I could end this post by just saying "see last night's game," but I owe to Luol Deng to elaborate. With Derrick Rose injured, Deng is by far the most important player on the Bulls. Here are my top 3 reasons why.
#1 - Deng Creates Shots
Every Bulls fan knows that Luol isn't a great dribbler. This is a function of both his long, awkward body, but also, he simply isn't a great ball handler. However, Luol slashes to the basket extremely well, can move off screens, and although it's usually pretty ugly, he uses his athleticism to get some easy dribble drive buckets.
Watching Jamal Crawford handle the ball like an extension of his body is super entertaining, but Deng gets the job too--just in a less sexy fashion. While Carlos Boozer and Taj Gibson can both dazzle with post moves, neither can create off the dribble like Deng. Frankly, with Deng, Rose, and Jimmy Butler all injured, the Bulls don't have a single creator available.
#2 - Deng Shuts Down Offensive Stars
This is so obvious that it almost doesn't warrant a mention. If he played against the New York Knicks tonight, I'm quite certain Carmelo Anthony would have one of his worst games of the year. Deng doesn't look as jacked as a LeBron James or Kobe Bryant, but he is very strong, very physical, and he's not soft. It takes a different kind of personality to like getting beat up and pushing back, and Deng has it.
#3 - Marquis Teague Doesn't Have to Play
After watching last night's debacle against Milwaukee, I think we can all agree that playing Marquis Teague should be considered tanking. I'm sure Teague is a great guy, works very hard, and he's probably even good in practice. However, he can't shoot, he can't finish, he's weak, he doesn't defend very well, and he truly has no NBA-quality skills at this point.
Teague presents so many problems for the Bulls at the moment. He's afraid to drive, so his defender can sit on his heels and wait for Teague to pass the ball. He also can't shoot, so teams are easily able to sag off and double on other players. Other than the Bulls' refusal to run plays through Taj Gibson frequently, the other major problem with the offense right now is spacing. The Bulls quality bigs face constant doubles and clogged paints because there's virtually no reason to defend the perimeter.
When Deng is playing, the Bulls can minimize Teague's playing time. True, he will have to log some minutes as long as Mike James is out and DJ Augustin isn't signed. But, with Deng in the lineup, the Bulls can minimize the Teague/Kirk Hinrich backcourt which looked so pathetic last night. Deng can play the 2, 3, or 4, making him incredibly valuable when other players are injured.
At this point, I'm not really sure how the Bulls keep Deng going forward, but I think management should at least try. If the Reinsdorf family is interested, I'll happily deal with the issue if they would like to pay me to be a consultant. As a humble fan and blogger, I'm not really sure what to do. The decision is probably very much predicated on how good they think Nikola Mirotic can be.
Tonight's game...
The Knicks are absolutely terrible. The Bulls are terrible without Rose, Butler, Deng, and Joakim Noah. But the Knicks are really really bad and have no solid big men to speak off.
Final Score:
Bulls 87 Knicks 80
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Showing posts with label New York Knicks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York Knicks. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Saturday, November 30, 2013
What Should the Bulls do without Derrick Rose?
My initial reaction to Derrick Rose's injury was rash, but certain in its message: blowup the team. However, after further reflection, I think the Bulls have several possible directions to go in the off-season or regular season. Let's take a look at a few possible scenarios.
Rebuild on the Fly
Realistically, the Bulls do not have to break-up the team, even if that is an attractive option. The Bulls have approximately $64.5 million in salary obligations for the 2014-2015 season. Early projections suggest the cap will be about $62.1 million, putting the Bulls slightly over the cap.
With Taj Gibson playing well recently, I think the cries to amnesty Carlos Boozer will finally be met. Let's not forget that this is a real cash expense of $16.8 million, though it will lower the Bulls' cap figure to $47.7 million, freeing up around $14.1 million. In other words, the Bulls will have enough money for good player, but not a superstar.
Pau Gasol
If the Bulls do indeed amnesty Boozer, I think Pau Gasol could be an interesting fit on a two-year deal in the neighborhood of $20 million. The Lakers are armed with tons of cap room, but I am not sure Gasol wants to return to a team that doesn't enjoy using one of the best post scorers in the league.
This idea is far from flawless, as Gasol is going to be 34 years old and his numbers have dropped as he has been plagued by a bad system and injuries. The other problem with this idea is Taj Gibson. His large contract is simply too much for the minutes he plays. I'm a firm believer that most of a team's cap space should be allocated to finishers: those players you want on the court in crunch time. Yes, Gibson often plays down the stretch, but that forces the uber expensive Boozer to ride the pine. I want as much of my cap as possible on the court in the last few minutes, and that simply isn't possible under this arrangement.
Deng/Humph
The Bulls could also opt to amnesty Boozer, resign Luol Deng, and pursue a larger power forward with the mid-level exception/left over cap room. I really don't like this idea because the Bulls will have to rely on Taj Gibson playing heavy minutes and hope they can sign a backup in the ilk of Kris Humphries who can play as a small 5 or averaged sized 4.
Deng/Mirotic
The wild card option remains Nikola Mirotic. The dude is a stud, and he looks like the next Toni Kukoc, except better defensively. However, Mirotic won't be cheap because he's making a run for a second consecutive Euro League MVP trophy. Mirotic will probably want (and earn) at least $7 million per season, so the Bulls will be forced to amnesty Boozer and possibly trade Gibson to free-up some cap space.
To be completely honest, I think this is the ONLY way it makes sense to keep Deng. Deng is a fantastic NBA player, but the Bulls desperately need an offensive creator, and I think Mirotic can be that guy. This team would be scary good offensively with Rose in the fold, and the Bulls could play a fairly small, but deadly, offense that involves Rose/Butler/Deng/Mirotic/Noah. Miortic weighs basically nothing and will have a hard time defending powerful 4s in the mold of Zach Randolph, but this lineup could light up the scoreboard.
Full Rebuild
Let me get this off my chest first and foremost: the Bulls will not tank this season, and unless new commissioner Adam Silver enjoys rigging drafts like David Stern, the Bulls will not be able to acquire the first overall pick/Jabari Parker.
Strong Mid-1st Round Talent
That being said, the 2014 NBA draft class is insanely talented, and the Bulls will be served well if they can utilize 2 1st round picks (one from the Bobcats/Hornets). Even in the middle of the first round, the Bulls might be able to grab Arizona's Aaron Gordon, Kansas' Wayne Selden, Michigan's Glenn Robinson III, or Kentucky's Andrew Harrison. The talent will be there even if the Bulls can't sneak into the lottery.
Interestingly enough, this probably applies to the Bulls in the event of a full rebuild or just a quick retooling. I think the Bulls will have the chance to acquire some strong rotation players regardless of where they land in the draft.
Deng or Boozer for Hardaway/Shumpert/Bargnani
If the Bulls want to fully rebuild, I think the team should acquire some "damaged" goods or make moves for players who may be underutilized in their current situations. I think this would be the perfect opportunity for the Bulls to trade Deng to a team like the New York Knicks who are desperate to compete for a title. Carmelo Anthony could move into the PF role, and the Bulls could give up Deng for Andrea Bargnani (ew), Tim Hardaway Jr., and Iman Shumpert. This would allow Jimmy Butler to move into his more natural role as a small forward, give the Bulls a creative offensive player in Hardaway and a strong defender in Shumpert. It's definitely a risky trade, but the Bulls get younger and deeper.
The Knicks might be hesitant to do it, but I can't imagine another team that would be bold enough to move some young assets for an established all-star in hopes of an NBA title. Deng can defend LeBron James much better than Anthony can, and when Tyson Chandler returns, the Knicks could be a great defensive team. The Knicks could also be interested in taking on Boozer for the same players.
Deng for Waiters/Clark/Gee/1st Rounder
If the Cavs want to go all-in for LeBron James (assuming he opts out of his deal), then they will need some cap space. The Bulls get upside in Dion Waiters and a 1st round pick, a cheap bench player in Alonzo Gee, and a player who can have his contract terminated in Earl Clark. I think the Cavs may be suckered into a rental, particularly if owner Dan Gilbert thinks the Cavs have a legitimate shot at LeBron James. I'm not sure the Bulls would want to acquire such a significant amount of players and contractual obligations, but I think it is an interesting idea worthy of further investigation.
There are several trades and moves the Bulls can make, but they might simply stand pat. The only move I think fans can fully expect is the amnesty of Boozer in the offseason. In fact, the Bulls might be able to vault themselves into championship contenders with the largely the same core (Rose/Butler/Deng/Noah/Gibson) if they are able to sign Mirotic. While I'm not crazy about giving GarPax another shot at building a contender, Bulls fans should be excited about the various possibilities going forward. If the Bulls don't go into full-tank mode, I would love for them to acquire somebody--anybody--that can create shots off the dribble.
If I had to put money on it, I would say the Bulls' starting five next year will be:
Rose
Butler
Deng
Gibson
Noah
With Tony Snell, Nikola Mirotic, Marquis Teague, Mike Dunleavy, and league minimum veterans coming off the bench.
Tweet
Rebuild on the Fly
Realistically, the Bulls do not have to break-up the team, even if that is an attractive option. The Bulls have approximately $64.5 million in salary obligations for the 2014-2015 season. Early projections suggest the cap will be about $62.1 million, putting the Bulls slightly over the cap.
With Taj Gibson playing well recently, I think the cries to amnesty Carlos Boozer will finally be met. Let's not forget that this is a real cash expense of $16.8 million, though it will lower the Bulls' cap figure to $47.7 million, freeing up around $14.1 million. In other words, the Bulls will have enough money for good player, but not a superstar.
Pau Gasol
If the Bulls do indeed amnesty Boozer, I think Pau Gasol could be an interesting fit on a two-year deal in the neighborhood of $20 million. The Lakers are armed with tons of cap room, but I am not sure Gasol wants to return to a team that doesn't enjoy using one of the best post scorers in the league.
This idea is far from flawless, as Gasol is going to be 34 years old and his numbers have dropped as he has been plagued by a bad system and injuries. The other problem with this idea is Taj Gibson. His large contract is simply too much for the minutes he plays. I'm a firm believer that most of a team's cap space should be allocated to finishers: those players you want on the court in crunch time. Yes, Gibson often plays down the stretch, but that forces the uber expensive Boozer to ride the pine. I want as much of my cap as possible on the court in the last few minutes, and that simply isn't possible under this arrangement.
Deng/Humph
The Bulls could also opt to amnesty Boozer, resign Luol Deng, and pursue a larger power forward with the mid-level exception/left over cap room. I really don't like this idea because the Bulls will have to rely on Taj Gibson playing heavy minutes and hope they can sign a backup in the ilk of Kris Humphries who can play as a small 5 or averaged sized 4.
Deng/Mirotic
The wild card option remains Nikola Mirotic. The dude is a stud, and he looks like the next Toni Kukoc, except better defensively. However, Mirotic won't be cheap because he's making a run for a second consecutive Euro League MVP trophy. Mirotic will probably want (and earn) at least $7 million per season, so the Bulls will be forced to amnesty Boozer and possibly trade Gibson to free-up some cap space.
To be completely honest, I think this is the ONLY way it makes sense to keep Deng. Deng is a fantastic NBA player, but the Bulls desperately need an offensive creator, and I think Mirotic can be that guy. This team would be scary good offensively with Rose in the fold, and the Bulls could play a fairly small, but deadly, offense that involves Rose/Butler/Deng/Mirotic/Noah. Miortic weighs basically nothing and will have a hard time defending powerful 4s in the mold of Zach Randolph, but this lineup could light up the scoreboard.
Full Rebuild
Let me get this off my chest first and foremost: the Bulls will not tank this season, and unless new commissioner Adam Silver enjoys rigging drafts like David Stern, the Bulls will not be able to acquire the first overall pick/Jabari Parker.
Strong Mid-1st Round Talent
That being said, the 2014 NBA draft class is insanely talented, and the Bulls will be served well if they can utilize 2 1st round picks (one from the Bobcats/Hornets). Even in the middle of the first round, the Bulls might be able to grab Arizona's Aaron Gordon, Kansas' Wayne Selden, Michigan's Glenn Robinson III, or Kentucky's Andrew Harrison. The talent will be there even if the Bulls can't sneak into the lottery.
Interestingly enough, this probably applies to the Bulls in the event of a full rebuild or just a quick retooling. I think the Bulls will have the chance to acquire some strong rotation players regardless of where they land in the draft.
Deng or Boozer for Hardaway/Shumpert/Bargnani
If the Bulls want to fully rebuild, I think the team should acquire some "damaged" goods or make moves for players who may be underutilized in their current situations. I think this would be the perfect opportunity for the Bulls to trade Deng to a team like the New York Knicks who are desperate to compete for a title. Carmelo Anthony could move into the PF role, and the Bulls could give up Deng for Andrea Bargnani (ew), Tim Hardaway Jr., and Iman Shumpert. This would allow Jimmy Butler to move into his more natural role as a small forward, give the Bulls a creative offensive player in Hardaway and a strong defender in Shumpert. It's definitely a risky trade, but the Bulls get younger and deeper.
The Knicks might be hesitant to do it, but I can't imagine another team that would be bold enough to move some young assets for an established all-star in hopes of an NBA title. Deng can defend LeBron James much better than Anthony can, and when Tyson Chandler returns, the Knicks could be a great defensive team. The Knicks could also be interested in taking on Boozer for the same players.
Deng for Waiters/Clark/Gee/1st Rounder
If the Cavs want to go all-in for LeBron James (assuming he opts out of his deal), then they will need some cap space. The Bulls get upside in Dion Waiters and a 1st round pick, a cheap bench player in Alonzo Gee, and a player who can have his contract terminated in Earl Clark. I think the Cavs may be suckered into a rental, particularly if owner Dan Gilbert thinks the Cavs have a legitimate shot at LeBron James. I'm not sure the Bulls would want to acquire such a significant amount of players and contractual obligations, but I think it is an interesting idea worthy of further investigation.
There are several trades and moves the Bulls can make, but they might simply stand pat. The only move I think fans can fully expect is the amnesty of Boozer in the offseason. In fact, the Bulls might be able to vault themselves into championship contenders with the largely the same core (Rose/Butler/Deng/Noah/Gibson) if they are able to sign Mirotic. While I'm not crazy about giving GarPax another shot at building a contender, Bulls fans should be excited about the various possibilities going forward. If the Bulls don't go into full-tank mode, I would love for them to acquire somebody--anybody--that can create shots off the dribble.
If I had to put money on it, I would say the Bulls' starting five next year will be:
Rose
Butler
Deng
Gibson
Noah
With Tony Snell, Nikola Mirotic, Marquis Teague, Mike Dunleavy, and league minimum veterans coming off the bench.
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Friday, March 16, 2012
Talking Knicks and Linsanity, victory over the Heat
There was a great article in the New York Times about the end of Linsanity, and talked a bit with a friend/reader about the Melo- D'antoni feud. As much as I loathe the Knicks, this is a great story, with a bevy of opinions.
If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know I've never been a buyer of Jeremy Lin. I watched him play pretty well, lighting up mediocre point guards, and taking more shots than Allen Iverson. The flaws in his game were clear as day: he can't go left, he can't really handle the ball, and he makes a lot of unforced turnovers.
Yet, there's no doubt he can play. Is he a top 5 point guard as many speculated? Not by a long shot..
1. Derrick Rose
2. Deron Williams
3. Chris Paul
4. Russell Westbrook
5. Steve Nash
6. Rajon Rondo
7. Kyrie Irving (I'm going to regret putting him behind Rondo)
8. Tony Parker
9. Ricky Rubio (can't shoot, but neither can Rondo)
10. Kyle Lawry
And you can argue that CJ Watson, Eric Bledsoe, Darren Collison, Andre Miller, Brandon Knight, Ty Lawson, Mike Conley, Jeff Teague and John Wall are on another level above Lin. So, yeah, he's basically a league average guard playing in New York.
So if Linsanity is over, I wouldn't worry about it. There are at least 15-20 better point guards in the league (and a few are back-ups!).
When did Linsanity die for me? Not surprisingly, against Los Bulls, earlier this week. In the 4th quarter we saw Carmelo Anthony, one of the best half-court scorers in the NBA, calling for the ball against a combination of ROOKIE Jimmy Butler and Ronnie Brewer. Now, both are excellent defenders, but still, Carmelo is one of the best scorers in the game. He should be getting the ball in the 4th quarter.
Nope, Lin waves him off. Possession after possession, Lin seems to give the ball to anyone but Carmelo, until he demands the rock within the last 2 minutes (and puts up a few moments of epic chucking).
Frankly, I don't give a damn how good Lin thinks he is. He's still a 2nd year player refusing to defer to one of the best scorers in the game. And D'Antoni didn't care.
This begs the question, who's more important: Carmelo Anthony or Jeremy Lin?
In my eyes, that's a no brainer...it's probably the guy you traded several starters for. Probably one of the best scorers in the game, a guy who is considered the 3rd best small forward in the NBA.
And since D'Antoni has tried to force his run n' gun, open court style of basketball on a team built around a dominant isolation player, we've seen Carmelo go into hiding. New York fans seem to forget that Melo is awesome. He's a fantastic, top 10 NBA player who should be celebrated a lot more than a league-average point guard. Maybe this is crazy, but I think this team is better without D'Antoni and without a Lin/Melo feud.
Talking Wednesday's game against the Heat...
John Lucas III is one of my favorite players, mainly because he might even be a little shorter than me and posts hilarious shit on Twitter. He came to play, scoring efficiently, lighting up LeBron and not really turning the ball over. I'm so impressed...to the point where I might end up ordering my Lucas jersey.
Of course, Deng is clearly more hurt than he's let on. He played alright, but a healthy Deng doesn't let LeBron score at will.
Boozer looked ineffective, as is the norm for him against the Heat. He had TWO points. I'm not sure what it is, but I'll give him a pass since he's looked like Utah Boozer the last few weeks. We might actually need him in the Eastern Conference Finals, though. So Carlos, come to play.
As for the enemy... I will admit, I still love LeBron. He's one of my favorite players, and as a former headcase athlete, I genuinely feel sorry for him. He's usually the best player on the court, but once that 4th quarter comes, or something throws him off, he's not what he should be. I'd love to beat the Heat with a beasting LeBron, but that might not happen.
Dwyane Wade on the other hand went nuts in the 4th quarter. He almost single-handedly won the game and looked like an MVP out there. Let's rejoice in victory and not think about what could have happened.
And now...
BEAT THE BLA (uh, what the hell did they do at the deadline?)... I guess this is the Blazers!
If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know I've never been a buyer of Jeremy Lin. I watched him play pretty well, lighting up mediocre point guards, and taking more shots than Allen Iverson. The flaws in his game were clear as day: he can't go left, he can't really handle the ball, and he makes a lot of unforced turnovers.
Yet, there's no doubt he can play. Is he a top 5 point guard as many speculated? Not by a long shot..
1. Derrick Rose
2. Deron Williams
3. Chris Paul
4. Russell Westbrook
5. Steve Nash
6. Rajon Rondo
7. Kyrie Irving (I'm going to regret putting him behind Rondo)
8. Tony Parker
9. Ricky Rubio (can't shoot, but neither can Rondo)
10. Kyle Lawry
And you can argue that CJ Watson, Eric Bledsoe, Darren Collison, Andre Miller, Brandon Knight, Ty Lawson, Mike Conley, Jeff Teague and John Wall are on another level above Lin. So, yeah, he's basically a league average guard playing in New York.
So if Linsanity is over, I wouldn't worry about it. There are at least 15-20 better point guards in the league (and a few are back-ups!).
When did Linsanity die for me? Not surprisingly, against Los Bulls, earlier this week. In the 4th quarter we saw Carmelo Anthony, one of the best half-court scorers in the NBA, calling for the ball against a combination of ROOKIE Jimmy Butler and Ronnie Brewer. Now, both are excellent defenders, but still, Carmelo is one of the best scorers in the game. He should be getting the ball in the 4th quarter.
Nope, Lin waves him off. Possession after possession, Lin seems to give the ball to anyone but Carmelo, until he demands the rock within the last 2 minutes (and puts up a few moments of epic chucking).
Frankly, I don't give a damn how good Lin thinks he is. He's still a 2nd year player refusing to defer to one of the best scorers in the game. And D'Antoni didn't care.
This begs the question, who's more important: Carmelo Anthony or Jeremy Lin?
In my eyes, that's a no brainer...it's probably the guy you traded several starters for. Probably one of the best scorers in the game, a guy who is considered the 3rd best small forward in the NBA.
And since D'Antoni has tried to force his run n' gun, open court style of basketball on a team built around a dominant isolation player, we've seen Carmelo go into hiding. New York fans seem to forget that Melo is awesome. He's a fantastic, top 10 NBA player who should be celebrated a lot more than a league-average point guard. Maybe this is crazy, but I think this team is better without D'Antoni and without a Lin/Melo feud.
Talking Wednesday's game against the Heat...
John Lucas III is one of my favorite players, mainly because he might even be a little shorter than me and posts hilarious shit on Twitter. He came to play, scoring efficiently, lighting up LeBron and not really turning the ball over. I'm so impressed...to the point where I might end up ordering my Lucas jersey.
Of course, Deng is clearly more hurt than he's let on. He played alright, but a healthy Deng doesn't let LeBron score at will.
Boozer looked ineffective, as is the norm for him against the Heat. He had TWO points. I'm not sure what it is, but I'll give him a pass since he's looked like Utah Boozer the last few weeks. We might actually need him in the Eastern Conference Finals, though. So Carlos, come to play.
As for the enemy... I will admit, I still love LeBron. He's one of my favorite players, and as a former headcase athlete, I genuinely feel sorry for him. He's usually the best player on the court, but once that 4th quarter comes, or something throws him off, he's not what he should be. I'd love to beat the Heat with a beasting LeBron, but that might not happen.
Dwyane Wade on the other hand went nuts in the 4th quarter. He almost single-handedly won the game and looked like an MVP out there. Let's rejoice in victory and not think about what could have happened.
And now...
BEAT THE BLA (uh, what the hell did they do at the deadline?)... I guess this is the Blazers!
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