The new Michael Jordan is going to be difficult to watch, more difficult than I could ever have imagined. Who knew that a basketball game featuring Jordan could make you want to sing the blues?
This sadness has nothing to do with Jordan's physical abilities. He is 38, not 88, so it's not as if varicose veins are preventing him from touching the rim. He still stalks the court like a panther, making his opponents wonder if their next flinch or facial expression will set him off.
Michael Jordan can still play. No one should question that. When he decides to leave the game for good, he'll take his ball—and most likely a final-season 20-point average—and go home.
His game is not the biggest problem. His present company is. Jordan and his new band, the Washington Wizards, opened their season Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks. After the first quarter of an eventual 93-91 Washington loss, it was obvious something was wrong:
A game involving Michael Jordan was … boring.
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Desperate times call for desperate measures.
With both of the Bulls' small forwards, Eddie Robinson and Ron Artest, out with injuries, coach Tim Floyd may try to compensate by using more zone defenses. This season is the first since the shot clock was introduced in 1954 that zones will be legal in the NBA.
"Thank goodness for zone defenses," Floyd said. "It could happen because of the matchups. Tyson (Chandler) at 7-foot-1 guarding Latrell Sprewell at 6-5 might be tough. Marcus Fizer guarding Vince Carter might be tough. A.J. Guyton at 6-1 guarding a 6-6 Allan Houston might be tough. Fred Hoiberg guarding Glenn Robinson might be tough.
"So we're going to have to be creative. We're going to have to go about it in different ways. Zones provide a means for tackling this in a team manner."
The Bulls have shown brief moments of zone defense in each of their four home preseason games. It has been addressed more frequently in practice the last few days.
"I hate playing zone because your man-to-man gets worse every time you hop into a zone," Floyd said. "A lot of standing, you don't rebound out of them as well. But you have to survive, also. We may play it more minutes than what we'd like, but we're still going to be basically a man-to-man team I would hope."
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...and potential...and problems. While the Bulls are once again expected to lose much more than they win this season, Coach Tim Floyd is once again preaching patience - this being the third straight season. While the potential is there with young studs Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry, the Bulls have already had more than their fair share of problems with injuries to key players Eddie Robinson, Jamal Crawford and Ron Artest. Crawford is expected to be out for the season.
One thing the Bulls do have this season is veteran leadership, leaning on the sturdy shoulders of power forward Charles Oakley and point guard Greg Anthony, two of seven new players to the team. Anthony himself has question marks over his head, this season will be the first he will be playing starters minutes in more than four seasons.
So how will this team mould together, and will they grow as the season progresses? Charles Oakley. Two High School Rookies. Diluted lineups in an already inferior lineup. And this is before the season even begins... The ride begins today, so buckle up and hold on.
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Bulls Oct 2001 Archive
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| Oct 31, 2001
Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune, perhaps the reporter with the most exposure to his airness, puts his thoughts on Michael Jordan's first official game.
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| Oct 30, 2001
Eddie Robinson's silver Bentley was parked in a handicapped spot at the Berto Center Sunday, sitting alongside the gutted wreckage of what was his enthusiasm for the upcoming season.
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| Oct 30, 2001
Smile Bulls fans, because this is your lucky day.
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| Oct 29, 2001
NBA.
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| Oct 29, 2001
A friend from Washington was incredulous.
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| Oct 29, 2001
Bulls coach Tim Floyd says the best way for the team to recover emotionally from the loss of forward Eddie Robinson to a fractured big left toe is to have spirited practices.
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| Oct 28, 2001
Michael Jordan is dominating the NBA again, but at an unusual time of year.
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| Oct 28, 2001
Robinson Down: The injury bug has already bit the Bulls
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| Oct 27, 2001
K.
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| Oct 27, 2001
Tim Floyd says he's tired of answering the same old questions.
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| Oct 26, 2001
K.
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| Oct 26, 2001
The release of Michael Ruffin is supposed to be an indication of how talented the Bulls roster has become.
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| Oct 26, 2001
James Posey and Isaiah Rider each scored 16 points as the Denver Nuggets beat the Bulls 89-75 in an exhibition game Wednesday night.
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| Oct 26, 2001
Doug Bruno and Dorothy Gaters are veteran coaches of women's basketball in Chicago.
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| Oct 26, 2001
The one player the Bulls should get rid of is Brad Miller.
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| Oct 25, 2001
Tim Floyd said he plans to go with a nine man rotation when the season rolls around, and yesterday against the Nuggets at Denver he used exactly nine players.
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| Oct 24, 2001
We all know he is athletic, but how good is Eddie Robinson really? ''I can score 20 to 25 points a game,'' Robinson said.
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| Oct 24, 2001
Where Kevin Ollie is now—drawing praise from Bulls coaches after each outing, getting playing time at both guard positions, "in the flow," so to speak—is so much a reflection of where he has been.
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| Oct 23, 2001
For someone who averaged just 14.
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| Oct 23, 2001
Jason Terry had 25 points and seven steals, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim added 20 points and nine rebounds to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 97-71 exhibition victory over the Bulls on Monday night.
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| Oct 23, 2001
After starting the preseason swinging the ball well, finding the open man, and actually looking fluent at times the Chicago Bulls seemed to have degressed.
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| Oct 22, 2001
Point Guard Kevin Ollie is now with his sixth club in five seasons, writes Roman Modrowski of the Chicago Tribune, which reflects a tremendous intestinal fortitude.
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| Oct 22, 2001
Much of the talk surrounding the Bulls this season is of the future, of how teenage prospects and first-round picks Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry will develop.
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| Oct 21, 2001
Indiana Coach Isiah Thomas knows a thing or two about coaching players who have made the jump from High School to the pro's.
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| Oct 21, 2001
Johnathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports: The Warriors did not cheat.
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| Oct 21, 2001
The Pacers showed an ability to rebound from Friday's dreary defeat by playing superbly in the first three quarters of a 91-90 win over the Chicago Bulls at United Center.
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| Oct 20, 2001
Forget the floor burns.
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| Oct 20, 2001
When Tyson Chandler steps onto the court tonight against the Indiana Pacers, the Bulls' rookie forward will be facing what could be his biggest obstacle of the season.
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| Oct 20, 2001
As Michael Ruffin hustled around the Berto Center court Thursday, his wife, Mistye, watched from a balcony while holding their infant daughter, Milaya Sade.
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| Oct 19, 2001
Considering their 15 victories, it goes without saying the Bulls weren't especially adept at scoring clutch baskets last season.
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| Oct 19, 2001
Former Bulls forward Elton Brand felt little if any discomfort returning to the United Center on Wednesday night wearing an enemy uniform for the first time in his three-year career.
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| Oct 19, 2001
Tim Floyd is not a happy man, writes K.
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| Oct 18, 2001
There has been a joke going around the NBA that Bulls general manager Jerry Krause is almost certain to be named executive of the year this season.
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| Oct 18, 2001
Lacy Banks of the Chicago Sun-Times reflects on Elton Brand and his departure from the team he carried for the previous two seasons.
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| Oct 18, 2001
22 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes was the stat line for Elton Brand in his first trip back to the Windy City.
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| Oct 17, 2001
Tyson Chandler may lack experience and physical strength, but the Bulls rookie doesn't want for confidence and showmanship.
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| Oct 17, 2001
If Nike wants an alternative to placing all of its advertising dollars behind the Michael Jordan comeback, it could always resurrect an old theme using the oldest Bull, Charles Oakley.
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| Oct 17, 2001
Vince Carter scored 21 points to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 107-89 exhibition victory over the Bulls on Tuesday night.
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| Oct 17, 2001
Glen Grunwald may have had an all-star summer in the eyes of most.
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| Oct 16, 2001
Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald in Chicago reports that the situation fits perfectly.
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| Oct 16, 2001
Antonio, Charles has a message for you.
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| Oct 15, 2001
Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun-Times voices his opinion on the teenage phenoms Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry, looking at their past, present, and their bright futures.
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| Oct 15, 2001
Opening the preseason with two consecutive wins isn't really anything special unless you are the Bulls, whom operations chief Jerry Krause is rebuilding for the second time in three years under coach Tim Floyd.
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| Oct 15, 2001
Last season the point guard position was the one in most need of improvement, and with the additions of veterans Greg Anthony and Kevin Ollie, as well as the emergence of second year sharpshooter AJ Guyton it looks as though the Bulls may have done that.
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| Oct 14, 2001
Bender's breakout season may be slow in coming -- if it comes at all.
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| Oct 14, 2001
Coming soon to a city near you, it's a two-headed cow, a bearded lady and a man who eats nails.
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| Oct 14, 2001
Ron Mercer scored 14 points and A.
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| Oct 14, 2001
With his laid-back demeanor and sleepy eyes, forward Eddie Robinson looks about as aggressive as a manatee.
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| Oct 13, 2001
Unless one counts the Twilight kind, the Bulls rarely have been in the zone in the past three seasons.
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| Oct 13, 2001
Wondering how Chicago fans feel seeing their hero in another uniform? Check out some of the reactions recorded by the Chicago Tribune.
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| Oct 13, 2001
The Chicago Bulls started their preseason tenture yesterday against the Atlanta Hawks, and at the same time kicked off the careers of two young rookies straight out of high school.
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| Oct 12, 2001
ESPN reports that two days after undergoing finger surgery, Chicago Bulls forward Ron Artest on Friday had his fourth-year contract exercised for the 2002-03 season.
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| Oct 12, 2001
For rookies Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry, the process of becoming NBA stars will involve a series of baby steps.
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| Oct 12, 2001
In K.
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| Oct 11, 2001
There are a few things one should know about Trent Hassell, the newest of the bouncing baby Bulls on the roster.
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| Oct 11, 2001
After having successful surgery on his right finger Wednesday, Bulls forward Ron Artest is set to miss the next 10 weeks.
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| Oct 11, 2001
Ask Brad Miller to use one word to describe his preparedness and level of conditioning for training camp last season and, after spewing several that can't be printed in a newspaper, he settles for "pathetic.
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| Oct 10, 2001
The Chicago Bulls recently hired three time Bulls Champion Bill Wennington as director of player relations, reports the Chicago Daily Herald.
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| Oct 10, 2001
Greg Anthony was looking to break full-court pressure after catching an inbounds pass during practice Tuesday, but as the Bulls' point guard turned and began to dribble, he crashed into a graffiti-covered brick wall and went sprawling out of bounds.
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| Oct 10, 2001
Thus far, Bulls training camp has been as exciting as caulking.
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| Oct 9, 2001
Ron Artest, who has an injured finger that he has been trying to play through to keep his form, has decided to have surgery after all.
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| Oct 9, 2001
Phil Johnson will probably not be remembered as the father of the Bulls' offense, certainly not in the way Tex Winter has been associated with the triple-post, or triangle, offense.
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| Oct 9, 2001
In Sam Smith's latest piece he said the future of the franchise not only rests on the shoulders of teenagers Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry, but also on Tim Floyd.
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| Oct 8, 2001
K.
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| Oct 7, 2001
It appears the Bulls will begin the 2001-02 NBA season without Ron Artest.
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| Oct 7, 2001
While both are now out in the big bad world learning to fend for themselves, living away from home for the first time and dealing with everyday issues, in a way they are no different from thousands of freshmen trying to cope for the first time away from home, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.
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| Oct 7, 2001
Eight minutes was all it took for the Chicago Bulls to sell out both encounters against Michael Jordan's Wizards the Chicago Tribune is reporting.
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| Oct 6, 2001
A few minutes into an informal pickup game at the Berto Center, rookie Trenton Hassell does something amazing.
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| Oct 6, 2001
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that while Ron Artest sat out practice Friday and made plans to see a hand specialist next week in New York, the Bulls luck took another twist when one half of the 'twin toddlers', Tyson Chandler, went down with a sprained right ankle.
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| Oct 5, 2001
The six championship banners hanging high above the Berto Center practice floor are a reminder of another era in more ways than one.
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| Oct 4, 2001
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| Oct 4, 2001
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| Oct 4, 2001
During the summer, A.
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| Oct 4, 2001
Unlike the previous year, the Bulls succeeded in signing their 2001 top free-agent target - former Charlotte forward Eddie Robinson.
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| Oct 4, 2001
With the Bulls looking for 7,500 commitments of $100 apiece in deposits toward season tickets by Nov.
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| Oct 4, 2001
Some around the league consider Ron Mercer a selfish sort of guy, but K.
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| Oct 3, 2001
Tyson Chandler already has first-hand proof that the NBA is a tough transition for a rookie used to dominating high school competition.
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| Oct 3, 2001
'My wife keeps telling me: More fiber!'
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| Oct 3, 2001
K.
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| Oct 2, 2001
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| Oct 2, 2001
It is said that time waits for no one and that he who stands still will fall behind.
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| Oct 2, 2001
The Washington Wizards may have conducted the most anticipated news conference Monday, but anticipation also filled the Berto Center as Bulls operations chief Jerry Krause dared dream of an extended season.
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| Oct 2, 2001
The Chicago Tribune's K.
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| Oct 1, 2001
The Bulls today traded the rights to second round draft pick Sean Lampley, selected 45th overall, to the Miami Heat, the Chicago Tribune is reporting.
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| Oct 1, 2001
NBA.
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| Oct 1, 2001
High Schoolers Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler, the #4 and #2 picks in the 2001 draft respectively, both signed with the Chicago Bulls today, reports NBA.
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| Oct 1, 2001
This year there is no Cory Carr vs.
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| Oct 1, 2001
Tim Floyd holds the dubious record of worst start in league history for coaches who lasted more than two seasons, his mark being 45-169.
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| Oct 1, 2001
Eight new faces will be on display Monday as the Chicago Bulls hold their media day, according to the Chicago Tribune.
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