This is just...heartbreaking...and to see all you guys overjoyed makes me sick...not taking anything away from you though. I dont know...i guess he was just a money greedy bastard all along. Its just tough to see the heart and soul of the championship team gone. My little bro was wearing his Wallace jersey in hopes that it would help him stay but now hes in his room crying and tearing down his Wallace posters....but w/e best of luck to him
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting NTC187:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm no sure what Ben Gordon you watched last season, but the one I saw, averaged 16.9ppg, hardly what i'd call inconsitant. Take a look for yourself : http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3820/g...ozh5C52tAekvLYF Keeping in mind he is only in his second season. The Bulls are like the Pistons, in that they dont rely on one person to do all the scoring for them, they seem to share it out, with their 3 main offensive weapons, Deng, Gordon and Hinrich all averaging 14-16ppg for the season, with chip in performances from the likes of Duhon, Nocioni, Chandler etc.</div> Look at the game log. He went from having nights where he would score 36 to a game where he would go 3-10 and score 9 point. He went from having three straight thirty point games to scoring just 6 points in a loss. I'm a big Ben Gordon fan and I have to say he is very inconsistant. I don't think it's fair to slap such big expectations on a young team just because they signed Ben Wallace. The Bulls still lack a player, that the team can turn to consistantly, that will knock down shots down the stretch and give you 20 a game. Maybe that will come out of Ben Gordon in his third season but again that's a lot to ask out of him at only 23. The Detriot Pistons were a special team when they won it and those come around once every 10 or so years. If you look back on the Spurs, Lakers, or Bulls, three teams that dominated the title for a long time, they all had a guy that they can turn to down the stretch and they knew that he was going to give them 20 points on a consistant basis. Getting a guy like Al Harrington would help, and you would have to hope that either Harrington or Gordon will be that player that the team can turn to for consistant points down the stretch. There's hope that Ben Gordon can emerge as a star in his third season but you simply can't place such high expectations on such a young team. To get to the Eastern Conference finals is no small feat especially with teams such as the Pistons, Heat, Cavs, Nets, and Pacers around them.
The beauty of the Bulls team is we have very good shooters in Gordon, Hinrich, Deng and Nocioni that we do not need a superstar or one consistent player to perform to make us win. We won last year, the season before and could very easily have beaten Miami in the first round without the need for a superstar player. Heck the Pistons did it as well.
For all that say that Tyson is just as good as Ben you dont have a full understanding of the game. There is more to ball then stats and physica ability. You guys have forgotten about the mental game. Lets be Serious here....... Tyson is a laughing stock of the league. Hes been in the league 5 years and only managed to gain 10 pounds on a 7'1 frame. He makes all of this cash for little output. Then you have ben. Whos presence make people think twice about driving to the basket. people drive on tyson like hes not ther because hes being boxed out by stronger guys. Your not boxing out Ben easily so hes always roaming about the basket. Just the presence of ben makes the bulls a far greater team. People say that Bens numbers dropped. Well the style of play that the pistons played last year didnt allow ben to fully showcase his ability. When a team is running and gunning is hard to grab boards under the basket because they are mostly long rebounds. But I hope we dump tyson quickly so we can go after pryzbilla too. Wallace/pryz Thomas/Brown Noch/deng Gordon/thabo Hinrich/Duhon I like that depth
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">ESPN.com - ESPN's Marc Stein is reporting that the Bulls were very close to completing a trade that will send Tyson Chandler to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets for P.J. Brown and J.R. Smith. The trade will be the latest in a barrage of moves by the Hornets, which include acquiring Bobby Jackson and Peja Stojakovic. With Chandler, the Hornets will solidify their frontcourt and see the veteran Chandler pair up with David West with newly drafted rookies Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons backing them up. The Bulls will add more depth adding the aging veteran Brown and up-and-comer J.R. Smith to the fold. [READ]</div> Source Were? So is it not going to happen anymore? If this did happen, what are we going to do with Smith? Skiles is a tougher coach than Scott. Not sure how much playing time he's going to get.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting I-Miss-MJ:</div><div class="quote_post">The beauty of the Bulls team is we have very good shooters in Gordon, Hinrich, Deng and Nocioni that we do not need a superstar or one consistent player to perform to make us win. We won last year, the season before and could very easily have beaten Miami in the first round without the need for a superstar player. Heck the Pistons did it as well.</div> I get what your saying, but for the Pistons did have Hamilton who was a 20 point scorer. Billups was close. R. Wallace averaged 15 and Prince averaged 14. Averaged about the same during their finals year.
Im sick of everybody assuming the Bulls are so awesome when they havent proved anything. Im not coming to any conclusions, i will wait for the season
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting slpnsld23:</div><div class="quote_post">Im sick of everybody assuming the Bulls are so awesome when they havent proved anything. Im not coming to any conclusions, i will wait for the season</div> What? We cant be optomistic?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting michiganave17:</div><div class="quote_post">What? We cant be optomistic?</div> I didnt say that did i. I just im sick of the people (not on this board neccasarily) going "Oh the Bulls are gonna be awesome! They might win the NBA Finals!"
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting slpnsld23:</div><div class="quote_post">Im sick of everybody assuming the Bulls are so awesome when they havent proved anything. Im not coming to any conclusions, i will wait for the season</div> I sense a little bit of hostility? This is a huge move the Bulls will be a top team in the east. Will they win the finals I don?t know, but are they front runners in the east next year with this move hell yeah.
How can they autmatically become one of the best teams in the East when we havent even seen them play with there new team...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting slpnsld23:</div><div class="quote_post">How can they autmatically become one of the best teams in the East when we havent even seen them play with there new team...</div> The same way we considered the Heat one of the best teams in the eastern conference when they first acquired Shaq, or after last off season. The same way we considered the Lakers one of the best teams after they added Malone and Payton that one year. The Pistons just lost the backbone of their franchise, and the Heat are aging. The Bulls added a four time defensive player of the year to go along with their great young players as well as Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha. This team gave the NBA champion Miami Heat trouble in the first round this year. You can only imagine next year. It is optimism, but it is understandable optimism.
Aight whatever. You cocky Bulls fans can go think whatever you want to think. As far as im concerned, the Pistons and Heat are still the teams to beat.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting slpnsld23:</div><div class="quote_post">Aight whatever. You cocky Bulls fans can go think whatever you want to think. As far as im concerned, the Pistons and Heat are still the teams to beat.</div> Coming from a Pistons fan I wouldn't expect you to say anything different. I don?t get your hostility we weren?t the ones that left your team Big Ben was. We will celebrate, because we just signed the biggest name in this years free agent class, and one of the best defenders the league has seen in years. You don?t want to see us celebrate don?t come into this thread. Simple as that... BTW: You should probably change your signature <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">There's an exclusive club in the NBA. It admits only the best, those most motivated and most celebrated. It's the club for championship contenders. And the Bulls regained admittance on Monday. The Bulls pulled off the coup of the 2006 Summer of Free Agency with the signing of Detroit Pistons four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace. With the acquisition of Wallace, the only NBA player last season to finish in the top 10 in rebounds, steals and blocks, the Bulls landed the league's premier defensive anchor while taking away from perhaps their biggest rival the player regarded as the heart and soul of the team that won the 2004 championship and was runner-up in 2005. The Bulls stepped up big-time with a four-year deal worth $60 million, topping the Pistons' bid by about $10 million. "This is just one of those things," Wallace told the Detroit News late Monday. "You get a chance to sign the deal of a lifetime. It's tough to let it go." Wallace, thought to be a slam-dunk to return to the Pistons, was also a motivated Bulls free agent, unlike some Bulls free-agency missteps of the past--as in 2000 when the Bulls had a treasure chest of salary-cap room, but air-balled on Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill and Tim Duncan and ended up with Ron Mercer and Brad Miller. This time, acting with more commitment and an open wallet, the Bulls smothered the competition for Wallace and overwhelmed the Detroit offer. The Pistons on Monday tried last-minute attempts at a sign-and-trade with the Knicks and the 76ers, but Wallace rejected both opportunities to come to the Bulls. The Pistons obtained Virginia Union product Wallace from the Orlando Magic in 2000 in the Grant Hill sign-and-trade, and he helped rebuild their franchise.</div> Source
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting slpnsld23:</div><div class="quote_post">Aight whatever. You cocky Bulls fans can go think whatever you want to think. As far as im concerned, the Pistons and Heat are still the teams to beat.</div> It seems to me like you are rather bitter after reading all your comments in here. The Bulls have been a playoff team for the past two years with virtually no presence in the paint and no size. Now they have a big man that can play some mean defence and be a mentor to Thomas and all of a sudden we haven't improved? The core team is still there from last year and we address our main need and somehow we regress or stay the same? That's bitterness if you ask me. This team improved and in the East where there was only 2 real serious contenders I think it's safe to say we've made it 3 serious contenders at the least. Sometimes you don't have to see results right away to know a team is better.
Big Ben was just speaking on ESPN about this. He said the main thing that sold him on the Bulls is that they where committed to him from day one, and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. He said he didn’t want to leave Detroit, but sometimes change is good. Chicago is a great young team, and they got a lot of potential. He is excited for the upcoming season. Also according to Greg Anthony the top teams in the Eastern Conference next year are... 1. Miami Heat (default) 2. Chicago Bulls 3. Cleveland Cavaliers 4. New Jersey Nets 5. Detroit Pistons
Yeah, Anthony is pretty convinced Detroit is going to be hit hard by this. We'll see how they do but I agree with him, this has been a good offseason for us and one that improves the team greatly even if we are still one player away from serious contention.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting SP23:</div><div class="quote_post">I get what your saying, but for the Pistons did have Hamilton who was a 20 point scorer. Billups was close. R. Wallace averaged 15 and Prince averaged 14. Averaged about the same during their finals year.</div> The year they won it, they averaged in the mid-teens in points scored.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting C.K.:</div><div class="quote_post">Don't get your hopes up too high. That lineup has a total of zero consistant offense. Gordon is good, but he's inconsistant and that's putting a lot of weight on his shoulders to tell him to score and we'll get to the Eastern Conference Finals. If the Bulls can land Al Harrington, then I'll say that they'll be in good shape to be at least in the top half of the East.</div> We were a 4th seed a year ago. Who was our consistant scorer then?
