Breaking down the Circus trip-Part 1 @ Sac Town

Maybe some Chicago youngsters are excited for the Circus coming to town, but the opposite can be said for the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls have already had their challenges opening up the year, but they’ll be put to the test once again when they start a six game road trip tonight in Sacramento. Five of the six teams on the trip have .500 or better records, and the Utaz Jazz at 4-6, arguably are considered the best home team in the past couple years.

Tonight, let’s go over the league’s biggest surprise, the Sacramento Kings.

Tonight @ Sacramento

The Bulls will get their first look at Andres Nocioni in a Kings uniform tonight, that is if Nocioni isn’t traded to Boston in a three team deal which I previously reported. It’s also a return for John Salmons to northern California, and damn, I just hope he breaks out tonight and gets some confidence back.

The Kings are playing solid basketball right now, and it’s caught the entire league by surprise. They’ve won four of their last five, with leading scorer Kevin Martin sidelined with a fractured wrist.  Tyreke Evans is the real deal, currently second in rookie scoring to Brandon Jennings, with 16.8 ppg. Jason Thompson, who many wondered as to why the Kings drafted him so high, is averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds per game. Not so bad for a player out of Rider University, a school that nobody outside of the northeast would know about.

The Kings are far more productive on the offensive side of the ball, which is the exact opposite of the team we get to watch every night. Evans is leading the way with Martin sidelined, but Thompson, and another rookie by the name of Omar Cassipi have made steady contributions, giving fans at Arco a legitimate reason to pay for their tickets.

For the Bulls, offense has been the worry, but with Salmons and Hinrich brickin’ it up for most of the early going, it’s to be expected. Against a team like the Kings, if you attack the paint with regularity, and swing the ball from side to side, you should have no problems getting shots in the half court set.

Match-up of the game:Derrick Rose vs Tyreke Evans

It’s the future playing the future. A number one selection against a player who holds a chip for not being a number one pick. Regardless, Evans had kind words for Derrick Rose:

“He’s a great player, good point guard, fast and explosive,” Evans said after wrapping up his routine shooting drills with assistant coach Pete Carril. “I’m looking forward (to this game) a lot. I’m looking forward to winning every game we can. It feels good to win. I’m happy. Our team is happy, so let’s just try to keep going.”

Stay tuned for a Thursday preview of the next match-up with Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers.

Tags: Arco Arena, Chicago Bulls, Circus, Derrick Rose, Jason Thompson, John Salmons, Kevin Martin, Kirk Hinrich, Kobe Bryant, Omar Cassipi, Pete Carril, Ringling brothers, Sacramento Kings, Tyreke Evans