PG: Can't stop, won't stop

[Chi town]

Even though Dunn didn't shoot well—or, rather finish well—I think he missed 3-4 easy layups tonight—I'm encouraged to see him have another low turnover/high assist game. This is his 4th game in a row where he's had less than 4 turnovers. 32 assists in those 4 games, too. He also had 4 steals. 10 total over those 4 games.

He is getting better.

and his defensive instincts are translating into big time production. Another 4 steals tonight, and they weren't cheap ones.

Kris Dunn just looks like a player. He blows a **** of layups but **** if everything else isn't usually a net positive.

If Dunn could just finish at the rim at league average then he is our PG of the future.

[BeatDaCavs420]

Screw it Lets get that 8 seed so we can live through the hell we been living through the last 5 years. Meet lebron and have him crush us...End up getting nobody in off-season...Rinse and repeat Wooooo

[Dresden]

What if they keep getting better? What if Dunn actually redeems his value as the #5 pick?... What if Lauri shows he was even better than the #7th pick in his draft? What if Lavine looks like a high lotto pick and the real deal when he comes back? What if this is the real Niko and plays like a high lottery pick from here on out? What if Nwaba just keeps doing what he's doing?

What if the Bulls win more than expected, get to around 26 wins with 20 games left and finished the season on like a 15-5 run with a .500 record and squeaked into the playoffs. Then won in the 1st round. How would you feel about that team with say the 13th pick in next years draft? Vs. one of worst teams in league and the 5th pick?

We need a superstar. Otherwise should have kept Jimmy, and Niko and Nwaba could be helping a good team.

So unless one of the players improving in your scenario are looking like that superstar, rather be the worst team.

No its not fun along the way, but its harsh reality of the NBA.

Even if draft position is ignored, we are a much better team with Dunn, Lauri, and LaVine, than we would have been just with Jimmy here.

[Chi town]

Yeah they should have done it like Hinkie so they could be .500 in 4 or 5 seasons. I don't have green font available... on my phone... sorry.

If it took them 4-5 years just to finally have real hope, what do you think we are going to accomplish only tanking 1 year, or if this keeps up, not even tanking 1 season?

The history of successful rebuilds is pretty devoid of teams that did it in 1 year, unless they drafted an MJ or LeBron.

Just because the Bulls now look like maybe a bottom 10 team instead of a bottom 1, isn't a reason to get giddy or think we should change the big picture plan. This team is not ready to start trying to win.

Package Rolo Holiday and Bobby for a bad short term contract and 2019 first rounder. Get a top 10 pick in 2018. Top free agent in 2018. Package your 2 2019 first rounders to move up to 6 or 7 in the 2019 draft.

Everyone keeps acting like the tank til you draft a superstar is some proven stairway to heaven. It has yet to work for anyone.

There is more than one way to accomplish this.

Regardless you owe me an and one for working the Led Zep reference in.

That would be beautiful. Draft Bamba and then sign Barton in FA. Playoffs next season with still high ceilings.

Dunn/Grant
LaVine/Val
Barton/Nwaba
Lauri/Niko
Niko/Bamba

That’s 6th seed next season. Vets, youth, shooting, D, athleticism. If Bamba becomes Gobert and Dunn Lauri and LaVine keep trending... we could compete for the east post Lebron in 2019

[Dresden]

Came to say this. Legit the worst front office in the league. When they want to win, they put a tragic team together. When they want to lose, they put a stacked team together. Its crazy

You can't possibly blame the front office for young players playing hard and wanting to win games.

You can blame them for doing a rebuild backwards. You don't start by acquiring 3 players that are going to help you win, but aren't likely to be your franchise guy.

Now they are going to have to possibly make a dump trade, lose Niko for little value, to correct this from going 'on' track, if not more people.

That really doesn't make any sense. They got very good value for Jimmy. It's like you're saying it would have been better to just give Jimmy away for nothing so we could be bad enough to get a top 4 pick.

[AKfanatic]

Kris Dunn gonna make that Jimmy Butler leap as a player.

[kulaz3000]

Kris Dunn gonna make that Jimmy Butler leap as a player.

I hope you're right.

[Dresden]

Came to say this. Legit the worst front office in the league. When they want to win, they put a tragic team together. When they want to lose, they put a stacked team together. Its crazy

Best record in a league featuring the heatles.....

Tragic


A team full of players a good percentage of fans considered trash and busts a week ago......

Stacked

Obviously there was some hyperbole there, but you're talking about w team they put together 7 years ago as the reason they're not tragic. I will give them their credit for putting g that 2010 team together. But since then they haven't been able to surround our "stars" with supporting talent.

They have two jobs this year. Fill the roster with young talent and cash in on any assets that aren't part of our future. Outside of Dunn, Markenen, Lavine and maybe Nwaba, everyone should go. RoLo and Niko need to go. They're on great contracts and can help competing teams.

We can't do the same crap our FO is famous for, and hold onto them hoping for a huge haul, then end up losing them for nothing or trading them out of desperation for crap (ie Cam Payne). If someone offers you a 1st for either of them, take it and run. The worst thing that can happen to this team is to win 20-30 games and end up with a mid to late lottery pick.

All depends on what kind of first round pick it is. I'm not trading for a first round pick worse than #15. And probably not worse than #10. A pick in the 20's is pretty worthless if you ask me. At best, you'll get a role player like Tony Snell. Big deal.

[Dez]

Haven't seen erlim post lately? Must mean Niko is playing well.

[Dresden]

Seems Paxson build another Gordon-Hinrich-Deng team. And Niko is doing his best impression of 6'10 Ben Gordon... And now he will again hope for #1 with 1.7% chance.

Or maybe he's building a Steph-Klay-Draymond team, and we just don't know it yet. No one thought the Warriors would be where they are today in Steph's first or second year, when it looked like he might not even have a career with all his ankle issues.

You just don't know.

[AKfanatic]

Kris Dunn gonna make that Jimmy Butler leap as a player.

I hope you're right.

It’s not out of the realm of possibilities.

Dunn has that dog in him, that fight that Jimmy’s got. He’s also showing to be a pretty clutch fella to go along with top of the league type D.

I think I’d be more surprised if he didn’t have a very similar career arc and have fans looking back at the Butler trade much the way they looked back at the Curry/NYC trade.

[Dresden]

For those who choose to keep Portis over Niko, did you guys see Portis missing point blank layup and open lane dunk because he can't jump higher? This is why I can never take Portis seriously as a must keep player.

Portis and Holiday may be the lowest bball IQ pairing in the league. You want to tank just play them 25 mpg together. Niko, Lauri, and Lavine combined couldn't overcome that. Throw Zip in there with them for 20 of the minutes... tank accomplished.

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Portis made some really smart plays tonight. Made good decisions, some nice passes. One in particular to Lopez in the post, would have made John Stockton proud. But someone gets a label, and it's easy to just keep repeating that....

[3noD]

Came to say this. Legit the worst front office in the league. When they want to win, they put a tragic team together. When they want to lose, they put a stacked team together. Its crazy

You can't possibly blame the front office for young players playing hard and wanting to win games.

Besides, they put together a legitimate tanking roster. Rolo and Niko are the only two questionable guys on roster and they’re looking at trades right now. Let’s hope something quick happens for Rolo.


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[Dankoz]

We can already forget the next years draft. We are doing way too good at the moment.

[3noD]

Maybe Fred is learning to coach right before our eyes. Pushing all the right buttons all of a sudden. Team is moving on offense, finding cutters, making hustle plays. They are fun to watch again. I say good. I was never a fan of tanking and sorry I ever fell into that BS with everyone. I hope Fred and these kids destroy it from here on out. Then I hope we wind up with the gem of the draft anyway. The basketball gods should PUNISH teams who actively try to lose and reward the ones who go for it.

About 3 years too late.

Maybe the players actually are doing what he says. Unlike wave off jimmy.

Count me in on the Fred bandwagon. The record will show I never went off it.


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[Dresden]

I hate to be that guy, but if the Bulls don't make a trade in the next week, GarPax really need to go. Can't build a winner, and can't build a loser. Just superb at building medocricy.

Came to say this. Legit the worst front office in the league. When they want to win, they put a tragic team together. When they want to lose, they put a stacked team together. Its crazy

Of course 90% of people on here agreed they had put together the worst team in the NBA.

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Bingo! "Historically bad" was the oft used term.

[WindyCityBorn]

Screw it Lets get that 8 seed so we can live through the hell we been living through the last 5 years. Meet lebron and have him crush us...End up getting nobody in off-season...Rinse and repeat Wooooo

Only on a Bulls forum will you find meltdowns after a four game winning streak.

We won't sniff the playoffs...

[3noD]

Trade Niko Lopez and Bobby NOW

Sorry but this winning is pointless IMO should of just let Jazz comeback at end

Here is the thing though. The players and coaches don't give a damn about the tank. They want to win every game they play. They'll still get a lot of losses because of youth and lack of talent. You can't get mad at players who are paid to win games when they actually win them. Their not playing for that basketball Jesus that may or may not come at the top of the draft.

They’re playing to stay in the NBA. Survival.


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[WindyCityBorn]

For those who choose to keep Portis over Niko, did you guys see Portis missing point blank layup and open lane dunk because he can't jump higher? This is why I can never take Portis seriously as a must keep player.

Portis and Holiday may be the lowest bball IQ pairing in the league. You want to tank just play them 25 mpg together. Niko, Lauri, and Lavine combined couldn't overcome that. Throw Zip in there with them for 20 of the minutes... tank accomplished.

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Portis made some really smart plays tonight. Made good decisions, some nice passes. One in particular to Lopez in the post, would have made John Stockton proud. But someone gets a label, and it's easy to just keep repeating that....

Portis has been a good team player and routinely made the smart basketball decisions this year. Not sure what that person has been watching this season.

[WindyCityBorn]

We can already forget the next years draft. We are doing way too good at the moment.

That's fine. We got 3 lottery picks for Butler. Thanks Thibs.