Bulls Offseason Thread

[Sammy Sofa]

new SI cover. guess who is in the front of the picture? i love it. lebron better get used to this

 

http://img.fannation.com/upload/si_blog_post_images/64561/tx_cover_bigthree.jpg

 

It really is sad the more I think about it. He basically only had one choice out of his options where he wouldn't have been THE man on the team, and he went running towards that choice like he was terrified of anything else. I think he would have seriously considered going to the Lakers instead if they had somehow had the money and still had Kobe. Have we ever seen a player as highly regarded as LeBron so willfully and blatantly choose to be the second banana?

[rawaction]

Hollinger not a fan of the recent Bobcats-Mavs deal:

 

I'd like to congratulate Michael Jordan on being the first executive in history to avoid saving money in a salary dump. Tyson Chandler and Alexis Ajinca have one year left at a combined $14.1 million, while Eduardo Najera and Matt Carroll are owed a combined $17.1 million over the next three years. Throw in cash (presumably the maximum allowable $3 million) from Dallas, and they managed to break even while giving away their starting center for two guys who will occupy seats 11 and 12 at the end of the bench. Strike up the band.

 

For those who haven't heard, Charlotte traded Chandler and Ajinca to Dallas on Tuesday for two of the deadest-weight contracts in the league (Najera and Carroll), cash, and the non-guaranteed contract of Erick Dampier. I still have no idea why.

 

I really can't think of one move that ever turned out well for MJ as an owner/GM. He just isn't very good at working the front office in basketball.

 

Concerning Reddick, why sign him when you have a very similar player in Korver? Get Barnes who is a little more athletic and guards the 2's significantly better? I am tired of the Bulls trotting out their 6'3" 2 guards.

 

The Bulls could use two 2Gs, because they don't have anything else on the roster. Redick probably won't be it. I like Brewer over Barnes personally.

[Guest]

Do you guys like super teams?

 

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/me_amar_and_melo_BU8MzS41wIdwRYLU1D7NTJ

[rawaction]

Do you guys like super teams?

 

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/me_amar_and_melo_BU8MzS41wIdwRYLU1D7NTJ

 

I think that would good for the game. Now if the Bulls can trade Deng, Johnson, and Gibson for Kevin Durant and create the league's only Big 4!

[Guest]

Hollinger not a fan of the recent Bobcats-Mavs deal:

 

I'd like to congratulate Michael Jordan on being the first executive in history to avoid saving money in a salary dump. Tyson Chandler and Alexis Ajinca have one year left at a combined $14.1 million, while Eduardo Najera and Matt Carroll are owed a combined $17.1 million over the next three years. Throw in cash (presumably the maximum allowable $3 million) from Dallas, and they managed to break even while giving away their starting center for two guys who will occupy seats 11 and 12 at the end of the bench. Strike up the band.

 

For those who haven't heard, Charlotte traded Chandler and Ajinca to Dallas on Tuesday for two of the deadest-weight contracts in the league (Najera and Carroll), cash, and the non-guaranteed contract of Erick Dampier. I still have no idea why.

 

I really can't think of one move that ever turned out well for MJ as an owner/GM. He just isn't very good at working the front office in basketball.

 

Concerning Reddick, why sign him when you have a very similar player in Korver? Get Barnes who is a little more athletic and guards the 2's significantly better? I am tired of the Bulls trotting out their 6'3" 2 guards.

 

The Bulls could use two 2Gs, because they don't have anything else on the roster. Redick probably won't be it. I like Brewer over Barnes personally.

 

I'm a big Bruin honk and I'd rather have Brewer over Barnes any day of the week. Someone posted that the Bulls had offered him a contract and he was weighing his options.

[17 Seconds]

Do you guys like super teams?

 

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/me_amar_and_melo_BU8MzS41wIdwRYLU1D7NTJ

 

never gonna happen, especially considering what amare has already signed for. the miami thing was just a perfect storm of contracts ending at the same time and miami having the massive cap space.

[JimSorgi]

Do you guys like super teams?

 

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/me_amar_and_melo_BU8MzS41wIdwRYLU1D7NTJ

 

In fact, James would love nothing more for Miami and the Knicks to one day battle in the Eastern Conference Finals. James-Dwyane Wade-Chris Bosh vs. Stoudemire-Anthony-Paul.

 

Actually, I'm pretty sure James has shown that the last thing he wants is a challenge.

[17 Seconds]

yeah, lebron just wants to pad his resume. he doesn't care how it happens. we all keep comparing him to MJ/Kobe and saying he doesn't have that killer instinct to be like those guys, but i don't really think he wants to be like those guys. he doesn't want the challenge. he just wants to be "the king". he wants to me the most famous athlete in the world. he doesn't care if people are saying he's not jordan, he's happy that they're talking about him.

 

the more and more i think about it, the more i think this is a good decision for what he wants. i really don't think he cares about the people saying he's not like jordan. he just wants to be the biggest star on the planet, and really this will work out well. he gets to play in a glamorous city (well, parts of it), gets to probably win some championships, and gets to play on a team that will be the most talked about NBA franchise over the next half decade. look at how much press this whole thing has gotten. he loves it.

[17 Seconds]

 

has this been posted yet? this video actually makes me kind of like them

[Wilson A2000]

he just wants to be the biggest star on the planet, and really this will work out well. he gets to play in a glamorous city (well, parts of it), gets to probably win some championships, and gets to play on a team that will be the most talked about NBA franchise over the next half decade. look at how much press this whole thing has gotten. he loves it.

 

He might be the biggest star on the planet, but that stardom could diminish if you aren't even the biggest star on your team. LeBron has got a ton of press, but a lot of it has been bad.

[17 Seconds]

he just wants to be the biggest star on the planet, and really this will work out well. he gets to play in a glamorous city (well, parts of it), gets to probably win some championships, and gets to play on a team that will be the most talked about NBA franchise over the next half decade. look at how much press this whole thing has gotten. he loves it.

 

He might be the biggest star on the planet, but that stardom could diminish if you aren't even the biggest star on your team. LeBron has got a ton of press, but a lot of it has been bad.

 

all press is good press for lebron. i don't really think he minds being the villain, at all.

 

and i do think he'll have the reputation of not even being the man on his own team and that might hurt him when talking about he where he ranks with the greats, but he is still the biggest star. he'll get talked about the most, just like he is right now.

[Sammy Sofa]

Yes, it's obviously it's all about his ego...that's why I'm so let down by it. OK, so he wants to be famous, hey, great. It's that he opted the relatively easy route to more fame while not maximizing his talent that seems like such a cop out to me. He could be one of the most famous athletes in the world AND one of the very best, but he's willing to let the latter fall relatively to the wayside for the sake of the former.

[Wilson A2000]

Yes, it's obviously it's all about his ego...that's why I'm so let down by it. OK, so he wants to be famous, hey, great. It's that he opted the relatively easy route to more fame while not maximizing his talent that seems like such a cop out to me. He could be one of the most famous athletes in the world AND one of the very best, but he's willing to let the latter fall relatively to the wayside for the sake of the former.

 

But if he stayed with Cleveland and he never won a championship, wouldn't his fame take a good hit? That's why Chicago was the perfect situation - he could have won and been the man. In Miami I don't see him doing both.

[Sammy Sofa]

Yes, it's obviously it's all about his ego...that's why I'm so let down by it. OK, so he wants to be famous, hey, great. It's that he opted the relatively easy route to more fame while not maximizing his talent that seems like such a cop out to me. He could be one of the most famous athletes in the world AND one of the very best, but he's willing to let the latter fall relatively to the wayside for the sake of the former.

 

But if he stayed with Cleveland and he never won a championship, wouldn't his fame take a good hit?

 

There's risk that he wouldn't win no matter where he went. He'd still be an amazing player wherever he went and he'd be THE guy on that team...except if he went to the Heat. Obviously, he still has a ton of talent, but his role is potentially going to change drastically, and this is already being looked at as clearly being Wade's team. He must have realized that would have happened, and that's what's so lame about it. He basically weighed all of his options and decided, "yeah, I'm cool with being the second in command."

[Wilson A2000]

Yes, it's obviously it's all about his ego...that's why I'm so let down by it. OK, so he wants to be famous, hey, great. It's that he opted the relatively easy route to more fame while not maximizing his talent that seems like such a cop out to me. He could be one of the most famous athletes in the world AND one of the very best, but he's willing to let the latter fall relatively to the wayside for the sake of the former.

 

But if he stayed with Cleveland and he never won a championship, wouldn't his fame take a good hit?

 

There's risk that he wouldn't win no matter where he went. He'd still be an amazing player wherever he went and he'd be THE guy on that team...except if he went to the Heat. Obviously, he still has a ton of talent, but his role is potentially going to change drastically, and this is already being looked at as clearly being Wade's team. He must have realized that would have happened, and that's what's so lame about it. He basically weighed all of his options and decided, "yeah, I'm cool with being the second in command."

 

I don't think LeBron is merely cool with it, I think that is what he wanted. He wants all of the good aspects of being the man without actually being the man. LeBron said that he is tired of pouring in 30 a game and carrying the team. But "the chosen one" should never say things like that.

[17 Seconds]

yep, lebron is getting exactly what he wanted. everybody is talking about him, and he';ll get a few easy titles. plus those 3 guys are going to absolutely run that city.

 

he was never jordan. for better or worse, he's different. like i read in some article, he definitely is the king of "something"

[XZero771679666304]

Yes, it's obviously it's all about his ego...that's why I'm so let down by it. OK, so he wants to be famous, hey, great. It's that he opted the relatively easy route to more fame while not maximizing his talent that seems like such a cop out to me. He could be one of the most famous athletes in the world AND one of the very best, but he's willing to let the latter fall relatively to the wayside for the sake of the former.

 

But if he stayed with Cleveland and he never won a championship, wouldn't his fame take a good hit?

 

There's risk that he wouldn't win no matter where he went. He'd still be an amazing player wherever he went and he'd be THE guy on that team...except if he went to the Heat. Obviously, he still has a ton of talent, but his role is potentially going to change drastically, and this is already being looked at as clearly being Wade's team. He must have realized that would have happened, and that's what's so lame about it. He basically weighed all of his options and decided, "yeah, I'm cool with being the second in command."

 

As someone tweeted on Thursday night "LeBron woke up a young Jordan, and he'll go to bed Scottie Pippen". If that's what he wanted, good for him. I just think most people thought with all the King James and "witness" business, that LeBron was something more, or at least perceived himself as being something more. But if he thinks winning a few titles with the Heat is going to allow him some claim to being on Jordan's level, he's in for a rude awakening.

[Sammy Sofa]

yep, lebron is getting exactly what he wanted. everybody is talking about him, and he';ll get a few easy titles. plus those 3 guys are going to absolutely run that city.

 

Isn't that last part redundant? Which of the other cities were ones where he WOULDN'T be "running" them in terms of being a celebrity? And where wouldn't be people be talking about him? I don't think it can be understated how much this actually takes the focus OFF of him, relatively speaking. If something goes wrong, well, it's not his team; it's Wade's team or even arguably Riley's team before it's his. That's not saying that nobody would be pointing fingers at him if the Heat fucked things up, but compared to going to NYC or Chicago or staying in Cleveland he's able to defer pressure and focus onto other people.

[17 Seconds]

yep, lebron is getting exactly what he wanted. everybody is talking about him, and he';ll get a few easy titles. plus those 3 guys are going to absolutely run that city.

 

Isn't that last part redundant? Which of the other cities were ones where he WOULDN'T be "running" them in terms of being a celebrity?

 

lebron being in new york or chicago is not even close to what it's going to be like with the "superteam" in miami. different types of city, different team situation.

 

seriously, if you're young and rich, miami is probably about as good as it gets.

[Sammy Sofa]

yep, lebron is getting exactly what he wanted. everybody is talking about him, and he';ll get a few easy titles. plus those 3 guys are going to absolutely run that city.

 

Isn't that last part redundant? Which of the other cities were ones where he WOULDN'T be "running" them in terms of being a celebrity?

 

lebron being in new york or chicago is not even close to what it's going to be like with the "superteam" in miami. different types of city, different team situation.

 

seriously, if you're young and rich, miami is probably about as good as it gets.

 

Eh, it's not like he couldn't hang out in Miami if he played for another team, and being young and rich and hugely famous in NYC is pretty epic and unique. I think what weighs into this is that you can be young and rich and still the beloved superstar in Miami even if the impossible happens and something goes wrong with the team since so few people give a [expletive] whether the team is good or bad down there.

 

Let's face it, we're talking about LeBron here. It's not like he's limited in terms of where he could go and own a city. I think what you're describing means a lot more to a relative zilch like Bosh.

[seanimal]

Should we reasonably expect Rose's defensive prowess to improve significantly in the coming years? Obviously we all hope Thibodeau will improve the defensive situation, but can any of our players really be shut-down defenders?

[DivineBovine]

Do you guys like super teams?

 

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/me_amar_and_melo_BU8MzS41wIdwRYLU1D7NTJ

 

In fact, James would love nothing more for Miami and the Knicks to one day battle in the Eastern Conference Finals. James-Dwyane Wade-Chris Bosh vs. Stoudemire-Anthony-Paul.

 

Actually, I'm pretty sure James has shown that the last thing he wants is a challenge.

 

 

Seriously. What else can you expect from a guy whose favorite teams growing up were the Yankees, Bulls, and Cowboys.

[Guest]

Should we reasonably expect Rose's defensive prowess to improve significantly in the coming years? Obviously we all hope Thibodeau will improve the defensive situation, but can any of our players really be shut-down defenders?

 

Rose has all the tools needed to be an elite defender. A lot of being good defensively comes from the desire and willingness to play it.

 

Noah's a strong defender but he'll struggle against the really big guys like Dwight Howard.

[BigSlick]

It doesn't bother me that Lebron chose to go to Miami. If what mattered the most to him, and the only thing that mattered at all, was to win a championship, then I think he (maybe only short term, who knows, though they are spending their money well even after the big 3 contracts) made the right choice. We could hem and haw and say that Chicago is a better destination given the youth and role players, but its certainly up for debate.

 

Isn't he showing even more selflessness in the goal of winning by intentionally taking second or third banana status, AND taking less money? I dunno, I just don't see the arguments here. Why should he intentionally choose to join an inferior team and lift them up? Kobe had absolutely stacked teams for all of his championships, and the few times when his talent wasn't up to par he flat out didn't make the playoffs. He's still talked about as one of the greatest of all time. It just doesn't make sense to me. Though Lebron could make his legend anywhere, he still can make himself one of the greatest ever if they do some ridiculous things and win 70+ games and become repeat champions.

 

Now I don't agree with the way he left at all, and it certainly left a sour taste in everyone's collective mouths, but I don't disagree with his decision. If I were in his shoes I'd also would have whittled it down to Miami and Chicago. Those gave me the best options to win immediately and win long term. I had my doubts with how much money Miami would have left to sign roleplayers but they're already making splashes with Mike Miller and Haslem and possibly Big Z. If they get ANYTHING from their roleplayers they'll steamroll the Eastern Conference. It remains to be seen what will happen, but it sure will be an exciting season.

 

Lets all hope a new CBA gets negotiated quickly, I've never been more excited in the NBA since I was 10 years old.

[SpongeWorthy]

Rose has already improved a lot on defense. He went from really terrible under VDN year 1 to merely bad under VDN year 2. He'll get better.