Category: Chicago Bulls Blog

Derrick Rose Quicker than light

Derrick Rose spoke to reporters for the first time since his five-game absence prior to tipoff of Wednesday’s 110-91 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

It was his second straight game since returning to the lineup, having scored 23 points and handing out six assists in nearly 35 minutes in Monday night’s win over the Atlanta Hawks.

“I felt good. If anything, I was just trying to test myself, trying to make sure that I still have it,” said Rose. “I hit a couple of shots, some of them I usually hit, I missed. I just tried to play my game, that’s aggressive and it started off pretty good.”

He followed that up with 16 points and seven assists in 30 minutes against Milwaukee and said his back is no longer a concern.

“I’m not worried about it anymore,” said Rose. “I don’t feel any pain anymore.”

— Reported by Christopher Cason of CSN Chicago

Tom Thibodeau Defensive-minded

Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau will coach the Eastern Conference All-Stars for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game, to be played on Sunday, Feb. 26, at the Amway Center in Orlando.

The Bulls (24-7, .774) clinched the best record in the conference through games played Feb. 15 with their 121-115 win over the Sacramento Kings tonight at the United Center.

Thibodeau, the NBA’s reigning Coach of the Year, is in his second season on the sidelines in Chicago. Last season, he guided the Bulls to an NBA-best 62-20 (.756) record and earned the top seed in the NBA Playoffs. Chicago advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Thibodeau earned Eastern Conference Coach of the Month honors for games played in December/January. He owns a career record of 86-27 (.761).

Oklahoma City’s Scott Brooks will coach the Western Conference All-Stars.

Boston’s Doc Rivers coached the East All-Stars last season, and San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich coached the West All-Stars.

The 2012 NBA All-Star Game will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the U.S., and reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.

Derrick Rose Quicker than the light emitting from your laptop

Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose saw a back specialist on Monday who confirmed MRI results that there is no structural damage to Rose’s back, according to general manager Gar Forman.

“Derrick saw a specialist this morning,” Forman said. “And it reconfirmed what we had thought previously and what the MRI had shown in that there is nothing structurally wrong with his back. It’s muscular.

“So at this point, we will continue with what we’re doing, which is we’ll continue with his therapy, continue to get rest, and it will be day to day. Seeing how he responds to the therapy. And when we feel, he feels, that he’s well enough to go back on the floor [he’ll return].”

Rose, who underwent the MRI last week, has missed the past two games with back spasms. The Bulls have home games coming up Tuesday against the Sacramento Kings, Thursday against the Boston Celtics and Saturday against the New Jersey Nets.

— Reported by Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago

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The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has waived guard Mike James.

James (6-2, 188) appeared in three games with Chicago, and averaged 4.0 ppg, 3.7 apg and 1.0 rpg in 8.4 mpg.  He signed with Chicago on January 11.

Chicago’s roster now stands at 13.

According to the Chicago Tribune, “this could pave the way for the Bulls to add a reserve big man, which general manager Gar Forman has alluded to as far back as training camp. Leon Powe and Joel Przybilla are two players with whom the Bulls have had conversations to bolster a frontcourt which currently has Luol Deng out.”

The Bulls are currently 17-4, which is the best record in the Eastern conference, and second best in the league behind the 16-3 Oklahoma City Thunder.

Derrick Rose said he’d make the pass again. Coach Tom Thibodeau said Rose made the right basketball play.

And fans keep asking: What in the world is Brian Scalabrine doing taking the go-ahead shot in the waning seconds?

To review: The Chicago Bulls lost to the Indiana Pacers 95-90 on Wednesday, their first home loss this season. Thibodeau had inserted Scalabrine for Carlos Boozer in an offense/defense switch on the Pacers’ previous possession. The Bulls got their stop when Joakim Noah rebounded a David West miss.

Eschewing their final timeout, Rose dribbled the ball upcourt, went to attack the left side and fired a crosscourt pass to a wide-open Scalabrine when Roy Hibbert and the Pacers’ defense collapsed on him.

“It’s a make-or-miss league,” Thibodeau said. “We missed.”

— Reported by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng hopes he won’t need surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist.

Deng was injured on Saturday against Charlotte and expects to miss at least a few more NBA games after sitting out Monday’s win over the New Jersey Nets. He said the wrist was still sore, but the pain has eased “a lot” the past few days.

“I know it’s a bad injury and it sounds terrible, but really, I think it will fine,” Deng said on Tuesday. “We’ve got a good team, and I think I’m going to be fine.”

Even so, surgery remains a possibility, and coach Tom Thibodeau said he was “week to week.” He said Deng did some dribbling with his left hand and shooting at practice on Tuesday, although Deng disputed that.

— Reported by Andrew Seligman of the Associated Press

Former Bulls player B.J. Armstrong has a new gig — on the Chicago Park District Board.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel picked Armstrong to replace Bob Pickens, who played for the Chicago Bears in the 1960s.

Emanuel says Armstrong’s passion for sports and experience as an executive make him a good choice to serve on the board and help manage the district’s 580 parks.

— Reported by the Associated Press