I am really getting the feeling we're not getting Bosh or Wade or LeBron. Here we are with a ton of cap space and can't even get a prom date. If the Bulls sit back and watch all the FAs go elsewhere, we're a shitty team with a core of 4 guys and NBDL guys to fill out the roster. With the cap space the Bulls have, they can trade a TPE for anyone in the league, and there may be a way to get a quality player going that route, but the names out there are Al Jefferson and maybe Monta Ellis. The Bulls really should make a move and go for David Lee or Carlos Boozer. I don't see that it matters which one. HUGE upgrade over Brad Miller, and gives us a guy we've known we've needed all along - that big you can dump the ball into to get some easy baskets. Both are big time rebounders and score more than any 2nd fiddle to Rose we've had, except Gordon. Both Lee and Boozer seem to have similar games. 20/10 type PF/C guys who tend to score around the basket more than from outside shots. Neither is known for their defense. Boozer will be 29 in November, Lee will be 27 in April. I would prefer we go after Lee, for the age difference alone. A lot of people say he's the product of D'Antoni's system, but he's really been quite good under 3 different coaches, no? Insert one into the lineup and we have something like this: PG Rose SG NBDL C Noah SF Deng PF Lee Bench Taj, Johnson, NBDL guys It looks to me like 4/5th of a starting lineup with our backup PF/C set and we could do worse (like NBDL) than Johnson to back up Deng. This leaves us in need of backup PG minutes and 48 minutes at SG. We also have nobody in the above group/lineup who's a real 3pt threat. Assuming we have $30M in cap space and can get Lee to sign for $15M, we have $15M left. How we spend the remaining $15M will dictate how competitive a team we can field. Luke Ridnour made $6.5M last season and is a UFA. He's the guy I think we all wish captain Kirk turned out to be. Same draft class as Kirk, too (I believe). Last season, 82 games, .478 FG%, .381 3pt%, 4APG and a PER of 17.7 in about 21 minutes. I think he'd play quite well along side Rose and he'd certainly be excellent for us as Rose's backup and insurance (in case Rose misses games). Best case, Ridnour signs with us for $6.5M. That leaves us $8.5M in cap space left. We still could use a starting SG from the scrap heap. Anthony Morrow led the league in 3pt % two seasons ago and had a stellar .456 3pt% last season. He's 6'5" which gives us a big starting guard for the first time since Jordan left. The downside is he's missed a lot of games in his two seasons (67 and 69 GP), and he comes from a team that's not well known for playing much defense. I don't think Morrow would cost us $8.5M. He might sign with us for $5M or less, especially since he'd be our starter and for all the reasons LeBron should have signed with us. Putting it together I see: PG Rose/Ridnour SG Morrow/Ridnour C: Noah/Lee SF: Deng/Johnson PF: Lee/Taj That's an 8 man rotation, which is pretty much all you need in the NBA. If there's left over cap space, I say use it to add another G and SF and end of the bench big. The lineup is plenty young enough to stay together for years. It's well balanced in that there's 3pt shooting to spread the floor, pick and roll would work great with Rose/Lee, we have the easy goto guy in the post, and the mid-range is handled by Deng.
No argument from me. Good post! We were a .500 team with this core last year. True, Hinrich is gone, but let's face it, he struggled all season, did he not? We add a pf, some guards, and stay as young as we can, this team will be good.
I think Al Jefferson could be a very nice addition. Championship teams are usually built around a core of stable stars and contributing players and a couple of wild cards who find themselves in the structure provided by the rest of the team. I.e. the Ron Artests, Rasheed Wallace, and Dennis Rodmans of the world. I think Jefferson could find his game again on the Bulls.
I'd like for us to trade for Jefferson as well. Big man who can get it done. And although lee is younger, I believe that Boozer is more offensively gifted that he is even if theyre similar players. Lee is more of a Noah type (garbage points, but can hit a mid range j from time to time) while Boozer has post moves and a soft jumper. Still a good post Denny!
I don't get the love for Jefferson. His own team doesn't really want him, and he doesn't seem to help teams win. Granted, you can say the same about Lee, though I would argue he's got a lot less talent around him than Jefferson does.
This team needs to run. Jefferson will slow us down. I agree with Denny, Lee would be a better fit. Good on p & R, can shoot and pass.
Boozer and Lee are actually different. Boozer is undersized with a post game and Lee is a combination of Noah and Miller a hustle guy who can step out and hit a jumper. He's actually more of a center than a PF, slower and not that great on defense. He'd duplicate Noah (albeit with a better jumper) more than anything. Jefferson could play PF with an actual post up game. He's undersized as a center and would benefit playing next to Noah. Not sure how good of a passer he is, but his low post scoring would be a better fit with Rose in a half court game (you know, like the playoffs always turn out to be.) But there's also the question of how good he'd be on a good team, or what a team's ceiling would be when counting on him to be a cornerstone type of player.
He is a possibility here if we sign one of the big three. I read today where he is watching what is going on with them closely.
BTW, when plan Z fails, Jermaine O'Neal is our kind of target. And I bet guys who love our management will be telling us what a score it was to get him.
Better get moving on Plan Z, before all is lost and we're stuck rooting for $30M in cap space to be making 3pt shots.
Bulls will turn attention to Carlos Boozer and David Lee, with whom they've already met, shooters and the trade market. http://twitter.com/KCJHoop
1. Poor gasoline on self 2. Light match -----------------> I'm starting to think both Lee and Boozer would go for near the max, and I think I'd rather have Jefferson for $12M than Lee for $15M. But it's a pretty sucky choice, really. The bigger problem is that none of the guard choices seem ideal to me. I sort of like Ronnie Brewer and Josh Childress, but neither of them are very good shooters. Reddick and Miller are, but yuck at everything else. 1. Attempt to sign Boozer or Lee to reasonable deals. If not, go for Jefferson. If not, go with what we've got. 2. Offer Josh Childress just above the MLE. He's more reasonable at that price than Hinrich, and he's a quality player that can get minutes at both 2 and 3. If not, Ronnie Brewer for no more than MLE. 3. Offer Reddick or Miller less than MLE 4. Acie Law 5. Remaining money on center (Brendan Haywood, trade for Tyson?) Best case: 1- Rose, Law ($1M) 2- Childress ($6.5M), Reddick ($4M) 3- Deng, Childress, Johnson 4- Lee ($10M), Gibson 5- Noah, Haywood ($6M)
We will be alright, but I dont know how good we will be next season. Remember, the Nets and Knicks both have money to spend. We may not get everyone we want.
If the bulls could get booze, childress, reddick, resign miller and law, and sign asik I think they are better than last year barring injuries. That might be a 50 win team. Not sure if Jefferson is a better option or not at pf.
