulls are for real!

The Bulls won their fourth straight game tonight, and against a very good team too.  They defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 88-84 tonight at home, pushing their record to 13-8, and a surprising 10-4 against the Western Conference, which in past years has been the dominant conference.  Not surprisingly, this four game winning streak has coincided with the return of Carlos Boozer to the lineup.  His presence on the floor gives the Bulls a legitimate second scoring option, and also spaces the floor for the Bulls' shooters, who have improved tremendously since Boozer's return.

I talk about this all the time now, but Derrick Rose is the man.  If he wasn't being talked about as an MVP candidate, he should be after tonight's performance.  Rose put up 29 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds in the win.  He outplayed Kobe Bryant, who has been considered the game's best closer for the past several seasons.  Rose also severely outplayed any of the Laker point guards, who couldn't do anything to stop him, and also could not get anything going on the offensive end.  Rose's numbers look good, but his timing and clutch performance was fantastic, and has been unbelievable all season long.  Rose made a fade away, long distance two point shot coming out of an inbounds pass with 3 seconds on the shot clock, right in front of the Lakers' bench.  He also nailed a mid-range jumper to put the Bulls up by 5 with 25 seconds to go in the game.  He has been fantastic all season long, and is only showing signs of getting better.  It should be exciting to watch him continue to improve, and hopefully he can lead this team to a big win total this season.

This was a very important game for the Bulls because they were on a three game win streak coming in, and have 12 of their next 13 games against teams currently under .500.  If they continue to play as well as they have over the first 21 games, they can run off alot of wins during this stretch.  They need to win at least 10 games during that stretch.  The elite teams in the league take care of business against the weaker teams in the league.  Are they going to win every game? No.  However, they need to beat the teams they are supposed to beat a vast majority of the time.  Not only that, but I think it would do wonders for the Bulls' confidence (which is not lacking at all right now) if they could blow out a few of these weaker teams.  Winning games by alot of points gets the whole team involved, excited, and it also allows the starters to get rest in the fourth quarter.  The Bulls have only really blown out two teams so far this season (Portland and Golden State).  Hopefully they can win big tomorrow against the T-Wolves, and keep this winning streak going.

Bears/Patriots

This week's matchup featuring the Bears and Patriots at Soldier Field is easily the biggest game the Bears have played in since they were in the Super Bowl four years ago.  The Bears are riding a 5 game winning streak, and the Patriots are widely recognized as the best team in the NFL.  Both teams are in first place in their division, and the game has huge playoff implications.  So, the question for most Bears fans is: Do the Bears have any chance of beating the Patriots?

The Patriots are coming off a very inspired, dominating performance at home against the New York Jets. What was built up for weeks as the biggest game of the season in either conference, the Patriots rolled the Jets, 45-3, looking like a team destined for a championship run.  Tom Brady hasn't thrown an interception in 228 pass attempts, and has over 20 touchdowns during that span.  His receivers are playing at a high level, and you really can't key in on any one player.  Brady has two very good pass catching tight ends as well.  Right now the Patriots have to be considered the best offense in the league, especially in their passing game.  Defensively, the Patriots are young, but very athletic and extremely well coached.  They play at a high level as well, but can be scored on.  The Jets didn't take advantage of a young defense, as they turned the ball over alot this past week.  However, if you can take care of the ball on offense, you should have success against the Patriot defense.

The Bears, however, are coming off of a weak defensive effort, especially in the first half, against the Detroit Lions.  The Bears defense gave up over 250 yards in the first half of that game, before settling down and finishing strong in the second half.  Their tackling was the main problem.  They have to be sound in their tackling against the Patriots, and I would expect them to play better in this game.  Offensively the Bears have improved every game since the bye week.  Jay Cutler is doing a great job of taking care of the football as of late, and is easily in his best stretch as a Chicago Bear.  The running game has gotten on track, and the offensive line is improving, although they are probably still the worst in the league.  To me, the biggest improvement hasn't been by a player, it has been by a coach.  It took Mike Martz 7 games to realize that he just didn't have the offensive line to call 5 and 7 step drops.  During the bye week Martz tweeked his philosophy (for this season at least), and began to dial up a great balance of run and pass plays, while still being creative in doing both.  We've seen the Wildcat, pitch outs, options, end-arounds, wide receiver screens and reverse plays, quick slants, and various other quick hit plays to help Jay Cutler get the ball out quickly.  Hopefully that continues down the stretch.

One thing to watch this Sunday will be how each team reacts to the weather conditions.  I read that the forecast is calling for snow, as well as cold temperatures (possibly negative) and wind.  It sounds brutal, and should make for an interesting game if that kind of weather does happen, especially for two teams who depend highly on the passing game to produce. 

The Bears have stepped up to the challenge this season in big games (Cowboys, Packers, Vikings, Eagles).  I would expect them to play alot better defensively in this game.  If they are able to somehow eek out a win against the Patriots, you would have to consider them one of the top teams in the NFC, if not the NFL.

Second Straight Win for Bulls!

The Chicago Bulls won their second straight game at home tonight against one of the better teams in the league, the Oklahoma City Thunder.  This was an important game, and a timely one as well, catching the Thunder on the second night of back to back games.  The Bulls definitely took advantage, especially on defense, forcing the Thunder to shoot just 35% from the field.  The Thunder are one of the better offensive teams in the league, and the Bulls held them to just 90 points for the game.

Carlos Boozer had his second strong performance in a row after struggling in his first two games against Orlando and Boston.  Boozer scored 29 points and chipped in 11 rebounds, his first double-double as a member of the Bulls.  He has increased his scoring every game so far, which was important tonight because Derrick Rose had an off night shooting the ball.  Rose was just 3-13 from the field, and one of those was a lucky half-court shot at the end of the third quarter.  Rose did other things very well though, adding 9 assists and 5-6 rebounds in the game.  He also had several key defensive plays, including a charge.  Luol Deng had an excellent game as well, with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.  Korver and Brewer each had nice games off the bench.  Korver hit two huge three pointers in the second quarter that gave the Bulls a little separation.  Joakim Noah did a nice job when he was in the game, but he was in foul trouble tonight, and ended up fouling out in the final minute of the game.  The line on Noah was 6 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists.  It was great to see the Bulls win a game when two of their top players didn't have great offensive nights.  It is also good to know that they have other players who can step up when Rose and Noah aren't scoring as they normally do.

I can't believe how awful the Bulls' free throw shooting is.  I don't know what they finished from the line tonight, but at one point they were 3-10 from the line.  30% from the line is ridiculous for any team, especially a professional team.  Eventually they are going to be in some close games where a couple of free throws missed could cost them the game.  They need to be better than that at the free throw line.

There is a pretty nice stretch of games coming up for the Bulls in the next few weeks.  They do play the Lakers at home this Friday, which is always a tough match up, but before then they play against a struggling Cleveland team, and after the Lakers on Friday, 12 of their next 14 games are against teams with losing records.  Hopefully the Bulls can get a pretty good win streak going against some of those weaker teams in the league, gain confidence, and start putting up some wins against the elite teams.  Good win tonight, and hopefully they keep it rolling.  Go Bulls!

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls eeked out a close game at home against the Houston Rockets tonight, 118-116 in overtime.  They currently sit at 10-8, which is good enough for first place in the division.  Derrick Rose was unbelievable again in this game, posting 30 points, 7 rebounds, 11 assists and 5 steals.  Carlos Boozer had easily his best game as a Bull, eventhough there has only been a three game sample space.  He went for 25 points and 9 rebounds.  The play of the game was Derrick Rose's game tying three pointer as the buzzer sounded to force overtime.  While I am glad they won the game, there are a few things that concern me about the team right now.

1. They are not playing very good team defense.  They have given up over 100 points in three straight games, including tonight against a Rockets team that didn't have two of their top players (Yao Ming and Aaron Brooks).  Tom Thibodeau is known as a defensive coach, and he did an excellent job the past few seasons with the Boston Celtics.  However, the Boston Celtics have players who are willing to sacrifice some of their offense to play great team defense, and I don't think the Bulls are there yet.  Noah plays good defense, and Taj Gibson gives great defensive effort when he's on the floor, but that is about it.  They are routinely late on rotations, and so far this season good shooting teams have murdered them from the three point line.  If they are going to make the jump from the middle of the pack to the top of the pack, they need to turn it around on the defensive end.

2. The Bulls struggle to win games against good teams.  I hope this will change as the season moves along, and Rose and Boozer continue to develop good chemistry (which really started in the game tonight).  So far this year they have lost games to Oklahoma City, Boston (twice), San Antonio, Denver, LA Lakers, Orlando, and the New York Knicks.  All of those teams are well over .500, and will make the playoffs and be competetive.  They were only really blown out by Orlando, so they have been competing.  However, they need to start winning some of those games if they are going to be an elite team.  I don't think they will be competing for a championship this year, but in order to gain the confidence and swagger that championship teams need, the Bulls have to learn how to beat those kinds of teams. 

3. Clearly the Bulls need a starting shooting guard.  Right now they have one of the top 3 point guards in the league in Rose, an above average small forward in Deng, a great low post scorer and rebounder in Boozer, an energetic, defensive minded center in Noah, and a rotation of 4 back up shooting guards (Bogans, Korver, Brewer, and James Johnson).  Bogans should not be starting anymore.  He can't handle the ball, he can't shoot that well, and he doesn't play good enough defense to warrant starter's minutes.  Korver isn't the answer either, as he is all offense, and for the money the Bulls paid, his shooting percentage from 3 isn't what it should be.  Brewer is a great defender, and I like how he fits in with what the Bulls do in transition.  He can't shoot from outside though, and the Bulls need a shooter to stretch the floor.  Alot of people have been calling for the Bulls to make a huge deal to try and get Carmelo Anthony.  That move would likely cost the Bulls both of their first round picks, Taj Gibson and Luol Deng.  To me, that is way too much to give up.  I would much rather see the Bulls develop their team chemistry, and use both of their draft picks (one of which should be a lottery pick coming from the Charlotte Bobcats) on shooters that can stretch the floor. 

It's been a long time since the Bulls have had a team that was exciting to watch.  I really think they are close now.  Derrick Rose is a great player having an MVP calibur season, Joakim Noah is a much improved offensive player, and is a winner, and Boozer adds another serious offensive threat for Rose to look to for help.  They are close to becoming a good team, and hopefully another season or two of experience will make them an elite team. 

NBA Eastern Conference Predictions: November

A couple of posts ago I made predictions of what would happen this season in the NBA's Eastern Conference.  I decided that at the end of each month I would go back and review my predictions, and make new predictions as necessary.  At the end of November the NBA Eastern Conference doesn't quite look like I thought it would.  The standings are as follows:

1. Boston Celtics (12-4)
2. Orlando Magic (12-4)
3. Atlanta Hawks (11-7)
4. Chicago Bulls (9-6)
5. Miami Heat (9-8)
6. New York Knicks (9-9)
7. Indiana Pacers (7-7)
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (7-9)
9. Milwaukee Bucks (6-10)
10. Detroit Pistons (6-11)
11. Charlotte Bobcats (6-11)
12. Toronto Raptors (6-11)
13. Washington Wizards (5-10)
14. New Jersey Nets (5-11)
15. Philadelphia 76ers (4-13)

There are a few surpises in the early going this season, and the biggest one is definitely the Miami Heat.  Many basketball analysts in the media had them winning 70 plus games.  I will admit, I had them approaching 70 wins as well (my preseason prediction was that they'd win 68 games, and cruise to the number 1 seed in the East).  However, after watching them play almost a quarter of the season, it is apparent that they are all perimeter.  They are dead last in the league in points in the paint, and have been getting outrebounded on a nightly basis.  Chris Bosh is a perimeter big man, not a post up, work for offensive rebounds and score in the paint big man.  LeBron James has played very well, but Dwyane Wade has been flat out awful.  Not only have the so called "Big Three" for Miami been outplayed by a majority of their opponents, their bench is the oldest bench in the league.  They are blowing leads against teams they should beat, losing at home against teams they should beat, and getting blown out by the elite teams.  People have been saying it'll take time for the Heat to figure it out.  They've already played 17 games together.  They should at least have a few things figured out by now.  They clearly don't, but because of their perimeter talent they have managed to win 9 games.

Another big disappointment through November has been the Milwaukee Bucks.  I picked them to go 46-36, and place second in the Central Division.  Currently, they sit at 6-11, and in fourth place in the Central.  Jennings hasn't played as well as he did last year, and the additions they made in the offseason are not working out as they planned either.  However, I do think they will pick it up.  Scott Skiles coached teams have typically gotten off to slow starts, and recovered in a big way.  The 2005 Bulls were 0-9 before finishing 49-33, and gaining home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.  Skiles was the coach of that team.  He has more talent now, and I think the Bucks will rebound from a tough start.

The Knicks and Pacers have played alot better than I thought they would.  The Pacers have already beaten the Heat in Miami, and the Knicks have won 6 of their last 8.  Both of those teams play hard, and will probably make the playoffs this year if they stay healthy. 

There have been some surprises, both disappointing and exciting, in the first month of the NBA season for the Eastern Conference.  Here are my revised predictions after one month:

1. Boston Celtics (60-22): Boston is clearly the best team in the East when they are healthy.  They have the best front court depth in the entire league (better than the Lakers' depth by far).  Add to that the "Big Four" (Pierce, Allen, Garnett, and Rondo), plus two of the better bench players in the Eastern Conference in Big Baby Davis and Nate Robinson, and the Celtics are a deadly team.  They do have a couple of head scratching losses (the Durant-less Thunder at home, the Raptors, and the Cavaliers have all beaten the Celtics this season).  However, all 4 losses have come on the second night of a back-to-back, which are tough situations for any team, much less an older team.  The Celts have several big wins, including two against the Miami Heat, who are clearly the inferior team when playing against Boston.  One more thing about Boston before I move on: they have the best pure, all around point guard in the East.  Rondo is the best passer, and one of the top defenders in the league, and is the force that drives the Celtics offensively, even if he doesn't score all that well.  I like the Celtics to win the East.
2. Orlando Magic (58-24): Orlando keeps plugging along.  They are 1-1 against the Heat, but are clearly better than them.  Dwight Howard has an improved post game, and the work he did with Hakeem Olajuwon in the off-season has helped.  They still hit a ton of three pointers, and run the floor extremely well in the fast break.  While he isn't my favorite person, Stan Van Gundy is doing a great job coaching this team to play an up-tempo style, while also playing much better defensively.  I will stick with Orlando to finish second in the East.
3. Chicago Bulls (52-30): My preseason prediction for the Bulls was that they would win 54, and I think they still could.  I didn't know they'd be without Boozer for the first 15-20 games when I made that initial prediction, and I think alot of Bulls fans feared that they'd get off to a slow start without him.  However, the Bulls sit at 9-6, and first place in the division without Boozer, who should be a huge factor offensively when he comes back.  Joakim Noah has played inspired basketball to this point in the season (15.6 pts, 13.2 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game so far).  Derrick Rose has emerged as the best offensive point guard in the league.  He is averaging 26.6 points and 8.2 assists per game.  His assist totals should be higher too, if the Bulls had more players who could hit wide open mid-range jumpers.  Nobody gets to the basket quicker and with more ease than Rose, and he is one of the best players in the leage at finishing at the rim.  He has been unbelievable.  I think the Bulls will only get better when they get Boozer back, and in the near future this team should put up alot of wins.  They have a very favorable schedule in December and January.
4. Miami Heat (55-27): I think the Miami Heat will still be a good team eventually.  They need a big man to step up and play good post basketball, but right now they don't have it.  James has been great in his first season in Miami, but Bosh has been quiet, and Wade has been bad so far.  They need those two to play well all the time, and I just don't see that happening for them.  They will probably win a few more games than Chicago, but because they won't win their division, they get the fourth seed, and home-court advantage in round one.
5. Atlanta Hawks (49-33): Atlanta got off to a 6-0 start, and since have come back to the pack.  They stand at 11-7.  They are a decent team right now, but there is no way they can stay with the top teams in the conference as they have unpredictable play at the guard positions outside of Joe Johnson.  I'll give them the fifth seed in the East.
6. New York Knicks (45-37): I predicted the Knicks would win 41 games at the beginning of the season.  I like what I have seen from them so far as a team, even though I hate their freakin' guts.  Raymond Felton was a great pick up for them at point guard, Toney Douglas has played well off the bench, Amar'e has done what they signed him to do, and they are scoring points in bunches, as a Mike D'Antoni team should do.  They will get beat against good defensive teams, but they are better at this point than I thought they'd be.
7. Milwaukee Bucks (43-39): Milwaukee has gotten off to a poor start, but I think they'll rebound.  They have too much talent not too with Bogut, Jennings, Maggette, etc.  Skiles is a very good defensive coach, and they will right the ship on offense. 
8. Indiana Pacers (41-41): I picked the Pacers to make the playoffs as the eighth seed, and I am stick with them.  I liked their backcourt coming into the season (Collison, Rush, and Granger).  Roy Hibbert has played much better that I thought he would.  I still think the Pacers lack the front court depth to compete at a high level with the elite teams, even though they spanked the Heat in Miami a week or so ago.  Still, they are much better than they've been in years past.  I have them in the playoffs.

9-15: The Cavs are playing extremely hard for Byron Scott, and I sincerely hope they beat the tar out of the Heat this Thursday in LeBron's return to Cleveland.  They just don't have the talent to keep up with the top teams in the conference, and that will show up in the near future.  The rest of the teams are kind of pathetic actually.  The Nets are playing better basketball, and are competing with good team, but can't find a way to win games.  The Wizards are not good at all, and John Wall clearly isn't the rookie of the year, although he has shown flashes of being a great player at times (Blake Griffin has already won the rookie of the year award in my opinion.  That dude is a monster.).  The Pistons, Raptors, Bobcats and 76ers are all mediocre teams that shouldn't contend this season. 

By my predictions, the first round of the playoffs would be:
Boston vs. Indiana
Orlando vs. Milwaukee
Chicago vs. New York
Miami vs. Atlanta

Well, there are my revamped predictions.  Obviously I have changed a few things.  It's still early in the season yet, so anything can still happen.  I am just happy that the Heat won't be breaking the Bulls' record of 72 wins this season.  They won't even come close.  Anyways, I hope you enjoy the predictions, and as always, leave a comment if you'd like to.  Thanks for reading.

Are the Bears a Playoff Team?

Well, the Bears proved alot of people wrong this week.  Leading into this game just about all of the "experts" were predicting that the Vikings would come into Chicago and roll over the Bears on the heels of their come from behind victory against the Arizona Cardinals last week.  Then the two teams played, and the Bears absolutely dominated the game, especially in the second half.  Jay Cutler had his best performance of the season since week 2 at Dallas, the offensive line did a nice job of giving Cutler time and space to move when the pocket did collapse, the receivers played an excellent game, and the running game worked very well.  When you combine the improved (and very well balanced) offensive attack with an aggressive Bears' defense and a mediocre Vikings' offense, the Bears probably should have won this game with ease. 

With the win, the Bears improved to 6-3, and moved into a first place tie with the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North.  The Vikings are all but dead, not only in the division, but also for the wildcard.  I would expect the Vikings to lose this week against Green Bay, and that should eliminate them from all the talk completely.  However, I am not sure many people believe the Bears have what it takes to make the playoffs.  Even after a big win, in which they dominated a team that is supposed to be competing for a championship this year, people are still doubting our Chicago Bears.

Granted, the Bears' schedule down the stretch is brutal.  The last seven games of the season are at the Dolphins, home against the Eagles, at Detroit, home against the Patriots, at the Vikings, home against the Jets, and finally, at the Packers.  Those are six teams that have played some pretty good football at times this season (the Lions included).  None of those games are going to be guaranteed wins for the Bears.  They have to play with the effort and intensity they played with in yesterday's ball game to give themselves a shot at winning the division.  I think the playoffs are well within reach though. 

All of the games remaining on the schedule are winnable for the Bears.  They play against all three division opponents one more time, and they have already beaten those teams.  Again, that isn't a guarantee that they will beat those teams on the road, but they can win those games.  The Eagles and Dolphins are also winnable games.  I will be very interested to see the Bears play against the Patriots and the Jets, who are two of the elite teams in the league.  Those will be huge tests for the Bears as they near the end of the season.  However, when you look at the schedule, at least five of the remaining seven games are winnable.  If they can win at least 4 games down the stretch, you'd have to like their chances of getting into the playoffs as a wildcard.

The teams still in the hunt for the playoffs include: The Atlanta Falcons (7-2), The New York Giants (6-3), the Green Bay Packers (6-3), The Chicago Bears (6-3), The New Orleans Saints (6-3), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3), the Philadelphia Eagles (5-3), and whichever pathetic team in the NFC West wins that division (right now it looks like the Seattle Seahawks, who actually beat the Bears earlier this season).  To me, none of those teams are really that much better than the Bears.  All of the teams are very close, and it should be an interesting finish to the season.  At the beginning of the season I said that I wouldn't be shocked to see the Bears win 10-11 games.  They might not be that far away from that total after all.  Go Bears!