What exactly is the plan?

[WindyCityBorn]

Patrick Williams has to become a super star for this team to rise above 40-45 wins. I’m very skeptical of that but at this point, all you can do is hope.

bull. This already a .500 or better team.

This thread is trash. Wow.

[DJhitek]

Patrick Williams has to become a super star for this team to rise above 40-45 wins. I’m very skeptical of that but at this point, all you can do is hope.

bull. This already a .500 or better team.

This thread is trash. Wow.

We will find out how good this team is soon, the upcoming schedule is tough and the Bulls still do not have a long term answer at PG. Hell, they don’t even have a short term answer.

[CobyWhite0]

I have to admit, after reading this thread, I've figured out why so many posters here want no team-building outside of:

"TANK!!!!!"

"TANK HARD AND TANK LONG UNTIL YOU DRAFT A GUY WHO IS A SUPERSTAR BY HIS 2ND SEASON!!!!!!"

They don't actually pay any attention to what has happened in NBA history, and what is going on in the league right now.

The "most successful" tank in the last 10 years would be the Sixers. In 2013-15, they won 19, 18 and 10 games. They managed to get 2 All-NBA players out of their tank, and where has it taken them?

They haven't made it out of the 2nd round. And they're completely capped out for the next 2 off-seasons.

We are now supposedly "capped out" with "no way to improve", and a "2nd round team at best"... LMAO, except we're currently "a 2nd round team at best" that can keep our core together AND have max cap space the next 2 summers.

I'll wait for one of them to name the team that bottomed out, tanked for 2 or more seasons, and then used those tank draft picks to win a title. But I won't hold my breath.

[WindyCityBorn]

Patrick Williams has to become a super star for this team to rise above 40-45 wins. I’m very skeptical of that but at this point, all you can do is hope.

bull. This already a .500 or better team.

This thread is trash. Wow.

We will find out how good this team is soon, the upcoming schedule is tough and the Bulls still do not have a long term answer at PG. Hell, they don’t even have a short term answer.

AK has already said he is on that and he isn’t done. No reason to not believe him now. You said this team needs Patrick Williams to become a a superstar to win 45 wins. I’m sorry but that is a ridiculous evaluation.

[CobyWhite0]

Patrick Williams has to become a super star for this team to rise above 40-45 wins. I’m very skeptical of that but at this point, all you can do is hope.

bull. This already a .500 or better team.

This thread is trash. Wow.

That's a huge, massive insult to trash.

[CobyWhite0]

Patrick Williams has to become a super star for this team to rise above 40-45 wins. I’m very skeptical of that but at this point, all you can do is hope.

bull. This already a .500 or better team.

This thread is trash. Wow.

That's a huge, massive insult to trash.

[CobyWhite0]

Patrick Williams has to become a super star for this team to rise above 40-45 wins. I’m very skeptical of that but at this point, all you can do is hope.

bull. This already a .500 or better team.

This thread is trash. Wow.

That's a huge, massive insult to trash.

[MGB8]

I expect that folks are underestimating just how big an upgrade Vuc / Theis are over WCJ / Porter / Gafford. Then 3 defenders in Aminu, Brown and Green for role playing purposes.

I actually expect Lauri to back up Vuc, and Thad to still start in the near term, backed up by Theis and/or Aminu, until Theis knows the system well enough and they swap. Lauri will likely still get the 2nd most minutes among the bigs, at least when he is playing well.

The rest of the spots are more or less status quo, including waiting on Temple to get back. The hope is with Vuc’s consistent scoring prowess on top of Lavine’s (and to a lesser extent Young’s), the inconsistency of Sato, Paw, Coby, Lauri (in reserve), Val, etc., won’t be as big a deal.

I think that will prove true. Too often this season it’s been only Lavine who can be counted on to produce as the going gets rough - now they have two, taking some pressure off of everyone else and creating some real 2nd unit advantages.

[Leslie Forman]

The "most successful" tank in the last 10 years would be the Sixers. In 2013-15, they won 19, 18 and 10 games. They managed to get 2 All-NBA players out of their tank, and where has it taken them?

They haven't made it out of the 2nd round. And they're completely capped out for the next 2 off-seasons.

We are now supposedly "capped out" with "no way to improve", and a "2nd round team at best"... LMAO, except we're currently "a 2nd round team at best" that can keep our core together AND have max cap space the next 2 summers.

I'll wait for one of them to name the team that bottomed out, tanked for 2 or more seasons, and then used those tank draft picks to win a title. But I won't hold my breath.

Yeah, leading the conference with a team built around a 24 and 26 year old? Pfffffttttt. What garbage.

Nikola Vucevic, now that's how you get titles.

[Rose2Boozer]

Production the team can count on. That was the plan for the trade deadline. Now, the team has to see how well Markkanen, and to a lesser degree Williams play off two All Stars. Let's see if Vucevic is a Markkanen enhancer or not.

[Cabbage bulls]

Can the Bulls make cap space to sign Kwahi this off season if things blow up in LA?

Nvm, already answered. Kwahi here would be a dream. Hopefully LA blows up for some reason. Instant title contenders

[DJhitek]

AK has already said he is on that and he isn’t done. No reason to not believe him now. You said this team needs Patrick Williams to become a a superstar to win 45 wins. I’m sorry but that is a ridiculous evaluation.

I said above that win total, I’ll be more specific, for this team to be considered a title contender, Pat Williams is the key. AK can say what he wants, but he doesn’t have any draft capital and little cap space to work with. The bulls need to get lucky to get better at PG after this deal.

[Mbrahv0528]

This is a weird thread.

Sent from my SM-F707U using RealGM mobile app

[Jcool0]

Anyone a therapist? So much PTSD in this fan base its unreal. If you believe them the Bulls cant do anything. First it was no way can they get a second all star. Now that they have one, its how he isn't good enough. Soon it will be no way can they get a 3rd all star. Then when they do get the 3rd all-star it will be how that 3rd star isn't good enough or how the team around them won't be good enough. Guys need to stop living in the past. Gar/Pax aren't in charge anymore. Arturas has done more in 6 months then the last guys did in the last 10 years.

[WindyCityBorn]

AK has already said he is on that and he isn’t done. No reason to not believe him now. You said this team needs Patrick Williams to become a a superstar to win 45 wins. I’m sorry but that is a ridiculous evaluation.

I said above that win total, I’ll be more specific, for this team to be considered a title contender, Pat Williams is the key. AK can say what he wants, but he doesn’t have any draft capital and little cap space to work with. The bulls need to get lucky to get better at PG after this deal.

We can have around $30 million in cap space this summer and sign Ball outright. We don’t need luck.

[WindyCityBorn]

The "most successful" tank in the last 10 years would be the Sixers. In 2013-15, they won 19, 18 and 10 games. They managed to get 2 All-NBA players out of their tank, and where has it taken them?

They haven't made it out of the 2nd round. And they're completely capped out for the next 2 off-seasons.

We are now supposedly "capped out" with "no way to improve", and a "2nd round team at best"... LMAO, except we're currently "a 2nd round team at best" that can keep our core together AND have max cap space the next 2 summers.

I'll wait for one of them to name the team that bottomed out, tanked for 2 or more seasons, and then used those tank draft picks to win a title. But I won't hold my breath.

Yeah, leading the conference with a team built around a 24 and 26 year old? Pfffffttttt. What garbage.

Nikola Vucevic, now that's how you get titles.

Now name all the teams that tanked forever and still suck. Get ready to be miserable for a long time because AK doesn’t want high lottery picks.

[WindyCityBorn]

Anyone a therapist? So much PTSD in this fan base its unreal. If you believe them the Bulls cant do anything. First it was no way can they get a second all star. Now that they have one, its how he isn't good enough. Soon it will be no way can they get a 3rd all star. Then when they do get the 3rd all-star it will be how that 3rd star isn't good enough or how the team around them won't be good enough. Guys need to stop living in the past. Gar/Pax aren't in charge anymore. Arturas has done more in 6 months then the last guys did in the last 10 years.

It’s just some miserable coots on this board. Bulls fans in general are excited and the people that cover NBA basketball seem to really like the move. The people that desperately want to build the Bulls through tanking can do it on NBA 2K! Seems they would have have GarPax back. Team would suck and they would end up trading Zach like they did Butler. Hell Zach probably would not even have progressed to all-star under them.

[Jeffster81]

The Buls are better. It may not show this year but certainly next year. All AKME can do is improve the overall talent of this roster, and I believe he has done that but best part....they are not done. That has me excited. How many times have we've seen the Lakers or Pat Riley or the Spurs, cash strapped and few tradeable assets, still manage to acquire good players. It can be done. With AKME at the helm, I feel optimistic about the future.

[Leslie Forman]

Now name all the teams that tanked forever and still suck. Get ready to be miserable for a long time because AK doesn’t want high lottery picks.

Who said anything about tanking forever? Nobody tanks "forever."

Why is it always a be the Hinkie Sixers, or nothing else? And why are people now so gung-ho on trying to basically become the exact late playoff seed with no notable future assets that led to so many of them wanting Jimmy Butler out?

You could just dump Thad and Sato, who have no long term future here anyways, and immediately become one of the worst teams in the league. You'd still have LaVine, you'd still have Pat, and you'd still have all your future draft picks to work with.

Instead now they've gone all-in on basically the equivalent of old ass Pau Gasol.

[Brothaman33]

That's your opinion and if you look before, I said that is 95% chance that its true. There are multiple options to fill out that 5%:
- You get lucky with some combination of pick ups, Lauri and Pat and build some type of medley team.
- Lavine and/or Vuc become better players than they are now

This is ultimately my issue. I think that's exactly what the "plan" is.

And it's not really a plan. It's throwing darts at random B-list/C-list guys and praying for good luck. It's not that different from signing Ben Wallace or Pau Gasol, or trading for Otto Porter.

At the high end, it's Indiana. At the low end, it's, well, Orlando.

The thing is, if you do this, there is a strategy at outplaying your talent level and increasing your overachieving potential - become a goddamn defensive juggernaut. Become the '04 Pistons, basically. The Knicks are basically taking this approach with Thibs now.

How is that supposed to happen with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic on your team?

As opposed to?
- Finding a way to draft an all time great player, developing him, building around him, retaining him and winning?
- Convincing an all time great player to join a 30 win team in Chicago because of all of the Balls you drafted?

Like I said, this current route is very unlikely to work but the alternative is even less likely to work.

This is so correct. 100% agree that this route is unlikely to work. The alternate route won't work either. I'll take this one.

This whole thread has a "championship or bust" feel to it. It isn't like that for me. I love this move because it makes the Bulls better, not because I think they can win a championship.

Over the next few years there are about 22 teams that will have a 0% chance to win a title. Not, 3% or 5%...0%. The Bulls are probably one of those teams. Because a few other teams have GENERATIONAL talents that can overcome any other flaws on the team. Those players come around every...10 years? 15?

We don't have one of those...further more, we are not getting one any time soon. Also, chances are we are not drafting one either...because it happens so infrequently. The NBA is different. Its only 5 players. And if one if those is LeBron James you can tank for 40 years, grab all your top 10 picks...you still aint beating him.

So...I just am fine knowing we probably can't win a championship any time soon. Still love the deal and am excited to watch the team.

Much more excited the 7 first round picks over the next 5 years, between 4 and 12, who by math 3 of the 5 will suck with a 0.3% chance any of them are as good as LeBron James. All while watching horrific basketball as pro-tankers cheer on losses.

There is no "do this and you win a championship". There are no "good plans". Tanking doesn't work and team building doesn't work either most if the time. You try to draft well, get good players and kiss the asses of millionaire star players and hope they bring their friends with them.

Thats it.