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ExpiredTradeException's avatar

They can and should trade their vets and tank now. They should have started sooner, but now is the next best time. 7th is better than 10th. 6th is better still. They should avoid the play-in at all costs and get as low as they can. I don't see what's hard to understand about this.

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Dec 19
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ExpiredTradeException's avatar

I think there are deals to be made for a creative front office. We don't have that. It would defeat the purpose to send out any kind of 1st rd pick to tank. The whole point is to accumulate picks. I think it would be pretty dumb to send out seconds, too, unless better picks are coming back.

What I don't get is criticizing people who think the team should lose games and lose them now. That's the only path to making luck right now.

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your friendly BullsBlogger's avatar

The criticism is that 'losing games' is an end, not a means. I wholly support lambasting the front office for not achieving those ends, but am annoyed at the complaints that purport to have solutions but really don't

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your friendly BullsBlogger's avatar

I've never thought that criticizing the front office had to come with an alternate plan to be valid. But then the take should be 'AKME already fucked this up and should be fired' not the bellyaching Gottlieb is putting out there on a daily basis (and like I mentioned his plan is pretty vague and limp)

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tyger1147's avatar

So “at all costs” but not really?

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your friendly BullsBlogger's avatar

The hard thing to understand isn't that more lottery balls is better, it's what 'at all costs' means to you when you suggest nothing actually costly

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TianDogg's avatar

I don't know what it says that the last time the Bulls were somewhat relevant in the championship picture, it was because they hit the lottery jackpot without actually tanking. The best possible magical dream land outcome for their aim for the middle philosophy actually happened, and it's like Reinsdorf has been chasing that same high ever since.

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ExpiredTradeException's avatar

But even lucking into Rose was after collecting multiple good players with lotto picks. Noah, Gordon, Kirk, Lu.

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your friendly BullsBlogger's avatar

Right which is why it was such a remote chance they were going to win that lottery, because they did have so many young good players. The dorfs wouldn't mind lottery luck but aren't willing to go full Wizards, and aren't willing to do it for multiple years. It's an indictment on AKME that such drastic measures would be seen as the only way out. But no matter bc even if AKME agreed, they'd never be able to convince the Reinsdorfs to go for it anyway

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your friendly BullsBlogger's avatar

i'll continue to rag on Will but link his work (so it's OK) today it's about the LaVine-Nuggets rumor https://allchgo.com/zach-lavine-chicago-bulls-trade-denver-nuggets/

he includes in there a line "Porter may be able to help the Bulls find [a star] by improving their draft stock. The Bulls need to start losing games fast". Last night in a podcast with Marc Stein, Gottlieb was asking if these talks were going to the trade deadline as the Bulls can't wait that long

This is my point: if you're going to argue that it's that important to lose games now, tell me what you're willing to do that shows that urgency. To be fair, Gottlieb does more or less say he'd accept MPJ+Nnaji and that's not really "positive value" for LaVine.

But Gottlieb doesn't say AKME (who are probably holding out for a better offer) needs to take this offer now. Or that he would throw in Julian Phillips, let alone some draft asset, to grease the wheels. Or (my idea) that LaVine should be shut down now until a trade is made, his value is what it is and he is more likely to get hurt again than raise it.

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your friendly BullsBlogger's avatar

as for how I'd do a Denver trade, I'd take whatever honestly. It'd be of benefit to the Bulls to simply break up LaVine's deal into smaller chunks

I don't think swapping LaVine out now for MPJ would even make much of a difference lottery-wise, because LaVine is not that good I don't care about his pace-inflated counting stats. MPJ actually makes more sense in their lineup, and potentially opening up growth for White and Giddey. And I don't agree with Gottlieb's assertion that MPJ is a worse defender even while taller, he's really bad but being tall does matter.

and that's again bringing me to the tanking obsession. With that logic, you wouldn't *want* Coby White to get better, or a bigger defensive lineup, because you may win games!

anyway if I were the Bulls I'd do what was necessary up until including their own picks. Swapping Torrey Craig for Dario Saric ($5M player option next year, AKME still running things in Denver wtf), including Julian Phillips, maybe some kind of pick swap involving the protected Portland pick.

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your friendly BullsBlogger's avatar

another small treat for the Nuggets is swapping Julian Phillips for DaRon Holmes.

Holmes was just drafted in the 1st round, but is out for the season. Phillips is probably the better prospect at the moment, and is $1.8M versus $3M for Holmes.

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Will Gottlieb's avatar

Thanks for being a loyal reader, Matt

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your friendly BullsBlogger's avatar

Celtics Game Thread is UP https://open.substack.com/chat/posts/23aff967-3f42-4330-942d-9d29864871b6

Bulls are not tanking, evidenced by them holding out Josh Giddey

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thekiltedwonder's avatar

Hey guys. I've been AFK for a while due to a lot of traveling (a full month on the road) and being sick (before, during and after the trip... 0/10... do not recommend).

Last time I had time/energy to look at sports, the Bulls were solidly in 4th in the East and moving up. Just checked in and saw we dominated Boston. Bulls doing Bulls things.

So it's clear the Bulls are outperforming expectations and making a real playoff push. Clearly there are no possible negatives from that and BaB is full of positivity at this point, right?

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your friendly BullsBlogger's avatar

I wouldn't say positivity but a bit more serenity. Luck is the plan.

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Captain Kirk's Tooth Gap's avatar

I'm starting to think this is Zach's final act of revenge on this team. A final "fuck you" by getting the Bulls to the play-in and then losing their pick before possibly being traded.

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Rufus's avatar

I love the footnotes, got some academic chops huh. And some of the reasoning here is good, but the language and composition need to be cleaned up to be considered journalism. The latter might also help you clear up your thoughts/arguments--clear structures lead to clear content.

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