As you probably already know, Carmelo Anthony is available…insomuch as he has yet to sign a contract extension with the Nuggets and reportedly wants out of Denver. Since this news broke, ESPN’s Trade Machine has been getting worked so hard it just applied for the witness protection program.
Naturally, one of the hot rumors is a potential ‘Melo-to-Chicago trade.
According to Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald: “If the Nuggets decide to hold an Anthony auction in the coming months, he could end up anywhere and the Bulls should have the means to compete. They could start by offering Luol Deng, who plays the same position, along with maybe Taj Gibson and a first-round draft pick or two. As long as the Bulls are willing to offer a maximum deal next summer, they would have a good chance of keeping Anthony long-term. On paper, they should have a better chance of competing in the East than the Knicks.”
McGraw then provides each player’s 2009-10 averages: 28.2 PPG and 6.6 RPG for Anthony and 17.6 PPG and 7.3 RPG for Deng. The idea is that Deng plays the same position and could cover most of what Anthony gave the Nuggets. Statistically speaking, that is. Deng is no clutch player and tends to miss 10-15 games a season.
Reality check: ‘Melo’s Player Efficiency Rating was 22.2 (All-Star), while Luol’s was 16.1 (third banana). Furthermore, Deng’s contract is worth $11+ million this season, $12+ million next season, $13+ million the season after that and then $14+ million in 2013-14.
Sure, Deng might be one of the better small forwards (in terms of production if not health) the Nuggets could get back in a trade for Anthony. And, to be fair, Luol has been tearing it up in international play this summer. But ask yourself this: Will the Nuggets (or any team for that matter) want to be paying Deng $14 million dollars four seasons from now?
I can’t see it.
I’m not saying the Bulls shouldn’t try to get ‘Melo. Of course they should. They’d be stupid not to. But realistically, the chances are slim. Besides, I’ve read more buzz about New York, New Jersey and even Houston than I have about Chicago. Every Captain Ahab wants to catch a White Whale, but I don’t think this particular fish is swimming in the Bulls’ ocean.
Yup, Melo is not coming to CHI…the financial aspect of it won’t work out….oh well….we should be used to this by now.
everything i read about carmelo looks like what i read about lebron before and during free agency its like deja vu but just imagine a starting 5 of
pg- Rose
sg- Brewer
sf- Melo
pf- Boozer
c- Noah
that would be crazy i still love the team now as is though
Yeah, this all reeks of Lebron. People may as well stop dreaming because he knows exactly where he’s going already and he’ll just play every team the same way. I think he’s headed to the New York Knicks regardless of whether he’s traded there or not.
Honestly, I think he’s somewhat of a punk and not a top 5 player in the NBA. Would he improve this team? Of course, but I’m not sure he has that drive to win. He’s also more of a headcase than any of the other superstars in the league.
The only teams in the talks to get Melo are the teams that NEED Melo. For a successful, non-championship season, the Bulls do not need Melo.
As sad it would be to see Deng and Taj go (Taj more: his cost vs production is uncanny), a Melo signing can’t be turned down.
Other than the Heat, Lakers, and Boston, – Chicago is most likely Melo’s best chance for a quick ring.
Trade ain’t happening though.
Gettin melo would be nice, but not at the expense of taj. That would severely weaken our front line and we need that vs the likes of boston, orlando, and LA if we wanna have a chance to compete. As well as that bein an advantage of ours vs miami.
Further more I like our chemistry right now. Clear cut number one:rose two: boozer three:deng. And emotional leader: noah. I think tampering w/ that could be very risky.
Deng really fits more with what the Bulls are trying to do. And Deng is still cheaper and a better defender than Melo. Melo is like Lebron and Wade, they need the ball in their hands to be successful. We have our guy that controls the offense best when the ball is in his hands.
I am not saying Melo is not a good player cause he is great. But what it comes down to is fitting in the scheme of the team. And to be honest, I think Deng fits perfectly.
Deng is going to quietly be a quiet assassin because no one is really gonna focus on him because they have to worry about Rose and Boozer. He is going to get a lot of open shots and lay ups because of it. This year might be Dengs break out year that everyone has been waiting for.
Sorry a bit off topic but the Blazers have to be one of the most head strong organizations in the league. Rudy’s agent has now gone public saying that Rudy will not play for Portland ever again. They knew his stance and still did not try to get rid of a headache and get a pick and maybe some talent in return. What a silly situation they should have traded him you know he had to tell them internally that he had no plans to play for the team again and they still did not move him. Now he made it public and they have no shot to get anything of value back for him. And to think these guys in the front office are getting paid millions. Just makes no sense to me, guess I am glad we did not trade any assets for such a headache after all.
I read that article about Deng tearing it up in international play. Man I hope he brings that to the Bulls this season. I mean near 30 PPG and 8 RPG. And he is an excellent on-ball defender. If Luol has a break out season this yr then the Bulls will have a great shot at winning the Title. He is gonna be asked to guard Lebron and maybe Melo on the Knicks and Peirce on C’s and Danny Granger on Pacers. Luol has the ability to stop them. And people Chicago already has a Big 3 in Rose, Boozer, and Noah—and yes I consider Noah to be a superstar when you can get 10 PTS-12 REB per game and you had 25 PTS/21 REB in a playoff game and can play great defense. And that frontline is gonna be amazing playing off of each other on btoh ends of the court.
Now hey if we were to get Carmelo Im all for it. That would give us a Big 4. But yes the Knicks are probably gonna bend the rules and get him. The heck with LEbron, Carmelo, Chris Paul, CHris Pbosh type of players. Little brats that need to be papmered with stacking teams. AT least LEbron and Bosh were free agents but Melo and Paul whining for a trade. If I were their current teams trade them away from were they want to go and to a crappy team. And FYI these idiots acting like Carmelo and Paul=TItle for NY, uhm no. Even those 3 with crappy talent around them are worse than our Bulls.
I agree with hardtimes at the same time we shouldnt pass up on that opportunity if it presents itself and as for rudy well idk i still say see if you can get him for pretty much nothing not even JJ
I agree,
I still would love to see the Bulls get Rudy but, if Portland is going to be all gay about it and they don’t want to give him up that easily then I say F*** him! Portland you guys can keep him.
If anything, Portland you guys still o us 1 for the Bulls giving up: LaMarcus Aldridge for Tyrus Thomas and Victor what ever (that russian dude that sucked lol)
If we were able to suck it up and give away LaMarcus Aldridge to you guys, then why can’t you guys just suck it up as well and give us Rudy already? he clearly wants to be traded by saying it in public!
And so far, I think this is an even move for both sides: you guys get James Johnson and our 1st round draft pick from Charlotte and we get Rudy in exchange. (everybody wins! lol)
Remember, his number went down last season so his value should not be that high! You guys are luck that we our throwing in our 1st round draft pick with James Johnson develop youth!
Yes, let him go to the Knicks, then they will play absolutely no defense between Amare and Carmelo. We will walk over them in the big games! Hahahahahahahaha! I swear Wilson Chandler is their best defender right now? Ouch. Say hello to the New York Nuggets…
Big names don’t mean success.
At some point speculation is like collecting Bubble gum cards vs. building a team.
There’s one ball in the NBA game and Miami has a roster for a two ball game. Deng is the right guy for this team.
Bulls need depth at PG and Center. Adding a ball-hog all star isn’t going to help.
Does everyone commenting on this know that Melo is not a ball-hog and actually very good off the ball? Just wondering, because you all sound like you’re lacking some serious basketball knowledge.
the knicks would be the nuggets/suns of the east if melo were to join ’em….but if you add Paul to the mix, i think they have something going….at least he can play D.
it’s unfortunate for the Bulls that the east is becoming the powerhouse conference….magic, celts, knicks, and heat would all be legit title-contenders…luckily, the bulls core is a young one, so realistically, we’ll have to wait a few seasons to HOPEFULLY become title contenders.
While I would not give a player and a 1st round pick for Rudy F. I would consider parting with Deng and a 1st round pick for Melo. Anyone can learn to play defense. That being said, I would not offer multiple players, and would not be upset if the Bulls ignored Melo. If things gel quickly the Bulls could have a team that could challenge for the championship this season, and many seasons into the future. I certainly would not mortgage that future to get Melo.
I don’t think you guys have seen Melo play lately. His defense is much better then it was a few years ago. He’ll never be 1st team all defense but he’s gotten much better over the past few years. Also to the person that said LeBron and Melo are the same as far as needing the ball…you couldn’t be more off. Melo would actually play off of Rose much better then LeBron would have. He’s a better shooter and he has a post game something LeBron still doesn’t have. Melo doesn’t need to drive to the hoop every play like LeBron therefore he doesn’t need the ball in his hands constantly. Try to find some highlights of him and Billups last year, you’ll see the difference. And if you guys are seriously willing to put down a Melo for Deng and Gibson trade because Gibson is in it then I thank god you’re not in the Bulls front office. I love Gibson but everyone forgets that he was a 24 year old rookie. His ceiling isn’t much higher then what you saw last year. Please just take a look at Melo’s stats and then tell me the same thing.
With that said, the chances of the Bulls getting him are between zero and none and I’m trying my hardest not to get sucked in like I did with the LeBron hype.
I don’t understand…I know Deng has a horrible contract, but he is still a good player right? If they trade Melo to somebody else for scrubs, they are basically tanking the franchise. They are not competing with an aging Billups, JR Smith, and a bunch of scrubs. At least, not in the West. I think the Bulls stand as much of a chance as the Rockets since we both can offer a good SF with prospects/picks, and a good SF will at least keep the team viable in the West.
As far as the collective “we don’t need him” buzz…really? You really think Deng is as good as Melo? You really think that Derrick and Boozer wouldn’t want their own third Allstar on the team? I like Taj too, but I think he is maxed out on his potential. What you saw last year you will see the next ten years…a roleplayer, not an everyday starter.
@bullsfandom
No one is saying that Melo is a bad player. Its just that putting to many all stars on one team does not always work. Whats the one thing Melo is good at? Scoring. And he needs the ball in his hands to score. Deng does not need the ball in his hands to score which allows Rose to have the ball in is hands as much as possible. That is our best chance of winning. Bringing Melo in might not be good for the Bulls chemistry. Deng probably does not score as well as Melo but he avg more rebounds and plays better defense. Which is what the Bulls are focused and is what wins championships.
You see Denver scores a lot of points, but at the end of the playoffs they are no where near championship games because they cant defend at a championship level. Give this Bulls team a chance before you talk about breaking it up.
Just because Miami surrounded themselves with three all star players does not mean it will work and that the bulls should do it. Besides the bulls have potential all stars that already know their role. Miami has to figure out what role their all star players will play. How many has the Celtics won compared to the Lakers recently. And the lakers didnt need all those all stars. Just wait and see how the season goes before you decide to make decisions like that. The Bulls are in a good position. There is no reason for them to jump and make moves now. Maybe last year but not this year.
I hate when people say moronic stuff like you don’t need the ball in your hands to score…you show one person ever in the history of the NBA that has scored without the ball. Melo has shown that he can play with another teammate that does majority of ball handling (AI, Billups). He would actually be a much better fit than Lebron or Wade because they’ve always been the primary ball handlers on their team and Melo never has. Even when he came into the league Andre Miller was there over dribbling. Anyone that doesn’t think Melo is a major upgrade over Deng has never watched him play. He is the most versatile offensive player in the NBA, how could he not be an upgrade for any team?
Luol Deng has averaged 0.3 more rebounds more then Carmelo Anthony over the course of their career. I think we can find a way to make up that third of a rebound. I’m really appalled at what you guys think of Carmelo. It’s obvious you’ve seen him play a handful of times at most. He has improved drastically on defense each year. Luol Deng is a slightly above average small forward who plays good defense and has a good mid range game. His rebounding numbers will go down with the addition of Boozer so that 0.3 rebounding differential will likely disappear. Carmelo Anthony is one of the top 5 scorers in the NBA. He is arguably the best clutch scorer in the game. Youtube some of his game winners hes disgusting in crunch time. He DOES NOT need the ball in his hands all the time. Carmelo plays off the ball. He shoots off screens and posts people up. He doesn’t need drive and slash like LeBron. People talk about how mediocre LeBron’s cast was but until the 2009 season Carmelo had nobody. Then they got Billups. Hardtimes you said Denver hasn’t come close to a championship, they took the 2009 champion Lakers to 6 games in the conference finals. He did that with a past his prime Billups and essentially a bunch of scrubs. Imagine what he can do with this team. The Bulls have been trying to move Deng for two years. Nobody is trying to blow up this team and nobody is saying they won’t do well without Melo. Deng is a movable piece with a terrible contract. Read this piece by Scoop Jackson, this is before free agency started.
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nba/columns/story?columnist=jackson_scoop&id=5349997
I agree, the Bulls don’t really need Melo! Deng is a better all around player if he does not get hurt! lol
1st of all we will have to see what we are really missing this season, since we did add a lot of new faces to our team.
Last season: we were missing an inside score (check! we have that already with Boozer)
We were missing a good 3 point shooter (check! we have that already with Watson, Bogans and Korver)
We were missing a strong tall SG defender (check! we have that already with Ronnie Brewer)
We were missing a good coach with a lot of coaching experience (check! we have that already with Tom Thibodeau)
So far we have a much stronger bench then most teams in the east and I don’t see anything negative about our roster yet! until the season starts.
GO BULLS!!!
Personally I do not think Deng’s contract is that bad for what he contributes, 17 pts, 7 rebounds, almost 1 block and 1 stl and 2 assts per game. Very respectable. He came back and played hurt and showed heart. Deng is an above average defender, and his role as a scorer will be more highlighted this season with kickouts coming from Rose, Noah, Brewer and Boozer. I believe that his injuries will not hurt as much as in the past with Bogans, Brewer, Korver and Johnson as potential back-ups.
I really do not think that the Bulls need Melo. But if they do not try the press will blast them. I hope they try half-heartly.
@Dj and dont forget bogans actually can stick some D also
getting melo will be nice. but i still have faith in deng to be that consistent guy we saw in the playoffs vs the heat in 2007. plus i dont wanna give up taj also, and maybe 2 draft picks (1 would have to be the carlotte pick, and that could be a lottery pick since they have a bad future). i like the way our team looks right now and we r already expected to be the 4th or 3rd seed in the east. but portland better suck it up and give us rudy for jj and our 1st rd pick…its even for both sides. if we get rudy, we have more depth and more weapons too our bench. we r gonna do good
Hoopsworld commented on Bulls possibly acquiring Melo.
Chicago Bulls
Assets: Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and Ronnie Brewer (after December 15). What’s the deal?: Anthony has also been rumored to be interested in the Bulls, but this could be more positioning than anything else. Chicago seems unlikely to have the pieces to trade for him or the cap space to sign him next summer.
Bottom Line: This just isn’t very likely. Noah is obviously talented, but Chicago would have to package him with Deng and a few picks, and even that might not be enough.
In media reports, Melo and the wife keep talking about going to the New York Knicks and has never mentioned Chicago. I don’t think the Bulls are in the mix at all.
@ C.T
Yes I know Bogans can play some defense but, he is not a shot down defender like Brewer with his long arms and quickness.
@alan
I am not saying that Melo is not a better scorer than Deng, I just said that Deng fits more with what the Bulls are trying to do. Melo is not a slasher which the Bulls will need with Boozers post game and Roses penetrations. No matter what you say, Deng is a better defender at this point and that is what the bulls are concentrating on to win. Like you said Melo can post up but we have Boozer for that.
And as far as your comment on Melo being a better fit than Lebron, I agree. Thats why I’m not mad that he did not come to the Bulls. I think this Bulls team is a perfect fit. We can use a better 2 guard as far as offense. But defensively we have the perfect 2 in Brewer. Plus the chemistry should be well with these guys. After Lebron and Wades act this summer, I would not want to deal with none of those guys. Especially since Melo is none to be good friends of the new big 3. I would not be surprised if he didnt find a way to go play in Miami with the rest of the goons. Its funny how after the big 3 signed in Miami he doesnt want to sign that contract extension. I know that Denvers management is changing but he still has a decent team around him. I would be very leery signing him if I were any team. And Chris Paul is in the same boat. They should be leaders and not follow. That is what is wrong with this young generation. To many followers and not enough leaders.
@Alan
You said that Melo was the one who took his team to take the Lakers to 6 games in the conference finals. Your wrong. That was about his team not him. Further more you just made my point that it is about team chemistry and why I think Deng fits best with what the Bulls are doing.
You said Melo had nobody before he got Billups and he was past his prime. Who did they trade to get Billups, ALLEN IVERSON. Now AI was still good player when he went to Denver, and they were suppose to be instant title contenders when they picked him up. But it didnt work out because AI and Melo did not have the right chemistry. And Denver does not have a bunch of scrubs on his team. You dont take the Lakers to 6 games with scrubs. They did that as a good team. Not with 3 good all stars playing individually. The Thunder took the Lakers gave the Lakers all they could handle last year and they did not have as much talent as Denver. It was about them having a team and every player playing a role. Sometimes star players dont know how to play any other role than being the star. Thats the reason why I think Deng fits better. Its all about team chemistry.
Deng is an overpaid role player, but very valuable. Just think, you need more role players than stars to win. Do you think that Miami has the right role players around their 3 stars. They will find out it is going to be to much pressure on those three. You gotta have the right role players to win. The Lakers have Odom and the Celtics had Perkins. Deng is the ultimate role player and now that he has 2 stars in Rose and Boozer, you will see how valuable he will become now that he is not the secondary scorer.
WOW!!!
Deng over Melo, lol!!!
I can see how it won’t work financially but as far as skill, this isn’t even a debate.
@LOBOS
Again, someone talking about skill. Melo definitely has more skill than Deng. But the game of basketball is about way more than skill as far as a team. Deng just fits the chemistry of the Bulls better. If people really understood what winning is about in basketball then they would understand that skill does not make chemistry.
I would rather play with a team of role players than a team full of stars. If you check your history, all the great championship teams had players that all knew their role. Thats why Phil Jackson is such a great coach cause he makes everyone understand their role and play it. If we had Phil coaching our team, then I would definitely say grab Carmelo. But we dont.
How do you know Deng fits the chemistry better? Everyone is saying this is a new team so they should all be able to jell together…what is it exactly that Deng has won for them that makes his chemistry so vital that you’d turn down a chance at a top 10 player?
I total agree with you hardtime,
Melo is not a good fit for the Bulls, unless we had a different coach with different players that don’t help us at all win games.
Deng on the other hand helps us win games, when he is health of course lol. Remember he was our 2nd best player last season and now that we have Boozer, Deng will become our 3rd best player. Plus Deng will have less pressure to deal with as a scorer, which will help him extent his game from 3 point land and if he misses a couple of shots he has Boozer and Noah to clean up the boards with put backs.
Deng was our 3rd best player last year when Noah was healthy. Now he’s the 4th best player. Either way you keep pointing out how he helps us win games with his chemistry and his key “role”…when? Did I miss something? I can’t remember Luol ever hitting a game winner. They’ve never won over 50 games with him. He played a pivotal role in a 1st round series against Miami 5 years ago. Then he became a vastly overpaid player. That’s his legacy.
i think Melo would make the team better but its not like he’ll sign an extension with the Bulls. if the bulls somehow get him this year, he’ll just leave once his contract expires. he has his mind set on the “no defense” Knicks. the guy isn’t committed to winning. thats why he will go to NY. if he was so damn committed to winning then he would have beaten the Jazz in the playoffs. he would have used their head coach as motivation to win. he had a team that could compete with the Lakers and still does. but he’ll just say that the Nuggets aren’t committed to winning thats why he has to go to NY. good luck winning with Mike D’Antoni as your head coach. any player is better off with coach Thibs-a rookie coach- than a veteran head coach like Mike D’Antoni.
in the long run, it will hurt the Bulls more than help them. there’s no point in trading for him if he doesn’t sign a long term contract. we’re better off with Luol and Taj because they’re not gonna leave after next season
@Alan
Again, it is not about who hits more shots. We have pieces that we dont have to worry to much about that. When I say chemistry, I mean someone who is not going to make a fuss and stir up trouble in the media like Melo is doing now. How do you know he wont do that to the Bulls. Thats one of the reasons the bulls didnt take a chance on McGrady. Like I said before, he is friends with the Big 3 in Miami so I wouldnt trust him. Deng has always been quiet. When fans and media alike talk about him and says he is terrible, he doesnt demand trades or even want to walk away from the challenge of winning with his team. He put up a solid 17pts and 8rebs per game last year and you people still dog him. That definitely put him in the top 10 of shooting forwards last year. But everyon still dogs him and I havnt heard one complaint from him. Not even the media can say he has said a negative thing about the team or city. This is what makes him a better fit for chemistry. Deng and Rose and the rest of this the team are just hard nosed players who work hard and dont give any negative publicity. We have a group of good guys with no egos, lets keep it that way.
Guys i like Deng as well, but getting a player like Carmelo Anthony doesn’t come around to often. So if we have to give up Deng, Taj and a few picks in the draft I say give me a pen quickly and where do I sign. Now I agree with most people that he has already decided where he would like to play and yes I don’t think it will be with the Bulls. I just prey we don’t have another Lebron circus like we had this summer. If Carmelo Anthony really cares about winning the Bulls should be the only team on his radar. If his only care is money then have fun in New York where he would fade slowly into the abyss of he was a good player who couldn’t win the big one. In New York he will be a forgotten nobody, in Chi-Town he would and well be remembered as a champion. Plus lets be realistic here the amount of he would get with New York wouldn’t be that far off then what he would get in Chi Town he would really choose New York over Chicago for a few million more but what am i thinking of course he would. He would be very foolish if he chose money and by that I mean a few mil more over winning championships. Damn I miss MJ & Pippen. GO Bulls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Carmelo do the right thing and come play with Chicago. Management if it involves trading for Anthony then do the right thing for the fans and make a big push to get Anthony!!!!!!!! If he waits to become a free agent then I say forget going after Anthony as we would have Lebron Series 2 all over again. Can anyone picture Tim Duncan in a Bulls Uniform? Long shot will probally remain with the Spurs no sense in leaving a good situation as it is. GO BULLS!!!!!!!!!!! Take down Miami
PG Rose
SG Brewer
SF Anthony
PF Boozer
C Noah
@GCB
You sound like the Bulls need to beg for Melo to come to the Bulls. I really think the Bulls are going to be fine. There is no need to beg or plead for him to come especially if we didnt beg Lebron or Wade. He aint better than them. The Bulls have a really good team and like you said, if a player wants to win they would take a pay cut, like boozer, to come to the Bulls. We are in no position to have to beg for anyone to come here. We have D-Rose.
@ Hardtimes i never said we should beg Anthony to come to Chicago, all i said was if we have to give up Deng, Taj and a few picks to get him then management should pull the trigger. We Well be fine but with Anthony will be better to great and have a better shot at matching up with teams like Boston, Lakers, Heat. Like said if we have a chance to get him we should and not hesitate like we did in previous years.
Previous years meaning whenever a top player became a free agent the bulls always went for the 2nd to 3rd tier free agents instead of the top players. Ive been a bulls fan since the Jordan years and I haven’t giving up on the Bulls and I’m from Boston. Again I never said beg hell that word isn’t even in my vocabulary, but if we have a chance to get him we shouldn’t fiddle our thumbs we should sign on the dotted line.
How about this MONSTER:
Denver Nuggets get: Chris Paul, Peja Stojakovic, Marcus Thornton, Taj Gibson
New Orleans get: Chauncey Billups, Luol Deng, James Johnson, Sam Dalembert, Carl Landry
Sacremento Kings get: Emeka Okafor
Chicago Bulls get: Carmelo Anthony
Can’t see a significant downside to any of the teams there. Maybe mess with the lesser players and/or throw in some picks/cash here and there.
Don’t think there’s a hope of getting it done though, the GMs would need huge balls to pull the trigger on this one.
@GCB
I understand your point as far as his talent, but it takes more than talent. Like someone else stated, he and Chris Paul are friends with the big 3 in Miami. And you see Paul and Melo has made a fuss since Lebron did what he did. I think Melo is a top 10 player but I think he should have some loyalty to Denver after they have tried to put players around him to win. They have some good talent in Denver and he couldnt do nothing with it why is he going to be so much better for the Bulls. The main reason I dont want him is because he seems like he is pulling what Lebron did and I dont want anyone with that kind of attitude. And like I said its funny him and Chris Paul do it after the big 3 signing in Miami. We dont need followers we need leaders. And by him being a follower, he will be like Lebron and scare away from joining the Bulls. At least Kobe was not afraid of coming to chicago. But the Lebron generation is. I have much more respect for Kobe after this summer. What happened to the morals of the game?
@hardtimes
you didnt answer my question. I didn’t say anything about Melo’s shots, I said what has Deng done to deserve all this chemistry praise you give him. Since this is such a new team (6 new players) adding one more wont affect how they jell. The Nuggets are not that talented outside of Melo. Billups is great, but he’s on the downside of his career. Nene has a solid all around inside game. Kenyon Martin has one skill and that’s rebounding. He’s barely healthy enough to do that. Chris Andersen can block shots when he’s not doing cocaine. JR Smith can ball when he wants, but he wasn’t good enough to play for the Bulls a few years ago…they cut him. Also he is insane. Not sure how you expect that group to win something. They arent more talented then Dallas LA San Antonio Phoenix OKC or Portland in the West. But somehow you want him to win a title. How many did Jordan get before Pippen? Shaq before Kobe? Kobe (w/o shaq) before Gasol? Why does it matter who they are friends with too? Boozer is friends with LeBron…you must not know what Boozer did to Cleveland when he left a few years ago. Google it, lets hear what you have to say about loyalty after that because he has none. I agree with you that LeBron can now be considered a follower and I love what the Bulls did this offseason. They won’t get Melo so you don’t have to worry about it.
@ Alan
I hope so! Melo does not fit well with the Bulls new defensive system and even if he does his plans are not to stay here in Chicago. He wants to go back home to NY and play with his buddies CP3 and Amare.
Plus I rather keep Deng, Gibson and our two 1st round draft picks.
We have a good team already, let just wait and see if their are better offer before the trading deadline of 2011 to improve our team. So we can go back to the NBA finials against the Lakers.
GO BULLS!!!
@Alan
What has Deng done as far as chemistry? Why would I have to tell you. Did you read this article? You sound like you just want to disagree for the fun of it. But just to interest you, Deng avg. 17pts and 7reb. They might not be good enough for you but beggars cant be choosy. What do you have against Deng? Like I said before, he has taken criticism from the likes of you. But he never complains to the media at all. He just came in and proved a lot of people wrong last year and did not throw it in no ones face. But yet guys like you still complain. Like the article said he is a top 10 SF. And he did it quietly. Never making a fuss with the team and always putting the team first, even above his stats. Even though you want Deng to do more, he understands what he can do and does it well. Its not his fault the Bulls overpaid him. If you were him you would of taken the money to. No matter what you say Deng is a valuable part of this team. And if you ask people around the NBA they would tell you the same. He might be overpaid but he can still play good basketball. Besides he is going to be even better this year and you will be eating those words buddy.
Please point out where I said Luol Deng isn’t good. Also please point out where I said Luol Deng isn’t valuable to the Bulls. Please tell me what words I will be eating. When I said Carmelo is better then Deng? You’re a delusional unrealistic Bulls fan if you actually believe Deng is better. Read everything I wrote again a little slower this time so you can understand it. I’m defending Melo. Way to go against your whole chemistry argument by throwing numbers out right away. All that I was trying to explain to you is that Melo is better then Deng. If you follow the link to the article you keep bringing up guess where Melo is. #3 behind Durant and LeCon. 5 spots ahead of Deng. I have nothing against Deng, he is a top 10 SF…when healthy. Melo is a potential Hall of Famer. Big difference. There is no better wing player you could stick with DRose in the entire league then Melo. Thibodeau turned Ray Allen, one of the poorer defenders in the league into solid defender in his system. Melo is already a decent defender, do you think he wouldn’t be able to mask his deficiencies? If he can’t then you must not think that highly of Thibs. All I was trying to prove to you was that Melo the #3 SF according to your oracle of rankings, is worth Deng the #8 SF, Taj Gibson (Not Ranked) and 2 late first round picks. Your biggest and really only argument against it was chemistry. Since half the roster turned over would chemistry be that big of a deal. Instead of responding to that you got all defensive about Luol Deng who you apparently dated sometime in the past. I’m all done with this one Hardtimes. You can go ahead and respond by putting my words in my mouth like you have been. What’ll be next? Did I say I miss Eddie Robinson? Do I hate Deng because he plays for England’s national team? Oh the suspense, can’t wait.
Alan, dude it really aint that serious. I respect your opinion, but I was responding about why we dont need Carmelo on the team. Which is basically because he is not trustworthy considering how he is lobbying to leave his present team like Lebron did. Considering he and Lebron are friends and how this summer went is why I really dont think he fits the bulls. We dont need any distractions. And he would definitely be one. The constant question of is he going to sign a new contract and all the other crap. But you dont have to tell me that Melo is a better player, I know that . I was just trying to explain why he does not fit as far as chemistry. I hope you can understand the drama that he will bring. These comments I made are isot opinions they are facts. By the way there is a better wing player you could stick with Rose but he is not available. His name is Durant. He is younger, taller, more athletic, and was the scoring champ last year. He is also humble like Deng and his ceiling is much higher than Melo. Now if the Bulls could trade for him, I would give up Deng and Gibson and 3 number 1 picks. He would not bring no drama or mystery to the team and he is better than Deng and Melo.
Now for the sake of us being bulls fans, cant we just get along!
@hard times I like melo’s game and I have to disagree the Bulls have a better team than Denver and we also have an up and coming coach in coach Tibs who’s respected around the league. I agree with you that we need leaders and not followers and like I said if we can get him via trade and free agency we should but yes if he does pull a Lebron then yes we should pull back and cut all ties. Guys lets not kid our selves if we landed Lebron and Bosh we would be partying all through the summer and we would have rubbed it in every ones faces just like Miami is doing now. Enough Melo chat when the time comes we can discuss it. NOW A TRADE TO GET KEVIN DURANT ON OUR TEAM I SAY HELL YES TO THAT AND CARMELO WHO!!!! I see good things this year for the bulls and yes I’ll be debating on who too root for when Chicago plays Boston think I’ll take the neutral stance and be satisfied with which ever team wins. GO BULLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
& I HAVE TO AGREE WITH ALANS POST WE ALL LIKE DENG BUT COME ON HE IS UNDERSIZED SF AND INJURED HALF THE TIME. DO ANYTHING WE CAN TO IMPROVE THE TEAM AND YES MELO IS AN IMPROVEMENT
@GCB
I respect your opinion GCB but I still rather have Deng. And you guys keep bringing up the talent, I know he is has more talent than Deng. I stated why I felt Deng fits better but you guys keep saying Melo’s talent is better. Better talent does not always mean it fits with the scheme or style the team is trying to play. Deng is a slasher and fits better with the pick and roll style and he is better defensively than Melo, which the bulls are counting on to win. Now you guys explain to me why Melo is a better fit than Deng for the Bulls.