Bulls draft central

Noah is a wasted Pick, we didnt need another Ben Wallace. I understand he is a winner, and hi energy (nice bo-tie by the way, whats up with that? He looked like he was on a bad acid trip, not to mention he cant shoot or score in the low post and he isnt even a real 7footer.

Then, NY goes and makes the Randolph trade(that we shouldve made) and pai him with an emerging Eddie Curry, and it makes us look even smaller and weaker in the middle.

All i can say is, we better go get Jermaine O'Neal or KG, Cause it looks height is coming back to the East and we dont have anyone over 6'9 (legitimately).

Noah is a wasted Pick, we didnt need another Ben Wallace. I understand he is a winner, and hi energy (nice bo-tie by the way, whats up with that? He looked like he was on a bad acid trip, not to mention he cant shoot or score in the low post and he isnt even a real 7footer.

Then, NY goes and makes the Randolph trade(that we shouldve made) and pair him with an emerging Eddie Curry, and it makes us look even smaller and weaker in the middle.

All i can say is, we better go get Jermaine O'Neal or KG, Cause it looks height is coming back to the East and we dont have anyone over 6'9 (legitimately). I dont care what the roster says.

I trust Paxson. He's proven the last three years that he knows what he's doing. I know a lot of people are disappointed about the pick but they should wait and see how things pan out. Also, keep in mind that free agency is about to start. Paxson may have something up his sleeve. I know the Bulls can use an inside scorer but you never know how Noah will improve his game. If I remember correctly Jordan wasn't highly touted for his offensive game coming out of North Carolina. I'm not saying Noah will become a prolific scorer but give him time to develop in the NBA. Here's hoping he rocks Chicago and shuts up all the critics.

Go Bulls!

I trust Paxson. He's proven the last three years that he knows what he's doing. I know a lot of people are disappointed about the pick but they should wait and see how things pan out. Also, keep in mind that free agency is about to start. Paxson may have something up his sleeve. I know the Bulls can use an inside scorer but you never know how Noah will improve his game. If I remember correctly Jordan wasn't highly touted for his offensive game coming out of North Carolina. I'm not saying Noah will become a prolific scorer but give him time to develop in the NBA. Here's hoping he rocks Chicago and shuts up all the critics.

Go Bulls!

The second round picks don't do much for me either. I just hope that Pax and Skiles dont get so full of their own "draftosophy" that they don't make the moves we need to compete with the beefed up east. We still need someone who can score from the block. It isnt going to be Ben, or Noah, or Thomas, PJ is a jump shooter, sweetney is ridiculously out of shape. Right now, if we need some go to buckets when our shooters are off, we got nothing.

Thats what killed us against Detroit. The minute we cooled off from the 3 point line, we were done for.

Also, the drafting of JamesON Curry just blows everyones Pax & Skiles only want character guys argument out the window.

MAN, I JUST HOPE WE DIDNT MISS OUT ON RANDOLPH. I REALLY REALLY REALLY HOPE THAT DOESNT BITE US IN THE ARSE FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS.

Roman responds: Randolph + New York = Trouble.

Unreal.
The last player that I wanted to see in a Bulls uniform was this idiot who has the worst looking shot that I have ever seen.He is not a scorer and that is what they needed.
They will regret passing on SPENCER HAWES to select a player who already has an attitude the size of Texas even before he gets the millions.

By the way... if he can not even get it together enough to wear a suit on the biggest night of his career then how long do you thing it will take before he starts to butt heads with Scott Skyles?
The Bulls went to great lengths to build a team that plays an unselfish type of game and then they draft a guy who is all about "LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!"
Bad move!

Roman, the Bulls are planning for the future with this pick (in the event they don't trade Noah). Wallace will be a cautionary tale in 3 years and they need someone to potentially play his role. Moreover, through this draft, the Bulls went from no 7 footers to two of them. I'll take that. Speaking of the Knicks: I want to watch that offense run, throw it into one of the big men and watch them kill bugs pounding the ball into the ground. Moreover, neither plays well as weak side support. They both want to shoot, not defend and not rebound. They may score a few, but quick teams will be driving freely into the lane as those two turtles rotate late all day. The Bulls are going to try and run teams to death and it looks like they will even more equipped to do so.

Roman responds: Wallace may be a cautionary tale sooner than that. There will be more moves coming in the NBA. The Wolves will trade KG, or else they'll lose him after next season for nothing. That won't happen. And there's still the Kobe situation. The Draft is over. The moves aren't.

well let's see, the Bulls now have 3 legitimate shot blockers in Wallace, Thomas and now Noah. all three have shown the willingness and ability to pass out of the low post, Thomas showed later in the season he is woking on some moves in the low post and doesn't hesitate to take a rebound back up and take a hit to get to the line, and neither does Noah. all 3 are also excellent rebounders. with the addition of JamesOn Curry and AAron Gray, Duhon can easily be packaged with Sweetny and Khryapa and possibly Nocioni(although I like Noce and would hate to see him leave)for a veteran player to help stabalize and mentor the younger players. if P.J. elects to retire I would love to see him stay with the Bulls in some sort of capacity to help mentor Thomas, Noah and Gray.

I like Joakim. I like Jameson and Gray also. Paxson did well in the draft. He did the best with what he had. There is no substitute for a winning pedigree. Joakim is NOT scared and tentative like Tyson was. He is going to scrap and Gray is a legit 7fter who is 270. I hope he pans out. Jameson is 6'4 guard that has handles, can shoot and guard. This makes Duhon expendable. Bulls did well. I give Pax a C+. Paxson has to bring it during free agency! We need an impact player. Chauncy, Vince, Rashard Lewis, Anderson Varejo, Gerald Wallace, James Posey are out there.

There is no denying it...ISAIAH stole ALL of the thunder last night! He was wheeling and dealing like a Vegas card shuffler!!! Trading for Zach Randolph and Fred Jones was the deal of the night! Now they got more meat in the post than Moo and Oink! All they had to give up was JJ and Michael from Good Times! While we are busy trying to figure out what kind of headbands people are wearing, NY is busy picking up beasts. Told you all that Isaiah was a genious. And he scooped up Wilson Chandler from Depaul. I have to give him a A+.

I think we need a top notch assistant coach to teach our bigs the art of inside scoring. Scoring, positioning and shooting technique can be learned. We need a coach to handle that task.

John Paxson has done a great job.

Good Job Pax. He was able to draft what the Bulls did not have all of last year, a player over 6'9. Noah is Undervalued. And Athletic PF almost 7ft tall with a motor. Not to many of those in The NBA, remember most players over 6'10 have no motor at all. This Guy is like a Red Bull Drink, Already he's a top ten player over 6'10 in the East. By the way who was left on the draft boards? Another 6'8 forward and a 7'0 who will not be ready to contribute for 3 years possibly (we are not trying to be Atlanta Here). I think Aaron Gray is a tough 7'1 center who we could finally use to body someone in the post. Curry is solid, did anyone watch Oklahoma St? he has been on of the best players in the Big 12 for 3 years (He's insurance for moving Duhon). But to see what Ray Allen and Zack Randolph went for, I wish we would have made some moves in that direction too.

Noah was actually a pretty good pick if the Bulls end up trading Ben Wallace. I like Noah's energy and winning attitude, I don't like his Tyson Chandler-esque move of screaming after making a wide open dunk. Hopefully he'll get away from doing that in the pros. For as ugly as his shot is, it's fairly consistent from 16-20 feet out, and he has shown the ability to hit free throws. I'm going to have to see how they work the rotations of Wallace, Tyrus Thomas, and Noah. And as far as the Knicks are concerned, Jason hit it on the head with his earlier post, Randolph going to the Knicks was probably the worst place for him. The Knicks before the move were not good defenders or rebounders, and this definitely won't change that. the Knicks will continue to lose like they have been, by letting the other team score at will. Looking back, the Bulls ended up trading Eddie Curry for Tyrus Thomas, Mike Sweetney, and Joakim Noah. Tyrus will be a ball hawking, high-flying acrobatic stud, and Noah will bring a Anderson Verejo type energy to the Bulls. The Knicks will not make the playoffs again, and Isaiah is gone after this year. The move of the day was the Celtics getting Ray Allen. He's a perfect compliment for Paul Pierce.

Randolph + NY = Trouble for who? Us or for them?

Roman responds: I think it might spell trouble for the Knicks.

Pax waited and took the best player available. Cannot imagine he is done this summer dealing.

Isiah a "genious"? Let's see...he bankrupted the CBA, took the Knicks from a near playoff team to the 2nd highest payroll thanks to some horrific trades and the joke team of the league. Zac Randolph...terrific low post player but essentially plays the same spot as fat Eddy Curry.

The bad news is that with Randolph and Curry, the All U Can Eat buffets are about to lose a lot of money.

This draft pick will get John Paxson fired. Why not draft someone who can score? The Bulls first wasted $60 million on Tyson Chandler with an Afro (Ben Wallace) then draft a guy who will not get along with Scott Skiles. Skiles cant get along with players with personality and thats the main reason they didnt go after Zack Randolph or any other star player. This shelf life on this Paxson/Skiles experiment is about over. Its good to have a lot of guys who hustle and play hard but I want to see some guys who have basketball talent, someone who can be a difference maker, a Batman. What the Bulls have are a bunch of Robins.

C'mon people, you weren't going to solve your low post issues in the draft! Nobody wanted the #9 pick, so Pax got the best available player, which was Noah... Spencer Hawes?! I don't want 7 footer who can't rebound or play D... You can teach a player offense, not drive and energy.

People calling him selfish, you haven't watched him play in college... he could have easily left college last year, but decided to stay another year, I don't call that selfish. What he is a personality, something the bulls don't have...

Pax's really work is acquiring a post player via free agency or a trade, which I think he will do. Picking Noah @ #9 was easy, no brainer.

And with Zeke's moves... Randolph? with Curry? Again, only 1 ball Isaiah! Kudos in dumping Francis, but losing Channing Frye? The best move was Ray Allen for Green... What is Ainge thinking????

Great picks. Exactly what the Bulls needed. All top three picks will play beyond everyone's expectations.
Have to trust Paxson and Skiles b-ball.wisdom.

I think this will prove to be a solid pick. He's a high energy guy with an enormous drive to win. His offensive skills will develop and he is great defensively. With Noah I dont think the Bulls need Wallace anymore. He should be added to the Kobe package. KB has said repeatedly that he wants to play here. Lets go out and get em. That will make everyone happy

Noah reminds me of Brian Williams aka Bison Daily both in personality and game. He will be a role player for a very long time. The problem is we have no real stars on the Bulls right now, unless one emerges soon (Deng, Thomas, or Gorden) we will not be seeing a championship any time soon.

I do not believe free agency will get us the low post scorer we need in Chicago this year so trading for one is our only hope for this comming year. We better do something soon because when this group of prospects matures the face of the NBA will change for a very long time.

The thing to remember here is: Pax values winners. Nearly all of his top draft choices (Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, Thomas, Noah) have come from major winning programs. Why has he turned his once-pitiful team around so quickly (relatively speaking)? Simple - he's drafted guys who came out of college with lots of success and experience under their belts. Only Deng and Thomas came out as Freshman, both after playing on excellent, well-established teams that played deep into the NCAA tournament. Pax has bred a culture of winning, and by drafting Noah he's only continuing this process. Was Noah a perfect pick? No, but that's not generally how the draft works. Was he the best available player? Time will tell, but apparently the Bulls staff thought so. They had Spencer Hawes in for one last interview a couple of days ago. From what I understand he did well in his one-on-one workouts against Noah. Even Noah admitted that he could have shot better in those workouts. You can't say the Bulls didn't do their due diligence with Hawes and Noah. There must have been something about Hawes that didn't impress them, because he did seem to fit their need for a "scorer with length" better than Noah. I'm going to trust Pax and his staff on this pick. They have shown yearly improvement by sticking to their plan.

The Zach Randolph situation wasn't right for the Bulls. I'm glad they didn't consummate a deal there. Randolph wouldn't have addressed their real need (height, or "length" as they call it these days) enough to warrant his "black hole in the post" tendencies. Forget his off-the-court travails, he really doesn't fit the Bulls' style of play. Good luck to him in NY. Once again Isiah Thomas proves that he's essentially a would-be party clown playing the role of a GM/Coach. With this latest move he's paired two players on a front line who basically A. Only post-up, B. Don't give up the ball, C. Don't play defense and D. Don't have the athleticism to play as big as they are. Granted, Randolph will probably pick up some of the rebounds that Curry ignores, but still...what a mess. Quick - name the last NBA championship team that had two 20-point-per-game low-post-only scorers on the same front line. Yeah, thought so. Also, what's with Thomas' tendency to isolate guys who the rest of the league think of as 2nd-round talent and then promise to draft them in the mid-first round? Last year it was Balkman, this year Wilson Chandler. I hope Isiah is dusting off the bright orange wig and floppy oversized shoes, because he's gonna be needing to make a lot of little kids laugh in a year or two...

Notes on the second rounders: I've seen Aaron Gray play, and I think this pick was a steal. In a game against Bradley last year he made some quick moves on Patrick O'Bryant (Golden State's 7-foot first rounder last year) that were impressive. The Bulls had no true big men last year, and at times I feel that hurt them. Gray will make the team because he's had four years of college experience, and has improved every year. He will help against the few true big men left in the East, i.e. Shaq, Ilgauskas, etc. I was kind of hoping Marc Gasol would still be on the board at 49, but if given a choice between the two I think Pax still would have gone for Gray because of his collegiate experience. Good pick. As for Curry, I don't know much about him. What I do know is he's a combo Guard who shoots well from the three-point line (41 percent), scores well (17 ppg) and gives up the ball too (3.7 assists). All of that while playing for a team that goes against lots of top-level talent. Sounds like a good backup to me. Also, "JamesOn" is a really unique name. It's weird, but I kind of like it.

All the criticism I've seen of Noah doesn't ring true, or at least not yet. "Not a good enough shooter?" He shot over 60 percent each year in college, which means he shoots layups and dunks the ball, but also means he chooses well. Basketball IQ is very important in the NBA. "Too much of a goofy 'me' guy who wants all the attention?" He played with top talent and blended in extremely well, to the tune of two NCAA championships. When his teammates improved (as they did from last year to this year) his stats went down, and he didn't complain once because they kept winning. His only goal in sports is to win. Off the court he'll give great interviews and add character to an otherwise boring bunch of Bulls players. Nothing wrong there. "Not strong enough to play PF in the NBA?" It ain't about strength, it's about stamina. Where other draft prospects commented on how hard the Bulls' workouts were, Noah professed his love for their style. His work ethic is legendary. "Too much like Tyson Chandler?" C'mon folks, be nice. When Tyson has won something in his life, gimme a call. Heck when "Hands" Chandler (my nickname for him, due to his lack thereof) successfully throws down a dunk lemme know. Joakim Noah is a proven winner with a great attitude. I can't wait to see him play with this Bulls squad. It's going to be exciting.

Okay, Okay, ladies and gentlemen, i sat and i threw a HUGE FIT WITH MY BROTHER DURING THE 9TH PICK OF THE DRAFT. Why oh why would the bulls waste the ninth pick on a over hyped player who cant score. He shoots his jumper like he's serving a volleyball, and has anyone seen how he runs? its terrible the bulls have energy all through the lineup and dont need anymore in the post, what they need is someone that can score and help free up more open jump shots for the guards. noah is tall but skinny so he wont be that much of a presence down low and if him and ben wallace ever get on the floor together, ben luol and kirk better hit evry jumper because those two WILL NOT SCORE, i really hope the bulls plan on making the right trade can anyone tell me the possibilities that the bulls land KG.

The Bulls got Noah and that says it all. Noah is the third head for the three headed monster. Wallace, Thomas, and Noah can rotate with two on the floor at all times. I think Collison will end in the mix for that scorer with Deng, Thabo, and Thomas getting better. Scoring wasn't why we lost, look at our numbers per game.... Hinrich needs a big next to him to keep from being worn out against a bigger player, time after time. Trade Gordon for Collison.

WTSW - That front line question is a tricky one because its nearly IMPOSSIBLE to get 1 front-line scorer, let alone 2. (SEE THE BULL 06 FOR REFERENCE) But to answer your question it has been done with the SPURS (Duncan and Robinson) - who were a bad team much like the Knicks before they went and got Duncan.

"We need a BATMAN, we have too many Robins."
Well said Michael Walker.

Who knows, maybe Gordon will emerge as an Unstoppable Scorer for the entire game, not just 1 or 2 of the 4 quarters, maybe we can live off of Dengs 20 footers, and Nocioni leading the team in 3pt percentage. Maybe we can develope a new kind of offensive system where we just throw the ball off the backboard and let Noah and Wallace and Tyrus go after the tip dunk. Maybe that can be our low post play. The brick shot/ally oop/tip dunk play.

Perhaps the plan is to become the SUNS of the east and just run everyone into the Ground. At least we are deep.

Maybe we just hold pat, and take our chances with the squad we got for one more year and make a charge for LeBron or Dwade or Carmello. Hmmmm...that actually sounds like a good idea.

If we dont make a big move, and we have plenty of peices to pull that off still. Then, its going to be 3'pointer and TipDunk city again. Fun to watch, but hard to be consistant. Look how Detroit dismantled us and exploited our weakness. We need to be more well rounded. Even the Suns got thumped by a team that had both shooters and inside scorers.

Stop looking at immediates people! This Bulls team has one of the brightest futures in the NBA. Yes there is something about Noah's personality that rubs me the wrong way, but the bottom line is they got someone with the 9th pick that can block, rebound, hustle, has lenght, is a proven winner, is agressive under the rim, has the college pedigree, AND they wanted last year. Thats not bad. Does it fill the need of a low post guy, no, but can ANYBODY out there tell me that Spencer Hawes would have made the Bulls Championship favorites!?

The Bulls ARE a low post guy away, but I'd much rather have a big veteran player down there, and so would Pax/Skiles. (Why else replace Tyson with Ben Wallace last year if not for experience/leadership?) Look, Paxon now has 3 more pieces to add to any trade that could open up in the future, and that doesnt leave the team naked at every position if they do decide to go for a big time player. Noah is WAY more desired around the league than the other drafts left on the board. Think about this for a second, what would a team like Miami give to have Noah, teams like the Suns, Lakers, Dallas, San Antonio, Indiana, all of them could use a guy like Noah. At the end of the day making a player package around this pick may get more of a bite around the league.

I'm not so sure Pax is done making moves. KG or Jermaine O'neal could end up in Chicago before January if the price is right. Those that think that passing on Zack Randalph was a horrible attrocity, I would like to tell that if you look only at the numbers you're making a big mistake. Does anybody on this league want Ron Artest on their team!? What do his numbers look like? Amazing stats, but a cancer to anything he touches. I'm no saying Randalph wont pan out on NY, but I'd much rather have an Amare, a KG, or even a Marion than him.

The Bulls got two 7 footers! Think of all guys in the league that are the size of Noah ... now how many of them are that althletic and quick? Most people that tall are stiff and slow. He has a chance to be good ... about as good as anyother player that was left on the board at 9. So overall a good night for the Bulls. Nothing spectacular, but John Paxon has players at EVERY position that other teams want, and that could spark the trade the Bulls need.

Tell Noah, I want my style back!

I think Noah was a smart pick. He was certainly the best dressed dude at the draft - gotta respect the bowtie. Pax likes to pick players who are used to winning, and that's a good philosophy. Don't know too much about the other picks, but with a name like JamesOn, you really can't go wrong.

I actually think Randolph will do fine in NY city wise, because it appears to me that most of the trouble for these athletes come from the BIG FISH little POND syndrome. In that, the smaller the city or the market, the more visable they are and the less they can get away with. Lets face it, at least half the league is smoking grass, and going to stip clubs.

Iverson,Weber,Hamilton,WhiteChocolate,JamesONcurry, etc.etc. all have weed busts. Still cracks me up that Hamilton and El Amin got busted with a trunk full of MJ on their way back to campus the NIGH AFTER they won the NCAA champs. Someone was fint' to have a major house party pajama jammy jam.

Anyways, my point is, maybe its not the athletes getting into trouble more than they should, but that in smaller markets there is less crime and less for the police to do but to profile and pull over athletes? Just a thought!

NY is crime central. A guy with a rap sheet like Randolph is petty at best, ignored most likely.

Still, id love nothing more than if the NYK went down in flames, it will be interesting to watch and no fun to play them.

With Jianlin off the board the choice was between Noah and Hawes. Noah is a junior and his team was crowned twice and Hawes is a freshman. Paxson took the best possible pick with number nine. Fire Paxson? Are you kidding me? Paxson has done nothing but improve this team every year. The Bulls would have taken Noah with the number two pick last year so getting him at nine is a bargain. Isaiah a genious remark is too funny.

if you guys dont remember Noah was projected to be the #1 overall pick last year. He fits right into our system as being a team player. Although i would have loved to see Thorton (the dude is an animal), Noah was a solid pick. Pax's picks have been great the last couple of years with Tyrus, Gordon, Deng, Nocioni and Hinrick. Now i would love to see them make a deal for kobe. With the 2nd round picks, i go to Pitt and have seen Aaron Gray play numerous times. Now he does have potential and is big and plays the post well, his downside is he is very soft and hesitant. Not to mention his free throw woes. Overall the bulls did alright, but i feel a big move in free agency

nbadraft.net compared Noah to Tyson Chandler with a higher basketball I.Q.

I would suggest the possibility of Noah developing into someone much better: Marcus Camby.

If Noah has the desire and willingness to be coached that he appears to have, there is no reason to believe that he cannot develop a consistent 15-18 foot jumper.

Given that expectation, he has everything else required to become a Camby clone. He already is that, physically, with the same height, weight and build. He plays tough D. He is a shot blocker. He can run the court and passes well.

Personally, I would be ecstatic to see Noah in 3 or 4 years develop into a high rebounding/shot blocking DOY contender who only scores 12 points per game.

Ill would work with him. I shot 71/110 threes my Jr yr in college. I can fix him, I can fix any shot!

How about packaging Noah or Thomas, Gordon and a future #1 for Jermaine O´Neal and signing a big veteran 2-guard (Stackhouse???) with the mid-level exception. We would start O´neal, Ben, Thomas or Noah, Kirk and and the new addition. Sounds like that´s a line up that could have beaten both the Cavs and the Pistons this year???? Hmm?

Ok, I know the guy can tell a joke but really..I think the Bulls wasted a draft pick by picking Carrot Top.

I like the pick considering what was left on the board. I was not impressed with the Bulls rebounding last year. Remeber, the Bulls were a playoff team last year with the 9 pick. It would have been hard for any pick to immediately hep the team, except for Oden. Pax also stole Gray in the 2nd round. How much better will Hawes be than Gray? Also, if Curry can play defense and play smart he is a pure shooter off the bench. Something Duhon could not do last year which hurt the team in a lot games. Bottom line is if Gordon and Hinrich step up and score every night then the Bulls are in the Finals next year with two 7 footers, Wallace, and Thomas killing the glass.

I assume the comparison to Chandler was based on Chandler's ability today, and not coming out of the draft. There is no doubt Noah is a far better player than Chandler was coming out of high school.
Even today, Noah is the better overall player since he actually has a few low post moves - he can jump hook with either hand, something Chandler still cannot do. That shot is UGLY but I can't see him playing the high post like Ben Wallace does. If they can't trade him, I can see Noah replacing Wallace in 2 years. Unfortunately this pick doesn't really make the Bulls better, but hopefully it gives them a better chance to trade for a difference maker.

I like this pick. He can contribute on the defensive end immediately. And despite the need for a low post scorer, no one picks up significant minutes with Skiles coaching unless they can play defense. This team is going to be defense first as long as Skiles is coaching them and Noah can contribute. It's also a little insurance against a Ben Wallace injury or slow down in production. It also gives the Bulls options as far as possibly adding Wallace to trade talks. Probably not likely, but it gives the Bulls more flexibility in making a trade and keeping a defensive presence.

As far as the offense is concerned, who could the Bulls have picked with the 9th pick that would be able to contribute immediately in the low post? Hawes is considered to be a project despite his low post skills so it is unlikely that he would contribute immediately. Would Hawes contribute on defense? I would guess no. Noah is the most "NBA Ready" player available at nine, so you pick him up and try to make some moves elsewhere.

I've read that people think Noah is a retread of Tyson Chandler and thus a waste. I don't see it that way. There are obvious similarities, but also obvious differences. Noah can handle the ball better than Chandler did, so I don't see him turning the ball over as much. Noah is also older and more developed and mature than Chandler was when he came to the Bulls. So I don't expect you will see as much growing pains from Noah. On the negative side, Noah has some bad habits in terms of shooting the ball that will have to be corrected. But overall I see Noah as an upgrade over Chandler in the short term as well as the long term.

I am not sure what people were expecting with this draft pick. It seems that the only ways the Bulls can address their low post needs are via free agency or trade. Since the Bulls didn't or couldn't move their number nine pick, this was the best player they could have drafted to fit their style of play. Does it mean that with Noah they are on the way to the NBA finals this year? Probably not, but who at number nine could the Bulls picked and made that claim? The Bulls were going to have to make moves elsewhere from the draft to reach the finals no matter who they picked at nine.

Keith my man I see your Knicks/Isaiah love fest has been re-kindled.It'll be interesting to see how far into the season they get before Curry and Randolph rip a ball in half trying to keep the other from having it.

Are some of the people posting here talking about Noah's shot being ugly some of the same people that have talked about trading for Shawn Marion? talk about an ugly shot! Since when does a shot have to be pretty if it goes in? There are no judges on the sidelines adding or subtracting points for form on made shots.

Aaron Gray I believe would be packaged with Duhon before Noah would be in any trade and Duhon is definitely on his way out of Chicago with Sefalosha already having a year under his belt and the addition of Curry. Curry's 3 point ability also means the Bulls can occasionaly go to a 3 guard line up with Sefalosha as one of the other 2 guards to spread the floor if Nocioni ends up in a trade package with say Duhon and Gray for some one like KG.
As for trading for Jermaine O'neal, he's boring, has the personality of a wet dish rag, and has a tendency to slack off.
Under Scott Skiles the one thing that everyone has commented on is that even when they are down by 20 points the other team can't relax because the Bulls never give up. O'Neal doesn't fit into that mold.

Keith-Lifetime Southsider:

Not a bad example, granted, but overall it doesn't apply for a few reasons. First, David Robinson was not a 20 ppg player at the point in his career when the Spurs won their first Championship, which was 1998-99. He was already in decline, and in fact had spent a good part of the season on the injured list. His ppg that season was only 15.8 - still good, but well shy of 20. Although he came back stronger the next season, he never got too close to 20 ppg again in his career.

I want to be clear that I explicitly said "post-up-only players." Both Duncan and The Admiral were very well-rounded scorers at that time. In fact, it would be tough to call Robinson a classic post-up player at all, since he possessed neither the body nor the moves for it. He was more of a face-up shooter than a back-to-the-basket guy. Most of his points came off of mid-range jumpers and drives to the hoop, utilizing his uncommon quickness for a 7'1" player. Duncan is a bit more of a classic low-post scorer, but he's certainly not limited to that part of his game. You don't see many defenders leaving him alone anywhere on the floor, which is a testament to his offensive versatility. The same could not be said for either Eddy Curry or Zach Randolph. Both of them have developed a bit of a shot, but most defenders would play off of either from about 12' on out.

Also, both Duncan and Robinson are/were accomplished passers from the post. Curry, by comparison, has never averaged more than .9 assists per game in his career (his career avg. is .6). Randolph is a wee bit better, with a career avg. of 1.5, but he's obviously not in the same (figurative) league as Duncan or Robinson.

Again, your example is about as close as you can get to having a couple of 20 ppg guys on the same front line of a championship team. But Duncan and Robinson are both Hall of Famers, top-50 players. They're a far cry from Curry and Randolph. Other than the Spurs' duo, Championship teams with great post-up scorers often featured a "lunch bucket" guy at the other "big" spot (Kareem and Rambis, for example). Great teams are built upon great teamwork. I just can't envision that dynamic with the Knicks. I believe it can't be overstated that Isiah Thomas is just plain awful as a GM. His drafts are downright ridiculous, and the teams he assembles are rife with ballhog scorer types, often duplicating various positions (e.g. Marbury and Crawford, and previously, Francis). A case could be made that Pax similarly duplicates players (I've heard Noah/Wallace/Thomas lumped together), but hey, his teams seem to be getting better and winning more games each year, so he must be doing something right. You get the feeling he has a plan. If there's any kind of plan in New York, it's apparently something like, "the guy who ends up with the ball pounds it on the floor for a while until he tosses up a shot, and hopefully that leads to outscoring the other team." Uh, yeah. See ya in the lottery for many years to come, Knicks.

The Bulls picked the best player available at each stop, a best bet attitude. You can't teach energy and size, and Noah is gonna fill out. Gray was always solid in college, now someone needs to get that guy to jump rope and stretch; he may surprise? JamesOn has to be pissed at himself for letting his "lifestyle" get the best of him to where it dropped his stock to such a low pick by his standards. Maybe, just maybe, he may turn out to be a little smarter than 'Tank ol' boy' and get his act together. He is, without a doubt, a better player than Gray but the 'baggage' may consume him.

As for all this talk about the Knicks and their 'Brass' stealing the show. They got the 'BEEF'; now " WHERE'S THE 'D' "?

Tony - Good point about Gray vs. Hawes. I saw the "measurables" on Hawes after the NBA's draft workouts in Orlando, and was not impressed. Basically, he's not athletic enough to justify his hype. He doesn't jump, run or change direction like a top NBA athlete. What happens when he matures and gains strength and mass? I can't see him getting any quicker or increasing his jumping ability. He's skilled, but so was Brad Miller, who went undrafted. Gray may be a similar player athletically, but at 7'1" and 270 lbs. he was a good second round choice. His four years of collegiate experience made him more valuable to a team like the Bulls. He might not be able to shoot from the same distance as Hawes (who professed a desire to shoot threes in his workouts - yikes!), but the Bulls don't need that anyway. Gray might just be a good addition. If not, hey, he was only a second rounder.

Fuff - all you need to know about Jermaine O'Neal is: Over the past three seasons he has played 66 percent of the time. During that stretch he has shot 45 percent from the field. In other words, O'Neal is an oft-injured big man who likes to step out and shoot jumpers. He's not a powerful, back-to-the-basket kind of player, which is what the Bulls really need. Based on his injury history it would be hard to see him developing into that kind of player. Word is he's also not a "100 percent" guy in practice, nor is he a particularly good defensive player. I can't see how he would fit in with the Bulls, frankly. I want a scoring big man as much as anyone, but I don't want the Bulls to make a bad deal, and give up valuable players in the process.

Bulls took those guys because they simply had to. Pax is a professional so he made the BEST picks he could. Those guys wont be able to contribute right away (MAYBE NOAH), but I suspect that any and all non-contributers are trade bait. I really don't see any player we have that I wouldn't trade for a legitimate star like Garnete. We have no special players including Deng who is primarily a jump shooter. I hope Paxson goes hard in free agency.

I remember the Miami Heat a few years ago making it to the second round featuring an exciting neucleus of Dwayne Wade, Lamar Odom and Camron Butler. GM Pat Riley kindly broke up that core for a chance at landing a once in a lifetime star. He gambled it all and it paid off. That star was Shaq. He is they type of star that you pair with any other star or regular player and he makes them all BETTER. Riley kept the one true star and scrapped the core. A wise GM knows that ONE Star is not going anywhere. Just look at the teams around the league with 1 star player: Lakers, Minnesota, Boston, and Indiana all with players demanding trades.

The building process is making good players into stars, and star players into super stars. And then getting two stars to compliment eachother. The superstar is ALWAYS the player that makes others better including the star. Its sad, but a lot of folks don't know the difference between a scorer, and a scorer who has learned to distribute. Many stars rely on their scoring and NEVER learn to give up the ball to a teammate in the right position and at the right moment for him to score. Some stars fake you out by passing the ball only when they have left their feet, or have gotten trapped, or put up a circus shot that has no chance with the shot clock winding down. They fool you and make you think the supporting players are bums and cant shoot. Superstars give a player the ball only when they have a high percentage shot and are not under the pressure of the shot clock (unless that guy is a 3 point specialist). The SUPER takes the difficult shots with the shot clock running down, but most of the time doesnt have to because he KNOWS when to shoot. Shot clock should not be running down except at the end of quarters.

That brings us to the Bulls who have not developed ANY stars. Our core, is a good defensive unit that have survived on an offesive system (drive and kick) of jump shots. We haven't even reached stage 1 and that is developing a star to pair with another star, let alone a superstar. We have developing good players (Deng, Gordon, Hinrich) anchored by a specialist (B Wallace), and energy guys. Bulls are not in the position that Miami was when they got Shaq. Bulls have a team/system and need 2 stars or one Superstar. We don't get stars in the offseason and we have committed to NOT going to the finals. Good players will make us better, but not good enough to overcome teams with a star or two and certainly not the superstars (which Labron is becoming). That Miami sweep was impressive, but they just came off a title.

The uninformed Bulls’ fans, so-called Professional Sport analysts, and National sports writers such as Steven A. Smith are so unset with the addition of Noah, because Paxs didn’t address the Bulls’ post needs. On the Contrary, the selection of Noah does exactly fit a must the Bulls needed going into the draft, which is size.

The Bulls do indeed lack post scoring, but if you focus a little harder at their roster, they lack size as well, which is why we struggle against teams like the Cavs and Pistons who have significant size. The aging P.J Brown was the only regularly active player who stood above 6-11, which then fell off to a 6-10 Malik Allen and a group of 6-9 players of Wallace, Deng, Thomas, etc… Now with the additions of Gary (7-0) and Noah (7-0), Paxson – an outstanding GM, as added two more possible big men to the rotation.

The less sexy 2nd round pick, Aaron Gary showed good post play in College. Hopefully, Gary can prove to be valuable pick as Duhon did when he was selected in the second round. Paxson impeccable job as Bulls GM, has established a blueprint for rebuilding a quality team that Portland, Seattle, Philadelphia and now Minny are taking pages from. Gladly there are teams like the Knicks that believes in paying for overhyped, overpriced, and baggage laden questionable star players is worth their trouble. The smart - GM Paxson is, knows a few more big men with size and/or post play is needed to fill-out the roster to get past the second round of the playoffs.

John has done a nice job of being patient (ignoring pressure by overzealous fans) by not gutting this team for Superstars like Kobe, Gasol, and Garnett or trading for problem players such as Zach Randolph. He knows a Superstar would come from within and/or through the right trade that doesn’t destroy the good work he restored to this franchise from the obscurity that Kruse built. Regardless of popular demand for a Superstar player, Paxson and Skiles can make this team into a contender, with the continuation of drafting solid high character very athletic skilled players, FA veterans, and a productive bench – a page from the Spurs playbook.

Everyone calm down. Would u rather have Spencer Hawes or Josh Smith both stiffs who will end up sitting on Skiles bench for a year. Thornton would have been the other logical choice but he's plays the same position as Deng. Noah, if he develops a midrange game, believe me he will take the Bulls the next level. He's a 7-footer that can run and score around the basket. We need a point guard that can penetrate and dish...I say get Billups and move Hinrich to the 2 guard and Gordon and Selofosha off the bench. We'll be a decent team that should reach the Eastern finals. GO BULLS!

For the first hour of the draft, I was just praying that someone would pick Noah, and that Brandan Wright would slide to 9, but neither happened, and I was very diasappointed. But after a few days I realized something; that Spencer Hawes is more like a skinny Chris Mihm than Vlade Divac, Brandan Wright could be great, but we already have one freak athlete with untapped potential in Tyrus Thomas, and that Joakim Noah like it or not will make in impact the first time he steps out on the floor, which is what a playoff time like the Bulls needs. I know we need inside scoring, but if it was really there, do you really think Pax wouls have left it on the board? I admit Zach Randolph would have been nice, but we have a real good thing going here with our three young perimeter guys, and I'd like to see where they can take us, and how this team can improve and evolve around them. One more thing I like about Noah is that though he has an attitude, and isn't afraid to speak his mind, he's a workout warrior, he won't just make his money and be content like so many of the young guys in this league do, he wants to win, and wants to get better, which sounds like a pretty good combination to me.

all i have to say is that the noah pick is just another piece to the puzzle
paxson has 2 go out and get a big man who can score
kg's situation looks soooo good and i really think paxson should try and capitalize
i think everyone on this page knows we should have been cleveland this year and gone to the finals no doubt...if we beat new jersey its a wrap...(but no...we can never beat them b/c theyre too good...(blew 2 18 point leads against them))
what the bulls need 2 do is get better
and to do that some players must be let go of
the only players i think must be retained are
kirk hinrich
luol deng
ben wallace (ur not gonna trade him after signing him to that helluva contract last year)
tyrus thomas
sefelosha
thats it...
nocioni duhon get em outta here n land someone big
enough of this youth movement...the east is weak and the bulls have to go now...no 3 years from now bs
go after kg, i dont really think kobe is a good fit
then comes the ben gordon factor...hes an undersized guard who has a jumpshot that is either good or bad...not very consistent
he doesnt play great defense which results in early foul trouble which then causes him to cool down after getting hot (which results in 1 or 2 good quarters out of 4)
he doesnt drive very often and settles for jumpers tho we all know he has the ablility to make the floater (which he used 2 do at uconn against emeka okakfor in practice)
i truly believe he is expendable if him leaving means kevin garnett or some other big name (the matrix) coming to chicago
otherwise just keep him pax...dont make another move n we got about a 40 percent chance to make the finals n then probably lose to a much better western team...OR in the case of the 2006 finals...beat that west team b/c they are fatigued from playing all those more competitive teams out in the west....
either way i think deng and thomas will breakout this year and ben gordon will continue his 20 pt avg ( some nights 10 some nights 30)

after beating miami tho...the bulls were on a high
no one thought they could win and neither did they so they were playing with nothing to lose
after they won everyone was looking at the bulls in the east and saying they were now the team to beat
detroit just sat and lauged...and the bulls under this attention folded like a lawn chair...they were mentally affected by the pistons...there was no reason why we couldnt have beatin detroit except that we were intimidated by them...hinrich and gordon could not match up with chauncey and rip
deng couldnt handle tashaun and ben wallace was 2 busy making dinner plans
the bulls would look like deers in the headlights sometimes during that series
games 1 and 2 they didnt even show up
game 3 they blew a huge halftime lead and played like a high school team in the 2nd half..with prince having more points then the entire bulls team in the second half (i hate that guy yet hes so frikin good (against us))
games 4 and 5 we won cuz the pistons didnt really care
and game 6 we blew another halftime lead
the problem is inside scoring and when the jumpshots dont fall...we have no place to go
also there are no closers on this team...no guys who can step up and make a big shot
we thought ben gordon used to be that guy but he disappeared this year
hopefully the bulls can get a big man...(kg preferably tho thats probably not going to happen)

Trust Paxson...

We got two bigs and and a scorer if we loose Gordon after next season. Noah is where he should have been a year ago and he is still needed, he walks into the league getting eight rebounds and he will listen to the criticism on his offensive skills set. He also has the ability to pass from the post. He is used to passing to shooters and he is comfortable passing within the post. This kid is real and Gray can be a space eater if he is willing to work.

We are loaded right now, so any deal will more than likely need a trade or two, even if we let P.J go. This team is crafty and deep enough to take the east next season.

How can you guys knock Noah when we have Tyrus Thomas, who reminds me of the Fizer pick. He can jump and foul, but not much else. Noah will give a great effort and interview, should be a blast.

This pick is the worse draft choice since the Bulls selected Ronnie Lester. Aside from the attire and hairdo (which resembles Rosanna Danna from SNL), Noah is another "tweener" who is destined to struggle in the NBA. He's too small for center, and he doesn't possess the skill set offensively to play power forward. Steven A. pegged him right. The Bulls have enough "high energy" guys. If the Bulls were serious about winning, they would have at least inquired about Kevin Garnett. A splash move like that could move the Bulls from a 2nd round playoff team to a legitimate Finals contender. And...no one still has mentioned that he has a partially torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder. He's coming into the league injured. For all the Bulls fans that are applauding this move....I want you to close your eyes and imagine Noah, Ben Wallace, and Duhon on the floor at the same time. You think they had problems scoring last season?? Pax has not made a serious effort to improve the Bulls, and you all will see this upcoming season when they will only go as far as they did this year. I've already washed my hands of this franchise as a fan. I'll come back when the Joakim Noah Era is over....which will be in roughly three years.

Joakim Noah is 6'10.5" wo/shoes. Too much talk too much misinformation.

Good draft, but will Skiles use and develop them? During the playoffs, Skiles said "it's our best 7 against their best 7". I remember the days with MJ when we couldn't win the ring because we did not have bench depth. If Skiles doesn't understand that the regular season is the time you train and prep the whole team for the playoffs, then Skiles must go. The Bulls have become a good team under Skiles, but does he have what it takes to win a championship? His ignoring Khryapa, and little use of Thomas and Sefolosha during the season makes me wonder. One more year of non-development of bench players, then he must go.

Noah may not be a great scorer,but he knows how to win.Enjoyed watching him & his Florida mates play the game right on the way to two straight titles.Noah is the type of young man who can add some spark to the team. Sort of the Aaron Rowand of the NBA you might say? Of course sox let Aaron go for a wash up player who plays old on the south side. We all know what will be the end to that story. Back to Noah & the Bulls Id say a great pick, a team chemistry pick.

Garbage pick. When I hear that a 7 foot guy's #1 attribute is "energy" I get a little suspicious. Like the girl your friends are setting you up with who gets good grades and has a great personality. Here's another guy who can't shoot (a two hand jumper?), can't score and might not even be a good rebounder. Sounds like one-part Tyson Chandler, one-part Brad Sellers. Total waste of a pick. The Bulls are too close and can't afford a project like this.

I am shocked by the nay-sayers on Noah. You people don't know winning basketball. At #9 Noah was the only "best" choice for the Bulls. I would have puked if they selected Hawes, who is a short "seven footer". Hawes will be another Will Purdue, Brad Miller type, whats the point of having a "seven footer" that doesn't rebound and can't guard anyone. "Rebounds equal Rings" Pat Reily.

Noah brings everything to the Bulls that they don't have any of right now, athletic length, insane intensity(as opposed to the 2 mope a dopes Gordon and Wallace), a winning personality(he will be the leader of the team as a rookie), nobody else seems to know what a being a leader is. He also has that losing is worse than death competitiveness, combined with the best basketball IQ on the team. This is what really made #23 the greatest ever, and made the Jordan Bulls unbeatable when it mattered.

If anyone out there doesn't think that Eddy Currry for T. Thomas and Noah is a great trade for the Bulls, then just watch the games against the Knicks this year. I'll bet Noah will neutralize either or both of their post scorers(Randolph/Curry). I would not have traded the 9th pick straight up for Randolph and his huge overpaid contract. Also, I would take Noah over our "own" hugely overpaid undersized post player", Wallace. So, by the way will Pax in the not to distant future, when Kobe finally forces the Lakers to trade him to the Bulls. We need Wallace's contract to make any Kobe trade work just so we don't have to gut the team just to make the money work. Believe me, the mope a dopes, Gordon and Wallace are Kobe bait, we'll have to add a third player, not Deng, Hinrich, Thomas, or Noah, and I hope not Sefoloosha, and other considerations like future #1's. Kobe will be a Bull by next summer at the latest.

The biggest mistake, and it is a huge one that the Bulls made in the draft was not keeping Tiago Splitter away from San Antonio by acquiring Phoenix's pick at #24 which the gave(sold)away again for nothing. Splitter would have been great on the Bulls next year, and totally elimanated the need for Wallace. Worse yet, the entire NBA better hope the Spurs don't repeat this year, because when Splitter shows up next season to play David Robinson for Tim Duncan the Spurs will become a mega dynasty, ripping off as many championships in a row a Duncan's health and age will allow. They will supplant the Jordan Bulls as the second greatest dynasty and Challenge Russell's Celtics for #1. Other than Reinsdorf being too cheap to buy a draft pick, and Pax being asleep at the wheel, there was no reason not to get Phoenix's pick and take Splitter, another athletic seven footer thought to be a cross between Noah and YianJian, who by the way was my first choice, even though Noah will help the Bulls more this year.

Also, since Phoenix has been giving away #1 picks for years to get out of adding anymore guarenteed contracts to their luxury tax problems, we should have traded next years #1 for their pick at 29 and taken Big Baby Davis. He might turn out to be Oliver Miller, Mike Sweetney if he can't controll his weight, but he could become a Barkley like force around the rim, it would have totaly been worth risking next years #1. Boston got a steal with him at Seattles 35th pick, it might even make up for taking a breaking dowm Ray Allen for the 5th pick. If we had made either of these moves we would have had as good of a draft as any team in the league, including Portland and Seattle.

Bottom line, Noah will supplant Nocioni(who we have to resign) as the fans favorite from day one. I can't wait to see Noah and Thomas player together, they will kill people "inside" on the offensive glass. Curry is an upgrade over Duhon, and may eventually be a better overall player than Gordon, and allows us to move Gordon in a Kobe deal, and Gray is the big white stiff you all seem to want in Hawes, the only other option at #9. Noah will help the Bulls get past the Pistons and Cavaliers next year. So unless Miami makes some moves to recessitate itself, the Bulls should win the East this year.

I must admit I was pullng for Hawes once I saw that he and Noah were both going to be available, but I do trust Pax and Skiles. I don't see the Bulls keeping both Tyrus Thomas AND Noah, so I think more dealing is in the works.
I didn't get a chance to watch the 2nd round so I was stunned to see that Aaron Gray was still on the board for Pax to snatch at #49. Wasn't this guy considered a possible lottery pick at one time? He obviously has an NBA body. I'm excited about the future of our team.

BigWay - love your post - In a Big Way! (Pun intended)! I am now convinced that the Bulls will fill our void in the post. But Paxson has to move now. Bulls need to go after Varejo and Posey. This will weaken two foes and strengthen us. These are the two kinds of firey guys that we need to go with our entire Bulls team. We are too nice!

That said, the Bulls are trying to win with a TEAM concept. That is the most difficult way to win a Championship. It can be done, but serveral things have to be in place. All the players have to be a functioning unit clicking on all cylinders. And they have to have a great offensive system. They all have to play great defense. And they have to have Great Coaching (substitutions and playcalling have to be precise). Only one great team has been able to win without a legitimate star - Detroit. But one would argue that Rasheed, Chauncy, Rip, Wallace and Tayshun have played like stars. That is the kind of effort the Bulls to a player will have to produce.

The easiest way to the finals is with Star Power. Bulls should blow this team up and get some stars. Get one in free Agency, and then get another with a trade and go from there. I can honestly say there is not ONE player on the Bulls I wouldn't trade. Deng didn't show me enough in the playoffs. And as much as I dislike even typing his name - I would get Bryant while he can be had.

I'm not a Paxson fan but the man has proven that he knows how 2 draft players. My problem with Pax is that he does NOT know how 2 conduct trades. While other teams are making good trades he sits on his hands.

My problem with Skiles is that he does NOT know how 2 "teach" his players.

Kirk Grossman Hinrick is sill making the same bonehead plays he was making 4 years ago, yet he is still playing major minutes. This guy should be traded ASAP.

I think that the draft was mostly a success. Mostly. Well, not mostly. Actually, it was a failure on every level. I think Paxson did what he had to do, but the fact is, the Leafs could do a better job than this team. Take a close look at any of the players and you will see a group of frightened young men who long to climb to their mothers' bosom and dream of a future day when everyone who lives in Mongolia will walk hand-in-hand with the impassioned stares of a small-town Kansas fanboy's liquid assets while shivering bravely but calmly in the sea of longing that beckons to us all on the cold nights when we ponder the importance of peering at the orange raptor blooded gigglebots hanging loosely on milky white Dreamsicle skies of a distant asteroid singing "Yo Ho" to a fading sun.

NOAH WAS A GREAT PICK IF THE BULLS WHO HAVE ENRICH THE REST OF THE NBA WITH ALL OF THE FORMER DRAFT PICKS IE.. RON ARTEST,TYSON CHANDLER,EDDIE CURRY,JAMAL CRAWFORD,LYTON JOHNSON,Trent Hassell,BRAD MILLER AND Ronald Dupree SO LETS HOPE THEY MAINTAIN THIS TEAM A GROW IT INTO A POWERHOUSE.

First off, I'm going to miss getting the Knicks' pick we've gotten the last 2 years. Too bad it can't be a yearly event like 4th of July. For those who don't like the Noah pick, too bad. Stop crying for Oden and Durant. They ain't coming. Everyone agrees the Bulls needed size and low post scoring. It would've been great if the Bulls could've gotten those two skill sets in one body. Unfortunately, with the Bulls pick it came down to Noah, the athletic big body, and Hawes, low post scorer with average athleticism. All I can say is Ben Wallace is 32 years old. The Bulls don't have time to wait for for Hawes. Noah should be ready to contribute off the bench now. Noah is by no means a finished product. Give him time to develop his offense. What Noah and Aaron Gray do contribute are defensive big bodies right now if nothing else. In the draft there were no low post scorers. The only ones close were Oden and Horford.

In free agency what are the options when many basketball writers rate PJ Brown as the best low post scorer of the bunch. The good news are the assets Nocioni and Duhon who can be moved in a trade for whatever the Bulls lack. The draft was only part of the Paxon's overall strategy. He knows there's more to be done. Everyone has to chill when considering the draft as the only avenue in which to improve.

Why is everyone so enamored with Captain Kirk? If anyone should be traded it is Hinrich. He's a very good but not great point guard who seems to run out of gas during the games. He should not start at the two or one guard. There seems to be an over whelming consensus to trade Gordon. I disagree. Gordon is the type of instant offense this team needs. He can start or come off the bench. At the conclusion of this draft the Bulls now have the talent in the post to compete and beat any team in the East.

The team played most of the season without Nocioni and proved him to be expendable in a trade and it appears Duhon is nolonger in the Bulls future plans. So I say trade Hinrich, Wallace, Nocioni, Duhon and Krhyapa for an impact player whom can take the bulls to the next level. Yes, I realize that Hinrichs' and Wallaces' contracts makes this scenario highly unlikely. I don't know of one GM who wouldn't consider these guys in a trade. A rebuilding team would receive a good starting five or an exceptionally deep and productive bench in one trade. And if a trade similar to this should materialize the Bulls could possibly receive the impact player they desire.

Are you listening Mitch or Kevin?

Oh and by the way, all of you Noah haters get ready to eat your words. This pick will prove to be one of the best decisions Paxson has ever made. Young and energic Big's is what the bulls needed at this pick. And had Spencer Hawes been the pick at #9, I would have gladly changed my name to Not-A-Bulls Fan Since June 28, 2007.

We need immediate inside low post scorer, that can Run, Defend, Rebound and also maybe help do some Ticket Sales cold calling and fly the team jet?!?! Is that out there??

Don't believe Noah ever plays in a game for the bulls. Must be trade bait, Paxson wouldn't pin future hopes on an unskilled, "energy" player. And they already have one tall project player in thomas. After curry/chandler debacle, can't see the bulls waiting 3-5 years for the thomas/noah era.

Maybe pax will trade noah to new york, give isiah his pick back. Noah is a ny guy anyway, after missing his intro press conference and then showing up with a rotator cuff injury, doesn't sound to eager to be a bull. They should trade him before the rest of the league figures out what a worthless pick this was.

I think the jokes on us. This guy seems to be a bad fit, in spite of his credentials. His words rub people the wrong ways and its only a matter of time before he upsets the rest of the team. John Paxson, its not too late to package Jokem, Hendrich and others for and try and get Kevin Garnett

Lewis to Orlando...???

The Eastward shift continues.....

I hope were not left holding the short end of the Bag.

I like the Noah pick. There was no one in this draft who would provide the Bulls with immediate low post scoring help. I view Noah as a B. Wallace/Rodman type of player. These types of players are necessary to win championships. I also believe he will develop a respectable offensive game. Noah will be Wallace's replacement in a year or two. Big Ben's expiring contract will be of some value in a couple of years and his replacement will already be here. The need for a low post scorer is obvious. The pickings are very slim. Have you seen the names being mentioned? Ely, Magloire, Joe Smith, Marc Jackson; these guys are not difference makers. You can't get something that isn't available. If something materializes with KG or Kobe, then we can get excited. Otherwise, we should work with what we have. By the way, the second round picks were pretty good as well. Gray can bang down low and Curry will be a good replacement for Duhon. The Bulls will have a successful season due to having another year of experience and better depth.

At the current rate we are going, the Bulls will win another title in 2099. Please get a REAL Gm in here.

Roman responds: Ok, let's take a look at the "current rate." Paxson took over a laughingstock of a franchise, got rid of almost all of the players, made the playoffs his second year and made the second round his fourth year. Yeah, that's slow.

My Fiance' hates Noah, albeit she is an OSU alumn, but to her credit, she didnt like him the year before. She thought he was too chest beaty...and fist pumpy. Ive converted her from a Cavs fan to a Bulls fan over the last couple years, but this really puts a serious setback in the mix.

Now the media is running stories about wheter Noah is "fashionable" or "Insane" with his draft day garb. I just hope this dude is worth all of this.

Also, best point I heard from a Noah supporter is that he woulda been the #1 pick had he come out last year. (Good call Mossman).

Funny post (fly the team jet, cold calling, etc.), bculz. But a good point, nevertheless.

I get the feeling if Pax were allowed to genetically engineer a draft pick there would still be people on here saying stuff like "are you kidding me? 7'9" and only 300 lbs.?" Or "300 lbs.? Are you nuts? How's he going to keep up with Lebron carrying all that extra weight?? We should have traded everyone on the squad for Garnett!"

The one thing I've noticed about all the "wasted pick" naysayers is that none of them have a good alternate plan. The draft only offers what it can. Maybe Noah isn't perfect like we all want him to be, but he was the best available considering the Bulls' need for size, immediate contribution and winning attitude.

NOW...IM HEARING...ARTEST TO NY?

WILL SOMEONE CALL KOBE FOR ME??? OR JERMAINE 'JACKSON' O'NEAL? ANYONE KNOW THE OLD COACH OF FARAGUAT? MAYBE WE CAN GET WORD TO KG?

Most of these guys - including the current roster is going to be trade bait. The trip to the finals comes off STAR power. Bulls don't have a star. Gottta trade and hit free agency. Paxson should trade until he is all traded out. He's got nothin but fool's Gold. Until then its going to be valiant effort after valiant effort. Noah will help the Bulls this season as well as ANYONE who decides to bring it. Its not a matter of them contributing. Its a matter of them contributing to what? Another disappointing playoff run. Booby Gibson contributed, but to what? LaBron's futile title run. They were embarrassed. Gotta have 2 stars to win. LaBron looked worse than Iverson when Philly went to the finals. Gotta have 2 stars.

Roman, Paxson has done great in his short time here. He is a wonderful GM, but he is delaying the inevitable. Gotta blow this up, and get some stars. Sadly for most of you...that begins with getting a coach - stars can play for or we will be just as MG said...in the finals in 2099.

Most of these guys - including the current roster is going to be trade bait. The trip to the finals comes off STAR power. Bulls don't have a star. Gottta trade and hit free agency. Paxson should trade until he is all traded out. He's got nothin but fool's Gold. Until then its going to be valiant effort after valiant effort. Noah will help the Bulls this season as well as ANYONE who decides to bring it. Its not a matter of them contributing. Its a matter of them contributing to what? Another disappointing playoff run. Booby Gibson contributed, but to what? LaBron's futile title run. They were embarrassed. Gotta have 2 stars to win. LaBron looked worse than Iverson when Philly went to the finals. Gotta have 2 stars.

Roman, Paxson has done great in his short time here. He is a wonderful GM, but he is delaying the inevitable. Gotta blow this up, and get some stars. Sadly for most of you...that begins with getting a coach - stars can play for or we will be just as MG said...in the finals in 2099.

Roman responds: Hey Keith, how many playoff series - not titles - has KG won? How about Starbury? Paul Pierce? T-Mac? Blowing up a very good core for a star? Please.

Roman, if its about winning a title, facts are: Any team with 2 stars or more have one every title all the way back to the beginning. The only TEAM resembling what we currently have is the Pistons, who were laid to rest by Shaq and Wade last year, and Labron and Booby this year. That OLD team beat the Bulls. I am as die hard as they come, but we look like the Doug Collin's Bulls without MJ, and thats baaaaaad.

Keith:

If you're gonna play doctor you have to do more than just diagnose. What's your prescription? Which available coach out there is head and shoulders above Scott Skiles? Which two already-established NBA star players could Pax trade for, given the current roster? Which players would be the trade bait, and who would be left on the team to blend with the two incoming stars? How "OLD" would those star players be (perhaps already as old as the Pistons' core guys?), and how long could the Bulls keep them under contract while still benefitting from their effectiveness?

In my view, the reason the Pistons are good enough to keep showing up in the late-rounds of the playoffs is because their core group has had enough experience playing together in a certain style that they can dictate the tempo of a game, regardless of the opponent. Granted, it hasn't always led to a championship, and perhaps their run is over, but then, they've undergone some serious changes (coach, top defensive player). In any event, they put themselves in a position to win for a number of years. That's a tough thing to keep up. It's unquestionably a lot better than the Bulls' record since the Jordan era.

There's no sure-fire recipe for success in the NBA. Having a plan and sticking to it seems to me a better scheme than panicking every few years and ridding the team of all its best assets for someone else's castoffs. But then, enough of my ideas. What do you suggest, specifically? Name some names, and some details regarding how to obtain them.

Im with Keith, you could take any 5 guys from our top 9 and have a super solid core. But a solid core and a bag of balls only gets us to the playoffs.

I disagree with Keith, if you are suggesting we need a better coach, cause Skiles is scary good. Emphasis on scary too. I like a coach who puts the work, back in work ethic. If anything, what I think im seeing is, Skiles and Pax can take almost anyone and make them core ready.

Now we need a general. We have enough infantry.

WHOS THE BEST GENERAL AVAILABLE AND NOT ON THEIR WAY TO NY?

Who do we go to, if we need 2 pts to beat Cleavland next year in the Conference Finals? Sure Gordon, if he has a favorable matchup and isnt out of gas. Hinrich? Deng for a 22 flat foot jumper? TT for an ally ooop tip dunk by Noah?

I think we would all breathe a little easier if we had a stud like KG or Kobe or someone who we knew would embrace the double team and stick it in the D's eyeball for the winner and if he can't find the shot, you got nothing but core options for a safety shot.

Right?

WTSW, I only suggest the quickest way of getting to the top. Took Cleveland 4 years. Took Miami 4 years also. 2 ways to do it. Bulls can stay the course they are on if they can get a bonefide star in here to play for Scott Skiles. They have a team, offensive system, and great defense. They would need a mature superstar to come in here. That would mean trading for Garnet or landing Lebron or Dwaye in free Agency next year. Must be a star who will pass the ball.

Or Bulls could go the other route. They get in a top notch coach like Larry Brown or another playoff tested coach. Trade 2 of the core for a star. (any deal featuring Gordon or Deng should get the deal done) And sign a star in free agency and go from there. Vince Carter is a free Agent now. Bulls could sign him or Chauncy Billups and get the ball rolling. I hear Darko Milicic can be had also. A deal involving 2 core players and a duhon or noch should get the deal done (especially if you sweeten it with draft picks).

Bulls have stayed the course of the core, but where has it really gotten us? Respectability - yes (and I applaud Pax), but not enough fire power in the playoffs to overcome a hungry team with stars.

Sorry Keith..Vince resigned with NJ minute 1 of free agency! Also has bad wheels now.

O'Neil,KG,Kobe (also now that Kerr's is GM out here in PHX, could we see some back room deals?? Maybe we pick up a Boris Diaw and a Kurt Thomas for some of our spare parts??

The low post scorer the Bulls are looking for may be in Mil. right now. Yi may be traded soon and from what I am seeing the Bulls have a couple of quality tradable players in Duhon and Nocioni. I am not impressed with the other names being mentioned right now.

I hope we do not go into another season with to many guards and not enough quality big men. The bulls weakness in the big man dept. was blaring!!

Reports have the grizzlies interested in Nocioni. Pax may be working a deal to pkg Noc, Jokem, Duhon for Gasol. I hope we make this deal. Noah has repeatly said he hates the Bulls. Get rid of him now.

Roman responds: He hated the Bulls while he grew up in N.Y. as a Knicks fan.

All of this talk about the Bulls so called core is funny. With the exception of Deng, all of the other core guys have serious NBA weaknesses. I'd trade Kirk Hinrick YESTERDAY. The guy is a turnover machine. Nothing more. Pax's biggest problem is that next good trade that he makes will be his first.

bculz I've always liked Kurt Thomas but he hasn't got much left in the tank to expect him to come here and take the Bulls to another level and what would you give for him, Sweetny and Barrett? And believe me you don't want Jermaine O'neal coming in and disrupting the chemistry of this team. He has a reputation of being lazy in practice and has a history of missing games with injuries every season. He maybe an above average player but by no means a star. Gordon on occasion this past season drove to the hoop and got to the line. He needs to do more of that and average 10 to 13 free throw attemps per game. Look back on every time the Bulls have had a scoring drought of 4, 5, 6 minutes and blown leads it was because they began settling for the outside shot without benefit of driving to the hoop and kicking it back out or one of the guards (take your pick Kirk, Ben and Du have all been guilty) did too much dribbling at the top of the circle letting the clock wind down forcing bad shot selection or trying to force a pass inside that is picked off leading to giving up fast break points.

The Joakim Noah pick is a little bit strange for the Bulls. I thought they drafted their power forward of the future last year. Now you have another skinny power forward without any ability to score inside. I just don't see how you are going to get playing time for two similar players. And if anyone out there thinks Noah is going to step into Ben Wallace's place in a couple of years did you happen to see the NCAA finals? When Florida put Noah on Greg Oden I think Oden just salivated because he went down low every time and walked right threw Noah for easy basket after easy basket. Noah has very little offense to his game. He is just a role player who will run the floor, and block some shots and get a few rebounds. That's fine if that's what you need, but the bulls need someone who can score inside. If Paxton can use Noah and Noce in a trade with Memphis for Pau Gasol that would be ideal. If not Spencer Hawes would have been the better pick. He was slotted about the same as Noah so it wouldn't have been a reach and it would have filled a real need. I think both players have the potential to be very average players, but Hawes would have been the better pick. I believe in chemistry and having pieces that fit. An inside scorer would take some heat off all the outside shooters and hopefully give them some open shots. Where does Noah fit. He is not a center. Maybe he can give you some minutes there if the other team plays a smaller power forward at center. He can play some power forward, but didn't Paxton just draft a skinny raw power forward last year? He really needs to work on his offense and that awful shot of his. I really don't see this pick making the team any better than it is now. I like the Aaron Grey pick in the second round. He is a legit 7 footer and worth a shot. Oh, by the way Gray and Hawes played against each other during the season and Hawes outplayed Gray.

Chauncy just signed. Paxson is sticking with the core. We are officially the UTAH JAZZ. AT LEAST they have a star and a half. Deron Williams is a bonefide star, and Kirilenko and Boozer are borderline. They will make noise for years, but I don't see a CHAMPIONSHIP in their future unless Kiri and Carlos can make the leap from good players to STARS.

Bulls are counting on too many short players. We have to get some height and athleticism in here to even be IN games. Deng is the best player we have, and he is primarily a jump shooter. He isn't a freaky athlete. McDunk/Tayshun was matching him point for point in the Pistons series. How can we really expect better if we don't improve our personel. Wallace and PJ showed what they can do. Now PJ is gone. We need more improvements. If we don't get some stars in here, look for a repeat of last year at best.

I'm already sick of the Paxson, Skiles, and Hinrich show. Two of the three need to go. I like Paxson, but if he insists on shoving this (midget-ball) down our throats for his duration, then he can roll too. I don't like how Isaiah was able to pick up Randolph for basically nothing, cause Channing Frye and Steve Francis look like Michael and JJ from Good times. Isaiah didn't even try hard and we need a guy like Randolph BADLY. Paxson has made one big free agent signing and he had to sneek into town and go to the man's home to do it like a college coach. WHY can't WE sign a star the regular way??? And someone who is the right height??? Most of these teams we are playing against have weak defense and no offensive system. They just ball us with their stars/athletes and go out to the club celebrating (headbands and all).

Sorry, Keith, but you really are clueless.

Just about the only worse idea than the Bulls needing a new coach is that Larry Brown is who you think is that guy. Actually, even though he isn't available, the only other worse "good" coach out there is Brown's good buddy George Karl, who is in the process of going from one excellent 2/3 of a season to turning the Carmelo-led Nuggets into the same mediocrities that he eventually produced in Milwaukee and Seattle.

Wait, I've just reconsidered.

The idea of trading Gordon AND Deng for ???, is at least as bad as getting rid of Skiles.

Let me dissect your suggestion. You would give up a 24 year old shooting guard who averaged 21.4 points and a 22 year old small forward who averaged 18.8 points 7.1 rebounds and is obviously going to just get better for a 31 year old PF, Garnett, who averaged 22.4 points and 12.8 rebounds but has played just about as many NBA minutes as the 35 year old Shaq. Have I got that right?

But, obviously, Gordon and Deng's salaries do not come close to matching Garnett's so you cling to the hope that P.J. would agree to re-locate to Minnesota rather than retire or stay with the Bulls. So we are in fantasy basketball land, right?

But let's suppose that something like you suggest could be worked out. The Bulls would then have, I guess, a re-signed Nocioni as the starting SF, Kirk at PG, Wallace at C, no exprienced SG and Thomas and Noah stacked up behind Garnett.

Nice balance, huh?

And, of course, as an alternative, you probably dream of snatching up Kobe, who would take even more to pry loose from the Lakers, leaving even less around him on the Bulls to make a plausible title contender. At least then, though, you could have an exciting "superstar" to watch perform all kinds of exciting MJ-like feats, except the supposed primary one of winning championships.

It has been exactly ONE season since the final transformation of this Bulls team with the trading of Curry and Chandler.

Your need for instant gratification indicates you either are teenager or have a serious case of arrested development, a very common ailment in this society.

Wow! It seems like we have all gone to Starbucks for triple shot, grande whatever! The Bulls are a young team with each part, except for Ben, getting better, year after year. Noah is the perfect fit to pick up whatever slack Wallace develops as he ages. GREAT PICK! If we get incremental development from Tyrus, Deng, and Noah on offense, Gordon and Sefalosha on defense, we certainly will be one of the best balanced teams in the NBA.
I think the comments on Hinrich are all wrong. He kills himself out there every nite. With abetter defender next to him, he would star. I would not trade him for anyone except Nash. Young, extremely hard working, great attitude, and pass first guard. When he has those great scoring nites, just watch him take apart the people guarding him, that pick and move to the center for that soft floater is magic.
We are certainly better than last year. I think that you will see Detroit start falling back because of age and if Shaq can't continue at that rate, Miami will fall back. Cleveland is just a mess with LBJ. They do not have a plan. Get your tickets to the finals now, even without that low post scorer.

What are the chances of us getting LeBron next year?

Roman responds: Really good. You'll get him about four times, twice at the UC and twice in Cleveland.

Was Pax snookered into drafting jokem? Me thinks he was unaware of his shoulder injury.

Roman responds: Everybody knew about his shoulder injury. ESPN did a story on it two weeks before the draft.

Tim you are my guy, but I have to disagree. I look at Boston which NO Star wanted to play for (got turned down more than a bed at a motel), and the still got one! I look at the Knicks who went absolutely nowhere and had "players that noone" wanted, with a coach who was "the laughingstock" of the league - and HE STILL GOT A TRADE DONE! Teams were making deals like a market in the middle east! Signings of free agents left and right! (some of the deals signed before I could type in the blog) And I look at the Bulls, and we got nothing! No deals, No transactions, NOTHING! Zilch! Nada! And I have to ask the question WHY WHY WHY? And none of the answers sit well with me. Is it that noone wants to deal with Paxson? Is it that noone wants to play for our coach? Is it that we don't have any players any team would want to trade for? All excellent questions that if answered leads to obvious problems or solutions.

I doubt if folks don't want to deal with Paxson, but if he is on the phone, he MUST be a poor negotiator to not make ANY deals happen. I dont think stars want to play for skiles - period. I listen to what Noah and the new guys had to say about the prospect of being Bulls and ALL the answers were NEGATIVE. These kids sound like they signed up for vietnam! And the last question I posed is the best because the league has collectively told Paxson to take his lil midget players and keep them - because they aint worth much in a trade. NOBODY is willing to give up much for them. We got 3 players in our beloved core and ALL of them are jump-shooters and only one of them has a real gift and he is too short.

Roman responds: Keith, what in the world are you talking about? The Knicks again? The Knicks? Keith, the over-payed under-playoffed Knicks are the laughingstocks of the league. By far! And the Celtics? Yeah, they drafted a star in Paul Pierce and haven't done squat with him. They had to trade good young talent for a jump shooter who's over the hill just to keep Pierce from demanding a trade. Meanwhile, the Bulls have a guy in Luol Deng who's long and slashes and has a developing mid-range jumper. Everybody thinks he's going to be an All-Star very soon, except you.

I heard that were looking at Chris Mihm? I kind of like that idea. He could be a good fit. Is he a free agent?

Roman responds: He's a damaged goods free agent who's not that good when he's healthy.

I have to laugh everytime I read about the need of at least one superstar. How many so called superstars through the years have bare ring fingers? Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Stevie Franchise, Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James to name a few of the well knowns. Not to mention the Mav's that were knocked out in the first round by a team from the west that most fans in the east couldn't even name 3 of thier starting five. MJ was a superstar not only because he could take a game over in the fourth quarter but because he also involved his team mates in the game and was unselfish.
Tim you made some very valid points cocerning any attempt to trade for KG or Kobe. Keith I believe you need to take up fishing and learn a little thing called patience. Dynasties aren't built overnite. It took what 7 years to get all the right pieces around MJ to win a title? Pax is looking at longevity not a one time flash in the pan championship. Pax eats, sleeps and breathes basketball 24/7 you and I are just fans with some basic knowledge of some of the players. Take a good look at what your idol Issaiah is doing in NY. He's attempting to put together a team to resemble the BAD BOYS of Detroit and the combination he is putting together will implode before the season is 1/2 over.

Whiners: I can't believe anyone is complaining that Pax did not draft a poor man's Bill Wennington (Spencer Hawes) instead of Noah. Jeez, it doesn't take much sense to figure out you take the best player available. And if you guys really new who the best player available was you wouldn't be sitting here in your spare time (like me) pretending to be an NBA GM. Pax didn't pass up Russell, Wilt, Kareem, Ewing and Hakeem to pick Noah. Let it go!

Bill Wennington was the master of the baseline running, one hand no rim dunk! Please do not disrespect old Bill or any of the three headed monsters in this Blog.....EVER!!!!

Question: Is there a single guard in the NBA who dribbles the ball more than Hinrick? Who has more unforced turnovrs than Hinrick? Who draws more stupid fouls that Hinrick?

When did Mihm become an NBA player? Just another scrub 2 add 2 the team.

Tim and Roman, you guys are right about my patience. I have as much patience with the Bulls as they had with E-Rob. Forgive me if I am like Skiles and Pax and I WANNA SEE SOME PRODUCTION. We are not constructing a pyramid, we are trying to win a championship, or as Tim put it...build a dynasty. Took Miami 3 short years to get to the finals and win. And that is the short cut. But lets talk about the DYNASTY that Tim has eluded to. The current Dynasty - the SPURS who drafted Tim Duncan in 1997 and won in 1999. TWO WHOLE YEARS. How is that for patience?!? They are now winning every other year 03, 05, and 07. In case anyone hasn't noticed, they have a SUPERSTAR in Tim Duncan, who paired with David Robinson for a title, and have paired with Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker for the other 3. The only reason some of the stars previously named DONT have a championship is because they came up against greater stars who denied them. But still, it is better to play for a title and have lost, than to have never played for one. Chicago went pretty far with our cute little core all the way to the second round. A feat only eclipsed by Baron Davis and some bums. After 5 years, Paxson has the Bulls in the second round - so given the pace of our current progress - we are projected to reach the Finals in oooooh 2012 give or take a year. Is that enough patience for yah?

I brought up NY and Boston because like you say, they are no-where franchises, and they still made some moves! So making moves could be rocket science if Boston and NY can do it right? A lot of folks on the blog agreed with me that the Bulls needed a big man - and even suggested Zac Randolph. Don't get mad at me for applauding NY for doing what I (and many others) wanted the Bulls to do. We would have applauded Pax if he had brought in Randolph or Ray Allen for Malik Allen, Duhon and Noah. I know I would have, and so I applaud Boston and NY.

Roman responds: So you just want to make a trade for the sake of making a trade? C'mon, Keith, you're better than that. Isiah's made a ton of moves - AND STILL CAN'T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS! What good are trades if you don't improve your team? I think Paxson will make a fairly big trade before the season starts. But he won't do it just to do it.
And Keith, for the love of God, please - PLEASE - don't bring up E-rob anymore. I covered that guy. He's absolutely the last guy in the world you want on your team. Where is he? Your whole argument loses cred when you bring him up. But we still like you.

Scott Skiles has proven to be a good coach. However, he doesn't mesh well with superstar players. Anyone with a personality which garners attention will not be in Chicago long. Skiles' no-nonsense style is great for younger players new to the league. And the current young core players have developed well under Skiles tenure. But he will not allow them to grow any further playing within his system. You think MJ, Scottie, Horace, and their supporting cast stayed in the triangle all the time? Phil allow the team to grow and trusted them enough to sometimes call their own shots. There were many times the team ignore Phil and the coaching staff altogether and did things there way.

My point is this squad has gone as far as it can go under Skiles style of play. It's time for a change. He either needs to loosen the reins or ride out of town. Robots are not what this team needs. Look at the faces of the players during games; the frustration is evident. One mistake and Skiles takes a player out of the game. The core group consist of 3 and 4 year veterans and Skiles still has the training wheels on. It's time to let them go. No more baby bulls crap! Fire Skiles and this current roster will take Chicago to the Finals!

I would NOT hold my breath on the Bulls making the finals with Pax as GM, Skiles as coach and Hinrick living within 500 miles of Cook county.

GRANT HILL SIGNS WITH PHOENIX!

tick - tock - tick - tock!

What about going after a few mid levels?

Mickael Pietrus - Who i thought was great in the playoffs last year...Can score in the low post, strong, up and coming?
or
Jamaal Magloire - solid - proven veteran - score in low post?

How can you guys want Zach Randolph? Do you think he is going to show up everyday... think again! Last time Zach Randolph took berevement leave they found him at a strip club. We got Noah with the 9th pick he would have gone #1 last year. Paxson will make a trade or sign a journey men F.A. to fill the low post for a year. Noah is no scorer but plays D and dives for looseballs cant have to many of those.

Grant Hill - old, breaking down, never been the same since his series of critical injuries, plays the same position as the Bulls' best player.

Mickael Pietrus - Golden State traded Jason Richardson so that Pietrus could assume a more prominent role. Not likely they'll let him go now.

Jamaal Magloire - solid? I dunno. Talk is he can't jump anymore (.8 blocks per game in 21 minutes). He's nearing 30, and wasn't able to make much of an impact (6.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg) on an inexperienced, big-man challenged Blazers squad. Can't see how he helps the Bulls.

Billups - didn't you denigrate him previously as part of that "OLD" Pistons team, Keith? Besides, he's a "star", but not unquestionably a "superstar." Frankly, prior to his success fitting into the Detroit system he had the odor of a classic "journeyman." Randolph? Have you ever seen him play defense? His career 1.5 assists per game average doesn't exactly mark him as "superstar" caliber either. Darko? What's he done to elevate himself above any of the Bulls' top nine? E-Rob?? Freaking E-Rob??? C'mon, Keith. That guy's barely treading water. Sure, he averaged 15.6 ppg in the NBDL last year, but then, anyone who spent six or seven years in the NBA ought to do that, right? Heck, Marcus Fizer had a better NBDL run, and no NBA team picked him back up. Who's next on your list, Dragan Tarlac? Okay, sorry, that was gratuitously mean. I don't really believe you'd suggest such a Krause-ian/Floyd-ian travesty. I do have to question your wellness at least a bit, considering your across-the-board rejection of Pax, Skiles and Hinrich. Seems there's a particular, um, "same-ness" to those condemnations, though it could be you just really don't like Point Guards under 6'3" who aren't extremely athletic.

The only available free agent I'd like to see the Bulls sign who's within their price range is Melvin Ely. He's underrated as a post-up scorer, and could fit the team's needs well - low-post specialist off the bench. He's not a star, but there aren't any stars being offered up right now, and certainly none available through free agency (for the mid-level exception, which is all the Bulls have to work with). Ely could provide the kind of scoring punch the team hoped Sweetney would, were he not 300 lbs. of worldly joy. I know Ely's not a flashy signing, but the point is to not be foolish with the assets the team has acquired. If no good trade presents itself prior to the beginning of the season, fine. Patience, young Grasshoppers. Wait until the trading deadline and see if someone like Gasol, or maybe someone even better, becomes available. When teams are going nowhere, and their star players' contracts are expiring, that's when things really get interesting. The Bulls didn't have enough assets to pry loose a Garnett or Gasol last year, but maybe this time around things will align better for them.

I'm still waiting for the Skiles naysayers to offer up someone better. Larry Brown? Nah, it's common knowledge that "Rent-a-Coach" costs a lot more than he's worth. Considering his checkered past, it's almost certain he'd bail in a couple of years anyway, regardless of the team's success (ask the Knicks - aren't they still paying him millions?). I don't blame Pax for wanting to stick with someone whose track record keeps getting better, and who will likely stay around for a while. Skiles may not be a perfect coach, but - I'll repeat this again - which available coach out there is better? Which available coach could be hired to step right in and immediately do better than Skiles? Name some names!

bculz you are officially my favorite blogger! That tick tock has got me rolling!!! I'm sitting back and waiting for the boom!!

Roman you are right about e-rob (makes me queezy), but I wanted to put Curry in there and tried valiantly not to make another NY reference. LOL!

Can we break a 100 again for a Bulls Post?

Grant may be over the Hill, but he has a big BBAll IQ and can help younger teams gain some quick experience. Remember when the Bulls of the 90's started bringing in a ton of savvy vets like James Edwards and Robert Parrish? They werent always brought in to rake in 20/10 a night, they were brought in to add a calming, leveling effect. Phil may have had his flaws, but he was right about one thing, and thats the NBA season is a long one, and you dont want your highs to be TOO HI and your lows to be TOO LOW.

Not that this post really adds much to the discussion at hand, but I thought it was a good point. Especially with all the youth and post teenage rambunciousness the bulls may still have.

We are still the Baby Bulls in many ways, and even though we have some playoff exp. there are still some peaks and valleys we havent encountered yet.

I got your back on this one Keith, except the whole anti-skiles rant.

I am sorry to have to go off again but the pronouncement that "this squad has gone as far as it can go under Skiles style of play" by "NoT-A-Cub Fan Since 1989" shows him to be basically ignorant on the topic of how the Bulls have been and, likely will continue to be, improving.

Any NBA fan that watched the Bulls last year knows that they would have had an excellent chance of beating Detroit and giving the Cavs all they could handle if Nocioni had been healthy.

The idea that Skiles needs to have, or creates, "robots" is ludicrous. All that is needed to disprove that is the drafting of Thomas last year and Noah this year.

While Thomas is a generally a quiet, some might say even sullen, guy off the court he is a firecracker waiting to be lit when playing.

I doubt that there is another #1 pick this year that can match Noah as a free spirit.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot Nocioni. Are you seriously telling us that Skiles is not totally happy with the energy, aggressiveness and even nastiness that Noce delivers every game because for one thing, he is the closest Bull to being the same type of player that Skiles was.

So, as far as griping and calling for coaching changes, I think it is not only fair but intelligent to wait until the end of next season.

If the Bulls key players can stay healthy and they don't at least get to the conference finals and, win or lose, put up a good battle, then will be the time to start getting a little antsy.

bculz -

I love Grant, don't get me wrong. I still remember watching him when he was a young pup, smoking Scottie Pippen off the dribble over and over (that was the day I realized that Scottie's vaunted "D" was in decline). It was essentially Grant's choice where to play out the end of his career (quote from the Arizona Republic - "Hill favored Phoenix all along"), because it obviously wasn't about the money (Phoenix paid him squat). He chose the team closest to winning a championship. He chose to go with a team that could find him some minutes. With the Bulls he would have been battling Deng, a re-signed Chapu (seems like that's gonna happen) and probably Thabo for PT. Granted, Hill (yeah, I can pun back atcha) is a better shooter than any of the above, but you don't want to stunt development of the toddlers by cutting their court time, do you? Besides, the Bulls already have Grif and Wallace as their elder statesmen type players. If they re-sign PJ, or perhaps Joe Smith, they probably have one too many.

I wish Grant the best with the Suns. He'll fit well with a team like that - passing, flow-oriented, less concerned with tenacious D. They're gonna be a rough customer this coming season...

i ain`t thinkin KJ or KOBE. I`m thinkin ALTON BRAND

Last I checked, the conference finals is NOT for the title. Chicago fans always settle 4 less.

Bringing ELTON back just seems right...Man, that would be SCARY.

Regarding Kevin Garnett, doesn't he have the right to opt out of his contract after this season - which would be 2008. If that's the case, why give up anything for him now and just wait one more year for him? To me this would make alot of sense, it gives the Bulls youngsters one more year to mature, including Noah and Thomas - the two who play Garnett's position. Then if we were able to sign Garnett as a free agent in 2008, Noah and/or Thomas trade value would be somewhat greater. I know, we would be prolonging a serious run at the finals for another year, but why not wait one more year, without mortgaging our starters, and make a serious title run for the next 3 to 5 years? Any thoughts?

I wish we did have a shot at Brand! Although undersized, I would welcome his game in the post!

I like to quote one of Romans old posts on this subject. I think we will only have two chances at Brand, "one home and one away"!

bculz, that was the best quote on the blog! You know its quality when it still sounds good the second time around! Priceless...

Honestly, I agree, best Post ive read, next to my TankFormers one!

Roman responds: Hey, I accidentally deleted your other post. Sorry.

Please lord, please deliver us from no-nameness and give us a star of our own to worship and exhault like we did with you Lord MJ, please release us from your curse....give us...any of the following.

KG
KOBE
ELTON
O'NEIL

I will even wait till next year....for your son...

LeBron or his thuggish cousin Carmelo!