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Posted by Sam Smith | asksam@bulls.com | 09.24.10 | 9:15 a.m. CT
I hear that some league execs are wondering why is there reluctance on the Bulls part to trade Noah for Melo. This is what I propose to get Melo and please all the Noah lovers. Go get Erik Dampier because he is available. Noah brings 10 pts and at least 8-12 rebounds a game to the Bulls. Erik Dampier brings size and defense which is really all we need since we have Boozer. I would love to keep Noah and get Melo, but to pass up getting a top 5 player in the league is not good business. I ask again why the reluctance?
Antoine Peterson
I love Noah as much as anyone and appreciate the rarity of his talents but you aren't winning it all this season regardless, so don't you have to consider moving forward with Rose, Melo, Boozer and filling out the roster next year with some decent defensive big men?
Michael Koltun
We have to make a trade for Melo. You state the importance of a big man and interior defense to win an NBA title. What about the health of big men in this league? I feel as if 'Melo's health is much better than Noah's, I have confidence in Melo, Rose and Boozer more than Boozer, Rose, Deng and Noah. Big men play an important role once teams get into the postseason, but it would be nice to advance once you get there. I have a hard time believing the Bulls wouldn't be in a series vs. the Heat or Celtics in the playoffs with 'Melo. I keep coming back to Portland's dilemma in the 2007 NBA Draft where they passed up Durant for Oden because of size. I'm pretty sure they would re-do that pick now if they could.
I feel like we are in the same situation as Portland from 2007. Opportunities are very rare to acquire great players like this and pair them together. I feel like the Bulls should take advantage of it while they still can. I feel like filling in a serviceable big man along with defensive glue guys is easier to accomplish than attempting to attract a stud scoring guard/forward to play along Rose. I mean can we really count on a possible trade with Portland for Rudy Fernandez to ease our shooting woes? Make the trade while we still can, Bulls become a top (3-5) team contending every year Melo and Rose are healthy.
Tony Reyes
I keep hearing all these rumors about the Bulls trading Noah in a package for Carmelo Anthony, and I have to say I'm a little concerned.
Please tell me that Gar and Pax aren't even considering trading Noah.
Please tell me that Gar and Pax realize that Noah is the heart and soul of this team.
Please tell me that Gar and Pax realize that Noah is one of the best (if not the best) pick and roll defenders in a league that runs the pick and roll 80% of the time.
Please tell me that Gar and Pax realize that Noah has one of the best rebound rates (rebounds per 48 min)in the league.
Please tell me that Gar and Pax realize that Noah is one of the best post defenders in a league where to win a championship you will have to beat the Lakers, a team with 2 low post threats (not to mention Orlando or Boston who also have pretty good big men).
Please tell me that Gar and Pax realize that Noah will be the centerpiece of Tom Thibideau's defensive scheme (ala Kevin Garnett). Please tell me that Gar and Pax realize that with Noah, Deng, and Brewer the Bulls could have one of the most versatile defensive units not seen since the championship days of Pippen, Jordan, and Grant.
Please tell me that Gar and Pax realize that without Noah our backups are Omer Asik and Kurt Thomas. Please tell me that Gar and Pax realize that Noah is a perfect complement to Carlos Boozer, in that he masks all his deficiencies.
Please tell me that Gar and Pax realize that Carmelo Anthony is one of the worst defenders in the league.
Please tell me that Gar and Pax realize that you can't win a championship with Rose, Boozer and Anthony playing together on the defensive end.
Please tell me that Gar and Pax realize that Anthony is a petulant, whiny, child who is a coach killer and doesn't understand what it takes to be a champion.
Please tell me that Gar and Pax realize that without Noah the Bulls would have no chance to beat the Heat, Celtics, or the Lakers even with Anthony.
Please tell me that Gar and Pax realize that you can't win a championship by filling a lineup with scorers who can't do much else.
Please tell me that Gar and Pax realize that its not hard to find scorers(there will always be Jamal Crawfords or Caron Butlers available at the trade deadline), but its impossible to find big men who can rebound, defend and run the floor as well as Noah.
Please tell me that Gar and Pax realize that to win basketball games you also need to defend and rebound well.
And most importantly, Please tell me that Gar and Pax realize that by bringing in Carmelo Anthony to play with Derrick Rose you would be creating a potential chemistry nightmare that could wreak this team. I think Anthony would have a hard time deferring to Rose and would try to make the Bulls his team. This would be a horrible situation to put your young point guard in, at a time when he is about to become a superstar and possibly the best PG in the league. As we have learned from basketball history, every championship team had a clear #1 and a clear #2 (Jordan and Pippen, Magic and Kareem, Kareem and Magic, Bird and McHale, Shaq and Kobe, Duncan and Robinson, Duncan and Parker, Kobe and Gasol), by bringing in Anthony you (mess) up that entire formula, I hope that will Gar and Pax realize that.
Please tell me that Gar and Pax will not trade Noah!
Al Mirza
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After seeing footage of Joakim at Lathrop Elementary School and reading (comments) on what effect trade speculation could be having on Noah, I can't help but recall what happened to the Bulls after those Deng-for-Kobe rumors. Even after the thought about Kobe went away (and it took some time) the team just never could recapture the fire that it had when they swept the Heat the previous playoffs. What can management do to avoid a repeat with all this Carmelo talk? They should especially be careful since this time there's so many new guys (and the guys who are returning are the ones who think they may be traded).
Ajax Chan
Got to say I'm really disappointed in management for picking up Brian Scalabrine. And to fill an outside shooting role? Seriously? He hasn't hit a shot since he was with the Nets. He's a glorified cheerleader who wore a Celtics uniform the past five years. He doesn't have the talent to be putting on a Bulls uniform. I've been so excited about this offseason up till now. I'd rather the Bulls just put one of the Luvabulls in a uniform since they'd fill the same role and be nicer to look at.
Aaron Ward
It seems like with the offseason acquisitions, the Bulls have gone from one of the NBA's youngest teams to one of the league's oldest! All of the new guys are pushing 30 or older, and now Scalabrine keeps that trend going. Given we don't have Hunter on the roster anymore, it still seems like we got old very quickly. Is this a good thing? You know, like getting veterans on the court to help teach the younger guys, or are we going to be an older team that can't keep up with the fresh legs of Wall, Favors, or even the Lopez twins? I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't at least a little bit worried.
Nick Hartman
I wasn't for a Carmelo trade with Noah involved until somebody compared this Bull's roster to the 2007-2008 Utah Jazz, which was a good team but never went anywhere in the playoffs...
C - Utah: Okur, Bulls: Noah
PF - Boozer
SF - Utah: Kirilenko, Bulls: Deng
SG - Ronnie Brewer
PG - Utah: Williams, Bulls: Rose
Both have Kyle Korver coming off of the bench.
I think Williams & Rose is a wash, so that leaves Noah VS Okur and Kirilenko VS Deng. How do those players make this Bulls team better than the 2007-2008 Jazz? If not, does trading Noah make more sense?
Paul Francis
I have a question about the Bulls as they're structured presently. They are without a bonified scoring guard who can also play stingy defense at the 2 spot playing alongside Rose. Do you think as structured now that they can play and win at a pace that would make them a 3 or 4 seed? And if not can they stay in the hunt for higher than a 5 seed if they can't make a deal for say a Rudy Fernandez until the All Star Game or trade deaadline?
Bill Rubel
What is Brandon Jennings smoking and where can I get some? It must be really good if he thinks the Bucks can win the Central over a healthy Bulls squad.
Chris Howland
Since the Bulls lack a starting quality shooting guard and the new owner of Golden State Warriors said he was open to trading Monta Elis, can the the two teams work on a deal that will bring him to the Bulls? I know once you wrote about such a possibility. Do you still think it can happen, having in mind the new situation in GSW?
Stephan Minkov
Do you believe in hindsight that the Bulls should have kept Hinrich? I understand why trading him for nothing helped them clear cap space, however, Ronnie Brewer and Keith Bogans aren't exactly what we had in mind. Do you think Denver would have been interested in Kirk as a trade asset for Carmelo, especially since they're trying to unload guards Billups and J.R.? Perhaps Hinrich would have added some incentive to take him in a package with Deng + draft pick and leave Noah alone.
Mike Burgher
Wondering if any of these people will end up returning to the Bulls? Joe Alexander, Devin Brown, Flip Murray or even Jannero Pargo (if his knee is better).
Shaun Chalmer
In the post-Jordan Bulls era, I think Chicago has its most national televised games this upcoming season. So I was very excited to see this. A total of 18 games! Along with the usual several on WGN Superstation. I wanted to see what teams the Bulls would be facing on the national stage. It is quite the mix overall. However I noticed a pattern among the ABC/ESPN games. Of the 11 total, 10 are on the road! That seems too statistically drastic to be a mistake. Right? Could ESPN have a reason to want to see Chicago lose as many games possible on their networks? I know the Bulls never have been respected among the national pundits since Jordan left (especially Sir Charles Barkley) even during the Skiles or Del Negro playoff years. This doesn't seem right here. First ESPN guarantees us for a month that Bulls fans will get two of the James, Wade, Bosh trio. Now this!
Kris Dahlberg
Loving the direction the Bulls are going in (though I think they may need one more 3pt threat.) But my concern is not with the personel, but with those ancient jerseys. With the success of Rose and Noah with their new teamates don't you think they deserve a new look?
Cameron Dubose