If there is one thing Bulls fans know about John Paxson, it is that he is quite hesitant to make a big trade. When Paxson was stockpiling top ten draft picks over the past few years, outsiders always thought he would eventually peddle those players for a star when the right one came along. When the Bulls passed on Pau Gasol at last season’s trading deadline, it was surely because Paxson was holding out for a bigger name, a brighter star. Then KG became available, as did Kobe Bryant. In each case, Pax was trigger shy; electing to rather have a team that features swarms of talented young players but no true star.
Now the Bulls are awful, holders of the NBA’s tenth worst record during a season they were supposed to challenge for a conference title. Yesterday’s 13-point win over Indiana was nice, but it has hardly been the norm for the Bulls this season, one in which everything that could go wrong has done just that.
The Bulls are once again in a position to make a trade, only this time it isn’t to beef themselves up for playoff bouts against the conference's elites, rather, to shed some bad contracts and try to fix what has turned out to be a colossal mess of a roster. A few trade scenarios have popped up around these internets this week, each one as interesting yet unsatisfying as the last. Have at it:
Andres Nocioni and Thabo Sefolosha to the Nets for Marcus Williams
Andres Nocioni isn’t perfect, as even his most stout supporters realize. He plays the same position as the team’s best player, seems to have developed into quite the chucker over the past two years, and carries a relatively expensive contract. That being said, if Paxson made this deal, he should be relieved of his duties. Marcus Williams is a nice player and all- a true point guard the Bulls could probably use- but Noce is likely too high of an asking price. For everything that has gone wrong, Noce may be this season's only bright spot.
Certainly Sefolosha has played himself out of trade talks with his recent performance as he begins to get regular minutes. Sefolosha played a season high 43 minutes last night and poured in 14 points.
The Verdict: No dice. Could you imagine if Pax rejected some of those rumored Kobe proposals and took this one? Yikes.
Ben Wallace to the Lakers for Vlad Radmanovic and Kwame Brown
Does Pax have the guts to admit he misfired so badly on his first ever big-time free agent after only a year and a half? I doubt it, and as much as I’d like Wallace gone, a package built around Kwame Brown’s expiring contract isn’t all that enticing. The only way I see the Bulls doing this trade is if they’ve determined that Wallace does more harm then good by even hanging around the team. Remember, the Bulls have done it before. They payed Tim Thomas a boatload of money not to play, and dealt potential cancer JR Smith before the season without ever thinking of giving him a shot.
The Verdict: Honestly, I’d do this trade. I think the Lakers would be getting the better end of the deal, but Wallace is the Bulls biggest problem. Dumping him would likely be addition by subtraction in every sense. After seeing what Joakim Noah can do, I’m fairly positive he could give the Bulls at least as much production as Wallace could right now.
Andres Nocioni, Joakim Noah, and Tyrus Thomas to the Grizzlies for Pau Gasol and Brian Cardinal
I think I actually hate Pau Gasol at this point just from all these trade rumors the past year. Last season, Pax shot down a trade that included (as reported by some outlets) both Luol Deng and Ben Gordon. That was a good move. This reported scenario would be a lot more desirable for the Bulls, but I still wouldn’t do it. They can have one of either Noah or Tyrus, not both, and I would throw in Gordon instead of Noce. I pretty much loathe Gordon, everyone knows that, but he has higher trade value too. Maybe including him saves one of the big guys. And just for the record, Gasol is pretty good, but he’s not a franchise saver like some people think he is. I mean Deng AND Gordon? That probably would have got you Kobe (pounding head into wall), who is roughly 32x times better then Easy PG. Also, just read this Brian Cardinal story. It's worth your time.
The Verdict: No, not for both young big men, though I’d try to make it work somehow else.
Roman Modrowski is the online sports editor for the 
People need to get off this "Pax missed on KG". The Bulls had nor have anybody as good as Al Jefferson. Does anyone watch this kid play? So the T-wolves had to pick up some police blotter materia with Telfair.
Oh yeah...Jefferson had 39 and 15 last night...
No GM in his right mind would take Thomas Paxson's botched draft day gem. And as soon as you unload him as per usual he will become a NBA player which he is not right now. Paxson it's time for you to step down you tried so hard to undo Jerry that you lost yourself and look what you have become, mini-Jerry! you out-sleuthed yourself and stood by your mistakes to a fault. Now it's time to return to who you are back to the booth let's get Larry Brown in for 3 yrs to fix this mess and find a competant management team [ GM and Coach ]. Does Mr. Reinsdorf read these columns?
None of these deals are worth anything but prospects. Gasol is the only real talent on the board but Jerry West is going to fleece Pax. Gasol wasn't worth Deng and Gordon and he is not worth Noah, Thomas and Noch. West is trying to replace the points and rebounds and get a young talent that is probably going to be as good as Gasol. Noch is already better in the playoffs.
To give Ben Wallace away like that is just a mistake. But I think media and fans angry with Wallace over Skile's firing are going to push this deal. Ronny Turiaf and Radmanovic, yes, but not Kwame Brown.
Noch for Marcus Williams straight up. Or Noch and somebody like Kryapah. But definitely NOT Thabo or Noah. We will need Williams since we plan on Dumping Gordon.
Where are these trades being discussed?
"A report out of New Jersey said the Nets are interested in Bulls forward Andres Nocioni. According to the Bergen Record, the teams have discussed a multiplayer trade in which Nocioni and guard Thabo Sefolosha would go to New Jersey for forward Bostjan Nachbar, guard Marcus Williams, guard Antoine Wright and center Jamaal Magloire."
you forgot NACHBAR!!!!
Any trade the Bulls make should have Wallace and Gordon as the cornerstone of the trade. Gordon and Wallace for Gasol and Miller would be nice.
How bout a 3 team deal sending Wallace to L.A. and Rodmanovic, Brown and Gordon to Memphis and Gasol and Miller to Chicago?
Giving the Bulls a starting line-up of Hinrich,Sefalosha,Deng,Gasol and Noah with Noce,Miller,Thomas,Smith and Duhon first off the bench.
Can we talk about Dana Jacobsons anti-jesus rant (that landed her only a 1 week suspension)..at the Mike and Mike Roast instead???
Jay Marriotti today: A report making the rounds in New York has Paxson shipping Nocioni and Thabo Sefolosha for point guard Marcus Williams, Bostjan Nachbar, Antoine Wright and Jamaal Magloire.
Make this deal if you are going to get rid of Gordon and Wallace. Williams is the point guard of the future and Antione Wright is a solid pickup. Magloire is done, but still will be helpful on the frontline and in the playoffs. Without Wallace...there will be a crater on the front line.
Is it good to post a question for your readers and then answer it?
Verdict: NO
Is good to ask us to make predictions and then make them yourself?
Verdict: NO
Is it funny or amusing to bloviate and pontificate which results in waste and abuse of our visually impairing computer monitor eyes?
Verdict: NO
Am I feeling that Hitman is more capable of taking over this blog than ROD
Verdict: NO - but...i need to see more....and by more..i mean LESS.
SunTimes: Running late
Because of the snow Wednesday afternoon and the resulting traffic, several Bulls -- among them Gordon, Ben Wallace, Joe Smith and Viktor Khryapa -- didn't arrive at the United Center the required 90 minutes before game time.
Boylan was asked if he would waive the automatic fines because of the weather. ''No,'' he said. ''We all live in Chicago.''
KLS-Boylan is a good guy and saying all the right things, but his demeanor is not head coach material. He never looks into the camera and seems to act as if he doesn't deserve to be head coach. I bet players pick that up. Sad part about that is, the team is responding to him. They are 500, but will turn the corner soon. All I can say is he is doing better than Cartwright and Floyd.
I agree with your verdict on the scenario involving a Gasol trade: Try to make it work somehow!
There has to be a way to do the deal without having to give up both Noah and Thomas. At this point, I actually prefer to keep Noah despite Thomas' limitless potential. It just seems like Thomas will never figure it out in a Bulls uniform. A change of scenery might just do it for him, a la Tyson Chandler.
Regarding Pau Gasol, however, I don't understand the lack of interest from many fans and even the media overall. His numbers speak for themselves. He shoots over 50% fg, over 80% from the line, a good passer from the post (averages over 3 assts a game for a big man!), and averages 20 pts + 10 rebs a game, including blocked shots. he's not your ordinary European bust. He is easily among the top 5 or 7 big men in the NBA today. Outside of Duncan, Dwight Howard, A. Stoudemire, Garnett, Nowitzki, Al Jefferson, all franchise-type players who are not going anywhere... who else would you prefer over Gasol? You get Gasol and keep Noah and then you don't have to worry about the 4 and 5 spots for the next 3 years at least. I'm not saying Gasol's a savior, he's not, but you can build around that and then make a pitch for Kobe in 2009 or whoever the next prize free agent is at the guard position. If Memphis want Noce that much, then match salaries with Ben Wallace and get rid of Thomas and his unlimited potential plus draft picks. That can work or maybe not, but like you said, try to make it work somehow! I'm tired of reading and listening about the Bulls' lack of a post presence just as much as I'm tired about Luol Deng becoming an NBA superstar. How long have we been hearing that, 4-5 years now? Come on, get real.
All three of the aforementioned trades are bad ideas for the Bulls. Why would we ever trade Nocioni and Thabo for Marcus Williams? First, we don't need another small guard, already having Hinrich and Duhon. Second, the trade just doesn't make sense. Sending arguably the heart of your team in Nocioni and a blossoming tall, young point guard who can defend three positions in Sefolosha would bring no benefit to the Bulls. Finally, Williams has a history of off the court issue, a negative for Paxson.
The second trade featuring Ben Wallace going to the Lakers for Kwame Brown and Radmanovic would only make sense if the Bulls were completely out of playoff contention, which they are not, and wanted to dump salary. I know Wallace has been a huge disappointment, but why not try putting another athletic big man on the court with Wallace,ie Noah or Thomas, and see what happens. Even though you lose some offense with two defensive big men in the game at the same time, Wallace was at his best when he had Rasheed Wallace backing him up. TRY THE SAME FORMULA! If it doesn't work, oh well, at least you tried.
Finally, sending Noce, Thomas, and Noah to the Grizzles for Gasol and Cardinal is an OK at best idea. I think the Bulls would be giving up way to much. I think that kind of package could have landed Kevin Garnett. But its time to make a change. I don't like the idea of swaping Ben Gordon for Noce in this deal. Gordon, although small and frustrating at times, has proved to be a legit offensive weapon. Not many other guys in the entire league can put points on the board like Gordon. That being said, I would offer Noce, Thomas or Noah, and a 1st round pick for Gasol and Mike Miller. The Grizz have a good young point guard in Mike Connley, Juan Carlos Navarro at SG, Noce at SF, Thomas/Noah/Warrick/Stromile Swift/Darko at the PF and C positions and an two probably top 20 picks. The Bulls would get the big man they want and another shooter which they desperately need. Start Kirk, Miller, Deng, Gasol, and Wallace. Joe Smith, Gordon, Duhon and either Noah or Thomas would be the guys off the bench. The Bulls get older. The Grizz younger and less expensive. Why doesn't that make sense?
And finally again. Why don't the Bulls draw up some plays to utilize Thomas god given athletic ability? Memphis threw three alloy-oops to Stromile Swift in a 5 minute time period. Give me a freaking break. Do some of the same. Also, when Thomas is in the game, push the freaking basketball. Try to get some fast breaks going ala Phoenix and New Jersey from a few years back. Thomas in the open court would be unstoppable. I know that other GM's have the same idea, thats why they want him so bad.
That is all, go Bulls.
Rickey, why even bother making any trades this year? unless it can win a championship it makes no sense. making some lame trade will only delay the inevitable. we all know that Chicago needs a superstar. KG is in Boston but after this year Kobe will be in the last year of his contract which will put the Lakers in the position of having to trade him or lose him the following year without compensation. Then Pax just needs to find out who Kobe wants as his coach.
Not much to trade at this point...
- Deng is hurt and soft
- Gordon can't guard anyone
- Hinrich can't shoot
- Thomas can't play...or remember the plays
- Joe Smith is too old
- Wallace is too...uhhh...indifferent and expensive
- Duhon - too drinky
Noch and Noah are probably the only players that another team would want and would be willing to actually give the Bulls something in return.
If you go to Yahoo and check out their +/- scores for each player, you see that Wallace and Gordon consistently have large minuses(usually over -10). Just trading them for draft choices would improve the team! Last night was a perfect example and that was without Deng who has had large minuses since he got hurt. Chcago should be trying to make a trade for a big guard like Salmons from Sacramento or maybe Navarro from Memphis for his point guard capability. Noah is ready to become the center with Gray and Tyrus helping(Noah is better than Chandler no matter what people think). Smith, Tyrus and occasionally Noce can be the 4. If Wallace could become the veteran and just do his best for the team, he can stay, Gordon has to leave because he was keeping Thabo off the floor and just SCREWS the defense. This team is as good as any in the East IF they will play the right lineup. Hinrich, Thabo, Noah, Smith, Deng. Wallace, Noce and Duhon off the bench with that new 6'6" off guard(maybe Jefferson from Nets)? Mariotti is wrong, no one will give the Bulls a better team, we are just young.
bculz doesn't seem like the brightest crayon in the crayon box...
the bulls should just trade my fanhood to dallas for a box of crackerjacks and a half eaten hotdog
Anonymous - Pao Gasol is really solid, but there are at least 10 Centers before him: Howard, Duncan, Yao, Jefferson, Brand, Bynum, Aldridge, Shaq, Illgauskis, Stoudemire, Bosh, Kaman, Boozer, Curry?? But he is definitely worth getting if he can be had to play WITH Wallace. We need TWO stars on the block people. I would deal Deng, Gordon and Thomas for Gasol and Miller.
Ryan Kerr - the reason the Bulls don't run alley-oop plays for Thomas is because they don't have a true playmaker/point guard talented enough to make that pass. That is why Thomas's name comes up in trades. He is just like Tyson Chandler in that aspect of his game. He simply does not have the hoops IQ, but a true point will set it all up for him. The Nets want him to catch passes from Kidd. And they want to steal Noch so they can advance to the finals. They KNOW what both players can do.
bculz - Although this may be seen as an attempt to maintain my status as "Ricky's dawg", I don't see what your problem is. There's nothing wrong with Ricky giving his opinion on things before we present our views. This is a strange whiff from you, seeing as how I usually don't find anything unusually stupid about what you write here.
After all, Ricky's not terribly wrong terribly often (think of this as a sort of "Noles compliment", Ricky), so hearing what he has to say isn't completely irritating (and far less irritating than 98% of the comments, (the other 2% are mine)).
I'm with Ricky on the first two trade ideas.....Wallace is one of the least productive players in the NBA, and his defense, while usually good, is vastly overrated.
I'd probably do the Gasol trade....I don't project either Noah or Thomas to be an above-average NBA starter ever, so I don't feel like losing them would be all too serious. If Gordon would be swapped for Noc it would be encouraging, but Pau Gasol would make Gordon better by not allowing defenses to simply concentrate on Ben in late-game situations, so I don't think that substitution is all that necessary, even taking into account Gordon's shotty defense.
Recommendation for posting: Discuss White Sox Dotel acquisition and rumors surrounding Bartolo Colon.
Ricky, your age is showing again. Admit it, you're in high school right? You got this gig because your Dad's good friends with Roman.
Your hatred for Gordon shows your accumen for the NBA comes from PS3. He has NOTHING around him that can make it's own shot, draw double teams, or give him an open shot & YET he still avg's about 20 PPG per year on a team as clueless offensively as they come in the NBA.
It should be obvious even to a high schooler that trading Gordon right now means throwing away any shot at the playoffs. A smart GM will trade Gordon when SOMEONE emerges that can avg 20 PPG long-term.
Until that day arrives Paxs should just wait it out. Both Gordon & Deng turned down $50 mil offers & their stock has plummeted. Without an impressive run in the playoffs by both they can't even dream of getting better than that from any one else. The same can be said of Wallace. The time to trade him is after an impressive playoff run.
I agree with the suggestion of pairing the big men. Kirk, Duhon, Noah, Wallace, & Noce should be the starting 5. Some combination of Noah-Wallace-Thomas should be on the floor at all times.
It would have taken Noce, Kirk, & Deng to get Kevin Garnett. Right now that looks like the right move, but no one could have predicted such a major drop-off from Deng.
Ricky responds: I really don't see what age has to do with realizing 6'2 shooting guards who can't play defense, pass, or even score as consistently as they should aren't particularly valuable. I mean seriously Old Man Rivers, you've been probably been watching basketball since Johnny Red Kerr was a standout center on U of I and you don't realize this? I actually like Gordon a lot as a fan, it's just if I'm building a team, I don't want him on it. Also, why so angry at me? Maybe you calm down by watching a couple reruns of MASH or something.
LOL@Culzie... drunk before noon ...my hero
Um with Juan - Gordon is a rare commodity. If I had to give away Kirk or Gordon - I would choose Kirk. The ONLY reason I even mention Gordon and Deng in trades - is because of their contracts and value to the trade. If Pax can get Gasol and Miller for Kirk Hinrich, Andres Nocioni, and Tyrus Thomas or Noah - I say pull the trigger.
I would also like to see a topic on whether the McCaskeys have a son named Rocky who can take over the moribund Bears and turn them into an elite franchise.
so when Is Ricky's mug going to replace Roman's? Any truth to THAT rumor. If turnkey is your style Roman, then, I got a subway to sell you.
Ricky responds: Trust me, no body wants to see that.
I hope your getting paid for this SilverSpoon...(thats my new nic for you).
Also, it was 9:30am AZT, but im better now.
Love the guy who just took the pot shot at my crayon brightness..dude..im freakin "burnt sienna" or "raw umber" and your just "corn flower" you dont know me son!
Im with Keith and "Juan on Juan" on this too...Gordon is still one of those rare clutch gamers. You cant coach that and its hard to come by those players. We need to build around Gordon, Thomas, Noah, Deng...and Gray..everyone else is expendable.
SilverSpoon, truthfully, i think after you silenced my Native American Cry....i just lost all respect!
Truth is Roman and Sweeney are starting a fight club in San Fransisco together....its totally hush hush and rumor has it HBO may be involved in the financing....maybe Bravo....not sure.......Story Still Developing...
Ricky, you're obviously too young to realize that Paxson was less of a player than Gordon is. He is too short, too slow, & not much of a passer. He didn't need to be. All Jackson asked of Paxson was to get in the way of other guards & get open so MJ & Scottie can find him. That formula won the Bulls a string of championships.
If you know anything about BB, then you should know the Bulls offensive mindset is abysmal. Come the 4th quarter & it's like "here's the ball Ben, please find a way." That amounts to saying "Ben, be like Mike." It's a complete joke. Jackson would never have wanted Paxson setting up the offense. He wanted Paxson to spend his energy getting open.
So why does Ben do it? Because the Bulls have no one else.
Ricky responds: Well I think we both agree on Gordon's ceiling as a player, the problem with keeping him is a) he has a lot trade value and b) to resign him, the Bulls will have to give him a large amount of money, that in my opinion he isn't worth. Gordon would be fantastic on a good team where he can come off the bench and only be a scorer, but he just doesn't fit well for the Bulls right now. The NBA has a salary cap so you can't just keep stockpiling up players. The Bulls need to use the money they would spend on keep Gordon to find a more well rounded shooting guard to be the primary scorer. As a big Bulls fan, I really do like Gordon. It's just that the only thing he does is score, and he isn't all that consistent at doing that even. If he could average 25 points a night, then he's fine, deficiencies and all. But he's still not at that level. He's too streaky to be the primary offensive option on a good team.
Unless Kobe becomes available again, or Memphis is giving away Gasol for nothing, a trade at this point would be out of panic or just to please (shut up) fans and sports writers.
What the Bulls needed all along was a coach to play Sefolosha, Noah, Thomas, and Gray. The help the core (Dang, Henrich and Gordon) needed was sitting on the bench all along. Too bad it took injuries for Paxson's coaches to see this fact.
Paxson is much better at selecting talent than he is at finding a coach who can/will execute his vision on the court. So far every coach Paxson has chosen has sabatoged his vision, the season, and careers/confidence of good young players.
P.S.
The Bulls will get Deng and Gordon for about 10 mil cheaper, after this season, so why make a bad trade now?
Ricky Carmine,
Gordon is as good a rebounder as Capt Kirk. Gordon doesn't risk his body to get junk rebounds. He goes after them in crunch time. I think even someone as young as you understands 4th quarter rebounds have greater value to a team. He's on pace for 300 rebounds this year which is a +42 over last year.
You yourself said if he can avg 25 PPG he's a keeper. Take a look at what his average is in game's where both Deng & Capt Kirk have played. It's much higher than 20 PPG. In his last 4 games he's avg'g 27 PPG.
What would Boston's record be if Garnett played as little as Deng has? We didn't trade for KG because Paxson sees a potential all-star in Deng. So why doesn't any one write about what a severe loss his play has been for the team? Because the expectation is that the Bulls are good enough to win with Gordon even if Capt Kirk & Deng don't play.
Ricky, you're also diminishing Gordon's value as a team player. Many players would have sulked or demanded a trade at the act of being taken out of the starting lineup. Gordon's thrived. Gordon's 19.6 PPG is worth much more than Deng's 17.9 PPG because the bulk of Gordon's points come at crunch time when the game's on the line.
So what's the market value for a guy who comes off the bench, avg's over 35 min a game, shoots mid-90's from the line, & mid-40's against a defender or two, scores the bulk of the team's 4th quarter points, finds a way to get a clutch rebound or two then, & remains healthy enough to usually lead the team in games played?
Right...we cant go crying for a trade now...we would be at the mercy of the league.
Best to wing it out (unless we can still get Kobe) and hope we GEL late and everyone trade value rises back up and the rest of the league forgets about the puke excuse for a team that is currently wearing Bulls Red.
KLTSS-you were very good on the Pau Gasol numbers, 10 at least are better than him, not to mention the ones who are tougher, and play more defense.
As far as Gordon, please, a streaky shooter with career percentage averages not really higher than Hinrich, and he gives up almost as much as he scores (please, do not let me go to NBA.com and pull up his stats, it will make me really puke.)
He is a sixth man at best. His shot selection is iffy, passing is very late and inaccurate(just look up when you have the ball Ben), cannot dribble out of a double team. Turns the ball over in crunch time, and has trouble creating his own shot in clutch times consistently during games. But when he is hot in the third quarter, or early fourth quarter, we all wonder if he can keep it up. NO!! Package him wherever you want. Noce, for as slow-footed as he moves, is defensive oriented, and highly aggressive, that is the combo you need for a 3. Thabo is developing nicely (finally), Noah is Noah, the game still hasn't slowed down to his liking, but he is playing better. Deng, reminds me of Paul Pierce without the 3 point range, or the determination to get the ball.
Whoever said Ben's points were more important because they were at the end of the game forgot the rule that basketball in the NBA is 48 minutes, and you can shoot yourself out of a game in the first quarter. Deng's points are just as valuable, the problem is there is no post presence to help Deng or Gordon out, so there are gaps when no one scores.
Roscoe and Juan - Great Posts. Culzie great point about Gordon's talent. The things you can't coach makes a player special. People made Skiles into a little legend, when he was nothing more than a disciplinarian. That has its place and only goes so far. Its not enough to just say, "we pay you a lot now be great or we will TRADE/fire YOU". Doesn't work in any other venue and surely will not work in the NBA.
Bulls need a star to win it all - and the organization and fans were drooling over guys who aren't doing anything really. The core was being shopped and they responded by losing. Coach and management were sending mixed messages - and acting mean and practicing them to death. Players revolt, coach got fired, trades died. Now the players are responding to the freedom in the air and the opportunities that exists for the young guys. Its great because its answering a lot of questions the we only thought could be answered in a trade. We have a couple of people that can provide some offense on the low block. We have two players committed to attacking the rim. We have a big defensive guard to take pressure off Kirk. And the Indiana game answered a question - can the core players take a step forward towards stardom? For one night Kirk answered that question.
Some of you guys must be smoking something. There is no way you trade Thomas or Noah. Noah is the Rambis/Rodman/Bowen type that gives you all the intangibles. He could auguably be the next Rodman. Common sense says that at 6'8 217 the only teams Thomas could play PF for is GS or PHX. How about working with him this summer and trying him at SF. It worked for Shawn Marion. Not to mention he is the best shotblocker on the team. Gasol is not a cornerstone. If I am getting anything from Mem it would be Gay, which is a big guard that can pass defend and get to the line, but not for Thomas and Noah. I like Wallace to LA, but they need to include Farmer or Crittendon. Browns contract comes off the books and we could use that money to go after Igoudala. First and foremost we need to find a coach that understands how to get the most out of his personnel. Is there no one in the organization with backbone enough to tell BG you are not a starter. You come off the bencch like Stackhouse. You are not going to win a championship, I repeat you are not going to win a championship. Please play the young guys. Nocioni for Magloire is not bad if we can get rid of Wallace, but add Sean Williams to that.
Your possible starting lineup could be
Hinrich PG
Igoudala SG
Deng SF
Noah PF
Magloire C
Sixth Man Gordon
Thomas
Sefolosha
Please don't let Thomas end up like Chandler
"we pay you a lot now be great or we will TRADE/fire YOU". Doesn't work in any other venue and surely will not work in the NBA. "
Keith..just curious...do you actually work? When people here attain exec level and associated comp, they are held to a higher standard. When they don't produce the numbers, they are gone. I know others at MSFT and MOT, no different there. Do you read the layoffs in the papers? Do you see what happens in the corporate world when numbers aren't attained? Unfortunately, other than a few in the corner offices, these people can't rest on guaranteed $60M contracts. Your comment is WAY off base.
Your assessment of Gordon is a bit one-sided. Sure, offensively he can shoot. Not create his shot but he can shoot. Unfortunately on D, teams attack him...early and often. How do those 2 things make him "special"?
Ricky this started out as 3 simple questions, but based on the responses its easy to see why Pax stayed pat. A bad deal will further villify the guy. Besides timing is everything and I think the Bulls needed a trade right around the time Skiles was fired. A message needed to be sent to the PLAYERS also, especially that core which has taken a huge step backwards.
The Chuck - great post. You are right about Deng, but all of the pressure mounts in the 4th. Half-time adjustments are made, and that is when the STARS shine. Ben Gordon only give the Bulls a CHANCE - they really shouldn't have at the end of games. He is the last ditch effort. It should have to come down to him - being undersized and have to navigate his way through 2-3 defenders with all the fans, players and coach depending on him... That is how badly we need a POINT GUARD, who is supposed to make sure we dont have to go to plan Gordon.
I think that the Bulls fans have over-valued Kirk and blame most of the team's shortcomings on Ben Gordon. It's true that he's smaller than most SG in the league, but he's the best scorer on the team. Like previously posted, the fact that he can accomplish this while other teams view him as the person that they need to stop in order to win, proves that he is a keeper. People make excuses for Kirk by saying that the reason that he sucks is because he has to guard the opposing team's "best player", and this affects his production on the offensive end, but couldn't the same argument be made for Gordon when he faces double teams on the offensive end? Package Kirk and get a true PG and maybe some more bench pieces, and then this team will take off.
Does anybody on this board actually watch the NBA? Gasol doesn't play center for the Griz...Darko does. OK, fine, he doesn't play center either...
I've said this since last year...trade Deng. Yes, he's our best player when healthy, still has some untapped potential, but I don't believe he's ever going to be a star. He has Noce playing behind him, who, while not Deng, is a very solid player. And Deng has the most trade value on the team. You can get a need in return...a big man or big guard. It's similar to the Sox 3rd base situation...you have 2 guys that can start & play. Depth is great, but why not try to improve somewhere where you have a big weakness besides having great depth at one position? I prefer Deng over Noce in general, but when you are trying to upgrade the team at other positions, you need to trade where you are deepest to get the type of value in return that you are looking for.
As for the proposed trades...my opinion:
1. No way
2. In a heartbeat. Wallace isn't very good anymore, and is duplicated by Noah. Get most of his salary off the books w/Brown's expiring contract. Free's up $ for future FA signings and/or to resign gordon/deng. This year is pretty much a lost cause anyhow, and Wallace isn't getting any better/younger or cheaper. Then again, I'd trade Wallace for anything besides another horrible contract of the same length or longer. He's below average and seemingly bad for team chemistry.
3. I'd think about this one...but I think I'd turn it down. Noah looks like he has the chance (in a few yrs) to be better than Chandler, and everyone would love to have someone like him on the team now. Someone athletic, defending, scoring high % baskets, rebounding. Thomas I wouldn't have much problem trading. I also don't like the contracts that you are taking on w/G & C. I'd probably trade Thomas & Deng for Gasol straight up (no cardinal!), although I don't think that would work $ wise.
Post has been stuck on #33 for a while??
Sign?
Im not hearing anyone talking about Captain Kirk. How about sending his butt somewhere. Kirk is not a true point and he dribbles toooooo much. They tried to make chicken salad out of chicken @#$%. The Bulls need a true point and a true center to compete. We lost out on Aldridge, blew a chance to get KG, and didn't pull the trigger for Kobe. Imagine a lineup with Deng, Kobe and KG, just for starters. After that it does not matter who you throw out there. This team lacks heart, dedication, accountability, chemistry, intestinal fortitude( another adjective fits better) and a coach that can get these guys playing. They have been overachieving for the last 2 years and now the cat is out of the bag. I wish we had a team full of Duhons, Nocionis, Noahs and Smiths. Those guys at least go out and put it the line everytime they step out.If i have to watch Ben Wallace half ass it on the floor anymore im going to go find a bridge and.......Well you know the axiom. This team is a total Dan Ryan traffic jam and needs to be blown up from the GM to the players. They only have a few that care anyway, so i say if you don't want to be here go play in Miami and see how it feels right now.
Hiinrich should not be traded. One, there is no one to replace him on the team. Gordon is a great outside shooter, but he can't dribble, defend, or truely rebound, sorry that is basketball. Look at the number of turnovers this year, they are way down and even more so when Duhon and Kirk play together. And the defense is way up with Thabo on the floor. We can score enough points without Gordon, especially with Noah and Thabo on the court. I would like a trade of Wallace for Kirilenko straight up and Gordon sent for a big guard like Salmons or maybe Navarro from Memphis. Keep Tyrus and work with him, he has such a huge up side on defense and rebounding at least.
Heinrich is an average to below average point guard on a good team. People in this town have settled for mediocrity which is the reason that his proposed value is elevated for some people. He dribbles the ball until late in the shot clock, and then passes it to someone else with little time left, or he shoots a terrible shot. He not a great passer, can't create his own shot, and does not make those around him any better. The best role that he can play on this team is that of a bargaining chip.
Ricky every one of your analyses show that you are actually watching the games, not just checking the box scores. Whatever your age, you have more basketball insight than 99% of the fools posting here. Juan needs to give up his man crush on Gordon. I too absolutely loathe Gordon, yet I am torn over who to trade first, Bambi Gordon or Hangdog Hinrich. Gordon will never be a NBA quality starter, your right he would be perfect as a 6th man scorer off the bench for a championship team like Detriot or Boston. While I agree that his ability to score is a commodity that the Bulls lack, if you stop watching the ball and just follow Gordon around the court, you will find yourself puking at the way he quits on every single play, offense or defense. The only time he tries is when he tries to get a shot off. He is a brain dead, pot head like slacker. I can't even stand to look and listen to his demeanor in interviews, just based on that I would never have drafted him. Also, for a 6" NBA player he is unbelievably unathletic. He is stiffer than George Muresan was, he must be wearing Will Purdues old size 22s coated with vaseline, because he spends more time slipping, sliding, stumbling and bumbling around the court than the BlackHawks do and they play on ice. Gordon literally is the guy who cant walk and chew gum at the same time. He isn't worth the $5 million per he makes now, and will not recieve any free agent offers beyond the mid level exception.
As much as I loathe Bambi Gordon, I would trade Hangdog Hinrich if we could get a big point, true point guard like a Kidd or Billups. However, now that Thabo may have finally lucked(injury forced Boylan to open his eyes) into the starting 2 guard job that should have been his from opening night both Hinrich and Gordon are more tolerable as long as they are not on the court at the same time, which should never be allowed.
I would trade Wallace for Kwame just for cap relief and Wallace relief, I think that he is a club house cancer and a bum on the court. I am more than happy to go with Noah and Gray at center for the rest of this season. The Laker trade is probably our only hope to get rid of Wallaces contract, unfortunately Jerry Buss is kind of cheap just like Reinsdorf and I doubt that he will take on the remaining 2 years of Wallaces contract.
As for Gasol, does anybody remember who our owner is, no way he pays Gasol and Wallace at the same time. so if we can't dump Wallace first there is no Gasol trade, unless Wallace is part of it, and no way Memphis takes on his contract since their primary motivation to trade Gasol is to get rid of his contract. While Gasol can score some, he is another soft mope a dope, just like the 2 Bens, Gordon and Wallace. No way I include Noah or Nocioni in this trade. Noah is the keeper over Thomas in a heartbeat, and a brainbeat both of which Noah has in abundance, and Thomas doesn't. Any 2 player combination of Wallace Gordon, Thomas or Hangdog Hinrich works for me, but unfortunately not for Memphis. If we can steal Gasol, I would go get him, but I would not overpay for him, anything is better than Wallace. I bet he would be booed out of the United Center by the end of this season if acquired
Noah, Nocioni, and Thabo are the only Bulls that I enjoy and look forward to watching. Those three and Deng are our 4 only keepers, maybe add Gray and Curry to the list for the future. If he isn't traded by the trading deadline Thomas needs to start or receive guarenteed significant playing time to see what he can be. Joe Smith is a nice player, if we were a serious playoff team, but the way this season has gone he needs to be a role playing backup so as not to impeed the development of Thomas. My starters for the rest of the season, Hinrich, Thabo, Deng/Nocioni, Thomas and Noah. Add Curry to the roster and put Duhon at the end of the bench. Play Wallace and Smith backup minutes, and if they mope suspend them.
TRADE RUMOR ON RADIO HERE IN PHX...
Ben Wallace trade to Phoenix?
Chicago received Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, Marcus Bank
To make a huge trade at this junction just to make a possible one and done playoff makes no sense. Thabo and Noc are two of our strongest 'all around' players.
I say trade for Navarro. Strong basketball are in his blood and it'll help to make the playoffs this season and let the neighborhood bars make a little extra cash and kick Paxson in his dairy air this spring to make some changes.
This Chicago basketball franchise should be called the Yo-Yo's. UN-BE-LIEVABLE!
Good Post Keith.
Yes, they should not depend on Gordon in EVERY clutch situation like they do, who is about my height, but a much better shooter. But they do. Wallace, I still go back and forth on him, I knew when they got him he would not be as good as in Det., but I did not expect this. This is just terrible.
Someone said Gasol does not play center, well we were being nice with that comparison, because there are WAY more PF better than Gasol, he's soft like now and laters. Doesn't play defense, and settles for too many jumpers.
We do need a PG that will actually run the team and take most of the pressure off Ben, but so do a lot of teams. I would also love to have a low post scorer to take the slack off, too. They've invested in Hinrich, so they're stuck with him. We just need to see more Gray inside, or trade for a veteran Big Man with some low post moves and give Wallace a break, it looks like teams are playing way off him now.
Why doesn't Wallace practice the 12 footers off the glass from the high block, they back off him when he's there, it sure saved Scottie's career.
Just some musings as I haven't felt motivated to comment much on the sad state of sports in Chicago lately but.....
I can't speculate on who the Bulls need, as we could play that game all day. I will say that watching Ben Wallace, Tyrus Thomas, Thabo Sefolosha, Joakim Noah and Chris Duhon look completely lost on offense and defense is very frustrating. Who is working with the young players to help them develop? I see high draft picks wasting away and not coming close to realizing their potential. We attack the talent on this team to death, when are we going to start holding coaches responsible for the stagnant development of these players? Let me guess, using (SKILES LINE OF REASONING) the players must be lazy, unmotivated and not interested in being good.......of course that's it.
One of my biggest issues with Skiles was that I didn't feel he could develop talent, and it's true. However where are the assistants in this process? Why won't(and yes I said WON'T)John Paxson hire some former big men to help bring our big guys along? Maybe instead of dissing Pippen they should hire him to help bring Thabo along and teach the whole team HOW TO PLAY POSITION DEFENSE! Yes I said it, the Bulls fail on defense consistently because they don't play position defense well at all. It's not all Ben Gordon's fault as to why they aren't good defensively, that is just a tired excuse and I am really sick of hearing it. It's a myth, the type of thing people say because they hear it alot and just keep repeating. If people are telling me that Gordon must win his position and consistently loses his that's why Bulls lose, then the Bulls must be winning the other positions right? Not so fast......
Does Gordon play defense well? No. Is he to blame for their blow out losses? Um, no. See, if Gordon's man is scoring 40 on him like so many people claim, where are the rest of the points being scored? I don't see Deng, Hinrich, Wallace,Duhon, Thomas, Joe Smith or anyone else locking anybody down. In fact, I see guards scoring at will on Hinrich because he DOESN'T PLAY GOOD POSITION DEFENSE! One could argue that the amount of dumb fouls Hinrich gets on him causes him to be a lame duck on defense many times a game in an attempt to not foul out. Is it me or did Rudy Gay completely take Luol Deng to school Monday? it was horrifying to not only watch him lock Deng down, but school him offensively too! I don't hear them being ripped apart for their defense, but I always hear Gordon being torn to shreds. Also, people moan about how Gordon is short and has trouble shooting over bigger guards. Um, news flash but anyone who doesn't have the last name Jordan is going to have trouble consistently getting their shot off against taller opponents. See Deng vs Tayshaun Prince 07 Playoffs and Deng vs Gay MLK day game played this past Monday.
I think what people fail to realize is that Gordon "KNOWS" he can't be out there trying to draw offensive fouls and slapping away at the ball feverishly getting dumb fouls(you know, aka Hinrich type fouls). So he lets alot of people get past him "EXPECTING HELP" that either never comes or comes too late. He can't foul out of games, he needs to be in there at the end. If people are expecting Luol Deng or Hinrich to score in the clutch they are expecting Unicorns and Dragons to appear too! Why doesn't anyone talk about the Bull's horrible defensive switching and rotation? The Bulls were a good defensive team "WITH GORDON" when they had VETS who knew about how to rotate and defend the basket. People it's not a coincidence that they were better defensively with vets Antonio Davis and PJ Brown playing inside. Guess people forgot about them.
As for the people that say Gordon dribbles too much. Of course he does. Why is that? Because when he has no driving lane and is waiting for SOMEONE........anyone........to come over and set a screen, or to cut to the basket......or get good positioning down low so he can feed the ball inside(omg what am I saying, feed the ball inside) LOL.....sorry I am delirious......time is ticking off the clock. People moan about his shooting percentage....well if you are a 6'2 guard with a 6'5 defender on you and the shot clock is at 4 and you CAN'T pass the ball because there is no motion in your offense that would create passing lanes you will take horrible off balance rushed shots. I guess people don't understand how being the last option in an "haphazard a$$" offensive set will effect shooting percentages.
Bottom line.......
Get some coaches in here to "DEVELOP" the talent they have. Some specialists with post moves and someone to introduce the "How to Shoot a Jumpshot Consistently Concept" to Thabo, Duhon and Hinrich.
Get come coaches/assistants who know how to design an "offensive scheme" that will effectively utilize their personnel!(they should also be sent to work with the Bears on the same thing)
Get some coaches in here to "TEACH" the Bulls how to play team defense and EVERYTHING that goes along with that.(Passing lanes, defensive rotation, defensive positioning, my GAWD DEFENSIVE REBOUNDING POSIITION) etc.
As for the trade, if they trade Gordon they will need a VERY talented offensive player to replace him. A first option scorer that can start. Preferably a frontcourt option like a Pau Gasol/Jermaine O'neal type that will compliment Luol Deng. If they trade Deng they need a VERY talented offensive guard/forward. If they get a combo guy like that(think someone offensively talented like Jason Richardson]Andre Igoudala) that would allow him and Thabo to play at the same time on the court, one at the 2, the other at the 3 and allow them to be interchangeable, and Gordon coming off the bench. Then we will have something!
sorry the post was so long :)
What is most unbelievable is that Boylan continues to play Wallace and Noah together rendering the offense virtually impotent. If he had played Gray with Noah at least they would have had some offensive threat down low even if that meant a weaker defense down low. Thomas played well in the 1st half also, why didn't he return in the 2nd half? Maybe Boylan should consult with "Red" Kerr about his rotation or Norm Van Lier. I get very tired listening to both of them say the same things I have been saying on this blog since the start of the season. Maybe it's a good thing Sunday's game will not be televised.
That PHX trade rumor was me by the way!
I can't believe I'm making such a selfless post, but guys, c'mon, Ricky's age has nothing to do with whether he's right or wrong. Believe it or not, there are some people in the 18-22 age range who know sports way better than 99% of the people older than that. I would know. I'm one of them. Trust me, you're all wrong a LOT (some way less then others). Did I say this post was selfless? Oh yeah.....
BW, you're as clueless as Ricky when it comes to evaluating the Bulls. As evidenced from last night I will say it again: you can't trade Gordon UNTIL a player emerges that can be the go to guy in the 4th quarter. No GM is going to give you a better player than Gordon in a trade.
It should be obvious now that what I said earlier: without Gordon, the Bulls can't win. Deng would not have made much difference in last night's game.
Getting rid of Wallace and Gordon is huge. You overpaid for a big little man and a little man is holding you salary hostage, and now he's conveiniently hurt [hmmm]. Those two and Nocioni are the only trade value the Bulls have. No one in their right mind who make a starter out of Gordon and both coaches played him in too long of stretches and got him exposed. Wallace complains and got more minutes than he needs to play. When are the Bulls going to hire a coach for the bigs to develop? Gray has a great upside needs developing minutes, needs to be 1st option when in the game as he gets touches and the feel for the speed of the game he will improve. Thomas is too skinny to play power forward, doesn't want to work to be small forward. Why did the Bulls draft a Gordon clone in Curry did Paxson forget he already had one Ben Gordon? Better yet why does Paxson keep drafting little guards? Why did Paxson draft another comp piece like Noah? What is the purpose of drafting projects when your team is full of them? All these musings and no answers. Roman can you answer any of these questions?
Boy, the Bulls looked tough against the Bobcats.
Skiles is the one who is turning out to be lucky. Getting fired meant he didn't have to stick around to suffer through a crappy season. AND it looks like the team -- so lackadasical, so unfocused -- really needs a kick in the a**. Boyland aint that dude.
Good luck, John cleaning up your mess. I didn't think you could be hoodwinked by so many underperformers -- the cherry on the top being Ben Wallace. But you're proving you're out of your league.
Kobe Trade?..anyone?? Meow??
Juan since when has Gordon been a clutch go to guy? He has turned the ball over or forced up bad shots more often than he has made a clutch shot at the end of a game. He's good instant offense off the bench but he's not a game ending go to guy and never will be. Where friday night's game was concerned look at when Charlotte opened up the double digit lead, it was when Wallace and Noah were on the floor together leaving the Bulls offense impotent. Face the fact that no one guards Wallace and when he does get the ball close to the rim he's fouled and more often than not misses both free throws. If Thmoas had been on the floor with Noah at center at least he helps spread the floor because he gets guarded and if he is fouled he's close to 70% from the line. If gray had been on the floor with noah at least he has the ability to finish in the paint and is better from the line than wallace.
Hinrich and Sefaloha were a combined 12 for 32 and many of those misses were wide open shots from less than 18 feet without an offensive rebound. The Bobcats also had 4 more turn overs but the Bulls failed to convert them. The Bulls shot 37% for the game, 42% would have given them a win.
I know! I've got it!!!! The trade that will give the Bulls 20 World Champpionships in a row!!!! How about Ben Wallace for Bill Walton, Earl Monroe, and Oscar Robertson!!! I think they are all still alive, and would do worlds better with their moxie, and their pot smoking, rather than Wallace, who just goes out and plays hard!!!!! Dummies
Here's question? Who would you rather have shoot the last shot of a game, Gordon or Kobe? Gordon or LeBron? Gordon or D. Wade? Gordon or Nash? Gordon or Nowitzki? Gordon or K.G.? Gordon or ...?
That was only 5. There are about 10-20 more I could name who legitimately can win the game on a last second shot ahead of Ben Gordon, who is undersized for his position. And outside of Nash and Dirk, they play way more defense than Ben Gordon. T. Mac. Yao. T.Parker. Duncan. Ginobilli. Stoudamire. Howard(Dwight or Josh), please do not have me talking about the shortcomings of Ben, because he does not want to play defense. How do I know, his man always put up about as much as he does, or as the score guys say his plus-minus is lowest on the team(tied).
Ben is a nice player, but I would take any of those guys over B.G. any day, and a lot more, Melo, A.I., there's ten right there, and I haven't even picked up half the teams yet. Chris Bosh, Chris Paul. I could go on.
The thing is I like Ben, he is just a below 50% shooter, who does not play defense with any conviction(just like Deng, all of a sudden.) It handicaps him, and that is the main reason he is not a starter, now for all the geniuses, would you take Ben Gordon over any of the names I picked legitimately to take the last shot for your team.
Bulls need Nocioni and Sefolosha.
They MUST get rid of Wallace.
Duhon can go, and so can Deng for an offensive star.
Why Deng? He's a Scottie Pippen who needs a Michael Jordan.
Without a Jordan, he'll never get any better.
Gordon is sixth man -- only.
Hinrich needs to score 20+ a game or he can go, too.
He's not Steve Nash, so don't hope for it.
Paxon has been reeling since passing on Brandon Roy and taking Thomas. I agree that Paxon fails to think ouitside the box and always does what he is supposed to do. For him not to land KG, Ray Allen or Rsshard Lewis proves the point. To have 2 top ten picks and draft for the same position shows that the first pick was a mistake.
i would like to see the bulls make a run at chris kaman and c mobley of the clippers in exchange for wallace, duhon and thomas.it would give the bulls a post player and a bigger defender
at the sg spot.
(Kobe)Bryant wrote "Get some coaches in here to "DEVELOP" the talent they have. Some specialists with post moves and someone to introduce the "How to Shoot a Jumpshot Consistently Concept" to Thabo, Duhon and Hinrich".
I guess Paxson read your suggestion because he may hire Mike Brown. Also, a long post is fine as long as you make sense and you did.
Ben Gordon or Heinrich for Jason Kidd makes a lot of sense. The Bulls would easily get Gordon's 19 points back in reduced turnovers (esp in crunch time) and Kidd would make all of the Bulls big men a lot better especially Thomas, Noah, Gray and Wallace. Yes, I said Wallace. Jason Kidd would have Wallace averaging 10-12 points a game easy.
Were are you guys getting these trades from. No GM would take on someone elses garbage in trade, if you want them out WHO will take them and even give you anything but their castoffs. Only teams with hope gamble with players teams with no hope have kooks propose outrageous trade ideas in hopes of saving a franchise that doesn't want to save itself. People are leaving the sinking ship like rats (Sklies) because Paxson (Ahab) has lost his mind and is still chasing the white whale ( championship)and the team is in full mutiny. Well lets toss him overboard and get a new capt and first mate instead the Capt. and Gilligan.
Posted by: Bryant | January 26, 2008 04:09 AM - I AGREE 100%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will agree with djssr....
any trade from us at this point would be done from a underhanded position.
meaning...we dont hold the cards anymore...and every other GM in the league knows it.
Carl | January 25, 2008 06:48 AM - For the record I do work. And for a powerful rich company. And in my division, there is a LOT of dead weight jokers getting salaries and going home after lunch. And they do that BECAUSE they know they are good when they have to be. And management will NEVER come after them because they will simply go to another company and get even MORE money and a higher position. I know because this happened to a manager I work with that tried the Skiles approach. Her entire team quit - went and got new jobs and now she has hired a bunch of goofy looking jokers with NO experience. SHE is working nights and weekends trying to make up her work and its aged her like Wisconsin cheese. And what was her reward - she got called in by the powers that be and they reprimanded her and all but demoted her for how she handled the departing employees. (with extra meaness) You like drill seargeants? Watch army movies. All the rest of us in free America like leaders who inspire and relate. Cause at the end of the day, after you finish talking trash - you might have to throw some hands. And its best to shut up if you can't.
Carl - its easy to do a lot of juvenile screaming and drop a load in your diaper like many coaches do. But it takes genuine effort to reach and teach like Phil Jackson. And that is who should be PAID. The ones who get players to play. But folks in Chicago want to blame the players. Phil Jackson had the biggest most talented baby in the game in LA complaining and threatening every friggin day. He still got the job done. But folks in Chicago didn't see that masterful job, but instead credited - and wanted the crying baby and all his baggage. To play for the drill seargeant. Incredible.
I also agree with djssr and culzie on the trade point.
The best thing Paxson can do is address the Deng and Gordon problem and hire a head coach. I am endorsing Scottie or Boylan for the rest ofthe season. I say Scottie because he will definitely show Thabo and Kirk how to play the point. And if push comes to shove, suit up for the playoffs. I know its crazy, but Scottie would be our best playmaker should Pax hire him. And if it all doesnt work...just hire a new coach next season and start over. But tell me it wouldnt be exciting and interesting???
I know it would answer some ball pressure questions in the 4th quarter!! Scottie could check ANY player on the bulls roster including Ben Wallace. In fact, Scottie can check anyone in the organization except Jerry Reinsdorf.
I can't believe Paxton had a chance to trade that albatross Ben Wallace and didn't do it. They would have had some cap relief with Kwame Brown's expiring contract next year that would have helped. It's a lot easier to make trades and big signings when you are under the cap. Pax really has a problem of falling in love with his draft picks and signings. It's really getting in the way of making the team better. Potential trades for Kevin Garnett and Pau Gasol didn't happen because if it and now the Bulls are regressing. It's also about time the team started playing Sefolosha. He does remind me a lot of Scottie Pippen. When Pippen came into the league he couldn't shoot a lick, but over time he became an adequate shooter. He played good defense and could pass the ball and rebound well for his position. Sefolosha just needs playing time like everyone else. You can't get better if you don't play. They need to get rid of one of the small guards as there aren't enough minutes and make a decision on who is going to be your small forward of the future, Noce or Deng and trade the other one. You can't just stockpile round pegs because you like them and then try and stuff them into square holes like they have been trying to do for a while now. They are hanging onto the hope of getting the number eight spot in the playoff's for some reason. Won't that be exciting watching the bulls struggle for that spot with an under .500 record and a first round sweep be the Celtics or Pistons.
the bulls should get T-MAC. giving up Wallace,Nocioni,and Deng. And maybe even gordan instead of Deng.the bulls need a team leader which they dont have. one of those can get us under contral. this trade has a chance of happening before the deadline, i promise
the bulls are stupid for giving up a shot at KG or Kobe.but now get T-Mac