The Central is the center of attention

The Central division can be summed up in two words: LeBron James.

Chicago is riding high after the best first-round NBA playoff series in history against the Boston Celtics, but they are no match for James' Cleveland crew. All eyes will be in Cleveland as James and The Big Witness begin their march for a championship.

Oh, and regardless if Cleveland wins a championship, James will sign with Cleveland. So all you fans of other central teams, don't start getting your hopes up for the summer of 2010; he isn't going anywhere.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

This is probably the easiest call to make as far as a division winner goes. The only way Cleveland loses the division is if James gets injured for an extended period of time. Shaq should add to an already dominant team and Anderson Varejao will continue to look like an all-star from all the nifty passes he receives from James.

I suppose Cleveland could lose the division if Delonte West shows up to work with his collection of 18 guns one day (Too soon? I know, disgruntled employee jokes aren't funny, they're dangerous people).

2. Chicago Bulls

It pains me to write this, but they have established themselves as the second best team in the division. Derrick Rose was great last year, and assuming he added a jump shot during the offseason, he is going to be near unstoppable at times. And did Joakim Noah cut off Kareem Abdul Jabbar's hands and surgically connect them to his arms? I'm not sure when Noah got that soft touch he has been showing, but it scares me.

The Bulls will also be one of the deepest teams in the league, boasting, Kirk Hinrich Jannero Pargo, Taj Gibson, Brad Miller and James Johnson. The shooting guard position has some questions, but John Salmons is a good, consistent player.

3. Detroit Pistons

The Pistons have received a lot of criticism this offseason, but they are not as bad as some people think. Yes, they overpaid for Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, but people cannot forget they are both still very good players. Rodney Stuckey should continue to improve and Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince are always a handful.

They have plenty of question marks on defense, except for Stuckey and Prince who are both top notch. They also don't have much in the front court other than Jason Maxiell and at times Chris Wilcox. They better hope Austin Daye was the right choice, because they will need all the help they can get up front.

4. Milwaukee Bucks

I refuse to ever pick the Bucks to finish last. And I also actually think they are better than the Indiana Pacers. Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut NEED to stay healthy this season as there is not much firepower behind them. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute should break out as one of the league's best defenders and Brandon Jennings is going to at least make people remember Milwaukee has a basketball team again.

The darkhorse: Hakim Warrick. Expect big things out of him this season. He had a great preseason and I think he will turn heads. The Bucks are also deep at the forward position with Warrick, Ersan Ilyasova, Mbah a Moute, Carlos Delfino and Joe Alexander. Rebounds will be key for this team.

5. Indiana Pacers

Some experts think they are on the upswing, but as long as Jim O'Brien is coaching it won't matter. Brandon Rush seems ready to bust out and Danny Granger is one of the league's best players. Roy Hibbert is good, but O'Brien loves Josh McRobert's facial hair so he will play the wrong person most of the time. Everyone debates Tyler Hansbrough's worth, but it wont matter because this team isn't going to win many games either way. That's just what happens when you don't have a bench.

They lost Jarrett Jack and Marquis Daniels in the offseason; two huge assets off the bench. Now they boast intimidating players such as Solomon Jones, Luther Head, A.J. Price and Travis Diener. Sounds scary (for Pacers fans).

Chicago Bulls To Ride That 'D' In 2009

Part of the reason the Chicago Bulls brought in Vinny Del Negro to coach this team was to instill the kind of offensive firepower he oversaw during his time as a front office member of the Phoenix Suns.

So, why all the talk about defense?

Derrick Rose Should Probably Keep A Low Profile Until The NBA Opens Up Again

UPDATE: Rose issues a statement: "My bad."

Since being drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by his hometown team, the following has happened to Derrick Rose:

• Sped at the rate of 105 MPH.
• Allegedly was in a fight with a Memphis football player over a girl.
• Had someone allegedly take his SAT for him to get into Memphis.
• Had his grades manipulated at Simeon.

All I've heard is that Rose is a great kid and a good soul, but this bothers me a little bit. However, there is a part of me only cares that he is the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, a dynamite basketball player and the one man that can throw an entire city and franchise on his back and carry it back into national relevance.

Without having to throw up gang signs, of course.

Very little is known of this photo other than D-Rose looks to be flashing the Gangster Disciples sign. Who's that guy in the background? When was this picture taken? Where was it taken? Why is it so smokey?

All things that should be found out before the media takes Rose out to the tool shed, bends him over one knee and gives him a paddlin' he'll never forget.

Derrick Rose Flashing A Gang Sign [Da Bullz]
The Offseason Can't End Soon Enough For Derrick Rose [Tremendous Upside Potential]
Derrick Rose Photo Controversey [Chicago Tribune]


Photo Credit: TBL, The Trib, Tremendous Upside Potential & Da Bullz

Rose-Beasley Debate Silenced By Debut

The Chicago Bulls lucked into the No. 1 overall pick and one of the greatest debates in Chicago sports history.

The great debate pitted Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley against each other. Both players brought something special to the table, but the Bulls could only choose one.

And no matter what Beasley does in his playoff debut later today, there will be a segment of fans that believe the Bulls made the right choice with Rose.

I am a part of that group.

Rose has transcended the look of this team. And while Rose joined an already overcrowded backcourt, he proved to be the best of the group of guards that entered the season in Bulls uniforms. With the way he has taken over the point guard position, Rose has basically used his pimp hand to put everyone in their respective roles.

Kirk Hinrich was once pegged to be the next Steve Nash before an injury-riddled 2007-08 season sent him to an afterthought. However, Hinrich found his nitch as a back-up combo guard with ball-handling skills and the ability to make open jump shots.

Ben Gordon solidified his role as a mini Vinny "The Microwave" Johnson. BG7 lit up defenses as he benefitted from having a point guard that can set him up off the bounce or off a screen.

Did you see what Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas were able to do when Rose was feeding them they alley while they threw down the oops? Noah and Thomas should be playing high-pace, high-energy basketball. And that's the kind of match-up problem some teams, no matter how talented, have trouble defending.

So thank Vinny Del Negro for bringing the Phoenix Suns-lite offense into Chicago. (Thought I'd never say that). And thank the Bulls for selecting Rose over Beasley.

Ramirez, Rose Lead Chicago

Aramis Ramirez walk-off two-run home run yadda ... yadda ... yadda. Been there. Done that. Got the white flag with the blue "W" raised.

But how about Derrick Rose.

The NBA's probable Rookie of the Year poured in 36 points (tying Lew Alcindor's a.k.a Karrem Abdul Jabber's rookie playoff debut record) and dished out 11 assists in the Bulls' 105-103 overtime win against the Boston Celtics in Game 1 ... on the road, mind you.

(Insert Rose Garden references here)

(Insert Rose blooming references here)

More tomorrow.

Daily Dosage: Ho! Ho! Ho!

I bet you this young lady got everything she wanted for Christmas.

And really, the point of this Daily Dosage is just to post this picture from the New Jersey Star Ledger from a recent Nets game. It's pics like the one above that make me wish I had the power to give every pretty girl whatever they wanted for Christmas in exchange for them sitting on my lap.

I might as well drop a sports nugget while I'm at it, so here goes nothing.

Tonight marks the first time Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley will share the floor in a meaningful game. The No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks in the June draft, respectively, will square off tonight in Miami as Rose's Chicago Bulls face Beasley's Miami Heat.

Rose is playing out of his mind as he continues to make people like me who were clamoring for the Bulls to take the former Kansas State star over the local boy done good. Beasley, meanwhile, is averaging only 13 points per game and has yet to be the force fans and hoops experts expected him to be.

Prediction: Heat 107 Bulls 103 ... it won't be D-Rose's fault or Beastley's doing ... Chicago just can't win on the road and Dwyane Wade (Rose's future teammate?) has been scoring the ball like his childhood idol.

Quality Linkage:

• Talk about a hung jury. It might lead to a new trial for this Missouri man. [Metro.co.uk]
• Red River recruiting battle [NY Times]
• The blogosphere v. Shaun King [Mitchell Blatt]
  

Daily Dosage: Afternoon Delight

Speaking of afternoon delights, it's Ivanka Trump. Yes, she's the daughter of the ever-annoying Donald Trump but that's something I can get past.

Now I'm not saying I'm a gold digger, but if a pretty blonde leads you to some green you've got to follow, right?

Now I know the "American Dream" is based on working hard, coming from the bottom, making lots of money and being seen with the movers, shakers and beautiful people.

But honestly, if you were able to bypass all that hard work and land a boatload of cash, a beautiful woman you would do it in an instant.

I know I would.

Enough of my ramblings, let's move on.

SIU starts slow, then rolls. The SIU men's basketball team got off to a slow start, but the team's depth led to a strong second-half as the Salukis coasted to a 66-52 win against California (Pa.).

Sophomore forward Carlton Fay dropped a double-double, scoring 16 points and pulling down 11 boards in the victory. It's early in the season and SIU has yet to play a Division I opponent, but Fay is playing the way everyone associated with Saluki hoops expected him to play from day one.

But coach Chris Lowery said that he's happy that Fay's doing it now because the team needs it.

He wasn't the only contributor, the SIU bench outscored the Vulcans 31-11, led by freshman guard Kevin Dillard's 9 points and 9 assists and frosh center Nick Evans' 8 points and 5 rebounds. The energetic effort sparked the Saluki win.

SIU plays UMass tonight for a chance to go to New York City and face Duke at Madison Square Garden. The Minutemen beat Arkansas-Monticello 90-71 in the 2K Sports Classic opener.

Strong second-half spearheads SIU win [Daily Egyptian]

Rose's show is not enough. Did you know the Atlanta Hawks are undefeated? Not winless. Undefeated. Did you know that? Of course you didn't because the best basketball in the state of Georgia occurs in early March when the SEC Tournament comes to town.

Well, Chicago Bulls rookie guard Derrick Rose's first-career double-double (26 points 10 rebounds) wasn't enough to stop the high-flying Hawks, who beat the Bulls in Chicago for the first time in their last seven tries, 113-108.

The ATLiens were paced by each player in their starting lineup scoring in double figures, led by Al Horford's 27 point 17 rebound performance.

Hawks 113 Bulls 108

Quality Linkage:

• A good read about a potential cure of AIDS. [Wall Street Journal]
  
• Edinson Volquez appeared on some NL Rookie of the Year ballots despite not being a rookie. Weird. [The Dish]
• Mikes Martz and Singletary blame refs for MNF loss. I blame the 49ers for sucking. [Awful Officiating]
• LBJ throws down 41 including THIS monstrous dunk. Can you say 'ballin'?' [You Tube]
• Thabeet the trash talker. Yeah, it's easy to talk about Psycho T when he's down, isn't it. [Zinio.com]
  

Photo Credit: Stuff Magazine

Derrick Rose's (preseason) coming out party

No need for a witty lead here.

If Derrick Rose is good, then the Chicago Bulls will have a good season. If Rose sucks, then the Bulls are screwed.

It's as simple as that.

With that said, Rose scored 30 points and dished 7 assists in the Bulls' 109-105 victory against the Dallas Fightin' John McCains.

Did I mention that this was a preseason game?

Nevertheless this point needs to be made: the fate of the Chicago Bulls' franchise rests on the shoulders of a hometown rookie who plays the most difficult position in basketball and is only months removed from his freshman year of college.

Sounds like quite a task, doesn't it?

And really, that's a pointless statement to make seeing that the play of the No. 1 overall pick likely determines the fate of a franchise. Still, I feel the need to make that statement.

Deron Williams and Chris Paul have not only revolutionized the point guard position, but they've done it as youngsters. That makes Rose's task even harder.

For the next three-or-four years, he will constantly be compared to Williams who starred at the University of Illinois for three years and is turning into one of the elite point guards in the Association.

Or he'll be compared to Paul, who starred at Wake Forest for two years, and is some hybrid combination of prototype point guard and scoring machine.

And that's the difference between Williams/Paul and Rose. Collegiate experience.

Rose was a man among boys in his one season at Memphis, playing against the likes of as East Carolina, Rice and Southern Methodist.

Unfortunately for Rose and the Bulls none of those schools will be on their upcoming schedule.

The stupidest statement ever

As a writer I pride myself on being able to convey ideas through written language.

For the following blog however, there are no words.

Two radio hosts, lets call them Chris Baker and Langdon Perry and lets say they work at KTLK in Minneapolis, said the most outlandish statement in the history of sports.

Yes, even more outlandish than Jay Bilas' famous Tyler Hansbrough can out-compete Michael Jordan comment.

Baker and Langdon said...brace yourself...Magic Johnson is faking his AIDS.

I didn't actually listen to this broadcast, but I can't fathom how two people can get to that point in a conversation. What could possibly be the thought process?

'Hey, who has a terrible disease but seems pretty healthy? Magic Johnson does, maybe too healthy in fact, I bet he is faking it, lets tell everyone that.

At least Magic isn't taking this lightly. According to this story, Johnson issued a statement that pretty much educated these two radio talk show hosts that AIDS kills millions of people and actually is not all that funny.

Who would have thought?

I don't think these two should be sued or fired or even have to apologize. I think they should play a high stakes game of one-on-one with the Magic Man.

If they beat him, well then they get off the hook, but if they lose then they have to pay full tuition to go to Harvard graduate school where they must be accepted. Then they must write a 300+ page dissertation on HIV/AIDS after going through the complete doctoral program.

I figure that doctoral program would take more than four years and by the time they are out, they will owe hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans and be a tad more educated on a serious disease.

I got your back Magic, and so do the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Now that those slanderous issues are out of the way, it's time to examine once again why the Chicago Bulls should have taken Michael Beasley over Derrick Rose.

The Miami Heat took on the New Jersey Nets and lost 109-105, but the Beez put down 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds. He showed his range as he hit a few mid-range jumpers over the fingers of defenders. He didn't have the best game, but still produced, which is the mark of a great player in the making.

Derrick Rose put up in 10 points in 27 minutes of action against the Dallas Mavericks. Of course it's too early to tell how Rose will turn out, but the fact he had five turnovers is worrisome. Rose can finish at the rim, which is what the Bulls need for sure, but he can't shoot well and if he struggles passing, then it could be a long year for this team.

Either way, I think Beasley is going to prove himself as the best player in the '08 draft

Daily Dosage: T.G.I.F.

Seriously, there isn't a better day than Friday.

Sure, Saturday's great and so is Sunday. But there is no day I look forward to more than Friday.

To celebrate what will hopefully be a Happy Friday, I bring you Tina Fey.

Yes. I've had a crush on the former SNL starlet in a geeky kind of way since forever.

It's the glasses.

Enough is enough.

It's time for the Dosage.

Rose 'terrible' in preseason opener. In a city that is known for gloom and doom, is it too early to panic over the Chicago Bulls selection of Derrick Rose as the No. 1 overall pick?

In a word, yes!

Rose scored 10 points in his professional debut, but the Bulls were downed by the Dallas Mavericks 110-102 as the Chicago native also turned the ball over six times.

It's too early to judge the Bulls because it is truly a difficult task to evaluate talent in the first exhibition game of the season.

With that said, I'm happy that the Bulls scored more than 100 points. That's a nice start, Vinny Del Negro. Now it's time to hold the opposition under 100.

[Chicago Tribune]

A Cuban-Economic Crisis. Gas prices are high ant tuition continues to rise, yet my concern about the economy is whether or not Mark Cuban is going to buy the Chicago Cubs.

Cuban, one of the finalists possibly in line to buy the team, said the United States' fledgling economy is slowing down the sale process of the Chicago Cubs.

Cubs fans have dreamed about a new owner for years, but since Sam Zell took over at Tribune Tower, the sale of the team has dragged.

The good news is that it looks like it will be business as usual this winter, according to Cuban.

''Nothing's going to change,'' Cuban said. ''They weren't asking everybody about whether they should opt in on Rich Harden. They're doing what they need to do."

Mark, if they ask you for some advice, tell 'em to give CC Sabathia a box of donuts and a blank check.

[Chicago Sun-Times]

Tree choppin' on the comeback trail. Looking for a rebound isn't an act reserved for members of the SIU basketball team. The Saluki football squad is looking to rebound from a difficult 35-27 loss at North Dakota State University, in which the Bison were able to erase a 20-0 deficit with 35 consecutive points.

Luckily for SIU, lowly Indiana State comes to Carbondale winless this season (0-5) and winless on the road since 2004.

I'm not taking the Sycamores for granted, because I know as well as anyone that any team can beat another on any given day. But the annual cellar dwellers might be just what the doctor ordered - a confidence boost.

[Daily Egyptian]

Quality Linkage:

• Guess who's gonna be at the NLCS? [*touch* 'em all]
• T.J. Simers isn't a fan of the Illa-delph. [L.A. Times]
• What's better than phone sex? Let a Playboy bunny explain. [The Big Lead]
• More gold for the great Michael Phelps. [Fan IQ]
• Great golf headlines. [With Leather]
• BONUS LINKAGE: Check out DUAN! for the greatest picture ever! [Deadspin]