NBA Rumors Thread

[FedEx227]

It's just KC Johnson not having anything to really write about.

They'll (hopefully) be going after one of the FAs like Jason Richardson or a possible amnesty case like Rip Hamilton/Ben Gordon.

[Kuzzy Powers]

Yeah I read it on Rotoworld and it apparently did come from KC Johnson. For a team that puts such a premium on defense, I HIGHLY doubt this happens. CJ is best suited as a spark off the bench.

Bulls beat writer K.C. Johnson believes that C.J. Watson could be an option for the team at shooting guard.
Johnson writes that team management discussed the possibility last season, and goes as far as to suggest that Chicago could target T.J. Ford to serve as Derrick Rose's backup if Watson is moved to shooting guard.

[FedEx227]

That would last like 3 games tops. Thibs wants that early defense thus the reason you saw Bogans in there. There's not a chance they'd keep Rose and Watson in that back court to start the game. That's a huge defensively liability.

[ralaw]

KC Johnson is an idiot.

[FirstTimer]

This doesn't make any sense. Are they being cheap or something? Rose is a great player, but he needs some help.......putting Watson at the starting 2-guard isn't the answer. Why do teams get these young superstars and just sit on them? The great teams build around and compliment them. The Bulls may not realize it, but they aren't beating the Bulls or Knicks (when they get Chris Paul) with CJ Watson opposite Rose. Sometimes I wonder how some of these people even got these jobs and if its that easy I should just apply or something. SMH.

I assume you mean Heat there...but newho.

The Bulls are stuck in 3 seed hell for the next 3-4 seasons. Overpaying for Boozer was a huge mistake and will come back to bite this team in the ass. Hard. The Bulls will be a consistant ECSF, or ECF team for a bit but they need another major gun to contend in the East with the Heat and an improving Knicks team. I'd go balls out for Dwight Howard at this point but it won't happen, plus the Bulls need major help at the wings. They have no two guard, and Deng is what he is but isn't a difference maker.

[FedEx227]

Pretty much.

He got exposed as an idiot during the last offseason when he was just getting destroyed and scooped by Wojo and the like at every turn.

[FedEx227]

I assume you mean Heat there...but newho.

The Bulls are stuck in 3 seed hell for the next 3-4 seasons. Overpaying for Boozer was a huge mistake and will come back to bite this team in the ass. Hard. The Bulls will be a consistant ECSF, or ECF team for a bit but they need another major gun to contend in the East with the Heat and an improving Knicks team. I'd go balls out for Dwight Howard at this point but it won't happen, plus the Bulls need major help at the wings. They have no two guard, and Deng is what he is but isn't a difference maker.

Bulls got lucky last year with Deng. He played well no doubt but the biggest thing was his health. Do you really think he'll have another year being completely healthy?

[ralaw]

I assume you mean Heat there...but newho.

The Bulls are stuck in 3 seed hell for the next 3-4 seasons. Overpaying for Boozer was a huge mistake and will come back to bite this team in the ass. Hard. The Bulls will be a consistant ECSF, or ECF team for a bit but they need another major gun to contend in the East with the Heat and an improving Knicks team. I'd go balls out for Dwight Howard at this point but it won't happen, plus the Bulls need major help at the wings. They have no two guard, and Deng is what he is but isn't a difference maker.

Yeah, the Bulls fell into the trap of wanting to make a FA splash and when LeBron and Bosh got away they go desperate. Even at his best Boozer was just a compiler. His 20/10 looked good, but it has little impact on the actual game. Deng's biggest problem has been health and consitency....it remains to be seen which Deng will show up this year.

Howard would be ideal, but as you said Boozer is basically in the way. IMO Howard wants to play with Chris Paul or with the Lakers.

[FirstTimer]

Bulls got lucky last year with Deng. He played well no doubt but the biggest thing was his health. Do you really think he'll have another year being completely healthy?

Insert the Bears here and it's the same story coming into this year with Cutler, etc..


Deng can't really handle the ball well. Can't creat on his own and will be wildly inconsistant. For example, early last year he was averaging like 17PPG but most of that was due to a 40 pt outburst against Portland. He proceeded to go for about 10PPG over the next 7-8 games shooting around 30%. At times I really want to like Deng as a player but Chicago has been overvaluing him for years. I know Melo wanted to go to New York but if the reports were true about Denver wanting Deng in a Melo deal I would have done it in a second.

The Bulls just don't have enough difference makers in this arms race in the East going forward. They have a ton of money tied up in a grindy, offensively limited center, an aging injury prone PF, and a limited SF. Meanwhile other teams in the East are throwing money at perennial All-Stars and borderline or perennial ALL-NBA players. Think about this: crunch time in the ECF last year. Two of the Bulls 4 best players(Boozer/Noah) were on the bench.

[FedEx227]

I still think that Noah deal sucks. Noah is a good player but that was an awful value for what Noah gives you.

Taj outplayed both of them. Shit Taj/Thomas was a better option towards the end of the year.

[FedEx227]

Even though it's probably a short term loss I am 100% for using the amnesty on Boozer and getting out of that contract. Maybe they aren't as good next year but I'm okay with that flexibility.

[FirstTimer]

I still think that Noah deal sucks. Noah is a good player but that was an awful value for what Noah gives you.

Agreed completely.

Then they refused to trade him for Melo.........overvalued him twice. Add to thathe's been banged up the last few seasons and it just doesn't look good.

In the NBA you have to build from the top down. It seems like the Bulls are all too content to try and build from the middle after falling ass first into Derrick Rose.

[FirstTimer]

Even though it's probably a short term loss I am 100% for using the amnesty on Boozer and getting out of that contract. Maybe they aren't as good next year but I'm okay with that flexibility.

I agree and I'd do a back flip if they had the nuts to do it.

[Kuzzy Powers]

You both know the Bulls arent going to cut Boozer, atleast not this year. They atleast have to see if he can help do more for the team this up-coming season after investing THAT kind of money in him.. he can often be very effective, its just his disappearing act for long stretches hurts the team. Carlos has always been that kind of player tho so thats likely not going to change.

Noah is the perfect example of overvaluing "grit", or "garbage work", or you could even call it "intangibles" whatever you call it, teams have long overvalued this out of their big man, and while its a nice luxury to have a player like Noah on your team, its ridiculous the money and seemingly trade value is put on this type of player. Every team needs to fulfill roles, some are much more important than others, Joakim Noah is a fun, fan favourite type player, but hes never done much for me and I always found it ridiculous they werent willing to move him for Melo, but Thibs does value that Noah type more then other coaches might.

[FedEx227]

Do you wait around and see what you can do with Boozer does or do you admit that you made a bad decision signing him as the backup plan and just free up that money going forward and try to get a better guy with that space?

The Bulls are a desirable team to go to for a decent FA, why not try that out?

The fact is Boozer had a bad year, no doubt but even at his peak is he ever going to be what the Bulls need to win a championship? I don't think so.