The trade of Ben Wallace could signal a change in John Paxson’s philosophy. Up until now, the Bulls have stockpiled a bunch of good-not-great players, making them one of the deepest teams in the NBA. Adding Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes makes them even deeper. The problem is that too much depth can be a bad thing in the NBA. All you really need to do is come up with a solid eight man rotation so your best players are playing the most minutes. It sounds simple but coming up with a good rotation haunts many NBA coaches and was part of the downfall of Scott Skiles.
People have talked about how the Bulls have been in position to make a big trade the past few years, but they may be better suited this offseason then at any other point. With Luol Deng and Ben Gordon becoming free agents, sign and trades would allow the Bulls to more easily match contracts with highly paid, and subsequently highly talented, players.
The first thing I would do is get rid of Gordon and Andres Nocioni. Both are good players and they have value around the league, but neither really fits the current makeup of the roster. Everyone loves Noce, but he can only play one position well, small forward, and that happens to also be the position of the team’s best player. Deng needs to play at least 40 minutes a night, so there is no reason to have Nocioni on the roster when there are other holes to fill.
While people always talk about the Bulls biggest weakness being their lack of a low post scorer, I find they desperately lack a lead scorer from the perimeter. Without one, a team simply cannot win. Ben Gordon is the Bulls best perimeter scorer right now, and while he is a good player, he can’t carry burden of the primary scorer on a title-level team. At 6’2, Gordon is too small to play shooting guard, but doesn’t pass well enough or have enough floor leadership to run the point. His inability to guard other NBA shooting guards kills the Bulls, particularly Kirk Hinrich who always has to defend players that are often much bigger then him. Hinrich can handle most point guards on defense, but runs into trouble when he has to guard Dwyane Wade or Kobe Bryant.
If Paxson is more willing to make trades now, this offseason could net the Bulls a star. A package of Gordon and Nocioni is good enough to make most deals realistic, too. I would first target Tracy McGrady, who Houston could deal this offseason if they fall out of the playoff race, which could happen despite how well they are currently playing because the West is so tough. If not T-Mac, maybe Jason Richardson could be had from Charlotte or, less ideally, Corey Maggette from the Clippers.
Here’s someone who I’d like to see the Bulls go after: Vince Carter. Now before everyone starts throwing rocks at me, hear me out. Carter could probably be had for Gordon straight up, since he has basically ruined New Jersey and they even tried to trade him at the deadline despite just resigning him before the season. But just because he’s been bad for Nets doesn’t mean he couldn’t help the Bulls. A natural shooting guard, Carter would immediately become the lead shot taker, and he scores far more consistently then the streaky Gordon. In New Jersey, other players like Richard Jefferson need to touch the ball. For the Bulls, everyone is pretty much a complementary player. The Bulls need someone to control the ball and take big shots. Carter could be that player.
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A few days ago in the comments section,
Here’s the Bulls new shooting guard wearing a shirt that says “I love strippers” while being surrounded by two, um, strippers. Glad to have you here, Larry! Hughes immediately becomes the favorite in the race for ‘first Chicago athlete to make it rain’ and is also the front runner for ‘most likely to get attacked by a group of rappers*’. He’s filling the void in my life that Eddie Robinson left years ago.
*Free Darko said that earlier this year about Jamal Crawford. Unlike Dane Cook, I admit to stealing jokes.
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Comments
I think most people will probably feel that way, but I just think the Bulls need a great perimeter scorer, and there aren't too many out there in the NBA. They could have had Kobe but screwed that up, so maybe they have to a chance on someone. VC wouldn't be my first choice, but if nothing else works, I think he can at least be an option.
Have you seen Larry Hughes' tear drop tattoos? He has definitely killed a few people. Back to the subject, I'm waiting for Wade to opt out of his contract in '10(?) and for him to come to the Bulls. That is if he hasn't completely destroyed his body by then.
Going after T-Mac: I approve. Going after Jason Richardson or Corey Maggette - nah, I say just stick with Gordon. He'll still be cheaper than either of those guys, and just as effective. Richardson especially is a low FG%, low FT% guy... he's a personal favorite of mine (all around player), but just not better than Gordon. Even Richardson defense is "eh".
McGrady is light years ahead of those two guys, and a true upgrade.
I also wonder what moves Paxson has up his sleeve - making Nocioni disappear would be more impressive to me than making Wallace turn into Hughes....
Before you rush to judgment on Mr. Hughes' citizenship, remember this. He missed valuable playoff games against the Detroit Pistons when his brother died during the playoffs a few years back. He took a lot of heat from people for not playing, but his devotion to his family and setting those priorities are something to admire.
Sorry Ricky, Vince Carter is everything that is wrong with the NBA and I would never want him playing for the Bulls