Remember Us? Don’t Count out the Chicago Bulls in 2012-2013

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. The Bulls have become an afterthought due to Derrick Rose’s injury, but with Tom Thibodeau (pictured above) running the show, don’t count Chicago out just yet.

By Wesley Kaminsky

In the wake of Dwight Howard going to the Lakers, Andrew Bynum going to the Sixers, and Joe Johnson going to the Nets, the 2012-2013 Chicago Bulls lie somewhere in the desert.

This is the team that had the best record in the NBA over the past two seasons and lost their superstar Derrick Rose to a torn ACL in the first round of the playoffs last season.

This is the team that was the biggest threat to Miami in the Eastern Conference before that injury.

Yeah, that team. Remember them? It seems like a lifetime ago in which they were championship contenders.

Advertisement

Chicago Bulls Season in Review: A Once Promising Season Ends in Heartbreak and Despair

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Andre Iguodala (pictured above) ended Chicago’s championship aspirations last night as he hit two huge free throws at the end of a great Game 6.

By Wesley Kaminsky

All was well.

The Chicago Bulls led 99-87 with under two minutes to go in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Derrick Rose appeared to have shaken off his rust from various injuries throughout the season. He was on his way to a triple-double, pouring in 23 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. The Bulls had dominated the Sixers and were healthy for the first time all season.

Then it happened. Rose was down holding his left knee.

It didn’t look good. The mood in the United Center had changed as everyone held their breath praying Rose would pop back up.

Is this the Year the Chicago Bulls Return to Glory?

Photo courtesy of hdnux.com. Can Derrick Rose (pictured above) lead Chicago to a championship this year? Our very own Wesley Kaminsky certainly hopes so.

By Wesley Kaminsky

Lately, I’ve been daydreaming in my head. It’s a pleasant dream, in fact. I envision Derrick Rose nailing an 18-foot jump shot from the top of the key over the outstretched arms of LeBron James to send the Bulls to the NBA finals.

In this glorified shot, Rose shuts up all the doubters who say he is a choker, while not in any way eliminating the criticism of that James guy. LeBron I think is his first name.

In this shot, I can hear Mike Breen proclaiming his infamous “Puts it in” call with an exclamation point, as Derrick Rose shuts the door on the Miami Heat, getting revenge for last seasons heartbreak.

Rose does this in Chicago too. Screw it, in Game 7. This is only a dream, right? Why not make it the best it can be? I see Rose showing little emotion after the shot, rather just staring down the Miami Heat bench.

Cold-blooded. The Bulls are headed back to the finals and get a chance to go for championship number seven, against say, the San Antonio Spurs. My daydream hasn’t gotten that far to think about the NBA finals yet though. I’m still trying to soak in what just happened against the Heat.

Then, I wake up from my daze. Wow. I’m a loser.

NBA Mid-Season Awards

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Chris Paul (pictured above) has made "Lob City" possible and turned the Clippers into a contender. He is also Wesley Kaminsky's pick for the MVP thus far.

By Wesley Kaminsky

With half of the condensed season done, the NBA world has seen everything from the Clippers becoming relevant to the legend of Jeremy Lin, also known as “Linsanity.” For NBA fanatics, this season has been fantastic, as there are games on every night. With a much-needed All-Star break coming up for the players, who is making the biggest impact this season? Here are my mid-season awards.

MVP: Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers:

Look, the obvious choice for the MVP award this season is LeBron James, who has been simply sensational from Day 1. He’s averaging 27.6 points, 8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game. He’s also on the team that has the best record in basketball. Having said that, he doesn’t get my vote. Chris Paul does. Paul inherited a 32-50 Clipper team and has turned them into a contender. At 20-11, the Clippers are sitting atop the Pacific Division, with Paul averaging 19.2 points and 8.6 assists per game. He has been the catalyst all season long and is the main reason why the Clippers are for once relevant. I continue to try to make my case that on a team that features both LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, neither of them should win the MVP award.

Bulls Rallying Through Injuries, Rose Hopes to Return Soon.

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. In order for Chicago to make a run at the championship this year, their star Derrick Rose (pictured above) will have to get healthy.

By Wesley Kaminsky

If there is one thing every person in the sports world  know about the Chicago Bulls, it’s that their championship hopes lie squarely on the shoulders of reigning MVP, Derrick Rose. After missing just six games throughout his first two seasons in the NBA, Rose has already missed eight games this season due to turf toe and back spasms. With his lingering back spasms, Rose went to see a back specialist on Monday, who revealed that there was no structural damage.

Rose went on to say, “This back pain should be behind me in a couple of days. I should be back out there in a couple days. I’m going to take my time and be smart.”

No Bull: It’s Championship or Bust in Chicago

Photo courtesy of derrickrosemvp.com. Derrick Rose (right) is coming off a magical season that resulted in an MVP award. His team however fell short in the playoffs. This year, he is determined to bring Chicago its first title since the Michael Jordan days.

By Wesley Kaminsky

After a 2010-2011 season in which the Chicago Bulls finished 62-20, made the Eastern Conference Finals, had both the coach of the year in Tom Thibodeau and MVP in Derrick Rose, many said the Bulls overachieved and reached their maximum potential. Not if you ask Bulls fans or Derrick Rose, though.

Heartbreak from a Chicago Bulls Fan: 2010-2011 Season in Review

Courtesy of BasketBawful.blogspot.com. League MVP Derrick Rose (pictured above) was unable to lead his team past the star studded Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Can he lead the Bulls to Eastern Conference Title next year?

By Wesley Kaminsky

It’s been about a week since the Chicago Bulls 2010-2011 season
came to a close, and forgive me for waiting this long to write this, but it’s
been a process of recovery for me.  As a Bulls fan for as long as I can remember, this was the best season I had gone through as a fan thus far in my life. The regular season could not have gone more perfect. In an off-season in which the Bulls failed to land LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, they still managed to jump from 41 wins to 62, securing the best record in basketball.  Not only did they have the best record, but the coach of the year in first year
head coach Tom Thibodeau, and MVP in Derrick Rose. Heading into the playoffs, my mindset was if the Bulls did not at least make the Eastern Conference Finals than it was a waste of a season, and I firmly believed that.  The regular season means nothing, and it’s all about what you do in the playoffs, just ask LeBron James from his Cavalier days.  Although it wasn’t pretty at
times, the Bulls did reach the Eastern Conference Finals, something that Bulls
fans did not imagine happening in the beginning of the season.

“Bulls Offense Stalls, Heat Take Game 2”

Derrick Rose (pictured above) did not play like the NBA MVP tonight. Our very own Bull's expert Wesley Kaminsky feels that Rose is due for a huge performance in Game 3.

Wesley is a sports expert and journalist out of Philadelphia that writes for Bleacher Report.  You can check out all of his work at  http://bleacherreport.com/users/88810-wesley-kaminsky or follow his twitter @Wesley_Kaminsky

For the Bulls, and their fans, things could not have gone better after game ones 103-82 thumping of the Heat. The Bulls had dominated the Heat in the second half, led by their defense, and glass domination. Oh yeah, and also two Taj Gibson exclamation point dunks. You could say it was a perfect three days in Chicago from Sunday to Wednesday night up until Luol Deng drilled a half-court shot to end the first quarter. The Bulls led 26-19 after one, and from then, it was all down hill.

“A Solid Matchup in the East”

Dwyane Wade (left) and Lebron James (right) have been lights out in the playoffs thus far. I fully expect Miami's dynamic tandem to give the Bulls fits and advance to the NBA Finals.

So the NBA Playoffs have not gone exactly as many projected.  The majority of people across the country had a Lakers/Celtics rematch penciled in for June.  Or they at least expected the NBA’s 2 most storied franchises to advance to their respective conference finals.  I will admit that I was one of those people.  Well I, along with many others was wrong.

“Is It Championship or Bust for the Bulls?”

   

Derrick Rose (pictured above) put on another stellar performance last night in leading the Bulls to a huge victory over the Celtics. Is it now championship or bust in Chicago?

Wesley is a sports expert and journalist out of Philadelphia that writes for Bleacher Report.  You can check out all of his work at  http://bleacherreport.com/users/88810-wesley-kaminsky or follow his twitter @Wesley_Kaminsky

In the beginning of the NBA season I was excited, and looking forward to a fun Bulls season. It was the most excited I had been for a season in my whole life as a Bulls fan.

Did I think they would get the number one seed? No.

Did I think they could possibly come out of the Eastern Conference? Nope.