The New Chicago Bulls Core
by Bart71 on Jun 28, 2009 12:47 PM CDT
37 comments
The draft of James Johnson and Taj Gibson will push Loul Deng and Tyrus Thomas
It has been suggested that the drafting of James Johnson has put Tyrus Thomas on notice. I think this is true, but I also think that more should be discussed on how the James Johnson pick will affect Loul Deng.
I believe that Johnson will start. Where he starts will depend on how well Gibson plays. I think Johnson already is able to overtake Deng or Thomas in the starting line up.
The days of Hinrich, Gordon, and Deng being the future of the Bulls is over. The new core is going to be Rose, Johnson and Noah. Taj Gibson could be a poor mans Garnett. Not in terms of offense, but he could anchor the defense in ways that Tyrus Thomas absolutely could not. If Taj Gibson can stop Harden on consecutive pick and rolls then that means that he is valuable in a league that uses pick and rolls and is more point guard oriented.
Taj is older, but it is also been said that his is very mature and will stay within himself. Taj Gibson likes to defend and if left open can shoot a 15ft jumper. If these attributes translate quickly then Gibson will overtake Tyrus Thomas. If it takes time then he will come off of the bench.
Johnson is too big and athletic for Deng and is way more skilled. He fits better with Rose. A pick and roll with Rose and Johnson should be deadly. This is why I think Johnson will start. He can create his own shot so even with Rose on the bench we will still have a person on the court who will command a double team which is key.
Johnson vs Thomas is going to be very intriquing. Down the stretch, when Cleveland was in Chicago, Tyrus Thomas locked down Lebron James. Johnson does have an edge on Tyrus in skill set, but Tyrus is definitely more athletic. If Johnson is hungry enough he can overtake Tyrus because Tyrus makes too mental mistakes and all of the things Tyrus tries to do which ends up in a TO, Johnson would be successful at.
Johnson can already dribbe the ball coast to coast. Tyrus has tried this will mixed results. Johnson can already shoot the ball. Tyrus is still developing the jumper. Johnson has post moves already. Tyrus does not have any. Tyrus is more athletic and I would dare say when focused a better defender, but with Taj Gibson could replace Tyrus on defense. The alley oops that Tyrus could be getting from Rose will go to Johnson.
Deng and Thomas may be packaged together in a trade next year or in 2010.
The old core will then be gone. Hinrich also will be gone and Gordon too. Hinrich probably in Feb or 2010 and Gordon this summer. Rose, Noah and Johnson will make up the new core and possibly Gibson as well.
Thoughts anyone?
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.
0 recs |
37 comments
Email
Print
Comments
Gibson = poor man's Garnett? On what planet?!?!?!
1. Cut a hole in a box
2. Put your Kirk in that box
3. Make some team open that box
by fundamentallysound on Jun 28, 2009 12:49 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
He's like the broke congolese man's Kevin Garnett
"Worker bees can leave.
Even drones can fly away.
The Queen is their slave."
by jpchi on Jun 28, 2009 4:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
By 'poor' he means 'starving and bloated'
Vinny Del Negro Offensive Gameplan, Part 1
-When there's less than 30 seconds left in the game, that's me with my hands cupped around my mouth yelling.
"BEN! SHOOT! SHOOOOTTTT!!! WHY AREN'T YOU LISTENING TO ME?!?"
-This segues nicely into my Timeout Management classes - order now!
by Prevenge on Jun 29, 2009 12:11 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
haha
James Johnson is the poor mans Cedric Simmons.
Lord... please let the Bears pick a good WR at #49....
by kidronmusic on Jun 29, 2009 2:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Johnson won't start,
he’s a versatile backup, but I don’t think he’s skilled enough to pass up Thomas (and certainly not Deng, when he’s healthy). I think he’ll be too slow to cover starting 3’s for long periods of time, and not aggressive/athletic/long enough to cover starting 4’s for long periods of time. 14-18 minutes, though, and I think he’ll fit in well. He does shoot better than Tyrus, and he’s versatile, but I think “starters” when I think of cores, and so I wouldn’t call him a core player.
Deng is way more skilled than Johnson at this point (seriously, Johnson will NEVER put up 18 and 6 per game), I’m just going to disagree with that line of thinking and move on to Gibson.
Gibson’s a defensive specialist who may be good for occasional putbacks and alley-oops. To me, that’s not even a dirty, one-legged hobo’s Garnett, let alone the average poor man’s. He’ll be anywhere from a 9th man to a reserve.
Rose, Deng, Noah, and whichever guard they keep will be the core next season (and, hopefully, we’ll have a new post player to complement Noah). You were 2/3 on that one, which isn’t too shabby, but Johnson being a core guy? I just don’t see it.
Deng’s part of this core, for better or worse. He’s signed for big money for 5 years, he’s going nowhere, and we should just acceptthat he’ll be a Bull for at the very least another full season.
by T-Boogie on Jun 28, 2009 1:05 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
If their core involves the 16th and 26th picks in one of the worst drafts of the decade
We are fucked.
The Chicago Bulls.....the more profitable Los Angeles Clippers.
by Ozzie Montana on Jun 28, 2009 1:58 PM CDT reply actions 4 recs
Wow, you know a lot about Johnson...
about how many WF games did you watch this year?
by smash! on Jun 28, 2009 2:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I watched him
in a few games against Florida State this year and I wasn’t impressed.He had one decent game and the other game he was held in check.Definitely not a core player.
by bravesdude on Jun 29, 2009 7:44 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Funny, I watched those same games, and I also wasn't very impressed...
BUT, I’m not saying he isn’t good, and won’t be good… FSU played great D this year, and everyone has off nights. However I just thought this article was a bit effusive and certain about someone that didn’t get much TV-time… so does Bart live in NC and watch WF ball a ton, or does he have a crystal ball?
by smash! on Jun 29, 2009 8:58 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
NO
It was just an opinion.No need to get your panties in a wad.I live in Florida and watch FSU games alot.FSU’s D was really good last but he still didn’t look as impressive as he was made out to be.Don’t get me wrong,I really hope he does well.But at least for THIS year,he is still not what I’d consider a core player.
by bravesdude on Jun 30, 2009 1:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
smash agrees with you.
Vinny Del Negro Offensive Gameplan, Part 1
-When there's less than 30 seconds left in the game, that's me with my hands cupped around my mouth yelling.
"BEN! SHOOT! SHOOOOTTTT!!! WHY AREN'T YOU LISTENING TO ME?!?"
-This segues nicely into my Timeout Management classes - order now!
by Prevenge on Jun 30, 2009 9:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
OK
Sorry about that.It may have been the way I read it.Sorry Smash.
by bravesdude on Jun 30, 2009 10:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I love this time of year
When “potential” outweighs the abilities of guys who have actually played significant minutes in the NBA.
In an 82games.com eval of production by draft pick, the #16 pick historically has turned out to be a solid player or better only 30% of the time, a role player 30% of the time, and deep bench or bust 40% of the time. For the 26th pick, only 15% are at least a solid player, 40% role players, and 45% deep bench or bust. And this is using a pretty loose system that would define Kirk, Ben and Luol as “star” players, so it’s not like it’s asking for spectacular production to reach the solid or better level.
We’ll be very fortunate if either draft pick turns out to have as productive a career as the guys everyone wants to dump.
Man-slave, bring me my PB&J!
by wjb1492 on Jun 28, 2009 2:58 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Gibson is only about a year and two months older than Thomas.
So it’s not like he’s an old geezer or something. He is nowhere near the athlete Thomas is, but what he lacks in athleticism compared to Thomas he gains in his knowledge of the game on Thomas. He will fit in nicely and will be A LOT cheaper than Tyrus Thomas.
Now I hate to see Thomas leave because I think that if he ever gets consistent minutes and calms down a bit he CAN be a star…and he may very well lead the league in blocks pretty soon. But we gotta move forward now and Gibson will be a nice piece up front.
I don’t wanna go here but I have to for a quick second. Gibson ABSOLUTELY would have given that ball to Derrick Rose a the end of regulation in that Boston game!! Not calling Thomas selfish, but Gibson knows what he is and there will be no issues like the one the Bulls had there with Thomas.
by lexdiamonds0730 on Jun 28, 2009 3:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
You have no idea about Gibson's "knowledge" of the game. Don't pretend you do.
People should remember that while they have the right to their opinion, they are not entitled to be taken seriously. --Bruce Bartlett
by tyger1147 on Jun 28, 2009 4:01 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
WTF is your problem tyger?
I’m about sick of you and your “know it all” ass. You have NO IDEA what I know about anything or anybody so stop trolling my posts and commenting when it comes to me.
I’m no Gibson expert, but I’ve watched my share of USC games seeing as though I live out here in Southern Arizona now and USC, UCLA, U of A and ASU games are pretty much all you’ll see in terms of college games here. I have a pretty good handle on the type of player Gibson is and, despite the terrible game he played against Michigan State in the tournament, I like the way he goes about his business on the court and although I’d have rather had Blair, Gibson is as good a pick as any at #26 for the Bulls.
by lexdiamonds0730 on Jun 28, 2009 9:24 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
Anyways
Probably more of half of everyone here doesn’t know anything about these two players. Stop judging these players even before seeing how they play and their performance as well. Idc, how crappy the bulls management is, they know a whole lot more than we do. So let the rookies play and judge later. In my opinion, they got guys who have the opportunity to contribute right away rather than projects.
by aznlildelfin on Jun 28, 2009 4:27 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I'm perfectly willing to give them a chance.
They’re on the team I love, so obviously I hope they’re among those that do great rather than those that bust. It’s not unrealistic, though, to recognize that most guys who are drafted don’t become all that, and I get tired of people dismissing proven players who have spent years here making the Bulls respectable again.
Yes, I think they went for players who are on the “contribute now” side of things rather than the “huge project” side, but they are still mid to low first-round rookies so it’s ridiculous to expect a whole lot out of them. I’ll be happy if they work hard and have good attitudes.
Man-slave, bring me my PB&J!
by wjb1492 on Jun 28, 2009 8:00 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
We need to wait for Johnsom to actiually play before
we can access the new core. He is better than TT was when he was drafted and he seems to possess skills that TT is now developing. But Basketball is a funny sport – my concern is that Johnson seems to be a flake. Sort of like Smith of the Nuggets. They flop always.
by Fastbreak on Jun 28, 2009 6:01 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
He's not even better than Tyrus was when Tyrus was drafted.
His offensive skills are obviously better, but Tyrus scored just as much per minute in college. The gap is obviously wide in terms of body control, finishing, and shooting. But the gap in ball handling and passing ability isn’t that wide, and if Johnson is a better shooter than Tyrus is right now, he’s only marginally better. Johnson turned the ball over at the same rate as Tyrus in college. Tyrus was much better both as a defender and a rebounder. Johnson has some better skills than Tyrus came into the league with, Johnson wasn’t a better player than Tyrus was in college. Tyrus wasn’t drafted purely on potential, his college production was right there with guys like Horford and Noah. The more I look into Johnson the more I like him, but he has a really small chance at being a starting PF in the NBA.
by Scotter on Jun 28, 2009 7:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
yes
but all im saying is that you can’t judge these kids from their college games. Each player translates their game differently from college to the NBA. Also, work ethic and motivation do matter.
by aznlildelfin on Jun 29, 2009 2:03 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You couldn't me more right.
The question I have though is who would Bulls fans have taken at #16 if they were the GM?
Also, who would they have taken at #26? I would have taken Blair, but Gibson will be a guy Bulls fans will find they can live with.
by lexdiamonds0730 on Jun 29, 2009 11:22 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If Gibson is more productive than Aaron Gray, I'll be happy
I definitely would have taken Blair, but if Chicago was so afraid of his knees a backup SG like Ellington or Green would have been nice.
The Chicago Bulls.....the more profitable Los Angeles Clippers.
by Ozzie Montana on Jun 29, 2009 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
"Johnson is too big and athletic for Deng and is way more skilled. "
wha?
USE THE SOFTWARE. Actions-> Rec/Flag. Reply to comments with the reply button. Rec good fanposts/fanshots so the crud gets pushed down.
by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jun 29, 2009 1:50 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Fixed.
“James Johnson is too big and athletic for Linton Johnson III and is way more skilled. "
"Whoever was responsible for pulling that offer [to Ben Gordon] off the table...bring him before me and I'll punch him right in the face " - Frederick Pfeiffer
by Granny Waiters on Jun 29, 2009 6:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I do agree with the part "too big and athletic" but not "more skilled"
We gotta see at least a month of basketball before we make judgements about skill. At the moment I don’t trust Deng, please stay healthy and justify your contract(which will never happen)
by LoveForTheGame on Jun 29, 2009 8:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Tyrus will get traded and will shine
The Bulls have done a terrible job teaching him the game, they will let him go, keep goofey Noah and will regret it!
by Mr Rhythm on Jun 29, 2009 5:06 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Keep Thomas
I would like to see Thomas kept… and actually see some sort of plan to develop the new young nucleus of the team. It seems there is a new core of the bulls every 2 or 3 years. Granted there was the unfortunate incidence of injury to Deng, but on the flip side what does it say about the GM both for his selection of players and more importantly coaches
http://gm.paspn.net
Fantasy Basketball starts in July at PASPN.net
Take over a team and build it in the offseaon like a real NBA GM.
by darealting on Jul 1, 2009 10:01 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
Related FanPosts on Blog a Bull
Related FanShots on Blog a Bull
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2009 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.
