Bulls Roster Changes

Hmmm.

Out of the running

It's no surprise former Illinois star Frank Williams will not return to the Bulls next season. Bulls staff members were dissatisfied with Williams' effort in his one season here. Ex-Iowa center Jared Reiner also will not return.

Frank Williams is not a surprise. He came to the preseason camp out of shape. SG Eddie Basden will take Williams' place.

I was curious about Jared Reiner. He was a dark horse last year - possibly he made the team given Chandler and Curry were such unknowns. The Bulls will entertain a different big man and may think their strong showing last season means Chicago can attract a better, veteran player for 2005-06.

Malik Allen, Michael Finley, Tom Gugliotta and Toni Kukoc all have piqued Paxson's interest, according to a source. While Finley, once a star at Proviso East, is probably the most attractive, he also may be the hardest to get because several teams are expected to pursue him.

Finley will be available assuming Dallas releases him under a new stipulation in the collective bargaining agreement that does not include the player's salary in the team's luxury tax.

Finley is a loooooong shot - Dallas will probably not release him fearing he will play for the rival Suns. If released, he probably will want to play for a sure thing, not a rebuilding team like Chicago.

Kukoc is the most popular of the remaining names but he might be as useful an aged Scottie Pippen - not that useful at all. He is a smart player, a good passer but often injured.

IMHO Gugliotta is too old and hampered by past inhuries. I don't know if he can shoot well but he played for GSW and didn't impress me (yet who does while at GS?).

Allen is probably the more likely candidate Paxson is looking at since he's the least known of the former and is thus is not mentioned to show respect to a veteran player or for making points with an player's agent. Public flattery can help make an agent look good and in turn he'll help the team when he can.

IMHO, Finley would do well as an "NBA personality" playing for Da Bulls. He'd be a fan favorite and credited with putting Chicago over the top if they did well in the playoffs. Given Chicago is a deep team, he'd also get reduced minutes but play at critical times. Dallas wouldn't have to face him in the playoffs unless both teams made the finals.

Is Finley necessary?

Yes!

Playing Gordon (SG) and Finley (SF) would make a small back court but with Hinrich at PG it would place three high scoring perimeter players on the floor and open up the paint for Chandler and Davis (or Curry). Starting Hinrich and Finley as guards, Loul Deng would be at SF and Curry at Center.

So what about the PF position?

The PF position is still open. Chandler is best used off the bench and so is high energy Nocioni. Da Bulls currrent PFs are short 6-9 Harrington, bean-pole Chandler, Agressive-but-undersized Nocioni and possibly slow-but-steady A.Davis. Possible additions for the Bulls are 6-9 Mario Austin, free agent Allen (see above) or a TBD veteran.

The PF position is still the most interesting aspect for this team.

Da Bulls roster dynamics in mid-July

A good summary of the Free Agents from the Bulls 2005 roster.

Backup point guards C.Duhon is starting his 2nd year out of Duke.  J.Pargo is a Chicagoian and a few years out of school who played in the NBDL and stuck with Chicago when Skiles was hire late in the 2004 season and shuffled the roster to add hungry NBDL players who would hustle in pratice. Pargo is a scorer, Duhon plays good team defense in Skiles' system. 

One of Chris Duhon's representatives insists the two sides are close to agreement on a deal worth about $6 million for three years. But first, Duhon's camp wants to make sure no other team is willing to offer more. The first-year point guard was expecting to visit Orlando this week.

Jannero Pargo is the Bulls' fourth restricted free agent and he's getting feelers from the Lakers, among other teams.

Griffin is a SF and a mid-career veteran who works hard and plays smart.  He has heart than talent and he's stuck in the NBA by working 100%.  Harrington is an older, undersized PF from the Knicks who played well for Skiles and has an outside shot. He and Griffin want to come back. Skiles plays his bench and keeps them in the game if they are producing.

The two unrestricted free agents the Bulls plan to bring back are Othella Harrington and Adrian Griffin. The two veterans will most likely have to wait until Curry, Chandler and Duhon's deals are settled.

Basden is a 6-5 SG senior who plays defense, passes well and scored 15 ppg in the summer league. I never heard much about Pasalic.  Basden is probably going to be a good defensive player who will let Hinrich play and defend the PG position.

The only free agents the Bulls are seriously pursuing are undrafted rookies. Guard Eddie Basden should sign later this week and the Bulls were also impressed with 6-11 Drago Pasalic, a 21-year-old Croatian, during the Las Vegas summer league.

Chandler and Curry will be courted by the Hawks.  If they want too much and Atlanta offers it then I say let them go and play for a loser team in a city that could care less about BB. 

Monta

GSW rookie and 42nd draft pick Monta is getting complemented by other coaches/GMs. He is playing hard and getting noticed. He's defending, scoring and one GM said 'is playing with heart' and is unselfish.

At 6-3 he's a well sized PG and is quick enough to get off his own shot. Monta is skinny and young but he's shown toughness on defense.

Watch for him in the spring as a backap to Davis and Fisher.

Monta

GSW rookie and 42nd draft pick Monta is getting complemented by other coaches/GMs. He is playing hard and getting noticed. He's defending, scoring and one GM said 'is playing with heart' and is unselfish.

At 6-3 he's a well sized PG and is quick enough to get off his own shot. Monta is skinny and young but he's shown toughness on defense.

Watch for him in the spring as a backap to Davis and Fisher.

Monta

GSW rookie and 42nd draft pick Monta is getting complemented by other coaches/GMs. He is playing hard and getting noticed. He's defending, scoring and one GM said 'is playing with heart' and is unselfish.

At 6-3 he's a well sized PG and is quick enough to get off his own shot. Monta is skinny and young but he's shown toughness on defense.

Watch for him in the spring as a backap to Davis and Fisher.

Hawks' interest in Curry seems genuine

Hawks' interest in Curry seems genuine: "Curry's agent, Leon Rose, is hoping to get a multiyear deal paying Curry between $8 million and $10 million a year.

What is uncertain is whether Knight at least put in an opening bid while Bulls operations chief John Paxson apparently is waiting to make sure Curry's heart is insured."

I've read that 8 million a year is about the average salary for a starting NBA center. If Curry's agent will take 8 million then I say pay it. Currys an asset given his playful personality and at times he can be unstoppable. You have to ignore the past when setting value with a kid like Eddie and look to the future. Eddie is going to be an efficient scoring center who can't rebound and doesn't finish games. He probably will get better than this bu thow much is unclear and he will have his downsides. That's an 8 million dollar man - no more. Pair him with a defesive powerforward and keep a serviceable backup center and you'll have a good front line up.

GSW Summary

Several articles in the Bay Area papers carry encouraging news for the GWS 2005-06 season. 

1. Young Vets: The restricted free agent signings of PF T.Murphy and SG J.Richardson were criticized in 2004 as costly but in 2005's market place they now look like bargains.  Reporters have acknowledge they were wrong!  As free agents both would command millions more than they got in last year's contracts. 
   
2. All Rookies: All three GSW rookies are playing well in the summer league.  Mullin says he has lectured each that they are responsible for their own success and emphasized hard work as key for them doing well.  So far he's pleased with what he has seen.  
   
3. 2nd rounders: Mullin noted that he vastly underestimate SG/PG Monta Ellis' skills.  This high schooler was selected 2nd by GSW (42nd pick overall) and is considered raw and a only shooter but so far he has played good team defense and shows mature PG skills.  Note that Mullin expected so much of Monta that he was selected over PF C.Taft who himself was a previous top 1st round PF who slid badly on draft day and was picked with the Warriors 3rd draft pick. C.Taft has played very well - he's strong and has a smooth shot. He looks and plays motivated. He also just hurt his lower back - oof.
   
4. Ike:  The 1st round rookie is playing well as expected. 
   
5. Euros: PF A.Biedrins and PF/SF Z.Cabarkapa are both 6-11 and skinny.  A.Biedrins was last year's #11 pick and is very young but shows some defense skills and aggression on the boards.  Z.Cabarakapa is a 2 year player who needs cut down on turnovers and can play PF but would rather fill in behind SF M.Dunleavy. Both guys are being squeezed by the vets ahead of them and the rookies behind them.  They fell it and it's good both are playing in the summer league.
   

ChicagoSports.com: Bulls' Curry, Hawks to talk

Sure, we need a big, scoring Center but part of me wants Eddie to move to Hot-lanta for money and continue to lose basketball games. He's got a great chance to be a poster boy for losing. Somehow, after losing a few seasons, Thomas would trade from him.

ChicagoSports.com: Bulls' Curry, Hawks to talk: "Eddy Curry has scheduled a visit to Atlanta for Monday-Tuesday, making his first official move in the free-agent market.

The Hawks, who are aggressively pursuing a big man, have close to $20 million of salary-cap room.

Contacted about the visit Saturday, Curry said his first preference remains to stay with the Bulls but that his interest in Atlanta is genuine."

I like Ike

More on the GS Warriors top draft pick.

After reading the article I thought GS had a great draft. There are three top big men selected in 2006 #1, #8 and #9. They have character, are diligent and played ferocious while in college. Two of the three are humble: Andrew Bogut, Channing Frye and Ike Diogu.

Diogu's game begins with character - and education:

"Ike Diogu is special.

His parents, Edward and Jane, knew it the day he was born on Sept. 11, 1983. They stared at him lying in his hospital bed. So vibrant. So dark. So huge.

'He came out 11 pounds and 24 inches long,' Edward said. 'When we saw him lying down in that crib the first day, we thought we had a three-month-old baby.'"
...

Ike Diogu is ferocious.

Washington guard Nate Robinson, now a New York Knick, said it best after his Huskies were nearly upset by the Sun Devils on Diogu's 31 points and 15 boards: "He's just a grown man playing college basketball. He's like a train going down hill. You just hope to slow him."
...

Ike Diogu is diligent.

That was evident during a practice between road games at Stanford and Cal in January. Coach Evans stopped practice and told the team to take a water break. The players scurried to the nearest liquids. Not Diogu.

Still a bit frustrated about going 13-for-22 from the line the previous two games, well below his usual 80 percent clip, Diogu took a ball and walked to the free-throw line. While his teammates quenched their thirst, he quenched his crave for perfection.

Probably what makes Diogu so productive on the court is his combination of talent and determination. He enhances his domineering size and array of skills with a willingness to put in the work.
...

Ike Diogu is humble.

During a post-game interview after a close loss at Arizona in January - in which he totaled 23 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks - Diogu explained how he heeded advice on attacking a zone, which the Wildcats used to try to stop him. A local reporter asked Diogu who specifically gave him the advice. Diogu would only say it was a friend of Arizona State coach Rob Evans.

It took some prodding before Diogu revealed the identity of Evans' friend. It was Charles Barkley.

So what's the down side? He lasted until #9.

1. Point guard mania - Three point guards were selected and expected to upgrade the play of the entire team.
2. Perennial Promise of Potential - Some guys are freaks and likely to be the next Scottie Pippen so teams draft for positional need and the future.
   
3. Tweener - He's not likely to overpower NBA players like he did in college, is too small for the PF position and too slow to play SF.
4. Is that all - He's physically not going to develop that much beyond where he is today.
   

#1 and #2 are hard to argue - teams have different needs - while #3 and #4 are debunkable. His character, competitiveness and dedication to the game and self-improvement will allow him to adapt to the NBA and fully use the talent he has to win.

Unathletic winners like Chris Mullin and John Paxson understand that's enough.

Bulls sign Eddie... Eddie Basden

Good news, despite the headline.

Curry's hurry irritates Paxson:
...
"As for finding a big shooting guard, the Bulls have signed undrafted free agent Eddie Basden, who averaged 15.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.3 steals at Charlotte last year.

'I'm a defensive-minded player, and I'll do whatever it takes to win,'' Basden said. 'They said they wanted a bigger shooting guard that can fill that position, and that's kind of been my niche.''

Last season, Coach Skiles proved he could play "mature" rookies and win. He worked underaged players (one year experienced L.Deng and three year Ben Gordon) in as a integral players off the bench. New addition Eddie Basden sounds mature in interviews and could be a decent reserve who'll be a defensive necessity if injuries slow Hinrick. What's promising is the combo of defense and size. Eddie is an NBA 6'5". In his career, he hasn't been used as a scoring guard and learned to get college minutes by playing defense. Well, a 15.3 scoring average for a tall "defensive" minded guard is sweet.

Hinrich is a big PG who also defends and sometimes plays SG so putting Basden at SG allows Hinrick to play and defend the point. Hinrich is a big, scoring PG who can shut down the opposition and Basden can be expected to hold his own at SG* given his size and interest in defense. This "big" backcourt changes the entire composure of the team. There are more front court player combinations. Consider Deng, Harrington and Curry as the primary scoring options while Davis, Chandler and Nocioni are best for rebounding/defenders. Mix and match from the two knowing that the guard positions can defend and score.

A good line-up balanced in defense and scoring would be:
Hinrick, Basden, Deng, Nocioni & Davis.

All five are above average NBA defenders. Hinrick and Deng are reliable scorers and make their own shot. Davis and Nocioni rebound and score off of put-backs, opportunistic jumpshots and cutting layups. Basden is a wild card. He probably can't make his own shot but will benefit from Hinrich's penetration and passing. Opposition defenses will have to stop Hinrich, that will offer Basden opportunities for making uncontested shots and assists.

One last thought, former Bull Trenton Hassell was a college scorer who turned into an NBA defender. His scoring and shooting average dropped - the defending tired him. Maybe Eddie Basden can do better as a college defender who learned to defend and shoot in his last year. Basden would be a perfect complement if he is not asked to shoot often but is capable of making a high precentage of uncontested shots.

* Sure there are some formidable SGs like Allen, Kobe, Redd. Basden isn't superman but he's not 6'1".

Vegas Summer League - Game Recap - Orlando Magic vs Chicago Bulls - July 8, 2005

Potential Bulls SG has a good game. Known as promising defender who isn't a scorer, Eddie Basden led the summer league team in scoring....

Vegas Summer League - Game Recap - Orlando Magic vs Chicago Bulls - July 8, 2005: "The Bulls were led in scoring by Eddie Basden's 17 points (6-11 FG) and five rebounds. Drago Pasalic had 15 points (7-11 FG) and six rebounds in the losing effort. Chicago finished the game shooting 47 percent (33-71 FG)."

Mullin says "tall enough" but critics say "tweener"

I've read that Ike, the GSW #1 draft pick (#9 overall), is 6' 6.5" in bear feet but has the wingspan of a much taller (7'4") person. This claim is based on the "normal" ratio of a arm length to leg length. Ike seems to have a disproportionate longer arm length for his 6-7ish height.

Well, we know most NBA players list their court height which allowd for extra inche(s) due to shoes, socks (and etc). They easily add 1.0 to 1.5 inches. A 6'6" NBA player may be 6' 4.5"

Ike Diogu, the Warriors No. 1 draft pick, will attempt to become the next. Asked how tall Diogu is without shoes, Warriors vice president Chris Mullin shrugged and rattled off a list of height-inflating devices. Whatever cushioned sneakers, extra socks or orthotics players wear, Mullin said Diogu measures a solid 6-8 on the court.

Diogu is tall enough, Mullin says / At 6-8 (maybe), new Warrior is a tweener at power forward: "Brand was the NCAA Player of the Year when he left Duke after two seasons in 1999. Much like Diogu, Brand dominated his college counterparts. Yet word spread during team workouts that Brand stood only 6-6, possibly even 6-5. It wasn't until he measured 6-8 in shoes at the Chicago predraft camp that the jitters subsided.

Brand, of course, can now be counted on for 20 points and 10 rebounds a game for the Clippers.

In league history, several undersized power forwards have made their mark, none greater than Charles Barkley. Though he was listed at 6-6, those who saw Barkley in person swear he was closer to 6-4."
....
Rob Evans, Diogu's coach at Arizona State, put it more bluntly: "Ike Diogu is not going to have any trouble scoring on people, inside or outside. He just scores."

Still, there will be doubts about Diogu's effectiveness, mainly because of his size. His father, Edward, has some advice for those stuck in the "tweener" mentality.

"I tell them to wait and see," the elder Diogu said. "Seeing is believing. "

So Ike is a long-armed, wide-bodied, instinctive rebounder and prolific college scorer. He is also smart, disciplined and well-socialized. Sounds like an guy who very well could be an "Elton Brand" class player.

The Bulls traded Elton for Tyson Chandler because Elton wasn't potentionally a freakishly outstanding player like Tyson. Elton was "only" going to be a reliable 20 pt/10 rb a night guy.

You can bet Chris Mullin wouldn't have made that trade. He drafted for the same type of guy the Bulls picked at #1 and won "rookie of the year". Wadaya think? Will this guy be a monster or will he be buried in a 11-man rotation?

Projected GSW 4 & 5 starters: Ike and Troy

I would agree. For a lineup focusing on scoring, rebounding and ball movement paring these two would be good. On defense they're both suspect. Current Center A.Foyle is a better defender at and Ike was drafted as a rebounding PF so these two could play in lineups when the GWS backcourt is scoring.

Forum: "I think by the second half of the season, Diogu will be the starting power forward and Murphy the center.

Marcus Thompson 7/01/05"

GWS Too Deep

Forum: "Q.

Hi Marcus, I would like to dissagree with you about the Warriors Logjam at the 4 position. Zarko Cabarkapa is a 3, and Andris Biedrins is a 5, leaving only Murphy at the 4. The warriors can now bring in Diogu as a back up for Murphy. This move, now makes the team 2 deep at every position with Cheaney, White, Tskitishvili, Taft, & Ellis rounding out the final 5 roster spots!
Joe B, Pleasanton 6/30/05

A.

First off, Tskitishvili has been gone. White is now gone. Secondly, Biedrins is a center because that is the only position he can play right now, and the only place he can get time (because there were two other power forwards, not including White who could play the four in a small lineup). Cabarkapa plays like a three but he is a four. He played more five than three. Remember the Houston game, when he kept knocking down 3-pointers because Yao Ming wouldn't come out on him? The Warriors played a lot of small ball, and in small ball he is the power forward. Even if he is a small forward, who backs up Dunleavy, Pietrus or Cabarkapa? Pietrus normally came in for Dunleavy? You say let Pietrus come in for Richardson and Cabarkapa for Dunleavy? Where does that leave Fisher, who Montgomery likes better off the ball? No matter how you cut it, unless you move someone, there is going to be another crunch for minutes like there was at the beginning of last season, which got Montgomery in a lot of trouble. Two deep at every position is not good. It's too much on a young inexperienced coach to be trying to divide minutes. He will lose the locker room again. Plus, With Cabarkapa, Pietrus, Fisher and Diogu coming off the bench, when is Biedrins going to get time to develop?
Marcus Thompson 7/01/05"