Thursday, October 7, 2010
Posted on October 7, 2010 at 07:19 PM.
CHICAGO (AP) - For Chicago Bulls Center Joakim Noah, facing the undersized Detroit Pistons' front-court was just what he needed to really get things going early on this season. Noah scored 13 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, and swatted away 8 shots to lead the Bulls (2-0) to victory over the Pistons (1-2). Derrick Rose also added 22 points and 5 assists, picking up right where he left off against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
After the game, Noah gave quite the interview, which is nothing less than fans and reporters have come to expect. "It definitely helps being three or four inches taller than the guys you're facing. [Ben] Wallace and [Jason] Maxiell are both very good players down in the post, but I really used my size to my advantage out there tonight."
Rookie Greg Monroe shined, scoring 15 points on an impressive 7-10 from the floor and pulling down 7 rebounds in only 13 minutes. Rip Hamilton left a lot to be desired for Pistons fans, shooting 5-24 and only scoring 13 points. Fans calling for Ben Gordon to be the starter at Shooting Guard in place of Hamilton didn't have much to argue in their favor as Gordon was limited to a measly 8 points on 3-9 FG's and 0-3 from beyond the arc.
The Bulls look to keep things rolling as they take on Brandon Roy and the Portland Trail Blazers (1-2) at the United Center to open up their November schedule.
"You definitely take those kinds of wins," said the Bulls' new head coach Tom Thibodeau. "When we go out there and shoot as badly as we did as a team, we just hope that we play the best defense we can and make sure it's better than what they do on the offensive end of the floor."
Fortunately for the Bulls, Kevin Durant had one of the worst shooting nights of his career, shooting a horrendous 9-48 from the field. He was also 3-24 from behind the 3-point line. Durant was quite dejected after the game and left soon after talking to reporters for a brief moment. "You go out there on opening night, the energy is through the roof, and you have a terrible performance like that and really let your teammates down. I just have to keep my head up and play up to the standards I have set for myself."
Next, the Bulls head home to take on the Detroit Pistons (0-1) on Saturday, October 30th. Ben Gordon and Ben Wallace return to Chicago and they're hoping this season goes better than last season.
NBA Scoreboard - Chicago Bulls (1-0) at Oklahoma City Thunder (0-1)
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*Injury Notes:
-Nick Collison suffered a severely sprained ankle late in the 1st quarter and is out 2-4 weeks.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Settings
Difficulty: Pro
Quarter Length: 12 Minutes
Simulation Sliders
Roster
*The Starting Five*
PG - Derrick Rose
SG - Ronnie Brewer
SF - Luol Deng
PF - Carlos Boozer
C - Joakim Noah
*Bench*
Kyle Korver
Taj Gibson
C.J. Watson
Kurt Thomas
Keith Bogans
James Johnson
Brian Scalabrine
Difficulty: Pro
Quarter Length: 12 Minutes
Simulation Sliders
Roster
*The Starting Five*
PG - Derrick Rose
SG - Ronnie Brewer
SF - Luol Deng
PF - Carlos Boozer
C - Joakim Noah
*Bench*
Kyle Korver
Taj Gibson
C.J. Watson
Kurt Thomas
Keith Bogans
James Johnson
Brian Scalabrine
CHICAGO (AP) - The hype surronding this past offseason was felt greatly in Chicago with aspirations of adding one or two of the biggest names in the NBA. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, David Lee, and many other high-profile players were eligible to sign with any team and the Bulls were thought of by many throughout the league as the best option. The Bulls had a combination of young talent and payroll flexibility that offered a better situation than any other team in the NBA could offer. After several painstaking weeks and a flurry of trades by a plethora of teams jockeying for position in the race for the best free agent class in the history of the NBA, the dust settled and the Miami Heat emerged as the runaway winners of the race in a Secretariat-esque fashion. The Heat re-signed their own Dwyane Wade and lured the great LeBron James and also Chris Bosh to South Beach just over a week after free agent negotiations league wide began.
The Bulls, however, didn't come out of the race empty-handed. They were able to sign Carlos Boozer, a player they had long coveted, to a five year deal worth in excess of $80 million. The Bulls had tried multiple times in the past couple of years to pry Boozer away from the Jazz via trade, but the two sides could never match each of their own needs and wants to complete a deal. Bulls GM Gar Forman was quoted as saying, “We are very happy to have Carlos join the Bulls. We are confident that his skill set, toughness and leadership are all qualities that make him a great fit for the Bulls, and he will add a low-post element to our team that we have been searching for. Post players, with the skills that Carlos possesses, are at a premium in the NBA and we believe that we have landed one of the best big men in the NBA.”
Going into the 2010-2011 season, the Bulls have one of the most balanced starting line-ups in the NBA and some of the best young talent in the entire league. Third-year Point Guard Derrick Rose, who participated in the FIBA World Championships representing the USA, and fourth-year Center Joakim Noah, along with veteran Small Forward Luol Deng and second-year Power Forward Taj Gibson return as the core with offseason additions Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, and C.J. Watson to make up one of the best up-and-coming rosters in the NBA.
Expectations are very lofty for this Bulls team, with flashes of the 1990's Bulls dynasty transpiring in longtime Bulls fans' minds. The team obviously won't match those teams' accomplishments, but it must feel good for Bulls fans to once again have a contender in Chicago.
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