khandor’s sports blog

As was mentioned in this space on Monday …

The adjustments which Miami needed to make in order to win their series with Chicago included:

1. Giving increased playing time to [A] Mike Miller/SF, [B] Zydrunas Ilgauskas/C, [C] Eddie House/OG and [D] Udonis Haslem/PF];

2. Reducing the playing time of [A] Mike Bibby [PG] and [B] Jamaal Magloire [C]; and,

3. Having Dwayne Wade [OG] check Derrick Rose [PG].

Given the result of last night’s Game 2, it is now fair to say that a main reason this series is tied, 1-1, is because Erik Spoelstra [Head Coach] actually implemented several of the “strategic” adjustments which were recommend, in advance, right here.

For example:

#3) For significant stretches of the 4th quarter, Miami used the following 5-man unit with the associated Individual Match-ups:

PG, Dwayne Wade [vs D-Rose]
OG, Mike Miller [vs Keith Bogans or Kyle Korver]
SF, LeBron James [vs Luol Deng or Ronnie Brewer]
PF, Udonis Haslem [vs Carlos Boozer or Taj Gibson] 
C, Chris Bosh [vs Joakim Noah or Omer Asik]

#2.B) Jamaal Magloire was used for only 5 minutes.

#1.A) Mike Miller was used for 18 minutes.

#1.D) Udonis Haslem was used for 23 minutes.

If Coach Spoelstra wants to ensure that the Heat will win this series … by an ever-widening margin, then … all he really needs to do is implement the remaining “strategic” adjustments which were listed here on Monday that he chose to disregard in Game 2, i.e. 2.A, 1.B, and 1.C.

————————————————————————-

PS. Last night, actually Coach Spoestra did a solid job of earning his salary. Unfortunately, the same thing cannot be said for Coach Thibodeau … especially, when he fell asleep at the switch, and was much too slow in substituting Ronnie Brewer back into the game, in the latter stages of the 4th quarter, after Coach Spoelstra showed that he was going to milk the “3-1 Pick-and-Pop” – with LeBron James as Miami’s primary ball-handler, since Kyle Korver/OG was still in the game and being used to check Mike Bibby/PG

PPS. BTW … For those who still believe that Chris Bosh is incapable of playing Center for a title-winning team in the NBA, last night’s game serves as Exhibit A for how exactly this young man can best be used by an organization that is being run by a GM who really does know what he is doing when it comes to being able to win it all.

At the end of the 2008-2009 regular season, the main pieces for the Raptors and the Bulls, respectively, looked like this:

Toronto at Chicago [April 15, 2009]

When you then look at the main pieces for these same two teams when they played each other at the end of the 2009-2010 regular season, what you see is the following:

Chicago at Toronto [April 11, 2010]

When you then look at the main pieces for these same two teams when they played each other at the end of the just completed regular season, what you see is the following:

Toronto at Chicago [April 2, 2011]

Key differences and similarities?

1. Lead Executives, at the time:

2008-2009
CHICAGO, John Paxson
TORONTO, Bryan Colangelo and Maurizio Gherardini

2009-2010
CHICAGO, John Paxson and Gar Forman
TORONTO, Bryan Colangelo and Maurizio Gherardini

2010-2011
CHICAGO, John Paxson and Gar Forman
TORONTO, Bryan Colangelo and Maurizio Gherardini

2. Head Coaches, at the time:

2008-2009
CHICAGO, Vinnie Del Negro
TORONTO, Jay Triano

2009-2010
CHICAGO, Vinnie Del Negro
TORONTO, Jay Triano

2010-2011
CHICAGO, Tom Thibodeau
TORONTO, Jay Triano

3. Key Players, at the time:

2008-2009
CHICAGO
Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng [DNP-injury], Ben Gordon, John Salmons, Tyrus Thomas, Kirk Hinrich, Brad Miller and Tim Thomas

TORONTO
Chris Bosh, Shawn Marion, Jose Calderon, Anthony Parker and Andrea Bargnani [DNP-injury]

2009-2010
CHICAGO
Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Taj Gibson, Kirk Hinrich and Brad Miller

TORONTO
Chris Bosh [DNP-injury], Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, Hedo Turkoglu, Amir Johnson, Sonny Weems, DeMar DeRozan and Reggie Evans

2010-2011
CHICAGO
Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Taj Gibson, Carlos Boozer, CJ Watson, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, Kurt Thomas, Omir Asik and Rasual Butler

TORONTO
Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, DeMar DeRozan, Amir Johnson, Ed Davis, Jerryd Bayless, James Johnson, Leandro Barbosa, Sonny Weems, Linas Kleiza and Reggie Evans

4. Won-Loss Records, at the time

2008-2009
CHICAGO, 41-41
TORONTO, 33-49

2009-2010
CHICAGO, 39-41 [similar]
TORONTO, 38-42 [slightly better]

2010-2011
CHICAGO, 56-20 [significantly better]
TORONTO, 20-55 [significantly worse]

Since their introduction to the NBA, 16 years ago, what the Toronto Raptors have displayed is: [1] A remarkable inability to hold onto their “best” players from previous seasons who have solid upside and were actually selected by the team in the annual Draft; and, [2] A disturbing penchant for selecting the “wrong” players in the annual Draft who have limited upside and then remain fixtures with the team for far too many years without becoming very productive overall … unlike the Chicago Bulls.

Until the Raptors properly address the deficiencies which exist for their franchise at the Executive level, the Head Coach level, and the Marquee Player level, what position they select in any given NBA Draft Lottery is quite immaterial … if the long term goal is eventually being able to win a League Championship.

On June 23 2009, prior to that year’s NBA Draft, this corner said that the Raptors should trade down from the No. 9 position, in order to secure the services of more than just one good-to-very good young player, to go along with Toronto’s best player, Chris Bosh [C/PF].

With the 9th Pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors …

If the Raptors would have followed this simple prescription, at that specific point in time, instead of acquiring the services of DeMar DeRozan [OG/SF], in all likelihood, the last 2 seasons would have played out very differently for [1] Toronto, [2] Chicago and [3] Miami:

For example …

i. The Raptors might not have made the trade for Hedo Turkoglu [SF] at all;
ii. The Raptors [40-42, 9th/EC] might actually have made the playoffs in 2009-2010;
iii. The Raptors might then have been able to retain the services of Chris Bosh last summer;
iv. The Bulls [41-41, 8th/EC] might not have made the playoffs in 2009-2010;
v. The Bulls might then not have been able to obtain the services of Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, CJ Watson, Ronnie Brewer, Keith Bogans, Kurt Thomas and Omir Asik and Rasual Butler during the last 12 months; and,
vi. The Heat might then not have been able to obtain the services of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Mike Miller, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Juwon Howard last summer.

Those Raptors fans who still believe that Bryan Colangelo is something other than “just an average GM” in the NBA:

are, quite simply, delusional.

LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, CJ Watson, Ronnie Brewer, Keith Bogans, Kurt Thomas, Omir Asik, Mike Miller, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Juwon Howard did not leave their respective teams and sign with Miami and Chicago because they did not enjoy playing in Cleveland, Toronto, Utah, Orlando, Milwaukee, Turkey, Washington and Portland.

The chief reason they each chose to seek employment with their current team is because they each believed the GM for that franchise is someone who actually knows what he is doing, when it comes to being able to build a legitimate contender for the NBA championship.

If the following reports are, in fact, to be believed …

Thomas’ Bulls time likely about finished

With Tyrus Thomas it’s personal now

what becomes readily apparent is that

the people charged with running things in Chicago – i.e. Jerry Reinsdorf, John Paxson and Gar Forman - have temporarily lost their mind, if they simply want to ”give away” a player like Tyrus Thomas [23 yrs of age; 4th NBA season], either, now [as the NBA's trade deadline approaches], or at the end of this season. 

When you look at the significant progress which a player like Josh Smith [24 yrs of age; 6th NBA season] has made this season, as a young, unbridled Power Forward, with the world of talent but, also, the need for increased personal discipline in his individual game … it’s extremely short-sighted of Chicago’s current management team to fail to realize exactly what they actually have on their hands in the form of:

* young Mr. Double T

working [and maturing] in conjunction with

* Joakim Noah/C [24 years of age]

* Luol Deng/SF [24 yrs of age]

* John Salmons/OG-SF [30 yrs of age]

* Taj Gibson/PF [24 years of age]

* James Johnson/SF-PF [22 yrs of age]

* Kirk Hinrich/OG-PG [29 years of age], and

* Derrick Rose/PG [21 yrs of age].

Trading a still-young player with Tyrus Thomas’ physical ability and specific skill-set [i.e. Rebounding, Defense, Shot-blocking and an Increasingly Developed Offensive Repertoire] is one thing …

as long as an organization gets back, in return, an equivalent package of assets, or more …

but, simply giving that player away … for nothing:

——————————— 

Tyrus Thomas can be yours

I can’t think of a single player, with the possible exception of New York’s David Lee, that has been jerked around more than Thomas. And I can’t think of a single player, with no exception, that has acted like more of a prat than Tyrus. A nasty combination.

One doesn’t lead to the other, but it doesn’t help. Thomas was drafted as a project by the Bulls in 2006, but he was never treated like a project. Instead, he was treated like some four-year college starter that had been on CBS too many times to mention, and someone who was used to the grind. Thomas wasn’t used to the grind. He was a basketball scrub until his late teens. He only had one year of slapping the backboards at LSU. He was ready, but he wasn’t ready.

The Bulls not only acted as if he was ready, but he was also added to the Chicago roster at the start of Scott Skiles’ weird passive-aggressive phase. When Skiles – who often seems like a perfect mix of the best qualities of Larry Brown and Don Nelson – started utilizing the worst qualities of Larry Brown and Don Nelson. The strange rotations. The stubbornness. The attention to obsession, rather than detail.          

Thomas played less than a year and a half under Skiles, but it may have well been two years. Because Skiles was replaced on an interim basis by Jim Boylan, a pointless move in retrospect, because Boylan was Skiles’ number two, and he promptly spent the entirety of his obviously-interim gig taking out Skiles’ indirect frustrations with certain players out on the kids who had wronged Boylan’s buddy the most.

So Thomas would leave the game, for long stretches, for no apparent reason. And, just as much, he would stay in the game for no apparent reason. Almost to a night, the good play would go unrewarded, and the bad play would go unacknowledged. How in the hell was this kid, this man, supposed to learn?

Left to his own devices, the project acted like – and I know you’re shocked – a project. Until it was/is time for Chicago to write off another cheapo lottery pick, and take in the savings.

It didn’t have to be like this. And, potential suitors? Thomas doesn’t have to be like this.

———————————

Thomas big help in 109-101 Bulls’ victory

“He’s so athletic that he affects the game when he’s engaged,” John Salmons said. “He gets his hands on balls, rebounds, puts back shots. When he masters that, he really helps us.”

Salmons’ answer proved far more expansive than those from Thomas, who entered just 2:18 after tipoff and played the next 14:46. That’s close Thomas’ playing time from each of his last three games, which led to his frustration and blow-up.

Before the game, Thomas said he had “no regrets” about the incident and “there’s nothing to be frustrated about.” Afterward, he addressed his night, which included him grabbing three rebounds and playing six minutes before his first shot — a strong drive and score after passing up a jumper.

“I felt good,” he said. “I was just playing ball, trying to win, working for the team. I’m always ready to play. The more you’re out there, the more you can do.”

———————————

makes absolutely no sense … except, perhaps, from a $$$ standpoint … if the ultimate goal there is actually trying to win the NBA Championship, again, in the not-too-distant future.

With their current cast of characters, it would be a mistake for the Bulls to think that what their team actually needs to do this summer is add 2 high-priced, free agent signees … when all Chicago really needs is:

1. To add THE right player, and

2. Give their existing collection of players a legitimate chance to grow and develop together, 

3. Under the direction of a truly Top Notch NBA coach.  

————

Update:

Bulls not lacking for Thomas suitors [Feb 11 2010]

Despite what some might have you think …

———————————————

Rose leading charge for Bulls

Derrick Rose may not make the All-Star team, especially since the votes were all in before the Bulls’ win Wednesday night in Oklahoma City, but he’s finally emerging as a star. His impressive performance on the road against the Thunder — 13-of-23 from the floor (56.5 percent), seven assists, just two turnovers — was the latest in a series of virtuoso efforts.

It seems that the only thing that was holding him back the first month and a half of the season was the ankle injury he suffered in training camp. Check out his monthly splits:

• November: 16.2 points, 5. 3 assists, 46.4 percent shooting
• December: 20.4 points, 6.1 assists, 45.0 percent shooting
• January: 23.5 points, 6.5 assists, 51.4 percent shooting

Thanks to Rose, the Bulls are 12-5 in their past 17 games, including 10 road games. Out of the blue, Chicago stands in complete control of the No. 8 seed in the East and in position to surge as high as No. 5 by the end of the season.

———————————————

the recently improved performance of the Bulls has not been rooted, soley, in the increased scoring production of their 2nd-yr PG, considering:

I. The shift of Kirk Hinrich into the Starting OG position;

II. The shift of John Salmons into the Sixth Man Role [i.e. coming off the bench];

III. The return of Tyrus Thomas, from the injured list …

Tyrus Thomas Regular Season  - Game Log							FG					3PT						FT					Rebounds					Misc
Oppo	Score	GS	Min		M	A		Pct		M	A		Pct		M	A	Pct			Off	Def	Tot			Ast	TO	Stl		Blk	PF	Pts
@ OKC	W 96-86	0	18:32		6	8		75.0		0	0		N/A		1	1	100.0			3	2	5			1	5	1		2	3	13
@ SAS	W 98-93	0	21:33		1	4		25.0		0	0		N/A		0	0	N/A			2	5	7			0	1	1		2	0	2
@ HOU	W 104-97	0	23:35		3	5		60.0		0	0		N/A		1	2	50.0			0	4	4			1	2	0		6	4	7
@ PHO	W 115-104	0	20:56		1	7		14.3		0	0		N/A		1	2	50.0			0	7	7			2	0	1		2	0	3
@ LAC	L 97-104	0	36:19		8	11		72.7		0	0		N/A		2	4	50.0			0	6	6			1	1	2		3	6	18
@ GSW	L 97-114	0	19:48		2	7		28.6		0	0		N/A		0	0	N/A			1	8	9			0	1	0		1	6	4
WAS	W 121-119	0	27:33		1	1		100.0		0	0		N/A		2	2	100.0			2	2	4			0	0	0		2	3	4
@ BOS	W 96-83	0	17:15		2	8		25.0		0	0		N/A		1	4	25.0			6	1	7			1	1	4		0	3	5
DET	W 120-87	0	26:09		3	6		50.0		0	0		N/A		1	1	100.0			2	4	6			1	0	6		2	1	7
MIN	W 110-96	0	21:42		3	7		42.9		0	0		N/A		3	4	75.0			0	5	5			0	6	2		3	5	9
@ MIL	L 93-96	0	29:19		1	4		25.0		0	0		N/A		2	2	100.0			0	5	5			2	1	1		1	2	4
@ CHA	L 108-113	0	22:48		2	5		40.0		0	0		N/A		2	6	33.3			1	4	5			3	1	1		2	2	6
OKC	L 85-98	0	20:37		3	12		25.0		0	0		N/A		1	1	100.0			3	3	6			2	3	0		1	2	7
ORL	W 101-93	0	14:59		3	7		42.9		0	0		N/A		0	0	N/A			1	4	5			1	2	1		0	4	6
Oppo	Score	GS	Min		M	A		Pct		M	A		Pct		M	A	Pct			Off	Def	Tot			Ast	TO	Stl		Blk	PF	Pts
@ DET	W 98-87	0	27:31		4	6		66.7		0	0		N/A		11	14	78.6			4	3	7			2	3	2		1	1	19
IND	W 104-95	0	31:08		2	10		20.0		0	0		N/A		4	4	100.0			2	13	15			3	5	1		3	1	8
NOR	W 96-85	0	32:15		10	17		58.8		0	1		0.0		1	3	33.3			0	9	9			2	3	1		2	2	21

each of which coincided with the Bulls’ game against New Orleans [Dec 26];

and,

IV. The continued solid play of Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, and Brad Miller, since the start of the season.

The truth of the matter is that during this specific stretch of games played, the Bulls’ head coach … the once-beleaguerd Vinnie Del Negro … not Derrick Rose [PG], has actually been the person most responsible for Chicago’s improved W-L record.

In an effort to build further on a specific request which was made of yours truly this past weekend …

This is the recap which Kelly Dwyer [BDL] posted concerning Saturday’s Chicago Bulls/Boston Celtics game:

Behind the Box Score, where the C’s outclassed the Bulls

This is the specific comment [#9] which yours truly then contributed:

KD,

PART ONE

When I was an active contributor to the Blog-a-Bull comment section 2 seasons ago, I did my best to inform the regulars there that Chicago’s problems at that time were NOT rooted in the poor [shot-happy] play of one Ben Gordon and that, instead, what the Bulls needed to do was:

1. Use Ben Gordon as their Starting Point Guard;

2. Use Thabo Sefolosha as their Starting Off Guard;

3. Use Luol Deng as their Starting Small Forward;

4. Use Tyrus Thomas as their Starting Power Forward;

5. Use Joakim Noah as their Starting Center; and,

6. Trade Kirk Hinrich, in return for either: A. The Scoring Player they needed to bring off their bench; or, B. An Interior Scoring Center.

Unfortunately …

7. Most Bulls fans were under the delusional impression that Captain Kirk was a better NBA player than Gentle Ben;

8. Ben Gordon was incapable of succeeding as a Prime-time PG, in the NBA, and was the player who Chicago needed to trade, in order to improve their prospects for the future.

If the Bulls would have done what I suggested and then Derrick Rose fell into their lap in the 2008 NBA Draft, they would not be where they are today.

—————————–

PART TWO

How to fix the Bulls’ problems right now?

1. Cut Lindsey Hunter

2. Sign Von Wafer.

3. Scale back Derrick Rose’s MPG to 32.

4. Increase Pargo’s MPG to 16, as the Primary Back-up PG.

5. Sign a post-up Guard-Forward like, Bonzi Wells.

6. Use Aaron Gray as their Starting Center [until Tyrus is healthy].

7. Use Joakim Noah as their Starting Power Forward [until Tyrus is healthy].

8. Use the following rotation:

STARTERS
Rose + Wafer + Deng + Noah + Gray

KEY SUBS
Pargo + Hinrich + Salmons + Gibson + Miller

RESERVES
Wells + Johnson

That 12 man team, right there, would be good enough to make the playoffs in the EC this season.

Cheers

——————————————–

Then, this is the follow-up comment [#13] submitted by Keith Singer:

Hi Khandor,

You’ve done an excellent job of analyzing the Bull’s problems and made intelligent suggestions. Here are a few thoughts for you. Please respond on the forum or via e-mail, your choice (ksinger@kasesq.com).

1. Ben Gordon- Bulls management may have undervalued the contributions of Ben Gordon or they may have recognized his talents but decided that the asking price was too high. They probably felt that Gordon was too small to guard some 2’s and his defense was sub-par. They obviously thought that Salmons would step in and continue his production of last year. Personally, I felt Salmons would drop off closer to his career numbers. His defense was expected to be better than Gordon’s but that D has been disappointing. They probably felt that the cap space saved would be better spent on a free agent in 2010 than on Gordon. We won’t be able to assess the wisdom of their choice until the summer.

2. Derrick Rose- I think they expected a big season from Rose; they couldn’t have known that he would experience an ankle injury. Part of the failure of the current team is the sub-par year that Rose has experienced, thus far.

3. Tyrus Thomas- They couldn’t have anticipated the injury to Tyrus Thomas. I think they believed that Thomas would have been the starting PF all year. Yes, Taj Gibson is a rookie and looked good but Bulls Management expected a career year from Thomas. When Noah is out of position trying to block a shot or overmatched in girth, Thomas could double team or grab a rebound for which Noah would be out of position.

4. Aaron Gray- I think your point about Gray is interesting. I am not sure if Gray is as good as you think. Although I agree with you that he is on the roster and large enough to keep the larger centers out of the lane. We have not seen him play enough but giving him a chance is not a bad idea. Look at the Dallas Mavericks, they are utilizing a platoon system with Dampier and Drew Gooden. That could work with Noah and Gray as well.

5. Kirk Hinrich- I agree that Kirk Hinrich is overrated. He has had a sub-par season thus far. He was touted for his shooting and defense; both aspects of his game have been missing. The Bulls did sign a back up in Pargo, however he is a scorer more than a pass first point guard.

6. Von Wafer- It is tantalizing to think about his potential and how he could help the Bulls or any other team for that matter. However, you must remember the problems that Rick Adelman had with him. Adelman has proven that he is a fantastic coach but could not get Wafer to listen and learn his system. Other point guards are available like Brevin Knight who was a pass first point guard. I don’t know about his conditioning and ability to play today.

7. Bonzi Wells- An inside scorer would help the Bulls but Bonzi Wells caused trouble wherever he went. They would be better served looking for a post up player in 2010 free agency.

I think you make some good points and the Bulls certainly have their work to do the rest of the year and over the summer to improve. They are definitely not playing at the same level as the Celtics; but remember the Celtics are an older team. They Bulls should be building a younger team that will compete for a championship in future when the Celtics are rebuilding. Regarding the article by Kelly Dwyer, I couldn’t agree more. Luol Deng played well while the rest of the team was not as talented and not as well prepared as the Celtics. The Bulls do have their work to do but they do have cap money to spend in 2010.

Best regards,

Keith Singer, Esq.

——————————————–

Hopefully, Keith [and KD] won’t mind too much if we shift the discussion over to this location … i.e. to allow it room to grow in a place where it will be easier to moderate and ensure that other interested parties can have direct access to it without first having to sort through a series of unrelated comments.

Keith,

The answers to your specific questions are as follows:

1. Chicago’s management … and a great many of the Bulls fans … have been wrong about the specific skill-set which Ben Gordon brings to the table in the NBA game.

Yes, Ben Gordon is a shorter Off Guard, when it comes to checking some of the taller #2/3′s in the NBA.

However …

I. Ben Gordon is not considered a shorter player when he’s used defensively to check the Point Guard position. If he’s allowed to use his height/size to advantage … i.e. by gapping … and not required by his coach to apply “turn-the-screws” defensive pressure at all times, Ben Gordon is a capable defender at the PG position.

II. If/when Ben Gordon plays beside Derrick Rose, they become almost inter-changeable, at the PG and OG positions, minimizing any height advantage an opponent’s taller OG might have … due to the fact that the opponent’s guard tandem would then have to:

i. Cope with the Bulls’ ad hoc ”Switchability”, on defense, while still maintaining a physically solid player [Gordon/6-3, 200; Rose/6-3, 190] against their scoring/shooting guard [e.g. Ray Allen/6-5, 205; or, Kobe Bryant/6-6, 205]; and,

ii. Cope with the Bulls’ ad hoc “ability to generate high percentage shots which stem from dribble penetration” by either Rose or Gordon, for both [A] themselves and/or [B] their less dynamic teammates.

iii. Cope with the Bull’s ensuing height/size advantage at the Point Guard position, while attempting to Rebound and Defend against Rose and Gordon.

On Offense, Gordon’s specific skill-set [i.e. his ability to create his own shot and stretch the defense with long range 3's] is a terrific pairing with Rose’s ability to dribble penetrate.

III. On offense, when Derrick Rose is out of the game …

If Ben Gordon is used at the PG position, what’s required is:

* 1st, to get the ball out of his hands

[e.g. with a simple pass to either wing]

* 2nd, to get the ball back into his hands, in a scoring position, from a designated action which also allows his teammates to touch the ball

[e.g. with a simple UCLA cut/back screen to the block; and a straight-forward "Single-Double" action, Ben Gordon becomes a devastating scoring Combo Guard, in the mode of Vinny "The Microwave" Johnson.]

Used in this fashion, Ben Gordon is a High Level NBA player … who is worth every penny of a large, long term contract.

Chicago made a BIG MISTAKE in letting him go this past summer.

[Please Note: While there's a great deal to like about the specific skill-set which John Salmons has, as a Big Guard, when the starting SF on your team is Luol Deng ... who specializes in the mid-range game, as well, without really being able to stretch the D with the 3, or slash to the hoop in a first-class way ... then, it is simply not a good fit using him for major minutes beside a PG like Derrick Rose, who struggles with his perimeter jump-shot and a Center like Joakim Noah, who is not a high precentage back-to-the-basket scorer, or an efficient mid-range jump-shooter.]

2. Yes, Derrick Rose’s ankle injury has significantly reduced his overall effectiveness, so far this season … but, primarily it’s because Chicago has not yet replaced Ben Gordon’s ability to stretch the defense with long range 3′s and create open shots for himself and/or his teammates. If Rose still had this type of player beside him in the line-up for major minutes, his limited agility/mobility/explosiveness/etc. would not be such a detriment to the Bulls.

3. Yes, losing an athletic, energetic and exuberant Power Forward like Tyrus Thomas, for a major stretch of games, has been a huge factor in the Bulls’ poor play this season. In partnership with terrific overall athletes like Rose, Gordon and Noah [i.e shot-blocker #1A], last season Thomas [i.e. shot-blocker #1] gave Chicago 4 starting players who were each capable of Rebounding and Defending multiple positions on the floor during any given possession … which is a major advantage for a team.

4. It’s a total fallacy that a player needs to have a high degree of “NBA talent” in order to play effectively at the Center position. What matters most is:

- Does a player have the speed and quickness and stamina required to run the floor consistently in transition?

- Does a player have a solid frame with adequate size [i.e. some combination of girth, strength and length]?

- Does a player have a solid aptitude for the game [i.e. the ability to read the game and play with/off his teammates]?

- Does a player have solid eam attitude [i.e. unselfishness]?

- Does a player have a specific type of shot which he can make on a consistent basis [i.e. Catch & Shoot mid-range jump-shot; Drop-step power lay-up; Turn-around jump-shot; etc.]

- Does a player have the ability to pass the ball with his back to the basket? 

If the answers to these questions are, “Yes”, then the player can succeed playing the Center position in the NBA. 

The two simple equations look like this:

OPTION #1. The less “NBA athletic” talent a player has at the C position the more “NBA athletic” talent his 4 teammates must be.

OPTION #2. The more “NBA athletic” talent a player has at the C position the less “NBA athletic” talent his 4 teammates can be.

Aaron Gray [C, 7-0, 270] is plenty “good enough” to be used for spot minutes in the NBA.

5. Kirk Hinrich simply hasn’t been the same player since he lost his spot with the USA National Team.

IMO, no other player who participated with the USA national teams that failed to win Gold Medals at the 2002 and 2006 World Championships, and the 2004 Olympic Games, has been [psycho-emotionally] “damaged” more by those specific losses … and the impression which they created across the NBA … than Captain Kirk. It’s a real shame, too, as prior to his experience with that team … where his confidence was shot … he was on track to have an outstanding pro career, as a highly versatile Combo Guard, who could do a little bit of everything fairly well without excelling at any specific aspect of the game.

6. Von Wafer can be a difficult player to handle … but, only if your roster is filled with other players who are just as good or better than he is, as an explosive scorer at the wing position. This is not the situation with the Bulls current line-up.

7. Bonzi Wells … signed to a 1-yr, NBA veteran’s minimum contract … would not be a difficult player for the Bulls’ to incorporate at this time. When he knows his role, and is actually used in that role, exclusively, he becomes a very valuable post-up scorer for a team like Chicago, without a high percentage post-up player on its current roster. To get the Bulls to next season, without being totally embarrassed this year, he becomes a decent, inexpensive add that effectively addresses a specific short term need.

Thanks for your feedback!

re: How an astute NBA observer might expect the first part of the schedule to unfold for the Raptors this year

Game 8– vs Chicago [Wed Nov 11]

 

RAPTORS		ADV	BULLS
PG	Calderon	à	PG	Rose
OG	DeRozan *	à	OG	Hinrich
SF	Turkoglu $^	=	SF	Deng
PF	Bosh	ß	PF	Thomas
C	Bargnani	=	C	Noah
PG	Jack #	ß	PG	Pargo $
OG	Belinelli ^	=	OG	Salmons
SF	Wright ^	=	SF	Johnson *
PF	Evans ^	ß	PF	Gibson *
C	Nesterovic $	=	C	Miller
G/F	Douby	=	G	Hunter
PF	Johnson ^	=	C	Gray
HC	Triano	à	HC	Del Negro
+3		OUTCOME	+3
Legend: ADV – Individual match-up advantage; * - 2009 NBA Draftee; ^ - Acquired via trade; # – Restricted free agent; #M – Restricted free agent, matched offer; $ – Unrestricted free agent; $R – Unrestricted free agent, re-signed; $^ – Acquired via Sign & Trade; Italics – Returning player.

The Bulls will be a significantly bigger team than they were for much of last season, substituting Luol Deng at the #3/SF position in place of John Salmons, shifting Salmons to the #2/OG position in place of Ben Gordon, and then introducing 2 athletic 1st Round Draft Picks … each with good size at their position … into their rotation at the back-up #3/SF-#4/PF and #4/PF positions, i.e. James Johnson [No. 16, overall] and Taj Gibson [No. 26, overall], respectively. Last year’s arrival of Derrick Rose [PG, 2008 No. 1, overall, Draft Pick], in conjunction with Joakim Noah [C, 2007 No. 9, overall Draft Pick] and Tyrus Thomas [PF, 2006 No. 4, overall Draft Pick], means that Chicago now has a collection of talented young players that can rival the other up-and-coming teams across the NBA. Given the invaluable experience the Bulls gained from their epic 1st Round playoff loss to the Celtics, this team is going to be a dangerous squad this year … but, one which is still going to suffer periods of inconsistency considering the youth on the roster. Playing their 3rd game in 5 days and the 2nd half of a back-2-back, Chicago should be in a vulnerable position for this game … with the Raptors in desperate need of a home-court victory to get back on the right track after their disappointing road trip. 

Raptors expected W-L Record: W, 3-5

Prior to last night’s proceedings, these 15 individuals were identified by this corner as players who could have given the Toronto Raptors what they need, at this moment in time, heading towards a long term future [A] with or [B] without Chris Bosh:

Perception vs Reality – Who SHOULD Raptors Draft?

Al-Farouq Aminu [6-9, 215, SF/PF, Wake Forest, now unavailable]
Tyreke Evans [6-6, 219, PG/OG, Memphis]
DeMar DeRozan [6-7, 220, OG/SF, USC]
Earl Clark [6-10, 226, PF, Louisville]
Derrick Brown [6-8, 225, SF, Xavier]
Terrence Williams [6-6, 213, OG, Louisville]
Wayne Ellington [6-5, 202, OG, UNC]
Danny Green [6-6, 208, OG/SF, UNC]
Sam Young [6-6, 223, SF, Pittsburgh]
Marcus Thorton [6-4, 194, OG, LSU]
Tyler Hansbrough [6-9, 234, PF, UNC]
Taj Gibson [6-10, 214, PF, USC]
Dante Cunningham [6-8, 227, PF/SF, Villanova]
Tyler Smith [6-6, 212, OG, Tennessee, now unavailable]
Nando De Colo [6-5, 190, OG, France]

This is what happened last night with each of those 15 players::

- Al-Farouq Aminu. Withdrew from consideration; back to Wake Forest.
- Tyler Smith. Withdrew from consideration; back to Tennessee.

- Tyreke Evans. SACRAMENTO/No. 4, selected by Geoff Petrie.

- DeMar DeRozan. Player the Raptors/No. 9 wanted all along.

- Earl Clark. PHOENIX/No. 14, selected by Steve Kerr.
- Derrick Brown. CHARLOTTE/No. 40, selected by M-Jordan/L-Brown.
- Terrence Williams. NEW JERSEY/No. 11., selected by R-Thorn/K-Vandeweghe.
- Wayne Ellington. MINNESOTA/No. 28, selected by David Kahn
- Sam Young. MEMPHIS/No. 36, selected by Chris Wallace. 
- Danny Green. CLEVELAND/No. 46, selected by Danny Ferry.
- Marcus Thorton. MIAMI/No. 43, selected by Pat Riley [traded to New Orleans-Jeff Bower/Byron Scott].
- Tyler Hansbrough. INDIANA/No. 13, selected by Larry Bird.
- Taj Gibson. CHICAGO/No. 26, selected by J-Paxson/G-Forman.
- Dante Cunningham. PORTLAND/No. 33, selected by Kevin Pritchard.
- Nando De Colo. SAN ANTONIO/N. 53, selected by RC Buford/G-Popovich.

———-
 
1. Over the next few seasons, it is going to be most interesting to watch the development of these 15 players.

2. The Charlotte Bobcats [37-45] are gradually building a very solid team:

* Adding Gerald Henderson [OG] and Derrick Brown [SF] last night
* Trading for Boris Diaw [PF-SF], Raja Bell [OG], Vladimir Radmanovic [SF-PF] and DeSagana Diop [C} last season
* Drafting DJ Augustin [PG] & Alex Ajinca [C} last year
* Re-signing Gerald Wallace [SF-PF] last year
* Re-signing Emeka Okafor [C-PF] 2 years ago

3. There’s a very good reason the same names keep popping up when the Larry O’Brien Trophy is awarded, in June, to the NBA Champions.

Update:

* Marcus Thorton has subsequently been traded to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for two future 2nd Round Draft Picks [i.e. 2010 & 2012].

will most likely select one of the following 6 players:

1. DeMar DeRozan [OG-SF]
2. Gerald Henderson [OG-SF]
3. Jrue Holiday [PG-OG]
4. Jonny Flynn [PG]
5. Jordan Hill [PF]
6. James Johnson [SF-PF] 

according to Bryan Colangelo [GM].

[PLEASE NOTE: This is a link to a radio interview from Jun 17, 2009 which every Raptors fan should listen to, as it deals with Thursday's NBA Draft, the acquisition of Reggie Evans and the team's POV re: Chris Bosh.]

From the perspective of this corner, however, by doing so … they will, once again, be throwing away another golden opportunity to build their team into a legitimate long term contender for a Top 4 spot in the Eastern Conference, by not trading down to a Middle or Lower Spot in the 1st Round, while acquiring an additional pick in the 2nd Round, in a classic two-for-one scenario.

Q1. Why does this year’s Draft qualify as such an occasion?

A1. Because the players who fit best with what Toronto needs right now, as well as looking down-the-road a piece … possibly, to a life without Chris Bosh … are not perceived by others to be worthy of selection in the No. 9 position but will most likely be available in the Middle or the Lower section of the 1st Round, and/or in the 2nd Round.

Draft preview: Closer look at the small forwards

SMALL FORWARDS ::::::
Rank	Name	School/Team	Height	Weight	Wingspan	Vertical
1	Earl Clark	Louisville	6-10 3/4	228	7-2 1/2	33
2	Omri Casspi	Maccabi Tel Aviv	6-9 1/4	211	6-9 1/2	32.5
3	Sam Young	Pittsburgh	6-6 3/4	223	6-10 3/4	33
4	Austin Daye	Gonzaga	6-10 3/4	192	7-2 3/4	28
5	DaJuan Summers	Georgetown	6-8 1/2	243	7-0 3/4	34.5
6	Jonas Jurebko	Angelico Biella (Italy)	6-8 #	220 #	N/A	N/A
7	Derrick Brown	Xavier	6-8 1/2	225	7-2 1/2	35.5
8	Danny Green	North Carolina	6-6 1/2	208	6-10	33
9	Lorrenzo Wade	San Diego State	6-6 #	225 #	N/A	N/A
10	Victor Claver	Pamesa Valencia (Spain)	6-9 #	225 #	N/A	N/A

 

Derrick Brown is a player with a tonne of NBA ability, at the Wing position, who should be there for the Raptors in the Middle of the 1st Round.

———-

Xavier’s Brown has been coming on the last few weeks, benefitting from long arms (a 7-2 1/2 wingspan) good workouts up and down the first round, and the pedigree of bigs that Xavier has produced for NBA teams, including Brian Grant, Aaron Williams, Tyrone Hill, James Posey and David West. He’s active — “bouncy,” one personnel man says.

“Sometimes, kids get better and I think he’s one of the kids that’s grown with the process,” said a Northwest Division executive. “He’s been able to expand his game a little bit and show some of the things he couldn’t show at Xavier.”

———-

Derrick Brown would fill their need for an immediate ”starter” who can score the ball, rebound his position and defend with solid athleticism and considerable length.

Derrick Brown
SEASON	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	TO	A/T	STL	BLK	PF	FG%	FT%	3P%	PPS
2005-2006	Did not play.
2006-2007	16.9	6.3	4.1	.8	1.1	.69	.5	.6	2.5	.706	.700	.500	1.96
2007-2008	28.1	10.9	6.5	1.7	1.9	.90	.9	.8	2.5	.609	.706	.344	1.66
2008-2009	29.5	13.7	6.1	1.9	1.7	1.11	.7	.9	2.5	.504	.741	.433	1.42

For the number crunchers …

Q2. When you look at these simple game stats, what do you see?

A2. A player who shot 43.3% from behind the arc last season … shooting three times as many treys than the year before [in which he shot three times as many as he did his first year in college] … scored at a solid rate of 1.42 PPS [i.e. higher than DeMar DeRozan and Tyreke Evans], and improved his Ast:TO each of his 3 seasons at Xavier University.

[PLEASE NOTE: Players who are capable of doing THIS, and reach the point where their ratio is above 1.00 have a HIGH Basketball IQ.]

In conjunction with his outstanding Wingspan, his solid vertical & lateral agility scores, his ability to do THIS:

on a regular basis, and the fact that he conducts himself like THIS:

when dealing with the media in a first-class way … say that this young man, Derrick Brown, “Is ready” to play in the NBA, right away.

================================================

When you couple a player like Derrick Brown with a:

Taj Gibson [late 1st Rounder, early 2nd Round, Horace Grant type]
Dante Cunningham [late 1st Rounder, early 2nd Round, James Worthy type]
Danny Green [2nd Round, Bruce Bowen type]
Marcus Thornton [2nd Round, Mitch Richmond type], or
Nando De Colo [2nd Round, Manu Ginobili type]

you are talking about a serious increase in FIRST-CLASS athletic ability and NBA skill level that can immediately elevate the Quality Depth on the Raptors’ roster to the point where they could contend with the likes of Boston and Cleveland and Orlando, etc., in the not-too-distant future, either:

A. If Chris Bosh re-signs with their team; 

OR,

B. If Chris Bosh is traded [for comparable parts] and Andrea Bargnani continues to improve, as their Center, moving forward from that point.

———-

The ball’s been placed in Bryan’s Colangelo’s hands … for the sake of loyal Raptors fans everywhere … let’s hope that he doesn’t drop it, again.

 

Related:

Perception vs Reality – Who should Raptors draft?

Welcome to the 2009 edition of ‘Match the Stats’ [re: Raptors' possible draftees].

This is your friendly DraftMaster, khandor.

Now … Whoooooooooo’s ready to play?

———-

The names of 15 players who at one time this spring were eligible for Thursday’s [June 25] NBA Draft:

Nando De Colo [6-5, 190, OG, France]
Earl Clark [6-10, 226, PF, Louisville]
Terrence Williams [6-6, 213, OG, Louisville]
Marcus Thorton [6-4, 194, OG, LSU]
Tyreke Evans [6-6, 219, PG/OG, Memphis]
Sam Young [6-6, 223, SF, Pittsburgh]
Wayne Ellington [6-5, 202, OG, UNC]
Danny Green [6-6, 208, OG/SF, UNC]
Tyler Hansbrough [6-9, 234, PF, UNC]
Tyler Smith [6-6, 212, OG, Tennessee, now unavailable]
DeMar DeRozan [6-7, 220, OG/SF, USC]
Taj Gibson [6-10, 214, PF, USC]
Dante Cunningham [6-8, 227, PF/SF, Villanova]
Al-Farouq Aminu [6-9, 215, SF/PF, Wake Forest, now unavailable]
Derrick Brown [6-8, 225, SF, Xavier]

The 1st year statistics for these 15 players, at the college level, in random order.

Toronto Raptors 2009 NBA Draft Prospects 1st Year at the College Level
PLAYER	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	TO	A/T	STL	BLK	PF	FG%	FT%	3P%	PPS
1	29.0	12.9	8.2	1.5	2.6	.57	1.0	1.2	2.6	.516	.671	.179	1.42
2	16.9	6.3	4.1	.8	1.1	.69	.5	.6	2.5	.706	.700	.500	1.96
3	16.0	5.9	3.8	.4	.8	.50	.7	.4	1.2	.480	.597	.370	1.28
4	19.1	2.2	4.0	.8	.8	.96	.8	.6	2.4	.468	.394	.000	1.15
5	28.2	14.7	3.6	3.3	3.6	.92	1.0	0.1	2.8	.444	.875	.352	1.31
6	33.4	13.9	5.7	1.5	2.1	.70	.9	.4	2.1	.523	.646	.167	1.32
7	23.9	11.7	2.9	2.1	1.2	1.68	.8	.0	1.3	.433	.836	.371	1.17
8	29.0	17.1	5.4	3.9	3.6	1.08	2.1	.8	2.4	.455	.711	.274	1.25
9	32.4	12.2	8.7	1.5	2.9	.51	.5	1.9	3.0	.558	.623	.000	1.45
10	15.3	7.5	3.7	1.1	1.3	.80	.7	1.0	1.6	.433	.792	.355	1.24
11	30.4	18.9	7.8	1.3	2.5	.52	1.2	.7	2.8	.570	.739	.500	1.68
12	33.7	14.9	4.9	3.6	3.0	1.21	1.5	.3	2.5	.442	.727	.254	1.17
13	33.6	19.6	5.6	1.4	2.2	.62	1.4	.3	2.0	.436	.817	.377	1.25
14	25.1	8.4	4.7	2.1	1.7	1.23	1.0	.3	1.8	.391	.612	.310	1.05
15	20.4	7.9	4.4	.8	1.5	.56	.7	.6	1.4	.521	.693	.190	1.39
Legend: MIN – Minutes Played; PTS – Points; REB – Rebounds; AST – Assists, TO – Turnovers; A/T – Assist to Turnover Ratio; STL – Steals; BLK – Blocked Shots; PF – Personal Fouls; FG% – Field Goal Percentage; FT% – Free Throw Percentage; 3P% – Three Point Shooting Percentage; PPS – Points Per Shot.

 

Your assignment comes in two parts:

PART ONE
Rank the individual stat lines [according to their assigned number in the left-hand column] in the specific order which you feel best addresses the Raptors’ needs.

[e.g. 1st - No. 14, 2nd - No. 5, 3rd - No. 1, 4th - No. 7, etc.. Account for all fifteen.]

PART TWO
Match the individual stat lines [according to their assigned number in the left-hand column] with the correct Player’s Name from the list of fifteen provided above.

[e.g. 1st - No. 14; Tyreke Evans; 2nd - No. 5; 3rd - No. 1, Al-Farouq Aminu; 4th - No. 7, Tyler Hansbrough, etc.. Account for all fifteen.]

Once complete … you will then be ready to enter the Raptors’ War Room on Thursday night with your own version of ‘Raptors Match the Stats’:

[which should look something like this]

Raptors Match the Stats
Rank	No.	PLAYER’S NAME
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th

 

[NOTE: Interested persons are invited to submit their own version of 'Raptors Match the Stats' in the "comments" section.]

————————————————————

According to NBA.com’s 2009 NBA Draft: Consensus Mock Draft, the players most likely to be selected by the Raptors are Tyreke Evans or DeMar Derozan, each of whom was a college freshman this past season. Do you think these two players actually have the individual stat lines that Best Fit what the Raptors need from this year’s pool of draftees?

Go ahead and play ‘Match the Stats’ … and, you will soon find out!

The answer might surprise you.

[or, maybe not ... depending on what your impression is of the Raptors' Draft Record, in the Bryan Colangelo era.]