Post#23 » by HotelVitale » Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:15 pm
You guys can be very harsh on this board! I just thought I'd throw in my two cents as someone who gets to watch 1-2 Bulls games per week and knows some diehard Bulls fans, tell you Chicago's perspective on things. Tyrus is unpopular with the coaches--for obvious reasons, since he still seems to space out in the middle of offensive sets, forgets to box out his guy, commits stupid fouls on plays he can't make--but most Bulls fans, the announcers, etc wouldn't dream of giving him up for someone who wouldn't help them beat the Pistons or Celtics. When people speak about his 'potential' they don't just mean that he could someday in the distant future be a good player--he's shown 5-6 times this year that he's already perfectly capable of being a game changer and a very very good player. Nobody knows why he has weeks at a time where he lacks focus and seems lost on the court, but other players have had the same problem and figured it out (e.g. Gerald Wallace). He's 21, he's 6'9, he can jump out the gym and block shots with the best of 'em, he wants to succeed, we've seen him dominate, and he plays hard. Why would Bulls fans want to give up on him now?
Also Ben Wallace is still very good at the offensive glass and at deterring shots in the paint, most Bulls fans are screaming for Boylan's head for not giving Noah enough playing time, and Joe Smith has been really good as a backup PF (he hits shots, gets rebounds, knows where to be on defense). They like to give Deng 30-5 minutes per game and Nocioni 25 per, so the front court really is full. If they got someone like Carlos Boozer or Pau Gasol then they would make room, but do you guys honestly see Craig Smith taking the Bulls to another level?
Most Bulls fans would be shocked and disappointed by a Smith for Tyrus trade. It might happen--we don't know how bad the blood has gotten b/w Tyrus and the coaching staff, or if the Bulls really need to shed Tyrus' salary for some unknown future move--but it makes little sense for a struggling team to trade away a player with great potential and a relatively small contract for someone who doesn't seem likely to bring their team to another level. And any fan would be upset be to hear about their team trading away a young athlete because of incompatibility or personnel issues.
And, yes, I follow both the Bulls and Pistons. I probably pull for the Pistons harder, but I lived in Chicago for ten years and most of my family still lives there. It's nice to root for the teams your friends and family are into, and I like watching the game no matter who's playing. I think the Wolves are a very interesting team, too, and I'd probably get into them if I lived in the Twin Cities for 5 years.
In any case, it's not war, it's just professional basketball.
