Bulls Beat #108 Thread

dougthonus

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The Bulls clinch a playoff spot in unheralded fashion as Charlotte loses to Oklahoma City on the road. I go over the different tiebreakers, in confusing fashion, and try to figure out what seed we'll land on. I make cases for VDN and John Paxson as coach/GM, and discuss your emails this week.

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Bulls Beat #108
 

collisrost

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I love hearing these "The case for" episodes! you have been able to compile a lot of the arguments people are making on this board. both for and against, and add your own insights. The "Case for Del Negro" segment was excellent. I thought you forgot one more argument in favor of Del Negro -- He's far more likely to improve as a coach over the offseason than a guy who's been coaching for 5 or 10 years. His "rookieness" isn't an asset, but it leaves the definite possibility of improvement.

As to the argument that Salmons makes losing Ben Gordon more acceptable, I'd make the following argmument. Before the trade the Bulls weren't all that good offensively. When Salmons (and to some extent Miller) was added to the mix, the Bulls offense suddenly got much more lethal. Adding that one piece made it easier for the team as a whole to score much more efficiently. Losing one piece in Gordon might take us back down to the pre-trade level of offense.
 

Morten Jensen

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Doug. You're incorrect.

Nocioni was signed after an injury-riddled 06/07 season where he began chucking. His best season was the previous 05/06 season.

So it was a somewhat bad deal.
 

dougthonus

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You're right, my bad. I was trying to figure out if it was 06/07 in the back of my head for a couple minutes leading up to the question. I can't believe I guess wrong, given that I made such a big deal about why you shouldn't sign both him and Joe Smith in the same year because we didn't have minutes for everyone.
 

dougthonus

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Haha, that's the kind of error that makes me want to go edit the podcast and fix it, because it's so bad.

I think the horse has left the barn though.
 

fola

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Another Good one DT

I think I agree with collisrost, losing BG could set our team back quite a bit. Now, I understand that many of us believe that we'll land a big free agent this year (as I do) but for arguments sake lets say we dont. That essentially thrust Rose into the #1 option slot, which im fine with. And then, Salmons at the #2, which im not so fine with. He just isnt a #2 guy. And maybe BG isnt either, but i'd sure as hell prefer to have them both (2a & 2b). I was going to make another couple of points, but they've slipped my mind. In closing, the main reason I want to keep BG is that i believe he'd make an incredible #3 or 4 guy, assuming we sign Bosh. And that we'd be well on our way to being an elite team again.

ps, is it just that all dark skinned black guys look like wesley snipes? As I get that a lot...usually from the homeless people around wrigley.

pps, Happy Easter Everyone!
 

dougthonus

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ps, is it just that all dark skinned black guys look like wesley snipes? As I get that a lot...usually from the homeless people around wrigley.

I looked at the two of them in a few photos and it came down to there are times where they have the same hair style basically (goatee included).

Though people are strange. I've gotten that I look like Matthew McConaughey several times, and I don't look remotely like him IMO.
 

Morten Jensen

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dougthonus wrote:
Though people are strange. I've gotten that I look like Matthew McConaughey several times, and I don't look remotely like him IMO.

Seing as how I have met you, I can only agree with that. Brad Pitt on the other hand....











Is even further removed.
 

Hendu0520

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Great piece on Paxson and Del Negro. To me the biggest problem for the Bulls has been Reinsdorf. On Paxson, I don't think he has been perfect but really he has been a pretty good gm, always looking to improve. His hands have been tied many times by Reinsdorf and forces Pax to get creative like a small market team has to be. Most major market teams don't worry about the luxury tax, they want to win. (The Knicks don't even know what luxury tax means they've been eating that tax for years no problem and still make the most revenue out of any team)
On Del Negro, I hated when the Bulls signed him but the way the season has gone I really can't complain too much about him and don't think he can be fired. We basically did not have Deng at all this year, even when he did play he wasn't playing well at all. Even though the trade did help, your right it is still hard to incorporate new personel and keep winning even if they are talented (Allen Iverson in Detroit). Also I have been pleasantly surprised that he has played Derrick Rose so much, and given him the freedom and responsibility to run the offense. Skiles would have never played him so much. His rotation has actually been great since the trades, getting it down to 7 or 8 players most nights and being more consistent with Tyrus and Noah. This has allowed the Bulls to actually get some production from the frontcourt which Skiles never could pulling them every time they made a mistake. I also agree with someone on this forum that posted that Vinny has room for improvement, and I think he has already showed some from earlier in the season. When Kirk came back Vinny started taking out Rose at the same times (I think 4 min left in 1st quarter and 3rd quarter) no matter what was going on in the game. Some times Rose had just hit 3 shots in a row and Gordon could not hit a shot, yet sure enough at those times Vinny would take Rose out. Lately he has been taking out Gordon for Kirk if Rose is hot showing that he is adjusting already. Vinny still can't call a play to save his life, but that can be learned its not rocket science. I also thin as he gets used to the refs and being a head coach the technical foul thing will go up and he will learn the hard way about timeouts. All and all I think he is the Bulls coach next year and deserves to be.
 

PJ Brown

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Once again, I appreciate the rare commodity, a commentary willing to look at both sides of an issue as opposed to feeling the need to fight tooth and nail for a previously established position. The bottom line to me is that I trust Paxson. He will always have doubters until he pulls the trigger on a star deal, but there are few sports GMs I feel comfortable with knowing they are extremely unlikely to make stupid, franchise killing deals. He makes smart cap moves and always seems to be leveraging for the future.
 

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