SB Nation User Blog: Tyrusmancrush

My early season nominations for NBA Outstanding Performances.

Tyrusmancrush — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:51:54 -0000

Now that I've got my inexplicable serial vomiting under control after watching the epic struggle between the good guys in red and the Raptors, I've decided it's time to analyze how the Bulls measure up compared to the rest of the league, and in spite of incurring a few minor speed bumps recently on their race to the playoffs, I see many solid reasons for feeling optimistic in the days ahead, not only because of a more favorable schedule, but also because of all the thoroughbreds in Vinny's stable . PaxDorf and crew should hold their collective heads up high for assembling such an array of stellar citizens and potential talent, although some are raw and still in the gestation stage, like JJ and Hunter.

While I admit to holding a slight home team bias, I'm fairly confident most of you would be hard pressed to show me where I'm wrong. Feel free to disagree and offer your own nominees without being overly disagreeable. Using the same standards I applied in making these judgments, I ask only that you stick to the facts and not simply react emotionally. As they say, opinions are like assholes, everybody has one (except those with colostomy bags, of course) but facts speak for themselves. My nominees are, in no particular order...(drum roll please.)

COACH OF THE YEAR - I know, I know...this is an easy one. Vinny Del Negro for turning a ragtag group of disorganized, selfish millionaires into a fine-tuned, well-oiled juggernaut in less than 2 seasons. As he has said so often, "There's no I in winners, or something like that". Who among you aren't dazzled and left breathless when you hear our floor general leading his charges in the heat of battle.."show energy, attack, share, run, pass, defend, rebound, score....and also don't forget to remind me how many time outs we have left". Bravo Vinny. You would make General Patton proud.

MOST DYNAMIC PLAYER - John Salmons whose stellar all around game was on display again against the dinosaurs (-29 +/-) making it very easy for us to ask the few remaining Ben Gordon fans ......what the hell were you so upset about?

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR- another no-brainer. Hands down it's the versatile, heady megastar in the making, Taj Gibson who demonstrates on both ends of the floor, night after night why he is such an invaluable asset and why he's so appreciative to be given this opportunity to excel while still not needing to hog all the credit. As big G, the man who's always in the right spot at the right time (unlike some others we need not mention), so humbly acknowledges, "I HAVE GREAT COACHES," What a class act and to think he's not even 25 yet. Talk about maturity!

He dazzled the home crowd once again Saturday by holding the much overrated Chris Bosch to only 27 points (and he needed 12 shots to get them) and limiting him to 12 boards (5 offensive) in 22 minutes while exploding offensively on the other end by not only making a layup, but also calmly converting all but 3 of his 4 free throws. These feats were efficiently accomplished while committing only 4 turnovers and accumulating a piddling 5 fouls (which, I believe is a season low for our brainy post presence with the magic hands). He also kept his streak alive of going 5 straight games without an assist (which is quite an achievement for such an unselfish team player) and recorded an impressive minus 26 even though the Bulls were crushed by 32.

It was just another day at the office for our Bull's coaches favorite new addition who seems destined to solidify the team's PF position for decades to come based on his meteoric progress, irregardless if their 2010 plans fall thru, which seems highly unlikely due to the dynamic efforts our top notch management team. No wonder so many happy and enthralled Bulls fans are already asking Tyrus who?

MOST UNDERPAID NBA PLAYER - Luol Deng. I know that management doesn't want to exceed the luxury tax, but come on you Scrooges upstairs. Didn't you watch the game? How can the suits not feel cheap and embarrassed for shelling out a paltry 71 million for a Sudanese superstar of his character and clutchiness? Besides lighting up the scoreboard with a robust 9 points in only 30 minutes he pulled down 4 boards in a game where the Bulls were out rebounded 53-32. Now that's what I call grit and supreme effort above and beyond the call of duty. Sure they lost by 32 but while our only remaining English citizen was on the court, he was a minus 19. In a similar analogy, just as the economy has lost over 4 million jobs this year, the unemployment rate went down from 10.2% to 10%. I fully expect to see a similar drop in Luol's +/- when they tangle with the powerhouse Nets.

I think part of the reason for his success is the dude knows how to conserve energy and is a true gentleman as evidenced by his stepping back to allow his opponent to tie his shoes during the game which could have resulted in a nasty fall had he not done so. Players admire and respect that show of courtesy and I hope this example rubs off on other players, especially that rowdy Noah who needs to calm down and get his act together before he gets tossed again.

And while we're discussing tightwads, how about opening up the purse strings and offer a lucrative extension before it's too late to our captain, the indispensable Kurt (or is it Kirk, I'll have to ask Vinny on that one) Hinrich. It's hard enough trying to overcome the losses of Duhon and Hughes. Let's make sure he doesn't jump ship when his meager contract runs out. Isn't it time we learned our lesson from past miscues? Although to be fair, I do want to give Kudos to the bosses for dumping that albatross Gordon who was the main reason the Bulls defense sucked last year. The vast impovement in defense, ball movement and offensive firepower this year can be directly traced to their shrewd decision of letting Mr. "Its All About Me" take a hike. My hat's off to Jerry and company on not wasting money by making this move to get rid of our ball stopping black hole in spite of yammering protests from clueless know-nothing retards posing as fans. Keep up the good work, Gar.

6TH MAN OF THE YEAR- another slam dunk, Lindsey Hunter, who like a fine wine, just keeps getting better with age. By hitting 1 of 6 shots against the lock-down defensive stalwarts on the Raptors, his shooting % shot up 6 points to a hefty .156 although his 3 point accuracy dropped to a season low of .083. But who can argue that his quick feet and court savvy haven't made the Bulls bench the envy of the league? By the way, happy 39th big guy. Like the song about the Queen Mary riverboat says, just keep those wheels turning so the Bulls ship can keep on churning and moving ahead.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER - James Johnson. I have to admit, this call wasn't a cakewalk due to his short tenure with the big boys but I think he's shown enough to warrant this honor. Toronto found out the hard way when he dropped 3 points on them in just 15 minutes of action. Granted he hit on only 1 of 5, but it was a BIG one, a 3 pointer from the twighlight zone, and as all Bulls fans know, those types of shots aren't easy to come by. To be fair, a lot of the credit for his growth has to go to Vinny, who is renowned around the league for teaching, developing, encouraging and inspiring young talent.

BEST CONDITIONED ATHLETE - Brad Miller. His ironman grit and extraordinary stamina has been on display all season. Pretty impressive for a 33 year old big man who racked up a minus 21 in just a short stint last night and actually scored after going 3 straight games without a field goal. I think a large part of the credit has to go to his interminable will power as he no longer takes hits on his bong during half time. Brad's strict discipline should serve as a guideline and a lesson to other players like Ron Artest and our own Joakim Noah.

ULTIMATE TEAM PLAYER - Sorry you Rose admirers, but my vote goes to Jannero Pargo. They say the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Well for all you stat obsessed fans out there, try putting this tasty morsel on your plate to mull over. Although our diminuitive energizer bunny logged a mere 21 minutes, he still found time to dish out 2 assists while taking only 15 shots, all within Del Negro's picture perfect motion offense. He serves as a great role model for Derrick, although Hunter has also shown him what it takes to walk the path to greatness as well.

CLUTCH CLOSER OF THE YEAR - Aaron Gray. For the 2nd game in a row, our biggest, baddest Bull showed why he was resigned. Although he may be soft and cuddly on the outside, Aaron has proven to be a monster at crunch time by hitting 2 shots in the closing minutes once again. It's easy to see why management considers him our best post player. And just for the record, I have to agree, although Taj would be giving him a run for his money, but unfortunately is never around for the finish since he always fouls out.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER- I'll bet nobody's surprised here. It's got to be Derrick Rose with maybe Kobe or LeBron or Wade a distant 2nd, 3rd or 4th. Again this year, our young, sturdy, steady superstud has had to carry this team on his back (which isn't easy with a 300 pound Aaron Gray). This willingness to take over games accounts for much of our surprising early successes surpassing all expectations. Last night was typical when our sore ankled warrior torched the nets for 9 points and kept his plus/minus to -21.

It shows what good coaching has done day in and day out to help last year's Rookie of the Year blossom into his full potential. Kudos to Vinny whose constant refrain "attack Derrick, attack, share Derrick, share" has turned our baby bull into a roaring tiger and under Del Negro's tutilage, this amazing upward trend can only continue to point skyward. Thanks for all you've brought to the table for so many, coach. I'm sure it means a lot to them as well as to all the knoweledgable blogabullers at this site who constantly echo your praises and marvel at your innovative creativeness and expertise. You deserve a share of this award almost as much as our favorite manflower.

EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR- this was a real tossup between Jerry Reinsdorf, John Paxson and Gar Foreman. You conflicted fans can take your pick without hurting my feelings because if it was up to me, I would have all their middle names changed to "Excellence." But picking among a bevy of these solid '10.s' I've got to give the edge to JR whose generosity and ability to pick an A+ front office team, all within a strict budget, has made the last decade a truly memorable one in Bulls annals for the city and the ever growing fan base.

As our former standout GM, Jerry Krause once so aptly put it......."Organizations win championships." So just hang in there and be a little more patient fellow bloggers, because I sense another dynasty building right around the corner. Although you may not live in sunny Arizona like me, but I say wipe away the gloom, ignore those gray skies and let the sunshine in. Remember, it's always darkest before the dawn, cream always rises to the top and who could logically disagree that our group of heavyweights in the Bulls braintrust aren't the "creme de la creme"?

But lets be honest folks, it hasn't been all sunshine, peaches and cream so my final 2 nominations are for PANS rather than Picks.

MOST DISAPPOINTING. Joakim Noah. You would think after playing for a 2 time NCAA championship squad, this awkward, lazy, skinny long haired dolt would have learned something and shown some improvement by now. It has become apparent to me that this loudmouthed blowhard is mostly all show with little substance. I say it's time to cut the cord and either trade him or dump his sorry ass so we can reward the starting job to Aaron Gray who is on the way to becoming one of the league's premier post up players and a defensive presence to be reckoned with thanks to his size and surprisingly graceful moves. I predict, based on the rapid improvement he's demonstrated, the Big A will soon be known around NBA circles as the Barishkinoff of NBA giants.

I say it's time to say bye bye to our clownish scarecrow with the ill fitting garish suits and as far as I'm concerned, now isn't soon enough for me. His outrageous comments directed at the league's number one superman, Lovable, laughing LeBron, was the final straw. The brain-addled pothead's behavior was lewd, crude and totally uncalled for. This disgraceful outburst will take a long time and many mea culpa's to heal the wounds inflicted by our resident jerk, especially to all those delicate feminists who must have been duly pained and insulted when he so casually threw out the "B" word.

Talk about an insensitive sexist boob! I just hope and pray that sensitive souls like Oprah or Rosie O'Donnell weren't watching this vile display. We need to nip this kind of attitude in the bud before it spreads like the swine flu to our more subdued and refined players. Take a hike, Frenchie. We've grown sick and tired of your tired act and please, before you go, how about hustling once in awhile and grabbing a few rebounds. You can't expect Taj and company to do all the dirty work in the trenches while you're too busy trying to pick a fight with our fine NBA officials.

POOREST SPORTSMANSHIP/WORST ATTITUDE/WORSE PLAYER TO EVER DON A PROFESSIONAL UNIFORM - Finally, it goes without saying where our number one festering gangrenous metastisizing cancer lies. Tyrus (bad boy) Thomas. We must rid ourselves of this plague, The only reason I didn't choose him as the most disappointing was because by now, everyone knows this immature, stupifying, clueless excuse for a so-called professional basketball player has failed so miserably, so often, he can no longer disappoint us with his pathetic displays of ineptitude.. We fully expect the worse from Tyrus and he never fails to play down to our lowest expectations. This semi-retarded manchild should just run down to Toy's R Us and buy himself a pogo stick if all he ever wants to do is jump around all night, accomplishing nothing, but please, do it on your own time.

Can anyone out there tell me anything this weak-willed novice has done so far this year to help the team? What really irks me and I'm sure almost all others is....for God's sake, man.....do I even have to say it? He has Never, Never, Never, Ever, Ever, Ever run the court, not even one time in his entire lame career. A spastic cripple shows more heart than this crybaby pouter. No wonder Vinny hates him. How many times has the skipper yelled "Run Tyrus run" and yet you still see him walking slowly practically backwards up and down the court probably just to irritate our wonderful coach who must have the patience of Job to put up with this crappola. If this isn't deliberate, than buy a frigging hearing aid. This immature malcontent should change his middle name to "Defiance." As long as he remains a Bull, their chances of capturing the NBA crown this year are remote to slim to none.

But it's not to late to turn this ship around and run flag number 7 up the rafters high above the United Center this season. The winning formula is called Additon by Subtraction. Simply subtract Tyrus while at the same time, add one strong body to the roster. If this is done, I say the sky's the limit, but we need to act now. I suggest Gar should try to work out a package deal by trading Noah and TT for Ben Wallace, especially since this one time fan favorite seems to be completely rejuvenated in Detroit. We desperately need someone who can rebound, block shots and be a threat in the low post. Who better than steady, reliable Ben to deliver our version of the proverbial hat trick in all those 3 phases of the game.

The deal could further serve as a "Don't Get Mad, Get Even" message and well deserved punishment directed towards the uppity Ben Gordon for having the audacity to jump ship to our arch rivals this year by refusing to take the Bulls more than generous offer of the veterans minimum. Yes, in my heart of hearts I know Detroit wouldn't be stupid enough to fulfill my fantasy by actually doing it. But can you imagine what adding these 2 misfits would do to the Pistons? Talk about becoming the laughingstocks of the NBA. Give me a break. And shame on me for once having a mancrush on this, pardon my French, childish assclown before I finally realized he'll always be a loser and it was way past time to throw in the towel on this turkey.

From now on I'm thinking of changing my mancrush to American Idol runnerup (who got jobbed by the way!) Adam Lambert. This human dynamo can not only bring the energy Vinny craves,but can also dance up a storm and belt out a mean tune of any genre with the best of them, not to mention he's very sexy, can apply makeup better than any supermodel and has hair almost as nice as Vinny's. Even you homophobes out there have to admit Adam is a helluva lot cuter than Dennis Rodman besides being taller than both either Hunter or Pargo. I understand he can dribble and is an absolute standout when it comes to man to man coverage as well.

I realize he has no NBA experience but word on the street says he'll always do whatever it takes to drive hard to get to the hole and will be willing to cover your back if you need to switch. His bubbling personality can lighten up the Bulls somewhat staid locker room and add to comaradarie and team bonding on the road. Who wouldn't want to share a stiff one with the always happy Lambert on those long lonely circus trips?

OK, enough of my rant. I guess it's time for all you Drew Gooden and Nocioni fans to start firing back at me for leaving them off my list. Did I fail to do justice to any others? I wanted to nominate Jerome James for Comeback of the Year based on his rehab reports but I couldn't honestly do that since he is still runs the Bulls sets in his motorized wheelchair. But when he does return, a whole new chapter may someday be written about the Triple Towers of James, Gray and Miller, that is if Vinny will be willing to abandon small-ball.

Yahoo! Sports NBA Preview Magazine Looks at the Bulls

Tyrusmancrush — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:33:14 -0000

Perusing the latest issue, I came across the Bulls 2009-10 pre-season outlook by Kelly Dwyer who sees them finishing with a not too shabby 44-38 record and a 2nd place finish. I found some interesting observations in his article and excerpted them, many of which, in my opinion, are right on the money. In his words.......(parens mine).

With his strange coaching decisions and apparent lack of defensive fortitude or offensive creativity, Vinny Del Negro didn't exactly establish himself as a formidable sideline presence. (understatement of the year, except for his hair?)

Tyrus Thomas posted very good numbers down the stretch last season, just in time for everyone to have left the bandwagon. Thomas once again looks like a clear upside pick. He still suffered from a quick coaching hook for reasons not always obvious from press row.

Joakim Noah dealt with the same issue. (Is it because Vinny loves veterans who are smarter than him in hopes they will bail him out after he exhausts his slim repertoire of tricks?)

Derrick Rose was probably the worst full-time defender at point guard in the NBA last season. He didn't seem like a natural passer at times either. (Maybe Hunter can help?) Beyond those quibbles lies a natural scorer who can get to the rim on anyone in this league and he's only 20.

John Salmons might not have the quickness to defend shooting guards. Chicago could have the worst defensive backcourt in the NBA. But he should replicate the 18.3 points per game in 2009 and is effective at small forward.

Kirk Hinrich is about as good as a backup point guard can get.

Assuming Deng returns he has a lot of work to do to worm his way through a confusing and somewhat primitive offense by Vinny Del Negro. (you can't teach what you don't know?) Deng had screen setters and good spacing under former coach Scott Skiles but Del Negro's sets are far less exacting which doesn't bode well for a non dribbler like Deng (or Tyrus, etc.) Deng's left leg could make or break Chicago's season since stress fractures are prone to long recovery with a chance to refracture.

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Unfortunately, I didn't buy the magazine. Instead I read it at Borders and copied key portions of the article while having coffee. I also managed to lose page 2 of my notes so from this point on, I'm relying on my recollections on some further highlights rather than directly quoting from Mr. Dywer's lengthy review.

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He felt that although woefully slow, Brad Miller can bring a physical presence, space the court and make some plays to help both the Bulls and their opponents with his high turnover rate.

Dwyer again went off on the Bulls coaches, saying they seem determined to never allow Thomas to play beyond 35 minutes no matter how well he is performing. He also criticized them for not recognizing that Noah is not a 24 minute player and should have been given more floor time in the past. He pointed out that Joakim brings an abundant amount of hustle, energy, defensive effort, shot blocking and rebounding skills, along with his ability to run the court and make intelligent decsions which more than offset his limited offensive range and smaller size. He felt our coaching staff has been extremely slow to recognize his potential upside. (Our coaching staff has been extremely slow in recognizing things taught in the NBA 101 coaching video for beginners, in my opinion on too many occasions.)

He also indicated with such an athletic core, there is no excuse for their drastic defensive dropoff since the departure of Skiles which reflects more on poor coaching than on poor personnel. (where is Thibedeau?) In essence, he implied the talent level is not being maximized due primarily to the lack of talent emanating from the sidelines. Again I must ask, is this the year Vinny comes back from Oz with a brain or are we stuck with counting down the days until his inevitible firing as the Bulls continue to move sideways under his misdirection?

THIS IS IT. OUR SUPERBOWL. CAN THE BULLS KNOCK OFF ANOTHER NBA CHAMPION IN THE FIRST ROUND?

Tyrusmancrush — Sat, 02 May 2009 17:19:05 -0000

I hope I'm wrong but I fear the Bull's Cinderfella ride will end when the carriage turns back into a pumpkin right before Prince Charming gets a chance to sweep them off to the Magic Kingdom to face Orlando. We all love fairy tale endings but
how often do fairy tales ever really come true except when created in the Disney studios? Unfortunately old Walt is dead so maybe I need to stop sipping the Kool-Aid, take off my Rose colored glasses (pun intended) and look at the
cold, hard facts. I think they're gonna lose. My pessimism is based on the following:
1) Boston is 32 and 0 when leading a series 3 games to 2.

2) They're 16 and 3 in 7th games.

3) The Bulls are 0 and 5 in 7th games played on the road.

4) Vinny is our coach for the biggest game of his career
(granted there have only been 88 of them, many being real
stinkeroos) and asking him to get us over the hump in a
season where he suffered numerous brain cramps intermixed
with mind-boggling mistakes is like expecting Paris Hilton
to lead a campaign to promote teen abstinence or even less
likely, him allowing Tyrus Thomas to remain on the court
during crunch time even if our interior defense is leaking like a Katrina dyke.

5) Last but not least, watching Ratso Rondo do his impersonation of a member of a Chicago street gang while not being suspended or even reprimanded for multiple muggings. If this serial offender had committed these acts outside of a basketball or hockey arena, he would be looking around for someone
to bail him out of the slammer instead of preparing to stick it to the Bulls in a
game 7 showdown.

I am beginning to side with those conspiracy theorists who think David Stern, the mousey East coast Commish should consider offically renaming the NBA to the NOPO (Numerous Orchestrated Predetermined Outcomes) to more accurately reflect their track record. When it comes to officiating it is evident the rich get
richer (superstars and superteams) while the poor are not even part of the winning equation, although I never complained about this perception during the glory years of MJ and his supporting cast with the exception of the phantom 3 point foul called against Scottie Pippen which cost them a trip to the Eastern finals, and a probable NBA title even without MJ.

How can the league rationally explain away the fact that a) Dwight Howard got suspended for throwing an elbow or b) Robert Horry was heavily fined and received a 2 game suspension for delivering a hip check that landed Steve Nash into the scorers table. Oh I forgot, this NHL move allowed the powers to be, or should I say the powers that are to suspend the Phoenix Suns top players at the same time for coming off the bench to aid their bloodied teamate, while tossing only a reserve in his twilight years, thus assuring their defeat in the finals when it seemed the Suns looked virtually unstoppable up to that point, but were orchestrated to be the chosen one's being a smaller market and all. I'm not even going to mention the Dallas/Miami finals which at least had the positive result of getting to watch the ever pompous, juvenile spoiled Mark Cuban practically have a coronary on the court when his team couldn't handle the Heat and Dwane Wade's three favorite amigos, the referees.

By taking these ludicrous actions, the league office claimed they were merely enforcing the rules, knowing it would produce a result which punished the victims instead of the perpetrators. Is anyone naive enough to think this action wasn't deliberate? And what are the rules? Realistically, they are whatever Stearn and his boys say they are. After all its their responsibility to meet the bottom line and sometimes in business as in war, all's fair if you want to win (i.e. make lotsa moolah).

It's very reassuring to hear Mr. Integrity proclaiming from the mountaintops, and of course I believe him, that games were never fixed and the refs never deliberately swayed outcomes, except for Tim Donaghy because he was the only bad apple that got caught with his whistle down. He wound up having to take the role of the lone gunman, agreeing to take his turn in the barrel in exhange for a reduced prison sentence and at the same time, deflect the spotlight away from focusing on questionable decisions that could imply manipulation may have been the cause of some really strange outcomes over the years by many others.

But if David says it ain't so, who am I to question the great one? Some people actually believe that some of the great financiers on Wall Street were on the up and up, except for poor old Bernie Maddoff who was just trying to provide for his family, and of course, half the Obama cabinet members failed to pay their income tax because apparently they thought April 15th was only significant because of the opening of the major league baseball season. I also believe outside of a tiny handfull, ball players never abused and are no longer abusing steroids, Micheal Vick loves dogs and the Easter Bunny really does exist. After all, I've actually seen his colorful eggs with my own eyes.

Most thinking people know that non-partisianship is a myth and everyone has their own personal favorites and agendas, whether stated or not. It's especially obvious in the media, politics and journalism big time as well. As human beings we all have biases, in my case I admittedly lean more towards Tyrus Thomas and Adam Lambert of American Idol.....not that there's anything wrong with that because our opinions can't affect the outcomes of games or shape their
results, unlike the suits in the NBA offices.

Meanwhile back to the game. The master of the cheap shot, Raving Rajon Rondo, was allowed to get away with hipping and then tripping Hinrich on a breakaway causing him to land hard on his noggin, resulting in multiple stitches which kept him off the court for over 8 minutes, although mostly due to being on the bench during one of Vinny's fits of temporary dementia, while the Celts overcame a big Bulls lead in the 4th quarter of game 5. To randy Rajon, this was mission accomplished, especially since Kirk was having his best game in 3 years, scoring 19 points in 21 minutes while clinging to last years finals MVP, Paul Pierce like O J's glove during his murder trial, preventing him from going off like he did the previous game, as Hinrich was acknowledged as the Bulls most effective lock down defender even by Doc Rivers, of course he wasn't exactly being measured against stiff competition.

Rondo's "Tripping with the Stars" routine was a hard act to follow but in the tradition of Extreme Fighting where practically anything goes, he again saved the Celts by smashing Miller in the mouth with a closed fist just as he was about to deliver the game tying layup on a missed defensive assignment. If big bad Brad had done a similar thing to litle Rajon, he would have probably been banned from the league, as evidenced by his giving a hard shove to Big Baby Davis after he attempted to decapitate him, again with no flagrant being called. It did upset the officials enough to tee up Miller and order him tossed out of the game until he was overruled by another official who said this would make the WWF look more legit than the NBA if they followed through on that one.

Rondo is not only a great player and a master of dirty tricks, he's also really, really fast. His lightening quick reflexes and terrific right jab not only saved the game for Boston it also enriched Brad's orthodontist. Besides requiring 7 stitches in his mouth to close his wound, it also necessitated a dental trip the next day for a dislodged tooth. And all real Bulls fans know how important Miller's Clint Eastwood macho smile is a reflection of his own unique persona, maybe even more important to him than maintaining his stash to mellow him out after games like this. He could be a great Western star except when the 7 footer mounts his horse it will resemble a pony at a kiddie amusement park.

Instead of calling at the minimum a Flagrant 1 or a should have been flagrant 2, which in the past have been assessed for much lesser offenses, the officials (assclowns with whistles) waited a couple of minutes for Brad to pick himself up off the floor, have the trainer get the bleeding under control and give the cleaning crew time to wipe the pool of blood he desposited off the floor as well.

Assuming their implanted mikes were now working, they proceeded to make THE MOST FLAGRANT BAD CALL OF THE SEASON by not even calling it a flagrant foul which would have given the Bulls possession after the free throws and likely the game. Amazingly,even though aware that millions of impartial observers could clearly witness the obvious injustice, these 3 stooges showed absolutely no sign of embarassment, indicating a) they either had a lot of money riding on the Celtics, b) since they had never been officially diagnosed as legally blind and although it is'nt considered a detriment to being governor of New York, this handicap does make one ineligible to be an NBA referee or an air traffic controller as well. Because David Stern stresses the need for maintaing high standards, the same goes for amputees but there is no age limit preventing senior citizens from making the calls even if they can't even beat the Bull dissing whale currently known as Charles Barkely in a footrace across the court. or c) they're functionally illiterate, thus preventing them from either reading or understanding the NBA rulebook or d) like many of their peers before them once again have put on display the depths of their incredible ineptitude and incompetence, with the exception of Violet Palmer, of course. Is it any wonder why many disgusted former fans have been turned off by the charade and gone back to watching honest sports like Texas holdem tournaments in Las Vegas or Olympic skating and diving events with Russian judges.

Further evidence that maybe all 3 scenarios were in play that night can be seen when looking at Kendrick Perkins' game stats: 19 rebounds (with close to half being achieved by pushing off or aggressively climbing over his opponents backs while muscling them out of the way), 7 blocks (5 of which consisted of hitting every part of the anatomy except the ball) and 16 points. Adding to this stellar display after deducing the officials may be Boston fans, enabled him to set a bunch of illegal moving picks usually accompanied by hard shoves thus freeing the shooters to get clear lanes to the rim or open j's, confusing poor souls like Derrick Rose who were feeling like they were in a game of pinball or maybe
hide and seek instead of basketball, having lost their men so many times after being shoved away from the action behind a large Boston behemoth.

And all this was done without Kendrick being whistled for a SINGLE FOUL!
Actually, if you analyze this it really is a very big deal. Perkins amazing "accomplishment" or should I say "accomplice"ment owes special thanks to the RINOS (referees in name only),who being who they are under the protective umbrella of King David and company, never need to present a reasonable explanation or rational justification for thier travesties. Being an NBA ref, like being a starry eyed lover, means you never have to say you're sorry.

Another possibility to consider is they have in fact had miniture microphones implanted in their earlobes with direct communication links to the league office reminding them that the Bulls are only a lowly 7th seed while the Celtics are still defending World Champions, and this is a tough economy to be seeking employment if certain protocols aren't adhered to. in other words, follow the script fellahs. After all, outcomes are important because everyone's revenues depend on them.

It's implied but never overtly stated that in the NBA, the rich always seem to be getting richer (superstars and superteams) while the poor don't even figure in the equation. The league has it's Kobes, LeBrons, Wades, etc. Nobody gives a rats ass about the Washington Generals, sometimes referred to as the small market teams along with the also-rans, regardless of population. The Knicks just stink too much to try a bailout.

How else can one explain that in the entire history of the NBA, only 2 Hall of Famers, who many claim are the 2 greatest players of all time, except for Jordan of course, were able to get at least 15 points, 5 blocks and 15 rebounds in a single game without fouling? I can with complete confidence, categorically state that Kendrick Perkins not only isn't in their league, he hasn't even earned the right to sniff their jock straps at this point in his somewhat less than illustrious career. But now we are supposed to believe he can forever be grouped with the basketball Gods, the creme de la creme in his preferential treatment. Give me a freaking break.

Just when you think the odor can't get any worse than being stuck in a room with a bunch of pigs being tested for swine flu, the double standard became a triple standard in game 6 when the "Little Thug that Could Get Away with Anything other than Homicide" (still not sure about that one), locked Kirk Hinrich's arm in a vice grip as he was boxing out in the first quarter, whereupon Rondo whipped him like a WWF cage fighter, smashing him sprawling into the scorers table.

Fiesty Kirk instead of backing down, bounced off and immediately ran with eyes glowering to retaliate against the Punkmiester, (whose facial features make me think he could be perfectly cast to play the alien in a remake of ET if Sam Casell turns down the part), Rondo suddenly lost his perennial swagger, replacing it with a look of fear. The little weasel's false bravado disappeared faster than my 401K, as he backpedaled like a cockroach exposed to a sudden light, but not before throwing an elbow at the oncoming raging bull, only he missed almost as badly as he did shooting in game 6 being 4 for 17, since his attention had likely shifted to being more focused on not wetting his pants than making contact with an out of control Bull.

The great thing about having a 1080P Hi definiton large screen LCD TV set is that you can watch the replays in extra slow motion, to enable one to seperate perception from reality. Vinny didn't go through the roof because he didn't see the play, but Doc did and was in a state of panic mixed with anger towards his explosive point guard.

Apparently the NBA forgot its own rule which calls for immediate rejection and suspension (ala Dwight Howard) for anyone throwing a deliberate elbow even if it fails to connect. The official who was on top of the play a few feet away and saw the whole thing immediately called out flagrant 2. This caused Joey Crawford to run over to whisper sweet somethings into his ear.

Our lead conspirator, I mean lead official, who achieved infamy in the playoffs a few years ago for tossing out Tim Duncan as he sat on the bench, forced there after being charged with phantom fouls that couldn't even be detected with a microscope, all because he was caught derisively laughing at another bad call and Joey being the sensitive kind, with skin thinner than a Etheopian refugee, assumed he was mocking his judgement along with his shiny, pasty white completely bald head which can look pretty disgusting when sweat beads are dripping off like a melting ice cap.

The problem was Joey forgot Tim is a certified superstar and you don't treat superstars like mere mortals. The league came down hard on Crawford and he was suspended without pay for the rest of the playoffs and halfway into the following season before he did his mea culpas and was reinstated by Cardinal Sterns.

After commiserating with Joey, the refs knew a flagrant 2 on Rondo meant automatic rejection and likely suspension for a game 7. With KG gone, Rondo is on the list of untouchables according to the unwritten code of the NBA. The call, of course, was mysteriously reversed, much to the shock, relief and joy of Doc Rivers, who silently thanked God for remembering to bring his rosary with him to the game. If you look closely right after the melee, you can see him fumbling with his beads while praying that the biblical passage, "Ask and ye shall recieve" was a literal translation. He saved his anger for Rondo, which I think affected the twerps game from that point forward.

On its face, the decision was so ridiculous, that Crawford could barely
keep his implant from imploding in his ear, likely due to the Commish barking orders, yelling that if he didn't act quickly, his ass was going to be suspended again and this time he may not ever get rehired. (I admit I have no hard proof, but there is a lot of circumstantial evidence that this took place. Why else was Joey constantly grabbing his earlobe with a pained expression on his face before the call was reversed? Had he possessed the cojones (of a Ben Gordon) and done the right thing, principal over pragmatism, Rondo would be history for the rest of the series and the Bulls would be almost assured, barring a miracle of moving on to the next round.

Can't you just picture Joakim Noah, yelling "Hey mom, We're going to Disneyland." as the braying Jackass Kevin Garnett, so depressed by the loss, is running down the street naked, throwing F-bombs at everyone he passes, with his hideous contortions no longer even scaring toddlers as long as they're parents are Bulls fans. while he can't remove from his mind, the image of an equally irritating Noah yelling at the top of his lungs, hi fiving everyone in the City of Chicago.

Happy endings do sometimes occur in real life. They also take place in movies when scripted that way, and as I already said, sometimes basketball games. So my question is, how is the game 7 script going to be written? Maybe when the ratings and the rantings as well pour into the league offices, the Simon Cowell's of the NBA may decide it's time to have a new American Idol, especially since KG is unlikely to return and the Bulls do have a magnificent Rose just starting to blossom in front of the entire nation. So anything is possible. And it really doesn't matter because the script has already been written for the finals when hyping the ultimate matchup asking if the baton will be passing from Kobe to LeBron this yar as the next Micheal Jordan couldbe.

But I still think this is my own Rosy pipe dream fantasy since it seems highly unlikely they want the Bulls to win otherwise why is Rondo being allowed to impose his usual havoc on the Bulls chances in game 7 under circumstances that cannot be explained by any objective standard, other than concluding that those of us wearing tinfoil hats are maybe not that looney after all.

And finally, everyone seems obsessed nowadays by going green. I say the hell with the Celtics and the hell with all the government's global warming hype which seems more interested in imposing a trillion dollar carbon tax than saving us from being dissapated by the suns rays. I'll be more open to these theories once it stops snowing in April all over the world. So I say we start a new movement. Down with going green, up with going Red as long as our new leader's name is Derrick Rose, not Karl Marx.

Summer League Impressions of TT and Friends

Tyrusmancrush — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:47:21 -0000

I know it's only 3 games and some world beaters become egg beaters once the regular season begins. Others show enough skills to earn a seat on an NBA bench after being ignored in the draft. Raw rookies get a taste of competition and young veterans can sharpen their games. So these are more than just glorified scrimmages with a bunch of guys unlikely to even make the "D" league, I would like to get feedback from other Blogabullers on their observations so far.

HERE ARE MINE After game one, I wrote Lay off TT all you naysayers

After seeing 3 games, and openly admitting to some personal biases when evaluating Tyrus through my Rose colored glasses, I feel most of the negativity directed at his performances seem overly critical by those doubting Thomases on this blog. What I observed was a rejuvinated player with a huge potential upside who is working hard to improve his deficiencies but still has a lot to learn:

I am predicting you Thomas haters will eventually be eating crow. This will be a breakout year for "the human highlight film", primarily on the defensive end once he (and Kirk) cut down on those silly fouls, while his improving offense will be a pleasant surprise and icing on a cake that the “soul eater” will be feasting on under our new and vastly improved coaching staff.

The Bulls are headed for the playoffs now that the “corpse” and his fellow zombies have returned to their crypts. Bloodsucking Boyl*n can no longer drain the life out of the baby bulls and TT will soar like an eagle now that his shackles have been removed and his new coaches continue to teach him how to harness and exploit his freakish athleticism, motivating him to someday reach his huge upside potential with more positive feedback in a week than he received his first 2 years here.

As I watched him race across the court in Orlando, I remember Skiles and B*#l%n lamenting the fact that he never ran the floor, not even once while anxioulsy waiting for him to make a mistake that would once again relegate him to the end of the pines to teach him a lesson that they are in charge and he has made them angry for not following their non-functional game plan.

Rose, TT, Thabo and Noah may never win any shooting contests, but if the NBA had relay races, they would be Gold Medal favorites. This is going to be an exciting year from a fans standpoint regardless of their record. Basketball is going to be an entertaing spectator sport once again next season with the Bulls new uptempo offensive sets.

TT has so far averaged 18 pts per game in 27 minutes, along with 7.7 boards, 1 steal, 2 blocks and 3 turnovers. His FG % was .436 with his midrange jumper showing much more accuracy than last year. More impressive was his attacking the rim that led to 24 FTA in which he made 20 (.833). He penetrated and drew fouls consistently even though the lanes were jammed due to a lack of spacing. If he can improve his footwork and set himself better, he could be a monster this season with his quickness if defenders have to guard his jumpshot more closely while he flys by them for a jam. The Bulls need more slashers who can get opponents in penalty situations earlier. Once Derrick Rose gets comfortable working with him, I believe this will lead to some spectacular ally oops and easy baskets in transition since their lightening quickness will lead to many more trips to the line fpr both of them.

Rose initially played soft and tentatively at first until Vinnie told him to pick up the pace and he started penetrating instead of dishing off at the top of the key. His jump shot has been non-existent and his point guard skills are very unrefined, but his atleticism is on full display. As I said earlier, Rose has much to learn and will not immediately be the second coming of Chris Paul or even Chris Duhon until he is ready to take off the training wheels with more experience, thus the need to somehow keep both Hinrich and Gordon until Rose is thoroughly potty trained. Rose shot only .294, hittting mostly layups and missed 5 of 14 FT's. In 28:45 minutes he averaged 9.5 pts., 4.5 assists and 4 turnovers.

Noah does not appear to be in game shape, although he came out of his fog in the 3rd game and should be fine by the beginning of the season. Hopefully by then, he will have developed some type of rudimentary shot to keep the defense honest and make at least 50% of his FT's. His energy and rebounding will only get better. Gray has lost some baby fat and is moving much better (still extremely slow) but is a force once he establishes position in the paint. He should be helpful offensively against certain teams that do not rely on quickness. (8.3 pts per game in 12.35 minutes).

Nichols averaged 13.3 ppg (.419) in 28:35 minutes, while showing 3 pt. range. He may be a keeper since his long range shooting can help space the floor, especially if we trade Noce. Finally , Langford averaged 13.7 PPG in 28;20 minutes, shooting an amazing .682 from the floor and 50% on 3's. PeeOn Curry also exhibited some ball handling skills in approximately 20 minutes per game, shooting only .381 but he did tie Rose in assists with 11. Both should at least make the "D" league. Simmons demonstrated shot blocking skills but zero offense. None of the others wil be on any Bulls or D league roster once the season starts,,,, in my opinion.

Your thoughts?

I've always been a big Chicago Bulls fan and I hope they don't trade Frank Thoms just because he...

Tyrusmancrush — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:05:41 -0000

I've always been a big Chicago Bulls fan and I hope they don't trade Frank Thoms just because he doesn't get along with the coaches. From what I've been told, nobody else does either.

So what if we trade Thomas, he's a wasted high draft pick

Tyrusmancrush — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 06:34:38 -0000

and will never learn the system just like Tyson Chandler before him, who has a field goal percentage of only .620 this season along with double digit rebounds and is practically over the hill having turned 25 this year. If you believe what you read and hear from the likes of Jimbo, Red, KC and sometimes Sam, he was a cocky, uncooperative, somewhat slow-witted punk with a bad attitude who needs to be dumped for whatever the Bulls can get for him in the off season since he just can't seem to master even the basic sets.

In the world according to Boylan, TT has for the most part, been a disappointing cancer who consistently failed to execute the game plan on both ends of the court, who couldn't follow directions, who NEVER ran the court, who was constantly caught out of postition, who didn't deserve any plays run for him, ad infinitum, which is why he rotted away both physically and emotionally on the bench for most of the year,

If Gooden hadn't gone down and some others weren't injured, neither he nor Thabo would have seen much PT all season. And where would Noah be if Pax hadn't been able to dump the corpse? After watching his dismal outing tonight, I almost feel sorry for Big Ben. You know he would give his best effort if he had anything left in his near empty tank. I truly believe the main reason Boylan and his staff of trolls relied so heavily on the veterans was because they knew whether consciously or not that they didn't have enough smarts to teach and develop the younger, less experienced players where they could be competitive on a nightly basis and feared being exposed as clueless nincompoops.

I believe Scott Skiles was a control freak who deliberately surrounded himself with weaker sycophantic assistants who would be grateful for their jobs and thus pose no threat to his authority. When he exited on Christmas Eve, he knew the team would flop under the rudderless non-leadership of the Boylan crew and thus could preserve his reputation as a coach who can turn a bunch of flubs into fierce competitors. He probably is secretly enjoying every moment of this tragicomedy since his departure. If the Bulls had hired a real coach and did turn it around, it would have reflected badly on him and his iron fisted techniques, but he knew as long as his favorite lackey, lamebrain Boylan was in charge the chances of this were less than slim to none.

On the other hand,little old Hubie Brown needed to cover only 3 Bulls games this season to recognize the athleticism and potential of Tyrus, referring to him as a highlight film, and complementing Noah's great energy and effort, especially when both were on the floor together dominating the boards and shutting down the inside lanes except for LBJ who gets almost every call, although he was stymied after his first quarter domination He was impressed with how quickly Tyrus got downcourt and what an impressive all around game he showed, blocks, rebounds, assists, and scoring. If he was LBJ some of those charges would have gone the other way. Hubie also stated Thomas should be given more minutes to improve his game. Most blogabullers have been calling for this pairing of the 2 athletic energy bunnies since day 1. Now that the season is almost kaput, along with Boylan's job, has he finally got a clue?

But who are we to believe, Bulbous Boylan or Hubie, the man who took a young inexperienced Memphis team and made them winners, only to have them sink back into mediocrity once he left? I wish Hubie would hang up his microphone even for one season and teach these kids how to play the game and maximize their potential. They could learn more in one season from the old master than they could in a lifetime of Boylans,

Once the Bulls throw Captain Bligh and his officers overboard and retake the Bounty, it may not be necessary to abandon ship. With the right leader at the helm, this team can someday once again sail through the NBA with the wind at their backs and recapture the pride they once had, provided they add a few more deckhands who can handle the inevitible storms ahead, like another post-up big and a talented point guard.

Finally. I think the key to preserving the victory tonight instead of replicating their infamous 4th quarter choke act was the outstanding point guard and defensive play of the forgotten swabbie, the diminuative give it his all, Chris Duhon. I may be a dreamer but I still believe Tyrus is destined to be an all-star once he gets the right direction and more maturity. I hope my dream won't become a nightmare if it comes true, but he is wearing a different uniform.

If Boylan was a turd

Tyrusmancrush — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 05:52:22 -0000

he would drawf the Sears Tower. Let's express our love for the man who said "I don't get rattled. When the heat is on I believe I'm actually at my best!" As the heat goes up, the turd gets higher, this ball of fire.

He has driven Duhon into depression, Nocioni into a wet noodle, Gray into an frustrated anger machine, Noah into volcanic rages and Tyrus into someonone who would prefer hiding in his closet rather than face the incoherent rants of Boylan. Lately, HInrich was spotted in the locker room rolled up in the fetal position sucking on a doodle after and exchange with the great one.

What a motivator. If he were coaching the Celtics, they'd still be fighting for a playoff spot with KJ wondering why he's riding the bench in crunch time while the 4 guard lineup struggles not to blow another 30 point lead.

Most of us know the Bulls failure lies primarily at the foot of TT who has been in a funk for the last 5 games (bulls 2-3) reflected by his poor shooting and limited minutes.
Here is his breakdown:
Minutes played 70:55
FG 6-26 .229 FT 10-13 .779 Rebounds 16
Assists 4 Blocks 3 PF's 9 Turnovers 1

Prorating these dreary stats over 2 games of 35 minutes each...average of our other forwards becomes: points per game 11 assists 2 rebounds 8
PF's 4.5 blocks 1.5 Turnovers 0.5.

No wonder he rides the bench, Thomas is a human turnover machine. One in over 70 minutes..and don't think Boylan doesn't remember it vividly. Unfortunately it seems he is incable of remembering more than one play for any extended period....thus explaining his rotations.

As Jimbo admitted..."I'm not a stats man" here are some numbers over the last 5 games he may want to peruse, assuming he can read.

Player Minutes (+/-)
Hughes 153:58 -31
Deng 185:55 -28
Noah 120:15 -18
Gooden 172:14 -16
Gordon 148:41 -14
Nocioni 75:52 0
Nichols 4:22 +2
Gray 34:28 +6
Tabo 110:08 +11
Kirk 118:13 +21
THOMAS 70:55 +22

Notice a pattern you festering boil? Look at the stats! Even when Tyrus is floundering, he still blows away your favorites...players have to earn their minutes...your fat ass. You are a complete enema bag that is constantly overflowing.

Now I feel better. I am climbing off the edge again...no thanks to the prince of dunces and his fellow retards.

Missed the game tonight to see "No Country for Old Men

Tyrusmancrush — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:22:41 -0000

It reminded me of watching a Bulls game. The film ended abruptly with nothing resolved, leaving the audience feeling empty and dissastified (except for the buttercorn).

Since I draw most of my Bulls sustinance by watching Tyrus Thomas highlight reruns on youtube and dreaming what could have been, tonight's victory seems like a rerun of another of Jim Boylan's formula farces. We all know the script, play as many guards as possible, keep Tyrus and Noah pinned to the bench and always have a hair-raising helter-skelter finish using similar plot lines that make no sense to anyone except the loony director who is deluded into thinking he has created another masterpiece because management continues to let thim grind out these stinking turds. One in a row...One in a row! Let's award Boylan a Golden Finger Award.

Here are some 4th quarter stats from the 2 recent games where the Bulls blew 20+ point leads in recent reverse order-New Orleans, 76r's.-

Nocioni 0 minutes 6:12 (-8)
Tabo 2.30 (-10) 8:35 (-18)
Gray 0 0
Tyrus 0 3:07 (-3)
Gordon 12 (-20) 3:02 +1
Noah 10:20 (-17) 0
Deng 12 (-20) 12 (-20)
Hughes 10:20 (-17) 6:23 (-13)
Kirk 1:38 ( -3) 11:41 (-22)
Gooden 10:07 (-13) 8:32 (-14)

In the Washington fiasco, Deng played the entire 2nd half, racking up a (-24) while Larry Hughes was (-32) in 18:32 minutes. Can we conclude that Leol needs some rest time as the game regresses and our small ball combinations are pathetic at best? Tyrus sat out the final 34 minutes of the Wizard game and Gray is not even an afterthought. Suggestions anyone?