Chicago Bulls Thread

[Fenix]

Agility/strength tests will be probably available via ESPN Insider as soon as Ford comes from his scouting trip (Treviso).

Wingspans are in.

Some Bulls related numbers:
#2: Aldridge - 6'11, 7'5 wingspan, TT - 6'8, 7'3 wingspan, Roy - 6'6, 6'8 wingspan, Morrison - 6'8, 6'10 wingpsan, Gay - 6'8, 7'3 wingspan.
#16: Shelden Williams (pipe dream) - 6'9, 7'4 wingspan, Armstrong - 6'11, 7'4 wingspan, Ronnie Brewer - 6'7, 7'1 wingspan, Carney - 6'6, 7' wingspan, Reddick - 6'5, 6'3 wingspan (lol), Saer Sene - 7', 7'8 1/2 wingspan, Cedric Simmons - 6'9, 7'4 wingspan.

My order of preference based on the measurements and what we already knew:
#2: Aldridge, Roy, Thomas (I'd be all for Morrison, if the Bulls didn't already have Deng and Nocioni at the same position)
#16: Williams, Brewer, Sene, Simmons, Armstrong. One of them has to fall.

Edit: if the Bulls won't pick Morrison because he's a SF, they sure won't pick Thomas. He's a Josh Smith clone (actually, Smith has a bigger frame a probably a lot more basketball skills, only worse motor), which is great if you pick something like that in the middle of the first round, like Smith was, and not so great if you make him 2nd overall. Based solely on personality, I'd still go with Morrison ahead of him.

[Laker Socks]

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archi ... or_lakers/

What do you think guys?

It seems the lakers are after a huge trade exception(12.3 mil). Phil wont trade his favorite player for rookies and a trade X unless they know something that we dont and they plan on using that trade X on a big name player.

Anyways, how would you guys feel about this?

[Fenix]

Even if it's just Odom for #2&#16. Odom would fit in nicely with Bulls' gameplan, but I consider this draft quite deep (if not exactly loaded with talent at the top). Someone will definitely drop out of the lottery, which means #16 is almoust surely going to get Bulls a tall guard they need to add to the Hinrich-Gordon-Duhon mix - or another tall post player - and #2 would fill the need of a tall frontcourt player with very nice potential - Aldridge will probably be available. But if he isn't, Bulls would be left with practically nothing, with Tyrus Thomas ('SF') and Bargani, who'd be even more perimeter oriented than Odom would be playing at PF, at least in his first years. I don't believe any deal is closed. If it was, Bulls wouldn't be having as many workouts as they have. They surely wouldn't need them for smokescreen purposes, while they'd already have a deal with Lakers. IMO, if there's any truth in this rumour - which I doubt it - it's something like this - IF Aldridge isn't available, Bulls are sending their picks for Odom. Is it a fair deal? Probably yes. Odom is a wonderful talent who would be able to maximize his talents playing with the Bulls and with Aldridge gone, a major purpose of Bulls' picks would be gone with him.

Standing reaches are in. Wow, TT has exact measurements as Hakim Warrick. Is this his comparison? Actually, Warrick showed a lot more skills in college, especially in the post. The only thing that trully seperates TT from Warrick is his motor. But is that what gets you drafted #2 as a 6'8 anorexic PF?

[air gordon]

no thanks on Odom.. lol no thanks on pretty much anything coming from the Lakers

Thomas had a stomach virus, which cut his workout short today ( )

it was reported yesterday the nite before Aldridge's workout- Skiles, Paxson, and Aldridge had dinner. Skiles was just staring at Aldrige for 10 minutes straight before saying anything to him(lol what a hardass). speculation is that he was testing him/sizing him up. Personally i'd be scared shitless knowing very well that Skiles would jump across the table and smack me silly if i looked at him the wrong way. and Paxson probably wouldn't stop him

Old reliable, Chad ford, has 2 articles about Bargani, one with Colangelo. I believe that Toronto will draft Bargani, leaving the Bulls to choose from Aldridge, Thomas, Roy, Morrison, and Gay. this could allow the Bulls to trade down a spot or 2

my preference for #2 in order: Aldridge, Bargani. Roy, Gay (to hell with that Thomas guy)

#16- i don't any of those guards Fenix mentioned will still be on the board. neither will Simmons or Sene. if the Bulls go big with #2, i think Pax will trade up to get Brewer or Carney

i've heard about the Josh Smith-T Thomas comparison... i agree. but i don't even want to discuss that bum anymore lol

EDIT..

here's a link to someone who saw morrison, gay, roy, and adams workout in portland...

http://www.oregonlive.com/weblogs/blazersoregonian/

[KDWilliams85]

Here's my chipper opinion...

1) Kirk Hinrich will get an extention but nothing in the neighborhood of $9 million. $6-7.5 million is much more likely. He's good but he isn't as good as some of the players at his position such as Mike Bibby and Jason Terry. While he does perform his duty above average, he hasn't been as stellar as he could be.

2) Brandon Roy will be the starting 2. He's drawing too many comparisons to the kind of player they need. I've read comparisons to that of Paul Pierce and Vince Carter. While LaMarcus Aldridge does present an enigma should he be there at #2, the intent of signing Ben Wallace would signify the end of Tyson Chandler, Sweetney, or both of them in Chicago if LA is drafted.

3) As mentioned a moment ago, there is the opportunity of signing Ben Wallace. Drew Gooden and Al Harrington will also be available. There are plenty of adequate big men available.

4) I think the #16 overall pick will be a difference maker. Should we take a big man at #2, it opens the door for less-touted but more atheletic players such as Maurice Agur or Mardy Collins. Maurice Agur is quite atheletic and has a jumpshot that warrants attention. There is value here and I make a personal comparison to Gilbert Arenas with a LeBron James-esque attitude.

5) Bulls make it past the first round. Go Bulls!

I'm done.

[Fenix]

I think Hinrich is better than Terry and Bibby. He's a true difference maker on both sides of the court, a smart player, doesn't force things too much and his game will explode once he moves back to his natural position, PG.

I'd be very happy if Paxson drafted Thabo Sefolosha with #16. He's everything this team would need in its backcourt - a superb defender, decent slasher and has enough versatility to take over ballhandling responsibility to some extent. That would allow Skiles to start Gordon/Hinrich, but Hinrich would have to guard SG only half of the time or go with Sefolosha/Hinrich. Of course, that would mean less time for Duhon, but he's coming of a serious injury anyway.

Edit: Predraft combine results are in.

Name-Ranking-No step vertical-One step vertical - Bench press - Lane agility - Sprint
Maurice Ager 37 29.5 35 11 11.73 3.22
LaMarcus Aldridge 68 26.5 34 8 12.02 3.43
Hilton Armstrong 67 28.5 31.5 13 12.28 3.53
Ronnie Brewer 2 35 41 19 11.32 3.14
Mardy Collins 33 31.5 37.5 9 12 3.27
Jordan Farmar 12 33.5 42 11 11.07 3.17
Randy Foye 6 32 38 14 10.53 3.23
Rudy Gay 26 33 40.5 9 11.03 3.32
Aaron Gray 75 26.5 30.5 17 12.63 3.71
Adam Morrison 59 25.5 30.5 11 11.46 3.37
Patrick O'Bryant 79 26.5 30 13 12.68 3.63
J.J. Redick 51 27.5 33 6 10.94 3.29
Brandon Roy 30 34 40.5 6 11.13 3.27
Saer Sene 72 28.5 31 7 12.52 3.38
Cedric Simmons 20 30.5 35 15 11.05 3.31
Tyrus Thomas 21 34 39.5 8 11.36 3.2
Marcus Williams 73 24.5 28 4 11.3 3.4
Shawne Williams 57 32 31 0 10.69 3.3
Shelden Williams 31 29 33.25 25 11.53 3.59

JJ Reddick's results are a bit surprising. It looks like short arms which are quite usual among white players are more of a deficience than their vertical and that wingspan is a very big factor why white players tend to look unathletic. I also liked Simmons's results (I don't know why he doesn't get more hype - I'd be happy if Paxson nabbed him at #16 if he's still available. Same with Sene, if Tyson is being shipped out and a veteran centre is going to be signed. He'd be a decent project and if all other suitable players are off the board, I'd take my chances with him.) And Jordan Farmar's results - what the hell? I remember NBADraft.net saying how there was doubts about his athleticism and then he did a 360 dunk in the layups drill. Now we see what he uses to do that sort of things.

Edit 2:

Connecticut power forward Hilton Armstrong and Switzerland’s 6-6 Thabo Sefolosha were seen entering the building Friday and figure to be part of Roy’s workout. Brown also said he had just worked out against Villanova guard Kyle Lowry for the fourth time.

By McGraw. That just made my day. If we look at those two and the planned (official) workout schedule, then these guys could be Bulls' picks:

#2: Lamarcus Aldridge, Tyrus Thomas, Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, Adam Morrison.
#16: Shawne Williams (twice), Mustafa Shakur, Shannon Brown (twice), Josh Boone, Mardy Collins, Alexander Johnson, Maurice Ager, Sergio Rodriguez, Quincy Douby, Hassan Adams, Ronnie Brewer, Cedric Simmons, JJ Reddick, Hilton Armstrong, Thabo Sefolosha.

From those guys I think Aldridge, Roy, Johnson, Simmons, Armstron and Sefolosha would be the best fit and Morrison, Roy, Rodriguez, Douby, Brewer, Simmons and Sefolosha are those who I like the most. I think it would be a great idea to get a 2nd round pick. Someone could fall and there are big guys (James Augustine, Louis Amundson, Justin Williams,...) and some guards I would love to have on the Bulls. I think there will be many contributors coming from the 2nd round this year.

[Fenix]

I never thought that Bulls drafting Bargnani is a possibility, but it very well could be. Does he ideally fit into the Bulls' system? Probably not, but he is a Bulls' type of player - good kid, hardworking, has great desire. He has the needed size and unique skillset and would complement Nocioni's game very well. At the beginning, I didn't have him at my list of wishes for #2, but now he's behind only Aldridge.

#2: Aldridge, Bargnani, Roy, Thomas, Morrison.
#16: Williams, Brewer, Sefolosha, Simmons, Johnson.

In Paxson I trust.

[air gordon]

of course Bargani would fit in the Bulls system.. at least offensively. the Bulls run a lot of pick and roll. look how Songalia and Allen had pretty successful seasons

then again he fits with the current cast of big men defensively- he sucks at it

Thomas has reportedly cancelled his workout for Portland. and it's possible he has canceled all of his workouts which leads to the speculation of him getting a guarantee from a top 3 team

I'm not going to guess what Paxson is trying to do. it isn't his style to make a guarantee before the draft started. one thing we can read into is presence of Reinsdorf. since Paxson has become GM, Reinsdorf has been at each of the team's eventual draft choice's workout... or at least had an interview with them before that player was drafted. he was reported as being present for the Roy workout btw...

as Fenix says, in Paxson we trust (stolen off of realGM i'm assuming lol)

[JoshD]

I'd say the best way to go is Aldridge #2, and hopefully Ronnie Brewer #16, they need a big 2 guard

[Fenix]

Thomas has reportedly cancelled his workout for Portland. and it's possible he has canceled all of his workouts which leads to the speculation of him getting a guarantee from a top 3 team

There are rumours (Givony) that Chicago is going to pick Thomas for someone else (I'm hoping a trade for O'Neal is in place). But if that's not true and someone actually gave Thomas a promise, it's probably Charlotte. He's still going to workout for Toronto and Chicago, so it's not Toronto because they're #1 and - like you said - Skiles&Paxson don't seem the kind of guys who would give promises to anyone, especially before they even get a chance to workout Morrison and Gay. But most likely, the whole thing is just result of Thomas' camp trying to sell TT as a top 3 talent.

as Fenix says, in Paxson we trust (stolen off of realGM i'm assuming lol)

I hope not, I was trying to be original.

[KDWilliams85]

I think Thomas will slip out of the top 5 because of his demeanor. He's writing checks that he'll have to cash later on.

Chicago will draft Brandon Roy and he'll do what Iguodala did for the 76ers and then some. This might signify either Ben Gordon leaving, Luol Deng bulking up to 240 pounds and being a small PF, or both.

There is rising talent going through the mid-1st round that the Bulls can look at.

Roy has what the other candidates don't: A full 4 years of college under his belt.

[air gordon]

He's writing checks that he'll have to cash later on.

lol i've never heard that cliche before

i don't see understand the Iguodala comparison to Roy. as you mentioned, probably due to playing 4 years in college, Roy's game is 'polished/nba ready'. Iggy was a very 'raw' on offense with crazy athleticism and freakishly long arms

the score 670 reported that the bulls camp was impressed with Sene's workout, size, and work ethic. more fuel to add to the Bulls picking Roy @2 speculation

it's getting close to the draft so it's time for "trade the pick" rumors to start picking up. most of them are silly but what's more funny is that Paxson will go on the radio live and disspell any false rumors... just like he did a fews weeks back about Gordon being traded to NYK

but yeh, i agree, fenix.. TT's agents are getting pretty annoying. no worries about the in paxson we trust thing.. i see it all the time @realGM. thought it was pretty funny to see it here now too

[Fenix]

Thomas has no promise. This guy hired his agents voluntarily. That pretty much says everything. Also, the fact that Bulls are working out so many players (Bargnani is also coming in) proves that no deal is in place (yet). I really hope the Bulls keep this pick and pick either Aldridge or Bargnani. You can't really miss with either one of them.

Isn't Aldridge a bit underrated? His stocks fell quite a bit after losing the matchup against Glen Davis, but I think it's a bit unfair. His guards didn't pass him the ball and when they did, he was never in an ideal position to catch it. That should change, if he gets picked by the Bulls and resulted in him getting completely cold. And how many 300+ pound PFs like Davis are in the league? Aldridge has a frame to easily achieve around 250 pounds. Sure, he isn't assertive enough, but that always improves with time. Point is, he isn't like Joe Smith - he has the body to make everything work. He doesn't need to be the leader, he just needs to do his job. Once he gets Oden to play with, his life will be much easier .

[KDWilliams85]

I like the idea of trading Gordon but I'd hate to see him go. We could get #1 for him because Mike James is probably going to leave and Gordon has the skill set to run the point. He's a slasher like Francis and has a mean outside jump shot. We'd probably have to throw Sweetney or Deng at them too but I could cope with that. We'd have Bargnani/Aldridge, Roy, and Sene if he's still available at 16 to play around with.

I doubt Toronto takes that deal but if I were Toronto's GM, I'd take it. Gordon has demonstrated time and time again that he can play in the 4th.

[Fenix]

I also wasn't a big fan of Gordon, but I changed my mind. The Bulls' backcourt doesn't have scoring or defensive defencies, but it has some potential problems and it lacks height. Hinrich has to defend 2s fulltime, which he does superbly, but needs a helper. Someone like Shefolosha or Brewer would be great - he could come off the bench and play with either Hinrich (his time guarding 2s would be cut in half) or Gordon. Gordon is just to good of a shooter and still has too much potential to just give up on him because of his height or lack of thereof. Remember Brand? A big slasher/defender off the bench is what they need, not adding another rookie guard, when you just spent the last two years developing one.

[Fenix]

Interview with Paxson.

Some interesting tidbits:

Thomas thought that he made enough perimeter shots during his workout to play out there at times. Do you agree with that assessment?

“Tyrus is a kid that right now does not have a defined position. He’s not a three and he’s not really a four right now. I’m not so sure that’s a bad thing, either. He’s so gifted athletically and he’s got an improving skill level, so I don’t think it’s a bad thing. He shot it OK. We stretched him out a little further and he’s not a three-point shooter, but he’s the most gifted athlete in this draft. There’s no doubt about that. He’s going to have to get stronger. He’s only going to be 20 in August, and sometimes the body doesn’t naturally mature for another year or two.”

With Tyrus not having a position at this point, you said that that’s not a bad thing. Why is that not necessarily a bad thing?

“Because the game is not necessarily being played that way right now. Versatility is a very valuable trait to have as a player. Miami won the championship and deserved it in a more traditional fashion with a strong low post player and a great perimeter player. But the way the game is going, and the way that kids are being brought up and taught the game, you don’t have as much of a traditional post up, grind it out game. There is more movement and athleticism and slashing. Thomas is a versatile player, and really, at 19, it’s hard to define how his body is going to end up being and where he’s going to be able to play. I think that the one good thing about the way we’ve played is that Scott will throw any kind of line-up out there. We would like to get more versatile, but at the same time, I think LaMarcus Aldridge could be a versatile four and five. There is versatility at the top of the draft, it’s not just Tyrus.”

What are your thoughts on Aldridge? Watching Texas, he didn’t always seem to be the main guy in their offense, in part because they had a lot of other guys who shot the ball a lot. Do you think he can be a successful low post scorer in the NBA?

“First of all, he is going to be a successful player in the NBA. I don’t think his strength right now is the low post game because he doesn’t have the base yet to hold that position. But I think that LaMarcus worked very hard to get post position. [Texas] did not have your prototypical point guard, especially for the college game, which is a pass first point guard. Daniel Gibson is more of a scorer. The more I watch LaMarcus, the more I’m convinced that he did work hard for position and maybe he didn’t get as many touches as he could have in that system or in that offense. On the other hand, you can’t disqualify that there were games where he wasn’t as aggressive as he should have been. But again, we’re talking about a 20-year old kid who is learning the game. That’s always what we try to keep in perspective. Ultimately, they are going to be at our level. We’ve been lucky in the last few years with our draft picks. Kirk was a four-year senior and he knew what he was getting into when he stepped on the floor. Ben had played three years and you can throw Luol into the mix, too, but even then, it took them some time. I don’t think anyone has the illusion that it’s not going to take these guys some time to adapt and adjust to the NBA game. There’s going to be a learning process for all these kids; we just try to look at what the long-term is going to be and what the bumps in the road will be like before they get there.”

There’s been a lot of talk lately about how if Brandon Roy comes in, obviously you’re going to trade Ben Gordon.

“I’ll put this to bed. Unless a blockbuster deal comes up, I’m not trading Ben Gordon. I think that he is extremely valuable. You never say never; I understand that in this business. No one has presented anything to me that I would remotely consider for Ben. I think that Ben is going to be a better player this year than he was last year. The kid works at his game, he’s got pride, and I expect that he’s going to come back ready to go. Whatever position we draft, in my mind does not affect Ben Gordon. He’s going to come in and do what he has to do to compete. So I don’t see that as an issue at all.”

So if Roy is your guy, would you be looking at a three guard rotation?

“If that were the case, we’d have to be. I’ve said all along, we would like a guard that is bigger and able to take some of the defensive pressure off Kirk. But can we assume that even a four-year senior like Brandon Roy can come in and guard the Vince Carters of the world right out of the block? Probably not. There’s an adjustment for those guys, too. There’s no immediate answer for anything, but we would like a guard to take some of the defensive pressure off Kirk in certain situations so he doesn’t have to guard the big twos all the time, plus someone to also handle the ball and playmake so that when he’s out on the floor with Ben, he can get us into offense and Ben, when he comes off screens, can do his scoring. Even though Roy is a four-year guy and could be really ready to step in and make a contribution, that may not happen on day one.”

So, a basic recap:
Tyrus Thomas is a tweener, but that is acceptable in today's league, where quickness and versatility on the wing count. He is the most athletically gifted player in the draft. He has maturity issues, for which orgainzation will have to take care of. He doesn't have 3pt range.

Lamarcus Aldridge will be a succesfull player in this league. He doesn't have heart issues. He brings versatility at the 4/5. Paxson likes his potential down the road, especially when he gains some muscle mass.

BEN GORDON WILL NOT BE TRADED.

Bulls still need a third guard to relieve Hinrich some of his defensive responsibilites. Could Roy be that man? Paxson is not convinced, because he doesn't believe Roy will be capable of guarding big star guards at the beginning of his career.

_____________________________________________

So what does this mean? Roy is clearly not an option and Paxson is choosing between Thomas and Aldridge. I'll say Aldridge is our man. Thomas has his maturity questions and his value is based on potential more than on anything else. He also doesn't bring anything new on the table - Bulls already have Nocioni (6'8) and Deng (6'9) who can play either forward spots and bring quickness to the table and Deng has a lot of potential left, both body- and game-wise. They can both shoot (3pt range) and have legitimate SF skills and some post game, while Thomas is still underdeveloped. Would he bring more athleticism and shotblocking? Yes, he would, but it's not that the combo of Deng/Nocioni lacks athleticism and rebounding skills - if they have any problems, it's guarding taller, stronger players, and considering they both have more muscles and bigger frames than Thomas, that wouldn't change if Thomas gets drafted.

Aldridge on the other hand brings everything the Bulls currently lack - back to the basket game in combination with size. He also brings you athleticism, someone capable of playing both 4 and 5, potential, rebounding and blocking shots. Paxson sounds convinced that Aldridge has no heart issues (which I also firmly believe) and if you combine that with his work ethic and developing body, you got yourself a gem. He'd be a perfect fit both for the Bulls and for the new age NBA - he can run and he can destroy you in the half court offense. With 15 pounds of added muscles, he's a stronger Bosh with more inside skills. I'd take that over Shawn Marion anytime.

[Andrew]

Some interesting comments by Paxson. I like the decision not to trade Gordon as I feel he will continue to get better and I don't care for the idea of trading their young players they've been developing to make room for younger players still in need of development; they did that in the post-championship Krause era and it kept setting them back. I'd prefer them not to trade any of their key players unless a really good deal comes along...say, a proven star who still has several great years (and maybe even some more room to grow) ahead of him. I realise the dangers of sentimental attachments to players and being overly cautious but I think it would be a backwards step for the team to break up their core for a rookie or aging veteran (especially one who could bolt in a year or two).

I agree that Aldridge remains their best choice, I see what Paxson is saying about Thomas but I don't think he could fit in with the current core without cutting into Deng and Nocioni's minutes. Here's hoping Toronto is looking elsewhere with #1.

[beau_boy04]

i went to the nbadraft.net website and they have the Bulls picking 2nd overall for the 2007 lottery pick and apparently Kevin Durant is the man. I thought they only owned NY's pick this season only...

[Fenix]

i went to the nbadraft.net website and they have the Bulls picking 2nd overall for the 2007 lottery pick and apparently Kevin Durant is the man. I thought they only owned NY's pick this season only...

You'd be surprised how many NY fans still doesn't know that. Anyways, NBADraft is using this year's order, yes. I'm pretty sure NY will be back to the Lottery next year, and I'm hoping they'll gonna end up high. There are simply to many teams in the East who'll end up having better record than Knicks: Boston (if the roster is tweaked and Jefferson progresses as expected), Cleveland, Charlotte (if they're healthy), Detroit, Miami, Millwaukee, New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Toronto, Washington. Yeah, Atlanta is more or less their only competition . Damn, I want Oden on this team.

BTW, Beau - nice comp.

[beau_boy04]

so chances are the NY will do extremely badly next season even with Isiah Thomas as their coach now. damn I will pray for them to do horribly so Chicago can land the #1 pick in 2007

[beau_boy04]

If I was Paxson I will do the following:

1. Don't pass on the secong coming of Larry Bird ---- Adam Morrison
2. Pack Nocioni and Chandler and money for Aldridge
3. Pray for NY to do horribly next season
4. Swap picks with NY
5. Draft Greg Oden

Bulls lineup for 2007-08

C: Greg Oden
PF: Aldridge
SF: Deng
SG: Morrison
PG: Hinrich

6th: Gordon

[got philk?]

I dunno though. Think about it. Since Paxson and Skiles have been around, have the Bulls drafted anyone BUT proven players? I see them picking Roy. Roy is one of those players who stuck around for 4 years, you know what you're going to get and I think, it's going to get better and he'll be rookie of the Year.

I know we've spent so much time developing Gordon and all, and I do NOT think we should trade him. But really, having Roy to guard the taller 2 guards...just seems like a huge option to have! And I think Gordon should get LOTS of minutes off the bench. Yes, I said it. Off the bench. Gordon is unbelievable, and I don't see why having him as the 6th man playing with the starters a lot of the time would be such a bad idea. You can show me numbers on him starting vs. him coming off the bench, but I don't buy it. Seems to me if he still gets his minutes and he is in the game when it counts, there should be no problems.

But I don't get paid millions...

[air gordon]

i don't see anywhere in that interview where Paxson is showing his hand. looked like to me he criticized and praised the players mentioned. Same old Pax- not trying to sound overly interested in a player so he can still leave us and other Gm's in question on who he is going to draft

Could Roy be that man? Paxson is not convinced, because he doesn't believe Roy will be capable of guarding big star guards at the beginning of his career... Roy is clearly not an option and Paxson is choosing between Thomas and Aldridge.

you're talking his quote out of context. he doesn't think anyone out of college can guard the nba's elite right from the start and i agree with him... to think someone can is pretty ridiculous

Thomas has his maturity questions and his value is based on potential more than on anything else. He also doesn't bring anything new on the table - Bulls already have Nocioni (6'8) and Deng (6'9) who can play either forward spots and bring quickness to the table and Deng has a lot of potential left, both body- and game-wise. They can both shoot (3pt range) and have legitimate SF skills and some post game, while Thomas is still underdeveloped.

his value is based on his off the charts athleticism. c'mon man.. i know you read the quotes about Paxson talking about wanting to get game changers and saying Thomas is one of them

He also doesn't bring anything new on the table - Bulls already have Nocioni (6'8) and Deng (6'9) who can play either forward spots and bring quickness to the table and Deng has a lot of potential left, both body- and game-wise. They can both shoot (3pt range) and have legitimate SF skills and some post game, while Thomas is still underdeveloped. Would he bring more athleticism and shotblocking? Yes, he would, but it's not that the combo of Deng/Nocioni lacks athleticism and rebounding skills - if they have any problems, it's guarding taller, stronger players, and considering they both have more muscles and bigger frames than Thomas, that wouldn't change if Thomas gets drafted.

Nocioni & Deng are clearly better shooters but they are SMALL Forwards. Nocioni is one who can play PF for big minutes, not Deng. Deng doesn't have a post game and if you call taking slower PF's off the dribble a post game, then Noce has a post game

and it's a inaccurate to compare a college player's strength and muscle frame to players that have been in the league for several years

as for the Aldridge stuff- he isn't a back to the basket player. he could be but right now, he even admits it himself, he feels more comfortable facing up. and i don't know what kind of athleticism or strength you're talking about. you posted the preddraft camp scores yourself...


anywho- i think it's a little funny to be sounding so assertive on these college players abilities and who Paxson is going to draft. To me it does make sense to draft any of those 3. As Paxson outlined in the interview, they could fit in with the team

Even if Paxson saying all the "right" things, it's true. He doesn't expect any of the 3 mentioned to come in immediately and do some damage

[Fenix]

I didn't take comments about Roy out of the context, it's just that some people expect Paxson to draft the college senior, the one who can fill a need right now and Paxson explains what the need is (perimeter defender to help Hinrich guarding 2s) and that Roy or any other rookie won't be able to do that right now. What does that mean? That Bulls are picking with future in mind. And if he doesn't want to trade Gordon, that means Roy would be coming off the bench. Why'd you wanna pick someone who won't be able to start over anyone on your team, if you can have a potential star up front?

Thomas is a game changer in college and will probably be just that in NBA, but on defense, not on offense. His best scenario on defense is being Andrei Kirilenko type of presence. His offense? Vastly underdeveloped. No post skills. 12'' jumper. Glimpses of ballhandling skills. For a 6'8'' tweener, that's too little, but sure, he could contribute simply on putbacks and lobs, but in lesser manner than he did in college.

Nocioni is a combo forward and Deng is a SF with ability to play some spot minutes at PF (6'9, over 9'0 standing reach and like you said, he has ability to take some PFs off the dribble). What Bulls need is a different type of player, not another 6'8 power forward. Does Thomas have more psychical maturation to endure? Sure, but frame doesn't get bigger, it only fills out. And his potential for filling out is not so great.

Aldrige is a great athlete for his size, but like Thomas, his body has yet to mature. The progress he made since HS is obvious and he has the right frame to easily end up at 250 pounds. What do predraft results mean? Absolutely nothing. His strength will improve and other results are in Bosh' league. If you watch him play, you'll see that he has a decent first step, good explosion on his vertical and - what is most important - he's a natural and a fluid athlete. Combine that with his length and he's got all the tools you need to become a All-Star big man.

Aldridge was projected to be a 3/4 coming out of HS. While he still has plenty of KG/Bosh traits in his game, he's more of a post player than any of those two will ever be. He has very good post skills, including a jump hook and various spins and uses both hands. Add that to his jump shot and fadaways and you'll get one of the most versatile big men. What I miss the most is him using his first step more, but he didn't get the ball much outside the paint, so that and alleged lack of assertivness was the result of it. IMO, he's very underrated as far as hype goes.

[air gordon]

I didn't take comments about Roy out of the context, it's just that some people expect Paxson to draft the college senior, the one who can fill a need right now and Paxson explains what the need is (perimeter defender to help Hinrich guarding 2s) and that Roy or any other rookie won't be able to do that right now. What does that mean? That Bulls are picking with future in mind

where does it exactly say Roy is "clearly not an option" as you say? and you conveniently left out Paxson saying...

plus someone to also handle the ball and playmake so that when he’s out on the floor with Ben, he can get us into offense and Ben, when he comes off screens, can do his scoring.

Thomas is a game changer in college and will probably be just that in NBA, but on defense, not on offense. His best scenario on defense is being Andrei Kirilenko type of presence. His offense? Vastly underdeveloped. No post skills. 12'' jumper. Glimpses of ballhandling skills. For a 6'8'' tweener, that's too little, but sure, he could contribute simply on putbacks and lobs, but in lesser manner than he did in college.

you're selling him short, relatively and figuretively... you know he started playing organized basketball not too long ago and has that big wingspan/standing reach. combine with that with his worth ethic and attidude, he can't be pigeonholed to some gump

What Bulls need is a different type of player, not another 6'8 power forward. Does Thomas have more psychical maturation to endure? Sure, but frame doesn't get bigger, it only fills out. And his potential for filling out is not so great.

What physical evidence do you have that suggests his frame won't get bigger and that his potential is not so great?

Aldrige is a great athlete for his size, but like Thomas, his body has yet to mature. The progress he made since HS is obvious and he has the right frame to easily end up at 250 pounds. What do predraft results mean? Absolutely nothing. His strength will improve and other results are in Bosh' league. If you watch him play, you'll see that he has a decent first step, good explosion on his vertical and - what is most important - he's a natural and a fluid athlete. Combine that with his length and he's got all the tools you need to become a All-Star big man.

i don't get it. both Thomas and Aldridge still have to mature into their NBA bodies but for some reason Aldridge is the only one who can gain the bulk. lol.. talk about natural and fluid athlete- Aldridge never stole a ball, dribble 3/4 court full speed past defenders, and finish strong at the basket


anywho... i'm not trying to say Thomas is better then Aldridge. i believe that there really isn't a clear cut choice for the Bulls when it's their turn. thomas and his agents made him look like an ass during this process but face it- it's possible Thomas could be a bull come next Wednesday.