Bulls Playoff "Hopes" + Click-a-Bull Links

Wow, it's incredible how quickly things have changed for the Bulls. A few weeks ago it seemed like we were a lock for a playoff spot, and now I will be tough for the Bulls to sneak in. And it seems almost impossible that we make up the 3 games needed to catch the Heat/Bobcats to avoid the 8th seed and a quick exit via the LeBrons.

The Bulls lost some depth at the trade deadline, and that really hurts now that we have injuries to 60% (yes, 60%!!!) of our starting lineup + Kirk suspended for Tuesday's game. I think the Bulls might catch the Raptors if we had one injury to Deng or Noah or Rose ... but with injuries to all 3, it will be tough to even make up that 1 game we are chasing.

But I guess making the playoffs is a secondary goal to the longer-term goal of clearing cap space and making a play at a big-name free agent in July. I'm not giving up quite yet, but part of me hopes that we use the rest of this season to work on things that will help out in the long-term, and giving some of our young players tick to get some valuable in-game experience.





Bulls' Rose uncertain for Grizzlies

Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose did not practice on Sunday afternoon and his status for Tuesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies is unclear because of a sprained wrist.

"Derrick went through a couple loosening drills, non-contact," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "He's a little better, but he's still got some soreness, some strength issues. We'll get him some therapy, get him some rest, see how he feels [Monday]. Hopefully he can practice a little bit, but [Monday] will determine that."

Luol Deng (strained calf muscle), Brad Miller (rest) and Joakim Noah (plantar fasciitis) also did not practice. Del Negro said that Noah is starting to run a little more, a positive sign for the Bulls considering Noah hasn't had much physical activity over the past couple of weeks.

"It's difficult," Del Negro said of all the injuries. "But it's out of your hands. You've just got to go with what's thrown at you. The cards that you're dealt, you've got to deal with them. We've had some tough cards and some tough things happen to us. But you've got to battle through it.

"Luckily, nothing's major. Where there's some hope we can get everyone back here in the next four days, three days, five days, a week. I don't know what it is yet. But as soon as we can get everybody together, hopefully we can get on the same page quickly again and get back to playing the way we're capable of."

Bucks' success could be costly for Bulls in draft

Anyone who followed the Bulls during the past decade already knew Scott Skiles was an excellent coach and shouldn't be surprised the Milwaukee Bucks are in playoff position.

But who knew Skiles could predict the future?

Maybe it wasn't Skiles, but someone in Milwaukee saw a Bulls' slump in the forecast.

The two teams made a trade-deadline deal on Feb. 18, with the Bulls sending guard John Salmons to the Bucks in exchange for forwards Hakim Warrick and Joe Alexander.

Knowing the Bulls were desperate to unload another salary to create more cap room for the summer, Milwaukee was able to coax a couple of sweeteners in the deal. The Bulls are sending two second-round draft picks north and the Bucks also have the option of swapping first-round picks this year.

At the time, it seemed as though the Bulls were giving up nothing when they agreed to the first-round switch. The Bulls had a 27-26 record on Feb. 17, while the Bucks were 24-28. Obviously, no team would opt to move down in the draft.

As it turned out, Salmons has been a brilliant addition, averaging 19.3 points for Milwaukee. Since the trade, the Bucks have gone 11-1, while the Bulls are 4-8.

"He hasn't had a bad game yet," Bucks center Andrew Bogut said in the Racine Journal Times. "No disrespect to Joe or Hakim, but we think we got a steal in that trade. He's really helped us."

Based on the standings as of Sunday morning, the Bulls were out of the playoffs and would have the No. 11 draft pick, while Milwaukee was No. 18. That's a pretty significant jump for a team that already received the best player in the trade.

Click-a-Bull (Kmart/Draft Picks, Coaching Issues, Losing Streak, Salmons, Playoff Chances)

BullBearSock has been silent (or relatively quiet) for the past few days because I was moving to a new apartment. I did not have access to the internet, and was just too busy to get any blogging done. (And apparently DC and Kmart were too busy to cover for me!!)

If you're curious, I love my new place ... but there is one HUUUUGE flaw: the building board has not yet worked out a contract with DirecTV for providing HD services. So I will be watching the remainder of the season in standard def. (This could throw my analysis off slightly, because it will be like watching games in 1991 - except without the joy of MJ and Scottie).


But enough about that, let's get to the links:


Kevin Martin, Hill, Jeffries and a pile of picks or cap room in 2010?

[Daryl Morey] From Bill Simmons podcast quoted from realgm:

We're looking for elite talent. We could've gone the cap-room route or we could've gone the route of picking up players who can help us in the next season and also potentially set us up for acquiring a top guy going that route.

I think 8 teams are now under the cap where they can have max room, but I think there are only 4-5 guys to chase, and some teams are chasing two. We felt with going the other route, picking up a guy like Kevin Martin, and other assets in terms of draft picks for the future. That was the route we wanted to go.

What if the Bulls had been willing to trade Jerome James, Tyrus Thomas, and Brad Miller for the package that Houston received?

What would you rather have Kevin Martin, Jordan Hill, and swap rights on the Knicks couple of picks or a shot at 2010. Clearly the upside of such a move isn't likely to exceed signing one of the big three given the protection on the picks from the Knicks precludes top picks, but the floor is sure a ton higher.

Kevin Martin is a very high quality player on a fairly reasonable, not super long term deal. He's a trade asset more likely that not. Jordan Hill hasn't had a phenomenal season, but he's still a high quality big man prospect, and the Bulls would get good chances to move up very high in the draft the next couple years if the Knicks fail in FA.

Guest post: Coaching is still the biggest problem

A lot of fans are confusing and/or conflating some basic issues during these trying times for the Bulls. While every fan hopes for his or her team to make the playoffs, that goal is not necessarily consistent with the objectives of team management and owners. That’s not to say that they don’t want the team to go as far as possible this year, but rather that their prime objective has, for some time, been to acquire a top free-agent during the off-season, and to build a stronger contender in 2011.

So, for example, when fans gripe about the Bulls having traded Thomas and Salmons, they are really missing the main point, as reaching the playoffs was not management’s primary consideration. Also, as Matt has pointed out repeatedly, the Bulls have little chance of beating elite teams with Noah out, and other key players slowed by injuries. Had those trades not been made, the slide might not have been quite as precipitous as it threatens to be, but their presence would not have been able to prevent it.

What I believe has been somewhat overlooked through all the consternation about the trades is the overarching problem facing the team: VDN. When the team was healthy and playing well, and more recently, when the Noah-less Bulls beat some bad teams, del Negro’s weaknesses were overlooked by many. But now, as the Bulls are being exposed by better teams, his weaknesses have (again) become glaring.

Rather than review Vinny’s many faults, let’s look at one aspect of the Dallas game as an example that dovetails nicely with the above point about the Bulls (theoretically) being molded to be more formidable next year.

During a second-half stretch in which they had a realistic chance of reeling in the Mavericks, Vinny chose not only to use Pargo, but to rely on him heavily! Shouldn’t it be obvious to del Negro, as it has become to any alert observer, that Pargo is barely competent as a spot up shooter, let alone an all-around player? (As an aside, in stark contrast to the Pistons’ legendary Vinnie “The Microwave” Johnson, I’d submit that Pargo should be nicknamed “Two Sticks”, given how long it takes him to heat up enough to make two shots in a row.)

What was so incongruous (and further damning) about VDN’s use of Pargo, was how little he used James Johnson (FOUR minutes!). Johnson, as any half-serious observer will have noticed, is gaining confidence, and improving fairly rapidly with added playing time. Johnson played well enough in a brief stint during the first half of the game, and was precisely the sort of (healthy) athlete who could have been of defensive service against the likes of Butler and Marion, who were torching the Bulls with easy baskets. And yet VDN chose to rely heavily on a three-guard lineup, including a bad streak shooter who — God forbid — will play no part in the Bulls future, rather than continuing to develop a promising young player who might very well become a valuable contributor.

No end in sight for losing streak

The Bulls turned in their best performance of a four-game losing streak on Saturday, but still didn’t come very close to stopping Dallas’ 11-game win streak.

With center Joakim Noah out for at least three weeks with a sore foot, it’s tough to tell when this skid will end. The Bulls host Utah on Tuesday, then go on the road for four straight at Orlando, Miami, Memphis and Dallas. When that’s over, they host Cleveland, then visit Philadelphia for what will be their fourth game in five nights.

Am I suggesting a 10- or 11-game losing streak is possible? It appears so, but sometimes the Bulls can surprise just when people are counting them out. The five-game road winning streak in late January is an example, but they were relatively healthy back then.

Whether they end the streak or not on Tuesday, we should expect the Bulls to fall out of playoff position soon. They are back in eighth place at the moment, a half-game ahead of Charlotte.

They’ll need a big finish to reach the postseason and the schedule does cooperate. The final 13 games are much more reasonable for the Bulls and that’s around the time Noah will try to return. How much he’ll be able to play is anyone’s guess, of course.

Anyway, the Bulls play eight of their final 13 at home. Except for another date with the Cavs, the home games are reasonable, while the toughest road opponents are Toronto and Charlotte.

--My only question about Saturday’s game is why James Johnson didn’t get a longer run? He played just over four minutes, but contributed 4 points and a block. Chris Richard was also good in limited minutes. Maybe this will bode well for Tuesday.

Ex-Bull Salmons giving Bucks a nice boost

John Salmons caught a good one last year. That was when he and Brad Miller proved to be the fated February acquisitions that helped propel the Bulls into a history-Maching playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

Three weeks ago, Salmons was swatted by the books of the Bulls' anticipated high-profile free-agent hunt when he and his $6 million salary were swerved to the developing Milwaukee Bucks.

Monday after practice, few could argue that Salmons appears to have caught another good one. With the Celtics due at the Bradley Center tonight, the Bucks are 9-1 since Salmons got to town.

They're even catching odd spectral breaks. The most recent came Saturday night when Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown elected to ''rest'' LeBron James hours before the host Bucks rolled to a 92-85 win in front of the mixed emotions of 18,717.

The Bulls, besieged once again by injuries, appear headed only for the spotty uncertainties of April. They're 4-5 since Salmons departed and take a four-game losing streak into a United Center date tonight against the Utah Jazz.

''I wish no one down there any bad,'' Salmons said. ''We all went through too much together last spring against Boston. I consider just about everyone on that team a good friend. I do want to finish ahead of them, though.''

Bulls Playoffs Hopes: Cloudy With A Chance Of Just Missed The Postseason

Now, of course, the Bulls would still be in the playoffs if the season ended today. And, of course, they’re battling it out with a bunch of other .500ish teams, and when you are battling mediocrity, there is always a chance for success.

But I’d say the Bulls’ playoff chances are now cloudy with a just missed the postseason.

Exhibit A: Last week, Joakim Noah was shut down for three weeks. There’s no guarantee he’s going to be playing again once that timetable is up. He’s going to be limited in his minutes even if he does comes back. Brad Miller is Brad Miller. Chris Richard brings the effort, but is a D-Leaguer. The Bulls are now clearly at a disadvantage at center.

Exhibit B: They’ve lost four straight, and their schedule does them no favors in the immediate future — games against the Jazz, Magic, Heat, Grizzlies, Mavericks and Cavs this week and next — and with the Bucks stepping up and grabbing hold of the fifth spot with an impressive run of late, that’s one less spot available for the Bulls in the top eight.

Exhibit C: John Hollinger’s Playoff Odds now gives the Bulls a 52.9 percent chance of making the playoffs. Better than 50 percent, yes. But the Bucks (98.1 percent), Heat (94.7 percent), Bobcats (81.9 percent) and Raptors (71.9 percent) have much better odds in comparison.

All things to keep in mind as the last month of the season rapidly approaches.

Bulls Trade Deadline Recap: Not Disappointed, but .... Disappointed

Overall, it's hard not call the moves the Bulls made in the past couple days a success. In trading Salmons to the Bucks for the expiring contracts of Hakim Warrick and Joe Alexander, we successfully turned one of the worst contracts in the NBA (Nocioni) into a bunch of expirings (Miller and Milwaukee's spare parts). That sets us up to have enough cap space to offer a max-deal to a free agent this summer, which hopefully means we can pair Wade or Bosh with D-Rose. And that alone means that this was a successful trade deadline, but ...

There were plenty of rumors that had us moving Kirk Hinrich, which I would have loved. Having that contract off the books would have allowed the Bulls to possibly offer a max and another near-max deal to FAs this summer. That would have been fun, but seems far-fetched, even today. I'm not sure signing two max (or near-max) FAs was ever realistic.

Based on how things went down, I'm not sure there was ever a real market for Kirk and his contract. So that means signing 2 big names this summer is pretty much out.


We also heard plenty of rumors about trading TT for a 1st round pick, including an early offer from the Bobcats that was put on the back-burner. It looked very likely that we would move TT for Al Harrington. That may have helped the offense this year, but it's clear that this year is not a priority for this franchise. We are preparing for the future, and it would have been a pointless/sideways move. We basically would be disguising the fact that we would let TT walk this summer (because we would surely let Harrington walk). It would have meant that in consecutive summers, the Bulls let BG walk (#3 overall draft pick in 2004) and TT walk (#4 pick in 2007, swapped for #2 pick LaMarcus Aldridge).

Instead we swapped TT for some Bobcats expirings and a future #1 pick, which at least means we got something. So we turned the #3 pick in 2004 and the #7 pick in 2007 into a non-lottery future first round pick! [Singing: "Only the Bulls ... Ooonly the Buuulls ..."]


So while this trade deadline must be considered a success as we prepare to make a run at Wade or Bosh this summer, the deadline was definitely not everything I had hoped for.

Click-a-Bull (Tyrus, Possible Trades, LeBron/Wade/Bosh)

At this point I've linked to about every possible Tyrus-trade-rumor, and I haven't been overwhelmed by anything. It's crazy to think that we once heard rumors of TT for Amare, or TT for Boozer. Now we are looking at expirings + draft picks ...

The only thing that makes this acceptable for me is that we clearly have no intentions of re-signing TT, so we have to get something before we let him walk away for nothing (see: BG). So getting a 1st round pick for a player we would let walk seems like a win, and I would have to be (relatively) happy with that. Really sad to finally/actually say it, but just take any offer that includes a 1st rounder and get it over with.




VOTE IN THE POLL ----->


Everybody loves Tyrus (except, you know, the Bulls)

The Bulls might not want Tyrus Thomas anymore…but almost everybody else does. At least that’s how it seems. And thanks to the way Thomas recently freaked out on Vinny Del Negro – not to mention how he claimed to have no regrets about freaking out – potential trade partners are crawling from under rocks and out of dark corners. Hey, who doesn’t love a high-potential, under-performing, emotionally volatile project? Am I right?

According to Adrian Wajnarowski of Yahoo! Sports: “Everyone understood Chicago executives are now determined to move Thomas, and a clear price has been established for suitors: Expiring contracts and a future first-round draft pick, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Bulls are also exploring ways to package Thomas with guard Kirk Hinrich to free themselves of his contract.”

Wajnarowski continued: “Bulls management is telling teams they expect to take the bidding right to the Feb. 18 deadline. The Bulls want to avoid the possibility of Thomas accepting a $6.2 million qualifying offer on the eve of this summer’s free agency, which would deliver a major dent to their salary-cap space. Thomas, 23, will be a restricted free agent this summer.”

Chicago’s end-game is clear: Add a superstar — Dwyane Wade? Chris Bosh? Amar’e Stoudemire? — and another star or semi-star next summer. Oh, and a blue-chip draftee wouldn’t hurt, either. And players who aren’t part of that solution are part of the problem. Even if they don’t scream at the coach. (Sorry, Kirk. That’s just the way it is. It doesn’t mean we don’t love you. Or at least like you. Or at the very worst tolerate you.)

Here are some possible trade buddies who may be in the running for Chicago’s enigmatic big man:

Bulls trade talk to heat up

At 25-26, the Bulls' record is three games better than last season's after 51 games.

However, this season could feature a trade based more on saving money than salvaging a season.

Last season's bold acquisition of Brad Miller and John Salmons rejuvenated the Bulls, led to a 17-11 finish and, of course, the stirring seven-game playoff loss to the Celtics.

This year, Salmons, Kirk Hinrich or Tyrus Thomas could be moved for anonymous, non-impact players whose best attribute is their expiring contract.

The Tribune had reported previously that the Nuggets, Trail Blazers and Spurs have expressed interest in Thomas and Yahoo! Sports' report early Thursday of specific offers — Acie Law, Flip Murray and a first-round pick from the Bobcats; Steve Blake or Travis Outlaw and two second-round picks from the Blazers — speaks to the type of salary dumps the Bulls might maneuver.

Thus, it's impossible to predict how the Bulls' final 31 games will play out. But here are three things that have to happen for a repeat playoff performance and three things to watch until July 1:

What must happen

• Joakim Noah has to get healthy.

The Chicago Bulls Can Get Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and/or Chris Bosh in 2010

All Bulls fans have one dream: Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and/or Chris Bosh to the Bulls in 2010.

Bill Simmons has even recently said on his podcast that he thinks Chicago makes the most sense for LeBron in 2010.

Anyone who has been a Bulls fan over the last five years, knows the drill. Aside from the 2006-2007 season, we have made the playoffs. That's four out of five years. In every other single year we have finished between 41-49 wins.

We have only won one playoff series in that span.

I'm sick of it. I think it's high time to blow things up, and build around Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.

Let's trade Luol Deng for LeBron James. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers won't accept a straight up trade.

But, 2010 is the year to do this happen.

How?

We need to shed as much cap space as possible.

It I had my choice, I'd get rid of nearly entire player off the Bulls roster for expiring contracts.

Kirk Hinrich? Gone.

John Salmons? Gone.

Luol Deng? Gone.

If we can turn those three players into expiring deals, the Bulls would have more than enough cap space to sign two max players in the summer.

Or, maybe not ...

Bosh: I'm the kind of player you can build around

Don’t expect Chris Bosh to reveal his free-agent plans during his All-Star homecoming in Big D.

The Dallas native continues to insist that he doesn’t yet “have an answer” no matter how many people ask him to declare his intentions now.

He also notes that “things you like and dislike change daily,” which Bosh says makes it “impossible almost to not only predict the future but predict your feelings” when free agency is still more than four months away.

Bosh, though, did have some encouraging words for the Raptors’ edgy fan base to balance out the open-to-interpretation nature of those quotes when he sat down Thursday to tape an interview for ESPN Radio’s “Meet The All-Stars” show that airs Saturday night at 6 p.m.

First Bosh scoffed at folks who think he’s already made his decision to leave the league’s only Canadian franchise.

“He’s gone, it’s over, it’s done,” Bosh said in a mocking tone.

Then Bosh revealed that he’s not necessarily interested in playing anywhere that he’s not the clear-cut franchise player.

Click-a-Bull (Being an NBA Fan, Trade Rumors, Franchise Players)

Last night's loss to the Clippers was the classic trap game: the Bulls were coming off one of the greatest road trips in NBA history, and they are a young team with an inexperienced (bad) coach. Easy game to lack energy and come out flat, so let's not read too much into it.

Great piece from Kelly Dwyer on why you should truly appreciate the chance to cheer/love a great team. Made me realize that as much as I enjoyed it, I was just a little too young to truly enjoy/appreciate the 1990s Bulls dynasty. ...

Your champs, in your eyes

Sometime, over the weekend, a TBJ viewer sent this email to Skeets and Tas.

"This Celtics' loss, coming at the end of this three game stretch, is hands down the lowest point for C's fans since KG and Ray were acquired. It makes me long for '05-‘06, when there was no pressure and I could just be happy to watch Pierce quietly churn out great games, or '06-‘07 when I could just be content if we kept it close with the Spurs for a quarter.' This pressure and caring so much about the outcome makes having your team be a contender way less awesome than you'd think."

Are you kidding me?

Honestly, can anyone get behind this? Lakers fans, Celtics fans, Nets fans, Warriors fans?

Goodness, gracious, sakes alive; have we not been there before? Nostalgia is a mild form of depression, Donald Fagen keeps telling us, and this is an obvious example of such. To not relate to Nick L. is to not be a fan of ... geez, life. We are all Nick L. If you're not Nick L., then you are not a fan.

This isn't to rip on Nick L., I have got to make that clear. This is only to wake you lot up. Or, if you're already awake, talk you off the ledge.

If you are a fan of a good team, a very good team, you need to appreciate that noise to no end. Not just because of what other bits of fandom are going through, and not just because you might not get a chance to root for a winner for long stretches of your fandom, but because your team needs a bit of appreciation.

Because your team wins games, more often than not. Because your team could win a championship — a championship! This doesn't mean you turn a blind eye to the foibles amongst these fables — these 60-win fables — but this has to mean you appreciate more than you fret.

And there is nobody that you should believe, in this regard, more than your humble narrator.

Not because I'm nostalgic, or spoiled, or that I lost myself in a half-empty miasma; but because I was around and paying attention and pumping fists (Ron Harper-style) for the greatest dynasty of the last 40 years.

I'm a Chicago Bulls fan. And though I've never sported a single bit of Bulls apparel, nor painted a bit of my face, or referred to the team in question as "we," nor created an overwrought argument regarding the outfit based solely on personal bias, I was and am a bit of a freak. The remote had to face the right way, certain doors had to be closed, certain albums had to at least be referenced before game time, and all sorts of silly superstitions had to be followed. I was a fan. I am a fan. But I was also a fan.

I was also, cruelly, quite aware. To the point of, seriously, giving our actual homecoming queen the "'kay, thanks, gotta go, bye"-treatment on the phone because halftime of Jordan's trouncing of the Nets was nearly over, and I had a seat to fill. And this was someone who was calling during halftime, because it was the only time to call. She knew. And I knew that this wasn't meant to last. This is why I taped the games. This is why I made a point to pay attention. Not because the gravity of the game depended on it — Jordan tended to be Jordan whether or not I had that TV remote aligned properly — but because I knew the difference between permanence and impermanence.

Weekly Post-Ups

With a little more than two weeks to go before the Feb. 18 trade deadline, the chatter is starting to pick up. Here’s the latest trade buzz culled from conversations with team executives, agents, and others in the know:

...

Rumblings about Ray Allen being on his way out of Boston are accurate, but only if the Celtics can get back a player who’d crack the top eight in their rotation. One scenario that has been discussed would have Allen going to Chicago for Kirk Hinrich and another piece – John Salmons? – to satisfy the salary requirements. If it came to fruition, what an intriguing swap it would be for teams that waged such a thrilling postseason battle only eight months ago. Since Allen’s $19.7 million contract expires after the season, acquiring him would leave Chicago flush with cap space for a 2010 free-agent binge centered around Chicago native Dwyane Wade and an additional superstar.

NBA Superstars: Top Franchise Players In The Game Today

11. Derrick Rose

Rose is the youngest on this list, and has made significant progress since being drafted only a couple of years ago. He's currently scoring about 20 points a game and 6 assists. He's the main chip in the Chicago Bulls puzzle, who should make the playoffs this season for sure.

Click-a-Bull (Trade and Trade Rumors - Amare, Kirk, T-Mac, Salmons)

Bulls deal Gray to Hornets for Devin Brown

The Bulls shipped seldom-used center Aaron Gray to New Orleans for veteran guard Devin Brown on Monday.

Gray missed training camp and the first two months of the season with a stress fracture in his left fibula. Since recovering, he has appeared in just eight games and never seemed to get back into playing shape.

The 6-foot-5 Brown has played a significant role on some good teams during his eight NBA seasons and won a championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005. This year he was averaging 9.7 points per game and was getting consistent playing time for the Hornets, logging 30 minutes in a loss at Denver on Saturday.

Brown, 31, is considered a good defender and streaky shooter. When the Hornets lost to the Bulls at the United Center on Dec. 26, Brown hit 6 of 7 shots from 3-point range for 22 points - all in the first half. He shot 45.6 percent from 3-point range in December but dropped to 26 percent in January.

One question still to be answered is if acquiring Brown sets the stage for the Bulls to trade either John Salmons or Kirk Hinrich before the Feb. 18 trade deadline, therefore opening more cap room to spend on free agents next summer.

Brown and Gray make similar salaries, roughly $1 million.

VOTE IN THE POLL ---->



Bulls Trade a Precursor for Amar'e?

The trade Monday that sent starting New Orleans Hornets guard Devin Brown to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for seldom-used center Aaron Gray doesn't seem like much on the surface because neither guy is somebody most smart NBA fans would call a "game-changer." While it's obvious that the Hornets made this move to shed salary, Chicago's motivations require a little more digging and imagination.

It's possible that this trade could be an attempt to shore up the Bulls' backcourt should they be able to find a taker for either Kirk Hinrich or John Salmons before the trade deadline. Chicago would like to head into this offseason with enough money to pursue a big name free agent and possibly have the option of extending Tyrus Thomas. As it stands, they'll have to choose one of those options or the other.

Hinrich is scheduled to make $17 million for the next two full seasons, and Salmons is on the books for just under $6 million next year should he exercise his player option this offseason. Brown, on the other hand, can play out the rest of this season for right around $500,000 and do a lot of the same things Hinrich and Salmon can do for a heck of a lot less money.

So, even if Chicago only manages to return non-rotation role players with expiring contracts for a player like Hinrich or Salmons, the Bulls have an answer for the holes left in the lineup. In a lot of ways, just shedding the salary would be considered a big move for the Bulls going forward. But looking at this thing on a grander scale, it seems remotely possible that this could allow Chicago to put together a pretty impressive package in a trade offer for a really big name.

Amar'e Stoudemire is one such big name, as has been reported by multiple news outlets in the last couple of days. Chicago could package Kirk Hinrich or Luol Deng with Tyrus Thomas as the key pieces to a deal for Stoudemire. Either offer would get close to matching the necessary salaries to get a move done; it would just be a question as to whether or not that were enough to get Phoenix to bite. Chicago does have a couple of expiring contracts worth $6-12 million apiece that they could use to sweeten the pot as well.

Lakers Interested in Kirk Hinrich

The Bulls have actively been trying to trade guard Kirk Hinrich and the $17 million he is owed over the next two seasons to clear up cap space to go after some of the star power on this summer’s free agent market. But that could be difficult to do considering teams aren’t looking to take on much financial burden right now. But ESPN’s Chad Ford reports that the Bulls and Lakers would both benefit from a deal.

The defending champs are a bit concerned with their perimeter defense and Hinrich is well-known as being an outstanding defender. Plus, the Yankees of the NBA are one of the few teams that could take on a salary like Hinrich’s.

The Lakers have opted not to extend Jordan Farmar’s contract so that could open the door for Hinrich. The Lakers would likely be willing to part with the expiring contracts of Farmar, Adam Morrison and Josh Powell in order to get Hinrich. Ford says “some sort of combo of Adam Morrison and Derrick Fisher for Hinrich would help both teams” but I’m not sure the Lakers would part with Fisher, and all the experience he brings come playoff time. Plus, he is still a pretty solid on the ball defender.

Besides defense, Hinrich would give the Lakers another quality three-point shooter and someone with a high basketball IQ.

Slow down on Stoudemire-to-Bulls rumors

Last year, the rumors that Amare Stoudemire would be traded were unexpected and, ultimately, Phoenix opted not to make a financial purge.

This season, they are expected, although recent talk of the Bulls being strongly interested should be tempered.

The Arizona Republic reported recently the Suns are amping up efforts to deal the All-Star power forward, mindful that attempts to reach a deal on a long-term contract extension haven't gone far. The newspaper reported Golden State, Minnesota and Cleveland have shown interest in Stoudemire, but noted that the forward's ability to opt out to become a free agent and not re-sign with any team he is traded to could serve as a deterrent.

Yahoo! Sports, citing sources, listed the Bulls as one of several teams showing "major interest" in Stoudemire. However, just like last season, the Bulls have reservations over acquiring Stoudemire, who will seek a maximum contract at a time questions remain about his defensive play and recovery from microfracture surgery on his knee.

The Bulls could've traded for Stoudemire last season, but opted not to. He's certainly on their radar and discussions between now and the Feb. 18 trade deadline will take place. However, to label him the Bulls' top priority is overstating matters.

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What's TMAC's destination?
Chris Sheridan
All indications are that the process continues to move slowly. I still think it'll come down to the Knicks or the Bulls, unless an Iguodala offer is truly going to be put on the table by Houston. and if the talent the Bulls and Knicks are offering is relatively equal, I give the Knicks the edge because they can offer more financial relief in the form of Cuttino Mobley's expiring and insurance-paid contract, which is $3-plus million more than Jerome james' similar deal. Plus, James Dolan would be much more willing than Jerry Reinsdorf to throw $3 million in cash into the deal. Also, the Knicks could take back Brian Cook (expiring $3.5 million) and get Houston under the tax, which would mean another $4-plus million going into Les Alexander's wallet because the Rockets would then get a share of the revenues from the taxpaying teams.

Brown's arrival might pave way for more Bulls moves

On the surface, Monday's trade by the Bulls was a no-brainer: They gave up someone who rarely plays for a veteran guard with playoff experience.

The Bulls sent third-year center Aaron Gray to New Orleans for 6-foot-5 guard Devin Brown, who also has played for the Spurs, Cavs and Jazz during eight years in the NBA. He won a title with San Antonio in 2005.

When Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich and John Salmons are all healthy and playing well, as they have been during the Bulls' surprising three-game winning streak, there isn't much need for a fourth guard. The Bulls have struggled all season to find court time for Jannero Pargo.

Brown's primary role figures to be as a replacement for Salmons or Hinrich, maybe even Luol Deng, should the Bulls succeed in making another trade before the Feb. 18 deadline.

There is no guarantee that will happen, since most NBA teams are reluctant to take on any extra salary right now. Hinrich has two more years remaining on his contract at a total of $17 million. That's not outrageous by NBA standards but definitely above market value.

A source confirmed the Bulls have had discussions with the Lakers about Hinrich, most likely for Adam Morrison and Sasha Vujacic, but nothing is imminent.

What Should the Bulls do Before the Trade Deadline?

Over the past couple of seasons, the Bulls have been part of many trade rumors involving TT Tyrus for Amare, TT for Carlos Boozer; some more recent rumors involving Kirk for Caron Butler, Salmons for any expiring, and even Noah for T-Mac!

So how does this all play out? And how does it affect the Bulls this summer?

Tyrus Thomas -
The Bulls did not extend Tyrus last summer, instead opting to let him play this season, show some development, and earn a contract extension. Makes sense. But, there is always a "but" with this organization, it seems clear the Bulls never wanted/intended to re-sign TT. Extending Tyrus last summer or re-signing him this summer would severely hurt the Bulls cap-space this summer, meaning we would be passing on all the available free agents to keep TT. (If you haven't heard, that list includes: D-Wade, Bosh, JJohnson, Rudy Gay, Amare.)

I was opposed to trading TT for Boozer or Amare when the rumors came out last year, but would be all for it knowing what I know now. I wanted to keep TT long-term, hoping that eventually his enormous potential/up-side would manifest itself in a Bulls uniform. Looks like that won't happen, so we might as well get something for Tyrus instead of starting another summer by letting another talented young player sign elsewhere.


Kirk for Caron -
I like Kirk, and I like Caron. They both have similar contracts, so that doesn't matter. I already said it in this space, but I don't see us getting Caron then adding another wing player (Wade, JJohnson, Rudy Gay) this summer, so it might limit options.

Salmons for expiring -

This is my favorite option in this list. While Salmons actually has an "expiring contract", he has a player option for next season. With the current economy and Salmons getting off to a terrible start this year (just got his FG% over .400), there is a pretty good chance that Salmons could opt in and take that money. (Even Boozer opted in last year, and is having a great season - so that will pay off for him.)

If Salmons opts in for next season, the Bulls will have virtually no cap space this summer. That means we will have another season of watching D-Rose have to carry an organization that has failed to give him a real coach, failed to develop him as a PG, and failed to surround him with any real talent (save JoaNoah).


Noah for T-Mac -

Laughable. Stupid. Not-worth-writing-about. This is one of those moves that would make me legitimately question my fanhood. (Or is it "fandom"? Either way, I would question it.)

---------------------------------------------


So where does that leave the Bulls? I've written extensively about how the summer of 2010 may play out - I just have that feeling that the Bulls will fail to get Wade or Bosh, and could end up over-paying for a second-tier free agent, such as JJohnson or Rudy Gay. That is not to say those guys aren't great players ... but are they true franchise players?? I would say there are only about 12-15 REAL franchise players in the Association, and D-Rose isn't there yet. That list would include: Dirk, Melo, Kobe, Yao, CP3, KD, B-Roy, D-Will, LeBron, Granger, Wade, D12, and Bosh.

The Bulls are already stuck with Luol Deng's big money, long-term contract. If we offer another max or near-max deal to a less-than-franchise player, we will be severely limited in the future. It appears that trading TT or Salmons would give us a better chance to offer a max deal to either Wade or Bosh ... so those options have to be considered.

I would hate to give up TT just to get cap space, so if we move him, I would hope we can get back some combination of expiring contracts, draft picks or good players with reasonable contracts. I would give away Salmons for any expiring, just to ensure that he doesn't opt-in to his player option for next year. Other than that, excluding D-Rose and JoaNoah, I am open for any trade possibilities.

Right now, the Bulls are at risk to not have enough cap-space to offer some free agent (Wade or Bosh!) a max deal. On a recent podcast, Bill Simmons talked about the possibility of the Bulls making some moves (trading Kirk, Salmons for expirings) and then signing Bosh AND LeBron (who supposedly want to play together). I'm not a big LeBron fan because of his cocky-selfish-attention-whore attitude, but a team of D-Rose, Bron and Bosh would be unstoppable. I don't think it's a realistic possibility.

Best case scenario would be to move Salmons, sign Wade or Bosh, and replace VDN. Worst case scenario would be Salmons opting-in, Bulls over-paying for JJohnson or Rudy Gay (putting us over the salary cap), then keeping VDN to save some money. That is a huge contrast ... and I'm very scared that the latter could happen.

Bulls Links (Noah, Salmons, Shots, Effort, Rose)

Weekend Dime

Some numbers of note from the East this week:

1: After grabbing 15 boards in Thursday's loss to the Lakers, Chicago's Joakim Noah has failed to reach double digits in rebounds only once in 11 games this season. Tops in the league in rebounding at 12.6 rips per game at this early juncture, Noah is trying to become the first Bull to lead the NBA in rebounding since Dennis Rodman did it three times in the 1990s.

18: Since Rodman's rookie season in 1986-87, Detroit's Ben Wallace has recorded 18 games with at least 10 rebounds and zero points -- including Wednesday's zero and 12 in Portland -- which is second only to Rodman's 27 such games in that span.

Two new polls, please vote!! ---------->



Much Like Milk, The Bulls Shot Selection Is A Bad Decision

The dark orange coupling near the upper right shows us that the Chicago Bulls take an outrageous number of long jumpers inside the three point line. To put it in perspective, the Bulls take more long twos than the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets combined and five more than any other squad. On average, an NBA team takes about 18 three pointers per contest but the Bulls only take 12 which is just about a third as many as they take from long-range inside the line. It’s no surprise that the Bulls have the lowest ratio of long twos versus threes in the NBA.

via Hoopdata – NBA in Polychromatic Form: Shot Location.

Some brilliant early-season analysis from HoopData regarding shot location. You look at the teams that shoot lots of long twos versus threes and their records, then the reverse, and those teams, and it’s pretty evident the effect it has. I get that the Bulls don’t have any offensive weapons to draw defenders or create, but still. You have a choice on each possession about which shot you’re going to work for, or settle for, and the Bulls are opting for the least efficient shot over and over again.

Salmons regains touch

After busting out for 41 points on 16-for-31 shooting in the first two games of the road trip, John Salmons has raised his average to 14 points and his shooting percentage to .357.

He was averaging 12.6 points on 31.7 percent shooting when the Bulls began the five-game Western road trip and was mired in a horrific slump.



So after putting together two solid performances in a row -- including 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting despite second-half foul trouble in the Bulls' 108-93 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night -- Salmons was asked after practice Friday if he was back.

''I'm just taking it one game at a time,'' he said with a big smile.

6 Reasons Why Bulls Better Be Careful What they Wish for in 2010: Aaron Gray is Not Coming Back

I think the loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, told us what we needed to know about this team despite Derrick Rose’s season-high 28 points.

They are really counting on a mini miracle when free agency begins in 2010.

1. Dwayne Wade? Doubtful. It’s 80 degrees in February, and Michael Beasley can still get the good weed for the off-days.

Chicago Bulls' effort lacking, coach charges

Analyze the Bulls all you want.

Break down how they take the third-fewest 3-pointers in the league, how their defense is improved, how their half-court offense too often bogs down into standing around or pounding the ball.

But what this season hinges on, as much as anything, is plain and simple effort.

That's why Vinny Del Negro's uncharacteristically stinging rebuke late Saturday rang so true. And why following Sunday's film session and practice, the coach didn't back off.

"I didn't like the way we approached the finish of that game," Del Negro said. "Our effort wasn't good enough."

Bulls: Let's get physical

When Vinny Del Negro assembles Bulls practice at a downtown hotel here Sunday morning, one wonders if he will bring blocking sleds and tackle dummies.

For the second straight postgame, Del Negro has questioned his players' physicality and effort following a blowout loss.

Losing to the Lakers in a landslide is one thing. Denver obviously is a strong team, particularly at home. Nevertheless, the lack of competing from the Bulls' end was apparent to more than just Del Negro.

The 2009-2010 Derrick Rose Conundrum, A Shot Selection Story

The situation with Derrick Rose this season has been confusing for fans, teammates, and even coaches. The common belief for his struggles compared to last season’s success have been some combination of battling injury and a poor jump shot. But is that really what’s going on? The last week or so I’ve been trying to figure out what’s wrong. I decided to use Hotspots to take a look at Rose’s shooting, and I found some very interesting things.

2008-2009 Season:

Bulls Links (Circus, Rose/Kirk, Salmons)

Bulls Knock Off Kings, Start "Circus Trip" 1-0

If I see one "Yeah, but they played the Kings! Without Kevin Martin!" comment, I swear to Walter Payton that I won't approve it. I don't care if it comes against the Lakers or if it comes against a team as woeful as Sacramento: for the Bulls, any win on the infamous Circus Trip is a reason to celebrate.

So, before we get any further, let's all take a second to commemorate the Bulls' unthinkable 1-0 start on the Road Trip From Hell by doing the Brad Miller taunt.


(And stretchhhhhhhhhhhhh. Feels good, doesn't it?)

If you just stood up at work to do that, you're my new hero.

I can't overstate how awful this Circus Trip is. The post-MJ Bulls are historically slow starters in the first place, but if any positive momentum were ever to exist, the Circus Trip surely killed it immediately.

Friendly rivalry

Derrick Rose and Kirk Hinrich might have their minds set on another game as the Bulls and Kings tip off tonight. That's because their game coincides with the Kansas-Memphis game taking place at about the same time in St. Louis.


Rose (a Memphis alum) and Hinrich (a Kansas alum) have been talking trash about the game all day. Actually, it sounds more as if Hinrich is doling out most of the trash talk -- his Jayhawks come into the game ranked No. 1 -- and Rose is just listening.

"All morning," Rose said after the shootaround when asked about the jawing. "All morning I've been hearing about it. Kirk, Kansas; me, Memphis. We're definitely going to be watching the game."

John Salmons Main Key To Chicago Bulls' Success

In a very underrated trade last season, the Bulls acquired John Salmons and Brad Miller from the Kings for Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons, and Michael Ruffin (although Ruffin was later traded to the Trail Blazers for Ike Diogu).

At first the move looked like it was made so the Bulls would finally have a true center that can score and pass the ball.

However, in the off-season the true meaning of this trade came to light. The front office execs. obviously took a look at the 2010 off season, one even the King has said has the potential to be "the most exciting ever," and asked themselves if Ben Gordon was worth the money that he'd be asking for.

Bulls Preview Spectacular!

A massive collection of "Bulls Season Preview" Columns

BBS Bulls 2009-10 Season Preview

Last April I posted a "Season Preview Review" which compared my pre-season predictions for 2008-09 to how last season actually went. Read that first because where last season ended seems like a good place to start this 2009-10 Season Preview ...


* With BG in Detroit, where will the points come from?


I'm not the first person to ask/answer this question, so I don't claim to be offering anything new in this space. Losing BG surely hurts, as I've said before: he is an incredible scorer, and probably the Bulls best player for the last few years. But for everything he got us on the offensive end, he cost us the almost-the-same with bad shots and terrible defense.

Replacing BG with Salmons in the starting line-up should be looked at as an upgrade. Salmons is over the groin injury that slowed him last season, and has an entire pre-season and training camp to get into the flow of the Bulls' system. He is better suited to play off Rose than BG. BG was an offensive black-hole, but Salmons should be better at letting Rose handle the rock and create shots for him, rather than needing the ball in his hands.

Luol Deng is also healthy, and has put on some muscle in the off-season. I'm hoping the muscle will help more on the defensive end when he has to stay in front of guys like Lebron and Joe Johnson. If he really is healthy, there's no reason to think he will not benefit from playing alongside D-Rose. I could see him moving back toward the player we had 3-4 years ago, and actually earning some (but not all) of his $71 million.

We also have Kirk and Pargo off the bench, so replacing BG's 20ppg is not as tough as it first seems. Kirk can play either the 1 or 2 spot, and provides a great defensive option that we never had with BG. Pargo can give us the quick scoring spark on some nights. Those two provide great versatility as far as creating difficult match-ups for opposing second units.

We should also expect to see a big jump (or more realistically, a small increase) in TT's points/offense if he continued to work on his jumpshot this summer. D-Rose's jumper will undoubtedly be improved, which should open up more options in the pick-and-roll with TT. Hopefully both of those players will have a decent enough jumper to keep opposing defenders honest, which will open up some lanes to the hoop.

So while we no longer have 1 player who can get hot and fill it up on any night, we have Salmons and Deng healthy, D-Rose with a year of NBA experience, two guards coming off the bench, and what should be an improved TT. That group of players should be able to collectively make up for the offense that left with BG, and won't cause bad match-ups for us on the other end.

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ESPN Bulls Preview Page.


ESPN Expert Bulls Predictions.




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2009 Expert NBA Basketball Picks: Chicago Bulls Preview

CHICAGO - APRIL 30: A member of the Chicago Bulls dance team 'The Luvabulls' performs during a time out in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs between the Bulls and the Boston Celtics at the United Center on April 30, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Celtics 128-127 in triple-overtime.

The NBA season is quickly approaching and the Chicago Bull’s fans couldn’t be more excited. Not that they really did anything to improve their team this offseason, they just generally get excited before every season.

They keep hoping that Michael Jordan will walk back through the door and it will be 10 years ago and he can lead them to another title. Short of that happening, they probably aren’t going to go very far this season. If you’re looking for free NBA picks, don’t expect the Bulls to return to glory this season.

Chicago Bulls ‘09-10 NBA season preview

Last year we debuted the “Highs and Lows” system — previewing the NBA season by predicting the respective ceiling and basement for each team. Same theme, different season…

Added: James Johnson, Taj Gibson, Jannero Pargo, Derrick Byars

Lost: Ben Gordon, Tim Thomas, Linton Johnson, Anthony Roberson

Ceiling: Eastern Conference semifinals

NBA Blog Previews - Chicago Bulls

Below is my entry in this year's NBA Blog Previews. If you're a frequent reader, a lot you may have read before...often. But even for those sick of my offseason whining analysis, there's at least a juicy prediction at the bottom to be mocked in April.

Team Name: Chicago Bulls

Last Year’s Record: 41-41

Key Losses: Ben Gordon, my faith in the franchise

Key Additions: Jannero Pargo, James Johnson (draft), Taj Gibson (draft), cap flexibility

1. What Significant Moves were made during the off-season?

Will Rose and Chicago build on their playoff run against Boston or fall off in 2010?

Today’s team: Chicago Bulls.

Key Question: Will Chicago build on last year’s playoff against the Boston Celtics or fall-off in 2010?

The Quick Answer: For years, Ben Gordon polarized fans.

Some saw him as a dynamic scorer, capable of dropping big numbers and even bigger shots. Others felt his size was a liability -on offence, he could never be a legit first-option and, on defense, opponents would take to him to the block to create mismatches.

Chicago management was also split on Gordon. At times, they tried to lock him up long-term by offering multi-year contracts worth big money. At other points, management seemed to be pushing the former ‘Sixth Man of the Year’ out the door.

Chicago Bulls Season Preview

CHICAGO -- A couple of weeks ago, at the Bulls' mind-numbingly dull media day, I was obsessed with the idea that the Bulls need a singular go-to scorer to replace Ben Gordon, the Gucci-wearing, 3-point-dropping, late-game gunner who led the team in scoring 43 times last season.

Derrick Rose is the natural successor to Gordon's honorary title as Last Shot Taker, given his skill set and position as point guard, but most people I questioned assured me that the team will have to find its late-game identity organically and that more than one guy could assume Gordon's status. Joakim Noah even patted me on the shoulder good-naturedly as I rambled on about it.

Season Preview: Chicago Bulls

Lets slow down a little bit with the “Derrick Rose is the next Chris Paul” talk. Did Rose have an excellent rookie season? Absolutely. Was he as good as everyone thought he was in the playoffs? Not so much. Does his rookie season compare with what Paul did? It’s not even close. Check out the following stat lines:

22.6 USG%, 108 ORtg, 28.8 AST%, 6.1 RB%, 51.6 TS%

22.2 USG%, 114 ORtg, 38.2 AST%, 8.5 RB%, 54.6 TS%

The first line is Rose. Now, that’s a perfectly respectable rookie season. It was good enough to win him the ROY award, and he deserved it. However, it pales in comparison to the bottom line, which is Paul’s rookie season. Paul was a much better offensive player, better rebounder (despite his smaller size), and that doesn’t even touch on defense, where Rose was abysmal last year. Good? Yes. Showcased a lot of potential? Yes. On par with the greatest point guard of this generation? No. I’m excited to see what Rose can do in his second year; how much of his potential he actually realizes, but I want to see him do it before I crown him the next big thing.

2009-10 Season Preview: Chicago Bulls

2008-09 Record: 41-41, Lost in First Round

Last Season’s FIC Rank: -0.8, 17th

Key Additions: Jannero Pargo

Key Subtractions: Ben Gordon and Tim Thomas

Key Rookies: James Johnson and Taj Gibson

Probable Starters: Derrick Rose, John Salmons, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Brad Miller

BDL's 2009-10 NBA Preview: Chicago Bulls

Do I trust Vinny Del Negro? No, I don't trust Vinny Del Negro.

This is a carryover from last season, his first campaign as Bulls (or anyone's) coach, and I don't mind working with a mindset finalized last May. It's the hole he's dug.

For all I know, the man's turned it around. One season was all he needed, he's ready to lead, he's ready to complain about the offense when the offense was the problem (instead of when the defense was the problem, or vice versa), and actually mean it. Not in some passive/aggressive, Scott Skiles-like way. Skiles used to needle the defense when he knew the offense stunk, as a way to motivate. I don't quite assume that level of panache from VDN.

But I could be wrong, there's a great chance of it, but that's what I'm going with until I'm proven wrong. Most of you know where my fandom lies, so here's hoping I'm way, way wrong.

SI.com's NBA Enemy Lines

An opposing team's scout sizes up the Bulls

I don't think they're going to miss Ben Gordon that much. Of course, he was a different option for them and he scored, but Derrick Rose is going to fill in nicely and they'll be able to get Kirk Hinrich on the floor more. Plus, they've got John Salmons now [for a full season].

I was impressed with Rose's mid-range jump shooting, which was better than advertised last season. Just his stroke, the way he released the ball, being able to get to a spot and pop off the dribble -- he was very good. His athleticism and ability to get to the basket are off the charts. And if he can stop and hit jump shots when people are waiting in the lane to beat him to the spot of his drive, then he's really got it. I like his demeanor leading the team. I don't want to call him a leader yet, but they're following him and he's out there fighting. He looks to distribute the ball, he runs sets, he can control the tempo with his offense and he's tough defensively. If you put him and Hinrich on the floor together, that's two pretty tough guards.

Chicago Bulls 2009-10 season preview/predictions

I may take a shot at breaking down the Eastern Conference in a future article, but we're here to talk about the Bulls, how everyone plays and where they finish. Jump in at the bottom and leave your own Bulls predictions, go on the record, be mocked like me at the end of the year.
Team Record: 45-37
I enjoy being optimistic, and I see the Bulls winning somewhere between 35-50 games. I picked at the high end of that range, hoping things go well. The problem with narrowing this team's range is that it doesn't have dominant players yet. Derrick Rose isn't a dominant player yet, and no one else is even close.

Why is that a problem? Well on the Lakers if Kobe and Gasol stay healthy, you know the team is going to be great. On the Bulls, there is no single gate keeper who needs to stay healthy to make the season. This team could be hurt considerably by an injury to Rose, Hinrich, Salmons, Deng, Tyrus, Noah, or Miller. Since the loss of any single player for a considerable period of time could really hurt the team, they have significant downside.

If everyone stays healthy, this team wins 42+ games. If everyone stays healthy and Derrick takes a big step forward, this team wins 45+ games. If this team stays healthy and Derrick, Tyrus, and Noah take steps forward then they're a 50+ win team.

So I'm going with 45 wins. A healthy team and solid improvement by it's young players.

TrueHoop Network 2009-10 Season Preview: Chicago Bulls

Crowd Says: 43-39
By The Horns Says: 46-36

Yes We Can!
The sun is out. The seas have parted. The basketball gods are shining upon us!

During the offseason, the Bulls lost free agent Ben Gordon, whom many people considered the team’s best or second-best player (after Derrick Rose). Memo to Chicago fans: Don’t sweat it. Seriously. Gordon will be replaced by John Salmons, who not only gave the Bulls almost as many points per game (18.3 versus 20.7) but was slightly more efficient in how he scored them (Salmons had a True Shooting Percentage of .596 and an Offensive Rating of 117 compared to Gordon’s .573 and 112). Even better, Salmons has the size (6-foot-7) and ability to defend opposing shooting guards … something Gordon couldn’t do unless he was exposed to Cosmic Rays or bitten by a radioactive spider.

And that’s not the only good news. Derrick Rose spent the summer working on his jump shot (500 or more jumpers a day!) and seems poised to blossom into an All-Star. Kirk Hinrich (who could start for several teams) and Jannero Pargo (a fearless and streaky shooting assassin) might be the best backup backcourt combo in the league. Luol Deng should be healthy (I hope) and ready to party like it’s 2006-07 (when he had a career-high Player Efficiency Rating of 18.7). It’s a contract year for Tyrus Thomas, which means he’s likely to blow up. Joakim Noah would dive face-first into a swarm of man-eating sharks to win a basketball game, so expect him to be a rebounding, shot-blocking beast. Like Hinrich, Brad Miller is a starting-caliber player who proved last season he can be very effective in a reserve role. Rookies James Johnson and Taj Gibson have the raw talent necessary to provide support in short bursts off the bench. Lindsey Hunter is a first-rate (and mostly non-playing) locker room leader, and Aaron Gray hands out a mean cup of Gatorade.

To sum up, the Bulls have height and depth across the board. They have guys who can get to the rim (Rose and Salmons), guys who can shoot the ball (Deng, Hinrich, Pargo and Salmons), guys who can clean the glass (Miller, Noah and Thomas), and guys who can swat some shots (Gibson, Noah and Thomas). They still don’t have a low post scoring threat, which is a problem (maybe even a big problem), but they don’t have a gaping hole at any position. The Bulls won’t win the East (thanks to the Cavaliers, Celtics and Magic) or even the Central Division (because of the Cavs), but they’re going to be much better than the naysayers are predicting.

Bulls season preview with Andrew Lawrence of Sports Illustrated

Are you ready?

Of course you are.

Opening night. NBA basketball is back.

No more preseason, no more lethargic play, no more guys working themselves back into game shape, no more guessing, no more predictions, definitely, no more replacement refs it's time to see who's for real and who's got some explaining to do.

Numerous publications have their NBA previews up and on newsstands and Sports Illustrated is no different.

I sat down with SI columnist Andrew Lawrence, who in the newest issue, previews the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks, to get his opinion on some storylines facing the Bulls this season.

The talk has been about focusing on defense this season. How good can this team be if they focus more on that side of the ball?

I think they can be a top-tier outfit, no question. Scott Skiles wrung a lot out of this roster when he was coach, and they figure to be improved by another year of Brad Miller (a huge addition to the maturing frontcourt of Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas) and the subtraction of Ben Gordon, who made no secret of his allergy for defense. On the other hand, his replacement, John Salmons, is both bigger and legitimately eager to distinguish himself as a premier perimeter defender while building on last year's breakout offensive year.

NBA Fantasy - Auction Keeper League

All 3 BBS writers got into the same Fantasy NBA league, so our lucky readers will be getting random updates throughout the season.

To give you some background: It is an auction league with a $60 salary cap. Each owner could spend up to $65, but then had to pay a luxury tax penalty ($1 for each dollar spent over $60 – so if you spent $63, you had to pay $66). There are 9 owners, and each team had to leave the draft with 10 players. We start G, G, F, F, C and Utility, with 4 bench spots. We can keep 2 players next season with an escalating price (so cheap players add $1, expensive adds up to $4 depending on how much you paid for the player being kept).

As a side note, if you’ve never done a live-auction draft before, you should do it. This was my first time (and the first time for all of us in the league) and it was awesome. Way more fun and exciting than a standard fantasy draft.

With that said, here’s a breakdown of how each of us constructed our teams ...


2J - Team name: "Riding KD's MVP" (based on my NBA Predictions)

My goal heading into the draft was to land Kevin Durant and Joe Johnson, and I hoped to do it for less than $40, leaving me with $25 to fill out the rest of my team. A later-round guy I really wanted was Kevin Love, who I hoped would fill up the rebounding category for me.

I got KD early on for $23, and even before Joe Johnson came up for auction I spent $14 on Amare. I wasn’t 100% in love with him, but that seemed like a great price. Thought it was a good value at the time, and then realized he is eligible at the center position, so I love that pickup even more now. I then managed to grab Joe Johnson for only $10. So I was $47 deep and had a solid 3 players to build around.

I decided to wait a bit until the values starting dropping because I only had $18 left for my final 7 roster spots. I grabbed Emeka Okafor on the cheap ($3) because if CP3 can turn Tyson Chandler into a borderline all-star, he should be able to cause Okafor’s offensive stats to jump.

I also grabbed LaMarcus Aldridge ($2) and Kevin Love ($3), so I am pretty deep at PF and C. I then grabbed John Salmons ($2) (of course I needed Bull on my team), who can play both G/F, like KD and Joe Johnson.

My weakest position is PG, so I will be hurting for assists. I got Russell Westbrook ($3) as my primary PG, and went with Jonny Flynn ($2) as my backup. I am hoping other players like Joe Johnson can get me assists from my other positions.

I used my last “pick” on Danilo Gallinari ($2) – so we’ll see how that works out. D’Antoni loves him and supposedly he has been shooting lights out, so it could be a good value for $2 at the end of the draft.

(UPDATE: With K-Love breaking his finger the other night, I could not afford to have him and Danilo taking up roster spots. I was forced to drop Danilo, and since I am stacked at the F spot, I picked up an extra PG – Mario Chalmer’s – great for steals and 3s, and I’m hoping his dimes jump in his second season.)

I ended up spending $64 on my roster, so I had to pay $68 because of the luxury tax. I am very F/C heavy, and weak in the PG stats, but I love very player on my team and I’m really excited to see what happens.

Projected lineup after the draft:

G – Westbrook
G – Joe Johnson
F – Kevin Durant
F – Aldridge
C – Amare
U – Kevin Love

B – Okafor
B – Salmons
B – Jonny Flynn
B – Danilo Gallinari


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Kmart - Team name: “Gators Wade-ing in the Velvet Sea” (What… you don’t like Phish? Then stop reading.)

Unlike Jim I had no “goal” heading into this draft. I really didn’t know what I was doing. Not only have I never done an auction draft before, but I’ve never even played Fantasy Basketball. There’s never been a reason really. I follow basketball much more than the average casual fan, and I feel that I know enough about basketball to seemingly decide who is “good” and who is “not good”.

Either way being invited to play in this league I decided to give it a go. (Not sure why I waited to pop my fantasy bball cherry in a $60 keeper league, but what the hell?) I felt nervous and unprepared for the draft, but once it started I quickly got into the flow.

My thought process was to find value across the board, pick players I enjoy watching, and don’t overspend or fall in love with any one pick. There were no real players that I “wanted”, only players I know I didn’t want (LeBaby James, the entire C’s roster, etc. etc.) Once DC took CP3 at $26 the market was set.

I knew I needed a top 7-8 player in the NBA in order to be somewhat relevant. The drop off from the Super-stars to stars is much greater than from stars to productive players. After very little resistance, I wound up getting Dewayne Wade at $21.

After that, I was kind of along for the ride. I didn’t want to spend too much money early and be out for the remainder of the draft. I was able to jump in again about 10-12 picks later and snag Chauncy Billups for $10. A few picks later, I grabbed Kevin Martin of the Kings for $8. Perhaps I over-paid a little here, but I couldn’t in my right mind stand for letting someone else get Kmart, at least not in the inaugural year of the draft.

After the first 40 picks, with three players and $21 left I was the money leader in the clubhouse. This meant that if I spent wisely I would likely be able to control the back end of the draft.

With three guards in my first three picks I shifted my focus to picking up the best center available and then picking up my starting forwards. I eyed Brook Lopez and nabbed him for $6. A few picks later I got Vinsanity for $5.

With $10 left under the salary cap for my last 5 picks and another $5 in potential luxury tax, I figured I could be able to outbid anyone for the remainder of players I truly wanted. I eyed two Florida Gators in Al Horford and Joakim Noah. This is ironic because I absolutely hated both those Florida national championship teams. I’ve always admired Horford’s game though, and he was the most physical PF left on the board – and safest bet to be a solid contributor this year so I picked him up for $X. Noah on the other hand has secretly become my second favorite player on the Bulls after I absolutely despised him up until and through draft night. I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but sometime around the Amare trade rumors last year I fell in love with him. I figure at worst this year he’ll be a productive backup C. At best he’s a double-double machine who shoots well from the free-throw stripe and hustles for a block per game. Not a bad pick for $2

After that I had one more player on my board I was hoping to land – Blake Griffin. This is a keeper league so I figured even if he sits on my bench all year; he would be a potential pick that I could likely hold onto for the next two seasons. Needing three more players I nominated Jeff Green and was able to get him for $1. This left me with $7 to spend on Griffin and $1 on my last roster spot – he cost me $6. I rounded out my roster with Trevor Ariza at a buck for a total of $64.

Since I’ve never played fantasy basketball, I have no real idea if my team is good, great, average, or terrible – but I like who I have and I think as long as D-Wade stays healthy I’ll be right in the thick of it at the end. What do you think? Feel free to tell me how great I am, or how much I suck in the comments. (Just remember to click the title of this post, and then login and post your comment in the top box. ALSO – Copy and paste your comment as sometimes it glitches)



Kmart’s projected lineup after the draft:

G – D. Wade
G – C. Billups
F – V. Carter
F – A. Horford
C – B. Lopez
U – K. Martin

B – J. Noah
B – B. Griffin
B – J. Green
B – T. Ariza


DC – Team name (for now, I tend to change them throughout the season): Jannero’s Boneros

First of all, Phish blows. Hard.

Second, this is my first auction league…I’ve played fantasy basketball before, so I have a decent idea of what I’m doing. My handicap was that I had not prepared at all for this draft and I was nursing a sizeable hangover from the previous night’s shenanigans. Owing to both my lack of preparedness and lack of prep, I did not bring anything with me to the bar to write down how much I spent on everyone, so my recap will be a little bit different.

I had a couple goals in the draft: 1) get CP3 or Durant 2) get value after that. As Kmart stated, I set the market at $26 for Chris Paul. At this point, I could have auto drafted the rest of the day and been happy with my team. I think that was a decent value, especially considering Danny Granger went for $24 a few picks later (LeBron went for $23 before Granger…yeah, that’s not a typo. Danny Granger was more sought after than LeBron).

My next two picks were Chris Bosh ($15) and Carlos Boozer ($6). Let me say, I wasn’t in love with either player…I really like Bosh and felt $15 was a good price. Boozer was another story. The bid was at $5 and I just felt no one should get Boozer for only $5 so I bid $6 expecting to get outbid for $7…didn’t happen, so I got him. Not bad, not great. So into our first break, I had spent $47 on 3 players. The most of anyone…but at that time I also feel I had the best top 3 of anyone in the draft. I knew at this point I would be spending the full $65 to fill out my roster and was resigned to that fact.

My next three picks were Monta Ellis, Hedo Turkoglu and Andrew Bynum. I don’t remember how much I had spent on each. All I remember was that the Hedo pick was like the Boozer pick, good value…but I’m concerned about his production in Orlando. We’ll see how the season goes. I love Bynum this year and hope he stays healthy enough to stay in my lineup all season. Ellis should be solid as my other starting guard. I’m still feeling good at this point.

My last four picks were Boris Diaw, Mo Williams, Thaddeus Young, and Courtney Lee. Love Mo Williams as a backup guard/utility option. Diaw was a player I actually didn’t want that much, but felt he’d be a good bench option. Young and Lee were the last two $1 pickups of the draft, because I was the only team with money left and spots available. I have already dropped Lee for Lou Williams on the waiver wire because I think he’ll be solid and he has G/F eligibility (so add another $1 for the free agent pickup). $71 spent so far.

Tell me what you think, but I have Chris Paul so I don’t really care what anyone says.

Overall I’m happy with my starting lineup…especially Bosh, Boozer and Paul. We’ll see where the rest of the pieces fall. Here’s my projected starting lineup:

G- Chris Paul
G- Monta Ellis
F- Hedo
F- Boozer
C- Bosh
Util- Bynum/Mo Williams

Bench- Bynum/Mo Williams
Bench- Boris Diaw
Bench- Thaddeus Young
Bench- Lou Williams

Bulls 2009-10 Season Preview

Last April I posted a "Season Preview Review" which compared my pre-season predictions for 2008-09 to how last season actually went. Read that first because where last season ended seems like a good place to start this 2009-10 Season Preview ...

• With BG in Detroit, where will the points come from?

I'm not the first person to ask/answer this question, so I don't claim to be offering anything new in this space. Losing BG surely hurts, as I've said before: he is an incredible scorer, and probably the Bulls best player for the last few years. But for everything he got us on the offensive end, he cost us the almost-the-same with bad shots and terrible defense.

Replacing BG with Salmons in the starting line-up should be looked at as an upgrade. Salmons is over the groin injury that slowed him last season, and has an entire pre-season and training camp to get into the flow of the Bulls' system. He is better suited to play off Rose than BG. BG was an offensive black-hole, but Salmons should be better at letting Rose handle the rock and create shots for him, rather than needing the ball in his hands.

Luol Deng is also healthy, and has put on some muscle in the off-season. I'm hoping the muscle will help more on the defensive end when he has to stay in front of guys like Lebron and Joe Johnson. If he really is healthy, there's no reason to think he will not benefit from playing alongside D-Rose. I could see him moving back toward the player we had 3-4 years ago, and actually earning some (but not all) of his $71 million.

We also have Kirk and Pargo off the bench, so replacing BG's 20ppg is not as tough as it first seems. Kirk can play either the 1 or 2 spot, and provides a great defensive option that we never had with BG. Pargo can give us the quick scoring spark on some nights. Those two provide great versatility as far as creating difficult match-ups for opposing second units.

We should also expect to see a big jump (or more realistically, a small increase) in TT's points/offense if he continued to work on his jumpshot this summer. D-Rose's jumper will undoubtedly be improved, which should open up more options in the pick-and-roll with TT. Hopefully both of those players will have a decent enough jumper to keep opposing defenders honest, which will open up some lanes to the hoop.

So while we no longer have 1 player who can get hot and fill it up on any night, we have Salmons and Deng healthy, D-Rose with a year of NBA experience, two guards coming off the bench, and what should be an improved TT. That group of players should be able to collectively make up for the offense that left with BG, and won't cause bad match-ups for us on the other end.


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--- Player-By-Player Analysis - Starters ---

• Derrick Rose -

Rookie stats (per game average)

CP3 ||||| D-Rose

36 | minutes | 37
16.1 | points | 16.8
7.8 | assists | 6.3
5.1 | rebounds | 3.9
2.4 | turnovers | 2.5
43% | FG % | 48%

CP3 did not have a huge jump in his sophomore season. His points and assists each jumped about 1 per game (17.3 and 8.9) and his rebounds fell off slightly (4.4). If we expect similar changes in D-Rose, we are looking at about 18ppg, 7apg and 3rpg.

I realize that comparing anyone to CP3 is a stretch, but he seems to be the closest comparison for D-Rose. Their games aren't exactly alike, as Rose seems to be a slightly better scorer and CP3 is a better passer - but it's worth comparing.

I tried to remain relatively calm about D-Rose going into last season, hoping for some flashes of greatness and expecting some rough patches. He completely blew me away ... and in the words of Bill Simmons "the ceiling has been removed for Rose. I am prepared for anything over the next 12 years. Anything."

I think Rose will become a more consistent player (avoiding bad shooting or defensive stretches and mental errors) and still have his explosiveness (on the court and in the scoring column). He should have the ball in his hands more with BG gone, and I see him running a much smoother offense, scoring whenever he needs/wants. I feel confident making a bold prediction for Rose this season, so here it is:

Prediction: D-Rose makes the jump to a top 3 PG in the League, makes the All-Star game, and leads the Bulls into the playoffs for the second-straight year.
Projected stats: 18.3ppg, 8.1apg, 4.5rpg

• John Salmons -

I realize John Salmons' numbers have made a big jump in the past 2 years. In his first five seasons, Salmons never averaged double-digit points. He then jumped to 12ppg 2 years ago, and averaged 18ppg for the the Kings and Bulls last season.

I am hoping that his production will remain at or near his recent production, rather than trending back to his early career numbers. And I think the numbers will stay up because something clicked and he figured out what he was doing. I don't think last season was an aberration, I think he will continue to put up similar numbers this year.

Playing along-side Derrick Rose can only help Salmons get open looks, and he shot 42% from three last season. He made a smooth transition into the Bulls line-up in the final 26 games last season, and having a full off-season and training camp should help. Plus, starting Salmons and Rose in the back-court will give us a pair of big, physical guards (something we never had with BG).

Prediction: Salmons will adequately fill the 2-spot for the Bulls, not as explosive on the offensive end as BG, but not as much of a defensive liability.
Projected stats: 17.5ppg, 2.0apg, 4.1rpg

• Luol Deng -

Where to begin with Luol? What can we expect?
2006-07 Luol: 82gp, 18.8ppg, 2.5apg, 7.1rpg
OR
2008-09 Luol: 49gp, 14.1ppg, 1.9apg, 6.0rpg

It's hard to make a prediction with any certainty, because I have no idea what to expect. Luol's per game averages last season certainly weren't bad. I would be satisfied with that production over 82 games ... but I don't want to settle for satisfaction. Especially not when we spent $71 MILLION (guranteed) to sign him for six seasons!

It is easy to forget that Luol is only 24 years old, so we can assume he has not hit his prime yet. But will he? And when? Even if he's healthy, can Luol guard the best 3s in the Association? Where does he fit in the Bulls' offense? Will he stand alongside the pick-and-roll and drain easy mid-range buckets all year? Has he worked on a go-to offensive move? As you can see, I have a lot of questions. And no answers, at least not yet. All we can do is wait and see.

If Luol does return to his form of 3 years ago, when he was widely considered a lock to be a future all-star, where does that get the Bulls? If D-Rose, TT and JoaNoah continue to develop and Luol is a stud, can the Bulls win 50 games? 51? 52? I don't see why not.

Prediction: Not sure that I'm ready to peg Luol back to where he was 3 years ago, but I don't see why he can't split the difference between that and last season (without the injuries).
Projected stats: 75gp, 16.4ppg, 2.3apg, 6.5rpg

• Tyrus Thomas -

Another question mark for the Bulls. I will get this out of the way: I love TT! I have been opposed to the Bulls trading him for just about anyone. We have put in the time/effort developing him, waiting for him to take the step. I feared that if we traded him, he would make the jump and we would regret it for the next decade.

Now a part of me is nervous that it will never happen for TT. Will he ever make the jump and become the player we thought he could be when we drafted him? (Actually traded LaMarcus Aldridge for him and Viktor Khryapa). There is still hope, there is more than hope, there is reason to belive. TT spent last summer working on his J, which was not spectacular, but much improved. He does not need to be a knockdown shooter, just good enough to keep opposing defenses honest on the pick-and-roll with D-Rose.

If TT can continue to take steps (even small steps) on the offensive end, he can continue to use his freakish athleticism to get boards and block/alter shots on the other end. I realize that LaMarcus Aldridge and TT are not the same player, not even on the same level right now - but I don't think it's as far off most people think. LA's rookie stats (22mpg, 9.0ppg and 5.0rpg) were similar to TT's stats last year (27mpg, 10.8ppg, 6.5rpg). Then LA had a big jump the next year (17.8ppg, 7.6rpg).

Prediction: I see no reason that TT won't make a similar jump this season, so it all comes together this year. The Bulls (organization and fans) patience will pay off.
Projected stats: 15.5ppg, 11.5rpg, 1.0apg, 2.2bpg

• Joakim Noah -

I have never had a bigger swing on any athlete (except daily with BG for the last 2 years). I hated JoaNoah at Florida. I convinced myself to give him a chance when the Bulls drafted him. He started to grow on me, then last season I started to like him. A young, energetic center who can play D, grab boards and doesn't care about offensive stats ... what's not to like? Then came the Celtics series, and the steal. If it didn't happen before that, that was the moment when JoaNoah entered Bulls lore and became a true Bull in the eyes of Bulls fans. He went from being some guy we didn't really understand, to "our guy". And for all that, at some point he became the most un-tradeable Bull not named D-Rose.

The Bulls actually have a good, young center. He might not be the best at any one facet of the game, but he gives the Bulls what they need. Energy, hustle, defense, passion ... he's our intangibles guy, and he's a great one. Henry Abbott (ESPN TrueHoop) recently stated: "Joakim Noah will never be beat in the race to congratulate a teammate." What a compliment.

Prediction: It's hard to see a jump in any of JoaNoah's offensive stats, but I think we will see a jump in a stat he really needs to improve: rebounds. He has the hustle/energy, and this year he combines that with experience and brains to get more boards.
Projected stats: 7.0ppg, 10.2rpg, 1.0apg, 1.7bpg


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--- Bench ---

The bench should be one of the Bulls' strengths this year. We have a great mix of savvy veterans and athletic, young players. We should have an advantage over many teams if the second unit consists of: Captain Kirk, Pargo, Taj Gibson, James Johnson and Mad-Bad-Brad. We have tons of front-court depth with those 2 new rookies, and even more depth if you include the possibility of Derrick Byars and Chris Richard (who have been getting some pre-season burn). [Note: I am consciously/intentionally not including Aaron Gray because I don't want him to wear anything but a suit this year.]

• Kirk Hinrich -

Definitely our most versatile back-court player because he's a combo guard that plays both positions well. He can spell either D-Rose or Salmons, depending on fouls and situations. Playing Kirk at the 2 is extremely useful because it opens up the possibility that Salmons can spell Deng (at small forward) at times.

• Janero Pargo -

Touted as the poor man's homeless man's BG, I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult. Either way, I'm much happier to pay Pargo $2 million for 1 season than give BG a long-term, big-money deal. It's obvious that this is a big down-grade offensively, but might be better for the team overall. Pargo might not have the same ability to score as BG, but he is willing to play his role. BG was the perfect 6th man, but he always wanted to be paid and treated like a starter. Pargo seems much more willing to accept limited minutes, but is definitely capable of providing an offensive spark.

• James Johnson -

Not exactly sure what we can/should expect from JJ. He looks to be a versatile 3/4, which will definitely add to our depth up front. We don't really have another backup 3 (other than playing Salmons at 3 with the 2nd unit), so he might actually log some meaningful minutes.

• Taj Gibson -

Looks like this was an excellent value pick. He played 4 years at USC, where he got some good experience playing with and against NBA-caliber players. He should be NBA ready and able to give the Bulls solid minutes as a rookie, but not sure how many minutes - picks up a lot of quick fouls.

• Brad Miller -

Possibly the slowest player in the Association, Brad Miller still manages to provide the Bulls with some much needed toughness and versatility. A seven-footer with his range is always useful, especially running the pick-and-roll.

• The rest (Lindsey Hunter, Aaron Gray, Jerome James, Richard Byars, Chris Richard) -

What can I say? I wouldn't mind seeing Byars and Richard make the roster, if only to add to our front-court depth. Never hurts to have some extra big bodies around. I love what Hunter brings as far as coaching/guiding D-Rose, but not sure he needs to get any meaningful minutes. I am absolutely sure that Aaron gray does not need any meaningful (or meaningless) minutes.


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• Coach: Vinny del Negro

I did not like this signing, and complained about hiring a non-coach as our head coach. There were times when VDN looked lost, which will happen when you have no game-management experience. We consistently ran terrible inbound plays, and often looked lost on both ends of the floor. I have to believe that it has to get better because it cannot get much worse. I am hoping that having a year under his belt will allow Vinny to do a little more coaching and a little less worrying.

Vinny should have a much better understanding of his personnel heading into this year, so he should be able to take advantage of his players' skills. I would love to be pleasantly surprised this year, so I'm willing to give Vinny a chance to show what he can do.


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--- Overall Team Projection ---

I am obviously being very hopeful/optimistic with my player predictions, and I see no reason to change that here.


I already projected the Bulls to finish 6th in the East, but I hoped they could finish as high as 4th, so I'm splitting the difference now.

Without the black-hole known as BG clogging up the offense, I think D-Rose will thrive with the ball in his hands. Having Salmons and Luol in the line-up could help space the floor around the pick-and-roll. Luol and TT are poised to take steps this season, and the Bulls will take a step with them.

• Record: 48 - 34

• 2nd place in Central

• 5th in Eastern Conference

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--- Looking forward ---

• Why signing D-Wade would be good in the short-term, but bad in the long-term:

We all remember the 2003 NBA draft class, and it seems crazy to think those players are entering their seventh NBA season. While LeBron cane straight from high school and is 24 years old, D-Wade played 2 seasons at Marquette and is 27 years old.

As a 26-year-old, I can tell you that 27 is not that old - but things are different in the NBA. It's a physical game that makes a player "old" before their age indicates that they are old.

One thing to look at regarding an NBA players is the number of games played. D-Wade has racked up only 394 regular season games over his career, but that number is skewed low because he has missed many games due to injury. He has played in 70+ games in only 3 of his NBA seasons. The total games number also does not include playoff games (61), international qualifying games, or the Olympics.


D-Wade has to play one more season before becoming a free agent, so he will be 28 years old when he signs his next contract. Assuming Wade signs for a max deal (as he undoubtedly will), he will be on the books for the next 6 years. Toward the end of that deal he will be a 34-year-old guard who spent 11-12 NBA seasons relentlessly driving to the rim and drawing fouls.

I have no doubt that D-Wade is (and will remain) one of the top players in the league for the next few years. What worries me is the last 2-3 years of the contract. With his history of injuries and aggressive/slashing style of play, it's a question of how far he will have fallen physically 5-6 years from now.

Derrick Rose turned 21 years old a couple weeks ago. The start of his prime is still 4-5 years away. Watching him grow and develop with D-Wade would be incredible, but I don't think their primes will overlap so I'm not sure it's the perfect match everyone thinks. D-Wade will be declining just as Rose reaches his full potential. The Bulls would defintely be exciting and fun to watch for the next 6 years with those 2 playing together, but really only leaves a 2-3 (2012-14) year window for a legit shot at the title.

All that being said, I am not opposed to the Bulls signing D-Wade. A home-grown Chicago back-court would be epically fun to watch and cheer for. We would be a legit contender in the East for the next couple years, taking advantage of D-Wade's prime. Then D-Wade could take a secondary role, possibly re-inventing himself as a player (think Jordan fade-away), while we continue to be a contender through all of D-Rose's prime. Plus, I would never trade a chance at current success (possible NBA title) for fear of a contract hurting us 5 years from now. Even if signing D-Wade to a max deal might not be the best long-term plan, it's hard to argue that it wouldn't make the Bulls a real championship contender for the next 3-4 years.