Here's the first post by our newest contributer Dave, who will be adding even more coverage of the Bulls and the rest of the NBA.
Well let me rephrase that title: the verdict is still out on Paxson as GM, not as a player. When I think of John Paxson, two vivid images come to my mind: Pax throwing the ball into the rafters with the final seconds of game six ticking off the clock as the Bulls beat the Blazers in the '92 Finals (best Chicago riot since the '68 Democratic National Convention) and hitting the ill-advised three to clinch the title against Barkley and Suns in the '93 Finals; for all intensive purposes, this is "The Shot" to all Chicago Bulls fans. And maybe this is why it's so hard for me to really judge him as a General Manager.
That's enough reminiscing about the pride of Notre Dame. Before my Bulls preview blog, I'd first like to take an objective look at the midterm report card of GM John Paxson. He's assembled some of the best young talent in the NBA from winning college programs, but isn't that just easy draft moves? He let Eddy Curry go for peanuts, but in today's world can't we respect a man who stands behind his principles? I'm not here to analyze and make definite conclusions. All I'm trying to do is go over his moves while in charge of this team, if not for you, then for me. It's like making a pros and cons list about some girl, once it's all down on paper in front of me, then just maybe I can really think about what kind of GM he is.
Paxson was named Vice-President of Basketball Relations for the Bulls in April of 2003, after the long overdue retirement of Jerry Krause. Krause is credited with building the six championship teams, but how much credit should you give a guy who inherited Michael Jordan on his roster? For time's sake, I won't go into his horrendous moves after breaking up the team, but it's important to note that the roster Paxson got when he became GM was in serious trouble.
His first important move came when he fired long-time friend Bill Cartwright and hired Scott Skiles as head coach. When asked by a reporter in 2003 to describe what Eddy Curry could do to improve his rebounding, Coach Skiles responded: "Jump." This is Scott Skiles in a nutshell. Paxson knew how to play the game the way it was intended to be, and Skiles was the perfect fit for Paxson to instill his understanding in his players on every level.
With the head coaching vacancy filled, Paxson turned to the NBA draft to find the right players to fit his system. Within two years, he managed to draft Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Chris Duhon and sign Andres Nocioni. The young, knowledgeable talent was there and for the first time since Jordan pushed off against Bryant Russell, the Bulls were back in the playoffs (were up 2-0 to the Wizards but lost in 6 cause of injuries and Gilbert Arenas "going hibachi" on them).
Eddy Curry's irregular heartbeat became a major concern for Paxson, who refused to clear Curry to play unless he went through extensive DNA testing. Paxson was cautious about his player, wanted to make sure he was healthy and wouldn't drop dead on the court. However, anyone familiar enough with Curry's underachieving, lazy and downright "go fuck yourself" attitude knew that he'd refuse and so trade expectation began rising in the East. It's not an understatement to say that Paxson and Isaiah hate each other from the Bulls-Pistons days, so this trade always amuses me. Paxson gave up Curry and Antonio Davis for Tim Thomas (too bad that didn't work out), Michael Sweetney (basically the very poor man's Derrick Coleman, and that's giving him too much credit) and the rights to the Knicks 1st round pick in the '06 draft and rights to swap picks in the '07 draft. These picks ultimately led to the Bulls acquiring Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. Thomas might be the best player in the NBA who can't shoot, dribble or pass, and Noah fits into Paxson's formula of drafting proven winners. It's worth noting the Curry has never missed a game due to heart problems since joining the Knicks.
The addition of Ben Wallace in the summer of '06 was huge, not only for his game but for his overall presence in a city like Chicago. He might be the $52 million version of Tyson Chandler, but you have to overpay a guy to get him out of a good situation. I think it was worth it; he gave the "Baby Bulls" an identity along with the fact that the casual fan could now recognize one Bulls player. I mean, all they gave up was Chandler, who I believe gave up on the Bulls long before that. And so it was farewell to the final dark chapters of the Jerry Kraus era.
Let's not forget the moves Paxson could have made along the way. He could have gotten Gasol, or maybe even KG, but his reluctance to pull the trigger speaks volumes of what he thinks of this team. Everyone knows they need a low-post scorer, but would it really be worth to risk it all by giving away guys like Deng and Gordon to win it all right now? I, for one, am glad he didn't make any of these moves. I can't imagine this team that I've watched grow so much since its assembly be dismantled, especially when some players on this team have no limit on their potential.
I don't want to go into the '07-'08 Bulls roster too much as I'll be doing a full Bulls preview soon, but I will say that I'm excited, but also very realistic and cautious in my expectations. I do want to say that this overview of Paxson's managerial career has been very helpful to me, in a therapeutic and enlightening way. In other words, if this pro-cons sheet was about a girl, I'd conclude she's very dateable, maybe even the one, but it's just too early to tell. He's taken one of The Association's worst teams and made them into a solid contender in the East. The Chicago Bulls are relevant once again, and it hasn't gone unappreciated in this city, with the Bulls leading NBA attendance last year.
After rereading these words (remember, this was for my own good), I can really appreciate what Pax has done for the Bulls. He's been an excellent GM for the Bulls and the city of Chicago, being them all together behind a team they can be proud of and support. Has he been a good enough GM to win the East? I'm just glad they won their first playoff series this year, so I wouldn't have to make t-shirts with the phrase "one and done" on them. Time will tell for Paxson and the Bulls, for as one goes so does the other. We're very early in the Pax era, so I think I can put my trust in him and believe that he knows what he's doing with this young and talented team. I mean, Michael Jordan trusted this man in the backcourt with him for all those years; can't we trust him in the front office?
Love,
Dave
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Comments
Since it's your website I figured there was no need to quote. It's just so true.
Excellent article my friend, I must admit, for the first time in about 9 years I am pumped for the beginning of the season (but I'm not a band-wagon fan, rather I must say I've just been down on the entire NBA lately). Love the analogy about girls, I personally put them in my risk-o-meter computer program.
Wow, that might have been the most objective evaluation of Paxson by a Bulls fan ever.
In all seriousness, solid post, solid take.
I'm glad you point out Curry has never missed a game because of his heart condition. One of the first posts i wrote on this site was how i believed the Bulls would be better if they hadn't made the Curry trade. Needless to say, everyone thought i was retarded. I think that subject should still be up for debate. Maybe it could go either way at this point.
Dave be impressed. I'll honestly put SML in my top 5 NBA bloggers (not just cause he's on th same network, i dont care about that at all). You better not disappoint in post #2.
"Thomas might be the best player in the NBA who can't shoot, dribble or pass"
Hey asshole that's my line.