SI.com's Ian Thomsen on the Bulls

by Option27 on Apr 17, 2007 10:56 AM CDT

[From the Diaries. -Matt]

It's a huge article on our favorite team answering questions like: if the Bulls were smart not to make a trade this season, what they were offered, and why they spent so much on Ben Wallace.

Pretty interesting piece all in all.

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Most interesting info

was the sources that said Memphis wanted Deng, Thabo and Brown's contract.

Makes me wonder. If they didn't want the pick or Tyrus . . . Pax must have really fallen in love with Deng. Such an enticing offer.

AIM screen name : Option27

by Option27 on Apr 17, 2007 11:11 AM CDT reply actions

"According to league sources, the Grizzlies wanted to send 7-foot forward Pau Gasol to Chicago for a package including Luol Deng, Thabo Sefolosha and P.J. Brown's expiring contract. (The Grizzlies had relatively little interest in Chicago's draft picks.) It was proof that both Grizzlies president Jerry West and Bulls VP John Paxson see Deng becoming a dominant star."

AIM screen name : Option27

by Option27 on Apr 17, 2007 2:19 PM CDT up reply actions

agreed

That piqued my interest too. Of course, who knows how accurate the source was. In retrospect, not making that trade (and I was against it at the time) seems another Pax masterstroke. Thomsen's take on it and how it would have likely derailed our playoff run, seem pretty spot-on.

by CookDing on Apr 17, 2007 3:56 PM CDT up reply actions

Great article!

I'm consistently impressed by Paxson. He has a vision and stays with what he wants to do. He clearly believes in Deng. I hope he is right and Deng turns into one of the leagues stars.

Beat the Knicks

by chgobr on Apr 17, 2007 11:15 AM CDT reply actions

I'm not sure where to put this question, so I

arbitrarily slotted it here.

If the Nets, Wizards, and Magic finish at 40-42, what are their playoff seedings?

I do not want to face the Magic, if they can somehow rise to the seven seed.

by 1958ChiTown on Apr 17, 2007 1:25 PM CDT reply actions

My take of the tie-breaker is

Nets finish 6th, Orlando 7th and the Wiz 8th.

Beat the Knicks

by chgobr on Apr 17, 2007 1:42 PM CDT up reply actions

Does anyone know if this is true?

It seems more and more likely that all three teams will finish at 40-42.

This is a critical question.

WHO OWNS THE TIE-BREAKER?

by 1958ChiTown on Apr 17, 2007 10:12 PM CDT up reply actions

I think....

they divy up equal odds in the lottery.

Then if they're not one of the 3 lottery winners, there's a coin flip (or equivalent) to determine their order.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Apr 17, 2007 10:18 PM CDT up reply actions

I meant for playoff seedings, Matt.

Sorry. I should have been more explicit.

As is well documented, I don't want the Magic to be the number seven seed. If the Magic, Wiz, and Nets all finish at 40-42, how is seeding determined?

by 1958ChiTown on Apr 17, 2007 10:22 PM CDT up reply actions

wow, whoops

it's head-to-head, then conference record (or division record if in same division)...and then pray for rain.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Apr 17, 2007 10:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Here you go.

Three-Team Tiebreaker

Best head-to-head winning percentage among all teams tied
Highest winning percentage within division (if teams are in the same division)
Highest winning percentage in conference games
Highest winning percentage against playoff teams in own conference
Highest point differential between points scored and points allowed

by Goostafer on Apr 17, 2007 10:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Here ya go . .

The tiebreakers between the Nets, Wizards and Magic are complicated. But assuming a Bulls victory tonight, the first-round foe would be:

New Jersey if Washington wins at Indiana, regardless of what Orlando does.
Washington if the Wizards lose at Indiana and Orlando loses to Miami.
Orlando if the Wizards lose at Indiana and the Magic defeat Miami.

Taken from here

AIM screen name : Option27

by Option27 on Apr 18, 2007 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions

ESPN Insider Scouts Inc. Blueprint

So ESPN Insider has "blueprints" for the Eastern Conference up today. They discuss who the decision makers are, the salary and contract situation of the teams, and an "expert" assessment of where the team is headed.

Here is a rather embarrassing excerpt:

"Chicago has been, in a way, a victim of its own success. When the Bulls increased their win total by 24 games in 2005 and wildly exceeded predictions, their expectations rose accordingly.

But lost in the accounting as they entered the 2006 season was the importance of Eddy Curry. When Curry's medical issues arose during the 2005 campaign, Chicago sat him for the latter part of the season and the playoffs, and ultimately traded him over the summer to New York for Antonio Davis, Mike Sweetney, a 2006 first-round draft pick (which became LaMarcus Aldridge, whom the Bulls traded for Tyrus Thomas and Viktor Khryapa) and the right to swap places in the 2007 draft."

C'mon, dude, you are supposed to be an EXPERT! How do you miss the fact that the Bulls did not get AD for Curry, but sent him with Curry? Or the supposed "gentleman's agreement" that IT reneged on? Or the Tim Thomas saga and his short-lived redemption in Phoenix? I mean, I can understand not mentioning the 2nd round picks, but the rest is just w-e-a-k.

Okay, I admit it: Tyrus Thomas could dunk on me.

by preverbal on Apr 17, 2007 3:50 PM CDT reply actions

also

The Wallace signing was an afterthough after saying how Chandler was dealt in a preceding paragraph. Nothing about how, maybe, you wouldn't want both on the same team.

FWIW, Hollinger has blurb on the same page and he says the Curry trade was Paxson's best move as GM.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Apr 17, 2007 4:34 PM CDT up reply actions

A nice companion to the SI story

Pax was on the Score with Mully and Hanley this morning, and the podcast is on the home page of the station:

http://www.670thescore.com/

Touches briefly on the trade along the lines on how well Lu's been playing since the trade deadline. Also discusses the upcoming contract situations.

by KT on Apr 17, 2007 9:00 PM CDT reply actions

thanks for posting this

I love Pax interviews. Somehow I doubt an Isiah ("Eddy Curry is the biggest guy on the court") Thomas interview would be as reassuring.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Apr 17, 2007 9:47 PM CDT up reply actions

Does Zeke

have any easy give and take with the Knicks beat reporters, even those that report the straight party line? Can you imagine him joking around in a relaxed manner that would make you think he might have a beer with them afterwards?

Pax always sounds as if he's the smartest person in the conversation in these interviews.

by KT on Apr 18, 2007 6:05 AM CDT up reply actions