<div align="center"> @ Television: CSN (chicagoland) , Time: 7:00 pm ESTDate: Wednesday, November 1<span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:100%"><span style="color:#FF0000">Chicago Bulls (1-0)</span><span style="color:#CC0000">Proba-bulls</span><span style="color:#990000">PG: Kirk HinrichSG: Ben GordonSF: Luol DengPF: P.J. BrownC: Ben Wallace6th Man: Andres Nocioni</span><span style="color:#000066">Orlando Magic (0-0)</span>Probably Starters:<span style="color:#3333FF">PG: Jameer NelsonSG: Grant HillSF: Hedo TurkogluPF: Dwight HowardC: Tony Battie6th Man: Darko Milicic</span><u>Injury Notes:</u> Trevor Ariza (foot), Keith Bogans (back)Chris Duhon (foot), Tyrus Thomas (nose)--------------------------------------------------------------</div></span>Key Matchup: Kirk Hinrich vs Jameer NelsonHinrich just signed a big fat contract yesterday and he will continue to show every game, why he deserves every penny earned. Jameer Nelson, a rising star, gets to show why he, from the beginning, should be the Orlando Magic starting point guard. Both guards should be well matched up against each other.<span style="color:#FF0000">Chicago's Keys to winning:</span>-Contain Dwight Howard down low-Start to get the flow of the shots early on-continue interior defense-Continue off yesterdays success<span style="color:#000066">Orlando's Keys to winning:</span>-Crash the boards-Create open shots with ball movement-Find a hot hand to rely on when strugglingX-Factors: Hedo Turkoglu, Viktor KhryapaPrediction: Chicago Bulls. The league's number one defense is unstoppable and they are coming off yesterday with great confidence. Look for the Bulls to win by 12-15.
Balla, see. Leave all the gamethreads in here. Please bro, just leave it the way it was yesterday, and move my Celtics/Hornets thread back in here. I say the Bulls win. It sucks Thomas and Duhon are out though. Duhon was having a great game before he hurt his foot last night, and Thomas was playing excellent as well before he broke his nose. Orlando is a good team though, watch out. They could definitely make the playoffs this year. But I have a question, when is Duhon expected to be back?
Duhon is a day-to-day matter right now.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticBalla32 @ Nov 1 2006, 04:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Orlando is a good team though, watch out. They could definitely make the playoffs this year. But I have a question, when is Duhon expected to be back?</div>Yes, I actually ranked orlando #6 in the east for my preseason rankings.. it'll be in my blog that I guess ill post either today or tomorrow (in a dif thread)(btw) I appologize if this thread is not as flashy as tony or cb's
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pinoy Balla @ Nov 1 2006, 05:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>IM not so sure about Orlando Line-Up I think its PG:Nelson SG:Redick SF:Hill PF:Howard C:Milidick</div> No, he got it right. Redick is definitely not starting yet and Battie is starting over Darko. The only thing he really got wrong is Hedo would probably be the 2 with Hill at the 3. But other than that, he got it right.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BrewCityBuck @ Nov 4 2006, 08:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>How about those overrated Chicago Bulls?</div>Completely agree... after that 42-point win to open the season in Miami, everybody here was touting them as legit Finals contenders... then what happens? Dwight Howard dominates Ben Wallace, and they lose their home opener to Sacramento. I'm telling you guys they still need a big time scorer before they can be considered a legitimate threat.
Ben Wallace went from guarding shaq, going on an airplane and guarding dwight all in 24 hours. That is not easy to do so of course he will struggle some. The loss to Sacramento was just poorly executed in the end, but you cant take away from what they did the whole game.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (KCX @ Nov 4 2006, 05:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Ben Wallace went from guarding shaq, going on an airplane and guarding dwight all in 24 hours. That is not easy to do so of course he will struggle some. The loss to Sacramento was just poorly executed in the end, but you cant take away from what they did the whole game.</div>Sure, but a team that is considered a legitimate threat should be able to find ways to win that game. You could say it's early in the season and they still have time to work on that, but then I could just say it's early in the season and touting them a legitimate title contender based on a 42-point victory at Miami is a downright silly. The Bulls success this season DOES NOT rely on Ben Wallace... it relies on the continued improvement and emergence of Hinrich, Gordon, Deng and Nocioni. Just like Paxson said, you can only sell the "youth" excuse for so long, but at some point those guys need to emerge and take this team to the next level. Whether or not they can/will do that this season remains to be seen.
