Hughes out; advantage Bulls?

I agree...Rose with any decent 2 guard is a good thing. I just HOPE they don't make him sit the bench for 25 min a game simply cuz he's a rookie.
Rose is already their best player. Get him out there with Thabo, and work in Hinrich and our big Toe Gordon. With any luck, someone will bite on Gordon and we can trade him before the deadline....or trade Hinrich...too many mini-me guards on this team.

Hughes sucks and should be riding the pine anyway. We should either start Rose and Tabo or Rose and Gordon with Hinrich coming off the bench. Hinrich can't shoot. What's the point of having a dynamic point without a 3point shooter on the floor. Gordon shot 40% from behind the arc last year. Imagine if he's open.

Never a fan of Hughes because he forces way too many shots. Bulls are still left with the three-headed 2 gaurd monster of Hinrich, Gordon, and Sefolosha.

Judging byt he early preseason games:

1. Hinrich is not a strong enough scorer to play the 2. When he's put in that position, he automatically looks to try to facilitate still. Still a very serviceable pg, but makes way too much to be playing 10 minutes a night backing up Rose.

2. Gordon can score. I question weather he will be happy waiting for kick out passes from Rose, especially considering this is a contract year for BG. Of course there is still the defense issue, which will most likely become an issue as his minutes increase.

3. Thabo has a weak outside shot, weak handles, but somehow works well with Rose since he is willing to do the little things (picks, play excellent D, wait for the pass, defer to Rose) . In big games, his offense is still not ready to be "the man".

In the end, we'll probably see a lot of Rose/Gordon. I don't see how Hinrich has a role. It is probably time to move him.

I think most of us want to see Hughes gone this year along with Hinrich or Gordon. (I vote for keeping Hinrich as the other point guard/off guard.) I would also like to see Tyrus gone as he seems more like a Denver player, not a Bull. We need a banger as a forward and a defensive guy in the back court. I guess time will tell if it happens.

You can't win if you don't score. Trade Capt Kirk the first chance you get. You don't need Kirk now that you have Rose.

1st line: Rose-Gordon-Thomas-Deng-Noah
2nd line: Kirk-Thabo-Gooden-Nocioni-Gray

I've been watching Hughes since he was a freshman at SLU (I saw him a few times in high school) and I have to disagree. He is a great defender, he's been all defensive first team, and he is an 11 year veteran with leadership ability. He does go MIA with injuries one after another, but if you look at the Cavs record last year with Hughes as a starter and without it may surprise you. After Hughes came back from injury and was put back into the starting line up Cleveland had their best stretch of the season. People complain about his shooting percentage but he shoots around ten shots per game, which isn't a lot, he gets to the line because he's always moving and going to the basket and can hit 80 percent of his free throws. He shoots around the same percentage as Iverson and Iverson's been league MVP? Not to mention a perenial all star. If this team stays healthy I think they are good enough to do more than be an experiment for the future. I've read several times about their depth and the amount of talent they have they just have to put it together. I think they're biggest question this year is Hughes shoulder and Del Negro as a first year coach.

I have never been so happy to see a guy get hurt. Me and Vinny! LOL! I agree with Tommy, Rose is the best player on the roster already. We do have to be careful with him because he is just a rookie. He is very competitive and is going to hit the wall. That might destroy his confidence.

Is it me, or does he make Kirk look like he shouldnt even be on the court with him? Our back court should be Rose and Thabo - no question about it. Deng at 3, Thomas at 4, Gray at 5. All the rest...bench. With Gordon at 6th man. I start Thomas at 4 because he can run and fill the lanes. Gray only starts because he is a legitimate low post threat. I would prefer Gooden or Noah because of their speed. Bulls are going to surprise some people. Playoffs.

Wow, a Bulls post! It's been a while....

Yes, Hughes' injury clears up the backcourt rotation a little bit more. Whether for the better or worse, I'm not so sure. Look, I've been down on Kirk Hinrich for years now. He hasn't played any better and from what I've seen so far in the preseason games, he has no chemistry with Derrick Rose. There is not a part of Hinrich's game that has shown any improvement at all. His dribbling skills haven't improved, his outside shot is still inconsistent and his defense is still overrated in my opinion. There are too many quick guards in the NBA now that blow right past him and Kirk is still not even strong enough to hang with the physical guards. It’s finally time to realize that this is all we’re going to get from Kirk from now on. I’d rather the Bulls continue to develop Thabo alongside Rose and have Kirk coming off the bench with Ben Gordon. I’m not that high on Thabo either, but he still has room to develop. Hughes was actually playing very well this preseason so it’s a shame that he went down like this, but knowing many of the Bulls bloggers (especially Southside Keith) in here, not many will really care that Hughes will be out for a while.

This is what it’s all about now with the Bulls… development development development. Once they hired Vinny Del Negro, I said the Bulls have finally conceded to a rebuilding plan again, but they (management) continue to deny it for obvious PR reasons, still illusioning the casual fans that they can still make the playoffs this season and do some damage. Never thought I'd ever say this, but Paxson is and will always be a lap dog to JR.

Anyway, Rose is looking great and he’s the real deal. Sad to say, but he's already the best player on the team. Tyrus is showing improvement and showing more effort out there, but he still needs to improve that “basketball IQ” on the floor. He just has to play, period. There’s really no excuse for any of the young guys anymore. This new coaching staff is armed with very experienced NBA knowledge and coaching. If they don’t get it after this season, then they’ll never get it. Just get rid of the busts as soon as possible! Vinny is just there to facilitate everything else through his communication skills and provide that leadership that this team craves so much for. He’s learning on the job as well. Not expecting much from this team record-wise, but hoping for the best! Go Bulls!!!

I think the Rose and Gordon should start in the back court, only because of the spacing Gordon's outside shot creates. In the front Court the only obvious starter Deng, then Thomas, and Gooden. Thomas has shown he can hit his free throws and is quick enough to draw fouls on most of the fours in the league. Thabo and Noccioni are the first off the bench for defense, Noccioni's outside shooting and ability to make the plays no one else wants to.

I agree Keith...

Maybe we trade Hughes and Hiney....for a BIG MAN!!!

I like Gordon coming off the bench. Heinrich or Thabo need to start because Ben does not play any D. If he is in there than Rose will have the same problem that heinrich had last year in having to guard the best scorer and play point.

The only thing sweeter would be if Hinrich simultaneously hurt himself also. Can we stop with the Hinrich experiment. When I heard captain Dirk say he gives advice to D rose I cringed. This guy symbolizes what's wrong with the bulls. They forced him down our throats at point guard, Now they're doing the same with him at the 2 guard. By the way, Deng is grossly overpaid and probably should be playing behind Nocioni. Paxson is clueless. He drafts the same player every year(hard worker= no talent). Prior to Rose, the only player on the roster with NBA ability was Ben Gordon, and he can't even get a contract. Time to clean house starting with paxson, da negro, deng, hinrich, hughes, etc.. Bach up the bus!

How can morons criticize Hughes ,he is a outstanding player,he was shooting lights out before he got hurt,what team have these people been watching?

Hughes shoots like 38% and forces all kinds of bad shots and doesn't play within the offense. He had one above average season with the Wizards and he's been living off that ever since. He's an overrated defender who doesnt play good man to man, he just gambles on steals and if he doesn't get the steal, then he gets burned badly. Dude never lived up to his potential.

Gray is still to slow, travels too much and sets illegal screens constantly to play more than 15-20 minutes a game.

Deng is still overrated and will never be an Allstar because he doesn't have any killer instinct, he tends to disappear constantly.

We might need to keep Kirk as a backup PG, cause who will backup Rose at the point?

surprised to see so many Sefolosha fans. I've called for him to be the starting 2 guard since the beginning of last season. Now with Rose the arguement is even stronger. Thabo is our best defender an excellent rebounder, and has a Pippen like overall court presense. His offense clearly improves with consistent quality minutes.

Hughes should be sent home to smoke crack with Eddie Robinson and never be seen in a Bulls uniform again.

Hinrich should play 12 minutes a night as Rose's back up until he is traded at deadline.

Gordon should be the sixth man, but stil get starters minutes in a three man rotation at the 2 and 3 with Thabo and Deng, with Thabo starting at the 2 and filling in for Deng as the backup 3. This works out to 36 minutes each, just about the perfect amount for a starter.

Gooden is not center period, like Hughes he has no future with the Bulls, though he is a much more servicable player, he should be traded well before the deadline.

Noah and Gray should split the post minutes, with 30 plus going to Noah.

Thomas and Nocioni should split the power forward minutes, with Thomas getting 30+.

Interesting trade rumor on the net yesterday, Zack Randolph coming the Bulls. Although Randolphs contract is onerous, trading Hughes and Gooden for him might make sense, leaving us with a nice 3 man rotation at the 4 and 5 of Noah, Thomas, and Randolph.
The deal could be just for Hughes straight up, but the Knicks might want more value, so throw in Gooden and take back one of the useless expiring contracts like James or Rose to make it work.

Not a hugh Randolph fan, but he is a proven low and high post scorer who would compliment both Noah and Thomas. Might be worth a serious long look, despite his $16 million due in 2010.

Well, seeing that now hughes is out you lose some defense. But having a Rose/Gordon Backcourt ( Hinrich does not provide enough offense vs gordon's defense, so please jerry r please listen ) should generate some excitment. ALong with Thomas/Deng/Noah or Gray we should see some consistency.

I hate to see Hughes get hurt, especially because it discourages Paxson from pulling the trigger on a trade. Pax should have traded Hughes, for an older, overpaid, but decent center with some speed.
Why, because ever minute Gooden is at center instead of forward, puts him at a scoring disadvantage and decreases his back-to-basket post up skills. All you here is hows the Bulls need to score with a back to the basket, and the Bulls minimize the possible success of the STARTER that can do it. Last hope, Pax can make a last minute trade or pick up a center off the waiver wire. Anyone out there agree with me?

Grey where did they get that big slow bum from? Get rid of him.There has to be a better center out there somewhere.

Gooden has no back to the basket game. He just shoots high post 15 ft jumpers, I don't know why people think he has a post game. He doesn't. Randolph would provide the low post offense but he is kind of a black hole. Once he gets the ball, it doesn't come back. Plus we want to run more uptempo.

We should trade Deng/Hinrich for a big man. Nocioni can hold down the fort for this year at SF....

This team hasn't gotten anything right since the demise of the dynasty.

They drafted two top quality players in Brand and Artest, and shipped them out for, what eventually turned out to be nothing.

They reward potential by extending Hinrich and Deng. To the best of my knowledge, "potential" has never won an NBA championship.

Their best scorer (Gordon) couldn't defend Stephen Hawking, and their so called best defender (Hinrich) couldn't score on Mr. Hawking either.

It's year three, and top pick Thomas still hasn't figured out how the game is played in the big leagues.

Deng has no fire in his gut, and is timid at both ends of the court.

Skiles was right to bail on this disjointed group of misfits. I think the final straw for Scott was when Paxon drafted that goofball Noah. He just got tired of teaching college classes to a bunch of third rate, third graders.

MarkV...

You try Boxing out a BlackHole....

Its nearly Impossible!!

MarkV...

You try Boxing out a BlackHole....

Its nearly Impossible!!
____________________________

Good catch!

Huh?
Rose and GORDON (DUHHHH!)

Simple, Rose is a PG.
This means they need a SG.

Excuse me, but since when is Hinrich
a better SG than Gordon?

Joke!

OK, BG had some injury problems, and missed
some practices too, so, for a game or three,
maybe Hinrich, but it will be Ben Gordon.

He will force them to play him by scoring
a lot of points when he is in there.

So obvious!

I love reading Roman Modrowski's weekly Hughes Hatefest. Did this guy steal your sack lunch or something?

Tommy above had it right when he said "Rose with any decent 2 guard is a good thing." What he doesn't realize is that Hughes is that decent 2 guard. Is Hinrich a decent 2? Is he even a 2? What about Gordon? He plays the 2 on offense, but on defense he can't guard anyone over 6'3". So that leaves us Hughes and Thabo. With Hughes being the far more experienced guy, I actually like Hughes starting with Rose in the backcourt. Thabo could eventually take the starting job in due time later this season. But I'd take the experienced vet to play alongside the Rose instead of another guy they're trying to develop.

So in my opinion...No, Roman. I don't think it is a good thing that he dislocated his shoulder. Even if Hughes stole my sack lunch and stuffed me in my locker, I'd at least want him healthy because you can't trade him if he isn't.

NEGATIVES:
Rose: Rookie that has to learn the personnel and NBA Game. Must improve shot and free throws.
Thabo: Too passive at times.
Hughes: Can't teach him. Shoots too much. Takes bad shots. Not a WINNER. Scoring is negative kind. (will pull up when player is open under the basket - on purpose) Wants to score - not win. Will not defer to Rose. A antique. Too old, brittle, and expensive.
Hinrich: Tweener. Not a point and not a 2. Fool's gold. Tears your heart out too much.
Gordon: Defense. Thinks more of his game than he shows on the court.
Deng: Too soft. Prefers 10 footer instead of dunk. Layup instead of dunk. Plays below his potential most nights.
Tyrus: Low Basketball IQ. Lazy at times. Temper. Lacks confidence from bad coaching.
Gray: Not in shape last year. Still learning NBA Game.
Noah: Mouth. Must learn to respect the game. Learn to shoot. Work on moves around the basket.
Gooden: Tweener. Simply not a starter.
Noch: Veteran on a team of rookies. Leaves the reservation at times. Slower than opponents at times.
Nichols: Need time
Simmons: Need time
VINNY: Comes from Phoenix. Needs to be tough in the East.

POSITIVES:
Rose: Best player on the team. Speed. Handles. Good D. Can get to rim at will. Has killer instinct. Only cares about winning. Reminds me of a young Isaiah. Quiet assassin who will take over the Bulls team.
Thabo: Cheap version of Scottie. Has great size and speed. Can score, defend, rebound and PASS. Scores when needed - inside and out. Floor general. Gazelle on the break. COACHABLE. Will compliment Rose, Gordon or whoever.
Hughes: Can score and defend and has great size.
Hinrich: Tough. Has good D. Will hustle. Wants to win. You want to root for him.
Deng: Has great talent and size. Has inside and outside game. Wants to win. Rasheed Wallace without heart.
Tyrus: True Freakish Athlete. Has a gangsters heart. Improved shooting. No longer needs to think since Rose is on the team. Stellar defense. Should provide Bulls with what Chandler provides the Hornets - and even more.
Gray: In shape this year. Has the size to defend true centers. A legitimate scorer on the block. Has a good basketball IQ. Coachable.
Noah: HEART! Only wants to win. Rodman's hustle/effort. Colourful character. Great spark and teammate.
Gooden: Veteran. Strong Hard Worker. Goes to the basket and will try to crash the boards. Coachable.
Noch: Savvy Veteran. Steps up in the playoffs and big games. Has heart as big as an ocean. FEARLESS! Tough. Crafty like Rodman. And can catch fire like a volcano!
Nichols: Effective sub. Can play. Will be needed.
Simmons: Can be the difference. Bulls need a strong bench.
VINNY: Not Skiles! Knows how to run and has the horses to do it. Willing to coach and listen. Has wonderful bench coaches - not yes men.

By Anonymous on October 27, 2008 11:21 AM
Of course thats my evaluation post.

I forgot to add GORDON's positives, but we all know them:

Deadly clutch shooter. AKA The Almond Eyed Assassin! The 4th Quarter High Scorer! The trigger man with the hot hand! Who has dropped off as many players as the Team Bus!!

Hughes haters...come on. The guy is worthless. He only looks for his own shot. Him and Thabo are the same player except Thabo plays more solid D and fills the passing lane better. Has better size than Hughes also why play some guy who won't be on the team next year instead of playing a prospect who has better potential to contribute.

Also Vinny needs to start Gooden to prevent Tyrus from getting in foul trouble, but Tyrus needs to be playing at least 30-35 minutes a game.

Tonight is a BIG test for the Bulls. They don't need to be motivated. WHOEVER is not ready to rumble tonight should go directly to the top of the trade/doghouse pile. Vinny better be focussed!! This is our new rival. Skiles is going to have his boyz ready for this one. Kirk and Jefferson kicked it off in the last game. I saw it. This is the time for the bench players to earn their place on the Roster. Nichols, Simmons, and newly resigned Michael Ruffin - time to earn some respect! Going to be a good one!

Get real. You need a career year out of Gordon for the Bulls to contend this year. It's possible will Rose running the offense.

Neither Capt Kirk or MDD (More Dung than Deng) will make or brake the Bulls. If MDD was worth $72M in Aug, he's worth no more than $50M now. Gordon's going to learn that harsh lesson next spring when his agent tries to drum up S&T's before the deadline.

Juan, that should not be a problem. Gordon will not be in the 4th quarter as the first option this year. And he will have a scoring point guard that can pass out of a double team. And some good veteran players with him down the stretch.