Around the NBA: Regular Season Edition

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For what it's worth, and I know players don't care about this, but the Bulls having won 4 of 5 are now out of the bottom 10 in overall record. That may still change if they have a firesale for LaVine and/or Vuc, but we for now own that pick. Hornets are hopelessly in the lotto so we will most likely be getting two seconds, but with each passing year, we get a better pick from the Bulls. So even if they get this year's, there are even smaller protections next season.

Just drumming my fingers at the next couple of drafts...

We need to stock the cupboard with higher floor talent that pushes each other for playing time. We have a couple of draft selections who aren't even seeing the floor. That has to change.

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https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/278836/Bulls-Shopping-Patrick-Williams-Ahead-Of-Trade-Deadline

Man I was all in on the PatWill train and gutted that the hype got so high he went 4th overall.

I thought it was a mistake by the Bulls to start him, a college bench player, just to justify the 4th pick or maybe because of it. Either way, you could see he was overwhelmed and has stayed underwhelming since.

I don't want early career reclamation projects but I do wonder whether this is a badly developed player situation or a flaw in competitive drive situation. I was all gung ho about Mo Bamba and again gutted he went 5th but it turns out he has little competitive edge and has been tossed around like flotsam and jetsam looking for a team to stick with in an end of bench role.

There are some things you can't teach but I do wonder about how much more there is to mine in PatWill's game. I know we *reportedly* loved him before his draft and wonder what it would take to see what he has left...

EDIT: "... inability to buy into what the coaching staff has asked of him" is all kinds of damning though... Maybe he can be had for cheaper? It's a costlier acquisition for a project now though... I don't know. I'm torn. Loved his profile, didn't like how he was developed, not loving his seeming disappearing act and questionable motor since he entered the league.

We'd have to really do our homework about why it didn't work out and what we think he has in terms of inner drive and coachability to activate most of all.

p.s. I just read through the Bulls' PatWill has been made available thread. OOF. Damning. Not sure I want him now, for sure not as PF was thinking more at SF but it does not sound like he likes basketball or at least not happy for a long while. As I said, there are some aspects you can't really teach ...

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Going global...

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