It’s a battle of point guards in tonight’s Bulls game.  Deron Williams and the Nets will have another shot at Derrick Rose and Chicago.

The Bulls got the best of the Nets a month ago, and they’ll probably win by more this time around, despite the fact that tonight it’s in New Jersey.

Luol Deng will be in the line-up tonight, his second game since returning from an injury.

He is absolutely pivotal in what the Bulls do well.  Rose is the superstar, but Deng makes his life a hell of a lot easier.

I’d be looking for Rose to string together a series of really strong games at this point in the season.  He might bring up his scoring and assists average dramatically in the next ten games.

I had a few thoughts on the Nets guard, out of U of I, Deron Williams.

I think he’s one of the best point guards in the league, and as many have probably said before, this is an era of great point guards.

I’m a big fan of Deron Williams, and as good as he is, I believe he could be better.

When I watch him play, especially in the last two years, it seems like he is looking to score more than he used to.  That could be an adjustment to having fewer offensive weapons at his disposal… but I’m seeing something a bit different.

When we’re seeing more superstar point guards out there who are more Allen Iverson and less Steve Nash, it’s easy to see why a superstar caliber point guard would try to make scoring points himself a higher priority in his game…

Deron Williams is a very good scorer, but I’m still not convinced that’s his game.  He could really benefit from aiming for 14 assists before 20 pts, and obviously, so would any team that has him.

Williams is not Derrick Rose or Chris Paul.  Rose sees the scoring opportunity and then uses explosive speed and body control to capitalize on it.  That’s what he does best.  Williams, on the other hand, seems a bit too willing to just try to work it himself and force the issue.

Williams, being more of a physical force than Rose, would find some success in that method, but ultimately, it puts Deron’s fantastic court vision on the back-burner, where it should never be.

He still could be averaging 20 a game, because thinking pass-first 90% of the time, would create more opportunities naturally for Williams to score.  And then, in 10 years, we’d marvel at what a consistent, competitive monster of a player Deron Williams had become, and discussing how quickly he’ll be inducted to the Hall of Fame.

I talk to myself
and I’m labeled crazy.

I talk to God
and I’m a moral authority.

And

I

am

real.

Probably.

The Superbowl has ended and the New York Giants are champions again.

It went the way I expected, a great game overall.  The Giants outplayed the Patriots from start to finish, it wasn’t as close as the 21 to 17 result and dramatic ending would have you believe.

The game moved slower than the Patriots would have liked, the Giants coverage was superb, and the pass rush came up huge.  They didn’t get to Brady often, and credit the Pats line for playing better than most expected, but Justin Tuck ended up with a couple big sacks, one on the crucial third down.

Brady and Manning were efficient and brilliant under pressure.  I’d call their personal duel in this one as a draw, but Manning ultimately gets the decision because his teammates came through at the right time.

Tom Brady deserves another Superbowl for being as good as he is, and playing the way he did tonight.  But so did Eli Manning.

It’s impossible not to classify Eli Manning as one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL (as in, top 4).  His success is no fluke. His confidence and accuracy in the 4th quarter and on closing drives is as good as it gets.  He doesn’t always do it in the flashiest way, he seems to rely on timely completions, efficiency, and a very high football IQ.  This guy, really, just wins football games.  Especially the big ones.

You can’t complain about a Superbowl that was played the way this one was. 

I find myself distracted by some well timed whistles (and non-calls) that kept the game within “4th quarter drive(s) that decide the game in the final two minutes” zone… which pleases any audience… even those who “just tuned in to watch the commercials.”  Those are the same people who always watch the Oscars and never see a movie, by the way.

But that will never take away from the plays made: the Manningham catch on the sideline, the valiant drive almost made by Tom Brady to finish the game, and the deciding touchdown run by Bradshaw, and the bizarre “stand down” by the Patriots to let it happen, to give themselves more time to score, reflected what a strategic war this was.  So did the Giants 12 men on the field, on a play when the penalty does absolutely no damage, and the 12th man ensures no receiver will slip away down field.

This game was not like it was 4 years ago, except the in the victor.  The Giants didn’t need a miracle tonight, they just won it on both sides of the ball.  The Patriots were very good, but the Giants were better, convincingly.  Manning was brilliant, Bradshaw and Jacobs were getting good chunks of positive yards all night (but not exactly running wild on the Pats), and the Giants receivers made big catches while New England’s took their eyes off the ball when it mattered most.

Superbowl ex el vee one goes down in my book… or blog… as one of the most well played and evenly matched Superbowls of all time.  Which is really saying something.  To a true football fan, it was every bit as memorable as their previous match-up.

And why is it
Whenever we’re apart
we’re constantly daring each other
to fall in love
again

And
whenever we’re together
we’re daring each other
to leave
again

Yes of course
because then it’s
dishes in the sink
laundry
rent
paychecks
uncompromising and contrasting sleep needs
routine
and ruts

And then the dream is dead
the idea that there’s still something
or someone
better

The person I could say this to
without worrying about
the way it sounds

Because
to the rest of the world
I just want to sound smart
complicated
and I’m not that convincing
as a philosopher

So I hide
in the non-threatening
mild-mannered vocabulary
of normality
How ya doin?
What’s up?
Alright.
That’s cool.
Sounds good.
Yep.
Take it easy.

And I talk about sports
or the weather

Halftime in the Bulls and Heat game.

I hate when big games in sports that aren’t typically on ABC, NBC, CBS or FOX are then transplanted to one of the major networks.  The flow of the game is disrupted by touch fouls, there are constant game breaks for extended commercials, mid-game interviews… and the announcers typically suck.  The commentary is more team or player hype than useful sports analysis.

Anyway, very pleased with Chicago’s play in the second quarter.  Spreading it around, they’re getting after the ball on both sides of the floor… and attempting to draw contact at the right times, which is a good adjustment considering the way the game’s being called.

The Heat are taking advantage in transition, but there’s a reason the lead didn’t last.  Looks like the Bulls have tightened it up and if they get a few bounces off the defensive glass, and a few of those rim-out shots go down, they’ll win this game.

Rose is playing great, aggressive toward the rim and finding the open man when he’s drawn two or three defenders.  Noah and Taj have been getting great position down low and contributing on offense. I think Rip found his shot again (after being out with an injury and a game-time decision today), Korver hit a couple big threes.

Lebron is all but carrying Miami.  He’s having a good game, but it’s been rather easy for him thus far.  Transition points, open shots and free throws.  The Bulls need to do a better job contesting his shots.  Easier said than done though, it is Lebron James.

UPDATE:  Chris Bosh is playing very well too.  Forgot to mention that.

Now the announcers are trying to make it sound like D Rose is a flopper… while Dwayne Wade is shooting free throws for what should have been an offensive foul on Wade.

Game Over.  The Bulls are about to lose, but they looked a hell of a lot better than the Heat.  They have a lot to feel good about.  They didn’t really play their best basketball, they were missing Deng… and they still looked better than the Heat all around.

Very easily could have won on the last few possessions.  The whole game was pretty much a nightmarish cluster-fuck all around, and full of bad calls… the Heat probably got the better of those, but not by much.  The conclusion felt a lot like a boxing match that went to a decision which convinced no one.