If the plan is to let Gordon walk away after this season, who is going to be our lead scorer? Hughes? Thabo? Deng? We don't have a legitimate #1 scorer. Gordon is the closest. Beasley would replace that. And shouldn't we be trying to ADD to the team? It seems to me, adding Beasley (or Rose) and letting Gordon walk is going to be nothing more than spinning our wheels. We either need to do a consolidation trade to get back another talent or prospect.... or we'll forever be spinning our wheels trying to build around draft picks, but never committing to them.
"we'll forever be spinning our wheels trying to build around draft picks, but never committing to them. " That's Pax's M.O.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Denny Crane @ Jun 26 2008, 10:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>"we'll forever be spinning our wheels trying to build around draft picks, but never committing to them. " That's Pax's M.O.</div> Not to go all "conspiracy angle" here, but are we sure its coming from Paxson?
He's basically traded away anyone we had who was on the verge of stardom and seeking a suitable contract. He started by hyping the 3Cs as our cornerstones, and now we're hoping Tyrus Thomas becomes one. I think that justifies my belief that we're a team that will consist of most guys on rookie scale contracts and letting them go if they blossom into $10M+ players. Except Hinrich
Has anyone heard anything on who the Bulls are taking? KC Johnson said that Paxson would inform Rose and Beasley of his decision before the draft, but I haven't heard anything about this yet. The ESPN guys are saying it has to be Rose, because the Heat have "given up hope on getting Rose"... But I haven't heard anything definitive yet.
Everything I've heard and read makes it sound like Derrick Rose is the guy. To be honest, I'd be thoroughly shocked if they didn't take him with the way everyone is making it sound.
I wouldn't be shocked, because Kobe to Chicago was a done deal, Mike D'Antoni agreed to be our coach, and so did Doug Collins. The media can be horrible. As long as no one in that little Paxson, Del Negro, Gar Forman, and Reindsorf circle has let anything leak, than there is no way any of these journalists know for sure. Bulls obviously have probably made up their mind right now, but these journalists are just guessing, going with popular sentiment, and don't know shit. I think Andy Katz and KC Johnson are doing the best job. While they keep saying that they think it'll be Derrick Rose, they keep adding that there is still a good chance that it is Michael Beasley. Hopefully they inform them some good time before the draft so I don't get #1 and #2 wrong on my mock draft : D
At this point I think I would take Rose, but the difference in my preferences is pretty marginal. Beasley seems like the kind of guy who's been a dominant talent since he first touched a basketball, but he also seems to have the attitude of Derrick Coleman or Rasheed Wallace. If we drafted him, I have little doubt that he'd put up very good numbers for us, beginning in year 1, but he really strikes me as the type of guy who will need until his second contract and second or third team before he really settles down and finds his place. If we drafted him, I could see him averaging 25/10 for us, but eventually being traded in 3 to 5 years once things didn't pan out and people were sick and tired of him. Also, his game strikes me as being similar to Carmelo Anthony's, but with power-forwardish tendencies. I've always been a little skeptical of Melo, so that makes me nervous as well. Rose seems to have less downside to him, but drafting him has some interesting consequences for the rest of our team. If we take him, I think it will likely mean 3 or 4 guys will get moved. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes everything more complicated, and creates more sources for error.
