Chisoxfn

I guess the wind is that bad eh.

Having not watched the game - how had Mac Jones only thrown it 1 time until that last pass attempt? The weather doesn't look that horrendous, what was the deal?

Hope all the guys that came down with COVID get better. Tough to have so many guys out. If we are lucky - Demar had a false positive and will be back quickly, if not at least there are only 6 games in the next 2 weeks. Caruso out for the next week (at a minimum as well). Got to be careful with that calf/hammy. Don't want this to turn into a full season issue. But no: DDR, White, Green, Caruso, Williams (longer term)...that is 5 guys who were rotational pieces (and obviously 2 key pieces) out right now.

Hard to jump to much conclusions - Iowa's offense is horrific. The game could have been interesting if they could do anythign when they moved the ball into Michigan territory but this is the worst Iowa offense I've seen in 2 decades of the Ferentz era. Usually they can at least run it well - but the oline was weak this year and the QB play was terrible to go with weak wideouts (no surprise), etc.

I didn't watch the 2nd half - but at end of the 1st half - 4th and 2 from midfield, down 14 points. I get it - maybe they fail and if they did Cardinals probably score another TD. But you are huge underdogs down 14 pts - if you have any shot at winning you have to roll the dice there. I'm hoping Fields makes things fun when he comes back next week - but counting down the days until no more Nagy.

Honestly - I could just watch a game that literally just followed Caruso around on camera playing defense. His defensive game is so special. I have no idea how sustainable it is on the long-run but just such a talented defender and I'm so glad the NBA has adjusted the foul calling to allow real defense to be played again. I will caveat - Ball is also incredibly fun to watch play D as well, in particular watching the two of them play together and switch on pick and rolls and play off eachother is an even better watch. If you can't tell - I love love love watching this team (partly because my brain was so toxically broken from the past couple years sets of Bulls teams).

I expect nothing done for the next 2 months - I think real work will start on Feb 1st (maybe slightly before than) but until you get closer to spring training, etc - there just isn't going to be the right motivation to make things happen.

If he was an Asst GM - yes - but the man is GM of the Bulls. So unless the Blazers job is president - I feel rather inclined to elevate his pay and keep him at the same title (a win win for Marc). But if he truly wanted to go there - than I totally get that. The real question is whether he is interested or not. But yeah - I think of Marc as the relationship guy you want in the GM role and AK (is good at that too) but not to the same wavelength, but AK is more of the scouting/developmental, etc type of guy. I am probably wrong on both accounts because the reality is they are both really really good.

All this said - I really want to keep ME. I feel like a really elite front office is worth its weight in gold (relative to what franchises pay the players) - and right now (small sample size), I feel like this front office is trending in that direction. So with that in mind - give the man a pay raise and just tell Portland NO.

By the way - isn't Eversley currently the Bulls GM - so this would be a lateral move. Is that purely because in this role he doesn't have a president on top of him? I don't quite get it and presume the Bulls may not let it happen. But I suppose if we got Nurkic plus they got rid of the protection on the FRP I might oblige

On Thad - I stand corrected. If the Spurs outright waved him (vs. bought him out) - and he made it through waivers - than the Bulls could pounce on him. I don't know whether he would make it through waivers - but I presume he might cause not many teams likely have the cap space to take on someone via waivers? That said - I don't pretend to know how NBA waivers work. Thad has also made a direct quote now to the media - indicating he IS NOT HAPPY with the Spurs. Total match made in heaven and I'm okay with him not being on the court w/Vuc much at the same time at all. I think he's just another point forward type option off the bench who can play ocassional starters minutes and maybe help down the stretch where appropriate.

It kind of seems like the Sox really didnt' talk to many free agents, maybe just some smaller fish. I have to presume since they keep saying they plan on making the roster better - this had more to do with wanting to wait until post CBA than pre CBA to make bigger moves. A Graveerman deal - no biggie, they can live with it as is - but a big $100M contract, they don't want to take that type of swing without more clarity. Or at least the optimist in me is going to use that and stick to the story

Famous last words - but I don't worry about Cleveland. Half their bigs are hurt most of the time, but they do have two good bigs, but I like our chances playing D against them as they are elite defensive bigs, not necessarily elite offensive bigs.

Not many guys play like Randle though and have the speed. Jokic can bully, but he isn't fast - so Vuc, while not perfect can help. You just need to throw a lot at him. Im not overly worried - this team is really good and we'll get a better read on different players as the season progresses and I got to imagine at some point, if we are as good as they have been playing, they will have a shot in the buy-out market or dangling assets. Right now I'm kind of in a, lets see what White can do and don't sell low on Patrick Williams. I feel like at this point - Bulls would be getting pennies on the dollar for 2 guys that if they developed right would fill some nice needs (Williams with some extra size and ability to play 3/4 and White who I believe will become a pretty effective bench / scorer and oddly enough I think his defense will benefit a lot from being on court with Caruso and Ball as well.

He could get traded to another team and than subsequently traded / cut and at that point the Bulls can get him. But they can't trade for him directly or get him on the buyout market (unless he is traded to another team and than subsequently bought out).

But he is pretty tight with Lavine.

Rodon is coming off a season where if he pitched a few more games he might have won a Cy Young. He actually was pitching at the end of the year. Paxton has barely pitched. If anything - Paxton getting that much money tells you another team WOULD absolutely be willing to give a decent contract to Rodon. I do think one point holds true though - Sox could have not accepted QO because they either wanted to go more aggressive on a bigger name on a short-term move (vs. Rodon on 1 yr) or they wanted Rodon on a longer term deal. Or it is they don't want Rodon at all cause they don't think they can take the risk on his arm given their inherit payroll limitations.

Nah - I think Lakers front office? Lakers could have had Caruso, DDR, and kept Kuzma - and instead went with Westbrook, and some other 35+ year old players. Seriously though - AK/ME were stellar. Wizards front office was also really good.

Yeah - he needs to learn to initiate body on the finish - to shield out the defender. If he does that, which happens to be a skill two of his teammates are elite at - he will finish so many of those layups that get swatted. He doesn't put the contact - which means the defenders with long arms go up and have free range to swat that layup away. His floater game has improved - but with more practice and confidence should also improve. So between that and learning to better leverage his body in the paint (not play as physical as Zach - just minor tweaks) - I think we'll see another step forward. Which at that point - you might be talking about a guy who is a top 5 PG in the league (NO guarantees but I have to believe is work ethic is very strong given how much he has improved his shot).

It is so fun to say these things. But seriously - right now - I'm just enjoying watching how unselfish this group is, how they play defense, how they play basketball. I think they are 1st in the league in assists and they are still figuring things out. I still think Ball will grow significantly this off-season, where he'll learn a lot more about how to finish in the interior (just 1 or 2 moves would be a huge improvement and make his whole game way more diversified) from Derozan and Lavine, two experts at it.

I know the Knicks battled back but that was a good road win. All of the big three played real well and Ball had an off night shooting or it would have been a much easier win. Caruso is my vote for early season defensive player of year. Had a huge steal and pass late that led to Lavine go ahead free throws. This team is so refreshingly fun to watch. Love them.

How amazing. I wonder if Bears would go Tomlin route if Steelers move on. I have never known what to think of Tomlin but hard to argue how many years they were .500 or better.

I actually don't know that is true. I actually don't think the pro-scouting is easy to evaluate cause they haven't done a lot of mega deals anyway but they certainly have had their misses, etc. But as bad as their system has been from a rankings perspective, you could field a pretty good team based upon guys acquired at minor league levels (via trade draft international etc). They did have a period though that was not good - but had they just not made the Smardtza trade they would have been so much better depth wise (Bassit, Semien, Montas). That alone is a combined 45 WAR for .3 WAR (Jeff's WAR with Sox) Anderson Tatis Jr Sale Quintana Robert Abreu Moncada Kopech Semien Escobar Vaughn Engel Montas

On Mack - for a team acquiring him - he is relatively cap friendly, still relatively young, and all advanced metrics still have him as one of the top pass rushers in the game (and he is complete - plays run etc). If Von Miller at his age gets you a 2 and a 3 - than Mack, who is widely viewed as elite, younger, and under a reasonable contract for a bit longer (for the acquiring team) - you are getting a 1st rounder +. Maybe it is a 2nd rounder this year and a future 1st or vice versa - but you are getting something good for Mack if you want to flip him and take cap hit (I WOULD - mainly because I think the Bears are 2-3 years from where they could use a Mack type of player to put them over the top and at that point - he wont' be the player they need him to be). And If I am the Bears - I do it - because I want to draft at least one young wideout, maybe two - plus I presume we will want to draft a center and DB relatively early as well. Some might be able to be handled in FA too.

Oh Roquan should be 100% paid. I have said many times - I don't think this team is far off, as long as Justin Fields is good. Roquan will look even better next year when he has a decent younger LB next to him too vs. the slow aging LB's Bears have had next to him.