Cowley:Eastern Conference playoffs were a reminder of Bulls’ run to mediocrity

[dougthonus]

I think most of us agree that to be successful on the court you have to have 5 long, athletic, switchable guys with good fundamentals on both ends on the floor.

I don't think that is really true. It would be awesome if you could do it, but the Warriors definitely don't have five long athletic switchable guys on both ends of the floor and the Lakers didn't two years ago. Milwaukee is the closest to that, but probably doesn't really have that either. You certainly want as many players like that as you can get of course.

OK, let´s say AKME REALLY want to build a contender with the current (very small) window while keeping Zach and Demar. I say "REALLY" in bold because you can always take the treadmill route with the Reindsforfs being happy with 1st round exits. You clearly have to make up for their shortcomings on defense, right? We are not going anywhere if we keep the team as it is.

Ball and Caruso stay because they fit in that contender mold. But I´m not sure who else.

Agree Ball and Caruso have to stay and you have to gamble on Ball's health. Ayo and Pat fit into the mold of versatile switchable players as well, so they stay. I think you need to add a legit big man on the roster PF/C combo guy. I would have loved Wood if you could have gotten him at his pricetag (#26 is almost free), but mechanics were hard because we need to negotiate S&Ts to make salaries work which we can't do right now.

I don´t know if we already went "all in" (pretty close to it) but you can always push the boundaries a bit more. In for a penny, in for a pound.

I mean we traded away three future 1st round draft picks, that's pretty close to all in. Whether I'd keep mortgaging off more assets would depend on how far I think I could get.

[MrSparkle]

I think most of us agree that to be successful on the court you have to have 5 long, athletic, switchable guys with good fundamentals on both ends on the floor.

I don't think that is really true. It would be awesome if you could do it, but the Warriors definitely don't have five long athletic switchable guys on both ends of the floor and the Lakers didn't two years ago. Milwaukee is the closest to that, but probably doesn't really have that either. You certainly want as many players like that as you can get of course.

OK, let´s say AKME REALLY want to build a contender with the current (very small) window while keeping Zach and Demar. I say "REALLY" in bold because you can always take the treadmill route with the Reindsforfs being happy with 1st round exits. You clearly have to make up for their shortcomings on defense, right? We are not going anywhere if we keep the team as it is.

Ball and Caruso stay because they fit in that contender mold. But I´m not sure who else.

Agree Ball and Caruso have to stay and you have to gamble on Ball's health. Ayo and Pat fit into the mold of versatile switchable players as well, so they stay. I think you need to add a legit big man on the roster PF/C combo guy. I would have loved Wood if you could have gotten him at his pricetag (#26 is almost free), but mechanics were hard because we need to negotiate S&Ts to make salaries work which we can't do right now.

I don´t know if we already went "all in" (pretty close to it) but you can always push the boundaries a bit more. In for a penny, in for a pound.

I mean we traded away three future 1st round draft picks, that's pretty close to all in. Whether I'd keep mortgaging off more assets would depend on how far I think I could get.

Top-4 and top-10 protected. IMO that’s not even close to all-in. Trading Coby, Pat and removing protections for Grant, Barnes, Poeltl, etc. would be more of an all-in. We still have many assets to move; I feel like dumping Pat would be the all-in/final domino. Been very hesitant to go there, and I know we’re split, but I still see an intriguing, high ceiling.

Also realize that Coby is for all intents and purposes a scrub, but he still needs to generate value one way or another. 80/20 expect him to be traded, along with the 18th pick. M. Robinson or Thybulle would be better than collecting a 10-20 FRP imo. But also, Coby might end up being better than the 10-20 pick any day now.

Things went wrong with Vuc and Franz. But it’d be extraordinarily unlucky if Bulls gave up another top-10 pick to ORL who panned out into a better player than Vuc.

Not worried about the Spurs pick at all. If things go south and the draft looks great, you tank and get a guaranteed top-10.

You often say it, but the odds of getting a star prospect diminish tremendously each slot. I find 23-26yos FAs and buy-lows to be the best value pickups. Lonzo, Caruso, etc. - I’m hoping there are legs to the Thybulle and Robinson rumors. Add Wiggins to the long list of bargain trades- not sure why NBA players keep being wrongly blacklisted from becoming quality NBA pieces before they turn 25. It’s kind of inane considering there are so many success stories.

Of course it’d be great to draft a Giannis or Kawhi at in the mid 1st… but that doesn’t seem like a sustainable method of GMing (prayer?).

[MrFortune3]

We also need health.

Unfortunately this is the Bulls we’re talking about. This franchise could trade for prime AC Green, Karl Malone and John Stockton then lead the league in missed games

That's a bit much. I have faith in the FO to things fixed. They got us back into the playoffs with a C most think we overpaid for, a superstar most don't want to pay and want gone, a all NBA star that most didn't want signed...

[WindyCityBorn]

I think most of us agree that to be successful on the court you have to have 5 long, athletic, switchable guys with good fundamentals on both ends on the floor.

I don't think that is really true. It would be awesome if you could do it, but the Warriors definitely don't have five long athletic switchable guys on both ends of the floor and the Lakers didn't two years ago. Milwaukee is the closest to that, but probably doesn't really have that either. You certainly want as many players like that as you can get of course.

OK, let´s say AKME REALLY want to build a contender with the current (very small) window while keeping Zach and Demar. I say "REALLY" in bold because you can always take the treadmill route with the Reindsforfs being happy with 1st round exits. You clearly have to make up for their shortcomings on defense, right? We are not going anywhere if we keep the team as it is.

Ball and Caruso stay because they fit in that contender mold. But I´m not sure who else.

Agree Ball and Caruso have to stay and you have to gamble on Ball's health. Ayo and Pat fit into the mold of versatile switchable players as well, so they stay. I think you need to add a legit big man on the roster PF/C combo guy. I would have loved Wood if you could have gotten him at his pricetag (#26 is almost free), but mechanics were hard because we need to negotiate S&Ts to make salaries work which we can't do right now.

I don´t know if we already went "all in" (pretty close to it) but you can always push the boundaries a bit more. In for a penny, in for a pound.

I mean we traded away three future 1st round draft picks, that's pretty close to all in. Whether I'd keep mortgaging off more assets would depend on how far I think I could get.

Top-4 and top-10 protected. IMO that’s not even close to all-in. Trading Coby, Pat and removing protections for Grant, Barnes, Poeltl, etc. would be more of an all-in. We still have many assets to move; I feel like dumping Pat would be the all-in/final domino. Been very hesitant to go there, and I know we’re split, but I still see an intriguing, high ceiling.

Also realize that Coby is for all intents and purposes a scrub, but he still needs to generate value one way or another. 80/20 expect him to be traded, along with the 18th pick. M. Robinson or Thybulle would be better than collecting a 10-20 FRP imo. But also, Coby might end up being better than the 10-20 pick any day now.

Things went wrong with Vuc and Franz. But it’d be extraordinarily unlucky if Bulls gave up another top-10 pick to ORL who panned out into a better player than Vuc.

Not worried about the Spurs pick at all. If things go south and the draft looks great, you tank and get a guaranteed top-10.

You often say it, but the odds of getting a star prospect diminish tremendously each slot. I find 23-26yos FAs and buy-lows to be the best value pickups. Lonzo, Caruso, etc. - I’m hoping there are legs to the Thybulle and Robinson rumors. Add Wiggins to the long list of bargain trades- not sure why NBA players keep being wrongly blacklisted from becoming quality NBA pieces before they turn 25. It’s kind of inane considering there are so many success stories.

Of course it’d be great to draft a Giannis or Kawhi at in the mid 1st… but that doesn’t seem like a sustainable method of GMing (prayer?).

I can’t see us trading Pat for anyone we could realistically acquire. If he reaches his potential our window for competing extends dramatically. And I think he will get there. We have the right coaching, management and veteran players around him.

[nitetrain8603]

I like Cowley more than most. With that stated, I think this is a really unfair article from him. Offseason barely began. The Bulls also have to make themselves an attractive place, which is something they haven't been in a long time. You don't get that way by losing continously and waiting for a white knight. In addition to that, yes, the Finals are a reminder to how far the Bulls are. Gutting their team or being upset of what they've built so far is not going to make things better.

Bulls are trying to be the best organization they could be every day. They finally have some competent people in the organization. They finally have a plan. Yes, the Warriors are a better team for sure. With that stated, I'm done hearing "Bulls should blow it up and concentrate on X amount of years down the line because they have to wait for player x to retire." Good teams, good organizations do not do that. I've seen so many people say that when the Lakers were running things, then the Spurs, then LeBron's entire tenure in the East, and now with GSW's run. Like Stephen A said (which he stole from Jerry Krause) the other day, "Organizations win championships." And teams that stick together do improve. Not saying they should never make a tweak, but your core staying together for at least a couple of years does help (see Boston, Miami, etc.)

Team building is simple - make the best team you can make each day. When an opportunity presents itself to make your team better, then you pounce on that. If it makes your team worse, then you don't do it. Shouldn't gut your team to just suck for years on end, especially when there isn't a LeBron like player in the draft.

[SfBull]

I think most of us agree that to be successful on the court you have to have 5 long, athletic, switchable guys with good fundamentals on both ends on the floor.

I don't think that is really true. It would be awesome if you could do it, but the Warriors definitely don't have five long athletic switchable guys on both ends of the floor and the Lakers didn't two years ago. Milwaukee is the closest to that, but probably doesn't really have that either. You certainly want as many players like that as you can get of course.

OK, let´s say AKME REALLY want to build a contender with the current (very small) window while keeping Zach and Demar. I say "REALLY" in bold because you can always take the treadmill route with the Reindsforfs being happy with 1st round exits. You clearly have to make up for their shortcomings on defense, right? We are not going anywhere if we keep the team as it is.

Ball and Caruso stay because they fit in that contender mold. But I´m not sure who else.

Agree Ball and Caruso have to stay and you have to gamble on Ball's health. Ayo and Pat fit into the mold of versatile switchable players as well, so they stay. I think you need to add a legit big man on the roster PF/C combo guy. I would have loved Wood if you could have gotten him at his pricetag (#26 is almost free), but mechanics were hard because we need to negotiate S&Ts to make salaries work which we can't do right now.

I don´t know if we already went "all in" (pretty close to it) but you can always push the boundaries a bit more. In for a penny, in for a pound.

I mean we traded away three future 1st round draft picks, that's pretty close to all in. Whether I'd keep mortgaging off more assets would depend on how far I think I could get.

Top-4 and top-10 protected. IMO that’s not even close to all-in. Trading Coby, Pat and removing protections for Grant, Barnes, Poeltl, etc. would be more of an all-in. We still have many assets to move; I feel like dumping Pat would be the all-in/final domino. Been very hesitant to go there, and I know we’re split, but I still see an intriguing, high ceiling.

Also realize that Coby is for all intents and purposes a scrub, but he still needs to generate value one way or another. 80/20 expect him to be traded, along with the 18th pick. M. Robinson or Thybulle would be better than collecting a 10-20 FRP imo. But also, Coby might end up being better than the 10-20 pick any day now.

Things went wrong with Vuc and Franz. But it’d be extraordinarily unlucky if Bulls gave up another top-10 pick to ORL who panned out into a better player than Vuc.

Not worried about the Spurs pick at all. If things go south and the draft looks great, you tank and get a guaranteed top-10.

You often say it, but the odds of getting a star prospect diminish tremendously each slot. I find 23-26yos FAs and buy-lows to be the best value pickups. Lonzo, Caruso, etc. - I’m hoping there are legs to the Thybulle and Robinson rumors. Add Wiggins to the long list of bargain trades- not sure why NBA players keep being wrongly blacklisted from becoming quality NBA pieces before they turn 25. It’s kind of inane considering there are so many success stories.

Of course it’d be great to draft a Giannis or Kawhi at in the mid 1st… but that doesn’t seem like a sustainable method of GMing (prayer?).

I´m against trading #18 with Coby as there are interesting players who can be available at this point.

[kyrv]

https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports-saturday/2022/6/4/23154273/eastern-conference-playoffs-reminder-bulls-mediocrity
Not sure if someone posted about it before but I think it shows well our reality now.

´´The Eastern Conference playoffs were yet another reminder that while the Bulls took a major step in no longer being a punchline, they are still on a collision course with mediocrity with the roster as currently constructed. Good enough to get in the playoffs, but not good enough to get beyond the first or second round.``
And:
´´Continuity was the word of choice used by Karnisovas last month when meeting with the media, which meant there was still a strong belief in Nikola Vucevic, DeMar DeRozan and free-agent-to-be Zach LaVine as the faces of the franchise.

That’s not going to get it done in this conference. Best-case scenario, with apologies to Atlanta, Cleveland and Toronto, five teams still are better than the Bulls in the East, and those five teams aren’t going anywhere.``

Unusual for Cowley to put a negative spin on things. But he's right, I mean, all but one team were utter failures this season, right Joe?

I don't know how good the Bulls would have been in the playoffs with Ball, but I know it's 'better', and I don't know the team makeup or health next season. Right now I'm not going to whine about having a good team.