The Chicago Kid: Four games into his rookie season, Derrick Rose, AKA The Chicago Kid, is clearly the leader in the clubhouse for all rookies. Derrick leads the class in scoring which should come as surprise considering how many shots Michael Beasley has been taking in his three games for the HEAT. Last night in Orlando, Rose looked every bit the part of a Rookie of the Year candidate, but is Derrick's immediate success hurting the Bulls? Sources close to the Bulls conceded last night that the team was indeed forcing the issue with Rose trying to get him up to speed as quickly as possible. Bulls' head coach Vinny Del Negro has joked with reporters saying if it took 100 shots to get Derrick going he was fine with that, and there is likely some logic to that from a development point of view. The flip side is the Bulls are losing early games because they are forcing the issue. A case can be made that in the long run of the season dropping a few early games for the sake of killing teams at the end of the season makes sense, it's always better to be hot at the end of the season. However when your $71 million man in Luol Deng is going 0 for 8 from the field and Tyrus Thomas, your best above the rim player, is in the corner jacking up jump shots, that's not the best recipe for long-term harmony. It's four games into the season and the Bulls are clearly a more exciting team to watch. The Bulls are also a happier bunch to be around and everyone loves what Derrick Rose brings to the table, there is no doubting that his teammates like him a lot and it helps that The Chicago Kid is a great NBA talent. But if his talent is being showcased for the sake of the playoffs, that will be the interesting backstory at the end of the season. If the Bulls' second unit keeps killing teams the way they did Orlando last night, it might be a moot point, and Deng and Thomas may end up with good seats.

Dare To Be Great: The Detroit Pistons had been telling people for months that they were going to shake things up. Chauncey Billups was one of the players actively shopped by the Pistons this summer, so it should come as no real shock that the Denver Nuggets sent Allen Iverson to the Pistons in exchange for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb. This deal is very good for both teams, and on the surface there are some aspects of the deal that may go unnoticed. The largest detail on this deal is that since returning from China with Redeem Team, Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony has been a different person; he has really embraced his role as leader and really seems like a boy becoming a man. People close to the situation describe Melo as more focused and more determined to win and he's been playing some very aggressive basketball. The Nuggets have known for some time that they needed a floor leader and someone who could be a positive influence on Carmelo and on the team. Chauncey Billups brings mountains of playoff success and a work ethic that could really improve the Nuggets, but more importantly he could have a massive influence on Carmelo. Toss in Antonio McDyess who the Nuggets plan to be patient with, and the Nuggets really improved. Keep in mind both Billups and McDyess learned of the trade yesterday morning, and both were shocked and saddened by the news. League rules prohibit teams from having contact with a player until after the trade is complete. The Nuggets are now clear to "romance" McDyess and try and convince him to come and play, and that's their game plan today. Once the bulk of McDyess' new teammates reach out and explain how he'll fit, the hope is Dice will change his stance on refusing to play for the Nuggets and report. The other part of the Nuggets decision was J.R. Smith. There is no doubting J.R.'s ability to score and with Iverson out of the way J.R. is expected to have a larger role in the Nuggets offense. On the Detroit side this is a dare to be great move. Don't forget that Joe Dumars has been trying to land Iverson for roughly four years. The Pistons view Iverson as the game changer they have been missing. With the emergence of Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo, the Pistons feel like they have their backcourt of the future, which made Chauncey expendable. The other aspect was despite a solid start there wasn't much "change" in the culture of the Pistons, it was a lot like it was last year and people close to the situation say Dumars felt the end result would be the same as well. Give the Pistons credit, they have always been very good at buying low and selling high, and they clearly did that yesterday. The final wrinkle for the Pistons is the fact that in triggering the deal this week, there is a 60-day restriction before Iverson can be traded again, giving the Pistons a chance to insure Iverson fits. In 60 days the Pistons could re-trade him before the trade deadline, so this is a very low risk move for the Pistons. Add the fact that if the Pistons keep Iverson all season, they are great shape financially which isn't a bad move considering the economic state of the Detroit area. Again, another savvy move by Joe Dumars, who again proves to be in a class all by himself as an NBA executive. The best trades are the ones that help both sides, and both teams got what they were missing.

Steph Seeks Help: Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury met with Knicks president Donnie Walsh briefly yesterday. The topic of the talk was Stephon's status with the team and according to sources who spoke with Steph after the talk; the Knicks have little interest in buying out Steph's deal. Marbury is planning to involve the Players Association in helping to resolve the dispute. Walsh told reporters that he and Marbury talked about Coach Mike D'Antoni's decision not to activate Steph and agreed that maybe there needed to be further discussions on why Steph wasn't in the game plan. Walsh all but admitted he didn't know why D'Antoni wasn't using Steph and said he hoped to help resolve whatever issues were at play. The common theory among New York based reporters is that D'Antoni wants Stephon released; something the Knicks brass seems reluctant to do. There was hope that an end was near for Marbury, but it seems that things will drag on for a few more weeks at least.

Benching J.J. Redick: Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters on Saturday that he felt he had a good read on what was going on with Magic reserve guard J.J. Redick, and his struggles from the field. Stan refused to explain further, but took action last night benching J.J. in favor of rookie Courtney Lee. Sources close to the situation said that Stan met briefly with Lee prior to the game in which he apologized for not going to Courtney sooner, but indicated he'd get his shot against the Bulls. Stan explained that after the game he felt the smaller Lee was a better fit against the Bulls' quicker, guard-oriented lineup. It's been clear the Magic were showcasing J.J. for possible trade over the past few weeks, and given his shooting woes he was not only hurting the team, but their cause. J.J.'s seat on the bench is not likely permanent, rather situational. The belief is J.J. is playing far too tight on the floor and that some time to "breathe" might be good for him. Courtney Lee logged 20 minutes last night and was 1 for 6 from the field. Van Gundy joked after the game that maybe the struggles from the shooting guards had more to do with the position than the players, as every Magic player that's manned the two spot has struggled on several levels. The Magic host the 76ers on Thursday on TNT, which will be the Magic's first national TV game of the season.