My Manifesto

[UGABulls]

Yes it is. Wade had a really bad ECF last year and Miami still won 4-1. I think Wade is declining NOW so I stick by what I said.

[KingCuban]

Yes it is. Wade had a really bad ECF last year and Miami still won 4-1. I think Wade is declining NOW so I stick by what I said.

And it could have easily been us up 2-1.

D Wade had a poor series, but he wasnt injured/declining, we just stopped him.

You stop one of the big 3, they still have 2 others that can kill you.

If Wade declines, you dont put as much time into him and try to stop the other 2.

I know getting down on our team and being negative is the flavour of the month, but we were so damn close last season, even if we lost 4-1.

[Shill4Tyrus24]

we were so damn close last season, even if we lost 4-1.

I just don't buy this. If we were close, the series would've been close.

That's like saying the Pacers were close to beating us last year because we had to break a sweat to beat them.

Winning four straight is pretty telling, IMO.

[Future Coach]

Late to the party, but I pretty much agree, except....


Boozers production can be easily replaced. His salary is a misappropriation of funds. He should be moved, sooner rather than later, because he will have to be moved eventually.


Deng I'm on the fence about, and for somewhat similar logic. As many have brought up recently, he is in need of an extension soon and I'm not so sure the Bulls should be the team to give him his next contract if he is going to expect nearly the same amount of money, which is likely. Other than that I like having Deng on the team. He has improved in something pretty much every off-season and I expect his work-ethic to remain, with the exception of this off-season as he will have that surgery after the Olympics. Why would he not when Rose is already out? So if we move Deng we better get something real good, but I would much rather move Boozer for far less.

Keep the team the same otherwise, except if Howard changes his mind.

[KingCuban]

we were so damn close last season, even if we lost 4-1.

I just don't buy this. If we were close, the series would've been close.

That's like saying the Pacers were close to beating us last year because we had to break a sweat to beat them.

Winning four straight is pretty telling, IMO.

Ignore the W or L, focus on how each game was played and how we were in most of those games until the final 2 minutes.

If you look at the W or L alone, then yes, without any substance or facts, we got hammered.

[pduh01]

we were so damn close last season, even if we lost 4-1.

I just don't buy this. If we were close, the series would've been close.

That's like saying the Pacers were close to beating us last year because we had to break a sweat to beat them.

Winning four straight is pretty telling, IMO.

The series may not been close in terms of watching on paper when we are down 4-1 but if you watch the game stand point alone beside game one which we won by a blow out. But the rest of the series the Bulls loss lot of which couldn't execute in the 2nd half it was much closer than looking at the stats/paper wise.

Just what happen with the Pacers series last year like you say, while we won 4-1 series, most of that series was a pretty damn close game.

[Shill4Tyrus24]

Late to the party, but I pretty much agree, except....


Boozers production can be easily replaced. His salary is a misappropriation of funds. He should be moved, sooner rather than later, because he will have to be moved eventually.


Deng I'm on the fence about, and for somewhat similar logic. As many have brought up recently, he is in need of an extension soon and I'm not so sure the Bulls should be the team to give him his next contract if he is going to expect nearly the same amount of money, which is likely. Other than that I like having Deng on the team. He has improved in something pretty much every off-season and I expect his work-ethic to remain, with the exception of this off-season as he will have that surgery after the Olympics. Why would he not when Rose is already out? So if we move Deng we better get something real good, but I would much rather move Boozer for far less.

Keep the team the same otherwise, except if Howard changes his mind.

What's commensurate value for Deng?

That's the troubling thing. The biggest thing we're missing is a legitimate #2 option. Either we somehow trade Deng along with another piece(s) for a #2, or trade him for a player who has the potential to become a #2.

[kyrv]

We have an excuse that we weren't healthy, yet you conveniently dismiss the fact that Bosh wasn't healthy in pointing out that Boston extended Miami to 7 games.

I've never said once that we aren't really, really good.

To say our regular season success makes us one of the favored contenders is inaccurate. I don't think I need to rehash the obvious differences between the regular season and how the game is played deep in the playoffs.

To expand on this, to me it was clear this season there were four superior teams, four elite teams, four contenders. Spurs/Heat/Bulls/Thunder To me what I would consider secondary contenders would be Lakers/Clippers/Boston maybe even Memphis, all teams that would have needed a lot of luck.

As transplant noted, the team and the system is very much built towards the playoffs, in fact I'll be honest I'm surprised at their regular season superiority.

Now given what's done is done, as they move forward I would love to see the Bulls get better and in particular on offense. I will note that the one caveat would be, you wouldn't want to stand pat if you didn't think they were really a contender - noting of course that even if they were, which they were, one can still want to improve the team.

I like a lot of Red's ideas. Ralph and others have some interesting suggestions. Many however want to make bad trades and overpay for lesser players. I'm more talking about, and I think the OP was, the brigade of one and two liner posts bashing the team and the sky is falling from "fans". Posts that imply the Bulls are hanging up on the bevy of offers from other teams trying to help make the Bulls better. People proposing bad trades that neither team would do and then stating the thing preventing the deal from getting done is that the FO lacks "gonads". People pretending they have high risk tolerance (they do not). People who suggest that standing pat would be just plain wildly wacky.

Circling past to 'merely a contender', once the three egos joined up, it was pretty clear nobody else is going to be the overwhelming favorite very easily. Perhaps the Thunder can be. The Bulls aren't going to have a threesome like either of those teams, it's nearly impossible, unless as Fish said if Dwight changes his "mind".

[Shill4Tyrus24]

we were so damn close last season, even if we lost 4-1.

I just don't buy this. If we were close, the series would've been close.

That's like saying the Pacers were close to beating us last year because we had to break a sweat to beat them.

Winning four straight is pretty telling, IMO.

Ignore the W or L, focus on how each game was played and how we were in most of those games until the final 2 minutes.

If you look at the W or L alone, then yes, without any substance or facts, we got hammered.

But how often are series among top-tier teams flat-out laughers?

I think a lot of teams that get sent home early can feel like they were only "a few 4th quarters away".

[Shill4Tyrus24]

we were so damn close last season, even if we lost 4-1.

I just don't buy this. If we were close, the series would've been close.

That's like saying the Pacers were close to beating us last year because we had to break a sweat to beat them.

Winning four straight is pretty telling, IMO.

The series may not been close in terms of watching on paper when we are down 4-1 but if you watch the game stand point alone beside game one which we won by a blow out. But the rest of the series the Bulls loss lot of which couldn't execute in the 2nd half it was much closer than looking at the stats/paper wise.

Just what happen with the Pacers series last year like you say, while we won 4-1 series, most of that series was a pretty damn close game.

Does anyone here think the Pacers are legitimate title contenders?

I don't.

[KingCuban]

But how often are series among top-tier teams flat-out laughers?

I think a lot of teams that get sent home early can feel like they were only "a few 4th quarters away".

Not 4th quarters, the last 2 minutes.

Their is a difference.

With a few things going our way, we could have been up 2-1 and that series looks a helluva lot different.

[pduh01]

Does anyone here think the Pacers are legitimate title contenders?

I don't.

I think they are a good team however answer to your question right now no but with their cap room, and if they can get their "superstar" they will be.

Cap room, and future they get the MLE if they can get a superstar they are scary.

[KingCuban]

Does anyone here think the Pacers are legitimate title contenders?

I don't.

You're ignoring the valid points and again simply focusing on the W or L.

[Future Coach]

Late to the party, but I pretty much agree, except....


Boozers production can be easily replaced. His salary is a misappropriation of funds. He should be moved, sooner rather than later, because he will have to be moved eventually.


Deng I'm on the fence about, and for somewhat similar logic. As many have brought up recently, he is in need of an extension soon and I'm not so sure the Bulls should be the team to give him his next contract if he is going to expect nearly the same amount of money, which is likely. Other than that I like having Deng on the team. He has improved in something pretty much every off-season and I expect his work-ethic to remain, with the exception of this off-season as he will have that surgery after the Olympics. Why would he not when Rose is already out? So if we move Deng we better get something real good, but I would much rather move Boozer for far less.

Keep the team the same otherwise, except if Howard changes his mind.

What's commensurate value for Deng?

That's the troubling thing. The biggest thing we're missing is a legitimate #2 option. Either we somehow trade Deng along with another piece(s) for a #2, or trade him for a player who has the potential to become a #2.

It's not that Deng is necessarily getting overpaid, it's that the Bulls can't afford to keep paying everyone they have. I value Rose and Noah the most on the team, and then maybe Taj, and then Deng, considering their/team salaries and how they play on the court. Can Rose, Noah, and Deng keep getting paid like they are if the Bulls ever hope to get over the top?

I think it all depends on what happens with Boozer. He needs to be moved and then a whole world of possibilities open up.

[Shill4Tyrus24]

But how often are series among top-tier teams flat-out laughers?

I think a lot of teams that get sent home early can feel like they were only "a few 4th quarters away".

Not 4th quarters, the last 2 minutes.

Their is a difference.

With a few things going our way, we could have been up 2-1 and that series looks a helluva lot different.

But again, couldn't the Pacers say the same thing about us?

The first 4 games of that series were toss-ups, and they SHOULD have won game one.

The difference was we had Rose, and they didn't. And that's usually the case in the playoffs; the team with the best player(s) wins.