The Chicago Bulls had a very disappointing 2007-08 campaign at 33-49 (36-46 ATS), blowing the team up at the trade deadline when it became clear the Ben Wallace Experiment was failing. How much better will they be now that they have the No. 1 pick?

Taking point guard Derrick Rose might not change anything in the short term. The Bulls already have incumbent Kirk Hinrich at that position, even if he is coming off a sub-par season. Michael Beasley is a better candidate to have an immediate impact, but the 6-foot-10 (allegedly) forward might only replicate what Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah already do. These are picks for the future.

Whoever lands at No. 2 will be an instant upgrade for the Miami Heat. But coach Pat Riley reportedly isn’t impressed with Beasley, so point guard O.J. Mayo remains a possibility with the second pick. All three were one-and-done college freshmen, and there’s more where they came from in the 2008 Draft.

Bet on the NBA playoffs!

One game into the 2008 NBA Playoffs, and nothing’s changed – the No. 1 seeds in both conferences are heading toward a long-awaited Finals reunion.

The Los Angeles Lakers pulled away in the second half of Sunday’s series opener with the Denver Nuggets, cruising 128-114 as 8.5-point home faves. It was quite the day’s work from Pau Gasol: 36 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks. Gasol played a complete game that bodes well for his potential playoff chemistry with Andrew Bynum.

It might take a Gasol-Bynum combo to derail the Boston Celtics in the Finals. This is a scary good team, as fans at the Garden witnessed in Sunday night’s 104-81 plucking of the Atlanta Hawks (+15). Other than Al Horford dropping 20 points and 10 rebounds, Atlanta had almost nothing for the Celtics. This series should only get worse as the deep Boston lineup grinds down the Hawks starting rotation.

Pending a physical examination, it looks like Miami Heat All-Star Shaquille O’Neal is on his way to the Phoenix Suns where he’ll join the likes of two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire, among others. And for Shawn Marion…well, let’s hope he can get used to the Heat. (It’s a wet heat in Miami and a dry heat in Phoenix, I know.)

Does adding Shaq to the Suns do much for their depth or defense? Let’s hope so. O’Neal still has a 60% accuracy rate from the field, but at 350 pounds I don’t know how fast he’s going to be able to run ‘n gun it.

Forget for a moment that “The Shaq Attack” ain’t getting any younger or that he’s a little on the heavy side for a pro basketball player. By adding some serious star power like Shaquille O’Neal to the roster Phoenix fans have one more reason to show up and cheer their team on to victory. And who knows…maybe the Diesel will bring some of his famous celebrity friends to a game every now and then.

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