2010/2011 Chicago Bulls thread

[little bear]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,7953711.story

Noah to miss eight-to-10 weeks

Bulls center will have thumb surgery and will miss 30-plus games

TORONTO — At a time their winning streak stretched to seven games and all signs should be pointing upward, the Bulls received a big thumbs down.

Two weeks after Carlos Boozer made his season debut following surgery on his right hand, two team sources told the Tribune just before halftime Wednesday that Joakim Noah will undergo surgery on Thursday morning to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb.

The Bulls officially announced the news after the 110-93 victory over the Raptors.

Noah is scheduled to miss eight to 10 weeks, not returning until after the All-Star break in late February or early March. That would be at least 30 games for the heart and soul — and rebounding machine — of the franchise.

"It sucks," Noah said. "It's not what I want. But I have to get back to playing at a high level. I'm tired of taking anti-inflammatory (pills) every time I play. I'm tired of not dribbling with my right hand.

"I'm going to miss playing. It's frustrating because I feel we have a chance to be really, really good. But I know in the long run, this is what needs to be done."

Having the surgery now ensures Noah will return in time for the playoffs.

"We're disappointed for Jo," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He has put a lot of work in.

"But our guys are confident and the bench is deep. We have more than enough to win with. Taj (Gibson) and Kurt (Thomas) have started a bunch of games in the league. Lu (Deng) has been very, very effective at (power forward). And Carlos can go to (center) some."

Replacing Noah's intensity and length will be difficult. Thibodeau said he eventually would like to lock into a new starting lineup but will try different combinations initially.

The injury comes at a difficult time for the Bulls, who integrated Boozer seamlessly after he missed the first 15 games from an Oct. 2 incident in which he tripped over a gym bag at home and fractured the fifth metacarpal on his right hand.

Noah entered Wednesday's game ranked fifth in the league at 11.7 rebounds per game. That represented a career-high, as did his 14.2 ppg.

Noah's injury is the same as the one Kirk Hinrich suffered in the 2008-09 season. Hinrich missed nine weeks and 31 games that season. Noah also said he suffered the same injury and had the same surgery on his left hand during high school.

Making the situation even odder, Noah scored 11 points with 11 rebounds against the Raptors after team physicians assured management he could do no further damage to the ligament.

"He's a warrior for playing through it," Boozer said.

Added Kyle Korver: "He hasn't said a word about it all year. We've all seen the wrap on his hand. You look at it and it's swollen. You ask how it is and he just says it's fine."

Team officials said Noah first suffered the injury Nov. 27 at Sacramento, and the thumb took another significant whack Dec. 4 against the Rockets. Shortly after that, Noah began taping his hand but he wore a more advanced brace on his thumb against the Raptors.

Noah also suffered significant sprains of his right index and middle fingers, but those won't require surgery.

"Losing him is going to hurt us," Derrick Rose said. "We all know that. The guys coming in for him like Taj and Omer and Kurt have to be ready to ball. We have to get their confidence high. There's a lot on them. But I think they can bear it."

Thomas, a 15-year veteran, started playoff games for the Bucks last season after Andrew Bogut got injured.

"I'll be ready when my number is called," Thomas said. "That's what I've been doing my whole career. Just go out there and play."

Playing, of course, is what Noah will miss the most. He said he planned to travel with the team, but nothing can replicate the joy this game brings him.

"We'll be fine," Noah said. "We're very good. But what's frustrating is not being able to play with the guys. I've had a little time to think whether I was going to get the surgery or not. I spoke to my family. I got a lot of support from my teammates and coaches and (team executives John Paxson and Gar Forman).

"In the long run, this team can do something special. But this hurts."

That's some really bad news...

[motownbear]

this just sucks cause if we fall to around the 8th seed we will be playing some high caliber team in the playoffs first round

[little bear]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...0,918473.story

Bulls making plans without Noah

Appear to have big-man quality and depth lacking last season

Remember the Bulls' 10-game losing streak that concluded in March when Joakim Noah missed more than half of his 18 games with plantar fasciitis? Derrick Rose does.

"We can't let that happen again," Rose said. "And I don't think we will."

Noah's eight- to 10-week absence after Thursday's successful surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb will hurt the Bulls. But there's virtually no comparison to the two situations.

For starters, Rose also missed four of those games. Moreover, the Bulls possess far more big-man depth this season. And they're about to enter a stretch where just nine of the next 32 games are against teams with winning records.
"We do feel we have depth," general manager Gar Forman said. "Taj (Gibson) has done a good job. It's an opportunity for guys. Omer (Asik) can play some. Kurt Thomas a year ago with Milwaukee found himself starting late in the year and did a very good job. ( Coach Tom Thibodeau) has been comfortable playing Lu (Deng) at power forward."

In fact, that smaller lineup with Deng was one of the Bulls' most successful for long stretches in games when they weathered Carlos Boozer's hand surgery with a 9-6 mark.

Forman said management has talked about adding a big man via signing or trade "but at this point, we'll go with what we have." Training camp cut Chris Richard is a non-guaranteed possibility.

Still, team sources indicated the Bulls are leaning toward holding on to roster and financial flexibility — they still possess roughly $2 million of cap space — in case a shooting guard trade presents itself or so they potentially can make a splash near the trade deadline.

This is for certain: On a day Noah had his thumb ligament repaired and platelet rich plasma injections in his sprained middle and index fingers — which didn't require surgery — teammates and management alike marveled at his pain threshold for playing nine games effectively while injured.

"This speaks a lot to Joakim's character," athletic trainer Fred Tedeschi said. "Every one of these I've dealt with either through pain or instability, they've never been able to play. Surgery immediately was called into question. Joakim was able to function at a high level, which is very, very unusual for these injuries."

Kirk Hinrich had identical surgery in November 2008 and missed nine weeks and 31 games.

"In the short term, Joakim will convalesce from the surgery," Tedeschi said. "He'll have a follow-up visit Monday. At that point, they'll let him begin some cardiovascular activity. He probably will be in some sort of cast."

With big-man depth in Gibson, Thomas and Asik, the Bulls' long-term prospects don't need to be mummified. Thomas is no Thomas circa 1999, but he's also no Jerome James, who, technically, was the Bulls' fourth big man last season despite being injured.

Thibodeau said he likely would experiment with lineups in the short-term but ultimately would prefer to settle on a full-time starter. Gibson can play with Boozer against smaller lineups. Thomas is the best bet against traditional centers.

"He has shown in his career that when he's called upon, he can play a role," Forman said.

The two main downers from the Bulls' perspective are that Noah and Boozer have played just nine games together because of their injuries, going 7-2, and plain old sympathy for Noah and his competitive spirit.

"But we'll get that back," Forman said. "We'll have (Noah) for a solid four to six weeks heading into what hopefully is the playoffs. Like Carlos, it's the type of injury where he'll be able to maintain his conditioning. So when he comes back, it should be seamless.

"You do feel bad for Joakim. He put so much into preparation for this season. Our feeling was he was playing at an All-Star level and had a real shot to make the All-Star team. He brings so much to the floor."

[little bear]

http://espn.go.com/chicago/nba/recap?gameId=301221004

Bulls crush 76ers in 45-point win

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bulls were just looking for a quicker start and better defensive play against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.
What they got was perhaps the season's most complete effort in a 121-76 rout.
"There was not much not to like," said Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau, whose team won its eighth in nine games. "We came out from the start with great energy. The shots went down for us early. Defensively we did a good job with body position and getting back challenging shots."
Derrick Rose collected his seventh double-double with 22 points and 12 assists. Luol Deng also had 22 points and four other Bulls hit double figures as Chicago led by as many as 51 points late in the game.
"It was a good, old-fashioned butt kicking," said Sixers forward Elton Brand, who managed just six points and two rebounds. "They did whatever they wanted. They scored on eight of their first 11 plays and we couldn't come back. They scored at will."
Despite missing two big men, Chicago dominated nearly every offensive category and recorded its most lopsided win of the season.
Carlos Boozer had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Kurt Thomas added 12 points. Andre Iguodala scored 17 points and reserve Thaddeus Young added 12 for Philadelphia.
Chicago, coming off a 100-99 loss to the Clippers, trailed only in the opening minute. The Bulls then used a 10-0 run later in the first quarter to open its first double-digit lead. The advantage grew to 90-50 with 1:01 left in the third and 50 with less than five minutes to play.
"We did a great job getting ready to play," Boozer said. "We were disappointed at how we started the last game [and] it's been a point of emphasis in the last couple days of practice. We did a great job of being ready offensively and being ready defensively."
Chicago was without 6-foot-9 forward Taj Gibson, who suffered a concussion during the home loss to the Clippers. He was the second Bulls big man sidelined in the last week following Joakim Noah's thumb surgery last Thursday.
Rose shook off a sore right wrist and scored 11 points in the first quarter. Deng added 10 as the Bulls opened a 33-19 lead. Chicago made 10 of its first 14 shots (71 percent) in the first 8:40.
The Bulls' lead never slipped under 10 points in the second quarter. Kyle Korver had eight points off the bench, including a pair of 3-pointers to help the Bulls to a 61-43 lead by intermission.
The lead passed 30 points during a 16-0 run and hit 40 with 1:01 remaining when Rose hit his second 3 pointer of the game to open a 90-50 lead. James Johnson's two free throws with less than five minutes to play pushed the lead past 50.
"I told the guys that I'll give you one," said 76ers coach Doug Collins, whose team came into the game with six wins in its last eight games. "In the NBA you're going to have games like this, it just happens.
"It'll be easier tomorrow [at Boston]. Our effort will be better tomorrow. We were just discombobulated on offense tonight. I didn't recognize us out there. I didn't even know what plays we were running."
Chicago shot a season-high 64.5 percent, while Philadelphia managed just 28 of 80 (35 percent), its lowest of the season.
Game notes
The crowd of 21,521 was the Bulls' 14th straight sellout this season. They led the NBA in average attendance entering the game with a 21,397 average. ... Both teams play on Wednesday on the road. The 76ers travel to Boston while the Bulls are at the Wizards. ... Thibodeau said after the game that he was uncertain about Gibson's status for the Wizards but said the Bulls forward was training on a stationary cycle at practice and looked better.

[nerrad]

Stacey King is so ridiculously awesome as an announcer

[BigClaws]

Rose is so ridiculously awesome as a point gaurd.

[TankWilliams]

Rose should be MVP this year, or at least in strong contention. If the Bulls could find a solid SG via trade, this team can beat anyone in the league. I don't understand why they haven't done anything yet, but hey, everything is good when you are winning.

[little bear]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,5518567.story

Korver's 3-pointer gives Bulls 99-96 victory


Fans react after Kyle Korver hit the go-ahead jumper against the Heat.

Rose and Dwyane Wade provide thrills aplenty with 34 and 33 points respectively

The drama never stopped Saturday night at a rocking United Center.
In a shootout for the ages between Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade, Rose and the BullsKyle Korver swished a late 3-pointer, Ronnie Brewer made one of two free throws with 4.4 seconds left and then Brewer ably defended Wade into an airballed 3-pointer near the buzzer. hung on for a 99-96 victory that was secured when
But the Bulls' eighth straight home victory and reaching a season-high 14 games above .500 was tempered slightly by the sight of Carlos Boozer limping down a United Center hallway in a walking boot.
Boozer rolled his left ankle on Korver's game-winning shot, tipping Rose's miss to keep the possession alive.
"When I hit the ground it was already on its side and all my weight came down on top of it," Boozer told the Tribune. "It's pretty swollen right now, pretty bad. I'll ice it like crazy and see if I can play (Monday)."
The great theater couldn't prevent the fact this game's significance is difficult to ascertain. LeBron James missed a second straight game with a sprained left ankle. Chris Bosh sat the fourth quarter with his own ankle injury. And Joakim Noah watched in street clothes.
"It's going to be a battle," Rose said about the teams playing at full strength. "We're not going to quit. They're definitely not going to quit."
Nobody did Saturday either.
The Bulls led 90-87 after Mario Chalmers scored following Wade's block on Luol Deng. Rose, who had 34 points and eight assists, responded with a gorgeous hanging layup in traffic with 1 minute, 40 seconds left.
That's when Wade, who scored 33 points, went nuts.
He swished one 3-pointer with 1:33 left. Rose responded by pump-faking Chalmers into the air, drawing contact and somehow muscling home a 15-foot jumper for a three-point play with 1:18 left.
Wade hit another 3-pointer 11 seconds later. Wade switched onto Rose and forced a turnover when Chalmers stole his crosscourt pass. And Wade hit another 3-pointer with 37.2 seconds left while trying to lean in to draw contact on C.J. Watson.
Rose's leaner over Wade rimmed out, and the scramble came out to Korver, who dribbled once and let fly the go-ahead 3-pointer with 25.5 seconds left.
"I actually took a step backward to get back (on defense)," said Korver, who ditched his knee sleeves at halftime to try to break his slump. "But I knew I could get it. Then I just let it fly."
A wild first three quarters featured the Bulls blowing a 14-point lead to trail 53-48 at halftime. The Bulls then began the third with a 17-0 run that featured two Rose 3-pointers, a Keith Bogans' 3-pointer, Wade picking up two fouls to sit with four and then a spectacular Rose layup in which he split two defenders with the dribble and went up-and-under to score past two more.
Bosh, 3 of 14 to that point, scored 11 in a 14-2 run to bring the Heat back and set up the wild finish.
"That's why I'm in this league," Rose said. "I love competing against the best."

[TankWilliams]

Really exciting game last night.

[little bear]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,0,36438.story

Bulls plow ahead for 110-89 victory


Carlos Boozer and Derrick Rose in the 4th quarter.

Bulls have won 5 straight, 8 of 9 and are 19 games above .500 for 1st time in 13 years

A weakened Derrick Rose pondered whether succumbing to his stomach ulcers and resting would help him — then revealed what drives him and the Bulls.

"I probably would benefit if I don't play," Rose said. "But this is an important game."

Yep, the Bulls needed Saturday's 110-89 victory over the Pacers to stretch their Central Division lead to 14 1/2 games over the third-place team from Indiana.

But seriously, this is why the Bulls have won five straight, eight of nine and stand 19 games above .500 for the first time since finishing the 1997-98 season at 62-20. They treat every game the same.

And thus a stirring victory over the Magic is followed by a business-like triumph over the Pacers.

"We're a team that's always trying to get better; that's what this says," Carlos Boozer said. "We're not a satisfied group. We had the monster win (Friday) night that everybody was talking about. And we played even better tonight, which speaks volumes."

Rose rebounded from missing six of his first seven shots to post 20 points on 8-for-17 shooting along with seven assists, helping the Bulls close their season-long, six-game homestand at 5-1 and improve to 23-4 at home.

Boozer led the Bulls with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Luol Deng added 19 points and a career-high-tying eight assists.

Even a possible downer turned out OK. Taj Gibson rolled his right ankle on Ronnie Brewer's foot in the fourth quarter. But after writhing on the floor and needing trainer personnel to help him to the locker room, Gibson returned to the bench under his own power and, though he didn't play, he could have.

"(Athletic trainer Fred Tedeschi) said he could have gone, so it's not as bad as we originally thought," coach Tom Thibodeau said.

Said Gibson: "I told them to wrap me up so I could get back out. I'll ice it and be fine."

Kyle Korver added 16 points off the bench as the Bulls passed the century mark for the first time in 12 games.

For the exclamation point, Brewer dunked on Josh McRoberts with 3 minutes, 23 seconds left, which led to a five-point possession when Brewer finished his three-point play and Korver sank two technical foul shots against McRoberts and Pacers coach Jim O'Brien, who was ejected.

Let the good times roll.

"We getting back to what we did at the beginning of the season, hitting the open man, moving the ball," Boozer said. "You saw the pass Luol made to Ronnie on that dunk. Play of the year. Well, maybe not play of the year. But play of the night for sure."

After all, this team looks one game at a time.