2014-2015 NBA thread

[Steve9347]

This season the league is wide open. Spurs dominated last year, but will be a year older, and, well, the West is so difficult, you really don't know who will come through. I don't think the Wizards did anything to put them over the top (no Pierce won't be that difference maker). Pacers, who knows, they should be one of the 2 or 3 best teams, but you really never know. Bulls / Cavs should be 2 of the 3 best and the Nets should remain a top 5-6 team (with Lopez back). Heat will be relevant (not a title contender) but that relevance depends on Bosh taking his game back to star levels and Wade playing a bit.

Agreed with everything above. If the Bulls could just magically swap Dunleavy for a guard, I'd feel a lot more comfortable. I don't think anyone wants Rose getting 38 mpg, but when your only backup is Kirk, who is going to miss, at minimum, 20 games, that's a scary proposition.

 

I can't imagine the Bulls' offseason is done yet. They should send like 5 picks with Boozer to Philly to make something happen with Richardson and Wroten. Then this team would be unstoppable.

[Chisoxfn]

Agreed with everything above. If the Bulls could just magically swap Dunleavy for a guard, I'd feel a lot more comfortable. I don't think anyone wants Rose getting 38 mpg, but when your only backup is Kirk, who is going to miss, at minimum, 20 games, that's a scary proposition.

 

I can't imagine the Bulls' offseason is done yet. They should send like 5 picks with Boozer to Philly to make something happen with Richardson and Wroten. Then this team would be unstoppable.

I agree it would be nice to find a SG and a PG. I wonder if they land someone like Mo Williams even (or can find a way to get creative to get a s&T for Jameer Nelson). I just don't want to send Dunleavy out for like a 3rd string guard or cap relief, that would just be stupid, given his affordable contract and how well he played last year.

[whitesoxfan99]

Agreed with everything above. If the Bulls could just magically swap Dunleavy for a guard, I'd feel a lot more comfortable. I don't think anyone wants Rose getting 38 mpg, but when your only backup is Kirk, who is going to miss, at minimum, 20 games, that's a scary proposition.

 

I can't imagine the Bulls' offseason is done yet. They should send like 5 picks with Boozer to Philly to make something happen with Richardson and Wroten. Then this team would be unstoppable.

 

Unstoppable? Jason Richardson didn't play at all last year, only played 33 games in 2012-2013 (and was pretty bad when he did play) and is 33 years old. He may be done. Wroten can't shoot at all so I don't think he is a good fit either.

[bmags]

The wizards may not have done anything that put them over the top, but they were also very young, and are now a year older. If Otto Porter's crap first season was just dealing with the hip injury, and he turns out to be a good player, they are a scary team. They diced the bulls apart. Nene/Gibson destroyed Noah.

[Chisoxfn]

The wizards may not have done anything that put them over the top, but they were also very young, and are now a year older. If Otto Porter's crap first season was just dealing with the hip injury, and he turns out to be a good player, they are a scary team. They diced the bulls apart. Nene/Gibson destroyed Noah.

This is a much different team and wouldn't have gutted the Bulls without Trevor Ariza. Ariza was a better player then Pierce so that is a downgrade, imo. I don't even know how the heck Pierce plays on that team, given the fact that they benefit so significantly from their athleticism.

[Chisoxfn]

Unstoppable? Jason Richardson didn't play at all last year, only played 33 games in 2012-2013 (and was pretty bad when he did play) and is 33 years old. He may be done. Wroten can't shoot at all so I don't think he is a good fit either.

Alec Burks would be a very good get out of Utah. He might be on the outside of a numbers game there.

[bmags]

Also, just to be clear, Bulls entered offseason with areas to upgrade, one of which WAS front court depth. That they chose to go pump up FC depth rather than go hard for a guard will be something to judge this team on.

 

And I don't think anyone here has been overhyping McDermott. A certain poster has the tendency to make a fake person to argue with to make their argument more convincing, but it doesn't mean anyone has actually been acting like McDermott will be the 3rd star we were missing.

 

Reason for optimism: For 4 years the bulls have tried plug the spacing issue by signing a "3-point guy". IT really did work pretty well when you had Korver and Deng was hitting reasonable amount of 3s. Then they plugged in Belli. Then MDJ. Point being we've basically had one consistent long range shooter and our spacing is by far the worst i the league. Defenses against us look like a kids soccer game.

 

If Snell has made the leap to become a legitimate 3 and D SG, Dunleavy, McDermott and Mirotic are all legitimate, consistent long range threats. Also losing Boozer, who basically gave up playing inside on O and hung out 15 feet from rim in favor of Gasol really could be an interesting offense.

 

But you can't have everything, and losing Melo derby means the bulls for the 4th straight year are entering season without a 2nd shot creator unless a gift is sent to us. That has been the single biggest killer preventing this team, and it still isn't addressed. But maybe the spacing improving and some semblance of a real derrick rose would be enough.

[bmags]

Alec Burks would be a very good get out of Utah. He might be on the outside of a numbers game there.

 

I've been touting this but when I looked at the news out of Utah for proposed trade packages including him, they were for big hauls. They aren't in any hurry to dump him even though they have a bit of a logjam with the recent draft of Exum.

[Chisoxfn]

Also, just to be clear, Bulls entered offseason with areas to upgrade, one of which WAS front court depth. That they chose to go pump up FC depth rather than go hard for a guard will be something to judge this team on.

 

And I don't think anyone here has been overhyping McDermott. A certain poster has the tendency to make a fake person to argue with to make their argument more convincing, but it doesn't mean anyone has actually been acting like McDermott will be the 3rd star we were missing.

 

Reason for optimism: For 4 years the bulls have tried plug the spacing issue by signing a "3-point guy". IT really did work pretty well when you had Korver and Deng was hitting reasonable amount of 3s. Then they plugged in Belli. Then MDJ. Point being we've basically had one consistent long range shooter and our spacing is by far the worst i the league. Defenses against us look like a kids soccer game.

 

If Snell has made the leap to become a legitimate 3 and D SG, Dunleavy, McDermott and Mirotic are all legitimate, consistent long range threats. Also losing Boozer, who basically gave up playing inside on O and hung out 15 feet from rim in favor of Gasol really could be an interesting offense.

 

But you can't have everything, and losing Melo derby means the bulls for the 4th straight year are entering season without a 2nd shot creator unless a gift is sent to us. That has been the single biggest killer preventing this team, and it still isn't addressed. But maybe the spacing improving and some semblance of a real derrick rose would be enough.

Technically, Pau can create his own shot in the post, much more so then Boozer or anyone else we've ever had could down in the post. Not to the extent he once could but he is extremely nifty and efficient in the paint.

[Balta1701]

But you can't have everything, and losing Melo derby means the bulls for the 4th straight year are entering season without a 2nd shot creator unless a gift is sent to us. That has been the single biggest killer preventing this team, and it still isn't addressed. But maybe the spacing improving and some semblance of a real derrick rose would be enough.

Let's be completely honest though...the lack of a 2nd shot creator has hurt the Bulls but they've still managed to be a playoff team when their first shot creator has been lost for 3 seasons. In 2011 I think I was willing to buy that the Bulls could get by without a 2nd main ball handler and shot creator if they just added some better shooting and improved their spacing. I'm still not sure that's wrong because we haven't seen the team on the floor with its first shot creator.

 

If I really wanted to push it, the fact that the Bulls have remained playoff teams and not averaged 45 points per game after replacing Rose with Nate Robinson et al. for the last 3 years might well make a decent case that the thing killing them hasn't been not having a 2nd shot creator but not having their first. What did people say after their playoff loss last year, it wasn't that they needed an extra shot creator, it was that they needed actual shooting.

[kev211]

Agreed with everything above. If the Bulls could just magically swap Dunleavy for a guard, I'd feel a lot more comfortable. I don't think anyone wants Rose getting 38 mpg, but when your only backup is Kirk, who is going to miss, at minimum, 20 games, that's a scary proposition.

 

I can't imagine the Bulls' offseason is done yet. They should send like 5 picks with Boozer to Philly to make something happen with Richardson and Wroten. Then this team would be unstoppable.

Don't think that trade works. Pretty sure the moves they've made on signing gasol and mirotic are dependent on boozers salary being amnestied. So they couldn't bring back any salary in a boozer trade now.

[Dick Allen]

Does Rosenbloom think 90% of the NBA is another form of Carlos Boozer? Today he says Gasol is Spanish for Boozer. When I was listening to the Score several weeks ago, he was actually saying Love was just a better shooting Boozer.

 

 

[Jenksismyhero]

I think the 2nd creator is a little overblown. The Spurs didn't have one and they beat Miami and Lebron just fine. What they had was one guy that could drive and dish and a bunch of shooters around him. That's what the Bulls are going for. And really, I think that's why Lebron decided to leave Miami - yeah he can shut down a guy like Rose (even though it's exhausting to do it), but you can't guard the pass. And when your other guys are slow and/or not good enough defensively, you can't catch up to the ball. When Wade was Wade in 2010-2012, that worked, because he was quick enough. This last year and even last year to some extent, he had no gas left to be able to cover the right areas.

 

[bmags]

The spurs have 8 players with long range ability, ability to pick up the dribble and have been perfecting their movement offense for 4-5 years. The bulls are not the Spurs. They have 2 forwards now with Kyle Anderson that can play like point guards, and have a what Jimmy Butler could be if he could shoot the 3 and finish at the rim more often.

[bmags]

Here is the pile of crap current free agent crop of guards we can try to convince to take the vet min:

Udrih, Beno

Stuckey, Rodney

Sessions, Ramon

Rush, Brandon

Ridnour, Luke

Murry, Toure

Moore, E’Twaun

Mack, Shelvin (RFA)

Johnson, Wesley

Douglas, Toney

Douglas-Roberts, Chris

Crawford, Jordan

Brooks, Aaron

Brooks, MarShon

Henry, Xavier

Temple, Garrett

 

What say you, Soxtalk?

Edited July 14, 2014 by bmags

[Chisoxfn]

Here is the pile of crap current free agent crop of guards we can try to convince to take the vet min:

Udrih, Beno

Stuckey, Rodney

Sessions, Ramon

Rush, Brandon

Ridnour, Luke

Murry, Toure

Moore, E’Twaun

Mack, Shelvin (RFA)

Johnson, Wesley

Douglas, Toney

Douglas-Roberts, Chris

Crawford, Jordan

Brooks, Aaron

Brooks, MarShon

Henry, Xavier

Temple, Garrett

 

What say you, Soxtalk?

A few different quality players in there. Sessions / Aaron Brooks are quality. I also like Stuckey quite a bit. Wes Johnson / CDR and others are solid too, but I think if we could get 2 of the better guys on that list (one at SG and another at PG), I would be extremely happy.

[Soxbadger]

Spahn and Sain, pray for rain.

 

The chance for guards has come and gone, but if you want to go on the theory Thibs can turn a bad guard into a decent one, Jerryd Bayless had hype at one time and is a combo guard.

[Kyyle23]

Does Rosenbloom think 90% of the NBA is another form of Carlos Boozer? Today he says Gasol is Spanish for Boozer. When I was listening to the Score several weeks ago, he was actually saying Love was just a better shooting Boozer.

 

Rosenbloom is bargain bin Bayless a lot of the time. He comes across better on radio, but he is just stupidly cynical about everything and seems more interested in telling everyone that he smokes weed. There is very little quality thinking out of him anymore

[bmags]

A few different quality players in there. Sessions / Aaron Brooks are quality. I also like Stuckey quite a bit. Wes Johnson / CDR and others are solid too, but I think if we could get 2 of the better guys on that list (one at SG and another at PG), I would be extremely happy.

 

Stuckey is on there but TBH I bet he takes a payday. I could see Aaron Brooks go for Bulls Redemption at min, though.

 

The hail mary would be Jameer Nelson deciding he doesn't need a final payday and playing for min.

[Kyyle23]

Guys, think about what the Bulls have. Jimmer.

 

the end

[bmags]

He brings up a valid point.

[chw42]

Randolph will be traded to Orlando along with 2 second round picks.

[Kyyle23]

Randolph will be traded to Orlando along with 2 second round picks.

 

foooooooooor?

[knightni]

foooooooooor?

Salary relief maybe?

[southsider2k5]

Randolph will be traded to Orlando along with 2 second round picks.

 

Anthony?