2019-2020 Official NBA Thread

[Quin]

13 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

So who is he, and what is his background?

Spent 10 years in Nike's corporate office, then in Toronto. VP of scouting for Wizards from 2013 to 2016. Then with 76ers.

 

[bmags]

42 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

So who is he, and what is his background?

pretty cool. Worked his way up from being a store manager at nike (also played college hoops) to then move into nike corporate making player relationships. Got picked up by Bryan Colangelo in Toronto, then worked in the wizards front office before colangelo picked him up again for the 76ers. Scouting background and then hard to know really what they focus on once in Asst. GM roles but to have the path he did he's clearly a hard worker and did it in multiple orgs.

[Chisoxfn]

Instantly upgrades the "relationship" aspect of the Bulls front office from the Gar Forman era. Guy has moved up everywhere he has been and has built brands for some former stars back in his Nike Days (Gary Payton, Steve Nash, Steve Francis). Supposedly good eye for talent as well but as a whole a very nice fit as he strikes me as the type of asset that can be huge at winning on the free agency front.  

[Balta1701]

These moves by the Bulls seem so much the correct moves that I'm a little dumbfounded, confused, and wondering what secret horrible mistake they will have turned out to make. It's weird. 

[southsider2k5]

Seems like they are making the right moves.  Hopefully this will awake this sleeping giant of a franchise.

[Harry Chappas]

1 hour ago, Balta1701 said:

These moves by the Bulls seem so much the correct moves that I'm a little dumbfounded, confused, and wondering what secret horrible mistake they will have turned out to make. It's weird. 

Retain the head coach.

[Balta1701]

28 minutes ago, Harry Chappas said:

Retain the head coach.

You're right, that would pretty much remove any of these good feelings. 

[bmags]

I wouldn’t be surprised if that doesn’t get resolved until after an official end to the season.

[Dick Allen]

Cleaning house also means none of these guys are married to any of the players. I think we will see at least one or two guys considered building blocks, moving along.

[Balta1701]

13 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

Cleaning house also means none of these guys are married to any of the players. I think we will see at least one or two guys considered building blocks, moving along.

Isn't this the year Lauri is extension eligible/RFA next year?

[Jack Parkman]

1 hour ago, Dick Allen said:

Cleaning house also means none of these guys are married to any of the players. I think we will see at least one or two guys considered building blocks, moving along.

 

1 hour ago, Tony said:

Absolutely. And I don't think we are fully grasping how different things could be, Pax has been in the front office for 17(!!!!) years.  We are so used to a certain way things are done, going to be nice to even follow along and see how they envision this going down. 

Out of all of the guys that the Bulls have on the roster, the only ones that I care if they give a longer look to are Markkanen and White. Anyone else on the team I couldn't care less if they move them. I'd be disappointed if they gave up on Markkanen without giving him a decent coach. 

Edited April 28, 2020 by Jack Parkman

[SoxAce]

Man Toni Kukoc would've been a superstar in today's era.

[illinilaw08]

12 hours ago, SoxAce said:

Man Toni Kukoc would've been a superstar in today's era.

I feel like Kukoc would have been a star back then if he landed somewhere other than Chicago.  He was a perfect role player for those Bulls teams, but he spent his prime as a 6th man behind Jordan and Pippen.  In his age 30 season in '98-99, he averaged 18.8 points, 7 rebounds and 5.3 assists a game.  

[bmags]

I don't know, kukoc was talented offensively but I don't think he could hang defensively. He may very well have still been a 6th man spark plug.

[SoxAce]

16 minutes ago, bmags said:

I don't know, kukoc was talented offensively but I don't think he could hang defensively. He may very well have still been a 6th man spark plug.

In this era? He would miles better defensively than alot of the current guys now (and that's not a compliment to Toni). 

[bmags]

1 minute ago, SoxAce said:

In this era? He would miles better defensively than alot of the current guys now (and that's not a compliment to Toni). 

uh hard disagree. A lot harder to play d when you can't just grab the player you are guardings jersey and push them with your hand constantly.

[SoxAce]

9 minutes ago, bmags said:

uh hard disagree. A lot harder to play d when you can't just grab the player you are guardings jersey and push them with your hand constantly.

You're right. He can just do the Steph Curry/James Harden ole D then and still be valuable on the offensive end...

This is a positionless era we're in. Toni is not gonna be getting bullied by true PF or SF like he was in the 90s.The numbers he was averaging then would be alot better in the game today which suits his style to a T.

[Chisoxfn]

52 minutes ago, illinilaw08 said:

I feel like Kukoc would have been a star back then if he landed somewhere other than Chicago.  He was a perfect role player for those Bulls teams, but he spent his prime as a 6th man behind Jordan and Pippen.  In his age 30 season in '98-99, he averaged 18.8 points, 7 rebounds and 5.3 assists a game.  

He was spectacular. He had his chance to shine, however, I think his back didn't hold up and caused other issues. You are right though, if the Bulls were able to give him more ride in his prime and give him more primary ballhandling duties, it would have worked really well. He wasn't too volatile.  

[Chisoxfn]

49 minutes ago, bmags said:

I don't know, kukoc was talented offensively but I don't think he could hang defensively. He may very well have still been a 6th man spark plug.

The big piece of his game that never was able to shine with the Bulls was his playmaking ability.  With Jordan, Harper, and Pippen having the ball so much. Think of them as point forwards, it limited Kukoc who could do those things and than some. I do agree, he would have been really good in this era of spacing.  But I disagree with those who think he would have been a decent defensive player today. He just is not a good defender (in any era).  

[bmags]

9 minutes ago, SoxAce said:

You're right. He can just do the Steph Curry/James Harden ole D then and still be valuable on the offensive end...

This is a positionless era we're in. Toni is not gonna be getting bullied by true PF or SF like he was in the 90s.The numbers he was averaging then would be alot better in the game today which suits his style to a T.

It's positionless if you can guard multiple positions. I doubt he'd be able to keep anyone in front of him on the perimeter and he'd be pick and rolled to death. 

He'd no doubt fit better offensively in today's era but I don't know that he'd be an all-star.

[SoxAce]

14 minutes ago, bmags said:

It's positionless if you can guard multiple positions. 

No. It's literally positionless mags. The big man has basically been relegated to irrelevant nowadays. More and more coaches are spreading the floor with smaller lineups (hell the Rockets went full guard nuclear with it this season after trading away Capela).

[bmags]

23 minutes ago, SoxAce said:

No. It's literally positionless mags. The big man has basically been relegated to irrelevant nowadays. More and more coaches are spreading the floor with smaller lineups (hell the Rockets went full guard nuclear with it this season after trading away Capela).

Right but you are only thinking about it offensively. Great, Tony could run the ball up the floor sometimes and create. He'd be good at that.

He also would have to be able to handle guards on pick and rolls and switch on to wings, generally always be dealing with faster players with less ability to send them into a clogged lane like the 90s. He would be bad at that.

[Balta1701]

11 minutes ago, bmags said:

Right but you are only thinking about it offensively. Great, Tony could run the ball up the floor sometimes and create. He'd be good at that.

He also would have to be able to handle guards on pick and rolls and switch on to wings, generally always be dealing with faster players with less ability to send them into a clogged lane like the 90s. He would be bad at that.

I'll admit I don't remember Kukoc's defense issues that much, but the documentary has talked about him specifically struggling more against having to defend classical power forwards, guys like Malone who would come in and muscle them. Was he bad against both?

[bmags]

9 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

I'll admit I don't remember Kukoc's defense issues that much, but the documentary has talked about him specifically struggling more against having to defend classical power forwards, guys like Malone who would come in and muscle them. Was he bad against both?

It's not really the same question anymore because it isn't even about being able to guard the 4s as much as how easy it is for teams to get favorable mismatches. Even if Kukoc was overpowered he at least had length. Length is still a big asset, but if you aren't quick enough to close out with it or keep a player from driving past you it's not that helpful. 

OTOH Kukoc was really smart as all the bulls were, so he again would be a good player. I just don't think he'd be the best player on a team very often. He'd almost certainly be the best player on the bulls right now though.

[illinilaw08]

2 hours ago, bmags said:

I don't know, kukoc was talented offensively but I don't think he could hang defensively. He may very well have still been a 6th man spark plug.

If Kukoc was putting up 20/7/7 lines in his 25-30 seasons, he would have been a star.  His defensive limitations would have made him one dimensional, sure.  But there are plenty of examples of offensively gifted players being All-Stars, regardless of their limitations on the defensive end - both in the 90s and today.

It's just an interesting alternative history where Kukoc lands on a team that wants him to be their primary creator offensively vs. landing on a team that needed him to be a spark off the bench.  By the time Kukoc is out of Jordan and Pippen's shadows, he's 30.