Draft watch
by Jamaicanpi on Mar 15, 2009 8:00 PM CDT
Email
PrintI am going to have a small section of links for people want to gather more information about players. I can update this and add other links as people post them.
Draft picks for 2009: 2-1st round, 0-2nd round. The picks will likely be between 12-17 and 24-26.
Post-away
Links to mock draft sites:
Things to think about:
height is not a very useful metric
Quality of player vs pick, relative to the 1st pick of the draft
NBA draft success and lessons --- part 2
Expected performace -- pick 13-15: 18% chance of a star; Pick 25-27: 40% chance of a rotation or better player
Best drafting teams over the last 20 years Bulls at 19th
FanPosts are user-created posts from the BlogABull community, and are to be treated as the opinions and views of that particular user, not that of the blogger or blog community as a whole.
128 comments
|
9 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
My thoughts
Unfortunately, while I think this team is really deep, I think our depth is more expensive than it is worth. I could see the Bulls actually keeping both of these draft picks and taking highly-productive, low-potential role players in order to eventually get salary relief for 2010.
I am only really high on Gerald Henderson, DeJuan Blair, and DaJuan Summers. I like Henderson because I think he could be like a better version of Thabo (not quite the shot blocker). Blair is huge and his offensive rebounding numbers are not matched by anyone in any recent year; the only one ever close was Paul Millsap. I like Summers because I realize that Deng is not as good as I thought he was and Summers might be a little more complete of a player (but probably not).
I wouldn't care about the draft just yet as a Bulls fan
I’m still under the impression that they’re gonna trade the picks away.
At least it’s what I’m hoping for
They should probably use the picks.
You need guys on cheap rookie contracts for depth. One of the most over looked components of the Boston trades was the number of guys they still had on cheap rookie contracts who were out performing their contracts. If the Bulls are going to pay out a max contract in 2010 then they need a few guys on cheap rookie deals. Obviously if a pick is the reason a trade gets done that’s fine, but the Bulls should be planning on drafting guys with those picks.
by Scotter on Feb 20, 2009 7:20 PM CST up reply actions 5 recs
Agreed
The Lakers are also a decent example of building through the draft (though watching Luke Walton makes me think even I have a chance to make a roster)
"He's not scared to take that shot," Rose said. "That's Larry. No matter what, I don't need to remind him to shoot. He's willing to shoot any time."
The Lakers are a terrible example of building through the draft...
Kobe, Gasol, Odom, all drafted by other teams and traded to the Lakers (Kobe for Divac btw). And while Fisher was drafted by the Lakers he played for Utah 2 years ago (Acquired via trade again).
Bynum is a good fit, but he doesn’t even play half the time.
Historically the Lakers have had their success through trades (Shaquille O’neal anyone?)
"So long Noc, we hardly knew ya."
by Khalid El-Amin on Feb 21, 2009 10:22 AM CST up reply actions
I'm not talking about
their star players, but rather guys like Vujacic, Farmar, and Walton — all guys that, to a lesser extent, helped get the team to the championship. You make a good point about Fisher leaving. However, if you view Kobe as a former Charlotte Hornet, go right ahead.
"He's not scared to take that shot," Rose said. "That's Larry. No matter what, I don't need to remind him to shoot. He's willing to shoot any time."
I don't view Kobe as a Hornet...
I’m just saying they didn’t draft him. Kobe was unique when he came out in that he wouldn’t play for the team that drafted him (Steve Francis did the same). To say that the Lakers were anything but lucky for that circumstance is just false. They traded for him.
"So long Noc, we hardly knew ya."
by Khalid El-Amin on Feb 21, 2009 11:00 AM CST up reply actions
Yeah...
O.K. The Lakers got where they through the draft, they are a bunch of geniuses. Nevermind the fact that Kobe wouldn’t play for Charlotte. What awesome talent evaluation they must have in that organization.
Trading for Shaq was a stroke of genius too, who woulda thought he would dominate? Certainly not the other team that drafted him #1 overall.
Remind me again how many titles Kobe has won by himself by the way?
"So long Noc, we hardly knew ya."
by Khalid El-Amin on Feb 21, 2009 11:32 AM CST up reply actions
They did NOT trade for Shaq.
He came as a free agent to the Lakers. He is one of the very few examples of a FA going somewhere besides the team that drafted them in their prime.
Shaq simply couldn’t resist the draw of Hollywood. The end result…… Kazaam and Steel. And we are all better for it.
They're after our precious bodily fluids
We are.
Best. Movies. Ever.
If Steel’s a movie. :P
"You remember the first time you picked up a basketball video game and you had no idea how to run plays, so you just gave the ball to your shooter and you ran around the court aimlessly until a defender was far enough away and then you jacked up a shot? THAT IS LARRY HUGHES!"
-Anonymous fan letter, heylarryhughespleasestoptakingsomanybadshots.com
You are kidding right?
Shaquille O’Neal from the Lakers to Miami for Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, Caron Butler and a draft pick.
It was a sign and TRADE.
"So long Noc, we hardly knew ya."
by Khalid El-Amin on Mar 17, 2009 10:10 AM CDT up reply actions
MY BAD...
Totally wrong on my part.
It’s been ages since I’ve seen this post, and I had my “Shaq eras” confused.
You were talking about FROM Orlando, and I was talking about TO Miami.
Apologies.
"So long Noc, we hardly knew ya."
by Khalid El-Amin on Mar 17, 2009 10:14 AM CDT up reply actions
then
they had to go and trade Butler for Kwame Brown.
facepalm
I am like your Dan Aykroyd and biglow would be Jane, the ignorant slut. -Chad
Also...
FYI,
Sasha is a career 5.3 points per game.
Walton is 5.6
Farmar is 7
Between the three of them they average about 7 points and 18 minutes a game. Hardly an eye popping core, every one of them expendable.
Rebounds and assists are just as average too.
"So long Noc, we hardly knew ya."
by Khalid El-Amin on Feb 21, 2009 11:57 AM CST up reply actions
* That should have read...
18 points in 53 minutes.
Apologies.
"So long Noc, we hardly knew ya."
by Khalid El-Amin on Feb 21, 2009 12:04 PM CST up reply actions
What's your point?
They are meant to be replacement level players, the positive is that they are on cheap contracts. Rondo, Perkins, Powe, and Big Baby all contributed to a title, and if LA wins one this year their bench will get a lot of credit as well. He was talking about how LA did a good job of adding bench depth through the draft, not assembling a contender.
Vinny Del Negro interviewed for the job today. I mean come on! Nobody else thinks this is nuts?
by Juiceboxjerry on Jun 6, 2008 4:21 PM CDT actions actions 0 recs
by Ozzie Montana on Feb 21, 2009 2:29 PM CST up reply actions
The point is that Walton, Sasha, and Farmar...
Aren’t a “good example of building through the draft”. They are three average players who could easily be replaced if needed.
I realize that’s the point (they are replacement players), but don’t tell me that the Lakers have done a good job building through the draft then. They have done no better than anyone else, they just happen tp have one of the top players on the planet leading them.
In fact I would say the Bulls might even draft better than the Lakers.
"So long Noc, we hardly knew ya."
by Khalid El-Amin on Feb 21, 2009 5:02 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I disagree.
Often times, teams luck into franchise players through the draft. You need a complete team to win and you need to bring in quality guys that can work within your system and then develop them. So teams that get players and develop them into a solid bench player/rotation player is a combination of good drafting and good coaching. The Bulls problem is that we don’t have a system or plan. Sure, we may be picking guys with some talent, but do they fit together? And we certainly aren’t developing them or coaching them well.
The reason I throw those picks out there
Is cause I’m pretty convinced Bosh will be available via trade and the picks are there to use them on him
As Scotter said...
…they shouldn’t let keeping the picks be the deal-breakers in any trade, but they really aren’t going to be good enough picks to be any sort of centerpiece of a deal. A No. 5 pick is one thing. A No. 15 pick is something different. And a No. 25 pick is something completely different. Toronto would want established players before they even thought of asking for those picks.
Viva la nuance! Reading comprehension rules!!!
Eh...
Portland seems to like buying up draft picks (regardless of where they fall), and that seems like a decent destination for Kirk someday too.
"So long Noc, we hardly knew ya."
by Khalid El-Amin on Feb 21, 2009 10:24 AM CST up reply actions
I was just saying...
Kirk packaged with a bunch of picks might be nice for a team that seems to collect them every year. I see what you are saying though, in that scenario Kirk would be the centerpiece.
"So long Noc, we hardly knew ya."
by Khalid El-Amin on Feb 21, 2009 11:34 AM CST up reply actions
My thoughts exactly
The thought of Kirk plus something along the lines of the number 15 and 25 picks is a much sweeter proposal
If Bosh really does become available...
I’m not going to be heart broken that we might have to give up BJ Mullens or DeJuan Blair. But the chance that A, Bosh becomes available and B, we actually get him through trade has to be more unlikely than the chance that we use these picks. If we get Bosh, then we can celebrate.
Good pickups
We need a good backup PG cause Hunter isn’t gonna cut it. I’d go for Jonny Flynn from Syracuse, fast as hell, pass first, decent defender
Also I like Blair, he’s very short for a PF but he’s wide. Look at Barkley or Maxiell. If you have body, you can make up for the height.
You don't make basketball plays with the top of your head
I feel like I always link this article around draft time, but now works just fine as well. It obviously relates to another draft class, but the point is the same. (Tyrus woooooooo! No wait, that’s not the point.)
That Maxiell fell as far as he did reflects a lack of understanding (at least at that time) amongst GMs regarding what metrics are relevant in terms of “height”.
"You ain’t as hot as I is / all of these false prophets is not messiahs /
You don’t know how high the sky is / the square mileage of earth or what pi is." - Nas
Linked
The only thing that bothers me about his article is the discrepancy between Tyrus Thomas “true height” and Rudy Gay’s. Thomas is .75" longer and Gay jumped about an inch higher than Thomas, yet Tyrus’s “true height” is 3" greater than Gay’s. I think Tyrus plays bigger than Gay, but he says True height is based on
consideration to height, and also including vertical leap, in addition to standing reach.
Has Maxiell really outperformed his draft slot?
I think he’s a good player, but he’s played 16.3mpg career and was beaten out for the starting PF spot by Amir Johnson. I doubt many GMs are pissing themselves over skipping over him.
To me, height is a huge issue for an interior player. In recent years, some undersized players like Boozer and Millsap have had good stretches in spite of their height, but it’s almost impossible to be a force defensively (Tyrus being the main exception) and it’s equally hard to create your own shot out of the post (Boozer being the main exception).
He's done better than a lot of people taken before him at least :]
He hasnt under performed thats for sure. If we could get a solid back up PF to play 16min per game with pick 25 or so @ an avg of like $1.5mil over 5 years, that wouldn’t be too shabby would it?
Blair is a beast, but I’d kinda expect someone will take him earlier than that, after the tourney and all that. Seems like a lot of his game is out positioning and out working his opponents for boards, which wont be nearly as easy in the NBA. But you’ve got to admire it at least.
If you think we need a good backup PG, especially one with defensive prowess: Toney Douglas.
The very young FSU team has been quietly been terrific this year, and it’s all bc of it’s anchor pg, senior TD. I’ve never seen a college baller play D with such a combination of intelligence and aggressiveness. His lateral quickness and containment skills are off the charts. And he’s an offensive beast, too, able to create for others and himself, or hit the clutch shot with a hand in his face. I don’t think he’s on anyone’s draft board right now, but I think he’ll start to appear after the ACC, and NCAA tourney. He would be a steal in the 2nd round. (I know we don’t have a 2nd rounder). Who knows, he might even fall out of the draft.
Check him out. Possible ACC player of the year, possible Bob Cousy award winner, scoring 22 ppg in the ACC, leading the ACC in steals, can drive-shoot-and-stroke it from deep, muscular 6’2" with explosiveness, 80% + free throw shooter, the definition of clutch, and a good kid and great floor leader.
I can’t think of a better/cheaper backup for Derrick Rose. And I don’t see us using a 1st round pick on a PG prospect when we could get TD later or after the draft. Hopefully Johnny is watching the ACC tourney…
I like Sam Young from Pitt
He’s got good size at 6’6", can hit the three with consistency, and is very athletic. Seems to be able to guard 2’s, 3’s and small 4’s. He’d be a good swing man off the bench in the Posey mold.
He’ll probably be around in the late first/early second round.
He's even better than that
The performance against Uconn on Saturday was the 2nd best performance I have seen from an NBA ready individual this season besides some of Blake Griffins 40 and 20 type games.
Sam Young doesnt get the pub that Lavance Fields or Blair get but he is the best pro prospect on the team. In one strech against UConn Saturday he had two corner 3s and he posted a player up spun around and dunked at the rim. That is the definition of what an NBA 3 needs to do to be successul in the NBA. He needs to be able to finish at the rim in transition and hit the corner 3 when the pg and center/pf are running pick and roll. Young is also not labled a weak defender or anything.
I don’t see how teams are going to pass on a real NBA sf once Earl Clark( a prospect worth the chance) is gone. I see him 10-14. Player I compare him to is Danny Granger with a little less quickness of the bounce.
He'll probably slide quite a ways down the draft boards because he's already 23 years old.
Not much upside there.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 10, 2009 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions
I dont watch college basketball
but i was intrigued by the following…..can anyone shed some light on them….
Earl Clark (a sf who from what i read might be a great backup to deng)
Gerald Henderson (a tall(er) sg who is considered very athletic and explosive, meaning a good finisher, a guy who will attack the rim)
B.J. Mullans (a 7 foot center with an nba body, who has a solid offensive game…so joakim but flip the defensive/offensive talents?)
Evan Turner (thabo but with more confidence, a bit younger, and leadership potential…maybe a brandon roy like player?>)
On Behalf of Sue, Wjb, majoyenrac, Bullshooter and all the other Hinrich fans...Ill keep the Hinrich Hope coming...There will be light!
I tend to look at their production
I question Clark’s ability to score in the NBA, he doesn’t have that great of a shot (63% FT, 26% 3P). He gets a ton of props for being a good passer, but he’s way too turn-over prone, with an A:TO of 1.1. Overall, I think he’s an athletic player that is overrated.
I’d rather not gamble on a player like Mullens. Centers are the biggest gamble (see DX article) and one that was not successful in the NCAA is an even bigger gamble. If we had no needs, then he’s a perfect fit, but I think we need to draft a wing or a strong productive big-man.
Turner I think is smaller better version of Clark, jack-of-all trades player. Still though, he has a lot of turn-overs and doesn’t shoot that much better. He is a year younger and seems to have improved a lot over the last year, so there is hope. I would be sad if we drafted Clark, I wouldn’t be if we drafted Turner.
Finally, I like Henderson, a lot. I don’t think he’ll score that well in the NBA, but his defense will translate. His shooting has improved a lot from last year, so I am hopeful that he’ll keep getting better. I am hoping he’ll be an efficient offensive player and a defensive stopper at the sg position.
Man very nice
thanks for the insight…. From what you said i think the two guys im rooting for then are either turner or henderson….
On Behalf of Sue, Wjb, majoyenrac, Bullshooter and all the other Hinrich fans...Ill keep the Hinrich Hope coming...There will be light!
by piccolomair on Feb 22, 2009 11:55 AM CST up reply actions
for reference scotter is high on henderson (i'm guessing that's in context)
context of where the pick will be and what one expects from him
he had a wrist injury last year so it’s possible that his shooting improvement is for real
also, don’t assume explosive and athletic means “great finisher”. Tyrus thomas is the very definition of explosive and athletic and he has never been a great finisher at the pro level
Viva la nuance! Reading comprehension rules!!!
Thanks
I liked what i read about turners leadership ability, but since scotter and jamaicanpi are high on the defensive henderson, i am intrigued by him. Also touche on the explosive and athletic not equaling “great finisher” comment. Although i think from what i read on draftexpress Henderson he already has some great youtube clips of finishing at the rim so im not sure if tyrus appeared to be a better finisher in college but when he came into the nba he found it alot harder since everybody is way stronger….
I know i should probably try to watch these guys’ game but i think im a horrible evaluator of talent (obviously, i mean i think kirk hinrich is an awesome b-baller…)
On Behalf of Sue, Wjb, majoyenrac, Bullshooter and all the other Hinrich fans...Ill keep the Hinrich Hope coming...There will be light!
by piccolomair on Feb 22, 2009 10:39 PM CST up reply actions
"great finisher"
eh i dont know if this translates to the nba but im impressed…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQVo8ZRzZBY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KJ4ojQw940
i like the second link just for the p.o.v. i like the last dunk in the first link cuz, i imagine thats pretty difficult…
On Behalf of Sue, Wjb, majoyenrac, Bullshooter and all the other Hinrich fans...Ill keep the Hinrich Hope coming...There will be light!
by piccolomair on Feb 22, 2009 10:56 PM CST up reply actions
um... yes, highlights do not equal great finishing ability
Viva la nuance! Reading comprehension rules!!!
Earl Clark
I’m from the chicago burbs and go to school at louisville so i’ve watched Earl Clark for 3 years. I think he’s an incredibly gifted player. Our major complaint with him this year (or let’s just say mine. I can’t speak for everyone) is that he seems to consistently play outside his game or at least outside of his strengths (sometimes to the obvious detriment of the team). He declared for the draft last year (after a godly tournament performance) and then withdrew his name. Obviously someone told him that if he worked at developing his 3 point shot and his handling, he could be a lottery pick. If Earl posts someone up, takes the midrange, or drives to the rim off some type of screen, he can be unstoppable at times. 6"10 with a ridiculous wingspan. he creates match up problems all over the floor (granted, i get that won’t be there are the pros). But this year it seems like he’s been trying to force up 3s and to take people off the dribble at the top of the key just to show scouts. If he wanted to play within himself I’m convinced he could be averaging something like 14, 10, 3. Not that he cannot hit the 3 point shot. He’s definitely gotten better at that and even hit some gigantanormous 3s for us this year (vs Pitt and at SU) and he’s not a horrible ball handler. His defensive effort has also stepped up this. However, his flirtation with the draft has also shown up in his effort some this year. I would say look for him to step up big time in the tournament (again) when all eyes are on him. I’ll cheer for him wherever he goes. Doubt he drops to the bulls.
How do you know, though?
I think most scouts probably agree with you. I am curious about your opinion because you probably have seen more Clark than myself. I bias my perspective on Clark by looking at production and he really doesn’t seem to do anything that well. If you look at his per 40 minute pace adjusted stats, he doesn’t score many points, doesn’t shoot well, doesn’t get to the line, isn’t that effective in turns of A:TO ratio. He rebounds and blocks well, but not well enough that I think that he can do either great in the NBA. He’s definitely athletic and not a bad player, but if he doesn’t play to his strengths, how will you know if he can be effective when he does?
we probably should trade the picks, but...
if we had to use them I would probably go with derozen from usc if he is still on the board or curry from davidson with the first pick. with the second pick it’s between sam young from pitt and tyler smith from tenn.
I think Curry is gone before any of our picks
I’m a pretty big fan of Tyler Smith and wouldn’t be disappointed with Young don’t know much about Derozen though. I think Harden is my favorite guard in this draft but last i saw he was expected to go early.
Derrick Rose-2009 ROTY Tyrus Thomas-2009 MIP...hope I'm at least half right
by CHCOWNTHECENTRAL on Feb 22, 2009 10:09 PM CST up reply actions
This is a very crappy 2000 like draft
Blake Griffin come on he is never going to be an all star in the nba. I think he is the second coming of Al Horford. Griffin i’d say is only 6’8" and has t-rex arms. I really don’t think there is anyone worth taking in this draft worth the money, maybe we could get henderson from duke great athlete and is coming on strong, big two guard. BLAKE GRIFFIN IS A HORRIBLE #1 PICK, SHOWS JUST HOW LUCKY WE WE’RE TO GET ROSE NOT BLAKE UNDERSIZED GRIFFIN.
Blake will be fine in the NBA...
Maybe not #1 pick worthy, but a more than decent big if you can get him.
Ricky Rubio will be nice too.
"So long Noc, we hardly knew ya."
by Khalid El-Amin on Feb 25, 2009 11:29 AM CST up reply actions
Al Horford feels disrespected.
Blake Griffin will be an NBA starter, but I don’t see him being an All-Star. Al Horford is very, very good.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Feb 25, 2009 12:21 PM CST up reply actions
Finally something we can agree on...
:)
"So long Noc, we hardly knew ya."
by Khalid El-Amin on Feb 25, 2009 12:40 PM CST up reply actions
I love me some Al Horford. In the draft we got Tyrus in my preference was for
Horford and then Tyrus, but then Horford and Noah opted to stay at UF so Tyrus became my number 1 guy.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Feb 25, 2009 2:43 PM CST up reply actions
Haha... Did he lose you money on a bet or something...
So far every website I’ve been to lists him as 6’10" and has his size as a strength just as ESPN puts it…
“Athletic big man
Great wingspan
Big, soft hands
NBA body”
…Are you sure that you are watching Blake Griffin play and not his shorter brother Taylor Griffin who also plays for OU? Blake Griffin is a monster, he averages 22ppg and 14rpg. Noah and Thomas’s stats didn’t even come close to what Griffin is producing, and Tyrus was taken with the 2nd pick. Never have I seen an article or an interview talking about his height the way they were talking about Michael Beasley last year… so open your eyes and make sure you are watching the right player.
I'd hope that we'd pick players that fit our deficencies.
For instance, the guy I’d want to see us draft in the middle of the first round is DeJuan Blair. Now there’s an exceptionally strong, tough, interior player who can score on the block. We don’t have one of those, and he could come in handy – much like Millsap did before he blew up this year. He could just play 20 minutes a night (again, the Millsap model), bring some scoring, boards, and attitude. I got a chance to see him play against Thabeet. It was an absolute beatdown in both the physical and basketball sense.
Just please: no more duplication of players!!!
The poster formerly known as Freethefro.
Blair will probably be gone when we pick...
I do think as the season and NCAA tournament progresses he’ll move into the top 10. If he isn’t then yeah, I’d take him in a heartbeat.
"So long Noc, we hardly knew ya."
by Khalid El-Amin on Feb 25, 2009 1:10 PM CST up reply actions
It depends on how much we move up, too.
He’s the only player (that we could realistically get) that has me excited. But you’re right: it appears his draft stock and the Bulls pick are moving in opposite directions.
The poster formerly known as Freethefro.
In that case
I hope he ends up measuring 6’6 with a 30 inch vertical. Too short and too gravity bound. Like Paul Millsap. :)
The poster formerly known as Freethefro.
Patrick Patterson is another guy who could be used in this mold
undersized PF who just straight up produces every night. He’s a beast.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Feb 25, 2009 2:45 PM CST up reply actions
In the absence of Blair, yep,
that fits the same need.
The poster formerly known as Freethefro.
he's actually got a little better height than Blair if I'm not mistaken, but I'd still rather have
Blair because he’s a lot more skilled and just is a bull down low. Uses his body extremely well.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Feb 25, 2009 4:24 PM CST up reply actions
Didn't you just describe Tyler Hansbrough ?
He produces every night and is an undersized PF :-)
The Game chose him !
he doesn't have the body or athleticism or length to produce that way on NBA defenses.
Plus, Blair is better than him already and Blair’s a sophomore, whereas Hansbrough is a senior and is the same player he’s been since he entered college.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 10, 2009 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions
Evan Turner
Somewhere between THabo and Roy…..and he should drop into the late lottery at least
On Behalf of Sue, Wjb, majoyenrac, Bullshooter and all the other Hinrich fans...Ill keep the Hinrich Hope coming...There will be light!
Cole Aldrich is a guy I really like.
And I hate all things Kansas, so me wanting the Bulls to look into this guy should tell you something.
He is just a really nice big man. He has pretty good athleticism, he has a mean streak to him. He blocks some shots and rebounds well.
14.8 PPG 10.5 RPG 2.5 BPG on the season.
He’s a sophomore right now. I don’t know whether he will come out, but he’s just an absolute beast of a big man, and if he does come out, we should look into using Thomas or Noah to try to nab him, as well as our draft picks if he comes out. Him and Thomas would actually make an interesting front court defensively. Aldrich could lock down the paint with his good defense, and then you would have a second shot blocker in Thomas out there.
Stephen Curry is another guy I really like. Never can have enough great scorers. I think at the very least, he could be a guy like JR Smith, who might score well every night, but does a decent job, and goes off from time to time, and can be a real game changer that gets you a win.
Chicago Bulls Blog and Forums. NBA Power Rankings.
Stephen Curry will only make it in the NBA as a scoring PG.
It will be impossible for him to defend the SG’s of the NBA, especially alongside Rose. The guy’s like 6’2", 175 lbs, can’t jump, has pretty good handles and is pretty nifty with the ball, getting his shot off all over the court. The difference between he and JR Smith almost couldn’t be starker.
Viva la nuance! Reading comprehension rules!!!
I'll just add
that Curry seems like he’s, you know, not insane.
[As you said, he’s also a lot shorter, and can pass pretty well. The only similarity he has with J.R. Smith is that he can shoot. Ben Gordon is J.R. Smith! Who else can shoot? Ray Allen! Yeah! Reggie Miller! These people are ALL THE SAME!]
"You remember the first time you picked up a basketball video game and you had no idea how to run plays, so you just gave the ball to your shooter and you ran around the court aimlessly until a defender was far enough away and then you jacked up a shot? THAT IS LARRY HUGHES!"
-Anonymous fan letter, heylarryhughespleasestoptakingsomanybadshots.com
Wait, I just saw what you wrote about Aldrich: WHA?!?!
Use Thomas or Noah, two established NBA players PLUS picks, for someone who is barely a Top-10 pick?
Viva la nuance! Reading comprehension rules!!!
We should definitely trade our best PF/C
for a top-15 pick in one of the weakest drafts in memory.
"You remember the first time you picked up a basketball video game and you had no idea how to run plays, so you just gave the ball to your shooter and you ran around the court aimlessly until a defender was far enough away and then you jacked up a shot? THAT IS LARRY HUGHES!"
-Anonymous fan letter, heylarryhughespleasestoptakingsomanybadshots.com
I might hold off on trading Noah.
But Thomas, at this point, wouldn’t be much of a loss at all. He’s simply not producing for us.
Chicago Bulls Blog and Forums. NBA Power Rankings.
In the last 10 games, maybe, but before that he was playing very good basketball. You don't just chuck him
for an unknown quantity in a shit draft. Especially not one that has bust (can a guy with no expectations and hype, be a bust? I digress) written all over him like Cole Aldrich.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 17, 2009 5:36 PM CDT up reply actions
He's a league average player
I don’t understand why you would trade that for a guy who could just as easily take another 3 years to become average.
Confusion breeds success. If they don't know each other, opponents can't have strategy. GENIUS.
by Ozzie Montana on Mar 17, 2009 7:44 PM CDT up reply actions
right and he's a league average player by PER a measure that primarily measures
offensive contributions, and we all know most of his positive effects on the court come from his ability to alter and challenge shots on the defensive end, grab defensive boards, and grab steals, and basically be a terror on defense. He’s not always great on D, but he’s usually pretty good, definitely above average. So we’d be getting rid of a slightly above league average player who’s just 22 for a random scrub who might not and probably won’t ever get to that level. Makes no damn sense.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 17, 2009 10:37 PM CDT up reply actions
But we get Eddy Curry too!
Or something.
"You remember the first time you picked up a basketball video game and you had no idea how to run plays, so you just gave the ball to your shooter and you ran around the court aimlessly until a defender was far enough away and then you jacked up a shot? THAT IS LARRY HUGHES!"
-Anonymous fan letter, heylarryhughespleasestoptakingsomanybadshots.com
I'm thinking picking up a late 2nd round pick somehow...
…and getting Toney Douglas from FSU, or hoping he goes undrafted and picking him afterwards would be an excellent backup point. A great defender of PG’s, an on-the-floor guy who’s still pretty quick, can shoot a little bit, can score in bunches if asked, but seems pretty comfortable running an offense. I think he’d be as good, if not better than, Chris Duhon. And for a pittance.
Viva la nuance! Reading comprehension rules!!!
It's impossible to talk about Euro prospects with any certainty, but...
If we were to draft a pg in the 2nd round I think the numbers (obviously I have never seen him play) that he is putting up are pretty nice. link
Correction: It's impossible to talk about ALL prospects with any certainty.
Says he’s two years away. Maybe not a bad investment to draft-and-stash, but if he’s drafted by a team with a sure-fire PG-of-the-future, maybe he tells the Bulls he’ll just wait out their hold on his draft rights and stay in Europe unless they trade him.
But he also seems like he could be a combo guard, and since the Bulls will have to address the SG position at some point (since they seem intent on letting Ben Gordon go), maybe a semi-promise of 20-25 minutes on a shorter three-year, 2nd-round contract would get him over.
I think Douglas would be just as good, though, and able to contribute right away.
Viva la nuance! Reading comprehension rules!!!
Other than me, anybody hoping
that we draft DeRozan just so that we can pair D. Rose with DeRozan?
"Worker bees can leave.
Even drones can fly away.
The Queen is their slave."
Neil Funk would explode!
Maybe we can (but probably not)?
by Granny Waiters on Mar 15, 2009 12:17 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
That would be hilarious.
I think DeRozan’ll be good in the NBA too, but that name thing is certainly something you can’t ignore. :D
"You remember the first time you picked up a basketball video game and you had no idea how to run plays, so you just gave the ball to your shooter and you ran around the court aimlessly until a defender was far enough away and then you jacked up a shot? THAT IS LARRY HUGHES!"
-Anonymous fan letter, heylarryhughespleasestoptakingsomanybadshots.com
i really like two of the Louisville players...
earl clark and terrence williams. williams would be a good pg/sg backup and if the bulls could get clark at the 15th pick (currently) id be really happy (if we dont trade it away)
Curry
I don’t think he’s a starter. He’d be best suited as a Boobie Gibson 6th man type. He may be able to be a starting PG on a crummy team but he definitely can’t be a starting 2. Ben is short but he is built like a tank. Curry is too willowy. Curry will be successful but probably as a instant offense 6th man.
A few notes on draft prospects and our draft position.
I’m operating on the hope that the Bulls will end up with the 8th seed in the East. So, they would be picking at the #15 slot in the draft, and likely in the late twenties with the Thunder pick from the Thabo trade. The Bulls have two spots that will likely need addressing. The first is another front-court player. According to DraftExpress, Dejuan Blair should still be available when the Bulls are picking at #15. I think they should take him and not look back. He’s only 6’7", but he’s built like a tank and he’s producing at a ridiculously high rate this year and has been all year. I see him in the Millsap mold. He’s only a sophomore and already leads the country in ORb% by a wide margin (24.2% to 18.6% for his nearest competition). He’s 5th in the country in DRb%. It’s been shown over and over again that rebounding rates are the statistic that best translates from college to the pros. At the very least, it’s clear that Blair will, in all likelihood, be tremendous on the glass. I think if he is available, the Bulls should take him.
The next position they will likely need to address is SG because it seems likely, despite the Bulls claims that they WANT to sign Ben Gordon, that they will be unable to. So I suspect they will need to bring in someone to platoon with Salmons at the 2. I’d like to see them take a look at Marcus Thornton from LSU, who DX has going in the early second round. He’s 5th in the country in ORtg among players using at least 28% of possessions at a whopping 118.2 points per 100 possessions. He’s a senior who’s played two years of college ball (he was a JuCo transfer). Last year he was also very efficient, but had issues with shot selection which he has corrected this year. Ed Weiland at HoopsAnalyst had this to say about him:
10. Marcus Thornton, SG LSU: Completely turned his game around to the point where every weakness is gone and every part of his game is solid. He’s led his team to a conference title and likely a high tournament seed. There’s nothing not to like here, so it’s time to start talking about Thornton as the future NBA player he appears to be.
Another possibility is Terrence Williams from Louisville, about whom Weiland said the following:
9. Terence Williams, SF Louisville: He’s starting to score more often and more efficiently, which was his only real weakness. Players who don’t score simply don’t make it very often, so his recent surge of scoring in both quantity and quality that started in mid-January puts him near the top of this group.
Both players should be, according to DX, available in the late first round, and could help to patchup the void left by Ben Gordon, although neither will be perfect fits.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 16, 2009 12:55 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
another possibility that I'm interested in now that Deng has gotten hurt again and has shown
himself to be more committed to playing summer ball for Great Britain than putting in a full season in a Bulls uniform is sending Deng out and drafting a player like Florida’s Nick Calathes. He’s a point-forward with great numbers. He’s shooting 55% on 2 point shots, 41% on 3 pointers and 71% from the FT line. He also gets to the line quite well, with a FT-rate of 48% (he got to the line equally as well last year as a freshman). For reference, as a freshman at Duke, Deng’s FT-rate was only 24. So, Calathes gets to the line twice as often as Deng per shot attempt at the same stage and shoots the same FT at the same age (they both shot 71% as freshman). He’s got a sparkling 60 TS% and one of the best Assist rates in the country at 36%. On top of all that, his A:TO ratio was 2+ as a freshman and is right at 1.9 this year. He’s a fantastic player, but it’s unclear whether or not he’ll come out this year. If the Bulls have lost faith in Deng or his ability to stay healthy, he could be a great replacement. His ability to shoot from deep and to get to the line, as well as his great court vision could make him a better complement to Rose than Deng has appeared to be thus far. On the downside, he’s a slightly worse rebounder than Deng 6.3 per pace adjusted 40 for NC versus 6.9 per pace adjusted 40 for Deng in their respective freshman seasons in college. Another knock on Calathes is that he’s been playing point guard for the Gators instead of at SF where he is likely to play as a pro, so it’s unclear how his numbers will translate when he starts playing against athletes more his size. He’s one I’ve got my eye on though. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Knicks grabbed him to run the point in D’Antoni’s system.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 16, 2009 2:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Calathes is listed in college at 6'5". Unless he's grown two inches, he's a PG in the NBA.
Viva la nuance! Reading comprehension rules!!!
yeah, the Calathes idea was just something outside of the box I was thinking about, but I suspect
he’ll end up just being a huge PG in the NBA and wherever he goes they will take advantage of that. I thought he was listed at 6’6", but it appears I was mistaken. DX has him, as you say, listed at 6’5".
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 16, 2009 7:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Drafting seniors? Eh
Thornton and Williams will both be 22 by draft day. Looking through the drafts since underclassmen started jumping in swarms, seniors typically bust and bust hard, save for Brandon Roy and that’s about it.
I wrote a crappy Draft Projection post on my blog last year, but one of the consistent red flags were players who weren’t good as sophomores but who were great as seniors – they never pan out. Thornton was in JUCO as a sophomore (hard to say anything either way about that, but how many JUCO players ever do anything?) and Williams was averaging .96 points per shot.
Consider where we are drafting
We probably have the 25-26th pick if SI (click on “first round picks”) is correct. We’ll be lucky if we get someone who can be a rotation player, which is why I think drafting a senior might make sense. The trick to good drafting at this crappy position seems to be drafting guards/wings and not “potential” players.
agreed, drafting seniors at the top of the draft board = bad.
drafting seniors at the bottom of the draft board = not so bad.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 16, 2009 6:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Do the Bulls have a 2nd round pick this year, or was that part of the Asik deal?
Confusion breeds success. If they don't know each other, opponents can't have strategy. GENIUS.
by Ozzie Montana on Mar 16, 2009 7:42 PM CDT up reply actions
they don't have one this year.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 16, 2009 7:47 PM CDT up reply actions
yeah, the pickin's are slim when it comes to 2 guards in the draft. Especially late. I don't know
that those guys would be considered “busts” if they were to be drafted late and then didn’t end up amounting to much. I like Thornton a lot more than I like Williams because… well, Williams hasn’t shown the ability to score efficiently whereas Thornton has and Thornton has great stats on the other things that typically are indicators of an NBA level player (steals, blocks, rebounds, etc.). Another guy I would look at is Danny Green from UNC. Green is a very good defender, an excellent shooter, rebounds the ball well. He also does well and has always done well on the proxies for athleticism (blocks and steals). He’s got NBA size at 6’6" with excellent wingspan and leaping ability. Seemingly the only knock on him is that his scoring numbers per pace adjusted 40 minutes aren’t that great (i.e. he scores less than 20 points per pace adjusted 40, which is typically a red flag for SGs). However, I chalk that up to his playing on a loaded UNC team with Lawson, Ellington, and Hansbrough taking a majority of the shots. His ORtg of 128.4 ranks 34th in the entire country. And his TS% (your fave stat) has been .544, .537, .587, .627. He clearly jumped up a level as an efficient scorer his junior year and appears to have done that again this year.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 16, 2009 5:58 PM CDT up reply actions
Green's actually not known as a great athlete, especially as a leaper.
He does have a 6-10 wingspan, though, which helps with the rebounding, blocking, stealing. I see him as better-shooting Rip Hamilton. The only thing that’s keeping him so far down the draft board is what you discussed above: the need for that “potential” and emphasis on younger talent or bigger potential. Green lacks the athleticism to be anything “special”, but he’d be a nice fit next to Rose.
If the Bulls somehow turned Thomas and Deng into Bosh, I think of:
Rose (Toney Douglas, please)
_______
Green
Bosh (Blair)
Noah (Asik)
is one starting SG away (and either a better SF, or another wing tweener) from being really fucking great. Of course, if they kept Gordon this summer, got rid of Hinrich and Deng while getting Bosh, they might just be sitting damn pretty.
Viva la nuance! Reading comprehension rules!!!
that's a lot of stuff to have to pull off, but kudos to Pax if he gets it done.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 16, 2009 9:10 PM CDT up reply actions
Well, it is a lot, but it's one step at a time, right?
(I forgot they didn’t have a 2nd-rounder, but I couldn’t imagine it’d “cost” that much to get one for Douglas). Draft Blair and Green, that’s luck and wanting those guys—not sure if they do, but that’s easy if they want it, either happens or don’t. Trading for Chris Bosh: I don’t think it’s going to happen, but I couldn’t imagine too many deals based on “talent” being better than Deng and Thomas and future draft picks. Of course, Deng and Thomas might be my two favorite players so I’m certainly over-estimating them in the minds of many.
If they did that, which could happen before the official free agency period begins, then you go back to Gordon, tell him they’re trading Hinrich at some point, he’s the for sure, for sure starter forever and ever and they can offer him more money than anyone. Do a lot of groveling.
Trade Hinrich for expiring contracts at that point.
The key, of course, is getting Bosh. It ain’t happening. But if it did, as some seem to think, I don’t think any of the other stuff is all that hard.
Viva la nuance! Reading comprehension rules!!!
Agreed, getting Bosh is the big issue with that plan, but if we're not getting
a player of Bosh’s caliber to pair with Rose, well then we’re not competing for titles anytime soon and Pax might as well resign (you know, barring Tyrus Thomas somehow becoming an elite player all of a sudden AND Luol Deng remaining healthy and playing at his top level for the rest of his career). I think that Deng, Tyrus and future picks would be a pretty nice haul for the Raptors, especially considering the likelihood that Bosh walks in 2010 for nothin’.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 16, 2009 10:33 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, it's easy for me to say it's crazy just to hedge my bets...
….but Bosh leaving this summer might not be that crazy at all. Almost likely. And the value of Thomas and Deng largely resides in what a GM thinks of Del Negro as a coach.
Viva la nuance! Reading comprehension rules!!!
re: Green's leaping ability, maybe I was overestimating it based on his YouTube-ization
of Greg Paulus and other Dookies by dunking on their heads. But at 6’6" with a 6’10" wingspan, I suppose he doesn’t really need to leap that high to make someone into a poster or YouTube video.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 16, 2009 9:12 PM CDT up reply actions
Saw Harden vs. USC
He had a bad game – that happens, and I don’t want to judge him too much after one game. But he tried on several occasions down the stretch to drive to the lane and never got anywhere. In three games this year against the athletic USC guards he’s shot 8/23 and averaged 7.7ppg in 36mpg.
Harden will not be available when we draft. If he was, we should snatch him up in a heartbeat. He's ridiculously good.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 16, 2009 5:59 PM CDT up reply actions
Definitely. Next to Rose??? Bye-bye Gordon. Get out from under Deng's deal...
…see if Thomas and Noah can make it, but if not, re-build with a stud backcourt. that’s 20 years old.
Viva la nuance! Reading comprehension rules!!!
2009 DX mock draft players not in the NCAA tournament
From the 1st round and bubble:
Stephen Curry
Greg Monroe
Patrick Patterson
Craig Brackins
Jerome Jordan
Michael Washington
DaJuan Summers
Marcus Thornton
These players will all have reduced visibility going into the draft and their stocks could fall because of that.
Marcus Thornton is in the tournament. LSU is an 8 seed.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 17, 2009 11:07 AM CDT up reply actions
Good catch
I hope his draft stock doesn’t improve too much. It shouldn’t since he is a senior and has already been heavily scouted.
yeah, me too. I think he could be a real steal given how efficient he is as a scorer and shooter,
that he has pretty decent size at 6’4" 200 lbs, and that he does very well per pace adjusted 40 in the very important categories of blocks, steals, and rebounds. I’d love to take a chance on him in the late first round. DX has his ceiling as Jason Terry (not bad at all for a late pick) and his floor as Rashad McCants (again not bad at all as a floor. McCants is an NBA player who still gets minutes in the league, even if he’s a below average player at his position. Getting any sort of contributor that late in the draft is a win).
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 17, 2009 5:40 PM CDT up reply actions
McCants is Ben Gordon, only physically unable to pass.
Also … something else. I think he’s worse at everything, but not by that much. He can score points.
Oh, he’s also a human sieve on defense.
"You remember the first time you picked up a basketball video game and you had no idea how to run plays, so you just gave the ball to your shooter and you ran around the court aimlessly until a defender was far enough away and then you jacked up a shot? THAT IS LARRY HUGHES!"
-Anonymous fan letter, heylarryhughespleasestoptakingsomanybadshots.com
so Ben Gordon if he was bad at playing basketball
…which is to say, not Ben Gordon at all.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 18, 2009 3:11 PM CDT up reply actions
Well,
he’s like Ben Gordon if BG was like how people think he is.
You know, the stupid ones.
That’s what I was trying to say.
"You remember the first time you picked up a basketball video game and you had no idea how to run plays, so you just gave the ball to your shooter and you ran around the court aimlessly until a defender was far enough away and then you jacked up a shot? THAT IS LARRY HUGHES!"
-Anonymous fan letter, heylarryhughespleasestoptakingsomanybadshots.com
memphis connection
i wouldn’t mine seeing tyreke evans in a bulls uniform. or maybe even bj mullen if we could include tyrus in a trade for a star big man. evan turner would probably be a good pick up too. it could go a lot of different ways this year.
How do any of those players fit well with the Bulls team?
I like watching a lot of players, but I don’t think they all fit in well with Rose and the team. I am not saying they don’t fit, but I just don’t see how the complement our current crop of players or Rose (if we trade everyone else)?
evans is a 6’6 shooting guard who could create his own shot and also likes to run. if we lose ben he would be a good pick coming in after salmons. bj mullen is a 7 foot tyrus thomas. the same things tyrus brings to the bulls i think he could do the same. and turner could also create his own shot, play d, create for others and rebound. he could do it all. you can never have to many players who can create.
by FUTURE12 on Mar 18, 2009 2:56 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Turner actually intrigues me, and a strong tourney performance might catch Paxson's heart.
Evans is a 6’5" PG, though. And Mullens does not bring the same thing Thomas does. I’ve compared them in contrasting ways, though: Both are good athletes, although, Thomas much, much more so than Mullens. Mullens doesn’t play D but sprints back on offense. Thomas doesn’t sprint on offense but will randomly D up the PG bringing the ball up the court.
Viva la nuance! Reading comprehension rules!!!
yeah, out of the three evan turner would probably bring more to the team and i think tyreke evans is a shooting guard. he could run point but anderson is the point guard for memphis. an as i think about it you’re right about bj mullen, tyrus does bring more but not much more.
Just noticed this, but...
Evidently Evan Turner is from Chicago. He went to St. Joseph’s high school. That just makes me like him more :)
It's not just "more" between Mullens and Thomas, it's completely different.
One plays offense and no defense. One plays defense and is not very good on offense.
Anderson is not the point guard. If you’ve paid attention at all (obviously you haven’t, and that’s okay, but then you shouldn’t talk about it), Memphis has not lost a game since Calipari moved Tyreke Evans to PG. Calipari made the case this past weekend that his team should get a No. 1 seed because their coach was dumb and didn’t have Evans at PG. You can read more here, if you don’t believe me.
Viva la nuance! Reading comprehension rules!!!
How about somebody figuring out how our picks could be used by Toronto
in case we trade for Bosh.
Marcus Thornton Update:
Against BYU today -
30 points on 15 shots, 3 offensive boards, 6 total boards, 4 assists, 4 steals and just 1 turnover in 36 minutes. That’s fantastic.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 19, 2009 4:53 PM CDT reply actions
should also mention, he got to the line 8 times, making 7 of them.
and went 3 for 4 from deep.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 19, 2009 4:54 PM CDT up reply actions
yes, you are correct. I was mixing up the teams I missed on in my bracket. Got both those games wrong. D'oh!
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 19, 2009 5:38 PM CDT up reply actions
Evan Turner
Well we saw the last game for Evan Turner (assuming he puts his name in the draft).
In a double over-time (he played all 50 minutes) he put up 25 points, 8-18, hit 2 threes, got to the line 8 times, 8 assists, 9 boards, 2 steals, 2 blocks. Impressive numbers, but he really didn’t look that good. I think if we land him we’ll be lucky, but his ball handling ability seems questionable. When Sienna pressed every Ohio State guard looked bad, including Turner.
Evan turner is leaning towards not entering the draft
Evan Turner: "My plan is to have a good offseason, gain 10 pounds, come back and win a Big Ten championship, a Big Ten tournament championship and an NCAA championship," he said. "My teammates and I didn’t want to come here and just do four years for no reason. We wanted to come here and leave a legacy of winning. That’s why you play the game."
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Days of NBA Lives: Wherein Roy Hibbert tap-dances to Maine
- Grizzlies Valentine’s Day cards are the key to love
- Kevin Love would like the NBA to take the MLB’s approach on All-Star games
- Kobe Bryant fires a few hilarious salvos at Jeremy Lin
- Brandon Jennings states the obvious regarding his 2014 free agency, everyone goes nuts
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
