So Michael Beasley is at the Berto Center this morning, and I'm sure all reports will be he had a good workout and made a good impression. But what does it mean?
Nothing.
But I am starting to question my instincts a bit. I was so sure Doug Collins was going to get the coaching job, maybe I'm wrong and Derrick Rose won't be the top pick.
Could it be?
Nah. I don't see any way that's going to happen. The Bulls have been without a legitimate, big point guard for so long, and now they have one within their reach.
Drew Gooden is a very good low-post scorer. They don't need Beasley. They need Rose.
I still say Rose is a slam dunk.
They brought in Beasley and according to Pax, they are planning on bringing in Derrick Rose for a workout also. I heard him on the radio sometime last week saying that both guys were coming to Chicago this week. So it means he's doing his homework - not a bad thing.
Roman responds: It's just standard operating procedure. Rose is in Thursday.
Guest blogger Julie B., thanks for the insight on the rumors (just like your prediction on the Spurs winning it all this season), but all #1 and #2 potential draft picks always fly in for private workouts with lottery winning teams every year.
I still think that Rose will be the Bulls' selection, but if Beasley blows them away in the workout sessions, then there's a good chance that they might sway to their other need for a legitimate scorer. Remember, we now have basically 2 GM's evaluating talent here now that Del Negro is on board, so no doubt he'll have a ton of input into the decision-making process. I think a lot will depend on what type of identity Del Negro will mold the team into. Based on the personnel we have now, assuming Pax makes minimal changes to the roster (I see a few cuts and a trade or 2, but no blockbuster-type deals), I expect the Bulls to stay very young and build around Rose alongside Tyrus, Noah and Gordon... and likely Deng because Pax and co. remain enamored with him. I still see Hinrich, Gooden and Nocioni as trade bait, but in the end, only 1 will actually be traded away. Until I see a Jerry Reinsdorf-owned Bulls team execute a trade involving an all-star player with my very own eyes, I'll never believe rumors from that organization ever again.
If they go with Beasley, then say goodbye to Gooden for sure and either Deng or Thomas. Hinrich gets another chance at point with Gordon continuing to come off the Bench and Thabo Sefolosha getting the starts assuming he comes off a strong offseason improving his game (this is a pivotal offseason for Thabo). If the Bulls become a lottery team again next year, there's always the Ricky Rubio sweepstakes at the point guard position who's supposed to be even better than Derrick Rose.
Can't wait for the draft... Go Bulls.
The Bulls will muck it up, and select anyone but Rose.
It's just a gut feeliny I have.
I forgot to mention Larry Hughes in my post earlier... it looks like he's stuck with the Bulls whether we all like it or not. I just can't see another team taking on his contract and no way the Bulls will just cut him. If he's serious about the game, then he can only help us, but if not, then it looks like a lot of trips to the "disabled list"...
Beasleys' workout was nothing more than a 'courtesy', and I, for one, will stand by Larry Hughes.
Edgar, Julie, Mark, Hitman and 99comments are carrying this blog...in these dog days of summer.
ROSE has to be the pick. Or it'll be anarchy!!!
Great!
Maybe after bringing in the wrong coach they can draft the wrong player too.
What do you think about this guy, 99 comments, Culzie? I bet you LOVE him!!!
If Rose is not the Bulls pick they are going to need to make some kind of a trade for a legitimate point guard to get Beasley the ball and I don't see that happening.
In the mean time I am glad to see the Championship trophy back in the east and loved watching Pierce beat Kobe like a rented mule!
He deaf-fin-ate-lee has VIPER potential!!!!
Don't give him my spot!!!
Roman, getting a little emotional over here huh??? It's allright, we all make mistakes...
Edgar, good post, like a true politician go either way and make some great points for both...but who do you think it is, the draft is only a week away? (Or as Doug Buffone says "I go both ways!")
Culz, guest blogger Julie B., and 99 comments sitting in a tree....
I hope it's Rose, oh man do I. I had the Spurs winning it all and Collins as our coach as well. Never go against the Champion until they lose (barring a major disaster, and the Spurs bench just got old before our eyes), and Doug wanted the job, JR changed his mind.
Which made Doug change his mind and man up and tell them to kiss his TNT contract.
No no, Chuck, I'm not trying to be a politician. Fact of the matter is that I'm still ticked off at JR going cheap again with the Del Negro hire and I'll continue to take my shots at JR any chance I get, but I'm moving on business as usual with the next blog topics of discussion.
It's odd that I haven't heard much about Rose's visit to the Berto Center since yesterday yet while there has been more media pub on Beasley from earlier this week. I know the Bulls are always so hush hush about these workouts, but I have a feeling that internally, they are still split between Rose and Beasley. Knowing JR, he typically enjoys steering away from the popular choice, especially when there's no clear cut #1 prospect head and shoulders above everyone else here, so I wouldn't be surprised if they go with Beasley at all. For me, I would still go with Derrick Rose because I think he's a better fit with this current roster and has potential leadership qualities that I don't see from Beasley as much down the road. I still also believe that Beasley is not as great a player as most project he will be. I'm not saying he'll be a bust, I think he'll be a solid pro, but not a future all-time great which I expect from #1 overall NBA draft picks. He looks like a smaller version of Carmelo Anthony (don't think Beasley is as quick, but he is much more physical) and probably best compares to Paul Pierce actually, which isn't a bad thing at all, but Pierce needed a Garnett and R. Allen to help him win a title.
Overall, I wouldn't be upset with Beasley, but Rose is my choice for this roster of core misfits. I think a big factor may be Tyrus Thomas. If the Bulls have totally given up on Thomas, then Beasley will be the #1 pick, bet on it.
Just joking with U Edgar, but I totally agree with the Thomas comment(even though I haven't thought of it in those terms.) Rose, to me is the best player, with more upside, but Beasley is instant offense, and what team cannot use instant offense.
You actually picked Rose in the first post, but it was worded with such caution...I thought you were straying from your pick. Rose is the better pick for all Chicago, but as you say, conventional wisdom does elude Mr. Reinsdorf from time to time.
Chuck, you do realize that Culzie and 99comments are one in the same, don't you? And what kind of tree, because you know I'm kind of particular when it comes to trees and my butt. If it's one of those Saguaros, forget it. They are beautiful and breathtaking and all that, but ouch! Give me a nice oak or a maple on which to rest my derriere. And send up some glaucoma meds while your at it.
Told you I'm particular.
Yeah, I was just being cautious on who I was predicting the Bulls will select, not necessarily who I preferred between Beasley and Rose. There are rumors about a possible trade with Miami involving Wade and/or their 2nd pick, but not only is that too complicated for JR to even consider contemplating on (Bulls never make blockbuster deals involving superstars/all-stars in return), I just don't see Pat Riley parting with Wade who basically single-handedly won that NBA title for the Miami Heat back in the 2004 NBA Finals series, unless there is some type of career-threatening injury inside Wade's body that we don't know about.
Yes, Rose has an unlimited ceiling with his potential, while with Beasley, you can pretty much see where he will tap out. At best, Beasley will become a double-double guy at let's say 20+ pts, 10 rebs a game. That's probably the best case scenario for a 6'7" guy with a somewhat lean body, not exactly built like a tank like Charles Barkley was at the time and vertical jumping measurements shorter than even Derrick Rose, according to the listed workout numbers posted at the pre-draft camp. In other words, Beasley will likely never win rebound titles and scoring titles in his career. If he does, I'll be the first person to admittedly eat some crow in any of Roman's future blog posts. At least with D. Rose, he has the potential to post Triple-doubles a la Jason Kidd and as erratic a shooter Rose is right now, he looks like he shoots the ball from the outside better than Jason Kidd at this age at 20 years old. Combine that with needed leadership traits that this Bulls team sorely needs, Rose is my preferred pick. Plus, I just finished reading about Rose's press conference with the media today and he carries himself in a much more serious and professional manner than Beasley. He's not shy and he seems to be all business on and off the court. Not that there's anything wrong with Beasley's playful personality, but Rose genuinely sounds like he really wants to get better through the coaching. Of course you never know about people for sure regardless, but I would say that Rose's resume looks a lot better to most people than Beasley right now.
People in Chicago think Beasley is a buster. You people are morons. You love a guy who averages 4 assists per game and can barely hit 70 percent of his foul shots. What will happen at the end of a game when your man who will be handling the ball most of the time can not hit his free throws?
The Bulls problems were not entirely because of Kirk Hinrich. Try Ben " The Biggest Buster of All Time Wallace" and a group of immature pro's like Noah, Duhon and Thomas. I think you morons forgot Kirk Hinrich made team USA and then left the team because of injury.
Pax do not and I mean not draft this Derrick Rose guy. Sorry Chicago Morons but if this happens I will laugh at you because Beasley is a beast.
People in Chicago think Beasley is a buster. You people are morons. You love a guy who averages 4 assists per game and can barely hit 70 percent of his foul shots. What will happen at the end of a game when your man who will be handling the ball most of the time can not hit his free throws?
The Bulls problems were not entirely because of Kirk Hinrich. Try Ben " The Biggest Buster of All Time Wallace" and a group of immature pro's like Noah, Duhon and Thomas. I think you morons forgot Kirk Hinrich made team USA and then left the team because of injury.
Pax do not and I mean not draft this Derrick Rose guy. Sorry Chicago Morons but if this happens I will laugh at you because Beasley is a beast.
lets just all agree, we are all somewhat in relationships with each other.....lets just put it out on the table!!!
Is that an oak table or maple?
just means if the bulls ever make it to the playoffs with their point guard led team, they will be losing to wade and beasley in miami for years to come.
QUESTION(S): I have nothing against Derrick Rose, he would be a nice #1 pick. My question is would he become like many point guards on a team(s) - he is simply running the show, but who does he give the ball to? - where he does not have the other players in place such as a Micheal Beasley to play with?
If the Chicago Bulls do not acquire other players, wouldn't it be better to pick the big guy who can rebound and score moreso than the guy who has no one to dish the ball off to. I believe with hustle Beasley could still get his points off of rebounds and a few assists, but Rose's game may be hindered if not having the players around him to be the floor general.
Just wondering.
Another thing that has cemented my negative thoughts of present Bulls management. Kevin Garnett stated when first traded to Boston he walk into the Boston Celtics arena and noticed the championship banners, but more importantly A LOT OF THE OLDER PLAYERS who won them would stop by and give pointers. Makes you wonder if Michael and a few of the core members of the championship teams was still stopping by, would it have an affect on the latest Bulls players understanding the dedication to the game?
Just some thoughts I was pondering.
PJP, your comments are not going to win over many Beasley supporters. No one here is saying that he will be a bust and no one here said that Hinrich was the main problem with the team last season. It was the entire CORE collectively! With Rose vs. Beasley, it's a preference between the top 2 or 3 players in the draft (if you want to include OJ Mayo in the discussion also), that's all. Get off your high horse and quit calling people names. Your only making yourself sound like the typical meathead that calls into sports talk radio and gets cut off the air before he can finish making his comments.
Anonymous, I'll answer your questions...
1. The Bulls have many complimentary players on the team who can play well on other teams. Rose has plenty of weapons he can pass the ball to. It's not as simple as just saying that Rose doesn't have players around him. The team doesn't lack talent, they lack LEADERSHIP. Right now, Rose is obviously too young to lead the team full time, but he has leaderships traits down the road. It's no mystery that the Bulls are in rebuilding mode again.
2. Let me say this again, Beasley is a scorer and is best suited at small forward. He'll never play center and will maybe play the 4 at times for matchup purposes, but he's a true small forward. He's not a "big guy" that you can just pound the ball inside to who will dominate in the post. The guy likes to play the perimeter. He's more like Paul Pierce, not Kevin Garnett. And nothing wrong with having someone like Paul Pierce, but we'll need a lot more than that to become a Championship contender. I'll take the team play over individual talent for this team right now.
3. Of course it would have been nice to have MJ, Pippen, Grant, etc. stick around with the Bulls organization in some capacity, but that's all on Reinsdorf Reinsdorf Reinsdorf. We've been saying that time and time again. The guy runs the team like a bank or an insurance company, not a real basketball team.
PJP | June 20, 2008 04:48 PM - MUST be a Miami Fan! He lost all credibility by trying to sell us on Kirk - NEVER WON a thing HINRICH. Kirk couldn't lead a tour at the United Center! Beasely is going to be a beast, but we already have a beast from last year's draft and the year before that, and how did Kirk do passing to them????? Um tired of watching Kirk fold like Ms. Yoon at my cleaners under pressure in the 4th!! And I am tired of watching him run under the rim and pass way back out to the 3 point line!! We need the guy who can handle the rock and finish like BARON DAVIS! There used to be two guys who could do that in Chicago and their banners hang above for all to see!
Julie, weeping willow with the two(or that one) in the tree with you.
Edgar, I know, none of us want to have egg on our face with the fact that we like Rose over Beasley, and JR picks Beasley. But I had to see where you stand. Beasley is not a traditional post player, so why does everyone associate him with inside scoring, he seems like an inside-outside "tweener" to me.
Effective, but don't we have enough "tweeners" on this roster, plus, Rose is an athlete. I can't really gauge Beasley, he will have to get stronger. But he seems like a smart good offensive player, that can rebound well.
Draft Beasley and trade for Baron Davis. Case solved but do not draft Rose. Also who says that the only thing Beasley does is score? He rebounds as well.
Two of the Bulls biggest problems was consistent inside scoring and rebounding. Also who on Bulls commands a double team? Beasley would automatically. If he is drafted, he would be there best rebounder and scorer.
KLS, you pulled PJP's card. Definitely a Miami fan. Rose does everything well, but the two things that can be taught, shooting and free throws. Rose is the way.
Tell us something that we don't already know about Beasley, PJP. People are already aware that he is a potential double-double guy. You're joining in a discussion way too late as we've already covered the Rose vs. Beasley stats debate since the Bulls won the draft lottery. I've heard all the Beasley arguments and like I said before, I won't be angry if the Bulls draft Beasley over Rose, but what bothers me most is the distinction that Beasley is so much superior over Rose to call Chicago fans 'morons'. Rose is too talented and too athletically gifted to be a bust. Sure, it will take time and development for him to work on the flaws in his shooting (which is not as horrible as people make it out to be - Rose's outside shooting is better at his age than Jason Kidd and Kenny Anderson), but that can be taught with practice and experience. I also wished that there were more polished products available at the #1 position like a LeBron, a Shaq, a Yao Ming or a Greg Oden, but these are our choices between Rose, Beasley and Mayo and for me, Rose is the best fit for this roster with his triple double potential over a potential double-double guy. And then saying that we can just draft Beasley and then trade for Baron Davis, case solved, is not as simple as it sounds. Who in his right mindwould Don Nelson trade Baron Davis for from our team if it didn't include our #1 pick? Come on, make some sense. If you want to play GM as a fan, then you have to look at all the factors, not just the names.
Bottom line, regardless of who the Bulls draft this Thursday, we still have to tweak the roster, shop the free agents, look at trades and finalize that assistant coaching staff, never mind prepare the kids and more prospects for the Summer League. This draft is but 1 little item in a big picture for a pivotal offseason for the Bulls.
Edgar some great posts! I am enjoying all of this Bulls stuff! It is a great time to be a Chicagoan! We're not Boston, but we are in pretty good shape! Boston doesn't have the olympics and a president coming!
Anonomous brought out a wonderful point about Reinsdorf. Bulls have very few strong roots to the championship years. Pax and Wennington are around but I feel we could drastically improve with Scottie in our mix. He was the ultimate teammate, floor general, and defensive specialist. He has CHAMPION written all over his pedigree. The things that Scottie could teach Sefalosha and Rose would be unmeasurable. Especially Thabo since is he shy like Scottie was. Pax, find a way to bring this guy in.
Keith sez...
"I am enjoying all of this Bulls stuff! It is a great time to be a Chicagoan! We're not Boston, but we are in pretty good shape! Boston doesn't have the olympics and a president coming!"
===
Nothing like a Newyork fan reminding us that we are not Boston...
Bulls draft Rose.He is athletic at 6-2.Isnt Ben Gordon about 6-2?He certainly is athletic ,can shoot,and even make free throws at
a high percentage.Even makes a few asssists.Hinrich is about 6-2
Can play D against bigger guards.Averages decent percentages as a shooter and not the worst assist man,or freethrow shooter in the league.But Rose can do all of the above better than all of them put togeather?He is going to be (the man) at the end of the
game.What was his collage shooting percentage?Even with that high shool girl 3 point line they have in collage?Take away the dunks he wont get in the NBA,and you have a guy shooting a little over 30% Am I right?Check it out.He is going to get more than 10 assists a game with the team the bulls have.Another Tyrus Thomas,but a little guard this time.I hope he can shoot free throws a well as Tyrus.Isee the Bulls around 500 next year.I see Miami,if Wade can still play doing as well or better with Beasly.
Frank d
Frank, Gordon does not have a 40 inch vertical, nor is he as fast as Rose. Gordon also is not a natural point guard, his court vision is not as good as a PG's. No, you are not right about shooting 30% either.
Athlete's compete because they are creative enough to make their own shot,i.e., they can move to places where less athletic people cannot block their shot, as well as get a good shot off. Gordon has been in the league longer, and is being exposed as one dimensional-shooter. He's useless on D, and doesn't care to pass, rebound, or block shots. If he's what you like, buy the Bulls and trade Rose....I bet you'd get more for Rose than Gordon.