Tough to tell….though I liked the synopsis (especially the healthy Indiana team thought)…

I certainly hope we aren’t being fooled. There seems to be a lot more pure talent on this roster with real upside (vs smart, system oriented players not great on pure god-given talent, but guys who knew the game and their role, that had folks going crazy about us after the Heat series). I do also think that the current Celtics team is far better than that Heat team was with a 60% D. Wade on it—funny how folks are downgrading the Magic so much right now…..as they are a team full of streaky outside shooters (enough of them too to be deadly) and the best C/big in the game…..neither team is poor….yet to here, it’s all the West and Cavs right now. THe Magic did, last I remember win 59 games this year….and sure Nelson’s hurt, but come on in Nov, nobody would have made a big deal about Jameer being hurt, he was just the guy stepping up, now it’s back to Hedo and Rashard….

Anyway, yeah I think that Celtics team without KG still has 2 superstars (Allen and Pierce) 1 up and coming star who if he shot a bit better from the outside might have superstar on him too (Rondo) and a nice cast of role players (Perkins, Davis, etc)….they aren’t a rollover…..

Anyway, this team has upside so long as Tyrus, Noah and especially Rose improve, and those are 3 of the most talented soon to be 2nd-4th year players in the entire league, so that’s why it’s nice to think glowingly about us….but again Noah (conditioning) and Tyrus (bball IQ) can be frustrating….don’t forget though that we were awfully banged up this year (Deng pretty much 70% of the year though he played in some games hurt), Gooden, Nocioni, Kirk Hinrich, etc.

Hopefully too Harris and Bickerstaff can work more with Vinny to get more out of him.

I’m just curious because most of your points are things I’ve thought of too. I’m cautiously optimistic, but after 2007 I’m leaning towards the cautious side. I think 43 wins is the over/under at the moment… depending on the off season of course! In the east that isn’t going to be that bad, but it might only be good enough for the 4-5 seed

Do you think that if we determine we can’t get Bosh, we should make sure to sign Boozer so Detroit can’t get him? Are there any other free agents we should target this off season?

I definitely think that the East will be better next year and if Paxson thinks he can get by with VDN and the logjam in the backcourt again, we will surely return to the Boylan era. McGraw had a great column about VDN’s failure to use Tyrus down the stretch against BOS. I am willing to part with him in any trade that nets an elite four, but am comfortable with him going forward, as long as the team has him playing 35-38 minutes a night.

BG needs to be resigned – hopefully at a price that does not completely break the bank. The Hinrich to Minnesota (for cap relief in the form of non-guaranteed 2nd round picks) or GS (for a young big) deals should be pursued. I don’t have a read on Salmons, so I don’t know how he would feel about being the swing SG/SF, but surely there are thirty minutes a game backing up BG and Deng.

Hopefully, the Bulls prevail upon Deng to stay home this year and away from the GB national team. With the way that defenses were zoning up Rose at the end of the year and in the playoffs, it should reignite Luol’s weakside slashing game – largely lost in VDN’s horrific half court offense.

We will need to identify a legitimate backup PG and sturdy PF to stabilize the second unit and provide a little interior defense and lateral movement (with apologies to Brad Miller).

I would love for Pax to come to his senses and get Eddie Jordan in here – some of his Princeton concepts would surely complement our up and down game. Vinny should have to answer for the fact that there were not 3-5 baseline alley oops in the playbook for Tyrus Thomas…or how about the fact that he almost never put players in a position to succeed. I fear, however, that he will not be held accountable until the twentieth game (as many here have suggested) and we will have another wasted year with the Harris / Bickerstaff combo at the helm.

I waitin for that year to determine the next 10…

I think Detroit makes some big moves this offseason. I could see them signing BG and getting a 4, maybe an Amare, maybe a Boozer. Maybe they’ll deal Prince.

Even if Washington gets Blake Griffin, I believe the Bulls will be better than that team. I’m not sure that Washington team gets in the playoffs while I expect the Bulls to challenge for home court in the first round.

We will be better than a healthy Indiana.

Philly is a clusterfuck. Elton Brand slowed that team down, Andre Miller is probably gone, and they can’t dump Dalembert. And do they even have a coach yet? I think Philly has the potential to miss the playoffs next year, but it really depends on how this offseason pans out.

We will be better than Charlotte, but how much better depends on what Charlotte ends up with in the draft. If they get Griffin and get something in return for a deal involving Felton, that team can challenge for the playoffs.

I expect Toronto to rebound this year but how much so depends on the draft. In other words, I expect them to be better but not necessarily a lock for the playoffs. And this is assuming they keep Bosh.

I don’t see Miami as an improving team unless they get a breakout year from Beasley or a big name in return for him, like an Amare or a Bosh. Do you try to reunite Bosh with O’Neal again? Does Amare push them past Orlando?

I think Milwaukee will be a markedly different team personnel-wise by the time the season starts. I don’t see them going into next year with Redd and Jefferson both on that roster. I think they’re closer to rebuilding than challenging for the playoffs.

As much as I hate to say it, Big Baby broke out. Everyone mentions Rondo, but the Celts frontline is decimated. No KG, no Powe, and Big Baby basically doubles his regular season output at this high level of competition. I think Boston is legit, think they will win the Orlando series, and think they can take 2 games, maybe 3 from Cleveland. I’m not kidding. I could be way wrong.

No need to mention the Nets and the Knicks.

I am bullish on the Bulls, even moreso should they retain BG. If BG is happy with his contract, I could see him coming off the bench but still getting his 30+. A backcourt bench of BG and Hinrich is absolutely sick, though clearly a luxury. I fully expect them to address the 4 position, don’t expect to see Tyrus back, expect to see more lineups with Salmons and Deng playing together, expect a signficant leap from Rose and Noah (assuming he is not involved in a deal), and think the Bulls will actually have a chance to get something of value with the #16 or be able to package it in a deal; it won’t be a waste.

The biggest thing is do the Bulls manage to land an offensive stud at the 4? Though Bosh is not a post presence. Amare really isn’t either but he is a power player. This assumes that Amare can see. I’d rather have Bosh, don’t get me wrong.

Hinrich – Gordon – Deng were quality young players, but they were limited. You see their statistical APMs, and really only Hinrich had the potential to become a +4 / +5 player. Deng and Gordon didn’t pass enough, and weren’t good enough defenders. Deng didn’t have the athleticism, Gordon the frame.

Rose – Tyrus – Noah is at another level, frame-wise and athletically. Rose and Noah can both be +4 / +5 players, maybe higher, and Tyrus still has more upside than Gordon or Deng ever had. While the 2007 Bulls scratched and clawed defensively to get to 49 wins, the 2009 Bulls barely played defense, had Gooden and Hughes for half the season, and still got to 41-41.

I wouldn’t worry about next year’s Bulls, Rose and Noah are pretty awesome.