It seems that the Spurs/Lakers Dynasties are coming to an end. Shaquille O'neal, Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant emerged as the dominant stars after the Chicago Bulls Dynasty led by Michael Jordan and to a lesser degree Scottie Pippen. Kobe Bryant is the last of the great three to rise since the Era of Michael Jordan. It appears that he will release the torch. What player and what team will open the new era? Lebron James and Chris Bosh both went to Miami and Lebron James proclaimed that they would be the next NBA dynasty, however the rise of Derrick Rose has now set a very interesting stage in this years playoffs. The same can be said of Kevin Durant. Will one team virtually run the table (Bulls of the 90's) or will it be a powerful rivalry (Spurs/Lakers 2000 - Boston/Lakers 1980's). If things hold to form. The playoffs are not over and much could still happen.......discuss

Courtesy of Steve Kyler of Hoopsworld. 

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Sam Smith wrote a blog Is Derrick Rose jinxed or just a sophomore?

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IF and this is a BIG IF....  IF Tyrus Thomas can pull it off then the Bulls will be a very, very dangerous team.

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I was reading Andrew7's Fan Post on Derrick Rose being featured on the cover of a video game and I begin to think of other things that Derrick Rose has been involved in.  The camp, the shoes, the esbys' etc.  Derrick Rose has become an NBA darling already.  He is being hyped.  At the Olympic Team tryouts it was Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant being talked about as potential additions to the team.  I expect Derrick Rose to make the team. 

I believe that Derrick Rose has the potential to become the new face of the NBA or be right behind Lebron.  Lebron James has made a few missteps that if not corrected could mess him up.  The snub of Dwight Howard & the Magic in defeat hearkened back to the 1990 ECF when Isaiah Thomas and the Pistons walked off the floor when the Bulls swept them.   As Bulls fans we know that Jordan always congratulated the Pistons when they defeated him.  It was a bitter pill to swallow esp during the "Pippen Migrane" year.....Jordan cried after losing that series.  Lebron James got caught up in the hype and got arrogant about it. 

The Nike tape incident now is feeding the imagery of a player with an inflated god-complex with an attitude of entitlement, though he has won nothing.  The "puppets" whom some saw as "cute" was a mistake because it preordained a Lebron vs Kobe matchup.  Lebron did not keep up his side of the deal and stormed off like a spoiled brat.  That cannot be the face of the NBA. 

Hopefully Lebron will take a step back and learn humility from Derrick Rose....if he does then he will be OK, but if he continues then he will be put in the corner of the NBA house just like Iverson.  Iverson was the Anti-Jordan of the NBA.  Jordan was very vanilla (not in game but imagery)...that is why he was appealing.  I am going to tread lightly on this because people get very sensitive....but the market is white men......take a look at whose asses are in the seats....particularly the expensive ones.  Few black folks are there....that is reality.  Yes others are a part of the market but this is REAL TALK now and only in this context will what I say in terms of marketing make sense.  Either everyone can put their collective heads in the sand and we all can deal with it like grown folks. 

Iverson brought an edge to the league......Rookie of the Year in a stocking cap.  The cornrows....the tatoos...the bling..and the defiance.  Iverson became a counter cultural Icon in the NBA because he had the balls to do so.  That was marketed and it had an effect.  The cornrows being brushed over on a magazine.....the infamous "practice" press conference.....the entourage.  Hip Hop entered the league with Iverson and so called "street ball".  The so called "thugging" of the NBA.  He was so good and done things with the ball that was thought would never be done in the NBA.  After his rookie season the... NBA changed the rules on the crossover because Iversons crossover was unguardable...the "clowning of Michael Jordan" which Iverson had planned and sent a message to Jordan and the NBA that he was not going to be vanilla, so he "clowned" the face of the NBA.  The NBA found a way to market that.  Iverson is a legend....a hall of famer and an Icon in the NBA, but he was never liked.  Iverson has always been selfish, but it made money...thus it was tolerated.  Iverson knows he can put asses in the seats, but is being asked to come off of the bench....I think that is irreconcilable in his mind.  It is possible that the season will start and Iverson not be playing for any NBA.

Derrick Rose comes on the scene... very hyped.  He was hyped up going to Memphis.  Derrick Rose did not come in as a bad ass.  Rose had to know he was the best player on the team, but humbled himself anyway.  When he made incredible plays he did not celebrate.  He simply ran back down the court looking to make more plays.  He revealed that he always wanted the Rookie of the Year award, but he did not campaign for it.  He played and earned it.  He earned his starting role on the team.   He wants to win, but not bring attention to himself doing so.  Rose is the anti-Iverson.  He has enough street creds for fans Iverson brought to the game ...but not too much to alienate the larger NBA Market.  I will even say that Rose is the Anti-James right now.  Rose confidence does not spill over into a god complex nor does he give off an air of entitlement nor does he act as though he is bigger than the game of baskeball itself.  Those qualities sets him apart from Lebron right now and could propell him past Lebron if Lebron is not careful.  Lebron has the skills but has not won yet.  Winning with Shaq won't change that either.  Kobe has won on his own, but Kobe is damaged goods.  The denver incident killed his image and he has not fully recovered from that.  Kobe is still an Icon nonetheless.  Kobe is coming back now, but it is no where near what he was before denver. 

Sorry for the long ride....let the discussion begin.    

      

The draft of James Johnson and Taj Gibson will push Loul Deng and Tyrus Thomas

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Article on Kirk Hinrich by K. C. Johnson.  

There is an interesting tidbit about Derrick Rose in the article as well.  If Derrick Rose is getting the commissioner excited then his ROY award has been signed, sealed and delivered.

Derrick Rose coming in flying low is going to benefit him and will draw other good players back to Chicago.  I am happy that he did not come in as a spoiled bad ass.

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I guess the honeymoon is over.....LOL!  This is too funny.  It is on hoopsworld by Steve Kyler. 

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This offseason may prove to be one of the most exciting off seasons that was have had in a long time.  Derrick Rose has now become the cornerstone of the Chicago Bulls Franchise and all future moves are designed to build around him. 

John Paxson has a lot of critical decisions to make this off season.  I am going to break down what I see as some of these critical decisions and my Bulls brothers and sister can feel free to weight in on other areas I may have missed or comment on what I have pointed out.

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The final score has the Bulls winning by 18, but benches were emptied for a large portion of the fourth quarter, and the lead was above 30 at some points over the course of the game. John Salmons finished the night with 24 points on 5-for-8 shooting from behind the three-point line, putting nails in the coffin each and every time the Hornets tried to sneak their way back into the game.   But folks, it was never really close.   And I'll tell you this about the New Orleans Hornets—they were genuinely embarrassed about this loss tonight. A win would've put them in great shape to take the third seed in the Western Conference away from the Houston Rockets, and at this point of the season every single game counts.   What tells me the Hornets are for real (aside from their having won 10 of their last 12 games) is that they don't handle losses well. Every guy in that locker had a grim look on his face—even more so than what I usually see after a loss. Hornets Coach Byron Scott didn't even come out to face the media tonight, which is an extremely odd thing to do. I'm assuming there's a fine for something like that, but in any event it's a testament to how hard the team took this loss.   I wouldn't worry about them. They'll rebound, and all things considered they're one of the "sleeper" teams in the West, if we can call them that. A lot of players talked about why that's the case, but the quote of the night came from Chris Paul, who had this to say about Derrick Rose after I asked him if he saw any of himself in Derrick:   "He's a lot faster than me, a lot more explosive than me, and a lot more athletic than me, so it might be do I see myself in him?"   We know Chris Paul is a modest guy, but does he really think Rose can be better than him? Speaks volumes about the kind of respect this rookie is getting.  

Derrick Rose is the new Cash Cow and Star that Jerry Reinsdorf and Chicago Fans have been looking for.

Derrick Rose brings to the table everything that the NBA is looking for. 

He is the anti-Iverson.  You will not hear him talk about how he "clowned" Nash or any of the other point guards who are league icons, but now have to look behind their shoulders because a superior talent is on their heels.

He is extremely competitive though he has not developed the killer instinct yet, I think that will come with experience.  He has a quiet confidence that is balanced and not brash.  He is clean cut and even as Jordan did in his youth I believe that Derrick Rose will refine himself to become more comfortable with interviews and the limelight, but grounded enough not to let it go to his head.

He is the total package that fans WILL pay to see.  Reinsdorf is a good business man.  He WILL do whatever is necessary to surround Rose with what he needs to be successful and marketable.  I see MAJOR pieces being moved and/or drafted.

The ultimate team that we have with Rose, I doubt if ANY player that is on the current team will be on that team, with the exception of Tyrus Thomas and maybe Noah.

Derrick Rose is ALREADY a playground ICON and his success in the Chicago Public Leagues has already given him an iconic status already in the hood as proof that if you work you can rise from ANYWHERE. 

Derrick Rose carries the hopes of those kids he left behind in Englewood and other inner city playgrounds and is an excellent feel good story for everyone else.

He already has the reputation of being a WINNER on every level he has played in and the NBA will be no different.  Winning in Chicago is good for business and because of the Chicago market it is good business for the NBA.

The NBA will tap into Rose because he presents the image that they want to market WORLDWIDE.  He is not thuggish, but is no whiny prima donna either.  He reminds me of my younger brother.  This is why I predict that his star will eventually rise beyond Michael Jordans, especially if he wins championships, which I think he will.

He can be the best ever and I think that is his goal, but not in a way that offends or calls attention to himself.  His game and his success will speak volumes for him.

He is a product of Chicago and therefore fans will have more of a connection with him than even Jordan, because he is one of us.  Jordan BECAME one of us, but Derrick IS one of us already.

The meaning of this draft pick will last for a long, long time.  When his career is over it will ICONIC, mark my words.

Reinsdorf may be a scrooge, but he is not a fool. 

I think that only LEBRON may shine brighter.  Our ride with Derrick Rose will be fun and interesting to watch as we watch him grow from awe struck rookie to an NBA ICON. 

 

 

 

 

This is was on NBA.Com, some more tidbits......more clues on what is happening.

Steve Kerr announcing Alvin Gentry as new head coach

Alvin Gentry remarks

Alvin Gentry remarks on team philosophy

Steve Kerr answer question on trades and a question about Stoudemire.

 

http://www.nba.com/video/games/suns/2009/02/16/nba_20090216_kerr_presser.nba/whatsnew/index.html

http://www.nba.com/video/games/suns/2009/02/16/nba_20090216_gentry_presser.nba/whatsnew/index.html

http://www.nba.com/video/games/suns/2009/02/16/nba_20090216_gentry_press.nba/whatsnew/index.html

http://www.nba.com/video/games/suns/2009/02/16/nba_20090216_kerr_press.nba/whatsnew/index.html

 

Feel free to glean what you can from what they said.  I will be glad when the trade deadline is over.  I am going crazy.