[Author's note: this post originated from my "other" blog, "From Under The Shadows," which focused on all things sports and especially Chicago sports.]
I like that Derrick Rose ["http://espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=3456"] is taking over games.
Excitement about the Bulls' win ["http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=300122021"] aside (also, Phoenix just has been struggling of late, so I wouldn't get too excited...), it makes me happy that the team's star player is doing whatever he can to win the game. I mean, in spite of all the flaws with the coaching and the roster, we actually have a guy who could be a superstar if he decides to be one. The man scored 32 points! ["http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=300122021"] Right now I don't care if he shoots or scores "too much." Who else do the Bulls have that can take over a game if need be? [Ben Gordon? ["http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=2381"] Oh wait, he moved to Detroit last summer.] Ideally they'd have a 2 or a 3 for their go-to guy, but last I checked, Michael Jordan's still retired, Kobe Bryant ["http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=110"] plays for the Lakers, and LeBron James ["http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=1966"] and Dwayne Wade ["http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=1987"] haven't signed with the team. Yet. And chances are, none of those guys will be playing for the Bulls in the near future. So Rose might have to be it.
Other notes: I'm glad Luol Deng ["http://espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=2429"] has held up so far this season. I can't say whether he's at the level he was three years ago, but he's close. 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists on the night in 39 minutes. Not far off his average ... Joakim Noah ["http://espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=3224"] needs to cut down on his fouls; he had five in the contest ... Anyone else wondering what's going on with Brad Miller? ["http://espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=556"] Seems like he was great (OK, good) for the Bulls last year, but now he's lucky to get five points and five rebounds! I suppose age is catching up to him, but I didn't really expect it to be this soon ... Speaking of Brad Miller, anyone else wondering why they got rid of him and Ron Artest ["http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=25"] back in 2002? Supposedly it was to get a scorer (like the role Derrick Rose has to fill right now), but Jalen Rose couldn't make the last shot, and less than two years later they traded him anyway. Oops.
Man, I gotta figure out how I
can get good pics up here. (Besides the whole, click on the picture icon,
select a picture, etc.)