No one can accuse Derrick Rose of lacking self-confidence. “Why can’t I be the MVP of the league,” Rose famously asked last September, before becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history last season. This year, he’s still not concerned with anybody else, and is now talking about bringing multiple championships to his hometown. Read More »

Next up for fantasy basketball discussion: the Chicago Bulls. There’s a good deal to like here from a fantasy perspective – a first-round stud, some decent value in the middle rounds and a few fill-in guys to watch on the waiver wire when need be. Without too many free agents for the Bulls, fantasy owners shouldn’t expect too many things to change in the upcoming season. But if Brian Scalabrine isn’t re-signed, all bets are off. Read More »

The most common criticism that people have had against the Bulls this season has been their lack of a true scorer outside of Derrick Rose. Never was that more evident than in the last five minutes of regulation and overtime of Game 4, when Rose essentially went one-on-one with a much bigger LeBron James because nobody else on his team could create any shots without his help. The most glaring weakness is at the two guard spot, where the Bulls currently have a flawed three-man rotation there. Read More »

A night after Sir Dirk Nowitzki went all epic in OKC (yes, you read that right, I’ve officially knighted him), there was no way I was letting another pivotal Game 4 pass me by without a live journal (not that kind of LiveJournal). Chicago needed this one: a 3-1 hole is insurmountable – like the hole left in my heart after the Macho Man’s untimely passing (RIP). Bulls’ backs to the wall, LeBron & Co. raring to go…Let’s. Get. It. On. Read More »

Behind every Sherlock lies a Watson. Lurking in the shadows of a potential MVP can be tough for anyone, though C.J. Watson seems to be making the best out of his back-up role in Chicago. Coming from a Warriors team where he was averaging 27-plus minutes and putting up good numbers, you would think C.J. would be upset about getting significantly less playing time. Not so much. As an integral part of the surging Bulls’ second unit – a bench many regard as the best in the League – he is now playing for a team destined to make a serious splash in the postseason. Last I checked, the Warriors aren’t exactly contenders. We got up with Mr. Watson to discuss playing behind Derrick Rose, his favorite sneakers and Miami’s “Crygate.” Read More »

Beyond the sting of letting Carlos Boozer come into their house and get a win — nobody was really booing Ronnie Brewer or Kyle Korver — the Utah Jazz are hurting because they know they did everything possible to give last night’s game away to the Bulls … In the last two minutes of the fourth quarter, Al Jefferson and Andrei Kirilenko missed huge free throws on a night where the Jazz went 11-for-21 at the stripe. With one minute left, Derrick Rose (29 pts, 7 asts, 1 TO) lost Deron Williams on a sick behind-the-back crossover and missed the shot, but he ran D-Will down from behind and stole the ball before Utah could set up their offense. Read More »

Sometimes the Spurs make it look so easy. On their way to becoming the first team in the NBA to reach 40 W’s this season, San Antonio’s defense suffocated Houston in the second half, and Manu Ginobili (22 pts) led the offense in a 13-point win … The efficiency was ruthless. In the first quarter, Tony Parker (17 points) threw a lob to Tim Duncan, which was the quietest, most difficult alley-oop we’ve ever seen: Duncan going backdoor, getting a pass that stopped right next to the rim as TD casually laid it in. Read More »

It should be considered a borderline miracle if the Portland Trail Blazers hang onto their 8th-seed playoff spot in the West, especially with Marcus Camby‘s knee surgery basically cutting their winning formula in half. Back when the roster was (mostly) healthy, Portland had a routine: Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge did the heavy lifting for three quarters, then Andre Miller and Camby would contribute clutch plays throughout the fourth/overtime, and B-Roy would handle the really heroic duties. Now it’s down to just LaMarcus and ‘Dre, but the Blazers are still winning … Read More »

A lot of people have been clamoring to get Derrick Rose in the dunk contest, and here’s a little sample of what he can do. Check out the ridiculous one-handed alley-oop off the pass from Ronnie Brewer.

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As much as the Denizens of Kobe Bryant‘s Crawl Space would like to believe their hero won his last two NBA championships “on his own,” the fact is that Pau Gasol was as important to Kobe’s fourth and fifth rings as Shaquille O’Neal was to Kobe’s first three pieces of championship jewelry.

As the Lakers have struggled recently in their quest for another three-peat, Gasol’s value is finally being realized. In a Dec. 28 loss to San Antonio, Gasol had only eight field goal attempts and scored nine points while Kobe jacked 27 shots. Read More »