Hey, At Least They Won: Bulls Top Abominable Bucks

It's hard to take much satisfaction in a too-close-for-comfort victory over a Michael Redd-less Bucks team, but you still have to win and on Tuesday night, the Bulls were able to do just that. As Vin Diesel once put it: "It doesn't matter if you win by a second or a mile, winning is winning."


True that, Vin Diesel. True that.

I could bitch about how the Bulls played like crap against a team they should have blown out, but there are other places to go for that. Besides, I've recently decided that I want to avoid being overly negative about the Bulls this year. We know that the Bears won't be making me anything but miserable, and I still won't really care about the Blackhawks until the playoffs (I know, I'm sorry). If there's one team I'm willing to find silver linings in this winter, it's got to be the Bulls. Is this by default? Obviously, but I'm sticking with it nonetheless.

You see, much like the White Sox, I actually like the Bulls, at least the 2009-2010 edition. Are they great? Of course not. These guys have zero chance to win a title this season. There aren't any Cinderella's in the NBA, and that's part of the reason the league rules. But that doesn't mean the Bulls can't be cool, likable, and fun to watch. So let's run with an old theme here and stay positive on an early season victory over a terrible team. 

I never stopped loving you, Luol Deng

And don't let the pesky TUP archives tell you any differently!

On Monday, following a loss in Miami to D-Wade's Heat, I wrote:

Three games is a dangerously small sample size, but I'm damn close to saying "Luol Deng is back".

I still can't go 100 percent yet -  it's you, not me, Milwaukee - but without looking it up, I'm going to baselessly say that Deng had his best game in two years last night. He finished with 24 points and 20 rebounds, and also added the quote of the night. From KC Johnson's Twitter page:

Deng with line of night. Told the last Bull to post a 20-20 game was Marcus Fizer, he said, "Wow. Proud to join that group."

Fantastic.

Deng has now been very solid in three of the four games this year, and I'm willing to give him a pass on the Celtics game because the entire team was awful. This is exactly what the Bulls need from Luol Deng. Is he performing like a $71 million player? No, but (get your tomatoes ready) we can't hold him to that.

/ducks.

Listen: a) everyone in the NBA is overpaid, and b) Deng signed that extension before the recession. I'm not concerned that Deng won't ever play like a $71 million player. I just want him to play like a $50 million player. That's what he's doing right now, and I'm perfectly content with it.

I totally should have been Brad Miller for Halloween

You know it's a good game when Miller gets to unleash his signature taunt.


I can watch him do this 500 times, and it will still be awesome 500 times.

*
Your silver lining is this: the Bulls didn't have Tyrus (stop laughing) and Rose is still hobbled. They need all the victories they can get - for both playoff position and 2k10 free agent position - so I'll take them however they come. Even in games as ugly as this one.

Also: how do we feel about Brandon Jennings? Legitimately good or just flashy and fun? I'm kind of hoping for option No. 2, but I fear option No. 1 may be inescapable in the not-too-distant future.