Well, once again I’m procrastinating at my university’s library so I decided to waste some time and make some irrelevant comments. I don’t feel like writing about Stalin’s gulags anymore, and it’s too cold to currently ride my bike home (I’m lowering my CO2 emissions, what are you doing? Assholes).

It’s quite possible I’m completely wrong, but recently it seems that the Bulls could sure use a solid and true point guard rather than a big man. In Kirk Hinrish’s fourth year out of New York, I mean Kansas, the “captain” has struggled and regressed. Following a career year in ’06-‘07, his averages are down in nearly every category this year, except his free throw percentage – truly a coach’s son. What conclusions can be made from that fact?

Well this summer he made the decision to stop competing for a spot on Team USA in order to rededicate himself to the Bulls. While I’m sure it had more to do with the addition of Deron Williams and Chauncy B-Billups, it’s still an admirable gesture on the part of Kirk. After that, he hit the weights harder than Joumana Kidd hit Jason. Could that be the reason his shot is so off this year? Unlikely. He was never that great of a shooter to begin with, failing to crack .45% from the field once in four years. There it is…I think I understand it now - maybe Kirk’s just not as good as we thought.

The Bulls’ ’07-’08 season was full of Eastern Promises; however, unlike the movie, there is no naked knife fight to keep me going through the disappointments (finally a nude scene after teasing us all through the Lord of the Rings). This year we have come to the realization that nearly every player’s ceiling is not nearly as high as previously thought.  Deng seems to be headed to a good career, but not nearly the all-star caliber one we had envisioned.  Gordon turned down $50 million at the beginning of the season only to prove to the league that he’s destined to be an undersized sixth man on any contending team. With the exception of Thabo and Tyrus, regression has plagued the young Bulls veterans more than anything else (well maybe soft injuries too).

Jim Boylan seems to have finally accepted that his BFF Skiles is gone and it’s okay for him to start coaching. He benched Kirk in the second half of last night’s game in the “metropolis” of Indiana in favor of a stripper’s worst nightmare, Larry Hughes. Hughes filled in nicely and, in addition to Gooden, can be credited for helping the Bulls beat the Pacers. This is just one game, but it exemplifies Kirk’s diminishing status and respectability on this team.

The question I’m asking: Is Hinrich worth the $47.5 million over five years? Absolutely not. It’s clear that the Bulls need to be restructured, so why not start with the backcourt.  Midgets run Kiebler Elf factories, not NBA backcourts. Give me a true number one over an undersized, overpaid number two running the point any day. Does that mean Duhon? No – he bought me a shot once ‘cause I’m a cool rocking daddy in the USA, but that doesn’t help his cause. I’m not the GM, I don’t know what the Bulls should do, but it’s clear that Hinrich is neither the leader nor point we thought he was. As Tupac once put it, we gotta start making changes…

I’ve destroyed my credibility, wasted yours and - infinitely more tragic - my time, and now must ride my bicycle home in defeat. I’m just saying, the Bulls have far more things to worry about then just finding a great big. And I have far more important things to ponder, like why we park on driveways and drive on parkways.

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