khandor’s sports blog

Watching Luis Scola dismantle the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1st quarter of last night’s Game 6, the following thought came to mind …

Q. Do most so-called NBA experts/observers really truly understand just how good, and skilled, and smart, and tenacious, etc., the 2004 Olympic Games [Athens] Men’s Basketball Champions actually were?

A. Not a chance.

———————————

However, if you want to pass yourself off as someone who has a thorough knowledge of the game of basketball, you really SHOULD.

STARTERS
PG/Pepe Sanchez
OG/Manu Ginobili
SF/Andres Nocioni
PF/Luis Scola
C/Fabricio Oberto

KEY SUBS
Alejandro Montecchia [G]
Carlos Delfino [G/F]
Walter Herrmann [F]
Ruben Wolkowisky [F/C]

This is a team which had at least 9 players who were more than capable of holding their own against the very best in the world, and was full value for winning their [i] quarter-final vs Greece [host], [ii] semi-final vs the USA and [iii] final vs Italy, after starting the tournament with an 0-2 record.

If that exact team would have been able to stay together for the 2008 Olympic Games [Beijing] Men’s Basketball Tournament, this past summer, and been 100% healthy, there is simply no telling whether the following group of players, coaches and administrators:

Jason Kidd
Dwyane Wade
Kobe Bryant
Lebron James
Chris Bosh

Chris Paul
Deron Williams
Michael Redd
Carmelo Anthony
Tayshaun Prince
Carlos Boozer
Dwight Howard

Mike Krzyzewski
Mike D’Antoni
Nate McMillan

Jerry Colangelo

would still enjoy the stellar reputations they have today and have been strong & cohesive enough to reclaim the Gold Medal for the Red, White & Blue.

Oh, but, what a game THAT would have been to witness.

The following is an excerpt of something which Kelly Dwyer wrote today, pertaining to the recent goings-on with the Bulls’ starting line-up:

Behind the box score, where the Bulls are mixed up
Give the Bulls coaching staff credit. Starting Derrick Rose, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, [Tyrus] Thomas and [Joakim] Noah means that the Bulls are starting their five best players, at appropriate positions. For those who have been complaining about this for years, it is a wonderful thing to behold.

… which promptly set the wheels in motion in this corner, thinking about whether or not this statement is, in fact, accurate.

———-

Q1. Are Derrick Rose, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah the Bulls’ five best players, at the respective positions they should be playing in the Starting Unit for Chicago?

A1. No, they are not.

———-

How come?

At the moment, Chicago is 18-25/.419, 4th in the Central Division and 10th, in the EC, overall.

Derrick Rose [6-3, 190] is, by far, the best PG on the Bulls’ roster. He SHOULD BE starting games for this team.

Ben Gordon [6-3, 200] is NOT the best OG on the Bulls’ roster, although he is a solid Combination Guard. He should NOT BE starting games for this team.

Luol Deng [6-9, 220] is NOT the best SF on the Bulls’ roster, although he is a solid mid-range jump shooter. He should NOT BE starting games for this team.

Tyrus Thomas [6-9, 215] is NOT the best PF on the Bulls’ roster, although he is exceptionally athletic. He should NOT BE starting games for this team.

Joakim Noah [6-11, 232] is the best C on the Bulls’ roster. HE SHOULD BE starting games for this team.

Only 2 of these players are the best Bulls at each of their respective positions, and who SHOULD BE starting games for this team.

In contrast to these perceptions of Gordon, Deng and Thomas …

Who are the Bulls’ best OG, SF and PF right now that SHOULD BE starting games for Chicago?

OG - Larry Hughes [6-5, 184] … by far their best Scorer/Defender with good Size
SF - Thabo Sefolosha [6-7, 215] … by far their best Defender & Rebounder with good Size
PF – Drew Gooden [6-10, 242] … by far their best Glue Guy with good Size.

What specific roles should Gordon, Deng and Thomas be playing instead for the Bulls right now?

Gordon SHOULD BE coming in off the bench, as a Score-first replacement for either Rose or Sefolosha, with the 2nd Unit.

Deng SHOULD BE coming in off the bench, as a Score-first replacement for Hughes, with the 2nd Unit.

Thomas SHOULD BE coming in off the bench, as an athletic Defender/Rebounder/High Energy replacement for Gooden, with the 2nd Unit … as should Aaron Gray [7-0, 270], a Low Post Presence replacement for Joakim Noah.

This would then give Chicago the following 9-Man Rotation:

STARTERS – Rose/PG + Sefolosha/Wing + Hughes/Wing + Gooden/Big + Noah/Big

KEY BENCH SUBS - Gordon/G + Deng/F + Thomas/Big + Gray/Big

RESERVES – Lindsey Hunter [PG, 6-2, 195], Kirk Hinrich [PG/OG, 6-3, 190] & Andres Nocioni [SF/PF, 6-7, 225]

EXTRAS – Cedric Simmons [6-9, 235] & Michael Ruffin [6-8, 248]

… which would do a better job of balancing out the individual strengths and weaknesses of the players on their overall roster [i.e. in terms of Rebounding, Defense and Shared Team Offense] and provide order for a squad that would then be good enough to qualify for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference this season.

Q1. Who are now the key players for Da Bulls? 

A1. Ben Gordon (PG), Thabo Sefolosha (OG), Nocioni (SF), Gooden (PF), Joakim Noah (C), Larry Hughes (G/F), Luol Deng (F), Tyrus Thomas (PF/C), Gray (C) and either Duhon (PG) or Hinrich (PG). 

If you take a closer, detailed look at this …

from the 05:39 mark of the 1st Quarter, when Ben Gordon (playing at the PG spot) subs in for Kirk Hinrich (CHI 10, Uta 14) … to the 10:11 mark of the 2nd Quarter, when Hinrich subs back in for Thabo Sefolosha (CHI 31, Uta 23) …

you can see quite clearly

what the future holds

for this collection of

Bulls …

with ‘the right’ coach in place.

Running of Da Bulls

The ‘game ball’ is now firmly in the hands of John Paxson/GM.

If … he makes the right choice, re: the next head coach in Chicago … LOOK OUT! … Da Bulls will be back in business, in a major way, as ‘PrimeTime Contendas’ in the East for the next decade. 

If ‘Da Bulls’ decide to play ‘up-tempo’ basketball, ’4 out/1 in’ style … Run, Run, Run … Is there (now) another team in the league with more depth, athleticism, ‘scoring’, and rebounding – at each of the 5 spots on the floor – than this ‘Group of 15′ for Chicago?

2007-08 Roster 
NUM PLAYER POS HT WT DOB   FROM YRS
6 Shannon Brown  G  6-4 211 11/29/1985   Michigan State 1
20 JamesOn Curry  G  6-3 190 01/07/1986   Oklahoma State R
9 Luol Deng – C  F  6-9 220 04/16/1985   Duke 3
21 Chris Duhon  G  6-1 185 08/31/1982   Duke 3
90 Drew Gooden  F  6-10 250 09/24/1981   Kansas 5
7 Ben Gordon  G  6-3 200 04/04/1983   Connecticut 3
34 Aaron Gray  C  7-0 270 12/07/1984   Pittsburgh R
12 Kirk Hinrich – C  G  6-3 190 01/02/1981   Kansas 4
32 Larry Hughes  G  6-5 185 01/23/1979   St. Louis 9
35 Demetris Nichols  F  6-8 216 09/04/1984   Syracuse R
13 Joakim Noah  F  6-11 232 02/25/1985   Florida R
5 Andres Nocioni  F  6-7 225 11/30/1979   Argentina 3
2 Thabo Sefolosha  G  6-7 215 05/02/1984   Switzerland 1
15 Cedric Simmons  F  6-9 235 01/03/1986   North Carolina State 1
24 Tyrus Thomas  F  6-8 215 08/17/1986   Louisiana State 1

Maybe … only 1.

The problem with Da Bulls … is no more!

Despite their disasterous start this season – and keyed by the trades from yesterday - the Chicago Bulls are now poised to (once again) make the Playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

Kudos to their GM, John MacBeth Paxson.