Official 2006-2007 NBA Discussion Thread

[shipps]

Skiles needs to decide who the offense is gonna be based upon.The offense needs to have set plays for Deng and Gordon to be more aggressive driving to the basket.Force them to drive the ball.They cannot shoot jump shots all year and win.And on defense they are having teams to force up bad shots and we are getting the rebounds, but last year we were getting in the passing lanes and stealing the ball therefore leading to fast breaks.The Bulls must do this again.

[whitesoxfan101]

J.R. Smith with 36 tonight in a Denver win over the Bulls, he is now averaging about 16 or 17 a game. Good thing the Bulls got rid of his "bad attitude" so they could have a scrappy vet like Adrian Griffin and a 2nd round pick. Good call Pax (I ripped that move from day 1, for the record).

Edited November 22, 2006 by whitesoxfan101

[Jordan4life_2007]

We might not need the Knicks pick. We might get one of Oden/Durant/Young (my top 3) on our own. This is not a very good basketball team right now. I think it's easy to forget that this is, for the most part, the same team that was like 12 games below .500 before that late run to end last season. I'm very pissed off at this group. We can't stop ANYBODY. If we don't defend, we've got no chance. We have too many offensively-challenged players on this team to do well without playing elite defense. And count me in as one that felt we basically gave away J.R. Smith.

[Chisoxfn]

Ya, Jr Smith would have been our best offensive player and he's the type of offensive player that can drive and get free throws. Absolutely awful move.

[Palehosefan]

Carmello and JR Smith are a very nice SF/SG combo to build around, but thank God they have a defensive stopper like Camby behind them.

[WilliamTell]

Jazz 11-1.

 

3 come from behind wins in a row. I don't know how long they can keep that up.

[DBAHO]

Ben Wallace.

 

19 mins, 0 points, 0 rebounds, 1 assist.

 

I hate to say it, but that contract ain't lookin good for you guys right now.

[WHarris1]

Ben Wallace.

 

19 mins, 0 points, 0 rebounds, 1 assist.

 

I hate to say it, but that contract ain't lookin good for you guys right now.

Ya if you only judge a game by a box score.

 

Ben Wallace is the least of our problems. He wasn't good tonight but he has been pretty solid this year. Our perimeter defenders are doing an awful job of stopping penetration.

Edited November 25, 2006 by WHarris1

[DBAHO]

Ya if you only judge a game by a box score.

 

Ben Wallace is the least of our problems. He wasn't good tonight but he has been pretty solid this year. Our perimeter defenders are doing an awful job of stopping penetration.

If you look at his stats so far, everything is down.

 

Points - 7.3 to 6.

Boards - 11.3 to 10.3

FG% - 51% to 43.6%

Blocks - 2.2 to 1.7

 

Here's an article on him;

 

Bulls' Wallace off to slow start

It was considered a bold move.

 

Let's translate the sports definition of bold move: this one could get ugly.

 

The makeover-inspiring numbers include per-game averages for scoring (7.3), rebounding (11.3) and blocks (2.2), combined with a wicked free-throw percentage (41.6). That was the statistical salvo from last season.

 

As a free-agent reward for these less-than-Springfield stats, the Chicago Bulls lobbed a four-year contract worth $60 million. Ben Wallace, eyeballing the loot like he would eyeball a long rebound, snagged it and walked away from Detroit.

 

According to NBA sharpies, the acquisition of the 6-foot-9 Wallace was going to be just enough to lift the Bulls into an Eastern Conference heavyweight role.

 

Through 10 games, Chicago is behind on points.

 

While dragging a 3-7 record into the homestretch of a killer road trip, the Bulls have noticed that Wallace — the league's Defensive Player of the Year last season — is providing just 5.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. If the rebounding slip continues, Big Ben would achieve his lowest carom-collecting output in seven years.

With about one-eighth of this season behind us, several NBA observers are unofficially prepared to question the Bulls's strategy in signing Wallace. Four league insiders — working as advance scouts or assistant coaches and contacted on behalf of the early Wallace review — have embraced the Bulls-were-nuts premise.

 

I do not.

 

Please note that I wasn't wild about the move when it occurred.

 

With diminishing numbers on Wallace's resume, a four-year, $60 million deal represented riskier business than Chicago had witnessed since the pre-cuckoo days of Tom Cruise.

 

But I understood the logic. A young team on the cusp of contender status might benefit greatly from the addition of a defensive colossus who doesn't need the ball to be happy.

 

The big contract and injury-riddled history of rebounding-rejecting ace Tyson Chandler (traded to New Orleans-Oklahoma City) would be replaced by a robust leader with a championship pedigree.

 

But I also recognized the potential trouble in making this deal.

 

Chicago was sinking almost all of its considerable cap room into another inside player who can't score. Any scouting report worth reading will indicate that while the Bulls have some legitimate snipers, they still lack someone capable of going to the post and drawing a double team.

 

An example of this balance issue surfaced Sunday in Los Angeles, where Bulls guards Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon and Chris Duhon teamed up to miss 17 of 21 field-goal attempts. Chicago held the Lakers to 82 points, but their own 34-percent shooting secured a 10-point loss.

 

Despite Wallace's inability to make things easier on offense, I expect the Bulls to rally in the win-loss column. Even though Chicago coach Scott Skiles is chafing over an increase of dribble penetration allowed (he thinks his players are relying on Ben to erase their mistakes), the Bulls will tighten up.

 

Chicago led the league in lowest field-goal percentage allowed over the past two seasons; adding Wallace won't exactly wreck that.

 

Considerable roster turnover also has made the defensive rotations and ball movement on offense less crisp than last season. That will change with familiarity provided by time.

 

Here's a little perspective: At present, the Eastern Conference was offering only two teams with records above .500.

 

Wallace is in Chicago to provide big defensive plays and offensive rebounds at crucial moments. And he's here to make these contributions now. While Big Ben's always in great shape and probably will be in four years, the return on Chicago's investment should decrease as the seasons roll past.

 

But he'll boost the Bulls' chances to win big right away. The offense won't be there, but last summer's free-agent market wasn't swimming in big guys who could score on the block.

 

Wallace recently said he and his teammates won't panic.

 

I'd like to prematurely panic, but I'll save my panic for this week's Trend Setters feature.

 

The whole point in acquiring Big Ben was to try and win now. Because in a year or 2, when he gets worse and he gets older, and with that contract, that's going to be harder to accomplish.

[Balta1701]

If you look at his stats so far, everything is down.

 

Points - 7.3 to 6.

Boards - 11.3 to 10.3

FG% - 51% to 43.6%

Blocks - 2.2 to 1.7

 

Here's an article on him;

The whole point in acquiring Big Ben was to try and win now. Because in a year or 2, when he gets worse and he gets older, and with that contract, that's going to be harder to accomplish.

What exactly is going to be harder to accomplish? Trading him at the end, or winning? Because even if Ben slides down hill, this team still has a very very solid, young core, almost none of which is at NBA Prime age, or even close to it. TT, Thabo, Kirk, Deng, Duhon, Gordon, whoever we draft this year...we still have a ton of talent that is on its way up and getting better every single year.

 

Hopefully this year's team will turn it around at some point. It'd really be frustrating if it didn't, because BWall should fit in damn well with them. But all is not lost if they don't...this team still has a ton of room for improvement with the guys they already have.

[SleepyWhiteSox]

I hate to say it, but that contract ain't lookin good for you guys right now.

 

If you look at his stats so far, everything is down.

 

Points - 7.3 to 6.

Boards - 11.3 to 10.3

FG% - 51% to 43.6%

Blocks - 2.2 to 1.7

 

 

There's 2 things that in my mind have been common sense about him ever since we signed him:

 

1. His numbers would continue to decline.

2. We're grossly overpaying for him.

 

 

But I bought into the whole idea that we had to overpay to get a key piece to solidify the team and make them true contenders. Huge gamble on Pax's part that so far is not paying off at all. So far he's looking about how I expected him to look 2 years from now, and even worse that I ever expected at times, like tonight.

 

And in all fairness, he's not completely the problem. They're definitely losing as a team. It's just so frustrating to watch...

[DBAHO]

What exactly is going to be harder to accomplish? Trading him at the end, or winning? Because even if Ben slides down hill, this team still has a very very solid, young core, almost none of which is at NBA Prime age, or even close to it. TT, Thabo, Kirk, Deng, Duhon, Gordon, whoever we draft this year...we still have a ton of talent that is on its way up and getting better every single year.

 

Hopefully this year's team will turn it around at some point. It'd really be frustrating if it didn't, because BWall should fit in damn well with them. But all is not lost if they don't...this team still has a ton of room for improvement with the guys they already have.

The thing is that young core of Deng and Gordon and also Noc (although he ain't young), are gonna have top be re-signed soon. And the Bulls probably won't want to go into Luxury Tax territory.

[DBAHO]

HELL of a win by the Magic in Utah tonight.

 

Dwight Howard was Dwight Howard, and we continue to get excellent contributions from the likes of Arroyo off the bench.

 

We should win in Portland, and if we can win 1 in Seattle, Los Angeles or Sacramento it'll be +.500 road trip in the West, which is well, extremely, extremely hard for an Eastern Conference team to do nowadays (unless you are real good).

[whitesoxfan101]

HELL of a win by the Magic in Utah tonight.

 

Dwight Howard was Dwight Howard, and we continue to get excellent contributions from the likes of Arroyo off the bench.

 

We should win in Portland, and if we can win 1 in Seattle, Los Angeles or Sacramento it'll be +.500 road trip in the West, which is well, extremely, extremely hard for an Eastern Conference team to do nowadays (unless you are real good).

 

If Hill and Howard just stay healthy, you got the #2 seed in the East (maybe even #1, depending on what happens in the Central) on lockdown.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Nice to know the Bulls are still clearly better than the Knicks.

[DBAHO]

Nice to know the Bulls are still clearly better than the Knicks.

I bet you guys wished you could play against them for all 82 games.

[RockRaines]

I bet you guys wished you could play against them for all 82 games.

then we could assure we get the #1 pick next year.

[whitesoxfan101]

Kobe with 30 points in the 3rd tonight, and with 52 after 3 quarters. I guess he's back, he hit 11 shots in a row in the 3rd and was 19 for 25 from the field through 3. Just unreal, and a lot of the shots were contested 25 to 27 footers, doing this against the 13-3 Jazz.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Kobe with 30 points in the 3rd tonight, and with 52 after 3 quarters. I guess he's back, he hit 11 shots in a row in the 3rd and was 19 for 25 from the field through 3. Just unreal, and a lot of the shots were contested 25 to 27 footers, doing this against the 13-3 Jazz.

 

Contested 25-27 footers? You realize that's two to 4 feet behind the 3-point line, right?

 

Anyway, yeah, Kobe did his thing tonight.

[whitesoxfan101]

Contested 25-27 footers? You realize that's two to 4 feet behind the 3-point line, right?

 

Yeah I do, he hit 2 of them in a row at one point during the 3rd, and got fouled on a 3rd one.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Yeah I do, he hit 2 of them in a row at one point during the 3rd, and got fouled on a 3rd one.

 

Well, I didn't see the game. But I don't think that qualifies as "a lot."

[greasywheels121]

[sox4lifeinPA]

Any clue when David West is coming back for NOK? I've got him sitting on my fantasy bench...I'm afraid to drop him because he's got great numbers, but right now it's zeros.

[Jordan4life_2007]

 

No argument here. What he did in the postseason last year (in particular the conference finals and finals) was legendary. Only guys I've personally seen dominate like he did was the bald dude who used to play for us and mid-90's Hakeem Olajuwon.

 

Edit: I forgot about 2000/2001 Shaq.

Edited December 5, 2006 by Jordan4life_2006

[whitesoxfan101]

Bulls to 8-9, and with this schedule for the next month....they could make some SERIOUS hay.

 

And DBAHO is happy, Jameer Nelson hits a late 3 to win at Arco and pad their best record in the East.

Edited December 5, 2006 by whitesoxfan101