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.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
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.
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.
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