Look, I'm not exactly the leader of the Joe Johnson to the Bulls fan club. I've spent a heck of a lot of time arguing against him ever since his name kept popping up in the rumor mill as one of the Bulls targets.
I think he's going to start to decline midway through his contract in such a severe way that the Bulls will have an incredibly short window of opportunity with him and that he'll just clog up our cap after that.
However, I'd also like to make the case for Joe Johnson.
First, Johnson's game isn't one of incredible athleticism. He's not beating guys over and over with moves to the basket and dunking on them. He's a good shooter, passer, and intelligent player. This increases the odds of his game lasting into his mid 30s than if he was a player completely dependent on athleticism.
Don't get me wrong, it hurts every player when they lose a step, but a guy who's got a good turnaround, post game, and three point shot is certainly hurt less than a guy who doesn't have those things. Johnson has those things.
Next, let's think of the recent players who were signed to a monster contract at a similar age. Ray Allen, Shaq, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Elton Brand, Steve Nash, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Baron Davis, Vince Carter, Tim Duncan.
The problem with this list is that most of the players are probably better than Joe Johnson when they signed their contracts, but go through it and ask yourself, which of these signings came back to bite the team?
You could argue that KG/Pierce aren't worth their deals at this point, but the team is still a title contender because of them and won a title. It's hard to say they were burned by the signings. Ray Allen was dumped for a #5 pick, Shaq was dumped for expirings. Nash has played great for Phoenix. Billups has played great for Denver (and was easily dumped for a pick), Vince Carter was trade for expirings and change. Tim Duncan has kept the Spurs a contender.
Baron Davis, Elton Brand, and Rip Hamilton have turned into negative signings for their teams. Guys their teams would love to get rid of most likeliy. However, Baron Davis has played well this year, and still has some chance of redeeming his contract value [okay that's a stretch]. Rip Hamilton's deal probably isn't tragically awful, and if he weren't hurt and this wasn't the 2010 FA year, he could probably have been moved.
Still, the majority of these guys either helped their teams or were able to be traded.
Finally, what else are the Bulls going to do? Yes, the odds of winning a title with a core of Joe Johnson, Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Taj Gibson, and Joakim Noah seems like an awfully long stretch, but what realistically gives you higher odds once you take the big three off the table?
Amare Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer have both had worse injury histories and are far worse attitude/clubhouse guys. Both their teams have been off and on looking to dump the guys for a huge chunk of their contract time. That's a pretty big negative sign. David Lee simply isn't that good, and there aren't really other great options out there.
If you save the money, you aren't going to have anyone to spend it on next year, so taking a shot with Johnson at least improves the team to "second round" quality, at which point you have to hope someone just gives you a Pau Gasol like the Lakers. It's unlikely to work, but it does get you one step closer, and few teams find a magical step to go from 1st round to title contenders in one move.
To be clear, I still don't agree with signing Joe Johnson, the argument about the alternatives being perhaps the weakest one to me, as I think there are probably better ones, but if the Bulls do sign Joe Johnson they will be better. They will almost certainly make the second round, and they will be more fun to watch.
That's not so bad.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Tags: 2010 plan, case, chicago bulls, free agency, joe johnson
THE (TITLE) PLAN:
Two words...Dwyane Wade!!!
Two more words...David Lee!!!
One more word...DYNASTY!!!
Bulls 2010-2011 Lineup:
PG - Derrick Rose
SG - Dwyane Wade
SF - Luol Deng
PF - David Lee
C - Joakim Noah
John Paxson needs to make that happen!!!
and how does this work cap wise...? Luol+Johnson+Lee contracts...?
We know it will most likely come to this. 'Well at least we got Joe Johnson. That's not so bad.'
Don't get me wrong. I'm not criticizing Doug. I think finding Joe Johnson as an acceptable signing is being a realist. As is Sam Smith with the Monta Ellis and D-Rose "Dream Team" backcourt proposal.
If winning is at all important to the top Max F.A.'s(Wade/Bosh) are they going to be drawn to a team known as virulently opposed to going over the (luxury)tax? Even to assemble a contender with one of the top two available stars in the league we hear it's only possible because we dumped Salmon's contract. So that means you have no intention of going even slightly over the cap to assemble a contender around Wade/Bosh and Rose. If the Bulls indicated they might go even a little over the cap for the "right guy"(Wade/Bosh), I would not feel this way/would give them the benefit of the doubt. But they didn't.
Nationally Chicago franchises like the Bears and Bulls are known simply as signing second tier players and being cheap. Period. There's no confusion between Chicago or say L.A. and New York, Dallas, Boston etc. When it comes to Red Sox/Yankees, Lakers/Mavs/Celtics, Cowboys/Pats; these are teams that are going to deal and do what it takes to have marquee guys on their teams.
Is their objective as a business owner truly profit? Does the valet(if you're rich/got to swanky restaurants/hotels) or the pizza delivery guy(for the rest of us) expect a tip? Just ask Lincoln and Washington respectively. But they also as owners got into this because they have a personal desire to win/excell and bring a premium product in under their names.
We know Bulls fans fill the United Center year in and year out whether it's Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes or Hakim Warrick and Flip Murray. If the stadium is packed, the TV ratings correlating you'd think would be not so bad either. Those are probably some of the reasons why Chicago is the second most valuable franchise in the NBA. Not to mention Jordan and Pippen's ghosts. So why ever spend to the point to seriously shave off of those profits if sheer profit alone is your objective. Even for a couple of seasons to "go for it" as Christy Brinkley would still tell Chevy Chase at the Motel 6 pool if he wasn't old and fat now and she a botox seat cover. Not in the cards for Jerry as he would tell you, "If you think we're going to get anything done this (decade)weekend, you can forget it." You tell him/us Jerr.
If anyone tells me they think a max F.A. like Bosh or Wade are going to come to Chicago, I'd say don't bet on it. But I will root for that miracle draft pick(though we just lucked into one) which paired with Joe, Derrick, Taj, and Noah would not be bad to watch at all.
i dont think the tax thing will be a issue.. jerry will use that as an excuse and say he will and he really will.. because he it shows that free agent he wants to win.. jerry isnt goina let this slip he will say he will play the tax.. bigger question.. is how far is he goina go? he will prove to others he will spend to attract..just how badly does he wanna do it?
Just in case anyone wasn't paying attention.
JOAKIM NOAH IS BEING SHUTDOWN BY THE BULLS FOR 3 WEEKS.
http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/03/bulls-shut-noah-down-for-3-weeks.html
The number change might show that he is content in Cleveland for the moment, but one disappointing playoff run for the Cavs could change Lebron's thinking. If Shaq isn't healthy come playoff time, if Jamison doesn't play to expectations, if they don't sign Lebron's favorite Ilgousgas back, I can see Lebron jumping ship. If the Cavs get ousted before reaching the eastern conference finals, I think he'll be out.
because of z? really lebron wont leave his hometown..most money...best team in the east and franchise thats goina be named lebron when hes done all because of big z.. he isnt his father... and the number change can only happend in the offseason so filling out paperwork was worthless if he was leaving.. lebron just like chicago fans wanting wade.. is looking for a movie script..wade aint coming and bron is DEF not leaving...
Lebron loves Z, he says he wants to win titles for Z. No they are not blood related, but he's been with Lebron since his beginning in the league. That could be just one minor factor in Lebron deciding to leave coupled with not winning the title or being bounced before the eastern conference championship, jamison not elevating his game, shaq staying hurt, etc. I think prying Wade out of Miami beach will be the harder thing to do. If Atlanta beats the Cavs in the playoffs like I think they could do, Lebron might give up on the franchise and head somewhere else. I think if he goes, Chicago is more appealing than NY simply based on the D. Rose factor. Why complacently pick up Johnson when you can get Wade or Lebron if their playoff hopes deteriorate?
lebron is more sold on getting a title for him than z.. unless he wants to look all cute and aww then lebron will comeout and say its for z but it really isnt he wants a title.. he wants the top5 all time title..no player in the world is goina pass up that title for z or even their best friends.. lebron aint goina leave .. cleveland is goina get him somebody..the problem is who is that somebody?.. is it boozer & manu? cleveland wont lose lebron.. lebron just wants them to make moves.. and p.s whos goina beat cleveland? atlanta? we gotta better shot if we was healthy to beat atlanta and we wont last against cleveland..lebron isnt leaving.. i can swear to god on that.. lebron wants the buzz and everyones giving him it.. lebron isnt in the situation that wades in.. lebron has everything going.. why leave it. he will look like a failure for bailing on his hometown and them trying everything they could do for him..lebron wont leave..
I agree with you 200 percent on every you commented on Sammy. The Bull Bears,and all the other Chicago sports teams do exactly what you said, blow smoke and do not spend money cause Chicago sports teams fans do support their teams to the fullest, which is why the franchises do not worry about spending big money.
This whole argument that the Bulls aren't willing to spend is getting ridiculous to me. Unless I'm wrong, you cannot go over the cap in order to sign free agents...period. If the Bulls didn't get rid of Salmons to clear that space, they would not have been able to sign a free agent AT ALL. It's not that they wouldn't have wanted to. They also showed their willingness to spend (albeit badly) as evidenced by the contracts they gave to Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng. I'm tired of reading these comments where people say that the Bulls aren't willing to spend and it's seriously starting to bother me.
they are willing to spend.. our only problem was overrating our guys and overpaying.. i never doubted the bulls for spending because we would look like isiah thomas's team if we did spend the way our fans want.. its about building a right team and jerry never had a team to really pay for..
signing joe johnson would be a failure. It's a step backwards. Signing ben gordon for 8 or 9 million is better than signing joe johnson at 17. If we gave up gordon for this, we F'ed up
signing Gordon at any price would have been an acceptance of mediocrity and locked in failure for at least the first half of the Derrick Rose era
ok let me makes this as clear as possible .. kirk hinrich will not be traded.. noone will risk their 2010 chance for kirk hinrich.. & noone will go farther into the luxury tax for kirk hinrich..the draft is before the free agency and no one will take on kirk hinrich.. if he was goina be moved the deadline was it .. his contract declines and hes a good player stop complaning.. now if we move kirk hinrich in a 3team for david west and then sign joe johnson we would be
rose
johnson
deng
west
noah
gibson
miller
warrick
draft
trade omer asik for bench scorer
murray
so people stop with the thought of us dumping kirk hinrich.. it wont happend.. talent has to come back in return with the match of a contract .. noone will waste their time giving up on free agency or a deep draft for kirk hinrich ..we would need a player in decline in order to trade kirk somehow..
Ben Gordon is also making 10 million dollars this year. Joe Johnson is a marked improvement over Ben Gordon as he is able to defend and is a much larger player, which gives other teams matchup problems.
singing gordon at 8, trading hinrich for expirings, getting a back up pg in the draft, and going after a pf with all the force of god in free agency, would not limit the bulls to mediocrity.
gordon making 10 has nothing to do with signing gordon at 8. jj is an improvement over gordon offensively, but the stats dont show up defensively. Also his ability to catch and shoot is better than jj's.
What is with everbody's obsession with having an All Star at every position? The focus should be on having a dominate style of play. If you have a star SG to go with Rose, do you really need a star PF? With Rose and Noah under such value contracts, the focus should be on getting players that fit a style of play. Boozer and Lee would get clean looks all day with a Rose pick and roll. If you want better defense at PF develop Taj or pick up a good post defender. They don't cost that much. If you don't get a top SG, get one that can shoot the 3 and spread the D. Then focus your money on a star PF. We just need to have an identity that doesn't depend on hustle. I hate hearing about hustle, energy, or desire. I want to hear about execution, scoring, and defense. That is what wins championships. Does your style of play dominate everyone else? So I ask everybody.... what should our style be and what type of players need to be added to dictate the flow of our games?
if bosh cant be had .. then amare is still 1b to us.. we have no pick n roll threat and rose w amare will be the best pick and roll tandeem in the league.. our goal should be a 20 point scoring pf who can pick and roll or shoot and add a 3 point shooter w defense at the 2.. everything else will handle itself.. rose,amare,noah&deng should be a very competitive team in the east depending on our bench but with taj,miller,a draft pick,and maybe warrick we can have a greatbench depending on whos our sixth man..
we dont need a team to compete against the west all stars .. we just need a team that fits eachother with talent and bosh or amare is best suited.. rose needs a guy to have off ball guards not help on the drives and with a scoring big or 3 point shooter the ball flows without any issue of overplaying by just passing it out.. noah is a passing big and deng doesnt jack up shots although he has bad shot selections he doesnt go out and try to hurt us.. amare stoudemire should be our 2nd option period..
-_-
That sounds like a winning team. Find a way to add a shooter like Ray Allen to Amare. That is a very difficult team to prepare for.Everybody on the court is a threat to do someting. Instead of shooting for a roster of five guys doing everything. Just get five guys on the court that don't get in each others way, creates a pecking order, and gives options if one or two guys are off. In this scenario, Deng would get quality looks on the weakside of the ball and he'd have back door cutting lanes on pick and rolls. A shooter would be waiting at all times and Noah would be free for put backs if his man had to leave to rotate to a shooter, driver, or cutter. Good options on offense and all five guys should be able to hold there own on defense in the right scheme.
Doug,not that I'm in favor of sitting out the
FA bonanza this year but you mentioned there'd be no place to spend the money next year. Did you forget Carmelo Anthony will be available then? I'd take him over Wade, Bosh or anyone other than LeBron even if we'd have to wait an extra year. What stinks is that there's never any assurance we could land him. The sad truth is that the only player who could bring a championship to Chicago is LeBron and unfortunately that aint happenin'.
thats not true because lebron doesnt even have one -_- .. why do ya act as if he won everysingle won? a deep team with two star players wins a title every season..i mean every season...not lebron..
one* sorry im on the itouch..
Why do people Love David Lee? He provides no defense or rebounding? I hope he is never a starter on the Bulls.
Plus Knicks fans can't wait to get rid of the guy, kind of like Bulls fans are with Hinrich.
dynasty really? do you know that david lee cant play pf? and do you not get the memo that wade cant play with rose AND deng? if deng had to adjust his game to derricks then you think wade is goina do the same? lee cant play defense neither..we rather throw taj at the center spot to play the paint .. and paxson doesnt listen to any of what the fans say.. when we wanted amare they tried to get bosh.. when we want bosh they target wade and joe johnson.. when we wanted blair they drafter taj..when we wanted gordon or hinrich they kept kirk..when alot of people thought michael beasley they drafted derrick.. do you really think they care about what the fans say ? honestly.. rumors never seem to get to their head..
thank god Paxton doesn't listen to the (majority of) fans...
Ya so either way...i doubt he lives up to a max contract. I would probably just go after Rudy Gay instead. He played SG at Uconn for most of his college career plus he is only 24 years old...his best years are ahead of him.
Like i said before, you have to at least walk away with a bigman this summer imo.
1. Bron
2. Bosh or Wade or Amare
3. Rudy Gay
4. Lee,Boozer,Joe Johnson
until you realize the college 3 point line isnt the nba's three point line.. rudy is a pure sf in this league..if he adds bulk and develops a consistent 3 point shot or a post game rudy will be a annual all star.. but his game is still raw to say hes a all star already.. he doesnt have that go to weapon
Disagree with you Doug that David Lee "isn't that good." Sure, he is not Chris Bosh, but I prefer him to Amare or Boozer because he is getting better whereas Amare and Boozer have injury and attitude histories and both have reached their peaks.
With all due respect Doug, your track record on talent is not that great. All year you have been denying that Kirk is "mediocre." Like the Bulls brass you have a major blindspot on this guy. You also have banged the drum for JJ, especially as a four. Please.
He did call Tyreke Evans as the 2nd best player in the draft?
The problem with your case for Joe Johnson is that he doesn't even make sense for the being a good team and hoping that someone lands in your lap. Signing David Lee and a shooting guard for around the MLE makes us a better team than signing Joe Johnson and a minimum salary PF (which is probably what the salary situation would be).
I also don't get why David Lee "simply isn't that good". He's Boozer without the injury history or character baggage. They're almost identical in production, right down to the percentage of jumpers and shots assisted (with Boozer if anything coming out marginally worse). I know Lee has a reputation of being "just a garbage man rebounder" but he really isn't anymore. He's probably the best value option of the second tier guys because of this reputation though, so he's my hope for plan B.
I have come around to not wanting to throw tons of money for tons of years at Johnson simply because I have more faith in the team being good with Rose to take the risk--give me Bosh or give me, well not death. I do agree with the level-headedness of Doug's post, though. Some people are acting like Joe's trash. I don't agree that David Lee and a low-money guard make us better than Johnson or that it's Jalen Rose all over again--Johnson and Rose would be awesome for the first few years and Johnson, unlike J. Rose, wouldn't be coming in as the big franchise savior who's not up to it, as he is coming in to be D. Rose's running mate. Lastly, yes, he has the skills that even in decline might make him a nice #2 or 3 guy.
There is no denying the facts behind yesterday's post, but there's also no denying the number of exceptions on that list, many of whom are listed in this post--people who played at a high level and helped teams win, sometimes win championships. That doesn't mean you rush out and throw many at them all, but it also doesn't mean they are all destined to be disasters.
johnson wont be a decling player like boozer and the other older physical players..i see johnson lasting just as long as wade does 4years.. and that fourth year is when you really see that thier not the same anymore.. BUT! johnson will last longer than wade .. because johnson is a pure shooter and wade is a attacker and johnson is built like a machine for a 2 guard and wade looks like a muscle 1.. johnson def has a chance to outlast wade with their contracts..plus johnson is way more durable than wade..wade is wayyyyy toooo scary to get i rather go for amare honestly..people just want wade because of where he was born.. THATS IT!
THIS JUST IN:
Joakim Noah is being shutdown for 3 weeks.
http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/03/bulls-shut-noah-down-for-3-weeks.html
YIKES.
Everyone keeps saying that James Johnson is raw and has a talented skill set. I just don't see it. Besides a couple nice tip dunks, I have not seen anything from this kid showing that he will be any good in the future. He can't board, his shot looks awful, doesn't pass well, seems lost in the offense, doesn't play good D,lacks confidence. Everyone was talking about his freak athleticism coming out.. Again, I don't see it. All I see if an out of shape lethargic, and not NBA ready player. I think the bust title is accurate, but thanks to Taj's emergence that talk will stay to a minimum for now.
Does anyone think Lebron's changing to number 6 has anything to with a possibility of coming to the chi. I know it's lore, but D-Rose seemed pretty certain the Bulls were going to get one of the top three FAs after his all-star trip. LeBron wants a chance to win titles and has enough money. The chance to play with D. Rose might be more appealing than most Chicago sportswriters think.
him changin his number only answers that he has no intention on leaving cleveland..he needs league apporval if you wanna change your number for that team and he filled the paperwork and went through the process..signin with anyother team he doesnt need any paper work or league approval.. it only means he has no intention on leaving cleveland.. lebron is full of s*it he just wants attention with the free agency thing.. and cleveland would look like oh my god hes coming backk yes.. and the world goes crazy.. lebron is full of it he knows he aint leaving.. its his way of marketing by using other big markets to praise his name come july to say play for us and snag attention..
I'd still rather add an elite PF this offseason and I'd rank my PF prefernce in this order:
1. Bosh
2. Amare
3. Boozer
Also, I don't have a problem giving any of these three player 15+ contracts.
except booz.. i rather watch johnson cash that in.. boozer will play 1/3 of that contract and make just one apperance at the all star game during his time..
Here's the problem.
Toronto is right behind an OLDER Boston team for 1st place in the Atlantic. Why would Chris Bosh leave there? They will be a Top 3 Seed next year, assuming LBJ doesn't go to NYC.
Amar'e would be a FOOL to opt out of his $17 million dollar deal. I think he holds off one more year, unless he works out a sign and trade.
Boozer could stay in Utah or end up in Miami. Besides, it seems like the Bulls could have had him already in a trade.
The best and top plan should be Dwyane Wade. He's the ONLY PLAYER the Bulls could get that could get them past LBJ and the Cavs.
bigger problem is wade is way more content and sold on staying in miami..more than lebron in cleveland..
cleveland,orlando,atlanta,tor,us,miami..and boston isnt goina die..they will have enough money after ray leaves and paul wont get the same amount.. they wont rebuild..they will reload..kevin might even fix his contract to try to win another.. boston aint leaving so that order i gave you..you can put boston back on the top 3
Amare has had to deal with some injury problems in the past and I think at this point he might value security in guaranteed years over dollars up front. Especially with the NBA playing hard ball on the % of revenue that players will receive in the upcoming CBA; it could be beneficial for Amare to get his new deal now. I heard one of the main problems in contract negotiations between STAT and the Suns has been the number of years.
Also, Amare has dealt with trade rumors for 2-3 seasons and has become increasingly frustrated with that situation. I think there's zero change he allows himself to go through that again by not getting a long-term deal now.
chance*
Don't you mean James "Dickey" Johnson?
Dickey Simpson or a fat man's Brad Sellers.
http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/0218/nba_g_bosh-rose_600.jpg
big fan of the post Doug. Think was a good objective look at the situation. It's not ideal that we end up w/ Johnson, but it may be one of our only realistic options. Johnson should still be at a high level for 2-3 more years, and he fills a lot of voids on our team (big guard, shooter, allows Rose to play off the ball some, etc.). I actually think our core + Joe Johnson would be as good or better than ATL this season, which puts is in position for a top 4 seed and potentially a conference finals visit in the next 2 years (and from there, you never know).
Yep, I think some people miss that Doug often likes to explore notions he might actually disagree with, which is a healthy exercise for any argument and allows someone to understand multiple viewpoints and find a realistic center. I appreciate your point about this year's ATL team. Put Johnson on the Bulls and not the Hawks and tell me where each team would rest in the standings. There's no way Johnson doesn't make us better, and almost certainly better than them. Admittedly, that is a different argument than saying let's sign him for five years max. I'm not sure I'd do that, but I definitely think Johnson makes the Bulls much better.
Joe Johnson isn't the Pippen to our Rose, but he'll be an improvement until we can get, via trade or draft, a partner for rose.
unfortunately, Rose is Pippen, not Jordan, which makes Joe Johnson, Grant or Rodman.
The problem I have with your Dickey comparison is that Dickey was a reasonably talentless (by NBA standards) guy who seemed to work pretty hard to stick around, while Johnson is a rather talented person who doesn't get it. So yeah, I might even buy Sellers a bit more than Dickey.
Okay, we will have to settle on Michael Ruffin.
It has seemed inevitable that Jo would get shut down in the last week. It was just a matter of time. Sucks. I was hoping he could help us make a nice playoff run to allure the big names this summer. This kid has got heart. Hopefully, he can play in the post-season.
If we are finally willing/able to move Hinrich's contract(only $8 million left in 2011-12) at the 2011 deadline, or that summer prior to free agency, we could still have enough left for one max if we pass on 2010 and are frugal filling out the roster.
As I asked yesterday, would you rather settle for the second tier guys in 2010, or save the cap space for one additional try at the brass ring(Carmelo Anthony).
It is an even bigger risk than the 2010 plan, but if getting to a championship level is the goal, then Anthony is a far better option than Amare, Boozer or Johnson, and he is the perfect age for a max contract guy.
If Anthony were part of this summer's class he would be in the group just below Lebron, with Bosh and Wade, and a strong case could be made that he would be the second most coveted player after Lebron.
can you please tell me why amare is not our top 3 option assuming lebron is outta the picture..
bosh
wade
amare
The Bulls won all their titles with (non) superstars at PF. They should follow the same plan and go after DWADE.
He's the difference maker they need. Put him with DLEE and DROSE and the Bulls are on their way to another DYNASTY.
i guess your just lookin hard at the pattern..
(d)wade
(d)rose
(d)lee
(d)ynasty
you really think a team with no shooting will ever be a dynasty? lee isnt a high volume scorer.. he needs shots and so will derrick and loul and obv wade..
Ill take Bosh,Amare, maybe Boozer over Joe Johnson. Joe Johnson is 30 years old and is going to want pretty much as close to a max contract as he can get. PLUS there might be a lock out in 2011 which makes getting him even more of a risk.
If you look back at the last 20 years...the teams that make it to the finals have a great bigman/little man tandem. The Bulls had MJ (best player of all time) so thats pretty much a exception to the rule. Even the teams they beat (Barkley/Kevin Johnson, Payton/Kemp, Stockton/Malone just to name a few) And before MJ an Pip was Isiah and Dumars. But other then that, its not a very good winning formula. BULLS get ROSE a bigman to run pick and roll with! Bosh,Amare mainly.
Johnson is 28 and will turn 29 before start of the season. He probably has 2 years left until he start to diminish. The one thing you could do is move him to the 3
that should be our goal.. bosh or amare..
Is Joe Johnson legitimately going to be signed at approximately the same value as LeBron James this offseason? Even LeBron won't make 20 million because of the salary cap.. is it ridiculous to think that Joe Johnson gets a few million less than LeBron? I think guys like Amare and Joe Johnson should be signing at around 14-15 million rather than 17-18. Maybe I'm crazy but with the CBA in shambles right now it doesn't seem like teams struggling to sell tickets will think "I'll be able to sell out an arena with JJ" judging from the fact that he doesn't sell out an arena now. That being the case, it should lower his value and eliminate a lot of potential bidders. A lot of free agents in MLB went into this offseason thinking they were going to see max dollars that simply weren't there and ended up taking less money over shorter periods.. maybe the same thing will happen to some degree in the NBA this summer.
i think jo will gather enough buzz after we know that bosh,amare,and boozer are the top prizes..teams will look for a wing and johnson and gay will get overpaid.. thing is i dont see joe leaving atl for any other teams besides chicago,new york and the clippers(who i think wins rudy gays heart with needing a sf with baron and gordon)
its a bigger shot than wade and lebron.. melo is extremly close to jordan and us needing a scorer like him and with the whole thing we got going for us.. melo is a bigger possibilty than lebron and wade.. melo grew up a bulls fan..and the market over here will make him think highly plus us already having a supporting cast..
I think you'er far more likely to be able to snag a good SG in a trade than a good PF. Having a hole at SG rather than PF to me is a benefit, not a drawback, of Lee over Johnson.
You look at the other bigs out there and none of them are good defenders. Amare plays on the second worst defensive team in the league, Bosh the worst. Boozer isn't known for his defense either. I think no matter what we'd rely on Noah.
Personally I think Lee will be cheap if only because he's the only player his own team aren't likely to even try to keep. The Knicks can't resign Lee, they've sold their fans on the all in for 2010 plan, so they have to at least shuffle the deck chairs on the Titanic. I really can't see them making a proper bid at Lee, which should leave him by far the cheapest of the second tier guys.
The nice thing about Bosh's defense is he does a good job out on the perimeter, making him a good fit next to Noah and Taj. He's not exactly horrible in the post, either. Unlike Boozer and Amare he actually tries, and usually does decently enough.
I just looked into the full details on the max contract system.. It might completely change the way I evaluate the free agents for this offseason and how they work for the Bulls. For some reason it seems like everytime I rethink the whole thing, David Lee seemingly continues to sound like a more enticing secondary option. I might go as far as to put him in my top 5
I think if he wins the title he's more likely to bolt. "I've achieved what I wanted to achieve, now for new challenges (and pay no attention to me moving to a big market to get bigger endorsements, it's all about the challenge)".
Murray should be starting instead of Klank Hinrich!!!
Please review sochicago's post:
Some interesting facts about the Jerk Hinrich.. from another poster on another site:
"Of the 74 guards playing more than 25 MPG this season, Hinrich ranks 63rd in fg%. 65th in TS%, and 65th in PER. Which is why, I guess, that despite the Bulls being devoid of offensive options, Hinrich ranks 60th in USG%."
"Of the 166 players in the NBA playing more than 25 MPG, Kirk...rank[s] 154 in PER, 152 in TS% and 151 in FG%."
"He is the 98th ranked 3pt shooter in the league. Despite being a "true point" his assist percentage is lower than Joe Johnson, Monta Ellis, Beno Udrih and Allen Iverson."
"Our starting shooting guard has scored over 15 pts a grand total of 6 times this season. Hinrich has not scored over 20 pts in a single game all year! Not one time."
"We are paying this guy about $9mil a year for this??? We had chance to trade him for expiring 2 years in a row but we did not. Why is our management so much in LOVE with this guy???"
No doubt, but Hinrich finally becomes and expiring contract by next seasons trade deadline, albeit in 2011, just in time for the lockout, which might be an advantage at this point.