The Bulls are a funny team. They have a lot of talented players but they don't seem to have the right mix and their play has been inconsistent all year.
They went on a losing streak where they dropped 11 of 13 between mid November and mid December culminating in a "Fire Vinny Del Negro" rage that seemed at one point to be inevitable. And then those crazy Bulls started winning.
Since December 17th the Bulls are 10-17 with victories over the Hornets, Magic and Celtics. That stretch included two four-game win streaks.
The Suns meanwhile are 8-18 in the same period with losses to the Pacers and Warriors.
So who's the hot team? The Suns after breaking a four-game losing streak by beating the hapless Nets or the Bulls who've started their road trip with losses to the Warriors and Clippers.
I have no idea. Both teams are inconsistent and unpredictable on a nightly basis.
What we do know is that the Suns are still a good home team (16-4) and are well rested and trying to convince everyone (themselves included) that they've turned the corner on the funky part of their season. A loss tonight to the Bulls would be a big set-back in that regard.
Match-ups
There's a couple of fun match-ups in this game. We get to see the battle of two big-haired big men as Robin hopes to continue his great play as a starter against Joakim Noah who is turning out to be one of the best rebounders in the game.
The combination of that much hustle, energy and competitive zeal could should be a lot of fun to watch. Way better than watching Noah out work Channing Frye in the paint.
Derrick Rose after starting the year a bit slow with some ankle issues seems to be picking right back up where he left off and we all know (or should know) what a treat he is. Like Rondo, he has the ability to drive the ball and finish which will force the Suns defense to go under screens and collapse in the paint hoping that his jump shot isn't on.
If you haven't figured it out by now, the Suns entire defensive philosophy is built around making team beat them "over the top".
That's why you saw so much zone against the Grizzlie who were the 29th ranked 3 point shooting team but were hot that day. The Bulls rank 30th in three point attempts so this game figures to have more of the same. Except this time, the opponent doesn't feature a front line scoring duo of Gasol, M and Randolph, Wow.
The Bulls appear to get most of their point from Rose getting to the rim and/or line and Deng with his mid-range and penetration game.
The Suns should be able to handle that just fine as long as they are active and vocal on their defensive rotations.
Window Shopping
The Bulls continue to be mentioned as a possible destination for Amare (although I don't know if he would consider them a team that is willing and able to build a contender). Like the recent Miami Heat game, we should keep an eye on a couple of their players - Tyrus Thomas and John Salmons in particular except Salmons may not play due to the flu in which case watch Derrick Rose, because he's a lot of fun and maybe Luol Deng because you never know.
Daily Links:
Bulls vs Suns coverage
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Suns center Robin Lopez gets his chance
Lopez wants to be an energetic defensive enforcer. Since the Suns drafted him 15th, five picks after Brook was taken in the 2008 draft, there have been people around Stanford and the Suns who believed his potential could overtake Brook's. Robin gave him an even matchup Wednesday, outplaying him in the first quarter and being outscored by Brook (26 points) only because Brook took 22 shots and had seven quick points on Amar'e Stoudemire at the end of the third quarter. -
Suns center Channing Frye stays positive despite reserve role
"I don't think my game is really going to change," Frye said. "I felt like I earned that spot. Things happened to where we need to adjust. You've got to put your pride aside. I wear the Suns uniform. "If I'm making shots, he's (coach Alvin Gentry) going to leave me out there. I've just got to do a little better job of rebounding and making shots." - Gentry on Gambo and Ash (audio)
- Dudley on Gambo and Ash (audio)
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NBAstuffer.com - NBA Road Trips and Home Stands Visualization
Here's a nice visualization of NBA teams' road trips and home stands in NBA 2009-2010 regular season. -
Charles Barkley is not a fan of bloggers, free speech | Blog Archive | Nothing Easy | Blogs | TheScore.com
"All these fans who are idiots and think they know about sports… these idiots who be bloggin’, you know, that’s one thing about sports that drives me crazy. Sports is the only profession in the world where we let everyday idiots act like they know what the hell they talkin’ about. You would never let somebody blog about how to run a major company. I mean, this little thing where we let people give their opinion on sports. Shut the hell up and watch the game, cheer for your team, and shut the hell up." -
NBA.com: Suns duo leads Western Conference All-Star starters
This All-Star Game doesn't quite qualify as a homecoming for the two-time MVP, but it's close enough. Nash was voted one of the Western Conference's five starters for the NBA's in-season classic Feb. 14 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Officials expect a crowd that could approach 100,000 at the $1.3 billion stadium for the first All-Star Game to be held in North Texas since 1986. -
Prepare To Be OUTRAGED! Iverson Will Reportedly Start In All-Star Game - SB Nation
It should be noted that while Iverson as a starter may have the NBA blushing, they at least averted the crisis that would have ensued had wobbly, inactive Tracy McGrady been voted in. He lost out to Steve Nash in the eleventh hour. -
NBA Talking Points: Where Posey Is The Prototype - SB Nation
NBA Talking Points is a weekly series that runs down some of the top stories in basketball, and some that aren't being talked about enough -
Suns Spot | Relax, Planet Orange
I’m just trying to say, relax, Planet Orange. We’re going to be just fine. -
NBA Skinny: Sun up, Sun down - Fantasy - Yahoo! Sports
The Suns are experimenting with their lineup, and that means pine time for Jason Richardson and Channing Frye. - Fantasy news -
NBA Power Rankings: Where The Middle Class Grows And Grows - SB Nation
Last week: 9. This might be a premature. Okay, it's DEFINITELY a bit premature, but whatever. Still, when you go 0-4 like the Suns did last week, it's worth doing.