With only a few minutes remaining, they have just over 60 points. With their own scoring troubles, the Bulls certainly didn’t need to give the Heat any help.

But early in the 4th quarter, Marquis Teague scored on his own basket. He was trying to break up a pass, and the ball deflected all the way into his own hoop.

(Thanks to @shighkinNBA for the video)

After the game, Mohammed took to Twitter to apologize for his actions.

Sorry for my overreaction & being ejected. I blacked out & just reacted after I was pushed down. I’m happy it only resulted w/ a push

— Nazr Mohammed (@NazrMohammed) May 11, 2013

For the kids who were watching… That not the way to react on the basketball court.

— Nazr Mohammed (@NazrMohammed) May 11, 2013

Hopefully if I’m in the same situation again I will control my emotions but u never know what ur instincts will do. #SeeRed

— Nazr Mohammed (@NazrMohammed) May 11, 2013

 

It was a bizarre foul from Mohammed that started the whole altercation in the first place. It wasn’t the first ejection we’ve seen in this series, and there’s a decent chance it won’t be the last.

Game 4 will be Monday at 7PM Est. as the Heat look to take a 3-1 series lead.

Now, he can add LeBron James to the list. Nate looked a lot like LeBron as he chased him down to block him from behind on the fastbreak.

Early in the 2nd quarter, with the Bulls holding a 31-28 lead, Nazr Mohammed for some reason decided to foul LeBron James as he crossed half-court. James took offense to the rough foul and tossed Mohammed to the ground.

Referee Joey Crawford immediately assessed LeBron a technical foul. As that was happening, Mohammed, frustrated by being tossed aside by LeBron, got up and shoved LeBron to the ground.

Mohammed was ejected for the shove, leaving the Bulls even more shorthanded than they already are.

Yes, Nate Robinson. It was another impressive performance this postseason from undersized guard. He finished with 27 points (8-16 FG) and 9 assists, including the last 7 points of the game as the Bulls knocked off the Heat 93-86.

Here, Robinson drives to the rim for the basket that sealed the victory. (Thanks to @HPBasketball for the video)

(Thanks to @cjzero for the video)

Jack Maloney (@jmaloney9) – Stephen Curry’s behind the back pass, followed by his three-pointer.

There were a number of plays from Curry that I could have picked, but my favorite play from his phenomenal first round performance was this behind the back pass that ended up leading to him burying a three in the corner. It showcased his playmaking ability and his shooting.

(1:55 mark of the video)

Vijay Shravah and Quentin Haynes (@Haynesenburg) – Nate Robinson’s runner off the glass.

Vijay – In a 3-OT thriller, Nate Robinson dazzled the crowd with his flurry of acrobatic shots on his way to 29 4th quarter and overtime points to lead the Bulls to a comeback win.  Namely this crazy floater from near three-point distance

Quentin – Nate Robinson’s one-handed runner to take the lead in OT against Brooklyn. It was so random. Think about everything that happened. Nate Robinson isolation. Nate Robinson going left to right and using all of his 5-9 frame to swoop over 6-3 Deron Williams with a one-handed shot. Watching the basket bank in. It was incredible.

Jack Maloney (@jmaloney9) – Chicago Bulls

Already without Derrick Rose, and with Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng all battling injuries, it looked like there would be too much for the Bulls to overcome in their first round series against the Nets. Then, the Nets laid a smack down on them in Game 1, and it seemed the series might be over rather quickly. But behind Noah’s leadership and the help of Nate Robinson and Marco Belinelli, the Bulls battled their way to a Game 7 victory in Brooklyn to advance to the second round. They really impressed me with their effort and toughness, especially Joakim Noah.

May 2, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after game six of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nuggets 92-88. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Vijay Shravah – Golden State Warriors

Gotta go with the Warriors.  They were basically pronounced dead upon hearing of David Lee’s torn hip flexor in Game 1.  Much to everyone’s surprise, they proved that they are the better team under Stephen Curry’s shooting brilliance.  He also reminded us how despicable it was for him not to be selected an All-Star this year.  Now, thanks to the spotlight of the NBA Playoffs, he’s finally getting his much overdue recognition.  Coach Mark Jackson said it best:  ”Everyone’s rushing to the hospital, but the baby’s been born for a while already.”

Quentin Haynes (@Haynesenburg) – Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry

Golden State looked to be done after the loss of David Lee in game one, but consider this: Without Andre Miller’s explosion in game one, the Warriors would’ve swept Denver. Insane to me. I felt like I didn’t have a grip on this series going in, but it’s crazy to think how Golden State looks to be the better team. I’m curious to see what Denver does in the offseason if they lose this series. As for Curry, I’m an avid fan of ranking players in the league, and Curry was one of those people who always gave me fits. After this series? I have no qualms with Curry in anyone’s top 25. He’s just a fantastic offensive player.

Apr 25, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls small forward Luol Deng (9) drives during the first quarter of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Luol Deng hasn’t played since Game 5 of the Bulls first round series against the Nets. Despite his absence, the Bulls were able to squeak out a Game 7 victory to move on to the second round.

Unfortunately for the Bulls, they will still be without Deng for the start of their second round series against the Heat. According to Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago, Deng is officially out for Game 1 tonight against the Heat.

Thibs says Deng is officially out. Hinrich is doing a little better and will be a game time decision tonight.

— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) May 6, 2013

The more disconcerting news is that doctors still don’t know what exactly is wrong with the Bulls’ All-Star forward.

Thibs says he spoke to Deng this morning. He is out of the hospital. They still aren’t sure exactly what is wrong.

— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) May 6, 2013

The Bulls’ chances of winning this series were slim-to-none with a healthy team, but without Deng, there’s no way Chicago can take down the dominant Heat.

This wasn’t so much a fight, just Robinson pushing Watson and then stumbling into the scorer’s table. In calling double technicals, (which are terrible and should be gotten rid of) the refs punished Watson for getting pushed, which makes zero sense.

Anyways, not much to see here.

(Thanks to @SBNationNBA for the .gif)

Feb 28, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose (1) warms up before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

At this point of the season, you have to wonder whether or not Chicago Bulls centerpiece, Derrick Rose, will even return to action this year. Right now, the Bulls find themselves in the 5th spot in the East, sporting a record of 35-28. If they’re not careful though, they could potentially see the Boston Celtics pass them and if the Milwaukee Bucks went on a decent sized run, they might be able to jump over the Bulls as well. The Celtics are only a half game behind them and the Bucks are trailing Chicago by three games. Most likely, the men in green will be able to sprint past the Bulls. As for the Bucks, I can’t really say for sure because it would take a good sized streak and a good number of losses for the Bucks and Bulls respectively. It doesn’t appear as though the Bulls are about to lay down and die, but the Bucks have been sporadic all season long so they may have another winning streak in them.

I had been reading a lot about how great Rose has looked in 5-on-5 drills in practice. In addition, I had been hearing about him dunking with no problem. This was a few weeks ago and when I originally became aware of these stories I thought that he would be back relatively soon. Well, I guess I was wrong to believe such a thing because Rose has still yet to suit up for the Bulls in 2012-13.

As recently as today, ESPN reported that doctors had cleared Rose to play in games. Despite the news, it was also reported that the point guard would not play until he could confidently dunk off his left foot. The problem with that news is that it’s hard to speculate when Rose will return to Chicago’s lineup. Only Rose knows where he’s at with his development. In turn, that leaves us as members of the media or fans of the sport in a helpless situation. All we can do is sit around, keep our eyes and ears open, and wait for the announcement that Rose is making his return.

In all honesty, I’m getting a little bit frustrated with Derrick Rose and I’m sure I’m not the only one. He’s been playing great in practice and he’s dunking again. Not to mention that even before today, doctors had told Rose he could play without any consequences. Physically, Rose is there but it’s the mental aspect that is lagging behind. I understand that’s to be expected because there’s always the thought in the back of your mind that it could happen again. Besides, Rose isn’t know to be the most mentally tough player in the league. If you recall in recent years, Rose almost had a breakdown because he admitted that he wasn’t sure if he could handle the pressure of being a top tier talent on basketball’s biggest stage. I’m not sure if he’s dealing with any private issues but one thing is certain, Derrick Rose is mentally fragile.

Apr 28, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls injured point guard Derrick Rose (1) is helped off the court by medical staff during the fourth quarter in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center. The Bulls won 103-91. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Last year, Rose missed a significant amount of time and only appeared in 39 games. The Bulls were still able to play their way to the top seed in the East Conference going into the post season. In 2012-13 Chicago is already 61 games deep and currently sits in 6th in Eastern Conference. While they have been playing good basketball this season, it doesn’t matter whether they get the first or eighth seed in the East because they aren’t going to win a title without Derrick Rose. If he does in fact return this season, he’ll only be able to play in less than 20 regular season games and then the first round of the post season will be here before he knows it. That’s a big “if” though seeing as Rose has stated that he wouldn’t mind missing this whole season. That’s bad news for the fans in Chicago because that means this is just another year of the Bulls being an above average team but not good enough to win a championship.

Like I said before, only Derrick Rose knows where he’s at on his road to recovery. Anything we hear is just “he said, she said,” until we see him in a Bulls uniform. It will definitely be disappointing if Rose decides to call it a year and he makes us wait to see him play until the 2013-14 season. Plus, Adidas might be knocking on his front door asking for the money they gave him for “The Return” commercial.

Follow @TimMaclean_StS

Feb 22, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Chicago Bulls power forward Taj Gibson (22) fights rebounds against Charlotte Bobcats small forward Jeff Adrien (4) during the second half at Time Warner Arena. Mandatory Credit: Curtis Wilson-USA TODAY Sports

After getting blown out by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night, things didn’t get any better for the Chicago Bulls on Monday as they learned that Taj Gibson will be out for up to two weeks.

Gibson hurt his knee during the game, and later went to get an MRI. A report from the Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson has this to say about the injury,

“At least Gibson’s MRI didn’t reveal a torn ACL, although it did confirm a sprained MCL that could sideline the defensive-minded forward up to two weeks.”

The 6’ 9” Gibson has averaged about 8 points and 5.5 rebounds while playing about 22 minutes a night backing up Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer.

Losing Gibson will be tough for the already short-handed Bulls to deal with. His injuy means that Nazr Mohammed will now be the first big man off the bench.

Gibson is a great defender off the bench, as evidenced by his 1.5 blocks per game and 99.6 defensive rating (17^th in the league). He is able to keep up the level of defense played by Joakim Noah led starting unit.

The Bulls have a tough stretch coming up, including two big games against Eastern Conference foes Indiana and Brooklyn this weekend. And without Gibson, it will be even tougher for this weary Bulls team.

Mar 12, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago Bulls celebrate the 20th anniversary of their first NBA Championship during halftime against the Utah Jazz at the United Center. (L-R) Scott Williams , Tex Winter , Dennis Hopson , John Paxson , Horace Grant , Craig Hodges , Stacey King , Michael Jordan , Will Purdue , Scottie Pippen and Cliff Levingston. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

I think we’re past the point where I need to explain how big of a basketball fan I am. That should be a given by now if you’ve read some of my stuff from the past. But I do want to explain how far it actually goes. From ages 3 until 8 my loving parents allowed me to keep a Little Tikes basketball hoop set up in the living room of our apartment. When we moved to a bigger house when I was 8, they let me devote a whole room to that same hoop. I am, and always have been consumed by basketball. My dad had me shooting baskets and catching stuffed basketballs before I could even walk. On a home video of my 3^rd birthday party, my parents pull me aside and make me tell them the starting lineups of a few teams in the NBA. Even though I clearly watched a ton of hoops before I started pre-school, the game furthest back that I can actually recall sitting down and watching as it happened occurred when I was six years old. It was Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. Coincidentally, this was the last game Michael Jordan ever played in a Chicago Bulls uniform. It’s only appropriate that a basketball fan like me would remember basketball’s greatest legend play in his final meaningful game. And since today is MJ’s 50^th birthday, I thought to myself, “Hey, why don’t I go retro and put together a running diary of this landmark game in NBA history?” So that is exactly what I did. Buckle yourself in, we’re going on a wild ride back to 1998!

Pre-Game
The pre-game introductions starts with Bob Costas describing Game 5 as if it were a dramatic play. I love and miss the NBA on NBC with a passion, but one thing I will give ABC credit for is nailing their pre-game NBA Finals intro. Costas takes the drama theme even further as they show a number of players arriving at the Delta Center for the game, by calling them the cast of characters. Yes, Dennis Rodman is certainly a “character.” We enter the arena and Bob Costas spouts off a bunch of scenarios surrounding this series. He tells us that no team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win an NBA Finals, but six teams have done that in earlier rounds, including 3 teams who went on to win an NBA Championship. He concludes by telling us that if Utah wins this game, then they would have the edge in the series since very few teams have ever won a Game 7 on the road. Essentially, what Bob Costas is telling us is that he has no effing idea what is going to happen.

Costas (well-respected as a sportscaster, but absolutely horrendous as a play-by-play guy for the NBA) is joined by Doug Collins (overqualified for the job) and Isiah Thomas, (even more terrible than Costas) who makes his splash in the pre-game show when he butchers Jordan’s, Pippen’s and Kukoc’s stats from Game 5. Here is what Isiah tells us, word for word:

“Now it took Kukoc 11 field goes… Kukoc made 11 field goals on 42… ugh… on 13 shots… Pippen and Jordan took 42 field goals to combine for 11 field goal attempts. I think for the big three, they gonna have to play well tonight, and all of them gonna have to big effort here Bob.”

Yes, I’m aware that is a grammatical disaster. I’m just quoting the man.

1^st Quarter
Ahmad Rashad and Jim Gray give us the pre-game injury report and we find out that Scottie Pippen is suffering from a back injury and received all different sorts of treatment before the game. Ron Harper has the flu, Howard Eisley has Vertigo, and now I’m Googling the symptoms to Vertigo.

One more thing to keep in mind, in 1998 my Dad and I were huge Bulls fans and oddly enough, my Mom was a semi-insane Jazz fan. My Dad and I watched the game in our living room, and my Mom watched about 15 feet away in our dining room. Tense times in the Giuliano household.

11:40- Pippen scores the first basket of the game on a dunk and aggravates his already injured back. This sets the scene for Michael Jordan having to shoot 35 times.

11:00- Bob Costas tells us that Luc Longley “has contributed little offensively, and been abused defensively by Malone.” Ladies and gentlemen, Luc Longley!

10:45- After Jim Gray tells us pre-game that Karl Malone was going to attack the basket early and often, Malone’s first shot is a fadeaway. Apparently he didn’t get the updated scouting report. I bet Jim Gray didn’t expect to be interviewing LeBron James twelve years later when he decided to take his talents to South Beach. This is probably because LeBron James was 13 years old at the time of this game.

8:49- Costas says he doesn’t want to compare Pippen’s back injury to Jordan’s flu game, but he does anyways. Pippen goes on to do everything he possibly can to make him look like a fool for making the comparison.

7:50- Jordan hits a turnaround jumper over John Stockton for his first score of the game. Bulls are up 10-8. After seeing how Stockton acknowledged that nobody would be able to distinguish him as a member of the Dream Team on NBA TV’s The Dream Team special, I can’t help but think he would also be able to acknowledge that guarding Jordan in the post might be a little bit of a tall order for him.

7:00- Scottie Pippen connects on a jump hook and falls hard to the court afterwards. He can barely run back down the court. His gait is very similar to Mike Miller’s.

My DVD fast forwards to about 3 minutes left in 1^st quarter and Chicago up 18-14. Jordan is in the game with Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Bill Wennington and someone named Scott Burrell. I don’t know this for sure, but I have to imagine that as long as Jordan is on the court with this group, he is going to be shooting the ball approximately 97% of the time.

2:20- Jeff Hornacek hits a transition 3 and the roof comes off at Delta Center. It still holds true to a degree, but Utah used to have an absolutely insane home crowd. The OKC/Utah comparisons definitely are warranted. And by the way, when is the next time an NBA player is going to have the nickname “Horny”?

0:15- A great sequence to bring the 1^st quarter to an end: A Karl Malone runner followed by a Jordan jumper over Bryon Russell (foreshadowing!!!), topped off by another Malone runner plus the foul to put Utah up 25-22 at the end of the quarter. This great play by the incredibly muscular Malone leads to Doug Collins saying “See Bob, that’s what I’m talking about being aggressive… Isiah. Taking the ball to the basket.” Not only does Doug Collins have to do his best to pull Isiah out of his comatose state, but he also has to deal with Bob Costas calling the game like he’s a radio announcer. Collins is doing his best 2007 LeBron James impression in this three-man announce booth.

2^nd Quarter
The 2^nd quarter starts with much less than a bang. On the court to kick things off are Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Jud Buechler, Bill Wennington, Ron Harper, Scott Burrell, Shandon Anderson, Howard Eisley, Antoine Carr, Greg Foster and Chris Morris. Let me quickly recap the happenings of that horrible 3 minute stretch of basketball… Two horrible Greg Foster turnovers, a few Kukoc heavy possessions for Chicago, and a 30 footer from Howard Eisley that was waved off because of a shot clock violation, even though it clearly wasn’t.

DVD fast forwards to 5:52 left in 2^nd quarter and Utah leads 34-33. Ahmad Rashad tells us it’s uncertain if Pippen will return. So much for Flu Game part II.

5:40- With Jordan at the free throw line, Bob Costas, oozing with informational nuggets, tells us that Jordan hasn’t missed a game since returning from baseball. In the Bulls six title seasons Jordan missed a total of 6 games. Taking it a step further, aside from the ’85-’86 season where Jordan broke his ankle, and the ’94-’95 season where he played in the final 17 games of the season after returning from retirement, Jordan missed only 7 games in his entire career. That’s absolutely crazy. The man was a workhorse.

3:50- Malone scores in the paint with Rodman guarding him, and good lord is Karl Malone jacked. I get the body comparisons to LeBron to a degree, but nobody in the NBA right now has bigger arms that Karl Malone did. He’s got 18 for the game. At the other end, Jordan answers with a 3 bringing his point total to 19. Game’s tied, 39-39.

3:15- Not to be outdone by MJ, Karl Malone hits a fadeaway jumper over Rodman to bring his total up to 20 for the game. Bob Costas is talking like he has a fuzzy feeling in his stomach.

For some odd reason, my DVD decides to fast forward through the remaining 2 minutes of the 1^st half. Going into the 3^rd quarter Utah leads 49-45.

3^rd Quarter
11:40- Karl Malone blows by Luc Longley for an easy lay in. Longley’s feet move slower than the water level rises in the Great Salt Lake. Not to be outdone, Adam Keefe gets burned by Toni Kukoc on the other end. RIP to the era where guys like Luc Longley and Adam Keefe are starters in an NBA Finals game.

The DVD fast forwards a bit to half way through the 3^rd quarter. Utah is leading 54-51.We see a clip of Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman getting tangled up 3 times, and both falling over 3 straight times. Later in the summer of 1998, Dennis Rodman would team with Hollywood Hulk Hogan to face Karl Malone and Diamond Dallas Page at WCW’s Bash at the Beach pay-per-view.

4:10- Jerry Sloan calls on Antoine Carr to enter the game. Carr sprints over to the scorer’s tables, rips off his warm up jacket and throws it as hard as he could to the ground. He looks like an overexcited mid-card wrestler who is about to enter the Royal Rumble.

1:30- Isiah Thomas tells us that Luc Longley needs to get involved in the Chicago offense. Apparently the Knicks didn’t get ahold of the commentary from this game before they hired Isiah as President of Basketball Operations AND Head Coach.

3^rd quarter ends with a badly missed Luc Longley jumper, then an Adam Keefe layup over Longley with one tenth of a second left. Longley doesn’t play at all in the 4^th quarter. Utah leads 66-61.

4^th Quarter
11:10- Jordan hits a jumper over Shandon Anderson which leads Bob Costas to exclaim, “He’s still Michael Jordan.” I think Costas was the only one who was confused about this concept.

10:30- Dennis Rodman hits a 20 foot jumper and gives an exaggerated shrug afterwards. Shades of MJ in 1992. Bulls trail 68-67.

9:40- Chris Morris scores on a nice baseline reverse lay-up. Chicago calls timeout and the Delta Center blasts “Are you ready for this?” I miss the days where arena’s played music like this instead of LMFAO and Pitbull.

9:16- We see a close-up of Jud Buechler during a timeout after Isiah calls him the X-Factor for the Bulls right now. The amount of shoulder and chest hair Buechler has makes it easy for me to identify with him. I’m looking for a Jud Buechler jersey on eBay right now.

7:27- Jordan is attacking the basket relentlessly. On top of the 35 shots he took in this game, Jordan would also take 15 free throws. 45 points on 35 shots isn’t terribly efficient, but look at the offensive weapons Jordan had alongside him this game. A hobbled Pippen and Toni Kukoc were his next best options. And keep in mind; this was the 103^rd game of the season for the Bulls, and the 304^th game that a 35 year old Jordan had played since November 1995. He was running on empty.

5:45- NBC shows the stat line for Dennis Rodman on the night: 6 points, 7 rebounds, 4 fouls, 1 exaggerated Jordanesque shrug, 12 piercings, 3 different colors in his hair, roughly 30 tattoos, and 1 future appearance on Celebrity Mole (which he would win). In retrospect, it’s really surprising that Dennis Rodman isn’t the NBA player that changed his name to Metta World Peace. Buechler update: There are no jersey’s on eBay (I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised), but there are a decent amount of autographed basketball cards listed for cheap prices. I’m tempted.

3:00- After a missed three, Jordan intercepts a long outlet pass from Hornacek to Russell. One thing that gets lost in the shuffle when talking about MJ is not only what a great defender he was, but also his sense of the moment. We know about the game winning shots, but MJ had a knack for making more plays late in games other than just scoring. More on this in a second.

2:30- After a Karl Malone wing jumper, the Jazz lead 83-79. Jordan has 37, Malone has 31.

1:10- Stockton misses a three pointer late in the shot clock, and Jordan collects his first and only rebound of the game. Jordan also had just one assist. Not exactly filling the stat sheet, but he did what he had to do for Chicago to get the win. Oops, spoiler alert.

0:42- Hard to believe it, but this is the first real mention of John Stockton so far, perhaps the greatest pure point guard of all-time. After two MJ free throws, Stockton buries a three from the right wing and the Delta Center erupts. Also, as this was happening at the time, my mom just went nuts from the dining room and I likely started crying. I can’t say this for sure, but she probably laughed at me if I did cry. She was obsessed with the Utah Jazz. She had no idea her heart was about to be ripped out by one Michael Jeffrey Jordan.

0:37- After a timeout, Chicago scores quickly after MJ blows by Bryon Russell and finishes the lay up over Antoine Carr. At the time, every Utah Jazz fan within the Delta Center was fearfully chanting “Let’s Go Jazz!” Now, if there are any reading this, they are probably cringing knowing what is about to happen next.

0:30- You might as well just watch how it unfolds.

On one hand, it is fitting for the consensus “Greatest player of all-time” to end his final game with 45 points and a game winning dagger on the road. On the other hand, and forgive me for bringing this up, this 45 point performance isn’t nearly as impressive as LeBron James’s overall brilliance in the NBA Finals last year, or the stretch he’s in the midst of right now. But that’s another discussion for another time.

Happy Birthday, MJ.

Dec 29, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) dunks the ball against the Washington Wizards during the second half at the United Center. Chicago defeats Washington 87-77. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls are charging through the NBA. And yet, they’re still hovering in the middle of the Eastern Conference, and can be unconvincing against weaker clubs. For example, they gifted the Charlotte Bobcats a win on new year’s eve, only narrowly beat the Orlando Magic a couple of days later, and then struggled with the feeble Cleveland Cavaliers. The other problem is that their leader and best player, Derick Rose, is still rehabbing his injured knee. Kirk Heinrich may wear stylish goggles, but he’s not quite the head turner Rose is.

So as you might expect, without Rose in the line-up, Chicago doesn’t seem to scare teams the way they should, especially those plucky enough to stare them down. After all, their makeshift backcourt is full of journeyed veterans, while big men Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah are often seen to undermine the group as much as impact it—one being too soft, the other sometimes going in too hard.

But that’s all just perception, not reality. When both Noah and Boozer play with determination, like in their recent showing against the reigning champs, the Miami Heat, the results can be devastating. In particular, Chicago’s front court, including Luol Deng and Taj Gibson, can rebound with ferocity. When facing a poor rebounding team like Miami, that’s a tasty recipe on par with the city’s deep dish pizza. In their recent meeting, the Bulls out-swept the Heat on the glass 48-28 (with a whopping 19-4 on the offensive end). And you guessed it, Noah and Boozer led  with 12 boards apiece.

What I really like about their combined effort against the Heat, is the sharing of responsibility. They split their rebounding tally evenly on the offensive and defensive ends, and also shot the ball with efficiency (Boozer was 12 of 17 for 27 points, Noah 5 of 11 for 13 points). The Bulls can compete with anyone in the East when their bigs see red like this—even without their spectacular playmaker, Rose. Boozer and Noah realize this, which is why seeing them stand-up to LeBron James and Co. is exciting.

Noah was said to be fighting through a flu before the game, and yet he was relentless in attack. You have to hand it to the Bulls’ center, who may irritate opponents with his self-proclaimed energy—pogoing, reaching and clawing at the play whenever he can. He may not be as reflective or eloquent as his father, tennis great Yannick Noah, but he’s equally instinctive, and willing to scrap for mere inches.

While the Heat like to skip behind the defense and toss up lobs, or isolate James, or Dwayne Wade—constantly seeking highlight-reel dunks—the Bulls tend to tough it out in the paint. They set picks, find spaces, and make clever bounce passes to players moving to the hoop. They chase up missed shots, and challenge the interior. In this recent defeat of their relatively new rival, the Bulls outscored Miami inside 46-34. Some of these differentials may seem trivial in January. But when you consider they’re doing all this without their catalyst, Rose, a player who makes his living at the rim, then the sky might just be the limit for these Bulls.

No they can’t fly—not without Rose. But they’ll hang around, and in a long NBA season, that can be equally valuable for a championship run.

Dec 22, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Chicago Bulls point guard Nate Robinson (2) in action against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports

Nate Robinson may be playing for his job every single game until January 10th for the Chicago Bulls, but it’s nothing new for the scrappy 28 year old point guard. Until the 10th of January, the Bulls can waive Robinson at no cost to them, a stipulation that was a part of the $1.1 million non-guaranteed contract he signed during the offseason. If Robinson were to leave the Bulls and be picked up elsewhere, it would make it his sixth career team and fifth in four seasons. Once the whipping boy for the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, Robinson seems to have finally matured and deserves to retain his place on the Bulls’ roster to finally find some solidarity in his career.

In 28 games for the Chicago Bulls, Robinson has thus far matched his form last season with the Golden State Warriors, where he played 51 games. Robinson is contributing 11.2 points, 3.5 assists and 2 rebounds per contest on 43% shooting from the field. His figures are more than enough to warrant a contract, but that isn’t the issue at hand. His on-court performance wasn’t the issue either when he was without a free agent offer in 2009, despite a career best year that saw Robinson put up 17.2 points, 4.1 assist and 3.9 rebounds per contest. The issue has always, and will always be, the maturity of the native of Seattle.

Robinson has been a magnet of controversy and criticism from the start of his career, intensified by the bright lights of his first home at the New York Knicks. Acquiring from the Suns on a draft day trade, Robinson came to the Knicks in 2006 following a disappointing 33-49 season beforehand. As a first round pick, expectations were high for the former Husky who managed to perform well in 72 games during his rookie year. But trouble off the court had already begun to find him, with Robinson reportedly clashing with teammate Malik Rose and Denver’s J.R. Smith on separate occasions; the latter earning him a 10 game suspension. Later in December 2009, Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni clashed with Nate Robinson over his decision not to play Robinson.  The saga wore on through December, culminating when Robinson’s agent Aaron Goodwin publicly requested his client be moved. In February, Robinson was dealt to the contending Boston Celtics.

The move away from the Knicks saw the beginning of the new Nate Robinson. His statistics went down across with board along with his minutes, but his reputation began the slow but sure process of repairing itself after five tough years with the Knicks. His mettle was tested however, as he was benched in April 2010, merely four months after his last DNP-CD. The Celtics faithful held their  collective breath in fear their new acquisition would lash out as he did in New York and disrupt the team’s preparation for the playoffs. However, Robinson surprised the basketball world with his surprisingly humble stance on the matter.

“Whenever my number is called, I’ll be ready to play. I know he has his guys that have been here for a while. I just have to wait, and whenever my number is called, however many minutes I play, just be ready to produce and help this team get over that extra hump.” Robinson told CSN New England at the time.

The work on repairing his character has translated to new contract offers and a chance to play premium minutes again. Starting with the Warriors and then with the Bulls, Robinson has gone from a man who cost himself dollars and minutes with his me-first attitude to an asset who’s now known as a scoring combo guard with hustle that will keep him in the league long after his 43 inch vertical leap has diminished.

Don’t take the new found selflessness to mean Nate Robinson isn’t still about having fun though. He ran into strife in October for throwing an off-the-backboard alley oop pass to Jimmy Lucas for a breakaway dunk in the second quarter of the Bulls’ 100-94 victory over the Bucks. Coach Tom Thibodeau wasn’t thrilled, but managed to find a positive within it.

via Chicago Sun-Times

“Yeah, we talked about it,’’ Thibodeau said. “Obviously I didn’t like the play. I like the unselfishness, though, and I told him that. I liked the fact that he saw Jimmy coming down, and he wanted to drop it off to him and let him score. Other than that play, I thought he did a lot of good things for us. I just want him to channel that the right way. I want him to make winning basketball plays, and I want that to be first and foremost, and I think it’s important to respect the game.”

The Chicago Bulls are carrying a guard heavy rotation at the moment with Kirk Hinrich, Marquis Teague, Marco Belinelli and Richard Hamilton all joining Robinson in the backcourt rotation. With it seeming more and more likely that we’ll see Derrick Rose back on the hardwood this season, it seems like someone has to leave the Windy City to free up some minutes in the rotation. Cutting anyone from that talented backcourt will be tough, but the Bulls will be making a big mistake if the man that goes is the rejuvenated Nate Robinson.

Apr 25, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) shoots as Indiana Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough (50) defends at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

Derrick Rose
Resume: 21.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 35.3 minutes, 44% FG, 31% 3PT, and 81% FT… Team record in games played: 32-7 (18-9 without)… Playoffs: 23 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 1-0 record (1-4 without)… All-Star, 11th in MVP Voting

Hey football fans, remember last season when Peyton Manning missed the whole year and the Colts stumbled to 2-14 record with the three-headed monster of Curtis Painter, Dan Orlovsky and Kerry Collins at quarterback? I made the case that Peyton Manning should’ve won MVP because the Colts stunk like rotten egg fart without him. Well last season Derrick Rose missed a good chunk of time and the Bulls managed to win 67% of their games without Rose. Even though he was off to another MVP caliber year (highlighted by a pretty convincing outplaying of Chris Paul and a furious comeback vs. Atlanta early in the season), the loss of Rose didn’t feel nearly as drastic as the Peyton Manning situation because the Bulls were so good defensively and so well coached. Then the playoffs started and Derrick Rose tragically went down in the 4^th quarter of game one, a game the Bulls were leading by double digits with less than two minutes left. In that moment, you instantly knew that the Bulls had absolutely no chance of making an extended run in the playoffs.

I don’t know if the recipe to winning a title is having your point guard shoot 23 times a game and only shoot 39 % from the field (Rose’s 2011 playoff stats). However, it became very clear that the Bulls championship recipe was missing a key ingredient when their most talented player (one of the most talented and God-given athletic players in the league) was suddenly on the sideline with a torn ACL. It became a double-whammy when we all started to see that Rose the heart and soul of the Bulls as well. When Rose was on the ground writhing in pain you could almost sense the Bulls conceding their season. It was like the city of Chicago was hit with the worst stomach punch you could imagine and the collective air of the city was lost in that very instant. It was a totally devastating for Rose, the Bulls, Chicago and the NBA.

As someone who obviously is a die-hard basketball fan, the Rose injury hit me pretty hard. You don’t want any players to get injured like that, but Rose would’ve been a top three guy on my wish-list going into last season of players you absolutely do not want to suffer a career altering injury. It goes deeper than the obvious reasons like the fact that his all-world speed, quickness, jumping ability, athleticism and shiftiness all could be drastically compromised. From what we know about Derrick Rose, it seems like he has an insatiable love for the game of basketball and it’s hard not to feel for a guy like that when it’s taken away from him so swiftly.

Can Rose come back and be the player he was prior to the injury? With all of the advancements in surgery it’s not totally far-fetched to believe that if Adrian Peterson can come back from a torn ACL in less than 10 months and have a pro-bowl caliber season, then Derrick Rose can return at some point and remain one of the NBA’s best players. If Rose can retain 90% of his explosiveness then he might come back as a better player than he was before. Maybe Rose returns with a better understanding of the game, a more consistent jump shot and an even greater hunger to be the best player in the world. It’s not out of the question. However, there is some uncertainly. I initially had Rose ranked in the mid-teens because there were question marks surrounding when he would return and how effective he would be when he did return. Some of those question marks disappeared, or at least momentarily became irrelevant when I watched the series of “The Return of D Rose” videos on You Tube. Watch the videos and try to tell yourself Rose can’t make it all the way back. It’s impossible.

Apr 28, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls injured point guard Derrick Rose (1) is helped off the court by medical staff during the fourth quarter in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center. The Bulls won 103-91. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-US PRESSWIRE

• DERRICK ROSE, PG, Chicago Bulls
  Last season: 35.3 MPG, 21.8 PPG, 7.9 APG, 23.10 PER
  I get it, listing Derrick Rose as the Bulls’ X-Factor is weak and certainly not my attempt to be labelled a rocket scientist anytime soon. We can claim we believe in the Bulls even without him (record-wise, this checks out to a certain degree), but let’s be honest, they go as far as he takes them. Trying to pin down an exact time at which Rose will make his season debut is anyone’s guess, and trust me there are scattered reports. I’ve heard some say Christmas, some mid-March, others say he’ll miss the entire season and some (though the name escapes me) are saying he’ll be ready for opening night. Take your pick. The bottom line is that Derrick Rose is one of the most important players in the Eastern Conference and league, let alone his own team. So while it seems simple to state this, I’m of the opinion that his team doesn’t even make the playoffs if his return is closer to that mid-March date. Is D-Rose an X-Factor? It’s arguably that he is THE X-Factor. The rocket scientists concur.
• 

  Jan 6, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao (17) prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. Cleveland defeated Minnesota 98-87. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-US PRESSWIRE

  ANDERSON VAREJAO, C, Cleveland Cavaliers
  Last season: 31.4 MPG, 10.8 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 18.93 PER (25 games)
  Kyrie Irving is the Cavs best player, hands down, it’s not even disputable. However, “best” and “important” can sometimes carry different weightings. Anderson Varejao represents the Cavs entire defensive identity. His energy and relentless hustle encapsulate what this young team should try to be on the defensive end. Varejao’s 2011-12 season was over in early February, during which he acculated 14 double-doubles in 25 games. With some extremely young players (Thompson, Samuels, Zeller, Leuer) behind him in the depth chart, the Cavs NEED Varejao to stay on the floor and be that embodiment of defense if they want to contend for a playoff spot in the East. Varejao’s offensive numbers will look even better this season as well, playing a full schedule with Irving running the show.

• 

  Mar. 16, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Detroit Pistons guard (3) Rodney Stuckey controls the ball against Phoenix Suns guard (31) Sebastian Telfair at the US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Pistons 109-101. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

  RODNEY STUCKEY, SG, Detroit Pistons
  Last season: 29.9 MPG, 14.8 PPG, 3.8 APG, 17.62 PER
  When I tell you that the Detroit Pistons backcourt is thin, I’m talking LeAnn Rimes thin. The days of Billups/Hamilton are long gone and now they have Stuckey and Brandon Knight, a second year player, representing the guard situation. Listed on their depth chart right now in the backup roles are the undersized Will Bynum at point guard and rookie Kim English at shooting guard. Scary would be an understatement. Stuckey is the key to this mess. While Greg Monroe will take over as the number one option on offense, Stuckey (with his 5 years of NBA service and slight production drop last season) is the default leader in the backcourt. Even though Brandon Knight improved over the course of his rookie season and will now assume a bigger role in the offense, I think Stuckey has a near obligation to bring his numbers up and better match up with the other premier shooting guards in the league. If not, the Pistons go from bad to worse.

• 

  May 8, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers shooting guard George Hill (3) dribbles the ball against Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson (14) during game five in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeated Orlando 105-87. Mandatory Credit: Michael Hickey-US PRESSWIRE

  GEORGE HILL, PG, Indiana Pacers
  Last season: 25.5 MPG, 9.6 PPG, 2.9 APG, 15.77 PER
  Sometimes it simply comes down to the weakest starter being the most important piece of the puzzle. While he’ll replace Darren Collison and split some minutes with newly acquired D.J. Augustin, George Hill is expected to take over starting point guard duties in Indiana. Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert, David West and the improving Paul George comprise one of the strongest starting combinations in the league. George Hill is the only question mark, and that could be considered reaching. Historically, Hill has never been a big assist guy (2.5 per game over 24.8 MPG in his career), but that may change this year, given that he will be responsible for being the primary playmaker and the guy with the responsibility to get the ball to the first four scoring options mentioned above. If Hill averages another 25-30 minutes per game, expect his assist number to shoot up. With his added ability to score when necessary and even defend a bit, expect Hill to help push the Pacers deeper into the playoffs.

• 

  April 13, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings (3) during first quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE

  BRANDON JENNINGS, PG, Milwaukee Bucks
  Last season: 35.3 MPG, 19.1 PPG, 5.5 APG, 18.46 PER
  This is the year that Jennings needs to take the next step, and I’m not talking about scoring. At 19.1 PPG, he’s proven he can score. I wrote earlier that I didn’t think Jennings was an elite point guard, because of his lack of assists and his spotty shot selection, and I completely stand by that. Perhaps a more crucial attribute that Jennings needs to strengthen for his team to succeed is his leadership. He needs to be the catalyst to bring this team together. Between himself and his star backcourt teammate Monta Ellis, scoring the basketball is easy. The Bucks have solid role players but really no real star talent elsewhere on the roster. Jennings needs to facilitate, distribute the basketball and reassess his shot selection. That is what’s going to help this team climb into the playoff picture in the East, not dropping 35 points on 13 for 31 shooting. If he grows, the team grows.

Joe Johnson (35)
Resume: 18.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 35.5 minutes, 125 threes made (8th in league), 45% FG, 39% 3PT, and 85% FT (career best)… Team record in games played: 36-24 (4-2 without)… Playoffs: 17.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 40.5 minutes, 37% FG, 75% FT, 2-4 record… All-Star, 15th in MVP Voting

Luol Deng (34)
Resume: 15.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists (career best), 1.0 steals, 39.4 minutes (1st in league, career best), 41% FG, 37% 3PT, and 77% FT… Team record in games played: 42-12 (8-4 without)… Playoffs: 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 46% FG, 36% 3PT (career best), 57% FT, 2-4 record… All-Star, 2nd Team All-Defense

Apr 17, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger (33) shoots a jump shot during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

I hope this move doesn’t ruffle any feathers and turn people against me like I’m LeBron James, but I made the executive decision to group Danny Granger, Joe Johnson and Luol Deng together in one post. These are my rankings, so technically I can do whatever I want with them. Remember two weeks ago when I introduced the criteria for this list and made the point that as long as I gave you my reasoning you sort of have to take my word for it? It was basically the same premise as the Declaration of Independence? Well, I’m using those grounds to include these two players together and it’s probably going to happen again, so get used to it. Besides the fact that this is an attempt to cut down on my word count (an attempt that will all but certainly fail), it really does make sense to group together three players who have been forced into playing roles they shouldn’t be required to handle.

In the aforementioned criteria, one of the things I mentioned being important was a player’s role and how well he fit that role. It’s the exact reason why Serge Ibaka would make this top 50 list and Tyreke Evans wouldn’t. Ibaka is the 4^th best player on Oklahoma City, but he is the league’s most destructive help side defender/shot blocker, and as I mentioned before, the current title holder of Greatest Serge of All-Time. You can’t forget that little nugget. When Serge Ibaka is the 4^th best guy on your team, you are in good shape. Evans is the number one perimeter scoring option for the Kings but doesn’t even score 17 points per game. Evans’ role is more important than Ibaka’s, but he doesn’t fit that role nearly as well as he should. Ideally, Evans would end up the 6^th man on a title contender and provide an instant spark off the bench, because he clearly can’t continue to be looked at as the top perimeter scoring option. Along those lines, Luol Deng, Joe Hohnson and Danny Granger have both been miscast in their roles. Danny Granger and Joe Johnson are classic examples of a 2^nd fiddles being forced to be “the man” on a good team, and Luol Deng is suited to be the 2^nd or 3^rd best player on a title contender, but this year was frequently forced to be the number one option with Derrick Rose out a good portion of the year.

July 13, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson addresses the media at a press conference at Brooklyn Borough Hall. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

Nobody can convince me that Danny Granger or Joe Johnson can be the best player on a title team. You can’t do it. I dare you, try it. As much as I really like the Indiana Pacers (and trust me I like them a whole bunch. I just about wrote off Miami after Indiana went up 2-1 in the 2^nd round), they are not winning an NBA title with Danny Granger leading the way, just like the Hawks weren’t going to with Joe Johnson as their “marquee guy” either. First, look at Granger, who statistically he has been slipping for the last 3 seasons. Is a player who shoots 42% and scores only 19 points per game really going to lead you to a title? I’ll let Vince McMahon answer that one. If you watched the playoffs you didn’t need to know anything about the statistics to see that Granger wasn’t a number one guy. He was never going to close out a game with such cold bloodedness as Kevin Durant did against the Spurs. He most certainly wasn’t going to put up a 40-18-9 game like LeBron James did. Unfortunately, he was on the losing end of that 40-18-9 game.

Isn’t Joe Johnson the same exact player as Danny Granger? Someone who doesn’t even score 20 points per game, but has somehow convinced everyone he is good enough to be the best guy on a title team? The Hawks were hoodwinked when they gave Joe Johnson the biggest contract (6 years, $119 million) of any 2010 Free Agent (a travesty considering LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Amare’ Stoudemire were all better players at that point than Johnson). One individual was hoodwinked when they were foolish enough to toss a 5^th place MVP vote at Johnson this year. Seemingly, no one has caught on that year after year when Johnson is supposed to shoulder the heavy burden in the postseason he continuously disappears.

In a perfect basketball world Danny Granger and Joe Johnson would be the 2^nd or 3^rd best players on a really good team; a team that could win a championship. That’s why Joe Johnson going to Brooklyn is slightly exciting. If the Nets can get a few more pieces to put around Williams and Johnson they could thrive. A decade ago the story was the same with former Indiana Pacer Reggie Miller. As many great “Miller Time” moments that there have been, Reggie was never good enough as “the man” to win a championship. You have to give credit where credit is due though. The success of Indiana weighed heavily on the success of Danny Granger, and you can’t make that kind of connection with players who don’t matter. As Bill Simmons stated in his 2012 NBA Playoff preview, in Pacers wins Danny Granger averaged 20.5 points on 43.6% shooting. In Pacers losses Granger averaged 15.2 points on 37.2% shooting. That theory checks out. In the playoffs Granger averaged 19.7 points on 41.5% shooting in wins, 13.8 points on 36.8 shooting in losses.

April 15, 2012; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chicago Bulls small forward Luol Deng (9) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons center Greg Monroe (10) during the first quarter at The Palace. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

Funny story: I was talking to my roommate Wes, a Chicago Bulls fan, about the top 50 list and he took a look at it and seemed legitimately surprised that I had put Deng in the top 40. “Wow, my boy Luol Deng in the top 40?” Yes, Luol Deng in the top 40. I couldn’t tell if he didn’t think Deng would necessarily get ranked that high, or if he didn’t really think of Deng as that good of a player. An even funnier story: For about 2 solid weeks when I was first putting together the list (after I had gathered the statistics of about 85 players) I completely forgot about Luol Deng. I double, triple and quadruple checked the list of about 85 to make sure I didn’t leave anyone out, and to my knowledge I didn’t. When it came time to make the list, I simply forgot about him. I didn’t have him included until I saw him at the Summer Olympics battling with a lackluster supporting cast for Great Britain.

This is partly to do with the fact that constructing this list was much more work than I expected it to be. It also has something to do with the fact that for a good portion of the season Luol Deng was forced to be the interim alpha dog for a championship contender. In most cases that puts the player in more of a spot light, but Deng thrives so well in a complementary role he didn’t stand out nearly as much when the expectations were upped. Sure, Chicago got away with it and succeeded without Derrick Rose in the regular season, but it wasn’t strictly because of Deng. Statistically, there was a miniscule difference in Deng’s numbers when Rose was in the lineup compared to when he was out (I actually went through the entire schedule and worked it out, and when I saw that there was virtually no difference I didn’t save the numbers out of frustration for wasting an hour of my time). Chicago succeeded because of great defense and great coaching. I have to give credit where credit is due though. Luol Deng was a worthy all-star this year. He’s one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders and could very easily be the 2^nd or 3^rd best player on an NBA champion. But just like Granger and Johnson, he isn’t a number one guy and never will be.

#33 on the list will be announced on Thursday September 27th.

February 28, 2011; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards shooting guard Jordan Crawford (15) leaps to pass the ball between Chicago Bulls center Omer Asik (3) and forward Taj Gibson (22) in the first half at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-US PRESSWIRE

Super-Secret Stat: In the 747 minutes they played together last season for the Chicago Bulls, Taj Gibson and Omer Asik allowed a defensive rating of 86.4.  That number was the Bulls’ best among their top 25 most-used tandems and 8.9 points better than the team’s league-leading mark of 95.3.

Analysis: We’ll find out a lot about the Chicago Bulls and Tom Thibodeau this season, a team that will play without the 2011 MVP for half the year and one whose roster underwent a dramatic, if understated, overhaul in the offseason.  Frankly, if this were most any other organization with most any other coach at the helm, preseason prognostications predicting a Chicago playoff run in 2013 would be blasphemous.  But this is  the Rose-era Bulls and this is Thibodeau, and to expect such a significant drop-off isn’t prudent even given the new challenges this team will face once training camp opens in two weeks.

And putting the extended leave of Rose aside, there isn’t a bigger one than how the Bulls will adjust to playing without the departed Omer Asik, one of basketball’s most effective defenders and free agent signee of the Houston Rockets.  It sounds funny to say that the absence of a player who averaged just 15 minutes per game last season could have such a profound impact on a top-tier team like Chicago, especially when he’s a backup to one of the league’s best young centers in Joakim Noah.  But that’s how good Asik was defensively in his carefully managed minutes last season; he made Noah – a stellar, versatile interior defender that oft serves as Chicago’s on-court pulse – a fairly regular spectator down the stretch of close games.

But there’s a caveat here and it’s big, one that will prove instrumental in Asik’s career development as a Rocket and, more important for the purpose of this post, what it means for the Bulls in this season and ones to follow.  It’s today’s super-secret stat and whether or not Taj Gibson will be able to continue his nearly unmatched defensive prowess without the help of his Turkish frontcourt mate.

With Gibson’s continued development and the ever-underwhelming defense of Carlos Boozer last season, calls for increased minutes for the former were no longer hushed and ever-prevalent.  The difference in the Bulls team speed, quickness, and defense was clear as day to the naked eye when Gibson replaced Boozer in the lineup, and advanced statistics painted a very similar picture.  But this is where the need to dig even deeper into these complicated metrics is pertinent, because the numbers of Gibson were supplemented by the fact he played the majority of his minutes alongside Asik and vice-versa.  58% of Gibson’s floor-time was spent with Asik, and even more with the face-lifted group of Chicago’s defensively dominant bench units.

The Bulls signed veteran center Nazr Mohommed in the offseason to replace Asik, but logical signs point to Thibodeau shortening his post rotation in the long haul to a Noah-Boozer-Gibson triumvirate, and play smaller with Luol Deng at the 4 more frequently, too.  So, with an expanded role and Asik wreaking havoc in Houston, will Gibson’s huge defensive – and overall, it should be noted – impact carry over into 2013?

There’s no way to tell for sure, but his limited time on the floor with Noah last season is of great interest nonetheless.  The two yielded a defensive rating of 93.7 in 311 minutes last season, an exceptional mark still better than Chicago’s top-ranked average but one that pales in comparison to that of Gibson-Asik.  But just as important, the Bulls enjoyed a huge uptick offensively with Gibson-Noah manning the paint; their offensive rating in that same timeframe was an awesome 109.4.

Like with any roster change, it appears there is give and take with Asik’s departure.  Smallish historical sample size tells us when Gibson is on the floor in 2012-2013 the Bulls won’t be so otherworldly on defense but will be better on the other end, a take-off Thibodeau and company could surely stomach.  But there are just too many ancillary factors at play here – no Rose, new bench pieces, Deng’s health – to say that development is likely, meaning Chicago needs to pay close attention to Gibson’s effectiveness to keep pace in the East.

Apr 28, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) shoots past Philadelphia 76ers power forward Elton Brand (42) during the first half in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-US PRESSWIRE

Joakim Noah
Resume: 10.2 points, 9.8 rebounds (10th in league), 2.5 assists (career best), 1.4 blocks, 30.4 minutes, 51% FG, and 75% FT (career best)… Team record in games played: 48-16 (2-0 without)… Playoffs: 15.0 points (career best), 9.3 rebounds, 73% FG, 1-2 record (1-2 without)

Even though I’m officially a Connecticut Huskies basketball fan (for now, that could definitely change seeing as though their whole program is falling apart), back in the day I enjoyed myself some Florida Gators basketball. You could make the case that in college sports I’m a bandwagon fan, and you could definitely say I’m influenced by who my friends or family like (in this case it was my cousin Pauley Clark). But my favorite player for those back to back National Championship teams was Joakim Noah. How couldn’t you love the goofy looking guy with the big hair who screamed his face off after a dunk and flexed his muscles when he swatted a shot out of bounds. Plus, he danced the greatest jig of all-time after Florida won the SEC Championship in 2007, leaving Bill Raftery laughing hysterically and Verne Lundquist with nothing to do but repeatedly say “Ladies and gentlemen, Joakim Noah.”

A few years later, I saw a different side of Joakim Noah. When the Bulls became relevant in the Eastern Conference and Noah and LeBron started going at it both on and off the court, I saw the Joakim Noah that every non-Florida fan hated. He’s the dirty, loud, irritating, goofy looking guy with the big hair who flexed his muscles after he swatted a shot out of bounds and screamed his face off after a dunk. The funny thing is that it wouldn’t matter at all if he never stepped on the court. If Joakim Noah was a player the caliber of Aaron Gray, he would be irrelevant. But Joakim Noah is far from Aaron Gray. Noah fits the mold of every player past and present who gets under the skin of every opposing player not only because he’s a jerk, but because he’s a good player on top of that. Of course, as a basketball fan, you despise this guy with every fiber of your being if he’s not on your favorite team. It may be because they are annoying. It may be because they are dirty. It may be because you think they are the antichrist. You know the type; Bad Boy Pistons, Bad Boy Knicks, Anderson Varejao, Ron Artest/Metta World Peace, Glen Davis and Nate Robinson during their brief Shrek and Donkey stage, Bruce Bowen, DeShawn Stevenson, and every Argentinian/Spanish player (I’m looking at you Rudy Fernandez). Joakim Noah definitely belongs on that list.

Whether you love Joakim Noah or whether you hate him, you have to appreciate that is a vital component of the defensive minded, toughness driven Chicago Bulls. He’s the defensive anchor of the team which is statistically the best in basketball. He’s a near elite rebounder and also the instant energy guy that can find a spot on any roster. Sure, Chicago was out of the championship picture when Derrick Rose tore his ACL in game one of the first round, but the final nail in Chicago’s first round coffin was when Joakim Noah sprained his left ankle in game two.

The highest praise you could give someone in the game of basketball is saying you’d want them on your team in a big game. I can honestly say that Joakim Noah is one of those guys. He’s a big game player, a tough dude and a smart basketball player who is not only able, but definitely willing to do all of the dirty work for his team. You want to go to war with Joakim Noah on your side, if only because he is a giant pain to deal with if he’s on the other side.