Chicago Bulls Thread

[Andrew]

Dunn's absence definitely helps as well. No complaints about the Vonleh deal; basically no risk, as you said.

[air gordon]

nice tribute vid for taj and buckets. that wasn't a cry tear by me, something got in my eye at that moment

[Andrew]

Exciting end to the Timberwolves game. I'm definitely liking Zach LaVine.

[Jackal]

It's a bit messed up Thibs got a technical for shouting at his own player and the Wolves lost by 1.

Does Lavine get a max contract extension from the Bulls?

[Andrew]

I don't know about max, but he's likely getting a decent payday. At least, I hope they keep him.

Thibs getting a tech for yelling at his own player is another sign of how lousy the referees have been this year.

[air gordon]

I speculate he will get the near max. Garpax pretty much backed themselves into a corner by proclaiming him the main piece in the Butler trade.

I don't think he's that "good" but I get why that have to keep him. Similar to the Otto Porter resigning- don't want to lose a great role player so you give him a contract above his pay grade

[Andrew]

And of course, with the way salaries have ballooned, what once seemed outrageous or reserved only for the best players in the league is becoming more reasonable and commonplace.

[air gordon]

not to play the grouch marx card (again lol), but how have there been many non max worthy players signing the new max within the last 2 years? don't think its a significant amount. i could be wrong asthis past offseason notable players like Kyle Lowry, Paul Millsap, etc took lower perceived contracts as anticipated.

[Andrew]

With the new TV deal and rising cap, maybe GMs are feeling like they're playing with house money.

[Jackie Kong]

Andrew, this is sort of a random question but you got to enjoy Jordan or you became a Bulls fan afterwards?

[Andrew]

I was a basketball and Bulls fan during the Jordan era, so I grew up watching him.

[Jackie Kong]

so, you got to follow all 6 titles?

[Andrew]

The second three. I got into basketball in the mid 90s. I obviously went back and watched games from before that (thanks, PonTel and the Internet!) and brushed up on my history.

[Jackie Kong]

Nice! Wonder if Bulls will ever be great again and if it is a matter of finding the next Jordan or something else? Still find out pretty funny when Thibodeau called out the management for picking Marquis Teague over Draymond Green.

[Andrew]

With good fortune and good management, brighter days could be ahead. The latter is a big concern, of course.

I honestly do feel like the Bulls could've won a championship, or at least gone to the Finals, if not for Rose's injury in 2012. They were a few pieces short in 2011 when they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, and with Butler coming on board and emerging as a star a couple of years later, I believe a healthy team could've given the Heat a run for their money. They did have the best record in the league two years running, after all. Rose was never the same after that first injury though, and while they made a few good moves, a lot of the players they acquired were past their prime. I do feel like there was a window earlier in the decade, but it slammed shut after Rose's injuries.

[Jackie Kong]

I was watching that game. Why would he ever keep Rose on the court if the game was already won, lol.
Doubt anyone could take the 2012 and 2013 titles away from the Heat though. 2011 maybe.

Looking back at 2012 results though, Celtics did take Heat to 7 games and Pacers to 6 so maybe, it was not such a sure thing? I don't have the greatest memory. I can only picture Lebron owning the NBA back then. LOL.

[Andrew]

It was a miscalculation on Thibs part, but given it was a non-contact injury and Rose had been banged up all season, it arguably could've happened at any time. Hindsight, as always, is 20/20.

I feel like they would've had a good chance to get past the Heat if they were healthy. Other teams came close. The Pacers were a couple of miscues and bad decisions away from getting past them in 2013 and 2014.

[Jackie Kong]

Noah was a beast back then. Used to love the way he plays, Now, everyone hates him, lol.

[Andrew]

Injuries took their toll on him, too.

[Jackie Kong]

Injuries took their toll on him, too.

Yeah. Still, Pelicans had worse luck with injuries over the past years, lol. Wonder if it is bad luck or more of a medical thing.

Wonder what Bulls fans would have said if Bulls drafted Yi Jianlian in that 2007 draft only to figure out he was 3 years older than he pretended to be. That's something else. LOL. I find pretty than nbadraft corrected his age too in his draft page.

[Andrew]

I assume we would've been disappointed. Even if he hadn't fabricated his age, I would've been disappointed if they'd taken him. I didn't have high hopes for him, and I didn't like the attitude that he (or at least, his handlers) displayed leading up to the Draft.

[Dee4Three]

Yi possessed some well above average ball handling skills for his height, and he had the speed on the break of a Guard/Forward. And, if you go back and watch some film... he had a really nice face up game from 15-18 feet.

He was hit with some injuries early on in his career, I wonder what would have happened if he had stayed healthy during his early years. He was certainly a capable starter in the NBA. But yes, there was always this "God" like aura that came off of him and his handlers attitudes. Even he, for some reason, seemed overconfident to the point of being annoying.

I know, against the Bobcats. But still fun to watch highlights from a game when he was with the Bucks.

phpBB [video]

[Jackie Kong]

http://www.nba.com/games/20071222/CHAMIL/recap.html

MILWAUKEE(AP) Rookie Yi Jianlian played like a veteran in his best NBA game so far.

I stopped right there.

[Dee4Three]

http://www.nba.com/games/20071222/CHAMIL/recap.html

MILWAUKEE(AP) Rookie Yi Jianlian played like a veteran in his best NBA game so far.

I stopped right there.

Maybe I'm ignorant to your point.

A lot of rookies get praised for playing mature in games. What was wrong with that line from the article?

[air gordon]

This could be a historic tank job league wide Close to a third of the league is within range of a top 5 pick

The bulls could lose 75% of their remaining games and not finish bottom 3

Payne can't come back soon enough