LeBron James “The Decision” Bingo

LeBron glares knowingly into your soul

LEBRON TV SPECIAL BINGO!

Instructions: Print out the LeBron James “The Decision” Bingo Card (PDF). Select any nine of the following events that you believe might happen, and arrange them in any way you want on the card. Play against friends watching with you, or against others on our Facebook Fan Page. Cross out the appropriate box in the grid whenever any of the actions on the card take place. When you get three in a row (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally), shout “BINGO” and let us know that you’ve won on our Facebook Fan Page or tweet us @paintsdudes.

• You can tell which eye is Stuart Scott’s glass one

Looking Forward to “The Decision”

This guy (and his smug mug) will get his own TV special about his future team, tonight (July 8) at 9 PM Eastern Time.

Who would have thought that LeBron might end up looking like a good guy after he announces his new team? Announced earlier today, LeBron will have a one-hour primetime ESPN special dedicated to… him. So, who are the winners and losers of this decision?

LeBron James to the Chicago Bulls. And how.

Since we have spent the last year or so wading through the murky waters of free agency, don’t you think it’s about time we started drawing some conclusions?

But before we come to any real conclusions, a little role play. Imagine yourself as Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant. In just your second week on the job you are faced with the prospect of having to trade away the best player in franchise history in a do or die sign and trade, or watch the two time and defending league MVP simply leave town as an unrestricted free agent. Of course, there is also the possibility of resigning him, but I think the chances of that are very small.

Glad I’m not that guy.

Conclusion #1: The only one that really matters.

Prospects of Bronze

The Chicago Bulls are subject to various free agency rumors, be it from the big three (LeBron, Wade, Bosh) to the “lower” tier of players hoping to cash in this offseason (perhaps Amar’e and Joe Johnson). The needs are glaring, the foundation efficiently solid, the upper management situation a little more than hazy. Still, this is Chicago and it remains a prime destination for prospective players.

Are the Clouds Closer?

First off, this isn’t surprising and quite frankly is expected. Everyone knew or believed that the Thunder would take at least one game and everyone knew that Chicago would be competitive, especially after the first two games. And I wouldn’t consider either of these games a “steal” by the 8-seed, they were most certainly victories.

I Believe in Wind

The playoffs so far have been far from surprising. The only real surprising thing so far has been Phoenix’s poor showing against a wounded Portland. However, game 1 is the easiest to steal and easiest to recover from. One of the least surprising things about the playoffs has been the fact that the Chicago Bulls haven’t backed down from the heavily favored Cleveland Cavaliers and can actually compete.

It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World

Derrick Rose came up huge last night in a much needed win for the Bulls over the LeBron-less Cleveland Cavaliers. His jump shot looked much improved and his quickness was nothing short of scorching. I am desperately hoping for the Bulls to make the playoffs instead of the hapless Toronto Raptors, who are now without Chris Bosh. While the Bulls have no realistic chance of winning against the Cavaliers, they would still be entertaining as long as they can stay healthy.

Observations on the Chicago/Utah Game

….and we’re back. Reggie Miller’s here. But the Custodian is not.

You Only Get What You Give

Okay, so I watched the Cavaliers and Bulls game and had a couple thoughts, actually a lot of thoughts, not all of which is directly related to the actual play of the game. I could have just done a list of random thoughts but I thought it might be better if I explained my thoughts as to leave no confusion about exactly what I am saying.

Season Preview: Utah Jazz

The Jazz’s franchise began in 1974 in New Orleans. After five seasons they moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. Their first playoff appearance was in 1984. Impressively, the Jazz consistently made the playoffs until 2004. Their ’02-’03 season marked the end of an era, as both John Stockton and Karl Malone left the team. A great deal of the Jazz’s success can be attributed to Stockton and Malone. They made the NBA finals in both their ’96-’97 and ’97-’98 seasons. Unfortunately, both times they were defeated by the Chicago Bulls.

Season Preview: Chicago Bulls

Team History:

The Chicago Bulls before Michael Jordan is similar to the history of the world before the introduction of language; we know it was there, but we have no clue what actually happened (except Jerry Sloan, which might make him a cave drawing). Once Jordan hit Chicago, the franchise was transformed from a so-so team into one of the greatest of all time. Jordan, the greatest of all time (don’t try to deny it), led the Bulls to some of the greatest moments in the history of the league.

After some mighty struggles with the Pistons and Celtics in the 1980s, the Bulls brought in the still unproven coach Phil Jackson to coach the young Bulls that had the infamous Jordan and a young up-and-comer Scottie Pippen. The Bulls would go on to win three championships in a row (the first threepeat for Jackson) from the 91-93 seasons. Jordan retired, shocking the world (kind of like Barry Sanders, only a lot bigger) and the Bulls dropped from Champions to near champions with Pippen leading the charge. Jordan came back (the first time) and the Bulls went on to post another threepeat. One of those seasons, the Bulls posted a 70-12 record, the most wins in NBA history.

The Formation of a Twister

If Derrick Rose is on a basketball court, the odds are that he is making a play to help his team win the game. The consummate team player, Rose is just as skilled handling the rock and finding the open man as he is driving to the lane to show off acrobatic moves to ensure the ball finds the center of the rim. Rose is the Association’s version of Slam Poetry, swift and violent, graceful but satiated with carnage. When Rose runs the court, he plays with a form of controlled chaos that bewilders opponents and fans, meanwhile Rose is searching and analyzing his teammates positions to determine whether to drive and dish or take control of the scoring responsibilities. Rose forever solidifies the distinction between basketball IQ and conventional intellect.

The Pistons Effect

The news broke recently that the Pistons have agreed in principle with Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon for 5-year deals. These deals either directly or inadvertently impact the rest of the teams in the Association.

The first thought that comes to mind is “what”?

Inside the Name Part 1

When it comes to naming a team in the National Basketball Association, in my opinion, the name can fall in any one of five categories. Unbeknownst to many so-called “fans” of basketball, there is an unspoken hierarchy among the various team names. Well, unspoken until now. In a “Paints in the Point” exclusive, we go…

INSIDE THE NAME

Part 1: Animals

While the most desirable type of nickname for a basketball team, selecting which ferocious animal can be challenging.

Some sort of wildcat is an obvious choice, but team owners must be careful, as they tread the fine line of ferocious killing machine and cuter, smaller cats that are more likely to lightly scratch a person than maul them to death. A team selecting the latter type of mascot is likely to be mocked and banished to the WNBA.

Tiger: Ferocious Killing Machine

Lynx: Adorable

(Photo Credits: Save China’s Tigers; Norbert Rosing, National Geographic)