Joakim Noah
Chicago Bulls Fire Head Coach Vinny Del Negro
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010 | Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Bulls fired head coach Vinny Del Negro on Monday night – it was a move long-expected (even as early as mid-December when the Bulls got off to another slow start).
GM Gar Forman and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson announced the move at a Tuesday morning press conference at the Barto Center in Deerfield.
Del Negro finished each of his 2 seasons as Bulls head coach with a 41-41 record. He took the Boston Celtics to 7-games in the first round of the 2009 NBA playoffs, but this season, the Bulls only won 1 game in the 1st round against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had 1-year left on his contract.
Some of the news conference centered around John Paxson’s actions against Del Negro following a March 30th loss to the Phoenix Suns at the United Center. Supposedly Paxson attacked Del Negro for not obeying the club’s orders to limit Joakim Noah’s minutes because of a painful, lingering foot injury. While Paxson would not go into details about the altercation, he said he wasn’t proud of his actions — “I’m not at all proud of how I handled the situation. I felt that at the time, I was representing and standing up for a policy that we had put in place. I felt that way, but I was wrong in how I handled it.” While it’s great that he apologized to Del Negro, it still leaves a lot to be desired and even begs the question as to whether Paxson should still be in the organization.
Right from the start, the Del Negro era had a bad feel to it.
It is an important time for the Bulls organization. Derrick Rose is a superstar in the making, and Joakim Noah is emerging as a star in his own right. Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson provide a good supporting cast, but if the Bulls can add one of the big free agents on the market this summer — Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudamire, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, David Lee — then they would instantly become one of the favorite teams in the weak Eastern Conference. Landing the big name free agent and finding the right head coach to take them to the next level will be keys to the future success of the franchise. Forman and Paxson will look great if they make the right moves over the next few months. If not, each could be looking for a job by 2011…
Bulls Season Ends with 96-94 Loss to Lebron James & the Cavs
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010 | Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, NBA, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Bulls NBA season is finally over with their 96-94 to Lebron James and the Cavaliers on Tuesday night. The Cavs won the series 3 games to 1, but the Bulls played the top seed in the East surprisingly well.
Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 31 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists. Luol Deng had another good showing, knocking down 26 points and grabbing 6 boards. Never thought I would say this, but Joakim Noah had an “off” night with only 8 points and 9 rebounds. Crazy to think that that is a bad night for Noah – 2 years ago, we would be saying that Noah is showing some promise. Now that we know what he is capable of night in and night out, that seems like a poor effort for the 3rd year big man out of Florida.
Lebron James was relatively quiet, although he did almost net his 2nd triple-double of the series with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists.
Now the 2 biggest questions are who will replace Vinny Del Negro as the head coach of the Bulls for the 2010-2011 NBA schedule and will the Bulls be able to land one of the big free agents this summer? We’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear anything on either front…
Lebron James, Cavs Too Much for Bulls in Easy 121-98 Win
Sunday, April 25th, 2010 | Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, NBA, Sports | No Comments
Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were too much on Sunday at the United Center, as the Cavs cruised to an easy 121-98 over the Bulls. Lebron James notched a triple double in the win – 37 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Derrick Rose played well for the Bulls (21 points and 5 assists) as did Joakim Noah (21 points and 20 rebounds), but they did not have the help that they had in Thursday night’s impressive win over the Cavs. In that game, both Rose (37 points and 7 assists)and Noah (10 points and 15 rebounds) played well, but they also had a ton of help from Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng.
Now it’s back to Cleveland where the Cavs will look to close out the 1st round best of 7 series. Don’t expect this one to come back to the United Center folks…
Big Night for Chicago Bulls & Blackhawks
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, NBA, NHL, Nashville Predators, Sports | 2 Comments
It is a big night tonight for Chicago sports teams as the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks face “must-win” games in their respective playoff series.
The Bulls find themselves in a 2-0 hole in their 1st round NBA series against the #1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers. Lebron James of the Cavs torched the Bulls for 40 points in Monday’s contest. Another loss tonight will all but end the series – can’t see the Bulls coming back from a 3-0 deficit. While Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah have had great performances in both games, the Bulls are going to need more consistent play out of Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson if they expect to contain Lebron tonight and pull of the win. Tip off is 6PM Chicago time and the game will be televised on TNT.
The Blackhawks, meanwhile, find themselves in a 2-1 hole in Nashville. After a horrible, lifeless performance in Tuesday night’s 4-1 loss to the Predators, the Blackhawks must play with more urgency tonight. Brian Campbell – who was injured in a vicious hit about 40 days in which he suffered a broken clavicle and broken ribs – is expected to make his return on the ice tonight. Brian Bickell and Adam Burrish will also return to the line action. Could the return of these 3 players be the energetic injection that will propel the Hawks to victory?
After out-shooting the Predators in Games 1 and 2 of the series, the Predators out-shot the Hawks in Game 3 at home. The Blackhawks will need to apply more constant pressure in tonight’s game and they will have to move the puck around instead of trying to skate past the stingy Nashville defenders. The Hawks will also need a better performance out of goalie Antti Niemi. He was so good in the 1st 2 games, but will need to rebound from a sub-par showing in Game 3. It is do-or-die for the Blackhawks tonight in Nashville. Let’s hope they can put together a solid game like they did on Sunday at the United Center. If they can win tonight and even the series at 2 games apiece, I like the Blackhawks chances of advancing to round 2 and avoiding the upset. Tonight’s puck-drop is scheduled at 7:30 Chicago time in Nashville and the game will be televised on TSN2.
Chicago Bulls in 2-0 Hole to Lebron James & Cavaliers
Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 | Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, NBA, Sports | 1 Comment
The Chicago Bulls find themselves in an 0-2 hole after 2 hard-fought games in Cleveland. Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah have stepped up their games in the post-season, but the team does not have enough juice to take out Lebron James and his deep Cleveland Cavaliers squad.
On Monday night, the Cavs used a 10-point edge in the 4th quarter – courtesy of James’ 15-point quarter – to beat the Bulls 112-102. James ended up with 40 points, 8 boards and 8 assists. Derrick Rose scored 23 points and dished out 8 assists, while Joakim Noah scored 25 points and grabbed 13 boards.
In Saturday’s 96-83 loss to the Cavs, Derrick Rose scored 28 points, dished out 10 assists and grabbed 7 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough. James scored 24 points for the Cavs, while 2 of his teammates did some serious damage as well. Antwan Jamison scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Mo Williams scored 19 points and dished out 10 assists.
The Bulls are clearly over-matched and have no shot at winning the series. I still think they can pull off the upset on Thursday at home at the United Center in front of the home crowd. But after that, I think it’s the Cavs in 5…
Bulls Ignore Turmoil, Beat Bobcats to Clinch 8th Seed in East
Thursday, April 15th, 2010 | Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA, New York Knicks, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Bulls defeated the Bobcats 98-89 in Charlotte on Wednesday night to clinch the 8th seed in the East. The Bulls needed to win in order to qualify for the post-season because the Toronto Raptors crushed the New York Knicks at home to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
Derrick Rose led the way again – 27 points and 5 assists. While Joakim Noah turned in another double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Taj Gibson, Luol Deng and Brad Miller also each scored 11 points in the win.
Kudos to the team for ignoring the turmoil between their head coach Vinny Del Negro and the club’s VP of basketball operations John Paxson. At the end of the day, it comes down to winning and that’s just what the team did in a must0win game.
Now the Bulls have the unenviable task of taking on the best team in the NBA – the Cleveland Cavaliers – led by Lebron James. Should be a fun series with a lot of chippy play from a young, scrappy Bulls squad…
Bulls 101-93 Win Over Celtics Overshadowed by Paxson-Del Negro Melee
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 | Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA, New York Knicks, Sports | 1 Comment
The Chicago Bulls kept their playoffs hopes alive with a big 101-93 win over the Boston Celtics at the United Center on Tuesday night. But most people weren’t talking about the win after the game – they were talking about the “alleged” rumble between Head Coach Vinny Del Negro and Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson (the former club GM who hired Del Negro to a 3-year deal 2 years ago). Supposedly Paxson and team management have been dismayed with Del Negro’s use of Joakim Noah down the stretch. The team has placed a “minutes-limit” on Noah to avoid further damage to his injured foot. Supposedly Paxson confronted Del Negro after the March 30th game against the Phoenix Suns in which Del Negro played Noah “too many” minutes. Allegedly, Paxson grabbed Del Negro’s tie and tried to provoke him with 2 jabs to the chest. Del Negro did not retaliate at all and assistance coach Bernie Bickerstaff had to step in to pull Paxson away. Del Negro has said that he will not comment on the confrontation and Paxson has not been able to be reached for comment. More craziness as the Bulls continue to fight for a playoff spot
Back to the game — the Bulls didn’t let a deficit heading into the 4th quarter get them down. Instead, the Bulls grabbed “themselves by the horn” as they outscored the Celtics 34-35 in the final period to win easily. Derrick Rose put forth a career night to lead his team to victory – 39 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds. Joakim Noah turned in another amazing performance – 9 points and 16 rebounds – and he logged the most minutes (46) since returning from his foot injury. Kirk Hinrich knocked in 30 points – a season high for the veteran guard, while Luol Deng chipped in 7 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
The win kept the Bulls a full game ahead of the Toronto Raptors for the 8th and final playoff spot in the East. If the Bulls defeat the Bobcats in Charlotte tonight, they’re in. If the Bulls lose, but the Raptors lose to the Knicks at home, then they’re also in. A Bulls loss, coupled with a Raptors win catapults Toronto into the playoffs to face the Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Stay tuned Bulls fans — it should be a fun night indeed…
Bulls Top Cavs 109-108, Tied for 8th & Final Playoff Spot
Friday, April 9th, 2010 | Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, LeBron James, NBA, New Jersey Nets, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Bulls picked up a HUGE win over the Cavs 109-108 on Thursday night at the United Center in Chicago. It was a hard-fought battle and despite missing key free throws down the stretch that would have iced the game, the Bulls managed to hold to beat the Lebron James-less Cavs.
Derrick Rose led the way for the Bulls with 24 points and 10 assists. Joakim Noah started and played 33+ minutes in the win – 17 points and 15 rebounds. How good is it to have the big man in the middle again? Luol Deng chipped in 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Kirk Hinrich made 8 of 12 field goal attempts and scored 23 points. It makes you wonder where this team would be if they didn’t have to play without their 3 best players – Deng, Rose and Noah – for such a long stretch in the 2nd half of the season.
Now granted, the Cavs played without Lebron James in an attempt to rest the all-star for the playoffs run. But Mo Williams answered with 35 points and 10 assists, while Antwon Jamison poured in 23 points. This is a totally different team without Lebron, but a win is a win especially when every game counts.
The Bulls pulled even with the Toronto Raptors for the 8th and final playoff spot. The Bulls play the Nets in New Jersey tonight and the Raptors in Toronto on Sunday night. Both games are must win games for the Bulls if they expect to have any chance to qualify for the post-season for the 2nd year in a row. They finish up with the Celtics at home on Tuesday night and the Bobcats on the road in Charlotte on Wednesday night. The Raptors have the Hawks in Atlanta tonight, the Bulls at home, then the Pistons on the road in Detroit on Monday and the Knicks at home on Wednesday. The Friday and Sunday games hold the key — if the Bulls can somehow win both games, they should be able to lock down that 8th seed. Otherwise, we’ll just have to hope we get lucky in the lottery again like we did when we pulled the #1 ball out of the hat to grab Derrick Rose. Keep your fingers crossed…
Lucky #10 – Sort Of – Cavs Hand Bulls 10th Straight Loss
Saturday, March 20th, 2010 | Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, General, NBA, Sports | No Comments
King Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers handed the Chicago Bulls their 10th straight loss on Friday night at the United Center. Things have not gone well for the Bulls as of late, playing without their top 3 players – Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah – for a while now. Rose and Noah are day-to-day and could return to the lineup against the 76ers in Philadelphia tonight. But Deng will likely miss at least 2-3 more weeks, which means that his season could be over.
James single-handedly took it to the Bulls in Friday’s loss. He scored 29 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out 7 assists. He also had 2 steals and 2 blocked shots on the defensive end. With his dominating effort, James became the youngest player in NBA history to reach the 15,000 point-plateau.
There were 2 bright spots for the Bulls – rookies Taj Gibson (20 points and 13 rebounds) and James Johnson (16 points and 8 rebounds) both turned in solid efforts.
The Bulls trail the Toronto Raptors by 2.5 games for the 8th and final playoff spot in the East. Given the fact that there are only 14 games left, it will be hard for the Bulls to overcome the deficit if they continue to play short-handed. If they don’t make the playoffs, the positive of getting a lottery pick doesn’t even help because they agreed to swap picks with the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the John Salmons-Hakim Warrick salary-dumping trade made right before the trading deadline earlier this month. Good job John Paxson and Gar Forman…
Chicago Bulls Slide Continues – Hello Lottery Pick!
Saturday, March 13th, 2010 | Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, NBA, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Bulls free-fall continued with their 7th loss in a row – to the Miami Heat 108-95 on Friday night. Playing short-handed with injuries to 3 stars – Derrick Rose, Loul Deng and Joakim Noah – Vinny Del Negro’s Bulls are clearly overmatched. Once a lock for the playoffs for the 2nd season in a row, the Bulls now found themselves on the outside looking in. The Bulls trail the Toronto Raptors by 2 games for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. Can you say lottery pick?
In last night’s loss, the Bulls were forced to start 2 rookies – Taj Gibson and James Johnson, 2 older veterans – Brad Miller and Jannero Pargo and better-suited 6th man Kirk Hinrich. Ouch.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Bulls over the next week. They have road games against the Grizzlies in Memphis and the Mavericks in Dallas and then return home to face the Cavaliers on Friday night at the United Center. Can you say 10-game losing streak?
This would not be good for often-criticized Del Negro, but it could mean a good lottery pick for the team as well as a good chance to land a big free agent this summer. If not, it could be another long stretch of bad Bulls teams for the foreseeable future.
