h/t: Docksquad Sports

By Paul M. Banks and David Kay, President and V.P. of The Sports Bank.net

The Chicago Bulls could use a good perimeter scorer, someone who can really light it up from deep. Even though Kirk Hinrich played out of his mind for a couple games of the first round series loss to Cleveland, he’s not that guy.

John Salmons was not that guy, and the Bulls haven’t had “that guy” since Ben Gordon left town. Chicago doesn’t really shoot a whole lot of threes, because there isn’t anyone truly dependable out there beyond the arc to consistently drain them. Whoever replaces Vinny Del Negro needs to add this dimension to the offense next season.

Oklahoma State’s James Anderson, who should be available when the Bulls pick in the NBA Draft, could just be “that guy.”

Obviously this off-season is all about the free agent derby (you’ve heard a thing or two or three million about that, right?), but the Bulls could also find the long-distance marksman they need on June 2^4th; seven days before the free agency period begins.

Anderson, the Big 12 Player of the Year, is a surefire first round pick who could go as high as the mid-teens.  His athleticism is not at the elite NBA level which could drop him into the twenties, but he is a great scoring guard who could complement Derrick Rose and whatever big name free agent the Chi is able to land. I caught up to the 6-6 shooting guard at Milwaukee’s Bradley Center, following the final game of his collegiate career.

I asked Anderson if there was anyone he looks up to in the league, and his answer was a former Bull, the most famous of all. “I looked up to Michael Jordan ever since I’ve been a child, that’s about it,” Anderson said.

His biggest strengths include his pull-up jump shot, the quick release he has on it and the fact that he doesn’t need much space to get it off. He’s a great free throw shooter, possesses ideal size for an NBA two-guard, and is an effective slasher to the basket (granting him more offensive versatility) and a smooth finisher in transition.

Conversely, he has some weaknesses, including his tendency to dribble too much, his lack of creativity off the bounce and always favoring the left hand in driving to the basket.

But perhaps the biggest reason he’s a good in fit in Chicago is that Johngar Paxman (GM Gar Forman and Executive John Paxson actually make all personnel decisions together, so I just morphed them into one person) always likes to draft big school players, often stressing character issues. And character is perhaps Anderson’s biggest strength.

Read the ringing endorsement his collegiate coach Travis Ford gave at the NCAA Tournament:

“If all my players were the type of person he is and as responsible and accountable, as nice, coming ready to practice every day as James was makes it a lot easier. As I’ve said, he’s the most coachable young man I’ve ever coached, and that’s a broad term and I can get into what that means. In my two years of James, I’ve never had to call him into my office one single time for something he’s done wrong or been late to or anything like that. I’ve never had to tell him something twice.

Anytime you see James, he’s extremely humble and very polite, in a good mood. He’s a “no, sir/yes, sir.” You tell him to do anything, he does it. Yes, it makes my job easy coaching a young man with his talent level, but also the type of young man he is. It makes everybody around him better. Makes me a better person. It makes his teammates better players and better people. There’s not many James Andersons that come around every day, there’s really not.”

To read an in-depth scouting report on Anderson go here.

Paul M. Banks is Founder/President of The Sports Bank.net, an Upper Midwest sports webzine. He’s also a member of the Football Writers Association of America, the United States Basketball Writers Association and a sports writer for the Washington Times.com Communities and Walter Football.com

The Bulls literally shot the lights out of the building in the first 3 quarters, proving once again that the only real way for Chicago to be successful is to hit its jump shots.  It wasn’t all that simple though, they also were doing all the little things.  Scrambling for loose balls, playing excellent defense, and dominating the glass.  The Cavs did finally make a run in the 4th, and it was pretty obvious why.  The Bulls could not get a rebound.  With Joakim on the bench in foul trouble, it seemed like the Cavs got every single meaningful rebound to help them climb back into the game (oh and LeBron’s 13 points and 5 assists in the quarter may have been a small factor).  The Bulls held on to win it though.

So was this a huge fluke?  Can the Bulls steal another game?  Clearly they have to be clicking on all cylinders to beat even a halfway-motivated Cavs team.  There is no surefire method to stop LeBron and his band of merry sidekicks, but the story of the glass has been the story of this series.  The Bulls were outrebounded badly, and blown out in Game 1.  In Game 2, the rebounding battle was about even and the Bulls kept it close even though they lost.  In Game 3, when they were rebounding well, they dominated.  As they let Cleveland hit the boards, the Cavs snuck back into it.

Rose needs to dominate on the offensive end.  Deng needs to play well.  Hinrich has to at least be better than the 6-18 he shot in the first two games combined.  All those things need to happen, sure.  But the one thing that can put them over the edge is rebounding.  Enter Joakim Noah.  In Games 2 and 3 he had 28 rebounds combined.  Game 1? Just 8.

Who would have thought on draft day a few years ago that the 9th overall pick from Florida with scraggly hair and a bowtie would be the key ingredient in a playoff series with the mighty Cleveland LeBrons?  For now, let’s enjoy the win.  At least Vinny gets a few more days of employment, so you know he’s happy.  Go Bulls!

By Paul M. Banks is Founder/President of The Sports Bank.net

Normally, I’m the last absolute last person to say something like this. I’m the polar opposite of the sports fans who believe in things along the lines of “If I listen to them on the radio they always do better than when I watch ‘em on television,” or “if I wear my jersey on gameday, they always play better.” Everyone knows these types of sports fans. I am NOT one of these types of sports fans.

But after Chicago Bulls All-Star Derrick Rose scored a career high 39 points Tuesday night, the second time he established a new career high in points while I was present, I quickly became one of “those guys.”

I’ve media creds for 7 Bulls games this season. In those 7 home games, the Bulls have gone 6-1 and Rose has averaged 27.7 ppg. On the season, Rose averaged 20.7, the Bulls finished 41-41, 24-17 at home. I haven’t purchased any Bulls tickets this season, so I have don’t have any more games to add to the sample size. But check it out here are the seven games I had a pass for in 2009-10 and how many points Rose scored:

11/3 Milwaukee (16), 12/2 Detroit (19), 12/15 Lakers (21), 1/16 Washington (37- career high), 2/16 New York (29), 2/26 Portland (33), and 4/12 Boston (39- career high). The Los Angeles game was the only loss. Rose has scored over 30 in 8 games this season, and I’ve witnessed three of them.

Clearly, in the interests of both Rose and Bulls fans everywhere, I need to apply for a Bulls season media pass next year. And I need to show the Bulls PR department these numbers so that they can approve it.

What did Rose have to say afterwards about his career night? “We’re just trying to get into the playoffs and do whatever it takes to get us there- play defense move the ball,” Rose said.

“We have a lot more confidence in each other. We’ve been playing good basketball.” Rose continued, failing to mention my presence as the x-factor.

(note: if you really think I’m dead serious about my showing up actually augmenting Rose’s game then…well, you probably consider “The Onion” to be a legitimate and serious news source and you’ve likely handed over thousands of dollars to princes in Burkina Faso that promised to share their multi-million dollar inheritances with you.)

Paul M. Banks is Founder/President of The Sports Bank.net, an Upper Midwest sports webzine. He’s also a member of the Football Writers Association of America, the United States Basketball Writers Association and a sports writer for the Washington Times.com Communities and Walter Football.com

Derrick Rose was whistled for a charge on this play.

So I went to last night’s game with my 80+ year old grandmother.  I figured I’d recap the game through her eyes.

• Oh, I don’t follow these guys like I used to. I don’t know half of them.

To be fair, there has been some significant roster turnover since the beginning of the season. What was more interesting in last night’s win was VDN’s willingness to play with his lineups. The Rockets are an unorthodox team starting a 6′6″ center and a generously listed 6′0″ point guard but seem to make it work. James Johnson started and seemed to be more comfortable focusing on his defense and just running the floor, rather than trying to stand out on the second squad.  And on several occasions, Vinny countered the Rocket’s small lineup of only Luis Scola in the middle with a big lineup with Brad Miller and Joakim Noah on the floor. This led to interesting results as Trevor Ariza blew past Noah on one end, but then Miller responded by driving on Ariza and drawing a foul.  Apparently, no one told Brad of the mismatch.

• Come on guys, play some defense!

She shouted this early and often as the Bulls gave up a number of open looks in the first half. Luis Scola exhibited some crazy Hakeem the Dream up and under moves and Ariza and Kevin Martin had a number of uncontested jump shots.

I’m not sure if the Bulls were completely responsible for the Rockets’ shooting woes in the second half (Chase Budinger did nearly airball two straight wide-open three-point attempts) but they did obviously frustrate the Rockets, particularly denying Kevin Martin and Aaron Brooks the ball in the open floor. Before Brooks nailed a few shots late in the fourth quarter, he was staring at a box score with 1 point from the FT-line despite playing 35 minutes.

A lot of people writing today are crediting Derrick Rose for his improved defense, but I also think some credit has to go to Jannero Pargo and Flip Murray for recognizing that their minutes could disappear to Acie Law at any time and to stay on the floor they have to bring some defensive intensity. They truly seemed to be laboring out there on getting up in Brooks and Lowry’s faces and funneling them into Noah and Gibson (6 blocks combined).

• Three Blind Mice, Three Blind Mice!

The refs were just plain terrible and the Rockets exacerbated the problem. Luis Scola must have taught them a class in Argentinian flopping over the All-Star Break because they perfected standing right at the edge of the circle under the basket and then pretending they had been shot by a cannon ball when a Bulls player drove the lane. The Bulls were whistled for 7 offensive fouls throughout the game.

Aaron Brooks, taking a page from Reggie Miller’s playbook, routinely attempted to draw fouls on every three-pointer he attempted. It worked once, and the rest of the time he just looked ridiculous flailing backwards sliding on his backside after bricking another attempt.

Woah, woah Vinny. Listen, I can't hear you from all the way over here but I'm going to T' you up for being Italian. Two Times!

At one point, the Bulls were up 13 and looked like they could put away the Rockets but a series of one-sided calls seemed to kill any momentum the Bulls had leading to a 9-0 run by the Rockets bridging the 3rd and 4th quarters. This was what led to Vinny getting thrown out of the game. Which was ridiculous in itself because the ref who gave him both technicals remained 50 feet away on the far end of the court. I did appreciate Vinny’s anger because it prevented Brad Miller or Kirk Hinrich from getting involved and risking another costly suspension.

• I can’t stand it. Derrick Rose gets the ball and everybody just goes to their spots and stands around.

She said this towards the end of the 4th quarter when the Bulls players obviously looked for Derrick Rose to finish the game. While the first place I would look is to blame Vinny, he had already been kicked out of the game by this point. So this falls squarely on Bernie Bickerstaff, just kidding. The Bulls players need to be able to run some semblance of an offense late in games. My grandma was right to say that the Bulls just parked three players in the corners around the three point line, and just relied on the pick and roll with Brad Miller in on offensive possessions. The problem with this strategy is that the Rockets just hedged into the lane, preventing any real penetration and forcing the Bulls’ jump shooters to beat them. Last night, it worked to mild success, but on an off night the Bulls will need to do better.

Obviously his best moment this season, other than every poster-signing he’s done, was his famous memo comment.  You didn’t get the memo?  Well here’s the remix:

h/t: Mouthpiece Sports

Dwight: Stan, I just wanna hug 'em and squeeze 'em and I'm gonna call him Derrick!

When Derrick Rose suffered his second injury this season at the hands of Dwight Howard in last night’s 111-82 loss to the Orlando Magic it became painfully obvious (emphasis on ‘pain’) that the Bulls’ playoff hopes are slipping away fast.  If the Bulls were to somehow make it into the playoffs and wind up playing the Magic again in the first round, I think it would be prudent for Gar/Pax/Angelo to see if Julius Peppers would not at least entertain the idea of donning a Bulls jersey and acting as an on-court bodyguard for Derrick Rose when he enters the paint against the gentle giant who doesn’t know his own strength, likes to wear cartoon superhero outfits, and is always grinning like he just learned how to tie his velcro basketball shoes.

I’m getting kind of sick of the Bulls shying away from criticizing Howard. Vinny was quoted basically saying it was Derrick’s fault: “”It looked like Dwight went up and Derrick lost his balance again.” Next time Joakim Noah shows up to practice with a black eye are we going to hear Vinny say “looks like Jo was doing some laundry and just fell down some stairs again”?

And where does Dwight Howard get off telling Derrick Rose how to drive in the lane to avoid injury?! Next time, why don’t you avoid fouling Derrick and just block the damn ball Dwight?! Quit pretending this is an episode of SlamBall on SpikeTV. Full body contact may be allowable when you’re playing on trampolines but it’s not acceptable in the NBA. Just because your shoulders are 6 feet wide doesn’t mean you should have fouls called any differently.

After I let the anger subside, I started to wonder how we can turn this travesty into a positive for both the Bulls and the NBA. As a part of the NBA’s ongoing “Read to Achieve Program”, the NBA could use NBA players to help teach literary classics to grade school students.  Enjoy the preliminary storyboards for the NBA’s newest production of, “Of Mice and (Super)Men”.

Dwight: Stan, why doesn't Derrick like it when I pet him when he's in the paint?

Stan: No, Dwight. I ain't mad. I never been mad, an' I ain't now. That's a thing I want ya to know.

Anyways, I digress.  The point of this post was to talk about Rose’s inability to deal with the media.  I’ve addressed it in the past when he has given painful interviews.  But fear not!  Someone seems to be schooling the youngster when it comes to being in front of a camera.  In this interview with J.E. Skeets from Ball Don’t Lie, Rose actually sounds somewhat articulate.  Check it out:

TBJ Does Dallas: One-on-one with Derrick Rose from The Basketball Jones on Vimeo.

I’m not saying that interview was a perfect 10. But let’s say his interviews in the past were a solid 2. That one was at least a 4, right? I’ll take that progression from him. On the other hand, I have no problem skipping his speech lessons to work on that mid-range jumper.

Point guards Deron Williams of Utah, Chicago’s Derrick Rose and Boston’s Rajon Rondo will make their All-Star Game debuts next month in Dallas, sources said Thursday.

Williams, Rondo and Rose top the list of reserves chosen by the league’s coaches to participate in the Feb. 14 game at Cowboys Stadium. The names won’t be made official until Thursday night, but Yahoo! Sports has obtained the list of reserves.

Besides Rondo and Rose, the East roster includes Boston’s Paul Pierce, Toronto’s Chris Bosh, Charlotte’s Gerald Wallace and Atlanta’s Joe Johnson and Al Horford.

The West reserves are the New Orleans’ Chris Paul, the Lakers’ Pau Gasol, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki, Memphis’ Zach Randolph and Portland’s Brandon Roy.

This is great news, not just for Bulls fans, but also for Illini fans!  Deron deserves his first all star appearance, and for the first time in a long time I am happy about something with the Bulls (no, I don’t care about this latest winning streak because they still have VDN on the bench).

A source confirmed the Bulls have had discussions with the Lakers about Hinrich, most likely for Adam Morrison and Sasha Vujacic, but nothing is imminent.

As well as Kirk is playing (and its well, the Bulls look like a better team with him on the court), we can’t lose sight if the real goal: getting as much cap flexibility as possible for the summer.  Vujacic, though a douche, can be a very helpful 3 point shooter, and Morrison’s 5 million dollar expiring contract will give us even more flexibility this summer.  If the Lakers are interested, the Bulls should go for it.

It’s possible the Bulls could resurrect the potential deal sending Salmons, Brad Miller and Jerome James to Houston for Tracy McGrady and filler before the deadline.

I discussed this earlier.  This scenario is only slightly different with Salmons instead of Hinrich.  Since Salmons is essentially signed through 2011 ($7 million player option), it would free up space and give us an interesting 3 months watching Rose and T-Mac.

By trading either guard before the deadline, the Bulls could have around $20 million to spend on free agents this summer and wouldn’t have to sweat Salmons’ decision of whether or not to opt out of his contract.

The Bulls’ dream scenario is to sign Dwyane Wade or Atlanta’s Joe Johnson this summer and also trade for an elite power forward. In theory, the team would become an instant title contender.

If they can move either Salmons, Kirk or Deng for expiring contracts, they have to do it.  Even if they are unable to sign any of the big names being thrown around, it won’t hurt them long-term to move Kirk and Salmons.  Deng’s contract is also a bad one (he’s not bad, but not worth $11 million a year for the next 100 years).

There are reports that Phoenix is again shopping all-star center Amare Stoudemire, who has the option of becoming a free agent. The Bulls’ interest is mild, though there has been talk between the teams.

The Suns are listening to offers because they’re not sold on the idea of giving Stoudemire a long-term contract near the maximum salary. Neither are the Bulls, so it makes little sense to give up assets now for a player who might not stick around beyond the end of this season.

In the same scenario last year, Phoenix was interested in a package of Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha for Stoudemire but also wanted multiple first-round picks, according to a league source, and the Bulls passed.

Would the Bulls take a chance on Stoudemire if the Suns were willing to take Deng, a higher-salaried player in return? Still doubtful, since no one knows what kind of money it would take to keep Stoudemire around.

We’ve covered this Amare rumor ad nauseum.  I have my reservations about his defense and his attitude, but in general…wait, what?  The Suns were willing to take Tyrus Thomas, Thabo and picks for Amare?  That can’t be true.  Because no sane person would have hung onto Tyrus and some first-round picks over Amare.  If we had Amare we wouldn’t have lottery picks every year anymore anyways!  Another blown blockbuster because Paxson is afraid to pull the trigger.

For now, it appears that Toronto’s Chris Bosh and Utah’s Carlos Boozer will not be traded before the deadline. That could change, since both power forwards are likely to change teams as free agents this summer.

We’ll see, we’ll see.  This doesn’t bother me one bit.  I’m in no rush to make a big move by the deadline, as long as they end up having a big summer.  So there you have it, McGraw basically covered all the bases.  The general idea for this trading season is simple: 1) Noah and Rose are all but untouchable; 2) Anyone else is fair game, but not for any contracts that go beyond this summer; and 3) Clear space!

To address those who say its a sad situation that the Bulls are literally throwing this season away, I say to you that they are not.  The last 4 games have proven that if nothing else, this team can be very fun to watch right now.  They are out there trying to win with what they have, and in spite of Vinny’s ineptitude, they are 22-22 and tied for the 7th seed in the East.  That Derrick Rose kool-aid is unbelievable…try some.

I don’t think I have ever seen a guy with a first step similar to that of Rose.  A lot of times, what people consider to be ‘quickness’ is actually just a manifestation of deception or evasion.  In the case of Francis, he wasn’t necessarily that much quicker than his peers – he just possessed a devastating arsenal of hesitation moves with which he could completely freeze his defender before blowing by.

Rose is different and for reasons which make the above image appropriate for our discussion.  Honestly speaking, the first time I watched Derrick Rose play last year, the thought conjured instantly was of The Rocketeer comic book hero from the ‘80s.  In my mind, the comparison seems so obvious that I’m almost expecting to find that that it’s already been made.

Watching Rose make his move off the dribble, he literally explodes, almost as if possessing some jet pack, propelling to his spot of choice.  Derrick Rose’s first step is the 100mph heater when it comes just moments after the 81mph curve. You’ve suddenly been blinded. Explosion.  You can only back off or hack away in fear.

Yup.  Nice to see we aren’t the only ones slurping Rose these days.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that he agreed to donate $1,000 per point last night to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund? Since he scored 32 points, that is $32,000 for relief.  Not bad.

So back to this whole all-star thing.  Rose is teetering on the edge of his first all-star appearance and he has clearly made his case.  Although the first month of the season he was playing with a nagging ankle injury, he has shown that he belongs among the NBA’s elite RIGHT NOW.  Not in 3 years, not next year, but now.  He is by far the best player on a team full of scrubs and has managed to keep those scrubs in the Eastern playoff race by skill and sheer force of will.  Some idiot writers over at NBA.com think that Rose, Deng, and Noah have a shot next year, but not now.  Deng I agree with, Noah is borderline, but Rose seems like a slam-dunk to make the team.  Obviously it is up to the players to vote on the reserves, but I think Rose’s 19.4 points, 5.9 assists, and 3.8 rebounds on 47% shooting combined with his ability to completely take over games puts him on another level.

We’ll find out soon enough if he gets a spot, but he has definitely earned it.  Want to see the video of his dunk again as it was happening?  Yeah, me too.  Here goes: