Bulls preview

[southsider2k5]

And according to ESPN, it aint pretty.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/preview2004/...y?page=bullscap

[WSoxShuf]

And according to ESPN, it aint pretty.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/preview2004/...y?page=bullscap

the talking heads of ESPN suck!!!!

 

Always have, always will

 

THey have moronotti on the payroll

[Sox1422]

I wonder why they take a shot at Tyson. He was injured for most of last season and still has a huge upside. A healthy Chandler can average 10-15 rebounds and 15-20 points a game.

[qwerty]

I wonder why they take a shot at Tyson.  He was injured for most of last season and still has a huge upside.  A healthy Chandler can average 10-15 rebounds and 15-20 points a game.

Most ''experts'' are saying the best chandler can do is 10-12 points per game and 12-14 rebounds per game. He has no shot whatsoever unless he is tipping a shot back or dunking. Anything past that is too far for him.

[whitesoxfan99]

Most ''experts'' are saying the best chandler can do is 10-12 points per game and 12-14 rebounds per game. He has no shot whatsoever unless he is tipping a shot back or dunking. Anything past that is too far for him.

I love how people have tried to compare him to Kevin Garnett (including Chandler himself). The only things they have in common is that they are tall, skinny, and athletic. Garnett can shoot, Chandler can't, Garnett is a very good ball handler, Chandler isn't, Garnett is a very good passer, Chandler isn't. So yes, Tyson, if you become a completely different player you could become just like Kevin Garnett.

[qwerty]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/magazine/10/14/bulls/

 

 

The road back to the playoffs is long. Can MJ's new protégé pave the way?

 

Ben Gordon can drive, dish, pass and drain the three-pointer. But what has Chicago fans buzzing is his blossoming friendship with one of his Bulls predecessors at shooting guard, a fellow by the name of Michael Jordan. Says the 21-year-old Gordon, "He's sort of taken me under his wing."

 

Drafted with the No. 3 pick -- the same as Jordan in 1984 -- after starring at UConn, Gordon met His Airness this summer while playing pickup games at Hoops the Gym. Gordon had just bought a three-bedroom condo in suburban Northbrook, and Jordan's wife, Juanita, had been his real estate agent, so the two began talking about Gordon's new home and soon struck up a friendship. Jordan has taken Gordon to a Cubs game and had him over for a barbecue. Still, says Gordon, "We've never had a chance to sit down and talk about basketball. Most of what I've learned from him has been out there on the court playing -- hints on how to get shots off and stuff like that."

 

Bulls coach Scott Skiles just hopes that Gordon -- a Bobby Jackson-type who can play both guard spots -- picked up a few of MJ's defensive tricks. "We're going to need Ben to defend [the two spot]," says Skiles, knowing that there'll be matchup problems when the 6'2" Gordon plays alongside 6'3" point guard Kirk Hinrich. "Ben's strong and has a low center of gravity. He's a competitor, and I think he'll be a fast learner."

 

With Hinrich, 23; Tyson Chandler, 22; Eddy Curry, 21; and 19-year-old Duke rookie Luol Deng all slated to play key roles for the Bulls, Gordon's rapid development could make the youth movement in Chicago complete. He might not start right away, but he'll be counted on heavily. If he can score double figures while holding his own on D, he'll make the Bulls an improved team -- and his new pal proud. -- Marty Burns

 

they are ranking them 13th in the east but i really think they have a shot a 12th.

[The Critic]

Most ''experts'' are saying the best chandler can do is 10-12 points per game and 12-14 rebounds per game. He has no shot whatsoever unless he is tipping a shot back or dunking. Anything past that is too far for him.

But when he's healthy he seems to be a ballhawk, and often gets into position for those short shots.

I think the Bulls will be kinda fun to watch, and pretty close to average.

Still too young and green to make too much of a push for the playoffs, although in the fairly weak Eastern Conference, you never know...

 

...ain't it something how ALL Chicago teams seem to be in s*** divisions, yet almost NEVER win the f***ing division titles???? Not saying the Bulls are in a s*** division necessarily, since Detroit and Indiana are both there, but they can't get into the playoffs in the East...

:banghead

[Jordan4life_2007]

A lot of people "including espn" thought we would either make the playoffs or have a shot at it last year. So now that they're picking us to suck means very little to me.

[The Bones]

Jordan has taken Gordon to a Cubs game

 

Traitor!

[qwerty]

A lot of people "including espn" thought we would either make the playoffs or have a shot at it last year.  So now that they're picking us to suck means very little to me.

No what i always think is weird. In every basketball game the bulls are rated in the top ten. I am talking even after jordan and the gang left in 98.

[Spiff]

I agree with those rankings, for the most part. Though I don't know about Deng being a 6 right away. He only played one year at Duke, he's still really young. He'll be good, but he's gonna have to adjust to the pros for now. Curry might be a 7 if he's in really good shape like he's supposed to be. The East is weak at the center position after Shaq, Z and Magloire. Nocioni as a 7 might be a stretch too. I saw Pierce do him up pretty good in the preseason, but then again it was Paul Pierce.

[hammerhead johnson]

The East is weak at the center position after Shaq, Z and Magloire.

Ben Wallace and Samuel Dalembert might be the two most devastating defenders in the paint in the entire NBA right now...both are centers out East. Those are the guys that you build championship contenders around -- check out Bill Russell. Not that I'd have to tell a Bostonian this.

 

East

Shaquille O'Neal

Ben Wallace

Samuel Dalembert (Ranked 51 overall in the yahoo rankings and chosen by Pro Basketball 2004-2005 preview mag as the favorite for Defensive Player Of The Year. Had him on my fantasy team last year when he got 200 blocks despite the fact that he didn't start getting major minutes until January. Quite possibly my favorite player to watch. )

Zydrunas Ilgauskus

Mark Blount

 

compared to....

 

West

Yao Ming

Jamaal Magloire

Theo Ratliff

Marcus Camby

Erik Dampier

Brad Miller (I guess.... )

 

I'd say that the entire league is pretty weak at the C position. The West has more depth, as usual.

 

But I can't tell you how much it annoys me when supposed NBA experts talk about how Shaq gets to go to the East where the centers are weak. His division would have included these guys: Brad Miller, Adonal Foyle, Vlade Divac, and whoever the Clippers are throwing in there nowadays. WOW. Major title contenders: Nesterovic and Olowakandi. Those are some legendary centers that Shaq would've had to deal with if he had stayed out West.

[hammerhead johnson]

I wonder why they take a shot at Tyson.  He was injured for most of last season and still has a huge upside.  A healthy Chandler can average 10-15 rebounds and 15-20 points a game.

15 to 20 points a game for Chandler? I'd say more like 10 to 12, if he's lucky.

 

A healthy Chandler can finish in the Top 5 for Defensive Player Of The Year voting, which is all that matters. That's why we brought him in here. That's why Krause brought a lot of guys in here (Artest, Hassell, Bowen, etc). Don't look now, but those are you three best perimiter defenders in the NBA. Krause was a defensive genius, but he went senile in the end.

 

But the plan always always always revolved around defense. That's why you have 6 championship rings.

[AddisonStSox]

I'm actually pretty excited about our Bulls this year. Now in Skiles second year, he has Gordon, Deng, Duhon, and Hinrich. Should be a fun year, maybe the Bulls will give me some sort of reason to watch professional basketball again.

[Spiff]

Ben Wallace and Samuel Dalembert might be the two most devastating defenders in the paint in the entire NBA right now...both are centers out East.  Those are the guys that you build championship contenders around -- check out Bill Russell.  Not that I'd have to tell a Bostonian this.

 

East

Shaquille O'Neal

Ben Wallace

Samuel Dalembert (Ranked 51 overall in the yahoo rankings and chosen by Pro Basketball 2004-2005 preview mag as the favorite for Defensive Player Of The Year.  Had him on my fantasy team last year when he got 200 blocks despite the fact that he didn't start getting major minutes until January.  Quite possibly my favorite player to watch. )

Zydrunas Ilgauskus

Mark Blount

 

compared to....

 

West

Yao Ming

Jamaal Magloire

Theo Ratliff

Marcus Camby

Erik Dampier

Brad Miller (I guess.... )

 

I'd say that the entire league is pretty weak at the C position.  The West has more depth, as usual.

 

But I can't tell you how much it annoys me when supposed NBA experts talk about how Shaq gets to go to the East where the centers are weak.  His division would have included these guys: Brad Miller, Adonal Foyle, Vlade Divac, and whoever the Clippers are throwing in there nowadays.  WOW.  Major title contenders: Nesterovic and Olowakandi.  Those are some legendary centers that Shaq would've had to deal with if he had stayed out West.

I know the whole league is weak at the C position. Thats why I was saying Curry should be ranked a little higher, he could be really effective. That said, the East is still weaker. I even forgot about the Hornets being in the West now, so Magloire makes the west even stronger.

 

East

Shaq

Wallace

Z

Curry

Blount

Dalembert/Skinner

Jeff Foster?

 

West

Yao

Miller

Magloire

Dampier

Camby

Divac

Ratliff

Swift

 

The whole league is lacking big men, but I'd still say the West is deeper. Centers in Shaq's division now = Kelvin Cato, Brendan Haywood, Predrag Drobnjak and Jahidi White. That's ten times weaker than Miller, Divac, Foyle, and Kaman.

 

And regarding your condescending comments about Bill Russell and devistating defenders at the center position being how you win championships. It is possible to do it without one - check out Bill Cartwright. Though I shouldn't have to tell a Chicagoan this.

[hammerhead johnson]

And regarding your condescending comments about Bill Russell and devistating defenders at the center position being how you win championships.  It is possible to do it without one - check out Bill Cartwright.  Though I shouldn't have to tell a Chicagoan this.

Sure, but if you were to construct a Top 10 Greatest Defensive Players In The History Of The NBA list, your only non-centers on that list:

 

Jordan

Pippen

Rodman

 

There are exceptions to everything, but more often than not, you need that strong defensive center.

 

And I wasn't trying to be condescending...I just found it odd that you said the East is weak at the C position after Shaq, Magloire, and Z. Wallace is so much more valuable than Magloire and Z that it's not even funny. Dalembert is a vicious defender/rebounder, and he's jut getting started. I kinda figured that you were just looking at offensive numbers, so maybe there was somewhat of a condescending tone there, but it was not my intention.

[qwerty]

Who knows if he will ever last but alonzo is suppose to be back within a week or two into the season. He s hould get alot of touches since kidd will be out until mid december.

[hammerhead johnson]

Sure, but if you were to construct a Top 10 Greatest Defensive Players In The History Of The NBA list, your only non-centers on that list:

 

Jordan

Pippen

Rodman

Actually, I tried to put together a Top 10 list.

 

From this pool of 20 (since the 1968-1969 season when they started keeping track of All-NBA 1st and 2nd team defense):

 

Bill Russell C

Nate Thurmond C

Walt Frazier G

John Havlicek G

Wilt Chamberlain C

Kareem Abdul Jabbar C

Bill Walton C

Bobby Jones F

Sidney Moncrief F

Moses Malone C

Michael Jordan G

Hakeem Olajuwon C

Dennis Rodman F

Dikembe Mutombo C

Scottie Pippen F

David Robinson C

Gary Payton G

Alonzo Mourning C

Tim Duncan F/C

Ben Wallace F/C

 

You could also make an argument for Shaq in his prime, but I won't go there.

 

Of those 20, these are the 10 that make the cut as far as I'm concerned:

 

Bill Russell C

Nate Thurmond C

Hakeem Olajuwon C

Dikembe Mutombo C

David Robinson C

Alonzo Mourning C

Ben Wallace F/C

Dennis Rodman F

Scottie Pippen F

Michael Jordan G

 

And to go even further, I'd round out a Top 15 list with Duncan, Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, and Sidney Moncrief.

[hammerhead johnson]

By the way, here are some links:

 

1st and 2nd team defense since 1968-1969

 

Defensive Player Of The Year Awards since 1982

[Spiff]

Sure, but if you were to construct a Top 10 Greatest Defensive Players In The History Of The NBA list, your only non-centers on that list:

 

Jordan

Pippen

Rodman

 

There are exceptions to everything, but more often than not, you need that strong defensive center.

 

And I wasn't trying to be condescending...I just found it odd that you said the East is weak at the C position after Shaq, Magloire, and Z.  Wallace is so much more valuable than Magloire and Z that it's not even funny.  Dalembert is a vicious defender/rebounder, and he's jut getting started.  I kinda figured that you were just looking at offensive numbers, so maybe there was somewhat of a condescending tone there, but it was not my intention.

The East is weak beyond Shaq, Z, and Magloire. I know Wallace is valuable, but I consider him a PF, even though he plays center because they dont have a half-decent center and they have Sheed. Ideally, at 6'9", he would play the 4. Dalembert is alright, but he needs to bulk up if he's going to be a force. He'd get worn out in the West.

 

I was looking at complete, offensive and defensive aspects. As I see it, the West has more all-around guys.

[The Bones]

Magloire and the Hornets are in the West now, making the East even weaker at C.