The Bulls Would Be Championship Contenders if...

[FirstTimer]

I do agree though the Aldridge for Thomas deal stands out as the worst move Paxson has made during his time as GM, 2nd would be the Deng contract.

Even if he only takes back that ONE move and we have Aldridge instead of Thomas I think the team would have been a legit contender in the East for a few seasons, making a conference final here or there. We wouldn't have Rose because I doubt that with Aldridge we finish in the lottery last season where we did.

Even still if we keep Aldridge a starting 5 of

Hinrich
Gordon
Deng
Aldridge
Noah

Would have done pretty well in the East IMO.

[FirstTimer]

IIRC, the Bulls had either the 2nd or 4th overall pick already, then traded Brand away for another top 4 pick. They could have kept Brand then taken either Curry or Chandler with their own pick.

They had the 4th overall already.

LAC took Chandler with the 2nd pick and they traded Chandler's rights to the Bulls for Elton Brand. So one would think the LAC would still have taken Chandler #2 overall if the Bulls hadn't traded Brand for him?

Speculation I suppose, but if the Bulls had stood pat at #4 I'm sure they would have taken the hometown kid Curry.

In either case Curry teamed with Brand would have been nice...then if the Bulls have Curry and Brand do they still trade Curry to the Knicks to get the picks they would have used to take Aldridge with...?

[ralaw]

Even with that lineup I don't see the team being a title contender, because they're a bunch of #2 options. In the playoffs you need superstars who can take over a game and a lineup of Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, Aldridge and Noah doesn't have that. Aldridge is the closest, but IMO he's better suited being a compliment to an established player like he is in Portland.

[FirstTimer]

Even with that lineup I don't see the team being a title contender, because they're a bunch of #2 options. In the playoffs you need superstars who can take over a game and a lineup of Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, Aldridge and Noah doesn't have that. Aldridge is the closest, but IMO he's better suited being a compliment to an established player like he is in Portland.

Never said title contender. Just a contender in the East. Making a conference final or so. Even with that lineup they would have had a tough time matching up with the Pistons, Cavs, Celtics, and Magic. But they would have been in the discussion for teams that could make the Conference finals on a yearly basis.

[Senser81]

Even with that lineup I don't see the team being a title contender, because they're a bunch of #2 options. In the playoffs you need superstars who can take over a game and a lineup of Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, Aldridge and Noah doesn't have that. Aldridge is the closest, but IMO he's better suited being a compliment to an established player like he is in Portland.

Maybe. But a few years ago in the playoffs, the Bulls had the Heat on the ropes and had a Game 7 in Chicago (which they subsquently lost to the Heat in huge fashion), and the Heat went on to win the title.

[FirstTimer]

Maybe. But a few years ago in the playoffs, the Bulls had the Heat on the ropes and had a Game 7 in Chicago (which they subsquently lost to the Heat in huge fashion), and the Heat went on to win the title.

I thought the Bulls lost that series in 6 games and Game 7 would have been in Miami?

[NAHSTE]

You can't say "If we kept everyone ever we'd be this good"....it's just an unrealistic hypothetical. Not to mention, the players you mentioned are mostly shitty. You keep saying so and so would come off the bench, well who wants to pay Eddie Curry, Ben Gordon AND Kirk Hinrich to come off the bench?

And what team can afford to employ even 2 of those players along with Aldridge, Rose, Artest, and Brand?

This is a dumb hypothetical and a dumb example. A better example would be to use the Phoenix Suns, who really could've kept most of their picks but sold them. They'd have guys like Rajon Rondo, Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez if they weren't so cheap.

edit-see dude above me beat me to the point but there's a great Bill Simmons article about this.

[FirstTimer]

Even more speculation. What if the Bulls had gotten rid of Deng for Gasol? Gasol/Aldridge in the post would have been beastly.

It amazes me that both the Bulls and Bears have the same issues. Inability to accuractly scout and asses the ability of players within the organization and ability to evaluate top level draft picks. Plus general stubborness.

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

They had the 4th overall already.

LAC took Chandler with the 2nd pick and they traded Chandler's rights to the Bulls for Elton Brand. So one would think the LAC would still have taken Chandler #2 overall if the Bulls hadn't traded Brand for him?

Speculation I suppose, but if the Bulls had stood pat at #4 I'm sure they would have taken the hometown kid Curry.

In either case Curry teamed with Brand would have been nice...then if the Bulls have Curry and Brand do they still trade Curry to the Knicks to get the picks they would have used to take Aldridge with...?

IIRC, Eddie Griffin was a hot name at the top of the draft as was Kwame Brown. I don't recall too many mock drafts with Chandler to LAC.

[FirstTimer]

IIRC, Eddie Griffin was a hot name at the top of the draft as was Kwame Brown. I don't recall too many mock drafts with Chandler to LAC.

I remember the Bulls had talked about taking Griffin but some shit about his attitude came up and he fell to like #8.

By draft night the consensus top 4 prospects in the draft that year were Gasol, Chandler, Curry, and Brown.

I know the Wizards had conisidered taking Chandler #1 overall but after private workouts they liked Brown better.

Chandler was a workout away from being the #1 pick.

[Senser81]

I thought the Bulls lost that series in 6 games and Game 7 would have been in Miami?

Yeah, that may have been it. I just remember there being 'enthusiasm' for the Bulls after the Heat ended up being the eventual champs because it made people think the Bulls were only a step away from being a title team.

[Senser81]

You can't say "If we kept everyone ever we'd be this good"....it's just an unrealistic hypothetical. Not to mention, the players you mentioned are mostly shitty. You keep saying so and so would come off the bench, well who wants to pay Eddie Curry, Ben Gordon AND Kirk Hinrich to come off the bench?

Are you kidding me? Heinrich is basically a bench player now. Curry was a bench player for his first few years in the league. Gordon has always rotated between starter and bench player.

And what team can afford to employ even 2 of those players along with Aldridge, Rose, Artest, and Brand?

Obviously you can't keep every single player, but it does show how poorly the Bulls did in deciding which players to keep and which players to off-load. Or is your argument that the Bulls were correct to get rid of Brand and Aldridge?

This is a dumb hypothetical and a dumb example. A better example would be to use the Phoenix Suns, who really could've kept most of their picks but sold them. They'd have guys like Rajon Rondo, Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez if they weren't so cheap.

Your comparison is incredibly idiotic. We aren't talking hypotheticals, we are talking about guys the Bulls had on their roster in the recent past and proactively chose to get rid of. Come on, man!

[FirstTimer]

Yeah, that may have been it. I just remember there being 'enthusiasm' for the Bulls after the Heat ended up being the eventual champs because it made people think the Bulls were only a step away from being a title team.

Yeah then I remember all the hype after they beat the Heat a year later in the playoffs and thinking...What's the big effing deal? Wade was playing with pretty much one arm and Shaq was all banged up too.

Then the Pistons housed us in the next round and that was it.

[FirstTimer]

The Suns comparison is ok, except for all of those guys fall into the Lamarcus Aldridge catagory. Guys who were drafted by the team and traded right away. Most of the guys we are talking about with the Bulls, with the exception of Aldridge, actually put a Bulls jersey on, rather than just held one on stage.

[FirstTimer]

You think that if the Bulls keep Brand, Artest, and hell lets say Hinrich, that they'll be in position to draft everyone else?

That's like me saying.

"d00dz, imagine if the Celtics kept Chauncey Billups, Joe Johnson, Al Jefferson, Delonte West, and Jeff Green. Then they'd have Cauncey Billups, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Al Jefferson with Delonte West, Joe Johnson, Jeff Green, and Leon Powe off the bench. PWNZORSZZ"

Already covered that on the first page..late to the party...

Along with that though the Bulls weren't that great WITH Brand and Artest two years in(Drafted in '99). They had the #4 pick each of the next two seasons(2000 and 2001). They probably still would have been a lottery team in 2002(ended up taking Jay Williams #2 overall behind Yao Ming) as well even if they hadn't traded Brand for Chandler before the year and hadn't traded Artest about 30 games into the year to the Pacers. Those Bulls teams were awful.

In any case the Bulls have had VERY bad managment of players over the last 8-9 year or so and have made som every bad deals and have come up well short in the scouting department.