Rose vs. Beasley -- cutting through the garbage

Ricky, your posts are usually better than Romans, however, this might be your dumbest post of all time, except for the fact that you are correct that Rose should be the pick.

If Beasely is the pick, then Gooden has to be moved, he is not going to be happy coming of the bench. And Thomas has no starting position, with Deng and Beasely on the roster.

Vince Carter is a piece of crap and his contract is idiotic. We should still be thinking about being under the cap for the 2010-2011 season and Lebrons opt out year. which is easily acheiveable if we trade Hinrich, Gordon and Deng.

No way I give up either Thomas or Noah for Anthony if Deng is in the deal, that is insane, throw in Gooden instead, and give the starting 4 spot to Thomas, even though I think he might make a better 3. Don't like Anthony much as a player or especially as a person, however Gordon, Gooden and Deng is a deal that I could live with, I am not a huge Deng fan.

Starting line-up Rose, Thabo, Anthony, Thomas and Noah. Although as long as we are stuck with Hughes, I bet he starts in place of Thabo.

The move to make that no one is talking about is to trade any combination of Deng, Hinrich, Gordon, Gooden, Hughes, and even Nocioni to Miami for the second pick and end up with Rose and Beasely.

Starting line-up: Rose, Thabo, Thomas at the three, Beasely and Noah. In 2-3 years all these guys would be 22-25 years old and ready to start a serious championship run, and we would be under the cap enough to make a run at Lebron. Who knows he might want to play with that team.

The difference between these to options is would you rather have Anthony, or Beasely, and is Thomas ultimately better suited to be a small forward or a power forward. If Beasely is the beast that everybody thinks that he is then it is a no brainer between he and Anthony.

If you could find a way to make both trades happen, by giving up Thomas also, then you have a starting line-up of; Rose, Thabo, Anthony, Beasely, and Noah, with only Gray, and Jameson Curry left on the bench. Probably can't happen since both Denver and Miami would probably want Deng as the starting point of either deal, but we can fantasize in May, cant we.

This is not the year to give up on Thomas. Rose should have a huge impact on his development, and the third year is the year that Pippen and Grant started to become players, and they were 3 years older than Thomas to begin with.

The Bulls should make every effort to get the second pick, doing so is more important than finding a new coach before the draft. The only keepers on the current roster are Noah, Thomas, Thabo, and maybe Nocioni.

Ricky responds Ok, few things. First, Gooden's deal expires after this year. I think a lot of people's opinion of him is inflated from a small amount of game's he played here last year. He's not a star. You keep him (or deal him as an expiring contract). It's only one year. And the dude you're bringing in is 19! So Gooden would totally get a lot of PT next year if the Bulls draft Beasley. He'd only be around for one year- he wouldn't need to go. Anyways, Gooden isn't good enough to be 'accommodated' in the first place. So I just disagree completely with your reasoning there.

Tyrus wouldn't have to be dealt either for one reason: he has no value. No reason to trade him if you can't get anything for him. Even though he was a high pick, he isn't entitled to playing time. I love Tyrus, he's my favorite guy on the team. But the Bulls can't get anything for him now. First, he hasn't produced. Second, the Bulls have sort of publically embarassed him.

Also Tyrus at 3 is insane. When dummy Boylan pulled that last year, the Bulls got smoked. Even though he has a developing jumper, he has no handle at all, and needs to be positioned defensively as a weakside blocker. He can't really be in space.

And Deng's a nice player, but he's WAY overrated. He can't shoot threes and isn't athletic. His ceiling isn't that high. I'd fo sho' trade him for Melo, who may be one of the league's three best scorers.

And I don't think any combination of guy's on the Bulls can get the #2 pick. I don't. I would be awesome, but it's kind of unrealistic, unless Miami REALLY doesn't like Beasley. Chad Ford says the Heat may take Mayo over Beasley now, but you figure they still want a pick.

Best basketball player Chicago's ever produced?

Umm... let's let him play a game in the NBA before we crown him king of Chicago?

Dwyane Wade basically won the NBA championship by himself...

Let's take off the red colored glasses for a sec.

Ricky responds: Talking about high school. Rose was a million times higher regarded than Wade in high school.

Beasley is what the Bulls need...Hope Paxson picks him.

I'm sorry but every time I read Michael Beasley I can't help but think of my little sister's favorite doll Mrs. Beasley. Much like a security blanket she dragged that thing around until it literally fell apart. Then years later as an adult she saw a Mrs. Beasley doll on e-bay. I never asked her how she paid for it but I'm sure it was way too much. My point here is the price of taking Michael Beasley with the #1 pick is NOT getting Derrick Rose and that price is too much! Beasley is NOT going to make everyone around him better, Rose will. Also the current roster NEEDS changing, it will go nowhere inserting Beasley at PF and hanging on to Hinrich and Gordon. Hinrich, Gordon and Deng have trade value, I would not be too quick to package Thomas in a trade with a point guard like Rose that can do for him what CP3 has done for Chandler. What kind of a monster would Rose transform Thabo into? And talk about lock down perimeter defense...Rose and Thabo? No more midget backcourt, no more dribbling at the top of the circle for 12 seconds and forcing up shots or getting trapped and stripped. Face the reality here....you can have 3 Beasleys in the front court but if you don't have someone that can get the ball to them they're worthless.

Beasley couldn't even take his college team to the Championship game. He's no Carmelo.

Beastly sounds like the word 'fierce' does nowadays...I know...it's not a choice...I'm just sayin..

I forgot...the Bulls will sell way more Rose jerseys than Beasley jerseys. And it's still a business.

Let's see: The 2008 NBA finals featuring the Lakers and the Celtics, a matchup that could be repeated for several years.

The Lakers' leader is point, I mean cent, I mean shooting guard Kobe Bryant.

The Celtics' leaders are point, I mean cent, I mean scoring forwards Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

So Rick is correct, that titles are not won by flat out scorers (Michael Jordan 6 times) rather they are won by point guards and centers only. So taking Beasley would be a very dumb move over taking Rose, who Rick has annointed "The Best player ever to come out of Chicago".

No offense to Rose, but he was the same player that was barely being recruited prior to his team winning the state championship in his SENIOR year (in an era when 7th and 8th graders are being signed to verbals). Rose is going to be a standout player, but let's let him build a bit bigger resume before we start throwing out accolades that are at this point outlandish.

I believe the comparisons to Paul and Williams are that they both really came out of nowhere to be superstars. Rose could just be the same.

But the object of the game is still to score more points than the other team and currently the Bulls don't have that go-to consistent guy-- Beasley is that guy!

Ricky responds: Beasley isn't at the level of MJ, LeBron and Kobe. He reminds most people of Carmelo, who has never won anything. There's a lot of great scorers that don't win. Beasley has some character concerns too. There's a good chance he turns into a me-first gunner. When a great point guard is available, you take him over a great scorer. It's much harder to acquire a point guard than a scorer. Go get VC, Michael Redd, Melo, anyone. There's lots of great scorers available. Great point guards don't come nearly as easy.

I have a better idea. Recently, there has been a rumor of Miami being interested in Hinrich. Trade him along with Thomas and next years number one for the second pick. Now the Bulls can draft both Rose and Beasley pairing them up for the next ten years. Miami instantly gets an upgrade of talent. Thomas will develope on a team like Miami. Just a thought.

Ricky responds: Dude, I like where your head is at, but Miami wouldn't accept that in a million years. Kirk is at best an average PG, Tyrus hasn't proven anything and has no value. TT has never produced (even though I love him, he hasn't), and everyone thinks he's a slacker. Miami wouldn't trade the #2 pick for Deng and Gordon, let alone TT and Kirk. Nice thought though.

Roman, don't tell me how tall these guys are. Tell me about their vertical leaps. Tell me about their wing-spans. That's where the best defensive players excel.

Jay proved why he's Moronitti in lambasting the Bulls for emphasizing defense in these coaching interviews. Last I looked the Bulls play in the E Conf & you can't win that conf unless you are one of the better defensive teams in the league. I may be wrong, but I think that was the more glaring decline on the Bulls.

Because there are no long-term albatross contracts on the Bulls Paxson is in a prime position to work trades for what he wants. I wouldn't even rule out Rose + Beasley when you consider the possibility of 3/4 team deals.

Coming from a Denver fan, trust me no matter what you want to give the Nuggets for Melo, none of the Bulls current junk is desirable in a trade for Melo. Keep in mind he starts for the Western Conference All Stars, as well as Team USA, and has been to the playoffs every season in the much superior Western Conference (a feat that Lebron cannot claim in the Eastern Conference). The only way the Nugs contemplate a deal with the Bulls is if the No. 1 pick is in it, and the Bulls are too enamored (thanks to CP3) with Rose to give him up. Add Rose to the Bulls current mix and you just might get the 4 seed in the East, in the West, you're back in the lottery.

Rick:

Great point guards don't win NBA titles these days. How many NBA titles do Jason Kidd or Steve Nash have? How many does John Stockton have? Answer: NONE. Tony Parker has 3, but that is because he plays with one of the best big men of all time in Tim Duncan. Until last year, Parker was very much a complimentary part in the Spurs' success, not the reason they won.

Look at the last four teams standing in this year's playoffs. Only one of them have a PG considered among the NBA's league (Parker). Billups is on the decline, Rondo is unproven and Fisher is a good leader but isn't a true point -- he's really a role player. On th other hand, three of the four teams have excellent big men (Duncan, Garnett, Gasol) -- and Rasheed Wallace isn't too shabby, either.

I understand Derrick Rose will PROBABLY (not definitely) become a great NBA player. But he's not Chris Paul in his playmaking ability. He averaged a whopping FOUR assists per game at Memphis and didn't show the same kind of court vision and creativity you see in the elite PGs. Is he an upgrade on Hinrich? Yes, but not, IMO, a huge one. On the other hand, Beasley dominated his competition much more so than did Rose, dragged a Kansas State team that had awful guard play into the NCAA tournament on his back and beat a favored USC team in the tournament. The kid is a walking 20/10 machine who can play inside or outside (shot 38% from the 3-point line). He is a bigger upgrade over Gooden or Thomas than Rose is over Hinrich.

In the end, this is a win-win situation for the Bulls. Take either player, they will immediately upgrade the team. The decision may come down on which current players Paxson feels he can get value back in return, because he is going to have to move at least one frontcourt guy if he takes Beasley and at least one backcourt guy if he takes Rose. Everyone thinks Hinrich is gone if he takes Rose, but I think there's just as good of a chance that it will be Gordon who leaves in that situation -- especially since Ben hasn't backed off his desire for more money than the Bulls seem willing to give him. A Rose-Hinrich backcourt isn't as explosive offensively, but would be bigger, much better defensively and in playmaking/ballhandling ability than a Rose-Gordon one.

Look I respect Paxson as a player but as a GM the man has made more blunders than Manny Ramirez in the outfield ! First choosing Ben Gorden a small guard with no defesive abilty over Andre Igoudala a 6-6 guard that can play D and score the same amount of points.Second choosing Loul Deng a guy who can't score on his own or play D over Josh Smith who score the same amount points as lou and going to be defensive player of the year for many years.Third trading Tyson Chandler a 7-1 center for P.J. Brown who retired the next year , J.R. Smith who they traded to denver for nothing worth talking about and who kills them everytime he play them and a 2nd round pick. Then sign Ben wallace who did nothing for more money and ,then said we have to get bigger after he traded a 7-1 center! The best choice has to be Derrick Rose the only thing that would improve the whole team and make mess Paxson created better!

Ricky responds: I think we can all agree that Pax is terrible GM. I have no faith in him at all. Again, Kobe and D'Antoni should be here. That team would be good for 150 points a night. Now he has to make some moves if he picks Rose. Will he get value for Kirk and BG7? Will he deal them at all? I get that Pax is probably a super nice guy, but he is an awful GM.

Ricky, why not trade Hinrich to the Suns for the 15? And grab Roy Hibbert or Chase Buddinger?

Ricky responds: I would like that a lot, but you gotta make it work within the cap. Hinrich has a huge cap number, in the NBA, trades have to 125% of each other. In that deal, the Suns would be taking on $47 mil (or whatever) and the Bulls wouldn't take on anything. Even after you sign the 15th pick, he won't make nearly enough money to make the cap figures work.

Oh and Hibbert and Buddiger are terrible. Hibbert is just a cooler version of Aaron Gray. I don't like him at all. I used to like Budinger, but I went to the U of I-Zona game this year at the United Center, and he's terrible. He doesn't fight through screens, and often gives up on the possession if he doesn't get the ball right a way. That's not the kind of guy the Bulls need. Now at 15 (like I said, it won't happen for Kirk just because it can't), I'd like Darrell Arthur or Kosta Koufos.

I,m telling you bulls fans PAXSON should draft ROSE , Beasley remind me of a taller Big Dog Glenn Robinson!

I like the numbers Beasley put up in college but I am a little concerned about his size. He is listed I think at 6'9" and 235 pounds. Isn't Deng the same size at small forward? I like my power forwards a little bigger. I think we need to get Rose because Hinrich is struggling running this team. We need to trade Hinrich or Gordon with Deng and get Carmelo Anthony. Rose and Anthony will be a great combo. We missed out on Paul Gasol, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnet so Paxson needs to seal the deal and get Carmelo. We have enough pieces to make this happen. We need a player that will get double teams. If you trade Gordon and Deng for Carmelo you still have Hughes at SG and also Hinrich can play some SG. I am not sure how the cap would work with the trade but both teams could throw some pieces in to get the cap to work. If Paxson is smart we can make this team back to a contender in the East this year. And the only other thing to do is hire the best coach available which is Avery Johnson.

How do the Bulls have the assets to put together a better off than Richard Jefferson and the #10? In Deng and Gordon, any team would get a bill for $20 million + annually for the next five years for two players who aren't All-Stars. Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah aren't exactly making the deal much better. Denver has a frontcourt that includes Kenyon Martin, Marcus Camby, and Nene. Tyrus Thomas and Noah couldn't beat out the likes of Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, and Drew Gooden for minutes.

It is a nice dream scenario, but it would be nice if you are a little more professional in your writing and realize other teams aren't oblivious to the flaws of the players on the Bulls roster.

Ricky responds: Here's my thinking: From the Bulls you are getting two established young players, both are really good. Gordon is good for 20 points every night and Deng is good for 17/5/5. Tyrus and Noah are better than anyone you can get at 10. They're better than Kevin Love, DJ Augustin (Rose OWNED him) or Russ Westbrook. I think that Deng-Gordon-Ty/Jo is better than RJ-Marcus Williams-10- and Van Horns contract. In the NBA you need to overpay free agents anyways to get them to leave their team (look at Shard Lewis), so the cap space created for them with the Van Horn contract will likely just be used to overpay a young guy anyways.

The bulls should draft rose with the #1 pick.And I like Rick,s idea with melo but lets add a little more to that deal.Kirk,Gordan,Deng,and Noah for JR smith,melo and the 20 pick.and with the 20 pick we can grab a center Hibbert,and mcgee acn still be on the board at 20. then we have rose,smith,melo,gooden, and hibbert.With thabo,larry,noche,and tyrus on the bench that team could really run.

Rick, you chided someone else for suggesting a trade that doesn't work under cap rules, then you suggest a Gordon-Deng, double base-year compensation deal to Denver that is impossible. Good work.

Ricky responds: Thanks man! I'm no cap expert here, so thanks for pointing that out.

Ricky, you lost your credibility when you think Pax is a terrible GM. Your not trading baseball cards(or is it basketbakk cards?). Trades don't get done for a reason. Hensley wanted to screw the Bulls and so did Minnesota that's why we didn't get Gasol or Garnet. Get real. I live in the LA area and Kobe would not have been traded for the whole Bulls roster. Wake up and either increase or decrease your meds and needed.
As for the Rose Beasely thinking. It should be Rose. I really like Hinrich and hope he stays. He plays defense, listens to the coach and DOES make the team better and he is a combo guard being used wrong. They did not have a choice with Gordon and Duhon being so flakey. Gordon gave up on the team along with Tyrus, trade both of them, period. They are not going to make it. Try to trade Hughes for a solid SG. If we can trade for Beasely do it, but they will probably want Hinrich or Deng. But, if we do that, it will be a couple of years before we will contend.
As for the D'Antoni thing, I would rather have a Mitchell or McMillan type coach. To say your players can't play defense is crazy. The are making 5 mil plus!!!!
On trading for Anthony or Carter, they are both malcontents. They will screw around for a another couple of years and then go off to drive their Bentleys.
Basketball is a team game. You need a star on your team that cares and is a three tool player(scores, defense, and thinks team). If you can only get two out of a player it should be defense and team. Paxson believes that, so does Phil Jackson. We should also.

Do any of you Bulls fans actually watch college basketball and seen both the full season of Rose and Beasley? From what I've been reading, I don't think so. Beasley played in one of the toughest conferences and completely dominated. KSU didn't make the NCAA tourney for TWELVE years before Beasley. Beasley didn't just bring them to the tourney for the first time in 12 years, he actually got them to beat national champion Kansas at one point in the season and put them in the top 10. Most of the hype settled on Rose on the NCAA tourney because Beasley couldn't just bring a school that went from nothing to deep in the tourney so they went out round 2 and Rose played for a school that was EXPECTED to compete for a national title before Rose was even on the team. Additionally, Rose's competition all year long was against one of the weakest conferences in college basketball.

And whats with the weak point that you need NBA PGs to win and this is a PGs league? wtf? Hello, look at the NBA Final 4 right now. What two teams are winning their series? Boston and LA. Who are their point guards? Rajon Rondo and Derek Fisher. Where is Cp3 and Deron? Oh wait, they already got eliminated. Who won the 2006 NBA Championship? The Heat. With what PG? Jason Williams.... How many championships do Nash and Kidd have? Um... NONE.

Anyone remember the Kevin Durant hype last year? Beasley did even BETTER. Whoever says its just because he had the chance to pound undersized, weaker players in college... boy you are wrong. He was triple teamed half the time and what difference did it make? Nothing. One time he was quadrupled and still scored. I think scoring on 3 or 4 players is tougher than one big body in the NBA.

If ANY team wants to compete, the main need is a scoring option in the paint. ALL the teams that made it far, ALL the teams that won the championship, had a player in the paint. Thats what bit the Bulls in the arse for the past few years and now is the chance to get Beasley.... someone with the best inside-outside game coming out of college that anyone has seen in a LONG time. He can score from anywhere, on anyone. Forget his size... Talent beats that... and believe me... players like Beasley are as rare as players like Rose.

And for those who are already giving up on Hinrich over one bad year? What a joke. Look at the year he had before that. Every Bulls fan was claiming he's one of the best PGs in the league. What a shame it is.... His job is very difficult considering the weak talent in the paint. Teams focused on the perimeter all the time because there was no threat in the post. With Beasley that changes.

Chicago needs to make the right choice and take Beasley. A lineup of Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, Beasley, Noah would be far better than one with Rose, Gordon, Deng, Tyrus, and Noah. Rose's strengths will be to run an offense with no talent. The only go to scorers would be Gordon and Deng... Not something you want to see.

(Arguably)The top 5 power forwards in the league:

1. Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
2. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
3. Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns
4. Carlos Boozer, Utah Jazz
5. Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors

For the most part they have the same in common, as to which Beasley most definitely DOES not have:

-Height ( Boozer (6 '9) being the one exception, but his defense makes up for his height and somewhat pedestrian scoring)
-Terrific fade away
-Tremendous Athletes ( Nowitzki being the one exception)

Not to mention Beasley is a head case. Give him millions of dollars, and you'll find this out quickly.

And theres no way Beasley averages 20 points in the NBA.

The number 1 pick is a complete no brainer. Just ask Miami who is all ready talking about passing on Beasley and going for Mayo at # 2.

As many of you noted, Rose is the choice. He simply makes the players around him better. And Da Bulls need a leader that can help create offense. The kid also plays defense, which is a plus. The biggest argument I see, is whom to get rid of and whom to acquire. I feel that the addition of Rose makes Hinrich the most espendable. Because he'll probably have the most trade value and could help us get another player of need. He is simply not the answer at point guard for us. But could be of value to many other teams. The trick is not to give up the entire farm just to bring in a player. IMO, both Hinrich and Hughes are the exact same player. Both inconsistent shooters and over dribble way too much. Although I do feel Hughes is a little better in the open court and a slightly better defender. So both to me are expendable. But as I said, Hinrich could probably bring you more in a trade. And remember, we still have Curry, Brown and even Duhon that could be thrown in the mix to help the trade. Good young prospects. As for Deng, he has shown his worth. He dissappears for to many stretches of the game. He is not the man you build a franchise around. 17pts a game does not make you a star. He is the complement player to the true star. So yes, he is expendable also. With Gordon's near 20pts a game,coming off the bench, you keep that. No matter how much he complains. He is still a defensive liability. So that role fits him. A la Vinnie "The Microwave" Johnson. My point is that we have trade bait to offer. The decision is who to go after. VC? H3ll NO! Carmelo? Possibly, but doubtful. My choice would be Andrew Bynum or even Jermaine O'neal. Both of those teams need guards and both of those centers could help our corp, if healthy. Those are only options. Any bonafide big man is what we should be looking for. A true low-post player.

As for all the D'antoni talk, I don't understand. He is not the guy people think he is. Look at the talent he had on that team. Nash, Stoudemire, Marion, Barbosa and even Shaq. And what has he done with them? Absolutely nothing. Why, no defense! If he couldn't do anyhthing with that talent, then honestly, what could he do with our mediocre talent here? So I do understand Pax's decision of not jumping on him too fast. Well, that's my thoughts for now. Go Bulls!

Read this article... You guys that want Beasley won't want him after reading this.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/11/AR2007031101466.html

Ricky's right about the cap impacting trades but he's exagerating Kirk's. Kirk has $36m left & it will be down to $8m by 2011/12. As talent goes in the NBA that's not bad.

In comparison V Carter has $66m left & it will be up to $18m by 2011/12. Carter's deal is the real cap killer.

Marion's expiring contract is $17m for the Heat & Banks is $15m. That's the basis for any deal to get Beasley from Riley.

Bulls- take ROSE!!! GOD gives the bulls nr 1 to take HOMEGRown player ...it is GODs will....don t mess it up..just pick ROSe. MIke B. is great but bulls won the lottery to take Chicago born player ...can t u see that this is GODS will. who don t see this is blind...

POLAND (KRAKOW) greetings all BULLS ..and CUBS:) fans ;)

Here is my offseason, if my name is John Paxson..
Trade Hinrich and Gooden to Clippers for Elton Brand
Sign Gordon (5-35mil)and trade him, Andres Nocioni,Cedric Simmons, and '09 1st Rnd pick to Rockets for Tracy McGrady.
Draft Derrick Rose
Starting Lineup:
Rose, McGrady, Deng, Brand, Noah
Bench:
Hughes, Thabo,Tyrus, Gray, '08 2nd Rnd pick (Bruiser)
Sign Tyronn Lue, and Pat Garrity with mid-level exception.
All trades work under cap!
Best part would be Hughes, and Mcgrady both coming off the books in the coveted summer of 2010! That is 30 million, say after resigning Deng, Tyrus, and Thabo, we have around 12-15 million... Have Lebron make his choice of NY, Clev, or the Chi!!
This is what should happen!

Well it would appear that Noah has fallen from the choir boy ranks with a misdomeanor cannibus possesion charge. How will this impact Paxson's off season dealings? In his defense, since the joint hadn't been lit yet he didn't have a chance to inhale! LMAO

When I look back at the players the Bulls had and could have kept, I have little faith in their decision making process.

JR will trade a dollar for a nickle if he thinks it will save him a dime somewhere down the road.

No matter who the Bulls draft, you can bet on this much; they'll get rid of the wrong players after doing so, and keep the ones who will help their number one pick the least.

I do believe that they should take Rose and hopefully he can improve his FT% because that will be a problem for a guy who will have the ball in critical moments late in a game.

I would not say that Rose is the best high school player to come out of Chicago based on his high school stats.
Mark Aguirre?
Kevin Garnett?
Terry Cummings?
Nick Anderson?
Who cares if he is from Chicago? If he can play then I won't care if he is from Oz and it should not to any one else either. Stop acting like this is some small bumkin town.

I never saw the movie K-Pax with Kevin Spacey, but I remember he ate a banana without peeling it. When you take that into account, Rose will most likely be lacing those Jordans up in Chicago come next fall.

Ricky responds: That's the kind of analysis the Sun-Times needs in their sports blogs. Sign this kid up.

This is a very tough but good situation to be in. I look at in two perspectives. First, the obvious choice here would be Beasley. He is exactly what we have been craving for since we stupidly gave up on another undersized really good pivot man in Elton Brand. This Bulls team is only a year removed from winning 49 games and making a semi deep playoff push. The core of that team is still together and there is no reason to to think that they couldn't get back to that level with an elite low post player. This roster does need a few tweaks in order to balance the rotation, but Beasley would be the right man in a perfect world. But from a P.R perspective, you would have to go with Rose in an attempt to keep a dwindling fan base interested in an underacheiving team. While I give Pax plenty of credit for cleaning up the mess that Krause put together, he has made some significant blunders over the last two years. Bringing in solid character guys from big programs was good initially with Hinrich, Deng, Gordon, and Duhon. Then he took advantage of the Isiah and Knicks by gift wrapping Curry for two lottery picks, shrewd move indeed. This is where things fell of course though. In a draft that produced future stars in Roy, Aldridge, and Gay, we end up with TT who was in the same mold as Chandler. Pax followed that up with signing Wallace (who was an shorter older version of TT/Chandler) to a big contract! We then trade Chandler for nothing. Aldridge would have made more sense because of his offensive prowess along with Chandler. We get Noah in the next draft (another hustle player in mold of TT/Wallace) At this time, we had a number of quality assets that could have brought us that elite player that all contending teams have, but Pax fell too much in love with his own creation and tremendously overvalued his trade chips. We missed out on Garnett, Gasol, and Bryant (even though that would have been a real stretch)and even coaches Carlisle, D'Antoni. All of these names were linked to the Bulls over the last year or two and Pax didn't have a set to make any of these a reality. That is where Rose comes into play. He would bring some potential starpower and credibility back to a franchise that desperately needs it. While Beasley probably will have more impact stats wise next season, Rose value will exceed far beyond that. With Rose in fold and the Bulls playing extremely well being in the third largest market, this team will look much more attractive to a monster free agent class in 2010. With all that being said, I would draft Rose. I would then resign Deng to a long term extension and present Gordon with the one year tender or find a trade partner. Now it is time to find new homes for Hinrich and Nocioni in an attempt to receive a respectable veteran big man with a shorter term contract. I would already be contacting the Pacers inquiring about the availability of O'neal. He's often injured, but you would not have to give up a ton to get him. Your hope would be for him to return to his old all star form in new surroundings and help the Bulls make a deep playoff run next year. The beauty of a deal like this is that his fat contract (and Hughes if he is still on the team) comes off the books when that historic free agent class of 2010 start looking for new area codes. There would be nothing better than having 20+ million in cap space to get the attention of people like Wade, James, Bosh, etc. Pax must go against conventional wisdom now to set this squad up for the next decade. DRAFT ROSE!

Kudos to "Q" for reminding me that K-PAX also lacked the capacity to break things up into paragraphs.

For everyone on this blog that says Pax should take Beasley there are only 2 questions that need to be answered to validate this argument: How tall is Beasley? I have a strong feeling that this guy is 6'8, 6'8 1/2 tops. You new Beasley fans do realize that he's not primarily a back to the basket player right? The second and most important question to the people talking about what players are in the playoffs and who aren't: CAN SOMEONE NAME ME A POWER FOWARD THAT HAS EVER WON A CHAMPIONSHIP AS THERE MAIN AND PRIMARY GO TO GUY? Anyone? Malone, Barkley, Kemp? Hmm..How about Nowitski, Garnett, Brand. By the way calling Tim Duncan a Pf is a strecth, he's a center. Drafting Rose allows Paxson to maybe, finally get a return on his investments, ie Thomas, Noah, Sefolosha. People, Tyrus Thomas is a 21year old top 5 pick! Pax can not afford to keep letting players go before they truly develop. Look we know what Hinrich(Combo guard not great at any one thing) and Gordon(20 pt a game scorer we should keep) are, we don't know who these young kids are. Rose is the only player that can make them better.

Please stop making impossible trades that Paxson will NEVER DO, and other teams WILL LAUGH AT!

Best Pax can do is trade for another top 2-13 pick, get some average vet. in a trade, or trade for EXPIRING CONTRACTS.

Stop dreaming for trading a ALLSTAR player it's not going to happen because all the BULLS players trade values are at a all time low.

Ricky responds: So people don't like the trade section of this post, huh? I guess I'll have to bone up on NBA salary cap- I sort of get it but not completely. Unfortunately you can't make trades using Gordon and Deng on ESPNs trade machine because their contracts expired.

The whole point is that if Rose is the pick, Pax is going to need to make some deals. The reason I suggested VC is because with Rose the Bulls still don't really have anyone who can score. Carter can score as well as anyone, and since he's such a tool, he's attainable for a moderate price in a trade. A backcourt tandem of Rose-Hinrich or Rose-Gordon simply doesn't work.

Thabo is ok, and no one expects Hughes to average 20 a game anymore. So draft Rose and find a scorer. That's what they have to do.

Rick,
You should trade Jason's idea to trade Hinrich and next year's #1 for Beasley for Tim Little's Mrs. Beasley doll.

Ricky responds: We still might be over the cap.

Rose played in one of the weakest conf. ever/Beasley played in one of the toughestconf.ever/Rose had a team that was going to be in the tourn.with or wihtout him/Beasley had a team that was going to be watching the tourn. without him/Rose is a small guard that couldn't even average 5 asst. in college/Beasley(so called undersized big man)is a double,double guy on a bad day/The Bulls already have undersized guards we dont need no more!We need what everybody was talkin'bout for the last seven years a low-post scorer!GET MIKE"THE BEAST"BEASLEY!not a ROSE?

I know... Pax can trade Thomas for Dwight Howard, Hinrich for Chris Paul, Duhon for Dirk Nowitzki and Noah for Lebron James.
Yeah! Why don't they just do something cool like that?

Maybe he can turn the waters of the Chicago River into Jägermeister while he is at it.

I personally lean towards picking Rose, but Paxon and the entire team is then faced with a problem not easily solved.

Hinrich isn't all that good, and his cap number vs his value as a player makes him almost un-tradable. Gordon will never be anything more than a sixth man off the bench, and who in the world would want Duhon?

So you already are stuck with three players on your roster that play this position, and with Rose you add a forth, with first pick, guaranteed money.

It's tough to justify around 100 million dollars worth of cap space at a single position, when three out of the four pulling down checks at that spot aren't worth a damn.

HOLY MOTHER F'IN SKIM ALERT!

Not sure why everyone is in such a hurry to deal Hinrich. I disagree that he wouldn't fit in the back court with Rose. In fact I think he's more suited to the 2 spot and has been playing out of position at the 1. He's also a proven defender and while a bit undersized has still consistently defended the opostions best gaurd and done well at it. Pairing up Rose and Hinrich in the backcourt gives you 2 great defenders, who could be interchangable down the road, when DR improves on his jumper. But for now Hinrich at the 2 just makes sense to me. Think Jeff Hornaceck. Who in my opinion wouldn't be a bad choice for the Bulls next coach.

It's so funny how guys like you criticize vince carter saying hes everything thats wrong with the NBA. Yea he and only 2 other players (lebron and Kobe) averaged 20+pts 6+ boards and 5+ assists. New Jersey would be retarded to give up Carter for Gordon straight up. Vince is way more athletic even at 31, he is so much more versatile and he is simply a better scorer, passer, and rebounder. And the video you posted...... ummmm yeahh it said why THE RAPTORS hate Vince. Ofcourse they hate Vince he left them and made them look stupid by playing at a high level in New Jersey. Why would you hate a guy for attending his garduation. Why would you hate a guy for how he smile and laughs and why would you care if his mom supports him openly????? sorry buddy Vince represents on of the NBA's most talented who could care lees about the narrow minded criticism.

Rose w/ the #1 Pick. (im all for it, it's a no-brainer!)
As I agree PG is the most important spot on the floor now.

VC isn't the gem we crave, but if we could pull off a Gordon for Vince swap, sure why not! (I don't think the Nets would go for that, hence I think its not worth contemplating)

After taking Rose, we need to DUMP HUGHES and HINRICH!! (combined they make 23 MILLION A YR)

Even if we DON'T get GREAT trade value in return, who cares???? I mean really, we are UNLOADING 23 MILLION DOLLARS!!! And with Rose inbound, and the OVER ABUNDANCE of guards on this team, we don't need either. To get as much for our dollar as possible, bundle them together for one GOOD Starter. (obviosly a BIGGER 2 guard, or a PF) VC doesn't make 23 million does he???

Now, with that 23 Million saved, who is on the FA market this yr???
Will Kobe wanna leave LA now??? even if they win the Title?

Draft Rose

GET RID OF the 23 million dollar HINRICH/HUGHES combo...for SOMETHING = BEST UPSIDE

What all potentially can we get for a HUGHES/HINRICH combo realistilly??

Hello Chicago

Ricky,

I do see your logic clearly with VC.

I am for Rose #1 (that's a no brainer)

And I have not speculated what is obtainable out there (like VC, etc)

I just know that after we draft Rose, I see our NEXT priority is to SHOP SHOP SHOP the HUGHES/HINRICH=23MILLION/YR weight!!!

They have to go, that is 23MILL/YR those 2 guys make.

What out there can we realistically get for those 2 combined in a trade?
(besides VC) just to formulate Ideas.

I say keep Gooden, as he only has 1 left yet, and at least he's consistant (even tho not super) As we dont have 300 PF, like we do "combo guards".

What teams out there would want HINRICH/HUGHES ?? And what teams that in need of backcourt help can something WE NEED? (and whomever that team is,ALSO has to not be close to the cap, as those 2 make the most money)

We have to think short AND long term. As we have to look at who is OVERPAID. If we hold of to Hinrich/Hughes, it can shoot us in the foot if that MONSTER FA ever is there for the taking (as yes it has been before, yet Pax never pulled the trigger) At least if he ever does, we want the chance for it to be done, and we are not too strapped for cash to even TRY to make it happen.

Gordon prolly will pull the best trade value, but also hes not as ridiculously OVERPAID like Hughes or Hinrich either tho. Gotta look at the money, so we have the $$$$ to pull the trigger in case we need to on a MONSTER FA later on.

Besides VC.....(whihc i like that idea, but i dont think that just Gordon alone will get it).what else is possible???

Ricky

Im all aboard the same game-plan.

DRAFT ROSE, and Get someone who can SCORE!!

(Id love to pull off a Gordon for VC, but i dont think that would happen)

Since we have 3,474 guards on this team. (but NOT a True PG, its a no brainer...draft ROSE)

However, when i head that Hughes/Hinrich are UN-tradable, b/c of the money they make compared to their production. (as true as that is) I think that mindset holds us back.

Trade them. If we DONT get great return....who CARES!!!!!!

As with Rose inbound, both of those 2 are expendable, and even if we DONT get a great return for our dollar on them...we STILL need to DUMP THEM. (why???)

B/C that's a combined 23 MILLION/ YR!!!!
So even if we don't get a good BIG SG in return, it still needs to be done, and just take our losses NOW, to move on to profit for the future. If that MONSTER FA does come around, and this time maybe pax DOES have the cohones to "pull the trigger" at least we want to be able ($$$$financially$$$) to do so, and not be limited by that!!!

With that said, to get at least SOMETHING.

What can we realistically get by shopping out HUGHES/HINRICH, who would take them and the 23 Million?? They MUST GO!!!! We have no need for either after we get Rose.

There has to be ONE team out there, that is UNDER that CAP with a DEPLETED back-court. Whomever that team is...we need to SHOP both of them there...for the single best player we can. Even if it is not a "STAR" that deal still needs to be done.

How would we feel is Pax actually was going to pull the trigger on that Lebron, Kobe, Garnett, etc etc......and it actually really WAS going to happen. But the 23 million dollar "condundrum" if you will of Hughes/Hinrich prevented it. That would be our worst nightmare!!

So they are overpaid. Hey, remember the reason we Got hughes!! We actually got rid of the one player who is even MORE overpaid then both of them!! (Ben Wallace)

Ricky, what realistically can we get for these 2???
via trade OR in FA signing from the money saved?

bculz,

Hinrich is a great defender of PG.
He would get ate alive trying to defend the better bigger #2 guards tho.

Ricky's right, Rose/Hinrich or Rose/Gordon or Rose/Hughes wont work.

It's a 3 for 1...shop is what we need.

Who needs a back-court (Hughes/Gordon/Hinrich)???? FOR SALE--CALL CHICAGO. We only want 1 player in return!!!

Someone out there with some money needs em. Gotta be one team

"Ricky responds: So people don't like the trade section of this post, huh? I guess I'll have to bone up on NBA salary cap- I sort of get it but not completely. Unfortunately you can't make trades using Gordon and Deng on ESPNs trade machine because their contracts expired.

The whole point is that if Rose is the pick, Pax is going to need to make some deals. The reason I suggested VC is because with Rose the Bulls still don't really have anyone who can score. Carter can score as well as anyone, and since he's such a tool, he's attainable for a moderate price in a trade. A backcourt tandem of Rose-Hinrich or Rose-Gordon simply doesn't work."

First, the laughable prediction that Beasley would average 26 and 12.

Do you actually follow the NBA, Rick? Who is the last non-center to average 26 and 12? Who came closest to doing it this year? Amare, with 25.2 and 9.1 is not that close, bud. So Beasly is better than ANY big in the league,huh?

Secondly, your contention that if the pick is Rose,Hinrich is "irrelevant". In talking about Beasley, you say that, because he is a rookie, Gooden would still get sufficient PT, yet with the rookie Rose, another experienced PG is not needed?

The only question if Rose is the pick, would be, is there a quality 6'10"-7'0" player that could be gotten and which, IF ANY, Bulls could be traded to get him?

You're dead wrong about Hinrich being irrelevant And it's B.S. to simply say that a backcourt of Rose and Hinrich doesn't work without giving your reasons. While Hinrich is not the shooter Gordon is, there is no reason to believe that he can't get his J back to where it was with less pressure on him and he is a much better ball handler and defensive player than Gordon and, at this point, still a better shooter and defintely a better ball handler than Thabo.

Hughes would be the first to go - and I know that will be difficult, if not impossible. Gordon and Nocioni are the guys that have some value and are expendable.

Regarding Melo. While he is not a malcontent, neither can he be considered mature or yet, if ever, as concerned about being a complete player like his pal LeBron.

That said, he is NOT going anywhere. End of story.

Which brings me back to the only "quality" bigs I can think of that might be available: Camby and Nene.

A lot of numbnuts here in Denver do not appreciate Camby contributions to the Nuggets. He would be the ideal player to not only rule the boards and block shots but to provide the education that Noah, particularly, but Thomas as well, need.

He supposedly is available and Denver might consider Hinrich the right guy to play next to Iverson.

Nene is a whole other can of worms. Lots of talent, still young but a major health risk, injuries and cancer.

Ricky responds: I don't think it would work because Hinrich isn't a shooting guard. With the way the Bulls are currently constructed, assuming the pick is Rose, they still need someone who can score. Shooting guard is the position to fill their need for a scorer. Rose is a great player but won't score all that much, especially not as a rookie. So you want Kirk Hinrich to be the Bulls go-to scorer? Really? We want this?

Hinrich has some decent value, and he's not a starting NBA shooting guard. The Bulls need someone who's, you know, not 6-3 starting next to Rose either. Even though Hinrich wins the David Eckstein Award for being a gritty defender, he only does well defending point guards. The guy got eaten alive by quality NBA shooting guards all last season. Even Cuttino Mobley owned him, and he hardly deserves the 'quality' tag.

I really don't see how you think he can start next to Rose. Two 6-3 point guards as your starting backcourt? The league doesn't work that way. Do you watch the NBA?

I do agree with you that Melo won't be traded. I was simply making the point that New Jersey's offer isn't anything special, and if Denver does want to trade him, the Bulls can make an offer that's very competitive with the Nets'.

I think Rose should be the pick, but it's contingent on Pax making other moves. Get a good, big shooting guard next to Rose who can handle the scoring duties and defend the LeBrons, Wades, and Pierces and they'll be ok.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=136~1711~3207~356~3028~125&teams=4~17~7~7~17~4&te=&cash=

Ricky responds: I like how you're thinking man, but that trade is totally unreasonable.

I think Ricky needs a lesson in the NBA salary cap. Any trade must match 80% of salary value. A sign & trade deal does not exclude extension.

Who is worth more to the Heat? Beasley. If the Bulls take Beasley first then Riley will be more likely to trade #2.

The Bulls can do a 1 yr s&t with Deng & include Thomas for Marion + #2 pick. That makes sense for the Heat if they are likely to sign Deng to an extension. They certainly have the $$S to do it with Marion gone.

The Bulls would then take Rose #2 & trade Kirk to upgrade at F or C if they're giving up on pot smoking Noah.

This puts all the pressure on Gordon. Rose will be creating a lot more shots for him than Kirk ever did. If they gel well the Bulls can sign Gordon to $60m+ & set their sites on the E Conf Finals. If they don't Paxson can trade Gordon before the deadline. There will be less reliance on Gordon with Beasley here.

So the first step is for Paxson to give Riley a call & see if he's interested. Get it done.

Ricky responds: Dude, don't tell me I need a lesson on stuff and then be completely wrong. The Heat want Rose, not Beasley. That's common knowledge. If you've read anything on the draft, you know that. In Chad Ford's latest ESPN article, he said the Heat may take OJ Mayo over Beasley at 2 or trade down to get him. The reason the Bulls getting Rose and Beasley doesn't work is because Miami is going to want some kind of top five pick-- don't be surprised if they swap picks Seattle and Minnesota.

Getting Rose and Beasley would be amazing. Of course everyone wants it to happen. But it won't. And come on man, the Heat have been telling everyone how much they want Rose. It's not a smokescreen either.

"The Bulls went from being completely screwed for years to now having one of the NBA’s brightest futures"

Shall we cut through THAT garbage? Because they have the #1 pick? It can't be because of that hallowed core we've heard about? They don't have 1 player who can be considered among the 15 best at their postiion in the league.

Just curious...did you watch them play last year?

Ricky responds: Um, yes I did watch them play. In basketball, where you only start five guys and should only play eight, one guy makes a huge difference. Especially when he's as good as Beasley or Rose, both of whom will be among the NBA's 25 best players eventually.

You're totally right about the current Bulls roster, but it still has value. You don't trade Deng, Gordon or Hinrich just in a salary dump. People like those guys. And why not? They're all young and all have proven to be pretty good pros. Not stars (though Deng may get close, even though I'm not as high on him as others are), but solid players. Teams rarely ever trade young players as good as those three (even though, obviously, they all have their warts). So the Bulls can move them and actually build a TEAM. Right now they just have a collection of guys. Pax has to make moves so the team makes sense. Get a big shooting guard, add another center to go along with Noah. The pick lets them do that.

I really do think the Bulls have a bright future now, and it's solely because of the flexibility this pick allows them.

Juan shouldn't you be campaigning for Owens over Q or something? First of all your info is horribly inaccurate on the last post (everyone knows the heat want rose. D-wade openly campaigned for him), and that trade you proposed makes zero sense.

I personally think WE SHOULD DRAFT ROSE! This guys a beast. Most point guards in the nba are undersized and rose is not that. He can compete with the superstar guards. If he competed with paul, paul will get destroyed and will have trouble guarding him. he can also dunk like lebron and is onli a POINT GUARD! Beasley is all good and all but he wont make anyone better. he'll be the onli one scoring and for u to win u need everyone scoring. Rose is a pure passer and is one of the fastest guys u will evr see!

Draft Derrick Rose. (Good for fan base, and marketing in Chicago, also the best player (not a tweener) player in the draft).

Hinrich, (Gordon or Deng), Gooden and the ,2009 1st rd pick to the Clippers for Brand and Maggette, and Dan Dickau.

(Solves Clippers problem of Brand and Maggette leaving with return value, and helps PG problems with Livingston Injury, and scoring.)

Starting Line up

PG - Rose
SG - Maggette
SF - Deng or Thabo
PF - Brand
C - Noah

6th man Gordon if we trade Deng

Ty Thomas, Noah, and Thabo will excel with Rose, a pure super quick PG, and a new coaching mentality. They all have been under used. Nocioni and Hughes provide veteran leadership and solid play from the bench. And Hope a Ken Dorsey (Memphis) drops to us in the 2nd Rd. (and I am in no way a Memphis Tigers fan, but his hard nosed approach and aggressiveness will make the Bulls tougher).

New Roster (Players who will actually play)

Guards - Rose, Maggette, Thabo, Hughes, Duhon (Gordon if not traded)
Fowards - Brand, Ty Thomas, Nocioni, Dorsey (Deng if not traded)
Centers - Noah, Gray

This will leave the Bulls with Rose, Hughes, and Duhon as ball handlers.

Wings/Slashers - Deng or Gordon, Maggette, Thabo, Hughes and Nocioni

Big Men - Brand and Dorsey for Hard nose play, and Ty Thomas and Noah for Energy.

If, the Bulls draft Beasly, the Bulls will run into the same issue that Hawks have, Too many players drafted at the same position without a true PG. Hinrich is a very good player, i think he suffered this year because of Ben Gordon defensive liabilities, and Deng is a good all around player, but you have to give up value to get value in return.

Some of these sound like "Let's give them Sean Marshall for A-Rod " trades.

Wow! Wow!

Pax, draft who you gonna draft, our opinions do not count in the warroom anyway.

Draft Rose

Don't you think you should say "Rick Responds" when you respond to us??? I mean, you now go by Rick on the 1st page, and it does make you sound, I don't know - older? Anyway, it's too hard for me to come up with nicknames for you that rhyme with Ricky. It's much easier with Rick.

Rick responds: Tricky Ricky? Slick Rick? It's your call.

Guess Roman must be gardening again...

Best suggestion in thread is turning chicago river into jagermeister, only problem since city changed direction river flows it would only all run downstate, the people of lasalle-peru thank you!!

So, sounds like having 1'st pick is a blessing and a curse. Get a really good player but only serves to highlight the teams unmet needs. Not to mention the effect on the current players who get drafted over, and effectively sidelined.

Oh well, at least someone is paying attention to the bulls, where as before few could muster much interest. So that is an improvement of sorts I guess right there, someone cares.

Oh, by the way when you say:

In the NBA, you win with point guards and centers. Maybe if the debate was between, say, Greg Oden or Rose, I would have a different answer. But you win with point guards, not with guys who put up big numbers. Beasley will get you 26 and 12, Rose will get you wins and titles.

you are of course refering to Bill Cartwright and BJ Armstrong, and Will Perdue and Ron Harper, right? Who needs guys that put up big numbers, cough, mj, cough, you're joking right?

Ricky responds: As stated above, Beasley isn't near the level of MJ or even Kobe, Wade, or LeBron. He's more like Carmelo, who I like and would love if the Bulls could somehow swing a deal for, but he's never been out of the first round of the playoffs. Neither has T-Mac. Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Steve Nash, and Tony Parker have all led (besides for in Paker's case since he has a dominant center in Duncan) deep into the playoffs in recent years.

I don't know why nobody else has considered this but why not take Rose number one and then trade down to Seattle, Minnesota or whoever it takes to get Brook Lopez from Stanford. Obviously Lopez is nowhere near as athletic as Beasley but he is the piece we need more than anything. With the addition of a future star PG and a TRUE center who could actually manage 20 and 10 in the nba. Lopez is a scorer and has size and athleticism that would send Noah to the bench where he can get high. Not to mention having a 7' shot blocker along with rose would likely improve the play of Ty Thomas where he could play the weakside.

Rose
Hughes
Deng
Thomas
Lopez

Its a tough call. Yes there are character issues as there were with Stoudamire, but I would pick Rose, but I wouldn't stop there. The keys to the Bulls chances rest on having enough offense. Therefore you can't afford to get rid of Gordon. He is an ideal 6th man, just find a coach who can articulate that. Thomas needs to play SF with the summer league entry. Thabo and Larry can both play the three or the four, which makes Nocioni expendable. I'm not really a fan of the quick fix ie Mcgrady or any other non title having so called superstar. I do know Noah's not a center, and after the latest arrest a serious basketball player. What I do know is there are two athletic C (McGee and Jordan) with serious upside. or other good players such as Batum, or Green. The bottomline is there is a rare opportunity to build, not get a quick fix, but build. They have enough pieces to jump back in to the draft a get another potential "PIECE" I would shop Hinrich, Nocioni, and Hughes who will be hard to move due to the contract. I always hear about inside scoring. Who in the playoffs other than the Spurs have "inside scoring". Hopefully we get two or three good picks!!!!!!!!! Not just the obvious.

Bulls need an athletic point guard who can finish at the basket like Baron Davis. They need a bonefide 2 guard. And they also need an established center. They have ALL the other pieces.

Kirk is a good point, but with the evolution of the position, the Bulls need an athlete who can score the basket ball. Thabo is also an average serviceable 2 guard, but at least he has potential to compete at a two guard offensively and defensively. Kirk has plateaued. I like Deng, but he is not aggressive enough around the basket. I like 3s like Melo or Vince. Guys who shoot, but know how to impose their wills and get to the basket when needed - especially the 4th quarter.

Rose is my pick. Simply because he will be the ONLY player on the team that can get to the rim from the free throw line and dunk it on a center. Everything Beasely can do - we have guys who can do that. Rose is not the answer to everything, but he is a start. You have to have 3 bonefide studs on your team to even challenge for a title. Bulls have a Detroit style team with a lot of good pieces, but no studs. Rose is a stud who fills the most glaring needs, ball-handling, feeding the post and finishing. Gordon is a stud, but unfortunately he is a 6th man. I think Gordon, Rose and Thabo will be the guard combination that makes us competitive in the 4th. We need at least one more stud at either 2 guard or Center.

Rose - stud - at point - starter
Thabo - good player - potential stud - starter
Deng - good player but too soft - start until trade
Gooden - good player - start until we get a stud.
Noah - good player - center start until we get a stud.
Gordon - bonefide stud - 6th man - leave alone.
Hinrich - good player - TRADE BAIT
Tyrus - good player - potential stud
Hughes - good player - backup 2 guard - trade if you can
Duhon - good bench player - keep if you trade Kirk.
Gray - back up center - cut if he does not get in shape.
Shannon Brown - cut
James oncurry - cut
Noch - clutch player - back up 3 must keep
Simmons - Cut if he does not show somethign this summer
Demetrius Nichols - Cut if he does not show something this summer.

Playoffs - out after 7 games in the 2nd round. If we get another stud at 2 guard or Center - Conf. Finals instantly.

Rick responds:
"I really don't see how you think he can start next to Rose. Two 6-3 point guards as your starting backcourt? The league doesn't work that way. Do you watch the NBA?"

Gee, Rick, I didn't have time to check the entire NBA team rosters but just off the top of my head, the 55 win Suns played 6'3" Nash and 6'3" Barbossa a lot together in the same backcourt - they were 1-2 in MPG among Suns guards and, the 6'1" Anthony Carter played the most minutes in tandem with the 6'0" Iverson for the 50 win Nuggets.

And the 6'0" Chris Paul played 3066 minutes with the 6'1" Pargo playing 1499 and the 6'1" Bobby Jackson 890 before being traded, for a total of 5455 minutes out of 7872 possible backcourt minutes, which means that for at least18.5MPG two 6'1 guards were playing together for the 57 win Hornets.

Does that answer your question, since you chose not to respond to mine regarding your hyperbolic prediction that Beasley would average 26/12, which nobody in the league actually managed this eyar?

Ricky responds: Well the reason I didn't respond to the Beasley thing is because you're right...duh. Though I don't think a little hyperbole ever killed anyone. But whatever.

Those backcourts you listed above are fine- though Pargo didn't start (Mo Pete did) and neither did Captain Barbosa (Raja Bell did). So there's that.

But look at the Nuggs backcourt: they have Iverson! One of the best pure scorers of all-time! Your proposed lineup of Rose-Hinrich-Deng-Gooden-Noah would seriously average 75 points a game. And with Kirk defending the league's top 2-guards, they'd probably give up 98. If you want that man, fine. Actually I'm not sure what you want because you seem only to have an opinion on my opinion and not an opinion for yourself. So you want the Bulls to draft Beasley then right? Cause you never answered that. I'm confused.

In the NBA shooting guards have to score. This is particularly the case given THAT Bulls roster, where no one can average over 20 points a game. I don't feel like checking the stats (your a better man than me) but I believe Hinrich averaged like 11 points a game last year. I don't think he's ever top 15 ppg for his career either.

Back to the Suns-Hornets thing (you can't count the Nuggets because Iverson is so great and infinitely better than your guy Kirk): Barbosa and Pargo are like Gordon. Instant offense. Unfortunately Gordon is going to ask for $60 mil this offseason; Pargo will probably ask for $10.

What the Bulls need is a Raja Bell-Mo Pete type player...only better than that, if possible. Someone has to carry the load, and it won't be Rose, certainly not as a rookie. We all like Deng, but is he the guy your want to count on for 20+ points a night and to hit a big shot with the game on the line? I certainly don't.

To conclude: it is my opinion that your lineup of Rose-Hinrich-Deng-Gooden-Noah would average around 80 points a night. That is terrible. Also, Rose or Beasley? Beasley or Rose? Your opinion is welcome. It's not like this post was to say "I'm right and anyone who thinks they should take Beasley is wrong". Of course not. But I'd like if people worked presented their own arguments instead of just ripping apart mine. But whatever. So get back to me.

Please i'm begging you to stop the comments about Carmelo. He has one of the greatest point guards in the history of the nba and what are they doing, at home watching like we are. Carmelo seemed scared in the this years nba finals. Shooting shots out of rhythm and missing thim. Please take Rose John Paxson please please please. And remember Marcus Fizer was a beast in college (lol). Trade Hinrich, Dend is overrated can't create his own shot, he's just like Shaun Marion, Hughs can go, keep everyone else. Deng, Hinrich, Hughes for lets say Shaq for one season. Dont hate for that last suggestion.

Tricky Ricky... sounds cheesy, but I kinda like it for you.

Ok, now it's my turn finally after missing out on posting for a few days. For the most part, I like your ideas, Rick. I know a lot of people like Beasley and are enamored with his glorified College stats for only 1 season, but I'm not quite convinced that will translate into the NBA yet. I watched many of his games at K-State and I'll give him a lot of credit that he finds ways to score the ball and he rebounds well, but there are a lot of gifted forwards in the NBA who can score there's no way he'll outmuscle the big boys in the NBA like he did in College, especially not in his rookie year. In my opinion, I just don't see him as a dominant scorer in the NBA. A good scorer, yes, but not a dominant scorer. It'll be interesting how he truly measures out in the Pre-Draft workouts because I don't think he's as tall as most report him at 6'9". I remember Tyrus Thomas being reported as tall as 6'10"-6'11", but when I watch him play at the UC, he looks about the same height as Luol Deng when standing side by side. Plus, most NBA championship teams have always been won with dominant guards and Centers (Jordan, Olajuwon) or guard-center tandems (Wade-Shaq, Parker-Duncan, Kobe Shaq), but not so much with high scoring forwards. Even the recent Pistons teams known more for all-around team play with no dominant superstar were led more by Chauncey Billups. So certainly, I would prefer Rose over Beasley for this Bulls team. Acquiring Drew Gooden in mid-season no longer makes the forward position a need for the Bulls. Gooden is not old and he has already had several monster double-double games for the Bulls when given the chance to play without King James dominating the stats for the Cavs. The Bulls need guard leaders. If the choice for this #1 pick was between Rose and Greg Oden, then it'd be a tougher debate, but I just don't see how Beasley would make a bigger impact on this Bulls team than Rose would .

As for Carmelo, I like the idea of trading for him, but he's really the face of the Nuggets franchise. It's easy to say that salary numbers can match with let's say Hinrich, Hughes, Nocioni, Deng, Gordon, whoever, to make the deal happen, but bottom line, they're going to be a tough sell for any other team to give up their superstar player, especially after the disaster season. One last thing about Carmelo also... his defense is just as bad as Ben Gordon. I don't think he's the type of superstar player Reinsdorf and Pax would stretch the limit for. The best deal that actually can be made might have to include our very own #1 pick along with several of our core guys to get a superstar player on another team in rebuilding mode.

Like Soldier Boy said, and I agree with him, Rose is an excellent piece to the complex puzzle of the Bulls roster. I'd rather the Bulls try to trade with the Clippers, who have had terrible success in lottery draft picks, and offer a few of our core players for their #7 pick and draft Kevin Love who I actually like better than Beasley in terms of overall basketball smarts, but I'm more for old school basketball play and not necessarily the trend of today's NBA game. Perhaps the Clippers may finally try to acquire players complimentary players instead of stockpiling lottery picks to improve their team. Rebuild through the draft again I say because I don't think we will get fair trade value in return after we draft Derrick Rose.

Boston-Pierce,Garnett,Allen(fading fast)
LA-Koby,Gasol,Odom
Detroit,Sheed,Billups,Prince
SA-Duncan,Ginobeli,Parker
PHX-Nash,Amarie,Barbosa

I look at the elite teams and notice that each one has at least three players on their rosters who are better than anybody on the Bulls roster and their complimentary players have special, yet limited overall skills that compliment the marque guys. Guys like Kirk, Gordon, Thomas, Noah, Noce ETC are no better than limited role players who couldn´t start for a champion.... I prefer Rose due to Beasly´s character questions, but at the end of the day, I don´t think that it really matters who the Bulls pick if they don´t have a long-term plan to build something. Before they make the pick, they have to know that if they pick Beasly, the plan is to dump players x, y and Z in order to build around his talents. Or if they go with Rose, they have to already have a plan to dump players a, b and c from a roster that now consists of has-beens, potentials,wannabees, journeymen and bums. Being that they have no coach, thus no idea of what type of system they want to play, it seems that they have no long-term plan and with continue to spin their wheels. I say pick the guy you like and then blow up the team. Trade or cut the majority of the team, hire a young coach and plan on taking some licks for the next few years. Either kid is a piece of a big puzzle, but right now they have a long way to go being that to climb the mountain you need 3 key pieces that are very hard to get and at the moment the Bulls have none of them.

Keith, since you mentioned Baron Davis, would you trade our #1 along with a couple of our core guys to Golden St. for Baron Davis and Brandin Wright (former lottery pick last year), both reportedly in Don Nelson's doghouse? I know Baron has his chronic back issues, but he's a stud when healthy. Would he even fit in our system? Oh wait, the Bulls don't have a system or identity because we haven't hired a new coach yet!

Rick, tremendous topic and sorry for being so tough on you last time.
If people think Rose/Hinrich is too small how can they think Rose/Gordon will work?
And if Beasely is too short at 6'8" how can Brand at 6'7" be the answer?
We have three spots we need to upgrade: pointguard/ shooting guar and power forward.
Rose is definitely a pg and considered one of the best in the past ten years coming out of college.
Beasely gets compared to Carmelo and Durant, small forwards I believe. Don't we have Deng there?
so the answer to who to draft is Rose.
The best draft material is Gordon/Tyrus/Nocioni as far as I am concerned, all three are back ups if we draft Rose. So trade them along with Hughes if possible.
If it was my choice, look for a veteran center(who can also play power forward) to help Noah develop(he is our center), a starting quality two guard who has the right attitude(Thabo has the ability, but will he), and a back up point(I wonder if Duhon's problems came from Gordon being the second pg rather than him, Chris is definitely a better pg).
I like Jefferson rather than Carter, Salomon from the Kings, Petrus from GS, and Diaw from the Suns. Camby as the center prospect or a big from Seattle or the Hawks. Backup point from Toronto or Memphis.
The one thing I wish is Skiles was coaching the new team. We won 49 games two years ago, swept the defending champs, and I think we have a better team.
I expect Noah to avg 10/10, Gooden to be very good at the 18/10, Deng to 20/8, Hinrich to be 18/5(assists), and Rose to be 10/7(points/assists). Thabo, Duhon, Gray and whoever we trade for being the back ups. We willl have less turnovers, be bigger, another year together and more defined roles.
Crybabies need not apply.

My first choice would be either Carmelo Anthony. BY RICK O'DONNELL

When a player / man sucker punch another one, and back-pedals like a girl running (forgive this reference Female Posters), I don't want him any where around me or the team I root for. Also, didn't he pull a Scottie Pippen and refuse to go back into a game?

I know others on here will only see the wins & possible championships.

Deng (4.4 mill), Gordon (6.4 mil) and Thomas (3.7 mil) to the Suns for Stoudamire (15 mil). Works with salary cap very easily.

Bulls starters: Hinrich, Sefalosha, Beasley, Stoudamire, Noah

This would give the Bulls balanced defense (even Stoudamire might just play some if his coach finally demands it) but more big-time scoring and rebounding and a couple of reliable guys in crunch to go to. Beasley would be a terror at 3 spot with his ball handling, long range shooting and rebounding and size would not matter in that case!

Suns starters: Nash, Gordon, Deng, Gooden, Shaq

Suns would lose an all-star, but the trio from the Bulls would offset his points and rebounds and upgrade their defense to the level they could challenge for a title. Gordon is built for the run and gun west anyway and could possibly turn into an all-star type player. They would then have Barbosa, Bell, Diaw, Skinner, Tucker and Grant Hill all coming off their bench which would become a strength.

Hinrich is far from done. Just tell him his only job is to feed the ball down low and get out of the way, and he could become that solid PG (team leader) that everybody is looking for.

Rose and Beasley compete in an academic decathlon (a challenge of brains and brawn) in which they are tested on all the knowledge they would have learned had they stayed in college. The winner is the default No. 1 pick.

Rick responds

"Actually I'm not sure what you want because you seem only to have an opinion on my opinion and not an opinion for yourself. So you want the Bulls to draft Beasley then right? Cause you never answered that. I'm confused.

To conclude: it is my opinion that your lineup of Rose-Hinrich-Deng-Gooden-Noah would average around 80 points a night. That is terrible. Also, Rose or Beasley? Beasley or Rose? Your opinion is welcome. It's not like this post was to say "I'm right and anyone who thinks they should take Beasley is wrong". Of course not. But I'd like if people worked presented their own arguments instead of just ripping apart mine. But whatever. So get back to me."

As far as who I want, it is Rose, hands down.

As far as confusion goes, you must have conflated my post up with another because I never said anything about what "my" lineup would be.

But your comment about a Rose-Hinrich-Deng-Gooden-Noah shows your lack of comprehension on how the NBA works. The Nuggets top 5 scorers averaged 88PPG and the Suns top 5 average 87. Maybe Golden state's top 5 were over 80.

But Paul-West-Peja-Tyson-Peterson averaged 77.9 points. Duncan-Ginobili-Parker-Bowen-Finley averaged 73. Boozer-DWill-Okur-AK-Brewer averaged 77.4. Even the "BIG THREE" Celtics only end up with 74 points a game from their top 5 scorers.

So a realistic Rose 12, Hinrich 16, Gooden 16, Deng 20 and Noah 11 works out to 75.

The way it works in the NBA is that team's top 5 scorers average 75-85 points a game and how far they go is determined by how productive their bench is. Plus defense and rebounding, of course.

So many trade suggestions have been made that it's quite confusing. What i do know is those that want to trade Ty Thomas may regret it if it actually happens.
I do like the idea of drafting Rose then trading say Hinrich and Deng to get Kevin Love or Brook Lopez nd whom ever it would take to make the caps work.

Edgar | May 27, 2008 12:40 PM

I love the Red Baron, but no I wouldn't give Rose up for him. Only because of the injuries and he has a lot of miles on him. But I would be willing to give them say...Deng and Hughes and our second round pick. Or Deng and Gooden and our second round pick. Or something like that. Same for Elton Brand, or Vince. These guys are long in the tooth, and we should be able to deal for them. And Paxson's job just got a whole lot easier.

But you never move a stud like Rose. You build around him. I think Rose is going to be a quicker Dwayne Wade or a shorter LaBron James. A complete stud. And just imagine them on the court with a freak like Thomas or an assassin like Gordon and a player with the clutch play and heart like Noch and the hustle of Noah??? A coach can work with that, and other players like Vince would relish the chance to revitalize their careers. Rose means that much. That is why I stayed up until midnight calling and blogging after we got that pick! I was downright giddy! Was a very big day for the Chicago Bulls and their fans!

We have to take Rose. If we do not take him the Heat has already made it clear that they will take him if we don't. If this happens the heat will have the best back court in the NBA with with Wade and Rose. Not only that but Rose is the best player I've seen come out in the draft since Lebron. M. Beastly can be a great player if he is put in the right situation. Rose's talent would make any team that much better,in our case a whole lot better. We have to draft our hometown Jordan, it is not only right but the perfect pick for us. We have to push for Rose Chi-Town get the word out. No more talk about Beasley have we forgot about Stacey King, he is going to be good, but Rose is going to be a all-star.

Keith, I'm also excited about the possibility of drafting Rose, but I still have my reservations about him as well as Beasley. I hate to compare because they are 2 different type of guards, but I'm not sure Rose will be as good as Chris Paul. Now of course it's not a fair comparison because Paul is arguably among the elite NBA players now, but he was a former #4 draft pick overall and for a #1 overall pick that the Bulls have, I wanted a surefire pick. Rose has flaws in his game and he needs to really work on his outside shooting, his free throw shooting and even his overall passing skills. It's staggering to me that he "only" averaged 4.7 assts per game last season (Deron Williams and Paul both averaged around 6.5 assts in their final seasons in College - both also underclassmen, please note) on a team that was loaded with scorers that he had the potential to distribute assists all over the place. For a possible overall #1 draft pick, would you really be satisfied with a rookie season of let's say at best for Rose, 12 pts, 5 assists, 4 rebs? I think I want more than that from a #1 overall. Remember, CP3 is a former NBA rookie of the year and averaged 16-8-5 + 2.2 stls/game in his rookie season. That's awesome. Again, I know, unfair comparison, but hey, Rose is going to be a top 2 selection so he will be slapped on with high expectations. I think he'll be a solid NBA player, but no way would I put him in the same breath as LeBron like some people already have. I hope I'm wrong though.

As for the Red Baron, I look at it this way, would Deng and Hughes even fit on that team? I'm not so sure Nelson would go for that. Ben Gordon would be a perfect fit for those type of teams, but I know you like Gordon, Keith. I still think the Clippers would make the best sense as a possible trading partner for either Elton Brand or their #7 pick.

Stop the trade talks unless we are trading kirk or that so called center we have on the bench. DRAFT ROSE.We cannot give the heat Rose and Wade that would be the best back court in the NBA. We have to get Rose. Look how much the Hornets gotten better with Paul. I'm sorry guy up there Rose is going to be better than Paul. Beasley is only going to be good in the right situation with some experienced players but not with us. We need Rose period. The best player in the draft have to go the Bulls. Just our luck he is from the southside. Paxson this is your chance to save your job. No more talks about trades unless its Heinrich,Duhon,that person who plays center on the bench Dako?, or Gooden. Don't get me started on Gooden. Cleveland got rid of him for Ben Wallace enough said. Rose for #1 draft pick.

Keith, thats a lot of studs you need to fill out your roster, or are you suggesting that 1 stud could fill all those roles???

And for all this talk about Beasley vs. Rose, I don't believe anyone has even mentioned OJ Mayo, a former basketball prodigy as well who has been talked about as a future superstar since the 8th grade. I've read more posts about Nicolas Batum than OJ Mayo! He just fell off the map a little bit because he went to USC and because of his off-the-court issues, but his game is more suited for the NBA just like Rose (I hope) and he has the potential to be a big time scorer. This guy might even have more pure NBA talent than Beasley and Rose. The kid is already built like a rock and chances are, his stock and hype will rise in the Pre-Draft workouts. It'll be interesting to see how many minds shift to other names in 2 weeks.

Bizzy, you don't have to apologize to me, you're certainly entitled to your own opinion of course, but can you at least back up your statement that Rose will eventually be better than Chris Paul instead of just saying he will be? Or am I supposed to be convinced by someone who thinks we have Darko Milicic in our bench as backup Center instead of Aaron Gray? Some of your comments don't even make sense! haha At least say something along the lines that Rose is more explosive attacking the basket or that he is more athletic than Paul and that he helped lead his team to the Final 4 unlike Paul. How about that, Bizzy? Give me a better argument and then I'll be more convinced, but right now, I think Rose is behind Paul, even at the same time coming out of College. Again, I hope I'm wrong though. Just playing devil's advocate here, that's all. I wouldn't even be surprised if OJ Mayo has a more successful career than either Rose or Beasley. He's an overlooked talent in my opinion. Just get it right, Pax, and talk to those Clippers about a trade!

Rick responds.

To conclude: it is my opinion that your lineup of Rose-Hinrich-Deng-Gooden-Noah would average around 80 points a night. That is terrible. Also, Rose or Beasley? Beasley or Rose? Your opinion is welcome. It's not like this post was to say "I'm right and anyone who thinks they should take Beasley is wrong". Of course not. But I'd like if people worked presented their own arguments instead of just ripping apart mine. But whatever.

So get back to me."

Gee, Rick. I did get back to you, see below.

Since you didn't respond, I guess that, just as you said earlier, that your no-response to my critiquing your 26/12 hyperbole for Beasley indicated you agreed with me, I should take it that you now understand that your view on how many points a Rose-Hinrich-Deng-Gooden-Noah need to score was off-base as well. Get back to me. LOL

As far as who I want, it is Rose, hands down.

As far as confusion goes, you must have conflated my post up with another because I never said anything about what "my" lineup would be.

But your comment about a Rose-Hinrich-Deng-Gooden-Noah shows your lack of comprehension on how the NBA works. The Nuggets top 5 scorers averaged 88PPG and the Suns top 5 average 87. Maybe Golden state's top 5 were over 80.

But Paul-West-Peja-Tyson-Peterson averaged 77.9 points. Duncan-Ginobili-Parker-Bowen-Finley averaged 73. Boozer-DWill-Okur-AK-Brewer averaged 77.4. Even the "BIG THREE" Celtics only end up with 74 points a game from their top 5 scorers.

So a realistic Rose 12, Hinrich 16, Gooden 16, Deng 20 and Noah 11 works out to 75.

The way it works in the NBA is that team's top 5 scorers average 75-85 points a game and how far they go is determined by how productive their bench is. Plus defense and rebounding, of course.

Rick responds: Hey man whats up? Quickly, why did you post this twice, i was going to get to it the first time. Ok so--do you actually think that i don't know what a bench is? I meant the TEAM, not the starting lineup, would have trouble scoring. And they would. I think very few people would disagree with that.

All I'm saying here is that if the Bulls take Rose, they should try to trade away some of their assets for a scorer. It's not that hard, dude.

You said the Bulls should take Rose. So do you think the rest of the roster should remain status quo? That seems to me what you are arguing, and if so, I disagree with that. Obviously it's hard to make trades in the NBA. But Deng Gordon and Kirk all have value because of their age. Try to move some of those guys if you can improve the team and tighten up the rotation.

I agree with rick...We post our opinion to share with everyone but if you post just to hate on another opinion. Well your in the wrong place. C'mon are you serious. I didn't want to back it up with points because most of us are on the job.

All I'm saying is that we have to draft Rose. If we do not we have to take the man OJ Mayo. B Culz you are right more and more people are going to bring up the name Mayo a lot especially during the workouts. Coming out of high school he was the highly recruited kind of like James in my opinion. We haven't seen the best from Mayo. It is guaranteed he is going to be a beast.

Culzie - you need 3 studs. Bulls will have Rose, and potential studs, Gordon, Tyrus, Deng, Thabo, Gooden, Noah. They will need two more studs regardless. Someone needs to step up, and Paxson needs to get a free agent or make a huge trade.
3 STUDS
Celtics - KG, Truth, Ray Allen/Rondo
Pistons - Wallace, Billups, Rip/Tayshun
Spurs - Duncan, Parker, Ginoblee/bench!
Lakers - Kobe, Gasol, Fisher/Odom

Tricky Ricky and Tim,

Regardless of who the Bulls draft, whether it's Beasley or Rose, it's already common knowledge that Paxson will have to figure out a trade in order to even out that roster. Either they'll have too many guards or too many forwards. With Rose, there's no way Pax can possibly keep Gordon, Hinrich, Hughes, Thabo and Duhon. At least 2 will likely go. With Beasley, assuming he measures out where I expect him to be at 6'7" or 6'8", at least 2 among Deng, Nocioni, Gooden and Ty Thomas must go also. Yes, guys like Hinrich and Deng have some value, but coming off a disaster (not an off year, a DISASTER year), all of our core guys are a tough sell to any team. Hughes' contract is almost untradeable and really, only Gooden has a fairly cheap expiring contract that is the most attractive to other teams. For me, I want the entire core blown up. I'm done with those guys after they tanked the last season after basically the 2nd month of the regular season and because in my opinion, they've all already peaked on their NBA potential, but realistically, I realize that they will be a tough sell and we will not likely get fair value in return. That is why I mentioned the Clippers as a possible trading partner that makes most sense because of their past inability to cash in on their lottery draft picks. Perhaps they can be sold on our "complimentary" good-but-not-great players on the team.

Paxson obviously has a lot of difficult decisions ahead outside of even this #1 draft pick. I disagree with you, Rick, that this #1 pick almost makes up for all the Paxson decision blunders since the Ben Wallace acquisition. This might possibly be the beginning of his own downfall because everyone knew that going into this offseason, changes needed to be made and now that we're already 6 or 7 weeks into the offseason, nothing has been done with the team other than more dawdling, more excuses and more stories about why they continue to have no results on anything except for lucky ping pong balls. If Paxson leaves this roster as status quo and without a head coach + competent coaching staff after the NBA Draft, then this is another disaster season waiting to happen.

Edgar great response. I could live with Beasely and Mayo. But we HAVE to address the point guard position seriously. We are stronger at 2 with Thabo. The only other position to address is the Center. Rose is not Labron, Deron or Chris Paul. He is Rose and ALL I care about him doing is setting up our guys, finishing at the basket with the shot clock down, and handling the ball - better than Kirk. And that will not be that difficult. I got so tired of him losing the ball and stopping at the basket. And we need a guy that can take the tripple team heat off Gordon in the 4th. I thought Larry Hughes was going to help. Lets hope that he and Gray come in refocussed, in shape and ready to dominate. Paxson has some good pieces, but if I didnt see improvement coming out of the gate - we move all of this dead weight.

Bizzy, no hate here regarding your opinions. The back and forth on differing thoughts are fun to me. I never said I was right all the time. I just like to hear what the majority says and why whether it's based on stats, personal knowledge, experience to the game or maybe even inside intel within the Bulls headquarters. Heck, maybe you and Rose played each against each other in the playgrounds. Just share some additional thoughts. If the job is tying you down, so be it, but I don't mind a taking a few minutes break to share some of my own thoughts on basketball too. Call it a slow work day after a holiday.

You did not just try to slide Rondo in their on your list of STUDS did you?

What everyone seems to have either forgotten or ignored is that both Gordon and Deng are restricted free agents making them rather attractive sign and trade bait. I'm not sure if Duhon is restricted or not. If he's not a restricted free agent he probably won't figure into any trade plans or any plans period. What this miracle draft pick has done is made this off season Paxson's defining moment. Forget his past blunders and whether he drafts Rose or Beasley, what he does with the ret of the roster and the coaching staff will determine his future as a GM.

And gentlemen, I am talking about winning another championship. Not just being entertaining or competing. Rose gives us a bonefide starter at what I feel is the MOST important position on the floor. Good point guards do not grow on trees. The Bulls have a guy that is closer to Beasely than a guy that is closer to Rose in talent. Consider where Utah and the Hornets were at before they selected Williams and Paul. And you build from there.

Kirk is so bad in my opinion that I don't even consider us to have a starting point guard. Paxson please turn the page on the Hinrich experiment.

Keith, if you never liked Skiles, I'm willing to bet that you're not going to enjoy the latest Doug Collins rumors. haha... check out Roman's new board topic and share your thoughts!

Well my people Da Bulls starting line up:

PG:Rose(jersey #45)
SG:Thabo(Start or not to start I think he should)
SF:Deng(Don't give up on him just yet)
PF:Thomas.Gooden has to be traded. I really don't like his game
C:Stoudamire if available for Heinrich,Air Gordon,Gooden

Its a start back into the playoffs and even a championship. Sounds to good though, but still the best and most realistic I've seen. I posted a comment twice. My fault I'm still new at this.

Edward, you are wrong. Doug has his problems, but he is also smart and a teacher of the game. And I think the Bulls owe Doug this. I like it! Doug is a far cry from Skiles. He deserves this, and has a rare opportunity to redeem himself. And Doug knows how to handle a star.

Culzie um saying between the two of them you get the play of a stud. Ray with the scoring and Rondo with the D. Its like combined stud. Um still laughing though.

Glad to hear it, Keith. While I don't hate Skiles as much as you do, I do think that Doug is a big upgrade. It's a good thing that Doug was willing to come back. I wonder if Paxson begged for help from his former mentor? I willing to bet he sort of did. There had to have been some compromise though. I'm wondering if Doug's son, Chris Collins, will join the staff of assistants? hmmm

Did anybody read the Orlando press conference comments from Rose and Beasley? Read them and you will know why we have to draft Rose.

Doug Collins for the head coach job? Well I usually am a person of second chances but in this case I think not. His comments made on TNT about coaching in the NBA makes me sure he would not do well back on the Bulls bench. Collins has close ties with Paxson and Reinsdorf so he probaly is going to get the job. If was up to me I will give Mark Jackson a shot. I believe he would have everyone playing to their highest potential.He would keep the young guys in order and the team would have a coach that they can relate to.

Mark Jackson couldn't even advance the ball past half court in the conf. finals vs. the Bulls. NO!

Chris Joining the Bulls Staff would be great for the NBA, it would mark a generational shift in the coaching Ranks.

That is of course, unless Hubie Brown is available for the spot???

Who could advance against the greatest team of our time? Name one. Experience and a coach that the town can relate to. YES.
Hubie Brown I was thinking he could do a good job too.

I read halfway through the posts and realized that, like the rest of the country, nobody that is posting an opinion has seen him play for more than 45 seconds at a time on highlight reels. I'm an old Kansas State grad and had the privilage of watching every single game he put together in the NCAA, and don't let anybody fool you, he WILL dominate in the NBA. Every single team we played threw a box and one or some other garbage D at him and he still ended up with 40 and 20 on some nights.

I'm not saying who the Bulls should take, because i've only seen them 45 seconds at a time and have no idea what their situation REALLY is. But i guarantee you, that anyone who is mocking Mike's abilities now will be praising them in 5 years.

I don't think anyone is down playing m.beasley abillities but he did play in the big 12 and that is no where near the competition in the NBA. Beasley didn't take his team to the big 12 championship or didn't take his team to the final 4 or the elite 8 for that matter. I'm sayin he wouldn't be a good fit for the bulls. Rose over Beasley any day for any team.

I don't think anyone is down playing m.beasley abillities but he did play in the big 12 and that is no where near the competition in the NBA.

Beasley didn't take his team to the big 12 championship or didn't take his team to the final 4 or the elite 8 for that matter. I'm sayin he wouldn't be a good fit for the bulls. Rose over Beasley any day for any team.

Obviously, the Big 12 doesn't have the same competition as the NBA. But you could make a strong argument that the Big 12 was the best conference in the NCAA. Sorry ACC fans, but it's true.

Replace Beasley with Rose on last year's Kansas State squad and it would have been NIT for the Wildcats. Just speculation, but I believe it.

Okay ricky u better respond to this. We should draft rose. Hes so explosive and is a pure passer. He can dunk like lebron james and is onli a point guard. Bulls can trade away kirk hinrich and ben gordon plus drew gooden and next years 2 round pick for Elton Brand, cuttino mobley which is a (very good veteran for this young team) and their future 1st round pick. I can already tell their going to be a horrible team. So heres the starting lineup

PG- Derrick Rose( future MVP)
SG- Larry Hughes(Solid player)
SF-Luol Deng (little over average small forward)
PF- Elton Brand (veteran superstar)
C-Joakim Noah (future Tyson Chandler and will get beautiful lobs from Derrick Rose at center)
Sixth man- Andres Nocioni or Thabo Sefolosha
This will become one of the best teams in the NBA!!!!

Does anyone still think Beasley will be the better pro???