Bulls on track to make the playoffs

LOVE the picture. Thats the kind of defense that Ben has been getting since after his rookie season. Teams know - you kill the HEAD and the BODY will die. Until this YEAR its been - no Ben, No Win. And other posters will bear me witness that I have maintained that consistently.

Gordon is very difficult to Gage. But to find a player that has been in the league 5 years and has lead his team in scoring EACH of those years you would have to start looking at folks that are Allstars. Gordon's AGENT knows his true value. And if I was him, I demand that you give me my samiches - cause I gotta eat! Ben is the second coming of Vinny Johnson. He should come off the Bench on a team with a legit 2 guard. The Bulls do not have a legit 2 guard so Gordon STARTS. Obviously people want to say - start Salmons, but Salmons is busy filling in for Marshmellow Heart. So Salmons starts at the 3 spot. And for all of you who think Kirk is your starter at the two spot, get real. Petty Chief Officer Hinrich isn't a starter at any guard spot. Whenever Marshmellow-heart gets back, then Salmons will start at the 2 spot. And he will officially be the ONLY player the Bulls have had in the last five years that deserves to start over Gordon. Salmons is what we need at the 2 spot. And then the Bulls will have the best 6th man in the league coming off the bench and scrappy-doo to back up Rose. Every last one of our players is needed, especially Gordon. If the Bulls can sign him, they will see that they need him MORE than Kirk. Bulls could get what they are getting from Hinrich from any journeyman. Ben is special - you don't get that anywhere. Sign Ben, trade Hinrich for a draft pick or something. Thats 50 mil off the cap. And then you bring in a STAR to compliment Rose. Bosh might be all we need. Bosh and Miller would definitley be enough to deal with most front lines in the league.

The Bulls will make the playoffs, but they will be one and done most likely. They actually match up better against the Cavs than they do against the Celtics, so I expect a fairly entertaining series, but you know that freak LeBron is going to just will and carry that team to at least the Division Championship series again.

If Deng comes back at all, he should NOT be starting, but we could definitely use him in the Cavs playoff series. Our $80 million player should have fresh legs going up against LeBron!

Again, Ben Gordon - all depends on how much BG and his agent team will ask for in the open market. I'm all for re-signing him at the right price, but not at the expense of the salary cap space unless they can move Hinrich or Deng (Deng preferred). Salmons would fill in just fine at the 2 guard.

Keeping in mind I'm not a real big Tim Thomas fan, I could see starting Rose, Salmons, Tyrus, Noah and Miller and bringinging Gordon off the bench to spell Salmons and Kirk to spell Rose while using Tim Thomas to spell spell Noah or Miller moving Noah into the 5 spot. Deng definitely would not be givem his starting position back unless he earns it coming off the bench.Salmons has more than made up for his loss and is more consistant on both ends of the floor. With a concerted effort it's possible the bulls could finish as high as sixth in the east seeing how they are 4 games back of 6th with 12 to play and eight of those at home.

Tim, you are right concerning Deng, but dude is vacuuming up 80 million and will definitely be starting. He's good enough to do it also. But that means the odd man out in the starting rotation is Gordon, and rightfully so. That leaves Noah, Thomas, Deng, Salmons and Rose. You then have Miller, Gray, Tim Thomas, Gordon, Hinrich and Linton Johnson off the bench. Not too shabby. Bulls have gone from being a lottery team, to a good solid team.

A star (Bosh) would make them a very good team. And a Super Star (LaBron or Wade) would make them an elite team challenging for the title instantly. Paxson really has a lot of options. But there are a great deal of guys I would not like to see as bulls. I think we can get Raja Bell or Antonio McDyss for toughness. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FreeAgents-09-10

Im excited!

Right now we're burning the candle at both ends. If Deng doesn't get back to supply some minutes, and Vinny can't find time for the piners, we will have zilch left in the tank come playoff time, ending any hopes of a first round buster.

Come on Vinny, Hunter and Gray should warrant some valuable minutes, at the least?

If the Pistons don't get healthy soon we may be playing the HEALTHIER Celtics.

Can you please pass the Exedrin?

So what has the Bulls coaching staff done to make Rose a better NBA player during this hard to watch season?
The same thing that they have done with Tyrus Thomas since day one of his going nowhere career.
Nothing.
Just sit back and hope that it just clicks and he gets it on his own.
Skiles could have taught Rose a few things about defense in the NBA.
Remember how the Bulls played tough team D when he was here with some of these very same players?
Seems like a long time ago now.

I still see people wanting Gordon gone as if his points are suddenly going to be replaced by....... gee....
True that Gordan is not a good defensive player but he is not the problem here.
The whole team plays defense like they are on ludes yet the rest of them can't drop 35 points on you on any given night.
Gordan can.

If they do make the playoffs, and the schedule is in their favor, then this just gives the team an excuse to bring back Vinny in 2010 and that just sets them back another year.
Which one of the free agents available after 2010 is going to sign with the Bulls after they win 40 games again and have Vinny sitting on the bench?

I don't know Phil - I think Skiles had a better situation than Vinny. The Bulls had a much better team back then when Skiles was here. Our bench was the best in the league which featured - Darious Songalia, Janero Pargo, Malik Allen, Chris Duhon, PJ Brown and Trenton Hassle. Skiles coached a "healthy starting" Captain Kirk Hinrich who played like the one we saw last night, and a contract seeking Luol Deng. Skiles took that young rising team and transferred them into one of the worst teams - butting heads with Wallace, Duhon, Thomas and Noah. He lost the team.

Vinny deserves an Oscar for reaching the youngsters on this team. Rose, Thomas and Noah are the quiet story behind the season. Noah and Thomas have taken two steps forward in their development. (whats up with Gray???)

HOWEVER - I certainly agree - each year with Vinny is just going to be a longer wait on the development of the team if a championship is what Paxson really wants, and it should be. If they keep Vinny - it will show where we are really heading.

"Our bench was the best in the league which featured - Darious Songalia, Janero Pargo, Malik Allen, Chris Duhon, PJ Brown and Trenton Hassle."

Keith...come on...we have our differences man but how can you say that with a straight face? PJ Brown...sure. At his age he played really well. The other guys together could barely beat a good college team. I saw your reference to Duhon in another post. They aren't asked to play ANY D in NY and run up and down court and shoot as fast as they possibly can. They are AWFUL to watch - I've seen them 2x on trips this year. Duhon in Chicago was a COMPLETE TRAIN WRECK with way too much interest in the night life.

Say what you will about the Skiles years - one thing is indisputable - they were MASSIVE over-achievers.

so keith - you're now saying skiles was successful because of songalia, pargo, duhon, brown and trenton hassle? The contract seeking Deng was last year...and HE SUCKED.

i think i would respect your opinion more if you just said you hate skiles instead like everyone already knows.

OUR BENCH WAS THE BEST IN THE NBA. Check it. We were rolling and that is why Paxson went out and signed Ben Wallace. We were on our way. What happened??? We are going to blame Tyrus Thomas and Chris Duhon and Jokim Noah right???? ALL of which are playing twice as good as they were under Skiles. Were they uncoachable? Too much night life, weed, and attitude? Riiiiiight. And I guess the team is overachieving now right???

Bulls have had only 1 coach that you can say was responsible for them being champs - and he put the Zen touch on us the other day. Everyone else was behind DOUG Collins. Drive and kick sucked rocks.

I think its fair to say that everyone who played under Skiles with the Bulls went to better and more productive situations. PJ, Tim Thomas, Wallace, Duhon, Pargo, Songalia, Kryahpa, Curry, Chandler, Allen, Hassel, Crawford, and I know um missing some people. Curry is terrible, but he started out fine and then fizzled out. But EVERYONE that left got better right away.

And then there are the leftovers from the Skiles transition. Tyrus Thomas, Noah, Gordon - ALL IMPROVED - even Gordon. And Vinny is a rookie and don't even know where all the rooms are at in the Berto Center. Now that is telling.

Now JT - Is it my hate for Skiles or your LOVE for him??? Go ahead and refute what you see.

Keith...after having read many of your illogical arguments about a number of topics, I'll leave you with this (since your last post is as preposterous as any you've left us with in the past...Tim Thomas?):

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to blog and remove all doubt"

Keith is a lot of things. But a fool...isnt one of them.

Skiles is a decent coach. His problem is that he can't adjust, has crappy substitution patterns and isn't a good developer of young talent. He is very good at getting teams to play hard and to play D. I'll give him that.

He should have taken a page from Tom Coughlin and learn to still be a disciplinarian but not a dictator.

I don't understand all the Gordon hate, he has his faults but he's from the black hole that people say. and his D is just as mediocre as the majority of SGs in the league. I just wish he would stop dribbling...I hate those off the leg turnovers. That being said, I don't see him as a starting SG on a legit championship team...perfect 6th man ala Vinnie the Microwave

a "fool"? you're right..name calling essentially means you're losing an argument. so you tell me what you call someone who would suggest the following players made up "the best bench in the NBA"...

A.Nocioni
T.Thomas
C.Duhon
T.Sefolosha
A.Griffin
M.Allen
M.Sweetney

let's just call someone who hypes this group "basketball challenged"

That works!

Jeremy Pargo and Joe Smith was on the team I believe.

Keith that was Jenero Pargo not Jeremy. Culzie you're right Keith is no fool, he's simply on occasion mis-guided but that can be forgiven because he has been drinking White Sox kool aid all his life. I'm sure that has to have some sort of negative affect similar to eating too many magic brownies. Still gotta luv ya tho Keith :)