Chicago Bulls' rookie James Johnson flashes his versatility

Johnson will get lots of playing time if Bulls get Boozer. Boozer due to injuries, which are likely to be nagging, played only 37 games last year.

Is Johnson in his stocking feet the same height as Boozer?. That might be so.

Never believe any rumors that come from ESPN.com . Those morons, just to get viewers, claimed we were getting KG a few years ago. Then Kobe a couple years ago. Then Amare last year. Those idiots have no idea what's really going on. As a Bulls fan I gotta say it's frustrating hearing all these trade rumors that never seem to get done. We should just look forward to another .500 year while barely making the playoffs and getting booted in the first round. Thanks for killing the deal Portland! Why do they have an NBA team anyway??

All i saw in this story was that boozer talks are fading. I don't know why i expected this to get done. This organization is starting to become laughable. I saw that they wanted to get bayless back well f**k bayless they need boozer and if this trade died because they couldn't get bayless i refuse to watch this piece of s**t team besides D.Rose

I knew Paxson didn't have the sack to make this big trade. As is this Bulls team will not make the playoffs next year. Pathetic. Paxson is the worst exec in the NBA.

Whats so great about Boozer??? Yea hes a double double machine but if he gets hurt again and plays in half the games....how good do you think this team is gonna be?? Then if you trade Hinrich...we are gonna have no back court. The only thing i like is Boozers contract is up after next season which gives us more flexibility. Remember we dont have BG anymore....and just cuz we get all that cap room doesnt mean we get Wade or Bosh.....there is no guarantee. And genius Paxson isnt the GM anymore....thats not his position with the franchise. Know the facts before you start running your mouth and sounding like a complete moron.

Ax Pax wrote:

I knew Paxson didn't have the sack to make this big trade. As is this Bulls team will not make the playoffs next year. Pathetic. Paxson is the worst exec in the NBA.

Paxson isn't the GM anymore. He probably has some input regarding trades, but he is not running the show in that dept.

Nobody knows for sure how close this trade was (is) from happening. I have no doubt that names were thrown around by the GM's, but who knows how close they got. It may happen tonight, or never. We'll see.

Not to mention we would more then likely have to include Tyrus Thomas.....maybe if Portland gave up Bayless

I was sort of looking forward to this trade because of the cap space it opened up. I love TT's upside though. I think he will be a 16, 10, and 3 type guy this year. I also see the reasoning why the deal didn't go down. The Bulls simply were not going to give away Kirk for nothing. Portland was essentially offering Steve Blake for Kirk straight up, which isn't going to get it done in terms of court value. As much maligned as Hinrich is, he is a top 15 point man in this league and on of the best defenders in the game. He can guard three positions, makes good decisions, and is a consistent shooter. If they threw in Bayless or Fernandez then this would have been a done deal. The Boozer part of the equation was salary relief so the Jazz could got get Millsap under contract. I like the fact that Forman isn't going to make a deal for the hell of it. I think we are headed in the right direction, let's hope Wade can make it home in the summer of 2010!

Barf!

So is James Johnson a three/small forward or a four/PF? With Salmons still playing some three and Deng around it looks like he's going to have to play some four. So far it appears his handle/creating facing the basket might make him somewhat of a point forward option. If he accepts his role for now for the good of the team, and Vinny handles the situation with a backbone, but also honesty and respect it will probably turn out alright. Besides his body fat is 12 percent so if he can tone up and lose some of his extra weight he could be lethal wherever he plays. All the comments so far from practices is that he looks impresssive. It'll be interesting to see how he does in summer league. A future scorer usually at least racks up a coupe of games in the high teens or low to mid twenties. Have to watch what Gibson does as well.

I am not counting on Luol Ding being healthy. He is physically brittle and equally weak mentally. I think Ding will spend the majority of the year on the IR. History has a way of repeating itself. I project Johnson to play a lot of minutes at SF with Salmons at the 2-guard and Ding on IR.

If Bayless was in the deal then I'd understand the Bulls doing it. But giving up Hinrich & Tyrus for Boozer doesn't seem to be a net gain for the Bulls. The Bulls will already have ample cap space next summer to sign a big name or two. If a mid-season trade for Bosh works out, then let's do it. Otherwise I don't see any major moves being worthwhile. The team could be better this year with Rose having a year of experience and a rotation of Rose, Salmons, and Hinrich at the guards looks pretty good to me.
To me this deal would mean the Bulls would NEED to sign two big free agents next summer, or extend Boozer for big money and sign another big name. I don't think that will happen. Although I would love to see Bosh and Joe Johnson coming to town alongside Rose. Wade & LeBron just aren't happening, so forget about it.

the bulls don't need any cleveland rejects (boozer) they need to keep kirk to shore up the defence. rose is not a good defender and the bulls give up too many points since scott skiles
left. forget about signing big name free agents until the bulls learn to play well enough to make them to come.
if it takes 10 years so be it.kids have no patience in todays world. makes me sick!

Stephen wrote:

<quoted text>
Paxson isn't the GM anymore. He probably has some input regarding trades, but he is not running the show in that dept.
Nobody knows for sure how close this trade was (is) from happening. I have no doubt that names were thrown around by the GM's, but who knows how close they got. It may happen tonight, or never. We'll see.

Wrong Paxson is in charge nothing changed for Gar but his Job title Reinsdorf said it himself. Gar is nothing but a front man to take the heat off Paxson.

Just as predicted. Welcomed 2 LAST place and the lottery......AGAIN.

Bulls fans are suckers...and I am sick and tired of it.

charles wrote:

the bulls don't need any cleveland rejects (boozer) they need to keep kirk to shore up the defence. rose is not a good defender and the bulls give up too many points since scott skiles
left. forget about signing big name free agents until the bulls learn to play well enough to make them to come.
if it takes 10 years so be it.kids have no patience in todays world. makes me sick!

Cleveland didn't reject Boozer. Boozer rejected them.

Ax Pax wrote:

<quoted text>
Wrong Paxson is in charge nothing changed for Gar but his Job title Reinsdorf said it himself. Gar is nothing but a front man to take the heat off Paxson.

Forman was hired by Krause with Floyd and wasBulls scout beginning 1998. AS Floyd, Krause and Paxson scouting eyes, you can assume until proved otherwise that he recommended such great draftees as Hinrich instead of lots of present day stars in 2003, Dang instead of Igoudala, Tyrus instead of Roy, etc, and dumping Brown and Simmons and JR Smith. Finally, Gar who probably had clout behind the scenes is going to have final say?. Now, Pax only gets his coffee?

At times it can be frustrating being a Bulls fan, especially when a handful of teams in the Eastern conference are actively seeking to make their teams more competitive and the Bulls do absolutely nothing. I'm not upset the Bulls didn't make the trade for Boozer but if the organization is not prepared to sign Tyrus Thomas to a long term contract then isn't trading him a priority or will the Bulls lose yet another player to free agency and not get anything back in return.

Here's an interesting what-if:

What if Deng bounces back from his injury and plays like a decent starting SF in the league?

IF that happens, and our guards stay healthy, we could actually have a good year. MAYBE even get to the second round of the playoffs before we get bounced.

I have no faith in Deng, but if somehow he gets it together, we might be ok.

I really do expect Tyrus to have a good year though; he showed HUGE improvement last year, and had enough of those games where he was unstoppable on both ends of the floor to make me think he can average 15, 10, and 3 this year.