[Thanks to 'BULLieving in Miami' for today's game preview -ed.]

Thank you, Charlotte Bobcats!! Yeah, that's right. I said it. THANK YOU, BOBCATS!!!!

The Charlotte Bobcats have the honor of being the team that the Nets finally defeated to avoid going 0-82. Hey, 1-81 ain't bad. I just feel this would've been the game the Nets would win if they came to the UC tonight winless. That's just the bad luck of this Bulls team. The stars would've aligned. Dog and cats would be living together. It would just go down that way, I'm sure of it. Really, though, it's also nice that New Jersey lost at the Knicks on Sunday, because a 3-game winning streak is probably a bit too much to ask of these New Jersey Nets. I guess the same could be said of our Bulls as well. If you look at it, this is the first game the Bulls play against a putrid team (and I'm just referring to their record. They do have talent). All of the games played so far are against clearly superior opponents (many) or against teams either in the same boat as the Bulls (DET, CHA) or better off (TOR, SAC, MIL). Not necessarily good company to be in if you are trying to pose as a "playoff contender" or "team on the rise". Let me just say that term may apply to our core of young players, but definitely not to this organization. I'd say at least 20 out of the 29 other teams have more talent or potential than our current roster in my opinion.

That brings me to tonight's opponent, who I believe is one of those 20 teams, the New Jersey Nets. This team is a deceptive 1-19. You could say they have a better young core than the Bulls. Devin Harris missed the first 10 games of the season with a groin issue. They were a Dwyane Wade buzzer-beater from being just bad, as opposed to historically bad. I'd also say perhaps Lawrence Frank had worn out his welcome as this team was not going anywhere anytime soon. Harris is yet to get his game in gear, averaging 16 points/game on 35% shooting. Make no mistake though when healthy he is the catalyst for their offense, and in PG comparisons, a much more assertive player than Derrick Rose right now. That is my main gripe with the kid up to this point: is it still the ankle, lack of motivation, or lack of coaching, or ALL THREE?? I can't make up my mind. But based on last season, Harris is the more efficient scorer. I only bring this up because lately we've had debate about whether Rose should shoot more. I actually like Derrick's efficiency; he doesn't require many shots to get his points. They both average 15 FGA/game. The main difference Harris averages 7.5 FTA/game, a full 4 FTA more than Rose, and the gap was greater last season when Harris was healthy. So maybe yes, Rose needs to shoot more to get his points up, because i feel he is so athletically gifted, he CAN get around and over the defense, but needs to learn to kind of go into the defense to get more calls. Hopefully he will learn this, but as his body matures and he becomes stronger and faster, he might stay with the same approach and he might never become a guy that gets a lot of free throws, which is bad.

Another player I really like on this team is Brook Lopez. If the NBA hadn't handed the Bulls don't land that #1 overall pick, Lopez was the player to get at #9. He's already turing into a handful and he's the mythic low-post scorer the Bulls have lacked in the core they had the last few years. Lopez (18.9/9.0/2.3blks) has a good post game that will only get better with polishing, and he gets to the line (6.0 FTA/game) more than anyone on the Bulls. The Bulls should think of throwing a double-team at him every once in a while tonight. That's not to say Noah can't handle him, but Joakim has been getting in foul trouble lately, and if they don't give Noah help, it won't be long before Lopez is having his way against Miller, Gray (oh dear), and Taj on his way to some kind of new career high. And does anyone feel cheated for the Lopez twins not being required to go to the same team in the draft? My girlfriend loved them together, and they have the same last name as hers, which always helps. Plus, the Bulls can afford to double in this match-up as the Nets are bottom-of-the-league bad at shooting threes (yes, actually worse than the Bulls). And Courtney Lee and Chris Douglas-Roberts are also promising young talents. Lee always displayed a heads-up game while with Orlando.

No Kurt.

The Nets are 1 of 2 teams that score less than the Bulls and they also have a bigger differential than the Bulls, meaning they play worse defense. So the Bulls do stand a good chance and at home. I'm hoping Harris is still slowed by the groin and he and Lopez won't get some of those foul calls on our homecourt.

And in closing... the Nets bad start could be directly attributed to the absence of Devin Harris early on. Guess thats what happens when a team is without their best scorer. But Harris didn't sign with another team. He was just hurt. He'll be back. Can't say the same in Chicago.

GAMETIME: 7PM CST  TV: CSN

Sorry, I have to keep this short because i'm on the way out to work, but I thought I'd fill everyone in on the talk going on down her in steaming Miami. And I apologize for not having some kind of link, but I heard this on the radio.

There is talk of a rift between Pat Riley and Dwyane Wade. I hope everyone has heard Wade's recent comments about not being content with first- round playoff exits. He wants to contend for titles as he enters his prime years, and obviously would like the Heat organization to get him some talent to play with. Well, the talk is now that Riles and D-Wade have a rift going. Pat Riley has told Wade he will not pursue anyone or sign any significant help until Wade himself re-signs with the team. This obviously has Wade upset. He wants to stay with the Heat, but as he put it, a "wound has been opened". He has no personal problems with Riley, but he feels they are on opposite ends of the table at the moment. Again, nothing personal, but obviously at odds in the basketball/ business aspect. 

It looks like a staring contest in the making, and if Riley is smart, he'll blink first because Wade IS the franchise player and seems to have the leverage in this situation. Wade wants help, but Riley won't give it to him until he knows the future of his superstar is secure in Miami. Again, not a huge development, but definitely something to keep track off with Wade's impending free agency next year. Now, the possibility of Wade leaving Miami is greater, and perhaps a glimmer of hope that he'll end up in his hometown.

Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope Riley's ego gets in the way of solving the issue, opening the door for Wade's exit.

8pm CST. on the worldwide leader (ESPN). 

Last night went well, why not keep it going, since it seems we're all bored and are still watching some basketball. I mean, I'd like to enter next season knowing who the defending champs are. Wouldn't you?

In other news, FC Barcelona won the UEFA Championship, beating Man U, 2-0. I'm not into soccer, but I need 75 words and its the only sports I've watched today.

And now, as I finish up my 75 word banter, I will quote the great Dave Wannstedt.

"If Ricky Williams averages 3.5 yards per carry, and you give it to him 3 times, he should get you the first down."

I've been meaning to post this for some time, but this is the first time in a while I spend a significant period of time at my computer.

So as we all know, the Marlins' new ballpark has been approved, assuring baseball is here to stay in Miami. I'm sure this brings a lot of excitement to fans everywhere, and maybe even conflicting emotions in regards to the current economy and the timing of this deal. This is not the focus of this post. I am posting this because I'd like to share my view of what the payroll for this club will be going forward and beyond 2012 when the park opens.

Many Marlins fans will jump to the conclusion that this new stadium means more of a revenue stream coming to the club and thus more money being shelled out to big-time free agents. I'm here to shoot down such notions. Sure, this is what the organization and fans have been waiting for: larger revenue coming into the team to be used on players and not lease payments at Dolphins Stadium. But that is not this team's track record. The Marlins have a very particular way of running their business. Overpaying for players is not one of them.

I do not doubt that this organization is about winning and being competitive, which they've done. And, hopefully, this new stadium will prompt them to open up their wallets some more. But don't get ahead of yourselves, fans. It's not as though suddenly the Marlins will be players in sweepstakes for the likes of Mark Texeira or C.C. Sabathia. I believe the Marlins will spend on players that are fiscally beneficial.

Let's face it. As much as it frustrates us sometimes to not be in play for top flight free agents, the Marlins know how to maximize the talent they have available to them. They know that the A-Rod's and ManRam's of the world are few and far between. those are players that come along only once every generation. And as great as those players are, they don't assure you success or championships. Most players only give you about 4 or maybe 5 years of solid production. And that is what the Marlins try to do: capitalize on that time window. And it works for them, and that's fine.

I'm not here to say that the Marlins will continue their bargain-basement ways. They better not. Not only will it shed bad light on the organization to continue in their current spending habits with a new revenue income (especially since the team chose to not open its books during stadium negotiations), but also it is not what our great city deserves. Our market is deserving of a competitive payroll. Granted, it will never be on the level of the Yankees or Red Sox, which is fine, because their form of spending doesn't assure anything and is somewhat irresponsible. But I feel that a middle-of-the-pack payroll is acceptable. If anything, it'll be money mostly spent on resigning their own talent. Rather than go after the Texeira's of this world, how about resign your own home-grown, elite talent, which they have shown they can produce. Sure, it'd be nice to go after a good tier 2 free agent every once in a while, and Miami is still a prime free agent destination, but Sampson and Co. know how to use the business of baseball to their advantage. They know players don't become free agents for almost 6 years, and not arbitration-eligible for 3 years. So they use the time they have control of that player's rights to their full advantage. Players can earn their pay, year-to-year, through arbitration, and if there is a player they feel they can make a long-term commitment to, then they can do it. If anything, this stadium means keeping a few more of those home-grown talents.

If anything, this post is to diminish false hopes some fans might have about the future of the payroll. No one should think the Marlins will suddenly be spending at the rate of the Mets or Dodgers. Frankly, as we all know what kind of sports town this is, the Marlins will always remain a small- or mid-market team, unless they become a baseball powerhouse, perennial contenders, and market themselves in Latin America as the "Team of the Americas", bringing in a whole other form of revenue and popularity. That's for another post, another day. In the meantime, we can enjoy this team's success now, as this team is competitive year in, year out. And we can rest assured that soon the Josh Johnson's and Dan Uggla's of the world won't have to look elsewhere for their big payday, but instead can look right here, in South Florida, and remain part of what could be the next great baseball team. With the Marlins' history, who's to say it ain't so.

So much for suspense. About a week ago, this game looked HUGE on the schedule. It would be billed as the “game of the season” for the Bulls. They’d be playing the team nipping at their heels in the playoff chase. MJ’s former organization versus his current organization. Alas, all we get is game #80 of the season, a mere tune-up for the playoffs. The OKC Thunder took care of all the drama for us last night as they defeated the Bobcats 84-81, thus ensuring the Bulls’ ticket to the postseason. So the question is which Bobcats team shows up tonight: the spoiler (though there isn’t much to spoil since it’s not as though they can somehow keep the Bulls out of the playoffs) or the team playing on the end of a back-to-back who just had its playoff heartbeat put to rest? Honestly, I think Charlotte has no chance in this game. What possible motivation can Larry Brown possibly give to this team at this point? They’ve climbed out of the depths of the Eastern Conference throughout the entire second half of the season to even get to this point, but that climb is over for them as they can’t possibly climb any higher in the standings. Plus, the way the Bulls have been playing at home, I don’t see the Trojan army coming in the UC and having a fighter’s chance.

All that being said, the Bulls can land anywhere between the 5th seed and the 8thseed. They currently sit 7th in a virtual tie with Detroit while only a game behind Philly, whose lost 4 in a row, and two games behind Miami, whose lost 2 in a row. Miami still has the Knicks (which is always a tough match-up for the Heat) and two playoff teams to play (ATL, DET), so they aren’t out of reach yet.

Philadelphia has two road games left, including the season finale @CLE, and a home date versus Boston. I’m guessing Boston is still playing hard to find their rhythm heading into the playoffs, and Cleveland could easily rest some players in that last game, but Philly could go 1-2 or even 0-3 and allow the Bulls to move up.

Detroit also has two road games left, including Indy and Miami. I feel as long as the Bulls take care of business on Monday @DET, they shouldn’t be jumping ahead of the home team.

As you all might’ve noticed, I enjoy coming up with useless little debates in the previews. They usually have no real bearing on the outcome of the games themselves, and my friends usually rag on me for getting into useless sports radio banter. Either way, my debate for these final 3 games is this: should VDN rest some guys now that their spot in the postseason is assured or should he stretch this already-thin rotation for the sake of “momentum” heading into the playoffs? I think many of you would say that whomever we play in the first round, we’d lose. That’s probably true, but at this point, why not just go for broke with this rotation and make sure to avoid playing the Cavs in the first round. Yes, I have changed my mind about who to play in Round 1. The Celtics seem vulnerable and the Magic’s shooting could go cold thus making them susceptible. What good would it do to break the rhythm this team has found? I say just keep steamrolling. Maybe this team goes in with some swagger, as TT’s comments suggest. Whatever. Keep it goin’!

GAMETIME: 7:30pm CST
TV: WGN
RADIO: ESPN1000

[Note by your friendly BullsBlogger, 03/26/09 3:07 PM CDT: Thanks to Bullieving in Miami (of course) for today's game preview. Derrick Rose is expected to play but not start. Likely just for injury reasons...but it's Vinny, so who knows. I'm Lovin it Live tonight! ]

Here we are, the home stretch, the final ten games of the season. The Bulls will be reaping the benefits of having that circus trip at the beginning of the season as there are only 3 road dates left (TOR, IND, DET) and they are all winnable games. In fact, the only true tests left on the schedule, in my opinion, are tonight versus the Heat and a home game versus Philadelphia. This is actually a bit unsettling. I’m sure we all just want wins to solidify a playoff berth, and I’m pretty sure they can lock up the 7thspot and assure a match-up against Orlando or Boston, but the "light" schedule is a concern to me. First off, I just hate the possibility of this team blowing it with the easy schedule and actually losing some of these games and playing their way out of the playoffs. Secondly, assuming they do finish with many wins, it won’t be against playoff-caliber teams, so it could easily give the players a false sense of security, thinking they’re better than they are because of a win streak, and then receive a rude awakening in Round 1. Either way, this team probably gets ousted in the opening round, because I believe Boston’s D is overwhelming and Orlando has the perimeter game to exploit the Bulls lack of perimeter D and they have the best center in the league in Dwight Howard, who is just an unstoppable force. I don’t even want to imagine this kid in another 3 or 4 years. (sidenote: went to a Bulls-Magic game last year, and Dwight Howard is totally worth the price of admission.) I’m hoping the Bulls get the 8th spot and perpetuate the curse that the Bulls have over the Cavs.

On to tonight’s game. Derrick Rose is listed as a game-time decision as the training staff has seen improvement in the injured right wrist. I truly hope he can give it a run as I’d like this game to be a playoff warm-up against a playoff team with a complete and healthy roster (minus Deng, obviously). It would also be nice to see Rose finally get the best of Chalmers as it seems Super Mario (as they call him down here in Miami) has hit the proverbial rookie wall. He is 17-45 FG in his last 6 games, only breaking double digits twice (and one of those was just a modest 10 points). I believe the Bulls should just clog the lane tonight, not allow Wade any easy scores in the paint, and try to force guys like Chalmers, Haslem, and Moon to win the game. It should be an entertaining game as the last two games between these teams have been very close, both games being won at the buzzer. So, excluding the possibility of a Matrix dunk to win the game (since, obviously, Shawn Marion is no longer with the team) and hoping Erik Spoelstra doesn’t draw up another "Wade steal the ball and drill a runner from mid-court" play, I’m hoping the Bulls can avoid the season sweep at the hands of the Heat (I’ll never hear the end of it). It can happen. The Heat is just as bad as the Bulls on the road, and Miami lost a heartbreaker last night in Indy, where they have now lost 17 in a row. That feeling of demoralization will carry over. It’s a fact.

Enjoy the game, Chi-Town! Send those Heat back to South Beach. (I make that sound like it’s a bad thing.)

GAMETIME: 7pm CST
TV: TNT
RADIO: ESPN1000

[Note by your friendly BullsBlogger, 03/17/09 2:18 PM CDT : Thanks to Bullieving in Miami for today's preview. I'll partially excuse him for the lame St. Patricks day jokes. -ed.]

Luck of the Irish, indeed. So it happens that today, on St. Patty’s Day, the defending champ Boston Celtics jig into town for a pint of ale. What they might be leaving with is a hang-over.

The C’s find themselves falling behind the Cavs for the top seed in the East, so at this point getting healthy might be their main concern. No Big Ticket tonight: Kevin Garnett won’t return to the lineup, reportedly, until Friday when they play San Antonio.

So, one might think they’re overlooking this game, which could spell a victory for the home team tonight. I doubt it, though, as Doc Rivers seems to get this team ready to play hard every night. Plus, this season, the Celtics have beaten the Bulls by an average of 17 points in their two previous meetings. This brings to mind an interesting stat: The Bulls are sandwiched in between the Cavs and Celtics in PPG, all three averaging roughly 101 PPG. Meanwhile, both the Celtics and Cavs allow about 10 points fewer than the Bulls, yet it seems the Cavs are a better matchup for the Bulls.

As I stated in my preview last week, my dream matchup in Round 1 would be the Cavs. You might call me crazy, but I believe the Bulls’ frontcourt matches up better with Cleveland’s frontcourt than it does with Boston’s. Obviously, the Cavs don’t possess a big like KG. In fact, Big Z, ‘the corpse’, and Varejao are players I feel our bigs can play with. Lets see Varejao put up 27 points against Brad Miller.

Meanwhile, tonight’s opponent presents a different dynamic in the frontcourt. Considering that Garnett is not in tonight, but perhaps previewing a possible first round meeting, KG presents a legit scoring threat to our bigs. Then you have their other bigs: Perkins, Powe, and even Glen Davis (who might not suit up tonight as well), muscle-bound bigs who can push around our slender bigs in Tyrus and Noah. Powe, in particular, is a guy who worries me, not just because he’s a mediocre frontcourt player (they tend to have career nights against the Bulls), but also he’s a heady hustle player who plays within himself. He did an outstanding job in the finals versus the Lakers, and he’s a guy I like, very much in the mold of Paul Millsap, but just a little short on the talent side.

Either way, Garnett’s absence will hopefully be a neutralizer and the Bulls can pick up their 7th in a row at home and a much-needed win in their hunt for a playoff birth. Like I said before, being 3 ½ games behind Cleveland, at this point Boston’s agenda is to get everyone healthy for the playoffs. That’s not to say the Celtics won’t come out strong tonight, because Paul Pierce and Ray Allen show up to play every night. I just think the way the Bulls have been playing at home and with the Celtics injuries, the Bulls will win tonight. The motivating factor for the Celtics is they are coming off their worst loss of the season Sunday against the Bucks, and that team will want to come out aggressive and put that loss behind them.

And as a sidenote… I know the Bulls like using the green jerseys for St. Patrick’s Day. So will it be the Bulls in green and the C’s in white? That could get confusing real fast. Enjoy the game and be safe tonight.

GAMETIME: 7:30 CST

TV: WGN

RADIO: ESPN1000

[Note by your friendly BullsBlogger, 03/13/09 5:55 PM CDT: I'll keep this as the game thread, new thread at 8:15 -ed. ]

At this point in the season, what is there to say about this team that we don’t already know? The Bulls show signs of improvement and get our hopes up, and then let us down by giving us a few losses in a row. But, in the end, I would prefer a playoff run rather than another lottery pick. There is no way the Bulls get lucky two years in a row in the lottery and get a whack at some premier talent. Plus, this organization has shown that while it drafts well, gets strong talent, they never seem to get great all-around talent. Gordon, Deng, Tyrus, Noah; they are all talented players, but also niche players. Gordon can score at will and not much else. Deng is good running the court and slashing, but not much else. Tyrus is probably the player with the highest ceiling for potential, but even his game is geared around cleaning up on the boards and playing help defense with an occasional spot-up jumper, but not much else. Noah can rebound with some of the best, but not much else. I believe this team would benefit from some playoff experience, especially D-Rose. I’m not drawing comparisons, but our homeboy D-Wade down here in Miami started to make his name in the playoffs his rookie season. He almost single-handedly defeated the Hornets (including two game-winners), and then almost forced a Game 7 against Indy in Round 2 if it wasn’t for Stan "Ron Jeremy" Van Gundy sitting him for the final possession after he scored 10 straight points in the 4th quarter (with a couple of those coming against Ron Artest). Again, no comparison, but D-Rose has shown when he is given the keys to the offense in the 4th, he can win a game for the team. I still believe of the 8 thru 13 teams in the East the Bulls would give Cleveland some problems, while Boston would probably just suffocate the Bulls. So that would be my dream first round playoff match-up: Bulls vs. Cavs.

On to the game… as much hubbub as was made about the 76ers being better without Elton Brand, they have the same winning percentage since his season was officially over as before: .500. And while I do somewhat believe the first half of the season showed that it was an odd singing given the 76ers style of play without Brand, I do believe management in Philly had the right idea and they will miss him late in the season when the games slow down, defenses are tighter, and easy buckets are harder to come by. The Bulls enter this game 10-25 on the road, and Philly is actually a respectable 18-14 at home. However, this year’s Bulls have shown they rarely have two bad games in a row. So, discounting Monday’s heartbreaker (and the best basketball game I have ever attended, despite the loss, I might add) which was hard-fought, the Bulls should bounce back tonight. The 8 thru 13 teams are separated by a measly 1 ½ games. The Bulls need every win they can get from here on out. Hopefully, they are aware of this and begin to play with some fire and poise and make a run here in the last month of the season.

GAMETIME: 6pm CST TV: CSN RADIO: ESPN1000

[Thanks to (appropriately) BULLievinginMiami for today's game preview -ed.]

Here we are at the conclusion of the pre-All-Star Break portion of the season, which for the casual basketball fan means they can start watching games from here on out. Unfortunately, us poor schmucks have been watching all season and enduring the frustration. But something pleasant has occurred recently: our beloved Bulls are actually playing well. The defense isn’t particularly better. Out of the last five wins, only twice (DET, PHO) has the opponent reached the century mark on the scoreboard, but this is misleading. The Clippers are awful, and oddly enough, N’awlins is ranks near the bottom in scoring (25th). Coincidentally, the best defensive effort came against Sac-town, which ranks 13th in scoring, and they were held to 11 points below their average. So the defense isn’t much improved, but I think we’ve come to grips with the fact that this team is not going to be a defensive juggernaut. On the other hand, the offense looks smoother. There is more ball movement. The bigs are slashing towards the rim, getting offensive rebounds and easy scores. There just seems to be less of the individual play we saw earlier in the year. This might be in direct correlation to Larry Legend and Drew Gooden not playing, although BG still has some possessions where his contract is obviously doing the thinking. But, for the most part, the offense is looking smoother and the tempo is being pushed. I’m just wondering whether management is attributing this to (gasp!) better coaching, or to the fact our roster is healthy now and some of the younger players are finally playing up to their potential. Who knows, perhaps it a bit of both. Maybe Vinny is learning. I wouldn’t bet on it, though. Either way, I hope this recent trend continues as the Bulls may be getting hot at the right time and might just have a second half surge in them to get in the playoffs.

On to the game. I always get excited when these two teams play because they’re the two teams I’m most familiar with in the league, and I love rubbing it in all my friends’ faces when the Bulls beat them. (You all should have been there to witness the ‘Let’s go, Bulls!’ chant I started with my fellow Bulls fans in a stairwell leaving the arena after Game 4 in ’07. I show no mercy to Heat fans.)

These are two of the youngest rosters in the league, both with rookie coaches and rookie point guards, but their formulas for success are very different. The Heat are notorious for playing tough defense, and though he’s not coaching it anymore, this team has Pat Riley’s fingerprints all over it, and Erik Spoelstra is a good young coach who executes Riley’s philosophy. They also have something we lack: a bonafide star. I have to admit as much as I love my Bulls, Dwyane Wade is far and away my favorite player in the league. Since his rookie season he has had the uncanny ability to take over a game, especially late. Besides Kobe, I think D-Wade is the player I’d most like to take a game-winning shot for my team. So if this game is close late, look out for D-Wade. But what also makes D-Wade dangerous is he is also the distributor on that team. His ability to create his own shot and get to the rim commands so much attention that it usually spaces the floor out for the shooters on the team, mainly Mario Chalmers and Daequan Cook (who is an absolute gunner), and to a lesser extent, James Jones, who has recently returned from missing the first two months with an injury, and Shawn Marion, who can occasionally hit an open three. Speaking of Marion, as soon as he gets the ball in his hand, it’s important that his defender apply heavy ball pressure. All 'The Matrix' is good for is cutting to the basket. He is terrible when he puts the ball on the floor, so it’s key that Deng, Thabo, and Tyrus, who will be the likely defenders assigned to Marion, apply pressure, force him to use his dribble and into some turnovers.

I also want to briefly comment on Chalmers, being that we too have a rookie point guard. Chalmers has impressed and I’m surprised he doesn’t get more pub. In the end, he might be the steal of this draft, besides maybe Brook Lopez. It’s no wonder Riley traded for him in the draft. I repeat, Riley went out of his way, giving up something, to get a second round pick. Chalmers is a smart point guard who can spot up and plays good defense. He’s definitely given Rose a tough time their last two times facing each other. Rose had only 10 points and 3 assists on 3-14 shooting in 38 minutes when these teams played in December. Chalmers also was spectacular in the NCAA championship game last year, hitting the three that sent that game to overtime and won Kansas the title. Riley was on hand to witness that. I’m sure if Miami had the #1 pick, Rose would’ve been it, but I think Riley feels he got the next best thing in Chalmers.

As previously stated, if this game is close late, that’s dangerous for the Bulls. I’m hoping they can get out to an early lead and keep it. The Bulls do have a few things going for them. I think Tyrus and Noah will be trouble for the Heat, whose bigs are non-existent. Udonis Haslem can get in there and get rebounds, but our bigs are longer and more athletic, so the Bulls should win the rebound battle. Also, the Heat are like the Bulls in that they aren’t great on the road, and at this point in the season, D-Wade is probably looking for some help. While the Heat possess the superstar, the Bulls possess a depth the Heat can only dream of. Hopefully the Bulls can wear out Wade by neutralizing everyone else and forcing him to try to do too much. Judging by how the Bulls have been playing lately, I’m thinking they win this game and go into the All-Star Break on a high note, and with momentum going into the second half.

 GAMETIME: 6pm CST, TNT, ESPN1000

[Thanks to BULLieving in Miami for today's preview. No Chris Paul, woo hoo! If you need and crave more me, I provided some As to AtTheHive's Qs. -ed.]

After being drenched in 3-game win-streak euphoria, last night's loss to the Rockets brings us back down a peg. It's a small peg, though, as the Bulls remain competitive. If we ignore the last home game versus Toronto before the trip, the Bulls' last five losses are by a combined 20 points. So they are close, but obviously not enough. There is still a ways to go with this team. I just hope the organization attributes this more to the roster getting healthy than to Vinny somehow coaching better.

Speaking of healthy rosters... Tonight's game against N'awlins presents an interesting match-up, in my opinion. It's interesting not-so-much for the match-ups on the court, but more for the comparison to be made between these two teams. When I look at the Hornets, I see a team the Bulls should strive to be like. They should be the prototype for our organization. You have an elite PG in Chris Paul, and hopefully Rose will be in that category in another year or two. I think Rose shows signs of being that caliber player. He just needs to find that delicate balance between when to be a scorer for his team and when to be a distributor. Paul is obviously very in-tune with this concept. And Rose definitely has the athleticism to become a good on-ball defender, but if he ever puts up steals numbers like Paul, it'll probably be attacking passing lanes.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Hornets present a roster the Bulls should be trying to emulate. Chandler is the perfect compliment to Paul. He's a long, athletic big man who can run the court and presents Paul with a big target to throw the ball to. (and when I say big target, I don't mean massive. I mean that since he's so long and athletic, it gives Paul a bigger area in which he can throw lobs and entry passes.) Then, the real kicker. The Hornets also possess David West, who is a talented inside scorer with a very good back-to-the-basket game. How can the Bulls duplicate that? Well, Tyrus can definitely be that athletic big that runs up and down the court and gets alley-oops and tip-dunks and such, like Chandler. (please, i don't want to start a whole "should we have kept Tyson" debate.) The only problem with this is that Tyrus is the only big the Bulls have that can possibly develop into something remotely resembling West. Tyrus' jumper is getting better, and if he can learn to gain control of his body more when attacking the rim, he can be a player in that mold. Unfortunately, I'm not certain he'll ever put up the numbers that West does, but he can certainly be that 'type' of player for the Bulls. That leaves us with Noah. Ideally, he would be the Chandler-type, but he just doesn't possess the physical talents that Tyson does. Noah's not as good a leaper and a step slower. So, basically, it's Tyrus trying to be both West and Chandler for the Bulls. This is not to say that Noah is complete garbage, but West/Chandler is a more formidable and balanced duo than Thomas/Noah, at least at this present time. 

And finally, Paul is surrounded by legit 3-point threats to help spread the floor for him and the bigs. Peja, Rasual Butler, Posey, Mo Pete... these are legit outside shooters, all shooting better than 40% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the only Bull in that class is Ben Gordon. So we can see where the shortcomings are. Obviously I'm not trying to make the Hornets the end-all be-all of what the Bulls should be, but they certainly do provide a good blueprint considering the talent we have in place right now.

As for the game... Paul will not play because of the groin injury he suffered Monday. That is good news for the Bulls, though it sucks for the sake of my comparison. This would've been a great PG match-up to watch. Chandler looks like he might suit up tonight, so that could mean trouble. He's obviously not as effective without Paul out there, but he could give the Hornets a lot of second chance opportunities, and with the way the Bulls play defense, they can ill-afford to just give up extra possessions. I'm thinking the Hornets might get away with one here, but I could see the Bulls winning and guaranteeing an above-.500 trip. Look for Posey and Noc to bruise each other up. I know I will. And perhaps while Noc has Posey in a headlock, Kirk can come get a few cheap shots in as payback for that forearm shiver a few years ago in the playoffs versus Miami. Enjoy!!!

GAMETIME: 7pm CST, CSN, ESPN1000