Hornets back on the road today (uh-oh), battling the Bulls in Chicago. Game tips at 7 Central.

The Bulls have started out with a disappointing 10-17 record, and followed up last week’s OT win over the Hawks with losses to Sacramento and New York. The loss to the Kings saw them blow a 35-point third-quarter lead. Whoops.

The Bulls should be fully healthy with Tyrus Thomas expected to return from a forearm injury today. Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald reports that Chicago’s starting lineup will be shaken up a little, with Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson getting the nod instead of John Salmons and Brad Miller.

The Hornets are coming off that 108-102 win against the Warriors on Wednesday, and have won three of four overall. Their 2-11 road record hardly inspires confidence though. There’s a good write up on the team’s road woes in today’s Times-Picayune.

Linkage:

• Earlier on the blog: Should the Hornets blow it up and trade Chris Paul?
• Journals: Why the Hornets would trade Chris Paul
• Lagniappe: More CP and D-West trade speculation, plus a must-read from At The Hive
  
• Rival bloggers: Blog a Bull | By The Horns (THN)

(Many thanks to Dariusz for the banner, today featuring Jamaal Magloire. Be sure to check out more of Dariusz’s designs in our Wallpapers vault.)