Game Preview #59 - Chicago Bulls at Washington Wizards

by torch on Feb 27, 2009 3:26 PM CST Comment 43 comments

[Thanks to torch for today's game preview. I was briefly invigorated after the trade deadline, but now I look to games with a bit of dread thinking of what VDN is going to do. He's benching Derrick Rose! -ed.]

With the tragedies of yesterday, it will be hard as a fan to focus on a simple game that's getting played tonight in our nation's capitol. But I think we can say with some certainty that both Johnny and Norm would want nothing more than the boys to play basketball tonight.

To the game - it's hard to predict how this game will turn out. We should beat a team like Washington, but expectations have been turned on their heads with wins against Denver and Orlando followed by losses to Indiana and New Jersey over the past week. The Wizards are currently fighting Oklahoma City for the second most ping pong balls in the lottery this summer.

Position by position we match up well - Rose/Deng/Noah easily out-class James/McGuire/Songaila. I'll give them PF with Jamison (their only consistent weapon) over Thomas. I'll leave it up to the reader to debate Bulter versus Gordon. When it comes to bench depth, we easily win the battle. The Washington bench has combined for only 60 points over their last three games. A lot of that has to do with injury (Arenas and Haywood out, Butler and Songaila missing time), but it is that injured team we are playing tonight.

We always seem to have rough battles with Washington, so this one will likely come down to who wants it more. Let's hope that the post-game discussion is talking about how we bounced back from those disappointing losses this week, rather than debating whether Vinny has gone crazy with his new toys. Accuscore has us as a 2:1 favorite. We may even get some support from the President on this one.

Blogging with the Enemy:
Bullets Forever
Washington Wizards Blog
Wizards Talk

Game time: 6:05 PM Central
Coverage: Comcast SportsNet, ESPN Radio 1000

Hopefully tonight will be the third time in a row that I've watched the Bulls win in the Verizon Center.
I'll be the guy in the 1984 red Jordan jersey just a few rows behind the Bulls bench. Enjoy the game!

FanPosts are user-created posts from the BlogABull community, and are to be treated as the opinions and views of that particular user, not that of the blogger or blog community as a whole.

0 recs | Comment 43 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

hmm

I’ll leave it up to the reader to debate Bulter versus Gordon.

I know BG has scoring like it’s a contract year….. but I’d take Butler over BG just because of his ability to get to the rim and I’d trust him with the ball in his hands at the end of the game. His defense over BG. Butler seems like a win first player where BG seems like a me first player.

Oh and he’s been an All Star.

Pool and a pond... Pond be good for you.

by SoulEater7 on Feb 27, 2009 3:49 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

yea...

that about sums it up…not exactly a fair comparison, but i think butler is a much better 2/3 than bg is a 1/2 as far as production and efficiency (not really a numbers guy, just basing it off of sheer athleticism and overall potential to be a 2-way player)

i’d go out on a limb and say that he’s a more ideal 2/3 than tayshaun, j-ho, (and presently speaking…all these guys are a lot younger) deng, igoudala, and j-smith in a derrick rose offense

by chicagosports23 on Feb 27, 2009 4:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Hmmm I don't think its fair

To say Ben is a “me first player” hes a scorer and really sounds like speculation of how he is when people say that. I dunno its just not fair to the work he puts in I think.
Also we’ve seen Ben is one of the best clutch players in the game to me…getting to the rim is maybe Butler. But Ben can score just as well to me his perimeter game allows him to get to the rim.

But I think its moot Butler literally vs Ben. I think they will probably cancel each other out offensively.

by Camry on Feb 27, 2009 4:58 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

President Obama will be at the game

So if anyone in DC is going to the game tonight, leave early, because there will be long lines at the entrances as everyone goes through security.

Why resort to name calling?
-Dionysus2.0

because I wish to insult you personally
-your friendly BullsBlogger

by Big D on Feb 27, 2009 3:53 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

He will have a big foam finger...

On his cell phone mugging for the camera.

" I've looked at these numbers and decided the #1 problem

is that Ben Gordon is selfish..." -your friendly bulls blogger

by Dionysus2.0 on Feb 27, 2009 5:58 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Go Bulls.

This is a crappy team so we should win (read: lose)

by BAB-Bass on Feb 27, 2009 3:56 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah let's change it

Last game I was Mr. Optimistic, now I’m Mr. Pessimistic……and hope the exact opposite happens.

Come on Vinny Play Aaron Gray, Start Hinrich (relegate Rose to 10 MPG tops), keep Lu-yawn Deng out there if he’s not contributing for the entire half while Salmons is aggressive (I know Lu-Yawn was more aggressive in the 3rd but come on now).

Let’s bench Tyrus altogether….

by majoyenrac on Feb 27, 2009 4:08 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I totally agree!

(Wink wink)

Norway is depressive enough midwinter without the Bulls playing like this…

by BAB-Bass on Feb 27, 2009 4:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Vinny scares me

I always thought at least that I was exaggerating Vinny’s stupid decisions but Rose’s quote the other day may have solidified it.

by Camry on Feb 27, 2009 5:00 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I wanted to fire VDN in the preseason. (although I was mostly joking, realizing it was too early)

But he gave Hughes and Gooden PT!! That incriminating evidence enough.

Yeah, he should be gone MONTHS ago. The poopy thing is he probably won’t be. His hair is just too great to let go. Pax is compensating…

by BAB-Bass on Feb 27, 2009 5:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Best case scenario

Vinny is making a mockumentary…..ok maybe not best.

by Camry on Feb 27, 2009 5:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

That would make sense of everything

by BAB-Bass on Feb 27, 2009 5:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Matt:

The editorial “benching Rose” comment was a statement of what VDN’s been doing in-game, right? I.e., it’s not an indication that Rose is out of the starting lineup, right?

by arjoseph on Feb 27, 2009 4:10 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

yes, the former.

No way Rose gets benched from the starting lineup. We all know that first happens to Tyrus Thomas and then Ben Gordon.

USE THE SOFTWARE. Actions-> Rec/Flag. Reply to comments with the reply button. Rec good fanposts/fanshots so the crud gets pushed down.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Feb 27, 2009 4:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

That's what I thought.

But I had a mini-heart attack. I thought maybe you got some inside information from “league sources” or something.

by arjoseph on Feb 27, 2009 4:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

heh, no.

I only get inside info from the Derrick Rose, Tyrus Thomas, and Ben Gordon fan club presidents.

USE THE SOFTWARE. Actions-> Rec/Flag. Reply to comments with the reply button. Rec good fanposts/fanshots so the crud gets pushed down.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Feb 27, 2009 4:22 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

So from yourself?

by arjoseph on Feb 27, 2009 4:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

that was the joke.

USE THE SOFTWARE. Actions-> Rec/Flag. Reply to comments with the reply button. Rec good fanposts/fanshots so the crud gets pushed down.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Feb 27, 2009 4:39 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

President Obama and the OP needs to sit next to the Bulls bench

And yell at Vinny and Derrick Rose all game long.

by TheBastid on Feb 27, 2009 4:30 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I dunno I think if you get Vinny we get a win

Rose I think will be pretty motivated.

by Camry on Feb 27, 2009 5:02 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I was just watching the gameflow of Lakers-Suns

1. Adam Morrison is on the LAKERS!!?? Since when?? for whom??

2. He STILL has that UGGLY mustache?? Come on!

by BAB-Bass on Feb 27, 2009 4:46 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Morrison sucks ass

He was traded almost a month ago, because of his sucking ass. I know he’s not the GM, but way to go, Jordan.

by NittanyCub on Feb 27, 2009 4:55 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Jordan sure can pick'em

Kwame #1
Morrison #1 ( I can’t believe that one! Must have been a crappy draft)

by BAB-Bass on Feb 27, 2009 5:01 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I also have to give Jordan the BoD for that draft class

But man there was really no doubt to me that him and JJ weren’t going to be all stars or even starters in the league. I was amazed when they drafted them so high but since I forget the rest of the class I could be exaggerating.

by Camry on Feb 27, 2009 5:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

His mustache alone is reason enough to stay away.

And then you have the hockey-hair, the goofyness and the diabetes and injury proneness. (That may not be a real word… Sue me!)

by BAB-Bass on Feb 27, 2009 5:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I can't name a single other player in that draft off the top of my head...

by BAB-Bass on Feb 27, 2009 5:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I don't even feel like looking whos there either at this point

Hes a diabetic?? °__° ok maybe Jordan is a bull after all.

by Camry on Feb 27, 2009 5:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

As far as I know.

This was known before he was drafted

by BAB-Bass on Feb 27, 2009 5:24 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

How many faces can Camry invent?

Maybe we can?

by Granny Waiters on Feb 27, 2009 6:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Opps can't give Jordan the BoD this time

Passing up on Roy-Tyrus-Gay-Foye and some other good guards in there.

But he does get a pass for being the greatest player ever I suppose.

by Camry on Feb 27, 2009 5:39 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

lol

it was THAT draft! :D haha

by BAB-Bass on Feb 27, 2009 5:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

"Oh shit, Morrison owns LMA!"

MUST PICK

"You remember the first time you picked up a basketball video game and you had no idea how to run plays, so you just gave the ball to your shooter and you ran around the court aimlessly until a defender was far enough away and then you jacked up a shot? THAT IS LARRY HUGHES!"
-Anonymous fan letter, heylarryhughespleasestoptakingsomanybadshots.com

by Prevenge on Feb 28, 2009 1:40 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs