Full Court Press

The Bulls Quit the second they thought they ALL were going to get traded to L.A. and it didnt happen.

PAX TO QUOTE BILLY MADISON....

"YOU BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW IT"

Hey Stuck:

Still willing to give Boylan more time with the Boys?

This is one sorry-a** team. Why the h-e-double toothpicks didn't we all realize it at the beginning of the season?

Hey, maybe all they need is a motivational pep talk from none other than... Cedric Benson!

Is it time to start the young ones and go for a lottery pick? Exactly how much interest will Gordon and Deng generate during the offseason? I'm thinking... NOT MUCH!!

Could we have a rout going this year in major Chicago sports teams?

High expectations for the Bears, but they sucked.
High expectations for the Bulls, but they suck.
High expectations for the Cubs, and they will suck.

Moderate expectations for the Sox, they will meet them.
Moderate expectations for the Hawks, and they are meeting them.

Thank God we've got the Wolves -- high expectations and meeting them!

It's a great time to be a Chicago sports fan.

Didn't see the game last nite, but the fact of 22 turnovers means they are really sloppy or real tired. Maybe both? Take three of the starters off any team, including the two best scorers and see what happens. Didn't Seattle beat the Spurs the other nite without Parker? I am waiting for that Mariotti column on Spurs trading Duncan and firing Pop. I am disapointed in the Bulls for sure, but I am starting to believe that Deng has been hurt from the start of the year but won't admit it. It is not the Bulls fault that Deng and Gordon didn't take the extensions and trade rumors as just rumors. Wallace is now in his own world and I'm hoping he won't effect the young guys like Tyrus and Noah. I really think it is time for a couple of trades. Wallace for anyone and Gordon for the big guard. They have 40 games to get it together. I think Boylan can coach the team. Time for Paxson to step up.

Twas a humiliating defeat. But how long did you think KIRK HINRICH would last as your best scoring option??? Was bound to fall apart. Welcome to life without Deng and Gordon. And you throw in Smith and Duhon and all bets are off. We are running a car patched up with Elmer's glue. Just fell apart. I keep saying it - THIS IS THE NBA. Any of these teams can beat you.

I believe most of the Bulls are simply ailing. It happens. I think injuries got the Bears for the MOST part. Bulls/Bears have to wait until next year. Paxson needs to be cool and ride out the storm. If a marqee player avails himself - make the move, but ONLY if it makes the BULLS better.

Despite every injury and sickness the Bulls have right now, it'd be tough to find a more telling game than last night's about the direction the team is headed.

how's this? The bulls assmble a reunion tour of 'famous centers' who take the place of our current bulls. They will instantly raise fans intrest and fill the Un**** Center (no free adverts.),
while reducing scoring expectations-or any expecatations except those of pure entertainment. Here is the line-up:

1.) Ben Poquette
2.) Granville Waiters
3.) Dave Corzine
4.) Will Perdue
5.) Mike Smrek

Bill Cartwright can even come back and coach. Once Granville somehow manages to get released and replaced with Luc, they will be able to endorse Conver**e *All-Whites*, specifically designed
for those with no possibility of jumping or moving in the lane.
Then and only then, will I have a greater appreciation for today's Bulls.

This is unreal to have fallen this far behind. Skiles fell on his sword already cause he knew what this team was. He knew and like the rat he is he jumped ship like the rest of those whinney quiters. It seems to be a theme is the land of Reinsdorf. The Sox died early last year and never rebounded.This team is all comp parts and until you get a real serious scoring threat and a new offensive phylosophy it will stay the same. Paxson it's time to return to the booth. Reindorf your loyalty to your major malfunctions is ridiculus, you should step down too. Reinsdorf thought he could catch the same lightning in the bottle he did with Ozzie G. in baseball with another former player in basketball. Reinsdorf seems to think he'd get lucky again. WELL IT DIDN'T WORK JERRY. Start over or the partial support cast assembled will get worse and worse and the confidence will be shot forever. Keep the young ones Noah, Thabo, Gray, Hinrich, Nichols and JamesOn get rid of the rest of that ROTTEN core. Deng maybe a great citizen but he is only mediocre, some teams would jump on him healthy, get some salary dumps and draft choices and see what VanGundy is doing. Right now the system and the atmosphere will not attract top free agents. So the b.s. we are fed about going for a free agent the crap about Kobe, the truth was Garnett taking less money to go to Boston as opposed to coming back home for more.The window for repairing this mess in the next 2-3 years is closing.

Got a question for everyone. Why the heck are the Bulls not going after J-Kidd. I mean why would you not want a penetrating, rebounding, high assist guy. We have enough perimeter scorers. I say package up Duhon or Hinrich along with Thomas or Noah, 1st round pick next year, and maybe someone like Kryhappa to make it all work. Didn't Jason Kidd even make Mikki Moore look good. What is Paxson waiting for. He is going to lose out on another good player that would put the bulls over the edge. I guarantee the Bulls inside points and transition points would go way up if Kidd is on the team.

Watch out! The truck is backing up and preparing to start boarding 4-6 Bulls to be shipped to other teams before the trade deadline on Feb. 22nd

Some Bulls players taking Imodium these days are:

Ben Wallace
Ben Gordon
Luol Deng
Chris Duhon
Andres Nocioni
Thabo Sefolosha
Joe Smith
Adrian Griffin

A good guess is Gordon, Nocioni, & Wallace are safe because of big contracts. But, look for three (Smith, Duhon, Sefolosha) to be gone. And, one to be included for cap reasons (Griffin).

Who knows if Deng is healthy enough to trade or to give him a new contract. He my be the modern-day version of Bill Walton.

NOTHING can save the Bulls except a trade. I'd deal Wallace and Duhon for a half decent 2 guard and/or a big man with a few post moves.
Noah will makes us forget about Wallace just like Thabo has made us forget Duhon. It will be like rebuilding but not all of the way if the team clicks towards the end of the year. However, a move HAS TO be made to get Wallace out of town! No points + a few rebounds + the biggest salary on the team = POISON!

We should see if Denver would be willing to give JR Smith back to us:)

With all the bricks flying last night, you might have thought you were watching a mason's convention, but it was actually supposed to be a basketball game.
The Bulls can't hold it together to beat a team that only scored EIGHT (8) points in the first quarter.
They need a monster offensive scorer, not Hinrich throwing up balls like Steve Nash, which he isn't. Hinrich should be adding
to the total, not be the team's leading scorer.
I think one guy can make a difference.
The rest is in their heads.

With everyone giving blame to Jim Boylan, Ben Wallace, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Andres Nocioni and Kirk Hinrich, has anyone ever thought of who is really the mastermind to this attrocious season? It's John Paxson!
Pax needs to live by his own words and "be accountable" for this season. He picked Jim Boylan, a coach with no true head coaching experience when we were already 2 months into the season. He signed Ben Wallace to 60 million when even Detroit wouldnt pay him that much and he was an allstar and four time defensive player of the year there. He would not pull the trigger to part with any of "the core" players which could have netted us big names like Pau Gasol, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, etc...
We are into the 2nd half of the season and we need to decide whether to develop our young guys and tank the rest of the way for a good draft pick or make a trade before the deadline...

Um can we now stop berating Ben Gordon like it's completely his fault for the Bull's defensive miscues? I wrote the other day in the "bulls trade rumor" blog that the Bulls are bad defensively because they have poor rotation, don't help each other defensively and are constantly out of position. Seems Boylan agrees with me after saying that it was the worst help-defensive halves he has seen in a long time.........

Could have sworn they had their all Nba defensive team in there....Hinrich and Nocioni and Thabo and Ben Wallace and Noah and Thomas and.........well they couldn't guard the Timberwolves.

It is official: re-start from the top and work your way down the bottom. When I mean top, I don't just mean John Paxson --- start with kicking Jerry Reinsdorf's butt out of Chicago. Uncle Jerry, he of "organizations win championships" is the cancer that's killing this franchise. Refer to Jay Marriotti's columns. He is not interested in bringing in a franchise player.

When you read the headline fast it looks like something else. LOL!

I still wouldnt panick. They had their BEST player on the floor at home. This guy is an absolute beast! They are not the best team mind you, but this is the NBA and they were at home. Consider THEIR club who lost to the Bulls without 4 key contributers just last night. They have pride too! Bulls ran out of gas man. A back to back with all of those players out... I don't like it, but don't think they QUIT.

It is official: re-start from the top and work your way down the bottom. When I mean top, I don't just mean John Paxson --- start with kicking Jerry Reinsdorf's butt out of Chicago. Uncle Jerry, he of "organizations win championships" is the cancer that's killing this franchise. Refer to Jay Marriotti's columns. He is not interested in bringing in a franchise player.

Here's my offer:

I'd be willing to trade Hinrich, Duhon, Deng, Wallace, and Gordon for just one ambulatory player, and a bag of chips.

what if nobody showed up to the next home game?

or conversely...everyone show up and wear black...and be quiet as church mice

either way...Silence ...it's loud

Bulls are a bunch of A-Dollar Sign-Dollar Sign-holes.

one thing that has to happen immediately is NOCIONI needs to be placed in the starting line-up. he needs to play as much of the game as possible, his grit is one of the only things that is see bringing the bulls out of a rut like this almost halfway into the season

The Bulls have two real future allstars at this point that they should work around, Deng and Gordon. They play very well together. Look back on the last two years at their numbers when they are both on the court at the same time. They compliment each other like other good players sometimes do in basketball. We need to focus on them first and then add a Big in the middle who can score. My starting five would be Sefolosha, Gordon, Deng, Smith and Gasol. I would look to trade Hinrich and Wallace to the Grizzlies and get a couple of new role players from free agency during the summer. We need a couple of sharp shooters to help out with scoring. Defense wins championships but you have to have some type of offense. That is where the Bulls have found trouble.

This is a spoiled team that has been grossly overrated and sadly overpaid. Deng and Gordon aren't worth anywhere near the money they were offered. Wallace and Hinrich are both way too expensive for their play this year. I'm really tired of hearing how the team needs to "pay more" for top talent - this years mess is the result of PAYING TOO MUCH to players who don't give the effort. Anyone can throw big dollars at players indiscriminately. The key is signing professionals who will earn their check every night. A good GM does that.

Please don't blame injuries. Everyone has them. This team isn't hungry any more. It shows.

There are more white towels being thrown around in this blog than rat tail fest at a gay bath house...

PS

Asking me how i know will not be funny...or original.

I'd definitely take the trade route before I'd go tanking the season. We could still get as high as fifth in the weak East. I'd do everything in my power to explore trade possibilities if I were Paxson....and I agree with an earlier post that mentioned obtaining Jason Kidd. Why not give up Ben Gordon, Wallace and a 2009 first rounder (top 3 protected) for Kidd? You move Wallace's hideous contract and cancerous personality (which is what has killed this group.....NOT Scott Skiles or John Paxson), get Gordon out of here before we lose him for nothing and ship off yet another young player and we'd have Kidd for two years minimum. New Jersey would be getting much better players than the other offers that have been floating around in the press lately if this deal went down. In Chicago, Kidd would penetrate and make our young, long and lean players like Thabo, Tyrus, Joakim and Luol into studs. Kidd made Kenyon Martin and Mikki Moore look incredible, there's no telling what he could do here. And if worse came to worse and it didn't work out with Kidd, his contract is a year shorter than Big Bum's, so we'd free up the cash to sign someone else that much quicker. It all makes so much sense......which is why it probably won't happen.

Funny story about the Ben Wallace bobble head.

er uh...

Bobble Fro?

Hey you have to give it to Jim Boylan! He is doing a great job in making sure that the Bulls will hire a new coach at the end of the year. He is keeping the hopes of all Bull's fan alive that the Team will hire Van Gundy or Rick Carlisle(REAL Coaches) and dump Jim Boylan ASAP. How is Boylan doing this? Simple, he is playing Wallace major minutes every night thereby insuring the Bulls lose at least 70% of their games. A typical Wallace night against the Wolves, 8 boards 4 points in 35 minutes. All for just $15 million a year. How any coach could be so stupid to give Wallace 35 minutes a night? It is beyond me. Meanwhile A. Gray plays 15 minutes and gets 5 boards and 7 points. You do the math. Oh Wallace is on the floor for his defensive prowess you say? I guess that's why Al Jefferson had 25 points and 20 rebounds. Wallace is a cancer on the Team and a bad player to boot. Only Boylan is such a moron he can't see what Wallace really is. Maybe he's afraid of Wallace and his agent. Either way it's impossible to believe that he thinks Wallace deserves to start and will help lead them to victory. The good news is that he will soon get himself fired and the new coach will play the correct line-up: Hinrich, Thabo, Nocioni, Noah and Gray.

There are what 2 weeks before the trading deadline? And not a single rumor floating around mentioning the Bulls. What does that say about the value of Wallace, Gordon and Deng now? Keith keeps talking about how Wallace is important to have come play-off time but you have to make the play-offs first Keith and after Wednesday's performance it's looking more doubtful. Boylan hasn't managed to get this group of players focused and Skiles is probably kicked back with his 6 million and a miller lite contemplating hair club for men happy to be done with the Bulls.
Hiring a new head coach at this time wouldn't be fair to whom ever Pax would hire. But it's obvious Boylan isn't getting it done. Maybe it's time Pax came out of his office and told Boylan to move down one spot on the bench and take over the team he put together for the rest of the season re-evaluate what he has and start making plans for future moves. At the very least he should call his veteran players in one by one and let them know that if they don't start playing upto the money they are getting paid trades won't be just rumors. Would a statement like "cut the crap and commit to the Bull" cause another Chicago PC moment?

Ed in Richmond - Do you really believe every problem the Bulls have can be attributed to BEN WALLACE? Cmon man, be fair. Because Ben Wallace wasn't playing when Mr. Jefferson dropped 40 and 25 the other night. Dude is a bonefide beast.

Bulls are 500. And I have noticed how when the Bulls win - its Kirk, Noch and Noah's play. And when they lose - its because they no longer have Skiles, and Ben Wallace's fault. Ben Wallace got FAIR MARKET VALUE for his contract! Bulls snuck into Detroit and went to his home to get him, and we were doing back flips when he signed! He has a CHAMPIONSHIP RING, and 4 Defensive player of the year honors and the list goes on. He came to Chicago when NOBODY else would!!! And contrary to popular belief, guards the best player on the floor most nights - undersized! But we in Chicago think we need to bring in a player to compliment KIRK HINRICH!!!

Boylan knows EXACTLY what he is doing. And without Wallace, Jefferson drops a Kobe on our front line! Noah and Gray are the future, but Boylan needs some muscle right now.

Yall better listen to Brian A. and Jack.

The Bulls are quitters. This is the most embarrassing edition of a Chicago team in recent memory. For a city built on it's work ethic, we should be ashamed. I say that no one is untouchable and I'd start with our team leaders. At least Kirk has seemingly stepped up. Paxson needs to get off of his ass and move some of this dead weight. He has overvalued these guys. It's okay to admit when you're wrong and start over. The trade of Elton Brand pretty much sealed Krause's fate. Paxson's fate will be sealed by his lack of the sack to make a trade. Put Kirk, Noc, Thabo and Noah in the starting lineup and leave them there. They can start Ben Wallace at the 5. I think he will play better if the entire team is hustling. It's not a popular stance here, but I've seen Ben do well here and there recently.

Roman, where is my post? Was it the Converse thing?

boy oh boylan is only playing the team he is being told to play..... scott would not play ball so now he vacations.... luckily.... paxson needs a one way ticket to the nbadl to develop some gm skills.... this noah kid has some real fire these overhyped over paid vets hopefully will not throw too much water on it... our undersized center, WTF is his deal anyway? to much money, not enough size, not enough heart, this bum could not even sniff rodmans..... oh whatever... good news is help is on the way with trading deadline approaching.... hopefully... no all star reps from our hometown???...great job jerry, john, one hell of a half season!!!!!

The most over-used excuse to explain a loss is the "they must have quit" excuse. Couldn't it just be that they are not good enough to win? Coaches the say that their team isn't hustling hard enough, but the fact is, they are not that good, and that is why they are so inconsistent. Coaches will never admit to that, because they see their players every day, and are blinded to this fact.

I've seen every game and never once questioned their willingness to win.

They don't have the skill right now to win, period. Give this team to any coach and you'll get the same inconsistencies.

RogersPark Kris | February 1, 2008 11:00 AM - GREAT POST!!!

Excellent observation. I will bet you that Scott Skiles told Pax that the team plateaued. And i'd bet that Paxson disagreed. Paxson was right only because Skiles did not use all of his players and had lost the team. And enter Jim Boylan who has used every player. Bulls are not what Skiles thought they were, but they are not what Paxson thinks they might be either.

I look at other teams with similar records and say - they have a star - and some of them two stars! So be careful Pax. You have to bring in the RIGHT players. And for goodnes sakes - a NBA well-liked coach.

I read the posts and wonder if people see the same games I watch. The reason we have constantly had problems with Nets, Pistons, etc. is that Gordon is required to guard an active, BIG guard and just gets slaughtered. Then Hinrich is required to guard someone 3-6 inches taller because our "big" guard is 6'1" and needs to guard the smallest person on the other team. Thabo has proven this correct, better defense of the guards and Hinrich has been able to get off for a greater scoring offense. Missing Deng has Nocioni to play more and I think that has hurt him and his shooting %. Hard to be manic for 40+ minutes an second option on the team. The trade pieces are Gordon, Duhon, Tyrus, and maybe Wallace. Get TWO guards if possible, true point guard and 6'5-7" off guard. They are more available then a scoring big. It's time to train Noah, Thabo and Gray for the future. If we make the playoffs the experience will be great. It would take a miracle to reach the heights predicted at the start of the year.

Paxson doesn't have the sack to make a trade. I think he is so in love with his team that he couldn't bear to part with them this summer. Well this team is so hated that it almost makes me long for the days of Trenton Hassel and Kevin "Airball" Ollie! They might have had the talent of nine year old girls but atleast they gave it their all.

The bulls have so good pieces but they have to much redundant talent. All big guys that cant score and all little soft guys that can't drive to the basket. Same problem for 3 years and Paxson never replaced curry who he forced out of town with his agenda to get rid of all krause's players no matter what. Paxson is over matched as a GM if he honestly thought this team could compete!!! LOL the only team they have beaten in the playoffs in the last ten years is a broken down Maimi team that everyone tears up! Paxson you are dumb and delousional!

KLSS prior post after Bulls beat T-wolves: "Ask Culzie how he liked those 4 steals Wallace had last night against that beast?"

KLSS after Bulls loss " Because Ben Wallace wasn't playing when Mr. Jefferson dropped 40 and 25 the other night".

Keith - I, like many others here, strongly disagree (or is it "strenuously object") with your Wallace kool-aid.

How is it that big ben is the reason for the 4 steals against jefferson, but not the reaons behind the 40 and 25? Dont get me wrong, wallace isn't the only reason they stink but he's the obvious target for LOTS of reasons.

I agree, jefferson is a man. I laugh when people wonder why the Bulls couldn't get KG - well...let's see, it might have something to do that McHale knew the Bulls didn't have anything even close to big AL.

Paul Gasol to Lakers for Kwame Brown!!!!

Way to go Pax!!

Lakers trade Kwame Brown for Grizzlies' Gasol
Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times

The Lakers have traded center Kwame Brown (right), guard Javaris Crittenton and a series of draft picks between the two teams, to the Memphis Grizzlies for forward-center Pau Gasol.
By Mike Bresnahan, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
12:47 PM PST, February 1, 2008
The Lakers have acquired forward-center Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies for center Kwame Brown, guard Javaris Crittenton and a series of draft picks between the two teams, The Times has learned

Did anyone hear about the Lakers-Memphis trade? Gasol for Kwame Brown and Crittendon?? You mean to tell me the Bulls couldn't have packaged a better deal than that? Smith & Duhon, Noah and Big Ben? WTF? We missed out on another possible good trade. Where was Pax at when all this was being proposed? Must have been caught up or something but he really missed the boat on letting Gasol get away for Kwame Brown!!!!!

Tommy - for the record - I was refering to the 39/19 Jefferson hung on Amarie Staudemire and the Suns and the 40/25 he hung on New Jersey.

NOW INSPITE OF HOW CHICAGO FEELS (and most of it has to do with Scott Skiles firing) Listen to what MINNESOTA wrote:

Minnesota Website:

Forget the fact that the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Chicago Bulls played back-to-back nights in what could arguably be two of the worst NBA games to watch this season. Only two things kept the fans from leaving the arenas early in Chicago and Minnesota – blizzard conditions outside and Al Jefferson vs. Ben Wallace inside.

In spite of Wallace's obvious decline, he can still dig in and defend in the post. Although not as dominant as he once was, Wallace can still keep you from getting where you want to go, beat you up while you try to get there, and block your shot once he stops your move. The Bulls still recognize his defensive ability and don't double in the post as often as other teams, allowing Big Ben to defend his turf and his man on his own.