World Wide Wes: "We're going to Chicago and Bosh is coming too"

Right now LeBron should be compared to KG in his early years with 'Sota.

 

Once in a lifetime player stuck playing for a dead-end franchise.

 

Yeah, but I'm not sure it was "loyalty" that made him sign that 6/126 offer, but not the 6/103...and then another 5yr/100M contract in 2004.

 

I never thought of it as Jordan winning titles. It was a team thing, with Pip and Grant/Rodman and Kukoc and even PJax. Jordan was the GOAT and the featured guy is all. If he didn't listen to PJax and learn to trust his teammates (like Pax taking 3pt shot with time running out), he'd be a guy who put up big numbers and a loser.

I have little doubt that the Bulls would be dominant with LBJ, Bosh, and Rose, and the ego thing wouldn't be a big deal (until Rose's extension).

Rose and Deng were pretty much it on offense last season; Rose scored even though everyone in the building knew he was going to be the shooter. This is something, alone, that LBJ has never had in a teammate in his prime. Bosh is icing on the cake - I simply don't see the three of them disappearing in the same game (having a bad game).

The big drawback is Bulls' management. The whole time Pax has been here, I've never heard or seen the words "Whatever it takes (to win a championship)." The Lakers go into the LT, pull the trigger to get Gasol, sign the premier coach in history, etc. The loyalty thing is NOT about coach to team/city, but the reverse! Pau gets chased out of Memphis for being a dick to the fans. The Bulls show no loyalty to their players and dick them around come contract time. They busted up a championship team that still had some gas in the tank and blew it all (up, and all in general). Minny was loyal to KG - they paid him, and when he wanted to leave, they traded him.

 

Jordan never bothered me because I think he was able to do so much for the city because he was an arrogant asshole. Or perhaps more accurately, so menichaly competitive that he willed himself to be the best player on the best team ever. I've had a couple of conversations with people who met him in passing, at his home in NC and in Chicago. They were all impressed by how kind he was in person, at least to fans during random chance meetings. As fans who follow the game closely, we know he had a dark side. But if he didn't, he wouldn't have won like he did.

 

Random question: if Jordan had been winning titles in, say, Utah or Portland or Indy, would he have been as great/loved? Or did being part of big-city Chicago help him out?

 

When I lived in Hawaii, he and his entourage played golf at one of the courses, and they basically stole all the food and booze off the cart. When told they had to pay for it, they did, but left no tip.

I would call that the dark side.

 

Chicago was a city of losers before him. Only the 85 Bears, and that didn't last long. So people are especially grateful in Chicago for what he brought us.

 

Didn't we hear that last night? All of the rumors about Reinsdorf being willing to go over the cap now? I agree about the players getting along just fine. Rose's game is still in it's infancy really. He shoots because his shots go in. And passes sometimes because his teammates sometimes hit shots. But I don't get the feeling that he has yet developed a complete conception of what is conducive to winning -- meaning, he's not set in his ways, and if the team needs him to be more Rondo than Francis, he's going to be able to do it. Lebron James has always been more of a distributor to me than an alpha scorer, too. I think if he was playing alongside the best players ever, he would be a point forward. He's remarkably similar to Pippen, except with less defense (he's not the best man defender ever) and more scoring skills. Noah is a very good garbage man. Even if I didn't think you just need talent and they will figure it out, I'd think the proposed team is pretty well paired.

 

I honestly don't see how the Bulls can get near the LT, let alone have to pay it. It's LIP SERVICE.

The Bulls have to renounce all their exceptions, including the MLE, to have all that cap space. So what happens when they use all the cap space?

They'd have to add about $12M more salary to reach LT. They couldn't trade Deng for Arenas because of the 125% rule. Such a thing would get us $6M over the cap. If they sign 6 vets to fill the roster, using the vet minimum exception, that's adding 6x $1M minus 6x ~$500K cap holds, or $3M.

Am I missing something?

IF the Bulls signed two MAX type FAs, they'd extend Noah in 2012 and maybe pay the LT then (I'm guessing they tell him to get his best offer, as usual). If not, when they have to re-up Rose, they'll likely have to pay it. For maybe 2 years.

 

Why is that?

 

I agree, a team of Rose, Bosh, and LeBron would do well.

Yes, many times it was 5 on 1 against Rose. Team defense against him was almost a 5 man zone. It was incredible, yet despite the injuries the team had, we were .500!

You are right. The FO has never said whatever it takes, however, we have had some young teams since the late 90's and not veteran teams. That being said, we would not of had Rose had we lived by that philosphy, not would we be in the position we are in now, a chance to put together a super team.

True, Minny was loyal to KG. He wanted traded, they did it, however, the Bulls also accommodated Scottie that way! He was under contract. They could have made him stay. Not only that but when it came time to sign the contract he had during the last run, they tried to talk him out of it! Not that they didnt want to resign him, they knew he was going to be worth much more.

 

If we make the EC finals or even the NBA finals next year or the year after, I look for JR to pay the tax.