Still Looking For an SG

First, let's recap the Bulls ineptitude in getting a shooting guard. Last season they gave away two SGs (Salmons and Hinrich) and then paid a lot of money for three SGs who are all worse than the two they gave away. The Bulls would love to have a Dr. Frankenstein create one good SG by combining the best traits of their three flawed ones, but instead they will have to look for a trade. Just to make things even more idiotic, one of their main trade targets, JR Smith, is another guy the Bulls once gave away for nothing.

Sigh. It's depressing to discuss these trade possibilities, but let's get to it. I'm not crazy about Smith, even though he is a good 3 point shooter, and that is our biggest need. The main reason the Bulls threw him away in the first place is because he is a bit daffy and not the greatest locker room presence. Which brings me to Stephen Jackson, another guy who gets traded a lot because no one really likes him. He's the best all-around scorer among the candidates though. OJ Mayo is another possibility. After starting for the Grizzlies for his first two years in the league, he's now firmly planted on the bench. He is a young player with the most potential in this list, but he's more of a "score off the dribble" type of guy and the Bulls need a spot-up jump shooter to knock down open looks when Rose drives the lane and takes three guys with him. Jamal Crawford, another ex-Bull who we couldn't wait to get rid of at one time, is now back on the Bulls' radar. He's coming off a Sixth Man of the Year award and can score lots of points at times, but he's pretty limited and another player with some baggage.

Another target is JJ Redick, because the Bulls seemingly can't resist Duke players (I'd bet money they'll draft Singler next year if he's available to them). Or maybe they are just fascinated with players who go by two initials instead of a first name? Redick was their first choice over the summer but he spurned them for Orlando, who overpaid to resign him. Now Orlando has pulled off a blockbuster trade that has pulled in plenty of scorers but leaving them without a backup big man, so they would love to have someone like Taj. With Noah out the Bulls desperately need Taj as well, so even though Redick is likely to be traded it remains to be seen if the Bulls finally get him.

Of course it is getting to be the time of year when everyone talks about Carmelo Anthony being traded. He's firmly a 3, and not a 2, but with a real scorer at SF, instead of Deng, the Bulls might be able to live with their SG by committee. Current rumors have him going to NJ though. And if we are looking for scoring 3's, we could add Iguodala and Gerald Wallace to the mix. While I like both of them better than Deng (actually, there are few starting 3's in the league I like less than Deng) the Bulls would have to think hard about team chemistry before swapping for either.

Despite being well out in first place in a weak division, the Bulls are not playing well and will not go far in the playoffs with this team. The good news is that Boozer is shooting better and Noah will eventually be back. If they could somehow manage to get an upgrade at the 2 or 3 then their outlook should improve.

December Recap

Bulls' annual circus trip was surprisingly successful this year. They wound up 4-3, including a great OT win over Phoenix. Taj had some outstanding games and both Rose and Noah accomplished their strengths. Then the Bulls started December with Carlos Boozer finally in the lineup, surprising Deng so much that he actually ran onto the court when they tried to introduce Boozer -- "6'9" from Duke". Unfortunately Boozer looks awful and the Bulls racked up a pair of bad losses against Orlando and Boston.

Since then the Bulls have strung together a nice little four game winning streak, even though they've played horribly for stretches in each game. They did their best to play down to the level of Houston and Cleveland. And they were fortunate enough to catch OK City and the Lakers on off-nights. Despite this, they are showing some determination and Rose is proving he can hit big shots, including a dramatic buzzer beater against Houston that saved the Bulls from a bad loss. More impressively, he hit some big shots down the stretch against the Lakers. Despite some bad turnover numbers, Rose has got to be a leading candidate for NBA player of the month.

As for the rest of the team, Noah is doing his bit, although he's had some off nights lately. Deng is still Deng, but he has not been as egregiously bad as usual. The fact that Thibs has taught him that he can get a whole extra point from a basket if he just steps back nine inches has been huge. Korver is clearly a streaky shooter, but at least we have someone with some range. Brewer is clumsy, but scrappy and athletic. Bogans is still starting, but his minutes are way down. Unless he starts hitting more 3's his time on the bench will remain high. Asik and Watson have their obvious flaws but both have done a decent job with their limited roles. And Thibs seems to have given up on putting either Johnson or Scalabrine into a game.

My wife tells me that Boozer is my new Deng and there is plenty to criticize about his play. He's lazy on rotations and often seems either lost or careless on defense. Aside from one game, he's had minimal impact on the offense. He doesn't even rebound that well. Still, I'm reserving judgment until he gets a few more games under him. I know he can score and Thibs should be able to teach him a bit of defense (although it is scary if Jerry Sloan did not). The Bulls need an improved Boozer if they are going to do anything in the playoffs this year, and right now Taj is out-playing him.

Putting together a few wins and finally beating the Lakers has got to have the Bulls buoyed up. They are definitely a work in progress but it's nice to see them actually leading their weak division (although they only have the sixth best record in the East). Their record puts them just behind the Knicks (!!!) making their Christmas match-up something to look forward to.

A New Beginning

A new season with a new coach and mostly a new team. However, at least for the first two games, we have pretty much the same Bulls. Rose is still our main offensive weapon. He's still great at scooting towards the rim, out-racing his defenders. And he's still not that great with his defense or jump shot. Noah is still our hustle play rebounder. Taj is still our power forward and tries very hard. Deng is still a total wuss.

None of the new guys have been at all impressive. Brewer looks crippled. Korver looks slow, but better than Brewer. Bogans looks decidedly average and he's our starter. Thomas plays far less than I was expecting. And C. J. Watson is looking way to much like Pargo -- a few streaky shots and then turnover city.

It's actually the guys I had the least amount of hope in who have done better than expected. Scalabrine is, amazingly, part of the rotation, and he's not terrible when he's in there. Asik gets minutes as well and he's shown that he can take a charge and scrap for rebounds. And Johnson may just claw his way back from the dead. He's obviously lighter and faster than last year and plays with much more intensity. He still makes dumb mistakes, but now he also makes some good plays to go along with them!

In the opener, the Bulls ran up and down with the Thunder and finally wound up playing less defense in the end. Rose went to his erratic jumper too often. In the home opener, it looked like it was going to be Ben Gordon revenge night as he was lighting up Rose early. The Bulls were getting blown out but made a typical Bull charge in the fourth quarter and came away with a win.

Very telling to me is that Thibs sat Deng on the bench for that entire fourth quarter charge. And many of those minutes were going to Asik and Johnson! That's how worthless Deng has become for this team. I've called for him to be traded over and over but now it absolutely has to happen. There are rumors now about swapping Deng for Iguodala, and even though I know Iguodala is kind of a head case himself and I'm not crazy about his game, I can't believe the 76's would be stupid enough to make that swap. Every year we hear about how Deng has improved his game over the summer and how great he looks in pre-season, and every year we find out that when he gets into a real game he rolls over on his belly and whimpers.

Of course if the Bulls ever do trade him I won't have any easy targets to vent my frustrations on when the Bulls lose. I'll practice with some Boozer bashing, before he even steps foot on the floor. How does a guy break his frickin hand tripping over a bag in his house while going to answer his doorbell? I'm sorry, but I just don't buy his story. And even if he isn't lying, he's proven to be an idiot either way. He better bring a lot of game with him when he gets back on the court because I'm already eying him as my Deng blog-bashing replacement.

End of Summer Vacation

Hasn't been much of a vacation for several Bulls playing international ball, most notably Deng, Rose, and Omer Asik. And it is a mixed bag for the Bulls on whether this is good or not.

For Asik, it is probably all upside. Turkey may be the only country to have sent its best players to the FIBA World Championship, and they are playing at a high level. I haven't seen Omer yet, but by accounts he seems to be doing about as well as he can. He probably needs all the practice he can get. There is a fairly good chance that Rose will face off against him in the championship.

Likewise, I think it is good for Rose to play. He needs work on defense, and on just about all aspects of the game that does not include accelerating towards the basket. I'm a huge Duke hater, but Coach K knows what he's doing and Rose can learn a lot, both from him, and from playing alongside a savy guard like Chauncey Billups. I know if he winds up getting hurt our season is toast, but I think the experience is worth it.

On the other hand, I don't think it is in the Bulls' best interest to have Deng be the one man show on the UK team. The UK isn't in the FIBA tournament, so Deng played in eight other qualifying games for the UK, mostly against weak competition. We certainly don't need Deng feeling more encouraged to jack up those long twos, or to think that he's a main offensive weapon.

The biggest end of summer news remains Camelo Anthony's attempts to get Denver to trade him before the season starts. Supposedly, he is pushing for either the Bulls or the Knicks, but Denver has no obligations other than to try to get the best deal for him They certainly don't want to lose him the way Bosh and LeBron deserted their old teams. Rumor is that the Bulls offered Deng, Taj, Johnson and change and that Denver wanted no part of that. Nobody wants Deng and his bloated contract without getting a lot back in return. So now the talk is that Noah is in the mix and discussions are going on.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I've said before that Carmelo seems like a perfect fit for the Bulls and would be worth the trade. On the other hand, we'd really be hurting in the frontcourt without Noah, and we'd be devastated by losing both Noah and Taj. Could the Bulls really win with such a thin frontcourt roster?

I really don't expect Denver to give up Anthony without getting either a major player back in return or large expiring contracts. The Bulls don't have the latter and Noah is pretty much the only guy they could sanely offer.

Last Spot - Fernandez, House, or Bogans?

Bulls are finishing up their summer free agent shopping. Obviously Miami skunked everyone this year, but that aside, the Bulls did pretty well. Boozer is the low post scoring threat they've missed for years. Brewer has the world's ugliest shot (due to a childhood accident) but he is a big 2 guard, and has a fair all-around game. Korver is a badly needed 3 point specialist. C.J. Watson should hopefully be a better backup point than Pargo was. And Kurt Thomas should give us some veteran toughness in the front court. Also, Omer Asik, the Turkish center the Bulls drafted in 2008, will be joining the team. I expect he'll mostly be a space-eater and little else.

That's a lot of new players, and the Bulls are certain to add one more to fill out their roster. Rumor is that they are going after a shooting guard. Since we gave up our all time leading 3-point shooter (Hinrich, believe it or not) and Korver is the only solid 3 point threat on the team, I'm assuming the Bulls want a 3 point shooting threat. The obvious targets left are Rudy Fernandez, Eddie House, and Keith Bogans. Fernandez is probably the best choice, although he is streaky and doesn't seem to have the best attitude. New York was interested in him, but not enough to give Portland a first round draft pick. I don't think the Bulls should either. Nor do I think they should give up Taj for him, as is rumored. Now if they can get him for Johnson and a second rounder, then they should jump on that deal.

Failing Rudy, House is the next best shooter, but he's a short guard and weak defensively. He's played with Thibs though at Boston, so he knows his defensive schemes, and he isn't going to squawk about playing time like Fernandez does. Bogans is the worst shooter of the three, but the best defender. You could argue that Brewer is our defensive two guard, but Bogans is a better shooter than Brewer, and could be a good choice to spell him.

If we're going for shooting first then Fernandez is the guy, although he's the riskiest of the three. The Bulls can't over-reach and toss away another first rounder or Taj for him though. Getting any one of these guys, at the right price, should improve the team.

Boozer and Waiting on LeBron

Most of the big free agents have committed by now. Wade and Bosh to Miami. Stoudemire to the Knicks. Johnson and Gay resign with their former teams. Durant signed a long contract extension. LeBron will announce his decision tomorrow on ESPN.

Oh, and the Clippers got Vinny Del Negro.

It was looking a bit grim for the Bulls, but at least they got Carlos Boozer, someone they've been after for a year now. He's a good rebounder and has some offensive skills. He's definitely someone we can use, but certainly not one of the top tier free agents.

Of course we're not out of the LeBron sweepstakes yet, but it isn't looking great. It doesn't help that he's going to make the announcement near New York. Outside of whatever LeBron does, everyone will say that Miami won the free agent derby, but unless they get LeBron or start signing a bunch of useful role players, the Bulls don't have to fear the Heat. Bosh is a bit of an over-rated player, and not a great defender. I'd say the same, but even more so, for Stoudemire. Both of them are also now a bit over-paid, so I'm not upset at losing out at them.

Even assuming no LeBron, the Bulls can still improve by picking up a shooting guard. Ray Allen hasn't committed yet, but he's only going to be good for a year or two. I would like to see them make a run at David Lee. I may be crazy, but I think he and Boozer could play together, with one of them at the 3 spot. Of course I've said for years that the Bulls must get rid of Deng.

On the other hand, there is always next year and Carmelo Anthony to slide into the 3 spot. He actually has the perfect game to fit in with the other Bull players. You hate to say wait until next year when so much hope was put on this year, but that may be the best plan.

If LeBron goes to the Bulls I will forgive him for arranging a one hour ESPN special to make his declaration, but if not, it will be very easy to hate him for this. I think he may also have set a record for having the most followers on Twitter without making a single tweet.

Thibs Introduced and Draft

Pretty standard media conference introducing Thibodeau as coach, with the exception of a plethora of LeBron James questions that obviously he couldn't address. He notably recognized that Derrick Rose needs to improve his defense among all the nice things he said about Chicago and the Bulls, both the players and the organization. I'm still sold on him and a bit shocked that the Bulls seemed to have made a wise coaching choice.

Tomorrow is draft day and more importantly for the Bulls, a day of trading. It's no secret that the Bulls are trying to clear more cap room so they can sign two max free agents. Lots of teams are trying to save money though, so it will be difficult. The two contracts the Bulls most want off their books are those of Deng and Hinrich, in that order of desire. Unfortunately, Deng will be harder to move than Heinrich. The Bulls will package their number 17 pick in any reasonable deal that would get rid of one of those guys.

Of course, I really, really want to see Deng go. Now that Tyrus Thomas is gone, Deng is the Bull I'm most likely to bash. There is a rumor that has us swapping Deng for Orlando's Gortat and Pietrus. May not sound like a lot to get back but I would take that trade in a heartbeat. I know there is plenty of talk of "saving" Deng to use in a sign and trade for someone like Bosh, but the Bulls would be foolish to wait around for that possibility. If they can get Deng off the books on draft day then they should jump on it.

It will be tougher for me to see Hinrich go, but as I've said before, he's a bit overpaid, although not as much as Deng is, and he should be far easier to move than Deng. If Kurt was just a bit more consistent with his 3 point shot, then I would certainly keep him, but the Bulls need someone who can spread the floor, more than they need Hinrich's capable defense. The rub is that I could see Kurt improving his shot too, but the Bulls need to roll the dice for free agents, and that means saving money.

If we wind up keeping the 17 pick, then we have to focus on a three point shooter or a big, but take the best available player, regardless. I like Paul George, Xavier Henry and Luke Babbitt, but fear they will all be gone before 17. I know there is plenty of talk about James Anderson, and I think he will be available, and I'm not sure about him. If he really can bury the NBA three, then he could be a good pick. Larry Sanders is another name tossed about for the Bulls and I don't know enough about him to know if he's a good pick. I suspect he's more of a project than an immediate contributer. Texas guard Avery Bradley is another name you hear. I think he's a pretty decent player, and if Hinrich winds up leaving then we'll need a combo guard, although Bradley seems a bit short for that. Ditto for Kentucky's Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe's teammate, Daniel Orton, is another possibility. Kentucky will likely have 5 players drafted first round, which shows how insanely talented they were, but all are young, and Orton is more likey to be picked for future upside rather than what he will offer next year.

Bottom line, if the Bulls can pick up someone as good as Taj this year (and avoid a pick as bad as Johnson was) then they did a great job. Likewise, if they include this pick in a trade that nets them cap room.

Let's Talk Combine

Before I do though, I'll just say that the Celtics are a good team to emulate and if Thibodeau can get the Bulls to play like them then next year will be good, LeBron or not.

The annual Chicago combine is where the new recruits are measured, tested and examined, but most importantly, where many of the deals concerning the upcoming draft are made.

Comparing combine performance is always fun though. Let's look at point guards, past and present:

Name	Height no shoes	Height w/shoes	Weight	Wingspan	Reach	Body Fat	No Step Vert	No Step Vert Reach	Max Vert	Max Vert Reach	Bench	Agility	Sprint	Drafted	Year
John Wall	6'2.75"	6'4"	196	6'9.25"	8'5.5"	5.6	30	10'11.5"	39	11'8.5"	na	10.84	3.14	1	2010
Tyreke Evans	6'4"	6'5.25"	221	6'11.25"	8'8"	7.1	28.5	11'0.5"	34	11'6"	7	11.81	3.17	4	2009
Derrick Rose	6'1.5"	6'2.5"	196	6'8"	8'2.5"	4.6	34.5	11.1"	40	11'6.5"	10	11.69	3.05	1	2008
Chris Paul	5'11.75"	6'1"	178	6'4.25"	7'9"	na	32	10'5"	38	10'11"	10	11.09	3.22	4	2005
Deron Williams	6'1.75"	6'2.75"	202	6'6.25"	8'2"	na	30	10'8"	35	11'1"	15	10.83	3.25	3	2005

I fully expect Wall will continue to be compared with the other guards in that list over his career. His combine numbers look good too, especially for the wingspan (bigger than Evan Turner's!) and agility tests. However, I see he skipped the bench press and suspect he would have scored lower in that then the other guys. That's not going to frighten any GM's though. Kevin Durant infamously couldn't get any reps on the 185 bench press test and got a lot of mocking press for it. He was still drafted number 2 and is an all-star now.

Biggest max vertical this year was Terrico White at 40". Strongest was Luke Harangody with 23 bench press reps. Wall was best in the agility test. Dexter Pitman is the fattest at 20.8 body fat.

For guys on the Bulls' radar, James Anderson (OSU SG) scored well in the sprint (3.19) and had a very respectable 14 bench reps. Larry Sanders (VCU, PF) had a 3.27 sprint (tying Evan Turner) but a pretty low (28) max vertical. Lance Stephenson (Cinn, SG) had a slow 3.38 sprint, extremely good wingspan (6'10.5") for his size, and pretty average everything else. Luke Babbit (Nev, SF) had some very good scores across the board. He's clearly more athletic than he looks. Paul George (Fres St, SF) had a wimpy 4 bench presses and didn't do most of the other tests. He's clearly got hops though so athleticism isn't his question mark.

Of course the problem the Bulls will have is that they have to draft before they know who they can get in free agency. They would do best to take the best available player and it would not surprise me to see them draft at any position. I think Anderson is a good choice, but suspect he may be gone by 17. I think the Bulls need to bring in a 3 point shooter, either via draft or free agency. And they need a big guy to take up Miller's minutes.

Thibodeau in Waiting?

There are strong indications that the Bulls will bring in Celtic assistant coach Tom Thibodeau to be the Bulls next head coach. The Hornets have had an offer on the table for Thibodeau for over a week and he didn't take it. And the Bulls management flew out to LA to interview him on the eve of the Finals.

There may be a sub-plot there because Boston (through Danny Ainge) initially denied that they gave permission for the Bulls to interview, and later on, Doc Rivers said that he did. Rivers is in the last year of his contract with the Celtics and needs to renegotiate this summer. It's no secret that Thibodeau would prefer to be the Celtic head coach. Could Rivers be trying to get him safely setup out of town?

Thibodeau actually has interest from four teams - Hornets, Bulls, Nets, and Celtics if they lose Rivers. It's a bit strange because he's been passed over for head coaching jobs in the past, but he's clearly red hot right now.

It's so very rare that I'm on board with the Bulls' management that I say this with some trepidation -- but I do like this choice. The Bulls need a defensive-minded coach, and Thibodeau is a defensive specialist. He's said to be very hard-working and knowledgeable. If there is a question mark on him, it may be if he can relate to the players. He only played small time college ball himself (at Salem State -- with a nickname of "Tibs"), and ironically, was said to be a terrible defender! Still, he doesn't have to do it, he only has to coach it so that the Bulls do it. He's also famous for finding the weaknesses of opponents, and he'd better be working on that hard and fast for the Lakers.

I have no idea if having Thibodeau will help or hurt the chances of the Bulls getting LeBron, but again I find myself agreeing with the Bulls in thinking that they can't bring in a coach just on the chance of luring him. LeBron went on the Larry King show and said that he was favoring staying in Cleveland. While I don't put a lot of stock in that, I think the right move for the Bulls is to hire the best coach available and Thibodeau looks like a good pick to me.

Speaking of LeBron (and who can resist that!) check out the "Chicago Wants LeBron" billboard at Grand and LaSalle! http://sendlebrontochicago.com/2010/06/02/chicago-lebron-chicago-puts-billboard-james/

Draft Lottery

If you are a Bulls fan, the two teams you do not want to see win the lottery are New Jersey or the Clippers, as Wall is supposed to be one of LeBron's buddies and these two teams are primary competitors in the bigger sweepstakes. So, go Timberwolves, Wizards, Kings, Golden State, and Philadelphia! You guys need all the help you can get anyway.

Actually, I think there are two big prizes in this draft: Wall and Evan Turner. If Turner was just a bit less turnover prone (or if some GM thinks he can become so), I could easily see him going number one. It will be particularly interesting if Minnesota wins the lottery after taking three point guards last year. Do they give up on waiting for Rubio and take Wall, or hope that taking Turner will get Rubio over here? In any case, every team wants the balls to land them in the top two.

Of course the Bulls are not in the lottery for the first time in awhile, since they made the playoffs and no longer have nice picks sent over from the Knicks. That means they will pick around the middle and need to scout out this year's Taj Gibson. They will certainly be watching with interest, Nets and Clippers voodoo dolls in hand.

The LeBron mania still spreads like a wildfire. Once again we have tons of John Calipari rumors, as he is another LeBron (and Rose of course, since he coached him in college) buddy. And once again Calipari shoots them down with a Twitter or two. Of course this guy jumps out of contracts as fast as his high profile recruits jump towards the rim, so it is still hard to say. Doesn't seem likely though.

We also have Doc Rivers rumors! That seems crazy when the Celtics are still contending for the championship, but having a chance to coach LeBron in your hometown has got to sound a bit appealing. I don't think it will happen but I wish it would. Rivers coached circles around Mike Brown in that Cleveland series.

Finally, we have the rumor linking LeBron with Eddy Curry of all people, saying that LeBron wants to work out with him during the summer! Does Eddy Curry ever look like he works out over the summer? Seems more like he sits on the coach with the snacks and the video games. In any case, you would think Eddy Curry would have bad things to say about both Chicago and New York while he's spotting LeBron pump iron.

The LeBron Frenzy

Prior to the Cav's surprising second round exit from the playoffs, the Las Vegas odds on LeBron James leaving Cleveland were around 44-1. Yesterday they were 5-1, and today they are 1-1. Of course this is all pure speculation, but there can certainly be little doubt that LeBron would resign with the Cavs with a Finals appearance. Now, he's got plenty of people talking.

Bulls fans are now wondering why LeBron didn't display his Celtic series turnover-prone detachment during the series with the Bulls. They are also dreaming about how good he would look in Bulls uniform next year, as are the Knicks and the soon to be Brooklyn Nets.

But before I continue with LeBron, let's consider the other three top free agents who are now done for the season. Wade got bounced early, but still seems set on Miami. He's trying hard to recruit the next two tier free agents: Bosh and Joe Johnson. Bosh could go almost anywhere, but I'm fairly sure he'll leave Toronto. The latest rumors have Joe Johnson, either joining Wade in Miami (where I'm guessing he would have to move over to the 3) or heading for the Nets. Johnson played badly during the playoffs and we'll have to see if that hurts him with suitors. I'm sure he's looking for max money and some owners will now be reluctant to give it to him after seeing him tank in some big games.

The same is definitely not true of LeBron. Yes, he was both off and strangely distracted in game five vs Boston. And yes, he had too many turnovers in game six (but also a triple-double!). Even so, every owner in the league would gladly sacrifice half his team to give him a max contract. LeBron set himself up a bit for criticism with his cocky attitude, but he's right to laugh at people who talk about the Boston series being his legacy. As LeBron himself replied, he's only 25 years old! He's got two MVPs in a row and he's very likely to win many more, as well as a few championships.

Now, let's indulge in some dreaming for the Bulls. What if Wade shouts out for help in Miami and the only one who answers the call is Carlos Boozer? In that case, his hometown might look pretty good to him. There's no doubt Miami wanted Rose instead of Beasley in the draft and this would solve that problem for Wade. It would give the Bulls the best backcourt in the NBA and that's not a bad start.

The New York papers already have LeBron signing with the Knicks, but I think he'll have reservations unless they also get Bosh and maybe even someone else as well. The Knicks are just that bad. Of course, Boston was pretty bad before they did their free agent snagging, but at least they had Paul Pierce. New York has little to offer other than being New York.

The Nets could be a wild card with their new Brooklyn arena and Russian billionaire owner ready to spend out all that cap room. Their problem is that they are even worse than the Knicks. However, if they wind up winning the lottery, and getting John Wall, who I expect to wind up as good as Rose in the NBA, then they might pull in some big names.

I think there's still a very good chance LeBron stays in Cleveland. Mike Brown will be fired, despite being last year's coach of the year and having the Cavs finish with the best record in the NBA this year. The best coaches will want to be where LeBron is, so if he says Cleveland, then to Cleveland they shall go, once they get the King's thumbs up. And they will get decent mid-level free agents at bargain prices if he is there, just for the chance at a championship.

However, the Cavs don't have cap room for a top free agent. And the team they have doesn't seem likely to improve next year. If LeBron decides he wants to win next year, then the Bulls might be the easiest place to do it. There's no question he would be given preference of picking from the new coaching candidates.

Bottom line is that having all these guys lose early in the playoffs is great news for the Bulls. Yes, Amare is still playing, but I'm not all that fond of him. Of course I wouldn't refuse him if he wanted to come join Wade or LeBron. If the Bulls are lucky enough to get either one of those two, then lower level free agents will arrive hat in hand.

Farewell to Vinny

I think the Bulls were just waiting for the next holiday to fire Vinny on, and decided that Cinco de Mayo was good enough. It was long expected, not entirely fair, and quite possibly leaves them without a coach going into the July free agent signing period. Paxson gave a half-hearted apology for attacking Vinny, and unfortunately said that he himself was sticking around. Forman seemed to indicate that the Bulls were in no hurry to hire a new coach, even though that makes no sense at all. None of the coaching candidates being tossed around sound very promising to me.

Am I sounding down? Well, let's try to be optimistic. The Bulls played three good games against Cleveland. Unfortunately, they lost two of them -- one because the Cavs were too hot to beat in game two, and the other because of some poor calls and bad luck in game five. Still, it was as good an effort as could be expected. Our core of Rose, Noah, and Taj, all got valuable playoff experience and all did a decent job. The Bulls are about $20 million under the cap (which was boosted a few million from what was projected earlier). We'll lose Brad Miller, who was valuable, but everyone else of consequence (and some with none) will be returning.

However, for all the talk about how great the 2010 free agent class is, it does seem unlikely that the biggest names will leave. LeBron is either going to get a ring or get very close to it, so he's not likely to leave. And even if he did, he's far more likely to go to New York or Brooklyn than Chicago. Wade has stated that he wants to stay in Miami. Dirk Nowitski, Paul Pierce, and Manu Ginobili are all very unlikely to leave. Joe Johnson isn't terribly likely as well.

So, that basically leaves Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire as the only big names likely to bolt. The Bulls best bet is to sign Chris Bosh early and then dangle that in front of some of the less likely stars. Maybe they could get someone like Joe Johnson to change their mind. That would be my best case scenario (minus LeBron and Wade): Bosh and Johnson, but even just getting one of those two would be a huge step up. Keep in mind that the Knicks and the Nets will have exactly the same strategy -- signing one big name early and using that to lure a second, so the Bulls really have their work set out for them. Plus LeBron and Wade will attract free agents to whatever team they decide to play with.

Clearly there is a lot of pressure on the front office to both sign some free agents and hire a decent coach. The Bulls have a bad track record with both, but at least we're in a position to hope, for the moment anyway.

Not Shocking the World

In the first playoff game, the Bulls looked resigned to the fact that they are over-matched in this series. They weren't terrible, but not exactly inspired either.

However, they were ready to steal the second game if the Cavs left them an opening. Very low turnovers, decent shooting, working hard on defense and for rebounds -- an all around solid effort by the Bulls. Unfortunately, the Cavs were just red-hot that night, particularly James. If Cleveland shoots as well as they did in game two for the rest of the playoffs, then the championship is clearly theirs -- no one is going to stop them.

LeBron already has the MVP trophy waiting for him, and a performance like in game two will make the voting unanimous. He doesn't shoot like that all the time though, so we'll see how far Cleveland gets if he cools off.

Most likely, the Bulls have 2-4 games left in their season. If they play them as well as their last game, then they can exit with a positive atmosphere, regardless of the outcome.

BTW, on the subject of Noah's big mouth, getting both Boston and Cleveland fans angry at him, well, that's just how he is. He's playing well on the court, so I'm not going to thump him about it. And how can you make an argument against someone who says that Cleveland isn't a good vacation destination? As a side note, I think Garnett's suspension is a bit harsh. He's just an emotional guy and those elbow jabs didn't look all that dangerous to me.

Battling Bulls

Just had to steal that title from the Sun Times front page story about the scuffle between Del Negro and Paxson. But before I get into that, let's check in on the Bulls playoff battle. As I wrote last time, Bosh's injury left the playoff door wide open for the Bulls to limp through, and limp they are. After beating their wretched-looking competition, the Raptors, and getting playoff destiny in their own hands, they then tried their utmost to toss it away with a woeful double-overtime loss to the lowly Nets. That loss meant that the Bulls lost a season series (2-1) against one of the worst teams in basketball history. Fortunately, Toronto also lost, so the Bulls were still a half game ahead.

With Toronto owning the head-to-head tiebreaker and having two easy games left on their schedule, that meant that the Bulls would basically have to win their last two games to get into the playoffs. First up for them was Boston at home and the Bulls backcourt suddenly exploded offensively. Rose had 39 and Heinrich had 30, both season highs! No other Bulls scored in double figures, but they didn't need to! The Bulls stepped up big time amidst a mega-distraction and now only need to beat Charlotte tonight to make the 8th spot.

OK, now for the good stuff. Yahoo (stealing from the Sun Times reporter) said that Paxson tried to pick a fight with Del Negro after the Phoenix game over Vinny's extending Noah's minutes beyond his orders. Another source said that Del Negro wasn't so passive as the Yahoo story suggested and that the two had almost comes to blows before. My take on this is that we need to let these two duke it out! Charles Barkley picked Vinny over Paxson (although he first stated that neither one could fight) and I'm not going to argue with Charles. Maybe it is just wishful thinking because I'd love to see someone punch Paxson in the face.

Seriously though, if this is enough to tear Reinsdorf away from watching baseball games long enough to make a front office change, I'd say it is a blessing in disguise. Both Paxson and Forman need to go! How many years of ineptitude can the Bulls fans stand? (We're not talking about Cubs fans here.) As for Vinny, he's had two years and done about as well as one would expect given the team's talent. Obviously if they lose tonight, or even if they win and Reinsdorf once again sides with Pax, Vinny is going to get fired as soon as the season ends. While he isn't the greatest coach in the world, he almost certainly doesn't deserve that.

Interestingly, the word is that Vinny tried to get permission from Paxson (and remember that this is post scuffle) to extend Noah's minutes during that awful Nets overtime game. Paxson gave the OK, but Vinny didn't get the message until it was too late. That certainly must have angered both of them.

First up is Charlotte away though. A lot may hinge on whether Larry Brown wants to rest his guys before the playoffs or not. The Bobcats have somewhat surprisingly locked up the 7th spot and cannot move up, only because they would lose a tie-breaker with the Bucks, who are a game in front. There's no doubt the networks would much prefer the Bulls over a Bosh-less Toronto. Let the conspiracies begin!

The Playoff Push

When a team is borderline playoffs, do you hope they miss out and get into the draft lottery, or do you cheer for the inevitable first round exit? I used to favor the lottery, but in the Bulls' case you clearly have to hope for the playoffs. First, because the Bulls generally haven't drafted well, and second because the playoff experience is important to developing a winning team.

And, on a night when John Salmons rubbed 26 points in the noses of Bulls management for trading him to the Bucks, clinching a playoff spot for them, and ex-Bulls coach Scott Skiles, the Bulls got a huge break in their playoff hunt. Toronto, who is currently a game ahead of the Bulls for the last playoff spot, lost Chris Bosh to a broken facial bone. It is unclear how long he'll be out but there are only five games left for them. What makes this scenario even more interesting is that Bosh is one of the main targets for the Bulls in next summer's free agent signings, so it's a double competition between the Bulls and the Raptors.

The fact that the Bulls lost an important game at home to a Milwaukee team who was missing Andrew Bogut to injury proves that they clearly don't actually deserve to make the playoffs. They are a leaderless team. Their best player, Rose, is notoriously reticent. Their highest paid player, Deng, is continually slammed for his lack of leadership ability, most stingingly by former Duke alumni and ex-Bull Jay Williams: "I've never really seen Lu lead. I didn't see him lead when he was in college, and I haven't really seen him lead as a pro. I always see him kind of fitting in, following the flow." Yep, that's Luol in a nutshell, sleepily "following the flow" and getting out of the way of any stiff competition. And when was the last time you saw a team waive one of their captains, as the Bulls did this year to Lindsey Hunter?

Their only hope is to import skilled leadership through free agency while continuing to develop their young core talents: Rose, Noah, and Gibson, and that means a playoff stint, even with the inevitable defeat. On the one hand it looks like the Bulls have gone backwards this year, since they easily made the playoffs last year and gave Boston a great fight. However, they are better poised financially to pick up free agents, Rose and Noah have another year under their belts, and we have Taj instead of Tyrus. So, I think they could wind up in a potentially better position, provided they finish strong and avoid the bitter disappointment of missing the playoffs when the door is wide open for them to crawl in.

Punting on their Mistakes at the End of the Trade Deadline

Before the trading frenzy, the Bulls played a rare home/away back-to-back against the Knicks. I had the good fortune to attend the game at the United Center in a very nice halfcourt box. I always enjoy watching the Bulls beat up on one of the few teams consistently more hapless than they are.

Of course the real action between the Bulls and Knicks wasn't on the court, but in that huge T-Mac expiring contract competition. There was some surprising drama here as that coveted T-Mac contract first went to Sacramento from Houston, basically for Kevin Martin. But now it is looking like the Kings will now swap it to the Knicks. They paid a pretty steep price for it though. The Rockets get their draft pick two years from now and have the option to swap picks with them next year. So, the Knicks are gambling big time on getting prime free agents next year, but it is still probably a good move for them.

As mentioned previously, I wanted the Bulls to take this same tactic. They didn't get T-Mac, but they weren't completely idle either. They jettisoned Salmons to the Bucks for expiring contracts, and Thomas (!!!) to the Bobcats for expiring contracts and a protected draft pick. Looking at the glass half empty, tossing away Salmons is proof that their big trade last year was a failure; we didn't get much for Tyrus; and the Bulls didn't get rid of those bloated contracts of Hinrich and Deng, which will be a burden when free agent shopping next year. Also on the pessimistic side is the fact that the Cavs made a great trade in grabbing Jamison from the Wiz, making them the favorites for the title, which would drastically reduce the chances of LeBron bolting for free agency next year.

But let's also examine the glass half full position. First off -- Tyrus is gone!! I don't care that we're basically trading a former number two draft pick for what will be a non-lottery pick. He's gone and that's a good move! Next, tossing away Salmons was no easy task because he, like Deng and Hinrich, makes far more than he is worth, and in this current cash strapped NBA no team likes to take on salaries for under-achievers. The Bulls got lucky because the Bucks are in a rare playoff hunt and they've lost their shooting guard (Redd) to injury. They need someone like Salmons if they want to go to the playoffs, so they were inclined to pay for him.

One might question the wisdom of the Bulls sending players to two of the teams who are competing with them for a playoff spot, but the answer to that is simple -- the Bulls are bailing on this year, as they should. The big danger is that the locker room gets a poisoned attitude towards management waving the white flag. However, the Bulls still have a very good chance to make the playoffs, even with these trades. They did get Warrick and Alexander back for Salmons, and Murray and Law back for Tyrus. Of these four, I only expect Warrick and Murray to play, and while they certainly aren't great players, they should provide enough bodies for the Bulls to limp into their inevitable first round playoff loss.

Can't help pointing out that for two years running, Amare Stoudemire was most involved in trade deadline rumors, and yet he remains a Sun. Last year he got injured right after the trade deadline, so I'm expecting history to repeat itself.

Tyrus Packs His $%^ing Bags

One of my two least favorite Bulls is about to be an ex-Bull. During the Atlanta game, Tyrus Thomas lost what infinitesimal amount of composure he has and launched a profanity tirade at Vinny. Note to Tyrus -- swearing at your head coach during a game is not the best way to increase your playing time. Vinny had little choice but to suspend him for one game (which they won).

So now Tyrus is almost assured to be an ex-Bull before too long. It's no secret that the Bulls have been trying to trade him for quite some time and have not gotten much in the way of offers. This recent incident will only lessen his already low trade value. But at least he will go! If they can't trade him, I expect they will simply release him.

Let's flashback to the 2006 draft for a laugh. Bulls had the second pick, and I, along with almost everyone else on the planet, expected them to pick LaMarcus Aldridge. I was tempted by Brandon Roy and Rudy Gay, who in retrospect look like the best picks in that draft, but I was settled on Aldridge. And so, when the Bulls picked Aldridge, I was satisfied. But then they immediately swapped with Portland, who took Tyrus Thomas with the next pick. At first I had flashbacks to the awful draft-day Elton Brand for Tyson Chandler swap, but I was hoping that the Bulls had done their homework this time and really got the athletic stud they claimed they had in Tyrus.

It very soon became very apparent that the Bulls most definitely did not do their homework. Yes, Tyrus is an athletic marvel, but he's also a hyper-emotional idiot who is completely devoid of both common sense and basketball talent. Meanwhile, Aldridge, after an excellent rookie season, has proven to be the outstanding front court player the Bulls so very desperately need.

As far as dumping Tyrus in a trade, I expect the Bulls only chance it to include him as a package deal with a good player, such as Hinrich. Lots of rumors have these two going to Boston for Ray Allen and his large expiring contract. If the Bulls could somehow manage to include Tyrus with Deng, that would be my dream trade! I'm also all for the plan of dumping players for expiring contracts and targeting either Dwayne Wade or Joe Johnson in free agency next year.

Bulls seem to have stepped back over that thin line between winning and losing and are back to their usual fourth quarter collapse script. It doesn't help that Noah is hurt. All-Star break is a perfect opportunity to trade and heal.

The Fine Line Between Winning and Losing

Bulls played very well for three quarters versus New Orleans, and then started their usual fourth quarter collapse. They lost the lead, but they didn't completely fold. They played just well enough to stay within striking distance. And then they caught a huge break.

With seconds remaining and the Bulls down by two without the Ball, New Orleans inbounded from the backcourt with the Bulls furiously pressing. They tried to toss it up to Paul in the frontcourt, but the pass was led too far and Paul bravely tried to save it inbounds by diving into the crowd, injuring himself in the process. He did save it, but the Bulls got it back. Bulls raced down court, and Rose got a short, contested shot, which missed, but Deng had an easy put-back at the buzzer.

Paul tried to play in overtime, but it was clear that he was injured and had to leave (and now it looks like he will be out over a month). New Orleans still had a chance to win at the end of OT, but backup point guard Collison ended the game with a turnover. A lucky win for the Bulls, but the point is that they put themselves in position to catch a break, and they weren't doing that a few weeks ago.

Basically, they are shooting better and playing a bit better defense. Also, they are making a few less mistakes. Not drastic changes mind you, but just enough to turn them into a team that wins slightly more games than they lose.

Rose makes the All-Star team. A month ago, I wouldn't have voted for him, but he has definitely played well enough to be an All-Star during the last month. He's looking for his shot more and hitting it. He's still weak on defense, but Vinny has been wise about giving Hinrich the tougher guard to defend, so Rose has not looked bad there. During the New Orleans game, they flashed a graphic to have people vote for which point guard they would prefer to anchor their franchise -- Rose or Paul. I would still opt for Paul, even though Rose has outplayed him during the past month and I believe he will still improve. Rose is a better athlete, but Paul is smarter and that is more valuable. I'm still overjoyed to have an All-Star point guard on the Bulls though!

A Mini-Streak and a Trade and Some Rumors

After an excellent game against Boston, the Bulls played some of their most pathetic ball of the year versus Golden State and the Clippers. Then the Bulls put together a pair of solid outings against Phoenix and Houston. They are becoming one of the most unpredictable teams in the league. I guess that beats being clearly one of the worst.

Bulls pull off a trade, but nothing to raise anyone's pulse: Aaron Gray for Devin Brown. You hate to see them trade big for small when they so clearly need front court help, but Gray isn't going to crack into the rotation. He's been a disappointment after a promising start during his rookie year. Bulls are desperate for some 3-point shooting and are hoping Brown can improve that a bit. He's not going to make much of an impact though.

Once again we have a multitude of Amare Stoudemire trade rumors just before the deadline. If you remember from last year, the Suns neglected to pull the trigger on a bunch of Amare trade offers, and then had Amare get injured a day after the trade deadline. So now, we have basically the same rumors as last year. On the Bulls side, that would be Tyrus and Deng for Amare.

Now, you'd think that I would be jumping up and down for a chance to trade away my two least favorite Bulls, but I'm actually only lukewarm to this deal. Both Tyrus and Deng have played better than last year, and Amare is a bit worse. Plus, Amare is still injury prone and a bad defender. That isn't to say I still wouldn't pull the trigger because I just couldn't resist getting rid of Tyrus and Deng, but I don't think Amare is that great a prize. The Suns really made a huge mistake by not trading him last year. I've said it before and will likely say it again: I loved Paxson and Kerr as players and think they are both intelligent guys, but they are both terrible in the front office.

Here's a trade rumor I like a lot more -- Al Jefferson of the Wolves for either Deng or Tyrus plus change. Jefferson has more of an offensive post presence and that is something that has been lacking in the Bulls game for quite some time.

Hinrich is most definitely on the block to get rid of his contract, but I hope the Bulls don't give him away. He's been playing rather well lately. Boston is a team that would love to snatch him away without giving up much. I don't mind including him in a good deal though. I still vote yes to swapping him for Caron Butler.

Right now the Bulls are two games under .500, yet still in the 8th spot in the East, with a reasonable chance of rising all the way up to the 5th seed. And yet they have no chance of winning the championship. So, are they content with a first or second round playoff exit (at best!) or do they start getting themselves in position to be better for next year?

T-Mac Rumors

First off, don't let the last two wins over Minnesota and Detroit fool you. The Bulls still stink. Those teams just stink more.

Trading deadline is about a month off, so that means the rumors will fly fast and furious for the next few weeks. First up is T-Mac who is disgruntled in Houston and is actually in Chicago working out with Tim Grover. And BTW, why don't the Bulls just hire Tim Grover to run their practices? Probably can't afford him.

The Bulls are interested in T-Mac, probably more for his huge expiring contract than for his time on the floor. They've already said that they won't give up Noah for that and I agree with them. Noah has perhaps played the most consistently well of any of the Bulls this year. A bit more than a year ago I predicted that he would be leaps and bounds ahead of Tyrus and he's proven me correct. So, no Noah for McGrady.

Now how about Salmons, Miller, Jones and change for T-Mac? Now that is a tough call. There's no question that T-Mac is extremely talented. The two big knocks against him is that he is injury prone and he has a bad (lazy/indifferent) attitude. You might also add in that he is vastly overpaid, but if you are looking for an expiring contract then that may actually be a positive.

Salmons has taken a huge step backwards this year. Miller is getting older, and no one will miss Jones or anyone else they toss in. So, here's what it comes down to. Is Salmons going to recover and start playing as well as he did during the latter part of last year? And would T-Mac come into Chicago with an improved attitude and a reasonably healthy body?

It's a close call. I think that if the Bulls want to go the T-Mac/expiring contract route, then they must also find a way to dump Deng, Tyrus, and probably Hinrich (contract) as well. If they can do that then I have no problem blowing up this team and building around Rose, Noah and whatever big free agents they can sign.

However, if they can't do that, then adding another lazy, indifferent player to this team is not a good idea. Could you imagine T-Mac, Deng, Tyrus and Rose on the court at the same time? Teams would average 125 points a game against them as they all sulked down the court when it was time to pretend to play defense.

Hinrich for Butler?

Latest rumor buzz has Bulls swapping Hinrich for Caron Butler. Before I weigh in on whether this is good or bad for the Bulls, let's look at why this is possible. Strangely, Butler is on the block because of the misbehavior of his teammates, namely "Agent Zero" Arenas and Javaris Crittenton, who allegedly pulled guns on each other during a gambling dispute in the Wizards locker room. Did these guys not get the memo that they are no longer the Washington Bullets? Or do the Wizards issue handguns out as standard equipment? I'm tempted to make a third joke about their "run and gun" offense, but am stopping myself from going too far.

What this highly publicized incident does is put even more pressure on the woeful Wizards to blow up their team and start anew. And when that happens, the most valuable assets always get swapped first. In this case, with Arenas proving to be far more trouble than his contract is worth, the Wizards really have only two valuable assets: Butler and Antawn Jamison. And Butler seems to be the more disenfranchised of the two.

I like Butler, but still have mixed feelings about the two. Hinrich has been playing extremely well of late. He is a big factor as to why the Bulls have won their last three games. He's the Bulls best defender and backs up both the 1 and 2 spots. Butler is a better offensive player and fills the 2 or 3 spots. I have to vote for the trade because Rose has been playing a lot better recently and we need someone to take minutes away from Salmons and Deng, who are not playing well. It would not be easy to see Hinrich go though, and I suspect the Wizards will want even more than him for Butler.

Of course the Bulls need Jamison even more, to add a scorer to the frontcourt, but it would take more than Hinrich to get him. I would happily give up both Deng and Thomas for Jamison, but I don't think the Bulls would do that, even if they could make the salaries work out.

Bulls can't delude themselves into thinking that this mini winning streak has set them on the right path. They need to make a trade. Of course I always want to see Thomas and Deng on the block, but I'd take anything that improves this bad team.

Update 1/06: Stern gives Arenas an indefinite suspension because of his gun play in the locker room. Understandable, but what I can't figure out is how Crittenton avoided a similar fate. Not that it matters a lot to the Wiz because he is injured and isn't any good when he isn't injured anyway. But how does he not get the same suspension as Agent Zero? Maybe Stern doesn't even know about him? Finally, best of Letterman's top ten Washington Wizards explanations for the gun incident: #3 "Wanted gun close by in case team tried to trade me to the Nets."