BY PHIL BARNES
I cannot believe this. Just when I thought things couldn't get
any worse, the Bulls organization decides to throw the city and just about
every draft expert a curveball by selecting Michael Beasley. This will for sure be
a sinker to the organization, and while baseball pitches are the talk of the
intro, Pax and Jerry deserve a fastball to the head. Words cannot describe the
outrage. The problem is, I don’t know who’s to blame.
John Paxson of all people should know the importance of a point guard, seeing
as he was one in the early ‘90’s for the Bulls. Jerry
Reinsdorf wouldn’t have signed off on this decision because he
overstressed defense with Mike D’Antoni. Defense is a large reason why Rose is
so highly touted. So the question is, who made this decision?
By taking Beasley and passing on Rose, the Bulls are going to take on more
criticism than they thought humanly possible. Nearly every writer in the city,
and many in the nation, felt as if Rose was the better selection. So by taking
Mike, they are ultimately giving themselves a double-whammy. I say this because
they are going to take the heat for a.) Not selecting the guy writers and
analysts felt they should have but also b.) Had the Bulls selected Mr. Chicago
and things didn’t work out, who would have the testicular fortitude to blast
Paxson and Reinsdorf for the selection in the first place? Even if Rose
pulled a Jay Williams, a Jason Williams, or even a Jayson
Williams, nobody would have the right to peg this one on the organization
because nobody wanted the Bulls to select Beasley. This would have eased any
pressure the management had in making the decision because across
With that idea alone, more tickets would be sold for the sheer fact some fans
may have believed “Hey, Paxson decided to listen me and my friends. He heard us
calling for Rose and he delivered.” To further that, who is going to watch a
team play when they have no faith in the organization?
It is not like the Bulls “settled” for Rose, the fourth or fifth best player
available. Derrick Rose was at the absolute, very very
worst, the second-most talented individual in the draft.
What’s worse is that not only did we not draft this phenom, but a fellow Eastern
Conference team did. While we have spent our last two draft picks on forwards
who could have guarded Beasley, who is going to stop Derrick? Hinrich? Lacks
the athleticism necessary. Gordon? Not quick enough and doesn’t like defense
anyway. Duhon? Don’t get me started. While the best “Rose Stopper” of the team
may actually be Shannon Brown, I don’t see his minutes increasing anytime soon.
So shoot, not only did we hurt ourselves, but we actually helped another
in-conference team who probably wasn’t going to settle for B-Easy anyway. I am
going to love hearing about the all-Chicago backcourt of Wade and Rose lighting
up Bulls guards for a combined 65 points and 25 assists.
So we, Bull-dom have Michael Beasley, the new face of the organization. Beasley
however, is an individual with less maturity than Cedric Benson, fewer brain
cells than Ron Artest and a crazy ability to get himself in more trouble than
those two combined. Can he score? Yes. Will he be an instant star? Ya. Can he
be a formidable forward who can bang with some of the leagues elite? You bet.
But these are all characteristics that we should expect out of a number one
draft choice. Will anybody give this kid the time of day if he tries to pull
some of the shenanigans that got him kicked out of multiple high schools.
Absolutely not.
I give it a week before he gets caught in back alley of the
But the real reason, the true reason the city of Chicago missed out on
something great was because Derrick Rose symbolized hope in a large area of the
city that has seen none in quite some time. Parents have an example to show
their children how good can come out of problem-riddled neighborhoods. And I
don’t mean that just because he can play basketball.
He is a selfless, humble individual who shies away from the limelight. He plays
basketball like it's something that is not important to just him, but almost as
if he knows a community is riding on his shoulders. He plays like a role model
should, something we don’t see quite as often anymore. He plays like, get this,
he actually appreciates god-given talents and the love for basketball can be
seen in his eyes.
Don’t get me wrong, he is still playing in
So instead of becoming a true diehard Chicago Bulls
fan, I will continue my refusal of pro ball in the city. This is truly one of
the saddest days in
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