Pacers and Bucks...don't look now....

[houheffna]

Both teams may have shortened the distance between them and the Bulls. I think both teams improved themselves. Hill to Indiana, and from what I hear, a decent draft pick. Jackson to Milwaukee (that could be combustible because of Skiles)...but anyway...they improved, I still think the Bulls are the best in the division, but the gap is not as wide as it was...

 

[nwfisch]

Keys for those two, is to get Granger and Bogut producing for their teams at a consistent all-star level. They've both done it before, and it's imperative they do it again if they have any chance of making noise in the playoffs. Jennings has to live up to his rookie hype and get healthy. I think GarPax has a plan up their sleeve for a SG.

What did you think of the draft Hou?

 

[houheffna]

Keys for those two, is to get Granger and Bogut producing for their teams at a consistent all-star level. They've both done it before, and it's imperative they do it again if they have any chance of making noise in the playoffs. Jennings has to live up to his rookie hype and get healthy. I think GarPax has a plan up their sleeve for a SG.

What did you think of the draft Hou?

I trust Paxson and Forman. I am shocked that nobody saw those picks coming. The Bulls have done a good job of being close-mouthed about their moves. Nobody saw Johnson/Gibson coming either a couple of years ago.

 

[WindyCity7]

true & taj was a gem JJ needed/needs too much to reach his potential

 

[WindyCity7]

Chicago Bulls


Additions: Nikola Mirotic, Jimmy Butler


Grade: A

As a fan, I walked away disappointed from this draft haul. How could I not? I respect the Mirotic pick, but would prefer some win-now help, and Butler might not even be worth a first-rounder's guaranteed contract.

But once the fan-glasses come off, this was a haul worth appreciating. Mirotic won't be over until 2014 at the earliest, but that's also a player you don't have to pay, and a lottery talent that will no doubt be giddy to join the Bulls once his contract with Real Madrid (a top flight organization that knows how to develop players) ends. Butler, meanwhile, is a worker who at the very least will be able to spell Luol Deng(notes) at times next season defending wings.

Deng, if you'll recall, averaged 49.8 minutes per game in the regular season, a mark that was upped to 992.4 minutes per game in the playoffs. It's late June, and he hasn't even left the United Center court. He's still there, hunched over and grabbing the ends of his shorts, trying to catch his breath.

 

[houheffna]

There is absolutely NO way I give this draft an A for the Bulls. Too many uncertainties and not addressing most important needs a problem also. I trust Garpax, but no, they didn't ace the draft in my opinion...

 

[ZAN]

Don't look now...but GarPax aren't done. Just because we didn't hit in the draft doesn't mean we aren't going to hit at all. TBH, we did hit in the draft. Big men take a while to develop anyways. The years in Turkey made Asik a very valuable piece to our future (whether we trade him or keep him). Mirotic is even MORE polished than Asik, and can hit from 20 feet out. We did hit. We hit big. We just have to be patient and reap our rewards. When we have:

Rose
Smith/Mayo/Whoever
Deng
Mirotic
Noah/Asik

+ deep bench

in 4 years, you all will be praising the Bulls FO. Right now, most of the Bulls fans are pissed because Mirotic's name isn't "Marshon Brooks" or "Tyler Honeycutt". We got a top 10 caliber player at 23. In four years, he will be the equivalent of a Top 5 pick.

There is work to be done in FA and with trades involving any one or two of Bogans, Korver, Brewer, Taj, Asik to swing cap room to get a starting 2 guard and possibly fill the role of backup PF/C if Taj/Asik is traded.

Personally, with the Mirotic signing...I say we trust Noah to stay healthy, re-sign Kurt Thomas, and trade one of Taj/Asik with picks and/or Bogans/Brewer/Korver to get us a starting 2 man that can impact on the defensive end as well as get his own shot and take some pressure off of Rose.

By keeping Mirotic in Spain, we are able to sign someone to help us "WIN NOW" like everyone is screaming. The spot that we are saving for Mirotic can go to a Mayo or Smith or Prince or whoever. And when Mirotic is ready to come over, voila, Boozer's spot is free...I laugh when I read posts that thought Marshon was a win now type pick. He's a second wave scorer. He's the guy you can hide in the rotation like:

Watson
Brooks
Brewer
Taj
Asik

who can demand the ball and score. He wasn't going to be able to play starter minutes and be effective in a starting rotation. Can you imagine him on Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Dwyane Wade, or LBJ? He'd hurt us so badly.

 

[houheffna]

Don't look now...but GarPax aren't done. Just because we didn't hit in the draft doesn't mean we aren't going to hit at all. TBH, we did hit in the draft. Big men take a while to develop anyways. The years in Turkey made Asik a very valuable piece to our future (whether we trade him or keep him). Mirotic is even MORE polished than Asik, and can hit from 20 feet out. We did hit. We hit big. We just have to be patient and reap our rewards. When we have:

Rose
Smith/Mayo/Whoever
Deng
Mirotic
Noah/Asik

+ deep bench

in 4 years, you all will be praising the Bulls FO. Right now, most of the Bulls fans are pissed because Mirotic's name isn't "Marshon Brooks" or "Tyler Honeycutt". We got a top 10 caliber player at 23. In four years, he will be the equivalent of a Top 5 pick.

There is work to be done in FA and with trades involving any one or two of Bogans, Korver, Brewer, Taj, Asik to swing cap room to get a starting 2 guard and possibly fill the role of backup PF/C if Taj/Asik is traded.

Personally, with the Mirotic signing...I say we trust Noah to stay healthy, re-sign Kurt Thomas, and trade one of Taj/Asik with picks and/or Bogans/Brewer/Korver to get us a starting 2 man that can impact on the defensive end as well as get his own shot and take some pressure off of Rose.

By keeping Mirotic in Spain, we are able to sign someone to help us "WIN NOW" like everyone is screaming. The spot that we are saving for Mirotic can go to a Mayo or Smith or Prince or whoever. And when Mirotic is ready to come over, voila, Boozer's spot is free...I laugh when I read posts that thought Marshon was a win now type pick. He's a second wave scorer. He's the guy you can hide in the rotation like:

Watson
Brooks
Brewer
Taj
Asik

who can demand the ball and score. He wasn't going to be able to play starter minutes and be effective in a starting rotation. Can you imagine him on Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Dwyane Wade, or LBJ? He'd hurt us so badly.

That is 4 years down the line at least for the European dude.....if he shows up at all. And this isn't Sabonis, Petrovic or Kukoc we are talking about here. I think the draft was pretty good for the Bulls, just don't think as highly of the picks as others do.

 

[scottiepippen1994]

I trust Paxson and Forman. I am shocked that nobody saw those picks coming. The Bulls have done a good job of being close-mouthed about their moves. Nobody saw Johnson/Gibson coming either a couple of years ago.

I agree with you bro on that...GarPax are pretty trust worthy considering that they are extremely good at keeping there lips sealed...Silence of secrecy......Purhaps GarPax are part of the Skull and Bones or the New World Order....

 

[Diddy1122]

So maybe we lose 3 games in the Central instead of 1 next season. Nothing Milwaukee or Indiana did yesterday makes them significantly better enough to have anyone on the Bulls or any fans for that matter worried. I always keep going back to this like a broken record but we were missing 2 our starters for the majority of the season yet still produced 62 wins & nearly made the Finals. Stay healthy & add a decent 2 & we can start booking seats for the Grant Park rally in June.

 

[houheffna]

So maybe we lose 3 games in the Central instead of 1 next season. Nothing Milwaukee or Indiana did yesterday makes them significantly better enough to have anyone on the Bulls or any fans for that matter worried. I always keep going back to this like a broken record but we were missing 2 our starters for the majority of the season yet still produced 62 wins & nearly made the Finals. Stay healthy & add a decent 2 & we can start booking seats for the Grant Park rally in June.

I don't think its as simple as you are making it out to be...not even close...

 

[Diddy1122]

I don't think its as simple as you are making it out to be...not even close...

And it's nowhere near as dire as you are making it out to be. Nothing that either team did will make up 25 games. Up & down we are still light years ahead of those teams & we have the 1 thing that neither of them have or will probably have anytime in the near future & that's a bonafide superstar MVP. Worry about Miami, don't waste time worrying about the JV squads that make up the rest of the Central.

 

[houheffna]

And it's nowhere near as dire as you are making it out to be. Nothing that either team did will make up 25 games. Up & down we are still light years ahead of those teams & we have the 1 thing that neither of them have or will probably have anytime in the near future & that's a bonafide superstar MVP. Worry about Miami, don't waste time worrying about the JV squads that make up the rest of the Central.

What I was speaking of was how close you seem to think the Bulls are to a championship. I don't think a "decent sg" gets you there personally...

 

[Diddy1122]

We are a top 3 team at this point. We have the reigning MVP who's quickly starting to take over the NBA. We have a deep, tight-kit bench. The best defense in the league. And the Coach of the Year. What's it gonna take to get you to start believing?

We don't need a superstar beside Rose. Dallas proved the ESPN theory wrong this year, as it's always been wrong. It doesn't take a load of superstars to win. It takes a great player with a great group of role players around him & a great coach on the sidelines. We have that great player. We have that coach. And once GarPax brings in our Jason Terry, this team will have that ring.

 

[bobferg]

Both teams may have shortened the distance between them and the Bulls. I think both teams improved themselves. Hill to Indiana, and from what I hear, a decent draft pick.

Getting George Hill was their draft. They traded both of their picks.

George Hill would be great for the Pacers if they were already a good team. But they aren't, and a Jason Terry type bench offensive player wont help them too much. He will get minutes with the second unit, but for him to have any type of run with the better players on the Pacers he will have to take one of the Pacers best 3 players off the court (Granger, George and Collison).

I would much rather have Leonard and his Gerald Wallace type game come off the bench. Typical Larry Bird move....SMDH

 

[bleacherbum54]

George Hill we picked up specifically to score and guard Drose. I like the move but i really wanted Chris Singleton of Florida state. And David Bertans i scouted him a little in Europe he was by far the best shooter in the draft. He wont come over for 4 years but a 6'11 dynamic SF would of been nice to have.

We could of added a George hill type FA IMO but w/e

We shall see what the Pacers do in FA we have lots of $$$

Hopefully we save it for 2012 and throw a max contract at Eric Gordon

 

[houheffna]

We are a top 3 team at this point. We have the reigning MVP who's quickly starting to take over the NBA. We have a deep, tight-kit bench. The best defense in the league. And the Coach of the Year. What's it gonna take to get you to start believing?

We don't need a superstar beside Rose. Dallas proved the ESPN theory wrong this year, as it's always been wrong. It doesn't take a load of superstars to win. It takes a great player with a great group of role players around him & a great coach on the sidelines. We have that great player. We have that coach. And once GarPax brings in our Jason Terry, this team will have that ring.

The Jason Terry stuff is based on the assumption that Rose is ready to be what Dirk was in that series against Miami...unstoppable. I don't see that at this point, not against Miami. There are various ways to win. Dirk has a skillset unlike any player seen in league history...there was nobody there to shut him down...he had Terry, but he has an unbelievable game himself. I hope you are right but I disagree with the premise personally. I don't think it works with this team the way it did with Dallas....we will see.

 

[houheffna]

Getting George Hill was their draft. They traded both of their picks.

George Hill would be great for the Pacers if they were already a good team. But they aren't, and a Jason Terry type bench offensive player wont help them too much. He will get minutes with the second unit, but for him to have any type of run with the better players on the Pacers he will have to take one of the Pacers best 3 players off the court (Granger, George and Collison).

I would much rather have Leonard and his Gerald Wallace type game come off the bench. Typical Larry Bird move....SMDH

You are right about the draft pick...I got that mixed up with Milwaukee. And I think Hill is being brought in to start and/or push Collison. He will play the combo guard role and when you have 4 perimeter players of Collison, George, Granger and Hill...that is a pretty good start for this team. They played the Bulls tough and I don't believe the Pacers are that far at all from being a good team in the East. A lot depends on Hibbert, but they have solidified themselves at the point guard position as well as all other perimeter positions.

 

[DCguy]

The Bucks were good last year, just got bit hard by the injury bug. Indiana started off pretty good and had a funk in the middle and ended well. They did a good job getting George Hill, my boy Hibbert should keep improving. But I still think when push come to shove the Bulls will still win the central, these guys meshed well and quickly last season and they will just add on to that in the coming seasons.

 

[BNB]

I'm more worried about the Pacers than the Bucks.

Frank Vogel has proven, to me at least, that he is a very good coach. His players seem to like playing for him, and it showed against the Bulls in the playoffs. They've got a bunch of talented players and just need a few veterans to help lead that team... and maybe trade Danny Granger.

I don't like Jennings as the Bucks starting PG. He's holding them back imo. They've got a good defense, but their O is soooooooo shitty and a large part of that is because of Jennings. He's a chucker and doesn't pass much.