Bulls Headed in Right Direction

Bulls fans will be happy to know that their favorite NBA team was nowhere to be found on ESPN.com’s list of teams predicted to experience a season of turmoil in 2008.  The Denver Nuggets received the most votes, with the Los Angeles Clippers coming in a close second.  Other teams receiving votes were the New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets.  Following a season filled with turmoil, the Bulls have apparently done enough in the offseason to have convinced NBA experts that they’ve righted the ship.

Parting ways with former head coach Scott Skiles was one of the more crucial moves in restoring order to this once great franchise.  Skiles’ dictatorship ways rubbed many of the team’s players the wrong way, most notably former Bull Ben Wallace, who was also a major distraction last season before he was shipped to Cleveland in a three-team deal.  The incessant Kobe Bryant trade rumors prior to last season didn’t help matters either, as it clearly affected the psyches of several young players, including budding star Luol Deng.  With new head coach Vinny Del Negro on board and a new face of the franchise in Derrick Rose, the Bulls appear to be headed in the right direction.

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Gordon For Marion?

There are some rumors circulating concerning the possibility of a Ben Gordon for Shawn Marion swap between the Bulls and the Miami Heat.  The rumored trade is said to be Marion and Marcus Banks for Gordon, Larry Hughes and Joakim Noah.  There have been rumblings this offseason that Marion is unhappy with his current situation with the Heat and Gordon’s issues with the Bulls have been well documented on this blog.  This seems to be a trade that would make sense for both clubs and would largely be considered a blockbuster deal, though a trade of this magnitude is quite difficult to pull off.  A deal would require the Bulls to work a sign-and-trade with the disgruntled shooting guard.

This trade would benefit both teams.  The Bulls would get great value in return for Gordon and be able to move Larry Hughes’ inflated contract.  Noah has shown some promise, but he’s not considered to be a blue chip youngster.  The Heat would form one of the more dangerous backcourt tandems with Gordon and Dwyane Wade.  Marion would figure to benefit greatly from the presence of rookie point guard Derrick Rose, as he did in Phoenix with Steve Nash.  As already mentioned, this kind of deal is difficult to pull off, but would make for a very interesting one.

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All Eyes on Rose

All eyes are going to be on Derrick Rose this season.  He was the first pick in the NBA draft, but not a consensus pick as many pundits thought Kansas State forward Michael Beasley was the choice.  He’s a Chicago native, so he’ll be playing in front of his friends and family on a nightly basis.  He’s the first guy who is considered to be a marquee talent to don a Bulls uniform since number 23.  The list goes on and on.  Rose will be under more pressure to succeed than any other rookie this season as he’s viewed as the savior of a franchise that hasn’t had much success since a guy named Jordan left town.

Bulls fans are going to have to be patient with Rose.  He’s only one year removed from high school and making the transition from college to the pros is traditionally more difficult at point guard than any other position.  People can’t expect Rose to be Chris Paul, at least not right away.  He’s probably going to start the season coming off the bench, but getting significant minutes.  His rookie numbers won’t blow anyone away, but Rose is the kind of player who can impact a game without filling up the stat sheet.  He’s got the potential to be a statistical beast as well, but that will take time.  There’s no denying that this kid has the potential to be a special player.

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Bulls Need Post Presence

Things have changed a lot for the Chicago Bulls in past few seasons.  The Bulls were one of the hottest young teams after trading center Eddy Curry to the New York Knicks, a deal generally considered to be incredibly lopsided in the Bulls’ favor.  The Bulls were a team on the rise in the Eastern Conference with a ton of cap space.  But after the Ben Wallace signing and a few draft picks gone awry, the team finds itself no longer the sleeper pick for the conference title, but a club that most NBA pundits are predicting will be on the outside looking in come playoff time.

The Bulls have lacked a presence in the low post since dealing Curry to New York.  They had the opportunity to make a run at Kevin Garnett, but general manager Jon Paxson seemed hesitant to let go any of his youngsters.  The club drafted but traded LaMarcus Aldridge, who is poised for a 20 ppg season, for Tyrus Thomas, a player who has trouble creating any offense.  The Bulls also selected Joakim Noah, another high-energy guy who struggles on the offensive end.  The Bulls are not going to be a championship caliber team by settling for jump shots all day; they need a guy who can bang down low and give them an inside presence.

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Derrick Rose: Saving Grace for the Bulls?

As reported yesterday, ESPN.com projects that the Chicago Bulls won’t make the playoffs in the 2008-09 NBA season, but will the Bull’s draft pick Derrick Rose save the day? The Chicago native was the number one prospective point guard out of high school and declared for the NBA draft subsequent to his freshman year at the University of Memphis. Rose was selected first in the draft by his hometown team as the Bull’s first No. 1 pick since Elton Brand in 1999 and fans are crossing their fingers that Rose will dominate the floor and help the Bulls pull through in the 2008-09 NBA season.

For his part, Rose is excited to be playing in his home town, for a team that hosted NBA greats like Michael Jordon and Scottie Pippen. Rose was selected over Kansas State forward Michael Beasley and the Bulls’ general manager John Paxton is confident in their decision. With Bulls fans in a frenzy after recent Deng and Gordon news, Rose is getting a lot of attention despite his young age and the team didn’t pick him first to let him sit on the bench so he is sure to get plenty of court time this season.

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Bulls Outside Looking In?

ESPN.com’s experts have projected the Bulls to finish as the best team in the Eastern Conference not to make the playoffs in the upcoming 2008-2009 NBA season.  They’ve picked the Celtics, Pistons, Cavs, Magic, 76ers, Raptors, Wizards and Heat to make the postseason, in that seeding order.  “No team is more baffling than the Bulls, which went from darlings to dregs in just months last year.  The pessimist sees more of the same: weird chemistry and growing pains.  The optimist sees a quick, Derrick Rose-led turnaround for the team many thought would win the East last season,” the article says.

This blogger thinks this is a fair assessment of the team, but certainly not one set in stone.  The Bulls are just a year removed from being considered one of the top teams in the conference.  A lot has changed since then, including a multiplayer three-team deal last season, but the Bulls have talent; there is no denying that.  They may be better built for the future than the present, but you can’t rule this team out of the playoffs.  If Derrick Rose picks up the NBA game quickly, assuming his role as floor general, and the team receives some low post scoring from any of its bigs, there’s no reason to think the Bulls can’t sneak into the playoffs.

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Russian GM Denies Talks With Gordon

The general manager of Russian basketball club CSKA Moscow, the team that Bulls restricted free agent Ben Gordon was supposedly in contract talks with, has reportedly denied that he and Gordon have had any contract negotiations.  Gordon and the Bulls have apparently reached stalemate in their negotiations and it seems highly unlikely that the two sides will come to an agreement on a long-term deal to keep Gordon in Chicago.  Gordon is seeking a contract in the same range of the deals handed to Luol Deng and Philadelphia 76ers guard Andre Iguodala this summer, but it seems most NBA GMs deem that much too pricey for the undersized shooting guard.

Gordon doesn’t appear to have much for options.  If he wants to play professional basketball, it looks like it will have to be for the Bulls, amidst their crowded backcourt.  Gordon is coming off a season in which he took a step back, but he feels that he was the best player the Bulls’ roster and wants to be compensated as such.  The Bulls have given that distinction to Deng, though, and have seated he and rookie point guard Derrick Rose as the cornerstones of the franchise.  There doesn’t seem to be anywhere to go from here for Gordon.

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Character Matters

It pays to draft players of good character.  That notion has never been truer than now, after rookies Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur were expelled from the league’s rookie transition program on Wednesday for having marijuana and girls in their room, a violation of program policy.  The two players were teammates on Kansas’ national championship team and both were selected in 2008 NBA draft.  It’s ironic that the players would be found partaking in the types of activities that the program they were attending is specifically designed to warn young players against.  Arthur was selected by New Orleans on draft night, but changed hats several times before winding up a Memphis Grizzly, while Chalmers is expected to be the Miami Heat’s starting point guard in his rookie season.

In an attempt to avoid incidents such as this, NBA GMs have become more concerned with the character of the kids they are drafting.  This is why the high character of the Bulls’ first round draft pick, Derrick Rose, was an integral part of the team’s decision in drafting him, along with his great skills.  Rose’s humble demeanor and dedication to everything basketball will be a major factor in his off-the-court lifestyle.  The guidance of his older brothers has also been a big part of his character development as well.

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Bulls, Gordon Need Solution

It’s been a long and drawn out offseason saga between the Bulls and restricted free agent Ben Gordon.  While just about every other free agent that is going to be signed, at least the ones that matter, have already re-upped with their teams or found a new home, Gordon find himself the lone man swimming in a sea of uncertainty.  Recent reports have Gordon considering heading to Russia for a season, while previous reports talked of a sign-and-trade.

No matter what the solution is, there needs to be exactly that, a solution.  Gordon and the Bulls need to find some way to part ways amicably.  The last thing the team, or Gordon, needs is to have the shooting guard sulking on the bench all season, complaining about playing time and his role.  Gordon feels he’s a star; the Bulls don’t, and apparently no other NBA teams believe he’s a star or they would have offered him a substantial contract.  Gordon wants money in the realm of Luol Deng and Andre Iguodala, but he just does command that kind of deal.  The Bulls need to eliminate this distraction before it truly becomes one that affects their season in any shape or fashion.

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Gordon to Russia?

Bulls restricted free agent Ben Gordon is reportedly in talks with Russian team CSKA Moscow regarding a one-year deal.  One report has said that the Russian club has offered Gordon a one-year deal worth about $5.5 million.  Gordon has been reluctant to sign the Bulls’ $6.4 million one-year qualifying offer as he’s seeking a long-term deal worth up to $80 million.  The Bulls have been reluctant to offer Gordon any contract that would put them in luxury tax range, but have offered the shooting guard reasonable compensation according to his perceived market value.  Gordon and the Bulls appear to be at an impasse.

It would be very surprising to see Gordon sign a deal with a team overseas for less money than the qualifying offer.  Any one-year deal would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, allowing him to seek a long-term deal with another team.  But why would he risk going to Europe?  It could be in search of a bigger role, but nobody is quite sure how scouts and GMs are going to value statistics and performance in European leagues.  Gordon knows there is a bit of a logjam in the Bulls’ backcourt right now and would perhaps go to Moscow in an effort to boost his value by showcasing his skills as a team’s primary offensive option.

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