What if... Eddy Curry never have The heart problem?

[Adriano]

Só, it's been a very long and boring offseason for us so far. Last days we have an "what if" topic about BG7 never leaving The Bulls in 2009, so I think...

What if the Eddy Curry heart problems never happens back in 2004-2005 season? Back then the Bulls shut him down for the rest of the season and really miss him in the playoffs against Wizards. Next season he was S&T to the Knicks in exchange for a young but already fat and undersize Mike Swetney and the Knicks pick, who became to be Tyrus Thomas (and Viktor Khryapa as a "bonus" in that horrible trade with Portland).

But Eddy Curry was our lead scoring during the 47-35 campaign in 04/05, and was pretty decent for the Knicks until 2007/2008, when injuries starts to became an issue for him. As for the Bulls, they miss a good offense presence in the paint until 2010, when the sign Carlos Boozer in the FA.

If the Bulls resign Eddy Curry, the base of the team for 2005/2006 and beyond would be:

Kirk Hinrich / Chris Duhon / Jannero Pargo
Ben Gordon / Kirk Hinrich
Luol Deng / Andres Nocioni
AD (still under contract for 05/06 season) / Tyson Chandler / Othela Harrington
Eddy Curry / Tyson Chandler

In this scenario we probably never have sign Ben Wallace in the 2006 FA.

How far would we've come?

[dougthonus]

Só, it's been a very long and boring offseason for us so far. Last days we have an "what if" topic about BG7 never leaving The Bulls in 2009, so I think...

What if the Eddy Curry heart problems never happens back in 2004-2005 season? Back then the Bulls shut him down for the rest of the season and really miss him in the playoffs against Wizards. Next season he was S&T to the Knicks in exchange for a young but already fat and undersize Mike Swetney and the Knicks pick, who became to be Tyrus Thomas (and Viktor Khryapa as a "bonus" in that horrible trade with Portland).

But Eddy Curry was our lead scoring during the 47-35 campaign in 04/05, and was pretty decent for the Knicks until 2007/2008, when injuries starts to became an issue for him. As for the Bulls, they miss a good offense presence in the paint until 2010, when the sign Carlos Boozer in the FA.

If the Bulls resign Eddy Curry, the base of the team for 2005/2006 and beyond would be:

Kirk Hinrich / Chris Duhon / Jannero Pargo
Ben Gordon / Kirk Hinrich
Luol Deng / Andres Nocioni
AD (still under contract for 05/06 season) / Tyson Chandler / Othela Harrington
Eddy Curry / Tyson Chandler

In this scenario we probably never have sign Ben Wallace in the 2006 FA.

How far would we've come?

Well given that Curry completely flamed out in his career, we would have been worse. Beyond that, we wouldn't have had Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas (whom eventually became Mirotic, whom eventually became nothing), but either way, hard to argue that the team would have been any better.

In this sense, a better question would have been what if we didn't sign Wallace and just extended Chandler instead.

[Adriano]

Só, it's been a very long and boring offseason for us so far. Last days we have an "what if" topic about BG7 never leaving The Bulls in 2009, so I think...

What if the Eddy Curry heart problems never happens back in 2004-2005 season? Back then the Bulls shut him down for the rest of the season and really miss him in the playoffs against Wizards. Next season he was S&T to the Knicks in exchange for a young but already fat and undersize Mike Swetney and the Knicks pick, who became to be Tyrus Thomas (and Viktor Khryapa as a "bonus" in that horrible trade with Portland).

But Eddy Curry was our lead scoring during the 47-35 campaign in 04/05, and was pretty decent for the Knicks until 2007/2008, when injuries starts to became an issue for him. As for the Bulls, they miss a good offense presence in the paint until 2010, when the sign Carlos Boozer in the FA.

If the Bulls resign Eddy Curry, the base of the team for 2005/2006 and beyond would be:

Kirk Hinrich / Chris Duhon / Jannero Pargo
Ben Gordon / Kirk Hinrich
Luol Deng / Andres Nocioni
AD (still under contract for 05/06 season) / Tyson Chandler / Othela Harrington
Eddy Curry / Tyson Chandler

In this scenario we probably never have sign Ben Wallace in the 2006 FA.

How far would we've come?

Well given that Curry completely flamed out in his career, we would have been worse. Beyond that, we wouldn't have had Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas (whom eventually became Mirotic, whom eventually became nothing), but either way, hard to argue that the team would have been any better.

In this sense, a better question would have been what if we didn't sign Wallace and just extended Chandler instead.

But we extended Chandler. We give him a 5 year contract (I dont recall the amount of money) but we trade him for peanuts after the 06 Heat series, when he was dominated by Shaq (and him put up 5/10 in the season didnt help), in order to clear the room for Ben Wallace. I remember that Wallace sign with us before Chandler was traded, and posed with #3 jersey (who was the number that Chandler used with us).
Pax was not cool at all with Tyson...

[MGB8]

Só, it's been a very long and boring offseason for us so far. Last days we have an "what if" topic about BG7 never leaving The Bulls in 2009, so I think...

What if the Eddy Curry heart problems never happens back in 2004-2005 season? Back then the Bulls shut him down for the rest of the season and really miss him in the playoffs against Wizards. Next season he was S&T to the Knicks in exchange for a young but already fat and undersize Mike Swetney and the Knicks pick, who became to be Tyrus Thomas (and Viktor Khryapa as a "bonus" in that horrible trade with Portland).

But Eddy Curry was our lead scoring during the 47-35 campaign in 04/05, and was pretty decent for the Knicks until 2007/2008, when injuries starts to became an issue for him. As for the Bulls, they miss a good offense presence in the paint until 2010, when the sign Carlos Boozer in the FA.

If the Bulls resign Eddy Curry, the base of the team for 2005/2006 and beyond would be:

Kirk Hinrich / Chris Duhon / Jannero Pargo
Ben Gordon / Kirk Hinrich
Luol Deng / Andres Nocioni
AD (still under contract for 05/06 season) / Tyson Chandler / Othela Harrington
Eddy Curry / Tyson Chandler

In this scenario we probably never have sign Ben Wallace in the 2006 FA.

How far would we've come?

The problem with Curry wasn't ultimately his physical heart problems. It was that he never loved the game. Didn't he have an article in the athletic or whatnot about that?

It's too bad, because he was an immense, immense talent. But being a high level athlete is a grind. Heck, it's a grind at the college level, where you wake up early and put in lots of extra time, missing out (at least for the season) on a number of other experiences to become elite at whatever sport that you are in (and those experiences). At the NBA level, it's even moreso.

Eddy Curry would never have worked out. Not because he's a bad guy, not because he wasn't talented, not because of physical limitations - but because he didn't love basketball enough to hang on into the league.

[dougthonus]

But we extended Chandler. We give him a 5 year contract (I dont recall the amount of money) but we trade him for peanuts after the 06 Heat series, when he was dominated by Shaq (and him put up 5/10 in the season didnt help), in order to clear the room for Ben Wallace. I remember that Wallace sign with us before Chandler was traded, and posed with #3 jersey (who was the number that Chandler used with us).
Pax was not cool at all with Tyson...

My bad, replace extended with not signed Wallace and kept Chandler.

Chandler was traded because we signed Wallace. Chandler also said Skiles broke him and destroyed his confidence and it took him a couple years to recover, but Skiles would have been gone in another season.

[ATRAIN53]

I mean physically that clearly put a damper on his career-
I still don't think the guy was a hard worker or wanted it that bad.

I don't think he was ever saving the Bulls or ever making an All Star team.
Like he wasn't a Montrez Harrel energy type if that helps frame it. I thought he always slogged out there,but he could finish at the rim and had beef to move guys.

but he's posted that riveting story on the Players Tribune earlier this year that details it all.

I mean who really ever recovers from getting a phone call in the middle of a game finding out your side piece has been murdered along with one of the kids you had and the other one watched it happen and was covered in blood?

and you also have a wife at home.....

It's a really tough story, I'm glad he seems at peace now but man.......

[Jcool0]

7' 300lbs center who cant rebound? I don't see much success in his future.

[Adriano]

I mean physically that clearly put a damper on his career-
I still don't think the guy was a hard worker or wanted it that bad.

I don't think he was ever saving the Bulls or ever making an All Star team.
Like he wasn't a Montrez Harrel energy type if that helps frame it. I thought he always slogged out there,but he could finish at the rim and had beef to move guys.

but he's posted that riveting story on the Players Tribune earlier this year that details it all.

I mean who really ever recovers from getting a phone call in the middle of a game finding out your side piece has been murdered along with one of the kids you had and the other one watched it happen and was covered in blood?

and you also have a wife at home.....

It's a really tough story, I'm glad he seems at peace now but man.......

I read his article in the Players Tribune too. But this sad and horrible case was in 2009, when his carrer was basically over due to injuries (he describes in the article tha he was in his suits, at the end of the bench, when he receive the news). So I dont think this incident has changed his NBA carrer at all because it was already over...

[prolific passer]

Eddy Curry and Drew Gooden were 2 of the most inconsistent players I ever seen and both played for the bulls.

[ChettheJet]

Even before the heart issue, the thing with Curry was what is now called, 'motor' but to me has always been desire. This was the major flaw in drafting high school kids, and Krause just had to draft two at once. You don't know what kind of desire a kid has at 17-18 for the hard work, travel, pressure, 10x competition level playing against men fighting for their job they face making that jump. And if he does, how long does it take for a young player and how many new teams does he have to go to before it kicks in? It took a while for Jamal Crawford and Tyson Chandler it never got through to Tyrus Thomas

Having watched The Last Dance what high school kid would have been worth a damn playing with Jordan? But even with some less intense teammates how willing is the #2 or #4 pick going to be to listen to some 5 year veteran who fights for minutes and to get resigned every year? Had they taken Curry and kept Brand you can cram it about if they could have played together, Curry came in in just about the same situation as Brand and would have had a hard working example of what was required to be an NBA player. And the desire to get the same results and respect that people had for Brand just might have motivated Curry.

[prolific passer]

I know the bulls traded him to the knicks and all but maybe they should have tried to trade him straight up for Al Harrington who at that point was a 17 7 3apg power forward and could have complimented Chandler well who was coming off 8ppg 10rpg 2bpg season with the bulls.

What Curry and Deng were healthy for all of 05 and in the playoffs vs the Wizards? Do they win 50 games and eliminate the wizards in the playoffs?

[Adriano]

I know the bulls traded him to the knicks and all but maybe they should have tried to trade him straight up for Al Harrington who at that point was a 17 7 3apg power forward and could have complimented Chandler well who was coming off 8ppg 10rpg 2bpg season with the bulls.

What Curry and Deng were healthy for all of 05 and in the playoffs vs the Wizards? Do they win 50 games and eliminate the wizards in the playoffs?

I think we win 50 games and beat the Wizards 4-1 or 4-2 in that series.

Also think with Curry playing the way he played for the Knicks in 2005-06 we and up close to 50 wins again and around the 4 th seed again, avoiding the Heat in the first round.

Also I think have he stayed healthy we would be in a much better position to trade for Kobe in 07...

[kodo]

Curry's heart problem was never the reason we traded him IMO, it was because he didn't enjoy or have any competitive drive in the sport of basketball and that was very much the anti-Paxson type of player. Around this time a lot of bigs like this were drafted high, like Kwame or Darko, who finally got to do what he really wanted to do in life, which ended up being running a farm.

When a new GM comes in it's pretty common to eventually wipe the slate clean and install his new vision for the team. Curry & Chandler represented everything Krause, and their days were numbered as soon as Krause was fired.

One thing for sure is that there never would have been a Rose era. We had to be exactly as bad as we were, no better no worse, to luck into Rose. That was directly a result of Ben Wallace leading the mutiny against Skiles, so he was indirectly required for the Rose lottery.

[BULLDURF]

Even without a heart problem he still had a "heart" problem.

[wickywack]

I hate to say it, but it played out well for the Bulls by forcing a one-sided trade with the Knicks. Noah was himself much better than Curry.

[Dominator83]

Só, it's been a very long and boring offseason for us so far. Last days we have an "what if" topic about BG7 never leaving The Bulls in 2009, so I think...

What if the Eddy Curry heart problems never happens back in 2004-2005 season? Back then the Bulls shut him down for the rest of the season and really miss him in the playoffs against Wizards. Next season he was S&T to the Knicks in exchange for a young but already fat and undersize Mike Swetney and the Knicks pick, who became to be Tyrus Thomas (and Viktor Khryapa as a "bonus" in that horrible trade with Portland).

But Eddy Curry was our lead scoring during the 47-35 campaign in 04/05, and was pretty decent for the Knicks until 2007/2008, when injuries starts to became an issue for him. As for the Bulls, they miss a good offense presence in the paint until 2010, when the sign Carlos Boozer in the FA.

If the Bulls resign Eddy Curry, the base of the team for 2005/2006 and beyond would be:

Kirk Hinrich / Chris Duhon / Jannero Pargo
Ben Gordon / Kirk Hinrich
Luol Deng / Andres Nocioni
AD (still under contract for 05/06 season) / Tyson Chandler / Othela Harrington
Eddy Curry / Tyson Chandler

In this scenario we probably never have sign Ben Wallace in the 2006 FA.

How far would we've come?

Well given that Curry completely flamed out in his career, we would have been worse. Beyond that, we wouldn't have had Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas (whom eventually became Mirotic, whom eventually became nothing), but either way, hard to argue that the team would have been any better.

In this sense, a better question would have been what if we didn't sign Wallace and just extended Chandler instead.

Your Bulls history is a little off my man. Mirotic was taken with the pick we got from James Johnson (plus a 2nd to move up from 28 to 23 spots)

The Charlotte pick, which we salivated over for 4 years, was wasted on moving up for McDermott

[dougthonus]

Your Bulls history is a little off my man. Mirotic was taken with the pick we got from James Johnson (plus a 2nd to move up from 28 to 23 spots)

The Charlotte pick, which we salivated over for 4 years, was wasted on moving up for McDermott

Haha, so long to tie all these things together. Either way the result was nothing

[TheStig]

Maybe we force a game 7 against Washington that year instead of going out in 6.

That being said, it was easily the right move and Curry wasn't adding anything going forward. We were better off without him.

[HomoSapien]

Right off the bat, I think we beat the Wizards. Our lack of size and post scoring really hurt us in that series. We were basically the hottest team in the league when Curry was ruled out by the team.

As for his future, it's my belief that he would have done better here than in NY. Curry seemed to be turning the corner during his last few years in Chicago, and I think Skiles would have continued to get more out of him than most coaches. He would always be a liability on the boards and defensively, but clearly we found a system that worked. That team just had insane chemistry and played for one another. Unlike the rest of the Gordon/Hinrich/Deng teams, that one was actually pretty talented and deep and didn't always have to play "above their level" to win.

[CBS7]

If that core stayed together and relatively healthy, we probably win 50 games a few times, make it to the 2nd round a few times, and maybe have an ECF appearance or two before flaming out. That team was fun, but didn't have a championship ceiling. Unless of course they were able to woo a star FA. Literally everything we know about Bulls history the past 15 years would likely be different.

It was an incredibly young core though. 24 year old Hinrich, 22 year old Duhon, Curry, and Chandler, 21 year old BG, 19 year old Deng. Winning 47 games with a core that young is pretty impressive.