For months, I’ve been saying that LeBron James probably won’t come to Chicago because he wouldn’t want to play in Michael Jordan’s shadow. After all, LeBron wants to be the best ever, and he would have to win at least six or seven titles here to reach or surpass the summit of Mount Jordan.
Seems both impossible and unlikely.
However, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News doesn’t think that will be a problem:
“It has been said that LeBron won’t go to Chicago because either he couldn’t or wouldn’t want to chase Jordan’s legacy. Actually, I think it is the complete opposite. When Shaquille O’Neal signed with the Lakers did anyone say, ‘Why would you want to go there and play in the shadow of Kareem and Magic?’ Did anyone say that Kevin Garnett was crazy to force a trade to the Celtics because of Bill Russell’s legacy? If anything, these players wanted to be part of great franchises with rich traditions. I believe that LeBron thinks about having his No. 6 hang in the rafters alongside of Jordan’s No. 23 at the United Center. Does that mean he’s going to Chicago? No. But I think the legacy of Jordan actually helps the Bulls in this case.”
While Isola could be right about LeBron’s attitude — nobody really knows except LeBron — I think he chose too bad examples. After all, Shaq had other reasons for going to the Lakers…namely that he wanted to be in L.A. so he could work on his acting and music careers. (And thank goodness he did, because it gave us wonders of nature such as Kazaam and You Can’t Stop the Reign.) As for KG, he was near the end of his career and desperate to win, something that was never, ever going to happen in Minnesota.
At any rate, form Bull Charles Oakley has something to add on the matter. Apparently, Oakley — who also happens to be BFFs with MJ — has become something of a friend/mentor to LeBron over the past couple years. And here’s what Oak has to say about LeBron’s free agent destination: “Chicago or Miami. Not New York. He’s leaving [Cleveland]. He wants to go someplace where he can win. He’s been in the league, what, seven or eight years? It’s time for him to get over the hump.”
I have no idea whether Oakley has actual insider information on this subject or he’s just guessing like everybody else. But those two locations make sense: The Bulls have the best existing core (Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and Kirk Hinrich) while the Heat have more money to spend and the best individual player (Dwyane Wade).
But, of course, all we can do is continue waiting and wondering.
As far as Amar’e Stoudemire goes, his Phoenix Suns have been The Surprise of the 2010 NBA playoffs (or maybe The Second Surprise after Cleveland’s second round elimination). Why would he want to leave the place where sets the table and serves his dinner so well? And why would the Suns ever let him go?
And if you listen to what Steve Kerr has to say, it sounds like Phoenix is ready to bust open the piggy bank to make sure STAT sticks around. This is what Kerr said on the Dan Patrick Show. “We can afford it. We’ve had one of the top five, six payrolls in the NBA for four years running. We’ll spend money, that’s not the question. We have to make sure we spend it the right way. Hopefully we can get something done with Amar’e. That’s the plan.”
Of course, it may come down to more than money for Stoudemire. Nash is, after all, 36 years old. As good as Captain Canada is, you have to figure he can’t keep playing at this level forever. Nor can Grant Hill. And past Nash, Hill and Stoudemire, the Suns are pretty thin talent-wise. They have a lot of solid complementary players and that’s about it.
So the door is probably still open.
STOP the “Shadow of Michael Jordan” talk…EVERYONE!!!
Was MAGIC afraid to play in the “Shadow of West” ? NO.
Was SHAQ afraid to play in the “Shadow of Wilt”? NO.
Was LARRY afraid to play in the “Shadow of Russell”? NO.
Was KG afraid to play in the “Shadow of Russell”? NO.
IS ROSE afraid to play in the “Shadow of MJ”. NO.
…and on and on and on…
GREAT PLAYERS want to add to other LEGACIES just as much as they want to add to their own.
At least they aren’t, if their goal is to WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS.
If he is telling the truth when he says winning is the only thing that matters then I think he will be in a Bulls uniform come July. If it’s the Knicks or the Nets I think everyone will call him out on it and I think he cares to much bout his image for that. Miami does not make sense because that it Wade County and the Clippers are still the Clippers. So in my OPINION, just my OPINION
I think he will either sign with the Cavs or sign with the Bulls. I’m hoping he signs with the Bulls because I want to watch the Best player on my team.
Kirk Hinrich+Luol Deng+Omer Asik for Chris Bosh
Sign Lebron James
Draft Xavier Henry or Paul George to play SG
Then we still have between 8-10mil to fill out the remainder of the roster.
Rocky, not only is your idea good, but I think that Toronto may even sign onto that deal. (did you run it through the ESPN trade machine?)
when are you people going to stop trying to break up the team ala trade the only way the bulls should trade anyone should be is if it means getting two max players like Rocky was saying but that should only happen if and I mean if Wade or Lebron sign with the team first then go after a sign and trade for bosh or AMAree if possible vs versa sign and trade for wade or Lebron if we sign the first max player but only after we sign the first max player our team is good now maybe could even be great if they could remain healthy also they are young still too they may just grow over the summer even more look at the progess Noah has made in one summer I just don’t want us to regret sending any of them to another team and they beat us .Peace
Not sure how people who follow this blog feel, but from the people I talk bulls with, its about half and half on who wants him and doesn’t want him. Myself, I hate LeBron. Hated him before the Bulls series, hated him during, and lost a lot of respect during the Celtics series with some of those comments (3 bad games in 7 years, come on, get realistic).
I know with LeBron here and maybe a sign and trade for Bosh would bring us multiple championships. And overall, that is the one goal. I would love to watch a Rose, James, Bosh and Noah lineup for the years to come.
But I can’t say I would just forget everything up to this point and fully enjoy cheering for james. His work ethic/drive for winning is questionable, he hasn’t proven he is a true winner (no championships other than the gold). I joke that if Lebron came to Chicago, he would have to personally apologize to me in order for me to be a fan of him. But in reality, i know eventually i would have to root for him if he was wearing red and black.
I just don’t want to be put in that situation. If there was any way of winning titles without him, I would push for that path. One guy compared it to Rodman coming to Chicago. Hated him on the Pistons, ended up loving him as a bull. I wasnt old enough to have true feelings about that, but I hate LeBron right now and would love any opportunity for success that doesn’t go through him.
Lebron will always be compared to Jordan no matter where he is. Before Lebron it was Kobe, and this can be tracked all the way back to Grant Hill and Vince Carter (when MJ was still playing!). Side note: Remember when Carter gave up his starting Allstar spot for Jordan’s last Allstar game?
There will always be “the next Michael Jordan” until someone eclipses his feats. A wise man once told me, “If you can’t beat him… Join him!”
JUST DO IT, LEBRON!
@ Luke,
I totally know what you mean. The dancing early in the season was enough to hate the guy. I used to despise players like Rodman, Bruce Bowen, Manu Ginobli, and even Brad Miller (Sacremento days) because of the dirty plays, but when Rodman and B52 used those same dirty plays for the Bulls… I loved it. Looking back I respect the ‘hard defense’ that Bowen would play, and Ginobli’s unconventional skills that simply work.
As for James, he is one of the best players in the world (if not the best). No matter how you feel about the guy, it is evident he will make the team better. He is an unselfish player, he can defend, he can score, and he was the MVP the last two years. I understand what he did early in the season was “all for fun,” but most of the pictures and dancing ended in the Playoffs. So did his team, so maybe he learned a lesson. I think it is very hard to be so playful and lighthearted in the regular season, then try to be focused and gritty in the Playoffs – it is not a smooth transition.
Luke,
I am in a similar position. The ridiculous dancing on the court really started my disliking. But when push comes to shove I would prefer the Bulls return to glory. Signing James almost guarantees we will be competing for 6 years to come given our solid core of young talent. I am getting sick and tired of either not making the playoffs or losing in the first round. I would have to root for James if he was a Bull. He seems to have grown up a bit no more dancing thank goodness. Look, everyone has ego we all no our own MJ had one of the biggest. I think it comes along with being and staying one of the best in the league. It really seems like the Bulls have a real shot, not sure I would ever forgive the front office ever again if they screwed this up. But they seem so good at screwing things up and making moves that don’t follow logic so I am not holding my breath.
my coach always told me if u dont like the other team celebrating then beat them..the bulls couldnt beat them so lebron had every right to dance all around them…i hated it but there aint nothing you can do if your on the losing side……when it comes to lebron why wouldnt you want the best player on the planet on your team (besides kobe)…the problem with the cavs is that lebron had the ball too much for them to be successfull…derrick rose will take care of that so that lebron can focus on being the great small foward he his…i would even let lebron play sg and keep deng and get rid of hinrich for another FA….Rose,lebron,deng,F.A.TBD(bosh,david lee,boozer,stoudemire), Noah=championships
Matt or anyone, can you explain this:
Lebron will opt out of the last year of his contract. I’ve been hearing that Cleveland has leverage because they can give him a longer contract (6 vs 7 years), but can they give him more per year than he would make as a free agent? I ask because Lebron is probably not going to sign a seven year deal, more likely a 3-4 year deal, so doesn’t this negate any advantage Cleveland has for a sign and trade? I only see Cleveland having the advantage if Lebron wants to sign a 7 year deal, otherwise what’s stopping him from just going out and signing a three year deal with any other team and leaving Cleveland with nothing.
This is different with Bosh or Joe Johnson, they’ll more likely want to do a 7 year max deal and do a sign and trade. But then again any player who does a sign and trade can dictate the terms because he’d have no obligation to his former team, except that he’s getting one extra year on his contract.
Luke, I understand where you’re coming from. I took great delight in seeing the cavs eliminated because they’re nothing but a front running team…all smiles, dances and all that crap when they win, but when the pressure is on, they folded every time. That being said, I think anyone would be crazy NOT to get LeBron on their team if they had a real chance.
I know they had their spats, but I truly believe a guy like Joakim Noah would bring out the best in LeBron because Noah truly wants to win. He could be that “moral enforcer” that ensures that the team doesn’t act like they’ve never won anything before. Noah would kill himself to win and that’s a characteristic that no one on the cavs has. LeBron wouldn’t be able to help but fall in line and have that attitude.
From an offensive stand point, just imagine teams trying to figure out how to shut down both Rose AND LeBron. And we haven’t even thought about any other potential moves to bring in talent…maybe get involved in a sign and trade deal involving Chris Bosh or…Joe Johnson…and I know said I hoped he wouldn’t go to the Bulls, but if he was a 3rd option, he’d be great.
And yes, it would be nice if the Bulls could bring in a coach to let these guys know that they’re nothing until they win a championship.
Reef, I am sorry but dancing on the court is disrespectful to the game and should not be done. I think the commissioner communicated that to LBJ on the down low and that is why it stopped pretty quickly. This is not football and their are no touchdowns in basketball. Call me old-school but there is no excuse for dancing on the floor while playing. No other great player in NBA history that I can think of ever did river dancing on the court. It’s ridiculous.
I guess I could understand it from all your points of view. But i have to look at it like this. Do you think MJ had a lot of fans in cities like Utah,NY,Cleveland,Seattle,Portland,Phoenix,L.A.,Boston or especially Detroit. The answer is a resounding HELL NO He is and was a GLOBAL ICON but dude when he was playing your team and dropping 55 or knocking you home for the year I don’t think you could help but hate him. Luckily I never had to experience that. The most annoying thing had to be that he was HEARTLESS and made it look so easy. He would Basically step on your face and drive the dagger in with no conscious. If Lebron comes to Chicago you guys will get over it when he wins.
@bobbysimmons – the cavs can offer a contract that gives LeBron worth 30 million more than anyone else can offer. they’ve got the years (6 vs. 7) on their side and they can also structure the contract to allow them to have flexibility later on down the line
i agree with reef that if you want to stop a team from show boating then you beat them, but i also agree with savage that all that show boating crap is disrespectful…so I’m glad they’ll be perfecting their fishing skills in the offseason.
I respect his game, LeBron James really gets on my nerves. One reason, yes is the dancing. But something that really unnerves me about LeBron is the whole throwing chalk and the “we are all witnesses” and the hand symbols he makes. Don’t start thinking I’m some conspiracy theorist or troll or anything, but it kinda scares me, because I’ve heard that those are all Illuminati symbols. If he really is a Satanist (not saying he is, just that it’s possible), I’d hate to see that in my beloved Chicago. I don’t know, it just scares me.
thx Enigmatik, but I think that 30 mil figure is not correct. I looked it up and found this by Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plains Dealer:
“With the potential of tighter limits on maximum salaries coming in a new collective bargaining agreement, James may look to protect himself. That is why he may look to sign a contract similar to the deal he’s currently on, which is for three seasons plus a fourth-year player option that would allow him to be a free agent in 2013 but keep earning at current max levels until 2014 if he wants.
“Such a four-year deal would be worth about $76 million if he re-signed with the Cavs, $55 million over the first three years. The current three-year deal he’s on has paid him about $42 million. If he signed with another team, he would earn roughly $400,000 less per season, or $1.2 million over three years.
“While it is true the Cavs can pay James more than any other team because of the so-called “Larry Bird Exception,” it only makes a big difference if James would sign for the full six years allowed. Other teams only can sign him for five years, but James is not expected to want to be locked into a deal for so long.
“The reason he would sign for just three years is because that would allow him to keep his “Bird” rights with whichever team he signs.”
So according to Windhorst, the Cavs upper hand is probably only worth 1.2 million over the length of the contract, which to me and you is nothing to sneeze at, but to Lebron is probably not a dealbreaker. If Lebron wants to leave Cleveland, he’d be doing them a favor by negotiating a sign and trade with them, so they could land Deng/Hinrich from the Bulls. But then again, it might benefit Lebron as well because he’ll make the extra 1.2 million and leave the Bulls with a chance to go after another max free agent. As we can see, it’s Lebron’s choice and not really up to Cleveland or Chicago.
and btw it was 5 vs 6 years, not 6 vs 7 years for a max contract
that extra 30 million only makes sense in the context of the length of the contract
Earnings with a maximum Cavs extension: six years, $126 million
Earnings with a maximum non-Cavs extension: five years, $92 million*
*estimated numbers
If he were to sign with the Bulls straight up, he’d probably to sign onto a contract worth 25+ per year after the 5 year contract is over, so that 30 mil extra is a deceiving figure
A lot of people are missing one of the central points of this drama: it’s not that LeBron doesn’t have the requisite desire to win, it’s that his huge ego and immense power have been impediments to winning. And that is precisely why Calipari would likely be the wrong choice of coach.
In order to win championships, LeBron needs to be pushed to play TEAM basketball. It’s never going to happen with him hitting fade-away three pointers over two defenders. He needs to play for a coach who is both strong enough and good enough to utilize his presence and skills to their full potential within a team framework. Bringing in a coach who is subservient to him will only make it harder for the team to go all the way.
The Bulls should hire a coach whom LJ will respect, not one he can control.
@Luke – just to make a little point, no one should question LeBron’s work ethic. From what I have read, he sets the example that the rest of the young players in the league should follow. There was an article that came out recently talking about how hard it was to get young players in the gym outside of scheduled practices – meaning they had to schedule the ‘extra gym time’ to force them to get in there. LeBron was referenced as one of the few guys of his age bracket that takes himself in the gym for extra work-outs.
Also, I have a hard time hearing people saying that he needs to play more team basketball – excuse me, but there is no one with his offensive skill-set that looks to pass more than he does. Wasn’t part of the problem at the end of the game that he gave up the ball? I am all for questioning his ability to win in the big situations – the moments are there to scrutinize, but his assist and rebound numbers are too great and too consistent for some plain, TEAM basketball talk.
He needs another coach, another cast and, sure, he has more to learn.
Kirk Hinrich+Luol Deng+Omer Asik for Chris Bosh
Sign Lebron James
Draft Xavier Henry or Paul George to play SG
Then we still have between 8-10mil to fill out the remainder of the roster.
Comment by rocky — May 17, 2010 @ 1:57 pm
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exactly.
inkybreath –
Passing, in and of itself, is not indicative that a player either fully grasps, or is anything close to being a mature, all-around team player. In James’ case, this is partly due to the fact that coaches he has played for have been unwilling and/or unable to develop him properly. But the fact remains that no matter how many times he passes, or how many assists he records, LeBron has a long way to go before he becomes the type of team player that he has the potential to become.
Wherever he goes, playing for a coach who is capable of developing him further will be crucial to his quest for a championship. If he comes to the Bulls, let’s hope that both he and Bulls management are smart enough to recognize that.
LeBron’s dancing is poor sportsmanship.
I’d hope Bulls fans are experienced enough with winning to boo the clown act.
He is a big ego, a guy who’s called the shots in Cleveland and never won a title.
Ever see Rose dance or joke around? No way and it’s his team now, LeBrone is coming to his team.
Inkybreath, I agree he passes too much for his skills, but its the motive behind those passes that bothers me.
Everyone claimed all season long that Cleveland was a team and everyone got along, blah blah blah. But did you notice When they started losing in the playoffs, even in game 3 of the bulls series, LeBron started pointing fingers during the game and screaming at his teammates for TOs that were actually his fault? I just think they had a successful regular season and LeBron had the extra time and comfort zone to make a lot of passes he probably shouldnt have and create a friendly team atmosphere, but all in all, when their season was on the line, the friendly team stuff disappeared and then he wasnt smart enough to stop passing to his teammates that were struggling.
And thats why I don’t know about how i feel about cheering for LeBron. Yes, Detroit/New York/Utah hated Jordan, and I would have too. But him being ruthless and unmerciful was because of how much he wanted to win. The reasons I don’t like LeBron are because its almost as if he hasn’t embraced his natural gifts and would rather create attention than win.
This really doesnt have much to do with the dancing. I somehow missed that game and didnt know about it for a few months. Most of my hatred stems from “Team pictures” on the sideline, claiming he knew the shot (game 2 against Orlando last year) was going in after he celebrated as if they won the gold medal. He just seems like a very immature player on the court who tries to cover it up by what he says in interviews.
All agreed. I do believe there are nuances to team basketball that are necessary to get that next level accomplishment – and, LeBron is clearly lacking in these. I am a stickler for precise language, so when I just see the term, Team Basketball, I have to fight for the particulars. He has gotten the credit, so this is no exposee, but the one thing I was always impressed with was his natural willingness to spread the ball from the get-go. I think he has easily understood, more and more, how much he needs his teammates to succeed alongside him. There is something beautiful about the fact that he hasn’t figured it out and equally beautiful that as they call these players the likes of Superman & King, they still struggle mightily to claim their thrones.
For me, I am thoroughly interested in watching a Bulls team without him. Part of our love of Jordan is having watched him seed to stalk. And, we grew with him, learning to love the game more and more. We have the opportunity with Rose. We can have a team that is looking to a humble, home-grown super-talent for inspiration. We can sincerely charge from Noah’s necessary fire, instead of Bron’s calculated dance. So, it will be three years instead of two? Or four? If we start the clock at Rose’s arrival, then the wait is not long. Hell, Conference Finals with a real chance to win is plenty for me as a Bulls fan for a couple years (Thank you, Jordan, for spoiling me so…)
(Quick thought: I read a lot about Lee’s numbers being inflated with a trash team. I think that is only one perspective. The guy has played out of position for way too long and has not had a break-down point guard at his side. For a Plan B, he is a great compliment to Noah – he will clean every board that Noah doesn’t grab, he is a way above-average finisher at the rim with both hands (which is a particularly necessary, as Noah is not a natural finisher) and he moves very well without the ball and on the break. Yes, his defense is average, but, again … he has played way too much Center for 6’9″, so that can be skewed, too.)
@Luke – Also agreed, they seemed to be a lot closer during the year than what showed in the playoffs. The last games of that series were bizarre – didn’t add up.
All the negative talk about Lebron will go away win he wins a title. I hope it’s in Chicago. It’s human nature to kick someone when they are down but claiming he might be a Satanist is about as far fetched a thing I have ever heard in my life. While I am not a fan of the sideline antics they don’t make me hate the guy or that team. To in any way claim he is a selfish player just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me either. He played a bad series. MJ played a bad series once before. Remember Orlando. I don’t want to hear the EXCUSE he was not in playing shape. It was not like he just got off the minor league bus and jumped into that series. He had been playing for a few months already and it didn’t stop him from dropping 55 on the knicks 5 games into his comeback. So while I love Jordan just as much as anybody I can recognize that he was human and he did have a bad series in his career.
*When he wins a title.
Yup, the Bulls are not getting either: Lebron or Amar’e this summer THAT IS ALSO MY OPTION lol. Hopefully we will get 3 semi-star players like my dudes: Rudy Gay in a sign and trade deal for Deng, David Lee and Kelenna Azubuike or Kyle Korver with the money we have for getting 1 max player that fix well with D. Rose system.
People, we are forgetting the fact that D. Rose is our Franchise MVP player like: Lebron James, Kobe and D. Wade in the future and all of those 3 guys demand the basketball a lot just like D. Rose. (in other words they are all similar players and it will not work out because somebody numbers will drop down dramatically, if we were to get any of those guys.) What the Bulls need is a top big guy, that can score inside at will and then we are set with either Noah, our draft pick or David Lee (hopefully) lol.
What’s your OPTION??? Or did you mean opinion?
You do realize that your dream for the Bulls is to add three guys now that cannot play a lick of Defense? No defense whatsoever……You can’t argue that they can because fact is fact.
I knew it was DJ once I read “Yup, the Bulls aren’t getting either”..lol..such a Debbie Downer! Just once act like u want someone good..and no David Lee is not that guy.
“The Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Ill., reported Sunday that according to league sources, James has contacted Rose to express interest in playing with him.”
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5194333
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Lookie there DJ…How u like them apples?? Where is ur boy David Lee contacting Rose??..I guess he can’t do that when ur suckin on his dong! lol
Well if dewayne wade stays with the heat then i think that would be a very good match up. but also i think he should be on the bulls with derrek rose. Because if he goes with either team he will get a championship. thats just my opinion.
I agree Drew..before that whole collapse by Cleveland I thought for sure Lebron was gonna stay and sign a 3 year deal to keep Cleveland’s FO on their toes to keep the team contenders..but with the way they went out. I think he’s done…as for Wade, before the second round Cavs bounce..I wanted Wade the most, I thought he’d be perfect, he still would be but if Bron Bron is out there..u gotta look at him first.
This is going to be a long one, OK? ;P
Rocky suggested a lineup like this:
PG: Rose
PF: Bosh
SF: James
C: Noah
SG: Some rookie SG
I think that a team like that would be similar to an All-Star team. Sure, we’ll have great players. Outstanding players, even. However, does that necessarily mean a great team? I’m not positive how to say what I’m thinking, so I hope you guys will understand me.
Also, will this team help progress Rose, Gibson, and Noah into top-tier players? Think about it.
Before everyone starts jumping onto the FA bandwagon, let’s quickly look at the Bulls team and see the biggest gaps this year position-wise so we can have some priorities.
PG: Derrick Rose; I’m pretty sure we’re not lacking here. Rose MUST be a starter for him to develop into his full potential. Bringing in another all-star PG would be silly.
SG: Kirk Hinrich? Flip Murray? I don’t think so. This is one of the biggest gaps in the Bulls team. I must admit, I love Flip. I think he should stay as a backup SG. However, Captain Kirk should go. There’s something about him that I really like, but we need a SG with a consistent jump-shot. This is probably the biggest gap in the team.
SF: Another gap. Sure, Deng’s a good player, but is he really the best we can do? I like how he defends LeBron James, he’s very good at that, but he is a bit redundant, and overpaid.
PF: Taj Gibson; this man will continue to be an asset to the team in years to come, just watch. Taj is a man I would rather not depart with. Like Rose, he MUST be a starter in order to develop his full potential. I’m not sure that James playing alongside Taj would be the best for Taj’s growth, but I’m just speculating.
C: Joakim Noah: another strong position. In the next 3 years, I think Noah will grow into one of the best centers in the league. Another category where he MUST be a starter. Of course, I don’t think anyone is talking about bringing in another center….
OK, so it seems that the biggest gaps in the team are SG and SF. However, Taj Gibson can play well at SF or PF, so let’s make it SG and F.
For SG, the big 4 free agents would be Dwyane Wade, Joe Johnson, Manu Ginobili, and Ray Allen. Since the Bulls really need some 3-point shooting, I will order those 4 in order from best 3P% to worst. Ginobili, Johnson, Allen, Wade. Of course, all of them are .300 or better, so none are bad shooters. Ray Allen might not be the best choice. He is 34 and aging quickly, so I’m not sure he will be the best choice for our young team. The highest 3P% out of the remaining three goes to Ginobili, and the highest FG% goes to Wade. Manu is 32 now, and his health is sometimes in question, so I’d rather play it safe and cross him out. That leaves Johnson or Wade.
For PF, the big 3 would be Bosh, Stoudemire, and Boozer. If we go for youth, the answer is Bosh. If we go for 3P%, the answer is Bosh. If we go for FG%, the answer is Boozer, but not far behind are Amare Stoudemire. If we go for FT%, the answer is Bosh. If we go for rebounds, the answer is Boozer, soon followed by Bosh. Bosh has less turnovers per game than any of the other 3. I could go on, but the point is that the choice should be between Bosh and Boozer.
For SF, the 3 players to look at would be LeBron James (of course), Paul Pierce, and Travis Outlaw. Since the Celtics have Kevin Garnett in their pockets until 2012, they will definitely pursue Pierce as much as possible. Also, Pierce has not shown any desire to leave Boston, so we can probably scratch out his name. That leaves LeBron and Travis, both 25. If we go for assists, the answer is James. If we go for three point shooting, the answer is Travis. Rebounds? James. Blocks? James. Steals? James. Free throws? Travis. Field goals? James. Statistically, it seems as though LeBron is the top pick here.
That leaves the following decisions to be made before we can move on:
Joe Johnson or Dwyane Wade?
Chris Bosh or Carlos Boozer?
LeBron James or Travis Outlaw?
I will first confront the LeBron or Travis question. Here’s an cool stat: LeBron James has 3.43 turnovers per game, or 0.09 turnovers per minute. Travis only has 0.94 turnovers per game, or 0.04 per minute. Also, considering that Travis plays half as many minutes as LeBron, they have about equivalent rebounding potential, because Travis has about half as many rpg as LeBron. Anyway, while LeBron is a far more valuable player to have on a team, he also is paid 5 times as much as Travis Outlaw. The wisest decision may be to pursue a max free agent other than LeBron (meaning stop it with the LeBron James comments) and try to grab Travis Outlaw as an inexpensive, but highly profitable addition to the team. So for this question, my vote goes to Travis Outlaw.
Next, the Chris Bosh or Carlos Boozer question. For me, this is a no-brainer. It seems to me that adding Carlos Boozer to the Chicago Bulls would cause a huge redundancy. Boozer is a great player, but he still will not fill the gaping hole of jump shots. We need a scoring threat from beyond the 3 point line, and Bosh can do this. He also has a higher FT% and less turnovers than Boozer. Bosh is also younger.
Joe Johnson or Dwyane Wade? Trust me, I really love Dwyane Wade, but he has the same game as Rose. In a few years, I truly believe that Rose would be about the same as Wade is now. Johnson is a better three point shooter than Wade and commits less turnovers than Wade. I believe Wade is a better player overall than Johnson, but Johnson is a better fit for the Bulls.
Now, the decision is between Joe Johnson and Chris Bosh. Chris Bosh is taller and younger than Johnson. Bosh also has a higher FG%, and performs more rebounds and blocks than Johnson. Meanwhile, Johnson maintains the advantage over Bosh in 3P%, FT%, steals, and assists. However, the difference between Johnson and Bosh’s 3P% and FT% is incredibly incremental. Look at this:
3P% FT%
Bosh 0.364 0.797
Johnson 0.369 0.818
The difference between them in those categories, especially 3P% is so small that one could say the two players are equally good in those areas. So, I would easily choose Bosh over Johnson.
Long story short, my current opinion is that we should pursue the combination of Chris Bosh and Travis Outlaw. And yes, we CAN afford that, considering that Travis Outlaw is only getting 3.6 million.
Chris Bosh is soft!!!!!! Soft like tissue paper!!! Travis Outlaw is a worse option than Rudy GAY!! But they both did average only 1 assists a game.
I have seen Outlaw play a little and I do like him game. He is ready to hit a big shot and can really shoot the 3-ball. But, I don’t know lick about his defense or anything. It is a good sign that his minutes increased every year on a good Western Conference team (we will ignore the Clipper statistics). He would be a Plan C, at this stage of the waiting game.
Man just when I was actually trying to be nice in this blog Max-Trm3. You know what is funny? both of you guys remind me of my Left and Right nut (I just can’t stop hitching them. lol)
1st of all Max you should recheck those guys stat because they all can PLay solid Defense except Kyle Korver. Which brings me to Bam! idea about getting: Travis Outlaw. He is also an interesting 3 point shooter that can actually hit pressure shots in late games and he plays some solid Defense like the rest of the guys that I mention except Korver. He is another guy that I would add to my list as a tall SG-SF to sign this summer. On and Max don’t forget Travis Outlaw and Rudy Gay are not PG. They are shooters! that is their jobs (Hint: that is what they get paid for! Shooting not Passing the ball like a PG!!! lol)
2nd, Trm3 most espn reporters don’t know shit about what is inside players minds or what they are talking about. This summer reminds me of 2-3 year ago about the Kobe Bryant rumors of him leaving the Lakers and signing with Bulls but, did it happen? NO!!! Same thing goes with Lebron, he mate be thinking about it but, when it is all said and done he is signing back with the Cav’s or NY or some other team beside the Bulls. And what makes you think Lebron James will leave Cleveland with his talented roster of teammates that he has? When a player like D. Wade is not planning on leaving his garbage ass teammates lol. That is just my (opinion) thanks buddy MAX! lol
I don’t know about you guys Max-Trm3, I would rather have Chris Bosh over Wade or Lebron this summer. Then again, he is not worth all that money, if he was a little bit more cheaper then I would have sign him in a heart beat. The reasons why I want him? (Hint: he is a talented PF shooter like: Pau Gasol and the Bulls need a big guy like that) Not a similar player like Rose! (Wade or Lebron)
Remember guys, the main areas that the Bulls are weak in is their PF & SG positions. Adding other talented player to our roster is a Bonus. lol
Yup: Bam!, inkybreath and Dj
Took the words right out of my mouth. I was planning on saying all that lol. Interesting comments! I like your ideas…
DJ you never get your facts right. Kobe Bryant actually demanded a TRADE to the Bulls. He went on record as saying he wanted out of L.A. The reason that did not happen was because Paxson was not willing to give up Deng and Gordon for him at the time. L.A and Kobe made up and the rest is history. He was never a Free Agent. Now Lebron is gonna sign with the Knicks? To play with who? Himself? That team is Garbage. I thought maybe the Nets but they are not getting John Wall now. The fact remains you want to fill the Bulls roster with second rate players. Your actually talking shit about your team by thinking they are not good enough for Lebron, which has always made me believe that you are actually a Pistons fan. Travis Outlaw Sucks and now you think we should bring his 9 points a game to start over Deng??? You are an idiot…..
He was not good enough to START for the Clippers!! Enough said!!!
Was Channing Frye not good enough to play with Portland? If that was the case, then why is he playing so well with Phoenix? (just made my point) Travis Outlaw is a solid player, I he needs is more minutes and I never said I would trade L. Deng for him, I would just sign him as free agent dumb ass. And I know about the situation with Kobe, it was not only Paxson idea that he is not want to give up Gordan or Deng, it was also Kobe saying NO to them at the last minute. And remember NY can sign 2 max free-agent to join Lebron James dumb ass, so he will not be alone! But, most likely he will sign back with the Cav’s for sure. And stop with your random comments about the Pistons now, I am a die heart Bulls fans that is not living in fantasy land like you!!! By saying o0o we are going to get Lebron, Wade, Bosh, Boozer, Joe Johnson and others, then we are a Championship team….
all he need is more minutes*
did not*
So if Lebron went to NY with 2 other max FA’s it would be 3 against 5 cause that’s all they’d have, lol
As for the Kobe dealbreaker..from what I remember it broke off cause Kobe didn’t want to come here if Deng was traded..and that’s what LA wanted. But that’s history now because Jerry West hooked up his former team with Gasol for a sack of shit (Kwame Brown)
And sorry DJ..I don’t think I’ve read once were Max has said were gonna get James, Wade, Bosh, Boozer, and Johnson..It’s more like he’s hopin to get James. I don’t know where ur getting were wanting a dream team here??
To be a successful offseason we have to get either James, Wade, or Bosh…if we end up only getting David Lee and Khalid El Amin, this offseason will be a failure, lol
New York can sign 2 Max Free agents……Lebron would be one of those so once again your point is stupid as usual…..No team can sign three Max Free agents!!!
Your right but the Clippers are in no way as good as Portland and he still didn’t start…..
You need to learn to read DJ I never said anything about trading Deng for Outlaw because I know he is a Free Agent……