Does the Bulls matchup with the wiz Better without Curry/Deng? The entire article may help u decide. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">So perhaps it wasn't a surprise Curry and Deng were hardly at their best this season against Washington. Curry played two games and averaged 10 points and three rebounds. Deng averaged 8.5 points and three rebounds in the two games he played against Washington. Players like Harrington, Davis and Nocioni, not having to worry so much about interior scoring, are active enough to pop out and help against the Wizards' penetrators like Arenas and Larry Hughes. They are also quick to form a zone in the paint that makes it difficult to penetrate. These qualities always have been a weakness of Curry's and are why he often sat out fourth quarters. The result has been on ongoing internal debate about whether, with the players they have and the style they have been playing, the Bulls are better off with a quicker, defensive-oriented interior player instead of Curry. Likewise, the Nocioni-for-Deng substitution has been better in this series. Deng is a better all-around player, but not nearly as good a defender as Nocioni. Forget the 25 points and 18 rebounds for Nocioni in Game 1. That was an aberration, though a pleasant one for Bulls fans. He usually wouldn't be playing as many minutes against a scorer like Jamison, who once had back-to-back games of more than 50 points. Nocioni's defense was most evident when the Bulls played the Cavs last month, though more observers point to the games with Detroit and Miami that got Nocioni his Bad Boys club membership. Deng is a better all-around player, but not nearly as good a defender as Nocioni. Forget the 25 points and 18 rebounds for Nocioni in Game 1. That was an aberration, though a pleasant one for Bulls fans. He usually wouldn't be playing as many minutes against a scorer like Jamison, who once had back-to-back games of more than 50 points.</div> FULL ARTICLE
thats just crazy... You know how badly they need Curry's size and offensive presence? Deng's defense and offense? No way would have Dixon got 35 pts if Deng was in there... Deng is a very good defender. Calling him not "nearly as good as Noccioni" is an understatment. He's almost as good as him. What a piece of crap article. Sam Smith is such a moron sometimes.
^ I don't think Deng would've been guarding Dixon, and if he was, that would be a weird move on Skiles part, so I don't know how Deng being there would've stopped Dixon. Their's advantages and disadvantages, Curry would help offensively, but the Wizards would have an even bigger advantage offensively and on the boards because he's not a presence defensively or on the glass. Deng, he would've taken Nocioni's minutes, and Nocioni's big game 1 really helped the Bulls get that win, their's no gurantee Deng would've had that same game, it's actualyl very unlikely. Noc is also a better defender than Deng right now, so their are both positives and negatives.
Antonio Davis has clearly stepped in as their major inside threat, and relentlessly goes to the boards and finishes with athority. Both of the Washington Post covers after they won had him dunking on them. Nocioni's first game was the type of game you dream about, and he has played stellar. Who needs Curry and Deng? *just kidding*
