Chicago Bulls' rookie James Johnson flashes his versatility

Fish wrote:

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.

No way they have a shot at the second round next season as is. They will be too low a seed to get to the second round. Tyrus isn't a great rebounder I suspect his ceiling is more like 13 8 but I think he will have a better year than last year.

Even in Ding's best year he dissapeared for long stretches of the game and especially at the end. I just don't see him as that valuable player and definitely not as a difference maker.

Is it too much to ask to get a real GM???

I don't believe the Chicago media, sam smith and kc both came out the other day and said that these reports were comptetely false and then multiple sources come saying there has been talk, so you will find out in a week b/c that's when the millsap contract will be decided upon

ozziefan wrote:

<quoted text>
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?

I like the Hinrich pick. After him, who was the no brainer they were supposed to take?

Iguodala is garbage... of course, so is Deng. After the top two picks, the whole draft was garbage. Josh Smith is decent, but was taken #17.

However, I wanted the Bulls to keep Aldridge instead of trading for Thomas. Roy would have been nice too, but they thought they were set with Deng/Gordon and were looking for a big guy.

Well at least that makes one nervous Bulls fan feel better now. I didn't like this deal in the first place. It seemed again like the Bulls where giving up too much for so little or an injury risk. I don't think I've ever seen Carlos Boozer play a complete season of basketball yet, and to let someone like Kirk who I say is the face of this team go is ridculous. Tyrus is still growing into his own. He's going to only get stronger, and more dominant we only hope. It's just those few mentle mistakes he makes on the court that he needs to fix, other than that, he can be a solid inside player. What the Bulls need to do is sit, and wait till the season starts, and see how this team plays, and then if they have to make any moves during the season's trade period, then do it then, or just wait until next year when the real marque players go the market. We should be in good shape with the salary cap then. As for right now this team is fine with what it has, and I do like our draft pick too, they're going to be good pieces for this team.

FBC wrote:

I don't believe the Chicago media, sam smith and kc both came out the other day and said that these reports were comptetely false and then multiple sources come saying there has been talk, so you will find out in a week b/c that's when the millsap contract will be decided upon

I would bet that GM's talk alot more than anyone will ever know. Some talks are serious and sometimes they are just kicking the tires. There is not going to be an accurate report every single time a GM picks up the phone and makes a call.

Stephen wrote:

<quoted text>
I would bet that GM's talk alot more than anyone will ever know. Some talks are serious and sometimes they are just kicking the tires. There is not going to be an accurate report every single time a GM picks up the phone and makes a call.

Except if you nimrods read more than just ESPN and this place, you'd find out that the rumor was planted by Portland to facilitate the Millsap deal. That's why Portland, in the scenario, gave up NOTHING. Not a player. Not cash. Nothing. They just got Hinrich for sheits and giggles.

You people are so mindless it's painful sometimes.

Go die in fires.

Jess wrote:

<quoted text>
Except if you nimrods read more than just ESPN and this place, you'd find out that the rumor was planted by Portland to facilitate the Millsap deal. That's why Portland, in the scenario, gave up NOTHING. Not a player. Not cash. Nothing. They just got Hinrich for sheits and giggles.
You people are so mindless it's painful sometimes.
Go die in fires.

Right.... because your sources and whatever you read is so much more reliable than Espn or the Tribune. Unless your source is the GM himself, I don't buy it.

Guess what, Portland is not getting Milsap. Utah will match any offer.

Not a very positive article for a Bulls fan. First of all, if the members of the media actually believed the Carlos Boozer rumors, then i hate to call people names, but they're plain dumb. A team which is loaded 2 to 1 with forwards over guards, are going to trade a guard for another forward? Come on media people, use those noggins for something other than a hat rack.

Yes Vinny, you definitely will miss Gordon. Much more than you think. And please stop with all the nonsense about salary cap flexibility. The Bulls are not, i repeat ARE NOT, an attractive market for free agents. They offer nothing other than a frigid owner, and frigid winters. They've never, ever, been attractive to F.A., which is why none have ever came, except for Ben Wallace who no other team would have even considered, for the type of money that Reinsdorf gave him.

Finally, maybe it's just me, but i really am not interested in anything in regards to Luol Deng. The Bulls had a choice of him or Gordon, and chose the wrong guy imo. The value that Gordon brought compared to what Deng brings is incomparable. Yet Deng was given the high dollar contract, and that was after a season in which his contribution had went down. Then, his first year on the big money deal, Deng was pretty much worthless, and that includes the time he played.

When in the world is VDN going to be replaced!?!? And, when is Deng going to be traded??

Mgray wrote:

Just as predicted. Welcomed 2 LAST place and the lottery......AGAIN.
Bulls fans are suckers...and I am sick and tired of it.

More like anyone who ever believed there was any substance to the boozer trade rumors is a sucker.

The Bulls did not have the pieces to make the trade work. ESPN generates this nonsense to keep their website hit count up (gotta generate that ad revenue).

Like the non-extant Kobe or KG trades, this is blaming the Bulls for not doing something that was never going to happen.

Rod from Tennessee wrote:

Yes Vinny, you definitely will miss Gordon.

I think Gordon should have stayed. However, the vast majority of Bulls fans wanted him out.

Rod from Tennessee wrote:

Finally, maybe it's just me, but i really am not interested in anything in regards to Luol Deng. The Bulls had a choice of him or Gordon, and chose the wrong guy imo. The value that Gordon brought compared to what Deng brings is incomparable. Yet Deng was given the high dollar contract, and that was after a season in which his contribution had went down. Then, his first year on the big money deal, Deng was pretty much worthless, and that includes the time he played.

Kind of hard to blame the dude for breaking his leg. Heck, just a year before the same brilliant minds who said the Bulls were going to trade for Boozer said the Lakers would trade Kobe for Deng and expiring contracts.

Stephen wrote:

<quoted text>
Right.... because your sources and whatever you read is so much more reliable than Espn or the Tribune. Unless your source is the GM himself, I don't buy it.
Guess what, Portland is not getting Milsap. Utah will match any offer.

Utah will match any offer? Do you understand cap spaces and luxury taxes? Did you see the contract they offered millsap in portland. It's near IMPOSSIBLE for Utah to match.

And it's not about sources, you idiot. It's about the rumor mongering ESPN does and then they just make stupid drones like you believe it because "they're ESPN."

It's a new age of media moron. Get on the bus or go kill yourself.

some people just think they know everything, never played one second in the NBA and think they know what its like to have heart... Deng is a great talent who has run into some bad luck, this guy was never handed anything. when and if he is healthy he will contribute. Seems everybody was on his nut sack when he was dropping all those jumpers on Miami in the playoffs a few years ago. let him get healthy get a whole year with Rose then come talk..

Just as I thought an ESPN hoax probably started by the Blazers. Sure, the Bulls trade Kirk to the Blazers and TT to the Jazz and the Bulls get Boozer but who was the Blazer giving up. No names were ever mentioned. The cheap-a** Blazers never want to give anything up unless it benefits them the most. Until the conservative Bulls actually pull the trigger on a trade then I'll believe it.

I could care less if the rumor was true or not. The FACT of the matter is, the Bulls have done NOTHING since their season ended 2 improve this team. NOTHING!

I'm on my way 2 Houston. My cousin is getting married 2 Steven Jackson of the NBA tonight. I can't wait 2 discuss the Bulls with these guys later tonight. Enjoy LAST place.

Mgray wrote:

I could care less if the rumor was true or not. The FACT of the matter is, the Bulls have done NOTHING since their season ended 2 improve this team. NOTHING!
I'm on my way 2 Houston. My cousin is getting married 2 Steven Jackson of the NBA tonight. I can't wait 2 discuss the Bulls with these guys later tonight. Enjoy LAST place.

hahahahahaha. I guess you're another retard that doesn't understand CAP SPACE and LUXURY TAXES. Oh wait. The Bulls should have made a trade, right? Of course. Because those are so simple and they listen to idiots like you who go to weddings of "Steven Jackson" of the NBA. You guys are so close and cool that you don't even know his first name. HAHAHAHAHA. You can't even LIE about being a name dropper! BAHAHAHAHAHAH

Fcuking idiot.

shouldn't vinny be coaching the team in Vegas? Seems like he needs the reps as much as the players. Maybe he'll figure out how to design plays for the end of game or how not to insert a cold bench player for the most important inbounds play of the game.

Gale wrote:

<quoted text>
hahahahahaha. I guess you're another retard that doesn't understand CAP SPACE and LUXURY TAXES. Oh wait. The Bulls should have made a trade, right? Of course. Because those are so simple and they listen to idiots like you who go to weddings of "Steven Jackson" of the NBA. You guys are so close and cool that you don't even know his first name. HAHAHAHAHA. You can't even LIE about being a name dropper! BAHAHAHAHAHAH
Fcuking idiot.

Don't be so rough on Mgray.
He's severely despondent and has nothing to live for.

PhiL Koster wrote:

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 ****.

Take a chill pill phil! Paxson is still calling all the shots ,just gave Gar the title so that he would not have to deal with the media or criticism from anyone.

The only issue that really needs to be discussed is how Tyrus handled himself via Twitter while these rumors were floating around. And to everyone who thinks Chicago is not an attractive city to play for is RETARDED! I guess a great franchise history with some of the best fans in the country plus one of the best cities in the world isn't too attractive.