Derrick Rose is playing at an MVP level, Carlos Boozer is at an all-star level and if he didn’t tear ligaments in his thumb Joakim Noah would be an all-star also.

With everything on the up and up in Chicago, it’s only going to look better as eight of the next ten games are against teams under .500.

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The best thing about this is, no one is talking about the Bulls because of all of the other drama happening in the Eastern Conference.

The Boston Celtics are dealing with the injury to Kevin Garnett’s right leg, which was first said to be his knee but ESPN has the injury listed as his calf on Garnett’s player card. Besides the injury to one of their big three, the Celtics have been playing good ball and are at the top of the conference. If they fall off the top of the ladder or remain, there is going to be hoopla around the organization the duration of Garnett’s absence.

Miami is a circus show and as long as the team is still in existence with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Heat roster, they will always have more shine than Chicago.

The Orlando Magic were stagnant with their roster so they made headlines with blockbuster deals which moved Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, Mickael Pietrus and Marcin Gortat while receiving Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu. This deal puts them back in the elite race because they now have players who want to win instead of simply being paid.

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While all this is going on, the Bulls are staying off the radar and doing what they have to do to win games.

Mentioned before, Noah had surgery on his thumb and has missed six games which has resulted in only two loses for the Bulls. The team hasn’t technically filled the void, but they are putting in players who are producing where Noah did, defensively. Kurt Thomas, Omer Asik and James Johnson have stepped up their game and have made a difference coming off the bench.

Carlos Boozer had a couple of rough games after his return from his broken hand, but since then he has been unstoppable and has opened up the Bulls offense like never before. Chicago finally has an inside presence to draw double teams but also has great passing skills to find the open shooter.

Rose, Kyle Korver and Keith Bogans are shining as shooters because of Boozers job inside.

The only thing to worry about is becoming complaisant against lesser teams such as the New Jersey Nets (twice), Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Bobcats.

Fortunately, the Bulls have a roster full of character guys who thrive on proving the masses wrong.

The only two winning teams in the next ten games are the Celtics and the Heat. If the Bulls continue to play at their current level they could possibly win both of these games.

My early prediction is: Chicago takes nine out of the next ten games.

Leave your prediction…

How will the Bulls finish in the next ten games?

The Huffington Post reported Bulls center Joakim Noah made the rivalry even bigger with his comments about Celtics forward Kevin Garnett on the ESPN Radio program “The Waddle and Sily Show”.

Noah called Garnett mean and said he wasn’t nice to young players or European players.

I don’t really care what Garnett says but here is why this rivalry gets better.

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First of all, Noah continues to show his character and lets people such as Garnett and LeBron James, in last season’s playoffs, know he is a force and isn’t going to let them walk on him or the Bulls.

I don’t like the comparisons he constantly gets with former Bull Dennis Rodman who had all kinds of crazy antics such as multi-colored hair and saying whatever he wanted, but Noah has become the face of toughness the Bulls need just like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen needed Rodman.

In the 2009 playoffs the Bulls and the Celtics set NBA records with seven overtime periods in four overtime games. This summer Derrick Rose replaced Rajon Rondo as the starting point guard for Team USA in the FIBA World Basketball Tournament which led him to leaving the team. Nov. 1 the two teams went into overtime with all the makings of a great regular season game as Ray Allen and Kyle Korver exhanged three-point baskets, defenses made big stops and each rebound meant a win or loss, just like a Boston-Chicago game should.

Noah has thrown another branch into the endless burning bonfire known as the Bulls-Celtics series because Garnett and his teammates live for these type of comments. They’re going to try to knock every Bull on their ass while the Bulls are going to try backing up Noah by playing just as physical.

Paul Pierce will do his pump-fake then step into guys to get more fouls, Garnett will throw more elbows, Allen will attempt more three-pointers and Rondo will go even harder at Rose.

At the same time, Noah is going to yell and pump his chest after each rebound, Rose is going to attack Rondo with the same ruthlessness as Rondo is, Korver will come off the bench and answer Allen and the world will all be watching.

Maybe, Tom Thibodeau and Doc Rivers will start throwing chairs.

Even if it doesn’t happen, the Dec. 3 match up on ESPN should have the attention of every Bulls fan to see what will be the aftermath of Noah’s statements.

Why should we be hyped about the first night of NBA action?

First, the new big three will be together on a basketball playing a game of basketball instead of dancing around and showboating they had come together. Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh are going to become a legendary threesome in the NBA. Honestly, they could go down in history as the best. But, before this can happen, they have to beat the Boston Celtics, the reigning Eastern Conference champions.

The old big three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen meets the new big three in Miami. The Heat want to be who the Boston Celtics are, except with a little more flash and a few more championships.

This is a great day one match-up.

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The other two match ups have bring some drama of their own.

The Phoenix Suns travel to meet the Portland Trailblazers. These two squads met in the first round of the playoffs last season but the Blazers were missing their star Brandon Roy. If Roy was in the lineup, the Trailblazers might have taken the series or at least wore them down a little more before the Suns reached the Western Conference Finals.

There has been rumblings in the media of how Steve Nash isn’t pleased with his team.  With Roy back and Nash unhappy, what will happen? I think Portland will be for real this year if they can stay healthy. It all starts at the first game of the season when the Blazers beat the Suns.

After Miami and Boston open up the season on TNT, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets will be the follow up.

Houston center Yao Ming hasn’t played an NBA game since May 2009, but he is back. Ming is returning tonight but will play only 24 minutes, not just tonight, the entire season. The Rockets have fast Aaron Brooks, talented big man Luis Scola and NBA elite scorer Kevin Martin, add Ming and the Rockets can be a dangerous team.

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The Rockets are talented but they are running into a Los Angeles Lakers team which is dedicated to prove they deserve another championship. Kobe Bryant wants to tie Michael Jordan with six rings and Phil Jackson wants to be the first coach to have four three-peats. This would be a huge accomplishment and if any two people can do it, it would be Bryant and Jackson.

Although, I pick them to win the championship again, the Lakers will have some problems with a healthy Rockets squad.

The center would have been a free agent after this coming season without the extension and had been in trade talks for a few of the best talents in the NBA: Lebron James, Chris Bosh and recently Carmelo Anthony. With this deal, Noah is secured as a Bull baring any trades.

Both the team and Noah wanted this deal, so it was only a matter of time before it came to actuality. The only question with the signing is, was it too much?

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Sure, Noah is one of the team’s best defenders and usually the solo blocking threat around the hoop. Also, he is a rebounding machine and comes to each game with an extremely high energy level and willingness to do whatever he needs to for the team to win.. But is this really worth $60 million?

Before the 2009-10 season, Noah was just a tall athletic guy who shared minutes and wasn’t a player the fans cared too much about. Last season, he averaged a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds and showed some character with his comments in the playoffs towards LeBron James and the city of Cleveland.

Now, the fans love him and the Bulls are dishing out mucho money to keep him on the squad.

I personally think he is a player the Bulls need, but not at $60 million. There isn’t any other player in the league making this much money off of a 10 and 11 season except Kevin Garnett, who signed his contract when he was putting up much larger numbers. This means, the contract was created off of potential and his character. He is the staple of the defense, but this could wind up to be a bad idea.

Noah isn’t a star and by no means a superstar and at the end of his career will be called a role player. Chicago is a city pleading for an NBA championship, but if the team is using a $60 million chunk on role players, it isn’t going to happen.

This season, Noah will make $3.2 million and next season he will make $10 million. In 2015-16, Noah will be 30-years old with a body that has been banging with 230 pound plus guys for eight straight seasons. Is he really going to be worth $14 million?

I understand, it’s professional sports and the contracts can get ridiculous, but if this team with Noah, Boozer, Rose and Deng don’t perform at a very high level, meaning deep playoff runs, this whole off-season movement will be done for nothing and cause problems with fans and the team. Not only for this season or the next five, but it will put the Bulls behind money wise for at least a decade.

All I’m saying is, I don’t want the Bulls to be the next New York Knicks, who make horrible contracts, get one or two good players. But have no one else around them because they can’t afford better players because other teams in the NBA don’t want to make deals with them.

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Rose has brought it to every country in the world championship games. He is making his shots and is getting others open for them to add their own points. Kevin Durant, who is the dominant scorer for the USA team, would not get any open looks if it wasn’t for Rose and his drive and dish mind set. The point guard is making defenses think he is going straight to the hoop, then gets frustrated when he dumps it off to an open cutter.

This is something Rondo can do, but Rose just does it better. Rose has better court vision. Rose has a better jump shot. Rose plays better defense. I’ve been saying it for a year, Rose is better than Rondo.

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This is the official stamp of my statement. Obviously Coach K thinks Rose is his guy to start the USA team. He wasn’t even playing the Boston guard in exhibition games causing Rondo to drop from the team because he wasn’t going to play. After Kevin Durant, Rose is the best player on this team. He is by far the best point guard, besting Chauncey Billups and Russell Westbrook.If Rondo would have stayed on the team and made the final cut, Rose would continue to outplay him as well.

With this said, the Bulls should move up to the third best team in the eastern conference on every ones list. Some have Boston better than Chicago, moving them to fourth, no way. The Bulls have a better point guard, Rose over Rondo.  Also, a more productive power forward in Carlos Boozer over Kevin Garnett and a healthy athletic center in Joakim Noah compared to Kendrick Perkins or the extinct Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal.

Plus, the Bulls have one of the top five three point shooters in the NBA, Kyle Korver, to match up with Ray Allen and Ronnie Brewer is going to be a handful for Paul Pierce.

This is only the match up with the Boston Celtics, not the rest of the league.  There is no doubt in my mind the Bulls are in the top three eastern conference teams, Rose outplaying Rondo is a big reason why.

The Chicago Bulls are one of these teams. They raided the Utah Jazz when Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver made Chicago their new home.

Okay, if you read bullshome.com, we know this stuff. Lets get to the point. All of the rebuilt teams are being questioned for their free agency pickups. Hoopsworld.com thinks the Bulls are the only team to have these pre-season questions as the site shares  their doubt in Chicago’s quest for elite status in the eastern conference. .

Hoops World arguments why the Bulls are being hyped up and will not be a top three team in the east.

• The team doesn’t know each other well
• Rookie Coach
• Celtics, Hawks, Bucks
• Why should we expect them to be a top three team in one year of team development?
• Too many ifs

Time for Bulls Home to tell you why we should expect the Bulls to be a top three team behind the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic.

First, are we forgetting about professionalism? NBA players are paid millions of dollars to play basketball. In their salary, isn’t a small portion added to compensate with change. Boozer is a veteran who obviously wanted the challenge of helping the Bulls become a premier team because he chose to sign.

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He was a free agent, he didn’t come to Chicago in a trade. I think this is a general human philosophy, when you know the challenges ahead of you before you start the next task, your prepared for everything including taking the time to make the team gel.

As professionals, these guys should be able to play together. It isn’t like Korver, Keith Bogans, C.J. Watson, Ronnie Brewer and Boozer are baseball players, they’re basketball players who have played with many many different teammates in their careers from high school to college to multiple NBA teams.

Second, does the name Phil Jackson ring a bell. If I remember right, the man with the most NBA championships as a head coach, started his career as an assistant coach.

Tom Thibodeau is a defensive guru. As an NBA assistant coach, 11 of his teams in the past 19 years have been in the top ten in defense. He has endless basketball knowledge and is working with a team full of guys who are willing to do what will help them win.

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I’m not calling Thibodeau the next Jackson, but it isn’t fair to say he won’t make a difference. Many current head coaches of winning franchises were assistant coaches before they were the head honcho.

Third, the other competition in the eastern conference looks the same as the Bulls do on paper. This means, the questions Hoops World are asking about the Bulls can be asked about the Hawks, Celtics and Bucks.

The Bucks have just as many new pieces as the Bulls: Jon Brockman, Keyon Dooling, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Drew Gooden, Corey Maggette and Larry Sanders. So, if the Bucks have all these new players, who are not as talented as the Bulls pickups, how are the Bucks any more cohesive?

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The Hawks are the same team as last year. They re-signed Joe Johnson for an undeserving contract and didn’t add any new pieces around last years playoff duds. Plus, they have a new coach who is heading a roster of unmotivated players.

The nursing home, I mean the Boston Celtics, have more ifs than all of the other teams, mainly injuries. One injury to Paul Pierce, Ray Allen or  Kevin Garnett and their season is over. They have backbone and are arguably the toughest team in the NBA, but basketball favors youth over age.

Kendrick Perkins is already out until Feb. and his replacements, Shaquille and Jermaine O’Neal, are not going to be able to keep up with the Celtics who love to run. Jermaine is simply hanging on for hopes of a championship while Shaq can only beat up his body so much before he needs to take two or three weeks off, not once or twice, but multiple times during the season.

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Fourth, they are expected to be a top three team because they have the talent to do so. Rose is a top five, probably top three by end of this season, point guard in the league. Boozer and Joakim Noah are now one of the best low post duos in the league.  Mentioned before, these are professional players who have been playing basketball for many many years who should be able to play with anybody.

Finally, it is the post season, every team has ifs. Will Steve Blake and Matt Barnes make a difference in Laker land? Will Blake Griffin be the player he has been hyped up to be? Will John Wall automatically make the Washington Wizards a playoff team? We could do this for each team in the NBA.

The difference between the Bulls from some of these other teams is, they have a strong young nucleus who wanted players who wanted to win to come to Chicago. Boozer is a winner while the role players are willing to do what they have to if it means victory. The ifs surrounding the Bulls are not, injuries or cohesiveness.

The only what if in Chicago should be, what if they beat the Miami Heat.

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According to the former NBA coach and current TV analyst, the Miami Heat with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are going to not only take the eastern conference but possibly win the NBA championship, break the 1971-1972  Lakers record of a 33 game winning streak and the Bulls record of 72 regular season wins in the 1995-1996 season.

Van Gundy is known as a man who will say what is on his mind and has been good for the sport on the sideline and the mic. With this said, I respect his opinion.

The Heat have put together a championship team, no doubt. If the Boston Celtics can win a ring with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and a young Rajon Rondo, who is blossoming into a great point guard, then the Heat can win with their big three, Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers and a stable of veterans ready to win a championship.

The Heat could win a title with the roster they created, no doubt. With all honesty, the only team standing in their way is the defending champs, the Los Angeles Lakers.

To say they can beat records, which seem unbeatable, is beyond crazy.

Call me crazy, because I think the Heat have the chance to do it. As a loyal Bulls fan, I definitely don’t want the record to be broken, but I think the Heat have the talent and ability to do it.

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James, Wade and Bosh are all in their prime. I can’t remember a big three in the history of the NBA who have put up the numbers these three have who are at their young ages. If you can, leave a comment.

Chalmers is a point guard who does all the little things and thinks pass first shoot later. This is the kind of guard the Heat need. In his two year career, he averages four assists a game.

Mike Miller is a guy who will come off the bench and produce in every possible statistic. He is a good shooter, including behind the three point line, a solid defender, rebounder and dish man. Miller, a 10 year veteran who has only played under 30 minutes a game three times, averages 14 points, five rebounds, three assists, 46% from the field and 40% from behind the arch for his career.

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Eddie House was picked up to add depth in their back court as well. He is a solid three point shooter who is not afraid to hit the dagger at the end of the fourth quarter after sitting for two and a half to three quarters. House, also a ten year veteran who has only played more than 20 minutes a game twice, averages eight points, two assists and rebounds, 84 % from the free throw line, 41% from the field and 40% from the three point line for his career.

The Heat also added some veteran big man to defend the post.

They brought back forward Udonis Haslem, who has been the defensive x-factor in Miami for the past seven seasons.  They then added three guys at the end of their career who will put up okay rebounding numbers but are big bodies who will make offenses work for their points: Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Jamaal Magloire and Juwan Howard.

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If the old men brake down the Heat have a rookie, Dexter Pittman, and three year player, Joel Anthony, who will use their minutes to prove they belong in the NBA. Well, maybe not belong, but at least be productive enough to win a championship.

The Heat have the roster. They also have the pressure to prove the forming of the super team was a good move.

Wade is being looked at as the leader of the team since he has never left Miami and recruited James and Bosh. If he doesn’t win, he will go down as a failure.

We all know the James story. If he doesn’t win a championship after leaving Cleveland high and dry, he will go down as the biggest superstar bust in history. Sure, he will win the MVP trophies, go to 15 all-star games and be on the All NBA First-Team for ten seasons, but he will not have a trophy. Which, whether you believe it or not, is the true ranking of great players. He would be put in the category of great players who never won a ring with Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing and the list goes on and on.

Bosh was coat tailing Wade and Bosh the entire free agency talk anyway, so it doesn’t matter if he wins or not.

The Heat have put together a solid supporting cast around two superstar and one all-star caliber players. There is also the pressure of proving the super team is a good idea that Wade and James want to rid.

If there was going to be a team to beat the record, it would be the Heat.

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The 38 year old is now on his sixth team during his 18 year career. I think it is safe to say, Boston is the last stop for the aging star. In a way, it is a perfect fit.

He is essentially going to a nursing home. The big three are past their prime; Paul Pierce, 32, Kevin Garnett, 34, and Ray Allen,35. Plus, they signed Jermaine O’Neal who is an old 31. This will be his last stop of his NBA career.

Kendrick Perkins injured his knee in the finals against the Lakers and will require knee surgery that will put him on the injured reserve list until February at the earliest. This means they needed to replace him.

Shaq, at 325 pounds, is still one of the biggest bodies in the league. He is still a force to be reckoned with in the paint on both sides of the ball. With Pierce, Allen, Garnett and Rajon Rondo, O’Neal doesn’t need to be a go to guy. Honestly, he doesn’t even need to play more than 15 to 20 minutes a game if you add Jermaine and “Big Baby” Glen Davis to the fold.

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There is no way in my mind, the Boston Celtics can compete with the Miami Heat or the Orlando Magic. Actually, if Carlos Boozer comes with his offensive “A” game, the Celtics will not be able to beat the very fast and athletic Chicago Bulls. But, there is still talk that the Celtics are going for another run at the NBA championship.

With the addition of the O’Neals, they are putting slow pieces on a roster that relies on running the court.

This, four super stars on one team, reminds me of the Houston Rocket team in the late 90′s early 2000′s. Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Clyde Drexler were on their last legs and Scottie Pippen was past his prime. Also, the Los Angeles Lakers with Shaq, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton and Karl Malone. Payton and Malone were done and Shaq was on the decline then.

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It just never seems to work. General managers get this idea to put four hall of fame bound players together at the end of their career and see what happens. It all ends the same, they play well during the regular season until their body shuts down. By the time the playoffs come, three out of the four big name players are ready for rest and relaxation and can’t compete with the younger stars.

No one said the Celtics would get to the finals this past season. They shocked the world by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic, I’ll give them that. But now, they have gotten older and slower while other teams have become quicker and more experienced.

O’Neal is going to retire what he is now, a 15-time all-star, four time NBA Champion and the fourth leading scorer in NBA history. His one or two year run in Boston will not change anything.

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The Bulls didn’t get one of the three big named free agents and the three players signing to another eastern conference team like the Miami Heat was discouraging but I have been awaken by the same people for the discouragement.

At first, the signing of Carlos Boozer didn’t seem like such a good move.  He definitely wasn’t big enough bait for LeBron to come to Chicago and at times he has brittle bones.  But, he when he is healthy, which is more than half of a season, he is a dependable 20 and 10 guy.  Plus, he is an eight year veteran who can mentor Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. Actually, Boozer is the eldest player on the Bulls; he can give tips to the entire team. Also, he has playoff experience past the first round. After personal debate, I am excited to see Boozer as a Bull.

[picappgallerysingle id="8743706"]Then the Bulls go back to the Utah Jazz roster and sign Kyle Korver.  Korver is a three-point sniper the Bulls have been looking for.  He isn’t a great defensive player, but he does have a true NBA small forward body making it harder for guys to get around him.  He will fit in well with the Bulls up-tempo offense as well; he is athletic.

Reinsdorf has also offered Orlando Magic restricted free agent, J.J. Redick, a three year deal worth $20 million.  He hasn’t proven himself as a great player, so the contract may be a little much.  On the other hand, he has shown progress each of his four seasons in Orlando.  Redick was the only offense the Magic had in a couple of the games against the Boston Celtics in the quarter finals of the playoffs. The Bulls offer is based on potential and the player he could become, it is worth it.  He has shown he can play at the NBA level.

[picappgallerysingle id="8821742"]The Bulls are using their money wisely.  They’re going after the kind of players the Bulls roster has been lacking.  Chicago didn’t have an offensive threat in the low post or a reliable shooter.  Now, Chicago has both and are trying to acquire another shooter.

I GIVE THE FRONT OFFICE CREDIT. They are making the best out of a situation that looked like doomsday.  I would much rather have Boozer, Korver and Redick than the three guys that were traded for expiring contracts: Tyrus Thomas, John Salmons and Kirk Hinrich. Boozer is a man, Thomas is a little boy.  Korver is a better three-point shooter than Salmons and is more reliable to hit shots.  On the other Salmons plays better defense and unlike Korver, he can create his own shot.

I love Hinrich.  The Bulls should have traded Luol Deng and kept Hinrich, but he did have an overpaid contract they wanted to get off of the books.  Hinrich is the best backup point guard in the league.  He is a premier perimeter defender, a superb assist man and can he shoot from anywhere on the court.  The problem is, Rose is more valuable and when they traded Hinrich, so was LeBron, Wade or Bosh. Redick is bigger and is a more consistent shooter.  Plus, he has younger legs and still has plenty of upside.

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The Bulls are putting together a team instead of relying on one superstar player to take the “team” to the next level.  To win a championship in the NBA, the organization has to have a team, not one guy.  It has been proven over and over again.  LeBron didn’t win in Cleveland because he didn’t have a team around him and didn’t play with what he did have.  The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers win because they have role players who know what they have to do on the court.  They perform their jobs well and let the Kobe Bryants, Paul Pierces, Pau Gasols and Kevin Garnetts of the world do what they do.

The Bulls are not at a championship level at the present time but they’re a better team than they were last year.  The summer isn’t over and the Chicago Bulls still have the money to pick up whomever they wish.

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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?