Is Carmelo a Possibility?

The Twitter feeds are abuzz today with reports over who is leading the sweepstakes to land Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony.  Anthony has made it clear that he will not return to Denver following the 2010-11 season, and the Nuggets have made him available, in order to avoid the trainwreck that the Cleveland Cavaliers are currently facing.

Reports are that multiple teams have made an offer to the Nuggets, including the Bulls, Nets, Warriors, and Clippers.  I think the two former could have an edge, as Denver could want to keep Anthony out of the Western Conference.  There’s also the report that the Warriors and Clippers would have to include Stephen Curry and Eric Gordon, which appears unlikely for either.

The Bulls would likely have to part with both Luol Deng and Taj Gibson.  Deng has a big contract, but his numbers haven’t backed it up, especially games played.  In the last three seasons, Deng has missed 19, 22, and 12 games respectively.  His numbers are decent when healthy, but I have a feeling Bulls fans wouldn’t have a hard time parting with Deng for much, especially Anthony.

Gibson has become a fan favorite in Chicago, though.  A rookie last year, out of Southern California, Gibson put up nine points and almost eight boards a game, in just over 26 minutes of action.  He’s considered a backup at this point, for Carlos Boozer, but could see a spike in playing time and visibility with the Nuggets.

Anthony’s career numbers are fantastic.  The third overall pick in the 2003 draft out of Syracuse, Carmelo has averaged nearly 25 points a game and six rebounds.  He has a winning pedigree, after winning the National Championship with ‘Cuse as a freshman.  A move to the Bulls could help him win a championship at this level.

How aggressively the Bulls are pursuing Anthony is not known, but if the reports are true, they have made an offer.  They could be willing to give up more, with the Warriors and Clips having reservations, and the Nets refusing to give up Brooke Lopez.  The Bulls could offer up Gibson, Deng, as well as James Johnson, and picks.  A lineup with Derrick Rose, Boozer, Anthony, and Joakim Noah turns the Bulls instantly into a team that can contend with Boston and Miami.  We should know more in the coming days and weeks about what the Nuggets plans are for their star.

Tags: Brooke Lopez, Carlos Boozer, Carmelo Anthony, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon, Golden State Warriors, James Johnson, Joakim Noah, Los Angeles Clippers, Luol Deng, New Jersey Nets, Stephen Curry, Taj Gibson

Who’s the New Guy?: Carlos Boozer

In a perfect world, this would be a profile on Chris Bosh, following by a profile of LeBron James.  That scenario has come and gone, and the Bulls ended up with a forward that apparently has more confidence in himself, with Carlos Boozer.

No doubt, Boozer was the biggest splash of the offseason for the Bulls, giving them a force underneath that Chicago hasn’t seen since Dennis Rodman.  No, Ben Wallace doesn’t count.  Boozer will team with Joakim Noah to form what is expected to be one of the best front court combinations in the league.  He’s also a tremendous asset to a young point guard like Derrick Rose, giving Rose somebody, outside of Noah, that Rose can dish to with confidence, adding another dimension to this Bulls offense.

Boozer comes in with former Utah mates Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer, after playing for the Jazz since the ‘04-’05 season.  He also played the two years prior for the Cavaliers.  Boozer’s matchups for Chicago against Cleveland should be interesting ones, as the two have some bad blood left, after Boozer went Elton Brand and committed to the Cavs, before bolting for Utah, who offered him 10-mil more.

The numbers for Boozer of his career speak for themselves.  He’s averaged a double-double for his career, with 17 points and 10 boards.  His best overall season came in 2006-2007, when Boozer averaged nearly 21 points, over 11 rebounds, and three dimes a game.  Last season for Utah, Boozer saw a very slight decrease in his PPG averages, but brought his average boards up to over 11.

Critics of Boozer note his durability as a concern for the Bulls this season.  Boozer has two seasons, including ‘08-’09, in which he played less than 40 games due to injury.  If healthy, this guy will be a force that can contend with any big in the Eastern Conference.

Even without the additions of Korver and Brewer, Boozer turns the Bulls into a threat in the east.  He’s an enormous upgrade over Tyrus Thomas, Brad Miller, Chris Richard, or anyone else the Bulls had fill that four spot last season.  He’ll also provide a nice mentor to rising star Taj Gibson.  While the Bulls were unable to land Bosh or Amare Stoudemire, Bulls fans should be very grateful for landing a guy like Boozer.  Not only does he turn the Bulls into, quite possibly, the best defensive team in the league, he also adds another dynamic to their offense.

Tags: Amar'e Stoudemire, Brad Miller, Carlos Boozer, Chicago Bulls, Chris Bosh, Chris Richard, Cleveland Cavaliers, Kyle Korver, Lebron James, Ronnie Brewer, Taj Gibson, Tyrus Thomas, Utah Jazz

Rose, Team USA off to fast start at FIBA Championships

Enough about how terrible the U.S. team is.  Yes, they played a close game against Brazil.  Big deal.  It was supposed to be a close game, and it was.  I apologize to you folks that expected another 25-point blowout.

Fact is, this team isn’t like the other teams.  It’s not full of the biggest names in the league, and personally, I prefer it like that.  This is an actual team of guys that have bonded over the course of the summer.  So what if they play one close game once in a while?

This isn’t the kind of team that’s going to blow people out.  They have one bona fide star in Kevin Durant, and even he isn’t too well-known on an international stage.  The rest of the roster is filled with “role players” and guys who may be stars in their own city, but aren’t household names all over…yet, like Eric Gordon and Stephen Curry.

The opener against Croatia was what everyone expected.  The U.S.A. won big, everyone played decent minutes, and Durant was the star of the game.  While Gordon led the team in scoring, Durant added eight rebounds, second to Kevin Love, as well as dishing three assists.  Derrick Rose wasn’t flashy, but contributed nine points and a pair of assists to the effort.

Game 2 against Slovenia was the same story.  Durant led the way, with 22 points, and the U.S. cruised to a 22-point victory.  Rose was the definition of all-around in the win.  He scored only seven points but also added five boards and five assists, in his second consecutive start.

Monday’s matchup against Brazil had many predicting another blowout.  The Brazil squad, led by former Sun Leandro Barbosa, put up a fight, but the U.S. prevailed by two, 70-68, thanks to a miss by Barboa, as time expired.  That isn’t to say the U.S. team didn’t perform well.  Durant had a double-double, with 27 and 10 boards.  Rose had a fantastic game, shooting four of seven from the field, with 11 points, five boards, and a pair of assists.  Yet, fans are reacting to this almost like a loss.

This game is absolutely nothing to be concerned with.  The U.S. was playing its third game in as many days, so while they may have been a little tired, they may have also been a little cocky after two blowout wins.  Brazil got off to a fast start, and led after one, but the U.S. came back.  They didn’t blow a big lead like some headlines might imply.

Whether or not I’m actually correct will be demonstrated on Wednesday.  After a day off on Tuesday, the U.S. team will take on Iran.  There are few basketball players in the U.S., professional or amateur, that couldn’t stick it to the Iranian team, so expect another big win for us.

Tags: Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon, Kevin Durant, Leandro Barbosa, Stephen Curry, Team U.S.A.

In Case You Missed It…

-Scottie Pippen is getting his own statue inside the United Center.  This just shows you that despite the size of the UC, there wasn’t enough room for Michael Jordan’s ego inside, but Pippen’s fits just fine.  What kind of pose would you like to see?  Dunking on Patrick Ewing maybe?

-Derrick Rose made the Team U.S.A. squad for the FIBA World Championships.  Not only is this getting D-Rose’s name out there on an international stage, it solidifies the fact that Rose is the Bulls’ most marketable player since Jordan.  The championships start Saturday.  Rose is expected to start at point guard.

-Similar to teammate Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith has hit the trading block.  There have been mentions of the Bulls dealing for him, mainly from the fans.  Should the Bulls deal for the troubled guard?  Absolutely not.  The Bulls need a shooter, but not the kind Smith brings to the table.  He brings trouble.  The Bulls look to have a fantastic chemistry in 2010 and a guy like Smith would hurt that chemistry.  He brings issues from both on and off the court.  Let’s make a list shall we?

1. Involved in a brawl with the New York Knicks.

2. Did jail time for vehicular manslaughter, on top of his already very poor driving record.

3. Had to close his Twitter account for allegedly writing in the style of the “Bloods”. (If the Nuggets could get the Birdman to close his as well, that would be wonderful)

4. This one is recent: Smith supposedly choked a former D-Leaguer for being to physical with him in a pickup game this week, at the Nuggest practice facility.  Details on this one are stil being gathered.

Smith has been with the Bulls.  He didn’t want to be here before, why would he want to be now?  Best choice for the Bulls on this one is to just stay away.

-I stumbled across a great page and forum site.  Well, it was tweeted to me, but the site is awesome so far.  ChiCitySports.com. Good writing, good group of guys on the forums.  I highly recommend it for you Chicago fans looking to vent somewhere and save your families the headaches that mine get every week, especially during baseball season.

-Be sure to stay tuned from updates from the FIBA World Championships, when the U.S.A. faces Croatia to open things up.  You can also follow @USABasketball on Twitter.

Tags: Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose, J.R. Smith, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen

Rose Shines Against Greece

Derrick Rose hasn’t wasted any time getting his name out there on the international stage.  A day after Rajon Rondo left the team, bringing the roster down to 12, Rose starred in the U.S. victory over Greece on Wednesday.

Greece was considered to be a tough test for the U.S. team, in their final tuneup before the FIBA World Championships begin this weekend.  U.S.A. dispatched the Greeks rather easily, taking the 87-59 victory.  Defense was the name of the game, as the U.S. team forced 24 turnovers in the easy win.

All 12 players saw action in the win, a contrast from Sunday when three players, including Rondo, didn’t see any time at all.  Eric Gordon saw the most time and led the team with 18 points, shooting four of seven from three.  Kevin Durant also added 15 points, led the team with three assists, and was second in rebounds, behind Kevin Love (12), with seven.

However, it was Rose that got Player of the Game honors in the victory.  The unquestioned starter at point guard, Rose dropped 13 points, on six of seven shooting and was strong on the defensive side, as he has been in all four tuneup games, adding a pair of steals.

Greece was the final of the four warmups for the FIBA Championships, which the U.S. team swept, cruising to easy wins against three opponents, and coming down to the wire against Spain.  Their first official FIBA game will come against Croatia on Saturday.

Tags: Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo, Team USA

Pippen to be Honored with Statue

It’s been quite a year for Scottie Pippen.  He saw his jersey retired by his alma mater, Central Arkansas, was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame, and now will be joining Michael Jordan again, this time in statue form.  The Bulls announced that Pippen will receive his own statue, this one on the inside of the United Center.

Pippen, who joined the Bulls recently as team ambassador, will have his statue unveiled towards the end of the season.  It will be constructed by Omri and Julie Rotblatt-Amrany, who also sculpted the Jordan statue that currently resides outside of the United Center.

“Words really can’t express my feelings,” Pippen told to Bulls.com, “It’s an unbelievable honor and truly amazing. It’s something you dream of as a kid growing up, but you can never foresee those childhood fantasies becoming reality. You see statues of individuals who have done great things and made their mark on history, but as a basketball player, you never really think about arriving at this point. It’s an amazing honor for the Chicago Bulls to do this for me.”

Along with being a six-time NBA champion, Pippen was a seven-time All Star, 10-time All Defensive Team member, and a member of the 1992 Olympic Dream Team, which was also inducted into the Hall earlier this month.

Tags: Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, United Center

Rondo Withdraws from Team U.S.A.

Derrick Rose is officially a member of Team U.S.A. for the FIBA World Championships.  Rose’s performance on Sunday solidified his chances, but there was still a small chance that he could have been the last man sent home from the roster.  However, Tuesday brought the roster down to 12 men, following the departure of Rajon Rondo.

Early reports are that Rondo asked to withdraw from consideration from the team on Tuesday, eliminating the 13th man.  Rondo started Team U.S.A.’s first two games, but didn’t see a minute of time in the U.S. victory against Spain on Sunday.  While ESPN reported that it was Rondo that dismissed himself, there are whispers that coach Mike Krzyzewski wanted a versatile roster, and Rondo isn’t as much of a shooter as Coach K wanted, leading to Rondo excusing hismelf.

Rose joins a young roster that includes rising stars in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, while also bringing really young guys into international play, in Stephen Curry and Eric Gordon.  Rose will most likely see the nod as starting point guard, as he started there Sunday.  Westbrook will back him up.

The U.S. team will  have one more warmup contest before the championships start.  They will play Greece on Wednesday, before gearing up for the championships that start on Saturday.

Tags: Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Mike Krzyzewski, Rajon Rondo, Russell Westbrook

Rose Impressive in Win Over Spain

Derrick Rose can start resting a little easier about securing a roster spot for the FIBA World Championships.  With Team U.S.A. at 13 players, and having to get down to 12 before the championships start at the end of the month, Rose’s name has been mentioned as that potential 13th guy.  His performance against the Spaniards may have silenced any doubters he had left.

Team U.S.A. got off to a fast start against Spain, but the game went into the final minutes, with the U.S. taking it by a point, 86-85.  While Rose did turn the ball over five times, his overall performance should have overshadowed any shortcomings for the Bulls star.

Rose played the third-most minutes, with just over 32, trailing just Kevin Durant and Lamar Odom.  Rose also scored 13 points, second most on the team behind Durant.  Rose also added a steal, a pair of blocks, four boards, while shooting 42% from the field (and 1-2 from three).  His two foul shots also secured the win, giving Team U.S.A. the edge that they would need to win.

Spain was Rose’s first start in the trio of warmups for Team U.S.A.  In those three games, Rose is averaging almost six points a game, about three boards, and three assists.  Rose has seemingly gone from odd-man-out, to favorite to make the roster.

Despite Mike Krzyzewski’s decision to not play Rajon Rondo, Danny Granger, or Kevin Love, it looks like either Eric Gordon or Stephen Curry will be the last guy to go home, with a surplus of guards on the U.S.A. team.  Gordon played just two minutes in the win over Spain, meaning that it could be Gordon heading home.  We’ll know more in the coming days as the U.S. turns in its final roster.

Tags: Chicago Bulls, Danny Granger, Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Lamar Odom, Rajon Rondo, Stephen Curry

News and Notes

Not much happening in the land of the Bulls these days.  We’re in that “no man’s land” length of time where almost nobody’s moving and everybody’s enjoying the rest of the offseason.  Unless your name’s LeBron James and you decided to verbally joust back at Dan Gilbert.

That said, there are a few noteworthy things hanging around the headlines this week.

-Dwyane Wade (has he always spelled it like that?) said he knows what to expect when he goes to Chicago.  ”Why didn’t you come to the Bulls?”  While Wade was reportedly “conflicted” we should all know he was never really considering coming home to play for the Bulls.  The second meeting was just a diversion.  For our own sanity, let’s just pretend Wade doesn’t even exist in Chicago.  Kind of like when us Sun Devils pretend Barry Bonds never played his college ball here.  (Coincidentally, Bonds seems to have forgotten that he went to ASU, himself).

-From one of my new least favorite athletes to one of my favorites.  Joakim Noah has been doing work in the community like he does work on the boards.  ESPNChicago’s Bulls blogger, Nick Friedell, gave us a great read on Noah’s work with the Boys and Girls Club.

-Derrick Rose got his own Skittle machine.  I’m not really sure why this is newsworthy, but I think we’d all like to have a Skittle machine in our house.  Even if you don’t like Skittles, how many people would be jealous of you just for having one?

-In news not related to basketball, but to the Bulls, it appears that the crime lab analyzing the scene of the murder of Michael Jordan’s father, James, mishandled their case.  Not only would this essentially re-open Jordan’s murder investigation, but it’s reported that this could open the flood gates, so to speak, for re-investigations.

Be on the lookout for two more editions of “Who’s the New Guy?”, featuring Ronnie Brewer and Carlos Boozer.

Tags: Barry Bonds, Carlos Boozer, Chicago Bulls, Dan Gilbert, Derrick Rose, James Jordan, Joakim Noah, Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Ronnie Brewer

Rodman: “LeBron is No Pippen”

We don’t hear much from Dennis Rodman these days, unless it pertains to some wonderful reality show, but Rodman crawled out of wherever he’s been hiding to see his teammate, Scottie Pippen, get inducted into the Hall of Fame over the weekend.  During the events of the weekend, Rodman seized the opportunity to take his own shots at LeBron James, as seemingly everyone else has done.

“People talk about LeBron,” Rodman told Bulls.com. “You’ve got to understand, LeBron has no business even being in the same conversation with Scottie. Scottie was the epitome of the (do it all elite player). What do you want me to say? Scottie was great.”

Is Rodman right?  Does LeBron have any business being compared to Pippen?  In terms of ability, LeBron is one of the greatest we’ve ever seen.  He’s a freak.  But Pippen did it all.  Scorer, defender, rebounder, and, most importantly, team player.  Pippen was the one that brought it all together and won six championships, something LeBron has yet to even taste (no the Spurs’ sweep of the Cavs doesn’t count).

As for Rodman joining his boys Pippen and Michael Jordan in the Hall someday, The Worm definitely thinks there’s something there.  He saw the fact that he was there over the weekend as an omen that he’d be receiving his own induction someday.

As weird as that reasoning is, Rodman certainly has an argument.  He won Defensive Player of the Year twice, made the All-Defensive Team seven times, along with seven rebounding titles.  Those five championships he won as a player help as well.  As for his off-the-field problems, Rodman scoffed at those for being a reason to keep him out, citing “alcoholics in baseball and cocaine addicts in basketball”.

Tags: Chicago Bulls, Dennis Rodman, Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen