Nate Robinson won Eastern Conference player of the week for, among other things, really really really annoying the hell out of Brandon Jennings.

(gif via nba-4-life)

Joe Crowley of the Chicago Sun Times:

According to an NBA source, while ‘‘The Return’’ to the court for NBA games is still up in the air for Rose, the all-everything point guard could be just weeks away from practicing with the Bulls again…

‘‘That’s the belief that a couple of [the Bulls’] players are under,’’ the source said.

Rose has been expected to be able to play in games by February, but that has been inferred more than actually stated. Even if the Bulls receive the ultimate Christmas present of getting him back on the practice court just before Dec. 25, it doesn’t mean he’s necessarily ahead of that February schedule — or behind it.

I’m sure I share the cognitive dissonance of all Bulls fans when I say “Get well soon D. Rose; and don’t rush back.”

In related news: Ricky(-tikki) Rubio zipped a pass through a teammates legs in practice and feels good, and we might see Hey-mon Shumpert sometime in January.

Sad to hear the news today of the death of long-time NBA announcer Jim Durham. Durham had been calling games for ESPN Radio since 1996, but is most familiar to me and probably other 30-somethings from the Chicago-land area as the descriptive play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Bulls from the mid-80’s until 1990. I personally spent a lot of weeknights sneaking to the edge of the stairs to listen in on Bulls games my father was watching that were on past my bedtime. And while nothing quite compares to seeing Michael Jordan hit a game-winner over Thurl Bailey in Utah the next best thing was listening to Durham’s call of it and the subsequent Johnny “Red” Kerr freak out. Also, wasn’t “bedtime” the suck?

From the time capsule, geek out to this 1990 Chicago Bulls pre-game show that includes Jim Durham and Chicago Tribune beat writer Sam Smith discussing, what else, the NBA trade deadline (6:10).

~SlapClap

“There just can’t be any basketball gods given the way this season went for the Bulls. None apparently interested in fairness, anyway.”

—The inimitable Bulls beat writer Sam Smith on this Bulls season

The old basketball based gods and the new. The old basketball based gods, well, a Bull walked among them. These new gods, however, have been a real pain in the you know what (earmuffs: the a$$). Someone gave birth to a smoke monster underneath the United Center and brought down the would-be kingdom. Too dramatic? Maybe, but HEY there is always next year.

HEY look, it’s next year! Welcome to the Chicago Bulls 2012-13 season which will begin at the ending— the beginding. Hopefully, Derrick Rose will be jogging in place. Most likely, Luol Deng will be out because of wrist surgery that he is putting off until after his England national team gets blown out by the Republic of Wadiya in the summer Olympics.

And Carlos Boozer. Send a raven to Gar Foreman and John Paxson requesting an immediate amnesty. In fairness, Boozer had a solid season but the taxonomy of an NBA team is based on salary, and 15 points with 8 rebounds leaves Chicago with a 3-year $40 million dollar-sized hole where their second best player should be. It is a legit question “who fills that hole if Boozer gets let go?” At this point doing it to make more room for Taj Gibson and Omer Asik feels like a good enough answer.

Given Rose’s injury and the time it will take to adjust to it once he’s back on the court the Bulls may not be truly whole until 2013. Even then you can’t expect Rose to carry the same offensive burden he has these past two seasons. It is up to Chicago’s front office to have the foresight to lessen that burden where and when it can.

A man has said.

—SlapClap