Hey, it's the first day. It's the Summer League. It was one game. The first game. Of the Summer League. It's a long week, a long season, a long career. And I'm going to doubt any of that makes Chicago fans that were paying attention to the first day of the NBA's Orlando Summer League feel better, or Miami fans feel worse about today's little exhibition.
Michael Beasley was, in a word, brilliant. 28 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block in 22 minutes. He could have been playing against D-Leaguers, the Harlem Globetrotters, or Mrs. Wormtail's second grade class, those are some slick numbers. That he did it against No.1 overall pick Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls, in the midst of a 94-70 whupping made it all the more emphatic. The Heat dominated this game, even as Chicago started Rose, Joakim Noah, and Tyrus Thomas, who you may recognize as starters and heavy rotation guys. Not exactly a pretty start, even if its easy to brush off, given the absurd context of the Magic's practice facility in a meaningless exhibition in which D-League MVP Kasib Powell scored 15 and Keith Langford and Demetris Nichols led the Bulls. Beasley's game was in full effect today, as he worked his mid-range, long-range, post-work, and driving abilities. In a league that's meant to be used as a scrimmage clinic, Beasley put on one.
As the first overall draft pick, Derrick Rose has some big shoes to fill. Somewhat amazingly, he's already topped LeBron James in at least one category ... albeit an embarrassing one. In December, James was ticketed for driving 101 mph in a 65 mph zone, but Rose beat that indiscretion easily, getting caught going 106 in a 65 back in late April.
Wait, this happened back in April? Why are we just now finding out about this? That's a great question -- in the hype machine that is pre-draft coverage, it's actually quite amazing that Rose's camp was able to keep this under wraps. The only reason we found out about it is because Rose's attorney spoke with the media on Tuesday, admitting that his client will have a court appearance later this month.
At least Rose isn't following completely in LeBron's footsteps. In his first comments after the news broke about his ticket, LeBron admitted that it probably wouldn't stop him from speeding in the future, saying it's "not a big deal to me." Rose, on the other hand, showed far more poise by saying, "I know I did something dumb. I made a big mistake. I'm very sorry, and I can only promise that it will never happen again."
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded NBA Correspondent, brings his exclusive NBA reporting to FanHouse. Check back here regularly for more videos.
In this video we catch up with WNBA star Candace Parker who tells us about her dunking ability. You might be surprised to hear what she has to say about it. We also interview her brother, Anthony Parker, the star of the Toronto Raptors. Around 2:15 into the video find out from Candace which sibling is more popular.
Crystal Ballin'takes a team-by-team look at what should, could, and probably will happen in the June 26th NBA Draft.
Steve Schanwald, you magnificent bastard. That guy's going to get a statue before Scottie Pippen. And -- depending on just how good the #1 pick turns out -- he might do more than Pippen for Chicago's championship aspirations.
Picks: #1, #39. Needs: Depending on who you ask: a power forward better than Drew Gooden, or a point guard better than Kirk Hinrich.
Best case scenario: If these odd rumors about pulling either Dwyane Wade or the #2 pick from Miami actually have heat ... yeah, that's a "best case scenario." The second-rounder is also high enough to matter next training camp.
While foreign players occasionally try to steer the decision-making processes of NBA front offices, it's not often you hear a prospective draft pick say where he hopes to land on draft day. Why risk selling yourself short and/or alienating your future employer? That said, it's not often that a player is in Derrick Rose's shoes and has an opportunity to be selected first overall by his hometown team. From ESPN's Andy Katz:
"Everything would be perfect, it would be a dream come true, I swear," Rose said Thursday at the Bulls' practice facility. "I'll probably faint if they call my name, I'll need a paramedic close by."
"I don't think so," Rose said when asked if he would head to Miami. "I'll have to ask [agent B.J. Armstrong] or someone about it, but all I know now is that I'm here.
His brother Reggie clarified that Rose might take a trip to South Beach but didn't think a workout was scheduled just yet. The draft is in a week and Rose isn't even sure if he's working out for the team with the No. 2 pick? Yeah, I'd say he's getting positive vibes from Chicago's front office. Assuming Ben Gordon is right, one of Chicago's incumbent starters probably ought to find a good real estate agent.
If the Bulls draft Derrick Rose, they could feature an intriguing three-guard rotation along with Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon. But considering Gordon is always the first guy who gets bumped to the bench whenever the team shakes things up, I'm not too surprised that he's apparently hoping the team drafts Michael Beasley, instead. From the Charlottesville Daily Progress:
"Beasley is just a beast. He's something we need in a low-post presence. I think either player can come in and help us."
But what if the Bulls draft Rose?
"It's a tough one," Gordon said, "If we get Rose, we'll have to [trade] one of the guards on our team. Rose is going to be really good. He can really get to the basket.
[...] "If you ask me or anybody else, that's too many guards," Gordon said, "because players need room to get into a rhythm and need to develop."
First, a disclaimer: Gordon did say good things about both players, and he probably wasn't intending for his words to be construed as if he were stating a preference for one player over the next, but it's not too hard to connect the dots and see he's worried about how Rose would disrupt the backcourt status quo.
Trainer (and ESPN.com analyst) David Thorpe watched Tyrus Thomas and Luol Deng (among others) at his facility in Florida, and passed on some rave reviews to Blog-a-Bull, as well as a prediction of how the Tyrus-V.D.N. dynamic might work.
[Tyrus] is deeply sorry for the missed practice, but there were serious circumstances involved. It was a far more complicated issue than what was known publicly. As Luol told me, TT had never even been late to a practice or meeting one single time prior to that day. [...]
TT also shot very well, had his moves and fakes looking like a pro, and had such a positive disposition that afternoon. I told Kevin [Martin of the Kings] that TT is that way every day, as long as he is surrounded by like-minded guys. I believe Vinny will be great for TT, and I told that to Kevin, who responded with "then the Bulls are going to be really good again."
The practice Thorpe refers to came in March. The cause is still a mystery, though the punishment is not: it cost Tyrus two games when his playing time was already in a drought. (For the record, Bulls fans: Martin's the hardest working King of the last 10, 15 years. If he says Tyrus is working hard, then Tyrus is working really flippin' hard.)
t's funny how NBA coaching jobs fill up in waves -- within a matter of days Terry Porter, Vinny Del Negro and Michael Curry were all hired by the Suns, Bulls and Pistons, respectively. Only Porter has previous head coaching experience (and only two years at that), which means there will likely be a run on veteran assistant coaches for these guys to lean on.
Considering how long it took the Bulls to settle on Del Negro, you have to wonder if they'll be able to put together a staff of assistants before the season starts. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune indicates that Bob Hill, who's been a head coach of the Knicks, Pacers, Spurs and Sonics, is being considered as the lead assistant. John Paxson is also on the record saying that he anticipates hiring one of the myriad of head coaching candidates to join Del Negro's staff. Considering Del Negro has never coached before at any level, the Bulls will probably want to surround him with an extremely experienced staff.
As for Curry, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com indicates that Dave Cowens, who served alongside Curry under Flip Saunders, will be retained. Cowens has previously coached the Hornets and Warriors (as well as the Celtics, if you include his player/coach days from 1978-79), but it's unclear if he's being considered for the lead role. Langlois added that Igor Kokoskov may follow Porter to Phoenix, but Chris McCosky of the Detroit News says that Kokoskov will also pursue head coaching opportunties in Europe.
Apparently, the crisis has ended. John Paxson and Jerry Reinsdorf have finally made a decision. Bulls fans, you can be comforted in knowing it will be ... tuna melts for lunch. With fries. No, make that onion rings. Out of onion rings? Oh, geez. We're going to have to rethink this. Back to the drawing board.
Actually, the decision is of a different sort: the Bulls have offered Vinny Del Negro -- the Notorious V.D.N., if you will -- the head coach job. The Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson reports V.D.N. is expected to accept. (It'd be pretty embarrassing for the Bulls if he did not accept.)
Del Negro has no coaching experience, which makes him a rarity this summer. Last year, unproven was the vogue, with Sam Vincent (a one-year assistant with Dallas) and Reggie Theus (two years in mid-major college ball) getting big jobs with little experience. Del Negro's bench resume is even more stark, especially in contrast to the other 2008 hires (Scott Skiles, Rick Carlisle, Mike D'Antoni, Larry Brown). Michael Curry could still join V.D.N. in the rookie class, though.
I have no idea what Del Negro's hire means because I have no idea what Del Negro stands for. Vinny did ascend into the Suns front office under D'Antoni, but had been granted most of his power under Steve Kerr. Based on Reinsdorf's fatwa against offensive-minded coaches during this search, one can only assume Del Negro trends toward the defensive perspective which led to trading for Shaquille O'Neal. Gulp.
Hey, it's the first day. It's the Summer League. It was one game. The first game. Of the Summer League. It's a long week, a long season, a long career. And I'm going to doubt any of that makes Chicago fans that were paying attention to the first day of the NBA's Orlando Summer League feel better, or Miami fans feel worse about today's little exhibition. 
As the first overall draft pick, 
While foreign players 
If the Bulls draft 
t's funny how NBA coaching jobs fill up in waves -- within a matter of days 
Apparently, the crisis has ended. 
