If a Bulls game goes without the Bulls Blogger watching it, has it really been played?

Only the fantastic baseball going on lately has saved me from going crazy while not being able to watch these Bulls preseason games. I called both Dish Network and Comcast Sports Net about the lack of availability for dish subscribers, but they both offered next to nothing as far as info regarding when a resolution will be reached. I am still keeping up through box scores and the beat writers, but I want to *see* how these guys look. Although this could be a blessing in disguise so I can go into the season opener with a clean slate.

From what I've been reading though, there have been clear positives and negatives in the exhibition season. Tyson Chandler has proven that his back is holding up, with a pretty heavy workload in the preseason. Two other positives have been Luol Deng and Andres Nocioni, whose efforts translated into 18pts, 12reb for Deng and 20,12 for the man they call 'Chapu'. Coach Scott Skiles has been suggesting the possibility that these two will play together on the wings for stretches, despite their apparent lack of quickness on the defensive end. Rookie counterpart Ben Gordon has not played well however, shooting miserably from the field, and playing "tentatively". (I think writing about him last week jinked him) And while Eddy Curry has been solid, he hasn't lost his knack for scoring outbursts followed by long periods of disappearance.

And then there is the crowded PG situation. The 1 or 2 spots available to either Frank Williams, Jannero Pargo, and Chris Duhon (Mike Wilks was released today) has been a tougher decision than I had predicted earlier , mostly due to Duhon's play. While Skiles has noted that Pargo's minutes have declined due to him already knowing his credentials, Williams hasn't gotten the same reassurance. It is becoming more and more possible that Williams will be the one released, not the contract-less Duhon. I'm not so sure about this being a good thing given Williams' noted defensive prowess last season with the Knicks. But at least it has to make Dickie V. smile. Then again he's always smiling, even when ripping into Zarko Cabarkapa and his European ilk.

Along with Duhon, fellow camp-invitee Jared Reiner has also been turning some heads and can make the team if the Bulls follow through with their plans to buy-out Eddie Robinson, who despite his glowing words at the start of training camp has reverted into the immature griping we as Bulls fans have grown to expect. Another likely red-tag recipient (Gary Trent is unofficially gone) is Cezary Trebanski, further clearing the way for Reiner.

For yet another season preview, Yahoo! Sports' and ex-Bull Steve Kerr focuses his on Curry and Chandler's make-or-break year.
 

Association

When I see this, I immediately think of this.

When something minor was major

I originally was going to mention this article on SI.com because the author., Chris Mannix,  predicts Ben Gordon to win Rookie of the Year.  I never even thought of it to be honest, but if you factor in how much of a....factor ("allow myself to introduce....myself") he needs to be on offense, then he has a very good shot. But instead of pointing out the possible ROY credentials Gordon can accumulate, Mannix uses this space to comment on this year's draft:

Not quite as sexy as last season's Lebrellopalooza is it? Teams entered the draft calling it a crap shoot and sure enough wound up going home with crap. After the first 10 picks I was waiting to see if any of the remaining 19 GMs had the chutzpa to hand David Stern a card with the worst four letter word he could ever step to the podium and say: P-A-S-S. I think the Bulls had the right idea in '96 when they drafted Travis Knight with the last pick in the first round and promptly renounced him. You think Jerry Krause stays up nights regretting that decision?

That Travis Knight pick brings me back to the days when Bulls' first round picks were inconsequential. Just look at the stiffs you can get when you're drafting last.  But the important thing was that it didn't matter. Knight and Simpkins? Who cares if they stink. Now when you're spending lottery picks on Marcus Fizer and Jamal Crawford...well all of a sudden you're really setting the franchise back if you make a mistake.

Nothing mattered in time of the dynasty years though,  the team was set and they were winning championships. There wasn't even a salary cap to worry about, while Reinsdorf was 'disrespecting' MJ with $30m contracts.

Chicagoans actually used to say they were *bored* with winning all the time. How bored? I remember a week in 1998 when the Bulls traded one of those famed draft picks, Jason Caffey, to the Warriors for David Vaughn. Vaughn played a total of 6 minutes for the team before being released when Krause (re)signed aformentioned stiff Dickey Simpkins, who was dealt away earlier in the year. Local talk shows had callers criticizing Krause for trading away Caffey for essentially nothing. Jason Caffey! Of course Bulls fans knew none of it would make a difference in the playoffs, but you have to come up with something interesting if your team is winning nearly every game.

Those were the days.....

Thanks a lot, capitalism...

The Bulls opened their exhibition season tonight at Boston (or nearby at least, in Manchester, N.H.). And I couldn't see the game.

True, the game was broadcasted on the newly christened Comcast Sports Net, owned by cable conglomerate Comcast in conjunction with Chicago owners Jerry Reinsdorf (Bulls and White Sox), Bill Wirtz (Blackhawks..not looking like a good investment considering there is no season), and the Tribune Co. (Cubs). This is similar to what Comcast has done in Philadelphia, and is a welcome addition with its proposed slate of local sports coverage. Now, I can listen to stories about Brian Urlacher's hamstring allll day.

However as of now this channel is only available to those who have Comcast Cable, and not to those who have DirecTV or, like me, Dish Network. Negotiations are ongoing, and a compromise should be inevitable since more Chicagoans subscribe to Dish than cable. And for good reason, since Comcast is expensive and their customer service is an absolute joke and I cancelled their cable just last weekend even though I knew it meant possibly missing Bulls games, because I hated them THAT MUCH.

Ok, just needed to get that off my chest. Seriously though, have a pow-wow and get this deal done Comcast, so I can enjoy the Bulls in some meaningless competition.

For tonight, at least, turns out I didn't miss much, as the Bulls got trampled in 30. Granted margin of victory in a preseason game really doesn't matter, but if you look at the box score you don't even see many moral victories. Curry and last year's 2nd round choice Tommy Smith had decent nights (Smith actually led the way with 13 points in 21 minutes). But they shot 36% from the floor, only 2-10 from 3-point range, and designated scorer of this year Ben Gordon had 0 field goals. Blech.

Next game is Friday at the United Center against the Hornets. Until then, I need to find the number to call and get my Comcast internet disconnected so I can switch to DSL....

Note: For some other Bulls season previews(mine will come eventually, I swear), check out courtesy of NBA.com and These Days.

Parting Shots

Jamal Crawford:

"I would say it's a little different here. Here, there's no hidden agenda, there's no motives, it's just to win. This is a first-class organization,"

Whatever Jamal, maybe that that organization you used to belong to can take back that generous contract. Geez, maybe Pippen did a little too much teaching last year.

Argh, well this kind of thing happens all the time, I shouldn't get too upset. Anyway, I'm sure Jamal will be very productive in New York. Why, ask his backcourt-mate, Stephon Marbury!:

"There will be a lot of between-the-legs stuff. Jamal is very athletic and plays with a flair the way I do. You've got two guys with trickery to their game, and that's beautiful."

So, if anybody wants to go check out the new Harlem Globetrotters...