The Unstopa-Bulls: A Chicago Bulls Association Dynasty

[K.So]

ANDRE IGUODALA SHINES IN BULLS DEBUT

IGUODALA DISPLAYS ALL-AROUND GAME AS BULLS WIN


The Bulls hope that Iguodala can maintain his All-Star level play

Nick Friedell | ESPNChicago.com

LOS ANGELES - Andre Iguodala's debut with the Bulls was all that he - and the Bulls - had wanted. "It felt great playing with the guys tonight." Iguodala said. "I think I showed that I'm going to be a leader on this team, and I want that." Andre Iguodala will certainly be a great fit for Chicago. Chicago's defens e is a trademark - something that Iguodala happens to be pretty good at. As a result, Iguodala shut down Clippers small forwards Caron Butler, Matt Barnes and Grant Hill, as they combined for only 15 points on a measly 4-13 shooting. Iguodala's stellar perimeter D ensured that they took little shots, and the shots they did take were bad ones.

"He's a preimer defender, I'm not going to lie." an elated coach Tom Thibodeau told the Bulls' official website, "He fits our style, and is very versatile. We can play him at the 1, 2, or the 3 and he can guard positions 1 through 4, especially against teams like the Nuggets and Heat who love to play small."

Iguodala did a little bit of everything, chipping in 17 points on 6 or 10 shooting, tallying 3 assists and 4 rebounds. On the defensive side of things, Iggy had 3 steals, and his perimieter D caused havoc all game long.

Derrick Rose had his third double-double of the season, with 28 points and 10 assists. Along with Thibs, Rose was a happy camper as news of the trade was released. "He's a fun guy on the court, and off the court."

New Bulls signee Terrence Williams, cut from the Pistons training camp just over three weeks ago, signed with the Bulls for 1yr/473k along with Iguodala's signing. Williams was impressive offensively in his debut, scoring a quick 13 points in 15 minutes of action off the bench. In the postgame interview, Williams was thankful for having a team to play this season, saying he's "learned his lesson" and will "put in the work" and is "blessed for the oppurtunity."

Taj Gibson, along with Williams chipped in 16 points as "Bench Mob Leader" Nate Robinson only tallied 2 points in a total of 20 minutes. Each of the Bulls starters scored over 13 points, and a team ten deep is something that the Bulls pride themselves on.

"Having depth is such an asset, and when guys in the starting lineup have foul trouble, or are off, we have a serviceable back, and so many guys on our bench would be starters on more than half of the league's teams. It's a great thing." star point guard Derrick Rose said.

The Bulls will play the surprising 10-1 Houston Rockets next.

[K.So]

THE UNBEATA-BULLS: BULLS FINISH 14-0 TO END THE FIRST MONTH
BULLS FINISH 14-0 FOR THE MONTH


The 2012-13 Bulls are drawing comparisons to their 1996 72-win counterparts after an undefeated month. Who can, and how can you beat this team?

Kelly Scaletta | NBA Senior Writer

Well, so much for my pre-season picks. The Bulls were supposed to be the 2nd best team in the East. Instead, one month later, I find myself the laughing stock of the Bulls' writers on this site, as they are 14-0 thus far, and my Heat...well...LeBron James is out and they're 6-7. I bow my head in shame.

Well, how does someone beat this squad? They're great, top to bottom, and I mean literally, top to bottom. As of today, December 1st, they lead the league in offense (104.1 PPG) and defense, allowing UNDER 79.9 points per game. The last team to surrender under 80 points per game was the 2004 Detroit Pisons. Result? NBA Champions.

Their parts play so seamlessly together, and Andre Iguodala has taken a step up in his scoring game, no longer being the defensive focus, and Derrick Rose has improved defensively, averaging, surprisingly, over two steals per game. Their pieces complement seamlessly together, as they have off-ball players which lets MVP favourite Derrick Rose run the offense. His improved shooting game has payed major dividends, as his FG% is at 52%, and it opens up scoring oppurtunities (25.2 PPG) and passing lanes (7.9 APG) for him and his teammates.

Andre Iguodala plays right into Rose's hands, like peanut butter and jelly. Iguodala is averaging a cool 17.1 PPG, along with 5.4 APG and 5.7 RPG, and defensively, combined with Rose, have combined for one of the league's best steals duos, at nearly 4 a game. He's the prototypical player for this offense, as he can run the offense, spot-up, drive the lane, run in transition, and cause defensive havoc. His versatility defensively allows intriguing line-ups on the defensive end, and allows Richard Hamilton and Jimmy Butler to enter the starting lineup interchangably depending on the opponent.

Inside, the duo of Zach Randolph and Joakim Noah has just been absolutely fantastic. Averaging 19 rebounds per game (Noah: ~10, Randolph ~9), and feed of one another greatly. Randolph at this stage of his career, is more of an outside the paint guy, though he can still bang down inside, and that allows Noah to get free cutting lanes, where Randolph is still a premier passer at the 4. Noah does a great job feeding Randolph down low as well, and, let's just say this: they're hell on the offensive glass. A frontcourt's worst nightmare.

Whew. That was a lot, and we haven't even got to the bench. Their bench is 8 deep. Yes, 8 deep. There's one serviceable reserve, Quincy Miller. Nate Robinson and Richard Hamilton provide a huge shooting and scoring lift for the reserves, and they always immediately energize the second unit. Case in point: against the 10-1 Rockets, the bench was played for the final 8:26. Result? They add 8 more points to the lead, playing against Houston's STARTERS. And let's not forget about Taj Gibson. The sensational third year energizer is averaging a cool 13 points and 8 boards on the season. He's Tom Thibodeau's prototypical player, and has done well to set himself up for a hefty deal come free agency, which the Bulls are sure to match.

Well, who CAN beat this squad? It seems like no one, as all the contenders star's can be shut down by the Bulls. LeBron? Iguodala. Wade? Jimmy Butler. Kobe? Iguodala. Gasol? Randolph. Howard? Noah. Pierce? Iguodala, the list goes on and on and on.

1. When playing the Bulls, the simple objective is to lock into Derrick Rose. Putting 'simple' and 'locking down Derrick Rose' seems like an oxymoron at this point in the season, but, It's how you can stop them, and have any hope of doing it.

2. The second thing is to crash the boards hard. The Bulls are second in the league with 52.1 rebounds per game. First? The Lakers at 53.1. The Bulls front-line is so great at rebounding and putting it back in. Boxing out NEEDS to be a priority.

3. The third thing seems like it takes 48 minutes from each of your starters to win against the Unbeata-Bulls, as they're called in Chi-Town. That is, unless your starting line-up is better than the Robinson-Hamilton-Iguodala-Gibson-Oden bench they throw out to give their starters a break.

Only time will tell until we see how high the Bulls' win total can reach.

Simply stated, it'll be a tough go for anyone to beat the Bulls. Though critics may say they need to face Miami, the Lakers, and the Spurs first until we can jump to conclusions, just remember that 101-74 shattering of the Thunder two weeks past. The Bulls are so complete offensively, and defensively, and they'll out-depth everyone in the NBA, except for a tie with the Spurs (Mills-Ginobili-Jackson-Blair-Splitter anyone?) Just hope you catch them napping. Unfortunately, in a 7-game playoff series, that probably won't help.

[trekfan]

Nice. 14-0, with the Bulls owning. I'll be interested to see if the other teams make any moves to match the Bulls or if the injury bug strikes ... it's a long season.

[K.So]

Kenny took stride down the corridor. He didn’t know why Jerry had called him here. Especially on an off-day…they had made separate plans on the weekend, but tomorrow, they were going for lunch. Not today. Perhaps Jerry had just been apprehensive. The huge weight of the team’s expectations, though 14-0 were weighing on his mind. Jerry had told Kenny that.


As Kenny swung open the large cedar door, he had beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. His gut was telling him something was wrong. And his gut was usually right. It was right in the Randolph trade, and the Iguodala trade. Third time’s a charm they say.


“Jerry,” Kenny started, seeing his new comrade, “how are you?”


“Let’s not get into any sweet talk today.” Jerry grumbled.


“Why not?” Kenny had never seen Jerry so upset.


“We’ve got something important to talk about.” Jerry snapped back


“Shoot.” Kenny was curious; had he done something after last night at the club?


“Well, I got threats last night.”


“Oh, that’s horrible.”Kenny said empathetically.


“It is.” Said Jerry. “Wanna know why? They were for you.”


Kenny and Jerry both stood in silence.


“It’s a death threat. I don’t know why yet.”


Kenny didn’t either.


Jerry continued. “It’s from one of the guys in the Dominican, from when you were traveling there during the off-season…” he stopped. “…after you got hired.”


“Well,” Kenny was shocked “what’s the beef with me?”


“Kenny, you don’t know this but…there are people in the league, in the NBA basketball world, hell, even in the world of foreign leagues…they’re jealous. Jealous of your success.”


“Those mother****ers.” Kenny rasped. He can been a director of a Dominican League team before his hire.


Kenny was confused. He had relative unexpected success there, the Santo Dominica Vipers won the league championship in his first managing year.


Something was up.


“I got the legal team and the Chicago Police Department on it…don’t worry about a thing.” Jerry said, consolingly, “we’ll have it cleared up in no time.”


Kenny was no slouch. He was a Stanford graduate, 4.0 GPA. He knew his wasn’t a one off. He just knew it.


Something was up.


TBC

[trekfan]

Uh oh ... is there a skeleton in Kenny's closet we don't know about?

I wonder what's up ... hmmm ...

[K.So]

Quote: Originally Posted by trekfan

Uh oh ... is there a skeleton in Kenny's closet we don't know about? I wonder what's up ... hmmm ...

Yessir. Continued from the 2nd page.

[K.So]

Our Early All-Star Teams

ESPN 5-on-5 | November 5th, 2012

Today on ESPN NBA's 5-on-5 series, we will look at the early All-Star teams that our five featured writers have voted on, in lieu of the December 1st opening of All-Star game voting. Every one of our 5 featured writers today will select their teams, give their reasoning, and in the end, every player will receive points: 4 for the 1st rated guard, 1 for the 4th rated guard, and so on. We will total the point totals and thus, select the "consensus" All-Star Teams, which will constitute of 4 guards, 4 forwards, and 2 centers.

WEST:
Q: Who is on your All-Star Team for the guards?

Henry Abbott, ESPN.com: Firstly, I have to go with Chris Paul. He's done everything on the court, averaging 22 points, 6 rebounds, nearly 10 dimes and nearly 3 steals per game. On top of that, he is shooting a decent 45%, and his Clippers are second in the conference, slightly ahead of their Staples Center counterparts. Next, I have to say, Jeremy Lin has been an enormous success, yet again. Linsanity hasn't rubbed off, and his pass-first, defensive hawking style has garnered him huge numbers in assists (8.8), steals (3.4) and rebounds (5.3). He seems to play well off of James Harden, who is my next All-Star pick. He's showing the Thunder have made a grave error in letting him go, and has stepped right into the star role, with 27 points, 4 boards and 6 dimes per game. Unusually ranked low, we have Kobe Bryant. Kobe will certainly be voted in, and his line of 23/4/5 is definitely All-Star worthy in his own right. Next, Eric Gordon, when healthy, which is all season, has been a straight monster offensively, while leading his Hornets to a surprising .500 record thus far.

Chris Paul (5)
Jeremy Lin (4)
James Harden (3)
Kobe Bryant (2)
Eric Gordon (1)*

*All-Star teams have 2 "others", with 4 guards, 4 forwards, 2 centers, and 2 "other" players.

Gutierrez, ESPN.com: As boring as this may sound, I agree with Henry above, the gap between Kobe, Gordon and Harden, and even Lin has been much to substantial for Russell Westbrook to be considered an All-Star player.

Marc Stein, ESPN.com: I have to agree with Henry, as well.

John Hollinger, ESPN.com: Same here.

Jeff van Gundy, NBA on ESPN: Yep. Same as well.

Chris Paul (25)
Jeremy Lin (20)
James Harden (15)
Kobe Bryant (10)
Eric Gordon (5)

Q: Now, let's get to the forwards out West, where the conversation will surely be more interesting. Henry? You're up.

Abbott: I have to go with the reigning scoring champion Kevin Durant first, he has been sensational, but taking a scoring dip (25.9 PPG) but taking more responsibiloity as a passer (4.6 APG), just like Russell Westbrook. Second, Blake Griffin, though he hasn't taken a step up in a post game yet, has improved his footwork, and his finishing is still second to none. Averaging 22/9/4 a game, showing he is one of the most versatile forwards in the Association. Next, Rudy Gay, though playing on the 7-9 Grizzlies, has earned his spot on the All-Star team, finally. Putting up 21 points, with 6 rebounds, seemingly a staple of his game, season after season. LaMarcus Aldridgehas been too outstanding to not be mentioned, though his Blazers sit in second last in the West. Averaging 22.2 PPG, with 8.3 RPG, the difference between other PFs has been too great, that I have to including Aldridge for his second straight appearance. I'm saving my 5th vote for DeMarcus Cousins later on.

Kevin Durant (4)
Blake Griffin (3)
Rudy Gay (2)
LaMarcus Aldridge (1)


Gutierrez: I agree with Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Rudy Gay, but I have to disagree with the last two. I will put Luol Deng in my fourth spot. He has grown since being traded from the Bulls, averaging a healthy 18/8/3, plus, I heard he's a pretty good defender. The man-to-man excellence doesn't show up in the box score, but his 2.1 SPG does. And last, Pau Gasol get my nod. He has done well, despite being the 4th wheel on this Lakers squad, and his four-tool excellence (14.9 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.5 BPG) mixed with the Lakers excellent record is enough to get my vote.

Kevin Durant (5)
Blake Griffin (4)
Rudy Gay (3)
Luol Deng (2)
Pau Gasol (1)


Stein: Above, I agree with Israel. A miracle. However, I will omit Luol Deng to make way for DeMarcus Cousins in the center vote.

Hollinger, van Gundy: With Kevin Love injured, the forward crop is much, much thinner, and I agree with Henry's original ballot.

van Gundy: I agree with John and Henry.

Kevin Durant (25)
Blake Griffin (20)
Rudy Gay (14)
Luol Deng (4)
LaMarcus Aldridge (3)
Pau Gasol (2)

Q: There are only three top-tier centers int he West this season: Al Jefferson, Dwight Howard and DeMarcus Cousins. Some of you left spots open for this conversation, so let's see... 6 for the first selection, 4 for the second and 2 for the third.

Abbott: Jefferson, Howard, Cousins
Gutierrez: Howard and Jefferson
Stein: Howard, Cousins, Jefferson
Hollinger: Howard, Jefferson, Cousins
van Gundy: Howard, Jefferson, Cousins

Dwight Howard (28)
Al Jefferson (20)
DeMarcus Cousins (10)

EAST:

Q: Your guard selections?

Abbott: Derrick Rose get my first pick; he's putting up his usual numbers, but tooken a step back on offense (22 PPG, 7 APG), but improved defensively (2.5 SPG), which makes up for it for me. With a more balanced Bulls attack, defense is the way Rose has chosen, and It's payed dividends. Second, Monta Ellis is my SG choice. He's putting up his usual numbers, so don't act surprised. John Wall has finally taken the step forward we expected (19.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 8.4 APG, 2.0 SPG), and is rewarded with his first All-Star berth. I'm going to go off the trail here, with Rondo's Celtics struggling, let's turn to the next most well-rounded PG in the East: Kyle Lowry. The Raptors seemed primed for a playoff push, and Lowry has only helped, improving his assists (8.9 APG) in the meantime. Last, Lou Williams is breaking out, and in a starting role, much like James Harden, he's thrived.

Derrick Rose (5)
Monta Ellis (4)
John Wall (3)
Kyle Lowry (2)
Lou Williams (1)

Gutierrez: Above, I agree with all, except: replace Lowry with Deron Williams, and Lou Williams with Dwyane Wade. Williams' Nets have done well, going 10-7 so far, and Williams is the motor that makes the machine go in the Barclays Center. Wade, though his Heat have struggled in LeBron's injury absence, Wade has stepped up, providing top SG production.

Derrick Rose (5)
Dwyane Wade (4)
John Wall (3)
Deron Williams (2)
Monta Ellis (1)

Stein: Rose, Wade, Williams (Deron) and Wall are the ones I totally agree with. I will allso add in Wall's rookie teammate. Yes, Bradley Beal. He wasn't discussed about being a rookie that could make the Houston game in the pre-season, here we are, and Beal is averaging a quiet 22/5/3.

Derrick Rose (5)
Dwyane Wade (4)
John Wall (3)
Deron Williams (2)
Bradley Beal (1)

Hollinger: I have to agree with Marc, with one exception: replace Beal with Kyle Lowry. Lowry has put up the superior stat line on team's with similiar records above .500.

Derrick Rose (5)
John Wall (4)
Monta Ellis (3)
Dwyane Wade (2)
Kyle Lowry (1)

van Gundy: I composed my selections like John's. Exactly like it..

Derrick Rose (5)
John Wall (4)
Dwyane Wade (3)
Kyle Lowry (2)
Monta Ellis (1)

Derrick Rose (25)
John Wall (17)
Dwyane Wade (9)
Monta Ellis (9)
Kyle Lowry (5)
Deron Williams (4)
Lou Williams (1)
Bradley Beal (1)

Q: The East forwards...LeBron's injury has opened up some serious oppurtunities.

Abbott: Including one for Carmelo Anthony. His scoring has taken yet another jump, averaging a ridiculous 32.3 PPG. The last players to average that total? Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan, in the last 25 years. Just a testament to Anthony's special year. He's going to finally get his due, yes, Josh Smith. He is the ideal 5-tool player, (21.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.9 SPG, 1.2 BPG). Third, we have new Bull Andre Iguodala. He is still doing his usual all-around thing, with 16.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 4.6 APG, combined with 1.4 SPG. His man-to-mann defense has been invaluable to the Bulls. Fourth, we have Miami third wheel Chris Bosh who is still an All-Star player.

Carmelo Anthony (4)
Josh Smith (3)
Andre Iguodala (2)
Chris Bosh (1)

Gutierrez: I agree with Henry's ballot, but I would add Danilo Galinari to mine. The Italian is doing his usual contributions, with 16.4 PPG and 6.4 RPG, but the Raps find themselves in a playoff position early, and Galinari has been one of the factors.

Carmelo Anthony (5)
Josh Smith (4)
Andre Iguodala (3)
Chris Bosh (2)
Danilo Galinari (1)

Stein: Mine is akin to Henry's, but I add in Danny Granger and swap him with Chris Bosh. Granger has been the leading man, with Roy Hibbert in the Pacers' score-by-committee. SPOILER: Hibbert is showing up later in my ballot.

Carmelo Anthony (5)
Josh Smith (4)
Andre Iguodala (3)
Danny Granger (2)
Chris Bosh (1)

Hollinger, van Gundy: We agree with Marc, but take out Chris Bosh for us. His stats are so similiar to Danny Granger's, but Bosh is on an underachieveing 8th seed Miami Heat team.

Carmelo Anthony (4) x2
Josh Smith (3) x2
Andre Iguodala (2) x2
Danny Granger (1) x2

Carmelo Anthony (23)
Josh Smith (18)
Andre Iguodala (13)
Danny Granger (6)
Chris Bosh (4)
Danilo Galinari (1)

Q: Finally, we have the East centers. Like the West, there's really only a few for consideration: Brook Lopez, Andrew Bynum, Roy Hibbert, Nene and Greg Monroe. Pick two. Or for Henry, Jeff and John, three.

Abbott: Or for me, pick three!: Bynum, Lopez and Hibbert, in that order.
Gutierrez: Bynum and Lopez
Stein: Bynum, Hibbert and Lopez
Hollinger: Bynum, Lopez and Hibbert
van Gundy: Bynum, Lopez and Monroe

Andrew Bynum (25)
Brook Lopez (18)
Roy Hibbert (8)
Nene (2)
Greg Monroe (2)

-------------------------------------------------------

Now, let's reveal our 5-on-5 All-Star Teams!

5-on-5 Prediction NBA All-Star Game Rosters
Eastern Conference		Western Conference
Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau		Head Coach: Kevin McHale
Pos	Starters	Pos	Starters
G	Derrick Rose	G	Chris Paul
G	John Wall	G	Jeremy Lin
F	Carmelo Anthony	F	Kevin Durant
F	Josh Smith	F	Blake Griffin
C	Andrew Bynum	C	Dwight Howard
Pos	Reserves	Pos	Reserves
G	Dwyane Wade	G	Kobe Bryant
G	Monta Ellis	G	James Harden
F	Andre Iguodala	G	Eric Gordon
F	Danny Granger	F	Rudy Gay
C	Al Jefferson	F	Luol Deng
C	DeMarcus Cousins	C	Brook Lopez
G	Kyle Lowry	C	Roy Hibbert

^^ LOL, exchange Jefferson/Cousins with Lopez/Hibbert. Wrong conferences.

[K.So]

NOAH INJURES ACHILLES vs. KNICKS

NEW YORK - Chicago Bulls C Joakim Noah strained his Achilles during Saturday night's game against the New York Knicks. The injury occured during the third quarter, when Noah's foot collided against Knicks C Tyson Chandler's in what was described by team doctors as a "freak injury". Noah is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. Tom Thibodeau noted that this is a crushing blow to the Bulls, but the Bulls can rebound (no pun intended):

"Noah is a big part of our team, especially defensively, but we can't dwell on that. We have depth. Randoloph, Gibson, Oden and Mohammed are definitely capable replacements."

The Bulls are currently 18-0.

Information used from NBA.com