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.

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.

Luol Deng has been on a tear of late, albeit playing with a fracture in his left thumb, shining brightly for an otherwise abysmal Chicago Bulls team. He has been putting up the numbers that were expected of him when he signed his 6-year $71 million contract.

Deng has been averaging 21.8 PPG, 8 RPG, and 3 APG over his last 5 games. His increased production has come at a strange time. It was announced yesterday that Deng has been playing the past week with a hairline fracture in his thumb that he sustained in practice.

Fortunately, the fracture is on his non-shooting hand. However, Deng states there are drawbacks in his game because he feels pain while dribbling or anytime he is grasping the ball:

“It hurts a lot. It affects me a little when I dribble and drive, but I want to play through it.”

Deng announced that he plans to play through the pain. This might not be the smartest move from a medical standpoint, his motivation for playing with the injury is justified after his leg injury and the bad rap the press gave him last year.

The injury was a fractured right tibia, and  his season as a whole was a disappointment for Chicago. He played 49 games and was shut down for the playoffs. Deng was unhappy people did not believe the severity of his injury.

The media’s mindset stemmed from the fact that after he was shut down for the year Deng was still able to play for Britian’s national team during the summer. Bad timing for him to get healthy when viewed through the looking glass of the media.

Dribbling is a painful process for Deng. (Credit: picapp.com)

This is likely a strong influence as to why Deng is playing through injury now. He wants to silence his critics while simultaneously proving his toughness. He is putting up solid numbers and making a healthy (no pun intended) contribution for the Bulls on a nightly basis.

Deng is the leading scorer for Chicago, and he is now leading the way with his toughness. If he helps the Bulls to some wins while battling through his painful injury, he might even win over some love from the media this season.

The Chicago Bulls put on an impressive display in yesterdays preseason game vs the Utah Jazz in London’s O2 Arena. Pundits are all saying Boston Celtics this, Cleveland Cavaliers that, and Orlando will be in it for the Eastern Conference Championship, but folks should not overlook the Chicago Bulls. They played tough last year in the playoffs, and should only be better this season.

Sure it was the preseason, but there are some strong indications that the Bulls are a team that nobody can afford to fall asleep on this year. And here are some reasons why.

Deng looks deng good. (Credit: AP)

Luol Deng appears to have no lingering affects from his injuries. He dropped in 18 points on 8-12 shooting in just 25 minutes. It is beyond imperative that the Bulls have a healthy Deng in their lineup this season. If he is capable of playing the way he did before he signed his gigantic contract in 2007 the Bulls will cause major match up issues. WIth Ben Gordon gone, look for Deng’s and everyone’s numbers to increase as unselfish ball will return to Chicago.

Rookies James Johnson and Taj Gibson are a lot better than people think. James Johnson reminds me of Tyrus Thomas, but seems to have a clue about making drives to the basket, drawing contact,  and making monstrous dunks.

Both Gibson and Johnson had 2 impressive blocked shots apiece. This bodes well for the Bulls. Their second unit will not drop off in attacking the rim either defensively or offensively.

The Bulls played well without Derrick Rose and John Salmons. Kirk Hinrich and Jannero Pargo started in the backcourt and combined for 27 points shooting 10-21 from the field and 9 assists. More impressive was the combined 5-8 from 3point range.

So when Rose and Salmons rest, the Bulls have offensive weapons to make sure there is little to no drop off.

Joakim Noah played out of his mind defensively. His 6 blocked shots in 26 minutes was nothing less than unreal. Once he sits, Brad Miller will take over, making life hell for the opposition’s second unit center with his savvy arsenal of crafty moves and passing skills. They might appear in slow motion, but they are highly effective.

If Chicago continues to meld together the way they played last night, only good things can be on their horizon.

James Johnson will lead the second unit in Chicago (Credit: AP)

Albeit it only a preseason game, the Utah Jazz always play hard under Jerry Sloan.

The Bulls should be very happy with how they performed, and what they have heading into this season. A ton of youth, depth at every position, and a dash of veteran experience make for a dangerous NBA recipe.

A warning to all NBA teams: do not fall asleep on the Bulls, or you will most likely experience a harsh awakening.

Dwyane Wade officially declared contract discussions are officially on hold until the conclusion of the forthcoming 2009-10 season.  Considering what this means for Wade’s future, there are too many reasons supporting the idea that this will be Wade’s final season with the Miami Heat to think he will re-sign.

Wouldn't you take winning and the 4th floor view? (Credit: picapp.com)

Wade wants to play on a team that has contender written all over it. He has clearly stated he will not sign with Miami if the brass fails to make the moves providing the proof they will build around him. He put the team on his shoulders last season to the tune of 43 wins, but experienced an immediate dismissal from the playoffs.

A couple surgeries behind him, I am sure Wade will not go down that lone road again anytime soon. He needs to have a supporting cast around him or else teams will be able to beat him down.

Wade purchased a massive palace of a home in Chicago’s riverside Kinzie Park neighborhood. Realistically, who buys a $1.4 million dollar 4 story home without having the intent of living in it?

Chicago has the real deal in young point guard Derrick Rose, who is also a Chicago native. Together, Wade and Rose potentially represent the fiercest backcourt in the league.

Derrick Rose is a budding young superstar and a veteran with championship experience would be borderline moronic to not get on board next to him.

"Home town reprazent" (Credit: picapp.com)

Taking a deeper look at Chicago’s roster it makes complete sense for Wade to sign for 2010-11 and beyond. Derrick Rose, Luol Deng,  Joakim Noah, and Tyrus Thomas represent a strong core of youth to build around.

If Luol Deng regains his form prior to his injury plagued 2008-09 season the Bulls will have a plethora of options in Wade, Rose, Deng, and Noah.

If Noah plays his wild style of defense, and slams home occasional junk buckets a la Cedric Ceballos, the Bulls will be avoid conflicts over who gets the ball.

Supplanting the youth pool for the Bulls will potentially be John Salmons, Brad Miller, and (in 2010-11 ) 2^nd year players James Johnson and Taj Gibson. Gibson and Johnson are both slated to be solid players down the road.

Expect Kirk Hinrich to be topping the list of Chicago’s dearly departed upon Wade’s arrival.

Brad Miller might stay the course.

That kind of roster makes the view from the 4^th floor of Wades $1.4 million home that much more splendid, looking towards the future.