Bulls-Bucks: Rookies No More, Vinny Del Negro and Derrick Rose Win Season Opener

Immediate reaction

The Chicago Bulls earn their first win with steady pressure on both ends. One thing that stood out in particular was their aggressiveness towards the basket, which turned into a lot of free-throw attempts—44 in total.

A ghost in the first half, Ben Gordon found his stroke as the game went on, and eventually nailed the dagger from the corner to put the game out of reach.

Kudos to the mental toughness showed by a very young team late in the forth quarter by refusing to give up a 10-point lead with 4:45 to go.

The offense was really exciting when Derrick Rose entered the game, and the defense stood its ground when he left.  With effective substitutions throughout, Vinny Del Negro earned the game ball he received tonight.

Second impression

It’s early in the season for everyone—but if tonight’s game was any indication, the Bulls have a sound mindset of what they want to do offensively. With Drew Gooden starting at the center position and the athletic Tyrus Thomas playing power forward, the Bulls are soft in the middle on the defensive end. To counter this weakness, their entire team is composed of penetrators and spot-up shooters.

Early in the game this was a big factor, as both Andrew Bogut and Dan Gadzuric of the Bucks both had to sit much of the first half. Even though the score going into halftime was close, the Bulls had landed enough jabs early in the bout to take the Bucks out of their defensive game plan in the second half. This was most evident in the fourth quarter when Gordon scored 10 of his 18 points after struggling in the first half.

A quick glance at the final stat sheet reveals exactly what the Bulls want to see every game. A modest lead in free throws attempted (44 to 20) and made (33 to 15), a 19-point margin in the fast-break column, and a surprisingly slight edge (32 to 28) in the battle for points in the paint.

Bull market moments

Late in the second quarter, Thomas uses his long arms to deflect the cross-court pass to Rose, who gives it right back to his partner in crime via an alley-oop dunk.

Rose rewards his own thievery early in the third quarter, picking off a lazy pass for a two-handed slam.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Joakim Noah is finally rewarded for rolling towards the basket all game long, finishing a lob by none other than Rose.

Bear market moments

Seconds into the game, Rose has his first-ever pass in the NBA picked off by Michael Redd resulting in a Bucks score. Brett Farve’s first pass in the NFL was an interception returned for a touchdown, but I think that guy went on to have a pretty good career.

I think we all love Andres Nocioni’s hustle and grit up and down the court, but a blatant punch to the groin on Richard Jefferson was missed by the refs. I know this type of thing goes on all the time on both sides, but I personally do not condone cheap shots.

Gordon drives into the lane missing a floater on the offensive end, then he jogs back on defense and trips Noah at half court early in the fourth quarter. If you thought Noah had an ugly shot, you should see his falling skills.

On deck

The defending champion Boston Celtics welcome the Bulls on Halloween night. If you want a measuring-stick game, this is the one.

With both teams coming off of opening night victories, I anticipate a lot of early-game fireworks. The Celtics are the more experienced and talented team, though, and should have this game wrapped up halfway into the fourth quarter.

One thing to watch for is if the Bulls' aggressive style can force Kevin Garnett into early foul trouble—much like the game tonight against Bogut.  Forcing the Celtics into small ball should play right into Chicago's strengths.