“I’ve always been a huge believer that you draft the best player available. Every team in the league has certain needs and when you look at needs in my mind, there’s three ways to fill them — it’s not just the draft. You’ve got free agency, you’ve got trades and you’ve got the draft. And I think when you’re higher up in the draft, which we’ve been at times in the past, that if you have guys that are tiered closely together that you may go for need. I think when you’re drafting as late as we’re drafting that we’re not necessarily going to go for need. We’ll go for two guys that we think fit the culture that we’ve created and that can be part of our rotation, if not immediately, and we would hope immediately, but if not immediately, then somewhere down the road and trying to build some depth.”

The strategy makes sense. But I’m sure many Bulls fans — who believe the team is one above-average shooting guard away from contending for a title right now — won’t be thrilled to find out there isn’t a more exciting plan in place.

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Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman and Miami Heat President Pat Riley are co-recipients of the 2010-11 NBA Executive of the Year award, the NBA announced today.

In his 13th season with Chicago and second as its general manager, Forman saw the Bulls win a league-best 62 games, rookie coach Tom Thibodeau earn the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2010-11 NBA Coach of the Year, and Derrick Rose become the youngest player to win the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the 2010-11 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player. Forman transformed a 41-win Bulls team by signing free agents Carlos Boozer, Ronnie Brewer, and Kyle Korver among others.

…

Forman and Riley received each received 11 of a possible 30 votes from a panel of their fellow team executives throughout the NBA. The Bulls’ John Paxson finished third with three votes and San Antonio’s R.C. Buford finished fourth with two votes. Oklahoma City’s Sam Presti, New Jersey’s Billy King and New York’s Donnie Walsh received one vote each.

I don’t mean to take anything away from Pat Riley. He cleared a lot of cap space to sign Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James last summer. But he was also exceptionally fortunate that those guys wanted to play together. And, as far as we can tell (although it may never be proven), that had much more to do with the players than it did with Riley.

Meanwhile, Forman cleared cap space just like Riley did, only he had to endure and recover from rejection by all three of those players. Seriously, Forman (with Jerry Reinsdorf and John Paxson) went all in to sign James, Wade and/or Bosh…and got none of them. Yet he still managed to go out and acquire exactly the right mix of players to surround MVP Derrick Rose with. Oh, and he also brought in Tom Thibodeau, who won the Coach of the Year award.

The numbers don’t lie: 62 wins. Best in the league. Despite losing out on Options A, B and C. What’s more, with the way some of the new contracts were structured — specifically Brewer’s, Korver’s and Watson’s — Forman gave the team future cap flexibility (in theory depending on the new CBA).

Gar also made a midseason trade (James Johnson to the Raptors for a future round draft pick) so he could go after O.J. Mayo before the trade deadline. That deal didn’t pan out, apparently because Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley doesn’t like doing business with the Bulls, but it shows the kind of savvy team building Forman is trying to accomplish.

Forman’s moves have been both good for the team and smart from a financial standpoint. Again, no offense to Riley, but having three great players (and two of the top five in the game) decide they want to team up in one of the country’s most beautiful (and party-centric) cities is at least part luck. And a big part. Forman’s job was much more difficult.

Whatever the case, at least Gar gets a share of the award. It’s well deserved.

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When a team is in the market for a superstar, that team probably doesn’t want on-the-market superstars openly questioning the organization’s loyalty in the press. It just looks bad. Why not tell everybody that Jerry Reinsdorf bathes in human blood and survives on an all-kitten diet, Dwyane?

Well, Bulls GM Gar Forman — who somewhat laughably claims he is not addressing Wade specifically — wants the world at large to know that the Bulls are actually pretty darn loyal if you stop to look at the facts.

To wit, here’s a list of the former players whom the Bulls have hired as front office employees, coaches or broadcasters: John Paxson, Bill Cartwright, Randy Brown, Bill Wennington, Stacey King, Pete Myers and B.J. Armstrong.

And that’s not all. As Michael Gibbons of the Bleacher Report points out: “The late great Johnny ‘Red’ Kerr was the team’s first coach and was a longtime broadcaster. Jerry Sloan, who has his number retired, worked his way up as a scout before becoming the head coach. His coaching tenure lasted less than three seasons. The late Norm Van Lier was connected to the team in many ways, mostly through the broadcasting side. Bob Love, who also has his number hanging from the rafters, can be seen at almost every single Bulls game and helps out greatly with all the Bulls charities.”

Gibbons also reminds us that Miami Heat president Pat Riley once nudged Stan Van Gundy out the door so he could return to coaching. And if you do a little reading between the lines, it seems like Riles is considering doing the same thing to current Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

And while it’s true that Jordan and Pippen — the two biggest names on the Former Chicago Bulls All-Star Team — aren’t and haven’t been on the Bulls’ payroll since their playing days, it could be argued that role players need loyalty more than superstars do. Plus, last time I checked, the Boston Celtics don’t have Bill Russell or Larry Bird on staff. The Utah Jazz never hired John Stockton or Karl Malone. Isiah Thomas isn’t working for the Detroit Pistons. So on and so forth.

Not that Forman wants to argue about it. He just wants people to know what’s what: “Anyone who would question our loyalty is obviously misinformed. I think it absolutely ignores our record, which speaks for itself. We have a number of ex-players that are — and have been — employed within our organization within a variety of capacities, ranging from the front office to the coaching staff, in our business office, as part of our broadcasting teams. We take great pride in not only how we treat our current players, but also in how we treat our former players.”

Of course, Forman couldn’t resist making a pitch too: “What I read and what I hear the players say is that winning is the most important thing. And we believe, like I’ve said before, with our talented young nucleus of players and the flexibility that we’ve created to add to that core that we’re set up to have great success here for many years to come.”

Meanwhile, Randy Brown — a former Bulls player and current director of player development — said: ”I was shocked. I talked to D-Rose [Derrick Rose] right after we both saw the article, and he didn’t understand what D-Wade was saying. I told him this thing completely threw me off stride.”

You’re not the only one, Randy.

In fact, Wade himself is trying to distance himself from his comments: ”I’m not taking shots at the Bulls and the organization. I respect the organization. … It’s just my opinion when the question was asked about what’s most important to you, I said one of the most important things is loyalty.”

Uh huh. Suuuuuure, Dwyane.

Henry Thomas, the Chicago-based attorney who represents both Wade and Chris Bosh in partnership with CAA Sports, added: ”No. 1, there were some statements that Dwyane made that were taken out of context. ‘That was why it was very important that clarification was posted as quickly as possible. He made a point to say that he does not know, other than as an outside observer, much about the Bulls’ organization. Growing up here, he, of course, heard some things that were said with regard to how matters were handled with Michael and Scottie and even Phil [Jackson].

”But for him at this point to make an educated judgment about the loyalty that exists between the Bulls and former players, really not positioned to do that.”

No. He’s really not.

Here’s the money shot: when he was asked if Wade has ruled out the Bulls as a possible destination when he becomes a free agent this summer, Thomas said: ”Absolutely not.”

There you have it. Dwyane Wade is still in play.

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…but it feels a lot longer than that, doesn’t it?

Maybe it’s because Del Negro’s head was on the chopping block for so many months, but it seems like there should have been…something. Some sort of news. Some sort of definitive idea about what kind of coach the team is looking for if not an actual name.

But as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune pointed out, Bulls GM Gar Forman made it clear at last Tuesday’s execution, er, press conference that he plans to take his own sweet time in finding a new coach:

“In my mind, there’s not a huge rush. … In my mind, the first week or two or several weeks, I want to gather as much information as possible. I don’t want to be put in a box on what the time frame is. Could we find the right guy in a week? I guess we could. But there’s no rush. It could drag into June, into July. There’s not going to be a timetable.

“When we make decisions, we try to be very process-oriented. We gather as much information as we can. Thus, when John, Jerry (Reinsdorf) and I sit down, 99 percent of the time we’re on the same page.

“Any good executive will tell you that one guy is not always going to make every decision. You want input from others. I think you see that with any Fortune 500 company. But I will make (coaching) recommendations to Jerry, and as the owner Jerry has the right to veto any decision.”

Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? The only problem is that, by all accounts, the front office seems to have known Del Negro was kaput for quite a while. I guess these comments could be a smoke screen, and that Forman might just have the world’s greatest poker face. But the apparent lack of any forward momentum makes it feel like the Bulls didn’t have a solid plan for going forward post-Vinny.

That doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.

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So there you have it. Vinny is still the coach until he isn’t the coach, and the team goal is simply to “get better each and every day.” Not quite “Start moving toward championship number seven” is it? Nor were Forman’s words what you’d call a ringing endorsement of Del Negro’s coaching performance. Especially the “we’re exploring all options in order to get better” part. After all, firing Vinny certainly is one option for improvement.

Were the Bulls better during last night’s home victory over the Danny Granger-less Pacers? Insomuch as wins are better than losses, yes they were. But the game was a little too similar to that nightmare loss to the Kings for my tastes. Chicago started out on fire, outscoring the Pacers 34-15 in the first quarter. It looked like the Bulls were going to run their hapless opponent out of the building. After all, Indiana was without their best player, had lost six straight, and was coming off a 34-point blowout loss to the Miami Heat.

Talk about a team ready to roll over and die.

But just like in the Sacramento debacle, Indy came back, outscoring the Bulls 38-23 in the second quarter. Let me be frank: there is no reasonable excuse for letting this particular Pacers squad — who, again, are missing their leading scorer and best player — drop 38 points in a 12-minutes span.

Indiana drilled five three-pointers in that second quarter. What I don’t understand is how the Pacers kept getting open. They attempt 20.2 threes per game. That’s the seventh-most in the league. Everybody knows they want to shoot threes. So hands in the faces of the shooters, right? Only the Bulls struggle to deny penetration and have trouble protecting the paint. That tends to get players open for long-range jumpers.

The Pacers kept fighting tooth and nail, and they eventually took a 72-71 lead with 6:24 left in the third quarter. Deja vu all over again, right? However, less than a minute later, Troy Murphy left the game with an ankle sprain and didn’t return. Murphy is Indy’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer. Obviously that was a big break for the Bulls.

They made the most of it. Chicago immediately ripped off a 10-0 run that was capped off by back-to-back three-pointers from John Salmons (17 points, 5 assists) and Luol Deng (15 points, 8 rebounds). The Pacers never got closer than seven points the rest of the way.

Despite Indiana’s almost-comeback, the game may well represent Chicago’s best offensive performance of the season. They scored a season-high 104 points on 53 percent shooting while also hitting 60 percent of their three-pointers (6-for-10) and 92 percent of their foul shots (22-for-24). To top it off, they outrebounded the Pacers 47-31.

If you’re wondering why the Bulls didn’t win by 30, you can blame sloppy defense in the second quarter and a case of group butterfingers (they surrendered 17 points off 21 turnovers). Chicago’s big men also had a rough night. Both Joakim Noah (4 points, 5 rebounds and 5 fouls in 24 minutes) and Taj Gibson (6 points, 5 rebounds and 5 fouls in 18 minutes) were limited by foul trouble, and Tyrus Thomas (2-for-10, 5 turnovers and a missed dunk) looked incredibly rusty (although he did grab a game-high 15 rebounds and block a game-best 3 shots).

One positive sign was the aggressive offensive play of Derrick Rose. D-Rose scored 18 of his game-high 28 points in the second half, including 11 in the fourth quarter. I like that Rose looks ready to be the team’s closer. I do. Really.

But…I also worry about little things. Little things like the fact that 18 of his 20 field goal attempts were jump shots. Like the fact that he had only 6 assists while also committing a game-high 6 turnovers. The fact that Rose often looks like a shooting guard who’s being forced to play point guard worries me a lot. Maybe it’s the coaching, maybe it’s the system, or maybe that’s just the player Derrick is.

But at least we know that the team is working hard to get better each and every day. So I’m sure everything that went wrong last night should be improved by the time the Bulls play the Pistons in Detroit on Thursday.

Extras:
Recap, Box Score, Play-By-Play, Shot Chart, Photos.

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Barring the inexplicable and unforseen, those are your 2009-10 Chicago Bulls.

According to Bulls GM Gar Forman: “The roster (is set) as of now. We talk to a lot of teams to see if we can make ourselves better. Outside of a major type trade, I really don’t see us doing anything. We would anticipate we will carry 13 players.?We have a qualifying offer out to Aaron Gray and all indications are that he will sign it and return.? I like our roster. We like our young core and where we’re at. We feel pretty good going into the season.”

In other words, don’t expect Carlos Boozer or David Lee to come walking through that door anytime soon. Bulls management has assembled what it feels is a solid core group of players and manipulated the salary situation so that the team will be $12 million or more under the cap going into next summer. They feel their job is done…for now.

The players just have to play. Rose has to improve — and there’s every indication that he has improved and will continue to do so. Deng must not only be healthy, but he’ll also need to return to his 2006-07 “almost an All-Star” form. Thomas has to play like it’s a contract year (and it is). Salmons needs to prove he can play shooting guard full-time (and stay on fire from downtown). Noah and Miller has to rebound and bang bodies (and an occasional inside score wouldn’t hurt).  Hinrich and Pargo must provide scoring and steady play off the bench. The rookies need to contribute when called upon. Gray and James have to work on waving towels and handing out Gatorade.

On paper, these Bulls look like a solid 40-win team, unless one or more key players get hurt or the team mysteriously takes a step backward (ala the 2007-08 season). That won’t necessarily thrill a fan base that wants at least a small glimmer of hope for banner number seven…but it’s what we’ve got.

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New Bulls GM Gar Forman might not wrap himself in a cloak of paranoid secrecy like Jerry Krause used to before the NBA draft, but he’s certainly mastered the art of answering questions without saying, well, anything at all, really. For instance:

“We may take a point guard if we feel that’s the best player available. We’ve also had talks with teams about moving back. And we’ve had talks with teams where either with one or both of our picks, we move out. I think it’s going to be a very active draft because there are the top five or six guys, and after that, the same guy who goes nine or 10 could go 20 or 21. We’d like a low-post scorer. But when you get that deep, I’m not sure you can pinpoint a specific need and meet it. If we can with somebody we like, then we would address it.”

Too specific for you? Maybe this will help muddy things up: “We’re analyzing this draft by itself. At the same time, we’re still looking at players that maybe we feel don’t get to 16 but are worthwhile for us to move up (to draft). We probably have more options than some teams because we have the two first-round picks. People say this draft isn’t particularly strong. I would disagree with that in this sense: I’m not sure it’s top-heavy. But I do think it’s deep. So we feel optimistic that if we stay at 16, we can get a productive player who can play a role for us.”

Well, those two paragraphs worth of “answers” taught us nothing at all. Not that I’d expect Gar to give up his draft strategy. The NBA draft has a long and storied history of double talk and misdirection. Still, Forman had some positive things to say about Pittsburgh forward DeJuan Blair, who — despite being only 6’6″-ish — averaged 10.7 rebounds in two collegiate seasons. “If you study drafts over the last 15 or 20 years, rebounders rebound. That’s a stat that does translate. So I think he’s going to be a good player in the NBA.”

Just not necessarily good on the Bulls? Who knows. I’m resigned to knowing nothing until draft night. (He’s right about the rebounding thing, though.)

By the way, Luol Deng is working out again. You may remember him. Tall, slender, solid mid-range shooter, used to play small forward for the Bulls. Said Forman: “He’s been [at the Berto Center] working some. He’s starting to run some and get some shots up. So we think that’s progressing well. At this point, [the training staff] is real happy with his progress.”

Deng is trying to avoid surgery. Let’s hope he does.

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John Jackson of the Chicago Sun-Times: “In a move that had been expected since the All-Star break, the Bulls on Wednesday announced the promotion of Gar Forman to general manager. … John Paxson will remain with the organization and retain his title of executive vice president of basketball operations, a position he has held since April 2003. Paxson still will be involved in all basketball decisions and will have the final say on all major personnel matters. … Previously the team’s director of player personnel, Forman has been a major player behind the scenes in the organization for the last few years. He handled much of the day-to-day negotiations last summer when the Bulls attempted to re-sign Luol Deng and Ben Gordon. Forman also took on a larger role around the Bulls this season and went on more road trips.”

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: “Originally hired as a scout by Jerry Krause in 1998, Forman came to the Bulls with Tim Floyd from Iowa State and also recruited or coached at outposts such as New Mexico State, Cal Poly Pomona and College of the Desert in California. This path contrasts sharply with the very public and prominent role John Paxson always has held within the Bulls’ organization — first as a beloved player, then as a lauded broadcaster and finally as the executive vice president of basketball operations. But truth be told, the two have shared a close working relationship since Paxson succeeded Krause in April 2003. And even with Forman’s promotion, Paxson will keep his title. Indeed, little will change in the Bulls’ decision-making hierarchy other than Forman’s title. Forman will continue to report to Paxson, who still will oversee all basketball operational decisions while working in concert with Forman and behind-the-scenes executives like Jim Paxson, Jay Hillock, Ivica Dukan and Matt Lloyd.”

ESPN’s Chuck Swirsky: “What does this mean? Simply put, Forman will do the nuts and bolts, which he’s being doing in large part with increased responsibilities in player negotiations, evaluation of players, etc. Paxson and Forman will be in the loop on all major decisions. They will work together on major decisions. Being around Forman the past year I can tell you he is a 24-7 basketball man. He eats, lives and breathes Bulls basketball. He loves to scout, loves to deal with agents and loves to find ways to improve the Bulls. He has an excellent reputation in the NBA and is constantly working his Blackberry. If you think I’m a 24-7 fanatic, I don’t think I can measure to Forman’s passion and thirst for the game. He is so well connected that the Bulls will now enjoy the best of both men’s abilities.”

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