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Ask Sam | 06.05.09
Sam Smith opens his mailbag to respond to the latest round of questions from his readers.
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What about a comment LeBron James made after game 5 against Orlando. When talking to Craig Sager, he said how the complimentary players stepped up. Even though that is what the other players are, isn't he showing his arrogance toward the other players by calling them that? As their teammate, should he call them teammates? Am I just trying to pick him apart?
Steve
Sam: Pick him apart. We beat up Jordan for that one—supporting cast then—some time back. It's what star players do these days and somehow it seems acceptable. LeBron had a bad week, for him, anyway, other than in Cleveland where he reportedly was told by Cavs management he was perfect in every way. Many others, however, saw poor sportsmanship and puerile pique in his post game fast break to the team bus, leaving his teammates to explain the loss. And then James' declaration that he is a winner and it's too tough to congratulate the guys who beat you. No one noticed the only real thing James has won was a high school championship and some nice Eastern Conference runner-up banners. Now that you mention Sager—my buddy from the Tri-Cities I have to add, though no one I ever met in Batavia dresses like that. Or Bavaria—he reported after the game that LeBron only texted his mother to say he'd see her soon. I had to laugh with the obvious running home crying to mommy thing they seemed to be getting toward. LeBron will survive this fine because the league and ESPN, which is partners with the NBA in promoting James, wants him to be fine. You'd never hear Russell or West or Walton or Reed or Cowens or Oscar or Bird or Magic or Kareem talk like that, but times change. If it was OK for Michael, it's deemed to be OK. That's piling on blaming LeBron for that, too. It will be interesting to see how stubborn he is on this one. He's not the apologizing type, it hasn't seemed. Though commissioner David Stern did say at his pre-Finals press conference Thursday that he spoke with James and James regretted his actions and apologized and would make that clear in the future when he recovers from his post season surgery. Stern also said he changed his mind and fined James $25,000, which was typical for other players taking such actions and left many wondering why the league was excusing James and hadn't excused past stars. I did read somewhere that Jordan did the same thing in 1990 after the seventh game loss to the Pistons. No way! Jordan did have his petulant moments of silence in the playoffs, but he always understood when you were the MVP of the league and when you lost a big series you had a responsibility to the game and your team—no matter how much you may have thought they gave in—to stand up and be the leader and meet the critics. Jordan did it every time without exception when the Bulls seasons came to an end. I suspect James will now as well.
If you were GM of the Bulls and you had the next two years to win a title, what deals would you do to bring a title back to Chicago?
Josh
Sam: I'd hope for luck first, which is the vital factor. No injuries and a couple of good bounces. The most important thing is to have a mature star, so I don't know if in two years Derrick Rose is there yet. Rose will have to be that guy for the Bulls. So I don't see an imminent championship, as if that's the only thing to play for. You play for a chance to win a championship. Everything else must break right. So first it's getting out of the East. It's going to be intriguing what happens with James. The general speculation has changed some with the Cavs loss to the Magic. The Cavs roster was exposed badly along with the coaching. They won't fire Mike Brown before LeBron has to make a decision, so the question is whether they can add something this summer. The Cavs can have cap room after next season, and the latest speculation is that the Cavs will go for Chris Bosh or the Knicks will bring both James and Bosh to New York, or, at least, that's what the Knicks believe. There are all sorts of scenarios. The point for the Bulls is it's going to be difficult to get by teams with Dwight Howard and James. I'd take a hard run at Bosh this summer, but I don't see the Bulls having the pieces to make a deal better than some other teams, like Golden State. Failing that I'd take a run at Amare Stoudemire, who is very available. He's a risk because of injuries and visions of personal grandeur. You have to find a second difference maker and I don't see him on the roster now. I don't yet see the Hornets giving up David West, so you just have to take a shot at different guys and see what works.
J.R. Smith... didn't the Bulls acquire him in a trade? What happened there? He looked good against the Lakers.
Jason
Sam: He came in the Tyson Chandler deal and the Bulls basically gave him away because then coach Scott Skiles didn't want him and wouldn't play him. The Bulls had little choice, in my opinion. It's not like Smith had much value after being run out with the Hornets. And he's fought constantly in Denver with coach George Karl. It might have been worth it though to see he and Skiles go at it. Sort of scorched earth. I'm not sure the franchise would have survived. You can fire the coach or the player. The Bulls were Skiles' team then, so Smith had no shot. He's an athletic talent, but he's had a series of behavioral and personality issues and never would have made it with the Bulls, especially with all the guards they have. It's easy to say they should have gotten something, but it's not like teams are vying for Smith. He's still a reserve, after all.
It seems for the Bulls to take the next step they have to improve both the starting line up and the bench. We don't hear any trade talk regarding the Lakers. Any possible scenarios trading Kirk to the Lakers? Kirk would seem a good fit with Fisher getting old and I don't think too much of Farmar. Any players there available that would interest the Bulls other than the obvious and that won't happen? I think Odom and Ariza are free agents, any reasonable sign and trade possibilities with either of them to match up salaries and would they help improve the Bulls from a skills aspect? Kirk is a luxury just like Noce was, but we need to improve the overall mix of players. Serenity Now!
Eddie
Sam: Yes, that is the problem that forces you to look for a relaxation method: The Bulls need starters and reserves. No, they are not close to competing for a championship. Hinrich is interesting because in those Kobe trade talks a few years back Hinrich was one of the keys. The Lakers really wanted him and he's a Phil Jackson kind of guard who can play a two guard front, defend and make a shot. Odom is the key figure with the Lakers who might be expendable, though part of the reason the Bulls are considering parting with Hinrich is not only that he's a backup now but money. If they want to sign Gordon or make an offer, they probably need to make a move. Odom is a power forward now, though one who isn't your classic throw it inside player. He's good and versatile and has his rebounding games, but he's not exactly motivated all the time. The intriguing guy with the Lakers is Bynum, but I don't see them letting him go at his age although L.A. types tell me his advisors don't like the way he's been treated and wouldn't mind a trade. I don't think there's any chance of that because ownership is committed to Bynum and Buss will spend. I still believe the Lakers win the title and if they do I see everyone returning.
Please explain to me why the Bulls are going after a point guard so bad? Reading from some of what Collison and Flynn said they are assured that the Bulls have a lot of interest in them and that they need a good point guard. Do the Bulls not remember that they have a guy named Derrick Rose? Yeah, he's a half decent player don't ya think? I think it's crazy how hard the Bulls are pushing to get a PG. If they're just getting a backup for Hinrich if he is traded then I guess it's fine. But the way Collison and Flynn are talking it doesn't seem that way.
Mike
Sam: College players going in for interviews always talk like that. Don't pay any attention to what any say. They are drilled by agents on what to say and how to say it. It's just a job interview in which you lie about everything. It's why teams give all these wild tests and ask what seem like crazy questions. They are trying to break through the lies and it usually takes getting the players around them for a long time and for dinners to break them down like a police detective would. You have it exactly right. The Bulls desperately need a backup (cheap) point guard so they have maneuverability with Hinrich. This is hardly a championship roster and the Bulls have to make some moves. Hinrich has value around the NBA and I personally doubt he wants to be a career backup no matter what he says. He's too good for that. Plus, guys like Collison and Flynn don't project as NBA starters but backups.
Dear Larry Brown. I am sorry I thought we did not need you. It seems the Wallace boys got much nuttier without you, Billups decided looking cool was more important than winning and Joe Dumars was reduced to selecting a coach who has the respect of no one.
End of the Road Piston fan (Lawrence).
Sam: It may be a good decade for the Pistons. They had a terrific run without a true star and I'm not opposed to breaking things up a bit prematurely when you know you can't win anymore. Dumars did see what the Nuggets saw this year: Billups wears out as the playoffs go on and isn't that effective. No one in Chicago is feeling sorry. The other issue is the economy. The Pistons' city is about out of business. I know the Pistons went way under the salary cap with the deal for Iverson and letting Rasheed go. But the free agent class isn't great this summer and Dumars' penchant has not been to pay maximum deals. I've heard-and it's no surprise-the Pistons have lost loads of sponsorships and will have trouble even selling so many of the seats they've discounted given the awful economic shape of the auto industry. So, say, you go for Boozer and Ben Gordon. OK, what have you got? Who's going to Detroit now given the state of the local economy? Yeah, the arena is way in the suburbs and all the players are there and Windsor across the border still is a mini Vegas. Though Dumars makes bold moves and is a risk taker. It's been awfully quiet with the Pistons. That too quiet thing. I wouldn't feel that confident of staying if I were anyone on that team or in that organization. Dumars traded for Wallace when he was radioactive, took a shot on Ben Wallace, went for Billups when no one was interested and went through coaches like Carlisle, Brown and Saunders when they still were winning. And Michael Curry was not winning. Dumars is not about to stand still and let the Pistons go down. He may not get it right, but I'm confident he'll do something that no one saw coming.
And considering the Lakers and the Magic are winning with bigs, do you think the Bulls should draft 7 footers like Ogilvy or BJ Mullins. Ogilvy is given better report than BJ and is said to be more NBA ready.
Sophie
Sam: Mullins is an intriguing guy. GM's before the season told me he was a top three to five pick. Now, who knows where he goes. Maybe into the 20's. I don't know that much about Ogilvy other than when I ask personnel guys they shrug. Yes, it's important to have big men and the Bulls don't have enough. But you need to have good ones. Look who's playing: Howard and Pau Gasol. Denver got away without really great big guys. Nene really is a four and Andersen is somewhat like Noah. Rookie big men don't do much for you. The Bulls know what they need and are trying to get it. It's not easy. Remember, Jerry Krause drafted power forward just about every year. Then the Bulls won three titles trading for Dennis Rodman and Bill Wennington. As we always say here and in Phil Jackson's locker room, You win with men.
There's a rumor that Hinrich might be going to Minnesota for there #6 pick in the draft straight up. If there's any truth in this then don't you think this would just be setting us up to make a deal for Amare or Bosh?
Rocky
Sam: That's the rumor of the week. Last week it was Shaq to the Bulls. The Bulls talked seriously with Minnesota at the trading deadline about a deal for Hinrich. I think that one involved expiring deals and would have to again to match salaries. The rumors have been a swap of picks as well. I can see it happening as the Bulls still have an eye on 2010 for a run at major free agents. In the short run, it would hurt the team, which may be the disappointment coming into next season. The Bulls might look more toward 2010 free agency, which would limit what they do this summer. I'm not sure where they stand yet on that thinking. But if they do go that way it's not out of the question they could miss the playoffs next season given there's no certainty Gordon will return or even listen to a Bulls offer and what will be Deng's health. So the Bulls have to be careful. Can you trade Hinrich and then lose Gordon? You won't know what Gordon will do until July. It would be awfully risky to deal Hinrich at the draft and then have three draft picks at a time you need to stop going young. Yes, the Bulls could pull off a big move if a team turns desperate to dump salary, like the Raptors or Hornets or Suns. But it also could be a holding pattern for another season given they likely know Rose isn't quite ready get to lead a championship team. Sorry to break it to you.
If I'm LeBron James, I have to seriously consider opting-out and defecting to the Nets. His "supporting cast" in Cleveland is a complete joke (when considering the amount of luxury tax that team is paying, and his teammates respective ages, even more so)! He just has to work far, unreasonably, too hard even for his team to have a chance. Devin Harris and Brook Lopez (the hardest positions to solidify in the NBA right now) are looking very attractive as a young, burgeoning, potential, nucleus with cap-room. And if I'm the Bulls, I now have to seriously consider an aggressive draft-night trade for Hasheem Thabeet. Nobody, presently on their roster, can match his unique combination of strength, size, quickness and youth! What he does best(rebound, shot-block and defend the paint/post area), he can do better than any current Bulls player (by far). With the emergence of Dwight Howard, especially at his age (barring catastrophic, career-ending, injury), without such a trade, the Bulls appear permanently road-blocked (dead in the water)in the Eastern Conference(impossibly and helplessly overmatched there, enough to consistently lose such a potential and decisive playoff series). Come to think of it, with the lone exception of the 03/04 Pistons(who did it with supreme defensive speed and quickness at all five positions on the floor), no NBA team, in almost thirty years, has won it all without a big and imposing front-line with intimidating size (Cartwright + Horace Grant, Luc Longley + Brian Williams, James Edwards + Lambier + John Sally, Duncan + Robert Horry). The current Orlando Magic and Lakers are certainly NOT changing that trend!
Kevin
Sam: It's an interesting point about the Nets as everyone has pretty much forgotten about them in the BronStakes because their arena project keeps getting held up. They have that rapper guy in management, which was supposed to be a lure for James, whom, I guess, really loves rap. They do have two nice pieces, and Cleveland's made it look like how the heck could that team win 66 games? So anything really is possible with James, though I don't see the Nets one piece away and that's where James will want to go if he leaves. As for Thabeet, the Grizzlies are said to be interested and their interest remains money. They don't take back contracts and rookies come the cheapest. Owner Heisley likes to play GM during the draft, so I suspect we'll hear loads of rumors involving them. Thabeet is big and supposedly clumsier on offense than Dikembe Mutombo, whom he's often compared with. I'm not sure that's the guy you want in the pick and roll with Rose. I don't discount the need for big men, but I'd prefer one who has a chance to score and actually can be guarded on occasion. I think the Bulls are satisfied with Noah, who can't score much, either. I see them looking for front court scoring, which would make it highly unlikely to me they'd consider Thabeet.
Just read a report on RealGM that stated the Raptors are privately acknowledging that they made need to trade Bosh. The report states that the Bulls remain interested, and that Luol Deng would have to be part of the package. I feel the same way that you do about trading Deng; namely, that it ain't gonna happen. The Bulls ownership loves him, and given his injury, his production, and the economy, nobody wants that contract. But could Toronto be the exception? Toronto seems to have a problem getting major American stars to sign long terms contracts with them (McGrady, Carter, and now Bosh). So while every other team in the league most likely views Deng's contract as a deal breaker, Toronto may actually view it as a major plus. I mean Deng is young, non-American, and locked up long term. This may be Toronto's golden opportunity to get a potential all-star (not that I personally view Deng as star material) to be the face of the franchise for a long time. So if Toronto decides Bosh will bolt, how about Deng, Thomas, the #16 and filler for Bosh and one of their bad contracts?
Scott
Sam: They should be good with that. A likely backup in Thomas, a guy in Deng whom they won't know for sure if he can start next season given he's got a stress fracture and a non lottery pick. The Raptors may get to the point they'll deal Bosh. They should be there now that Bosh came out and said he won't resign with the Raptors this summer and will become a free agent after the 2009-10 season. So you figure the Raptors will begin to look aggressively now to trade him. But Bryan Colangelo isn't a GM who likes to "lose" a deal in the media. He was criticized relentlessly in Toronto this season and if he deals Bosh he needs good pieces and a face saving deal of some sort. Perhaps getting someone like Stoudemire or LaMarcus Aldridge or Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, guys who have been All Stars or big names whom teams may want to move to shake things up. There'll be many offers for Bosh. To me, the Bulls would have to do something like Salmons, Noah and Tyrus and maybe some picks. Right. Not happening.
Lay it on us... What are the chances the Bulls get LeBron at any time in the next 2 years? What would it take (besides a miracle)?
Jason
Sam: That miracle thing, though I don't think the Bulls are going to discount the possibility. The Bulls really would be a good fit for James if he wants to play for a championship given what they could have and the chances to attract a second guy, like Wade or Bosh or Joe Johnson. But I'm doubtful James wants to compete with the Jordan legacy. Kobe would. But I think that's just him. I recall a classic session I heard about when Jordan was on his second retirement and he was in L.A. He and Phil and Jerry West and Kobe were in a room when Kobe started trash talking Jordan to get on the floor and take him. I'd heard, though it was second hand, Kobe was telling Jordan he could beat him in his prime. Who knows if he was serious as it was a light time. But no one else ever did that kind of stuff. Players don't seem intimidated by the Celtics history, though few could tell you the difference between Sam and K.C. Jones. They all know Jordan and the Bulls and many don't want to deal with that. It's a subtle issue the Bulls face while hard to quantify. I don't think James wants to measure against Jordan's history. He likes being the King. There's only one basketball King in Chicago.
I read that Ben Wallace is thinking about retirement. If he does, how does that affect the cap room for Cleveland? Is it 14 million they have free to spend on free agents this summer?
Jason
Sam: If Wallace were to retire and give up $14 million, it would come off the cap against the Cavs. He is not. His family was instrumental in pushing Ben to the Bulls because the money was so much more than from the Pistons. Ben isn't walking away from the money. He'd like a buyout and, I'm guessing, most of his money. He actually, as we know, retired a few years ago, though his uniform is often out on the court. Why Mike Brown was playing him given he wasn't fully recovered from a broken leg no one really knows. You and the Cavs can be sure that money is not coming off the cap and Ben isn't walking away from it. No one ever has, and Ben is one of the least likely.
You might think that with Del Harris retiring, it might make sense to go after a more experienced coach, like Harris, such as a Hubie Brown or a Mike Fratello. Granted they must love being commentators, so how about we make moves towards Paul Westphal, or a Terry Porter, or even Dwane Casey. I have nothing against Pete Myers, but he has only been with the Bulls...as a scout and assistant under Tim Floyd, Bill Cartwright, Scott Skiles and Jim Boylan and Vinny Del Negro.
Joe
Sam: The problem with that kind of thinking is you get guys like Del, who really, I believe, wanted to be head coach despite his age. Not that he undermined Del Negro. He was a great supporter of Vinny. But I always got the feeling Del couldn't really get into the assistant's role. Those guys you mention are good. But they are generally accustomed to being in charge and don't always do well taking orders and lesser assignments and working with players and scouting and putting in a system of play and staying with it, which is hard work. Del didn't have much involvement with the players with a workout regimen. His knowledge is impressive. But Pete is a hidden jewel on the Bulls staff. Players respect him and he's a hard worker who came up the tough way. He's straight forward with players and doesn't sit around telling tall tales of how it was when they did it. You want a head coach, hire him. You want someone to work with players and do the dirty work of teaching and planning and scouting, you better keep guys like Myers around. I thought he was way underutilized by the Bulls last season and I hope that changes now with Harris gone.
I'd like your thoughts on a circumstance that happened during the first 8-9 minutes of the fourth quarter of game six of the eastern conference finals. Specifically, how deferential LeBron James became during this time. I remember thinking, as the Cavs entered the fourth quarter with a big deficit, that there was no way that James wasn't going to go down fighting. Then I watched, time and again, as he either passed the ball off or acted as a decoy as the rest of the Cavs players ran the offense. It made me hearken back to a time when MJ would become an excessive passer with the rumored underlying point to management something along the lines of 'well, this is the team you've given me let's just see what they can do here'. Do you think James would decide to take a time such as game six to make that point to management? Or do you think that he might have thought that passing off to Zydrunas Ilgauskas or Wally Szczerbiak for long jump shots was the best way for the Cavs to get back in the game? James did finally take two or three shots the last couple minutes of the game but he was very quiet before that and at that point the game was certainly out of hand. I know he suffered thru a cold shooting game but it just seemed so uncharacteristic.
Michael
Sam: That's a nice theory, but I doubt it. I think he was out on his feet after carrying the team through that Game 5 finish and just had not much left with his teammates giving them nothing. I'm sure he was furious Szczerbiak was in there, as he generally was and earlier in the series made Brown bench Szczerbiak for Pavlovic, who also was bad James has no argument. The Magic did keep James bottled up with traps, but I doubt he needed to make a point. It was obvious to everyone. There's no other All Star on that team, just a bunch of replaceable role players. We'll see if the Cavs can figure it out this summer. Not moving Szczerbiak in February when teams were scouting for expiring deals proved fatal. LeBron will remember that. Signing Joe Smith and not using him in against the Magic was another head scratcher LeBron will remember. The Cavs really are on the clock now. If you thought they feared James before, he may actually make them bow down next season when they see them. The interesting part to me is whether he makes Brown or Ferry wear one of those funny jester hats.
I'm a big follower of the NBA, I just haven't been able to figure these two things out yet. One, why is New York considered basketball paradise? When Kobe and LeBron dropped 61 and 50 in MSG in the same week it was a big deal. The Knicks seem to think LeBron, Bosh, Wade, a reincarnated Wilt Chamberlin, and God will all sign with them in 2010 because of their great tradition. But they only have two championships, and haven't won since 1973, despite having Ewing and Starks and Houston and Sprewell and Oakley etc throughout the 90s and early 2000s. Now they've made these roster moves to clear cap space, but who wants to go there? If I'm a free agent, I'd much rather go to Chicago, OKC, Portland---they seem to be the future contenders. Secondly, what's the deal with Chuck Daly? Everyone's saying he's one of the greatest all-time, and I'll believe it. Jordan said he wish he could have played for him outside the Dream Team. Barkley said something about him being such a nice guy. And yes, it is impressive to be able to control people like Rodman, Laimbeer, and Isiah. But the Pistons won their two championships with dirty play. Who outside of Detroit doesn't hate Laimbeer? Post-retirement, Thomas ran the Pacers, CBA, and Knicks into the ground. Rodman was everything he was. How is Daly one of the all-time greats when those Pistons treated the game more like hockey than basketball?
Will you still be writing in the off-season?
Chris
Sam: Good questions. As for me, yes, if you want to know about the NBA in Chicago, the best place will be Bulls.com. Yes, I'll be writing as I have since the end of the Bulls playoffs. New York, New York. You know, so great you have to say it twice. I'm with you and I'm a native. I think there's nowhere worse to play. They practice maybe a two hour drive from the arena, the media is the cruelest in the nation, the fans are simplistic, the prices are the highest and the tradition is some of the poorest. I'm not sure I'd go to Oklahoma City, but definitely Chicago, L.A., Phoenix, Miami way before New York. Patrick Ewing was a great player and good guy and they hounded him constantly with cheap shots and abuse. Why anyone would subject themselves to that I don't know. I sort of understand in baseball where they pay you way more. But in the NBA they cannot. Plus, who really got endorsements in New York? Jordan got the most. He wasn't there. That doesn't matter. LeBron seems to do OK from Cleveland. Endorsers give a bonus for playing in any of the three top markets. And you always get compared to the 1970 team and you cannot duplicate that in this era. As for Chuck, he was a great coach. In part, because he did what he did with that roster. Chuck's strength was taking what he had and doing the best with it. He didn't assemble that team. And you may not remember, but the NBA endorsed the Pistons then and marketed the Bad Boys thing. Chuck got them to play hard and compete and stay together, which was amazing for a bunch of guys who weren't always very nice or cooperative. It may have been one of the greatest coaching jobs ever.
What about a sign-trade deal with the Pistons, letting go of Ben Gordon for Amir Johnson and the 15th pick?
Joey
Sam: I assume if the Pistons want Ben they will just make him an offer and not have to give up anything since they will be well under the salary cap. Plus those salaries wouldn't even be close and the Bulls if they lose Ben to a sign and trade somewhere would need to get back a high level player to justify spending that kind of money it would cost to resign Ben.
With Harris retiring have the Bulls taken a look at Lindsey Hunter for an assistant position? he did a great job with Rose and he was always a solid defender.
Michael
Sam: Actually, I heard the Bulls talked to Lindsey after the season about returning in a similar players' role or as a coach and told him to get back to them in the summer about that.
Would Golden State make this trade?
Bulls Get
Kelenna Azubuike
Ronny Turiaf
2010 2nd round draft pick
Warriors Get
Kirk Hinrich
Michael
Sam: It doesn't quite match up with money, but Golden State has the pieces to make it work if they wanted to. I know they like Hinrich and could use an actual point guard, but I think with all the management chaos there with the firing of Chris Mullin I think they are committed to making a big play of some sort this summer well beyond a deal like Hinrich.
I know its a little bit late, but your list of 11 greatest playoff moments refreshed my memory on this topic. Is it me or was Queen James last 2nd shot slightly, actually never mind, very overrated. Doesn't and hasn't BG hit shots like this many many times before and in his sleep. What was sooooooo special about the Queens shot? Is it because of who she is, or is it because shes never hit a shot like this before in her career? And is the Queen the 2nd coming of Isiah only a lot better and bigger, but just as much of a baby. I mean when she hit that shot did you see how she was acting and the facial expressions she was making. But than when her team lost she just left the building on the low trying to keep her skirt up. A wise man once said, you can tell more about a man on how they deal with adversity than how they act when everything is going great...or something like that. What will this do to the Queens legacy.
Paule
Sam: Ouch. I'm guessing you aren't from Cleveland. I'm tough on LeBron because when you declare yourself the King and say you want to be the best you have to be held to a higher standard. Yes, Gordon hits shots like that and the Cavs did lose the series, so it won't quite be remembered, I'd say, as much as his 48 points against the Pistons in the playoffs a few years back. But lots of guys hit shots like Jordan did, say, in 1989 against the Cavs, but that shot gets shown all the time and Craig Ehlo gets victimized. When you are the star and do something it gets more notice. If Wally Szczerbiak walked off the court and didn't shake anyone's hand after Game 6, did anyone notice or care. LeBron deserves the credit for that shot because it was a big one at a big time, like with Jordan. It's the way it goes. As Phil Jackson, the authority on all things, says, "The pretty girl gets kissed."
I read that the Bulls were considering trading Kirk and the 26th pick to Minnesota for the 6th overall pick. My question is Kurt worth that much and what would they be looking for at 6th? A shooting guard to replace Ben, the point guard Flynn, take Curry to replace Gordon, take Curry and Trade him to Portland? The possibilities are endless.
Jim
Sam: Yes, I addressed that Kirk rumor above and previously as we've heard him mentioned many times and mostly to Minnesota this week. I'd hate to see the Bulls with and use three picks in this draft. But say they had six, and assuming Griffin, Rubio, Thabeet, Hill and Harden were gone (most top five), I'd say probably Memphis' Evans, who can play both guard spots and projects as a possible star type player down the road.
Are you ready/willing/able to take on the Derrick Rose SAT/School issue on the website? Seems like a classic battle between you and employer. I like the player, even the kid. But a pinch hitter for SATs and grade adjustment at Simeon? There is gotta be some heat for such offense.
Paul
Sam: Like the tribune guys with the Cubs, no one believed no matter what they did that they weren't in the bag for the team. I have mentioned many times the Bulls never, ever ask me what I am writing or to stop. They tell me all the time if I don't say what I think and am independent, the column won't work. If you followed my work at the tribune you know I had no use for the NCAA and it's corruption and avarice in cheating the kids for the personal benefit of coaches and university presidents. Now it's been something of a Star chamber with Rose. Who said he didn't take the SAT? How about some alleged in there? I don't care that much given the level of corruption and hypocrisy in college sports and wrote about that in my mailbag last Friday. Everyone wants to blame the kids and you see a guy like Calipari with scandal following him everywhere he goes and, yeah, let's get on the kid. It's been amazing to me to watch and listen to the pious discussion and hand wringing from media members who are always complaining there isn't enough free beer after the games. First, I hear only of an allegation, which Memphis, by the way, denies. Plus this, in no way, impacts the Bulls. They are a professional organization and Rose, assuming he ever is actually named, isn't charged with any crime. Where was the university or schools in this? Assuming any of this was actually done, it would seem to me it was the schools orchestrating it and the schools who are the villains, not the player, who, by the way, wasn't paid while the university collected millions. As I wrote before, Rose could have played at the Y last year and been the No, 1 pick in the draft. He didn't have to go to Memphis. Do you think it's every South Side kid's dream to be there? It's amazing to hear the self righteous blather about this from a bunch of people I often hear asking Rose for all sorts of favors. Maybe if we were in the U.S., people would wait until there was some actual proof. And even if there were proof, that's right, every 18-year-old does the right thing every time. Just like the bankers and hedge fund managers and mortgage brokers and people applying for loans without enough money to pay them back. This is petty stuff. How about a college coach who is paid millions of dollars whose programs always end up in trouble who keeps leaving for better jobs, say, for example, one at Kentucky, and then leaves the damage for the school and the kids. Just say there were a guy like that.
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