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D-Rose tore up the Rockets any way he wanted including scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter off drives to the baskets he finished with fancy layups and mid-range jumpers.

Is there any doubt in any ones mind that Derrick Rose is the best point guard in the NBA?

This might be a bold statement, but come on, what else does he have to do to prove it to you…pull a Rajon Rando score ten points and have 15 assists? Why… Rose is fifth in the league in scoring and leading all point guards with 25 points per game while assisting 9.2 times a game for seventh in the league.

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I’m not going to pick on Rando, because I’ve already done that, but could Rando put up the numbers he does as a Boston Celtic with the Chicago Bulls. Instead of having a historical  NBA shooter such as Ray Allen he would have Luol Deng, who is improving but not anywhere near Allen. Instead of a ruthless scoring threat such as Paul Pierce, he would have Keith Bogans, who will never be the top scorer of a Chicago Bulls game.

Chris Paul is dishing 10 assists a game but only putting up 17 points. The Hornets are only 8-1 but it’s more of a team effort with him guiding instead of sparking the effort such as Rose does on a nightly.

Utah Jazz’s Deron Williams is the closest to Rose averaging 22 points and 10 assists a game as Utah having a similar record to the Bulls (6-3) but the Jazz (7-4) started the season dropping their first two games by 22 and 16 points. If the amount of points the Bulls lost the three games by are added together, it equals only 25.

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Rose is putting up better numbers, is the spark for his team to come back from a 21 point deficit to win games and keeps his team competitive. He is the only point guard doing all three of these and playing solid defense on a consistent basis.

I thought this before, but the game against the Rockets confirm my allegation: Rose is the best point guard in the NBA.

I’m disappointed in the Bulls, favorite team, and the Blazers, one of my two bandwagon teams, couldn’t help me out. If they can’t who can, I guess Friday’s games will tell.

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Thursday Results (0-2)

New York Knicks beat Chicago Bulls 120-112…Wrong, the Knicks shot the lights out of the United Center and the Bulls defense didn’t do anything.

Oklahoma City Thunder beat Portland Trailblazers 107-106 in overtime…Wrong, Durant and Westbrook took it to them.

Friday’s Picks

Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics…Bulls, they have to play defense the entire game, if they do, they can beat the Celtics.

Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers…Bucks, Milwaukee is a complete team with better individual skill.

New Jersey Nets at Orlando Magic…Magic, too big, too talented, too better in every aspect.

Cleveland Cavaliers at Philadelphia 76ers…Cavaliers, 76ers played well last game, but there are too many distractions with Andre Iguodala trade talk and coach Doug Collins has been bothered with illness.

Charlotte Bobcats at Detroit Pistons…Bobcats, two bad teams, Charlotte is better.

Washington Wizards at New York Knicks…Knicks, if they shoot anything similar to yesterday, they destroy the Wizards.

Miami Heat at New Orleans Hornets…Heat, Chris Paul will play well in an audition for the team, but Heat will kill them.

Atlanta Hawks at Minnesota Timberwolves…Hawks, Minnesota is terrible.

Memphis Grizzlies at Phoenix Suns…Suns, although they’re on the decline, they’re still better than the Grizzlies.

Los Angeles Clippers at Denver Nuggets…Nuggets, after the loss to San Antonio they want redemption.

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Utah Jazz at Golden State Warriors…Jazz, Deron Williams and Al Jefferson are starting to come alive.

Toronto Raptors at Los Angeles Lakers…Lakers, same old story, too good for team with minimal talent.

I thought the way the Spurs performed against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday would carry over to the game against the New Orleans Hornets. I was wrong as Chris Paul showed he is healthy and back to prove he is one of the best players in the league scoring 25 points with seven rebounds and five assists.

The Hornets won 99-90 to give me my only blemish on the day.

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On a lighter note…8-1 is something to smile about.

John Wall scored 28 points and had nine assists for the Washington Wizards, but the Atlanta Hawks had too much talent with five players in double figures to get a 99-95 win.

Five Sacramento Kings scored in double figures as well, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-104.

LaMarcus Aldridge and the Portland Trailblazers beat the New York Knicks by 5, 100-95.

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The Pacers prove they are a better team than last year by playing all aspects of the game on a higher level not just Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers, 99-86, but also in their loss against the Spurs, where they stayed close.

The Memphis Grizzlies and the Denver Nuggets smacked their opponents and the Milwaukee Bucks pulled out a 10-point win against the Charlotte Bobcats.

Best of all: the Chicago Bulls came back from a 21-point deficit to beat the Detroit Pistons 101-91.

This brings a lot of speculation.

First, it is a well known fact Fernandez wasn’t happy with the amount of minutes he received last season as a Portland Trailblazer.

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If Fernandez is a Bull, he will be behind Rose, Brewer, Watson and probably Kyle Korver. If he is fifth on the back court depth chart, he will get less minutes than he did in Portland when he was behind Brandon Roy, Andre Miller, Steve Blake and Martell Webster.

There is a possibility he would get around the same amount of minutes, is he going to be happy with that?

Jerry Reinsdorf doesn’t need to sign players who are going to make the transition from being a consistent eight seed to an elite team in the eastern conference harder than it already is. Fernandez has talent and would fit in well with the team on the court when he does get in. But, if he has a problem sitting on the bench when he isn’t needed in the game, then don’t sign him.

The talent Fernendez has is needed, I won’t understate it. He would be an additional three point shooter. After last years poor shooting performance, the Bulls can’t possibly have enough sharp shooters. Rudy can also take it to the lane. Having another guy, besides Derrick Rose, who can cause more than one defender to drop into the paint and leave his match up would be great for the Chicago playbook.

What would the Bulls have to give up to get Rudy Fernandez?

There have been talks of trading last year’s rookies, James Johnson and Taj Gibson. Also, there have been rumors the Bulls would throw in a first round draft pick with Johnson if the Blazers wanted more.

First of all, Gibson should not be traded unless your going to get a top five player in the NBA. They’re not going to get LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul or Kevin Durant, so he shouldn’t even be on the market. In his rookie year, he was fantastic. He adds depth in the front court who can take it to the hoop or keep the opposition away from it. The Bulls are not paying him top dollar but he is putting up top numbers for where they got him in the draft.This equals a great investment.

Johnson could be traded for Fernandez, I have no problem with the idea. The Trailblazers are not going to give him up for only Johnson though, at least they wouldn’t if they’re smart.  They want to throw a draft pick in the situation. A second round pick, okay, no problem. But, there is no way the Bulls should give up a first pick and Johnson for Fernandez.

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Draft picks are a big reason why teams like the Spurs, Lakers and the Trailblazers have stayed relevant. Draft picks are how teams such as the Nuggets, Cavaliers, Bulls and the Kings have become relevant or are becoming relevant.

Rudy is a solid player, but he is not good enough to throw away an option on a future player who could help the Bulls get to or stay at an elite status. Fernandez could be the player to help instead of getting a draft pick, but if he is complaining about minutes, the better idea would to get a player out of college who just wants to show he belongs in the NBA.

Fernandez has been in the league for two years as a Portland Trailblazer. In those two seasons, he averages 9.4 points, 2.0 assists, 85% from the free throw line, 40% from the field and 39% from the three point line.

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.

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“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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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#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.

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#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.

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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.

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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.