Could the season be over already? This is the last regular-season edition of The Bernucca List, our weekly test of your NBA knowledge. It’s been fun and challenging coming up with these lists, and we hope it has been the same for you. Last week’s list was correctly solved by reader KleRoi, who answered, “Teams that never have reached the conference finals.” Believe it or not, the Atlanta Hawks are on the list. They are the only team that predates the formation of
We’re gonna go out on a limb and say the artist formerly known as Ron Artest won’t be repeating as winner of the Citizenship Award. But what of the NBA’s other season-ending awards? Our winners are below, replete with the customary snotty remarks. EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR: Indiana’s Larry Bird turned the Pacers into a borderline elite team, with offseason additions David West and George Hill and in-season addition Leandro Barbosa, adding needed playoff experience. He also preserved his cap room for this
NEW YORK –The Chicago Bulls’ Tom Thibodeau and the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich each were named Coach of the Month for the second time this season, winning the award for games played in March. Thibodeau led the Bulls to a league-best 13-3 (.813) record including a league-leading 6-0 mark on the road, holding opponents to a league-low 43 percent shooting. Thibodeau recorded his 100th career win on March 19 at Orlando (86-59), his 131st game as head coach, becoming the fastest coach
CHICAGO — It’s impossible to watch a Bulls-Heat game without daydreaming about an Eastern Conference Finals rematch. Ever since the two teams played that five-game series a year ago, it has to be the first thought that comes to mind whenever they’re on the same court. The media treats it that way, the United Center on Wednesday night had a postseason buzz, and if you were to give a dose of truth serum to players from both teams, you’d surely get
Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau will coach the Eastern Conference All-Stars for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game to be played on Sunday, Feb. 26, at the Amway Center in Orlando. The Bulls (24-7, .774) clinched the best record in the conference through games played Feb. 15 with their 121-115 win over the Sacramento Kings tonight at the United Center. Thibodeau, the NBA’s reigning Coach of the Year, is in his second season in Chicago. Last season, he guided the Bulls to an
In a major upset, the coaches of the teams that won the most games in the season’s first month were named NBA Coaches of the Month. The league announced Wednesday that Tom Thibodeau of the Chicago Bulls and Scott Brooks of the Oklahoma City Thunder were January’s recipients. Thibodeau was Coach of the Year last season. He actually had to do some serious juggling with his roster as the Bulls were hit hard by injuries. Nevertheless, Chicago sped to the top of
Injuries may have finally caught up with the Chicago Bulls. But no one has caught up with them in the Eastern Conference. Late in Wednesday’s loss to Indiana – Chicago’s first at home this season – Derrick Rose turned on the afterburners, sped to the basket and whipped a bullet pass to the weakside corner for a potential go-ahead 3-pointer by his small forward. However, standing in the corner was not Luol Deng, who is out with a wrist injury. In his
CHICAGO — Derrick Who? For now, the Bulls starting point guard is a fifth-year player who has spent his entire career coming off the bench, where he’s carved a niche for himself as a dependable role player. In his second year in Chicago, he’s garnered his share of praise from coach Tom Thibodeau for his heady play, low turnover rate, serviceable defense and game management. He’s also seen his minutes reduced, and rightfully so, because he’s playing behind the game’s reigning MVP. And