Tales of Two Cities

Ben Wallace is a Bull (real soon now) and whether this intra-division move is good or bad depends on how you measure value.

Detroit offered 48 M and the Bulls something like 60 M. Chicago won. Detroit did not budge on their offer.

Detroit says the Bulls overpaid for an aging and waning player. They'll retool knowing the NBA rules favor perimeter shooters, athletic slashers and pogo stick post players.

Chicago now has the tough center they needed to establish a post game and anchor their defense. They'll make a run at the title now, no more rebuilding or waiting.

Who is right?

We'll find out -- but remember this: Chicago blew up the aging Bulls championship team and retooled and drafted and retooled and drafted. It was a disaster. Why? They lost players who defined the team's tough character and it took three coaches and new GM to bring back the work ethic by assembling the right kind of players.

Chicago has that new NBA style team with slashing players, outside shooting and ball movement yet this modern style NBA team sought out old-school Ben Wallace.

Do not pAnIc!!!!

I think teams get close to being good or great and they identify a free agent who will make or break them. The guy is good and fills a need but multiple teams want him. A bidding war begins and the winner overpays; loaded with a large, long term contract. The team gets better but never best. After a few frustrating playoff losses, they blow up the team and start over.

It all beings with some needed piece and the GM panics.

John Paxson, Don't panic!

If the Bulls are eager to sign Joel Przybilla, they need to move quickly.
[...]
Przybilla ranks high on the Bulls' wish list. The Blazers want to
re-sign Przybilla but can offer him only the midlevel exception of
about $5 million because they are above the salary cap.

Show your respect

Free agency has begun. The Bulls will contact each available free agent in sequence, not according to priorities, but following the status of each professional player and his agent. Ben Wallace is the best big man available and then Harrington. Their Agents are under pressure to deliver so Paxson's call means he recognizes talent is available and the Agent has gotten the Bulls to show interest. Detroit's Ben Wallace may never sign elsewhere but there was interest in signing him from some top teams with available money. Someday his Agent will do Chicago a favor in return.

Source: Bulls targeting Wallace as top priority

A source close to the Bulls said the team has targeted Detroit big man Ben Wallace, 32, as its top priority. Wallace, an unrestricted free agent, was expected to be a lock to remain with the Pistons until he and coach Flip Saunders had a late-season falling out.

If the Bulls are unable to land Wallace, Atlanta forward Al Harrington (unrestricted) and Seattle power forward Chris Wilcox (restricted), 23, are next on the Bulls' list of front-court free agents.

Draft Comments

The draft is over but the new financial year (and trades) being July 1 and while teams and free agents can talk, signings must wait until July 12.

Contrast two teams: Chicago added two defensive forwards and a tall, defensive guard. Golden State added two young 7'0"+ Centers.

GSW will have to move one or more front court players given they have far too many to use but I don't see Chicago in the same situation. The Bulls can opt to not resign a few players - Harrington (PF) is a veteran but is aging and optional. Eddie Basden (G) and Livingston (F) are gone. These are three players the Bulls can cut to absorb their three new players. GSW will need to move some of their stockpiled talent at PF/C. They have too much invested in their players (or long term $$ contracts) to cut anyone without getting value for the player. GSW will be active in trade talks.

Free agent candidates for the Bulls are Darius Songalia (PF) (He elected to be a free agent but will be a re-sign priority) and Nazr M. or Joel P. (C) are priorities *if* they are not over-valued by other suitors. Paxson will not panic and over-bid for a player. GSW GM, Chirs Mullin already did panic last year -- he overbid to get Derek Fisher (PG) and overpaid to resign Foyle (C).

Draft: My Secret Admirer

Secret Admirer: Is Paxson hiding his interest in Bargnani? Say Toronto is thinking of trading down to pick him at #4 or #5 -- maybe Paxson is psyching out Colangelo. All this attention to Thomas and Aldridge maybe a smoke screen.
From the http://www.dailyherald.com:

No Berto for Bargnani: The Bulls will not be hosting Italy’s Andrea Bargnani at the Berto Center before the draft, even though his season ended Tuesday with Benetton Treviso winning the Italian league championship.

“My understanding is he’s going to New York to get a physical this weekend and if teams would like to see him, they can go and talk to him,” John Paxson said.

Paxson went on to say he doesn’t think he needs any more time with the 7-foot Bargnani, who averaged 11.6 points for Benetton during the Italian league regular season.

“I went over in January and saw him practice a couple times, saw him play a couple times,” Paxson said. “Just recently, (European scout) Ivica Dukan and (assistant coach) Ron Adams were over there for the Treviso big man camp and they spent some time with him. We feel very comfortable in knowing what we need to know about him.”

I have a hard time believing the Bulls will pick a project with the #16 but they do have cap space and Paxson has to think long term, and not only re-tool for the season. Here’s a project that isn’t capably of playing yet but could probably swat some NBA shots right away.

Bulls eye tall project: One player who has received some attention in the prelude to the NBA draft is Saer Sene, a 7-foot center from Senegal. His wingspan was measured at 7-8¨ at the Orlando predraft camp, with a standing reach of 9-5.
….
“We had him in and he’s a really intriguing kid,” John Paxson said. “I have confidence in our staff that we have the setup and the ability to help players become better.

“Those type of deals are a bit of a roll of the dice. But I know this for a fact: In the three years I’ve been here, there hasn’t been a kid walk through these doors that has the length that that kid has. So you have to look at it.”

Again, any team interested in Saer is going to leapfrog the Bulls at #16 *if* Paxson telegraphs his interest. Paxson is not telegraphing his preferences to anyone.

This upside-down draft and the following trades this summer will be very interesting.

NBA Draft 2006

NBA Draft 2006

Chicago Bulls will use both their #2 and #16 picks. Guessing who they pick is a crapshoot.

Their ideal #2 would be PF/C Aldridge over PF/SF Thomas but there’s an outside chance of Paxson picking SG Roy, or SF/PF Bargnani. Paxson has to keep his priorities secret or someone could trade up to #1 and get the player he’s targeting.

At #16 there’s no telling who will be available. Someone is going to fall and someone they need will be available. I say Paxson picks the best player available – the best asset. He can trade assets at a later date and if no favorable trade happens before the season, well Coach Skiles does use players with a deep rotation. All things being somewhat predicable, the Bulls will select the best two front court players available. Why? It's easier to trade a "big" for a "small". A promising, decent front court player is a better asset. John Paxson manages assets.

Paxson would avoid selecting a "project" player at #16 unless he demonstrated one NBA level skill, has a huge upside and drew a lot of interest.