[NBA 2K9]Return to Glory - Closed

[kibaxx7]

To say anything about Odom right now is redundant, so, great win

[Martti.]

Starting 5 picture shows that Joel Anthony is a white guy . Great win over my Heat:D

[Valor]

Sit, indeed, exactly what we need after struggling to do anything without our backcourt...hopefully Rose can be back soon

thierryhenry50, Cheers man

Martti., that is thanks to the "hard work" of 2k sports, who cannot tell the difference between an African-American man and an European man... thanks man, it was tough covering Wade, luckily i somehow managed to do it...

[Cartar]

Odom is still a killer for you, nice use of his talent. For some reasons I just love the last picture

One other thing I noticed that Sean Williams is wearing a headband, while in real life none of the Bulls players are aloud to wear them IIRC

[kibaxx7]

One other thing I noticed that Sean Williams is wearing a headband, while in real life none of the Bulls players are aloud to wear them IIRC

Why's that?

[Cartar]

One other thing I noticed that Sean Williams is wearing a headband, while in real life none of the Bulls players are aloud to wear them IIRC

Why's that?

I didn't exactly remembered, but Wiki helped me out:
When Scott Skiles took over as the head coach during the 2003–04 NBA season he had a rule that no player may wear a headband. This rule was broken by Ben Wallace during the 2006-2007 NBA season. Coach Scott Skiles announced, however, that after a team vote was conducted, the team would allow only Wallace to wear his headband during the 2007–08 NBA season. Roughly one third of NBA teams place similar restrictions on player apparel during games.[18] This rule was dismissed after Skiles was relieved of his coaching duties in 2007. It was reinstalled, however, when Vinny Del Negro took over in 2008.

Latest example, if I'm not mistaken is John Salmons

[Valor]

ratrac, yup, in real life the Bulls have a rule about players not wearing a headband, however, in the case of my association, since the Worm is so nice everyone is allowed to wear headbands!!

[Valor]

Odom lifts East over West in Phoenix All Star Thriller


PHOENIX --- Lamar Odom, the first time All Star who is having a terrific year for the Bulls, took home MVP Honors after a 17 point, 5 rebound, 13 assists, 4 blocks performance from 8 for 15 shooting from the field and hitting the game winning reverse layup with 9.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to lift the Eastern All Stars to a 130-128 victory over the Western squad, making it two in a row for the East (The East won in New Orleans the previous year - 134-128)

The Western All Stars came out focused and ready to take revenge, outscoring the East 76-67 by halftime shooting 53% from the field, led by Yao Ming and Kobe Bryant, who combined for 27 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 7 blocks by half time. The West continued their run and outscored the East 37 to 30 in the third, but this is when Odom made his move, sparking a 25-5 run that led to a 33-15 fourth quarter to lead the East over the West for the victory.

Yao Ming was the man for the West, surprisingly, seeing as he has struggled with the fast pace of the all star game in the past years; but he looked very agile and completely dominated, ending the game with 25 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steal, and 5 blocks from 12 for 20 shooting in just 24 minutes of play, and would have been the MVP had the West held onto their lead. Kobe Bryant added in 19 points and had a game high 6 blocks, while CP3 had 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 16 assists in the game. However, all these were not enough to give them the victory as they were edged out by Odom and the rest of the Eastern All Star squad.

Lebron James led the way for the East, scoring 21 points in 29 minutes. Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas chipped in 19 from 7 for 11 shooting, hitting 5 of 8 from downtown. Howard added to the cause with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and tied Kobe Bryant for the game high 6 blocks in 29 minutes of play.

But it was all Odom in the end.

"you know, coach drew up a play for Gil to take the shot in the end cause he had been so hot throughout the game, and when he was doubled, he just kinda found me cutting to the basket and gave me a great pass, all i had to do was just lay it in" said Odom after the game. "really, it wasn't just me, everyone did a great job coming back in the fourth when we were down big; Yao was killin us the whole game and stuff, but somehow we played as a unit and just rode it out perfectly, this award belongs to the whole team, but y'all know i'm happy to take it"

Somehow there is a feeling that Odom might just win a second mvp this season with the way he has been playing for Chicago, leading them to one of the best records in the NBA with spectacular numbers night in night out, but we shall see.









Odom's reverse layup with 9.9 seconds remaining gave the East the victory, and his first ever All Star Game MVP award in his first ever All Star Game


Highlights

[Valor]

Rodman makes further changes to surging Bulls team before trade deadline

In a surprising move (maybe not that surprising since it's Dennis Rodman we are talking about here..), the Bulls have announced 2 different trades that involves 5 teams and 12 players that sent away Rudy Fernandez, Drew Gooden, Anthony Carter, Steve Francis, and Hakim Warrick.

The FIrst trade was a three way blockbuster that involved the rising star Rudy Fernandez leaving the windy city in exchange for Phoenix Suns guard Leandro Barbosa, in order to make the deal work under the cap, the Bulls sent Drew Gooden to the Memphis Grizzlies, while the Grizzlies sent Darko Milicic and Balkman to the Suns and also obtained Suns' players Petro and Jared Dudley.

"It's hard to let go Rudy with the talent he has and the ability he has shown, but we feel that Barbosa is a better fit for us here in Chicago." said assistant GM John Paxson, for obvious reasons, Rodman's comments were not published.



The Second trade involves the Bulls sending away Carter, Francis, and Warrick to the New York Knicks in exchange for Malik Rose and Roberson.

"you know, they've been bitching here and there about playin time, so we are sending them to this shit hole of the Knicks so they can get all the playing time they wanted" said Rodman

This trade is a complete steal by the Knicks, Rodman must have had some damn drugs to pull this one off. The only upside is that the players in return also are expiring players so the Bulls still have that cap space they have been aiming for.



Barbosa would be switching to #28 since 10 is retired in honor of Bob Love

"Well, i was drafted 28th overall, and since 2+8 is 10, it's a good number to use" said Barbosa when asked upon the decision of #28

[Valor]

Bulls Rookie Rose set to Return Against Nuggets
February 19th 2009


The Chicago Bulls have announced that their number 1 overall selection in the draft, Derrick Rose, is now healed from his leg injury and will return in the game against the Denver Nuggets tomorrow night.
Rose was diagnosed with a Strained Achilles after falling down from a hard foul from Raptors' Will Solomon on January 23rd, he has been out of the Bulls lineup ever since.

The Bulls have been 6-5 with Rose out of the lineup (including the game where he was injured), they had a record of 31-11 prior to his injury

Hill, Bulls agree on contract extension
February 19th 2009


The Chicago Bulls have reportedly signed a one year contract extension with their veteran swingman Grant Hill.

Hill, a 6'8" Forward out of Duke, was drafted 3rd overall in 1994 by the Detroit Pistons, the former NBA Rookie of the year and a 7 time All Star has enjoyed successful stints with the Pistons, Magic, and most recently, the Phoenix Suns.

The 36 year old has reportedly agreed upon a one year, 768k contract extension with the Bulls.

"I feel that i still have unfinished work here in the NBA, the flexibility of the one year extension would allow me to help the team and not have any burdens on them while i continue to try to help the team to win a championship" said Hill

[Valor]

Team Watch: Chicago Bulls
What does Chicago need to win another championship?
February 25th 2009


It has been 15 years since the Bulls have achieved their first 3-peat and started their dominance in the NBA, and almost 11 years since they had obtained their 6th championship trophy. There were flashes of hopes in between the years, such as them qualifying for the playoffs in the 05-06 season, and sweeping the defending champions Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs in 06-07. However, last season had been a complete disappointment, with the Bulls failing to make the playoffs, bad moves were made all over the season and hopes were dim.

Fate perhaps, has taken pity upon the Bulls, and they had achieved the number 1 overall pick in the 08 draft with just a 1.7% chance of getting it, with that pick they drafted hometown player Derrick Rose, a terrific point guard that is proving his value, following former Bulls great Dennis Rodman's acquisition of the team, the trades that brought Lamar Odom, Sean Williams to the team, they thrived and has had tremendous success thus far into the season, getting a record of 38-20 which is good enough for 2nd in the Central Division and 3rd in the Eastern Conference. But, the question is...

Is this enough?

Indeed, the Bulls have been terrific this season, having major improvements and is breaking through to what seems like their best season since Jordan's last season with the Bulls. but they have had their problems so far, and the current lineup certainly does not look like one that has championship qualities in it.

Lamar Odom has proven himself to be an underrated player so far in his career, showing off his entire package since being a part of the Bulls at the start of the season, and has already recorded 12 triple doubles this far, which is what his career record of triple doubles were prior to this season (in case you havent worked it out, he has basically doubled his amount of career triple doubles, and the season isn't over yet). Sean Williams has also had a breakout season, turning from a mere trouble-plauged prospect sitting on the bench in New Jersey to an irreplaceable member of the Bulls starting lineup, showing his incredible rebounding abilities alongside his supernatural blocking ability, locking down the paint while on the other end, collecting offensive rebounds and slamming them home with his freakish athletic ability. Number 1 overall pick Derrick Rose has been solid, currently 2nd in scoring amongst the rookies and is the leader in assists per game, he has had some shining moments and the Bulls really missed him when he went down for a month with a strained achilles tendon in late January till returning just a few days ago.

Hoever, this is still not the entire pictiure.

The Bulls are an undersized team with their shooting guard Ben Gordon at just 6'3", recently acquired guard Leandro Barbosa is also only 6'3", center Sean Williams is only 6'10", and most importantly, the Bulls in reality only have 6 players that they could positively rely on when the game is close. The other guys are just there for their expiring contracts, their veteran leadership, or their deep potential that could surface someday.

Their disadvantage in size and lack of usable players means that in a lot of the games/situations in the game, they would have to go with a super small lineup of Rose, Barbosa, Gordon, Odom, and Williams, which puts them in major disadvantages when matched up against their opponents, especially on the defensive end. Gordon has never been known as a defender, and when you put him up against a 6'5" - 6'9" forward such as Lebron James, Ron Artest, or Andre Igoudala, problems would arise; and you can be sure that opponents would take advantage of this deeply in a playoff series. Previously, they had the 6'6" Rudy Fernandez instead of Barbosa as their 6th man, but for some strange reason, Rodman decided that he wants the Brazilian over the Spaniard, which is puzzling, as Fernandez is as good as Barbosa in scoring and is certainly better on the defensive end. however, that's all said and done, time cannot be reversed, so they'll have to live with it.

So..the question is, What do they need to do?

They have a lottery pick from the Camby trade to Memphis for them to possibly take the 7'3" Center Andrew Gilmore that they have been craving for, Gilmore is the son of former Bull Artis Gilmore, and possess the same deadly inside offensive game and size that the Bulls needed, the only downside is his low stamina, weak defense and below average rebounding, which is neutralized because the Bulls have Willaims. Odom can be moved to the 3 spot as a result. However, this still doesnt solve the Bulls' lineup problems when they need to sub. As stated above, if they get Gilmore, they would need a pretty good 6th man due to his low stamina, and although that could be solved by slotting the guys back up one spot (williams to c, odom to pf) the current Bulls lineup is small. In order to change things around, they would need someone new.

That means, they cannot afford to have either Ben Gordon or Leandro Barbosa around next season.

That may sound ridiculous, as Barbosa has been great for the Bulls so far, averaging nearly 20 a night since he came to the Bulls off the bench, and Ben Gordon has been steadily providing the long range firepower that the Bulls need, but the reality is...they are too short.

The Bulls would need make a trade of some sort happen to ship away one or both of them for an upgrade, both in size and skills.

Possible Canadiates? Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton, J.R. Smith, Jason Richardson, Vince Carter, Tracy Mcgrady, Joe Johnson, Brandon Roy, Mike Miller, Michael Redd, Manu Ginobili, Carmelo Anthony, Andre Igoudala...the list goes on

What About Possible Free Agents?

True, the Bulls could just let Gordon go and sign a FA to fill his spot, the problem is, there isn't really that many good swingman FAs that will be available next offseason....unless you consider Ron Artest or Shawn Marion a SG/SF or Trevor Ariza a capable shooter to start at SG...then no, the Bulls could not simply sign a FA to take the place of their undersized star scorer.

The FAs that WOULD be considered by the Bulls though, would include players like Ariza, who could pose as the 6th man for them instead of Barbosa, providing solid defensive presence on the perimeter and giving the team a boost with his energy off the bench, they are likely going to keep Eric Snow as a mentor to Derrick Rose and all the other young players, and unless they could find a bigger guy, the 7'3" Korean Ha would also be kept for development, with the other roster spaces and cap spaces being used to fill role players to surround the group of stars.

Are there any crazy, but possible scenarios?

Well, when you are dealing with Dennis Rodman, anything is possible, but yes, there would be some moves that are possible, but nearly impossible at the same time, and one of them is to move Derrick Rose....

i can already begin to see the flood of emails flaming me.

But really, while Rose has been solid and one of the best rookies currently, he is not exactly needed on the floor that much due to the playmaking ability of Lamar Odom (leads the league in assists...), what Chicago would love to have, however, is a shooter, and shooting isn't exactly Rose's forte. His defense is a great boost to the team, but there are plenty of guards out there with the same, if not better, defensive abilities that could shoot better then Rose. Actually, it would be better for Chicago to trade Rose alongside Ben Gordon/Barbosa or the both of them since that would give Chicago a higher chance of getting a much, much better player to fill the needed swingman spot on the Bulls team.

Possible replacement for Rose? How about, Allen Iverson, Mike Bibby, Eddie House...or even Mario Chalmers or Stephon Marbury?? All of these have a good, if not great shooting ability alongside solid/terrific defensive ability.

But at the end of the day, this is all just theory cause it's up to the Worm to decide....

[Valor]

Note: Due to lack of time i would not recap the 4th and 5th game of February...sorry, and the Fan Night would only consist of one game for the remainder of the season cause i wanna progress faster...

[Valor]

Monthly Recaps: February 09
Part One: Chicago Bulls Monthly Recap

February Results - 7W 5L

February 3rd @ Houston Rockets
Loss 106-121
Outstanding Players
Houston: Yao Ming 27 pts 7 reb 6 blk, Rafer Alston 22 pts 9 ast
Chicago: Lamar Odom 41 pts 10 ast 10 reb 6 blk (9th triple double of season), Sean Wiliams 12 pts 7 reb 5 ast 5 blk

February 4th @ New Orleans Hornets
Loss 128-119
Outstanding Players
New Orleans: Chris Paul 17 pts 15 ast, Tyson Chandler 21 pts 7 reb 3 blk
Chicago: Lamar odom 27 pts 12 ast 10 reb 2 blk (10th triple double of season), Sean Williams 22 pts 8 reb 6 ast 3 blk

February 7th @ Dallas Mavericks
Win 111-105
Outstanding Players
Dallas: Dirk Nowitzki 16 pts 16 reb, Jason Kidd 10 pts 12 ast
Chicago: Lamar Odom 37 pts 14 reb 14 ast (11th triple double of season, 3 straight), Sean Williams 16 pts 9 reb 4 blk, Ben Gordon 19 pts

February 10th vs Detroit Pistons
Win 124-108 Game Recap

February 12th vs Miami Heat
Win 120-88 Game Recap

2009 NBA All-Star Game
East 130-128 West Game Recap

February 18th @ Milwaukee Bucks
Win 115-111
Outstanding Players
Milwaukee: Andrew Bogut 20 pts 14 reb, Richard Jefferson 16 pts 8 reb
Chicago: Lamar Odom 26 pts 7 reb 10 ast, Leandro Barbosa 20 pts 4 ast (debut game as a Bull, off the bench), Ben Gordon 21 pts 4 ast

Febraury 20th vs Denver Nuggets
Loss 105-107
Outstanding Players
Denver: Mike Bibby 16 pts 13 ast, Carmelo Anthony 12 pts 8 reb 7 ast
Chicago: Lamar Odom 32 pts 12 reb 8 ast

February 22nd @ Indiana Pacers
Loss 109-122
Outstanding Players
Indiana: Marquis Daniels 18 pts 20 ast, Danny Granger 21 pts, Mike Dunleavy 22 pts
Chicago: Lamar Odom 33 pts 15 reb 7 ast, Sean Williams 16 pts 11 reb 3 blk, Derrick Rose 11 pts 6 reb 6 ast

February 24th vs Orlando Magic
Win 123-97
Outstanding Players
Orlando: Dwight Howard 22 pts 8 reb 5 ast
Chicago: Lamar Odom 26 pts 14 reb 6 ast 3 stl, Derrick Rose 26 pts 11 reb 5 ast

February 25th @ New Jersey Nets
Loss 115-116
Outstanding Players
New Jersey: Yi Jianlian 20 pts 7 reb 6 ast, Vince Carter 32 pts (Game Winning 3 Pointer at Buzzer)
Chicago: Lamar Odom 21 pts 11 reb 5 ast, Sean Williams 18 pts 14 reb 5 ast 2 blk

February 27th @ Washington Wizards
Win 120-116
Outstanding Players
Washington: Gilbert Arenas 15 pts 16 ast, Caron Butler 22 pts 8 ast, Antawn Jamison 20 pts 9 reb
Chicago: Lamar Odom 32 pts 6 reb 10 ast, Sean Williams 22 pts 6 reb (10/10 FG), Derrick Rose 17 pts 9 ast

February 28th vs Houston Rockets
Win 117-91
Outstanding Players
Houston: Yao Ming 14 pts 10 reb, Aaron Brooks 20 pts, Luis Scola 19 pts 7 reb, Tracy McGrady 11 pts 6 ast 3 stl
Chicago: Sean WIlliams 24 pts 10 reb (11/11 FG), Lamar Odom 21 pts 13 reb 6 ast (9/9 FG), Ben Gordon 20 pts, Derrick Rose 10 pts 10 ast 5 reb 2 blk, Leandro Barbosa 19 pts 4 ast 4 reb (off the bench)



Chicago Bulls Player Stats

- Bold Indicates Team Leader


Chicago Bulls Metric Stats

- Bold Indicates Team Leader

[Valor]

Monthly Recaps: February 09
Part Two: Around the League

League Leaders


1. Dwyane Wade (Miami) 31.1
2. Dirk Nowiziki (Dallas) 28.2
3. Lamar Odom (Chicago) 26.9
4. Chris Bosh (Toronto) 26.6
5. Lebron James (Cleveland) 26.5


1. Tim Duncan (San Antonio) 10.2
2. Chris Bosh (Toronto) 9.8
3. Zach Randolph (LA Clippers) 9.4
4. Yao Ming (Houston) 9.3
- Pau Gasol (LA Lakers) 9.3
5. Dwight Howard (Orlando) 9.2


1. Lamar Odom (Chicago) 9.4
2. Chris Paul (New Orleans) 8.2
3. Jason Kidd (Dallas) 7.7
4. Steve Nash (Phoenix) 7.6
- Chris Duhon (New York) 7.6
5. Raymond Felton (Denver) 7.5



1. Jason Kidd (Dallas) 2.2
- Chris Paul (New Orleans) 2.2
2. Rajon Rondo (Boston) 2.0
- Gerald Wallace (Charlotte) 2.0
3. Trevor Ariza (LA Lakers) 1.9
4. Dwyane Wade (Miami) 1.8
- Allen Iverson (Detroit) 1.8
5. Nate RObinson (New York) 1.7
- Andrei Kirilenko (Utah) 1.7


1. Yao Ming (Houston) 2.9
- Andrei Kirilenko (Utah) 2.9
- Dwight Howard (Orlando) 2.9
2. Tim Duncan (San Antonio) 2.6
3. Al Jefferson (Minnesota)2.3
4. Marcus Camby (Memphis) 2.1
5. Shaquille O'Neal (Phoenix) 2.0
- Ben Wallace (Cleveland) 2.0
- Josh Smith (Atlanta) 2.0

EFFICIENCY
1. Lamar Odom (Chicago) 36.3
2. Dwyane Wade (Miami) 31.2
3. Dirk Nowiziki (Dallas) 29.7
4. Lebron James (Cleveland) 26.6
5. Chris Bosh (Toronto) 26.4
6. Chris Paul (New Orleans) 26.1
- Brandon Roy (Portland) 26.1
7. Tim Duncan (San Antonio) 25.7
8. Al Jefferson (Minesota) 25.5
9. Amare Stoudemire (Phoenix) 25.1
10. Kobe Bryant (LA Lakers) 24.9



Rookie Leaders

1. O.J. Mayo (Memphis) 19.1
2. Derrick Rose (Chicago) 17.1
3. D.J. Augustin (Charlotte) 14.5
4. Rudy Fernandez (Phoenix) 14.4
5. Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City) 11.8


1. Kevin Love (Minnesota) 7.6
2. Jason Thompson (Sacramento) 5.8
3. Marc Gasol (Memphis) 5.6
4. Brook Lopez (New Jersey) 5.5
5. Javal McGee (Washington) 4.7


1. Derrick Rose (Chicago) 7.4
2. Mario Chalmers (Miami) 5.4
3. Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City) 5.1
- D.J. Augustin (charlotte) 5.1
4. Kevin Love (Minnesota) 3.2
5. Rudy Fernandez (Phoenix) 3.0


1. Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City) 1.5
2. Mario Chalmers (Miami)1.1
- Derrick Rose (Chicago) 1.1
3. O.J. Mayo (Memphis) 1.0
4. Kevin Love (Minnesota) 0.8
- Rudy Fernandez (Phoenix) 0.8
5. Darrell Arthur (Memphis) 0.7
- Russell Westbrok (Oklahoma City) 0.7
- Jason Thompson (Sacramento) 0.7


1. Brook Lopez (New Jersey) 1.5
2. Greg Oden (Portland) 1.3
3. Kevin Love (Minnesota) 1.1
- Javal McGee (Washington) 1.1
- Darrell Arthur (Memphis) 1.1
4. Roy Hibbert (Indiana) 1.0
5. Jason Thompson (Sacramento) 0.7
- Marreese Speights (Philadelphia) 0.7


Players of the Week
Week: East | West
Oct 28-Nov 1: Dwyane Wade (Miami) | Tim Duncan (San Antonio)
Nov 2-8: Dwyane Wade (Miami) | Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)
Nov 9-15: Lebron James (Cleveland) | Chris Paul (New Orleans)
Nov 16-22: Lamar Odom (Chicago) | Amare Stoudemire (Phoenix)
Nov 23-29: Dwyane Wade (Miami) | Amare Stoudemire (Phoenix)
Nov 30-Dec 6: Dwyane Wade (Miami) | Chris Paul (New Orleans)
Dec 7-13: Lamar Odom (Chicago) | Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)
Dec 14-20: Dwyane Wade (Miami) | Brandon Roy (Portland)
Dec 21-27: Dwyane Wade (Miami) | Chris Paul (New Orleans)
Dec 28-Jan 3: Josh Smith (Atlanta) | Chris Paul (New Orleans)
Jan 4-10: Lamar Odom (Chicago) | Chris Paul (New Orleans)
Jan 11-17: Lamar Odom (Chicago) | Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)
Jan 18-24: Lamar Odom (Chicago) | Carmelo Anthony (Denver)
Jan 25-31: Lamar Odom (Chicago) | Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City)
Feb 1-7: Lamar Odom (Chicago) | Yao Ming (Houston)
Feb 8-14: Lamar Odom (Chicago) | Yao Ming (Houston)
Feb 15-21: Lamar Odom (Chicago) | Brandon Roy (Portland)
Feb 22-28: Dwyane wade (Miami) | Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)



Players of the Month
Month: East | West
November: Dwyane Wade (Miami) | Chris Paul (New Orleans)
December: Dwyane Wade (Miami) | Al Jefferson (Minnesota)
January: Lamar Odom (Chicago) | Kobe Bryant (LA Lakers)
February: Lamar Odom (Chicago) | Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)

Rookies of the Month
Month: East | West
November: Derrick Rose (Chicago) | Kevin Love (Minnesota)
December: Derrick Rose (Chicago) | O.J. Mayo (Memphis)
January: D.J. Augustin (Charlotte) | Kevin Love (Minnesota)
February: Derrick Rose (Chicago) | Kevin Love (Minnesota)



Player Movement
- 07/02/09
76ers Trade: Reggie Evans
Blazers Trade: Brian Scalabrine

- 11/02/09
Hawks Trade: Mike Bibby
Nuggets Trade: Kenyon Martin, 2009 1st round pick Nuggets

- 14/02/09
Hawks Trade: Mario West
Bobcats Trade: Ryan Hollins

- 14/02/09
Pistons Trade: Kwame Brown
Bucks Trade: Damon Jones

- 16/02/09
Bulls Trade: Rudy Fernandez (Phoenix), Drew Gooden (Memphis)
Suns Trade: Leandro Barbosa (Chicago), Johan Petro (Memphis), Jared Dudley (Memphis)
Grizzlies Trade: Darko Milicic (Phoenix), Renaldo Balkman (Phoenix)

- 16/02/09
Bulls Trade: Anthony Carter, Steve Francis, Hakim Warrick
Knicks Trade: Malik Rose, Anthony Roberson

- 18/02/09
Celtics Trade: Patrick O'Bryant
76ers Trade: Jason Smith

- 19/02/09
Warriors Trade: Jemereo Davidson
Lakers Trade: Jamaal Magloire

- 19/02/09
Thunder Trade: Chucky Atkins
Spurs Trade: Kurt Thomas

- 21/02/09
Hornets Sign Michael Doleac to 1yr/$2.88M Deal

- 27/02/09
Kings Fire Head Coach Reggie Theus
Kings Hire Head Coach Tommy Greene

- 28/02/09
Timberwolves Fire Head Coach Randy Wittman
Timberwolves Hire Head Coach Reggie Theus



Injuries

[Valor]

Monthly Previews - March


Dark = Home Games
Light = Away Games

Sorry But there would be NO voting this month, only one game would be recapped...i do not have much spare time nowadays and i just want to get the regular season over with quickly....

The Game that would be on display is......March 21st vs Los Angeles Lakers

Enjoy it

[Lamrock]

Hey, sorry I haven't checked this out before man. I just read all four pages of it and its pretty cool! Definitely a lot of effort here. Looking forward to seeing how the Bulls, and Odom finish out the season.

Its a pretty nice concept you have going here, and its cool to see Odom living up to his potential (and then some!). Couple things: Your pictures are far to big and kind of hurt the recaps. Also the story element of this dynasty hasn't come into fruition.

But overall, nice work. Keep it up and I'll be following.

[Gea]

I must say this looks very impressive, but as Lamrock said, your pictures kinda hurt the presentation, and as much as I like Odom he is doing a little bit to well. Continue this, good stuff

[Valor]

Lamrock, hey man, thanks for checking in! thanks for the feedback, i'll tweak the size a bit, worried about how shrinking them would reduce the quality of the pics, but meh; as for the story...lets just say i don't have much creativity, and the short stories, feature articles i have to write for english at school is taking it's toll on me...but i'll see what i can do, i can promise at least one or two more chapter before next season hope you will enjoy this

Gea, thanks man, Odom is indeed doing well isn't he? showing you what he can do when he is the face of a franchise, not the second or third option

[Valor]

Phoenix Loses Shaq to season ending injury
March 16th 2008


Suns center Shaquille O'Neal will miss the remainder of the season due to a broken right ankle.

The injury occurred only 4 minutes into the game between Golden State and Phoenix, O'Neal went for the rebound and was sent crashing to the floor on a flagrant foul by Andris Biedrins, he was carried off the floor by his teammates and did not return, x-ray scans reveal the break and a later MRI scan confirms it.

The Suns hold a record of 35-32 and are currently the 8th seed in the tightly contested Western Conference, they are 3 games behind the 7th place Houston Rockets and is only 1 game behind the 9th seeded Portland Trailblazers.

O'Neal averages of 14.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2 apg, 1.9 bpg on a .546 FG% and .594 FT% this season.

Bobcats' Head Coach Larry Brown about to be fired?
March 17th 2008


The Bobcats are now 25-42 and are 7.5 games behind the 8th seeded Pacers, with the playoffs again looking like it's out of reach, rumors have began to arise that their newly acquired hall of fame head coach Larry Brown might be on his way out pretty soon.

If this does happen, which i personally doubt due to MJ and Brown's relationship as former Tar Heels. It would mark the nth time that Jordan has done the wrong thing again, and the already sunk newborn franchise would be in the blink of destruction....

Bulls again loses Rose to injury
March 18th 2008


Bulls rookie guard Derrick Rose, the number 1 overall selection in this year's draft, will again miss some time due to an injury; this time round, it is his left shoulder.

Rose hurt his shoulder crashing into the scorers table saving the loose ball, he was able to save the ball and bounced it off Celtics guard Ray Allen, but crashed into the scorers table at an awkward angle, he was taken back to the locker room and did not return. He was diagnosed with a separated shoulder and will miss around about 2 weeks.

Rose has just recently returned to the lineup after missing nearly a month due to a strained achillies tendon, and the Bulls will sorely miss him as they fight for a better seed for the playoffs.

On a happier note, the Bulls won that game 129-124 behind the usual excellence from Lamar Odom and a career night for Sean Williams, in which he recorded his second career 20/20 with 27 points on a perfect 12 for 12 shooting and a career high 23 rebounds, 7 of which were offensive.

[Valor]

Bonzi Wells Returns to NBA, Signs with Bulls
March 18h 2009


Former NBA Veteran Bonzi Wells ended his dominating stint in China's CBA a few months ago, and we haven't heard from him in a while, many people have wondered where he went off to, answer? he had been plotting his NBA return.

The Chicago Bulls have announced today that they have signed Free Agent swingman Bonzi Wells to a one year, 4 million dollar contract using their mid level exception. The 32 year old veteran would be able to have an immediate impact on the Bulls team with his size and defensive ability in the backcourt, one that Chicago is dying to have, especially with the recent injury to Derrick Rose.

The former 11th overall pick from 1998 has career averages of 12.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.3 spg, and 0.6 bpg on .460 FG%, .327 3P%, and .697 FT% in 25.6 minutes per game, he is also a playoff veteran, having played in the playoffs 7 times over his 11 year career.

Wells had happened to be in Oklahoma City, where the Bulls will be playing tonight against the Thunder, so he was able to immediately join the team and will possibly be able to make his debut with the Bulls in tonight's game.

[Valor]

Injury-Plagued Bulls loses Grant Hill
March 19th 2009


The Chicago Bulls have announced that forward Grant Hill is injured with a right separated shoulder and would be out for at least 2 weeks.

Hill injured his right shoulder on a collusion with OKC forward Kevin Durant in the Bulls - Thunder game in the previous night, he did not return and was diagnosed with a separated shoulder.

Hill now joins Derrick Rose and Malik Rose as the injured players on the Bulls team, 2 of the 3 are starters.

On a brighter note, Newly signed Free Agent Bonzi Wells had a terrific deubt, scoring 30 points to help the Bulls defeat the Thunder 140-136.

76ers Head Coach Cheeks Fired
March 19th 2009


The Philadelphia 76ers have announced the firing of Head Coach Maurice Cheeks.

The Sixers have had a disappointing season thus far, despite the signing of Elton Brand in the offseason, they are 23-43 and looks to be heading back to the lottery after a promising season last season.

Clyde Humphries will be Cheeks' replacement.

[Fresh8]

Bonzi was a good pick-up like in my dynatsy, i cant wait till u get to the playoffs!

[Valor]

Bonzi was a good pick-up like in my dynatsy, i cant wait till u get to the playoffs!

yeah he's pretty good, just a bit overweight....cheers man, i cant wait either doubt i would get far since my squad is so injury prone...but we shall see

[Valor]

Hinrich, Lakers blow out Bulls in Chicago


Chicago, IL - Kirk Hinrich received a standing ovation when he was introduced in the starting lineup in his first game back in Chicago since the trade that sent him to LA, and he would thank the fans by putting on a show, swishing shot after shot and dishing out specular dimes and helped his Lakers team to a 133-113 blowout victory over his old team, the Chicago Bulls.

Before the Game, the Bulls' old captain ran to the Bulls bench and exchanged hugs with his former teammates, then shook hands with team owner Dennis Rodman and Assistant GM John Paxson and embraced the Bulls starting five before the opening tip.

Despite the loss, the fans gave Hinrich yet another standing ovation as he retired to the bench in the fourth quarter, thanking him for the 6 seasons that he had spent with the Bulls.

"It was great, coming back here and playing in front of these wonderful fans, i am honored and happy that they still embrace me here in Chicago, i love this city, i love this team, i love the fans, and i would have loved nothing more then to have spent my entire career here, but i understand it, it was a business decision."

Hinrich had a team-high 26 points and dished out a game-high 13 dimes in 30 minutes of play, going 10 for 18 from the field and 4 for 11 from beyond the arc. Kobe Bryant added in 24 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds, while Pau Gasol had a double double of 10 points, 11 rebounds, and a game-high 4 blocks to add to the victory.

Former Laker Lamar Odom had 20 points by the half and finished the game with a game-high 40 points, alongside 11 assists and 7 rebounds to another almost triple-double performance in 31 minutes of play, he shot 16 for 30 from the field and was 8 for 10 from the charity stripe, Sean Williams had 18 points and 11 rebounds, but it was not enough as the rest of the team struggled against the Laker squad, shooting a miserable 2 for 16 from behind the 3 point line, getting out rebounded 44 to 37, and the bench got outscored 53 to 22, their normally high assist number was only 27 in this game, in contrast, the Lakers had an impressive 46 assists, they were out run by the Lakers the whole game, evident from the 36 to 6 fast break points difference.

"It just wasn't there tonight, personally i struggled with my shot, and we just didn't play good defense." said Ben Gordon after the game, he shot a terrible 6 for 23 from the field, 2 for 12 from 3, and ended the game with just 16 points.

Game Notes
Despite the loss, the Bulls (46-24) have gotten themselves second in the Eastern Conference and are a lock for the playoffs, they are .004% behind the first place Detroit Pistons and are half a game ahead of the 3rd place Boston Celtics and 9.5 games ahead of the 4th place New Jersey Nets...The Lakers are now 41-28 and are holding the 5th seed in the Western Conference, they are only 1.5 games behind the 4th seeded Hornets and 3.5 games behind the first place Mavericks, they have a one game lead over the 6th seeded LA Clippers.....the 26 points and 13 assists performance are Hinrich's season highs....







Highlights

[Valor]

Gordon scores career high in win
March 24th, 2009


In a 138-133 win over the Washington Wizards yesterday, Bulls guard Ben Gordon established career highs in points scored in a game and field goals made.

Gordon's new career high is now 52 points, while the new 3 point mark is 7 3 pointers made. He shot 20 for 28 from the field and 7 for 11 from beyond the arc. both of which top his previous career highs.

He got going early and already had 21 points by half time, Gordon went head to head against Wizards' allstar guard Gilbert Arenas, who finished the game with 36 points and 15 assists.

Washington was up by 4 with 40 seconds remaining when the crowd started chanting M.V.P for Gilbert Arenas, who was shooting 2 free throws, he would make the 2 FTs and extend the lead to 6. That's when Gordon made his move, swishing a deep 3 from a long inbound pass by Lamar Odom, and then double teamed Arenas in the backcourt with Leandro Barbosa to force Arenas to give it up, Wells stole it and found a wide open Gordon in the corner for another 3, he sank it and tied the score. With the game winding down to the last 20 seconds, Sean Williams blocked a Caron Butler 3 ball, threw it towards a streaking Gordon for the easy layup, and the Bulls sank a few more Free Throws to ice the game.

Gordon was named the Jordan Player of the Game.

"It was great, to find my shot again, i only hoped that i had this shooting touch a few nights ago against LA, but we got it done tonight, and that's all that matters" said Gordon after the game.

Nuggets lose 'Melo to season ending injury
March 24th, 2009


The Denver Nuggets have announced that their all star forward Carmelo Anthony has a broken hand that'll keep him out for the rest of the season.

Anthony was injured in the Nuggets' game against the Phoenix Suns. The Nuggets have been without their other star Chauncey Billups since the start of the season to a season ending injury, and as 'Melo joins Billups on the inactive rotation, the Nuggets' playoff hopes will seemingly fade also.

Denver has a record of 31-40 and is sitting at 11th in the Western Conference, 5.5 games behind the 8th seeded Phoenix Suns.

Worse of all, they would be without their now lottery bound pick due to trading it away for All Star Mike Bibby.

Miami Loses Wade for the remaining regular season games
March 27th, 2009


The Miami Heat has reportedly lost their superstar Dwyane Wade to an injury that would keep him out of action for at least a month, that means that Wade will miss the remainder of the regular season and maybe some of the playoffs, if his team makes it without him.

The Heat are currently 36-36 and hold the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference, just one game ahead of the 8th seeded Indiana Pacers.

Wade's injury came in the third quarter in the blowout loss to the Chicago Bulls, he was fouled hard by Barbosa on a fast break and crashed down on the floor, he did not get up and immediatly grabbed his right leg. Diagnosis shows a strained achillies tendon that would keep him out for about a month.

Barbosa said it was not intentional and sends his best regards to Wade.

"I was just going for the ball and trying to make a good defensive play, unfortunatly i hit him as well and he was injured, best wishes to him." said Barbosa