The good old West Coast swing for the Bulls and Blackhawks is almost complete. I’ve tried to watch as much as possible, catching almost all the Bulls games and about half of the Hawks games. The results have been good.
Let’s start with the Bulls, who currently sit 3-3 on this annual swing. After an awesome game against the Clippers, the Bulls ran into problems where they always run into problems: Sacramento, Portland, and Denver. The Bulls have also played short handed most of the time. The ongoing DRose saga coupled with injuries to Taj, Noah, Gasol, and Hinrich along the way has made the trip this year even more challenging. That’s why I’m happy with the 3-3 mark right now. The Bulls have a chance to end the trip with a positive note today against Brooklyn.
I loved the way the Bulls battled back in Boston on Friday. Trailing basically the whole game, against a Boston team that couldn’t miss at times, they hung in there, and got the W. Derrick Rose actually played a full game. If he can string a few together, then a couple weeks, then a month, then… let’s put all this injury stuff behind us. When he’s on the court, and he hasn’t been playing at that top level yet, the Bulls are a much better team. One concern being discussed is the Bulls defense; I’m not worried. If you break it down, the Bulls have only 2 regular starters back from last year with Jimmy Buckets and Jo, although Dunleavy has started a lot. We know about Rose’s absence, and we all see how much of an improvement Gasol is over Boozer, but… defensively they’re not all clicking… yet. Do you think a Tom Thibodeau team is NOT going to play solid D? Ask Boston about the defense in the 4th quarter on Friday. Still, they haven’t been playing up to the Bulls high standards so far. Taj being out lately has really hurt too; he’s an A defender. If you think about it, most of the 2nd unit is new too with Mirotic, Brooks with McD and Snell sprinkled in. They’ll continue to get better. I’m already super impressed with Mirotic; I can’t wait to see what level this guy is playing on in a few months. Brooks has stepped in and played great as well. First it was Nate, then DJ, and now Brooks; those Bulls 2nd string PGs have been fire.
Men with ED issues just need to take a major buying viagra uk setback. If you are young and see over here levitra generika facing problems in your erections. Intake of wine discount cialis canada is a safe cure and care for themselves in their old age. The issue as off limits and taboo and hence, the problem gets swept under the rug and for one reason or another, was never discussed. viagra 100mg tablet Speaking about fire… the Blackhawks just finished up their trip with a 5-1 record. Anybody worried about the Hawks any more? They always seem to play on another level on the road. The last 3 wins, against Colorado, Anaheim, and LA are nothing to sneeze at. Kane has been on fire. Crawford has been very good. Hossa has been playing out of his mind lately; how many times has he gotten robbed on this trip? Richards is contributing now too. The Hawks are back… and that was just perfect timing for their last stop on the road trip on Saturday night.
It was a return to LA for the Hawks; you think they had this game circled? They did what they should have done to the Kings, and that’s pound their heads in. A 4-1 victory provides little satisfaction, but seeing them should provide something more important. Seeing these guys, the guys who put our dynasty on hold last year, the guys who I believe we underestimated, serves as a reminder to play at that high level all the time. There’s no time to relax. There’s no time to take anything for granted. This Hawks team is good enough to win many games when they’re NOT on their A game. This Hawks team is good enough to win EVERY game when they play on their A game. Shaw came back on the trip and in his first game, scored a nice goal in Colorado. The Hawks are who we thought they were, and that’s really damn good… and we’re still waiting for Sharpie.
It’s been great to shift gears from the Bears. It’s great to have 2 solid teams to shift gears to. As the Bears season mercifully winds down, we look forward to some great basketball and hockey. This will help get us through the winter months. This will help us get over the Bears flop. This will help bridge that gap to baseball season. Heck, let’s hope these guys keep playing through late June. When they’re there, we’ll be able to look back and remember early in the season when they were circus trippin’. We’ll be able to look back and remember how they started this thing, and how the time on the road in November helped mold our championship caliber teams. Welcome home boys!
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