How awesome has this series been?

Photo: espn.com

The Bulls beat Boston 128-127 last night to tie the series at 3-3 and force a final game 7 — the winner advances to play Orlando in round 2. Besides game 3 — when Boston beat the Bulls by 21 points, this has been the most exciting and entertaining series I have ever watched in my life.

Will this series be remembered for years to come? Maybe not, especially if the Bulls lose in game 7. People will always remember the championships and Michael Jordan, and they probably are more memorable. But as far as entertainment value goes, this current series takes the cake. When the Bulls were winning championships, everyone knew they were going to win. It was awesome, but not near as entertaining as a series in which four out of the six games have gone into overtime. FOUR OUT OF SIX GAMES HAVE GONE INTO OVERTIME!

No matter what happens in game 7, win or lose, it has been great to watch. Will it be extremely disappointing if they lose and the season ends? No doubt about it. But who thought they would even be in this situation in the first place? A few months ago it wasn't crazy to think they might not even make the playoffs. The team has made incredible strides in the past month, and even if they can't pull off a win Saturday night, the experience they are getting is fantastic.

Keys to winning: 1) STOP TURNING THE BALL OVER, 2) Derrick Rose has to stop being timid at the end of games. I feel like he plays with great confidence for most of the game and then in the final minutes he becomes a no-factor, 3) Shut down Ray Allen, 4) Don't quit on defense. The Bulls have seen double-digit leads disappear in the blink of an eye on a few occasions this series. If you can get that lead, buckle down on defense and extend it.

If the Bulls can do all of those things, there is no doubt they can come out of Boston with a win. Actually doing it will be the hard part. I can't wait to see what game 7 will bring to us tomorrow night.

Gordon could be out for Game 5

The status of Bulls guard Ben Gordon, who was the hero of game 4, will be a game time decision as to whether or not he will play in tonight's crucial game 5 in Boston.

Gordon has a strained left hamstring and told the Chicago tribune it did not feel very good after the team's shoot-around today. If Gordon is out for the game, it will be very hard for the Bulls to pull off a victory. Gordon leads all scorers in the series with 24.8 points per game. Gordon helped the Bulls win game 4 when he hit a three-pointer in the final seconds of the first overtime to force a second. He also had 42 points for the Bulls in their game 2 loss.

Photo: AP Photo - Charles Rex Arbogast

Bulls re-tie series in 2OT instant classic

For those who missed the Bulls' 121-118 victory over the Celtics in game 4 to tie the series 2-2, you missed one of the best basketball games of season. The game was filled with drama, back-and-forth scoring, and insane shots from both teams when it mattered most. Here is a nice little video for those who either missed it, or just want to re-live the action:

Was there ever any doubt? Rose Rookie of the Year.

It was announced Wednesday, Derrick Rose is the 2009 Rookie of the Year. Although he didn't lead all rookies in scoring — O.J. Mayo did with 18.5 points while Rose averaged 16.8 — he had by far the most solid rookie campaign of any player.

Rose won easily, receiving 111 of 120 possible first place votes from sports writers and broadcasters. Mayo finished second in the voting with Brook Lopez coming in third.

To any Bulls fan, this news is no shock. Rose has been the spark plug of a team that has surprised many with making a playoff run, and actually taking game one from the Boston Celtics — a game in which Rose tied the record for points in a playoff debut with 36. The future of the Bulls looks awfully bright with him as the leader.

Photo: M. Spencer Green / Associated Press

Round 1: Bulls vs. Celtics

So here we are. After 82 games, the Bulls pulled off making it to the playoffs with the #7 seed in the Eastern Conference. Their reward? The defending champion Boston Celtics.

After struggling for much of the season and appearing to have no chance at making the playoffs, the Bulls got hot at the end of the season after some mid-season trades that brought in John Salmons, Brad Miller, and Tim Thomas. The added depth to the low post and the added scoring from Salmons proved to be the missing ingredient the Bulls needed as they won 12 out of their final 16 games to finish the season at an even 41-41 record.

The Celtics on the other hand, have been in the top 2 in the Eastern Conference all season long. They exploded out of the gate to start the season with a 27-2 record that saw a 19-game winning streak. It appeared the 2008 champions were going to be unstoppable, but after some injuries and inconsistent play from their stars, they finished 62-20 — good enough for the #2 seed in the East behind the Cavaliers. Yes, 60 wins is impressive, but after starting the season 27-2, the Celtics had higher expectations earlier in the season. This is not to take anything away from Boston, they are the still the champs until someone can take them down.

So how do the teams match up? Obviously asking any NBA fan who they would vote for to win the series, the easy answer would be the Celtics. But there are some factors that could give the Bulls a few advantages and give Boston a run for their money.

Before we even get into comparing line-ups, let's establish that most of Boston's roster consists of the same players they had in 2008 when they won the title. The Bulls have about four players on the team with any playoff experience at all, but nothing compared to veteran squad of Boston.

Lets start with the centers: Joakim Noah vs. Kendrick Perkins. Noah averages 6.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, slightly worse than Perkins' 8.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Perkins is also bigger at 6'10, 280 lbs. to Noah's 6'11 232 lb. frame. Perkins has six full seasons and an NBA championship under his belt, while Noah has two years and no playoff experience. Noah is no stranger to the post-season big stage as he helped lead the University of Florida to two consecutive NCAA Championships. Noah is also more athletic and probably a little better defender than Perkins. Despite Noah's college success and defensive skills, the edge has to go to Perkins.

Now for the guards: Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon vs. Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen. The Bulls guards combine for 37.5 points, 9.7 assists, and 7.4 rebounds per game. The Celtics guards average 30.3 points, 11.1 assists, and 8.8 rebounds per game. There is no question much of the Bulls scoring all season has come from Rose and Gordon. In fact, Gordon is the top scorer on either team averaging 20.7 points per game. The big issue for Rose and Gordon is their defense. Rose has shown flshes of good defense all season, but he struggles sometimes. Gordon might as well stand on the sideline while the team is on defense because he never learned how. Rondo and Allen obviously have the experience and fundamental advantage over the Bulls' guards, but when it comes to putting points on the board, the Bulls' guards get the edge. Not to say that Rondo and Allen are not capable of this either, but on any given night, Rose or Gordon can single-handedly take over a game, especially late in the game when it counts most. Because of that factor mixed with the lack of defense, I call a push for the Bulls guards vs. Celtics guards. It will literally be a game by game basis on who performs better, but if the Celtics can contain Rose, the Bulls will struggle.

For the forwards: The Bulls got the best news possible learning that Kevin Garnett will probably not play for the whole series. This factor could contribute huge for the Bulls to actually pull off the upset. The Bulls bring in Tyrus Thomas and John Salmons while the Celtics forward will be last year's NBA Finals MVP Paul Pierce and Leon Powe. The Bulls forwards average 29.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game while the Celtics forwards average 28.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Obviously with Garnett out of the picture it gives the Bulls a huge break. Not only is Garnett a great player, but he is the team's leader and brings an enormous amount of energy to the court every night he plays. With KG out, I give it another push at the forward position. Thomas and Salmons are a great duo, but Pierce can single-handedly win a game on any night.

Now for the benches: The Celtics bring in an experienced group off the bench, but they aren't very deep. Stephon Marbury, Eddie House, and Glen Davis will be the biggest contributors off the bench, but none of them are very scary. House can light it up from the three point line at any given time however. The Bulls have one of the deepest benches in the NBA — with Kirk Hinrich, Brad Miller, and Tim Thomas. Both team's benches have a lot of NBA experience and even playoff experience. The benches could come in huge in some of the games because when one of the starters is not paying well, they need to come in and fill that slot. I think the Bulls have the better bench to do that.

So let's review:
Center: Celtics
Guards: Even
Forwards: Even
Bench: Bulls

The Bulls are going to have to play perfect basketball the entire series to be able to pull off an upset on the defending champs. If KG were able to play, I don't think the Bulls would stand a chance. However, KG cannot play and it really gives Chicago a big chance to take advantage of the situation. The last time the Bulls played Boston, they beat them 127-117. The Celtics were without KG at the time, proving the Bulls can actually beat them without the big man. The toughest thing for the young Bulls team will be staying mentally focused and putting forth 100% effort on every play of every game. If they can't stay focused, the veteran Celtics will eat them alive.

Photo: www.bballvideos.com

Best (meaning worst) hair in Chicago Bulls history

Fellow classmate Robert Lotzer gave me an idea to do this after he wrote about Chiacgo Cubs' Mike Fontenot's hair. It made me think about another Chicago athlete on the basketball court who may have the most ridiculous hair in all of professional sports right now. The Bulls own Joakim Noah.



Besides Noah, the Bulls have had a few other athletes grace our television sets with not only crazy hair styles, but facial hair as well. Who can forget Dennis Rodman and his seeminlgy insistance on having a different hair color every game? Ben Wallace brought back the old-school afro, and Drew Gooden used his facial hair to express his individuality.

Thomas or Aldridge?

In the 2006 NBA Draft, the Bulls picked LaMarcus Aldrdge, a 6-11 forward out of Texas, with the second overall pick. They eneded up trading Aldridge to the Portland Trailblazers for Tyrus Thomas, a 6-9 forward out of LSU, after they selected him with the fourth overall selection.
After Thomas had a few underwhelming seasons averaging 5.2 and 6.8 points per game, it looked like the Bulls had made a bad choice in not keeping Aldridge. Aldridge had an explosive sophomore campaign averaging 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in the 07-8 season. He is averaging similar numbers this season, in fact even better at 18.4 points per game.
Thomas has recently come on very strong for the Bulls however. This may be due to the inside depth the Bulls now have with Brad Miller, Joakim Noah, and Tim Thomas. Tyrus may have struggled before simply because he had no other inside help. In the past few weeks, he has shown flashes of the dominant player he can be. The guy is a FREAK athlete with amazing God-given talent. His biggest issue is working on staying focused night in and night out. If he can mix the mental aspect of the game with his physicality, he can become a very scary player for opponents.
So the question is, Thomas or Aldridge? Right now, Aldridge still looks like the better overall pick, but will Thomas prove this wrong a few years down the road? I guess we'll have to wait and see. But until then, I know I'm comfortable saying I am very happy that Tyrus Thomas wears a Chicago uniform.

Photo: http://sportsmaven.files.wordpress.com/2007/02/tyrus-thomas-at-2007-nba-all-star-weekend-2-17-07.jpg

Bulls rolling in the East

The Bulls defeated the Detroit Pistons 99-91 making it 5 wins out their last 6 games. More impressively, they did it without the help of Derrick Rose, who sat out the game with a bruised wrist. They have a two-game lead for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference — the only loss out of the six games coming from the Western Conference's leading team, the Lakers.

Let's give it up to John Paxson for picking up John Salmons. Since joining the Bulls he has averaged 19.7 points per game, and 21.8 ppg in the month of March. Ben Gordon is the team's leading scorer, but I feel like the Bulls have finally found a "go-to" guy. I feel comfortable every time the guy has the ball in his hands. Let's not forget the additions of Brad Miller and Tim Thomas, who have both been making great contributions off the bench putting up double-digit scores in many games.

With only 10 games remaining in the regular season, the Bulls control their own playoff destiny — something I did not think I would be able to say a few moths ago. Only two of the ten teams remaining have a record of above .500 — Miami and Philadelphia. This obviously does not mean easy sailing for the Bulls, who seem to always play well against a really good team and then blow it the next night against one of the league's worst teams.

The most intriguing match-up left on the schedule, believe it or not, is against the Charlotte Bobcats on April 11th. Charlotte is currently two games behind the Bulls in the playoff race and they will face off on the Bulls' third-to-last game of the season. The Bulls play Miami tomorrow night at home.

Photo: AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

It's not time to panic, but it's close

The Bulls went into Los Angeles on Wednesday night and blew out the Clippers 95-75. This is not the greatest victory in the world seeing as how the Clippers are in the bottom three teams in the League and had lost 16 out of their last 18 games.

What this victory does tell me, though, is that the Bulls can at least beat a team they are supposed to beat (not only did they beat them, but it was by 20 points), and doing it on the road is not always easy.

The whole team had a good game with Luol Deng getting 23 points and nine rebounds, Derrick Rose had 21 points and six assists, and every starter scored in double figures.

So what does this mean?

The Bulls are on a 7 game road trip right now with 5 games remaining. They have lost a game and won a game so far. Their competition is not the easiest with Sacramento, Phoenix, Houston, New Orleans, and Dallas remaining. If the Bulls can come out of the rest of these five games with a winning record for the road trip, I think they can actually make a push for the playoffs.

With their record at 19-27, it sounds like they don't really stand a chance, but thankfully the Eastern Conference is not very good. The Bulls are only a game and a half away from having the 8th seed in the playoffs right now. If they can put together maybe just a four game winning streak they will be right in the hunt.

It is not going to be easy for this team to do; they have not shown that they can put together a run like that at all this season. It just takes confidence and focus. If Vinny Del Negro wants to keep his job next year, he needs to get these guys to play at their highest level every night, and I believe if he can accomplish that seemingly impossible feat, the Bulls can make a run for the playoffs.

The Bulls play Sacramento tonight and Phoenix on Saturday. They have played both teams once this year and actually won both games. However, both games were at home and Shaq was sitting on the bench due to injury when they played the Suns.

I'm as hesitant to believe that this team can make a run for the playoffs as anyone, but until they have dug themselves a hole that cannot be climbed out of, it isn't time to panic just yet.