Countdown to Miami notes: Deng likely out, Rip uncertain, Mike James released
by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 28, 2012 12:30 PM CST
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PrintSome roster news for the Bulls, in the shadow of Dwyane Wade's return on Friday night:
- From the outset of finding out about Luol Deng's injury, it had been reported (by KC Johnson, first) that Luol was somehow targeting the Sunday afternoon Miami game to play. In an in-house interview on Bulls.com before Friday night's game (ht: McGraw), Deng not only says he's 'a week away' but openly calls out that report and saying he never had a specific game: when he's ready, he'll play.
- Rip sat out the Friday game, but no status given for Miami:
Hamilton missed his 11th game after suffering a previously undisclosed right thigh bruise during Wednesday's loss to the Pacers. The sore groin that sidelined him for the other 10 also flared a bit, though that isn't considered serious.
I do remember the play in the Pacers game where he was slow to get up, but he obviously stayed in. This is just going to be a fact of the Hamilton signing. He's old. Just hope he plays for the ones that really count, I guess. - And lastly, Mike James was released. Reported big-man options are Joel Przybilla and Leon Powe. Obviously it's a bigger need in the front court presently as opposed to a 4th PG, but there was indeed a 'Mike James game' this season.
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You guys hearing about the Dwight Howard locker room rift?
A gem today:
Roberto @manfel37
@DwightHoward NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR OR FOLLOW A “LEADER” THAT REQUESTS A TRADE!
Dwight Howard @DwightHoward
@manfel37 shutup
"And thank you to God for making me an Atheist." - Ricky Gervais
by MichaelClutchtree on Jan 28, 2012 12:34 PM CST reply actions 7 recs
Yeah, I understand he's frustrated, but he's got some nerve.
To blow up like that after his demands have been made public and rubbed in his team’s face is bush league.
"Smith stripped. Smith stopped! Smith stopped again by Pippen!"
by ColonelFatheart on Jan 28, 2012 12:46 PM CST via mobile up reply actions 2 recs
and rubbed in his team’s face is bush
i thought this said “rubbed his team’s face in bush”
"And thank you to God for making me an Atheist." - Ricky Gervais
by MichaelClutchtree on Jan 28, 2012 12:50 PM CST up reply actions
i don't get this guy.
If he cares about winning so much, why is Chicago not on his list? (assuming Adidas isn’t actually controlling his strings)
by shutupdrogba on Jan 28, 2012 1:04 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Probably because he'll be second fiddle to Rose
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"Oh Dilfer, give me the strength...
to be as bad a WCG Contributor as you are an announcer/authority on anything. Peace be with you. " (JoetheBoss)
he will never will a chip as "the man"
His O game ain’t good in crunch time and he aont no ewing or hakeem…he needs a drose or a player that can feed him or make better choices for the team…we would b pedect but u know what? Fuck him..let him end his career llke a dumbass
by Belize on Jan 28, 2012 5:46 PM CST via mobile up reply actions 4 recs
this is so dumb
howard is probably the second best player in the league. people keep knocking him for his ft and shit and act like he cant carry a team to a title.
he has shit surrounding him. rose wouldnt be able to win with that team either.
you give howard a decent team and he would be able to
By popular demand I am putting a moratorium on the Melo talk until the Knicks win the title in June.
no one is saying that the bulls shouldnt get howard
i would like to have him, but if he really is thinking bout joining a team like the nets, well, have fun not winning a title for the next 5-6 yrs. Seriously, if he was committed to winning, he would have mentioned these teams as his options: bulls, thunder, and nuggets. Its a short list, but he should mention one of these three teams.
Nugs already have Nene and are pretty much not a team that cannot win in the playoffs. They have no “killers” to finish games. They are the Pacers of the West.
If he could get on the Thunder with Durant and Westbrook that would be pretty good for him. But I think there would be too much drama there. There is already issues with Durrant and Rose-lite. Adding someone who would no doubt grad all the attention would not be good for the team. OKC would be wise to trade Westbrook for Dwight and try around Durant /Howard. That could get nasty for the rest of the league.
People love their wings and PGs but a solid frontcourt still wins titles. Thats why I like ATL or here for him the best. You have to have the right bigs up front. Not just talented guys, but you can;t have redundancy or players that get in each others way. I think some combo of Booz/Tajh and Dwight would work well.
Thing is
You can say that about any of the top ten players in the league. They would all be great next to Rose, but none of them can carry a team on their own, not even Jordan did that.
You give Melo a decent team and he can win a chip.
You give LeBron a decent team and he should be able to win one or two.
You put the right pieces in front of Derrick and you are damn sure we are winning a few rings.
But the thing is, none of these guys are single-handedly winning a ring for you.
If a player is elite and really wants the best shot at winning he would find himself in the right system and say to hell with location and current teammates.
Howard could put himself in a few great spots, here, maybe either LA team, Boston(after this year) are the only teams he can trust to not only be good enough to win now, but have the solid ownership and coaching staff to make the rest of his career great, even legendary. OK not so much good coaching in LA and awful ownership with the Clips but I still think they could coax a title out of that core group plus Dwight if they didn’t lose much to get him.
Point being the guy either wants to play with his buddy DWill (can’t blame him for wanting the best possible work environment and being around a good friend) or someone has him dumb enough to think he can’t be a huge star away from the NY and LA markets. With his charisma and talent he will be the biggest star in the game the same way Shaq was when he was winning, wherever he plays.
Oh and Rose wouldn’t be able to win with that team because it was built around Dwight. Rose could take most teams in the league to their conference finals. But Orl is put together as bad as Cle was for LeBitch. All that tells you is Dwight needs to get out and get with an org that can build a proper team. The Bulls have built a good team so have the Cs, Atl, OKC, a few others Dal comes to mind.
I think Dwight just may realize that he alone is not enough. So he either wants to at least play with his bff DWill or go somewhere where he has other shit to do than be on a mediocre bball team.
But back to my point, nobody is good enough to win a chip on their own. “you give howard a decent team and he would be able to” could be said of at least ten players in the league. And it’s not just a decent team that he needs. It’s the right fit. He can’t carry you offensively so he needs a crunch time scorer. He needs other players around him that can hit their shots and not be too expensive to keep for more than a year(chemistry does matter) and some bigs he could work beside(Taj). And most of all he needs an owner/GM that is competent. The lockout showed most owners in the NBA are not competent. What I’m saying is there are only four teams that I think he could find his way to that make sense.
the Bulls can SnT Noah and pieces for him if Jo has a good year. We all know how perfect of a fit it would be if we can manage to keep Deng and pick up Dwight. And I imagine Orl would still be pretty good if they get Jo Asik and Brewer plus some pics for him. They could play Jo at the 4 and Asik at 5 and Brewer at 2 with Neelson and a all they need is a decent scoring wing and a bench.
The Celtics have billions coming off the books and could pair up Dwight with Fuck Rondo Green and you know that org will make some good moves to fill out the squad, but it would take a year or two.
Atlanta is the one spot basketball-wise that makes the most sense to me. Play along JJ, Howard or Smith(one would obvi have to go in a SnT) and an always deep and solid team. The only real problem there is the always messy ownership situation. Plus JJs awful contract they will have to handle in a few years and Dwight could be in the same type of spot he is in now on a team trying to jettison any talent to save dollars.
The last spot is Dallas. I don’t know how true it is that they can free up room for both Dwight and DWill but if they can add those two to Dirk and the best owner in the NBA that is a good move all around.
So there you have it. It is not as simple as giving Howard a decent team to win a chip. And I will continue to knock whoever I want for not carrying a team to a title. We all know the real reason he wont win any titles anyway. Cause he will be at home with LeBitch watching the Bulls sweep whatever shit the West throws at us for the next 8 years.
by metalkiwis on Jan 29, 2012 9:18 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
"act like he cant carry a team to a title."
Well…he hasn’t. And there’s nothing to show for any of his time in Orlando, and especially if he ends up in New Jersey, that would make anyone believe he could, or wants to.
The reason people come down on him is because he can follow up a 40 point performance with a single digit performance on any given night, and has this year. There’s just no reason the most dominant center around, who’s closest peer is in a different conference, should be that inconsistent with his offensive game. I think Shaq’s beef with Dwight is for the most part petty, but when he said something to the effect of a dominant center should be averaging 28-15 a game, during one of TNT’s games this year, I have to agree with him. To go from 15-20 field attempts one game to single digits the next few games is baffling but that’s Dwight.
Now there is the argument that the Magic/Van Gundy have not gotten the most out of him, and that’s probably true, but it’s not like the fucking Nets are going to get him anything better. Other than D-Will, and maybe Brooks if he keeps it up, the talent on that roster is inferior to what he has now. I’m more interested to see if Dallas in the off-season is where he ends up for the future. Because there is something there if D-Will goes with him. But the Nets, Boston…those are rebuilding projects that certainly won’t get him to a title any time soon. Mid-level contender maybe.
"Left hand, right hand it doesn't matter, I'm amphibious."
- Charles Shackleford
by Locust_Inferno_666 on Jan 29, 2012 9:46 AM CST up reply actions
Maybe because he can't carry a team to the title
And needs some help to do so…Yet the jackass was pissed about Arenas being gone….REALLY!?! ARENAS?!?!?!
"Violence is not always the answer."
"Violence is the question, and the answers always YES!"
Well they did get destroyed (only 67 points yeesh)
I remember Boston doing something similar last week I think (they scored 56 points then) … he could be more irked that they were obliterated.
"Well you're giving me the opportunity to agree with Bill Plaschke and Marriotti, I'm gonna pass" - Tim Cowlishaw
"I'm undefeated too I'm 100-0 by beating up innocent little boys in my hood like Floyd" - Random dude
"Attention Boxing Fans: Mayweather will fight Pacquiao this coming November.. its confirmed.. Bobby should train hard to beat Floyd."
Translation
NBA player: “I only care about winning.”
He means: “I want to make as much money as I can. Any team that maxes me has to be great!”
by El Toro de Goro on Jan 28, 2012 5:48 PM CST up reply actions
If that was the case
Lebron would have stayed in Cleveland and Dwight would stay in Orlando. Your own team can offer more money.
that team is screwed
i cna def see a locker room fight b/t howard and one his teammates.
I dont want Dwight here
He’s a fucking idiot that gets pissed about losing, but dont want to play in the place that can help him win multiple titles. Winning isnt his top priority, Winning being the man is on the top of his list…
"Violence is not always the answer."
"Violence is the question, and the answers always YES!"
I bet they were just saving Rip for the Miami game.
"Smith stripped. Smith stopped! Smith stopped again by Pippen!"
by ColonelFatheart on Jan 28, 2012 12:47 PM CST via mobile reply actions
How good was he with the ball in Orlando anyway
They might as well try something.. their roster was getting weaker even last year. They thought Blake/Barnes would be much more productive when they originally signed them.
"Well you're giving me the opportunity to agree with Bill Plaschke and Marriotti, I'm gonna pass" - Tim Cowlishaw
"I'm undefeated too I'm 100-0 by beating up innocent little boys in my hood like Floyd" - Random dude
"Attention Boxing Fans: Mayweather will fight Pacquiao this coming November.. its confirmed.. Bobby should train hard to beat Floyd."
Didn't Dwight say something along the lines of wishing Orlando had kept Arenas?
I could be wrong about that…but that could be another reason the Lakers brought him in. Not that Dwight needs any more nudging from LA to get him on board of a trade to LaLa land.
Both KC and Sam said no
WCG's Resident Nickelback and Boy Band fan
Also rated Worst WCG Blogger by Dr. Steven Schweickert's extensive "Total BR" (Blogger Rating)
"Oh Dilfer, give me the strength...
to be as bad a WCG Contributor as you are an announcer/authority on anything. Peace be with you. " (JoetheBoss)
I would rather have dropped John Lucas than Mike James
But whatever really. I don’t know too much about Joel or Powe to be honest other than they play different positions.
Formerly macjack09
"truTV is like BET for white folks." - Chuck
"Brian Dawkins is always 100% Eagles related."--macjack09 & BGN Nation
you can debate whether or not it is warranted...
but Lucas plays with far more confidence than James, which IMO counts for a lot.
Lucas also handles the ball well and creates offensive opportunities by waterbugging around.
by Paul Warfield on Jan 28, 2012 2:27 PM CST up reply actions
he'd fit in well with ny
miami has no need for him, they have two point guards already not including wade and lebron. Miami is the kind of team that would like to collect wings and big men
Waiting for the Prodigal Son to Return KH12 BITCHES!!!!
In the Chemi-meter we trust!
im afraid they would go after wilson chandeler
however, if wilson is smart, he would sign with the jazz since they are in need of a wing.
How about Kenyon Martin as the fifth big?
He’s always had a reputation of being a good defender, albeit on some really bad defensive teams. Plus it would keep the Heat from adding depth
Admittedly he’s not the Kurt Thomas/Brad Millr pick and pop guy we’ve grown accustomed to, but neither is Powe or Przybilla.
martin is prob going to the knicks (melo recruiting him) or hell resign with the nuggets
martin is def seeking more minutes rather being a 5th big man.
I mean how many minutes is he really going to get with the Knicks?
It’s not like he lit up the court last year… Plus didn’t he struggle in China? If he’d be in line to get serious minutes with the Knicks or Heat, I’d be pretty happy. But he’d also be pretty serviceable as 5th big.
he would be a decent backup pf for the knicks; however, if he wants to wee-un and cash in for big money next yr...
then hes better off in chicago
id sign him for the sole purpose of not allowing miami to get him
By popular demand I am putting a moratorium on the Melo talk until the Knicks win the title in June.
the last time we played miami
-rose had ‘tired’ legs
-noah was still trying to work himself into shape
-boozer was injured and had little to no production
-deng was healthy
-bogans was starting
-brewer and korver were unable to produce on offense
-Haslem unexpectedly returned and gave the heat alot of what they were missing surprising all
This time around
-Rose will be fresh
-noah will still be trying to work himself into game shape, but seems further along
-boozer is producing via jumpshots
-deng is injured (regardless if he plays or not)
-Rip might be starting
-brewer can produce on offense, but for limited times, korver is better on defense, missing jumpers
-we know what the heat can do, no surprises
…id love a win, but with the questionable status of both rip and deng, i think it seems unlikely. If rip plays i think ill be more interested on how he affects the game, but i honestly see this being a loss.
The thing is, if everyone is healthy by the playoffs, i think we have far more postive changes going our way as opposed to the heat, and that might be all the difference in teh world
Waiting for the Prodigal Son to Return KH12 BITCHES!!!!
In the Chemi-meter we trust!
at this pt, idc if we lost this game
this game will not prove much. too many crucial injuries and this is the time for the bulls to observe the heat strengths and weaknesses and work on exploiting them in the playoffs.
agreed, both the Bulls and the Heat are going to get the first look at each other and get a feel for each other respectively despite the outcome of the game
Wade did look good in the last game but he is just getting back and missed some shots near the rim he usually makes. The Heat are in better shape at this point than any time last year during the regular season with Wade back, a healthy Miller (well relatively, he is a lot better off) and Udonis, and with the additions of both Battier and Cole. Bosh has been a lot more consistent at being aggressive this year so far (post ups, going to the rim mixed in with that jumper) and I hope he continues to do that and not just settle for the jumper.
Have not seen much of the Bulls this year. Like last year, it will be tough for the Heat to keep the Bulls off the offensive glass but having Udonis in the line up helped with that in the playoffs and should help with that Sunday but it will be tough. Should be a fun game.
(Martin Landau) Bela Lugosi: How dare that a****** bring up Karloff? You think it takes talent to do Frankenstein? It's all makeup and grunting.
--From the movie Ed Wood
GET TO THE RIM HEAT (and SKY)! ATTACK THE PAINT!
In many ways I feel like a Laker Fan
In that I know the Bulls are going to be making the playoffs as a high seed, and that everything between now and the playoffs doesn’t matter so long that everyone is healthy, in shape and crisp by mid-april.
well, if u think bout it, it was the same thing back in the dynasty days
the season as great and all, but it was all bout the playoffs for MJ and company!
I know I'm gonna get grief for this, but I kind of hope the Bulls lose this game.
They swept the Heat in the regular season last year and blew them out in game 1 in the playoffs. This led to 4 straight losses.
I say let the Heat fans brag all season. Let their players get overconfident. Give Rose some serious motivation in the playoffs.
Korver!
Back in the doghouse with you!
I wouldn't worry about that so much.
I’m pretty sure Rose and the Bulls will be plenty up for the Heat during the playoffs no matter the outcome of the regular season games. Actually, I’m pretty sure they were last year too…the Heat just flat out beat them come playoff time.
Nope they didn't want it
duh
WOULD HAVE WOULD HAVE
If you lived closer I would have kicked the snot out of you by now
Matt Moore. That is all.
by joeybw
i dont think the bulls winning is what lead to the losses
on the other hand, the edge the bulls had and made apparent in the first game of that series came from our victories in the regular season. Haslem, to me, was the biggest factor in that miami game mainly because he wasnt there all year long, no one knew how he would impact the game, and it turned out he gave miami everything they had been lacking all season.
Fans might be cushioning themselves by suggesting they dont care if they win or lose, but the truth is, there is nothing more enjoyable to a bulls fan right now than beating the heat. its what we want. I wont be fine with a loss, but i think this game will be tough as hell to win.
Waiting for the Prodigal Son to Return KH12 BITCHES!!!!
In the Chemi-meter we trust!
by piccolomair on Jan 28, 2012 11:22 PM CST up reply actions
"They swept the Heat in the regular season last year and blew them out in game 1 in the playoffs. This led to 4 straight losses."
I don’t think there is a direct causative link between the series loss after five games, with four straight losses, and the three prior regular season victories and playoff opener wins. Quite the opposite in fact.
"Left hand, right hand it doesn't matter, I'm amphibious."
- Charles Shackleford
by Locust_Inferno_666 on Jan 29, 2012 9:15 AM CST up reply actions
"If you're scared, buy a dog!"- Stacey King
"Left hand, right hand it doesn't matter, I'm amphibious."
- Charles Shackleford
by Locust_Inferno_666 on Jan 29, 2012 9:16 AM CST up reply actions
bulls should jus ahead and sign joel as the 5th big man
this is a long road trip and depth is def going be needed thanks to this shitty schedule.
Part of me thinks
That it’s an evil plot by stern…
"Violence is not always the answer."
"Violence is the question, and the answers always YES!"
wth? why hasnt AK47 been signed yet?
hes still a quality bench player? lets pick up AK47!
earlier rumors were the nets were bout to sign him
i think teams should def take a look at him. I mean, his last yr stats are not bad.
This picture scares me
"You play to win the playoffs, and we let 'em off the hook!" -Herm Mora Green
He said it's unfair to quit on his Russian team so hes not coming back this yr
If healthy tho he’s damn good and still a great defender
The kid's out of this world. He's got Allen Iverson speed, Jason Kidd's vision, Chauncey Billups' shooting ability and Michael Jordan's athleticism. How do you guard that? - Pacers coach Frank Vogel.
by majoyenrac on Jan 28, 2012 9:13 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
ok, that makes sense
if healthy, the man would be a perfect fit for thibs system.
Yes he would
Even f he tends to miss 35% of the yr if he’s healthy for playoffs he’d be great next yr
The kid's out of this world. He's got Allen Iverson speed, Jason Kidd's vision, Chauncey Billups' shooting ability and Michael Jordan's athleticism. How do you guard that? - Pacers coach Frank Vogel.
by majoyenrac on Jan 29, 2012 9:09 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
found this on the heat blog
kinda love it though
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNnIYUcxZAc&feature=g-all-lik&context=G2493d0bFAAAAAAAAAAA
Waiting for the Prodigal Son to Return KH12 BITCHES!!!!
In the Chemi-meter we trust!
maybe I'll be ostracized for this, but...
why not bring Bogans back for that final roster spot? I would most certainly rather have another big man, but Bogans plays great d, and I think he’d be a useful bench player to guard LeBron, Wade, or any other scorer in the league.
"Whenever one finds himself in the majority, it is time to step back and reflect," Mark Twain.
by WindisBlowingOut! on Jan 29, 2012 7:27 AM CST reply actions
I was under the impression that they couldn't do it even if they wanted to
Someone with a better understanding of free agency, and the cap etc. might be able to explain why, or if that’s definitely the case, but a few people brought it up earlier in the year, and I remember the idea being shot down
But more importantly, with the Bulls being so close to the tax, they have to be very picky about what players (or “position”) they use their roster spot(s) on. With their need for another big, there’s just no room for another guard like Bogans. It’s the likely the reason they decided to cut Mike James as opposed to keeping him for extra depth.They do have two spots open, but will probably only use one because of the cap situation.
Other than that, I don’t think anyone would be opposed to bring Keith back for depth, and because he just seemed like a good team guy. The problem that most people had with him was that he was starting.
Injuries. Fuck.
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 29, 2012 7:59 AM CST up reply actions
and Watson's out
according to a bunch of tweets from espnchicago, Swirsk. Maybe the should have kept Mike James for a few more games. Wrist injury.
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