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.

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.

The 2010 NBA Draft went according to plan with John Wall going first, and everyone else basically falling into place. Even the Golden State Warriors followed protocol making a horrible selection at 6. Alas, all is normal in the NBA.

But the biggest success came from the teams that were already involved in the NBA free agency class of 2010, and they made a bigger splash by using the draft to create more cap space using the addition by subtraction method of packaging players into draft day trades.

The Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat made the most room, freeing massive cap space and taking the serious lead to make their teams title contenders this summer.

The Bulls sent Kirk Hinrich and the 17th pick to the Washington Wizards, freeing up enough space to sign two max free agents. They retained Luol Deng, so the Bulls can now immediately offer a major free agent a solid playoff ready supporting cast in Derrick Rose, Deng, and Joakim Noah.

The free agency power is in my hand!

LeBron James’ name and the Chicago Bulls seem to keep popping up in conversations and the rumor mills, but now you can start hearing things like “LeBron and Bosh” or “LeBron and Amare” emerging as the new conversational trend.

The Miami Heat, who were already poised to make some serious waves in free agency, shipped out Daequan Cook and the #18 pick to Oklahoma City Thunder,  clearing the space now for the Heat to resign Dwyane Wade, and sign two free agents.

Miami now can offer free agents the beach, Wade, and a lifestyle that is more desirable than almost any other NBA franchise location around (Note: Miami’s acronym= Minnesota).

For now, these two teams are the big winners as we waltz our way into the July 1st fiasco, however, once LeBron inks a deal, and the rest of the players fall into place with their teams, we wont really know.

As of now Miami sits at the top of the list of all franchises hoping to hit the free agent marketplace, perched and ready to make the most noise this summer.

Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls are gaining steam at the quintessential time of the NBA season. Rose and company finally resembled a playoff-worthy team with the return to proper form, and health, by Luol Deng and Joakim Noah.

The Bulls wrung out a hard fought 109-108 victory over the Eastern Conference  leading Cleveland Cavaliers thrusting themselves into a a tie with the Toronto Raptors for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Easter Conference.

Although the Raptors own the season series tie breaker, it might not even matter. Toronto will be without Chris Bosh indefinitely after Bosh fractured his face, giving Chicago an opportunity to finish out the season securing the eight seed.

Rose is lifting the young Bulls.

Derrick Rose has been playing stellar basketball for Chicago, and scored 24 points with 10 assists while leading a well-balanced offensive attack that featured 23 points from Kirk Hinrich, 22 from Luol Deng, and 17 points and 15 rebounds from Joakim Noah. Noah also had 4 blocks and 4 assists.

When fully healthy Chicago is a young, athletic, mercurially streaky team. They are unpredictable and highly fun to watch. When on his game, Noah is an ambassador of post defense and rebounding in addition to constantly bringing a winning attitude to the floor that is infectious to the Bulls team defense.

The Bulls look poised to hoist themselves into the playoffs, but will find themselves facing a Cleveland Cavaliers team with LeBron James in the lineup come playoff time. With James out Thursday night in order to rest, the Bulls only managed to win by 1 point.

Rose, Deng, and Noah seem to be the core power trio to Chicago having a slim chance, if any, to advance in the playoffs.

Realistically, they need one more marquee name, such as Chicago native Dwyane Wade, to sign via free agency this summer, before they are a bona fide title contender. But if that happens, all bets are of in the East.

There are 7 players making their first ever all star appearance during the 2010 NBA All Star Game: Deron Williams, Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, Gerald Wallace, and Zack Randolph.

Those noteworthy, yet snubbed, include David Lee of the Knicks, Chris Kaman of the Clippers, and Mo Williams of the Cavaliers. Better luck next season guys!

DERON WILLIAMS

Deron Williams joins fellow Olympian Kobe Bryant in Dallas. (Credit: picapp.com)

Deron Williams is long overdue. He had a legitimate grief for not being named to the game for the past two years. They finally got it right! I might be biased, but that is because I think Deron Williams is the best point guard in the business. No disrespect to Steve Nash or Chris Paul, but when I see Williams play, I feel he is more of a pure point like Nash, but has the ability to overtake a game like Paul. Only time will tell if I am right or not, but Williams size and strength play to his favor over Paul over the long haul. KEVIN DURANT

Sorry David, your All Star chances are "Rejected!" (Credit: picapp.com)

Kevin Durant is not only deserving of an All Star nod, but people should seriously consider putting his name in the MVP hat this year. He is playing brilliant basketball, has a current of 19 games with 25 points or more, his team is a respectable 24-21 and tinkering on the brink of playoff contention.

More importantly, Durant has focused on defense, and as he told me during this twitter interview, and is committed to working hard to improve on every facet of his game. His off season work has proven to be effective this year as his defense is vastly improved this season.

AL HORFORD

Horford's relentless hustle earned him an All-Star appearance. (Credit: picapp.com)

Al Horford is the quiet force in the middle for the Atlanta Hawks. He is one of the most athletic, self sacrificing big men in the NBA today. He might have lower statistical output than David Lee, but coaches understand how good Horford is. He is a walking talking double-double who would be putting up crazy numbers if he got to play his natural position, power forward. Plus, it never hurts your chances if your team has a winning record of 29-15. David Lee knows the Knicks suck, and if anyone on a losing team deserves an All Star bid it’s Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors. DERRICK ROSE

Rose is emerging as one of the leagues best in his 2nd season. (Credit: picapp.com)

Derrick Rose is the Chicago Bulls lately. He has shaken off residuals from his preseason ankle injury while steadily increasing his scoring from 16.2 in November to 23.5 in January. The result is  a 9-5 record thus far during January.

There are few players in the league that possess the “all-in-one” game that Rose has. He will defend his skills challenge this year during the all star weekend as well. I would not be too surprised to see a slam dunk contest in his future. The dude can fly.

RAJON RONDO

It's plays like this that make Rondo an All Star. (Credit: picapp.com)

Rajon Rondo has been an All-Star since day one of the NBA season. He is a vicious defender, leads the league in steals, and is only 0.3 APG away from averaging a double-double on the season. Rondo is on an elite Celtics team in the East, and he is an integral role of the team being so. His selection comes as no shocker. GERALD WALLACE

Wallace joins Duncan among the leagues elite stars. (Credit: picapp.com)

Simple fact: Gerald Wallace is a downright nasty basketball player. He rebounds (11.0 RPG), scores (18.6), and is an all-around stat machine (1.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 1.2 BPG). With the Bobcats contending for the playoffs, Wallace is a extremely deserving All Star. An winning argument could be made for him being an all star for a few years now. Now that Charlotte is winning, Wallace finally gets the nod.

You will also be able to see his insane dunking ability in the 2010 NBA Sprite Slam Dunk Competition.

ZACH RANDOLPH

Randolph has revived his career in Memphis. (Credit: picapp.com)

Last, but certainly not least, is Zach Randolph. Randolph has had a stigma surrounding him his entire career. He has been considered a distraction, selfish, or a long list or other words I dare not type, by teammates, coaches, and fans alike.

This year Randolph appears to have matured, taken the Grizzlies under his wing, and is making Memphis a team nobody wants to play. They currently rank 7th in the Western Conference playoff standings, and if San Antonio does not get it together soon, the Griz might rise higher before the end of the season.