Official: DeRozan! Player of the Week p69

[Mk0]

There is a downside to all this Roster upgrading. With us giving up another 1st Rounder and 2nd Rounders to San Antonio, plus the First Rounder we still owe to Orlando in 2023.....the future Drafts will no longer be one of the highlights of the Bulls season.

For the next few drafts, I'm just going to watch replays of Kendrick Perkis trying to say Moses Moody.

I am still waiting for someone to make a 10hr loop

Watch on YouTube

[VolumePoster]

Read on Twitter

?s=20

Lol. I totally forgot.

[Repeat 3-peat]

"We're not done" - Arturas Karnisovas


He was not lying.

[maxhatter]

Could this be the best starting 5 since 2010? Rose, Bogans, Deng, Gibson, and Noah versus Ball, Lavine, DeRozan, Williams, and Vucevic

[BeKuK]

Can't wait to see Billy Donovan working with group! Billy for sure has some tough pressure above his head now . He has to prove that he's a top Headcoach!

[othawhitemeat]

I saw this as a highly unlikely deal, wow! This one sounds like more the ME part of AKME...good that he did something useful for us!

Unfortunately, that pick could become useful. So we have our 22 pick, not our 23 pick, we have 24, but not 25. Would be nice if it is at least top 5 protected.

I've said it before, I like the fact that we can always have 2 scorers on the floor and rest the 3rd. It would be nice to nab 2 more post defenders to mix in.

I still gotta think Lauri is going (elsewhere)...maybe he gets us a pick back with Minny.

Will we have a team chemistry problem with 2 USC and 2 UCLA guys?

Haha for sure on the UCLA/USC connection.

[ChiTownNation]

I think including Aminu in the deal is why we had to include draft capital. That was actually huge for our salary cap situation. We can now spend his $10 million on someone in the frontcourt that can play defense. That was essentially a dead $10 million on the books that we can fill with production at our weakest spot(s).

[superdave]

Reminder that DD is a 4-time All Star, with 60%TS the past two years plus 7 apg last year.

Teams cannot just throw everything at Zach anymore

[Bulls Fan 23]

There is a downside to all this Roster upgrading. With us giving up another 1st Rounder and 2nd Rounders to San Antonio, plus the First Rounder we still owe to Orlando in 2023.....the future Drafts will no longer be one of the highlights of the Bulls season.

We still have our 22 & 24 first round picks.

[tedwilliams1999]

Wow, feels really good to have some positive energy back for the Bulls. My general thoughts.

- Surprised at the money, but wouldn't be shocked if there was word of another team trying to pull of a S&T at similar numbers
- While SF/PF designation are a thing of the past, I essentially view DD as a PF. He's an underrated playmaker, and rebounder for his size as well.
- Cost for him was negatable. You sold high on Thad, and he was redundant. Also late first rounders (hopefully), and second rounders are always available.
- Still think there will be a couple more moves, but this team as currently constructed is going to be fast, move the ball, and score a lot of points.
- Defense has great improved for the guards, but you hope that PWill develops into an elite defender (which is what they need from him). His offensive game Imo was always going to be a work in progress for a few years. Still so young.
- Still need some big depth/rim protection - but that profile is easy to find in today's NBA

But man, hard to not be excited for the Bulls future. They have talent assets they can move (something the previous FO never understood), and a pretty clear two year window with this core around Zach, before they can retool if necessary. Still think they're in solid position if a star like Dame/KAT become available. Kudos for AKME for the quick turnaround. Excited for some Bulls basketball!

I agree with everything here - especially the last paragraph. I think this two year window here is going to be a lot of fun to watch. We also do have a lot of flexibility to pivot in two years if we need to. Though Derozan got a larger contract than I expected, we are by no means strapped via the salary cap. Excellent job by JJ Polk and the rest of the front office to find creative avenues to create space and flexibility simultaneously.

AKME clearly knows a lot more than I do, and we seem to be a great player in free agency again.

[Friend_Of_Haley]

I think including Aminu in the deal is why we had to include draft capital. That was actually huge for our salary cap situation. We can now spend his $10 million on someone in the frontcourt that can play defense. That was essentially a dead $10 million on the books that we can fill with production at our weakest spot(s).

Wasn't Aminu needed for salary matching?

I think the pick was just the cost of getting SA to play ball because Bulls lacked leverage to force him here without S&T.

[SleepyShadow]

Oh my god the bulls are gonna be great.

[VolumePoster]

Ball, Derozan and Vuc are all great passers.

We have a modern team instead of a bizarro attempt to recreate the twin towers.

There is a good mixture of veterans (DD, Vuc), players hitting their peak (ZLV), and ascending players (Ball, PWill).

It’s a really interesting team. Are we true “contenders?” Dunno.

But I can’t wait to watch us.

[aramada]

Sir, do you have eyeballs? Might I suggest using them from time to time?

I do and here's what I see:
- There only one basketball
- DDR was option #1 or #1A his entire career. Great scorer and P&R threat, but giant adjustment needed here - potentially #3 option, could slide to bench if the offense is not enough to offset defensive issues
- Defense still below average. Add this to 2 other flawed defenders on the starting 5... that's a disaster waiting to happen
- Shot 25% from outside the past 2 years, 28% career

Thad may not be as good offensively, but he was a great complimentary piece, perfect vet to be around, content to play in the shadow of top scorers / come off the bench, great passing and BBIQ, much better than DDR on defense. And obviously, much more affordable for the Bulls than this giant contract DDR just signed (not to mention picks...)

I understand the enthusiasm, but my gut feeling tells me we may regret this move...

While nominally a #1 option in SA, he really hasn't been. It's been very much team ball, give it to the open man / hot hand. I'm not concerned about his offensive fit in terms of getting enough shots. Maybe it means that Pat doesn't get forced to grow... but it's not like either he or Lonzo really demand shots, or Caruso for that matter.

The defense has become... passable. Better against 3s than true 4s where in San Antonio he was forced to the 4 because the didn't have any better options (except for Rudy Gay who they liked off the bench).

I'm not so concerned about the 3 ball, either. I expect a bump back up to the higher ends of his career at 28-32% on maybe 2 attempts per game... just enough to keep opposing defenses a little honest --- but he's going to have a lot more spacing around him on the Bulls roster than he did on the Spurs. Rudy Gay and Patty Mills shot 38%, Aldridge, pre-trade/retirement, shot 36% but Poetl didn't shoot, Murray was 32% himself, and White, Johnson, Walker and Vassell were all middling 35% guys.

Compared to Lonzo - last two seasons at 38%, LaVine last season at 42%, Pat (on low volume) at 39%, Vuc at 39-40%....

It's now on Billy to make it work, but if I had to guess, I'd have DDR run the P&R with Vuc as the primary offensive wave, with the option to kick it to Zach for spot up shooting or getting the defense to collapse. DDR can also find the mid-range or attack the basket and get to the line, or else find the open man rather skillfully. I'm hoping that the ball will move around as you mentioned, but then again, it was easier with Pop's Spurs, who have been doing this for 10+ years. I'm also worried about ego getting in the way of ball movement...

Defensively, I don't see a reason of how they could be even passable. Maybe DDR will be, but we need more than this given how LaVine and Vuc can be liabilities, at times.

[1985Bear]

Hey Hey! Really exciting day. Bulls get some real NBA talent and I have finally been removed from some erroneous banned list that has stopped me from posting for over a year. Are we the biggest starting 5 in the league?

[NecessaryEvil]

You guys realize that Derozan is one of the worst playoff performers of all time, correct?

And the sample size is quite large.

well thankfully he has two all stars in front of him

[MissileMike]

I saw this as a highly unlikely deal, wow! This one sounds like more the ME part of AKME...good that he did something useful for us!

Unfortunately, that pick could become useful. So we have our 22 pick, not our 23 pick, we have 24, but not 25. Would be nice if it is at least top 5 protected.

I've said it before, I like the fact that we can always have 2 scorers on the floor and rest the 3rd. It would be nice to nab 2 more post defenders to mix in.

I still gotta think Lauri is going (elsewhere)...maybe he gets us a pick back with Minny.

Will we have a team chemistry problem with 2 USC and 2 UCLA guys?

Haha for sure on the UCLA/USC connection.

No chemistry problems. The University of Second Choice players will naturally defer to their superiors.

[tedwilliams1999]

Ball, Derozan and Vuc are all great passers.

We have a modern team instead of a bizarro attempt to recreate the twin towers.

There is a good mixture of veterans (DD, Vuc), players hitting their peak (ZLV), and ascending players (Ball, PWill).

It’s a really interesting team. Are we true “contenders?” Dunno.

But I can’t wait to watch us.

I'm not as high on Coby White, but these additions allow him to do what he does best...get buckets. He doesn't have to pretend to be a point guard any more, so hopefully he recoups some value once he returns from his injury.

[jc23]

Basically...

[Jeffster81]

I just learned the Bulls got DDR and I am frakkin' pumped up. Haven't been this pump since "THE Taj Gibson Dunk" against Miami. You know the one. I can't wait for October 19.

Minimum this team is a playoff team. Depending on how well Billy coaches, this Bulls team could be a team few want to face in the playoffs. GD I am excited.