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childukich

Obviously the Blazers get killed for passing on Jordan, but we never hear about Houston? Yes Olajuwon was great but could the case still be made that they also blew it?

Only in hindsight, which we know is 20/10. No one in the NBA or elsewhere other than perhaps the North Carolina locker room believed the Rockets had made a mistake. Bulls GM Rod Thorn has reiterated over the years he would have taken Olajuwon No. 1 without hesitation. In fact, the whole reason for the start of the draft lottery in 1985 was so many teams losing on purpose down the stretch in 1984.. All to get at Olajuwon. Though draft picks built dynasties, like with Magic and Bird, they were not as prized then as they are now. That was the genesis of the so called Stephen Rule that prevented teams from trading No. 1s in consecutive seasons. There was virtually no TV revenue, so box office supported teams. Which meant competing all the time; no time for rookies and rebuilds. So teams were trading off No. 1s routinely.

If you want to condemn someone for 1984 it was the Pacers. They traded a future No. 1 for journeyman center Tom Owens in 1982. It became the No. 2 pick in 1984, which Portland used for Sam Bowie because they had Clyde Drexler from the prior draft. Few considered that a mistake then because Drexler also projected as a Hall of Famer. And the Bulls were talking about Jordan as merely a perennial all star within the next few years. There's wonderful history here. The NBA destroyed the incoming ABA teams in the 1976 merger, and the Pacers were only just coming out of it in 1981. They got to the playoffs with their first winning NBA season, but center James Edwards left with the new free agency rights. In attempting to continue the momentum, they went for Owens, who lasted one season in Indiana and the Pacers fell back. It was a center dominated league then with Kareem, Parish, Moses. All the best teams had top big men. With 7-4 Ralph Sampson from the 1983 draft, the belief around the NBA was the Rockets would be a dynasty adding Olajuwon. And they did go to the Finals by 1986. The move in retrospect would have been to trade Sampson to Portland, who wanted a big man, for the No. 2 pick to select Olajuwon and Jordan in that draft. I spoke many times with both Bill Fitch of Houston and Jack Ramsey with Portland and neither said it was ever seriously considered by either team.

Was wondering about what would be the best Chicago Bulls roster of all time. I'm 40 years old so I didn't have the chance of watching the teams from the seventies but I know the Bulls have two numbers retired from that time so I believe they were good. I also dismissed some players who played for the Bulls but not when they were at their best, like Dwayne Wade, Pau Gasol or Ben Wallace. Just 15 players (3 PG's, 3 SG's, 3 SF's, 3PF'S and 3 C's). Here's what I came up with:

PG: Derrick Rose; Norm Van Lier; BJ Armstrong
SG: Michael Jordan; Chet Walker; Jerry Sloan
SF: Scottie Pippen; Bob Love; Luol Deng
PF: Horace Grant; Dennis Rodman; Toni Kukoc
C: Joakim Noah; Tom Boerwinkle; Bill Cartwright

It's a list. Though with some notable omissions. Jimmy? Plus, Chet played with Sloan and was more their power forward in Dick Motta's front court offense. So I'd probably have Chet No. 1 among power forwards. After all, he's in the Hall of Fame, though he did spend half his career with Wilt's 76ers. Probably Sloan after Jordan because of his Mr. Bull status and Reggie Theus, who was a Hall of Fame level player at shooting guard. Zach LaVine is coming for them. We hope. Then we move Jimmy Butler to top three small forward, though I do agree Horace ahead of Rodman for the first three peat run, which was tougher. Derrick and Norm for sure at point guard, though I'd have to go with Paxson for all the big time shots. For talent, probably original Bull Guy Rodgers, though he only played two seasons. Artis Gilmore bumps them all back at center.

I understand as a Bulls fan that when reliving the Pistons/Bulls series, we often focus on the cheap shots like the Dave Corzine headlock or the slap of Ed Nealy. But what often gets lost is how good the Pistons were. They had a dominating HOF backcourt (Thomas, Dumars) very similar to Golden State. The bench could have easily had starting roles on other teams (Salley, Edwards, Johnson, Rodman) and somewhat of a trendsetter with a perimeter shooting big man in Laimbeer. This team did advance to 5 straight conference finals. Is it fair to say that they are the most hated and least appreciated team in NBA history?

I'd say least appreciated great team. They are condemned for a style of play that in today's viewing was horrendous. I thought it was interesting in the documentary the way Rod Thorn stammered over why the league wasn't protecting players. Those Pistons were a great team that was perhaps two or three plays from winning four straight titles. There was Laimbeer's phantom foul on Kareem at the end of Game 6 in the 1988 Finals when the Pistons could have won the title. And the year before there was Bird's amazing steal and pass to Dennis Johnson to save that series for the Celtics, who then went to the Finals. Rodman wasn't a provocateur then and Salley never was. Their three guards were one of the best trios ever for versatility, offense and defense. But the NBA also validated their play. Sure, there'd be a technical or flagrant foul here or there. But there weren't suspensions, and the NBA was marketing the Bad Boys theme. It was even played up when the Lakers wouldn't let the Piston use their facilities in the Finals and the Pistons went to the Raiders for help, the other black hat guys.

Chuck Daly was a great, all time coach who they picked for the Dream Team. GM Jack McCloskey was a top executive. Their franchise was first class as they were the first team to use a charter aircraft, which forced the rest of the league to upgrade. Sure, Laimbeer was dirty. But the NBA never stopped him. Isiah was bothersome, but anyone from his Chicago neighborhood understood about being a survivor. Same with Mahorn, the kind of guy hockey celebrated in that era. And Detroit probably was a hockey town first. In arguably the greatest era of the NBA, the Pistons got by Bird and Magic in their prime and Jordan when he was winning MVP awards. There aren't many franchises in history that can match that.

Even though it happened a long time ago, the fact remains that MJ played for one season under the Washington Wizards, and i'm sure that the head coach wasn't Phil Jackson. So why was Jordon playing for that team? Makes me wonder if that ought to be mentioned in that series ‘The Last Dance', or not really? Maybe a separate documentary needs to be made that Michael Jordon went on to play for a coach who wasn't Phil.

Good point. I'll check with ESPN and the filmmakers, but I'm guessing they're moving on. It's why I've always believed the title and theme were something of a false positive. Good theme, however. Of course Michael could have played for another coach since, you know, he did. And he could change his mind as he did about being 99.9 percent sure of not playing again. Never say never, after all, as Phil counseled. But like Mike Royko once joked (I think he was joking) when he counseled me one day at The Tribune when I was asking him about something he'd written to never mess up a good column with the facts. Another guy who was brilliant about having the last word.

I know Cartwright was a force in his own way, but when you consider the ferocity of Oakley and the band of mediocre centers they had for the 2nd 3-peat, You've got to wonder. I know He loved his jumper and made poor decisions on taking it, but he was a whole different kind of trouble for opposing teams. I would've felt a whole lot better With Oak going against the bad boys and then again the Knicks.

Well, it did work out, after all. This was another one of those where Krause was reluctant and against the idea, and as stubborn as he could be, he was the one who agreed to the trade. As hard headed as Jerry could be, he did in his own way eventually listen to others in a coordinated way. Jerry loved Oakley for everything Jerry believed about scouting and players, the way Oakley played, his build, the hands, the shoulders, the family. Jerry always said to look at the mom for how the players would fill out. And that he was Jerry's first draft pick as Bulls general manager for the second time. Yes, second time.

Many forget Jerry had a brief run as Bulls general manager in the mid 1970s. That after that debacle he got another chance is one of the more amazing stories in Chicago sports. Jerry had scouted for the Bulls in the early 1970s with, like all of them, some big hits and big misses. He had a bad early 70s run as an advocate of Larry Cannon who went to the ABA, and first round busts like Jimmy Collins and Kennedy McIntosh. But he found Cliff Ray and Norm Van Lier in the third round and would have had Robert Parish if he has more status with the Bulls that first time around. But an apparent coaching offer to Ray Meyer became an embarrassment to Meyer and eventually cost Krause the job after a year. Management overruled him in that draft to take Scott May over Parish. Jerry said you could build around Parish. He was right. Jerry's speciality was the overlooked, small college guys like Parish, Norm and Earl Monroe when he was a Bullets scout. Known as "the sleuth" for his raincoat and hat scouting garb and usual place behind a pillar at a small college gym, Jerry spent the time to find the guys no one wanted to wasted time on. But he'd fall too much in love with his guys.

Bulls coach Dick Motta always introduced Jerry as, "The guy who talked me out of drafting Nate Archibald (for Collins)." Like how Krause found Scottie Pippen when no one else knew the way to Central Arkansas. But in that same draft Krause was insistent on taking Joe Wolf over Horace Grant. Doug Collins was adamant about the athlete. Krause was unconvinced, but Doug and the staff were all on one side. Jerry accepted their view, as he did a few years later when the staff was unanimous the Bulls needed a physical seven footer because it still was a center league, especially in the East with Parish, Ewing, Daugherty, James Edwards and Laimbeer in Detroit and Moses Malone. Jerry accepted their wisdom. Michael Jordan later acknowledged despite his anger about the trade and losing his best friend and body guard, Oakley, the Bulls probably would not have beaten Detroit without Cartwright.

How big was Rodman to the the second threepeat? Could they have won it without him ?I think You once wrote that you didn't think Dennis deserved the hall (though the piece you wrote about him after his hof speech is one of my favorite articles you've written). Did you think he didn't have the longevity or didn't do enough in stats?

I've evolved and matured from my one time view about Rodman's Hall of Fame candidacy, especially as there have been more admittances in recent years. I'd had a higher standard for the consideration of the all around game. I'll also admit I didn't believe his antics were worthy of immortality. Not because of the hair or the outfits, but the suspensions, acting out, the mockery of the game. But as I got to know Dennis better and watch him, I realized his personal conflicts along side the work ethic. Like with Laimbeer, I didn't believe his antics with the Pistons merited acclaim. And then sabotaging what could have been a Spurs championship team. And while I believed the Bulls would have been just as good in the regular season those years without Rodman because they were unable to count on him (missing 45 games those first two seasons), I don't believe they would have won championships without him because of his playoff play against Shaq, Karl Malone and Shawn Kemp.

Owner A:
Win Percentage: .416
Years in Lottery: 7
Seasons: 14
Playoffs: 3
Division Titles: 0

Owner B:
Win Percentage: .410
Years in Lottery: 14
Seasons: 21
Playoffs: 6
Division Titles: 1

A is Jordan, B is James Dolan. Why do we never hear anything about Jordan being an atrocious NBA owner, one of the worst in sports? Are NBA media members afraid to criticize him? For all the abuse he gave Krause, who knows more about building a winning team? Never drafts well, never gets big free agents, and is there a more irrelevant franchise in sports than the Charlotte Hornets?

Sam: Sounds like a promising documentary project. Maybe a good time to check with ESPN.

ask-sam-mailbag-4-29-20

Ask Sam Mailbag 4.29.20

Sam Smith

This is the final Ask Sam for the 2017-18 season. The 2018-19 season begins next week. It only seems like it. Ask Sam will resume in October. This is a longer one for the finale. Yes, it will have to hold you for two months. Maybe ready slowly. Consider
  it like the closing credits and hum a little for accompanying music. Thanks for the season long discussion, the passion, the anger, the despair and hope. I suspect there's plenty more to come.

I love the Bulls are spending their monies with the Parker &amp; Lavine signings and not trading for future crapshot draft picks. The Bulls have a starting 5 with upside that rivals (one could argue that each Starter could be an all star in next 3 years)
  other eastern Conf teams so let's develop &amp; evaluate before rolling the dice for another 19 year old or an aging free agent. When I look at other east teams, only Celtics are on paper significantly better…and that could change if Kyrie "walks" in
  next years free agency &amp; Horford ages It's hard to attract top free agents to Chicago so re-sign Lavine &amp; sign hometown Parker to score the points - the two in total could average 50 per game. Hoiberg needs to design team defense schemes to
  use Dunn &amp; Carter strengths to offset Lavine &amp; Parker shortcomings.

I have this prediction about the season: Starting 5 will be Dunn, Lavine, Parker, Markannen and Lopez. Second unit will be Valentine, Portis, Blakeney, Payne and Wendell Carter. The first 3 would all be great candidates for the 6th man award, another
  way to see it will be that they will eliminate each other as there are no way 3 players on the same team will have enough opportunities to win it. I reckon the starters should be scoring 75, and the second unit should average 40. That means the Bulls
  should be a very exciting team this year.

So mgt was worried about a Trae and Zach backcourt defensively yet they are cool with Zach and Jabari. Makes sense lol. Dunn and Holiday are our only two defenders on the perimeter. People are already talking about dealing Justin leaving us with just
  Dunn. We can be an offensive juggernaut at times with this roster but we will be putrid on defense all the time. I was too young to remember the 91 Nuggets but i read about them and it was not pretty. Rolo and Wendell will be having guys attacking the
  basket at will with no defenders.

Gar and Pax are often criticized for not making moves, and not being bold. Seems to me, their moves in the past 18 months should end those accusations. Good or bad, they were bold. Although, selling the Jordan Bell pick still has everyone scratching their
  heads. Not sure if that was bold, or a collective brain cramp.

Do you think the Bulls will sign anyone else this year, vet minimum maybe for 1 yr ? We need some veteran shooting help, do I smell a Jamal Crawford reunion ? Is Cam Payne really going to be our backup point guard ? Oh my…What are your thoughts on Kris
  Dunn? I'm a big fan and he's a tough kid who showed drastic improvement after year 1. I know the Bulls were really high on him coming out of Providence.

In my mind this rebuild effort is going as well as any. We have some young players that could hit the next gear and bring the team up with them. Much of that is due to the Butler trade. But now LBJ has joined the rest of the elite in the West. The East
  is wide open, and the Bulls aren't in a position to capitalize. Knowing what you know now, would you rather have tried to build around Jimmy? I think he would be one of the top 3 players in the East, making any sounding cast one of the top 4 teams.
  Personally, in sports fandom I'm always a bird in hand kind of guy.

Apart from the illegal (moving) screens he set, Carter's screens seemed largely ineffective. He would often either try and slip the contact at the last minute or he would crouch forward into a stance, compromising his sturdy base and allowing defenders
  to slip by unchallenged and unpunished. Is this a weakness—something he'll have to work on—or the desired technique for the Bull's style of play? Given his solid frame and that centers and power forwards seldom fight over screens, he's not looking at
  major contact anyway, especially in the modern NBA.

Parker is basically a 1 year tryout deal. That's our risky Michael Porter pick in a way.

If they kept Butler, cap would be eaten up by his contract, no 7 squared picks and Butler at 29 with lots of miles.

How about this… Korver For Denzel (hutch and Parker cover him) &amp; Holiday.

We get 3pt shooting, they get small contracts and save money. Love will get hurt anyway and then it's tank all the way for them.

Welcome Jabari. Interesting! But, if they are going to pay $20 million per year, they should include a third year, team option. Two years sounds like "I get my form back and leave to Houston, Dallas or join my friend in Nola". By the way, fans are mentioning
  Anthony Davis homecoming, but where that leaves Lauri or Wendell?

Jabari Parker??? I don't get it. Has GarPax invested in an orthopedic clinic outside the United Center? This off-season I was hoping the Bulls would take on a bunch of bad expiring contracts for draft picks and/or Felicio, giving them the flexibility
  to entice 3 top players (not named Irving or Butler) who wanted to play together in the East. I know that does not seem plausible, given GarPax's history, but players in the NBA want to control their destiny and Chicago is a big market that could have
  facilitated that. Surely we could sign players with similar talent as Lavine and Parker next season for the same amount. Plus, I would enjoy one more year of watching our young guys develop, and Lavine is not going to help with that. What are we aiming
  for now?

I'm having a hard time understanding what seems to be the national consensus that the Bulls could've used their cap space better. While I'm not 100% sold on Lavine, I think the deal for Parker makes a lot of sense. I'd rather take a chance on him for
  a year or more than take Faried and what might end up to be the #19 pick from Denver. They aren't locked in past this year and if for some reason Durant or Klay come knocking and have an overwhelming desire to play for the Bulls then we can let Jabari
  go. But if he's good then we have a potential starting lineup that are #2, 5, 7, 7 and 13 picks all 24 and under. They have to spend the money anyways, I'd rather take a flyer on Parker than the Nuggets deal. Am I missing something?

That Second Year Team option made this Parker deal absolutely fantastic for the Bulls. Whether he works out or not, the Bulls can either cut, retain, or trade him for another asset. In fact, this contract gives the Bulls even more flexibility in the 2019
  free agency, should the Bulls need to do a sign and trade. But most importantly, Zach's retention and Jabari's arrival reveal just how much the Bulls front office is committed to developing WCJ's defensive IQ, giving him ample opportunity to play help
  defense. Assuming Parker plays the starting 3, he and Levine would make an unimaginable defensive pairing on the perimeter. I, along with opposing wings, look forward to seeing how they fair on that end of the floor.

Hats off to Gar Forman! Congrats this Jabari Parker will be awesome for us. Rebuild complete. Now u need a productive bench. Check out Kendrick Nunn off the Warriors summer league. He went to Simeon too. Might be worth having him with Donte Ingram in
  the g-league on 2-way deals.

What do you think about this whole deal of letting people come straight from high school to the NBA? You usually slam the age of nba players. I was shocked, I feel like it only makes the nba worse.

I've seen an article saying Jahlil Okafor is not getting any interests from any teams. Do you think it's worth the Bulls taking a shot on a minimum, and see if he becomes a serviceable back up?

He fits in with the "go young" mantra, and even though we have a lot of depth at centre, I don't see us keeping Lopez, Felicio and Asik long term. If (and when) Carter does become the starting centre, Okafor could be a good back up, if he resurrects his
  career. It would be another young lottery pick for our core.

What are the chances we make the playoffs? We got a lot of young guys and usually young players don't tend to do well in the win-loss column.

"Look at everybody in the league. They don't pay players to play defense. There's only two people historically that play defense." – Jabari Parker.

I realized listening to Jabari Parker's press conference that he was someone who struggled to speak smoothly and was at times defensive. I had hoped he was better at speaking about basketball itself but after listening to his interview on 670 The Score
  he then sounded ignorant about basketball. To me the most insulting thing you can say about a player is he doesn't play defense. It takes pride and effort. You'd think a kid from Chicago could grasp that saying such a thing, even if it were true, is
  a big turn off to most basketball clubs, and their fans. It's not a comment a player can make that just goes away. It sticks with you your whole career. Especially in Chicago. I've seen him play and thought he came back strong after both surgeries.
  An okay pickup for one or two seasons. However, the last 24 hours has left me not impressed. What's the fan reaction?

Anyway, if you listen to the conversation, it seems apparent what Parker was talking about as he pointed to the excellence of NBA players, that you don't stop those players one on one. Jeff Van Gundy says it on every broadcast. If a guy wants to score
  with that talent he's going to. It hardly means Parker is not going try, and he did say he intended to. But it's the trap that also sunk Derrick Rose often. Words are parsed and overanalyzed more than ever these days, and even when it's apparent what
  a player really meant, like being able to see his kid graduate just being an awkward way of saying long term health is important as every single player says, it is interpreted as a lack of commitment, a don't care attitude, a take that money and run.
  You know: I deserve it more because I would care compared to these spoiled stars. And which state titles did you lead your school to? Offense is more vital in the NBA these days, which even the math shows, and Parker merely seemed to be emphasizing
  that. Plus, he knows the NBA and knows most teams have few man to man defenders anymore, that this is probably the era with the fewest individual defenders because of the rampant defensive switching.

It's basically the first time in NBA history teams have accepted playing zones so legally. So Parker looks around and knows, well, who exactly are you talking about with all this defensive talk? Parker may not be the quickest, but he's never not tried.
  I've also seen this syndrome regularly with players who have been injured. All they are asked is about their health. It's pretty much why Russell Westbrook stopped talking after multiple MCL surgeries; Kevin Durant at times. Bill Walton stopped talking
  for about six years. It becomes tiring every day from every media person feigning concern asking about health when all you have been doing for months is the private, painful rehabilitation. So Parker shows up in Chicago in his welcome home, and most
  of the questions are about his health again. I got one of those curt answers, also, but I got it. Though it's still the question until we all see. Then after 20 minutes at the podium, it's a bunch of individual TV and radio interviews and then on the
  phone with more media and in the afternoon about five hours later on WSCR being asked about health and defense for about the 100th time, and so he didn't say the precisely correct thing. Parker isn't going to be Dennis Rodman or Alvin Robertson or Tony
  Allen—and by the way can you name 10 great individual defenders in the NBA today? Five?—but his career always has been about work, commitment and success. You don't achieve that without playing both ends. Maybe not at an All-Star level, but this is
  a specious issue. The unfortunate thing is it may well send Parker into that one or two word comment state and, really, who could blame him? The guy's here one day and based on a few awkward sentences a decade of success is ignored?

I understand the moves made by the Bulls this offseason. I believe the deal to attain Jabari was a necessary risk/gamble. I understand the thought process of management to retain Zach Lavine considering he was the marquee talent in the Jimmy Butler transaction.
  My question is, do you the believe the Bulls have a greater chance of returning to prominence with an ensemble cast or by continuing to tank and acquiring a transcendent talent (i.e. LBJ, KD, Curry, etc.)? Although we have seen ensemble casts win championships
  in the past ( see Pistons, Mavs) I believe that most championships in the NBA are won by the aforementioned transcendent talents. I'd like to know where you stand. Is tanking not an option? In the same way the Spurs acquired Tim Duncan. Or, is management
  opposed to that because it diminishes the interest and financial viability of the team if they don't put a competent product on the floor? At that point we are talking more bottom line than winning percentage.

Did the Bulls pass up a chance at signing Nwaba with the Blakeney signing? I like them both, but Blakeney was mostly just a nice story as an undrafted chucker. If that deal means Nwaba is out, that makes me ill. Nwaba is actually a useful, well rounded
  NBA player that I believe would crack the rotation of a championship level team as a solid reserve.

I just read a report that Kawhi Leonard is seriously considering attending USA basketball minicamp next week… you've got to be joking! After what he has pulled this year how could any team possibly be willing to give up anything to get him this year.
  Let alone signed him to a max contract next year. I would always give a player the benefit of the doubt when it comes to injury but for him to show up to a minicamp suddenly healed would be outrageous

Watching an NBA-TV show – Shaq &amp; Kobe talking. Kobe said that he was dead serious about coming to Chicago and was already shopping for a house when Shaq demanded to be traded. After that, he knew there was no way the Lakers would let them both go.
  Even Shaq was surprised to hear that.

We always assumed that was all talk, but maybe not.

Why do some think the Spurs got fleeced by the Raptors? I think they got a pretty good return considering the hand they were dealt.

Kawhi's trade demand and interest in the Lakers "devalued" him. Kawhi may not return in full form post injury.

The pick, although if it falls in the top 20 becomes 2 second rounders in the next round, is almost a sure thing. With Kawhi playing, I don't see how the Raptors can fall below the top 12 team, which means the Spurs will get to pick between 21 to 32.
  The Spurs always finds talents that fit their system even with lower picks, so this is a good pick. Spurs is a small market - extended rebuilding will kill their bottom line. Although they're the only attraction in town besides their WNBA counterpart,
  they still need some stars to keep attendance. Although DeRozan is not a great 3 point shooter, he checks the boxes on other things.

Now for the Raptors I understand this is a good gamble, since:

If he re-signs next year, great - best scenario. If he bails, they freed up cap space to start rebuilt - not a bad scenario. If Kawhi underperforms - whether due to lack of compliance or inability to perform at the pre-injury level, they can cut him next
  year. If this results in falling out of the top 12, they'll keep their pick. Also what happens if Kawhi refuses to suit up? I assume he won't get paid. Can the Raptors ask for relief from the league if that happens so they can sign another player, perhaps
  at a fraction of his contract cost?

So… Jabari comes home for a rebuild on his career and hopefully get the Baby Bulls to a next level. Every reporter and geek blogger is killing GarPax and saying how horrible this is going to be. First, this is essentially a one year deal - a tryout. If
  it works great, if it doesn't the Bulls move on and probably get a better draft pick. Why are all these reporters fixated on your either a championship team or you have to tank? What is wrong with winning and developing a winning attitude and winning
  culture? No one goes from worst place to first place in one season unless you are the Miami Heat in 2010. I'm so sick of these microwave entitled people. There's nothing wrong in building up a team. How many top five draft picks become NBA legends yearly?
  You guessed it - not many. You keep growing and hopefully develop as much talent as possible and maybe you get a chance for a superstar to want to play for your team.

ask-sam-mailbag-07-20-18

Ask Sam Mailbag: 07.20.18

How about a top 10 of what happened in the 1st round. Start off with Derrick Rose outplaying Towns, Blazers imploding 

Would Bulls management consider taking a huge risk by drafting a player who's coming off back surgery that hardly played regardless the huge upside? 
I see some mock drafts having Bulls selecting Michael Porter Jr. at #6 if he's available but I just can't see this happening as history has shown that Bulls rarely take players that was hurt before the draft. Last time they took a risk on taking a player with a huge upside they ended up getting burned with Tyrus Thomas who's a total bust and out of the NBA.

Have you written your spring article on which draft picks could be right for the Bulls in June?? I'm still thinking about the NFL Draft... so I haven't gotten to the NBA.

It's amazing how so many players are top picks then don't realize their projections (Jay Williams, Michael Beasely.... How's Fultz doing this year? I agree evaluation is tough. That vision is what separates some of the brilliant GMs who are visionaries from the pretty good..... and then of course you have your incompetent GMs too.

Who knew Steph Curry would be as good as he became? I think visits and watching players in person can be very helpful -   Knowing who they are as people can be as insightful as studying who they are as players on the court.

Fun watching the old Bulls and DRose is doing fine. What is Kevin Harlan's preoccupation with calling him Reggie?
Good on him (and Thibs) for playing well.

I could totally see Luol Deng and Joakim Noah joint the t-bulls next year.

I think if the Bulls resign Lavine it should be as a Sixth man having Holliday as the starter until the trade deadline.  The signing should one be no more than $54 million which is higher than Butlers offer a few years ago because of contracts going up but lower than recent deals because Lavine is still an unproven talent.  Look at Wiggens hurting the Wolves in that massive deal.  Lavine is not a defensive player and takes too many shots away from other offensive players potentially stunting growth from others.  That is why I want him to be the sixth man plus it may help develop some ability to maybe get us a lower  1st round pick say 25 for Holliday at the trade deadline.  I see the Bulls dealing him and Lopez for 2nd rounder's or in a package for late 1st round pick.  Now if Lavine becomes too expensive I just say let him go he is not worth it.  Chicago's rebuild my need a 2nd straight year of lottery picking which for me to say hurts.  I think this years unexpected 7 games win streak push our expectations.  That doesn't mean over pay Lavine.  This team needs the ability to push for a playoff appearance in 19 yet flexibility in cap room is also important.

Why are the Pelicans playing the Warriors? Lowest seed plays highest seed in each round. So assuming Rockets win vs Wolves, it's 1 Rockets vs 6 Pelicans and 2 Warriors vs 4 Thunder or 5 Jazz. What am I missing here?

Solve everyone's problems:  CJ McCoullom For Bradley Beal
A long offseason for OKC?

The Pax comments and others focus on the off season goals for Lauri, Dunn and Levine.  Could you please dissect and comment on your views of the areas of needed improvement for another trio of Nwaba, Blakeney and Payne?  Is it reasonable to think that Nwaba and Payne could develop offensively and Payne and Blakeney could be average or better defensively?  Of the group which has a ceiling higher than what we observed this past season?  What are their constraints?

ask-sam-mailbag-04-27-18

Ask Sam Mailbag: 04.27.18

With the season over thoughts shift to the draft.  Is it realistic for the Bulls to augment the Pelicans pick with non- core players like Valentine, Holiday, Payne, Vonleh, Grant or Nwaba to move up say five to eight draft slots?

Pax has generally tried to do the right thing, like not letting Curry have a heart attack on his watch, or giving Derrick Rose every single chance he could to revive his career.  Sometimes this has hurt the team, and Pax has taken plenty of flak from the fans… for just about everything.  (Seen any ‘Fire Sam Smith’ billboards around town??)

So this time, Pax decided to ‘play the system’ like most everybody else does and get the best draft pick possible.  He still couldn’t find it in his heart to blatantly tank, so he devised this half-way thing – supposedly giving playing time only to guys who are raw &amp; need to develop quickly, or who we need to evaluate for the future.  At the same time, some of your better players sit and you’re bound to lose often; nearer my draft pick to thee.  And I think it speaks well of Pax that he never wants to do this again.  It’s worked in some ways, but left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.

When I say “it worked”… well, we have the #6 or 7 pick and we found out what we need to know about a few candidates for the bench.  I’d say that if the Bulls had ‘gone for it’ they’d have picked about 10th, and we wouldn’t have seen Nwaba, Kilpatrick, Vonleh or Payne… all of whom could make the team.  If Fred can get them playing like last December, then they’ll definitely be competitive.  If the young guys pan out and work well together, and they add a piece or two, 2019-20 could be fun. Still not sure if it was worth it – only if Gar/Pax make a very good pick!

Do the Bulls own a 2nd round pick this summer or was that part of a deal?

Almost a perfect plan but bringing Mirotic was the one mistake and it could loom large. While Kirk was a nice player, Dwyane Wade would’ve looked a lot better with a few more losses. Mirotic was a mistake because it wasn’t worth dropping out of the top four to get the 23rd player pick in the next years draft.

Never been so happy for a Bulls season to end. I feel dirty. To watch Omer struggle at every facet of the game, knowing Robin is healthy and wants to play...is participating in the tank. I turned off the Detroit game with 2.30 left in the third. May we never fall this far from grace -- from all that is graceful and elegant and inspiring, about sports or anything that requires community and fairness and helping the least successful become more successful -- ever again.

The “playing of the young Bulls” has helped several players emerge as useful rotation candidates or other helpful pieces.  On the flip side the biggest disappointment must be Felicio.  He seemed to start the year out of condition and  still appears a step slow and with a lower basketball IQ.  The Bulls obviously thought he had a greater upside with the four year contract.  With extended starting/playing time he is better than earlier in the year but still prone to have moments where he is not thinking or anticipating.  It would be a shock if the Bulls did not draft a center with the two picks. Is Felicio realistically salvageable or simply a lost cause?

Kilpatrick’s been killing it. I really don’t want him on the roster though after this season. He is already 28. Hopefully we can include him in a deal this summer.

Raptors in 7 over the Wizs. I think the Wizs wont roll over for the Raps. Wizs are not ur normal 8th seed. Bucks in 6 over the Celtics. I just cant go with the Celts given the injuries. I dont care how good a coach Brad is, no Kyrie and no smart is just 2 big of a loss. Philly over Miami in 6. Embiid Vs Hassan should be fun if joel comes back in time.
Cavs in 5 over the Pacers. Playoff LBJ is here. They will just drop 1 in Indy. George Hill will be huge in this series as he knows the pacers well and has played with some of those guys.

Toronto Raptors in 5 over Washington Wizards I don’t think they’re as good as they‘ve been all season, and their reserves already are feeling the heat a bit. But there seems to be some major dysfunction in Washington. Going out early could finally mean trying to trade John Wall, which would make this summer one of the most amazing ever with Kawhi Leonard likely to be traded and who knows where LeBron might go.

Boston Celtics in 6 over Milwaukee Bucks. They’re missing enough guys to lose this series with Kyrie Irving out, Marcus Smart also and Hayward from all season. But no team this season probably has played harder and competed more ferociously on a regular basis than Boston. They’ve been something to watch even with so many young players. Plus, there are some issues with the Bucks as Giannis doesn’t seem to get the ball near enough and it’s still an interim coach.

Philadelphia 76ers in 5 over Miami Heat. The Heat are a cute, hard trying bunch, but the 76ers have been hot, and hot even without Embiid. They look like the real thing, and they have some veterans with Redick and Belinelli. Simmons is a tough guy who doesn’t seem to fool around and I expect the 76ers in the conference finals.

Cleveland Cavaliers in 6 over Indiana Pacers. I know LeBron has some issues playing in Indianapolis and we still can’t figure how the Pacers are doing this. It won’t be easy and may even go seven because LeBron’s playing like Thibodeau is coaching him—take him out and the other guys hit you with a 10-0. LeBron’s going to have to really work for this one.

Houston Rockets in 6 over Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves really do have a lot of talent, but they, of course, don’t use enough of it. How much can Jimmy Butler strain in this series trying to stay on the court against Harden given the knee issues? I’m still not convinced about the Rockets, and Harden and Paul have come apart in playoffs. Maybe not yet, but it shouldn’t be easy.

Golden State Warriors in 4 over San Antonio Spurs. Yes, Curry is out and they’ve been mediocre, but the Spurs really have nothing. I’m surprised that without Kawhi they even got to the playoffs. Look at some of those lineups. Manu bailed them out basically the last two weeks. Manu? This is the end of this run. Yes yes, we’ve heard it before, but it’s a retool next season and I don’t see the Spurs in the playoffs with Manu gone after this season.

New Orleans Pelicans in 6 over Portland Trail Blazers. I’m buying into Niko getting his powers by shaving his beard. The former Bull has been sizzling since finally shaving and the Pelicans after losing Cousins regrouped and Anthony Davis has been amazing. I know no one takes the Trail Blazers seriously with their guard game and Lillard mad about being left off something. But they were top 3 for a reason. Rondo’s been terrific and we know he should have beaten Boston last season. They’ve got no bench, but also with good guy E’Twaun Moore it would be nice to see them get a round and see Davis in another series.

Oklahoma City Thunder in 7 over Utah Jazz. The Thunder has been the most unpredictable and underachieving team this season, and yet they did get fourth. It did look like Westbrook went for stats to get that second triple double, but Longley always used to say how Rodman would beg him to get out of the way to allow him to have the rebounds. Goes on a lot. The Thunder is tough to figure because Westbrook will shoot you out and back in, and out and in, and it’s some amazing ride watching that guy and then we’ll have all the Paul George speculation and Carmelo is done talk and the Jazz is just so boring.

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Ask Sam Mailbag: 4.13.18

Last night we beat Orlando and I was as down as I have been with any sports moment the Bulls have had since Drose got injured. I wish I was joking. I know you're super anti-tank, so I think me (and many other tankathoners) could use rousing Sam Smith oratory on how winning and landing the 8th pick is not the worst that could happen.Alejandro Yegros

Shouldn't it matter that we end up with a player who's going to do what Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, Joakim Noah, and even Jimmy Butler once did,(get us into the playoffs per season, and had us look like contenders each time)? The fans don't seem to mind us losing games? Now that sounds totally odd. If I'm going to a Bulls game at United Center, I'm not going there to watch my team lose, but rather win. And if they do lose, not by many points in the process....meaning they tried their best, but wasn't able to either block the last shot, didn't anticipate opponents hitting their free throws, or wild shot didn't go in unfortunately.Kieron Smith

I'm writing just to ask if you could please explain once again to tank enthusiasts that it is not possible to lose games with good players and no internal problems or injuries. I've been reading insane stuff these days. People criticize management (which is not perfect but I feel has done a great job since last summer) for the Butler trade, then the three kids turn out to be good and they criticize management for not tanking properly. You want good players and you want to lose games? What is this nonsense going on? I feel the Bulls could have fought for a playoff spot if not for the initial stretch with Dunn, Portis, Niko, Nwaba and LaVine out. They are playing .500 ball since December even with LaVine working to get back, Dunn's injury and the Niko trade. This is a team that could have earned a low playoff seeding, how on earth are they supposed to get the #1 odds? And some argue that the Kings, Suns, Magic and so on are better positioned for the future, because "the bulls are stuck in mediocrity". Well, if mediocrity means having a young team playing with effort that makes you want to watch all the games and cheer for them, then I hope the Bulls are mediocre forever.  I think that the firing of Sam Hinkie started all this nonsense. I would have loved to see him go through with his insane plan and fail so that people could realize that there are no shortcuts, processes or anything like that. And that it's not championship or bust. The process is just declaring you want to lose, trading for picks with teams that are actually trying to entertain fans and selecting injured players so that they can't help you win straight away. It's easy to look smart when you are judged with a criteria that is opposite to the rest of the league. I just hope the Sixers end up not having any kind of success or this madness will never end, especially among young people and guys who love analytics. It's a sickening mindset, the draft should be a consolation prize, the real fun is when your team wins!Cosimo Sarti

As of today the Bulls are looking at the 8th and 16th picks in the draft with Utah in my estimation of fighting NO for swapping the last west playoff spot and maybe they move up to 15th.  Like you I am not a fan of tanking for a better draft place and evidence in the unlikely can show some value in lower picked players like Golden States Curry.  Greek Freak was selected 15th and Kawhi Leonard two players that would be a steal in any top five selection let alone at 15.  So with this mini All Star break I hope the Bulls focus on developing players to win as much as possible and see how many games they can win to work on building the team with always a winning attitude.  They need to see what is the ceiling on the young guys and see what is the risk reward for signing an extension on Levine as currently he seems worth one yet with spending curtailed I would say one around the scale of Butlers as he is still unproven on the knee and not a defensive player at all.  Then this summer two selections and some minor roster moves and this team is back to 8th playoff seed with money to spend in free agency in 19.Kevin Franzen

LaVine looks like a max player to me, and he's only going to get better. Why have fans come to the united center if the object is to lose games? There were a couple of times last night (Timberwolves) when LaVine went around defenders like Gale Sayers on the run (and Sayers didn't have

to dribble).  And while he's mostly been looking to score, when he does pass, it's usually a smart one &amp; right on the money. Also knows how to run a break.  My guess is Grant or Holiday don't get that ball back to Denzel for the dunk.Potentially, I think he's better than Butler.  Not as strong/tough and not as good a defender, but much faster &amp; more athletic with better shooting range.  If that sounds crazy, let's check back at about this time next year.Art Alenik

Do you think the Bulls would consider buying out Asik's contract either this year or next, and use that roster spot for a younger talent?Abram Bachtiar

Did you read that Fultz article?  https://www.phillyvoice.com/what-has-really-been-going-markelle-fultz-shoulder-injury-broken-jump-shot/ Crazy. Never herd of a player losing his jump shot. I remember Rick Ankiel forgot to throw strikes and kept throwing wild balls but never this.Bob Ding

What do you make of the Lakers' moves? Do you see LeBron coming to L.A. this summer? I do think so if the Cavaliers do not come away with a title. I think LeBron will consider coming to the Lakers although I do think Paul George will become a more serious candidate.Tom Plonowski

The bulls are not known for retiring Jersey numbers but who do you think will be the next Jersey to be lifted above the Rafters of the United centre I'm thinking Deng. Jo. And even rose they did play there heart's out for the bulls and have never been the same player since they left ok Rose had injuries and we will never know what would have happened if he didn't. What do you think or am I just mad?James Leadbetter

Bulls clearly aren't trying to make the playoffs this season.  So why not give Blakeney some playing time over Justin Holiday to see how he can fit in with this team the years ahead?  Holiday's gotten plenty of chances this season and has not proven that he's more than a mediocre player.Bambi Choy

As an Indiana alum, I'm hopeful that Noah Vonleh will come to life here. It's easy to talk yourself into with his pedigree. But, I think it's much more likely we traded for the PF version of Joe Alexander.  Also, I watched him play several games on tv during his 1 year of college and can't really remember anything about it. Joe Guest

I was hoping to get your thoughts on what's happening to our, once great, Joakim Noah. I feel really bad for the guy, with the situation he is in. I know people will say he's a professional and shouldn't cry with a 72 million dollar pillow. But for a guy who wore his heart on his sleeve every single night for the Bulls, it is heartbreaking to see him end up like this. I still think he was a great fit for the Knicks triangle offense, as a high post passing big man, but the team and coaching staff never really knew how to make the triangle work with all of Melo's iso-ball, effectively making Jo redundant. I hope he's able to get back on his feet.Daniel George

I'm a little skeptical about this trade deadline deal that Cleveland just pulled off. How did they get four more than serviceable, young and athletic players with giving up so little? All the players they shipped out, we're having horrible seasons or towards the end of their careers. This was definitely the most vulnerable a Lebron led team was looking and in jeopardy of not making the finals. Then out of nowhere this trade happens to almost certainly get Lebron back to the finals, which we know the league wants. They didn't even have to give up that Brooklyn pick. By the way didn't the Bulls offer Mirotic to Utah for Rodney Hood? Which was way better than what they got for him in this deal.Carl Reynolds

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Ask Sam Mailbag: 02.16.18

The Blackhawks lose the first two playoff games at home to the 8th seed, the rebuilding White Sox have a better record than the World Series champion Cubs, and the Bulls beat the number one seed in the East?
William Kochneff

OK, now I see how important it was for the Bulls to make the playoffs.  Not only will it be great for their confidence &amp; experience, but I wouldn’t have wanted to miss all this fun. We knew that they had a better chance vs. Boston than in the typical 1 vs. 8 matchup.   But I sure didn’t expect them to dominate like they did last night (in Game 2). The other big question is (or was) how do you pronounce ‘Rajon’?   There are several different answers on the Internet (some of them dead wrong). I found the definitive answer on a site that has 4 clips of Rondo pronouncing it himself. He gets it right every time. It’s Rah-Jahn. Accent first syllable. Not Ray.
Art Alenik

So I am as guilty as anyone to get caught up with this nice start to the playoffs, and I know they may easily lose 4 in a row here, just the way the season has been. However, let's play the hot hand and should we say the Bulls are built for the playoffs, like an anti-Thibs mode? We were used to the Bulls pushing all regular season and not having a next level to go to in the playoffs, although injuries had a play in that as well.  Maybe Hoiberg isn't as lost as some people think or the FO actually did an okay job of building a playoff team?  It's still amazing to think this Celtics team is a 1 seed but maybe they had a Thibs-like Bulls team in the regular season and just don't scare anybody like the way Lebron was never worried about the Bulls even when they finished ahead of him in the regular season?  Either way, it's a fun time and gotta get greedy now and look to the second round.  Hope Atlanta can make a tough comeback because the Wizards are looking at an easy road to the ECF the way they usually beat the Bulls.
Jon Kueper

I don't usually watch postgame interviews, but I did after the first game of the playoffs.  I found Jimmy Butler's demeanor to be interesting.  I would say I was actually entertained by it, but it did not seem like the norm amongst people that were being interviewed.  He made his lack of desire for the postgame interview very apparent in a humorous way.  I think he openly cheered when the question was for Robin Lopez.  So my two questions would be, is this common around the NBA and is this common with Jimmy Butler?  I mean, I've seen him be very open to our own reporters in the locker room after games, but this was a new experience for me.
Jatin Patel

It really shouldn't depend on a series given what Jimmy and other players have demonstrated thus far in their careers. But if management thinks draft picks can set them up better for the future, it'll be interesting to see what they come up with.

With a few tweqks (2 or even a mere 1 additional impact player), this Bulls team could play spoiler that effects the rest of Lebron's legacy. If they go for a complete hit-the-reset button rebuild like the Lakers or Phoenix suns and get "young, athletic" 20 and 22 year olds, then it could essentially serve as a concession for the rest of Lebron's career. But JJ Barea, Nowitzki and their team can get past Lebron's team (with Wade &amp; Bosh etc), then Jimmy Butler and some outstanding role players can do it too.

There are a number of journalists who a few weeks ago said the Bulls were not a playoff team; if the Bulls win this series will those analysts say this team can contend in the East next year if they add another talented player?  Or that they were wrong about the potential of this roster?

One of my main points is that we are living in a society that increasingly seeks to tear people down. A reporter said he could not see how Rondo would be on this Bulls team after the Instagram incident and that Rondo had been a "disaster" from the start.

There are a lot of selective memories out there among those who report. Were Steve Kerr, Brian Williams, Jason Caffey, Kukoc, Beuchler, Bill Wennington all that good or any better than; Zipser, Portis, Mirotic, Felicio, etc?
LongGIang Le

Great win last night! Valentine didn't play. I trust the coach but I gotta ask, is it purely based on lack of experience?  Also, who gets your vote for rookie of the year? I think someone from Philly will win but I was very impressed with Brogdon from Milwaukee.
Ateeq Ahmed

I see a little of the Warriors in the Bulls lately.If they continue, it could catch the eye of some free agents!
Rex Doty

Is ‘Melo is this generations Tracy McGrady?
Mike Sutera

Please submit my apologies to the team. I was a fan who was already looking ahead to next season. They obviously have bigger plans. Zipser is really establishing himself! He has a big role for us going forward.
Matt Mikulice

Westbrook can’t do anymore than he did Wednesday. Has no 2nd option to score. Needs to go out and recruit hard this summer. Even Rose would be good. Can play the 2 with Russ and spell Russ when he needs a breather.

I told a guy at work if we made the playoffs we could win the whole thing. He laughed at me. We are getting so hot right now it's possible.
Ryan Carpel

The Bulls should now fleece other teams while DWade, Rondo &amp; Butler are at their peak powers! I remember back in the old days you used to do the good potential trades!
Lawrence Bentley

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Ask Sam: 4.21.17

I have read quotes from guys like Cameron Payne and Bobby Portis about not really knowing when they will play or how they can gain minutes.  There have been other things like "knowing your role" or the Rondo benching and then back in the rotation, that seems to be confusing for this team also.  Is it part of Hoiberg's job to do a better job letting these guys know his plan better, or do we just say "they are pros" and gotta figure it out themselves?  Is this the job of the veterans on the team to communicate better or is this just not a big deal for an NBA team? I would think I would want to know if I am going to get minutes, especially when I just got traded to the team, but I understand you got to be ready to play whenever someone goes down.
Jon Kueper

Do you expect the Bulls to run with 5 point guards for the rest of the year or do you think we will release one and bring in a big man? Eg. Terrance Jones.
Shaun Chalmer

I've been really impressed with Rondo over the last few weeks. Seems to be displaying everything the Bulls were looking for from him when they signed him. In particular against Golden State he was so aggressive.

If he truly accepts this back up role I'd love him to hang around next year.
Mike Burling

People expect sensational deals from Ainge, as in 2007 &amp; 2014, so they're disappointed when he holds his cards, but he has quietly built a team that is almost there, but not quite. Red taught him how to deal so he's always lurking, and other GMs know that. Boston is one good draft choice &amp; one good FA away. Cleveland - Love is a bit fragile, LBJ is getting old, Irving believes the earth is flat - they're not built to last. Carmelo is stuck in NY and NY is stuck with him, meaning that their streak will reach 44 this year. Is that PG from Washington as good as they say he is?
Terry Wanatah

The number of severe injuries happening in the NBA is becoming ridiculous. Best training, diet and facilities ever! The problem: Scheduling. Teams have 2-4 just ridiculous road trips. Back to backs across the country not uncommon. It’s depleting the value of following the NBA!
Rex Doty

The Clippers need to rebuild instead of signing CP3 and Blake to monster deals.
Mike Sutera

What about Jimmer Fredette? He'd be at least as good of a project as Grant or Payne or Rondo or MCW or Canaan...Give him the green light? At least I'm not asking you about a Dajuan Wagner comeback...
Matthew Mikulice

Let's sign Ben Gordon; he's hungry. And he had 34 against Sioux Falls last week. And why didn’t we sign Seth Curry?
Ryan Carpel

I hope you didn’t vote for Embiid for ROY.
Bob Ding

How did the Celtics draft Bird when he wasn't leaving college for another year? I'd like for that to be the procedure in the NFL:  Where a team like the Bears could draft a guy who may leave college next year even while he's playing for another year in the NCAA still. Fans and teams are a bit impatient nowadays in comparison - Red Auerbach basically had tenure by then right?  Over 8 championships can do that for you huh?

Now teams wouldn't wait for someone's class to graduate.  Just scoop them up out of high school.
It's nuts.  The children need time to become men &amp; women instead of molding them into pro athletes who wind up less well-developed all around.
LongGiang Le

So the way I see it, as long as the Bulls can avoid the nuggets, twolves, Knicks, bucks, hornets, suns, lakers, heat and mavericks in the playoffs they should be fine, right?
Guy Danilowitz

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Ask Sam: 3.3.17

What’s with the Wade? The team better improve or I’m opting out of my Deal? Really, he came to Chicago in a Cash-Grab in the first place. If it was about winning, him &amp; Bosh should have signed with the Bulls in 2010 when we had a healthy Rose, Noah and Deng. We (Bulls) need to find a way to develop players and have patience with them. Bulls can’t keep drafting players Like McBuckets, Valentine, Portis and Mirotic and lose confidence in them after 1-2 years.
Randall Sanders

I've been following this team for a long time. I don't remember a scorched-earth postgame session like this one after the Hawks game, especially in calling out teammates. Can you? And assuming they were going off on Zipser/Niko for the threes, what the heck else were they supposed to do? They were open!
Alejandro Yegros

I know you're not on Instagram - just making sure you have seen this from Rondo: My vets would never go to the media. They would come to the team. My vets didn't pick and choose when they wanted to bring it. They brought it every time they stepped in the gym whether it was practice or a game. They didn't take days off. My vets didn't care about their numbers. My vets played for the team. When we lost, they wouldn't blame us. They took responsibility and got in the gym. They showed the young guys what it meant to work. Even in Boston when we had the best record in the league, if we lost a game, you could hear a pin drop on the bus. They showed us the seriousness of the game. My vets didn't have an influence on the coaching staff. They couldn't change the plan because it didn't work for them. I played under one of the greatest coaches, and he held everyone accountable. It takes 1-15 to win. When you isolate everyone, you can't win consistently. I may be a lot of things, but I'm not a bad teammate. My goal is to pass what I learned along. The young guys work. They show up. They don't deserve blame. If anything is questionable, it's the leadership.
Mike Burling

I love this Bulls team but I cannot wrap my head around what either management or the coaching staff are trying to accomplish. Help me understand what the Bulls are doing with the point guard position, the endless rotation changes, and death to any consistency that helps players, especially young players, get into a groove, gain confidence and with that solid production. As a fan, I am embarrassed. And I tend to stand behind the choices made by my favorite team.
Rondo wasn’t a fit in the starting unit, I like the back-up role with the shooters opening the lane for him. But sitting him several games? You knew what you were getting in Rondo, so work with it. If I were a veteran free agent considering the Bulls I'd be looking at that heavily. And now the flip-flopping of MCW and Grant at the starting position?
Dawn Parker

Now will Melo waive his clause or you still think he will stay put?

I think the Bulls need to be bold and not hold back. They need to not over value some of our players. Two trades I think the bulls should look into doing:
#1- Taj Gibson for Tyus Jones, Adrien Payne
#2-Robin Lopez, Jerian Grant, Doug McDermott to Philadelphia for Jahlil Okafor, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarott, 2017 2nd round pick.
Rocky Rosado

How much of this starting PG rotation is being decided by Fred Hoiberg? I know he’s mentioned that today’s change to Grant was his decision, but I wonder how involved the Front Office would be in these changes…and does any of it have to do with the trade window coming up?
Andrew Robson

Why not Nate Robinson as our point guard? Here’s what he posted on social media:: "Looks like my guy Jimmy and Dwade needs a real animal to come help, I've been here guys just waiting to help a team  I know the Chi got love for me still ??? I could be wrong, I just wanna play guys #natebacktotheNBA #facts y'all know what I did when I had that Bulls uniform." Robinson made a similar overture to James on a photo of James' postgame rant following a loss to the Pelicans on Monday.
Ryan Carpel

I found it interesting Wade and Butler called out their teammates for poor shot selection basically saying the ball should have gone to them.
From where I sat (in my living room in Australia) Zipser was open for that 3.......
Niko on the other hand was at his usual spot , 1 meter from the 3 point line.
The defensive lapse was on the 5 that was out there when Atlanta hit three 3s in that 70 second stretch.
The post game interviews were more interesting than the game yesterday.
Where do we go from here?
Mike Burling

So the Spurs sat Leonard with the alleged claim of a sore hand. Would you like to make a bet that if the game is at home he wouldn't have sat? The NBA needs to do something. I think that it's great that the Bulls will play their players or sit them when they need to – but not just because of home or away games. The Spurs have really taken this in a bad direction and I don't appreciate it. They’re violating that trust.
Matt Adler

I was against sending Rondo anywhere let alone the Cavs but now I see we are just totally wasting him. The Cavs are desperate for him and Lebron is constantly shouting out for pg help to Kyrie. Sure they don't have much to give back but do they at least have a late 1st rounder to give up and a young athletic wing who isn't getting court time? Lebron is the king of the superteams and whatever he wants, he generally gets. Even if the Cavs are paying overs. They also seem to pull in 3rd teams to get deals done which gives us more options on something to help us now.
Andrew Brown

Zipser? Maybe another Jimmy 4 years from now?
Rex Doty

I know that you were against Sam Hinkie's "process." I too thought that at a certain point they needed to start trying to win games; the trade of MCW seemed especially egregious. But it seems like that's finally happening -- slowly -- and poor Sam Hinkie wasn't allowed to stick around long enough to steer his vision to completion. If the 6'ers win a title with a core of Embiid, Simmons, and Saric, Hinkie should be given a ring and allowed to attend the ceremony. As it stands, Brian Colangelo may get all of the credit -- Jefferson to Hinkie's Adams.
Terrell Bryant

Putting the next generation of the Bulls together, I think you have to build around Butler.  Without a foundation, it's really hard to put anything together.  Wade has helped other players see that Butler is a guy you can play with. Keep McDermott, Felicio, Valentine, and Zipser.  Keep Lopez if you can sign him for the right price. Keep Portis, Grant, and Carter-Williams as long as they're cheap.  Now you've got some cap room going forward.  Hopefully, someone will want to come and play with this team.
William Kochneff

I'd rather watch Sean Kilpatrick pass to Chris Levert and teammates.
Ron Goldberg

I think this Bulls team isn't built for the regular season but is possibly for the playoffs. Playoff bball the game slows down and it comes down to the small stuff which bulls are good at. Rebounding second chance points low turnovers 50/50 balls and most importantly having superstars and superstars that can close out games as alot of games will be close and come down to last 5 minutes.  And we have two of them.
If we can just avoid the 8th seed playing Cleveland and fall into the 6 or 7 seed we could potentially see them in the ECF. We've owned Toronto and teams like Boston Atlanta Charlotte don't have the superstar power to match against us. I'm not buying the wizards as a threat either John wall closed us out the other week but statistically hasn't ever been a guy who can close games.
Also the D wade we who had extra motivation because he had to back up his apology to the city with a big-time performance is the D Wade we will see every game in the playoffs playing more minutes and being more efficient and taking over more cuz that's how he is come playoff time. So I'm excited for the playoffs, just hope we get in. What do you think?
Chase Roman

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Sam Smith Mailbag: 1.27.17

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