Blogs.Bulls.com

Update: Make it six and counting as the Kings are making a change. ESPN is reporting former Bulls' star Reggie Theus has been shown the door. He lasted less than a season and a half. Kenny Natt takes over. Look for Theus to wind up back in college or return to broadcasting.

NBA schedule makers want to get in as many games as they can before Christmas and for the Bulls that means four games in five nights starting Tuesday in Charlotte. The Bulls will be in North Carolina Monday night watching ( I presume) the Bobcats-Hawks game in Atlanta. The Bulls then return home to play the Clippers who play in Oklahoma City the night before.

On Friday it's back to Boston to face the 22-2 Celtics. The two teams met the second game of the season with Boston dominating play 96-80.

Saturday the Jazz and Jerry Sloan are at the United Center and when Sloan's name is announced by public address man Tommy Edwards please give him a standing ovation. The former Bulls' player and head coach recently celebrated his 20th anniversary as Jazz head coach. Since his hiring, there have been a total of 223 coaching changes in the NBA. Where's Bill Wennington when we need him? Bill, can I get a HELLO!

Sloan should be in the Hall of Fame-period. He has never won Coach of the Year honors. Never. Phil Jackson took home the trophy just once back in 1995. You may have the players but you've got to be doing something right if you're the coach. How many guys have won coach of the year and get fired a year or two later only to become journeymen clip board carriers? Granted, Sloan has had outstanding talent but he has never wavered from his values, beliefs and basketball common sense.

Watching some NBA ball this afternoon. How many people are in Memphis catching the Grizz-Heat..let's see I spot at least eleven people in one section. Whatever. Memphis is playing terrific ball. O.J.Mayo scored 28. Miami looked awful. Too much party time on Beal Street?

In Toronto James Posey was the man. Check that. Chris Paul is THE man but Posey was outstanding. Great pick up in the off season. Raps get another look at Carter and the Nets Monday night. The Raps may want to rethink playing Sunday afternoon games. Former Bull, Jake Voskuhl has resurfaced with the Raps.

Watching OKC's interim head coach Scott Brooks. He's got no shot at winning. None. His job is to develop players for his successor. The Thunder is just too young. Brooks has that deer in the headlight look.

Kobe and the Lakers now 20-3 after beating Minnesota. Kevin McHale… welcome to the world YOU created!

One final note on the Bulls win over the Nets. I replayed the game and really loved Thomas and Noah getting after it on both ends. Without the play of those two Saturday night, the Bulls don't win the game.

Nets got a steal with the tenth pick in Brook Lopez.

UCLA whipped a young DePaul team. Wish we could turn back the clock to the good old days of the Blue Demons and Bruins. Those games were awesome.

Congrats to former Bulls guard Jimmy Collins on picking up win #200 as Illinois-Chicago upset Georgia Tech 66-60.

Plenty of NFL ball. The Lions now 0-14… Yes! The Chiefs are just as bad. KC should play Detroit in mid January at Soldier Field.

Got to love the Dolphins turn around from a year ago. Didn't see that coming. Ditto, Atlanta.

Packers out of the playoffs and I'm loving it.

I fear Jim Zorn may be one and done in DC. Is Bill Cowher on speed dial? When the Bengals beat you, you know things aren't right.

So much for my Giants over the Cowboys prediction.

Like I said before in previous columns, Matt Cassel is going to be a very rich man in the off season.

Brady Hoke on his way to San Diego State ESPN says it's a done deal. Hoke was an assistant coach at Michigan under Lloyd Carr when Steve Fisher ran the hoops program in Ann Arbor. Fisher is the head coach of the Aztecs. Just wondering if the dots connect?

So Auburn goes for Gene Chizik and his 3-16 record at Iowa State. OK, let's attempt to give the Auburn AD a break, maybe. Former Tigers assistant, Chizik leaves for Texas, the Longhorns win a national title, the guy's on everyone's "A" list, goes to Iowa State because it's a D-1 head coaching job. He's probably impatient. Bad move. Are you telling me this is the best Auburn can get?

Mt. Union is a football power house in D-3… they beat Wheaton over the weekend. The Thunder had a great season. Wheaton's football and basketball programs are not only competitive but they flat out win.

Mark Teixeira is going to get $180-$200 million-book it. Angels or Red Sox.

Here's hoping you're noticing what the Blackhawks are doing.

Always a pleasure.

E-mail me at cswirsky@bulls.com