Bulls, Bulls, Bulls

Stompy already did a pretty good job tying up last night's festivities, but I actually watched the game so there are few things I need to get off my chest as well...

- Though the Bulls only lost by seven, I agree with Bob that it felt more like a 10-12 defeat, which is only noteworthy because I think the Lakers are pretty much exactly 10-12 points better than the Bulls*. If that makes any sense. While that sounds somewhat respectable, was there ever any point in last night's game when you thought the Bulls could have won? They were pretty much doomed from the start, though that may not be so bad because these Lakers are legit, son. I don't think they'll crack the glorious 72-win plateau, but 65-ish wins and the top seed in the West sounds about right. I haven't seen a ton of NBA hoops yet (which sucks because the NBA rules), but I'd assume the Lakers are about as impressive as any team in the league.

* I tried to talk myself out of linking to that, but, really, I couldn't. Though with The Get Up Kids reuniting, I think I earn a little leeway on bringing back the old jams, right?

- What's with VDN's consistently quick hook for Noah? He starts and only gets 11 minutes? And in a game where Aaron Gray gets 22!? (I do not agree with Stompy on this, Aaron Gray is bad)

I think it's pretty clear what Noah's going to be: an athletic big who can rebound as well as anyone and change shots defensively. He's not a good offensive player now and he never will be. His points will always come from tip-ins and put backs, never post moves. I think most fans realize that, but I'm not sure if Del Negro does. But guys that do what Noah does are still really valuable. After all, putting five scorers on the court together isn't ideal. Noah does the same things that Chandler used to do here, and remember that Easy TZ named Tyson one of the NBA's 50 best. You can say that Chandler has Paul, but now Noah has Rose.

The problem clearly comes from who's matched next to them at the four: David West is a top notch scorer, Drew Gooden and Tyrus don't really give you too much unless Gooden is knocking down 19-footers like to did in the first quarter yesterday. So maybe Del Negro can't go with Noah too much, because the Bulls do need some kind of scoring inside, and Noah is probably the least capable big on the roster at doing that (yes, Gray included). Things would be sooo much easier if Tyrus wasn't retarded....

- Speaking of Tyrus, he was going balls out crazy yesterday. That's not to say he was effective - though I thought he was - but he was just all over the court. During one two minute stretch in the first half yesterday, Tyrus made a great pass inside to Gray for an easy dunk, got a steal and made a completely absurd behind the back transition pass to Gordon for layup, and then stuffed the shit out of Trevor Ariza. He also took the Lakers D off the dribble a few times in the fourth, which was as impressive as it was confusing.

But I can't help but think that the player Tyrus is today is the player he's going to be for his entire career. He'll do some unreal things, but most of the time he'll make you want to throw the remote through the tv. When the Bulls drafted him I think they envisioned him turning into a poor man's Amare.....but he's ended up turning into a mentally challenged version of Amare. I'm not sure that's a curable disease.

- Hey Bulls, how about some defense, like, at any point of that game, please? I know the Lakers are good - and I'm not sure anyone expected VDN to solve the triangle right off the bat - but holding LA under 90 through the first three quarters would have been nice.

- The gap between the Bulls (a team probably destined to fight for the final playoff seed in the East) and the Lakers (who should go all the way) was never more evident than it was in the third quarter last night. Kobe had a breakaway, with Rose about two steps behind him, but he slowed down to throw an alley-oop to whoever was trailing him. The guy bricked the alley-oop but the ball somehow rolled to Kobe, who was in the corner alone for a three, and, of course, he drained it. If the Bulls tried to showboat like that, it would probably end with Tyrus decapitated on the floor....the Lakers drain open threes.

- If nothing else, at least we got to see Lindsey Hunter's Bulls tenure get off to a hilarious start. He was stuffed off the backboard on a breakaway layup by Jordan Farmar (!), and then fired an airball from three the next possession. Nice work there, Lindsey.

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From Stompy....

I know Rickhouse and I are sometimes pawns in the blog game to the kings over at Blog a Bull and SouthSideSox

Guilty as charged. I think both of those blogs are phenomenal, and if you like the Bulls and Sox, you should be reading them every day. But this is a probably a good opportunity to point out a couple problems I have with our SB Nation overlords.

1) The reaction to the Swisher deal at SSS was 100 percent absurd, specifically by The Cheat. For example...

Sell valuable players for pennies on the dollar 

acquire crappy (BUT FAST) players for top prospects.

Flush positive progress made in ’08 down the toilet

I'm not going to argue that Betemit isn't crappy, but how valuable is Swisher? He hit .219 last year, and clubbing 24 homers doesn't exactly make him an Adam Dunn-level power threat either. And sure he's versatile, but the only position he probably gives you plus D at is in left.

I dont' really like the trade myself, but I certainly don't think it's a catastrophe, as most people on SSS made it look. If Marquez can become Jason Marquis-ish, a reliable fourth or fifth starter who can stay healthy, I think it's a pretty good deal. I have no idea if that can happen, but still.

2) I still don't get all the BG love from Blog-a-Bull. I've started to come around on him a little this year, but he still totally sucks, and I think that's pretty clear. Thank Jesus he won't be around for another five years with a huge cap number.

It's true that the Bulls only have three good players (maybe four if you count Kirk, who I've always liked) and Gordon is one of them. But are you really going to win anything with a 6 foot shooting guard who only brings scoring to the table and doesn't even do that nearly consistently or efficiently enough? Gordon looks good compared to the rest of the Bulls schmucks, but there are plenty of other two guards I'd take before him league-wide. 

*

Four years, $52 million for Dumpster? Really Cubs? To quote a text message I got from TTCS' Phil Barnes

"Suckers. 09 stats...11-8, 4.56 ERA"

I'd say that sounds about right.

What's even crazier is how they should have goddamn Jake Peavy right now, but their package is so pathetically laughable. Hart, Marshall, and Fontenot all suck. Do they think Kevin Towers is looking for a straight salary dump? And why not throw in Jeff Samardzija if it'll make the deal work? I know Peavy pitches in a huge ballpark, in a bad division, in the inferior league, but he's still awesome. If including Samardzija would have made that deal go through, the Cubs should have been all for it.