Enough already - Eddy Curry is just fine.

[Sauru]

good post. couple of thoughts. there are alot of centers who just dont play defense that well at all, shaq himself has lacked on defense for awhile now also. in this league right now a true big man is kinda rare and he is only 21. if i am the bulls i think i would give him a few more years. i would only trade him if i thought i could not resign him or if i knew he was gonna ask for way to much.

[PRoPuLsiOnDJ]

Alright, I live in Chicago, and I am a Bulls fan. I'm not gonna lie... one of the things that dissapointments me the most is Eddy Curry's lack of devotion, effort, whatever you wanna call it. I am one of his staunchest critics.

But lately I've come to do some thinking, especially with all this Eddy Curry trade talk floating around, and basically, when it comes down to it, everyone is too damned harsh on the man.

Curry this, Curry that... bust, lazy, "sucks"... I've heard it all. Alright, c'mon for just one second. Eddy Curry is 21 years old... that's right, 21. He could technically be entering his senior year in college, meaning he'd have no NBA experience at all.

Instead, Mr. Curry has put in 3 years, and he's developing on the same pace if not faster than Jermaine O'Neal. Yes, he's lazy. Yes, he needs motivation. But constant talk of his underachieving just isn't it. The man has not underachieved, he's only 21. He's got problems, but he still has plenty of time!

Last season Curry averaged 15 points and 6 rebounds... numbers that are some of the best at center in the east, and certainly comparable to someone like Dampier's.

No, Curry is not a good defender, and he's not a good rebounder. But he will improve, and he's hardly even an adult yet. Guys like Dampier are 30 or so and aren't going to get any better... Curry will.

Point here is this - Eddy Curry is an up-and-coming center for the Chicago Bulls. He is a hometown boy, and regardless of all the supposed negatives that brings, it's a good thing to bring to the table. He's hardly peaked, has a long way to go, and has even put up decent numbers (no one gives him credit for his 15 points a game, as ugly as they may be or not!).

The Bulls drafted an 18 year-old kid. If they get impatient, that's there fault, not Eddy's. To trade him would be a mistake that would come back to bite them in the ass.[/b]

very well said and the same should go for Kwame Brown (he's shown improvement too) ... remember they drafted him so he can develop ... and not necessarily contribute right away

[Null17]

good point...people just expect too much players like curry...

[Full Surface]

:applaud: very well said and the same should go for Kwame Brown (he's shown improvement too) ... remember they drafted him so he can develop ... and not necessarily contribute right away

I hope you aren't serious about that. That's what the NBA draft is about. For bad teams to pick a player that can contribute. If the Wizards/MJ knew that Kwame was going to be a bench warmer who averages 3ppg like Darko, then they would be better off picking someone else. They were lost inside the "hype" the media was bringing into this guy. Just look at Pau Gasol, they could have gotten him instead to bring immediate help.

It's definitely not fair for the fans of a team to wait 3-4 years for a player to develop until you start to see the playoffs.

Think about LeBron. If the Cavs knew he was going to suck ass in the NBA, they wouldn't have drafted him. They got him so he could be their franchise player and turn it around. Same thing goes for Kwame but LeBron lived up to the hype he was given.

I feel sorry for the Bulls and the Wizards for their constant options to make bad moves.

[magius]

for the amount of money these players get paid they should take any heat we fans give them, eat it like a man who hasnt eaten for a month, shit it out and eat it again.

[thaKEAF]

Not ALL teams draft for later on down the line, in this year's draft alot of teams did though.

[Sauru]

darko was definetly a pick for the future. they flat out said many times that they had no intentions of him contributing to the team this season. only time will tell if they made the right move, i think people judge kids to hard. i mean alot of these players cant even legally drink yet and we are already saying thier career is a wash?

[Riot]

Are you stupid? Of course teams pick players for the future. They figure get this guy who will be good/great in 4 years as we suck and get cap room and get some more lottery picks. That's how some teams play it. It might not be right but it's how some teams do buisness.

As for Eddy Curry. He has talent and potential but the only way to match it and exceed is to work. Unless he gets an attuide adjustment I don't see him fullfilling his total potential.

Same thing for Kwame. It's too early to say their a bust but it's never too early to say your opinion.

[Sauru]

i gotta agree there. work ethic means everything in pro sports and some guys just dont have it.

[Full Surface]

Yes, teams pick players for the future. But teams would rather not wait for their draftee to develop 3-4 years.

Sure the Pistons would love Darko to produce but the fact that he didn't doesn't change anything.

[Steve04]

The Wizards and Bulls suck, and they always will.

[Andrew]

I don't think the Bulls should trade Eddy Curry at this juncture, I don't want them to trade Eddy Curry at this juncture. I know I'm not alone in thinking that the moment the Bulls deal him he'll explode as they always hoped he would. But giving up on him too late is almost as bad as giving up on him too soon.

Some of the criticism might be a little harsh given that he's a player who bypassed college, hasn't always received consistent minutes and is still developing, but the issue of motivation remains. To be cliche, he has the tools but doesn't seem keen on spending time at the workbench. He's capable of averaging around 20 and 10 but even when plays 30 or more minutes he doesn't seem to grab more than 5 or 6 rebounds very often.

Ideally, he needs to focus on being the best that he can be and Skiles needs to respond by giving him the opportunity to put his skills to use. I just don't think the Bulls can afford to wait another three or four years for him to start putting up impressive numbers on a consistent basis. If he never develops as hoped, it will mean the Bulls have lost time and will have a difficult time trying to trade him.

The last thing I want to see is the Bulls trade Curry now and watch him become the player we all hoped he would be, but I would rather see Chicago cut their losses and trade him for players who are a better fit while Curry develops elsewhere, rather than watch him underachieve for a decade or so.

If he's getting the PT and not showing any more improvement or promise within the next two years, I think it's time to pull the plug. Jermaine O'Neal exploded after four years in the league but his playing time also increased significantly. If Curry is getting a lot of playing time but is still putting up the same kind of numbers, trading him is a much more appealing option.

[Stevan]

I think Curry has the spotlight on him more than anyone because as has been mentioned, he is a rare big guy, he has the tools as they say. We're expecting him to be Shaq, but he probably just doesn't have the mean streak. People are starting to give up on him because this is going to be his 4th/5th season (sorry lost count) and expectations have been high, and he has had the minutes more so than other high schoolers when they came out. 15/6 in my opinion isn't too bad, but it should not be acceptable considering the guy is 6'11/7feet and 300 pounds (most of the time). We would probably be looking at him differently if he averaged 10 rpg. Plus with the Bulls, the fans have lost their patience...

Of course, we've overlooked that it's all about how many roots you get, and groupies per game. I assume Curry has a fair way to go, but as everyone says he's only 21

EDIT: I just noticed Andrew's post, pretty much making all my points before me

[Matt]

If i were the Bulls i would trade either Curry or Chandler for a veteran big man post player to teach them a thing or two. Neither Curry or Chandler will learn off eachother. Perhaps hire an assistant coach (like Houston did with Patrick Ewing) to show a thing or two. David Robinson? Hakeem Olajuwon?

[Rens]

I think the Bulls should look at Phoenix to trade Curry to if they want to trade him. Marion seems to be on the block and the Suns are (always) looking for a big man. The Bulls have been searching for a SF for a few years now.

The Suns are looking for a big man and saving money to extend Johnson and Stoudemire, so a deal like this would make sense:\
Phoenix sends:
Shawn Marion
Phoenix receives:
Eddy Curry
Scottie Pippen (ending contract)
Othella Harrington (ending contract)

Ofcourse they'd have to wait until Harrington can be traded again.

[air gordon]

If i were the Bulls i would trade either Curry or Chandler for a veteran big man post player to teach them a thing or two. Neither Curry or Chandler will learn off eachother. Perhaps hire an assistant coach (like Houston did with Patrick Ewing) to show a thing or two. David Robinson? Hakeem Olajuwon?

er they've tried/are trying this 'mentor' approach already- cartwright, oakley, antonio davis, and now mutombo

good post, demilioso. curry's value is probably at it's lowest, no coincidence of all these rumors floating around. seems like a lot of teams would like to take on curry and his motivation problems

and andrew.. what numbers do think curry needs to put up in order to remain a bull?

and rens.. i think pax filled their SF need with the acquisitions of deng and nocioni

[Rens]

If you want to trust in two rookies to hold down the SF position that's fine with me.

[air gordon]

c'mon now, we're talking about the bulls. they would never trade for an established all star yet to enter his prime. they like guys past their prime with big time contracts

maybe if the bulls were seriously contending for a title, the nba experience of their SF would be relevant

[magius]

if im the bulls i would stay put with a core of curry, chandler, deng, hinrich, gordon for right now unless something incredible comes their way. Marion isnt good enough.

[Andrew]

and andrew.. what numbers do think curry needs to put up in order to remain a bull?

I'd say at least 15 ppg (preferably around 18 ppg) at about 50% shooting, 9 rpg, 1.5 bpg with maybe 1-1.5 apg. Obviously those are best case scenario numbers. A few more 20 and 10 games would be nice and most importantly, consistent solid numbers throughout the year. Everyone has off-nights, but most players remain consistent.

[air gordon]

mine aren't too far off from yours. even if you didn't ask i'm saying anyway haha...

18ppg
8rpg
53%fg
34mpg

let's face the facts- curry is a poor rebounder/has poor rebounding instincts...possibly the same problem yao ming has. i don't think the big flava will ever average 10rpg...

i agree that consistency is the biggest thing for curry... also i think him staying out of foul trouble will be key for him

[MikeBibby]

eddie curry aint doing anything right now

[Jackal]

eddie curry aint doing anything right now

15 PPG, 6 RPG & almost an assist per game isn't "aint anything". It's not alot but he's young & unmotivated. It's a matter of time.

It may not be what we expect, but it's not nothing.

With him on the court, Chicago has a 37% chance of winning the game. It might not sound alot but just imagine that LA has a 38% chance of winning their games with Kobe without Shaq. Given these percentages, Curry being on the court helps.

Given the fact Eddy just averages 11.7 FGA's a game & makes 5.7 of those attempted shots (.497 %)...Curry isn't all that bad. He doesn't do enough, but it's not nothing.

[MikeBibby]

eddie curry aint doing anything right now

15 PPG, 6 RPG & almost an assist per game isn't "aint anything". It's not alot but he's young & unmotivated. It's a matter of time.

It may not be what we expect, but it's not nothing.

With him on the court, Chicago has a 37% chance of winning the game. It might not sound alot but just imagine that LA has a 38% chance of winning their games with Kobe without Shaq. Given these percentages, Curry being on the court helps.

Given the fact Eddy just averages 11.7 FGA's a game & makes 5.7 of those attempted shots (.497 %)...Curry isn't all that bad. He doesn't do enough, but it's not nothing.

hes garbage he aint gonna be anything maybe like 4 more years from now but hes on a wack team and hes wack thats shows suttin if u nice and u put on a wack team u shine hes not shineing him and tyson are draft flops

[Jackal]

Duh moron. The league lacks big-men. Guys like Earvin Johnson get to start, what does that tell you?

Say Curry doubles his FGA's & manages to keep the high FG%, he'd be getting 26 some points.

Ofcourse this is just speculation but he's got upside. He's not a bust, you can't label him that just yet.