Nope. I loved Noch before he got hurt. He is still a good player, but not the difference maker he was 2 years ago. This also indicates that one of the core will not be here next year for sure. Might be good news in disguise...
I like Noc'. I like our whole team... check that the whole organization. I think our team is built right, coached well, and supported by the fans. We are legitimate contenders right now, and anyone who disagrees is a 'hater. We are young, hungry and humble.
We're going to block the most shots in the history of the NBA next season, by the way.
I just read the "Curse of the SuperBowl Loser" article by you-know-who, and it was condescending, rude, patronizing, smug, smarmy, wrong, offensive and out of place in Chicago. Roman, I know you won't print this and it's misplaced, but can you at least agree with me that Jay doesn't like Chicagoans and should leave? That article actually hurt my feelings. I've never read one optimistic thing from the guy. He's insulting. Ask Charles Barkley.
I like it. I hope he takes it to the basket more like he did against Washington Wizards in the 05 playoffs. He started to sense he was unstoppable. He could be all around better than Artest in a couple more years, with less attitude and more hustle.
Oh yeah...we have locked up yet another "nice" player for 5 years. Hinrich was last year, and Deng and Gordon get their extensions this coming year.
Lots of "nice" players - unfortunately that doesn't get you much more than conference semi's with this current cast.
$7.5 mil a year for the next 5. Probably back end loaded so we can dump him in 3 and let someone else pay for him. He is a winner, and I like the Argentinian style of scraping and hustling. Hes a mini Bill Laimbeer, Plus, Guys that can create their own points are hard to find. He gets points outside of the offense, and lets not forget he lead the league in 3pt % most of the year. (can you hear the "around the horn" sound of pts scoring?)Anyways...good player, better to have him than to play against him. Cheap shots and taking charges to boot!
I like Nocioni a lot and he was the biggest reason that they did not need Sanjaya Noah.
What was the point of picking Noah if you were going to keep Nocioni? You really don't need both of them. This just highlights what a bad pick Sanjaya Noah really was.
Money just does not exist to keep everybody. Thats the reason the Pistons lost Ben Wallace, and subsequently lost to Cleveland this year. They laughed at Ben Wallace every time we played them, but Big Ben had the last laugh...all the way to the bank. Nocioni excepted a fair contract for his services. He is a scrum guy that when healthy can be a momentum changer. I like his heart and craftiness, but alas, he is just too short. That injury took away his speed and he just looked terrible in the playoffs this year. Noch is a winner and can play hard-nosed championship ball. He is just too short and not a gifted athlete. One series he will be exactly what we need, and the next a total non-factor. But a great weapon to have on your bench.
Philtration is right, with Noch in the fold we didn't need a person like Noah, but if Noah plays with the heart of Noch, we will have greatly improved with length and athleticism and can afford to move Noch. The game will always come down to the fundamentals which the Bulls are great at, but you have to have the personnell to execute, and that means long athletes. EVEN SCOTT SKILES said the Bulls were not good enough to win if they did not play at their highest level every night. ALL of the Bulls starters are undersized at their positions (look like a team of john crotty's). They play with tenacity and grit thats custom built for the long grueling season but that only punches your ticket to the dance. Once you are in the PLAYOFFS, it comes down to matchups and the skill and size to execute. Athletes turn their games all the way up and focus in. They get downright nasty and they are nothing like the team you outhustled during the regular season. And you have to counter with athletes who are not hoping and praying they have a bad series or wilt under the pressure. Its unfair to ask a team that is overmatched at every position to prevail. There are some people that love to see Rocky prevailing against overwhelming odds. And there are others that like the satisfying feeling of watching a young Cassius Clay take apart his oppenents with precision, flair and beauty. The difference between the two is that one would NEVER beat the other no matter HOW much we could identify with him. This isn't pro's vs. joes!
I am very happy that they kept Nocioni. He is my favorite player in Chicago right now. He has the killer instinct that any good team needs. You can see that quality by the fact that he actually raises his game in the playoffs, where others fade in the spotlight.
My main concern is that the Bulls appear to be creating a logjam at the forward position. Noce can play bot spots, but the Bulls also have Deng, Tyrus and Noah. There are 4 forwards to play 2 spots. I would like to see Nocioni play 28 - 30 minutes a night, but will that come at the expense of Deng or the development of Tyrus. I just hope that skiles can find enought time for him in the rotation.
My ideal 5 on the floor would be Thabo, Kirk, Tyrus, Deng and Noce for stretches. Tremendous speed, athleticism and defense. Then when you need to go big, bring back Wallace or Noah when he is ready.
just because Noce has agreed to a new contract with the bulls doesn't mean he won't be traded. what it does mean is that if he becomes part of any trade now the Bulls won't have to give up as much with him as they would have before. I like Noce and would hate seeing him play against the Bulls but wasn't that the way most Bulls fans felt when Oakley was traded for Cartwright? I think Pax ia shrewder than some give him credit for and believe he has some things up his sleeve that may shock a few people yet.
I'm sure the rest of the NBA is shaking in their boots. Until this teams gets a player that can take over in crunch time, they will NEVER see another NBA title. It's that SIMPLE.
Rocky is a good anology. I just remember the feeling we had we when signed Cart, or Rodman, it was like..thats the final peice. Now we should win every game. It may never happen again, but there was no question in my mind going into every game, that we were going to win. Barring the perfect game from the other team.
When Memphis started sniffing around Nocioni Pax said that he wouldn't let a player go for nothing. My guess is that he re-signed Chapu for trade purposes down the road. If not Andres himself, then someone else. When he was healthy, Nocioni was the Bulls' best player in high-pressure situations (see playoffs 2006, when he averaged 22 ppg, 9 rpg, shot 56% from the field, 48% threes, playing 38 mpg. By the way, that was just one year ago, Keith.)
It's funny that a guy whose height-challenged team asks him to play out of position - which he does admirably - subsequently gets branded as "too short." Now that the team has some tall guys, do you think he's gonna be needed to play PF on a nightly basis? He's a three-point shooter/drive-to-the-basket player, not a post-up guy, folks. He's more than tall enough to do what he does best. Also, there seems to be a consensus here that Chapu's injury is permanent. Has no one ever recovered from Plantar Fascitis? I know it's serious, but he will have had a lot of time off, and likely lots of medical treatment. Let's not be alarmist here.
Would the negative folks here rather have seen the Bulls lose their best bench player and a potentially tradeable asset (not to mention a hard-working, gets-under-your-skin type of guy) for nothing?
Great deal for Noce and the Bulls. I can see Deng doing a little of the 2 guard depending on the situation and Noah playing center in relief of Wallace. I still think we need to get Gordon to agree to sixth man or trade him for a Lee ( Isiah would love Ben and give us Lee and next year's number one!?!?!?!?!? LOL!!!!) or Collison. We would then become very big, young and fast.
Where to begin?
I guess I'll take the clueless in psoting order.
Keith, how in the hell do you know what Nocioni will be like next year? I take it you are assuming that he isn't going to recover from his foot problem. Are you a chiropodist or podiatrist? Whatever, you obviously think you know a lot more about the situation than Paxson.
Bryant, wake up and quit living in fantasyland. Duhon, Noah and Hinrich or Nocioni would not get Garnett. He IS NOT GOING TO BE A BULL! Comprehende?
JC, if you aren't willing to be patient at least another year or two for all the Bulls "nice" players to A.)finish developing - Gordon and Hinrich - or B.)to start getting comfortable with more significant roles - Thomas and Sefolosha - and C.) get a year under his belt - Noah, then I suggest that you start rooting for the only consistent championship team since the Bulls dynasty, San Antonio.
And, finally, the completely clueless, who think that Noah and Nocioni are, IN ANY WAY, interchangeable parts.
The only thing they appear to have in common is their fierce competitiveness, energy and joy of playing the game. There is not a single part of either's offensive game that is duplicated.
Nocioni is a SF who actually CAN play PF. Noah is a PF who can play center against most teams.
Good move on the organizations behalf, especially with Noah's rotator cuff issues, he'll be that much needed energizer. I think he'll be ready for the 07-08 season, If not he can be used as trade bait for Gasol.
Hey Tim I like Pax and I am sure you can appreciate his methodical, chess-like precision. But he seems to just keep doing just enough to keep the masses content (like a utilities stock). To his credit, Chicago just cannot seem to sign any free agents. Its kinda weird. Noone wants to play here. I thought it was Krause and his cheapness, but it might just be Chicago. After Ben Wallace, I cannot remember another player that has played in an allstar game to come to Chicago, even native sons like Antoine Walker. Its way past time for Pax to make another splash. He's killing me with the suspense...go ahead and make your big move Pax.
MG is speaking my language! Guess its that patience thing again. But I feel like William Wallace in Braveheart trying to convince the Lords that now is the time.
Noce is a good player but the problem in Chicago is that there are a lot of good players and no great ones. Add to that the fact that the talent mix is way off (way to many forwards and no real centers) and there is no way the Bulls win a championship.
I will be more excited when the Bulls get a center that can score in the NBA.
Noch will have a great Season considering he stays healthy. He may even contend for sixth man of the Year. Forget Garnett that's not going to happen. Here's what will. The lineup for next season will be :
Deng SF
Gasol PF
Wallace C
Hinrich PG
Bryant SG
This means that the Bulls will Package Gordon, Duhon,& Thomas for Gasol. That's why they drafted an energetic shot blocker like Noah to replace Thomas. Then they sign Kobe & the rest is history. Sounds Logical!
Nocioni is a good signing. He doesn't hurt the Bulls chances of resigning Gordon and Deng. I think Deng will be easier to sign than Gordon due to Gordon's pride about being a starter or thinking he's better than he's really shown. Anyway, Nocioni plays tough defense, knows his role on the team, is well liked and continues the Bulls' good chemistry. Contrary to some posts, I believe Noah was the best pick for the Bulls. He provides defense and shot blocking against bigger players that Nocioni just can't guard. He may even be able to guard Rasheed. He definitely has more size. And it's knot like the Bulls were choosing between Russell, Wilt, Kareem, Hakeem and took Noah.
Jayman, you are right about Noah, but I am not sure about that last sentence. Oden and Durant are the real deal, and I believe there are at least 2 other players in this draft that are going to be Hall of Famers.
Dan, I'm not sure what Pax would do, but I'm also smart enough not to pretend like I know what he'd do. But I don't think my proposed trade is such a wild thought. If we have the lineup next year that I proposed, the Bulls should have a 1st round pick of relatively little value (very low 1st round...not lottery like we've had lately). And Duhon just isn't worth that much. I think you'll see this when/if Pax trades him. He runs the floor pretty well and is scrappy and plays good d for his size, but there was a reason that he was a 2nd round pick and the Bulls are ready to dump him. Furthermore, a big man is definitely worth more than a 3, simple supply and demand. I'd be psyched if we could do a Deng - Gasol deal straight up or something similar...but my main point really was that trading Deng for a very good big man might be Pax's best option since Nocioni would be a solid replacement for Deng.
I drool thinking of that lineup. I mean read it again!
Hinrich (16 - 6)
Gordon (21 - 3)
Nocioni (14 - 6...on an off year)
Gasol (21 - 10)
Wallace (6 - 11)
And a bench of Thomas, Noah, Curry, Griffin, Sefolosha, etc. That's a pretty deep, young, balanced and talented team. Think of the rebounding, defense, inside out scoring, and different looks that they could throw out on the floor. I can definitely see them overtaking Detroit, Cleveland and, if healthy, Miami in the East with a team like that. I personally would pull the trigger.
I personally do not like the signing. I think Noce is a decent player at best who gives you a lot of energy, but at the same time you have more talented guys on the roster who can play the same position such as Deng, Thabo, or Thomas. What would be in the teams best interest is to use him as trading bait to get a big low-post scoring centing/PF because that presence does not exist. All in all the drafting of Noah made the need of Noce disappear.
We couldnt just trade Deng for Gasol...
The Bulls are over the cap, and their incoming salaries are greater than 125% plus $100,000 of their outgoing salaries. They would need to cut $8,995,950 from the incoming trade value to make the Deng/Gasol trade successful.
I kind of like Drew's thinking here though.
Deng and maybe Duhon and PJ & next years second round for Gasol or something like that would work, Memphis gets some good parts and a young star in Deng and we get the low post scorer we need.
It would be a sick lineup Drew, although it may be a bit boring, but i will say.... winning is never boring.
I'd still like to make a run at KG and or KOBE or even an J Oneil ( I know you hate this Idea Rome, he is still the best Big available, and are we above giving someone a second chance or third to start over). Its getting to be that half the league has had an issue at one point or another, a guy like O'neil is still young enough to learn from his mistakes. Plus, I think Jackson & Tinsley were the real bad seeds at Indiana, not O'Neil.
I hate to burst anyones bubble, but I can't see how the team is much better than last year. Pax is floundering. it will take much more to win a championship than drafting Noah and resigning Noce. winning the East and getting crushed is a half assed way to approach the NBA finals. Chicago has a good not great team. all this tallk of breaking up the nucleus gets me confused. nucleus of what? we are still lacking a difference maker. for years we have had problems getting top free agents to want to come to Chicago and now when they want to come here the owners-general manager can't or won't pull the trigger. Pax get serious and look at all of the past NBA champions. this team does not look like any of them. as a fan I feel a bit like Charlie Brown with Lucy offering once again to hold the football.
I'm so bored with basketball right now I can't even sit still to watch a game all the way through. Remember the good old days, like ten years ago, when there weren't two hours of commercials for every game? I do, and also the talented and charismatic players who made you care about the sport, but now the game is run by refs. If the Bulls wanted to build a winning team they should just get all players who have been in the league for at least ten years - they would get such favorable calls from the refs that they would win by default.
Pessimism aside, I can't believe the Bulls are snubbing Bryant and KG. Are you kidding me? Mediocrity rules on this team - the idea is apparently to have five good players on the floor instead of one great one, three good ones, and one average one.
So next year the Bulls will have a very boring solid team, and I might even watch a few games if nothing else is on and I'm alone and drunk enough to find it entertaining.
No matter what Pax does from here on in, we're going to be amazing.
We're a championship team right now.
Wallace, Thomas, and Noah can stop Tim Duncan.
Hinrich, Gordon, and Noce can school Parker, Finley, and Manu.
And Luol "day" Deng wipes the floor with whoever is playing the 3 for the Spurs.
And the Bears are going to absolutely dominate the NFL this year. Tough one to start in San Diego, but it's all down hill from there. Grossman is going to blow poeple away.
Bculz I am not a numbers guy, but the Bulls need to do what they have to and make it work. I agree with making a run at a star like J.O.. We have got to sure up the middle and get taller and more athletic. I like a rotation of Wallace, Gray, Noah and JO, Thomas, Allen. At least we would be able to match up with teams that feature almost 600lbs on the block like Cleveland and Miami. We would lose a lot at the 3 spot, but Noch, Thomas, and Thabo would have to make up for that lost. I also like the Gordon, Curry rotation, Curry gives us insurance for Gordon, but we will need to bring in a point guard. Hinrich is not really a point guard. He has to work on his assists. Everyone is screaming about his scoring, but a TRUE point guard stirs the drinks and makes the team go. A point makes it so that your players don't have to dribble. Just catch and shoot or dunk.
Tim loved your post it was right on target. Patience is the key to building a team that can contend and win multiple titles. Miami made thier deal for O'neal, won one title, was swept by the Bulls in the first round the next year and doesn't look like a team that can bounce back this coming season. Would Bulls fans be happy with one title and then years of 1st or second round elimination? Hell no! Chicago Fans are like an ex-wife that isn't happy because after the ex-husband pays child support he still has enough money to live on macaroni and cheese! How many Bulls fans still say "yea we won six titles BUT if MJ hadn't retired that first time we would have won 8 straight".
One other thing you did not comment on Tim, but I am sure it was only because it hadn't been posted until after yours, J. O'Neal would not be an addition to the Bulls he would be a distraction. Many Pacer fans were very upsey that Al Harrington was traded instead of O'Neal. He's lazy and injury prone not to mention he is not a star but merely a slightly above average player.
Most of our core players are still on their rookie contracts,
Bryant has stated he would LOVE to come to Chicago, so Pax needs to work out a trade in ANY WAY possible to get Bryant, heres how MY trade would go down.
You cant get any younger than you already are, lock up the players you got now and and the ones you need after all this is said and done and lets not see if Bryant is willing to take a pay cut...not too much but to alleviate some pressure, if he wants to play with quality guys, they gotta pay for them somehow.
Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon, Sign and Trade P.J. Brown., and our entire draft next year and maybe a future first rounder lets say 2009?? id say that works out pretty well.
Your giving them verteran at the center position and P.J. could teach Bynum how to stand tall and rough against the opposition, and your not giving them a ton of players thus giving them what is already a built chemistry, if you put bryant in a situation where he is around most of last years bulls team, then you have chemistry, star power, and scoring up the whazoo.
The salaries wouldnt work out quite right, but thats where Bryants pay cut comes in handy, re work his contract and see if they cant work something out....maybe more years, less per year???
And there are a couple more examples of cluelessness right after your post.
Mike Gray not only doesn't understand that the Bulls can't sign P.J. unless he wants to continue playing AND go to L.A. and he is delusional in thinking Kobe could be had for Gordon, Duhon, P.J. and draft choices.
Not to be outdone, MG would like Paxson to pick up Stevie Franchise, whom I guess he thinks would be happy backing up Kirk and would be so good for team chemistry sitting on the bench.
Or, maybe I'm not getting what he wants with Francis. Maybe he he thinks he should replace Hinrich as the starting PG.
Antoine Walker? I heard someone say Antoine walker.?? I think that was you Romski!! You have to be kidding...are you talking about as an assistant coach?
Roman responds: Don't they get the news in Ariz.? Walker was robbed at gunpoint for the second time.
As usual most of you guys just don't get it. Picking Noah was the only "right" move at number 9, there was no "obviously better" player left, period. Resinging Nocioni was the only "choice" that the Bulls had, losing him as a player and as a future barganing chip for nothing would have been absolutely assinine, period.
Getting Nocioni for $2-3 million(total contract $) more than the mid-level exception was a steal, made possible only by Nocioni giving us a home town discount. One thing that the Bulls lack right now in making any big trades besides superstar players are superstar salaries. So we need more guys making more money just to get in the salary cap game when thinking about Garnett, Kobe, Gasol and even that total slug O'neil. Right now the best trade we can make for any on those guys has to include Wallace, who's contract sucks just for the money he makes, Never mind the player that he currently isn't and probably never was.
When Gordon and Deng re-up assuming that their contracts are not as stupid as Wallace's then we will have enough contracts to make a blockbuster trade. The Wallace contract was disaster for our trade and salary cap flexibility. The impatience that Pax showed in making a huge overpayment at the wrong time in the development of the team(it was way too soon) may ultimately prevent this team from ever winning a championship. Wallace may ultimately be the reason we don't get Kobe or KG, because we probably can't have two contracts that big at the same time. So unless LA or Minny takes Wallace back in a sign and trade or outright trade we can't do a Kobe or KG deal. In fact, if Pax hadn't prematurely panicked and signed Wallace at the opening bell of last years free agency the Bulls would already have had Gasol this year since we could have done a deal involving Tyson Chandler, whom Memphis would have taken. Would you rather have Gasol or Wallace. Remember Reinsdork really only cares about money in the end(Wallace was Paxon's one shot at Jerry's piggybank). That is why he eventually alienated Jordan and prematurely killed off the dynasty.
Nocioni and Noah have absolutely nothing to do with each other as playing parts except for heart, intelligence, and intensity things which a champion can never have enough of. Noah is more 5 than 4 and will probably take more time from Wallace this season than than the big malcontent mope can stand, expect more headband episodes. Nocioni, is a 3 first and 4 second, so the two of them offer Skiles a nice blend of flexible line-ups. Also, Pippen suffered from plantar whatever, and recovered just fine, it is sort of like a hamstring problem, it can be bothersome, but it is not a career ender, see Ken Griffey Jr.
I also beleive that Gordon has to go, either to sixth man or in a trade. This is where the luck of the draft may work in our favor. In Curry we got first round talent for a second round discount, I believe that Curry will be a better and taller overall player than Gordon. Remember he was some kind of player of the year out of highschool and had a full ride to Carolina before he got busted for selling $50 and $45 dollars worth of pot.
Bottom line, Pax did a great job this off-season stockpiling players and assets to build for a future blockbuster. Patience is a virture, we need to make a move a the best time for us, not just settle for what is available at any given moment. I would still hold out for Kobe sometime in the next two years, and KG when he finally makes Minnesota trade him or opts out in the next year. I wouldn't touch O'neil with Isaiah Thomas's "----" and I would only do Gasol if we can dump Wallace in the deal. Gasol is a 5 only not a 4. And Memphis isn't taking Wallace's contract under any circumstances. In fact I would not go beyond Wallace and Gordon in a Gasol deal, other than free add-in junk, Duhon, future draft choices, etc. If Memphis would do that deal I would jump on it in a heart-beat, even though it would greatly diminish our ability to do a future deal for either KG or Kobe. For those of you against the Noce signing Memphis might do Gordon and Nocioni for Gasol, but we still need to add more contract money to catch up to Gasol's bloated deal. With a great deal of reluctance, I might do this deal, but I and the Bulls would miss Noce, more than last years injured playoff run might indicate.
Finally, T. Thomas will blow up this year(he will be a better player than Oden and maybe even Durant this season), and Noah will play more 5 along side him than anyone seems to think(there are only a few Shaq size guys left out there), I think that Gray is a stiff but maybe we can throw him in there against the dinosuars. I can't wait to see a line-up of Hinrich, Thabo or even Curry, Deng, Thomas, and Noah play together. And that still leaves Nocioni, Gordon, Wallace and Curry/Thabo in a solid nine man rotation. That is as long and athletic as we ever had, even during Three-peat #1, or #2. The Doberman's are back. The Bulls will be much better this year and should overtake Cleveland(who we couldn't seem to beat last year) and Detroit to win the east, barring some trade based miraculous revitalization of Miami.
Nocioni was at best somewhere between average & above average at his position. He is coming of a down year where he rarely played and was a non-factor in the playoffs. He has never been an all-star nor has he ever been considered in the running for a replacement for an all-star. Yet he just signed a deal much better than the one the Bears disgruntled pro-bowl ex-linebacker did.
Did I miss something? Isn't the NFL reaping much better profits than the NBA? I heard that the Grizzles were willing to offer Noc a deal in the mid 40's. Apparently the pool of available forwards in the NBA is pathetically weak these days.
I think I'm starting to come around on the guys we have but maybe I'm just overly optimistic based on Ty Thomas' performance in the summer league - I think Travis Diener was the big stud last year!
IF, Thabo steps up, and Thomas continues to be able to hit the 15 footer like he's doing in the Orlando league, we may be ok. Once Noah gets healthy, I'm crazy enough to think he can give us 10 min a game behind Wallace next year and will be able to help the second team run more.
"The league's salary-cap figures are set. The midlevel exception is, too, at $5.35 million. Those facts didn't stop the league's signing day from passing Wednesday--as expected--with no signing by the Bulls, whose search for a veteran big man remains limited to Joe Smith, Mikki Moore and Chris Mihm."
COME ON??????? MIKKI MOORE?????? UHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!
Roman responds: There's no one else out there. Darko's talking $10M per.
And it's spelled UGH.
Tim-2 (Tim little is Tim-1), replacing Hinrich with a true point guard is not the worst idea. Hirich is a good defensive guard, not a great or sensational point guard. And HE WOULD have to back up a playmaking point guard like Steve Francis - if management had the stones to bring him in. I believe this might be what's wrong with Chris Duhon. Players who don't get along with Skiles get labeled "uncoachable", and ANY threat to Hinrich is not an option on the Bulls. Duhon is the ONLY kind of player who would feel comfortable backing up Hinrich. Bulls didn't even CONSIDER a player like Chauncy Billips because of their beloved Kirk Hinrich. Say what you want, but when the offense is not flowing (or completely dead for stretches)...its HIS fault. People blame Gordon, but Gordon is one of the most potent scorers in this league - and its not because he is catching passes where he is comfortable shooting, but CREATING his own offense most of the time. I like Hinrich because of his defense, but please don't confuse him with John Stockton because John knew how to PASS. Without Stockton, Mallone is just a good player instead of the lethal weapon we all witnessed for years. Having a playmaker is VITAL, unless you have an offense supplying system like the Triangle, or drive and kick like the Bulls run. And even then you have to have people who know when and how to pass. Thats how important Scottie Pippen was to the Bulls - VITAL.
Tim not only is that trade suggestion for Kobe delusional but to think Kobe would take a pay cut is laughable. Also through all of these discussions I have forgotten if P.J. is a restricted or unrestiricted free agent if he should decide to continue playing. If he is unrestricted he doesn't even have to talk to the Bulls if some one else makes him an offer and if he's restricted he could be made an offer the Bulls aren't willing to match unless it involves a sign and trade. Or he could say he wants to play another season and not be happy with any offers and change his mind and retire. The fact that free-agency is now open and he has yet to make a decision tends to make me believe he's done unless some one makes him an offer he just can't refuse.
I am excited, but not for the Nocioni signing. He's a great player, but not the answer. In my mind I think Ben Gordon is a much easier player to let go of. If you've witnessed the sloppy ball handling of his in the 2007 playoffs, you would agree. Deal him and Noah with some other incentives for Garnett!
Jeffrey is right as rain! We need Mikki Moore, and Ben Gordon needs to return to the bench. Kirk needs to move to the 2 spot and JamesON take the point. Get PJ back in here and lets roll from there. Bulls aint making no splashes, so we might as well get on with it.
Oh Oh....Just found out the Grizzlies signed Darko Milicic. Another mediocre-bad team finding a way to sign a big man. I am getting tired of Pax. I love the guy, but come-ON!!! THIS is CHICAGO MAN! 3rd largest market in the country and home of MJ! Who wouldn't want to play here??? Scabie-Bryant does! Why is it so hard for him to pick up some help?!! All those free agents and we are going to end up with Miki Moore at best. Darko and Randolph were available and we get Moore. Wouldn't surprise me if we lose him too.
Nocioni is a very good player. He is better than a lot of starting power forwards since he is a great rebounder, can hit 3's, and plays hard at all time. Also, he is a winner. Resigning him was great. If an injury happens to Deng
Nope. I loved Noch before he got hurt. He is still a good player, but not the difference maker he was 2 years ago. This also indicates that one of the core will not be here next year for sure. Might be good news in disguise...
I like Noc'. I like our whole team... check that the whole organization. I think our team is built right, coached well, and supported by the fans. We are legitimate contenders right now, and anyone who disagrees is a 'hater. We are young, hungry and humble.
We're going to block the most shots in the history of the NBA next season, by the way.
I just read the "Curse of the SuperBowl Loser" article by you-know-who, and it was condescending, rude, patronizing, smug, smarmy, wrong, offensive and out of place in Chicago. Roman, I know you won't print this and it's misplaced, but can you at least agree with me that Jay doesn't like Chicagoans and should leave? That article actually hurt my feelings. I've never read one optimistic thing from the guy. He's insulting. Ask Charles Barkley.
And you, on the other hand, do a great job.
WOLVERINES!!!!!!!!!
I like it. I hope he takes it to the basket more like he did against Washington Wizards in the 05 playoffs. He started to sense he was unstoppable. He could be all around better than Artest in a couple more years, with less attitude and more hustle.
Oh yeah...we have locked up yet another "nice" player for 5 years. Hinrich was last year, and Deng and Gordon get their extensions this coming year.
Lots of "nice" players - unfortunately that doesn't get you much more than conference semi's with this current cast.
in a word......No. The should package Duhon, Noah, Sweetney and Hinrich or Nocioni together to get Kevin Garnett.
$7.5 mil a year for the next 5. Probably back end loaded so we can dump him in 3 and let someone else pay for him. He is a winner, and I like the Argentinian style of scraping and hustling. Hes a mini Bill Laimbeer, Plus, Guys that can create their own points are hard to find. He gets points outside of the offense, and lets not forget he lead the league in 3pt % most of the year. (can you hear the "around the horn" sound of pts scoring?)Anyways...good player, better to have him than to play against him. Cheap shots and taking charges to boot!
I like Nocioni a lot and he was the biggest reason that they did not need Sanjaya Noah.
What was the point of picking Noah if you were going to keep Nocioni? You really don't need both of them. This just highlights what a bad pick Sanjaya Noah really was.
I love him.
He's a coaches dream; someone who isn't afraid of scraping his elbows and knees on the floor, diving for loose balls.
He plays with a passion that isn't driven by endorsment opportunities. This man just flat out loves the game.
He'll never be an All Star, but then agan ... you'll never win a championship without at least one guy like Andres.
Great signing!
Money just does not exist to keep everybody. Thats the reason the Pistons lost Ben Wallace, and subsequently lost to Cleveland this year. They laughed at Ben Wallace every time we played them, but Big Ben had the last laugh...all the way to the bank. Nocioni excepted a fair contract for his services. He is a scrum guy that when healthy can be a momentum changer. I like his heart and craftiness, but alas, he is just too short. That injury took away his speed and he just looked terrible in the playoffs this year. Noch is a winner and can play hard-nosed championship ball. He is just too short and not a gifted athlete. One series he will be exactly what we need, and the next a total non-factor. But a great weapon to have on your bench.
Philtration is right, with Noch in the fold we didn't need a person like Noah, but if Noah plays with the heart of Noch, we will have greatly improved with length and athleticism and can afford to move Noch. The game will always come down to the fundamentals which the Bulls are great at, but you have to have the personnell to execute, and that means long athletes. EVEN SCOTT SKILES said the Bulls were not good enough to win if they did not play at their highest level every night. ALL of the Bulls starters are undersized at their positions (look like a team of john crotty's). They play with tenacity and grit thats custom built for the long grueling season but that only punches your ticket to the dance. Once you are in the PLAYOFFS, it comes down to matchups and the skill and size to execute. Athletes turn their games all the way up and focus in. They get downright nasty and they are nothing like the team you outhustled during the regular season. And you have to counter with athletes who are not hoping and praying they have a bad series or wilt under the pressure. Its unfair to ask a team that is overmatched at every position to prevail. There are some people that love to see Rocky prevailing against overwhelming odds. And there are others that like the satisfying feeling of watching a young Cassius Clay take apart his oppenents with precision, flair and beauty. The difference between the two is that one would NEVER beat the other no matter HOW much we could identify with him. This isn't pro's vs. joes!
I am very happy that they kept Nocioni. He is my favorite player in Chicago right now. He has the killer instinct that any good team needs. You can see that quality by the fact that he actually raises his game in the playoffs, where others fade in the spotlight.
My main concern is that the Bulls appear to be creating a logjam at the forward position. Noce can play bot spots, but the Bulls also have Deng, Tyrus and Noah. There are 4 forwards to play 2 spots. I would like to see Nocioni play 28 - 30 minutes a night, but will that come at the expense of Deng or the development of Tyrus. I just hope that skiles can find enought time for him in the rotation.
My ideal 5 on the floor would be Thabo, Kirk, Tyrus, Deng and Noce for stretches. Tremendous speed, athleticism and defense. Then when you need to go big, bring back Wallace or Noah when he is ready.
just because Noce has agreed to a new contract with the bulls doesn't mean he won't be traded. what it does mean is that if he becomes part of any trade now the Bulls won't have to give up as much with him as they would have before. I like Noce and would hate seeing him play against the Bulls but wasn't that the way most Bulls fans felt when Oakley was traded for Cartwright? I think Pax ia shrewder than some give him credit for and believe he has some things up his sleeve that may shock a few people yet.
I'm sure the rest of the NBA is shaking in their boots. Until this teams gets a player that can take over in crunch time, they will NEVER see another NBA title. It's that SIMPLE.
Rocky is a good anology. I just remember the feeling we had we when signed Cart, or Rodman, it was like..thats the final peice. Now we should win every game. It may never happen again, but there was no question in my mind going into every game, that we were going to win. Barring the perfect game from the other team.
I just dont have that feeling yet.
When Memphis started sniffing around Nocioni Pax said that he wouldn't let a player go for nothing. My guess is that he re-signed Chapu for trade purposes down the road. If not Andres himself, then someone else. When he was healthy, Nocioni was the Bulls' best player in high-pressure situations (see playoffs 2006, when he averaged 22 ppg, 9 rpg, shot 56% from the field, 48% threes, playing 38 mpg. By the way, that was just one year ago, Keith.)
It's funny that a guy whose height-challenged team asks him to play out of position - which he does admirably - subsequently gets branded as "too short." Now that the team has some tall guys, do you think he's gonna be needed to play PF on a nightly basis? He's a three-point shooter/drive-to-the-basket player, not a post-up guy, folks. He's more than tall enough to do what he does best. Also, there seems to be a consensus here that Chapu's injury is permanent. Has no one ever recovered from Plantar Fascitis? I know it's serious, but he will have had a lot of time off, and likely lots of medical treatment. Let's not be alarmist here.
Would the negative folks here rather have seen the Bulls lose their best bench player and a potentially tradeable asset (not to mention a hard-working, gets-under-your-skin type of guy) for nothing?
Great deal for Noce and the Bulls. I can see Deng doing a little of the 2 guard depending on the situation and Noah playing center in relief of Wallace. I still think we need to get Gordon to agree to sixth man or trade him for a Lee ( Isiah would love Ben and give us Lee and next year's number one!?!?!?!?!? LOL!!!!) or Collison. We would then become very big, young and fast.
Where to begin?
I guess I'll take the clueless in psoting order.
Keith, how in the hell do you know what Nocioni will be like next year? I take it you are assuming that he isn't going to recover from his foot problem. Are you a chiropodist or podiatrist? Whatever, you obviously think you know a lot more about the situation than Paxson.
Bryant, wake up and quit living in fantasyland. Duhon, Noah and Hinrich or Nocioni would not get Garnett. He IS NOT GOING TO BE A BULL! Comprehende?
JC, if you aren't willing to be patient at least another year or two for all the Bulls "nice" players to A.)finish developing - Gordon and Hinrich - or B.)to start getting comfortable with more significant roles - Thomas and Sefolosha - and C.) get a year under his belt - Noah, then I suggest that you start rooting for the only consistent championship team since the Bulls dynasty, San Antonio.
And, finally, the completely clueless, who think that Noah and Nocioni are, IN ANY WAY, interchangeable parts.
The only thing they appear to have in common is their fierce competitiveness, energy and joy of playing the game. There is not a single part of either's offensive game that is duplicated.
Nocioni is a SF who actually CAN play PF. Noah is a PF who can play center against most teams.
Good move on the organizations behalf, especially with Noah's rotator cuff issues, he'll be that much needed energizer. I think he'll be ready for the 07-08 season, If not he can be used as trade bait for Gasol.
Hey Tim I like Pax and I am sure you can appreciate his methodical, chess-like precision. But he seems to just keep doing just enough to keep the masses content (like a utilities stock). To his credit, Chicago just cannot seem to sign any free agents. Its kinda weird. Noone wants to play here. I thought it was Krause and his cheapness, but it might just be Chicago. After Ben Wallace, I cannot remember another player that has played in an allstar game to come to Chicago, even native sons like Antoine Walker. Its way past time for Pax to make another splash. He's killing me with the suspense...go ahead and make your big move Pax.
MG is speaking my language! Guess its that patience thing again. But I feel like William Wallace in Braveheart trying to convince the Lords that now is the time.
Noce is a good player but the problem in Chicago is that there are a lot of good players and no great ones. Add to that the fact that the talent mix is way off (way to many forwards and no real centers) and there is no way the Bulls win a championship.
I will be more excited when the Bulls get a center that can score in the NBA.
Noch will have a great Season considering he stays healthy. He may even contend for sixth man of the Year. Forget Garnett that's not going to happen. Here's what will. The lineup for next season will be :
Deng SF
Gasol PF
Wallace C
Hinrich PG
Bryant SG
This means that the Bulls will Package Gordon, Duhon,& Thomas for Gasol. That's why they drafted an energetic shot blocker like Noah to replace Thomas. Then they sign Kobe & the rest is history. Sounds Logical!
Nocioni is a good signing. He doesn't hurt the Bulls chances of resigning Gordon and Deng. I think Deng will be easier to sign than Gordon due to Gordon's pride about being a starter or thinking he's better than he's really shown. Anyway, Nocioni plays tough defense, knows his role on the team, is well liked and continues the Bulls' good chemistry. Contrary to some posts, I believe Noah was the best pick for the Bulls. He provides defense and shot blocking against bigger players that Nocioni just can't guard. He may even be able to guard Rasheed. He definitely has more size. And it's knot like the Bulls were choosing between Russell, Wilt, Kareem, Hakeem and took Noah.
Jayman, you are right about Noah, but I am not sure about that last sentence. Oden and Durant are the real deal, and I believe there are at least 2 other players in this draft that are going to be Hall of Famers.
It's nice to watch a hard working guy like Noc on our team. As long as he doesnt take the game winning shot I'm happy he's with the Bulls.
Dan, I'm not sure what Pax would do, but I'm also smart enough not to pretend like I know what he'd do. But I don't think my proposed trade is such a wild thought. If we have the lineup next year that I proposed, the Bulls should have a 1st round pick of relatively little value (very low 1st round...not lottery like we've had lately). And Duhon just isn't worth that much. I think you'll see this when/if Pax trades him. He runs the floor pretty well and is scrappy and plays good d for his size, but there was a reason that he was a 2nd round pick and the Bulls are ready to dump him. Furthermore, a big man is definitely worth more than a 3, simple supply and demand. I'd be psyched if we could do a Deng - Gasol deal straight up or something similar...but my main point really was that trading Deng for a very good big man might be Pax's best option since Nocioni would be a solid replacement for Deng.
I drool thinking of that lineup. I mean read it again!
Hinrich (16 - 6)
Gordon (21 - 3)
Nocioni (14 - 6...on an off year)
Gasol (21 - 10)
Wallace (6 - 11)
And a bench of Thomas, Noah, Curry, Griffin, Sefolosha, etc. That's a pretty deep, young, balanced and talented team. Think of the rebounding, defense, inside out scoring, and different looks that they could throw out on the floor. I can definitely see them overtaking Detroit, Cleveland and, if healthy, Miami in the East with a team like that. I personally would pull the trigger.
I personally do not like the signing. I think Noce is a decent player at best who gives you a lot of energy, but at the same time you have more talented guys on the roster who can play the same position such as Deng, Thabo, or Thomas. What would be in the teams best interest is to use him as trading bait to get a big low-post scoring centing/PF because that presence does not exist. All in all the drafting of Noah made the need of Noce disappear.
We couldnt just trade Deng for Gasol...
The Bulls are over the cap, and their incoming salaries are greater than 125% plus $100,000 of their outgoing salaries. They would need to cut $8,995,950 from the incoming trade value to make the Deng/Gasol trade successful.
I kind of like Drew's thinking here though.
Deng and maybe Duhon and PJ & next years second round for Gasol or something like that would work, Memphis gets some good parts and a young star in Deng and we get the low post scorer we need.
It would be a sick lineup Drew, although it may be a bit boring, but i will say.... winning is never boring.
I'd still like to make a run at KG and or KOBE or even an J Oneil ( I know you hate this Idea Rome, he is still the best Big available, and are we above giving someone a second chance or third to start over). Its getting to be that half the league has had an issue at one point or another, a guy like O'neil is still young enough to learn from his mistakes. Plus, I think Jackson & Tinsley were the real bad seeds at Indiana, not O'Neil.
Deng,PJ,Duhon,Krhyapa for Jermaine O'neil.
Now you have
Gordon
Hinrich
TyThomas
Wallace
J.O'Neil
Noce/Noah/Thabo and JamesON off the bench.
I hate to burst anyones bubble, but I can't see how the team is much better than last year. Pax is floundering. it will take much more to win a championship than drafting Noah and resigning Noce. winning the East and getting crushed is a half assed way to approach the NBA finals. Chicago has a good not great team. all this tallk of breaking up the nucleus gets me confused. nucleus of what? we are still lacking a difference maker. for years we have had problems getting top free agents to want to come to Chicago and now when they want to come here the owners-general manager can't or won't pull the trigger. Pax get serious and look at all of the past NBA champions. this team does not look like any of them. as a fan I feel a bit like Charlie Brown with Lucy offering once again to hold the football.
I'm so bored with basketball right now I can't even sit still to watch a game all the way through. Remember the good old days, like ten years ago, when there weren't two hours of commercials for every game? I do, and also the talented and charismatic players who made you care about the sport, but now the game is run by refs. If the Bulls wanted to build a winning team they should just get all players who have been in the league for at least ten years - they would get such favorable calls from the refs that they would win by default.
Pessimism aside, I can't believe the Bulls are snubbing Bryant and KG. Are you kidding me? Mediocrity rules on this team - the idea is apparently to have five good players on the floor instead of one great one, three good ones, and one average one.
So next year the Bulls will have a very boring solid team, and I might even watch a few games if nothing else is on and I'm alone and drunk enough to find it entertaining.
Paxson - "If it's broke, fix it very very slowly"
No matter what Pax does from here on in, we're going to be amazing.
We're a championship team right now.
Wallace, Thomas, and Noah can stop Tim Duncan.
Hinrich, Gordon, and Noce can school Parker, Finley, and Manu.
And Luol "day" Deng wipes the floor with whoever is playing the 3 for the Spurs.
And the Bears are going to absolutely dominate the NFL this year. Tough one to start in San Diego, but it's all down hill from there. Grossman is going to blow poeple away.
Bculz I am not a numbers guy, but the Bulls need to do what they have to and make it work. I agree with making a run at a star like J.O.. We have got to sure up the middle and get taller and more athletic. I like a rotation of Wallace, Gray, Noah and JO, Thomas, Allen. At least we would be able to match up with teams that feature almost 600lbs on the block like Cleveland and Miami. We would lose a lot at the 3 spot, but Noch, Thomas, and Thabo would have to make up for that lost. I also like the Gordon, Curry rotation, Curry gives us insurance for Gordon, but we will need to bring in a point guard. Hinrich is not really a point guard. He has to work on his assists. Everyone is screaming about his scoring, but a TRUE point guard stirs the drinks and makes the team go. A point makes it so that your players don't have to dribble. Just catch and shoot or dunk.
Tim loved your post it was right on target. Patience is the key to building a team that can contend and win multiple titles. Miami made thier deal for O'neal, won one title, was swept by the Bulls in the first round the next year and doesn't look like a team that can bounce back this coming season. Would Bulls fans be happy with one title and then years of 1st or second round elimination? Hell no! Chicago Fans are like an ex-wife that isn't happy because after the ex-husband pays child support he still has enough money to live on macaroni and cheese! How many Bulls fans still say "yea we won six titles BUT if MJ hadn't retired that first time we would have won 8 straight".
One other thing you did not comment on Tim, but I am sure it was only because it hadn't been posted until after yours, J. O'Neal would not be an addition to the Bulls he would be a distraction. Many Pacer fans were very upsey that Al Harrington was traded instead of O'Neal. He's lazy and injury prone not to mention he is not a star but merely a slightly above average player.
Most of our core players are still on their rookie contracts,
Bryant has stated he would LOVE to come to Chicago, so Pax needs to work out a trade in ANY WAY possible to get Bryant, heres how MY trade would go down.
You cant get any younger than you already are, lock up the players you got now and and the ones you need after all this is said and done and lets not see if Bryant is willing to take a pay cut...not too much but to alleviate some pressure, if he wants to play with quality guys, they gotta pay for them somehow.
Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon, Sign and Trade P.J. Brown., and our entire draft next year and maybe a future first rounder lets say 2009?? id say that works out pretty well.
Your giving them verteran at the center position and P.J. could teach Bynum how to stand tall and rough against the opposition, and your not giving them a ton of players thus giving them what is already a built chemistry, if you put bryant in a situation where he is around most of last years bulls team, then you have chemistry, star power, and scoring up the whazoo.
The salaries wouldnt work out quite right, but thats where Bryants pay cut comes in handy, re work his contract and see if they cant work something out....maybe more years, less per year???
Clint Clack, can I have some of your Kool Aid?
It seems that a lot of u guys really like Kirk Grossman Hinrick. My question is why?
Simply an awful signing. We overpaid for a mediocrity.
Simply an awful signing. We overpaid for a mediocrity. Paxson must have some special connections to the Seattle Mariners' GM
Any chance Pax will pick up Steve Francis 4 peanuts since he will be a free agent in a week?
Roman responds: I'm guessing 'no.'
Tim Little, I agree with you on JO.
And there are a couple more examples of cluelessness right after your post.
Mike Gray not only doesn't understand that the Bulls can't sign P.J. unless he wants to continue playing AND go to L.A. and he is delusional in thinking Kobe could be had for Gordon, Duhon, P.J. and draft choices.
Not to be outdone, MG would like Paxson to pick up Stevie Franchise, whom I guess he thinks would be happy backing up Kirk and would be so good for team chemistry sitting on the bench.
Or, maybe I'm not getting what he wants with Francis. Maybe he he thinks he should replace Hinrich as the starting PG.
Antoine Walker? I heard someone say Antoine walker.?? I think that was you Romski!! You have to be kidding...are you talking about as an assistant coach?
Roman responds: Don't they get the news in Ariz.? Walker was robbed at gunpoint for the second time.
As usual most of you guys just don't get it. Picking Noah was the only "right" move at number 9, there was no "obviously better" player left, period. Resinging Nocioni was the only "choice" that the Bulls had, losing him as a player and as a future barganing chip for nothing would have been absolutely assinine, period.
Getting Nocioni for $2-3 million(total contract $) more than the mid-level exception was a steal, made possible only by Nocioni giving us a home town discount. One thing that the Bulls lack right now in making any big trades besides superstar players are superstar salaries. So we need more guys making more money just to get in the salary cap game when thinking about Garnett, Kobe, Gasol and even that total slug O'neil. Right now the best trade we can make for any on those guys has to include Wallace, who's contract sucks just for the money he makes, Never mind the player that he currently isn't and probably never was.
When Gordon and Deng re-up assuming that their contracts are not as stupid as Wallace's then we will have enough contracts to make a blockbuster trade. The Wallace contract was disaster for our trade and salary cap flexibility. The impatience that Pax showed in making a huge overpayment at the wrong time in the development of the team(it was way too soon) may ultimately prevent this team from ever winning a championship. Wallace may ultimately be the reason we don't get Kobe or KG, because we probably can't have two contracts that big at the same time. So unless LA or Minny takes Wallace back in a sign and trade or outright trade we can't do a Kobe or KG deal. In fact, if Pax hadn't prematurely panicked and signed Wallace at the opening bell of last years free agency the Bulls would already have had Gasol this year since we could have done a deal involving Tyson Chandler, whom Memphis would have taken. Would you rather have Gasol or Wallace. Remember Reinsdork really only cares about money in the end(Wallace was Paxon's one shot at Jerry's piggybank). That is why he eventually alienated Jordan and prematurely killed off the dynasty.
Nocioni and Noah have absolutely nothing to do with each other as playing parts except for heart, intelligence, and intensity things which a champion can never have enough of. Noah is more 5 than 4 and will probably take more time from Wallace this season than than the big malcontent mope can stand, expect more headband episodes. Nocioni, is a 3 first and 4 second, so the two of them offer Skiles a nice blend of flexible line-ups. Also, Pippen suffered from plantar whatever, and recovered just fine, it is sort of like a hamstring problem, it can be bothersome, but it is not a career ender, see Ken Griffey Jr.
I also beleive that Gordon has to go, either to sixth man or in a trade. This is where the luck of the draft may work in our favor. In Curry we got first round talent for a second round discount, I believe that Curry will be a better and taller overall player than Gordon. Remember he was some kind of player of the year out of highschool and had a full ride to Carolina before he got busted for selling $50 and $45 dollars worth of pot.
Bottom line, Pax did a great job this off-season stockpiling players and assets to build for a future blockbuster. Patience is a virture, we need to make a move a the best time for us, not just settle for what is available at any given moment. I would still hold out for Kobe sometime in the next two years, and KG when he finally makes Minnesota trade him or opts out in the next year. I wouldn't touch O'neil with Isaiah Thomas's "----" and I would only do Gasol if we can dump Wallace in the deal. Gasol is a 5 only not a 4. And Memphis isn't taking Wallace's contract under any circumstances. In fact I would not go beyond Wallace and Gordon in a Gasol deal, other than free add-in junk, Duhon, future draft choices, etc. If Memphis would do that deal I would jump on it in a heart-beat, even though it would greatly diminish our ability to do a future deal for either KG or Kobe. For those of you against the Noce signing Memphis might do Gordon and Nocioni for Gasol, but we still need to add more contract money to catch up to Gasol's bloated deal. With a great deal of reluctance, I might do this deal, but I and the Bulls would miss Noce, more than last years injured playoff run might indicate.
Finally, T. Thomas will blow up this year(he will be a better player than Oden and maybe even Durant this season), and Noah will play more 5 along side him than anyone seems to think(there are only a few Shaq size guys left out there), I think that Gray is a stiff but maybe we can throw him in there against the dinosuars. I can't wait to see a line-up of Hinrich, Thabo or even Curry, Deng, Thomas, and Noah play together. And that still leaves Nocioni, Gordon, Wallace and Curry/Thabo in a solid nine man rotation. That is as long and athletic as we ever had, even during Three-peat #1, or #2. The Doberman's are back. The Bulls will be much better this year and should overtake Cleveland(who we couldn't seem to beat last year) and Detroit to win the east, barring some trade based miraculous revitalization of Miami.
Nocioni was at best somewhere between average & above average at his position. He is coming of a down year where he rarely played and was a non-factor in the playoffs. He has never been an all-star nor has he ever been considered in the running for a replacement for an all-star. Yet he just signed a deal much better than the one the Bears disgruntled pro-bowl ex-linebacker did.
Did I miss something? Isn't the NFL reaping much better profits than the NBA? I heard that the Grizzles were willing to offer Noc a deal in the mid 40's. Apparently the pool of available forwards in the NBA is pathetically weak these days.
I think I'm starting to come around on the guys we have but maybe I'm just overly optimistic based on Ty Thomas' performance in the summer league - I think Travis Diener was the big stud last year!
IF, Thabo steps up, and Thomas continues to be able to hit the 15 footer like he's doing in the Orlando league, we may be ok. Once Noah gets healthy, I'm crazy enough to think he can give us 10 min a game behind Wallace next year and will be able to help the second team run more.
Starters: Hinrich, Thabo, Deng, Thomas, Wallace
Bench (in order): Gordon, Noch, Noah, Curry
Yep, we still need another guy at the 4 slot. Mikki Moore might do it.
"The league's salary-cap figures are set. The midlevel exception is, too, at $5.35 million. Those facts didn't stop the league's signing day from passing Wednesday--as expected--with no signing by the Bulls, whose search for a veteran big man remains limited to Joe Smith, Mikki Moore and Chris Mihm."
COME ON??????? MIKKI MOORE?????? UHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!
Roman responds: There's no one else out there. Darko's talking $10M per.
And it's spelled UGH.
Tim-2 (Tim little is Tim-1), replacing Hinrich with a true point guard is not the worst idea. Hirich is a good defensive guard, not a great or sensational point guard. And HE WOULD have to back up a playmaking point guard like Steve Francis - if management had the stones to bring him in. I believe this might be what's wrong with Chris Duhon. Players who don't get along with Skiles get labeled "uncoachable", and ANY threat to Hinrich is not an option on the Bulls. Duhon is the ONLY kind of player who would feel comfortable backing up Hinrich. Bulls didn't even CONSIDER a player like Chauncy Billips because of their beloved Kirk Hinrich. Say what you want, but when the offense is not flowing (or completely dead for stretches)...its HIS fault. People blame Gordon, but Gordon is one of the most potent scorers in this league - and its not because he is catching passes where he is comfortable shooting, but CREATING his own offense most of the time. I like Hinrich because of his defense, but please don't confuse him with John Stockton because John knew how to PASS. Without Stockton, Mallone is just a good player instead of the lethal weapon we all witnessed for years. Having a playmaker is VITAL, unless you have an offense supplying system like the Triangle, or drive and kick like the Bulls run. And even then you have to have people who know when and how to pass. Thats how important Scottie Pippen was to the Bulls - VITAL.
Steve Francis can help the Bulls. He is NOT as bad as the media has made him out to be. BTW, he is a much better player than Kirk turnover Hinrick.
Roman responds: He's not a team guy, that's why Portland bought him out.
Tim not only is that trade suggestion for Kobe delusional but to think Kobe would take a pay cut is laughable. Also through all of these discussions I have forgotten if P.J. is a restricted or unrestiricted free agent if he should decide to continue playing. If he is unrestricted he doesn't even have to talk to the Bulls if some one else makes him an offer and if he's restricted he could be made an offer the Bulls aren't willing to match unless it involves a sign and trade. Or he could say he wants to play another season and not be happy with any offers and change his mind and retire. The fact that free-agency is now open and he has yet to make a decision tends to make me believe he's done unless some one makes him an offer he just can't refuse.
I am excited, but not for the Nocioni signing. He's a great player, but not the answer. In my mind I think Ben Gordon is a much easier player to let go of. If you've witnessed the sloppy ball handling of his in the 2007 playoffs, you would agree. Deal him and Noah with some other incentives for Garnett!
Roman responds: Nocioni is not a "great" player.
I dont think there are strong enough head band policies in place if we bring in Mikki Moore.
Jeffrey is right as rain! We need Mikki Moore, and Ben Gordon needs to return to the bench. Kirk needs to move to the 2 spot and JamesON take the point. Get PJ back in here and lets roll from there. Bulls aint making no splashes, so we might as well get on with it.
Oh Oh....Just found out the Grizzlies signed Darko Milicic. Another mediocre-bad team finding a way to sign a big man. I am getting tired of Pax. I love the guy, but come-ON!!! THIS is CHICAGO MAN! 3rd largest market in the country and home of MJ! Who wouldn't want to play here??? Scabie-Bryant does! Why is it so hard for him to pick up some help?!! All those free agents and we are going to end up with Miki Moore at best. Darko and Randolph were available and we get Moore. Wouldn't surprise me if we lose him too.
Nocioni is a very good player. He is better than a lot of starting power forwards since he is a great rebounder, can hit 3's, and plays hard at all time. Also, he is a winner. Resigning him was great. If an injury happens to Deng