NBA Preview: Bulls and Pacers

Chicago

I hate Chicago. Why? This calls for a list:

• I hate the fact that some people, perhaps even Rasheed Wallace, think Chicago the best team in NBA Jam. Clearly the Charlotte Hornets were better.
• The Bulls played terrific regular seasons basketball over the past few seasons and enjoyed moderate playoff success. And yet as an organization and fan base they have a level of smugness that is far above recent accomplishments. I hate that.
• I hate their St. Patrick's Day jerseys that looked far too much like Celtics uniforms.
• I hate their ban on headbands.
• Admittedly I hate the way they have bitch slapped the C's recently. Yes it still burns that NBC bumped the final game between the Bulls and Celtics last year from national television.

1. I respect the Jordan/Pippen Bulls. Though I wasn't crazy about Rodman's run with them.
   
2. Steve Kerr is pretty cool.
   
3. They do play good defense.
   
4. Finally, I like the fact that they hate James Posey.

A friend of mine once took a break from his girlfriend. Her idea. In the downtime he decided to go out with another friend of ours. He was upfront with her and claimed she was okay with the fact that he had no long-term aspirations. At the time I told him the following, "That's not going to work." And it didn't. And that refers both to the break and the subsequent messing around. Which bring me to the Pacers. It just seems like a mess out there. Let me ask you one question. What was the last positive story to come out of Indiana? The Austin Croshere trade? Wow groundbreaking stuff. For the record I like the Pacers. I'm not happy to see them in turmoil and prefer to see them turn it around. But it is ugly right now.