I am sure you guys have seen this thread throughout other boards on the site. In case you have not this is how it works. The person above you posts a fact/fiction question then you give your answer and pose your own fact or fiction question. Please make your answer at least a few sentences long so this doesn?t turn into just a post padding thread if that happens I will just lock it. Granted there will be some questions that are a short simple answer, but if every single post is one line it makes the boards look bad. I will start it off?. Fact or Fiction: Bulls will win the Central division?
I think it's fact. The Bulls, out of every team, got the strongest. And the best part of how they got stronger is they took a piece from the team that was the strongest. The Bulls, with that defense and a solid offense, should be able to take the division for the first time in nearly a decade. Fact or Fiction: The Bulls lead the league in defensive FG% again this year.
Fact. I do not see any way we could not be. I my opinion we will lead the league in all defensive categories next season. The Pistons will no longer be a defensive minded team with Flip as their head coach, and with Ben Wallace manning the paint it will allow Gordon, and Hinrich to play even tighter defense than usual. Fact or Fiction: Gordon will average 20 points a game?
Fact. I He will be our number 1 scoring option next year and has proven that he can deal with the preassure. I predict skiles will run alot more plays for the man. The you have to think that his confidence in his shot will increase with ben as the clean up crew. Fact or Fiction: Will J.R. Smith play over 15 min a game?
Fiction. I think he'll get Pargo type minutes at first. But, then if he works hard enough, who knows. Fact or Fiction: Will Tyrus Thomas start at PF next season?
Fiction. PJ Brown should start at power forward next season Skiles does not like to throw young players straight into the fire if he can help it. With PJ Brown on the squad, I think Tyrus will play a reserve role at least this season. He might start if Skiles feels the need to shake the lineup up midway through the season as he has done the past few years. F/F Deng will start over Nocioni?
Fiction. Skiles loves Nocioni and his willingness to defend and play hardnosed defense. It's like I've said before, he's the prototypical Scott Skiles player. And noting the prior couple ones. I think JR Smith will get around 15-20 per game. Ben Gordon has yet to play a huge amount of minutes in his career and I see Skiles still giving him a break for around 15 min per game. As long as JR Smith cooperates and shows some type of drive, Skiles will give him some PT. And on Thomas, I don't see him starting immediately, but maybe around the middle or end of the season depending on how he's progressing. And while you say Skiles doesn't like starting rookies...he's played a long list of them for a lot of minutes so far in his career with the Bulls, what's to think he won't do it again? Fact or Fiction: The Bulls will have an All Star not named Ben Wallace this year.
Fact. The NBA coaches reward teams that are doing well with multiple all stars my guess is that the second all star will be most likely Ben Gordon or Andres Nocioni. Also a explanation for my previous statement. It is not that Skiles does not like to play rookies. It is that if he can shelter a player and allow him to learn under a veteran. Many times he tends to do that then throwing them straight into the fire. I expect him to do this since PJ Brown is on the roster especially, with Tyrus who is only 19 years old. Remember he did the same with Chandler when we had Davis. Fact or Fiction: Bulls win 55 games?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Best Kept Secret:</div><div class="quote_post">Fact. The NBA coaches reward teams that are doing well with multiple all stars my guess is that the second all star will be most likely Ben Gordon or Andres Nocioni. Also a explanation for my previous statement. It is not that Skiles does not like to play rookies. It is that if he can shelter a player and allow him to learn under a veteran. Many times he tends to do that then throwing them straight into the fire. I expect him to do this since PJ Brown is on the roster especially, with Tyrus who is only 19 years old. Remember he did the same with Chandler when we had Davis. Fact or Fiction: Bulls win 55 games?</div>I did understand what you were saying, so there was no need to clarify. But, our PF position might be the weakest position we have if we don't bring back Songaila or another guy. Plus, seeing as how PJ isn't always the healthiest player as of recent, that also is taken into account. So, while I agree that PJ will be the starter, I still Tyrus getting a good amount of minutes this year, probably in the 15-20 range. Just remember when all those people said that Deng wasn't ready. Well, look what he did his rookie year. He proved us all wrong, including me. Maybe Thomas is more ready than what we think. And for the F/F, I'm undecided. It all depends on well they gel early on. As long as they don't start off on the wrong foot like they have the last couple years, they should be able to hit that mark. Fact or Fiction: Bulls get the #1 seed out East.
I guess that would still be the same as the 55 win games question, like you said to see how they work together when they start off, then we could see if they have a great chance. So I'm also undecided. Any one is open to answer of course. Fact or Fiction: Deng and Nocioni get more than 30 minutes a game?
Fact. They did it last year, there's no reason to think it won't happen this year. They're our two best SFs, and beyond that, Noc has proved that he's got the ability to play the 4 as well, and if his shooting continues to improve, he'll also be able to slide down and get minutes at the 2. So, despite bringing in Thabo and JR, they should still each get around that 30mpg area, especially considering the fact that we don't know how much Skiles intends on playing Thabo or JR. Fact or Fiction: Bulls will have someone make an All NBA (whether it be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd) team this year.
Undecided this depends on how consistent Gordon’s playing time is, and how much freedom Gordon is given on offense, and how good we actually are. Over the last couple of years, you have seen that the NBA rewards teams that do well with individual awards such as all NBA team selections and all-star selections. No one would have thought Chauncey Billups would be a contender for all NBA team a few years ago, but when he went to a winning team in Detroit, he received a lot of recognition as well as a lot of praise as an individual player. If we do I get an all NBA team player I think it will be Gordon or Big Ben on All NBA 2nd team or All NBA 1st team. Fact or Fiction: Paxson makes one more free agent acquisition?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Moo2K4:</div><div class="quote_post">Fact. They did it last year, there's no reason to think it won't happen this year. They're our two best SFs, and beyond that, Noc has proved that he's got the ability to play the 4 as well, and if his shooting continues to improve, he'll also be able to slide down and get minutes at the 2. So, despite bringing in Thabo and JR, they should still each get around that 30mpg area, especially considering the fact that we don't know how much Skiles intends on playing Thabo or JR. </div> Yeah I also thought they did but Deng got 33 and Noc got 27. But, I think they difenitley should next season. And I was asking because he might not get time at PF, because we have Brown, drafted Thomas, Allen, Sweetney.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting SP23:</div><div class="quote_post">Yeah I also thought they did but Deng got 33 and Noc got 27. But, I think they difenitley should next season. And I was asking because he might not get time at PF, because we have Brown, drafted Thomas, Allen, Sweetney.</div>One thing you have to realize about PJ is that he's what, 37 years old? The man is running out of gas in his tank. He played the 4th lowest minutes total of his career last season, and he also missed 7 games. With the amount of depth we have at PF (Noc can play, Sweets, Tyrus, Allen, and Songaila might be back), it gives him the ability to not have to play nearly as much. While I still think he's probably going to get around 25-30 mpg, the possibility is still there. Beyond that...Mike Sweetney, last I knew, wasn't the most popular player last year with Skiles. There was a reason why he missed 16 games and didn't play a lot of minutes (18.5 mpg), and that's cause he was overweight and couldn't run the court well, therefore making him a liability on defense. Unless he gets in better shape this year, I don't see him getting a whole lot of minutes, especially now that we have PJ Brown and a lot of flexibilty at the 4 after him. On BKS's, I go with Fiction. The Bulls don't have a lot of cap space left to work with now for the rest of the offseason, so unless it's a sign and trade, I don't see Pax doing anything. Plus, with our recent acquisitions, we have plenty of depth at every position and aren't really in need of anyone. Fact or Fiction: Place personal bias aside for this one please...at this moment, Pax is GM of the Year.
Fact - At the moment because no other teams has really made any moves, and Paxson signed the biggest free agent out there. And so called experts think we had a great draft, drafting players that would fit our team. The only other GM that has made moves so far is Colangelo. And other teams have made small signings. And I also forgot the Hornets, because they signed Peja and got Tyson from us. Fact or Fiction - Ben Wallace will average a double double next season?
Fact. I see him getting 5 tips a game. And maybe 12 -13 rebounds a game. Fact or Fiction: Will Thomas be a starter by the trading deadline?
Undecided it all depends on how well our team is doing, and how developed Tyrus’ game really is. If our team is ten-fifteen games over .500 during all-star break, I cannot see Skiles changing the lineup. Over the past, couple years he has only changed the lineup when he has felt the team needs a spark. I am not ruling out that Tyrus might have a Luol Deng type rookie year, but I think PJ Brown will be the starter barring injury. Fact or Fiction: Scott Skiles wins coach of the year?
I go with Fact. I think the Bulls will win somewhere between 50 and 57 games next year, meaning a 9 to 16 win improvement in the W column. Plus, if Avery Johnson can win it when his team only wins a few more games and simply plays better defense, why can't Skiles win it if his team improves by a dozen or so games? So, as long as we reach 50, I think Skiles takes the COY. On the F/F before this one, I don't see Ben Wallace averaging a double double this year. Seeing as how he's never done it in his career and has a career average of 6.6 ppg. So, based on both of those factors, and the fact that he's probably peaked offensively, I don't see him getting that double double. Fact or Fiction: Bulls finish with the best record in basketball.
Fiction - Maybe in the East, but Dallas/Phoenix or the Spurs will be better overall in terms of record. Fact or Fiction: The Bulls will have a better record then Miami.
Fact.Since Shaq always seems to be injured during the regular season and the Heat struggle without him. The Heat have never been an overwhelming regular season team. So I can see it happening.I also expect Shaq to take a serious decline this season. Fact or Fiction Luol Deng averages at least 15 points a game?
