NBA Thread 2013-2014

[Jordan4life_2007]

Not necessarily that, but the dude's a headcase. I feel bad for him as a person because he's battled anxiety and/or depression issues in the past, but as a basketball player, he's a headcase. I can totally see him tripping over his own feet - smoking weed or doing whatever else, missing practices, getting arrested, and then getting cut because he's undependable and a cancer.

 

If that happens then shame on him and he's outta the league. But the upside was there from jump.

[witesoxfan]

If that happens then shame on him and he's outta the league. But the upside was there from jump.

 

He could also just as easily get lazy and stop putting the work in, which would cut into his minutes. No disagreement on the talent though - you don't get drafted #2 if there's nothing there.

[Jordan4life_2007]

He could also just as easily get lazy and stop putting the work in, which would cut into his minutes. No disagreement on the talent though - you don't get drafted #2 if there's nothing there.

 

And again, that's when you cut him. There was no risk here from Miami's pov. None.

[Quin]

The Bulls are deeply entrenched in NBA hell. There's just no way out of it right now.

 

Which is exactly why they need to blow it up. Yet you still hear people go "I dunno, they should hold it together one more year."

[Dick Allen]

Which is exactly why they need to blow it up. Yet you still hear people go "I dunno, they should hold it together one more year."

But even if you blow it up, it isn't going to help the Bulls that much. Get rid of Deng, Boozer, Hinrich, you have enough money to add a Taj Gibson-like player. If Rose isn't Rose, the Bulls will be screwed for a long time.

[Jenksismyhero]

But even if you blow it up, it isn't going to help the Bulls that much. Get rid of Deng, Boozer, Hinrich, you have enough money to add a Taj Gibson-like player. If Rose isn't Rose, the Bulls will be screwed for a long time.

 

They're not "screwed," but the immediate window is closed. You still have Mirotic. You still have the Bobcats pick. And you can still tank and try to get a top 7-8 guy in this years loaded class.

[witesoxfan]

And again, that's when you cut him. There was no risk here from Miami's pov. None.

 

Definitely not, I just never thought he'd be this productive over any period of time, no matter the circumstances. He's been good.

[Chisoxfn]

But even if you blow it up, it isn't going to help the Bulls that much. Get rid of Deng, Boozer, Hinrich, you have enough money to add a Taj Gibson-like player. If Rose isn't Rose, the Bulls will be screwed for a long time.

The key to the Bulls future (or 3-5 year future) is Rose, Butler, Mirotic, the Charlotte pick and really to a lesser extent Noah and Taj. I can't say Snell, Teague and Murphy are keys but if they can somehow develop it would be huge since they are young players and clearly we need as many young players to step up. Regarding Noah, if you can move him for nice pieces, you do so. Regarding Deng & Hinrich, again, I look at this as you need to find new parts that can go with what we think is our core and make sure they aren't signed longer then Rose since we really won't be able to rebuild if Rose ends up being a dud, until after his contract is off the books. That or you try and clear space to try and lure a free agent here to be the star w/Rose being the secondary piece that if he's healthy you probably could have a team that could win a title. That means moving Taj, Hinrich, Deng, Noah and Boozer and getting minimum contracts (or expiring contracts + picks in return). Not sure that is so likely.

[Jordan4life_2007]

But even if you blow it up, it isn't going to help the Bulls that much. Get rid of Deng, Boozer, Hinrich, you have enough money to add a Taj Gibson-like player. If Rose isn't Rose, the Bulls will be screwed for a long time.

 

Which is why you go after younger players (like q proposed) that you think you can develop and can help you long-term.

[Jenksismyhero]

Who's Running This Thing?

 

Chicago’s new reality at the point guard position is darker than anyone could have imagined. When Kirk Hinrich bolted to the locker room in the second quarter to tend to a bloody nose and let out some woosahs, Tom Thibodeau put in 38-year-old Mike James, whose last notable NBA season came seven years ago and might be one of the game’s great, inexplicable mirages. On one possession, dribbling downcourt, James lurched forward, sluggishly heaving himself toward the frontcourt with a vacant expression I know all too well. He had meat sweats. Or, wait, no, that wasn’t it. Sorry, he was exhausted. He had only been in the game for two minutes. Mike James, NBA journeyman for the everyman.

 

After the second quarter, he wasn’t seen from again, presumably because of a play in which Trey Burke, not exactly an elite athletic specimen, zoomed past him without the slightest bit of resistance. You could almost hear the “I’m too old for this s***” sigh he let out once Burke was at the rim. James finished the game with an assist, a hard foul, and a field goal.

 

Oh, about that field goal: It was the only field goal made by a Chicago point guard in the entire game. Hinrich and Teague combined for 50 minutes on the court and yet the only floor general able to make a basket was the dude who was practically comatose. If it weren’t for a 3-point attempt to beat the shot clock, a turnover, and a foul, Teague would’ve joined Grantland’s own Mark Titus in a bizarro Club Trillion. Teague’s entry would’ve been particularly impressive considering he played nearly 15 minutes in the game.

 

That’s where we’re at. This is your Chicago Bulls point guard rotation, proof enough that there are no basketball gods. No deity would let this happen.

 

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle...o-tell-the-tale

[Dick Allen]

Which is why you go after younger players (like q proposed) that you think you can develop and can help you long-term.

Stars win in the playoffs. Maybe Mirotic will be a star, but if he's Toni Kukoc, he's a really nice player, but complimentary. After the top 3 in this draft, it still is a crapshoot with really nice players who may or may not be guys who lead teams to championships. The Bulls more than likely won't be selecting very high this draft. Detroit is currently out of the lottery. The Charlotte pick may not even be a lottery pick. Again, if Rose isn't Rose, the Bulls championship dreams are toast until they find another star.

[southsider2k5]

Stars win in the playoffs. Maybe Mirotic will be a star, but if he's Toni Kukoc, he's a really nice player, but complimentary. After the top 3 in this draft, it still is a crapshoot with really nice players who may or may not be guys who lead teams to championships. The Bulls more than likely won't be selecting very high this draft. Detroit is currently out of the lottery. The Charlotte pick may not even be a lottery pick. Again, if Rose isn't Rose, the Bulls championship dreams are toast until they find another star.

 

That is the entire point to rebuilding now. They don't need to wait two years to find out that a guy who has had two major knee surgeries might not be the same player anymore.

[Dick Allen]

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle...o-tell-the-tale

Wasn't that Teague on a video at the pre-draft camp missing just about every shot he took?

[Dick Allen]

That is the entire point to rebuilding now. They don't need to wait two years to find out that a guy who has had two major knee surgeries might not be the same player anymore.

The problem is he will still probably be too good to let them be real bad, and too expensive to let them add a max or near max guy. They should start trying to re-build, but they have a lot of stuff in their way.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Stars win in the playoffs. Maybe Mirotic will be a star, but if he's Toni Kukoc, he's a really nice player, but complimentary. After the top 3 in this draft, it still is a crapshoot with really nice players who may or may not be guys who lead teams to championships. The Bulls more than likely won't be selecting very high this draft. Detroit is currently out of the lottery. The Charlotte pick may not even be a lottery pick. Again, if Rose isn't Rose, the Bulls championship dreams are toast until they find another star.

 

So what, you hold on to guys that are only going to get older and worse instead of stockpiling as many young players/assets as you can?

[Jenksismyhero]

This upcoming draft is much deeper than Randle, Wiggins and Parker. Those are your three franchise-changing guys, but there are probably 7 or 8 really good/all-star potential guys. Aaron Gordon, Marcus Smart, the dude from Greece, etc.

[Kyyle23]

The problem is he will still probably be too good to let them be real bad, and too expensive to let them add a max or near max guy. They should start trying to re-build, but they have a lot of stuff in their way.

 

decisions have to be made, players have to be moved. You dont sit there and worry "what if Mirotic isnt a star?" and "what if Rose isnt the same?". You start freeing up money and trying to build from the floor up.

 

This front office got into the trouble they are in by over valuing their core and being unwilling to change it.

[Dick Allen]

So what, you hold on to guys that are only going to get older and worse instead of stockpiling as many young players/assets as you can?

I'm just saying it isn't as easy as that. Dump Deng, Boozer and Hinrich add Mirotic. Rose returns less than the player he has been. You have $10 million in cap space. Get a mid first round pick. You now are in NBA hell. A team too good to be in the lottery, let alone have a good chance of landing in the top 2 or 3 picks, and a team not nearly good enough to win a championship.

 

Assuming Rose is never again the player he was, if you are going to blow it up, the only way that makes sense is to dump everybody. Rose and Noah included.

[southsider2k5]

The problem is he will still probably be too good to let them be real bad, and too expensive to let them add a max or near max guy. They should start trying to re-build, but they have a lot of stuff in their way.

 

He isn't going to even play this year. Next year he would have a whole new cast around him. You really don't think about adding a max guy until after year two, even if you wanted to. You wouldn't add that big guy until you knew what you had from the initial group. (that is unless Rose actually wanted to start recruiting some guys to come here.)

[Jordan4life_2007]

I'm just saying it isn't as easy as that. Dump Deng, Boozer and Hinrich add Mirotic. Rose returns less than the player he has been. You have $10 million in cap space. Get a mid first round pick. You now are in NBA hell. A team too good to be in the lottery, let alone have a good chance of landing in the top 2 or 3 picks, and a team not nearly good enough to win a championship.

 

Assuming Rose is never again the player he was, if you are going to blow it up, the only way that makes sense is to dump everybody. Rose and Noah included.

 

Who said anything was gonna be easy?

[Dick Allen]

decisions have to be made, players have to be moved. You dont sit there and worry "what if Mirotic isnt a star?" and "what if Rose isnt the same?". You start freeing up money and trying to build from the floor up.

 

This front office got into the trouble they are in by over valuing their core and being unwilling to change it.

And as I have pointed out, they aren't going to be able to free up the money most think they can free up even if they dump a ton.

 

The other problem is, even if they can agree to a sign and trade, wintering in Chicago doesn't seem to hold much appeal to NBA players.

 

The Bulls only hope IMO is if Rose comes back as the Derrick Rose we saw win an MVP. Then many of the problems are solved.

[southsider2k5]

And as I have pointed out, they aren't going to be able to free up the money most think they can free up even if they dump a ton.

 

The other problem is, even if they can agree to a sign and trade, wintering in Chicago doesn't seem to hold much appeal to NBA players.

 

The Bulls only hope IMO is if Rose comes back as the Derrick Rose we saw win an MVP. Then many of the problems are solved.

 

Placing the future of your franchise on to a guy who has had two major need surgeries is borderline negligence.

[Kyyle23]

And as I have pointed out, they aren't going to be able to free up the money most think they can free up even if they dump a ton.

 

The other problem is, even if they can agree to a sign and trade, wintering in Chicago doesn't seem to hold much appeal to NBA players.

 

The Bulls only hope IMO is if Rose comes back as the Derrick Rose we saw win an MVP. Then many of the problems are solved.

 

Its not going to be a one step process, it certainly isnt as easy as merely tanking the season and trading players

[Chisoxfn]

Placing the future of your franchise on to a guy who has had two major need surgeries is borderline negligence.

I would argue he's had 1 major knee surgery. The other surgery is not very major but unfortunately requires a long rehab time. I have zero doubt that Rose will have the same athleticism as before (I had that doubt when he went down 2 years ago), however, the question is whether he will be able to be healthy.

[Dick Allen]

Placing the future of your franchise on to a guy who has had two major need surgeries is borderline negligence.

I am saying that as a fan. It is the only way the Bulls have a legit chance at a title the next 5 years. You can draft a couple more Jimmy Butlers, and Mirotic can be a really good player and you can still win 55 games during the regular season, but the hardest thing to acquire is stars, and the Bulls are really in a tougher position than most to do that.

Edited November 26, 2013 by Dick Allen