Hoops Haven

In case you blinked and missed it, the early signing period for HS recruits to sign a letter of intent has come and gone with a small number of top tier recruits still undecided. With that being said, 7 of the Top 10 in the 2010 Hoops Haven Recruit List have committed to schools for the ‘10-’11 season.

The biggest news came when Harrison Barnes, who many rank anywhere from the #1 to #4 recruit, officially signed his letter of intent to play for Coach Roy Williams at North Carolina. Barnes is most likely the most complete offensive player in the entire class. The whole event was orchestrated on ESPNU, with Barnes contacting Williams via Skype to give him the good news. The UNC class also got a boost with the commitment of guard Reggie Bullock, the #10 ranked prospect to play alongside Barnes and the previously committed Kendall Marshall(#32 prospect) forming a potent combo for next season.

Coach Bruce Pearl at Tennessee also got a big boost for next season with the commitment of the #5 rated prospect, Tobias Harris, who is a 6-8, 220 pound PF who should start right away for the Volunteers.  Jordan McRae, the #42 ranked player also has chosen to play for Pearl in ‘10-’11, giving the Vols an excellent inside/outside punch.

New Coach Josh Pastner at Memphis got perhaps the most formidable class to rival Williams’ at UNC with the signing of 3 Top 15 recruits. The top rated shooting guard in the nation, Will Barton(#11) and Top 3 point guard Joe Jackson(#12) will give Memphis perhaps their best backcourt in the last 20 years. Adding 6-6 Forward, Jelan Kendrick(#8) only adds to the tremendous firepower for Pastner in only his first year as a head coach in Memphis. Just recently Pastner added the super talented Tarik Black(#47) at center to play the low post next season.

Check out some footage of Will Barton:

The Duke Blue Devils got a commitment from one of the Top 3 difference making point guards in the class by inking Kyrie Irving(#9) to play in front of Coach K and the Cameron Crazies next season. Irving, from the legendary St Patricks HS in NJ, could wind up being the best floor general in the class with his amazing combination of ball handling and scoring. He should start immediately alongside Andre Dawkins, who was an early entry to Duke this season. Power Forward Joshua Hairston(#49) also will join Irving in playing for Coach K in ‘10.

One of the top Forwards in the class, Tony Mitchell(#15) chose to play his college ball for the University of Missouri, while Coach Barnes at Texas continues to bring in the big dogs to Austin by inking the longtime verbal commitment, Tristan Thompson(#17) to play for the Longhorns. Thompson, at 6-9 and 240 lbs has the capability of being a one and done player in the mold of former Longhorn, Kevin Durant. The rumor is that Texas isn’t done yet since undecided, elite point guard, Cory Joseph(#7), who is a HS teammate of Thompson, has the Longhorns at the top of his list.

Syracuse finally inked their center of the future by getting a signature from intriguing big man Fab Melo(#16) to go with elite guard Dion Waiters(#29), who is an elite guard prospect. Melo not only has a great name, but the elite power game to go with it. The Orange could be geared up for another deep NCAA run next season.

Coach Thad Matta at Ohio State just may be the best recruiter in the nation since he has brought in a number of top recruits to team with the previously signed Jared Sullinger(#3). Deshaun Thomas(#18), an elite forward prospect will play alongside Sullinger in the Buckeye frontcourt. 6-4 guard, Jordan Sibert(#37) also was previously committed to Ohio State.

Another huge signing was 6-10, 270 lb center Josh Smith(#19) to the UCLA Bruins. Smith is already an imposing defensive force with a developing offensive game. Smith provides excellent size to a mostly guard oriented Bruin squad this season. Smith joins elite guard prospect, Tyler Lamb(#41) for Coach Howland’s 2010 class.

Another of the class’ elite big men, Adrien Payne(#20) will play for Coach Izzo at Michigan State. At 6-10, and 215 lbs, Payne is regarded as one of the Top 5 Centers in the class. Smith joins point guard Keith Appling(#34) on the Spartan squad next year.

Three of the Top 10 recruits still available are the #1 Pg prospect(and #1 overall on some boards), Brandon Knight. Knight not only is an excellent hoops star, but a Academic All American as well, as evidence of his 4.0 grade point average. Undoubtedly academics will play a role in where Knight will play. Rumor is he is still considering Connecticut, Kansas, and Kentucky. The #4 aforementioned Corey Joseph, although leaning towards Texas also has interest in Villanova, Connecticut, Florida, and the local UNLV. Another elite PG prospect and #4 rated recruit, Josh Selby has interest in mostly the same schools(Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana, and Syracuse). Most likely each player is waiting to see who goes where before making a final selection. Each school can’t go wrong since all three should provide an immediate impact to the program.

My personal favorite in the class is the multi talented CJ Leslie(#14), who at 6-8 and 205 lbs, has similar talents to Barnes and is still deciding between NC State, Kentucky, Florida, Florida Intl, and Georgetown. Power Forward Terrance Jones(#13) also brings tremendous talent to one of numerous schools of interest between Kentucky, or closer to home West Coast schools like Cal, Washington, Oklahoma, Oregon, or UCLA.

Check out some footage of CJ Leslie’s first two HS games this season:

Doron Lamb(#21) or Trey Zeigler(#26) will be running the point at Arizona or Oklahoma since both have the schools on their short lists. Roscoe Smith(#31), who is a PF teammate at Oak Hill Academy in VA, is also still undecided between Connecticut, Duke, and Georgetown.

Thanks to Hoopmixtape for video footage

The Minnesota Timberwolves surprisingly beat the powerful Denver Nuggets 106-100.  Within the game, Nuggets big man Hilario Nene was having a war in the trenches against the Wolves talented big man, Al Jefferson.  Although Jefferson got the best of his counterpart in points with 14, Nene got the better of Jefferson on the boards, 10 to 9, and assists, 5 to 3.  Outside of the numbers, Nene embarrsed the Wolves center on two dominating plays.

Check out Nene’s highlight reel block of Jefferson:

Check out Nene’s dunk after posting up on Jefferson:

Every two weeks,‭ ‬we at the Haven,‭ ‬will rank the Top‭ ‬16‭ ‬Teams based on their performance during the weeks.‭ ‬This will be our second rankings of the ’09-’10 season. Previous rankings are inside (). Where does your team rank?

1) Orlando   13-4  (5) – With the best record in the Eastern Conference, the Magic had an impressive two weeks, going 7-1 in their last 8 games.  Orlando earns the top spot because of their stellar play against the other top teams in the conference, besting Boston, Atlanta, and Milwaukee in the past week alone.  After slow starts, Vince Carter looks young again(25 ppg in last 5 gms) and Dwight Howard is waking up(16.5 rebs/gm in last 5 gms).

2) Phoenix   13-3  (3) – The Suns keep cruising along and show no signs of slipping anytime soon.  2 time MVP Steve Nash is back to leading the league in assists(11.6) and Amare Stoudemire appears to be rounding back into All Star form(24 ppg, 9 reb).  In an amazing stat, the suns have scored 100 points in every game this season, win or loss.  Teams don’t want to face them at home(6-0 record).

3) LA Lakers    12-3   (2) – After winning 5 straight, the Lake Show looks to be hitting their stride with the return of Pau Gasol.  Kobe is #2 in the league in scoring(29 ppg) and Andrew Bynum has been a beast(19 ppg, 10.6 rebs).  Getting back Gasol should lessen the scoring burden on the Black Mamba, freeing him up to run Showtime.

4) Atlanta    12-4   (6) – The Hawks have proven that they belong among the leagues elite teams by beating Boston, Denver, and Portland.  They suddenly show poise on offense and have rediscovered how to defend.  MVP candidate Joe Johnson(21.7 ppg) has been a steadying force on a young squad.  Watch out for the ever improving Josh Smith(15.7 ppg, 9 rebs) and Al Horford(13.1 ppg, 10 rebs).

5) Denver    12-4   (4) – The Nuggets got a boost from the returning JR Smith(16 ppg) from suspension.  Melo continues to be a Top 5 player in the league by scoring on everybody, even dropping 50 points against the Knicks.  Chauncey Billups has been excellent running the point(16.8 ppg and 6.1 ast) while K-Mart and Nene(9.2 rebs) have been defensive stoppers up front.

6) Boston    12-4   (1) – The Celtics slip from #1 to #6 because they went 4-3 in their last 7 games and have lost games to a number of the East’s top teams(Atlanta and Orlando).  The definately missed Ray Allen’s consistency on offense(15.5 ppg).  It even took an OT buzzer beater by Garnett to beat the hapless NY Knicks.  Sheed seems to be taking too many three’s.  Don’t panic in Boston, it’s only the start of December.

7) Dallas    12-5   (10) – the Mavs have made an impressive 7-2 run since our last rankings to jump 3 spots despite having major injury bugs.  Being without Josh Howard and Shawn Marion would cripple most teams, but they don’t have Dirk Nowitzki.  Dirk gets my vote for early season MVP(27.1 ppg and 9 rebs) as Jason Kidd continues to lead a deep squad at 8.9 assists.  If the Mavs can play defense, they could be a contender once everyone is healthy in the second half.

Cleveland    12-5  (9) – The Lebronettes have won an amazing 9 of their last 11 games to get back to respectability among the leagues better teams.  LBJ has done it all(29.2 ppg, 6.7 rebs, 8 ast) without having key cogs like Shaq and Delonte West at full strength.  Mo Williams has stepped up as of late, even hit 7 3pointers in a game.  They are a better team out on the break than in the half court.

9) Portland    12-7   (8) – The Blazers slip a spot after losing to 2 of the league’s worst teams(New orleans and Golden State).  They have won 6 of their last 10 games but are capable of being better.  The Andre Miller experiment still isn’t quite running right as the Blazers appear to be a better team with the rock in Brandon Roy’s(19.7 ppg) hands.  Greg Oden(11.6 ppg, 8.2 rebs, 2.3 blocks) is starting to live up to the hype of a #1 pick as Travis Outlaw(10 ppg) and Martell Webster(8.4 ppg) have been excellent as supporting players. 

10) San Antonio    8-6  (12) – The Spurs when healthy are among the league’s Top 5 teams.  They haven’t been, that’s why they are at #10.  The “Big Fundamental” Tim Duncan(18.3 ppg, 11.3 rebs) is still one of the best 4 men in the game, he just isn’t as dominating any more on a game by game basis.  Richard Jefferson(14.4 ppg) has proven to be a valuable pick up considering all of the injuries to the Big 3(Duncan, Parker, Ginobili).

11) Miami    9-6  (7) - D. Wade(27.1 ppg) can’t do it all.  The Heat are one of our biggest losers this rankings primarily because the are just .500(5-5) over their last 10 games after a tremendous 4-1 start.  Beasley has shown flashes of being great(14.3 ppg) and Udonis Haslem has been surprisingly good(11 ppg, 8.9 rebs).  They need more consistent play from Jermaine O’Neal(14 ppg, 7 rebs, 1 blk).

12) Oklahoma City    9-7  (16) – The Thunder move up 4 spots by going 5-3 in their last 8 games against teams with winning records(Miami, Utah, Milwaukee).  Kevin Durant(27.5 ppg, 7 rebs) should be on your MVP candidates list.  Probably most impressive is the play of newly transformed point guard Russell Westbrook(16.7 ppg, 6.9 ast) who hadn’t played the point until this season.  Watch out Western Conference!

13) Utah    9-7  (NR) - The Jazz have gone 7-3 in their last 10 games primarily because of the stellar play from Deron Williams(19.5 ppg, 9.9 ast) and a resurgent CarlosBoozer(19.7 ppg, 10.6 rebs).  Mehmet Okur(14.4 ppg) continues to be an underrated offensive player, while AK-47 has been a consistent 13.4 ppg and 5 rebounds.  Undrafted rookie Wes Mathews(6.8 pts) has been big off the bench.   

14) Milwaukee    8-7  (13) – The Bucks have started to come back to Earth as evidence of their 5-5 record in their last 10 games, including losing 4 straight.  Rookie Brandon Jennings still leads the club in scoring(22.3 ppg) and assists(5.1) but has been in a shooting slump(37%) since his 55 point outburst against the Warriors.  They need Andrew Bogut’s 16 ppg and 9 rebs back from injuries.

15) Charlotte    7-9  (NR) - Larry Brown has the Bobcats winning(4 straight) since the trade for Stephen Jackson.  He provides scoring(17.4 ppg) and excellent defense to make them a legitimate contender for a playoff spot.  Crash Wallace continues to be the team leader with 16 ppg and 11.8 rebs.  Boris Diaw(11.7 ppg) has been better than expected down low.  They need Tyson Chandler(6.1 ppg) to get back on track to challenge other better teams.  

16) Houston    8-8  (NR) – Although they have slipped lately(4-6 in last 10 games), the Rockets continue to be one of the surprise teams in the league.  Trevor Ariza has exceeded expectations with 18.3 ppg, 5 rebs, 4 ast, while Louis Scola(15.3 ppg, 10 rebs) has been tremendous.  Carl Landry has to be one of the league’s most improved players(15 ppg).

The Best of the Rest:

Sacramento (7-8), New Orleans (7-9), Toronto (7-10), Chicago 6-8), and Indiana (6-8)

Teams on the Rise:

Orlando, Charlotte, and Utah

Teams on the Slide:

Milwaukee, Miami, and Boston

updated 11/29/09

The Utah Jazz always seem to have had excellent point guard play, from John Stockton of the past to Deron Williams of the present and future.  At 9-7 this season, the Jazz go how their floor general goes.  In a 108-92 win over the Portland Trailblazers, Williams put in a special performance by hitting for 24 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and dropped 15 dimes.  On a spectacular play in the first quarter, he drove the lane and made an unbelievable between the legs pass to rookie Wesley Mathews from Marquette, who drained a three point shot in a play which has to be nominated for one of the assists of the year.

The man who is simply known as “Melo” has been among the Top 3 in NBA scoring for the entire season so far.  His average is about to go up after scoring 50 points for the Nuggets in their 128-125 win over the NY Knicks.  Denver needed every one of Carmelo’s points, including two free throws with under a minute remaining, as they withstood a late Knicks rally which saw them score 38, 4th quarter points, in posting the 3 point win.  Melo added 6 rebounds and 5 assists to go along with his impressive 17 for 28 shooting night.  Chauncey Billups chipped in with 32 points and 8 assists, and JR Smith added 17 points as the three Nuggets players scored 99 of the squad’s 128 points.  Al Harrington finished 1 point short of a career high with an impressive 41 point, 10 rebound performance for the Knicks.

In the Boston Celtics 116-103 win over the Toronto Raptors, Celtics captain Paul Pierce scored 18 points, added 5 rebounds, and dropped 7 dimes, and had one of the most impressive dunks of the early season, at the expense of Chris Bosh.  As the 4th quarter began, Pierce drove the lane and threw down a thunderous dunk, knocking Bosh into the cameramen, and injuring his Raptors counterpart momentarily.  After the dunk, Pierce stands over the fallen Raptor and glares at Bosh as a form of intimidation.  The Raptor bench didn’t appreciate the guesture, as Pierce recieved a technical for taunting.

First we all heard the news on Wednesday that future Hall of Famer Allen Iverson was retiring because he couldn’t find any suitors for his immense talent and excess baggage that come with it. We all should have seen this coming when the Memphis Grizzlies signed him a s a free agent this Summer. The two things that Iverson hates the most are riding the bench and practice(Yes we talkin’ bout practice!). When the Grizzlies wouldn’t budge on their stance of using the 10 time All Star off of the bench, the “Answer”left the team for supposed personal reasons. We all knew it was because both sides couldn’t come to an agreement as both the superstar and team split ways.

Then came news on the day before Thanksgiving that Iverson was calling it quits because he couldn’t find a team that would use him in an acceptable manor. Most people see this as a selfish gesture along the lines of some high level rookie draft picks(Steve Francis or Keith Van Horn) will only agree play for certain teams. This is a totally different situation where Iverson is actually misunderstood. A.I. wants to be the lynch pin of an organization, not one of these players who look around the league and see which team is most likely to win a title(like Karl Malone and Gary Payton with the Lakers a few years ago). He wants to be the guy who puts a team over the top and wants to play a major role by being a starter, more along the lines of what Vince Carter is doing with the Magic this season.

Iverson has a major problem with coming off of the bench at any time because of his supreme mentality. That can be a good thing or a bad thing. It is what has made him one of the best players in NBA history. It is also what makes it hard to accept being a bench player. He cannot understand how he should ride the pine when he is better than the player starting before him(like Mike Conley in Memphis). If he could change and accept being a role player, surely he could be scoring points in bunches as one of the best 6th men in the league for 5-6 playoff caliber teams today. But he just can’t, and I agree with him.

He possesses the integrity and intestinal fortitude that only a handful of NBA players in history have had. He had to be because of his diminutive stature, it is what made him the best pound for pound player in NBA history. He had to have the mentality of me against the world to overcome his literal shortcomings by playing among the giants of the NCAA and NBA.

He was the Sixers franchise. He carried a passionate fanbase on his back, which was just the way he wanted it to be.  He reveled in it.  To me his signature moment came in Game 1 of the ‘01 NBA Finals against the LA Lakers, when he dropped a 3 and then stomped over a fallen Tyronn Lue as Iverson and the Sixers stunned the basketball world by taking a 1-0 lead in the championship series.

Even most of the players don’t understand Iverson until they play with him, hence some of the mixed reactions upon hearing the news he was retiring. Mainly his former coaches and teammates have stepped forward and commented and are trying to make Iverson reconsider walking away from the game on such bad terms. Most players are forced to retire because they just don’t have the skills to keep up with today’s younger players. This is definitely not the case with A.I. since he is still one of the quickest players with the basketball and can still score the rock with the best in the league. The fan in me hopes we have not seen the last of the “Answer.”

The Answer Creates More Questions

With Allen Iverson out of the picture in Memphis‭ (‬somehow I don’t think he’s done with the NBA‭)‬,‭ ‬Mike Conley has had every reason to put a Kung Fu grip on the Grizzlies‭’ ‬starting point guard job.‭ ‬To this point,‭ ‬it’s been more like an elderly man’s grip on his soup spoon:‭ ‬shaky at best.‭

Conley’s starting alongside a group of very talented offensive players,‭ ‬and it amazes me that he can’t be more productive.‭ ‬When you can dish to O.J.‭ ‬Mayo or Rudy Gay on the wings or dump it down low to Zach Randolph or Marc Gasol,‭ ‬5.2‭ ‬APG doesn’t look quite as good.‭ ‬Think about Steve Nash in that offense.‭ ‬It would be like putting Magic Johnson on the current Knicks after Mike D’Antoni downed a Red Bull cappuccino.‭

No one is expecting Conley to score anything more than‭ ‬15‭ ‬points a game,‭ ‬but his lackluster scoring average of‭ ‬8.1‭ ‬is down nearly‭ ‬3‭ ‬points from last year and his shooting percentage has taken more than a‭ ‬7%‭ ‬hit.‭ ‬To make matters worse,‭ ‬almost every other category is following a similar trend this year:‭ ‬Rebounds down‭ ‬1.3,‭ ‬3‭ ‬point percentage down nearly‭ ‬12%,‭ ‬steals down‭ ‬0.3,‭ ‬and he’s getting to the line with less frequency as well.‭

There is one area that’s actually on the rise:‭ ‬turnovers.‭ ‬Conley’s up to‭ ‬2.6‭ ‬a contest after averaging just‭ ‬1.7‭ ‬last year,‭ ‬leaving the point guard with this uninspiring comment:‭ “‬I hope they still believe in me.‭” ‬If you drafted Conley,‭ ‬there’s really no reason to kick yourself.‭ ‬The guy averaged‭ ‬15.6‭ ‬PPG,‭ ‬5.8‭ ‬APG,‭ ‬and‭ ‬2.4‭ ‬SPG during‭ ‬9‭ ‬games in April to finish last season,‭ ‬and has a better supporting cast this year.‭ ‬I never thought I’d be saying this again,‭ ‬but if Conley’s regression continues,‭ ‬Jamaal Tinsley might actually be a viable fantasy option in a few weeks.

‭

Chris Paul Light

Darren Collison is a must-add whether you need a quick fix at point guard or not.‭ ‬There haven’t been too many conclusive reports on the severity of Chris Paul’s ankle sprain,‭ ‬but Yahoo‭! ‬Sports says his protective boot has been removed and that he’s about‭ ‬2‭ ‬weeks from returning.‭ ‬Collison put together a poor man’s Paul performance against Milwaukee on Wednesday with‭ ‬18‭ ‬points,‭ ‬8‭ ‬assists,‭ ‬7‭ ‬rebounds,‭ ‬and‭ ‬2‭ ‬steals.‭ ‬He turned the ball over‭ ‬5‭ ‬times‭ (‬to be expected‭)‬,‭ ‬but knocked down‭ ‬7‭ ‬of‭ ‬8‭ ‬at the line and canned his only‭ ‬3‭ ‬pointer.‭

In‭ ‬6‭ ‬starts for the Hornets,‭ ‬the former UCLA standout is averaging‭ ‬14.7‭ ‬PPG,‭ ‬6.7‭ ‬APG,‭ ‬3.7‭ ‬RPG,‭ ‬and‭ ‬1.0‭ ‬SPG.‭ ‬On the down side,‭ ‬he’s averaging‭ ‬3‭ ‬turnovers a night in that span,‭ ‬won’t give you much in the way of‭ ‬3‭’‬s,‭ ‬and has shot only‭ ‬40.5%‭ ‬from the field.‭ ‬Still,‭ ‬he’s played at least‭ ‬32‭ ‬minutes in each of the last‭ ‬4‭ ‬games,‭ ‬so his important statistical averages may rise in the coming weeks.‭

Collison got the better of Bucks rookie sensation Brandon Jennings late in Wednesday’s game,‭ ‬which should prove that to this point,‭ ‬it’s talent more than opportunity.‭ ‬Think about what former UCLA teammate Russell Westbrook did during his rookie season for the Thunder‭ (‬15,‭ ‬5,‭ ‬5‭ ‬and‭ ‬1+‭ ‬STL‭)‬.‭ ‬They’re getting eerily similar minutes,‭ ‬and that’s not an unrealistic expectation for Collison with CP3‭ ‬on the shelf.

Apparently King For‭ ‬More‭ ‬Than A Day

In last week’s Friday Fantasy Forecast,‭ ‬I contended that,‭ ‬despite his complete lack of interest in the defensive end,‭ ‬Donte‭ ‬Greene has good shot blocking potential.‭ ‬One might say he showcased some of that potential Wednesday night with‭ ‬6‭ ‬blocks against the Knicks‭!

Beno Udrih was missing in the backcourt with a virus,‭ ‬so Andres Nocioni moved to shooting guard and Greene got his‭ ‬3rd start in‭ ‬8‭ ‬days at power forward.‭ ‬The Syracuse one-and-done also knocked down‭ ‬6‭ ‬three pointers in the contest,‭ ‬and I challenge anyone to find the last player with‭ ‬6‭ ‬blocks and‭ ‬6‭ ‬threes in the same game‭ (‬really,‭ ‬if someone can find that stat I’d be thoroughly impressed‭)‬.‭ ‬This was by far the most complete game of Greene’s young career,‭ ‬as he grabbed‭ ‬4‭ ‬rebounds,‭ ‬dished out‭ ‬5‭ ‬assists,‭ ‬added a steal,‭ ‬went‭ ‬9‭ ‬of‭ ‬13‭ ‬from the floor,‭ ‬and‭ ‬6‭ ‬of‭ ‬7‭ ‬from downtown.‭

In his last‭ ‬3‭ ‬starts,‭ ‬Donte‭’ ‬is averaging a shade over‭ ‬20‭ ‬PPG and has shot a sizzling‭ ‬65%‭ ‬from the floor.‭ ‬He’s also hit a total of‭ ‬10‭ ‬threes in those starts,‭ ‬and his range at‭ ‬6‭’‬11‭ ‬made him a first round pick in spite of his numerous flaws.‭ ‬Udrih should be back from illness against the Nets tonight‭ (‬potential first win for New Jersey‭?)‬,‭ ‬and when he does Greene will likely return to the bench where he’s been a non-factor.‭ ‬However,‭ ‬there have been rumors of Sacramento shopping Nocioni‭ (‬three way deal with the Celtics and Sixers last week‭)‬,‭ ‬and if the Kings ever have a starting role available at forward,‭ ‬you can bet Greene will get the nod.‭

We all love throwback video of NBA players before they were superstars.  Look no further, because here is some great footage of the “King” Lebron James, when he played for the St. Mary’s-St. Vincent Fighting Irish in Ohio from 2003.  In the video, James scores 4 points on a dunk, a steal, and another dunk, all in the span of about 15 seconds in the Primetime Shootout in New Jersey.  He scored an amazing 52 points in this game against Westchester, before his squad won the whole event, which took place during his junior year in high school.

Thanks to Hoopmixtape.

Last season’s Rookie of the Year, Derrick Rose, has started slowly this season after recovering from a nagging Achillies injury.  Although he has the Bulls about where we expected, at or near .500, much bigger and better things are expected from the 2nd year player from Memphis.  In last night’s matchup with the Portland Trailblazers, Rose showed signs of the explosiveness that we witnessed last season.  Even though he had only 14 points and 5 assists as his squad got blown out for the 3rd game in a row, Rose had one spectacular play which may give Bulls fans hope that he is ready to break out and improve on his impressive rookie season.  Check out this video clip as Rose drives the baseline and throws it down with authority over one of the game’s best shot blockers in Greg Oden.