With the trade deadline over and done with since last week, we have had two chances to watch newcomers Brad Miller, John Salmons, and Tim Thomas. Do you see what I see? Honestly, when I heard the news of this trade, I wasn’t against it. I know what the Bulls are shooting for and that is the free agent Candyland of 2010. They sent Andrés Nocioni, Larry Hughes, and Drew Gooden packing and brought back some old faces.

These trades will definitely benefit the Bulls. We all remember Miller and what he can do. I am a fan of the type of player he is: A two-time All-Star who can still get to the hoop and make things happen. Salmons used to be a nobody on the Philadelphia 76ers, but seemed to resurrect his career this season in Sacramento. He has posted pretty good numbers, putting up almost 19 points a game. I was excited to see how the Bulls would use these guys. So, I managed to get up Sunday morning for the breakfast brunch game between the Bulls and the Indiana Pacers. Thinking this should be an easy win with a hurt Danny Granger and a rejuvenated Bulls team, I was only left with a blank stare on my face wondering how we just lost to Jeff Foster, Jarrett Jack, and Travis Diener!

Anyway, I’m over it. The Bulls are playing with some new faces in some new places. This will take time to get things going right . . . right? Again, this Bulls team that somehow always manages to pull the white rabbit out of the hat showed against the Orlando Magic that there could be something special brewing here. If you watched that game closely, you surely noticed that it looks like the Bulls have a nice two-line group of five.

Last night, I saw a Bulls’ team that played as a unit, passed the ball around, hustled, and shot 56.5 percent from the field. What I thought was interesting was that every guy that stepped on the court played at least 20 minutes. I don’t know the last time I saw nine guys play at least 20 minutes each in an NBA game. You have four players who came off that bench who have been starters previously. Kirk Hinrich, Salmons, Thomas, and Miller all have started in their careers. It’s very nice to know that besides the Bulls’ original starting five, the bench has some legitimate talent sitting there. You can plug in any of those guys on that team and everyone knows how to be a starter.

I think that will make this team a threat for the rest of the season. When you can switch out players to match up on the other team, it’s a very nice option. Most teams have maybe two or three players they can use for that, and they probably won’t be high-impact players day in and day out. Against the Magic, the bench put up 43 points. That was 35 percent of the team’s total points! That’s definitely impressive. Another big plus is that fatigue shouldn’t be much of a factor. When you have nine guys who can each play 20 minutes, everyone can get a breather.

It’s time to be excited, Bulls fans, because we now have a team that will at least make you think it can win most of these games. They blew out one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Take it as a sign that good things are on the horizon.

This is also my side-note to all those out there who want Hinrich traded as soon as possible. Does anyone else not realize he is the fuel for team’s fire? Against the Magic, he just snatched a ball away from Rafer Alston like he was taking candy from a baby, in a play where most people would have fouled him. Hinrich may not drop 30 points a game, but he will find a way to get the job done!

Do you have comments or want to talk sports? E-mail me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Tune in every Friday afternoon from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on WJJG 1530 AM or online at www.wjjgam1530.com for all your sports insights on Bizzy On Sports with your host, me, Bill Bizeau!

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