Things are about to get real ugly

[mlewinth]

Wow, what a roller coaster this season has been. We were 13-17 in December. 22-22 by mid January. 31-27 at the end of February. 1 week after we are 31-33. Joakim Noah is gone for probobly the rest of the season. Luol Deng, god let's hope he's ok. Tonight, Rose was down and so was Miller. Without Luol Deng tomorrow, we don't stand a chance against Miami. I don't see this possibly getting any better until we hit Philly by which point we could be 31-37. Who knows what our team will look like at that point. With Carlotte and Milwaukee surging, it looks like it will come down to Miami and us and right now who do you think is the better team? The Bulls went from looking like playoff locks, to looking like they probobly wont make the playoffs, but you know what....I don't mind.

This season isint about this season. It is about next season and I feel like your Chicago Bulls have made their point. Rose has emerged as a potential top 10 player in the leauge. Noah has emerged as one of the better centers in the game and a potential all-star in the making. Luol Deng is a solid player. The Bulls proved what they could be when healthy in January. Without Noah, they have proven that they can be resiliant, as they have really played some good teams well, with very inferior talent. Rose has continued to get better. Who would not want to play with this guy? At the end of the day, I don't feel like us not making the playoffs will have that huge of an effect on free agency, because people will see, our season was marred with injuries. Also, would a lottery pick be that bad? I feel like it is almost a blessing at this point. Milwaukee has a top 11 protected right to swap picks with us. If we can suck just a tad more, we get that pick (how big of a bummer would if be if we missed the playoffs and gave Milwaukee our pick).

This may be a bit of wishful thinking in terms of the tanking the season being benificial. But one things for sure, I don't see this affecting us too much in free agency. We have proven that we are pretty good with a decent team.

 

[TheStig]

Playoffs mean a lot. Look at the team directly ahead of us. Are you telling me if we can knock them out and make it ourselves and make it an interesting series, we wouldn't seriously increase our chances at Wade?

 

[Shakes]

Our pick is gone unless we move up in the lottery (only a 3% chance from 11th). No way the Clippers make up the 6 games on us. Not when they're tanking like everyone else who can't make the playoffs.

But leaving aside the pick, the thing that I do mind about is that if healthy I really think we could have made a series of it against anyone but Cleveland. We were playing as well as anyone else in the East, and it wasn't just a good run, it was 31 games. If you think a second round team vs a lottery team doesn't make a difference in our FA hopes you're deluding yourself. Especially when it could have been Wade on that lottery team.

 

[Diddy1122]

I agree with Mark here. Playoffs or no it's not like FA's are suddenly going to go "Oh the Bulls didn't make the playoffs? Well F that then, I'll go to the Knicks." We have a young stud of a PG, one of best defensive & rebounding C's in the NBA, a solid core of talent, the greatest fans on Earth, & one of the biggest markets in the NBA. Oh and we have money. I nearly forgot about that. Not to mention, I'm pretty certain that the FA's know we've had injury problems this year. I mean, they do play in the NBA.

 

[Shakes]

The danger isn't the Knicks, the danger is staying with their own team for the extra money that gives them.

 

[pinkizdead]

yah why would anyone leave? welll besides wade.

 

[mlewinth]

Shakes wrote:

Our pick is gone unless we move up in the lottery (only a 3% chance from 11th). No way the Clippers make up the 6 games on us. Not when they're tanking like everyone else who can't make the playoffs.

But leaving aside the pick, the thing that I do mind about is that if healthy I really think we could have made a series of it against anyone but Cleveland. We were playing as well as anyone else in the East, and it wasn't just a good run, it was 31 games. If you think a second round team vs a lottery team doesn't make a difference in our FA hopes you're deluding yourself. Especially when it could have been Wade on that lottery team.

Shakes, I agree with you. The thing I mind is we did look pretty damn good when we were whole. We were fantastic defensivly and we were getting our offense together. I think that other teams noticed this though. It is pretty apparent to any NBA fan or player that our team has alot to offer a potential free agent.

 

[TheStig]

I think you guys are wrong. Not making the playoffs will cost us any chance at the top 3 guys. We can't make an offer for two stars or have the climate or financials or market that the other two big choices have. Our shot at a top 3 guy and main advantage is that we can do something or at least have an interesting series in the playoffs. For the other guys, like Lee, Amare or Boozer it won't really make a difference.

 

[Diddy1122]

TheStig wrote:

I think you guys are wrong. Not making the playoffs will cost us any chance at the top 3 guys. We can't make an offer for two stars or have the climate or financials or market that the other two big choices have. Our shot at a top 3 guy and main advantage is that we can do something or at least have an interesting series in the playoffs. For the other guys, like Lee, Amare or Boozer it won't really make a difference.

Completely disagree. These guys play in the NBA. They know how good the Bulls were when they were at their best & they know injuries have decimated the team this past month. We were the best rebounding team & led the league in defensive FG% just mere weeks ago before all the injuries started piling up. All of them staying is always a concern, even IF we make the playoffs. So us making it or not I don't think makes much of a difference. Most players will choose a team that is dedicated to improving & winning, has a solid group of talent, where they will feel comfortable, & is at the right price. Whether that is staying put or changing cities is up to them. But you can't honestly tell me that any of the big 3 will look at us not making the playoffs & think to themselves "They must suck & even if I go there they'll probably still suck."

Just look at the Big 3's teams. Cleveland is old. They have essentially LBJ & an old Jamison, that's about it. Will they be that good during the majority of his prime years? Questionable. Miami has Wade and....Wade. Sure they have cap space which helps, but Wade has been crying for some help the past 3 seasons & the best they could do was Jermaine O'Neal & Michael Beasely. I think Wade knows he's got to win & win now because his style of play could cut years off his NBA shelf life. Then there's Toronto. Without a career year by Bosh, the Raptors are essentially the Pacers. A jump shooting team with no sense of direction or defense to speak of. Will they be contenders if he stays? Highly unlikely. They probably be exactly the same.

You can look at any of the teams out there with significant cap space & the Bulls ultimately look the most appealing of all of them. A young all-star PG, a budding defensive Center, a solid group of young talent, the best fanbase in the NBA, & a huge market just waiting to be tapped for countless millions in endorsements. Playoffs or not, the outlook still looks very promising.

 

[houheffna]

Completely disagree. These guys play in the NBA. They know how good the Bulls were when they were at their best & they know injuries have decimated the team this past month.

I agree with that wholeheartedly. I think we should give players more credit when it comes to knowing what is going on in the league. Might be better to take the injuries, get a top 10 pick in what is supposed to be a pretty good draft, and woo free agents with the talent on the team, than to get to the playoffs barely and get blown out every game...

 

[TheStig]

Diddy1122 wrote:

TheStig wrote:

I think you guys are wrong. Not making the playoffs will cost us any chance at the top 3 guys. We can't make an offer for two stars or have the climate or financials or market that the other two big choices have. Our shot at a top 3 guy and main advantage is that we can do something or at least have an interesting series in the playoffs. For the other guys, like Lee, Amare or Boozer it won't really make a difference.

Completely disagree. These guys play in the NBA. They know how good the Bulls were when they were at their best & they know injuries have decimated the team this past month. We were the best rebounding team & led the league in defensive FG% just mere weeks ago before all the injuries started piling up. All of them staying is always a concern, even IF we make the playoffs. So us making it or not I don't think makes much of a difference. Most players will choose a team that is dedicated to improving & winning, has a solid group of talent, where they will feel comfortable, & is at the right price. Whether that is staying put or changing cities is up to them. But you can't honestly tell me that any of the big 3 will look at us not making the playoffs & think to themselves "They must suck & even if I go there they'll probably still suck."

Just look at the Big 3's teams. Cleveland is old. They have essentially LBJ & an old Jamison, that's about it. Will they be that good during the majority of his prime years? Questionable. Miami has Wade and....Wade. Sure they have cap space which helps, but Wade has been crying for some help the past 3 seasons & the best they could do was Jermaine O'Neal & Michael Beasely. I think Wade knows he's got to win & win now because his style of play could cut years off his NBA shelf life. Then there's Toronto. Without a career year by Bosh, the Raptors are essentially the Pacers. A jump shooting team with no sense of direction or defense to speak of. Will they be contenders if he stays? Highly unlikely. They probably be exactly the same.

You can look at any of the teams out there with significant cap space & the Bulls ultimately look the most appealing of all of them. A young all-star PG, a budding defensive Center, a solid group of young talent, the best fanbase in the NBA, & a huge market just waiting to be tapped for countless millions in endorsements. Playoffs or not, the outlook still looks very promising.

I disagree, outside of Rose and Noah we have nothing of consequence. Nothing very impressive. On a telent scale NJ has more pieces in Harris, Lopez and a top 5 pick. We don't have the most desireable situation in any category. If a FA wants two stars, he goes to Miami or NY. If they want weather and taxes, they go Miami. If they want Market, they go NY. If they want young talent, they go to Oklahoma. We are more of an average situation. We have a lot more categories we score in but aren't tops in anything. Getting in the playoffs and making some noise is our only legit shot at Bron, Wade or Bosh.

 

[Diddy1122]

We have more going for us than you care to acknowledge & the other stuff you listed is "nothing very impressive". OKC? They don't have enough cap space for a max FA. NY can sign 2 guys sure & have no one else for them to play with. Miami, they have weather & taxes, I'll give you that. But New Jersey best talent? Please, I'd take the Clips over them in terms of talent level. As even you stated, we have more categories we score in. We can offer money, market, fanbase, & talent which is not something that all teams with cap space can offer. And that makes a difference. Without injury issues, we would've probably finished around 45 wins, which is more than any of the other teams, & we still have money to offer a max FA. If that's not impressive to an upcoming FA who wants a shot at a title then I don't know what is.

And I'll just throw out there that I believe only Bosh will be on the move out of the Big 3, so in the end this will all not matter anyway.

 

[TheStig]

Diddy1122 wrote:

We have more going for us than you care to acknowledge & the other stuff you listed is "nothing very impressive". OKC? They don't have enough cap space for a max FA. NY can sign 2 guys sure & have no one else for them to play with. Miami, they have weather & taxes, I'll give you that. But New Jersey best talent? Please, I'd take the Clips over them in terms of talent level. As even you stated, we have more categories we score in. We can offer money, market, fanbase, & talent which is not something that all teams with cap space can offer. And that makes a difference. Without injury issues, we would've probably finished around 45 wins, which is more than any of the other teams, & we still have money to offer a max FA. If that's not impressive to an upcoming FA who wants a shot at a title then I don't know what is.

And I'll just throw out there that I believe only Bosh will be on the move out of the Big 3, so in the end this will all not matter anyway.

We have a lot going for us because we have a little of everything going. Most teams really specialized in one thing/ OKC has 15 mill, if they get a commitment from someone they could easily trade someone like Green or Harden to get max money and still have one of those guys, Westbrook and Durant. Not to mention they are a playoff team. I would also say that Lopez, Harris, some young guys an a top 5 pick is better to build around a star then Rose, Noah and Deng. They also have room to sign sign another guy to a 5/50-60 deal. Clips also have good talent but I think NJ will be good again soon. Their new owner will spend money and he will get a good wing player in the draft and can offer a boozer or Amare the max.

I don't think this will cost us getting a Fa, I just think it takes us out of the big 3 completly. There is a 0% chance they come here with us not being in the playoffs. All of the big 3's teams are in the playoffs now, they aren't going to leave that to go to a non playoff team unless they team up to play with another big 3 fa.