Trade talk brings out all the crazies

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 24, 2007 11:06 PM CST in News

Alright, last post on Gasol for a while, promise. Unless, of course, there's more actual news.

But as the trade talk (which is deliriously fun, and I love it) has continued here over the past couple of days, more and more concessions are being made by Bulls fans out of eagerness to get Gasol. But like I said in my Gasol Manifesto, in my mind there's no point in doing the deal for Gasol if it means dealing Hinrich, Gordon, or Deng. It's just plugging one hole while opening another. And I have to disagree with many of you on this thread, keeping Nocioni (or Thomas, or Khryapa) would not properly mitigate the loss of Deng, who even as not the purest Small Forward (no 3-point range, not exceptionally quick) is still miles ahead of any of those guys at that position, who are all more suited at Power Forward. Think of all the dynamic wing players in the NBA, and then having a combination of Nocioni and Gordon guarding those positions each night. Likewise, losing Gordon would not be easily patched up by playing Thabo 40 minutes, nor (::gag::) playing either Noc or Deng at the two.

I realize that the discussion of dealing Deng or Gordon is only offered assuming that you wouldn't get Gasol for anything less. But if that truly is the case, forget the whole thing. Dealing them for Gasol may make the Bulls slightly better, but it wouldn't catapult them into another class of teams. As the team stands right now they can possibly win the East, and likely drilled from a Western Conference finals opponent. But I do think a team with Gasol along with Wallace/Deng/Gordon/Hinrich is not only a clear favorite to win the East, but at least a slightly scarier matchup for a potentially beat-up team coming out of the tough Western Conference playoffs. Getting Gasol at the expense of either Gordon or Deng? not the same.

Memphis is the party that's driving this process, it all depends how badly they want to trade Gasol (er, 'honor his request'). The Bulls should be comfortable offering Tyrus Thomas, but after that they would be essentially bidding against themselves, as I can't think of another interested party that would offer more.

The Bulls have the pick, the immediate cap relief, and young cheap players. Other disgruntled 'stars' like Iverson and Carter have gotten dealt for much much less. I doubt Memphis is as desperate to get rid of Gasol as was the case with the aforementioned two, and in fact if I were the Grizzlies I wouldn't even consider trading Gasol. But if they are only willing to deal him for Deng or Gordon, as reported (and also reported Deng AND Gordon), then such a deal may make the Bulls slightly better, but ultimately not worth it.

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worth mentioning

a roundup of memphis reaction here.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 24, 2007 11:07 PM CST reply actions

pre-emptive strike

Didn't want to muck up my main point with this in the post, but assuming someone asks "but how will the re-sign gordon, deng, and noc?!!?!??"

Remember, they don't have to give an extension to anybody this Summer. If either proves themselves to be big-money worthy (and they're close), they can get the extension. If not, they have a year and a half until they are restricted free agents! You don't think by that point Pax will know who to keep?

Now Noc...he can just walk to be honest if he wants much of a raise. And worst case scenario he can be signed to a reasonable contract and traded later if they do get that elusive magic post player. Or a sign/trade this offseason depending on who comes on the market.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 24, 2007 11:10 PM CST reply actions

Right on

I agree on all fronts, Matt. I don't know Gasol's game all that well. What are his prospects for immprovement? I think the big three on the Bulls will all continue to improve in the coming seasons. Their numbers might not necessarily increase, but their ability to win games will (fewer foolish turnovers, better shot selection, better defense, Deng gets another summer or two in the gym, they start getting more veteran treatment from the refs). I'd hate to see Tyrus go as he is just so durned exciting. But clearly if he has to be included here, you have to do it. Potential starting five:
Hinrich
Gordon
Deng
Gasol
Wallace

That team is in the NBA Finals this year, regardless of what it gives up on the bench to get this lineup.

Deng 4 MVP, 2008!

by corey williams corey benjamin on Jan 25, 2007 12:01 AM CST reply actions

Good argument, but I disagree

If Deng becomes Pippen, if Hinrich and Gordon become Nash and Aguirre, I still think we aren't much better off than the New Jersey Nets. We are still a bunch of jumpshooters. Gasol is a legitimate low post scorer, and one of the best. He brings a balance on the offensive end that the team sorely needs. His presence will make the games of whoever remains that much better just based on his presence and that balance. And if we are supposing that Deng/Gordon/Hinrich are going fulfill their potential then why can't we suppose that about Sefolosha and Thomas? Think about a big man rotation of Gasol, Wallace and Thomas coming off of the bench. That's pretty formidable. And a backcourt of Hinrich and Sefo with Gordon coming off of the bench again also impresses me. Sure, Noc becomes our starting SF, but again, Gasol's low post game opens up the floor again for Noc's long range shooting. Gasol would even take pressure off of Wallace, who's underperformed so far.

I would absolutely love it if Paxson could get Gasol for salaries and picks. But if he can't I would rather our core be a 1,2 and 4 or a 1,3 and a 4 or even a 2,3 and a 4 than a 1,2 and a 3.

Hopefully, Jerry West isn't reading this.

by bullshooter on Jan 25, 2007 9:41 AM CST reply actions

Obviously

If our core could be a 1,2,3 and a 4 that would be ideal.

by bullshooter on Jan 25, 2007 9:48 AM CST up reply actions

adding a 5

would make it even better

by milesgmsu on Jan 25, 2007 11:50 AM CST up reply actions

I'm saying they're already good

And no, I don't think they never need a guy like Gasol, but I think it's much more of a gamble to deal Gordon/Deng and then have to fill that hole, then it is to just keep them and hope either Tyrus matures soon (far faster than I expect, anyway) or they get lucky in the GREATEST DRAFT OF ALL TIME (tm).

If anything, work out a 3-way deal where you adequately replace Deng or Gordon. Saying Nocioni will be three or Thabo will be the 2 isn't really sufficient, not for a team looking to make a run at the title this season.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 25, 2007 10:29 AM CST up reply actions

Ok

if you're talking about winning a title this year, then even dreaming about Tyrus making an impact is out of the question, and developing into a low post scorer is absurd. I don't see him developing a low post game anytime soon.

All in all, I'd say it's much easier to replace Deng, and a little bit less so Gordon, than it is to find/draft/trade for a legitimate 20-8 low post player. Maybe that's just me, but where the Knicks pick is now, I don't see us getting anything resembling that. Unfortunately that's what this team needs.

by bullshooter on Jan 25, 2007 10:44 AM CST up reply actions

Nocioni and Gasol

I don't see it working with them. Deng is so much of a better player without the ball than Noc, it's startling. Thinking of him cutting and getting passes from a double-teamed Gasol makes me wistfull and all longing-like. For some reason the same image with Nocioni involves them running into eachother and falling down.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 25, 2007 10:32 AM CST up reply actions

LMAO

I can't stop replaying it in my head.

Ben Gordon = Trade Bait

by raalickeller on Jan 25, 2007 10:38 AM CST up reply actions

I agree with that

but then it can't be much of a stretch to envision Tyrus doing the same things Deng can in a much shorter time than it would take him to develop a low post scoring game.

by bullshooter on Jan 25, 2007 10:49 AM CST up reply actions

Gordon off the bench, again?

Fantastic idea. I'm not comfortable with Sefolosha starting though, why not put Duhon back in the starting lineup?

by Paxson Jackson @ Blog a Bull on Jan 25, 2007 10:49 AM CST up reply actions

We were playing

"ideal situation" wherein Sefolosha can handle 25-30 minutes a night productively. I am sure Gordon will remain the starter for a while.

by bullshooter on Jan 25, 2007 10:57 AM CST up reply actions

becasue its duhon

just kidding...i love you chris....but i dont love your game of late

by milesgmsu on Jan 25, 2007 11:55 AM CST up reply actions

Bullshooter is right

Giving up Deng to get Gasol would give us the much needed inside scoring presence as well as a better rebounder. The Bulls lose because they can't handle big tall front lines on Defense and they must live on their jump shot because the have no post threat.

Gasol gives you a superior rebounder and a player who can play both the high and low post on offense. He complements Wallace on both offense and defense. He allows Wallace to roam more and play against 4's more often which is more his game.
Look at his 05-06 stats versus Deng's 06-07 stats, both their career bests.
Gasol gives you 2.5 more points (20.4 vs 17.9),2.5 more rebounds(8.9 vs 6.5), 2.4 more assists (4.6 vs 2.2)and 1.3 more blocks (1.9 vs 0.6). Even with Gasol's slightly lower numbers this year he ranks #23 in player efficiency versus Deng at #42.

Before he was hurt he was the most impressive player at the FIBA Championships. He was voted MVP of the FIBA Championships.

I like Deng's game a lot but he will never be one of the premier 3's in the league, and finding a passable 3 to share time with Nocioni is a lot easier than finding a player who is one of the top 25 players in this league.

If it's Gasol for Deng, Brown & the pick I make the trade.

Ye OldeBull

by OldeBull on Jan 25, 2007 10:54 AM CST up reply actions

that's it, I'm not buying you a beer tonight :-)

Deng's 'best season' is this year, at AGE 21. I think he will be one of the premier threes in the league in a couple years, even if he's not the most athletic guy. I do think the range and ballhandling will improve, as well as his on-ball defense.

Besides, I think Memphis would have little interest with Deng since they already have their anointed 3 of the future, Rudy Gay.

I'm also uncomfortable with any deal meaning another move needs to be made. Unless it's on the same day, it just seems like a mostly lateral movement. Now if you could then deal Nocioni (and change) for a 'passable' wing player (Mo Pete? Magette?) then that's something to consider.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 25, 2007 12:29 PM CST up reply actions

Matt you're missing the point

we're trading a rising, solid wing player for a LEGITIMATE LOW POST SCORER JUST ENTERING HIS PRIME. I don't see how you equate those two things.

by bullshooter on Jan 25, 2007 12:46 PM CST up reply actions

Oh No!

Actually I was thinking of sitting with Bullshooter tonight, since he makes so much more sense.

Ye OldeBull

by OldeBull on Jan 25, 2007 12:59 PM CST up reply actions

Pau Gasol

Let's see how did Gasol do last night against the Jazz.
47 Minutes
17 Points.
13 Rebounds,
12 Assists,
2 Turnovers.

And by the way he was pouting all the way.

Ye OldeBull

by OldeBull on Jan 25, 2007 1:06 PM CST up reply actions

Um...

Okay, can we just trade Skiles and Du for Gasol?

I figure we throw in PJ, Sweets, the pick, and we get back Pao and three of their cheerleaders.

I'm pretty sure the salaries match.

Ben Gordon = Trade Bait

by raalickeller on Jan 25, 2007 1:30 PM CST up reply actions

the answer was right there on our keyboard . . . .

Okay, I think I solved this, the anagram for

Pau Gasol

is . . . . .

wait for it
*
*
*

Lu Go ASAP

(the opinion expressed by this anagram are not reflective of the views of the commenter)

by GWKD on Jan 25, 2007 10:53 AM CST reply actions

that's awesome

(not the Lu Go part) the anagram part...

by bullshooter on Jan 25, 2007 10:58 AM CST up reply actions

I'm torn

We have a tremendous need for a low post presence like Gasol. I watched Gasol last night and he looked good. However, except for Nocioni I don't want to give up any of our "core". The Knicks could take a nose dive if Curry is out for any significnt period of time increasing our chance for a high pick . If that happens we can get a low-post impact player without losing anyone. I say let's play West's bluff and see what we can get close to the Feb 22nd deadline. If it isn't good take our chance in the draft. At Draft time, we could trade Du and more up a few spaces.

chgobr

by chgobr on Jan 25, 2007 11:00 AM CST reply actions

no

Nobody is going to take Duhon and let us move up to get an impact player in draft.

And how many mid round draft picks are that helpful in their 1st year, so it might be difficult to rely on 07 draft choice to get us over hump in 07-08. Although I do hope Tyrus / Thabo become more of impact

by NY Chicago Fan on Jan 25, 2007 11:58 AM CST up reply actions

no we couldn't

by bullshooter on Jan 25, 2007 12:08 PM CST up reply actions

More and more

I think about this whole debocle, and I'm becoming increasingly convinced that we should stand pat.

Gasol is a great player, and I'm sure any team would LOVE to have him...but the Bulls have worked really hard over the last few years to put together a new dynasty. And they're SO close, it seems, that disrupting that with a questionable trade might not be the best thing.

I think that the Bulls should wait until the off-season. This is a playoff team, and in the East especially. Anything goes in the playoffs, and as we saw last year- when this team is hot, it doesn't matter who they're playing. With the current roster, there is still a CHANCE they could get to the finals.

Taking away either Deng or Gordon forfeits a great young player who knows the system and between the two of those guys, I can't think of anyone on the team who works harder.

Both of these guys are special players; they may not be all-stars just yet, but they're so young, and so talented...certainly something to build upon.

PJ's contract will give us decent flexibility in free agency next year even with the possible extensions for the 'core' guys.

If the Bulls trade for anyone, it should be Noc, Sweets, PJ, Kryappa, even Thomas before they give up Ben or Luol. (IMHO)

Ben Gordon = Trade Bait

by raalickeller on Jan 25, 2007 12:26 PM CST reply actions

I disagree with everything you said

except the last part which is by itself, completely obvious. The best way I can put...

Whoa, I am slipping into PaxJax land. Ok I'll stop.

One thing I will say is this. There are no free agents who can help us next year. Especially if you are so in love with the guys we have. Darko, Magliole and McDyess are the only big men. They don't solve our problem. Guys like Gasol don't become free agents.

One thing to keep in mind. I think Gasol's agent is Arn Tellem, who is buddies with Reinsdorf. If there is a chance of getting this deal done, Tellem will put the screws on and you will see Gasol pout/play poorly to force West's hand. Don't read that much into Gasol's performance over the next month.

by bullshooter on Jan 25, 2007 12:58 PM CST up reply actions

Good point to bring up...

Bullshooter touched on something that is incredibly important, which (I think) changed my opinion on the trade. Where do we get this low/high post scoring presence in the future and the near future at that? If not now, let's just copy all of these commentaries to use again for next year. I'm a huge Deng fan and comparing him to Gasol now is ridiculous as Deng is ONLY 21 and has really had one solid summer to work on his pro game (great progression). He will be one of the better 3's going forward. That said, there are no upcoming free agents of any significance at the 4 or 5 (unless you want to add Brezec and Mihm to the list above - ugh). Nocioni is not a perfect wing, but is a very good stop-gap measure while adding Gasol. Thomas and Sefalosha can spell him defensively on occasion if need be. The draft breeds small forwards (that's all that 7 footers want to be today) and while this trade would hurt from a cap perspective, 3 of the top 5 free agents next year are Carter, Lewis and G. Wallace. As alluded to, Deng might not fit with Memphis given Rudy Gay, so it's really Gordon who they're probably after, but I wouldn't touch it. He'd be a much bigger hole to fill than Deng. Finding a 23 year old shooting guard averaging 21 a game, shooting 46% FG and 87% FT doesn't come easy. It'd be interesting to see what he does with some semblence of an inside scoring presence and a coach who doesn't confuse him with Duhon at the beginning of every season.

by EdNealy on Jan 25, 2007 4:32 PM CST up reply actions

You could say

This time last year nobody would've thought that Pau Gasol would be available.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 25, 2007 4:43 PM CST up reply actions

Good point but...

again we'll be having the same conversation with one more season under Ben Wallace's belt.

by EdNealy on Jan 26, 2007 11:43 AM CST up reply actions

I'm beginning to think...

Pax won't trade either Deng or Gordon (unless we get someone like lowry or warrick with no bad salary and keep the pick). Pax hasn't made a bad move yet, knows the team, and has built the team. I'm thinking that he's going to call West's bluff and wait for him to make the first move at the 11th hour (enough cliches in there to piss off both matt and paxjax).

I am thinking that if the trade goes through, it will be noch (hate to see him go) t2, pick, and bad one bad contract from the grizz. I don;t want to see a trade involving either Deng or Gordon, and I expect we won't

by milesgmsu on Jan 25, 2007 12:50 PM CST reply actions

I think

this is a good team they have now. If we can make the team better without giving up any (or only one that isn't named Kirk) of our core of course they should do it. Rebuilding takes time and I'm willing to give Pax a chance to do just that.

Thabo....the accent is sweet!!

by sue369 on Jan 25, 2007 12:51 PM CST reply actions

two interesting questions from the Chad Ford chat

Link: http://tinyurl.com/23n8ok

some of you probably already caught this, but:

"Josh, Chicago: Pau to Chicago? Any closer to going through? Whats it going to take Chicago to make it happen?

Chad Ford: I think the Bulls are the only obvious trade partner for Gasol. They need him and have enough assets to get him without gutting their whole team. What do I think is a fair deal?

P. J. Brown's expiring contract, Tyrus Thomas (or their first round pick this year) and Ben Gordon.

Bulls get back Gasol and Hakim Warrick."

and

"Nathanael (KC): More valuable trade chip, Deng or Gordon? Tyrus Thomas or Knicks pick?

Chad Ford: Deng ... but I think he's the untouchable piece for the Bulls. The other three could all be traded, but I don't think Deng is going anywhere."

by micah on Jan 25, 2007 4:18 PM CST reply actions

That's his

opinion and if you read any sports articles everyone has an opinion on this. No one knows what if anything will happen except Paxson and Skiles.

Thabo....the accent is sweet!!

by sue369 on Jan 25, 2007 4:32 PM CST up reply actions

um...

no shit...

by micah on Jan 26, 2007 4:00 PM CST up reply actions

Chad's trade

"Gordon / Brown / and Tyrus or 1stRd Pick
for Gasol and Warrick"

if there is this trade I bet Memphis would want the 1st round pick instead of Thomas but pick might be more vaulable to Bulls as they would need to get someone to fill in for Gordon's outside shooting / scoring at SG

I don't like getting Warrick back in deal (especially if Tyrus stays) as why do they need to get another athletic forward (and I'm not sure Warrick's upside is that high)

by NY Chicago Fan on Jan 25, 2007 4:42 PM CST up reply actions

It is a lot easier to replace Gordon than find ...

a post-presence like Pau. Deng is irreplaceable because of his height and defense. Losing Gordon hurts but Pau is better than Gordon. If you could trade Gordon for Pau straight up, you would obviously do that. Considering we have other assets that are expendable, such as Thomas and our first round pick, we can give up one of the two and still come out ahead. Plus, we can fill in Gordon's shooting and scoring with the acquisition of a three-point shooter in a separate trade OR we can rely on Noce and Duhon to fill the void and replace Gordon in the offseason.

Obviously, it'd be preferrable to trade Noce. Perhaps Noce, Thomas AND the first round pick would get it done. But given the fact our first round pick is not guaranteed to be in the lottery (the Knicks have a decent shot at winning the Atlantic), and given the fact that Memphis does not have any significant pressure to trade Pau, I think Gordon would have to be included in any deal. And I would probably be willing to do it if I were John Paxson. The main thing would be to make sure we have a plan to fill in the outside shooting void left by Gordon.

by ericthebull on Jan 26, 2007 1:10 PM CST reply actions

Yikes

"OR we can rely on Noce and Duhon to fill the void"

I'd rather not think about that.

by Paxson Jackson @ Blog a Bull on Jan 26, 2007 1:31 PM CST up reply actions

keep Gordon

Watching the the game v. the Mavs I saw that Gordon is more valuable than Hinrich. It was the Gordon- Deng Show that won that game. Hinrich for Pau I would do straight up...

"Plus, we can fill in Gordon's shooting and scoring with the acquisition of a three-point shooter in a separate trade OR we can rely on Noce and Duhon to fill the void and replace Gordon in the offseason."

I doubt any 3 pt. shooter we may get will be better then Gordon can get from the 3 pt. line on a regular basis (let alone when he is on fire). There is a reason we drafted him with the 3rd pick. I interpret the Paxson talking point that "we are not willing to mortgage our future" to include Beng Gordon. I also hope the future includes Tyrus. We can stand pat and wait on Tyrus and be talkin a dynasty before Wallace retires already. I think we can trade Kirk, PJ, Sweetney and the Knicks pick for Pau and Damon Stoudamire and Maybe Warrick. I dunno... Gordon and Deng should both be All-Stars, but i don't think Kirk is, not yet at least.

Regardless of what the final Paxson-West trade proposal is, Paxson should definitely run it by Mchale first, just in case.

by Zac23 on Jan 26, 2007 1:34 PM CST up reply actions

For Christ sake

get off this trade Hinrich shit. Neither Ben, Duhon or Thabo can handle the ball as well as Kirk. Ben can shoot but we need more out of him than that.

Thabo....the accent is sweet!!

by sue369 on Jan 26, 2007 3:03 PM CST up reply actions

What difference

does it make if Kirk is ever an All-Star? Is there any team that is full of All-Stars? Kirk does a of good things for this team.

Thabo....the accent is sweet!!

by sue369 on Jan 26, 2007 3:08 PM CST up reply actions

Ben Jordan

I like Kirk, don't get me wrong... but if we get Gasol and Damon Stoudamire for Kirk I think we are a better team. I don't think Kirk does anything great enough to be irreplaceable. If Duhon shoots 35% he can replace Hinrich and we still get to the finals because now we have Pau. But I think D. Stoud. or Sefo would start. Nobody else on our team or in a trade has offensive fire power of Gordon. Just to recap, i'm just saying I'd rather keep Gordon than Hinrich. But I'd prefer to keep both. and If we did get rid of Hinrich I think we should get Garnett back.

And I do think there is a correlation between having All-Star caliber players and being a successful team in the NBA finals. maybe somebody has stats on that.

by Zac23 on Jan 26, 2007 5:17 PM CST up reply actions

Here's an All-Star stat

1,622,446 morons voted for Shaquille O'Neal to start. Of course, some may have voted more than once for the M.I.A. Diesel. There's no such thing as an "All-Star caliber" player.

by Paxson Jackson @ Blog a Bull on Jan 26, 2007 8:42 PM CST up reply actions

Please think before you post.

There's absolutely no way Hinrich is involved in this trade. Not because Paxson wouldn't trade him, but the entire point for Memphis is to cut salaries and Hinrich makes nearly 10 mil a year. That's why Gordon and Deng are attractive, they're cheap for at least one more year after this.

In my opinion the Bulls should offer Tyrus, Brown, the pick, and whoever else needs to be thrown in. This is a win now trade (just like Wallace was a win now signing), so offer the assets that are the farthest away from helping us. If that's not enough for Memphis, then I'm fine with standing pat. I don't think they'll get a better offer.

by Eddy Currys Broken Heart on Jan 26, 2007 10:25 PM CST up reply actions

In Pax we trust

4 years ago this team was horrible. Pax has taken us from the basketball zoo to a decent young team. We have a whole in the post. I am confident that Pax is not going to jeopardize the future for some improvement over the next few years. We compare favorably to the competition for Gasol. Maybe we get lucky and we can give up Sefolosho or TT and PJ for Gasol. If not I don't believe Pax will screw up our future. In Pax I trust.

chgobr

by chgobr on Jan 27, 2007 9:41 AM CST up reply actions

Well...

I've got another essay on the topic.

First of all, Memphis is not going to trade Gasol unless we make an offer they can't refuse. We have the assets to do that. In my opinion, there is no way we are getting Pau for Hinrich and the first rounder and Sweetney. Maybe if they were guaranteed a top 4 pick, but they're not. Moreover, Hinrich is more valuable than Gordon because of his defense, particularly because of how well he plays Wade. Furthermore, Gordon's scoring would be replaced by Pau, and Hinrich's defense and playmaking could not be replaced by anyone on the team.

I think some of you are either overvaluing the Bulls assets or undervaluing Pau Gasol. As Charles Barkley said, who DON'T you trade to get someone like Pau Gasol? Low post scorers are very hard to find. How many college guys might excel as such? Oden, Noah, and maybe Brandan Wright of UNC come to mind. The only way we get them is if the Knicks fail to make the playoffs and then win one of the top 3 lottery picks.

The main issue as I see it is this: Do our chances of winning a championship within the next three or four years increase by trading Gordon to get Pau? I believe they do because low post scoring is so hard to find.

Another concern is with Gasol's history of injury, and the fact that he is not a great defensive player. However, I believe he would help us considerably on offense, and Hinrich and Wallace and company will be enough to keep our defense stellar. I'd be willing to roll the dice with his health.

As for the dismissive comment about Nocioni replacing Gordon, you can't dismiss the fact that Nocioni and Gordon are both shooting 39% this year from distance. Pau and Gordon both score about the same, so Pau can replace Gordon's scoring by doing it in the paint. We get almost nothing inside as it is. We then only need to have a couple outside shooters (like Noce and Hinrich) to help with the offense.

The bottom line is that it's a difficult decision to move Gordon because he is a great player, but to beat Dallas or Phoenix in a 7 game series I'd like our chances better with Gasol instead of Gordon. I think it's worth the risk, but I understand wanting to stand pat. We have a great nucleus that is capable of beating the best teams in the league. I just think Gasol would bring more consistency, which would increase our chances of a couple championships.

by ericthebull on Jan 27, 2007 2:01 PM CST reply actions

Worth Noting

Nocioni is shooting 39% threes when they're mostly open looks, and is (and always should be) a bench player without a position. Gordon also logs 5 more points per game than Noc, gets to the line, and passes the ball. Gasol would also play power forward (Nocioni's primary spot) on the Bulls.

by Paxson Jackson @ Blog a Bull on Jan 27, 2007 2:27 PM CST up reply actions

ericthebull - good post, but

you never know what happens between now and the 22nd. Things can really sour in Memphis between Gasol and the fans and you don't know what kind of financial pressure is on Heisley. Philly got very little for Iverson. I know there are differences between the two situations but I would like to see if we have more leverage closer to the 22nd. Enjoyed reading your post.

chgobr

by chgobr on Jan 27, 2007 3:09 PM CST up reply actions

Who plays the two?

I agree with your general point - Gordon for Gasol on pure talent, or whatever you want to call it, makes sense for the Bulls. However I'm afraid that the drop off from Gordon to Sefolosha (or god forbid, Duhon again) would be so big that it would completely offset the upgrade the Bulls get at the 4.

Lost in everyone's love for Thabo's defense is the fact that he's a complete non-factor on offense at this point in his career. A starting lineup of Hinrich, Thabo, Deng, Gasol, and Wallace has only one competent three point shooter.

To me, if I had to choose between hoping that Tyrus develops at the 4 or trying to fill a gaping hole at the 2 when Gordon is gone, I'll take the former. Especially considering the money involved.

p.s. If anyone says that Deng or Noc can play the two, I will sick PaxJax on you.

by Eddy Currys Broken Heart on Jan 28, 2007 2:58 PM CST up reply actions

You might have heard me say this before but

I think it's a lot more likely that Tyrus can develop into a player like Deng than anybody else. I am torn on the whole thing now, too, after watching them win the last two. I'd like to think Pau comes in a makes us a better team...

by bullshooter on Jan 28, 2007 3:21 PM CST up reply actions