The teams head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is also the ring leader of Duke’s basketball program, said Rose performed well in exhibition games against the rest of the players trying out for the team. Coach K told this to Bulls.com about Rose’s performance.

“His ability to move the ball down the court and penetrate, he had eight assists, was very, very good,” Kryzewski said. “Defensively, he took it up a notch this week. Derrick really pressured the ball very, very well.”

This is great for all parties involved.

Team USA wins because they have one of the premier point guards in the NBA. They’re two point guards I think are better than Rose: Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Other than those two, I think Rose can take anybody else. Rose will prove Coach K made a great decision by putting him on the team.

The Bulls win because of the free marketing Rose and the USA Team are doing for them. Chicago fans and die hard NBA fans know if there is a listing of a Bulls game on the cable box, then turn it on to watch Rose play. Other people might not know this. International sports have a different audience, an audience the Bulls would like to advertise their best player in.

Rose wins because he has the chance to add to his resume as a basketball player. This isn’t the Olympics, but it is an international competition in which the world gives more than a round of applause to the champions. Who doesn’t want a gold medal sitting next to a rookie of the year award?

Rose’s teammates on the 2010 USA World Championship team will be:

• Chauncey Billups-Denver Nuggets
• Tyson Chandler-Dallas Mavericks
• Stephen Curry-Golden State Warriors
• Kevin Durant-Thunder
• Rudy Gay-Grizzlies
• Eric Gordon-Clippers
• Danny Granger-Pacers
• Jeff Green-Thunder
• Andre Iguodala-76ers
• Brook Lopez-Nets
• Kevin Love-Timberwolves
• Lamar Odom-Lakers
• Rajon Rondo-Celtics
• Russell Westbrook-Thunder

Phil Jackson has decided he wants to come back to the Los Angeles Lakers to attempt to win another championship.  This would mean Jackson would have 12 rings and four three-peats.  It is never happened in the NBA.  I love Jackson and am glad he isn’t succumbing to his injuries.

Doc Rivers is going to stay with the Boston Celtics.  He was thinking about throwing in the towel so he could spend time with his family.  Rivers has too much pride and wants to stay til the end of the big three.  Garnett is contracted to the team for two more years.  Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are free agents.  Pierce is reported to be working with the Celtics on a new contract while nothing has been said about Allen.  With their great showing in this years playoffs, I don’t see why Rivers would leave.  He still has the pieces to win another championship.

These are probably only one year returns, but one more year with Jackson and Rivers is better than none.

The Cleveland Cavaliers made a gutsy move by hiring Byron Scott as their head coach.  It isn’t a gutsy move because of Scott’s ability because he is good at what he does.  The issue of course, is Lebron James.  Is Scott a big enough name for James to stay?  I don’t think he is, unless he can get Chris Paul to leave the Hornets and come to Cleveland.  Talk about interesting.  How would Lebron turn that down?

I don’t know what has happened to James Johnson but Gibson is becoming a star in Chicago. Gibson was the steal of the draft. The Bulls took the 5th best player in the draft with their second pick.

He is averaging 9 points and 7 rebounds a game.  He has started 50 of the 62 games he has played for the Bulls.  Gibson is leading all rookies in rebounds and blocks.  He also has more double-doubles than any other player in his draft class.

I honestly believe he is a top five rookie.  Gibson might not be an immediate star but he is a solid low post role player a team like the Bulls needed.  Here are the other four on my list.

#1, Tyreke Evans is beasting for the Sacramento Kings.  He is the rookie of the year,  no doubt. #2, Brandon Jennings has been spectacular for the Milwaukee Bucks especially in his 55 point game in November.

#3, The Golden State Warrior’s Stephen Curry has proved to be what we thought he was going to be, an excellent shooter.   #4, Jerry Flynn has been better than I thought he would be.  He is a big reason the Minnesota Timberwolves are not the worst team in the league, but they are still one of them.

Darrren Collison has done a great job filling in for the injured Chris Paul on the New Orleans Hornets.   He is leading all scorers in ppg since the All star break.  I think Collison has had a couple of good weeks but he has not been consistent.  It may be because he is on the same team as Paul but Gibson is on the same team as Joakim Noah and has been playing well most of the season.  I think he is 6th on the rookie list, right behind Gibson.

When Noah developed plantar fasciitis in his left foot, Gibson stepped up.  He isn’t posting the double-doubles on a nightly basis like Noah was but he is getting them at a solid rate for a rookie.  Gibson is second on the team in blocks and third in rebounds.  Gibson gives the team great minutes.

He plays both sides of the court and is consistent.  Gibson is similar to Noah but is a more reliable scorer.  He is a hustle player and picks up his defensive assignments better than every big man on the team besides Noah.  If Noah gets healthy this semester, Brad Miller should take the bench.  Gibson and Noah are one of the best  front court defense and rebounding tandems.

Gibson is definitely in the top 5.

What do think,  who are the top 5 rookies in the NBA this year?

They have suffered bad loses to bad teams.  Which includes the Sacramento Kings winning after being down 35 points.  Yeah, the Bulls gave away the win to the second largest comeback in NBA history.

They have also had some good wins against good teams in this stretch.  They left arenas victorious against San Antonio, Orlando and took two games from New Orleans with Chris Paul.

Yesterday’s game seemed like a sealed .500 victory.  The Indiana Pacers are the sixth worst team in the NBA.  Danny Granger,  their best player,  has been hurt for most of the season.  When he has played,  there are signs of lingering pain.

The Bulls did not come to play.  The board grabbing presence of Joakim Noah was exposed.  They looked bored to say the least and were lucky to come away with the 109-101 win to become even with a 25-25 record.

Noah is needed.  He will be greeted with open arms by everyone when he returns after the All Star break.

It is considerably harder to chose these All Stars, because the West has more stars.  I like to argue and put my guys in the game, but this year, most of them were originally selected.  Shame on West’s Head Coach George Karl thinking the same.  He picked a solid back up squad that on paper could dominate the East’s reserves if the bench teams played a pick up game.

However, there are a few players who will be in the bleachers or on their couch who should be participants.  It happens every year.  Lets start with an interesting development.

Chris Paul- Paul is arguably the best point guard in the game.  He can score, dish, rebound and defend.  There isn’t an aspect of the game he doesn’t perform on a nightly basis.  Unfortunately for him,  he had to have surgery yesterday on his left knee.  I DID AGREE His replacement is………..

Chauncey Billups- Billups was a player I was going to write about being a snub.  Billups is a supreme floor general.  He is the coach on the court, guiding the talents of Carmelo Anthony and Nene to help the team win.  Not only does he find the open man but if you challenge him, he will hit a 3 pointer in your face.  Billup’s nickname “MR. Clutch” is self explanatory.  He is a winner and a huge reason why the Denver Nuggets have moved to the top of the Western Conference.  Billups is in the league’s top 25 with 19 points a game with the help of  41%  shooting from beyond the arch.  Also, he dishes out 6 assists per game for 12th in the NBA.   I AGREE I was originally going to put him in for……

Deron Williams- Williams is a good player.  Most people would probably put him past good.  I know a lot of people who say he is in the top 15 players in the league.  He is not that good.  I like his game but I like others better.  Williams does led the Utah Jazz to a 30-18 record for 4th in the west.  This is why he is selected.  He, like Billups, is a floor general.  He gets the ball where it needs to be.  Williams is 4th in the league with 9 assists per game and in the top 25 with 19 ppg.  The only problem is, his teammates do everything else.  He isn’t the team like a few others I really want to put ahead of him.  The problem with the other players is, they don’t produce wins like Williams.  Tyreke Evans is scoring 20 ppg and contributing 5 assists.  In his rookie year, he took over the Sacramento Kings when former stud Kevin Martin was injured.  Monta Ellis is a machine.  He is 6th in the league with 26 ppg and adds 5 assists.  On most nights, he is the only reason the Golden State Warriors stay competitive.  Evans and Ellis just can’t get the W’s, both of their teams have the Utah’s record, just flip flopped.  With this said…….AGREE…..BUT DON’T WANT TO

Pau Gasol- In the past, Gasol has been a definite All Star.  This year,  his game isn’t at that level.  He demands double teams and can grab a rebound from the other side of the court.  He can go inside and outside with the ball and is a defensive presence in the paint.  He cannot stay healthy.  The Lakers are winning games without him.  If he was on another team,  I’m sure it wouldn’t be the same story but the cards lie how they fell.  Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum have better stats and are quickly becoming as important as Gasol on the Lakers.  How does Gasol rate on an All Star team if their are players on his team who should be in before him.  DISAGREE He would be replaced with…..

Chris Kaman- Kaman is quickly becoming the best center in the west.  I chose him to be a starter.  He is dominant on the offensive side of the ball.  Kaman has great footwork and moves his body well around the basket and without the ball.  When he has the ball, cutters and wings on the 3 point line do not have to wait long before Kaman hits them up with a pass.  The Los Angeles Clippers are a low post liability without him.  Marcus Camby is getting up there in age and needs Kaman there to anchor him.  Even with Camby, one of the leagues leading defensive and rebounding players in the league for the last 8 years, Kaman still gets 9 boards and 20 points a game.    SHOULD BE

Now it is easy….no more debate.   These players have put up good numbers and have been helping their team win and improve.  They should be on everybody’s list.

Kevin Durant- “Durantula” will be a starter within the next couple of years.  “Melo” will need to continue video game numbers if he doesn’t want to lose his spot.  Durant is a one man scoring nightmare for the opponent.  He has the perfect form in his jump shot, he can boom it any big man’s face or will finish a lay-up with style if their is decent defensive pressure.  He has turned the Sonics/ Thunder into a playoff contending team.  Durant is an ultimate team player making everyone better.  He is currently tied with “Melo” for the league scoring lead with 27.9 points.  He is also in the top 25 in steals with almost 2 a game and grabs 7 boards.  AGREE

Dirk Nowitzki- There isn’t any need to explain Dirk’s abilities.  He is clutch on all levels.  He should have been named a starter over Tim Duncan.  At the beginning of the season, most NBA columnists thought the Mavericks were going to miss the playoffs or be a bottom seed.  With role playing help of Jason Kidd and Jason Terry, Dirk has took the Mavericks to the next level as they sit in 3rd place in the west with a 31-18 record.  His 25 ppg puts him in 7th place and grabs 8 rebounds a game.   AGREE

Brandon Roy- Roy is a stud.  With the addition of Andre Miller he has got to move with the ball for open shots, but he is still the go to player.  He definitely has the Kobe Bryant killer look.  Roy has taken control of a once faltering franchise and turned it into a contender.  Instead of an easy win,  opponents know they will have to fight for everything, especially the win.  Roy is 9th in the league with 23 ppg and also averages 5 rebounds and assists a game.  AGREE

Zach Randolph- Besides his attitude and his ability to quit playing in the middle of a game, Randolph has always had All Star techniques and stats.  He is a dominant offensive big man.  He knows how to get defenders off their feet and out of position.  He is finally becoming the player he could have been in Portland.  The Memphis Grizzlies should be happy they took a chance with Randolph.  For the first time in a few years, they may have a playoff caliber team.  Randolph is a big reason why.  He is averaging a double-double with 20 pts and 11 rebounds putting him in 11th and 4th in the league.  AGREE

IF YOU DON’T AGREE WITH ME OR GEORGE KARL, SEND A COMMENT, LET US KNOW WHO YOUR ALL STAR RESERVES WOULD BE

In his 2nd year in the NBA, Rose is the first Chicago Bull to be named to the team since Michael Jordan in 1998.  In case you can not do math,  it has been 12 YEARS.

Rose came into the league last year as the number one draft pick and showed he was worth it.  At the end of the year, he won the Rookie of the Year award.  He also helped his team push the Boston Celtics to a tough competitive 7 game series in the playoffs.

This year, Rose picked up from exactly where he left off.  Contributing 20 points a game, Rose is a scoring point guard but is contributes to the team in every aspect of the game.  He plays defense and averages 6 assists a game.  His jump shot is developing and it seems his court vision is hitting x-ray level.

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/01/derrick-roses-all-star-highlights.html

Having Rose named to the All Star team should be exhilarating for all Bulls fans.  This means the team is getting recognized.  Also,  the selection means the Bulls have a key piece to building a champion.

Boston’s Rajon Rondo, Atlanta Hawk’s Al Horford and the Charlotte Bobcat’s Gerald Wallace join Rose as first year selections to the East All Star team.  Atlanta’s Joe Johnson, Boston’s Paul Pierce and Toronto Raptor Chris Bosh complete the Eastern Conference’s roster.

Dallas Maverick’s Dirk Nowitzki will be the hometown hero of the game since it is in Dallas.  Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant, Memphis Grizzlies Zach Randolph and Utah Jazz’s point guard Deron Williams are the first year participants for the Western Conference.  Los Angeles Laker Pau Gasol, New Orleans Hornet Chris Paul and Portland Trailblazer Brandon Roy were selected as well.

This year, a few people got on the starting lineup because fans are focused on past careers. This means other players who have performed like a starter on the All Star roster are either at home or picked up by coaches to be off the bench. We will find out who they pick on Thursday. Lets look at who was picked and who should have been in some of their places.

I personally voted 10 times on NBA.com for the starters of the game. I will tell who got picked and then I’ll say if I agreed (voted for) or someone else should have been picked.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Steve Nash

Nash is playing awesome for a 35 year old point guard whose game is based around running up and down the court.  He is shooting the ball remarkable well.  His field goal percentage is 53%, three pointers are at 43% and is leading the league in free throw percentage at 94%.  Nash has the 5th most double doubles in the NBA with 27, averaging 18 points per game (ppg) and is 2nd in the league with 11 assists a game.  AGREE, but Chris Paul is right there.

Kobe Bryant

“Black Mamba” is the best player in the league.  We can sit here and argue Kobe V.S. Lebron all day,  but my opinion will stay the same.  Kobe is 4th in the league with 28 ppg.  Bryant legs look to be getting tired and his body beat up but he refuses to rest.  This might hurt him in the long run, but right now he is the best to watch.  AGREE

Carmelo Anthony

“Melo” was amazing in the first quarter of the season.  He slowed down do to small injuries, but still put up decent numbers.  Now, he is back to what he was doing before.  Anthony filled out a little more during the off-season and is playing with a bigger chip on his shoulder.  His play was falling short of his superstar popularity.  This can’t be said anymore.  “Melo” is second in the league in scoring with 29.7 ppg which is only .2 behind Lebron James.  AGREE

TIM DUNCAN

Duncan has never been an eye opening player to fans.  However,  on the court, he is one of the best big men to play the game.  His knees are starting to show his 12 years in the league but he still dominates.  Duncan, once again, has put the Spurs on his back, leading them to wins while his teammates sit on the bench with injuries.  He is 10th in the league with 10 rebounds a game and in the top 20 in scoring.  DISAGREE- I voted for Dirk Nowitzki.  I’m one of those fans, who don’t really like Duncan.  Even without the bias,  Dirk is a killer.  He has put his team on his back also.  I like his game better and he can give you more offensively.

AMARE STOUDEMIRE

Stoudemire is playing well for the Suns, even though they are consistently putting him on the trade block.  He is quick for his size but knee injuries seem to make it hard for him to run up and down the court.  He is a forward, but they listed him as a center for the All Star game.  I don’t think this is right.  With that comment………DISAGREE He is not a center and doesn’t play explosive ball like he used to.  I voted for Chris Kaman.  He is a 20 and 9 guy playing solid on both sides of the ball.  The Clippers are not a great team,  but they would be 9 to 10 wins less without him.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

ALLEN IVERSON

AI was one of my favorite players for a real long time.  He will be in the Hall of Fame and go down as one of the best pure scorers to every play.  That was then, this is now.  I wish him the best.  DISAGREE He is not an All Star.  There are plenty of people who should be on this team before him but I’ll only name one.  Rajon Rondo is developing into the best point guard in the Eastern Conference and should be on the team. He is in the top 5 in assists and leads the league in steals.

DWAYNE WADE

“D-Wade” is a beast.  He is in the top 5 in the NBA hands down.  He does so much with so little.  Wade takes a beating every night and keeps coming back for more.  He is 5th in the league in scoring, 7th in steals and tied for 10th in assists.  Dwayne does whatever he needs to do for his team to win.  An NBA highlight real isn’t complete without “D-WADE”.  AGREE

LEBRON JAMES

Lebron is the 2nd best player in the league.  He is putting up video games on a nightly basis.  LBJ can take over a game whenever he wants to whether it be with the ball or defending it.  He leads the league in scoring per game with 30 and is 7th in the league in assists.  Lebron, like Kobe will be on every All Star team until he retires.  AGREE

KEVEIN GARNETT

“KG”  can still play, but this year he hasn’t.  He has been injured or taken out of the game early to rest his aging legs.  Garnett is one of my favorite players, but like AI, doesn’t deserve the honor.  DISAGREE- I picked two different players for power forward.  I voted for Josh Smith and Antawn Jamison.  Both have played the game on a high level and remained healthy.

DWIGHT HOWARD

Howard is the only legitimate center in the Eastern Conference.  This doesn’t really mean much,  because he is a dominating inside presence.  His low post moves are not spectacular but they are better and do not take anything away from his great defense.  Every player in the league is scared to bring it in on the Magic when they see Dwight.  Howard is 1st in the league in blocks and rebounds and 3rd in the league in field goal percentage scoring 17 points a game.  AGREE

Do you agree with these selections,  theirs or mine?  If not, comment and tell us who you believe should be in the ALL Star game.

These young guys have stepped in and played some great games, and shown flashes of All-Star talent. Joakim Noah came from a college team in which he and the team succeeded year in and year out. In his first season with the Bulls he lashed out at teammates who dogged it during games, and weren’t always into the game in his opinion. Noah had a point, but as a rookie in the NBA this was not his role. This was the role of veteran players such as Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng or Andres Nocioni, who is by far the most mature of the group. Nocioni is a quiet player, who leads by example. He plays each game with 110% effort and never backs down to a defender.

This year the Bulls have a true point guard in Derrick Rose. Although still a young man, at 19 years old, he has the poise to become an All-Star and a leader of this team for years. Rose, a Chicago native, grew up watching the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s. Those teams were obviously lead by Michael Jordan, but always had a premiere court general in players such as BJ Armstrong, John Paxson and Steve Kerr. This year the young group of ball players should look to take over the torch. Gordon and Deng are having contract issues, which may lead to them being traded before the season, before the trade deadline or lost via free agency following the season. And Kirk Hinrich is coming of arguably his worst professional season.

The athleticism of this young group is similar to that of the New Orleans Hornets, who finished with the fourth best record last season. The talent, and production of Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler and David West may soon be compared to Derrick Rose, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. With players such as Tabo Sefolosha and Andres Nocioni there for the pass out for jumpers.

This team has the make-up to run up and down the court and tire opposing teams out with their speed, athleticism, and deep roster. The Bulls have 7 guys who can currently play the guard position, 4 who can play the small forward, and 5 who can play center or power forward. This allows Vinny Del Negro with plenty of substitution possibilites to keep the bodies on the court fresh.

Just imagine this for a second…

“Joakim Noah with the block.. ball recovered by Andres Nocioni who outlets to Derrick Rose.. Rose hurries the ball up the court and the Bulls have numbers with Tyrus Thomas running down the lane.. Rose sees Thomas, Rose tosses one up to Thomas, Thomas slams one down!”