Bulls Offseason Thread

[C.C.]

Pat Riley -- just an unbelievable victory for him. He's pulled off the incredible with this offseason.

 

Riley didn't have anything to do with it. It was former Olympic teammates making a pact to play together 2 years ago.

 

He had to make it possible for it to happen, and keep Wade in Miami.

 

Wade was staying all along. If you read everything between the lines, I think it's obvious that they decided on this a couple of years ago.

 

obviously

[Hairyducked Idiot]

It definitely tarnishes his ability to get on the same level as MJ. I don't see how it doesn't.

 

James could have joined a team of Horace Grant, Paxson, Wennington and B.J. Armstrong coming out of retirement at their ages, with no bench, then led them to 7 consecutive titles while averaging 50 points a game, and people would still find an excuse to say he doesn't belong on Jordan's level.

 

Yeah, because that's exactly what I'm saying.

 

Well what are you saying?

 

That Jordan gets bonus points for not leaving a team that already had a second top-50 HOFer on it, while James had to leave to find that?

[rawaction]

If he truly is what he says he is, Miami is the worst situation for him. He's basically admitting that at age 25, he couldn't win a title by being the guy.

 

So again, he needs to get good teammates, but they can't be too good. It's an absurd argument.

 

The even more absurd part is that he's not allowed to team up with a guy like Wade, because that would tarnish his attempt to get on the same level as Jordan or Magic Johnson, neither of whom ever won a title without another HOFer in their major contributing years.

 

It's completely different. The Lakers already had Kareem and drafted Magic and Worthy (though I don't know how they kept getting picks that high when they were a good team). The Bulls drafted Pippen (or traded for him before he ever played a game).

 

Magic didn't go run off to play alongside Bird. Jordan didn't go to play with Olajuwon or Ewing after Detroit beat him down for years.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

 

It's completely different. The Lakers already had Kareem and drafted Magic and Worthy (though I don't know how they kept getting picks that high when they were a good team). The Bulls drafted Pippen (or traded for him before he ever played a game).

 

Magic didn't go run off to play alongside Bird. Jordan didn't go to play with Olajuwon or Ewing after Detroit beat him down for years.

 

So James should sit there and wait for his team to draft another HOFer, because other players were lucky enough to already have HOF teammates by the time they were his age?

 

We'll never know what Jordan would have done, because Jordan never had to worry about it.

[Old Style]

You guys are missing the point. Jordan was The Man even though Pippen played beside him. Magic was The Man no matter who played with him. LeBron will not be The Man in Miami. That is Wade's team. He could have been The Man on a great TEAM (not a collection of 3 great players) in Chicago but he didn't want to do that. When MJ & Co. kept getting kicked in the teeth by the Bad Boys, what did they do? They didn't tuck their tails and run away. They got better, they got tougher, and they plowed right through Detroit. LeBron gave up and admitted defeat.

 

LeBron James will be the best basketball player on the Miami Heat. "The Man" is just a stupid designation given by fans.

 

Jordan could never win a title without another sure-fire HOFer. James wasn't getting one of those in Cleveland.

When the Heat need a last second shot to win the game, do you really think that Wade is not going to be the one to get the call?

[rawaction]

Pat Riley -- just an unbelievable victory for him. He's pulled off the incredible with this offseason.

 

Riley didn't have anything to do with it. It was former Olympic teammates making a pact to play together 2 years ago.

 

He had to make it possible for it to happen, and keep Wade in Miami.

 

Yeah, I'm sure that was tough considering Wade never indicated any serious thoughts that he was leaving Miami.

[bukie]

I've seen and heard some people throwing the Bulls management under the bus for failing to pull any of the 3 in. I, personally, have no problem with the way the Bulls management handled things. There are certain things they couldn't control and couldn't offer, especially to Wade, that Miami could. They made their pitch, kept it professional, and are still a good team after the dust clears.

[Guest]

Saying "that's Wade's team" is just people inventing barriers. LeBron is going to be the best player on that team, it won't be particularly close, and he'll be the one making things happen. Just because Pippen was brought to Jordan doesn't mean it's a bigger problem for LeBron to go to Miami.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

When the Heat need a last second shot to win the game, do you really think that Wade is not going to be the one to get the call?

 

I don't know. I do know that they'll need a lot fewer last-second shots because of James.

[SouthSideRyan]

Dan Gilbert probably shouldn't issue official statements when he's drunk and belligerent.

 

Seriously, it reads like something I wrote after Illinois got knocked out in '09.

[Flames24Rulz]

I've seen and heard some people throwing the Bulls management under the bus for failing to pull any of the 3 in. I, personally, have no problem with the way the Bulls management handled things. There are certain things they couldn't control and couldn't offer, especially to Wade, that Miami could. They made their pitch, kept it professional, and are still a good team after the dust clears.

 

Nobody should be criticizing Bulls management for any of this. There was nothing we could have done.

[rawaction]

 

It's completely different. The Lakers already had Kareem and drafted Magic and Worthy (though I don't know how they kept getting picks that high when they were a good team). The Bulls drafted Pippen (or traded for him before he ever played a game).

 

Magic didn't go run off to play alongside Bird. Jordan didn't go to play with Olajuwon or Ewing after Detroit beat him down for years.

 

So James should sit there and wait for his team to draft another HOFer, because other players were lucky enough to already have HOF teammates by the time they were his age?

 

We'll never know what Jordan would have done, because Jordan never had to worry about it.

 

You're big on putting words into people's mouths this morning aren't you? He didn't have to just sit there. Cleveland could have brought in Boozer. They could have gone after Stoudamire. LBJ could have gone and created his own situation in NY, NY, Chicago, wherever.

 

Jordan did have to worry about it. Pippen didn't come in as a sure fire top 50 all-time player. It took him years to develop into that. And many believe that Jordan made Pippen into that (I'm not going to argue that though).

[rawaction]

Saying "that's Wade's team" is just people inventing barriers. LeBron is going to be the best player on that team, it won't be particularly close, and he'll be the one making things happen. Just because Pippen was brought to Jordan doesn't mean it's a bigger problem for LeBron to go to Miami.

 

Its not a problem. He's a grown man, free to do whatever he wants. He's probably going to win just like he wants. That doesn't mean he didn't take the easy way out though. It's not like he's pushing 30 like Garnett, Allen and Pierce when they were put together (it wasn't their doing unlike the Miami situation).

[jersey cubs fan]

I've seen and heard some people throwing the Bulls management under the bus for failing to pull any of the 3 in. I, personally, have no problem with the way the Bulls management handled things. There are certain things they couldn't control and couldn't offer, especially to Wade, that Miami could. They made their pitch, kept it professional, and are still a good team after the dust clears.

 

But isn't this like the third time management went for the fix it all through free agency strategy and failed miserably? They didn't even come close to accomplishing what they wanted and still lack a game winning star.

 

If you put yourself in a position where you have to sign a stud free agent to become a real contender, and you say all along you are going to get a stud free agent, and you don't get a stud free agent, you failed. They shouldn't have put themselves in a situation where they were at the mercy of Lebron James PR concerns.

Edited July 9, 2010 by jersey cubs fan

[Old Style]

Most important question I have right now: What page was that sweet ass Blackhawks picture on? I want to make that my wallpaper on my work computer.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I've seen and heard some people throwing the Bulls management under the bus for failing to pull any of the 3 in. I, personally, have no problem with the way the Bulls management handled things. There are certain things they couldn't control and couldn't offer, especially to Wade, that Miami could. They made their pitch, kept it professional, and are still a good team after the dust clears.

 

But isn't this like the third time management went for the fix it all through free agency strategy and failed miserably? They didn't even come close to accomplishing what they wanted and still lack a game winning star.

 

Not much they can do if the players just don't want to come. They got an All-Star at a need position for a very cap-friendly deal. Short of a colluded, pre-arranged deal by your players to create a superteam, you can't have a better offseason than that.

[17 Seconds]

If he truly is what he says he is, Miami is the worst situation for him. He's basically admitting that at age 25, he couldn't win a title by being the guy.

 

So again, he needs to get good teammates, but they can't be too good. It's an absurd argument.

 

most of the greats would enjoy beating the best instead of joining them

[17 Seconds]

imagine if the heat won the 2008 lottery instead of the bulls.

[Guest]

The easy way out? Should he have taken the minimum and played for the Wizards? He went to the best team he could, how is that at all a decision worthy of criticism?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

If he truly is what he says he is, Miami is the worst situation for him. He's basically admitting that at age 25, he couldn't win a title by being the guy.

 

So again, he needs to get good teammates, but they can't be too good. It's an absurd argument.

 

most of the greats would enjoy beating the best instead of joining them

 

I'm sure he'll enjoy beating Kobe Bryant in the next Final.

[jersey cubs fan]

I've seen and heard some people throwing the Bulls management under the bus for failing to pull any of the 3 in. I, personally, have no problem with the way the Bulls management handled things. There are certain things they couldn't control and couldn't offer, especially to Wade, that Miami could. They made their pitch, kept it professional, and are still a good team after the dust clears.

 

But isn't this like the third time management went for the fix it all through free agency strategy and failed miserably? They didn't even come close to accomplishing what they wanted and still lack a game winning star.

 

Not much they can do if the players just don't want to come. They got an All-Star at a need position for a very cap-friendly deal. Short of a colluded, pre-arranged deal by your players to create a superteam, you can't have a better offseason than that.

 

But that's the point. They can be blamed for putting themselves in a situation where they had to sign a super star free agent. If they built a better team over the last decade, they wouldn't have to rely on the whims of others.

[jersey cubs fan]

The easy way out? Should he have taken the minimum and played for the Wizards? He went to the best team he could, how is that at all a decision worthy of criticism?

 

I don't see how anybody can pretend there isn't some criticism warrented here.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The easy way out? Should he have taken the minimum and played for the Wizards? He went to the best team he could, how is that at all a decision worthy of criticism?

 

I don't see how anybody can pretend there isn't some criticism warrented here.

 

I don't see how anybody can pretend this isn't sour grapes from fans who wanted him to come to *their* cherry-picked title situation.

[Old Style]

Most important question I have right now: What page was that sweet ass Blackhawks picture on? I want to make that my wallpaper on my work computer.

Found it at the bottom of page 147.

[Flames24Rulz]

If he truly is what he says he is, Miami is the worst situation for him. He's basically admitting that at age 25, he couldn't win a title by being the guy.

 

So again, he needs to get good teammates, but they can't be too good. It's an absurd argument.

 

most of the greats would enjoy beating the best instead of joining them

 

I'm sure he'll enjoy beating Kobe Bryant in the next Final.

 

Good luck.