Chicago Bulls Blog – Page 37 – NBA Blog

Derrick Rose believes he can regain MVP form

Derrick Rose

Hopefully still has that crazy quickness

Rose believes he’s ready to dominate again and help his team contend for a championship.

With training camp set to open this week, the former MVP point guard said there are no lingering issues with his surgically repaired left knee.

”Who knows when I’m going to get my rhythm?” he said. ”It might take one game. It might take five games, 10 games. Who knows? I think me having that relationship with my teammates and them knowing that and not just depending on me right away, just knowing that I’m just trying to fit in with them, do my job where my job is to come in, run the game and get them open shots and play aggressive. I think the guys on the team know that. And me knowing that, too, I think it’s going to be a smooth year, a smooth process.”

Asked if he has any doubts he’ll regain his MVP form, Rose said, ”No.”

Reported by Andrew Seligman of the Associated Press

Chicago Bulls announce basketball operations staff promotions

The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has promoted Randy Brown to Assistant General Manager, Ivica Dukan to Director of International Scouting/Special Assistant to the General Manager, Nick Papendieck to Head Strength Coach, and also hired Matt Johnson as Assistant Strength Coach.

Brown is entering his fifth season with the Bulls and has spent the last three seasons serving as the Special Assistant to the General Manager. He served as the team’s Director of Player Development during the 2009-10 campaign. Originally drafted by the Kings in the second round (31st overall) of the 1991 NBA Draft, Brown played 12 seasons and was a member of three NBA Championship teams with the Bulls (1996, 1997, 1998), including the 1996 team that won an NBA-record 72 games during the regular season.

Dukan will begin his 23rd season with the Bulls after being hired as the Director of International Scouting on Aug. 20, 1992. Prior to being hired full-time, Dukan worked as a part-time scout for the Bulls during the 1991-92 season. Dukan had a successful 14-year career overseas, as he played in England, Switzerland, France and Yugoslavia. A native of Croatia, he served as captain of the team in Split, Croatia and played for the Yugoslavia National Team.

Papendieck is entering his third season with the Bulls, as he spent the last two seasons as the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. Prior to joining the Bulls, he was a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Virginia. A native of Edgerton, Wis., Papendieck earned a B.S. degree in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2009 and an M. Ed. degree in Kinesiology in 2011 from the University of Virginia.

Johnson begins his second season with the Bulls, and first in a full-time capacity, after spending the 2012-13 season as a Strength and Conditioning Intern. Prior to joining the Bulls, Johnson served as an intern with the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Strength and Conditioning department. Johnson received his B.S. degree in Exercise and Sport Science with an emphasis in Strength and Conditioning, as well as his M.S. degree in Human Performance, from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2012.

Derrick Rose thinks he is 100 percent healthy

Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose repeated what he said in July by declaring he is fully healthy for the upcoming season.

Rose missed all of last season recovering from a torn ACL.

“I think I am 100 percent,” Rose told CSNChicago.com Friday. “I’m doing almost everything. I’m squatting, running, lifting almost every other day. Just being back on the court after you have an ACL injury, you’re kind of hesitant at first about how you step, what way you should step, learning how to run, accelerate, accelerate while you run and while you’re slowing down.”

“For me, I’m reacting right now where all I have to think about is if I have to get to a spot, I’m going to get there no matter what. It kind of feels good having that feeling again.”

Reported by the Sports Xchange

Bulls and Luol Deng not yet able to reach extension agreement

Negotiations between the Bulls and Luol Deng’s camp surrounding a long-term contract extension have stalled, CSNChicago.com has learned.

Yahoo! Sports reported that initial discussions had been taken place between the two parties in separate late-June and early-July meetings regarding keeping the All-Star small forward in Chicago beyond this season, the final year of his current deal. But when the talks were revisited, the Bulls opted to put those plans on hold for the time being and risk the team’s longest-tenured player becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.

“We were optimistic,” the source said of the mentality Deng’s camp had heading into the late August meeting, approximately two weeks ago. “Our goal was to get an extension done this summer. If that’s not what they want to do, so be it.

“We’re not upset, Luol isn’t upset. We’re just looking forward to this season and next summer,” continued the individual, who acknowledged that Bulls management expressed how much they value the two-time All-Star, even stating their desire to see him retire in a Bulls uniform.

Reported by Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago

Prosecutors will not file assault charges against Scottie Pippen

Prosecutors have slapped down allegations that retired hoopster Scottie Pippen assaulted an autograph seeker outside a Malibu restaurant last June.

The Los Angeles District Attorney said Tuesday it will not press charges against the former Chicago Bull because the man who claims he was roughed up was legally drunk at the time, may have been the aggressor and did not have injuries consistent with the beatdown he claimed he suffered.

An investigator also found that while alleged victim Camran Shafighi complained of severe pain to his ankle and demanded a splint after the incident, staff at UCLA Medical Center later saw him walk without a limp.

The emergency room staff also said Shafighi faked seizures that would mysteriously disappear when a doctor ordered him to “stop it,” a DA filing obtained by the Daily News states.

Reported by Nancy Dillon of the New York Daily News

Chicago Bulls name Jennifer Swanson Director of Sports Performance

The Chicago Bulls announced today that Jennifer Swanson has been named the team’s Director of Sports Performance.

Swanson will be responsible for overseeing the athletic training and strength and conditioning departments, as well as massage therapy, chiropractic care, nutritional support and any auxiliary services.

A native of Gilroy, Calif., Swanson spent the past five years as a Performance Physical Therapy Manager at Athletes’ Performance in Los Angeles, Calif. She was responsible for working with professional athletes from the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB, as well as a variety of international, collegiate and high school athletes. Prior to her tenure at Athletes’ Performance, Swanson completed a Sports Physical Therapy Residency at the University of Pittsburgh/Centers for Rehab Services, where she also spent time working as an intern with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Swanson earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Duke University (2004) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Psychology from the University of California, Davis (2001). She is a Board Certified Specialist in Sports and Orthopedics, as well as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Swanson is also an accomplished track athlete, as she is a six-time NCAA Division II All-American and was the National Indoor Pole Vault Champion in 2000.

Video: Michael Jordan dunk at age 50

Here’s a video clip of Michael Jordan dunking at age 50 while messing around on the court with some young players:

It’s a simple basic dunk, but still: All hail the legendary Air Jordan!

Derrick Rose expected to suit up Oct. 5 at Indiana

Derrick Rose could suit up Oct. 5 at Indiana

Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose could suit up for the first time in more than a year when the Chicago Bulls visit the Indiana Pacers for the preseason opener on Oct. 5.

The preseason schedule released Thursday also has the Bulls playing Washington in Rio de Janeiro on Oct. 12 and hosting Detroit on Oct. 16. The regular-season schedule comes out Tuesday.

Rose is expected to be ready after sitting out last season while recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Reported by the Associated Press

Some possible 2013 Christmas day NBA matchups

The Knicks and Nets willl both play on Christmas, but Santa Claus isn’t gifting New York an inter-city match up.

A league source told the Daily News that the Knicks are tentatively scheduled to host Kevin Durant and the Thunder on X-Mas, the same day Brooklyn plays the Bulls at the Barclays Center.

The official NBA schedule won’t be released until next week.

The Knicks and Nets, according to a source, are slated to face off on Martin Luther King Day – one of four match ups between the division foes next season.

Reported by Frank Isola and Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News

Chicago Bulls waive forward Malcolm Thomas

The Chicago Bulls announced today that they have waived forward Malcolm Thomas.

Thomas (6-9, 225) appeared in seven games during the 2012-13 season with Chicago, and averaged 2.5 ppg in 8.4 mpg.

According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, “Thomas, who averaged 2.5 points in seven games last season for the Bulls, signed a contract that would’ve become guaranteed for $250,000 on Wednesday had he not been waived. With the Bulls in the luxury tax, his guaranteed money would’ve cost the Bulls more at the end of next season. The Bulls have 12 players under contract and remain in the hunt for veteran center Marcus Camby, along with the Heat and Rockets. If Thomas doesn’t sign with another team, he could be invited back to Bulls’ camp. However, his chances of making the regular-season roster always were a longshot.”