Miami claimed the lion’s share of the media’s attention during the free agency madness this NBA off-season, but the Chicago Bulls could be the most improved team in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have two promising young stars in Derrek Rose and Joakim Noah that appear to turning into elite NBA players. Rose has been attacking the basket with authority since starring on Team USA at the World Championships. Last season Rose became the first Chicago Bulls player to make the All Star team since Michael Jordan. Noah’s game has grown in leaps and bounds since he first came to Chicago. The 25-year-old power forward could be the best the rebounder in the NBA. Last night Noah played his heart out at the United Center, leading the Bulls to victory over the Denver Nuggets. Taj Gibson and Luol Deng have had strong starts to season as well. Looming over the Bulls’ bright future is the return of off-season acquisition Carlos Boozer from injury. When the former Utah Jazz power forward returns to the court we will truly see how good the Bulls can be.

Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl made a long-awaited return to practice with the Denver Nuggets. Karl has been battling cancer of the throat and neck since being first diagnosed since half-way through last season. His treatment kept him from coaching the Nuggets in the NBA playoffs, but the 59-year-old coach never thought of never coaching again. The cancer is now in remission and Karl has got the green light from his doctors to return to work. Having lost a significant amount of weight, Karl told the media that his workload will gradually increase. The players were delighted to see their coach back at practice after such a long spell out of the gym. Although the team is dealing with the controversy of star player Carmelo Anthony possibly being traded, Karl returning practice certainly brightened the spirit.

The NBA will continue to market itself overseas this fall by playing multiple games in Europe. The NBA schedule will include two regular season NBA games. The Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves inside London’s 02 Arena on October 4th. There has been a rise in interest in the NBA in recent years in the UK due to England’s improved international team. After English NBA fans get to take in Kobe Bryant in person, the Lakers will travel to Spain to play Regal Barcelona. The Toronto Raptors and New Jersey Nets will play two games as well in London, while the Nets travel to China to play Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets. The New York Knicks are schedule to play in Milan against an Italian league team before traveling to Paris to play the Timberwolves. The NBA appears to be committed to growing the games exposure in Europe with the 2012 Olympic Games in London drawing near.

Chris Paul’s toast at Carmelo Anthony’s wedding might actually come true. While attending Anthony’s wedding in New York City, the New Orleans Hornets guard joked about playing for the Knicks with Carmelo and Amare Stoudemire. Paul then made it publicly known that if he didn’t think the Hornets were actively trying to contend for a NBA championship that he’d liked to be traded. The 25-year-old is expected to meet with the Hornets today and request that a trade be made. The Knicks appear to be the front runner if Paul is traded, but the Lakers, Magic, and Mavericks have also been mentioned as possibilities. Paul, a three-time NBA All Stat, is widely considered one of the best point guards in the NBA. Paul’s contract is up at the end of the 2010-11 season so if the Hornets want to cash-in their franchise guard, now’s the time. It’s sad to see smaller market teams like Cleveland, Toronto, and now possibly New Orleans lose their franchise players, but it’s possible the NBA can benefit nationally from superteams in the Heat-Celtics mold. We all should know more following today’s Paul-Hornets meeting. The summer of NBA free agency still has a few more unwritten chapters.

Things are looking more and more like  Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade will be playing together in the NBA next season. The two free agent  superstars dined on three consecutive nights in Chicago this past weekend and met with the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat together. Wade and Bosh played together on Team USA in the Beijing Summer Olympics, and have maintained their friendship. The Bulls got some positive signs from Wade after it was made known that the Chicago-raised guard asked for a second meeting with the team. The ongoing custody dispute Wade is engaged in with his ex-wife may also play a role in the 2006 NBA Finals MVP’s decision. Chicago has a better team in place for Wade and Bosh to join with young players like Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah already on the roster. The city of Chicago also has a huge Marquette alumni population (Wade’s Alma mater) who idolize the guard who led the Golden Eagles to the Final Four in 2003. Beyond Michael Beasley, the Heat’s roster doesn’t stack up to the Bulls. Miami should be able to offer Wade more money, and the prospect of possibly playing for Pat Riley could push the deal over the edge. The dramatic conclusion to the free agent soap opera should come to an end soon when players can officially sign with teams on July 8th.

The Los Angeles Lakers had their doubters throughout the 2010 NBA Finals, but Kobe Bryant and company proved their critics wrong on Thursday night to claim the franchise’s 17th championship title. Many thought that after the Boston took a 3-2 lead heading back to Los Angeles that the Celtics were destined for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, but gritty play from numerous Lakers made the difference. Bryant had an awful night from the field (making just 6 out of 24 shots), but brought down an impressive 15 rebounds. Although Kobe took home the NBA Finals MVP Award, it was his teammates that made LA’s championship possible. First-time NBA champion Ron Artest rose to the occasion with his trademark lock down defense on Paul Pierce, scoring 20 points, notching 5 steals, and hitting a absolutely crucial three pointer with one minute left in the game. Pau Gasol got the best of Boston’s Kevin Garnett in the end with a dominated performance down low. The Spaniard scored 19 points with 18 rebounds in 42 minutes on the court. It was truly a team victory for the LA Lakers last night. Hats off to Hollywood.

While taking in the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, Dwyane Wade told the media he will begin free agency by looking for another NBA star to join him in Miami. The Heat were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs this year, and need a roster make over if they want to compete for a NBA title in the near future. Outside of Wade, Michael Beasley is really the only potential star on Miami’s roster currently. A dominant power forward like Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire could be just what Wade needs. That alone won’t be enough to win a NBA title, but if the Heat can get the right role players around two marquee stars things could be different. Wade, at 28, will be a big positive for Miami when recruiting free agents this summer. After struggling in the early half of the season, Miami ended the regular season strong, winning 12 of their last 13 games. The future of the franchise will largely be determined with this summer’s free agency, but things are looking promising for the Heat coming out of Camp Dwyane.

Although Phoenix were written off by many pundits after going 2-0 to the defending NBA champion Lakers, the Suns willed two victories at home to tie the series up with the Los Angeles. Amare Stoudemire and Robin Lopez gave the Suns a much needed intensity down low in Game 3, but it was Phoenix’s bench that was the star of the show in game 4. Channing Frye and Leandro Barbosa both poured in 14, while Steve Nash-protegee Goran Dragic ran the offense to perfection for a huge chunk of the fourth quarter. Suns head coach stayed with his bench until the final few minutes of the game, before putting in his well-rested starters to pull out the game. When the Suns and Lakers tip off at Staples Center tonight we shall see if Phoenix can play like they did at the US Airways Center. Kobe Bryant has played well in all four games of the series, but the superstar cannot do it all on his own. The Lakers will need Lamar Odom, Ron Artest, and Pau Gasol to play better than they did in Phoenix if they want to take the series lead.

If Boston and Los Angeles can keep up their  2-0 leads in the Eastern and Western Conference Finals, the sale of 2010 NBA Finals tickets will be huge. Kobe and the Lakers will have a chance to get vengeance for their 2008 NBA Finals loss at the hands of the Celtics. A healthy Kevin Garnett has made all the difference for the ageless Celtics. After shocking Lebron James’ Cavaliers, Boston won the first two games of their series with the Magic in Orlando. The Celts will be looking to complete the sweep of Magic at Garden in Boston. Kobe’s looked dialed in thus far in LA’s series with the Suns. In game 1, the Suns got blown out 128-107 at The Staples Center thanks to Kobe’s 40 points. Phoenix put in a better effort in Game 2, but their old problem of inability to defend the hoop down low gave LA the win. If the Lakers-Celtics prevail we will have plenty to think about. Can Kobe get revenge? Do the three amigos of Garnett, Allen, and Pierce still have it in them? I don’t have any answers for you, but what I do know is that I’ll be watching.

Last year the Chicago Bulls were knocked out of the NBA Playoffs in the first round, but there seven game series with the Boston Celtics might of been the highlight of the entire postseason. This year head coach Vinny Del Negro has a much more difficult task ahead of him playing the #1 seed Cleveland Cavilers. Lebron James is probably the last player you want to face in the NBA in the playoffs. The Bulls were able to defeat the Cavs with Lebron early on in the season in a low scoring game in November 86-85. Lebron told the media he’s been thinking about game 1 of round 1 of this year’s NBA playoffs since losing to the Orlando Magic in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals. The return of Joakim Noah to the Bulls lineup helped Del Negro’s team finish the season going 7-3 in the last ten games. Derrick Rose can take over games himself, but he needs Noah to perform at his best if the Bulls want any chance of giving Lebron and the Cavs a fight. Game one tips off from Cleveland on Saturday at 3PM ET on ABC.