Derrick Rose was really impressive last night. He is as tall as Deron Williams but looks a bit quicker and with better hops. There were some plays last night where defenders underestimated his speed and he just blew right by them. What was very nice to see was his mid range jumper which most youngsters don't like to take. We'll see if he will turn out to be a point guard but he could be a great combo guard. He looks like a very strong rookie of the year candidate.
The Bulls are a good example of a talented team that is not well assembled. Almost every position has someone that could be near all star caliber but they don't play well as a team. The Bulls signed Deng to a huge long term deal and he comes off the bench yesterday to score 2 points. Tyrus Thomas is immensely athletic and he comes off the bench to score 2 points. Andreas Nocioni would be a fantastic sixth man on another team. Ben Gordon can score but he is an undersized 2 guard that doesn't deserve a huge contract. I think Gordon should have taken the offer from last summer because I don't think he is going to see that kind of money again. There are a lot of scorers in this league and most are more versatile than he is. Is he much better than Catino Mobley? He could be a nice compliment to Rose if Rose learns to play more of natural point but I doubt he will be in Chicago long enough to find out. If someone gives him 10 million a year, they are going to be regretting it for the life of the contract. I bet the Bulls wish they didn't give Deng so much money right now either.
The Jazz lost but I am still optimistic about their play. CJ Miles is making regular contributions and is doing it in an efficient manner. Okur has had 2 good shooting games in a row and is looking like he is in end of last season form. Overall I think the team is in good shape. A starting five of D. Williams, Boozer, Okur, Brewer and an improved CJ Miles and Kirilenko, Milsap, Price and Korver off the bench is very formidable. The Jazz have a lot of players who need minutes and I wonder if it would benefit them to trade Boozer by the deadline so that they don't lose him for free when he opts out of the contract. Korver and Okur will want to stay in Utah but I even if Boozer publicilly said that he was staying in Utah I wouldn't believe him. Packaging him with Almond might net the Jazz a defensive presence that they sorely need. With all of the steps that the Jazz are taking with their young guys, it is still all on the offensive end. The Jazz need their 2d best player to make a commitment to the defensive end or I can' t see this team being much better than contenders and not title holders.
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