Breaking Down The Deals Part 3

[Erick Blasco]

The final stragglers have chosen a team, and the rosters for the upcoming 2010-2011 season are essentially complete. Let’s look at the final free agent signings and how they’ll affect their upcoming teams.

 

Ronnie Brewer—Chicago Bulls

 

Brewer is a solid perimeter defender with terrific athleticism and long arms. He’s excellent at playing passing lanes, but is also a disciplined positional defender. He’ll add some defensive punch to the Bulls, who with Brewer and Luol Deng, will have two solid defensive presences at the wings.

 

On offense, Brewer is an explosive leaper who will excel in transition, and along the baseline whenever Derrick Rose breaks down the defense. Deng is another player who operates mostly along the baseline, however, and Rose also does most of his work going to the basket. With the personnel, it’ll be difficult for the Bulls to play to their roster’s strengths, while maintaining good court-balance.

 

Also, a major reason for Chicago’s downfall last season was a lack of spacing. Brewer’s chicken-wing release renders him an unreliable jump shooter, while Deng and Rose also aren‘t proficient long-range shooters. Defenses will be more effective at packing the paint when Kyle Korver isn’t on the court.

 

Brewer’s defensive chops and top-flight athleticism will help Chicago in the regular season, but he doesn’t do enough for an offense that will have trouble against the better defenses in the league.

Grade: C+

 

 

Keith Bogans—Chicago Bulls

 

Bogans is a physical defensive presence and a respectable three-point shooter who adds some depth to Chicago at the wing. He’s not quick enough to be a full-time defensive stopper, nor is he accurate enough from deep to be a difference maker. He does provide insurance should Ronnie Brewer go down with an injury, and he’ll able to slow down some of the league’s bigger wings. He’s not the worst fourth swingman in a rotation, but he’s not the best either.

Grade: C+

 

 

Kurt Thomas—Chicago Bulls

Thomas is an instant defensive upgrade over Brad Miller, and lineups with Thomas and Joakim Noah will be difficult to score against. He’s still an effective back-to-the-basket defender, and as a help defender, he knows where to be and when to be there. He’s still a solid rebounder, though his diminishing hops allow some opponents to steal rebounds away from him. Offensively, he can still plug mid-range jumpers with regularity, though he needs teammates to create his offense.

 

However, Thomas will be 38 when the season starts and has logged major minutes over his NBA career. With Taj Gibson’s solid defense, mid-range shooting, and younger legs, Thomas will be a fourth man in a three-man rotation, which is the perfect role for him. He’d play enough spot duty to keep his senses honed, but won’t be overtaxed by the strain of playing too many minutes.

 

A good situation for both Thomas and the Bulls.

 

Grade: B+

 

 

Brad Miller—Houston Rockets

 

Miller can stretch the floor with his perimeter shooting, and he’s still a terrific passer for his size, but he can’t move, is a total stiff defensively, and is an awful rebounder. Given that the Rockets can use some more movement in their offense, Miller can facilitate some scoring, but it’s impossible to hide him defensively. Given Yao Ming’s injury history, the Rockets may be forced to give significant minutes to Miller, where the more he plays, the more his defense gets exposed.

 

It’s doubtful that Miller, who is 34 years old and coming off a miserable season, will contribute too many productive minutes for the Rockets.

 

Grade: D+

 

 

Tony Battie—Philadelphia 76ers

 

At this stage in his career, Battie is little more than a mid-range jump shooter who doesn’t provide much else. He’ll be the sixth big man on Philadelphia’s roster, and will mostly provide leadership for a frontcourt that is extremely young, excluding Elton Brand.

Grade: D

 

 

Luke Ridnour—Minnesota Timberwolves

 

Ridnour is a heady point guard who is excellent at running an offense and maximizing the capabilities of his teammates. He sees the floor well, makes good decisions, and has an excellent mid-range pull-up jumper when he needs to score. He’s not a good finisher, and while he can apply some ball pressure, isn’t much of a defender either. However, he’ll be a veteran mentor to Jonny Flynn, and will provide some stability off the bench to an extremely inexperienced team. Ridnour’s value will be that he’s one of the few players on Minnesota who knows how to play more than one-on-one or two-on-two basketball.

Grade: A

 

 

Royal Ivey—Oklahoma City Thunder

 

Ivey is a terrific defensive point guard who doesn’t bring much to the table offensively. Given that the Thunder are stacked with offense throughout their roster, Ivey will fill a niche as a spot defender over Eric Maynor. Also, should Maynor go down with an injury, the Thunder would be fine with Ivey playing six minutes a half spelling Russell Westbrook.

Grade: B

 

 

Matt Barnes—Los Angeles Lakers

 

Barnes is a rangy forward who plays disruptive defense and can run the floor, which makes him a useful player off the bench. However, he’s also a poor three-point shooter who doesn’t space the floor, which will be problematic in the Lakers’ triangle. He’s not an ideal signing, and the Lakers won’t operate at peak offensive efficiency with him on the floor, but he does bring some defensive chops and athleticism to Hollywood.

 

Grade: C+

 

 

Theo Ratliff—Los Angeles Lakers

 

The ghost of Theo Ratliff can still bang in the post, commit six hard fouls, and grab an occasional rebound, but the more that’s asked of him, the worse off you are. On the other hand, he’s an improvement on D.J. Mbenga.

Grade: C-

 

 

Antoine Wright—Sacramento Kings

 

Wright is an average defensive player whose reputation is better than his game. Offensively, he isn’t a terrific shooter and can’t pass or create his own offense. For a Kings team building around young talent, signing a player like Wright, who doesn’t have a treasure chest of experience or upside, doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Grade: F

 

 

Josh Powell—Atlanta Hawks

 

Powell has good athleticism for a power forward and he can hit his share of mid-range jump shots, but if he couldn’t take advantage of the multitude of open looks he was afforded as a Laker, what can reasonably expected of him on the Hawks? He’s not a defender, rebounder, or playmaker either.

Grade: D

 

 

Eddie House—Miami Heat

 

House can’t handle, he’s a mediocre defender, and he’s not good at finishing in the lane. What House can do is change the outcome of games with his three-point shooting. He shoots the three at roughly 40% for his career, and isn’t shy to make them in pressure situations, excelling from deep in the 2008 Finals and 2009 playoffs. He gives the Heat a reliable shooter when teams focus on Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, and his lack of a handle is mitigated by Wade and James’ ball-handling abilities. His strengths play well to what Miami can use, and his weaknesses are mitigated by his surroundings. He’s a smart signing.

 

Grade: A

 

 

Tracy McGrady—Detroit Pistons

 

Because the Pistons didn’t already have too many wings, they signed Tracy McGrady. T-Mac has lost much of his explosion and is almost strictly a perimeter player, so much so, that most teams backed away at signing him, even for a bargain-basement contract. While he’s still an above-average playmaker, there’s a high level of redundancy between McGrady, Ben Gordon, and Rip Hamilton all playing the same position, none of whom are adept at creating their own offense consistently anymore. Is McGrady there to simply sell tickets? Asking if he’s part of a future plan implies Detroit actually has a future plan.

Grade: D

 

 

Shaquille O’ Neal—Boston Celtics

 

Shaq is certainly going to be an interesting fit with the defense-oriented Celtics. First of all, let’s get the Shaq screen/roll talk out of the way. Of course Shaq is going to be a screen/roll liability, and he’ll certainly give up some baskets based on his inability to shown or recover on screen/rolls and screen/fades. The hope is that Boston’s coordinated help defenders can rotate in time to cover for Shaq’s statuesque defense.

 

On the other hand, Shaq’s hulking mass takes up an enormous amount of space in the paint, where the specter of painful contact deters some players from attempting to drive into the middle. Shaq’s big enough to rough-up the roughhouse post scorers, and sometimes people fail to comprehend that sometimes, being that big is good defense by default.

 

Still, the prospect of Shaq defending in space will surely turn Doc Rivers’ hair white.

 

Shaq makes up for his defensive deficiencies by continuing to be a solid post performer. He still is too massive for many centers to guard, he’s still enough of a scoring threat to force double teams, or at least increased defensive attention, and he still assaults opponents with foul trouble that wouldn’t be accrued against other centers.

 

The hope is that Shaq can provide some post scoring for a Celtics team which, with Kevin Garnett playing more and more on the perimeter, doesn’t have much of a frontcourt post threat. He’ll also sets massive screens allowing teammates the extra space needed to turn the corner or pop an open jumper.

 

Most importantly, by the time Boston rolls into the postseason, Kendrick Perkins should be healthy, allowing Rivers some liberties in choosing Shaq for his post offense and defense, or Jermaine O’Neal for his jump shooting and more rangy defense. There’s still some gas in Shaq’s tank, particularly since he won’t have to abuse his engine with the teammates he has.

 

Grade: B+

 

 

Von Wafer—Boston Celtics

 

Wafer is a streak-shooting guard who can create his own offense, but displays poor shot selection and fails to comprehend his own limitations. He’ll either fall into place in Boston and provide some punch off the bench, or he’ll wind up in Doc Rivers’ doghouse.

Grade: C-

 

 

Earl Boykins—Milwaukee Bucks

 

The diminutive Boykins used to be as quick as a shadow, allowing himself to scoot and shoot from anywhere on the court. Court vision and running an offense were never his strengths, plus, despite being better than you think at defending the post, his small stature made him a defensive liability. Still, he had enough juice in his legs to be an effective backup guard on an uptempo offense. Nowadays, Boykins isn’t as quick as he once was, which limits his ability to get to openings on the court, and magnifies all his weaknesses.

 

In short, Boykins is a less-than-satisfactory backup, and will likely be the third-string point guard on Milwaukee’s roster. As a backup to the backup though, Boykins is certainly a better option for a playoff-destined team like Milwaukee, than a project guard, a D-League call-up, or a head case.

Grade: B-

 

 

Kwame Brown—Charlotte Bobcats

 

Brown’s stock-in-trade is post defense and rebounding, but his lack of offensive skills, and his bad hands leave him a one-dimensional player. For the Bobcats, who lost Raymond Felton in free agency, scoring is going to be a season-long problem for them, and a problem Brown won’t alleviate. The hope is that Brown can help anchor an elite defensive unit, but with Charlotte’s roster, the best they can hope for is another early playoff exit.

Grade: C

 

 

Delonte West—Boston Celtics

 

The hope is that West’s personal issues stemming from Bi-polar disorder can be smoothed out, and he can put aside a disastrous 2009-2010 season and return to being the tough, smart, bulldog of a player he was prior to last year. However, with personality disorders like Bi-polar disorder, it’s difficult to anticipate how West will perform. His downside is as a useless third-string point guard who contributes little to the team. His upside is a gritty, championship-caliber third guard who can get into the paint, make plays off the bounce, pass, shoot, and defend. Given the low-risk, high reward associated with picking him up, signing West is a smart move.

Grade: B-

 

 

Rodney Carney—Golden State Warriors

 

Carney is a good athlete and a decent shooter who doesn’t have a high basketball IQ. Given that Nellie-Ball is officially done by the bay, the Warriors will return to more of a conventional approach to basketball by default. Still, the Warriors roster is shaped to run, just as Carney is best off in a running offense. Should Golden State get enough defense and rebounding to fuel their open court attack, Carney could be a useful player off the bench. However, given that Carney’s a very ordinary halfcourt player, and the Warriors still don’t project to being a respectable defensive team, Carney likely won’t contribute many wins to this year’s Warriors.

Grade: D

 

 

Louis Amundson—Golden State Warriors

 

Amundson makes an impact on a basketball game despite not being able to create his own offense. He’s an energetic defender and shot blocker, with a perpetual motor and non-stop hustle. He moves well without the ball, has a soft touch around the rim, and runs the floor as well as any big man. As seen by his personal success in Phoenix, and how he helped the Suns reach the conference finals, Amundson is the perfect fit for a madcap offense with runners and scorers lacing the roster.

 

Grade: A+

[Erick Blasco]

Sorry for the huge gap between articles---in late August, in a one week stretch, I was named student manager of the cafe I work at, was appointed an R.A. of the new dorms that opened on my campus, and received a very hands-on internship. Combine that with how bad the dorm's wi-fi is, and I haven't been able to keep in touch with the ins and outs of the NBA. I hope to contribute more this month, and hopefully the wi-fi will pick up.

[NomarFachix]

Hey, the Knicks signed some players this offseason outside of Amar'e and Felton... you should take a look.

[Erick Blasco]

They signed Shawne Williams a few days ago, after I wrote down the 20 players I was going to discuss. I didn't even know he signed until just now. The only other player they signed with meaningful NBA experience is Roger Mason who slipped through the cracks. I'll bring him up when I write my season preview articles.

 

Thanks for the read!

[Universe]

Another great writeup!

[Nitro]

Very good writeup. I think the Brad Miller signing should be closer to a B because of Yao's injuries and the fact that Miller is one of the best backup C's in the league, and I feel you overrated the Shaq signing (although I completely understand your reasoning...I just feel he's a bad fit). But overall, great job.

[AboveLegit]

Read this earlier, but didn't get a chance to reply because I had to go watch my Skins get rocked by the Rams...

 

You set the bar pretty high when making these grades, so I'm surprised you have both Keith Bogans and Ronnie Brewer as a C+ for the Bulls. I think you're overrating Keith Bogans a bit, while underrating the impact Ronnie Brewer may have for that Chicago team.

 

I haven't had a good enough look at Bogans yet, we'll see how he does, from what I heard, he is a decent size guard and smart player. If he's got a knock down three point shot, and plays good defense, I would definitely consider that. Rose pretty much handles the ball for the majority of the time anyway, and lots of times they need someone to sit in the corner and pop 3's. If his defense is good enough, and 3 point shot consistent enough it's a good idea. Jury is still out for me about this guy though. I'd personally give that signing a D.

 

I think for the price they got Ronnie, it was a tremendous signing. I was really pushing for them to sign Redick, but

Brewer definitely comes at a much better value at nearly half the price. The only issue I had with Redick, though, was his athleticism. He's a good shooter, good defender, has a pretty good basketball IQ overall, but he's not the kind of guy that would break players off the dribble. However, having Redick would have taken the long ball pressure off of Rose and Deng. If Deng starts taking more 3's, Brewer would ultimately be the better fit since he's a better defender than Redick, has more size and length and is more of a threat to reach the basket. Like what Deron Williams did for Brewer, I can absolutely see Rose doing for him, as well. And by that I mean Brewer is going to be involved in a number of alley-oops. I'd give this signing a B.

 

I guess I'm nitpicking here, but its whatever, I thought I'd just give my two cents.

[Erick Blasco]

Very good writeup. I think the Brad Miller signing should be closer to a B because of Yao's injuries and the fact that Miller is one of the best backup C's in the league, and I feel you overrated the Shaq signing (although I completely understand your reasoning...I just feel he's a bad fit). But overall, great job.

 

Not after watching Miller last season. He's breaking down and isn't the player he once was. I wouldn't trust him to play important minutes. I downgraded his grade because of Yao's health problems.

 

One thing that helps the Shaq grade---If he is a bust, when the playoffs start he becomes a third-string center behind a very good Perkins and the potentially useful Jermaine O'Neal. The Celtics don't have to live and die with Shaq which limits the risk. He still offers a potentially high reward.

[Erick Blasco]

Read this earlier, but didn't get a chance to reply because I had to go watch my Skins get rocked by the Rams...

 

You set the bar pretty high when making these grades, so I'm surprised you have both Keith Bogans and Ronnie Brewer as a C+ for the Bulls. I think you're overrating Keith Bogans a bit, while underrating the impact Ronnie Brewer may have for that Chicago team.

 

I haven't had a good enough look at Bogans yet, we'll see how he does, from what I heard, he is a decent size guard and smart player. If he's got a knock down three point shot, and plays good defense, I would definitely consider that. Rose pretty much handles the ball for the majority of the time anyway, and lots of times they need someone to sit in the corner and pop 3's. If his defense is good enough, and 3 point shot consistent enough it's a good idea. Jury is still out for me about this guy though. I'd personally give that signing a D.

 

I think for the price they got Ronnie, it was a tremendous signing. I was really pushing for them to sign Redick, but

Brewer definitely comes at a much better value at nearly half the price. The only issue I had with Redick, though, was his athleticism. He's a good shooter, good defender, has a pretty good basketball IQ overall, but he's not the kind of guy that would break players off the dribble. However, having Redick would have taken the long ball pressure off of Rose and Deng. If Deng starts taking more 3's, Brewer would ultimately be the better fit since he's a better defender than Redick, has more size and length and is more of a threat to reach the basket. Like what Deron Williams did for Brewer, I can absolutely see Rose doing for him, as well. And by that I mean Brewer is going to be involved in a number of alley-oops. I'd give this signing a B.

 

I guess I'm nitpicking here, but its whatever, I thought I'd just give my two cents.

 

Here are the differences---the Jazz had Mehmet Okur to create spacing. The Bulls have Joakim Noah. Deron Williams is an excellent jump shooter. Derrick Rose isn't. Teams won't defend the Bulls within 18 feet. It'll create problems with their offense against the better defenses in the league. There'll be a lot of sagging into the paint, so those cuts Brewer lives off of won't be there.

 

There's also balance issues. If Deng is playing the baseline, then when Derrick Rose drives off screen/rolls, Brewer's stuck at the wing, which isn't his strong point. In Utah, the Jazz don't run a ton of high screen/rolls so D-Will was always back to prevent breakaways. There's the potential for ugly offense with Chicago's lineup.

[AboveLegit]

Everyone is assuming that Rose and Deng won't be taking 3's this season. Rose has publicly announced that he's been working hard on developing his long ball shot this offseason. He made a similar claim about developing a jumpshot last season and most people didn't believe him. But he became one of the best mid-range shooters in the game last season. So you have to give him the benefit of the doubt here.

 

Also, Deng has always had it in him to shoot the long ball. But in every system he's been in he's been asked not to because of his slashing abilities. Last season he shot the long ball pretty well. I don't see why having Deng take 1-2 more 3PA's per game next season won't happen considering the Bulls just brought in Brewer - a guy who doesn't have 3-point range.

 

Do not be surprised if Rose and Deng starting hitting 3's at a pretty decent clip next season.

 

So while the three point shooting won't be as good as Utah's, they still have guys who can shoot the rock. Let's not forget about the impact Ronnie will have on the defensive end. They will also have guys like Watson, Korver, Bogans to help space out the floor.

[Nitro]

Not after watching Miller last season. He's breaking down and isn't the player he once was. I wouldn't trust him to play important minutes. I downgraded his grade because of Yao's health problems.

 

I suppose, but I still think he is a quality backup, and gives the Rockets much needed insurance for Yao. Without Miller, they have no size behind Yao, which was clearly evident last season. I also think Miller will have a lot more success in Adelman's system than what we saw from him last year.

 

One thing that helps the Shaq grade---If he is a bust, when the playoffs start he becomes a third-string center behind a very good Perkins and the potentially useful Jermaine O'Neal. The Celtics don't have to live and die with Shaq which limits the risk. He still offers a potentially high reward.

 

To me that's almost more of a problem than solution. Can Shaq handle being potentially a third-string Center? Can he handle not getting a bunch of touches? If the Celtics hit a rough patch and he isn't being a featured player in that stretch, will he cause problems in the locker-room like he supposedly did last year on the Cavs?

 

I just don't like the Shaq signing. Even if his attitude is in check, I just don't see him being a good fit on that team, both on the court and his willingness to play to the coach's gameplan rather than the Shaq-plan.

[Poe]

Just because a player says he'll put the work in to improve doesn't mean he'll find results. Derrick Rose shot 28% from 3 in FIBA this summer, where the 3 point line is actually shorter.

 

 

I agree with what Erick is saying about court spacing. It's something that's always stood out to me this summer about this team. Rose has never been a good three point shooter pending his claimed improvement, and Deng's 3 pointer is only fairly respectable. Perhaps giving Korver significant minutes will help, but while he's benched the Bulls will have a lot of difficulty finding holes in the defense for Rose, Deng, and Brewer to slash, and even finding room down low for Boozer and Noah to do their work in the post.

 

With line ups such as Rose - Brewer - Deng - Boozer - Noah, the scoring range is often limited to the midrange area. The Bulls will be a good team because of their defense and talent level, but the overall lack of range will hurt this team greatly throughout the season, and especially in the playoffs.

Edited September 27, 2010 by Poe

[Check my Stats]

Korver will be starting, if he isn't then their coach should be fired. The Bulls already have all the important stuff, if getting 3 point shooters is your biggest concern, then you are in a good position. I mean [expletive] if they really needed to they could get Matt Carrol off the Bobcats for peanuts probably.

Edited September 27, 2010 by travesy3

[AboveLegit]

Just because a player says he'll put the work in to improve doesn't mean he'll find results. Derrick Rose shot 28% from 3 in FIBA this summer, where the 3 point line is actually shorter.

 

 

I agree with what Erick is saying about court spacing. It's something that's always stood out to me this summer about this team. Rose has never been a good three point shooter pending his claimed improvement, and Deng's 3 pointer is only fairly respectable. Perhaps giving Korver significant minutes will help, but while he's benched the Bulls will have a lot of difficulty finding holes in the defense for Rose, Deng, and Brewer to slash, and even finding room down low for Boozer and Noah to do their work in the post.

 

With line ups such as Rose - Brewer - Deng - Boozer - Noah, the scoring range is often limited to the midrange area. The Bulls will be a good team because of their defense and talent level, but the overall lack of range will hurt this team greatly throughout the season, and especially in the playoffs.

I understand what you're saying, and you probably are right, but after seeing Rose improve his midrange game last season, I can't help to think his offensive arsenal will only expand.

 

They don't have any superstars at this point who will totally make other teams shudder, but Derrick Rose is on his way there, and now he has Carlos Boozer to pass the ball to who isn't all that far away as a regular 20 and 10 guy. They addressed their need for three point shooting with Kyle Korver and got a good shooting guard defender with actual size in Ronnie Brewer. Brewer also won't be taking as many bad shots as Hinrich did, and he'll also make the open ones he takes, unlike Hinrich. Luol Deng should be able to sneak up on teams more this year since he'll have less focus on him being the third option. Everyone by now knows what Joakim Noah is capable of and how much he brings beyond the stat sheet. Outside of that, Omer Asik is going to be a bit of a wildcard, but as long as he isn't a horrendous bust the Bulls should be fine down low with Gibson being the other main reserve and Kurt Thomas waiting right there. CJ Watson is a good bench scoring type of guard to have despite being streaky.

 

While 3 point shooting could be filled in better, getting Korver was a huge help to them since Luol Deng was their best three point shooter last year. People seem to be underrating the value of team chemistry and a balanced offense and overrating each single player. The Bulls went from teams just knowing to defend them between the paint and the three point line to teams having to respect them at all points on the floor. Sure, they've gotta actually perform in those other areas, but with Boozer and Korver alone the Bulls did a great job in stretching out defenses they go against which will greatly open things up for Rose, and being a third option will open things up for Deng so that he can be more like he was during the 2007 season, the last time he was really a third option for any part of a season. 50 wins is, in my opinion, a very realistic finish for this team.

 

What I like about the team is the depth they have built up, there is a backup at every position who could come into the starting 5 and play a role.

[Erick Blasco]

I suppose, but I still think he is a quality backup, and gives the Rockets much needed insurance for Yao. Without Miller, they have no size behind Yao, which was clearly evident last season. I also think Miller will have a lot more success in Adelman's system than what we saw from him last year.

 

 

 

To me that's almost more of a problem than solution. Can Shaq handle being potentially a third-string Center? Can he handle not getting a bunch of touches? If the Celtics hit a rough patch and he isn't being a featured player in that stretch, will he cause problems in the locker-room like he supposedly did last year on the Cavs?

 

I just don't like the Shaq signing. Even if his attitude is in check, I just don't see him being a good fit on that team, both on the court and his willingness to play to the coach's gameplan rather than the Shaq-plan.

 

I guess I'm assuming that Shaq will play nice in Boston. There are strong personalities in place to keep him from being a distraction, both with the players and with Doc Rivers, and there's strong leadership in place. Aside from uncorroborated rumors that seem to pop up suggesting Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo have problems with one another, there's never any long-term problems with Boston, despite some interesting personas.

 

Miller will provide more size than Chuck Hayes, but where Hayes can't jump or be tall, Miller can't move. It looks like Miller's reaching that part of his career where he's going to steadily decline. He's already an awful defender. He might be okay on offense simply because of his court-IQ and knowledge of Adelman's system, but he's going to give back a lot on defense.

 

Always good to hear from you man.

[Erick Blasco]

Korver will be starting, if he isn't then their coach should be fired. The Bulls already have all the important stuff, if getting 3 point shooters is your biggest concern, then you are in a good position. I mean [expletive] if they really needed to they could get Matt Carrol off the Bobcats for peanuts probably.

 

The more you start Korver, the worse you are on defense. Do you want Korver chasing Ray Allen through screens, or checking Dwyane Wade? Chicago's biggest rival this year might be Milwaukee as they look like the clear 4th and 5th team in the East. Korver on John Salmons is a bad matchup.

 

Fixing one problem with a niche player, often opens up other problems.

[Erick Blasco]

I understand what you're saying, and you probably are right, but after seeing Rose improve his midrange game last season, I can't help to think his offensive arsenal will only expand.

 

They don't have any superstars at this point who will totally make other teams shudder, but Derrick Rose is on his way there, and now he has Carlos Boozer to pass the ball to who isn't all that far away as a regular 20 and 10 guy. They addressed their need for three point shooting with Kyle Korver and got a good shooting guard defender with actual size in Ronnie Brewer. Brewer also won't be taking as many bad shots as Hinrich did, and he'll also make the open ones he takes, unlike Hinrich. Luol Deng should be able to sneak up on teams more this year since he'll have less focus on him being the third option. Everyone by now knows what Joakim Noah is capable of and how much he brings beyond the stat sheet. Outside of that, Omer Asik is going to be a bit of a wildcard, but as long as he isn't a horrendous bust the Bulls should be fine down low with Gibson being the other main reserve and Kurt Thomas waiting right there. CJ Watson is a good bench scoring type of guard to have despite being streaky.

 

While 3 point shooting could be filled in better, getting Korver was a huge help to them since Luol Deng was their best three point shooter last year. People seem to be underrating the value of team chemistry and a balanced offense and overrating each single player. The Bulls went from teams just knowing to defend them between the paint and the three point line to teams having to respect them at all points on the floor. Sure, they've gotta actually perform in those other areas, but with Boozer and Korver alone the Bulls did a great job in stretching out defenses they go against which will greatly open things up for Rose, and being a third option will open things up for Deng so that he can be more like he was during the 2007 season, the last time he was really a third option for any part of a season. 50 wins is, in my opinion, a very realistic finish for this team.

 

What I like about the team is the depth they have built up, there is a backup at every position who could come into the starting 5 and play a role.

 

This is all well and good, as the Bulls definitely have talent and depth. The Brewer signing isn't going to hurt the Bulls in terms of making the playoffs, but there will be a bunch of games they'll lose because defenses pack the paint and the Bulls either miss a bunch of forced layups or long jumpers. There will be games where the Bulls will overcome that because they have talent, but in situations like the playoffs where every single detail becomes critically important, they'll have a bunch of possessions where they'll have trouble scoring. That's a difference maker against Orlando, Boston, and Miami, three teams that will probably be excellent defensive teams.

 

A more well-rounded two-guard might put the Bulls on the same level as Orlando and make them a threat to challenge the Celtics. But teams with major spacing issues have trouble scoring in the playoffs.

[AboveLegit]

This is all well and good, as the Bulls definitely have talent and depth. The Brewer signing isn't going to hurt the Bulls in terms of making the playoffs, but there will be a bunch of games they'll lose because defenses pack the paint and the Bulls either miss a bunch of forced layups or long jumpers. There will be games where the Bulls will overcome that because they have talent, but in situations like the playoffs where every single detail becomes critically important, they'll have a bunch of possessions where they'll have trouble scoring. That's a difference maker against Orlando, Boston, and Miami, three teams that will probably be excellent defensive teams.

 

A more well-rounded two-guard might put the Bulls on the same level as Orlando and make them a threat to challenge the Celtics. But teams with major spacing issues have trouble scoring in the playoffs.

Very true, nicely put.

 

I think the Bulls are on the same level as the Magic if Derrick Rose takes his game to another level. They have the defense to match up nicely with Orlando, and have the offensive potential to win them ball games. There's a few question marks like you mentioned, but I think knowing that, Tom Thibodeau will end up playing Korver more minutes than expected despite being the sixth man.

[Real Deal]

I don't know about the Barnes rating. I think he'll do much more for us than many think. Without Barnes, we have no backup SF (Phil doesn't play rookies much, and Walton is probably closer to retiring than ever), and having defense off the bench is a must. Plus, Barnes has proven he can shoot the three at around 35-36% (don't remember the exact number, but it was before his Orlando stint), and a lot of players end up shooting career highs from downtown when they arrive here (ex. Shannon Brown, Trevor Ariza at that time, Lamar Odom), all due to how often they are open because of the triangle and the defensive attention given to Bryant and Gasol.

 

I just can't say that Barnes' impact on the Lakers will be less than Ivey's impact on the Thunder. Daequan Cook deserves more time than Ivey. Royal has been toast ever since he stepped foot on the court, which is why Milwaukee and Philly rejected him last season.

[Poe]

I think the Bulls are going to have to start Korver. His court spacing is too valuable for their offense. The Bulls have enough help defense so that Korver will become less of a defensive liability.

 

 

It's unfortunate the Bulls don't have a cloning machine where they can combine the DNA of Korver and Brewer to create the perfect SG for their team.

[Poe]

What I like about the team is the depth they have built up, there is a backup at every position who could come into the starting 5 and play a role.

 

I don't see the Bulls making it past the 4th seed, behind the Heat, Celtics, and Magic.

 

To be honest, I'm not sure if they are even better than the Bucks unless Rose and Deng can become true perimeter threats. It's a very crucial key to their success. They have the coaching, the defense, the rebounding, the scoring threats from the post and midrange, and perhaps some depth. They are just missing that one element. Whether Rose truly improves his 3 point shooting is going to have a bigger impact than even Rose might realize.

[Real Deal]

Keep in mind who is coaching Chicago, though. Korver is a horrific defender. I see Tom going with Brewer because of his defense, and bringing Korver off the bench, even if he does end up playing Kyle more minutes. Rose isn't exactly the best defensive player, so he'll need all the help he can get.