** Sid's Bulls Dynasty ** Draft lottery coming up **

[Sid]

Quarter length: 6 minutes
Sim quarter length: 7 minutes
Season length: 29 games
Playoff format: 1-1-1-1
Difficulty: All-Star

I intend to play all of my games, certainly in the first few seasons.

Roster:

C: Tyson Chandler/Othella Harrington
PF: Michael Sweetney/Darius Songaila/Malik Allen
SF: Luol Deng/Andres Nocioni/Tim Thomas
SG: Ben Gordon/Eric Piatkowski/Eddie Basden
PG: Kirk Hinrich/Chris Duhon/Jannero Pargo

Results so far:

November
San Antonio: 76-42, L
Washington: 78-53, L

December
Indiana: 72-66, W
LA Lakers: 70-53, L
@ Detroit: 70-52, L
@ LA Clippers: 78-60, L
Cleveland: 71-57, L

January
@ Denver: 72-70, L
@ Orlando: 84-69, L
@ Houston: 80-75, L
@ Phoenix: 64-53, L
@ Charlotte: 80-78 (OT), W

February
Philadelphia: 74-67, W

[Sid]

Seattle (8-10) at Chicago (3-10)

February 12th, 2006

C: Fortson
PF: Radmanovic
SF: Wilkens
SG: Allen
PG: Ridnour

C: Chandler
PF: Songaila
SF: Deng
SG: Gordon
PG: Hinrich

Allen ends Bulls' brief streak

The Bulls came agonisingly close to extending their win streak to three games, erasing the Sonics 17-point half-time advantage before being beaten at the last by a Ray Allen three-pointer.

The Bulls started brightly enough, Luol Deng following on from his season-high 18 against Philadelphia by scoring 12 of the Bulls' 16 first-quarter points. Chicago struggled to contain Ray Allen, however, with Ben Gordon getting into foul trouble early on.

Seattle pulled further ahead in the second, with the Bulls scoring just nine points, leaving the score 42-25 at the break.

However, a half-time grilling from Scott Skiles obviously did the trick, as the Bulls slowly began to eat into Seattle's lead, eventually pulling level in the final minute of the game. Gordon, having sat out most of the contest, came back for the fourth and contributed six crucial points. After both teams traded baskets, Darius Songaila's short jumper with 4.7 seconds remaining tied things up at 61. But despite Deng and Tyson Chandler covering Ray Allen, the All-Star hit a dagger three with 0.5 left on the clock. After a timeout, Hinrich hit a last-gasp three, briefly sending the crowd wild before the officials ruled, correctly, that it had been released a fraction of a second too late.

Deng was the high point man for the second straight game with 17, while Songaila stepped in admirably in Michael Sweetney's absence, scoring 16 and pulling down seven boards. Sweetney picked up a knock against the 76ers and played just three minutes tonight before aggravating the injury. He did not return, but is expected to practice tomorrow and will be available for the game against Golden State.

Allen led all scorers with 18, while Damien Wilkens contributed 13, admirably filling in for Rashard Lewis, who is out till after All-Star weekend with a sprained ankle.

Final score: Seattle 64 Chicago 61

[TruWarrior93]

Good Luck with this Bulls Dynasty

[Sid]

Thanks. It's going pretty well so far, I'm finally getting used to the game and I think the sliders are about right, so hopefully there'll be more victories ahead.

[air2k5]

Yea, not doing too good on All star level are you ?
Good job though.

[Moop_Moop]

Looking nice. Hope you can take this one far.

[Sid]

Yea, not doing too good on All star level are you ?
Good job though.

Sadly not, defense seems to be the main problem. I'm always open to any tips.

[air2k5]

Yea, not doing too good on All star level are you ?
Good job though.

Sadly not, defense seems to be the main problem. I'm always open to any tips.

I have played a little with Bulls and Chandler sucks
Trade him for big Z, they always accept. Big Z grabs more boards and a better overall player.

[Andrew]

Chandler's a beast on the boards but offensively he's really only effective on easy dunks and layups, either after crashing the offensive boards or on a drive-and-dish.

[Sid]

Midseason Report Card

Now that the Bulls are finally winning again, or at least becoming competitive, perhaps it's a good time to get re-acquainted with how they've been doing so far. Who is to blame for the 1-10 start? Which players have been the bright spots? Who may be on their way out soon?

Malik Allen
6 GP, 0 GS, 1.3ppg, 0.3rpg, 2.8mpg, .400 FGP, 1.000 FTP
Allen has provided exactly what was expected of him: a big body. Nothing more, nothing less.

Eddie Basden
3 GP, 0 GS, 0.3rpg, 3mpg
Basden's playing time and involvement in the games he has been in have been far too limited so far to make any evaluation of his success.

Tyson Chandler
14 GP, 14 GS, 9.1ppg, 5.9rpg, 1.2apg, 1.93bpg, 17.4mpg, .600 FGP, .583 FTP
Has surprisingly been more of an offensive force than expected, although most of his points have come off dunks and put-backs. Among the league leaders in rebounds and leads the league in blocks, yet still needs to play better defense against top-tier centers.

Luol Deng
14 GP, 14 GS, 7.1ppg, 1.4rpg, 1.7apg, 0.43spg, 18.3mpg, .524 FGP, .200 3PT, .571 FTP
Deng has been something of a disappointment so far. He has not really found a place in the Bulls' half-court offense, scoring most of his points on the break. To be a valuable member of the team, he needs to step up his defensive effort, being effectively the only player on the squad who can guard taller perimeter players. Deng was recently burned for 20 points in two straight games, first by LeBron James and then by Carmelo Anthony. This must not happen again.

Chris Duhon
13 GP, 6 GS, 5.9ppg, 1.0rpg, 2.9apg, 0.38spg, 13.8mpg, .443 FGP, .364 3PT, .500 FTP
Began the season as a starter before being ousted by Gordon, yet he has not been deterred. Has probably been the most reliable Bulls bench player, doing a good job of leading the second unit. Locking up Duhon last summer has proved to be an excellent decision, and means the Bulls can rest easy knowing they have someone to step in if Gordon or Hinrich get injured.

Ben Gordon
14 GP, 9 GS, 9.5ppg, 0.6rpg, 1.1apg, 0.36spg, 16.7mpg, .387 FGP, .231 3PT, .795 FTP
Gordon appeared to be struggling at times coming off the bench, until an injury to Chris Duhon handed him the starting role. Gordon has responded extremely well, leading the Bulls in scoring in two of those three starts. A big reason for this is his ability to get to the line – he leads the team with almost six free throw attempts per game – and to make the shots once he gets there. Gordon's defense needs to improve to make up for his size deficiency.

Othella Harrington
14 GP, 0 GS, 4.2ppg, 2.6rpg, 0.6apg, 7.1mpg, .595 FGP, .600 FTP
Harrington has been a more than adequate backup for Chandler this season. He also provides veteran leadership and is a positive influence in the locker-room. Look for the Bulls to re-sign Harrington if he replicates his solid play over the rest of the season.

Kirk Hinrich
13 GP, 12 GS, 10.5ppg, 0.8rpg, 3.2apg, 0.38spg, 16.9mpg, .524 FGP, .458 3PT, .783 FTP
Undoubtedly the Bulls' best player, Hinrich leads the team in scoring and assists, has shot the ball extremely well from inside and outside the arc, and has kept his turnovers low. Since stepping into the starting point guard role, he has seemed even more comfortable, no longer having to guard the opposition's starting two-guard.

Andres Nocioni
14 GP, 3 GS, 2.4ppg, 1.2rpg, 0.7apg, 0.36spg, 9.6mpg, .412 FGP, .143 3PT, .500 FTP
Something of a disappointment so far. Noce has been quietly effective when called upon, which has not been too often. His mediocre statistics might be more attributed to the level of involvement Coach Skiles has given him in the offense than anything else. Could be on the move over the summer if the Bulls' management brings in more frontcourt help, as is expected.
Jannero Pargo
10 GP, 0 GS, 2.3ppg, 0.1rpg, 0.5apg, 3.5mpg, .562 FGP, .500 3PT, .333 FTP
Has provided a spark off the bench whenever he has been called upon. Pargo needs to play a little more under control and be more willing to give up the ball, but he has shown signs of being a solid backup point guard.

Eric Piatkowski
5 GP, 0 GS, 1.2ppg, 0.2apg, 3.4mpg, .667 FGP, .1000 3PT
Pike has hit those three-pointers when called upon, which is why he's on the roster after all. With his contract up at the end of the season, this might be the veteran's last year in the NBA.

Darius Songaila
14 GP, 1 GS, 5.1ppg, 3.0rpg, 0.4apg, 8.6mpg, .509 FGP, .850 FTP
Has provided vital scoring for the Bulls off the bench. His midrange jumpshot has proved ideal for the Bulls' pick-and-roll offense. Needs to gain a little more strength and rebounding ability before he can challenge for that starting role – Vladimir Radmanovic had nine boards against him in the Seattle game.

Michael Sweetney
14 GP, 11 GS, 6.9ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.4apg, 15.1mpg, .394 FGP, .613 FTP
His low-post scoring and rebounding have been valuable, but Sweetney has shot the ball very poorly, which is particularly worrying considering almost all of his shots come from within 14 feet of the basket. He needs to fix this, and has indeed begun to show signs of improvement over the last few games.

Tim Thomas
1 GP, 0 GS
Bulls management appears merely to be counting the days until Thomas' contract is off the books. So far, he has been named on the active roster only three times, and played the last 7.8 seconds in that game against Cleveland, touching the ball once.

[Sid]

Recent results:

February 13 – Golden State, 78-75 (L)
February 16 – Memphis, 51-58 (W)
February 25 – Atlanta, 68-62 (L)

[Sid]

The Big Game, Preview – Chicago Bulls (4-13) at New York Knicks (11-12)

Saturday March 4th, 2006

The Chicago Bulls roll into town tonight to be the first to take on the revamped New York Knicks. Steve Francis and Jalen Rose will make their first appearances in Knicks uniform, and all eyes will be on Madison Square Garden as the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

News of the trade was met with distress by New York fans, and laughter by everyone else. With New York surpassing expectations so far this season, currently clinging onto the eighth playoff spot, the need to add more talent was questionable. Nevertheless, with both Toronto and Orlando looking to offload their troubled stars for cap room, Isaiah Thomas could not resist pulling the trigger.

Now the Bulls will be the first to discover whether Marbury and Francis can co-exist in the same backcourt. Each team also has a nice compliment of the opposition's former players, including Rose, Eddy Curry, Jamal Crawford, Michael Sweetney and Tim Thomas, adding even more spice to the contest. It promises to be a good one.

[Sid]

Chicago (4-13) at New York (11-12)

C: Chandler
PF: Sweetney
SF: Deng
SG: Gordon
PG: Hinrich

C: Curry
PF: Frye
SF: J. Rose
SG: Francis
PG: Marbury

Chandler spoils welcome party


Think again...Tyson Chandler denies Stephon Marbury during overtime


Last night's story was supposed to be the debut of new Knicks Steve Francis and Jalen Rose.

Shame no-one remembered to tell Tyson Chandler.

The Bulls' center led all players with 26 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots, to notch his second double-double of the season. The game turned into a titanic battle between Chandler and Eddy Curry, his former Bulls teammate taken two spots below him in the 2001 draft. Curry proved more than a match for Chandler for most of the game, gaining a double-double of his own with 16 points and 10 boards. The difference would come in overtime, with Chandler scoring 10 points (including 4/4 free throws) in the extra period.

The new-look Knicks had the measure of the Bulls early on, the two newcomers combining for 13 of New York's 17 first-quarter points.


Good start...Steve Francis' first basket as a Knick was Sportscenter material

However, from then on, Rose and Franchise took a backseat to the Battle of the Baby Bulls. Matched up against each other for the first time, each took their game up a notch. Chandler appeared to have the edge early on, after making a spectacular block on Curry and then posterizing him at the other end. It started to look like the game would be decided by the big men.

The first half was characterised by some terrible defense on both sides. Had Chris Duhon made more than one of the four wide-open jumpers the Knicks handed him in the second quarter, Larry Brown would likely have been even more incensed. Instead, NY went in leading 31-28 at the break.


Shades of Jordan...just when the memories of MJ's legendary MSG performances were starting to fade for Knick fans, along comes Ben Gordon

The Bulls came out quickly after HT, Gordon and Hinrich scoring on consecutive possessions for their first lead of the game. It didn't last long, however, and early in the fourth the Bulls looked to be on the rocks after Quentin Richardson's three-pointer put the home team up by six.

Chicago countered with a 6-0 run, but a ridiculously difficult fastbreak layup by Francis, who couldn't see the basket for Luol Deng's hands, put a stop to that.


Open look...Kirk Hinrich picks out Chandler from midcourt...


...and #3 makes good on the perfect pass

Ben Gordon, who finished with a season-high 23, kept Chicago in it with several crucial buckets, but the Bulls trailed 58-54 with a minute remaining. That became 60-58, then with the shot clock winding down and the Knicks needing a basket to seal the victory, Gordon stole the ball with 11 seconds remaining, raced down the court, and was fouled. He calmly sank both, and Nate Robinson missed a chance to end it with a three at the last.

The momentum was with the Bulls now, and all they needed was a big play to open up a gap. That came from Chandler, who swatted away Stephon Marbury's layup and threw it ahead to Gordon, who dunked emphatically. That gave the Bulls a three-point lead with two minutes remaining, and they never relinquished it, thanks to stellar play from Chandler and good free throw shooting.

Final score: Chicago 82 New York 75

NOTES: Michael Sweetney took a hit on the arm from David Lee in the first quarter. He did not return, but the injury is thought to be minor...Hinrich finished with more assists (7) than points (6) for the first time this season...Marbury and Francis combined for 30 shot attempts...the Bulls made 24 trips to the line, to the Knicks' nine...a win against the Bucks next Friday would lift the Bulls out of the Central Division basement, while the Knicks fell out of the top eight in the East with this loss ...

Next game: Chicago (5-13) at Milwaukee (7-14)

[KIG1]

wow man good recap, i like the dyansty and keep it up even if you lose because the best part about a dynasty is the off-season, so keep it up, dog

[Sid]

Thanks. Yeah, I'm really looking forward to the offseason. I might do an early preview of the draft/free agency soon. Also, I'm using the draft pick editing to ensure I get the Knicks' pick too, so I'll have two good picks this year just like the real Bulls

Anyone know where I can host .txt files for free? I'd like to post the boxscore from the Knicks game.

[3C]

This is a good dynasty man, keep it up. One question though...seems that Chandler is the only player providing you with some defence on the inside, how do you plan to change this in the course of the season?

[Sid]

This is a good dynasty man, keep it up. One question though...seems that Chandler is the only player providing you with some defence on the inside, how do you plan to change this in the course of the season?

The draft should do the trick. I should have two top 15 picks (my own and the Knicks), and I'm hoping to add a quality big man and some size in the backcourt. Also free agency, there's plenty of room under the cap. I'll be writing more specifically about what players I'm going for once the season finishes.

Good to see a fellow Brit on here, by the way (I'm from Manchester).

[3C]

Good to see a fellow Brit on here, by the way (I'm from Manchester).

I'm not British but I do live in Britain though.

[Sid]

Haha, that's kinda funny, seeing as I am British but don't currently live there.

[Fresh8]

Hey Brits... jsut wanna tell you how the English NT will choke in the WC!

[Sid]

With our group, I doubt it. Paraguay, Sweden, and I don't even remember the other team, they're that insignificant...so we're definitely gonna get past the group stage, which is more than can be said for the Aussie team.

[Sid]

Chicago (5-13) at Milwaukee (7-14)

March 10th, 2006

C: Chandler
PF: Sweetney
SF: Deng
SG: Gordon
PG: Hinrich

C: Magloire
PF: Bogut
SF: Simmons
SG: Redd
PG: Ford

Bulls continue to climb

Chicago was victorious in this battle of the Central Division's basement teams, thanks to strong free throwing shooting down the stretch.

In the first half, the Bulls struggled from the line, but it didn't seem to matter when they went in leading by 13 at the break.

However, the Bucks came out firing in the third quarter and that deficit quickly disappeared thanks to some sharp shooting from Michael Redd, who led all scorers with 19.

Early in the fourth, the Bulls found themselves down for the first time in the game, but instead of lying down, they attacked the basket and continued to draw fouls.

With Redd and TJ Ford sitting down due to foul trouble, some crucial stops put the Bulls in a commanding position, and they were not about to surrender it, finally finding their stroke from the line and stretching the lead out as the Bucks hoisted desperation threes, to no avail.

Final score: Chicago 68 Milwaukee 59

NOTES: Ben Gordon picked up a small knee injury, but will practice today and start against Dallas on the 14th...Four Bulls scored in double figures...the Bucks went 3-14 from behind the arc...Tyson Chandler earned player of the game honours with 17 points and nine rebounds on 8-13 shooting...

[JoshD]

Nice pics and game recaps, good win against the Bucks but a little bit low-scoring

[Sid]

Nice pics and game recaps, good win against the Bucks but a little bit low-scoring

Well it's six-minute quarters, so I've actually been adjusting the sliders, trying to get the scoring down a little, to around 50 points each. Right now, anything under 70 is progress.

[Donatello]

Nice pics and game recaps, good win against the Bucks but a little bit low-scoring

Well it's six-minute quarters, so I've actually been adjusting the sliders, trying to get the scoring down a little, to around 50 points each. Right now, anything under 70 is progress.

Why are you trying to get the scores even lower?