Starting Lineup

The second half of the season started last night and the Bulls finally had their starting lineup together. I think it was only the 5th or 6th time it happened with injuries to Rose,  Hamilton, Deng and Noah. Ironically, Boozer has been the only healthy one. The starters did well, but the Bencch Mob was rusty. Rose had an MVP game with 30 pts / 9 asts. Deng and Noah had their usual double-doubles and Hamilton looked as if he was never out. Now they just have to work on playing together snce this group isn't used to it yet. Last night's game was a win, but much closer than it should have been against a Hornets team with an almost opposite record. Still, it's nice to know the Bulls can fall asleep and still win a game.

Spell of Slowness

Slowness is contagious when it comes to rush hour commutes. I had a particularly slow one this morning with no official delays. All legs of my trip were slowed in seemingly unrelated ways. It was as if some wizard cast a slowness spell on the day. One the bus ride, there was an unusual amount of people crowding on to the train and the driver was not skipping any stops. At one stop, the last guy in was an old man who paid coin-by-coin. He does this regularly enough that he might be a "Clockwork" post sometime soon. As the bus was emptying out, the old man was one of the first people out, and moved super slow, blocking about half of the train from leaving. Then on the way down to the train, the escalator was broken. Sometimes that's a good thing because it forces both lanes to walk, but not when there's a slow person up front blocking both of them. Today's blocker wasn't even large either. Some people, particularly in NYC are extremely self-centered and oblivious to everyone around them. After all the, the train was late too... causing crowds and more slowness!

All-Star Weekend

The All-Star game is the greatest of any sport because the events span 3 days and he NBA really gets the host city involved. There's usually a lot going on that includes kids and families, which makes it a good charity event. The games themselves are a bit lacking though. No one watches the celebrity game. They went with a different format for the Rookie Challenge this year. Instead of Rookies vs. Sophomores, it's now called Rising Stars and both teams include a mixture of Rookies and Sophomores. The result was the same though... a game littered with turnovers, missed 3-balls and undefended dunks. Even the actual All-Star game was like that until the final 2 minutes when it got close. I thought the All-Star game had potential when I saw a Howard block, but it was over for me once he and Bynum jacked up 3's.

The individual events grew out of the Slam Dunk Contest, but I felt that the other competitions had become better. The 3-Point and Skills challenges have the same format with 2 rounds and 3 players advancing to the next one. The Slam Dunk used to have that format, but they changed it this year probably because it got less popular. They now only have 3 players competing from the start and the voting is 100% online. It turned out to be a nice event with the 2-ball dunk by Jeremy Evans and the glow-in-the-dark one by Paul George, but the format was weird.

MVPs

So far, LeBron James is the clear cut MVP this year. There are also talks about Durant and Howard... little about Rose. This says a lot about the Bulls team and Derrick Rose. Most NBA stars have to get their numbers at all costs... usually at the sacrifice of teamwork. The Bulls are all about one number... wins. No one cares about individual stats. You can look at any of the Bulls game-by-game stats. They fluctuate a lot and it's because they adapt their roles to each different situation. In the end, it's usually a win. Rose got the MVP last year because he was filling all of the holes made by significant injuries to teammates.  He had to score each game. This year, depth is more important for the compressed season. It's nice to know that all 12 players are ready to go and there are no weaknesses in substitutions.

Triple-Double

After getting routed at home a couple of weeks ago and having opposing fans outnumber their own, the Bucks were looking for payback last night at the United Center. That hardly happened. It was kind of close inthe first quarter when the Bulls kept dropping a 9-point lead for a few seconds, but little by little it became a blowout. It was another win with the numbers spread out, but Noah was all over the place with 13 pts, 13 rebs... and 10 asts for his first career triple-double. Boozer added 20pts, Rose had 16 pts/7 asts and Deng also had 16.

AJ Rants

Immediately after the Yankees sent AJ to Pittsburgh, reporters started writing about how he said that the Yankees tweaked his game too much and he would have a fresh start with the Pirates. I'm not a big Burnett fan, but I think this story is more of reporters' shot at AJ than AJ's shot at the Yankees. It's no secret that the Yankees staff are obsessed with statistics. They often rely on  the numbers and forget that players are people. AJ was merely stating facts the we already know. The Yankees are still screwing around with Chamberlain and Hughes. And it's true... AJ WILL get a fresh start. It's a new team and a new league. This is really a non-issue!

Long Weekend Sports Wrapup

Bulls
It was a rollercoaster 3-game long weekend for the Bulls, starting with a Friday night win to avenge their Celtics loss last week. Rose sat out until Monday, so this was the alternate team that defated the Celtics' starters. Then the Bulls went cold for the Saturday afternoon game and let the Nets steal one at home. It was only their 2nd home loss and against one of the worst teams in the NBA! I really thought the Bulls would pull through even with a 20+ point deficit because that's just what I'm used to now. Avoiding another chance for a 2-game losing streak, the Bulls bounced back as usual for Monday's President's Day game. They took out the playoff bound Hawks in Derrick Rose's return.

Linsanity
The Knicks also had an up and down weekend with a loss to the Hornets, an even worse team than the Nets. Lin's offensive nubers were there, bbut so were his turnovers. Then, they proved themselves worthy as they faced their first good team in the Lin Era... the Mavericks. They came from behind to win that one in the 4th. Lin was clutch with crucial plays. Then in last night's  game, they got outplayed in every way by the Nets, where their win streak started. Linsanity started here. Could it also end here? He still had a good game as he filled the stat sheet though. It was Anthony who looked a little rust and ball movement overall wass bad.

Yankees
Pitchers and catchers reported over the weekend. That meant the Yankees needed to unload AJ Burnett as quickly as possible. They did so on Friday, finalizing a deal to the Pirates. The Pirates paid $13 million and the Yankees pay the rest. This gets rid of the only losing pitcher in the rotation and sends him to the NL. Everyone wins! In other Yankees news, Mariano Rivera hinted at his retirement after this season. He said that the decisions been made, but he won't announce his decision until the end of the 2012 season. What's the point? That already felt like the announcement to me! Expect a lot of flashbulbs in the 9th inning this season!

Point Forward

The Bulls got their revenge last night against the Celtics team that edged them last week. It was the same Bulls lineup with the same injuries, but much different results. It was a game of streaks as the Celtics got off to a good start with Garnet and Rondo on fire. CJ Watson got into early foul trouble and the Bull had to use Mike James, who they just acquired for 10 days. He played quality basketball despite not being in 100% game shape. Deng over the last 2 games has been playing as a Pippen-like point forward, distributing the ball like a guard. Last night, he followed up his career high 11 with a 10-assist night (and 23 pts). Boozer and Noah each double-doubled.

It was another important win and display of Bulls depth. They now have the most wins in the league and this is with Rose and Hamilton injured. The great thing about the depth is the Bulls play with so many combinations that everyone is used to everyone else. I don't think they have to make any big adjustments even when Hamilton comes back.

RIP Gary Carter

It was a sad day today as baseball lost one of its greatest of all time. Hall of Famer and one of New York's most memorable champions, Gary Carter passed away as he lost his battle with cancer. Here are his career achievements:

- 324 HRs
- 1225 RBIs
- 1986 World Series Champion
- 11x All-Star
- 2x All-Star MVP
- 3x Gold Glove
- 5x Silver Slugger
- NL RBI champion
- 1989 Roberto Clemente Award
- Co-captain of the New York Mets
- Baseball Hall of Fame (inducted in 2003)
- Mets Hall of Fame

Linsanity Moves North

The fairytale season continued for Jeremy Lin as he hit the game tying shot and game winner in Toronto last night. He has yet to have a bad night since they started him. His ball-hadling was a bit off, but he more than made up for it with his 28 points.

Relating to the Bulls, Mike James was just given a 10-day contract in case Rose needs more rest and with Hamilton still out. If the Knicks hadn't played Lin that night in NJ, they were going to pull James out of the D-League. That would have put Chicago in place  to pick up Lin. On the Bulls, he would have gotten playing time no matter what. 

Western Shootout

The Bulls had an unusual win last night against the Kings, posting season highs in points scores and assists. There wasn't much defense as they played the Kings' signature type game and beat them at it. Rose still sat out with his sore back. Deng lead the way with 23 pts and a career high 11 asts. He was 3 rebs shy of a triple-double. 5 other players scored in double figures. Noah had his usual double-double along with 4 blks. The Kinngs shot 47% for the night while the Bulls shot 52%. The game, though against a losing team was still significant because it was the return home and with it, secured Tom Thibodeau as coach of the Eastern Conference All-Stars. 

Finally Home

After a season high 9-game road trip, the Bulls finally return to the United Center tonight. This was their Circus Trip replacement, but the difference was that it didn't come at the beginning of the season. In they end, they fared well with a 6-3 record. Of course it doesn't compare to the 9-1 home record they'll start defending against the Kings. Looking at the overall picture, the Bulls have played more games  than any other team so far and they've got one of the best records as they continuously tie or trade places with OKC. Most of their games are away games, which means that they'll have mostly home games after the All-Star break. This should allow them to finish strong like they do every season.

The concern of course is injuries. Rose is still day-to-day. After seeing a specialist yesterday, it was confirmed that the injury is with muscles rather than bones. That means there's no season-ending injury, to the delight of all Bulls fans. Hamilton continues to miss games as well. So far, the combination of Watson, Lucas and Brewer have been doing well. The Bulls still win their games. They even look bad in some games and still pull out a win.

911 Complete

I was on a bus with a sick passenger for the first time today. It happens a lot on the train, especially during rush hour, but I've never had it on the bus before. The guy was standing and fainted. You could hear everyone around saying "oh my God!" and "call 911." So the driver pulled over and made a call. Passengers helped the guy to a seat and he was awake, but a little confused. He got his bearings and was OK. Now, everyone was telling the driver things are OK. But what people don't get is that once you make an emergency call, you have to complete it. Passengers are generally impatient. If you've ever been on a sick train, most people are angry more than concerned. They just want to dump the body and get the train moving. So, there are 2 reasons why the driver can't just take off:

1) Don't trust the passengers. They don't care about the sick person. They just want to get top their destination.

2) Any time you initiate an emergency call, you must complete it even if it's a cancellation. If it ends too abruptly, the cops are going to get sent out. That would delay them from a real emergency elsewhere... and you'd get a bill for their visit (if not a public place).

Recognition: Jeremy Lin

Most people didn't even know who Jeremy Lin was until last week. Most Knicks fans didn't even know he was on the Knicks. With the team shorthanded, D'Antoni gave him his shot. Davis and Bibby were out with injury, opening up the PG position. The Knicks had just lost 11 of their last 12. Melo was injured and Stoudemire out on bereavement. D'Antoni was probably coaching his last game if they lost to the even worse Nets. All of a sudden, Lin comes in and becomes the best player on the floor. All his numbers were probably career highs (25 pts & 7 asts in 36 min). Next game against Utah, he tops it with 28 pts & 8 asts in 45 min! He went 23/10 in Washington and then a career high 38/7 against the Lakers, outplaying Kobe Bryant. Last night he had 20 pts/8 asts/6 rebs + clutch FTs in the 4th. All of those were wins for the reborn Knicks.

The contributors for most of those games were the kids... Shumpert & Fields and newcomers Novak and Chandler... none of the All-Stars! This is proof that teamwork beats star power any day!

The guy who was one of the top bench warmers for 3 different NBA teams is suddenly one of the best players in the NBA! When he first came into the league, Jeremy Lin wanted to be known as a player more than a Chinese-American player. Good luck with that in NY!

Recognition: Luol Deng

The coaches finally woke up and used their heads as Luol Deng was chosen to be an All-Star reserve for the first time. He probably deserved it every year he's been in the league except when he was injured. He's not noticed mainly because he's not a flashy guy and Chicago is a low-key team. Also, Deng doesn't have spectacular numbers, but fills up the stat sheet. For his career...
- 16 ppg
- 6.4 rpg
- 2.3 apg
- 1 spg

The numbers have always been consistent. From year-to-year, he's adjusted his role in various ways, not shooting the 3 for an entire year, then going back to it. This year, he's made himself into the team's second option in clutch time. We're seeing a good variety of jumpers and cutting shots.

Roadtrip = Blowout

Another road trip... another blowout! The game last night against the Hornets was a bit different though. I don't think the Bulls played that well. They didn't open up with 70% shooting and Rose didn't even play most of the game as his back was still bothering him. Here are the stats from last night:

- Boozer led with 18
- 4 guys in doubles
- Noah 13/10 double-double
- 49-39 in rebound war
- 11 steals
-29-19 in assist war (only 12 turnovers)

So it is possible to earn a blowout victory on defense alone!

Blowout w/o Rose

It was another blowout victory against the Nets. I'm pretty sure that even though the Bulls won the last game, they went back and studied tape because their defense was a lot better last night. None of the Nets were hot for a long period of time. The Bulls got to most of the loose balls. It was also another display of depth as Rose sat out with early foul troubles and back spasms. Deng looked good again despite the wrist injury. Boozers catapult was hitting, as was Noah's tornado and Korver was on fire from beyond the arc.

Blowout w/o Rose

It was another blowout victory against the Nets. I'm pretty sure that even though the Bulls won the last game, they went back and studied tape because their defense was a lot better last night. None of the Nets were hot for a long period of time. The Bulls got to most of the loose balls. It was also another display of depth as Rose sat out with early foul troubles and back spasms. Deng looked good again despite the wrist injury. Boozers catapult was hitting, as was Noah's tornado and Korver was on fire from beyond the arc.

Weekend Sports Wrapup

Bulls
It was another blowout game as the Bulls routed their division rival Bucks, 113-90. Rose lead as usual with 6, but the story here is about Kyle Korver and Luol Deng. Korver continues to be hot from the 3-point line as he scored 18 for the game. And his tenure on this team has taught him defense. Before joining the Bulls, he was known only for the spot-up 3. Now he's always glued to his man as he promised from the day he was signed. The Bulls are the NBA's academy for defense. Anyone who joins will get better. Last night was also Deng's return to the lineup. Like Rose, he's still injured and hurting, but they're after a championship and members of the hardest working team in the NBA won't sit out for long.

Giants
I only watch football if a NY is in the Superbowl, so it's been 4 year... same teams too... Giants vs Patriots... NY vs Boston! The Patriots have made appearances in several Super Bowls and came in with the much better record. The Giants made a late season push to get in. So it felt like the Giants grinded their way with heart and the Patriots had all the skills to make them the heavy favorite. Not knowing much about the sport, I somehow felt the Giants would win this one. They got off to the early lead, but the Patriots, behind their star QB, Tom Brady went on a scoring steak. Down to the last minute, NY QB, Eli Manning made some accurate passes... 88 yards for the TD they needed. I thought the receiver was showboating on the last play where he slowly rolled into the end zone. Later a friend explained to me that he was trying to kill clock. Later, Manning mentioned that he was yelling at the guy not to score right away, explaining why the receiver stopped himself and then fell backwards. Brady made a threat in the last minute, including a Hail Mary pass into the endzone that nearly completed. So it was an exciting Super Bowl, even for a non-fan. NY wins and gets the parade! All good for the city!

Lin
Jeremy Lin, PG for the Knicks, 1st Chinese-American player & 1st Ivy League player had the gamee of his career against the Nets. He had a career high in minutes... 35 and points... 25. Along with that, 7 asts, 5 rebs and 2 stls. He came out of nowhere and outplayed everyone on the floor.

Thx from Rose

Madison Rose Garden

The Bulls again prevented a 2-game losing streak by bouncing back after  a loss. Rose had another great game with 32 pts and 13 asts. He had a slow start in the 1st, but then put together a nice highlight reel for the MSG crowd. Along with his fellow small guards Watson and Butler, they wreaked havoc on the Knicks' defense... or lack of. Stoudemire and Anthony had big games for the Knicks as well as Landry Fields, but they lost it in the 4th quarter @ crunch time. They missed their game-tying shots and the Bulls made big defensive plays.

The Knicks are still a great team despite their losing record. They tend to play up to their competition, so it was good that the Bulls playedthem hard. Beyond their big 2, occasionally Fields and Douglas, they have no answer to the Bulls' depth. We didn't even play Deng or Hamilton. 

The New Circus Trip

The current road trip can be considered the Bulls' circus trip of this compressed season. It's much later in the schedule, but it will be their longest stretch away from home. With last night's loss to the 76ers, it was their 3rd loss in a week's time. They had only lost 3 in the previous 3 weeks, so it seems like injuries and fatigue are catching up. The Sixers looked fast and won just about every rebound battle. They capitalized on all of the Bulls' turnovers. Rose had 18 pts and Brewer 20. Even if Rose continued his 35 pt tear, they would still be blown out of this one.

Thx from Nadal

This is why I like Nadal. He's a humble champion with great sportsmanship. When he lost the Australian Open, I still watched the trophy ceremony just to hear him speak. Then I turned off the TV.