Ben Gordon shows us the way with his rap skills

May 10th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanR

If there’s anyone who can pull the Bulls out of their collective drought so far against the Pistons tonight, it is one Mr. Ben Gordon.

I mean, he’s BG, the Rainmaker!

Please, Bulls. At least make it interesting tonight, OK?

(Via FanHouse.)

All growed up

April 29th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanE

Sorry, GP, but it’s not 1994 anymore.

Among the numerous taunting things that came out of my roommate and I’s mouths as the Bulls wore down - and swept - the Miami Heat today, that (my roommate’s comment) was perhaps the most poignant. Right when Tirico was introducing Payton as “The Glove,” an incredible defender with limitless tack, Ben Gordon zipped right past him and got to the hoop. Gordon scored on a floater, and Payton, who turned and screamed at himself, was obviously frustrated.

But who was he mad at? It’s not his fault he is getting older, just as it isn’t Alonzo Mourning’s fault that his knees don’t let him dominate defensively as he once used to, just as it isn’t Shaq’s fault that he can’t get any lift in the second half of games anymore, just as it isn’t Payton’s fault he can’t guard quicker perimeter defenders anymore. Like roommate No. 1 said - it ain’t 1994 anymore, and Shaq and Zo and GP and Toine and just learned: it’s 2007, and reputation is no match for well-drilled athleticism.

That’s really what the Bulls are all about, and why the team is so much fun to watch. They’re free-wheeling but execute in an incredibly defined manner. They have an air of nonchalance, but seem to hustle more than any other team in the NBA for offensive rebounds and second-chance points. They’re the type of team that makes you proud to be a fan, both for the way they play and for the way they try to play.

That style exposed the Heat. Veteran moxie isn’t enough to make up for an inability to guard off the dribble, and the Bulls worked the Heat in four straight games. How many open jumpers did they get? How many offensive tips led to second-attempt three pointers? If Dan Majerle taught us anything last week, it’s that you can’t give NBA players too many practice-quality shots, or they’re going to go down.

What the Bulls taught us this week is that they’re no longer babies. Don’t get me wrong; the Heat were bad. But a sweep, against the defending champions, who contain so many of yesterday’s stars (and one of today’s) … well, that’s nothing short of a coming of age. Not just for the Bulls, but for the New NBA.

Wanna make it a coronation? Bring on the Pistons.

Case of the Mondays: Whew, this is fun

April 23rd, 2007 | Posted by PostmanE

Yes, it’s that time again. Basketball all day, every day, at the convenience of the dedicated viewer. It’s a beautiful thing, yeah?

I’m glad this whole Little 500 thing is over, not only because my body, descendant of Irish alcoholics, is becoming dangerously accustomed to early-morning alcohol intake, but because constantly focusing on keg tap pressure and whether or not my legs were abnormally numb kept from enjoying the really good stuff this weekend: the NBA Playoffs.

Sunday was too much recovery to truly enjoy the games, though lying in the dark of the afternoon with HD basketball on might be the best hangover cure ever. And Saturday, with the exception of the Bulls game, which I saw start to finish, the Playoffs have existed in a vacuum. I need my visuals.

So here we go again tonight, another set of games, more Inside the NBA (the best show on television not named Planet Earth or The Sopranos), more Bulls basketball. Will they be able to hold off the Heat for a second straight game? Will Kirk be able to stay out of foul trouble? Will Luol keep his “He could have sex with my girlfriend and I wouldn’t even be mad” privileges (currently only extended to Deng, Ben Gordon, Brian Urlacher, Michael Jordan, and Mark Grace)?

Will D-Wade ignore his host of nagging injuries as well as his propensity to exaggerate those injuries, and take over? Will Shaq be enough? Will Tyrus Thomas do something that will literally force Scott Skiles to keep Nocioni on the bench, where he belongs? Will Skiles’ head explode? Can Ben Wallace justify trading Tyson Chandler for another game? Will I, for the sake of superstition, have to be dangerously close to alcohol poisoning during the game?

This is all too much. But hey, it’s the NBA Playoffs; that’s kind of how it works this time of year.