The Chicago Bulls did everything right during game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, demolishing the Miami heat championship-like fashion. The Bulls owned Miami in the 4th quarter, outscoring them 31-19 in crunch time.

The Bulls had everything going on all cylinders as Derrick Rose led the way for Chicago with 28 points and solid offensive and defensive support from Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, and Carlos Boozer, dominating over the Miami Heat, 103-82.

Luol Deng impressed defensively, impeding LeBron James from getting things going on offense. In total, the Bulls team defensive scheme limited the 1-2 punch duo of Dwyane Wade and James to 12-32 form the field, dispelling the mythological hype of their impending dominance that every major media outlet claimed would occur game 1.

In a game of match ups, the Bulls simply match up better against the Heat than most other teams do, and here is why we can expect to continue to see the Bulls keep the Heat on their toes for the duration of this series:

• League MVP Derrick Rose is a powerhouse who destroyed the Miami guards, and will continue to do so.
• Rose’s ascension into super-stardom is happening right now, and should not be underestimated.
• Joakim Noah will not have any serious competition from the Heat in the middle, and should be close to a double-double every game.
• Luol Deng is a far better defender than most people give him credit for being, and his offensive game is quite good. Oh yeah, and he can shoot the three these days, after not being able to do so his first 6 years in the NBA.
• Noah’s defensive presence in the middle allows the Bulls to play tougher defense knowing Noah is back there to help out.
• If Carlos Boozer can play the way he did in game 1, life for Rose and the Bulls looks much better than it did before.

If Miami can somehow find a way contain Rose (not likely), and then focus on Chicago’s supporting cast, they have a good shot to correct their own mission of a trip to the finals. It looks as though the Big Three left the Heat with salary cap deficiencies that are becoming evident as they travel further into the playoffs.

Obviously, Wade and James canot be expected to shoot this poorly every game. However, Chris Bosh is not going to reach the 30 point plateau in this series again. It seems that Bosh, Wade, and James have trouble to all have successful games during the same game. There is still a chemistry issue that the Heat must figure out, quickly I might add, in order to turn the tables against the Bulls.

If they can’t get “Big Three” to generate solid output simultaneously, the Bulls are simply too good of a basketball team to beat.

And if they continue playing like game 1, Chicago’s unsung heroes will start getting the credit they deserve, as NBA stars.

Derrick Rose and Luol Deng delivered a dramatic 1-2 scoring punch to lead the Bulls over the Atlanta Hawks. The Bulls regained the series lead, and are back in charge, leading the Eastern Conference Semfinals 3-2.

MVP Derrick Rose had 33 points and 9 assists, and Luol Deng finished with 23 points. All signals are pointing to the Bulls being primed to close this thing out in game 6.

Carlos Boozer finally showed some signs of life, after more or less hibernating through the playoffs thus far. Sure Boozer is injured, but when you make millions of dollars, and a chance at a title is on the line, we should expect to see some Willis Reed type heroics, right?

The Hawks will have to fight to stay alive in Atlanta during game 6, but will need their team leader Joe Johnson to step up if they are going to have any chance to do so.

Joe Johnson continued to be the anomaly of inconsistency, playing a somewhat normal game, putting in insignificant 15 points after being dominant in game 4. Johnson is key to the Hawks survival, but his knack for being inconsistent hurts their chances.

Johnson exploded with 34 points in game 1, and followed that with 16 and 10 in games 2 and 3. He then had a monster game 4 by dropping in 24, but then faded back into obscurity with 15 in game 5. Jeff Teague continued his unexpectedly solid play for the Hawks, dropping 21 points with 7 assists.

Not to sound like a personal attack on Joe Johnson, but the man is getting paid fat cash and he should be consistently pouring in 20-plus points a night during the most important part of the season. Star players are what you rely on in the post season, and Johnson is being paid superstar money by Atlanta.

The Bulls organization can pat themselves on the back for lucking out and not being able to sign Johnson last summer. They are doing just fine without him.

NBA MVP Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah lead the Chicago Bulls back into the Eastern Conference Semifinals with stellar performances against the Atlanta Hawks, winning 86-73. Rose finished with  25 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds while Noah had 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 steals.

The Bulls dominated the glass, and capitalized and their second chance opportunities, out-rebounding Atlanta 58-39. Derrick Rose was forced into committing 8 turnovers, but for a 22-year-old who has just been crowned league MVP, you can live with this based on his overall performance and winning outcome.

The Bulls managed to contain Joe Johnson from being as explosive as he was in game 1, while forcing Al Horford, Josh Smith, Jamal Crawford and Marvin Williams to shoot a combined 11-46 from the field. Shooting .244 from the field will not get it done for anyone, anytime, ever, during NBA playoff basketball.

An unexpected lift aws provided by Jeff Teague, whom spent the duration of the season as a limited and unknown quantity. He dropped in 21 points but was inefficient in distributing the ball, producing only 3 assists in nearly 40 minutes.

If the Bulls continue to dominate and disrupt on defense like game 2, this series will swing wide open in their favor, regardless of where they play.

Atlanta needs to sort out some way to bounce back, regroup, and try any means necessary to rekindle their offensive rhythm back at home for the next two games in Atlanta, and fast.

Derrick Rose is gaining more confidence during his first trip to the Semifinals, and his ankle continues to get stronger.

All of this is bad news for the Hawks.

Like I wrote early, and I must reiterate here, if Carlos Boozer ever wakes up and starts dropping in his normal stat line, this series will be all but over for Atlanta. he was good on the glass, but his 4-12 shooting could improve, and has no reason not too.

Luol Deng is silently going about his game as usual, and has been a solid reinforcement in the front court for the Bulls.

Now that the first round of the NBA playoffs has closed, things are tightening up on the NBA. Taking a look at the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and how these teams match up, I will give you my predictions.

Barring major unexpected play from someone we would never imagine (imagine Joel Anthony or Zaza Pachulia dropping in 20 plus points – that sort of out of nowhere) these series seem pretty lopsided.

Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat

This is the round where the Celtics should start to feel the adverse effects of the Kendrick Perkins trade. Luckily for Boston, Miami is missing a legitimate center, and is throwing the rag-tag combination of Big Z, Joel Anthony, and Erick Dampier praying that there are enough fouls and an occasional scorer to help lessen the pressure on Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh.

If Bosh can perform, Miami could advance. However, it will be highly unlikely that Bosh will hold up against the defensive monster that is Kevin Garnett.

Wade has also had a terrible time this year against Boston. I hate to ever bet against Wade, but if there ever is a time, it is during the playoffs against a superior defensive team. Ray Allen shoudl keep Wade busy on both ends of the floor: Wade will chase down Allen as he launches a barrage of three point attempts,  and Allen locking down Wade while on defensive side of the ball.

Boston has the distinct advantage at the point guard position with Rajon Rondo. There is nothing Miami can offer up to stop Rondo. Bibby and Chalmers are pretty much sacrificial lambs being sent out to the slaughter against Rondo.

James and Paul Pierce should be a battle for the ages: James seeking out revenge with backup, and Pierce looking to use every trick in his book and throw it all at James with maximum determination.

As far as matchups go, it is Celtics with the advantage all the way.

Prediction: Celtics in 6

Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks

It’s scary to imagine the Hawks continuing on like they did against the Magic, especially without Kirk Hinrich, who went down with a hamstring injury. But man, wouldn’t it have been great? Don’t count a warrior like Hinrich out just yet, as he would love to upsurge his former team.

Derrick Rose will likely to continue to dominate if his ankle holds up. That being said,and if the ankle is good, there is nothing the Hawks can do to stop Rose. Much like Rondo vs. the Heat example, Rose has nothing in his way, and will dominate this series, and could potentially have more explosive series than his first round. His confidence is at an all time high and in untested waters. Very scary stuff to think about.

Luol Deng is the silent assassin playing more or less like an All Star-like supportive role so far in the post season. Deng should pose problems to Josh Smith if he stays out on the perimeter and drives inside, as perimeter defense is a weakness of Smith, and something the Bulls will look to exploit. Smith is prone to fouling and trying to make plays while trailing, so look for him to find himself in foul trouble.

Joe Johnson will face a myriad of Bulls defensive aces such as Ronnie Brewer and Keith Bogans. Surely Johnson will get his, but at what cost to his energy and overall team chemistry? If Johnson gets frustrated by the Bulls smothering defense, he might shoot himself, and his team, out of the offensive scheme. Jamal Crawford is facing a similar situation.

Even if Johnson can get by his defenders, he will be greeted at the rim by the imposing and crazy-eyed Joakim Noah Not a good situation for Johnson. If Noah adds some offensive put backs and scores a bit, he will have done more than put the Bulls over the top.

Al Horford poses the biggest threat against the Bulls, as he is a monster anyway you look at it. The thing to consider, though, will be if he his impact will register based on how the Hawks supporting cast will be contained. High output from Horford faces the potential to be negated by Chicago’s swarming team defense.

Finally, if Carlos Boozer wakes up, the Bulls could sweep.

Prediction: Bulls in 5.

Can the Chicago Bulls win it all? Michael Jordan thinks the Bulls can. He also endorses Derrick Rose. Rose should win his first MVP award this year.

Tom Thibodeau is the obvious candidate for Coach of the Year. The Bulls made strides even though they played only a fraction of the season at full capacity. Injuries to Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah forced Thibodeau to go deep into this roster to surround Derrick Rose, and it worked.

Now the bench is seasoned, know they can win, and know they can do this regardless of who plays. They have the results. The overall confidence range from starting five down all the way to Brian Scalabrine is soaring higher than other team in the league right now.

If Derrick Rose can have his roster at full force for the playoffs, why can’t they make it all the way to the NBA finals? It seems to me that the defensive genius that is Tom Thibodeau will serve the Bulls better than most of the other top teams in the East. The top four teams in the East are:

• Chicago
• Boston
• Miami
• Orlando

Of these teams, Chicago and Boston are the best defensive teams. Only Miami has a higher ranking in points per game differential.

Boston has a better Opponents points per game average at 91.1, but Chicago trails by only a slim margin at 91.2.

This statistical category might prove to be the most impacting results regarding the post season. If your team is already clawing and fighting and pulling out the tough victories in low scoring games, you won’t need to make adjustments. You are already conditioned to these style of games and have the upper hand.

Of course, the Boston Celtics have also been bit by injuries, but Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah are higher level impact players than Boston’s Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal, who are not anywhere near the Bulls stars level at this point in their careers.

Just flash back to 2008-09 when Rose went into the psycho zone against the Celtics in one of the best playoff series in recent NBA history. How can you not get excited when thinking what will happen if these two meet in the Eastern Conference Finals for the right to advances into the NBA Finals.

My money is on Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls.

One can on;l be bombarded with many thoughts of a promising future while watching Derrick Rose’s Bulls gel together with Carlos Boozer. Sure, there are still some kinks for the duo to work out as far as timing, floor spacing, decisions about commitment to drive or the pass, versus pulling up to shoot by Rose, but when they finally have that moment where it all clicks, the rest of the league will be forced to sit up straight.

Boozer still has some rust to shake off, and has not yet fully gained his game-speed legs yet. After returning from a broken pinky, the two have only had a handful of games to play against NBA competition.

All these conditions aside, Chicago, led by Rose, took command in the second half versus the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, staving off a late fourth quarter run to win 88-84 at the United Center.

Rose has the Bulls primed to rise up in the Eastern Conference.

During the 4th quarter, Rose hit multiple off-balance, clutch shots (including a ridiculous mid-air-acrobatic-contortion-of-the-body three point shot in the corner) to keep Chicago’s momentum and crowd in the game. Rose answered every attempt at a comeback by the Lakers, seemingly willing shots through the basket at times.

There is no doubt he has immense talent, but it is clear that in his third year Rose is coming into his own as an elite player. In this victory over the Lakers he finished with 29 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds, shot 12-25 from the field, and 3-5 from the downtown. It is scary to imagine how deadly he will be if his outside shooting persists at this level all season.

The Bulls are going to be one of the premier teams in the Eastern Conference, especially as the Rose-Boozer-Noah combo continue to flourish within the system and gain a better feel for each other over the next couple weeks.

Moreover, if supporting players like Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, Taj Gibson and C.J. Watson can solidify and substantiate minutes in their reserve roles, the Bulls depth chart will allow head coach Tom Thiboeau flexibility managing his roster.

Not to jump too far ahead, but the Bulls played much better than the Lakers. Much more than the box score would lead one to believe. The Lakers didn’t play themselves back into the game so much as the Bulls carelessness allowed Los Angeles the opportunity to creep back in. As the Bulls develop the killer instinct, its safe to believe the boxscore will reflect this as well.

There is no doubt in my mind Thibodeau will teach the Rose and the Bulls using the footage of this game as a prime example how to learn how to close games out against elite teams like the Lakers.

Let me start this article by stating this little disclaimer: I have always been a fan of NBA video games, and have always believed the NBA Jams franchise was the best video game ever created. That being said I also believed the only drawback any and all of these video games had, of course, was the severe lack of Micheal Jordan in them.

Then I received my copy of NBA2k11 in the mail this week. Not to sound cliche, but this game changed everything on how I view NBA video games. Did I say change? I meant shattered. This game goes far and beyond just building upon the momentum NBA2K10 built last year to claim the title as top NBA video game on the market.

All these accomplishments aside, the fact remains that Micheal Jordan is on the cover, and the game has improved features that simply rules all that is NBA video games.

Not only can you play with Jordan and his classic Chicago Bulls rosters, but you can also select from a variety of classic NBA teams. So people like ESPN’s Bill Simmons can pick his beloved 1985-86 Boston Celtics (if you have not read his Book of Basketball, you should) and can see how well he fares against the Chicago Bulls Dynasty teams.

If you are a die-hard sneakerhead, and looking to take your video game to the next level, you can learn how to unlock all sorts of classic NBA shoes, and play in those vintage sneakers we all have wished to see on the feet of the video game likenesses of our favorites.

Best shoes for the best video game? Naturally!

I was impressed not only by the usual commentators delivery of play by play, but the music selections included in the game features some of the hottest hip hop music on the planet. Included in the game are artists Drake, Kid Kudi, Outkast’s Big Boi, and an exclusive track written and performed by Snoop Dogg just for NBA2K11.

Following is a complete track list for NBA 2K11:

• 1. Snoop Dogg – NBA 2K Theme
• 2. Big Boi – Shutterbug
• 3. Drake – Over
• 4. Cassidy – Game Time
• 5. Ron Artest – Champion
• 6. Duck-Down All-Stars feat. Buckshot, Skyzoo, Promise, and Sean Price – Better Than You
• 7. The Alan Parsons Project – Sirius
• 8. Art vs. Science – Hollywood
• 9. Big Rock Candy Mountain – Rocketship
• 10. Brunettes – Red Rollerskates
• 11. Chicharones – Little By Little
• 12. Children Collide – Skeleton Dance
• 13. Constellations feat. Asher Roth- We’re Here To Save The Day
• 14. Dan Black feat. Kid Cudi – Symphonies (Remix)
• 15. Delorean – Deli
• 16. Ev – Home Of The Brave (Instrumental)
• 17. Failsafe – Hope & Only If We Learn
• 18. HOGNI – Bow Down
• 19. Kidz In Space – Downtime
• 20. Middleman – It’s Not Over Yet
• 21. Rakaa feat. Aloe Blaac – Crown Of Thorns
• 22. The Redland – So Far
• 23. The Russian Futurists – Paul Simon & Precious Metals
• 24. Sonny Bones – Rise
• 25. Two Door Cinema Club – I Can Talk
• 26. Yung Automatik & Bay Root Productions – Go Hard or Go Home
• 27. Dux Jones – Pourin’ It On

The game play action of NBA2K11 is simply outstanding. The moves, likenesses of the players, and everything else about this game provides players with the best NBA experience there is on the market today.

The Chicago Bulls did right by Joakim Noah, giving him a 5-year, $60 million contract extension. They did not do, thankfully, is package Noah, whom is emerging as one of the top  overall centers in basketball, into what could have been deemed as a roster-crippling trade to acquire Carmelo Anthony. Good job Chicago!

The Bulls now have Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, and Joakim Noah on the books for over $10 million apiece moving forward, but it also means they have a dominant starting 5 (toss in bargain-priced defensive stalwart Ronnie Brewer) moving forward and the Bulls should clearly rise in the Eastern Conference as a top level team.

If Noah does not pump you up, check your pulse.

Noah is everything you want in a NBA center. He defends well, alters shots in the paint, never takes plays off, and runs the floor hard every chance he gets to fill lanes. He does everything at maximum effort, and comes from a a winning background (two NCAA Championships while at University of Florida, in case you somehow forgot or simply just unaware).

He’s loud, outspoken, he is LeBron James biggest nemesis. But he is a winner and all the baggage he has is worth taking in exchange for what he delivers on the court.

Now if the Bulls can forget about trading away Luol Deng, who in my opinion is the one of the most underrated small forwards in the game (still only 25 years old), and give Tom Thibodeau a season to meld these guys together, something special can happen for the Bulls.

Thibodeau will likely make Noah the centerpiece of his heavily defensively focused strategy this season.

The Bulls have invested in the right people, and (so far) have not blundered about making trades simply because the Miami free agent extravaganza came to be. I tip my hat to the Bulls organization for securing a solid lineup, and not blowing it apart simply to go after Carmelo Anthony, or chase any other trade to react to Miami.

Derrick Rose had a lot on his mind when it comes to LeBron James’ decision to join the Miami Heat, and shared it with ESPN Radio. After discussing his new teammate Carlos Boozer, Rose eventually had this to say about LeBron James:

“If he really wanted to come he would have come no matter what. He is grown, he makes his own decisions, and to him he made the right decision so everybody has to live with it because he has to live with it.”

Driving to the lane is not going to cut it.

Rose clearly looks forward to the challenge, adding:

“Yeah, it’s going to be fun. Playing the Heat is going to be fun,” Rose said. “I don’t know about anybody else’s team but I think my team is ready for war.”

Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah,  and the newly acquired Carlos Boozer will form a solid line up to compete against the “Super Friends” Miami Heat lineup of James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

Realistically though, Rose must drastically improve his outside shooting to give Chicago any chance of beating the elite. Until he can spread the floor from from the outside, teams can defend the  post and offer up better defense.

Rose will definitively dominate Miami unless they assign Wade the defensive task of trying to slow Rose, which I could easily envision creating problems for the Bulls. Wade has all the bulk and speed to hang with Rose. Wade can beat on Rose for the majority of 48 minutes.

As it stands now, Miami and Chicago and both poised to strike at Boston for supremacy in the Eastern Conference. If Rose starts draining the 3 ball, it will infinitely help the Bulls’ cause.

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh had dinner in Chicago Thursday night. Bosh tweeted about it.

He also provided a picture to prove it, and mentioned “Just had dinner w @dwadeofficial. Great way to end day 1 of #freeagency although it feels like someone is missing…… http://say.ly/FrP2L8″

Chicago fans are praying for this to happen.

Someone is missing? Could that be a less-than-subtle hint to LeBron James?

Bosh allegedly also met with Chicago late Friday night for the second time. If Chicago manages to land both Bosh and Wade what is to stop LeBron James, , other than his own stupidity, from hopping aboard to create arguably the best starting 5 in modern NBA history?

Bosh and Wade, if signed, will automatically augment a lineup featuring Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, and Taj GIbson. The Bulls have made the playoffs with their current lineup, so adding these two superstars will automatically make the Bulls title contenders.

Wade will join his hometown team and have the best guard playing alongside him in his entire career. Talk about inspiration.

Bosh will have the best center he has ever played with in his career.

Will they also get to play with the best small forward they have played with in their entire career? Apparently this is not going to happen, as Jalen Rose reports via twitter:

jalenrose

#NBA Breaking News(rumor has it)FA’s Wade/Bosh hv made up their minds to play AGAINST Lebron so don’t expect all 3 to play 2gether! WOW.

The verdict is not yet out on that one. Of course Pat Riley will do his absolute best to not allow this when Wade returns to Miami to meet with him.  But one can only wonder if Wade and Bosh have both made second trips, shared a dinner to discuss in Chicago, what sort of likelihood this has to happening.

However, if Wade and Bosh are are secured, Chicago fans will have a new slogan that can absolutely make Bucks fans go insane:

Fear the Steer!