Chicago Bulls Thread

[air gordon]

I agree to a degree. There was less leverage on the George trade since George said he wanted to be traded

I don’t remember any of the rumors having any legs IIRC as reported by “insiders” in the days leading to the Butler trade. There were talks with Ainge but he maintained his hard stance of not including the Brooklyn pick or any top pick. Love? Meh. just the #3 pick for the all american Butler. Meh too. what trade out there would have you happy for a bulls team that was rebuilding?! for as great as butler is, i did not see one legit rumor that involved someone close to his level.

I agree the trade was bad at the time it was made but if you think the trade is still shit you are losing you're objectivity. the trade looks even worse when you’re taking a pessimistic point of view for your breakdown.

Yeah it remains to be seen on whether any young player can sustain good or bad level of play. If you want to downplay whatever Dunn and Markannen have done, regardless if you’re a “fan”, that’s fine too. It doesn’t make for much of discussion though if you discount Dunn is closing out games scoring crucial points, making big defensive plays. Or Markannen displaying a very well rounded scoring game in his rookie year and showing good defensive fundamental.. And these are in games that matter unlike say Elfrid Payton who averaged a near triple double in the last month of the season. I wouldn't bother making a discussion of this if those guys were playing like garbage.

I’m not sold on Lavine either though I’m not sure you can put a “cap” on him like say like Luol Deng. He’s still only 22.

[Andrew]

I find myself feeling conflicted about their relative success since Mirotic returned. On one hand, seeing your favourite team win is more enjoyable than watching them lose, and it's good to see that there are players with a lot of potential already on the roster. You want to instil that winning mentality and have the players who are likely going to be building blocks learn how to win, even as the team is undergoing a tough rebuilding phase. At the same time, wins bring them closer to mediocrity, which doesn't help a team that is going to need to rebuild through the Draft. As it stands, they've gone from far and away the worst record in the league to only the sixth worst.

It goes against the plan of bottoming out, but at the same time, I want to see them trying their best and not actively trying to lose games. So yeah, I'm conflicted. It's nice to see them having these stretches where they're picking up some impressive wins and playing well, but on the other hand, it's not helping them in the long run because they're going to need to get a top player or two through the Draft. So...Go Bulls, sort of?

On a different note, two years ago today:

phpBB [video]

[air gordon]

Player development is the biggest key IMO

Prefer to see them playing well during the season when the games still count.

don't want to see this turn into a toxic situation like PHX.

Don't think this group is good enough to play themselves out of the top 10 anyway. And management can still step in and get the tank on track

[Andrew]

Good point.

[Valor]

Good double OT win over NY, this stuff gives a ton to young player confidence and it's good to see.

But we really need to get back to losing, F grade on the tank job atm as we are on track for about 30 wins and a late lottery pick. Road to Doncic is not looking good atm

[Andrew]

Markkanen's eight threes apparently tied Dirk for the most by a seven footer. Good company.

[Andrew]

Looks like Mirotic is on the way out, and as per this report that Valor alerted me to, won't play until he's traded. I'm sure that'll help his value and the team's leverage in a trade.

[shadowgrin]

His potential destination is reported to be the Pelicans.

[Andrew]

I heard that too, for Omer Asik of all players. Latest report is that the deal fell apart.

[Jackal]

Deal has gone through from what I read. Monroe is probably headed to the Pelicans too. Not a bad rotation of Monroe/Davis/Mirotic with the Cousins injury.

How many years does Asik have left on that contract?

[Andrew]

Just read the full breakdown of the deal.

The Pelicans are sending center Omer Asik, guards Tony Allen and Jameer Nelson and a future first-round draft pick to Chicago, which will send New Orleans’ 2018 second-round pick back to the Pelicans, league sources said. As part of the deal, the Pelicans will guarantee Mirotic’s $12.5 million team option for the 2018-19 season, league sources said. Mirotic signed a two-year contract in free agency last summer, which gave him rights to veto any trade for a year if the team involved didn’t guarantee the option.

I guess the first round pick is the best part for the Bulls, though it's hard to get excited about that right now. In the more immediate future, they're giving up a pick, and who knows when or how good that future pick will be. If the Luol Deng has taught us anything, it's that GarPax are terrible when it comes to handling conditions on picks. Also, Nelson and Allen are free agents at the end of the season, but Asik's contract runs a couple more years.

I wasn't under the delusion that they were going to get a great haul for Mirotic, but I was hoping for a bit more shrewdness and savvy. Taking on bad contracts and giving away picks to sweeten deals while getting future picks that may well be worthless isn't a great rebuilding strategy. Keeping the guy who punched out a teammate, especially when he's the lesser talent, is also highly questionable to say the least.

It just doesn't seem like they have a plan or much smarts, though they're certainly convinced of their own genius. Granted, Dunn and LaVine are looking like good pick-ups, and Markkanen is having a very promising rookie season, but at this point I'm waiting for them to mess it up somehow; say, trading Markkanen and an unprotected first round pick to OKC for Carmelo Anthony. Whenever they do make a good move, I'm waiting for the bad one that follows.

[air gordon]

Adios and best wishes to Niko. It was a magical March and the pump fakes will be missed.

Good deal by the bulls. Got a 1st round possible late lottery pick for a player they didn’t want in the first place this past offseason and asked out of town since getting his face punched in

Asik’s contract is only guaranteed an additional $3mil after next year so that pill is an easy one to swallow *cough cough Mozgov

Its being reported the bulls used the trade exception from the butler trade in this Niko trade thus creating another trade exception to use/ open the possibility to take on a contract for another pick.

I have to give credit to the management. The return on the Butler trade, the Nwaba signing, and now getting a 1st round pick for Niko.

[Andrew]

When you can't beat the Los Angeles Rivers, you know that Operation Tank is back on track.

[Valor]

When you can't beat the Los Angeles Rivers, you know that Operation Tank is back on track.

Poorly run team vs poorly run team, poorly run team loses!

[Andrew]

[Andrew]

Close loss to the Kings without Markkanen, but it contributes nicely to the Great Bottoming Out of 2018, while still showing some level of competitive fire. Zach LaVine looked pretty good with that dunk.

[air gordon]

thoughts on the rebuild so far?

[Andrew]

Still some work to do falling down the standings after that run put them ahead of other bottoming out teams.

[air gordon]

this fall in the standings doesn't happen if Dunn's injured *no pun intended* and Markkanen is out. i'm curious to see what other steps management will take to keep the tank rolling.

[Andrew]

Insist that Payne be called up, start him at point guard. If that doesn't lead to the losses piling up, nothing will.

[air gordon]

that's just asking for Portis to smash his face in

[Jackal]

That might lead to even more wins and team cohesion.

[air gordon]

could still trade lopez and holiday. that could put the tank in full throttle

[Andrew]

As long as they're not giving up any picks and getting some in return, and not taking on any bad contracts, no harm in thinning the roster to keep bottoming out. As it is though, they've lost seven straight, so I feel like they've already got the talent (or lack thereof) to get the job done.

[air gordon]

i'm fine with them taking on a contract like Asik's if they are getting a 1st round pick back

kudos to the management (again lol). what a coup for them to the get the pick from the Pelicans. Memphis could not land a 1st round pick up for Tyreke Evans and ended up keeping him, the Suns acquired Payton for a 2nd round pick(!)

As it is though, they've lost seven straight, so I feel like they've already got the talent (or lack thereof) to get the job done.

you think so? the losses coincide with Dunn's absence.

the Vonleh acquisition was ok. they didn't give up anything or take on bad salary. why not give the former top 10 pick a 20 something game tryout. let him go if he doesn't impress