Hardwood Paroxysm presents Super-Overreactionizer 5.5.14: Cool first round, bro

The Truth about Derrick Rose and his Calipari Cronies

by Brian Schroeder (@Cosmis)

In the end, it wasn’t the lack of scoring, shooting, well-executed offense, rebounding problems, or even the Washington Wizards that did in our Bulls. It was Derrick Rose. After losing their so-called MVP for the most of a second straight season, the Bulls, under Tom Thibodeau’s guiding hand, once again proved throughout the regular season that they were both willing and able to beat any team in the league in a best of 7 series.  Led by the great defense and emerging offense of Joakim Noah, the steady post game of Carlos Boozer, the clutch shot making and veteran leadership of Kirk Hinrich, and the sudden, out of nowhere emergence of Taj Gibson, the Bulls showed once again that, no matter what “the numbers” say, they were better off without the hometown fraud they call Derrick Rose.

While the Bulls killed themselves through another injury plagued season and the front office did everything they could to make owner Jerry Reinsdorf’s dream of another W̶h̶i̶t̶e̶ ̶S̶o̶x̶  Bulls title come true, Rose was sitting on the bench in a suit, making taxpayer money while proving that he is just the same as every other big name, big money player who crowns themselves a superstar in this league: whiny and classless, lacking any gratitude towards men like Jerry Reinsdorf who give up millions of their own dollars to bring joy and happiness to the people of Chicago. Where has Reggie Rose been in all of this? Was he watching when the Bulls gritted their way into the fourth seed in one of the worst Eastern Conference in history?

The Bulls are trying the best they can, but this league full of quitters who are too afraid to live up to Michael Jordan’s legacy will never help. They’d rather play in the big markets of Miami and Boston than saddle up for a blue collar, hard-working town like the Windy City. Rose is the worst of them, because he pretending to be one of us to get our trust and our hard-earned taxpayer dollars. Was he even working out this season? Apparently he’s healthy enough to gingerly shoot jumpshots on an empty floor with no one guarding him, but he can’t guard John Wall for 48 minutes? Give me a break. Reports from Chicago had Rose playing one on one with gritty veteran warrior-king Mike James, obviously in a desperate ploy to get some of James’ veteran moxie to rub off on the Spoiled One. It didn’t work, and the Bulls lost. To a team like the Wizards, led by another of Rose’s Calipari Cronies, John Wall, who wouldn’t know veteran leadership if it wore rec goggles and fell down as he blew past it into the lane.

So where does the team go from here? Where do franchise cornerstones Jimmy Butler, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, Kirk Hinrich, and the unfairly maligned Carlos Boozer go from here? Reports say that the team is likely to amnesty Boozer, and isn’t likely to resign season savior D.J. Augustin, unless he’s willing to sign for very cheap. How is that fair to him? He was just as good as Rose was, and for a fraction of the price! They’ll use this money to go after Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, another of Rose’s cronies, who cares more about his bank statement than his trophy case, another of these spoiled brats who think they can live up to Michael Jordan’s legacy. When was the last time you saw Kobe Bryant take time away from practicing his craft to sell shoes? Never, that’s when. But when John Calipari has his way with our beloved high school stars, he sends them into the pros with one goal: make money. That a franchise as noble and storied as the Chicago Bulls could be sullied by one man’s selfish desire for profit is sickening, and we shouldn’t stand for it.

With Game 7 Win, Pacers Rediscover Their Mojo

by Derek James (@DerekJamesNBA)

“We’re Back!” is not just the name of a popular children’s movie about cartoon dinosaurs when I was growing up. It was the resounding sentiment the Indiana Pacers made with their 92-80 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.

Roy Hibbert, after being held to zero points and three rebounds combined in games five and six, respond with and efficient 13 point, seven rebound and five block performance. Hibbert much more closely resembled the player that made him one of the great low post presences of our time, and a matchup nightmare that keeps Eric Spoelstra up at night.

Even Paul George reminded us why his name was ever in the running for best wing player in the league with his first 30 point game since March.  George proved once again that he may be the best wing player not named Kevin Durant since LeBron James has migrated more and more to the post. George was by far Indiana’s best player in the series and put the team on his back and eventually carried them to the promised land like all true superstars do.

In the end, the Pacers did what winners do, and rose to the occasion.

Now the Pacers’ next obstacle will be the Washington Wizards, who will be just another stepping stone on their path to Eastern Conference dominance. Although Indiana struggled against Atlanta for much of the series, game seven was a statement that they were back and coming for the Miami Heat and the Eastern Conference crown.

If the Pacers-Hawks series taught us one thing, it’s that winners will do what they do best: win. The Hawks were never really a viable threat to Indiana and the Pacers allowed them to stay around in the name of conserving themselves for a greater good. That good of course is making the most of their homecourt advantage to knock off the Heat and play for the Larry O’Brien trophy. By fighting off the Atlanta Hawks, the Pacers showed the mettle that true champions possess, and now that Roy Hibbert and Paul George have regained their form, the NBA better look out for Indiana.

Two weeks ago, the Pacers were fighting each other. Now, they’re fighting for each other.