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.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
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:
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.
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.
Friday, June 4, 2010
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/
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/
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, May 14, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
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.
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.
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