The Around The NBA Thread

[drosestruts]

I know the majority of the talk has been around Simmon's future in Philly and if the Bulls should trade for him, but if there's a fire sale in Philly I'm going after Harris before going after Simmons.

Harris also had a bad series vs Atlanta, but I'd imagine he'd cost less to acquire, and I think he compliments ur roster more without being a big distraction/disruption like Simmons could become (#1 pick on the move storyline, do we make him a point guard or a secondary playmaker, etc.)

[Almost Retired]

I know a famous Aussie Bulls twitter guy who really loves Wendell and don't think the Hawks did a good job in the offseason. He even mocked the Hawks and fought with some other guys who thought that the Hawks did a proper rebuilding while the Bulls **** up.

Now THOSE Hawks players will play in the Eastern Conference Finals LMFAO.

Yeah Hawks actually put together a solid team. They added Capela, Gallinari,Bagdanovic, Lou Will to their young core which made them a lot more experienced and better. This is a deep squad. I didn’t expect them to make it this far but good for them they deserve it.

Gallinari has been especially valuable. Consistently getting 15-20 point a game with maximum efficiency.

[Almost Retired]

This is what happens when you dont tank right. Hawks in East Finals. They started rebuild later than us and got in playoffs faster than us. Why because they lost when they needed to lose to get pick which was at minimum Doncic but they almost **** up that and gambled to get Trae. Point is they tanked enough to still got one of them.

Seems I wont watch much Bulls basketball in next coming few decades.

Funny. I'm retiring next year to NW Arkansas, on a lake. I'll be a little over 200 miles to OKC. I'll probably start watching more Thunder games. I like their future. They are building a nice core and they have so many Draft picks in the next 5 years that I can't even keep track of them anymore. If they don't trade any of their picks this year there is a possibility they could have 4 picks in the First Round. Lots of opportunities for wheeling and dealing.

[Am2626]

Still want Simmons but this series loss is on philly sucking instead of atl going off. How tf are the hawks in the ecf??? That should have been the bulls smdh

I don’t. Why is he a better acquisition than Lonzo Ball?

I obviously haven't watched that much of simmoms but it's the same reason why I still believe in Lauri. It's all about the opportunities a player gets and that can also effect a players mental.

Simmons is treated like an after thought on that team. It's the media that makes it seem like he is/should be the second option but he's usually 3-4th on the pecking order. He showed much more offense his first few years (like Lauri) than he did in the playoff games this year.

His key offense ideally would be an elite thadgic Johnson kind of player. Short pnr, passing, rim running, post ups on mismatches, midrange jumper. Unfortunately, he's like #3 on the pecking order for all of these. He's behind embiid (rightfully so) and the fit with him is just poor. Simmons needs floor spacers. Not a high volume big man. Obviously the priority should be embiid. So what are you left with? Opportunistic baskets (like Lauri).

I think Simmons would play/look a lot better on the bulls next to Lavine/Coby/vuc/Lauri. They would provide the spacing and Simmons would be a massive upgrade for the thad role.


And obviously I haven't mentioned elite trait of defense with a big body which the bulls desperately need.


Edit: Ben Simmons without embiid in his career averages 18p/9r/7a/2s/1b on 55% the. I'd take that with his elite defense.

How about Patrick Williams and a sign and trade of Lauri for Ben Simmons? Throw in Thad if needed. I think Simmons with his elite defense and LaVine with his offense would complement each other well. At 25 Simmons can still improve his shooting.

[Almost Retired]

One reason i think people are picking the Suns to win it all, they have everything you need and no holes to exploit..

The Suns are playing great but they give me Atlanta 2015 vibes -- a team with 5 strong starters, but without a superstar. Perhaps Booker can fill that slot; he certainly did (and then some) in Game #1.

Booker will be considered a Superstar after this Season and these Playoffs. He's virtually unstoppable. And he's entering his prime years...25-30. My only concern is the Kardashian hex. Every NBA player that gets involved with a woman in the Kardashian orbit sees their career suffer if not wither away and die. I hope it doesn't happen to Booker.

[RoseTheFuture22]

This is what happens when you dont tank right. Hawks in East Finals. They started rebuild later than us and got in playoffs faster than us. Why because they lost when they needed to lose to get pick which was at minimum Doncic but they almost **** up that and gambled to get Trae. Point is they tanked enough to still got one of them.

Seems I wont watch much Bulls basketball in next coming few decades.

I don't think that they "out-tanked" us, they just made better signings and trades than we did on top of getting good value from their high picks. They have picked around the same spots that we did but they absolutely nailed a few additional mid first rounders(Collins & Huerter).

What we should have been doing is acquiring picks for bad contracts to give us more bites at the apple. We only did it once with Niko and we bombed the Hutchison pick

[MGB8]

I know the majority of the talk has been around Simmon's future in Philly and if the Bulls should trade for him, but if there's a fire sale in Philly I'm going after Harris before going after Simmons.

Harris also had a bad series vs Atlanta, but I'd imagine he'd cost less to acquire, and I think he compliments ur roster more without being a big distraction/disruption like Simmons could become (#1 pick on the move storyline, do we make him a point guard or a secondary playmaker, etc.)

I don't know if Harris comes in at a fire sale price - and given his contract, that's what it would need to be. I also don't love the fit of Harris at the 4 next to Vuc - and Harris is no longer a 3 in the NBA.

As for Simmons, the Bulls don't have the assets to get even a devalued version of him without trading LaVine. Patrick Williams hasn't proven enough to be the key piece. It's funny, the Vuvecic move may be the move that prevents such a trade from happening (where it will take a lot more than it took to get Vuc to get Simmons, even after his horrible series).

The best move for the Sixers would be to more or less have an auction for Simmons, where I could see some teams that are desperate for a big move or still infatuated with his potential overpaying.

[Ice Man]

I don't think that they "out-tanked" us, they just made better signings and trades than we did on top of getting good value from their high picks. They have picked around the same spots that we did but they absolutely nailed a few additional mid first rounders(Collins & Huerter).

To support your point, since Butler was traded, our first pick has been -

#7
#7
#7
#4

The Hawks' first pick has been -

#19
#3
#8
#6

[Chi town]

Suns Hawks Finals???

Trae against CP3?

I’m taking CP3 all day. Would love to see him win a chip. He’s always been a winner. Tough luck on injuries and team talent.

[Ice Man]

I’m taking CP3 all day.

Last year, a veteran poster (I think it was Mark K.) took a lot of abuse for suggesting that the Bulls sing CP3. We were too far away, people argued. Maybe so. But Phoenix was a 34-39 team that had not been in the playoffs, with a time horizon that seemingly was too far away to justify signing an oft-injured 35 year old (now 36 years old). And hmmm, that seemed to work out alright.

Just saying.

[Dan Z]

You'd trade for a 24 year old all star (Simmons), give up a bunch of assets and then play him in the role of a 33 year old part time starter (Thad)?

Ben Simmons is paid like a star and expected to be one. He should be better and still can be, but I don't think the solution is reducing his role.

How is being the most impactful player/role on the team, lead playmaker, playing his optimal offense a reduction in his role? He's in a reduced unoptimal role right now

His optimal offense isn’t good enough to win anything. We don’t need a 6’10” PG that can’t shoot at all on a max contract. It would be one thing if he was dominating inside like Giannis, but he just doesn’t score period and doesn’t even want to shoot.

I can understand someone (not me) who wants to bring Simmons here thinking that he'll improve. But I don't think he'll improve simply by being on the Bulls instead of the Sixers. He'd still have the same shooting issues.

A bad shooter on the right team can work, but he has to at least try to shoot. Giannis isn't the best shooter, but he takes them when he's open.

Simmons has to decide if he wants to improve that part of his game. If not, then his NBA career will most likely stagnate.

[MrFortune3]

Giving Simmons a larger role does not help. If people remember, one of the reasons his role was reduced was because it hampered the team more than helped because he won't shoot 3's and space the floor.
That's why they brought in Harris, Jimmy and etc others to help hide his issues and allow them to make Embiid more of the focal point on offense.

Simmons is not a level 1 option, he's not even a level 2, the role he's in now is what he should be in unless the other 4 starters are pure knock down shooters.

[The Force.]

People are underestimating how good the Hawks are. They revamped the roster, constantly tinkered with lineups, and lost their coach mid-season. And they STILL beat two very good, healthy teams to end up in the ECF. Meanwhile the Bucks struggled to put away a depleted Nets team. Not to mention Atlanta is playing with house money, while all the pressure is on Milwaukee to win.

I'm not a betting man but I may throw a couple hundred on Atlanta this series.

[Chicago-Bull-E]

Hawks before Nate McMillan: 14-20

Since hiring him: 35-15

Same exact roster.

He’s been turning coal into diamonds for a while. His former team, The Pacers, fell out of the playoffs the year after he left.

[jc23]

Hawks before Nate McMillan: 14-20

Since hiring him: 35-15

Same exact roster.

He’s been turning coal into diamonds for a while. His former team, The Pacers, fell out of the playoffs the year after he left.

He has done a good job but to be fair there is more to that then just Nate.

[sco]

Hawks before Nate McMillan: 14-20

Since hiring him: 35-15

Same exact roster.

He’s been turning coal into diamonds for a while. His former team, The Pacers, fell out of the playoffs the year after he left.

He has done a good job but to be fair there is more to that then just Nate.

I'm rooting for both the Bucks and Hawks to lose. I like teams with old guys to win so I can rationalize the Bulls contending sooner.

[Devinpo]

It will be crazy if Payne or Dunn get a ring this year. I really think Zach is at home pissed. The bulls aren’t in the playoffs and all these other young stars are shining bright. I say it every year but I really think next season will be special. AK will get this roster right this year. Is do or die this year boys..

[Am2626]

I’m taking CP3 all day.

Last year, a veteran poster (I think it was Mark K.) took a lot of abuse for suggesting that the Bulls sing CP3. We were too far away, people argued. Maybe so. But Phoenix was a 34-39 team that had not been in the playoffs, with a time horizon that seemingly was too far away to justify signing an oft-injured 35 year old (now 36 years old). And hmmm, that seemed to work out alright.

Just saying.

Maybe Lowry or Conley Jr. can be the CP3 for the Bulls next year.

[Am2626]

Giving Simmons a larger role does not help. If people remember, one of the reasons his role was reduced was because it hampered the team more than helped because he won't shoot 3's and space the floor.
That's why they brought in Harris, Jimmy and etc others to help hide his issues and allow them to make Embiid more of the focal point on offense.

Simmons is not a level 1 option, he's not even a level 2, the role he's in now is what he should be in unless the other 4 starters are pure knock down shooters.

He is an elite defender and playmaker and the Bulls desperately need both. As long as it doesn’t require using LaVine, Vuc, or the top 4 pick if the Bulls get it I’m all for trying to get Simmons.

[the ultimates]

You can't have your primary ball-handler and decision-maker be scared to shoot. His defense and playmaking didn't make up for passing up shots and missing free throws. Where was the defense when they blew double-digit leads? You'll win a lot of games in the regular season with him. You'll get to the playoffs and the deeper you go the more you realize a guy who refuses to shoot outside the paint can't be handling the ball as much as he does.