Ask Sam | Sam Smith opens his mailbag | 03.11.11

Do the Bulls have a legit shot at the 1 seed (with Miami falling off a little bit as of late) or is Boston just too strong to make up those games so late in the season?
Johnny B.

Last night against the Bobcats, the Bulls held a very solid 15 point lead with less than 5 minutes remaining. Boozer had already gone down with his injury, but Thibodeau kept Joakim Noah in the game and he fell to the ground twice. What could he possibly have been thinking? Why would he not put in Kurt Thomas A) to keep him fresh and B) protect one of our most important assets. I know you aren't the coach, but I was wondering if you could possibly explain why he would keep Joakim in in such a meaningless situation after one of our best players had gone down.
Shane Mahoney

I know the NBA has changed, but, is Thibs a believer is in protecting your own players at all? Time and time again I see other teams punking out the Bulls with hard and cheap fouls. The Boozer play is the most recent chase. I think this would've been a perfect time to build team unity and have another one of the guys give Kwame a nice, hard, old school foul that would send a message to not only Kwame Brown but the rest of the league that we will stand up for each other and not take any cheap shots from anyone. I have yet to see one instance were anyone of the players stands up for his teammates. I know you run the risk of an ejection or suspension but I think bringing Kurt "Big Sexy" Thomas off the bench to send a message would've been important to building team unity heading to the playoffs and a possible championship run.
Paul Nowotarski

It looks like we have promising young talents and talented veterans in their primes. Kevin Durant is the youngest scoring champion, Kevin Love is breaking records, Kobe could end up being the all time scorer, D-Rose could be the youngest MVP in NBA history, Blake Griffin's superhuman abilities. Do you think that it is possible that the NBA could be entering a new golden era?
Yesmany Rangel

Who do you think is more valued by the Bulls organization for the long term, Taj Gibson or Omer Asik?
James Vender

Given D-Rose's meteoric rise I was wondering whether you've ever seen a player who at 22 has garnered the confidence of his teammates and alignment with the coaching staff so quickly. There have been a lot of talented young superstars who don't get "it" until later in their careers, namely all the intangibles that create a cohesive team. Even MJ didn't buy into the team concept, such as making sure everyone was involved until five or six years into his career, albeit MJ shooting bad shots early in his career was better than Corzine jumpers or passes to the black hole a/k/a Orlando Woolridge. I know it is a love fest all around, but it is rare to see someone so young have the talent and leadership qualities that D-Rose possesses.
Anis Ha

Not that I really care about this stuff, but is Riley still the presumptive favorite for Exec of the Year? Seems like Gar and Pax did the best team building/coach hiring of anyone in the league this year. Riley hit a historic jackpot this summer, but the results are obviously becoming increasingly mixed.
Jack Murphy

I think it's pretty much accepted that Taj isn't going to sign back with the Bulls once his contract is up, he is good enough to start somewhere, and he deserves to as well. Now with this in mind wouldn't it be smart to look to deal him? Maybe add in a couple picks and we could move up in this year's weak class. I think it's fair to say we could get a top 5 pick for Taj, Korver or Brewer, the three 2011 picks, and the Charlotte pick. And with this pick we could pick up Harrison Barnes, a long athletic shooting-guard with range. This draft drops off terribly once you get past the top 5 picks, especially at shooting guard, the Bulls should either make a move to get a better shot at some one who can contribute or trade away the picks for something worthwhile.
Jake Domonkos

I have been glad to see Asik getting playing time and being a difference maker on the defensive end. That was my biggest gripe about not trading for Lee, that Asik wasn't even playing much. My question is about his contract. Was he signed for 2 years (according to hoopshype) or for 3 years (according to various reports at the time he signed)? I do have concerns about the Bulls ability to retain him when his contract is up as he will likely command a sizable contract. I know the new CBA will play a role, but do you see the Bulls trying to sign him to an extension as soon as the rules allow? If he is able to add some strength and develop even a little bit on offense, the Bulls will not be able to retain him if he hits the open market.
Matt Maloney

With about 5-6 weeks remaining in the regular season and the playoffs approaching, are there any playoff teams the Bulls especially match up best against? Also, which matchups through the conference finals would the Bulls prefer to play (hoping they make it there!)
Gorav Raheja

Don't you think that after getting shut out by "the big 3" on the free agent market last summer that Gar/Pax has to be giddy over sweeping the Miami Heatles and then making them cry? Also, do you think the fact that they have been totally humiliated and embarrassed nationally will be the start of their demise or resurgence? You have to believe that 90% of this is in their head and if the game is close, they will continue to lose unless they can eventually break through and gain some confidence. The pressure continues to build with every loss! It's very similar to how no team wanted to lose to Cleveland during their losing streak. Now every playoff team is gearing up to beat the Heat.
Bob Mestjian

What would you do if you ran the Heat, if you were the Pat Riley, so to speak? Do you get rid of Spoelstra? Do you look to move Bosh after the season to give yourself a deeper, more balanced team? Or do you do what is the hardest thing in pro sports sometimes, just wait? An argument can be made that they have, contrary to public opinion, actually achieved quite a bit in a short time frame. They put together 3 guys who were used to being the alpha males in the pack with no help around them, had Wade miss all of training camp which led to a slow start, have lost a series of close games to the top teams, and take every team's best shot when they play them, and are still playing almost .700 ball. I'm not sure I agree with that logic, but you could say they are almost on the cusp of being completely dominant.
Craig Berry

Is it just me, or does Omer "Turkish Delight" Asik look like a young Will Perdue?
David Goldhaber

I know people forget about him but doesn't Kobe deserve to be in the MVP conversation, especially if the Lakers finish strong? He has had to deal with Andrew Bynum being absent early this year. He has also had to deal Gasol and Artest being absent minded for a large majority of the year. Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard are great choices, just surprised Kobe is not at least considered.
John Swank

Do you think the Bulls will try and make a play for Mayo in the summer or do you think they will turn they attention on someone else?
James Leadbetter

Of the recent ex-Bulls players, which one would you like to have back in Bulls uniform for next year? Any chance management would try to bring any of these guys back?
A: Kirk Hinrich
B: Ben Gordon
C: Thabo Sefolosha
D: Andres Nocioni
Rahim Gilani

I have noticed something lacking in Boozer's game other than his well publicized lack of defense. In watching clips of him from last season with the Jazz, I noticed that he seemed to have much better lift and ability to finish at the rim than he does this season. I'm not sure if it's a conditioning issue or if he has already begun the decline in his ability to jump at the age of 29. Several weeks after Boozer came back from his injury Thibs said that Boozer was still getting his legs back and that he was at that time more of a broad jumper than a high jumper, but he was confident that Boozer's ability to finish at the rim would improve as the season progressed. Two months later and it seems like it hasn't happened. Is this something that is of concern to the Bulls? We all know that the Bulls are counting on his low postability to score (especially come playoff time), but he seems more of a pick-and-pop guy now than a pick-and-roll guy. And he also seems to be getting his shot blocked more than he should. Can we expect him to regain some of that lift and explosiveness that was evident on the highlights from last season, or is there something more significant and permanent going on with him that will prevent that from happening?
Dave Kiel

What is the deal with the Butler? Is he going to remain inactive for the remainder of the season unless injury forces otherwise? Or is it just a matter of finding the time for him to practice with the team? We could use the shooting.
Guy? Geller

I know I'm looking way ahead, but it's fun to think about who will make the Team USA roster and who will start. Assuming everyone from the last two gold-medal winning groups want to come back and play in 2012, and given the trajectory of players in the league, I'm thinking something like:
1: Rose, Williams, Westbrook
2: Kobe, Wade
3: James, Durant, Gay
4: Melo, Griffin, Love
5: Howard, Chandler
Bradley Hergott

In all the discussions about the latest Bulls v. Heat game, a critical question has been overlooked: Why not Los Toros? Thoughts?
Kyle Kemper