Donovan Mitchell (13.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists per game)

The Jazz are a team that are very well balanced and do not rely solely on one player. It was a pleasant surprise for them when the

University of Louisville product turned out to be one of the pieces that would contribute to their scoring on a consistent basis off the bench. He has had multiple games recently where he has put up big numbers, scoring over 20 points 3 times in his last 6 games. The Jazz were a team with a big question mark over their head after the loss of Gordon Hayward this offseason, but Donovan Mitchell is proving to be a piece that can help replace the lost scoring that the Jazz need to return to the playoffs.

Lauri Markkanen (15.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists per game)

Currently second in scoring for the bulls, which is not much of an accomplishment, Markkanen has shown that his skill set and shooting ability can translate to the NBA as he is currently shooting 43.5% from the field and 38% from three. He hopes to be a stretch-four that the bulls can rely on as one of the initial pieces in their current rebuilding phase. He could put up some inflated numbers as the year goes on due to lack of talent around him, having a solid first year to his career.

Kyle Kuzma (15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.4 assist per game)

Lakers fans everywhere were anticipating the arrival of Lonzo Ball into town for this current season. But those who watched the

summer league knew that there was another intriguing piece added to the roster in Kyle Kuzma from the University of Utah. While the Lakers obviously believed they picked a good player, I doubt they would have been able to predict that to start of the season Kuzma would currently be averaging the 3^rd most points among rookies and being the teams 2^nd highest scorer. Much like the Bulls the Lakers are in a sort of rebuild stage that they hope to mature out of soon, and Kuzma was a pleasant addition to the roster that should be able to contribute as the team strives to compete in years to come.

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Four Years, Two Teams?

It may be to the point where these teams have faced each other so often that it is now considered a war by international law, but odds have it that the Warriors and Cavaliers will play each other in the NBA Finals once again. The argument remains as to whether or not the dominance of these two teams is good for the NBA, but anyway you put it this is the outcome for the 2017 season and maybe even a couple more years down the road. Buckle up NBA fans, this one may be a long ride. On another note the question remains, can anyone challenge either of these teams? No. At least not this year, and it is hard to see a new team emerging if both superpowers stay together this off-season.

Moves, Moves, and more Moves

There was a major shopping spree on players this off-season, as this it was one of the most active and exciting off-season’s that NBA fans have seen in a long time. Big names all seemed to move to and throughout the western conference. So much that it sparked the league to change the format of the All-Star game so that the West would not be so lopsided. One team in each conference stood out to me, as well as many other people, in making the most enticing moves this off-season.

In the east it was clearly the Celtics who had the best additions to their team. Adding Gordon Hayward through free agency and trading for Kyrie Irving were two great moves that helped the team get a lot younger and have a true identity to go along with the youth of their bench. There is still the aging Al Horford who does not fit the long-term plans of the team, but for right now he is good veteran help. This team is not going to stun the Cavaliers and take the eastern conference championship, but they should at least make the east finals competitive. The Celtics will be a force in the eastern conference for years to come, whether or not they do anything depends on the future of the Cavaliers roster.

As for the west the most intriguing team this off-season was the Oklahoma City Thunder with the additions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. The fact that both of these trades were pulled off is incredible, especially considering that Sam Presti technically flipped Serge Ibaka (traded to Magic for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis) for Paul George (Traded to Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis). This team now has a very interesting dynamic, as they have 3 guys that love to operate with the ball in their hands. Will they figure out a way to make it work? Yeah, I think they do but I do not think they reach a level that is higher for the Warriors. Sorry Thunder fans.

Lastly, some quick hitters regarding the rest of NBA and free agency moves. In the East everyone seemed to get worse and is entering rebuilding stages as the Bulls, Pacers, Hawks, and Knicks all traded away key pieces to get younger assets. All those stars migrated to the West where there were shuffles on most of the rosters. The Rockets propelled themselves into the top of the conference even further with the addition of Chris Paul. The Timberwolves made a big acquisition in getting Jimmy Butler, a move that they hope will help them in the long run as they have an extremely young roster. Lastly the Nuggets and Clippers both made additions that will likely keep them on the edge of the playoffs, but will not amount to major success in the West.

Graduating Class of 2017

Just about every team not mentioned above decided that it was a good move to invest in the draft, and it looks like the draft class is not going to disappoint. While it seems like the draft prospects have always busted in recent years, the rookies this year seem to be of a different breed. Going into the draft there were talks that this could be the best class since 2003, and from the little film we have seen in the summer league and preseason this looks more than formidable.

The number one overall pick by the 76ers Markelle Fultz not only looks like a stud, but so do his teammates around him. This is a team that has the potential to be really good in years to come if all of their young players tend to pan out how they should. While this pick was a no brainer for the 76ers, he is a perfect fit for their team as he provides the outside shooting needed to spread the floor.

The second overall pick went to the Los Angeles Lakers and they selected Lonzo Ball, as I am sure everyone on the planet knows by this point. Put his dad and all the drama aside and consensus has it that this kid is going to be a star. The pieces around him seem to be in place, but it is just a matter of how everyone progresses in the coming years. The interesting thing to follow with this roster is what happens next year in free agency, as the Lakers have a lot of money to spend and a lot of big name free agents should be available.

Some other noticeable draft picks were Jayson Tatum to the Celtics at three, Josh Jackson to the Suns at four, De’Aaron Fox to the Kings at five, and Dennis Smith Jr. to the Mavericks at nine. All of these players have potential to shine almost immediately in the league, and could very well be superstars in the making. Tatum is in a very interesting scenario as he is going to develop on a team that will likely get a lot of playoff success and experience. Jackson is on a young, but extremely talented team as he prepares to pair up with Devin Booker for years to come. Fox and Smith will not have any enticing prospects around them, but both are extremely explosive and quick players at the point guard position and should have long careers ahead of them.

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The Bulls are Barrymore, a team that has no identity and has to constantly be reminded by Adam Sandler, or in this case head coach Tom Thibodeau, of who they are: a title contender.

Up to this point however, coach Thibs hasn’t been as successful as he’d like to be. In the past the Bulls have been the hard-nosed defensive team that wore teams down and fought until the end.

That killer instinct has faded many times this season as they are giving up 99.1 points to opponents and the only consistency we’ve seen from them as a unit is their inconsistency. One night they’re beating the feared Golden State Warriors on the road in double overtime and the next they’re falling apart against a lowly, Kobe-less Lakers squad.

Some may argue it’s the injuries as the Bulls have gone through stints, some short some long, missing guys like Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, Mike Dunleavy, Jimmy Butler and the list goes on. In fact, they’ve only had their starting five together for 20 games this season.

Yet, even when healthy the Bulls seem to lack the killer instinct and toughness that had propelled them through playoff runs as underdogs in the past. Nazr Mohammed disagrees however and thinks grittiness is still there, “We got us a dog. We got us a couple of dogs…There’s nothing in particular that we need. It’s more of us not having focus and desperation, along with the understanding of what it really takes to win a championship.”

We have seen Tony Snell step up as of late and Derrick Rose continues to show more and more flashes of his glory days. Noah has been on the ups and Pau Gasol continues to have what may be the best year of his career. First time all-star Jimmy Butler has been a treat to watch besides a slump in January and Aaron Brooks is the latest piece of evidence that proves any decent point guard can succeed in Thibs’ system.

So fine, maybe they do have some “dogs” but what’s scary is that Mohammed mentioned the Bulls not having focus. With only 28 games left in the season the Bulls must get focused immediately if they’re serious about bringing a title back to the Windy City.

Finishing the first half on a four game winning streak with a huge win against division rival Cleveland, who had stolen the first two of the season series prior to that Bulls 113-98 victory, was a very necessary step in the right direction.

Now well rested after the all-star break and seemingly healthy the Bulls will have to put it all together in the final months. They start the last stretch on Friday at Detroit before heading home for a big seven game home stand.

The pieces are in place to succeed. If they really want this all they need to do is focus.

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Whether it’s the fact that he’s played a total of 54 games out of a possible 242 games since the start of the 2011-12 season, him making questionable comments about sitting out so he won’t be walking with a limp at his son’s graduation or the fact that he doesn’t recruit top players to join the Bulls.  But the fact still remains, if the Chicago Bulls want any chance at a championship, they need Derrick Rose to be healthy when it really matters, in the playoffs.

Rose hasn’t played in the postseason since his MVP season in 2010-11, aside from Game 1 against Philadelphia when he tore his ACL), and as a result the Bulls have won 1 playoff series in that span.  That is why the Bulls and Rose are being smart by holding Rose out of games unless he is completely healthy so far this season.

After two knee surgeries, a sprained ankle, and now a hamstring injury, Rose needs to get all the rest he can to limit the risk of him going out with yet another serious injury and missing the biggest games of the season for the Bulls.  Rose has played in 5 of 13 games so far this season, and has missed time with ankle sprains, and recently an aggravated hamstring.  The added rest that he’s getting now may even help him be more fresh than many other players in the Playoffs.

Now, that’s not to say it isn’t annoying as a fan.  I will admit, watching the Bulls with Derrick Rose in the lineup is much more entertaining than watching a team with Kirk Hinrich running the point.  I myself have not watched a couple of the games with Rose on the sideline because they aren’t as exciting.  Maybe that makes me a bad fan, but let’s all admit that without Rose, the Bulls are a pretty boring team filled with mostly a high effort, scrappy group of players.

But Rose makes them a watchable product, he adds to their offense in ways that few players can.  Not only does he score around 20 points a night, he opens up the floor to get guys like Pau Gasol, Jimmy Butler, and Taj Gibson more open looks.  I’m sure I can speak for most Bulls fans when I say that seeing Derrick limp off the court last Thursday in Toronto produced eerie flashbacks to last year’s game in Portland or Game 1 of the 2012 playoff series against Philadelphia.  At least this time Rose escaped with a minor hamstring injury.

Now the other argument here is that Rose hasn’t shown that he has been able to handle the rigors of an NBA season since his MVP season.  Many proponents of this argument will point to the fact that the year he tore his ACL, he never was consistently in the lineup, playing in only 39 of a possible 66 games.  He then missed the entire 2012-13 season, and played in 10 of the first 11 games last season before injuring his knee, causing him to miss the final 71 games.

This year, he has only played in 5 of 13 games so far, and has not been able to finish 2 games in a row yet, which is concerning.  However I believe, perhaps wrongly so, that Rose has matured and learned from previous experiences.  It’s safe to say that even last year he probably would’ve tried to play through his sprained ankle that caused him to miss four games and perhaps would have played in last night’s game in Sacramento, but he has learned that not every game matters (contrary to what his coach believes), and that he needs to save himself for the postseason.

Bulls fans are probably tired of hearing “will he/won’t he?” regarding Derrick Rose’s injury status prior to a game, but as a Bulls fan, it’s much better to be talking about this now than in the playoffs.  Without Derrick Rose the Bulls are still a playoff team, but with Derrick Rose the Bulls are a legitimate championship contender, and the Bulls are being smart by holding him out in November so they can (hopefully) have him healthy in April.

The post Like it or not, Bulls doing right thing with Rose appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Since Rose has never played  a full season since tearing his ACL in his left knee in their first playoff game of 2012 after the NBA Lockout shortened everyone’s schedule.

He missed the entire 2012-13 season recovering from his injury but was largely criticized for not coming back during the playoffs even if he was not mentally ready. Some even called him selfish.

Last season he  returned but again got injured  only playing 10 games into the season, tearing his meniscus in his right knee. This was just another blow to Bulls fan because of the talent and explosiveness  he brings.

This season he has sprained both ankles and most recently injured his hamstring although that’s considered a small injury to Rose. He made more comments about his future:  “I think a lot of people don’t understand that when I sit out it’s not because of this year. I’m thinking about long term. I’m thinking about after I’m done with basketball.”

People say you should keep your personal life away from your sports career but they both affect each other and when the media asks you a question like that you have to answer it even if it affects what others will think of you.

Negative remarks

TNT NBA tip-off on Thursday’s featuring Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal ripped into him like a Thanksgiving turkey. Barkley calls Rose’s comments “stupid” because that’s part of the game and there are people who work just as hard as him and go home to a shack not a big house.

I don’t agree with Barkley’s comments about Rose being “stupid” because everyone allowed their own opinion and I think its better to speak aloud than bottle it up.

Shaq said “if you can walk, you can play, you see how Charles and I walk but it was worth it to provide for our family. Those comments make him look soft as a former MVP.

I like Shaq’s comments better because he defends people that limp after basketball. His soft comment is based off of being selfish and connected to his lack of return last year for the Bull’s playoff games.

Supporting remarks

Nazr Mohammed a veteran  reserve player for the Bulls compares how ridiculous the media is. He donates one million to charity but that’s only one day of news, whereas he comments about the future gets micro-scoped for weeks, sometimes even months.

Joakim Noah said “Everyone needs to chill out.” This is the best comment coming from a teammate who understands what Rose is going through as a player and helps stop the criticism.

Personally, I liked that he was being honest and straightforward about his playing future. Having Derrick Rose most of the time is better than risking him encountering  another season or possibly a career ending injury because he played to often without a break to rest himself.

Some players are injury prone and some never get injured. Brandon Roy is a player who retired at the age of 26 but attempted a comeback only to re-injure his knee and retire for good.  I would say he’s injury prone but the real question is why is he getting injured all the time? He plays hard every time he’s on the court regardless of a potential injury looming.  His body wears and tears like everyone’s. We just don’t hear about it much unless it’s someone in our community of or a well known player.

The bottom line is a person just like everyone else and has a family that needs him after his NBA career. I’ve seen many comments about how selfish he is caring for his future, but really they are the selfish ones that think  an athlete  winning or stats are more important than his life outside of basketball.

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Western Conference
Regular Season Standings
Playoff Teams

1. San Antonio Spurs: I want to choose against the Spurs, and the Cavaliers for that matter, with all of my being. However, it’s pretty difficult in San Antonio’s case when they’re night in and night out the most fundamentally sound squad. The ageless Tim Duncan returns with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli once again. Add in NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, alongside Danny Green, Boris Diaw, Marco Belinelli and the best coach in the game, and you have yourself a recipe for success. See: The last decade or so.
2.  Los Angeles Clippers: How would things in the NBA be different if the original Chris Paul trade went through? Would CP3, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard be headlining this city for the Lakers and the Clippers stuck in their usual second-tier rut? We’ll never know, but what we can expect is Doc Rivers to have one of the best squads in the NBA this season, especially with his system implemented for another year.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder: Russell Westbrook may be the highest scorer in the league come December. Afterwards? Not so much. That’s when Kevin Durant will return and lead what will potentially be a middle of the road team back to the top three in the West. Steven Adams showed he could be a decent big man in the league, so Kendrick Perkins may find more and more pine. Anthony Morrow and Jeremy Lamb still aren’t a replacement for James Harden, but they should stretch the floor consistently. That is, if Westbrook and Durant don’t do it enough.
4. Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki finally has help again in Dallas. Monta Ellis, Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler should form a dangerous starting lineup run by Jameer Nelson. If the Mavericks do make a top four seed in the West, does Rick Carlisle have a case for coach of the year? There’s a strong chance. Remember, the Mavericks took the Spurs to seven games last season. They’d meet them in the second round this year.
5. Golden State Warriors: And here we have the Western Conference team that everyone wants to play as in video games. Do you want scorers? Well, they have Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodola, Shaun Livingston, Brandon Rush, David Lee and Andrew Bogut. Even new head coach Steve Kerr can knock it down from range. The defense might be a little
6. Portland Trail Blazers: If Damian Lillard played in a bigger market than Oregon, he’d be a superstar in this league. Lamarcus Aldridge is a top tier power forward, but I felt was overhyped during his magnificent stretch of last season. It didn’t carry deep into the playoffs, losing to the Spurs in the second round in five games after eliminating the Rockets in the first. Nicolas Batum might be the key factor if the Blazers can take the next step, while Robin Lopez, Wesley Matthews and Steve Blake will also play significant roles.
7. Houston Rockets: Don’t get me wrong, the Rockets are a strong team with Dwight Howard and James Harden. However, the loss of Chandler Parsons will really hurt. Trevor Ariza ought to bring a strong third option, but I’m not too sold on the depth of this squad. I wouldn’t hold my breath on a championship run.
8. Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies won 50 games in 2014 despite multiple missed games by their stars. Marc Gasol may not be on the squad a year from now, but Tony Allen, Tayshaun Prince, Zach Randolph, Vince Carter and Mike Conley should be enough to push the Grizzlies into postseason play.

Contenders

9. New Orleans Pelicans: Honestly, I had to fix the mistake of putting “Hornets” down. Look at this lineup, though: Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon, Anthony Davis and Omer Asik. Austin Rivers and Ryan Anderson can come off the bench and form a pesky team throughout the season. I have them ninth, but they should be in the playoff hunt up until the end.
10. Denver Nuggets: Kenneth Faried looked like a top-level player in the FIBA games. Nate Robinson will be back and healthy as a sparkplug. Danillo Gallinari, Ty Lawson, JaVale McGee, Aaron Afflalo, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov put together a pretty talented roster that might be in the running for a final seed.
11. Phoenix Suns: The Suns played as well as anyone could have expected last year…and still just missed the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference. A step back is more likely than a step forward as they played a little over their heads in 2013.The Rest
12. Los Angeles Lakers: I’m not as low on the Lakers as most. They finished second to last without Kobe in 2013, so with Kobe it ought to be a little better. Or at the very least more entertaining. Carlos Boozer, Jeremy Linn and Nick Young don’t exactly form a stellar “Big Three” to tag along. You might as well have Kobe go for the record 100 points every single game.
13. Sacramento Kings: The Kings could be a surprise team in the sense they might be around the 10^th-seed by year’s end. Could. We’re talking Dumb and Dumber level chances. Ben McLemore, DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, Derrick Williams and all of the Big Ten’s favorite Nic Stauskas form a young core. If someone like Sim Bhullar turns out to be more than height, they could be dangerous. But don’t count on it.
14. Minnesota Timberwolves: “Why can’t this be Love?” “Do you believe in life after Love?” “Love is a battlefield.” This might as well be the Timberwolves pregame music. Wiggins should sell some tickets, but they won’t win many games.
15. Utah Jazz: I mean, the Jazz have players who could be decent in the future. As for right now? Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Alec Burks, Trey Burke, Enes Kanter and Gordon Hayward aren’t exactly striking fear into anybody. Daunte Exum may end up being a good draft pick, but he has looked a little overwhelmed in our limited viewing.

    

Eastern Conference
Regular Season Standings
Playoff Teams

1. Chicago Bulls: The Bulls boast the deepest roster in the league. Rumor has it that rookie Doug McDermott may find a starting role so it looks something like this: Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, McDermott, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah starting, Kirk Hinrich, Tony Snell, Mike Dunleavy, Nikola Mirotic, Taj Gibson rotating off the bench, and Aaron Brooks with Nazr Mohammed available for spot minutes. What worries me? Despite the depth, Rose and Gasol’s health are vital, especially the former. We’ve all heard that enough throughout the past few years for the former.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: We keep being force fed information about LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, so I’ll stray away from them. If Dion Waiters can take a step forward, Mike Miller stays healthy, and Anderson Varejao does the same, the Cavaliers should win the East. The biggest, underrated offseason move of the season? Cleveland getting Shawn Marion. He can provide some defense where Love and Irving don’t.
3. Toronto Raptors: And here we hit the ridiculous amount of solid teams that East has relative to last year. But honestly, most of these teams aren’t making the playoffs in the West. Toronto boasts Kyle Lowry, DeMar Derozan and Jonas Valanciunas among a group of good role players.
4. Washington Wizards: I could see any order happening from teams ranked 3-6, and then again from 7-12. The Wizards are here because they, and I’m going to make up a few words here, outgritted the grittiest team in basketball last year in the playoffs. Sure, it was a banged up Bulls team, but Nene and Gortat took it to Noah and Gibson. John Wall, Bradley Beal and Paul Pierce finish up a starting lineup that could make some noise.
5. Miami Heat: Sure, the Heat lost the best player in the game to Cleveland. That doesn’t mean they’re going to fall as fast and hard as the Cavaliers did when they originally lost James. Wade, Bosh, Chalmers and Anderson all return to the squad. One of the best two-way players in the game in recent years, Luol Deng, joins them and so does Shannon Brown, Danny Granger and rookie Shabazz Napier. The Heat still have plenty of firepower to make an impact on the East.
6. Charlotte Hornets: Outside of any of the Cavs’ moves, Lance Stephenson is the biggest name in the East to change homes this past offseason. Combined with Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Al Jefferson and Cody Zeller, the Hornets have their best team in the Michael Jordan ownership era. Don’t be shocked if you hear something along the lines of “Al Jefferson” and “MVP” at some point. He won’t win, but he could very well be mentioned if the Hornets get off to a blazing start.
7. Brooklyn Nets: I have so many problems with the Nets. First of all, I said immediately that the Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett trade was one of the worst I’ve ever seen. Secondly, remember when Deron Williams versus Chris Paul was actually a thing? Two more stars of yesterday are featured in this lineup: Joe Johnson and Andrei Kirilenko. Brook Lopez only managed to play in 17 games last year. This team has enough to make the playoffs, but not much more. They’ll be at the very bottom of the East in about two or three years.
8. New York Knicks: Carmelo Anthony received a ton of hatred last year, and in his whole career for that matter, for being lackadaisical, not winning playoff games and struggling defensively. From my perspective, very few played harder for their team – if you can call what is around ‘Melo a team. Phil Jackson’s influence should bring improvements across the board to get this team into the playoffs, and then next year the real rebuilding begins.

Contenders

9. Indiana Pacers: Lance Stephenson left, Paul George broke his leg and there isn’t a bigger head scratcher in the NBA than Roy Hibbert…literally. The core of this team that was supposed to dethrone the Heat is in shambles. It could still have enough to find a postseason berth, but it could also tank to a top pick.
10. Detroit Pistons: This is where the East falls apart. It has no depth on outsiders looking in. The Pistons feature a front court of Greg Monroe, Andre Drummond and Josh Smith. It bothers me to this day that the Pistons shelled out so much cash for Smith, but fortunately, I’m not a fan of any Detroit sports. Brandon Jennings and Jodie Smith will head the backcourt, as the Pistons will make an effort at being swept in the first round of the playoffs. Stan Van Gundy will help matters some, but the current Pistons roster is like three different puzzles thrown into one box.The Rest
11. Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks are here simply by default of making the playoffs last year, albeit finishing 38-44. There may not be a more boring team on paper in the NBA. Or on the court. Kyle Korver is fun to watch shoot threes. That’s it, we’re done here.
12. Orlando Magic: Roy Devyn Marble will score 20 points per game and…oh, forget it. The Magic actually have one of my favorite underrated players in Nikola Vucevic. Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, Even Fournier, Tobias Harris, Channing Frye, Mo Harkless and Seth Curry might be the biggest group of average players to ever grace a professional team.
13. Boston Celtics: Just give it time and that trade off of Pierce and Garnett will look great. Unfortunately for Rajon Rondo, he has to play during that time. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is in another uniform by the All-Star break. There is potential on this squad in Marcus Smart, Evan Turner, Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger, but that’s for down the line.
14. Milwaukee Bucks: At least the Brewers didn’t have a complete meltdown and miss the playoffs after having a huge division lead or anything. Jabari Parker and O.J. Mayo are an interesting backcourt, but that’s about the extent of my interest in this team. It will take a few drafts for the Bucks to be back in the playoffs.
15. Philadelphia 76ers: Outside of Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, name two players on this team right now. Try it. If you can, I’m sorry, but you shouldn’t be able to. Here is the rest of the roster: Michael Carter-Williams, K.J. McDaniels, Hollis Thompson, Henry Sims, Luc Mbah a Moute, Brandon Davies, Chris Johnson, Jerami Grant, Arnett Moultrie, Alexey Shved, Elliot Williams, Jason Richardson, Tony Wroten and Casper Ware. Yes, Jason Richardson is still in the league, apparently. And yes, the 76ers will have the worst team in the NBA.

Playoff Predictions and Awards

Eastern Conference Finals: Cavaliers over Bulls in six. The Bulls will have the better regular season record, but will continue to struggle to get past LeBron James. At this point, it’s going to put Chicago in a bind about how it can compete going forward. 2014-15 is the window for this Chicago squad. Cleveland will take a little bit of time to get all the kinks out, but should hit their stride come playoff time.

Western Conference Finals: Clippers over Mavericks. That’s right, no Spurs or Thunder in this matchup. The Mavericks will take out the Spurs in the second round, but run into a tougher matchup in the Doc Rivers-led Clippers. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and company continue taking positive steps on both ends of the court and get on a hot streak to finish the season.

NBA Finals: Clippers over Cavaliers. The “Jordan wouldn’t have lost,” arguments gain even more fuel as LeBron James reaches his fifth straight Finals. Cleveland will continue to be a threat however by adding a few role pieces and defensive additions in the next offseason to make what should be multiple consecutive deep playoff runs.

Coach of the Year: Rick Carlisle, Dallas. If the Mavericks are able to make a top four seed in the West, I can’t see anybody else staking a claim to this award.

Rookie of the Year: Doug McDermott, Chicago. The rookie will be getting a lot of shot attempts on a Chicago squad desperate for offense. If he does end up starting and Thibodeau continues to like his “swag,” as the coach said during the preseason, then he could out-perform Parker, Wiggins and company.

MVP: Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers. If Chris Paul plays a full schedule last year, his name is right up there with LeBron and Durant. With Durant’s injury, it’s going to be difficult for a repeat MVP performance, so it may come down to CP3, who averaged nearly 20 points to complement 10 assists per game, and James.

Defensive Player of the Year: Marc Gasol, Grizzlies. Once again, LeBron finishes second in this category. Gasol will be the best defensive player on the best defensive team.

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With a little more than half of the NBA season in the books, we are already seeing talks about where Carmelo Anthony will play next season. As we already know, he will most likely test the free agent market. Now, it just a matter of where will he go. It’s been speculated that Anthony might actually stay in New York with the Knicks, or he might go to Los Angeles and team up with Kobe and the Lakers, or even find his way to Chicago and team up with Derrick Rose and the Bulls.

We could see Anthony stating the time is right for his departure from the Big Apple. He will not win an NBA Championship in a New York Knicks uniform, given the team’s supporting cast, injuries, and current state.

If he were to leave New York, the best fit for Carmelo would be going to the Chicago Bulls. Some might say that it would be the Lakers because he and Kobe would be a highly dynamic offensive duo. But in Chicago it would be him and Rose and a lot of young and upcoming future all-stars like Jimmy Butler, and you still would have all-star center Joakim Noah.

Until the offseason, this is all just talk. And with how weak the Eastern Conference is this season, the Knicks are still well alive in the NBA playoffs hunt.

The NBA zeason is halfway done and it is only heating up. It is going to be a great end to this season.

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Rose was helped off and put no pressure on his right leg. We have since learned that Rose’s injury is a medial meniscus tear, and while not as a serious as an ACL tear, it’s still a major setback not only on Rose’s game, but on his confidence.

Rose’s confidence is the reason he missed the entire 12-13 season , one that many thought he should have returned in. Now needing surgery, a process that should require around 3 months of healing, the Bulls are left waiting for another return. It was tough to say if Rose would ever be the same after ACL surgery and now that crystal ball just got even foggier.

What makes this injury harder to swallow than the last one is the fact that there is nowhere to place the blame. Coach Tom Thibodeau received most of the blame for playing Rose too much when he tore his ACL during a first round playoff game in which the Bulls were blowing out the Sixers with under 1:30 left to play. This time however, it was in the third quarter, on a routine play, in a game that the Bulls ended up losing by three. At this point, there’s not much left to do but wait…again.

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Things are not looking so bright right now for the New York Knicks. Yes, I know that this is just the start of the 2013-2014 NBA season, but the Knicks are off to an slow start and now it’s just getting ugly. The New York Knicks have a record of 1-3, with their only win coming in the season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks. Ever since then, they are on a three game losing streak falling to the Chicago Bulls, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Charlotte Bobcats.

Just when you think, the slow start is already bad for the Knicks who had high hope of winning the NBA championship this reason; Knicks All Star center Tyson Chandler is out 4-6 weeks breaking a bone in his leg in the loss against the Charlotte Bobcats. Losing Chandler is a big blow to the Knicks, because Chandler is the second most important player on the Knicks roster of course behind NBA Star Carmelo Anthony. Not having Chandler in the lineup for about a month is going to hurt the Knick chances of being in top of the Eastern Conference. The Knicks is truly going to miss having Chandler because he is the heart of the Knicks’ defense, and without the former NBA defensive player of the year, the Knicks just lost their best defender, their interior defense, and mainly their defense as a whole.

Now the question is who is going to step up for the Knicks with Chandler going down with the injury. The Knicks are already having issue with depth of their big man because they have former All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin. Not having a strong front court will only make this hard for the Knicks, and we all know that Carmelo Anthony cannot do it all by himself. But hopefully the acquisition of Andrea Bargnani and Metta World Peace would be a good pick up for the Knicks. The Knicks next game is November 8, against the Charlotte Bobcats hopefully they can get revenge. On the bright side of this they have JR Smith coming back after coming of his suspension. But if the Knicks do not do well, this season would be Mike Woodson’s last season as Knicks’ head coach. More importantly, is this the last season we will see Carmelo Anthony wearing that New York Knicks uniform?

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Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that it’s also the official return of Derrick Rose and the Heat are receiving their NBA Finals Championship rings. Here’s a quick preview of the contest:

The Bulls will return three of their five starters (Deng, Noah, Boozer) and add the to it the improved explosiveness of Derrick Rose and the suffocating defense of Jimmy Butler who matured greatly in a sixth man role last season. While the Bulls did lose  Italian sharp-shooter Marco Belinelli, they quickly filled his spot with veteran Mike Dunleavy to work around the perimeter, not to mention Rose’s improved range. Marquis Teague, who looked very good in summer league and the preseason, will see an increase in minutes. Taj Gibson (my prediction for 6th man of the year) added 15 pounds of muscle, and looks to have a major contribution this year, especially if Joakim Noah’s groin irritates him.

On the Miami front things will look pretty much the same as they have ever since the “Big Three” joined forces. A returning starting five of James, Wade, Bosh, Haslem, and Chalmers will have all of their key backups returning this season along with three key additions. Michael Beasley, former number two overall pick for the Heat (behind Rose), returns to South Beach after a couple very average seasons in Minnesota and Phoenix. Along with Beasley are newcomers Roger Mason Jr. and Greg Oden. Mason Jr. hasn’t really been relevant since having a solid year with San Antonio in ’09. As for Oden? He hasn’t  been relevant since 2009 either after having multiple knee issues.
Overall, this matchup will be what it always is: The Chicago Bulls vs Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh. I do expect to see Norris Cole have a breakout season, but not so much in this game. My prediction: Bulls win 98-90.

Key Additions
Bulls: Mike Dunleavy, Derrick Rose (technically)
Heat: Michael Beasley, Greg Oden, Roger Mason Jr.

Key Losses
Bulls: Nate Robinson, Marco Belinelli, Assistant Coach Ron Adams
Heat: None

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