The Chicago Bulls came prepared in their 99-82 win over the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena Friday night. MVP Derrick Rose scored a career-high 44 points to helps the Bulls take a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference. That included 16-27 on the floor and four-for-seven from downtown. He dished out seven assists and grabbed five boards.

With 3:20 remaining in the first quarter, Rose crossed over Jeff Teague and drove past every defender to finish strong at the basket, giving the Bulls a 26-18 lead. Rose scored 17 of his 44 points in that first quarter.

“Derrick was in attack mode, obviously. He was attacking from the start. When he’s attacking, and not dancing with the ball, he’s impossible to stop. He caught it on the run and kept going…he wasn’t playing around or letting them catch up.” – Bulls’ Head Coach Tom Thibodeau on Rose’s game tempo

Joakim Noah added 15 rebounds (eight offensive) and five blocks and Taj Gibson came off the bench with 13 points, 11 rebounds (seven offensive) and two blocks.

The Bench Mob really stepped up in game three by out-scoring the Hawks bench 34-14 (21-6 in the first half). CJ Watson, Ronnie Brewer, Gibson, Kyle Korver and Omer Asik worked to go on a 13-6 run in the second quarter, stretching the Bulls lead 42-29 with 6:58 remaining in the half. Korver added 11 points off the bench, and had a better shooting night then he did in game two, three-for-four from behind the arc.

The Bulls dominating the glass played a big part in tonight’s win, they out-rebounded the Hawks 47-34, including 18-9 offensively.

Teague, starting in place of injured teammate Kirk Hinrich, clocked in 41 minutes and scored 21 points, 8-13. Josh Smith scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Jamal Crawford was almost non-existent, scoring seven points in 28 minutes.

Chicago shot 46.8% on the floor and 50% from downtown (10-20), while holding Atlanta to 47.1% on the floor and 16.7% behind the arc (one-for-six). Both teams turned the ball over 12 times.

If the Bulls keep hustling, playing aggressive on defense, while being patient on shot selection and just be athletic going to the rim in future games, they will be unstoppaBULL.

Bulls Extras: Game four will be in Atlanta on Sunday night at 7pm…The Bulls played 48 minutes of intensity, they led this whole game from start to finish…

The Chicago Bulls showed signs of life on Wednesday night when they hosted the Atlanta Hawks for game two of the second round.

Tonight was also the night NBA Commissioner David Stern and Derrick Rose presented the MVP trophy to the United Center.

In game one, the Bulls let the Hawks shoot 51% on the floor. Tonight, the Hawks shot 34% on the floor and 23% from downtown. The Bulls shot 39% on the floor in their first win of the series, 86-73.

Our MVP put up 25 points on a not-so-great shooting night (he went 10-for-27 on the floor) while turning the ball over eight times. Rose is a fighter; he had turned his left ankle again in the final seconds of game one and still entered the gym like any other day.

It could also be because Kirk Hinrich fill-in Jeff Teague played about 40 minutes of ‘Keep up with Rose,’ while scoring 21 points (seven-for-14 on the floor). Teague has held Rose to 21-54 shots on the floor in the series so far. Teague only played nine minutes total in the previous series.

“Shots I normally hit, they weren’t falling tonight. But the way they are playing me, I’m going to keep shooting.” – Rose on his shooting this series

Rose isn’t the only one playing hurt. Carlos Boozer’s game has suffered because of a turf toe injury but still managed to grab 11 boards and score eight points, he only had one turnover tonight.

However, the fans at the UC turned some boos toward Boozy’s way.

Teammate Joakim Noah remembers being in that same situation not too long ago and stuck up for his friend.

“Sometimes our home crowd, it’s a tough place to play, we have a lot of love for our crowd, but through tough times, we got to stick together.” – Noah

Noah scored 19 points (six-for-eight shooting), grabbed 14 rebounds (seven offensive), three steals and a block. Luol Deng scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

While the Bench Mob didn’t produce a lot of offense (14 points), they made a difference on the court, off the stat sheet. They played gritty defense and hustled for loose balls. Kyle Korver went zero-for-four behind the arc until he hit a key three-pointer at the 24-second buzzer to give the Bulls a 70-60 lead with 9:12 remaining (his only shot of the night).

One other thing that has made a big difference is the start the Bulls had this evening. They came out strong on offense, taking an early first quarter lead 25-19, including a 9-4 run giving them the 13-11 lead.

At the end of the first quarter, the Bulls shot 39% and forced the Hawks 0-3 from behind the arc.

The tempo of the game is really important, and by starting the game strong on offense, and playing aggressive on defense, the Bulls will find their comfort spot again. The Bulls as a team have stepped up on the boards alone: Noah 14, Boozer 11, Deng 12, Rose 6, Taj Gibson 5. By halftime, the Bulls out-rebounded the Hawks 29-19 and at the end of the game, 58-39.

Another factor was the defense. They definitely tamed Jamal Crawford, who scored 22 points in game one; he finished with 11 points (two-for-10 on the floor). Joe Johnson scored 16 points and Josh Smith was forced into early foul trouble, he went four-for-14 on the floor for 13 points and six rebounds. Al Horford grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out six assists.

Bulls Extras: The series is now tied at 1-1…The Bulls will head out to Atlanta for games three (Sunday) and four (Tuesday).

Coach of the Year

Its official, Chicago Bulls fans! The NBA has announced this afternoon that Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau has been named the NBA Coach of the Year for the 2010-2011 season.

Coach Thibs will the fourth Bulls coach to receive this honor. He is also the seventh first-year coach in the NBA to be named Coach of the Year.

“I think it’s more than a team award. When you win the way we’ve won this season, and hopefully we still have some more winning to do, individuals end up being recognized. But I think it’s a lot more about the team, the players, the organization and the entire coaching staff. You don’t achieve by yourself in this game.” – Coach Tom Thibodeau

The Chicago Bulls went from 41 wins last season (under Vinny Del Negro) to a 62-win season this year.

Thibs has led the Bulls to the best record in the NBA with a 62-20 record, which also tied the NBA record for most wins by a first-year head coach. The Bulls also went 24-4 after the All-Star break.

Coach Thibodeau is all about defense, and this season the Bulls led the NBA in most defensive categories such as:

Opponent field goal percentage: 43% (First)

Opponent three-point field goal percentage: 32.6% (First)

Opponent rebounds per game: 38.4 (First)

Opponent points per game: 91.3 (Second)

Opponent assists per game: 19 (Second)

Rebounds per game: 44.2 (Second)

Blocks per game: 5.71 (Fifth)

Coach Thibs will be joining Johnny “Red” Kerr (1967), Dick Motta (1971) and Phil Jackson (1996) in Bulls history.

Second-Round Preview

The Bulls will tip of round two at the United Center vs. the Atlanta Hawks Monday night. Former Bull Kirk Hinrich will likely miss out on the series due to significant strain to his right hamstring suffered in the fourth quarter of the Hawks’ series-clinching victory over the Orlando Magic on Thursday.

The Bulls might be without Carlos Boozer, who’s suffering from a turf toe injury. Boozer hadn’t comment on the issue; however, teammate Joakim Noah is sure that Boozy will show up Monday night:

                “He’ll be ready.” – Noah on Boozer probable return Monday

With Hinrich out for the Hawks, Jeff Teague will be filling in the role of guarding All-Star (soon-to-be MVP) Derrick Rose.

Containing Rose won’t be easy, even if he’s not at 100 percent. Game 5 of the first round against Indiana should’ve taught them that.

Give the Hawks credit though: They were swept in the first round playoffs last year, and came back this year with upset over Orlando, taking the series 4-2.

Rose did average 25.3 points and had a total of 10 turnovers over three games against the Hawks during the regular season; however, the 83-80 loss to the Hawks on March 2^nd left Rose with just 12 points on a 5-of-21 shooting and six turnovers (mostly due to Hinrich’s defense on Rose).

Rose expects this series to be a challenge, seeing the Hawks as athletic and balanced.

If the Bulls can manage to play like they did in game five of the first round vs. Indiana, the Bulls can come out the victor. They need the Bench Mob to show up in this round, and if Carlos Boozer does return, we need his best minus the foul trouble. The Bulls have to get him going on that pick-and-roll.

Be prepared for a great series Bulls fans! Round two is under way. *Ding, Ding*

The Chicago Bulls have beaten the Indian Pacers to close out round one of the NBA Playoffs and they can thank Pacers head coach Frank Vogel for his comments Tuesday morning.

Even though the Bulls led the series at 3-1, they weren’t playing their best basketball and could’ve easily been down 3-1 in the series.

Game 5 presented us the Bulls team we witnessed in the regular season; an intense, hard-nosed, defensive-minded, united team.

Vogel stated:

                “We feel like if we win tonight, we’ll win this series.”

Those words awakened the Bulls in Game 5, blowing out the Pacers 116-89. The Bulls won their first series since 2007.

Derrick Rose, who suffered a left ankle sprain in Game 4, went through treatments and sucked it up to start the game. Rose put up 25 points and six assists. Keith Bogans went five-for-seven from downtown, scoring 15 points. The Bulls shot 45% behind the arc (14-31).

The Bulls started this game with a lot of energy and a well-established offense, something they’ve lacked in this series. Within the first 10 seconds after the Bulls won the tip, Luol Deng found Bogans for a three to start a 14-2 run in the first three minutes. Deng finished with 24 points, six rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

Danny Granger led the Pacers with 20 points and six rebounds. Tyler Hansbrough chipped in 14 points and 11 rebounds.

The Bulls played a lot more physical in Game 5, which resulted in four players in foul trouble early on. Chicago’s hard-nosed play also resulted in a Pacers public display of frustration. Pacers’ forward Josh McRoberts and Bulls center Joakim Noah were getting physical inside the paint. This included McRoberts showing his frustration by elbowing and shoving Noah, collecting two type two flagrant fouls which got him tossed out of the game.

After trailing 82-65, the Pacers showed their frustration

The Bulls defense forced the Pacers to 21 turnovers, while they only had 14 and held them to 39% shooting on the floor.

In attendance tonight were Joakim Noah’s grandfather and sister, his game was definitely loud due to family presence. He scored 14 points, grabbed eight boards, dished out three assists and blocked four shots.

The Bulls Bench Mob, almost non-existent in the series, out-scored the Pacers bench 36-30. Korver scored 13 points, CJ Watson dished out seven assists, six in the fourth quarter. Taj Gibson added 10 points and seven rebounds.

Carlos Boozer continued struggling in this series, talling two points and five rebounds. He was benched with 6:17 remaining in the third and did not return. Boozer mentioned that he felt his right big toe pop early in the second quarter. No results returned on his condition yet.

Bulls Extras: Whoever wins the series between the Orlando Magic-Atlanta Hawks will face the Chicago Bulls in the second round…The Bulls out-scored the Pacers in the third quarter 30-19…Dish alert: Bulls posted 27 assists on the night while Indiana only had 14.

The turnovers and below-average shooting was bound to catch up with the Chicago Bulls in the first round playoff vs. the Indiana Pacers. On Saturday afternoon, it did as the Bulls dropped Game 4 to the Pacers 89-84.

Derrick Rose scored seven of his 15 points in the first quarter before turning his left ankle on a driving layup with 1:14 remaining. He would return, but went 3-16 on the floor. He also tallied 10 assists, four steals and three turnovers.

The Bulls rallied back in the fourth quarter. The Bulls trailed by 16 points, 82-66, with 5:05 left in regulation. However, the Bulls went on a 10-0 run, including a steal-turned-into-dunk by Rose, bringing it within three, 84-81 with 38.9 seconds left. Joakim Noah converted a three-point play; the Bulls were within one with 15 seconds, giving them a chance to win with plenty of time on the clock.

The Bulls called a timeout; probably drawing up a play with Kyle Korver involved, tying the game up. Luol Deng couldn’t find Korver open, so went with the option of Carlos Boozer for the baseline three and the tie. But it rimmed out.

The Bulls shot 37.8% on the floor and went 3-20 behind the arc. The Pacers shot 39.2% on the floor and went 5-16 behind the arc.

Noah led the way for the Bulls with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Despite having four turnovers, Boozer scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Korver scored nine points, seven in the fourth off the bench and Deng chipped in 16 points.

Danny Granger had 24 points and 10 rebounds, including four free throws in the final seconds to secure the Pacers’ first win in this series. Roy Hibbert scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The Pacers bench outscored the Bulls bench 30-17.

The Bulls will have some time off until Game 5, more than enough time to recuperate and re-evaluate the series. The Bulls need to step up on the offense, especially with turnover issue. The Bench Mob has been almost non-existent; this series the Bulls Bench has been out-scored 128-84.

Bulls Extras: Game 5 will be Tuesday night at the United Center…The Bulls lead the series 3-1…Indiana out-scored the Bulls in the second quarter 26-14…Derrick Rose is scheduled for an MRI, but is expected to play.

“If you fall down, get up and go even harder…” should be the motto of All-Star and MVP candidate Derrick Rose, at least in the series vs. the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Playoffs.

Rose only shot 4-18 on the floor; however, he hit 13-15 free throws for 23 points, four steals and five turnovers. Rose knows that if the jumper isn’t there, drive to the line like the Ferrari he is known to be. And he also has teammates that can put up a solid game, Deng scoring 14 of his 21 points in the first half.

                “So what? I missed shots, my teammates were hitting them.” -Rose

In this series, the Chicago Bulls have taken a 3-0 lead with Thursday’s 88-84 win, but none of that has come easy. In these three games, Rose has taken hard hits driving the lane, some involving elbows and body slams, and some involving no fouls being called, but Rose has made the Pacers pay, going 44-49 from the free throw line alone.

This series has shown most intensity in the fourth quarter, because even though the Bulls have trailed or lost the lead at one point, they have managed to comeback to win it all. At the start of the fourth, the Bulls trailed 70-65 with 9:29 remaining, until Noah split a pair of free throws, and Korver sparking a 10-0 run, hitting a jumper to bring the Bulls back within two. Rose then hit four from the charity stripe. Boozer stole a bad pass from Darren Collison, which led Rose to find Korver for a three-pointer over Collison for the 75-70 lead with 7:04 remaining.

Korver contributed 12 points off the bench, 10 of them came in the fourth quarter. Noah went three-for-six on the floor with 11 points, 10 rebound and four blocks. Boozer grabbed 11 rebounds and Deng had six rebounds and six assists in 45 minutes with his 21. Keith Bogans went three-for-four from behind the arc for nine points.

Darren Collison returned to the Pacers lineup after leaving midway through Game 2 with a sprained left ankle and scored nine points in 34 minutes and turned the ball over four times. Danny Granger led the way for the Pacers with 21 points, but missed a potential game-winning three with 2.9 seconds. Tyler Hansbrough was held to 10 points and five rebounds. Dahntay Jones scored 11 points off the bench.

This is the first game that the Bulls managed a higher shooting percentage both on the floor and from downtown. The shot 38.9% to Indiana’s 37.9% on the floor and went an even 45% (9-20) from the three. Indiana only went one-for-ten behind the arc at 10%. The Bulls shared the ball and made the extra pass, dishing out 20 assists.

Bulls Extras: The Bulls captured their first ever playoffs win at Conseco Fieldhouse and will try to go for the sweep on Saturday afternoon at 1:30 pm…

It was almost a case of déjà vu, with some differences, as the Chicago Bulls beat the Indiana Pacers, 96-90, taking a 2-0 series lead in Game 2 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

For instances, the Bulls didn’t wait until the 1:27 mark of the fourth quarter to have their first lead, and Carlos Boozer had a much more solid game.

The Bulls aren’t exceeding our expectations either. They have been turning the ball over more frequent, 37 in the series so far. Coach Thibs can’t be too happy about that:

“They are defending well, and we are holding onto the ball. It is usually a result of too much one-one-one (play), risky passes. Those are two major reasons for turnovers. We have to clean it up.” – Bulls Head Coach Tom Thibodeau

Speaking of on-one-one games, the Bulls haven’t been making those extra passes, dishing out only 33 assists in these two games to Indiana’s 43.

The Bulls big men, Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer, did make up for that on the boards, they out-rebounded the Pacers 57-33, including 20 offensive boards (six from Noah, five from Boozer). Boozer added 17 points to his 16 rebounds.

After going 0-9 from downtown, Derrick Rose went two-for-five, scoring 36 points, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out six assists, but he was forced into six turnovers. He also went 12-13 from the free throw line.

The dagger of the game came from a clutch three by sharp-shooter, Kyle Korver. Noah drove into the lane and kicked it out to Korver on the corner wing giving the Bulls a 90-85 lead with 1:04 remaining in regulation. Korver finished with five of the Bench Mob’s 22 points. Noah finished with 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and four turnovers.

Luol Deng chipped in 14 points and six rebounds. CJ Watson led the Bench Mob with seven points (three-for-six shooting).

The Bulls managed to go 27-34 from the charity stripe, hitting the final 16 in a row.

The Pacers kept up with the Bulls for two games but couldn’t manage a win.

Danny Granger led the way for the Pacers with 19 points. Meanwhile, Tyler Hansbrough (coming off a 22 point performance) was held to just six points. A.J. Price chipped in 13 points off the bench. T.J. Ford did tie the game at 67 when he banked a half court shot at the buzzer at the end of the third and a jump shot to take a two-point lead at the start of the fourth, 69-67.

Once the see-saw game faded, Rose’s three-point play gave the Bulls a lead and a run with 5:16 remaining and went on for the win.

The Bulls will be visiting Indiana for games three and four Thursday and Saturday.

Bulls Extras: The Bulls only shot 39% on the floor, Indiana shot 42%…Rose scored 13 of his 36 points in the first half…Kurt Thomas scored four points (three-for-six on the floor) in 10 minutes…Jeff Foster scored nine points for the Pacers off the bench, their bench out-scored the Bulls Bench Mob 43-22.

Saturday afternoon, the Chicago Bulls hosted the Indiana Pacers for NBA Playoff action. In the words of late-Bull Norm “Stormin’ Norman” Van Lier, “It takes 48 minutes of intensity to win a game!” On this afternoon however, it took about 4:52, all the fourth quarter, to win 104-99 and lead the series 1-0.

With 4:52 remaining in regulation, Derrick Rose was fouled hard Tyler Hansbrough as he was driving the lane, by hard, I mean, forearm to the face, missing the ball almost completely. Teammate Luol Deng wouldn’t have any of it. He had some words for Hansbrough and got called for a technical foul. After Darren Collison missed the tech, Deng motioned to the 22,956 fans at the United Center to get louder. Deng played 41 minutes and chipped in 18 points and 10 rebounds.

About 3:28 left, Bulls down by 10, Deng was fouled by Hansbrough driving in for the layup and two free throws, Bulls trailing 98-90. Joakim Noah then rebounded his own miss and tipped in the shot, he finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds (eight offensive) and three blocks. After a defensive stop by the Bulls, Rose found Noah wide open on the other end of the court for a dunk, bringing the Bulls withing four with 2:27 remaining.

Rose scored five straight points, including a jumper tying the game at 99 with 1:27 left. Kyle Korver then blocked Collison’s layup, Rose rebounded and as he drove in, forcing the defense to commit to him, he kicked it out to a wide open Korver for three, giving the Bulls their first lead of the game at 102-99 with 48.4 seconds left.

Rose led the way with 39 points, 10-23 on the floor, 0-9 behind the arc, and 19-21 at the free throw line, along with six, rebounds six assists and three blocks. Korver went four-for-four behind the arc with 13 points and three assists in 21 minutes.

Carlos Boozer suffered, as he couldn’t contain Hansbrough who finished with 22 points on a 10-for-19 shooting. Boozer had 12 points and six rebounds along with five fouls and four turnovers in 26 minutes.

The Pacers looked as if they were going to take this game, playing about 44 hard minutes. Danny Granger scored 18 of his 24 points in the second half, 10-for-20 on the floor including four-for-eight from downtown, and 6 rebounds. Collison went two-for-two behind the three point line, tallied 17 points, nine assists and six rebounds. The Pacers shot 46.4% on the floor and 55.6% from downtown (10-18).

The Bulls out-rebounded the Pacers 49-34, shot 43.9% on the floor, and went 26-32 at the free throw line; however they were forced into 15 turnovers. It wasn’t a pretty win, but the Bulls will look to turn their four-to-five minutes of intensity to 48 on Monday night.

Bulls Extras: Luol Deng celebrated his 26th birthday today with a win…Bulls host the Pacers for Game 2 at the United Center Monday night at 8:30 pm…Bulls Bench Mob outscored the Pacers bench 25-23…Kurt Thomas clocked in 24 minutes and went three-for-four, for six points and four rebounds.

As the 2011 NBA Playoffs begin tomorrow, with the Chicago Bulls having the first seed and number record at 62-20. The Bulls haven’t won 60+ games in a season since 1997-1998, making this the sixth time in franchise history (All previous ending with Championships). After a summer filled with a coaching change and nine new players, the Bulls were thought to grab the four-maybe-five seed. The Bulls have celebrated their 20th year anniversary from their first Championship (’91), they’ve unveiled a bronze bust for Scottie Pippen at the United Center and they’ve announced that Artis Gilmore, Dennis Rodman and Tex Winter will be inducted in this year’s Basketball Hall of Fame. It’s been a great year for the Chicago Bulls franchise. Let’s go back and grade the overall performance of the Bulls.

Organization

In this category, I’ll be grading Executive VP of Basketball Operations, John Paxson, and General Manager, Gar Forman.

I’m sure everyone remembers the comment chairman Jerry Reinsdorf made during “Monsters in the Morning” on Comcast SportsNet during February of 2009:

“When you have a team that’s not performing it’s an organization failure. You win and you lose as an organization, but if there’s one person this is not responsible for what’s going on right now, it’s John Paxson. I have tremendous confidence in John Paxson. He’s really one of the best people that I know.”

In May of 2009, Paxson stepped down as General Manger but remained with the team as VP of Basketball Operations, while still having major say in personnel moves. Gar Forman was promoted to take on the GM role. Forman and Paxson had a busy summer, and the work is paying off, read on to see what one transaction could lead up to:

In the summer of 2010, the Forman/Paxson recruited Coach Tom Thibodeau, and traded away Captain Kirk Hinrich to make salary room to maybe bring in one of the big three free agents, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James. You might also remember a little show called “The Decision.” Well, then you know what happened. The Bulls didn’t get any part of the three (trust me, a blessing in disguise). Instead, the signed someone better…Carlos Boozer. He was a free agent? Not necessarily. It was a sign-and-trade, the Bulls getting an inside presence, while the Jazz free up some room on their salary-cap. The signing of Boozer led to the signings of former Jazz teammates Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer. CJ Watson was another addition, the Bulls retrieved him from Golden State and signed him for two years in return for a 2011 second round pick. They also acquired big man Tim Thomas, A.K.A. “Big Sexy,” dubbed by Bulls commentator Stacey King, from Milwaukee as a veteran to help bring up new center Omer Asik, who also signed with the Bulls in the summer from the Turkish league.

Forman and Paxson are up for NBA Executives of the Year. Even Stan Van Gundy thinks so:

“There’s this perception that Miami made all these changes and we made changes at midseason and Chicago is doing it with the same group. They’re not doing it with the same group. They made a lot of changes and I said the other day that John Paxson and Gar Forman should win the Executive of the Year award. But they won’t. Pat Riley will get Executive of the Year because they made the big splash, but in reality those guys should win it. They made a lot of changes and they were below Miami in the standings. Now they are above Miami in the standings, so how could you not go with those guys?”

Overall Grade: A-

Coaching Staff

During the summer, General Manager Gar Forman and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson fired Vinny Del Negro and hired Boston Celtics Assistant Coach, Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau, known as a defensive-minded genius, helped the Celtics become the best defensive team in the league in 2007-2008.

“Tom has come in with a positive plan and a belief system from the start, and he has adhered to that. He’s done the best job in the league.” –John Paxson on hiring Thibodeau as new head coach

In his first ever head coaching job, Coach Thibs has done an incredible job. He doesn’t let the player get away with anything on the court. He’s hard-nosed and vocal without being too critical and expects his team to be the best. The players trust him, even when he’s in your face about giving up 100+ points to an opponent, including Captain and All-Star, Derrick Rose.

“I love it, he definitely yells at me a lot because he knows I can take it. I don’t show that much emotion when people talk to me anyways. So he’s hard on me, but I just go with the flow and go out there and do what he tells me to do.” –Derrick Rose on Coach Thibs’ in-your-face mentality

I think Coach Thibodeau deserves to win Coach of the Year because I think he helped push Rose this season, along with the whole roster. He does not care who you are, if you’re not doing your job, he’ll be in your face. The Bulls have leaped from 41-41 in 2009-2010 to 62-20 this season. Bulls have held their opponents to 43% shooting, ranking second in the league. They also held their opponents to 36% behind the arc (first in the league) and 38.2 rebounds per game (second in the league).

Defense wins championships, however the Bulls are ranked 20^th in the league for points per game, 98.62.

Overall Grade: A-

Point Guards

The Bulls have All-Star Derrick Rose as their starting PG. Rose is the first Bull to make the NBA All-Star team since Michael Jordan. He’s carried the Bulls this season, leading in scoring (25.0 PPG). He’s played and started all but one game (due to painful ulcers). He averaged 7.7 APG and his three-pointer percentage has improved to 33% (from 27%). Last season, Rose made 16-60 from downtown, this season 128-385. His free throw percentage also improved from 77% to 86. The reason: he has gone to line twice as much this season. He’s proved time and time again that he’s “too big, too strong, too fast, too good.” His speed and penetration to the basket may confuse refs at times, because they can’t tell if he gets bumped. However, he drives first, before he relies on his jump shot. Which, by the way has improved as well, he’s making five more PPG. As a leader, the team sticks with him, the Bulls do not care their captain is 22 years old. He has a high basketball IQ, and “he just wants to win.” It helps that he is humble, even though he adds to a jam packed highlight reel a couple times a game, he has and a strong work ethic. He strives to be better every time. When you say jump, he says how high, and he has a 40 inch vertical!

“Until you get to be around him every day and you see his makeup and you see his drive and his humility and the fact he’s never satisfied, he gets to the gym early, he practices hard, he’s a great leader, he stays late, you couldn’t ask anything more of a guy. I think because of those attributes, he will continue to get better throughout his career. He’s just a very unique guy. He really doesn’t care about individual statistics. He cares about the team and winning more than anything else.” –Coach Thibs on Rose’s Improvement and Work Ethic

Let’s not forget about CJ Watson, Rose’s backup. He may not get a lot of playing time, but he’s part of the Bulls’ second unit, A.K.A. the Bench Mob. In his 13.3 minutes that he averages, he puts up about 4.9 PPG and 2.3 APG and has played in all 82 games as well.

Overall Grade: A++ (Yes, two pluses)

Shooting Guards

The Bulls acquired veteran swingman, Keith Bogans, for this area. He’s one of two players that has played and started all 82 games of the season. He averaged just under 18 minutes and 4.4 PPG, but he hits the shot and three-ball when he can, especially at the start of the game. He shot at 40% on the floor this season and 38% behind the arc, making 90 from downtown. His defensive role comes in handy, helping guard Celtics shooter Ray Allen to a 3-11 shooting on the floor and 0-3 from the three during the Bulls’ 97-81 win on April 7th.

The Bulls also added Kyle Korver this summer, the L.A. born, Iowa raised and FORMER Bulls hater ironically, who ranks 17^th in the NBA in three-point field-goal percentage (0.415). This season, he went 3-6 on the floor vs. the Miami Heat on Jan. 15^th,  including a game winning three-pointer with 25.5 seconds left giving the Bulls a 98-96 lead, the Bulls beat the Heat in that contest 99-96. In the next game in Memphis on Jan. 17^th, Korver scored 22 points, going 8-12 on the floor and 6-10 behind the arc. When the Bulls need him, he’s ready, especially in clutch situations. Korver has played all 82 games and made 242-557 FGs and 120-289 three-pointers. Even though Korver has had a few inconsistent nights, he finished with 19 points in 29 minutes vs. the New Jersey Nets. I’m not worried about his consistency in the playoffs, he is a natural shooter.

“Korver is without question if not the best shooter in the NBA, he is one of the best shooters in the NBA.” –Gar Forman on signing Kover

Ronnie Brewer is the type of guard who does all the little things and then some. He is a huge part of the Bench Mob. In New York on April 12^th, he sprained his right thumb going for a loose ball, but is expected to play in the playoffs. Before the injury, he played in 81 games, including a start and averaged 48% on the floor. He has led the team in steals with 1.31 SPG (106 total). His defense is a big deal for the Mob. He works hard for his minutes, whenever the starters need a boost, they can count on Brewer and the Bench Mob to take the lead or continue in their shoes. He’s a big presence on the baseline, if that baseline is open, expect Brewer to get a cut and dunk. Whether it’s the one or the five, the Bulls bench has a deep depth and play together no matter what the combination.

Rasual Butler wasn’t added to the roster until March, and hardly played at all, but in the final regular season game vs. the Nets, he went four-for-five on the floor and two-for-three from downtown for 10 points in 13 minutes. He is always prepared. Just to see that someone like Butler can still be hot without getting too many minutes can say a lot about the Bulls depth in guards.

Overall Grade: B-

Small Forwards

Luol Deng is probably the most underrated small forward in the league. Injuries have held him back a lot in the last few seasons, probably making him seem less than worthy. However, he started and played in ALL 82 games, even played with some minor soreness, dinks. Some situations, he put in almost 40 minutes a night and 17.4 PPG. He’s shooting 46% on the floor and 35% from the three and averaging 5.80 rebounds a night. He doesn’t have a true backup, unless the Bulls consider Brewer or Butler as his step-in. Deng makes a big difference on defense, guarding guys like LeBron James and Paul Pierce, and another offensive weapon to help support Rose.

Overall Grade: A

Power Forwards

This is going to be a tough one. Carlos Boozer is the main attraction, even though he missed 23 games due to injury. In the 59 he played/started, he’s shooting 51% and grabbing about 9.60 boards and averaging 17.5 PPG. He makes the offense a little easier for Rose. He was signed for that particular reason. To help Rose blossom and to find him on the pick and roll and set the screens for shooters like Rose, Bogans, and Korver. Offensively, he’s great on handling with both hands, even though he’s slightly better with the left and can finish on either side. Boozer’s got a great hook and is not afraid of taken the jumper, he can hit the 16-23 footer and shoots 70% from the free throw line.

Defensively, he’s average at most. He can be slow to get back on defense. He’s a great rebounder, but barely takes charges. He also fouls an opponent pretty hard…Carlos Bruiser?

Taj Gibson is a force of nature. During Boozer’s injury, Taj picked up the slack, even with Boozer healthy, Taj comes off the bench and averages 7.1 PPG and 5.70 RPG and he’s shooting just under 47% on the floor. He ranks ninth in the NBA with blocks per 48 minutes (2.92). What Boozer lacks in defense, Taj makes up for. He’s played through injuries like plantar fasciitis and as of recent, has to wear a bigger shoe due to an injured right big toe. Taj is versatile; he can play the four or the five spot and can coordinate between the starting unit and the Bench Mob.

Overall Grade: C+

Centers

The 90s Era Bulls, the Jordan years had a three-headed monster A.K.A. their three big guys, the centers. The present-Bulls might’ve re-conjured that concept when the Bulls brought in veteran Kurt Thomas to back up Joakim Noah and guide rookie Omer Asik. When JoNo missed 34 games, 30 recovering from thumb ligament surgery, Thomas and Asik both stepped up to the task: 38-year old Thomas proved that there’s still some juice left, starting in 37 of 52 games he’s played. Starting, he shot 51% on the floor, averaged 7.4 RPG, 5.2 PPG and 1.0 BPG. Asik, nicknamed “The Turkish Delight” “Turkish Hammer” and “Asik and Destroy” by Bill Wennington and Stacey King, for his monstrous dunks, has put up 5.8 RPG 55% FG percentage in 12.1 MPG.

“He’s the guy that’s real critical to our team. His age, he’s young; he’s active, playing hard. Him and Jo in the game together is crazy because they always get tips, loose balls, whatever. His offensive game is getting a lot better. He’s shooting the ball a lot better from the free-throw line.” Rose on Asik’s improvement from training camp

With the injuries to Noah and Boozer, the fact the guys like Taj, Asik and Thomas have stepped up says so much. Signing Boozer and him getting injured instantaneously and Carmelo Anthony trade rumors for Noah floating around and his injuries before All-Star weekend was insignificant but these three guys picked up the slack without the Bulls suffering.

No matter the age, or circumstance, these three are always ready to play and always getting better. Come playoff time, they’ll be prepared for the task ahead.

Overall Grade: B+

For the first time since 1957, the NBA scheduled every team to play the final game of the season on the same night. For the Chicago Bulls, a win along with a San Antonio Spurs loss would give the Bulls the number one record in the NBA. Something the Bulls haven’t accomplished since the Jordan Era.

The Phoenix Suns hosted the San Antonio Spurs and ended their season with a 106-103 win, giving the Bulls the overall best record, which means they will have home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Bulls hosted the New Jersey Nets at the United Center Wednesday night and went for the ninth straight win 97-92, finishing with a 62-20 record. The same record the Bulls had in 1997-1998, coincidence?

The Bulls shot 46% on the floor in the first half, and took a 50-43 lead. In the third quarter, the Bulls went 2-7, while the Nets went on an 11-0 run. Coach Thibodeau, infuriated, called a timeout. With 3:48 remaining in the quarter, the Bulls went on their own 11-0 run, starting with Luol Deng grabbing an offensive board and Kurt Thomas tipping in a layup. Then soon-to-be MVP, Derrick Rose scored six straight points, putting the Bulls back within two, 68-66. Rose finished with 15 points. Taj Gibson saved an offensive rebound to Deng who then dished to Kyle Korver for a baseline three pointer tying it up at 68 apiece.

The Bench Mob displayed an incredible performance; outscoring New Jersey’s bench 50-26, 20 of those 50 points came in the first half. Korver led the Mob and the team with 19 points, shooting 7-13 on the floor and two-for-seven from downtown. Rasual Butler wasn’t one to disappoint either; he chipped in 10 points for the Mob, four-for-five on the floor and two-for-three behind the arc. Meanwhile, Ronnie Brewer was inactive with a right thumb sprain from the previous night in New York,

Jordan Farmar led the way with 21 points and 12 assists and Brook Lopez scored 19 points, but was blocked six times, four by Joakim Noah.

Noah played tonight after an injury scare with his right ankle (that was already sprained) and posted a double-double, 10 points, 10 rebounds (seven offensive) and four blocks before banging knees against Lopez and sitting out with 5:29 remaining in the third. Gibson tallied nine points and eight rebounds off the bench. The Bulls moved the ball well, limited turnovers and out-rebounded the Nets 45-35 as they contained the league’s best post-All-Star Game record of 24-4.

Bulls Extras: The season is over, and the new season will begin: The Playoffs…

The Bulls schedule for Round One vs. the eight-seeded Indiana Pacers:

Game One: Saturday April 16 in Chicago at Noon

Game Two: Monday April 18 in Chicago at 8:30 pm

Game Three: Thursday April 21 in Indiana, Time TBD

Game Four: Saturday April 23 in Indiana, Time TBD

Game Five: Tuesday April 26, Time & Place TBD