Bulls hang on to beat Cavaliers 108-106

tjmakz wrote:Yes, we've beaten the game to death.
Would like to make a couple of notes not about the game:

OKC is a very fun team to watch and has a bright future.
I don't think we've seen a type of player like Durant since Larry Nance. (6'10", long, athletic.) Nance could jump higher and was a better defender but Durant is a premier offensive player.
Since OKC is not on TV too often this could be Westbrook's coming out party.
This summer if LA does not get another consistent outside shooter and upgrade the PG position with a quick point guard the can defend and penetrate into the lane, then LA's title chances might be very slim next year.

TJ,

I'm on board with you as far as being happy for OKC. I think they have come a long way and will go further. Their achilles heel, perhaps, is that they are OKC. Unless you're a mega-star like LBJ or Kobe, whose marketability is global, your local media market is where you'll make your endorsement $ and OKC isn't NY or LA or even Boston.

Nance was a very physical player, as well as being a human jumping jack and a good defender. I see Durant as more finesse than Nance and with a much, much sweeter outside shot. He is quite a talent. He has verbally committed to OKC. This year was his coming out party and I agree with you about Westbrook coming out these playoffs. If they can draw another key player, especially a center, they could become formidable. God knows their crowd is unbelievable! It really highlights how jaded and spoiled Celtic and Laker fans are, when you listen to those pro sports-starved fans going crazy. I loved it.

As far as LA's future title chances, I'm not as down as you sound. Yes, they need a guard with some legs, but they're out there. The MLE should get you someone decent, albeit not great. Unfortunately, Kobe and Gasol and Bynum and Odom's salaries will put LA hell-and-gone over the salary cap, so the MLE is all Dr. Buss will be able to offer someone and you guys will still have no bench. Still, someone has to step up and knock LA off its perch and I don't see anybody doing that next year or the next. San Antonio is playing great now, but they're at the end of their age limit too. The Mavs are dysfunctional because their superstar doesn't play defense (so why should anybody else?) and Mark Cuban won't stop screwing with the lineup and coaching. Portland is still way too young and hasn't been able to advance experience-wise as a team this year due to injuries. Denver is showing now how much of a fluke last year was (plus the last time they played the Lakers in the regular season and barely squeaked by despite LA being short key players). I love Jerry Sloan but I don't think he has the pieces and his management won't go out and get them and Larry Ellison will need a few years before he puts his tiger team together. Houston without Yao has a weak frontcourt. That leaves the Clippers and the Kings. Right. So cheer up.

bob

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Durant is Nance times ten. I got a real high opinion of this kid. Like A Gervin that plays defense. It's his nba if he wants it bad enough

bob,

There are no good free agent point guards that would be worth signing for LA. Rafer Alston, Chris Duhon? I don't think so.
LA will have to get a good player via a trade and probably take back a long term bad contract from another player. LA's #1 draft picks don't mean a lot when trying to get an all-star type player.
Besides the expiring contract of Vujacic, trading Bynum is a possibility. He is a little overpaid but has only two years left on his contract and a team option for the following year.

bob,

The x factor with Utah this summer is what draft pick the ping pong balls gives them. With New York's #1 pick, they could get lucky and get a top 5 pick.

tjmakz wrote:bob,

The x factor with Utah this summer is what draft pick the ping pong balls gives them. With New York's #1 pick, they could get lucky and get a top 5 pick.

TJ,

Good catch on the NY-Utah draft swap. You're right, that could make a big difference if it's not protected.

bob

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tjmakz wrote:bob,

There are no good free agent point guards that would be worth signing for LA. Rafer Alston, Chris Duhon? I don't think so.
LA will have to get a good player via a trade and probably take back a long term bad contract from another player. LA's #1 draft picks don't mean a lot when trying to get an all-star type player.
Besides the expiring contract of Vujacic, trading Bynum is a possibility. He is a little overpaid but has only two years left on his contract and a team option for the following year.

TJ,

First off, Bynum's almost predictable injuries might make teams think twice about picking up his big-time contract.

You don't need, or maybe even want, an all-star point guard. Funny thing about all-star point guards is that they like to have the ball in their hands and they like to be the one calling the plays and running the offense. To make that happen, you wouldn't have to trade Bynum, you'd have to trade Bryant. I don't see that happening, do you?

I was one of the first on Boston.com to say that I thought the "swap" of Ariza for Artest was, at best, a lateral move for LA and maybe even a downgrade. Needless to say, every Laker troll there tried to jump me. My position was that, as Sam himself has said many times, it's not just the pure talent of the player but also what system they fit best in and how they interact with the other players on the floor. Ariza was perfect for the Lakers while Artest not so much. One of the reasons why Ariza was so perfect is because he didn't demand the ball on a team where Kobe and Pau demand and get the overwhelming number of touches. Remember when Bynum bitched about not getting enough touches? Imagine what a point guard who's supposed to get touches would say?

Actually, I think a Rafer Alston or a Chris Duhon would be fine for LA. Promote Shannon Brown to starting point guard. He can handle the ball well enough to bring the ball up, and bring Alston/Duhon/? off the bench. Brown would be a tough matchup for most starting point guards because of his size and athleticism. Farmar, if you keep him, drops to 3rd guard. Truth is, you need a defensive minded point guard more than an offensive one, since in the triangle now the point guard is playing the two-man game with Bynum, with Gasol-Bryant-Artest playing the triangle. The Laker point guard has to be a dependable spot-up shooter, like Fisher is, more than a playmaker.

bob

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bobheckler wrote:

tjmakz wrote:bob,

The x factor with Utah this summer is what draft pick the ping pong balls gives them. With New York's #1 pick, they could get lucky and get a top 5 pick.

TJ,

Good catch on the NY-Utah draft swap. You're right, that could make a big difference if it's not protected.

bob

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It's not protected. Another in a long line of dumb Knick deals - 2 unprotected lottery picks for Eddy Curry?? Utah will either draft 1-3 if they get a lucky bounce from the ping pong balls or 9th with the Knicks pick.

steve3344 wrote:

bobheckler wrote:

tjmakz wrote:bob,

The x factor with Utah this summer is what draft pick the ping pong balls gives them. With New York's #1 pick, they could get lucky and get a top 5 pick.

TJ,

Good catch on the NY-Utah draft swap. You're right, that could make a big difference if it's not protected.

bob

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It's not protected. Another in a long line of dumb Knick deals - 2 unprotected lottery picks for Eddy Curry?? Utah will either draft 1-3 if they get a lucky bounce from the ping pong balls or 9th with the Knicks pick.

steve,

Good one.

Momma always said "stupid is as stupid does" and the Knicks are dumb as rocks.

bob

The Thunder will get beat by LA in 5 and the Bulls got their only win over the Cavs. I hope both series goes longer but LA and the Cavs are the two best teams in the league and they have the 2 best players. If they play up to their potential both LA and Cleveland should close their series out early.

But if LA drops another one to the Thunder things could get interesting. The Bulls have less of a chance to take 2 from the cavs since they depend so heavily on a PG to carry the offense. I expect Lebron to go nuts in game 4.

dboss

bob,

If LA felt Shannon Brown was the PG of the future, he would already be in that role. He is extremely strong and athletic but he doesn't have the speed to slow down the many quick guards in the league.
Rafer Alston couldn't win the starting job for Miami who was desperate for a PG this year. He will be lucky to be a back up next year. Duhon is nothing special by any means.
If LA can pick up another shooter before they get a PG(JJ Redick or Kyle Korver) then they don't need a PG that is expected to score a lot. Korver would be a great fit for LA because he can back up Kobe and Artest. He led the NBA in 3 point FG% this year. The Sasha Vujacic experience will probably be over this summer.

FYI: The Knicks #1 pick that Utah has this year has nothing to do with Eddy Curry. They traded this pick and players to Phoenix for Penny Hardaway and Marbury. Phoenix later traded the pick to Utah. See below.

In 2004 Isaiah Thomas traded Howard Eisley, Antonio McDyess, Charlie Ward, a 2004 draft pick, and a future protected draft pick to the Suns for Anfernee (Penny) Hardaway and Stephon Marbury.
A month later, the Jazz traded Keon Clark (who?) and Ben Handgloten (also who?) to the Phoenix Suns for Tom Gugliotta and that Knicks first-round pick. Here are the Protections for that pick: Protected 2006=top 25, 2007=top 24, 2008=top 23, 2009=top 22. Unprotected in 2010.

dboss

I dont think either series is going to be settled in 5 games.

tjmakz wrote:bob,

If LA felt Shannon Brown was the PG of the future, he would already be in that role. He is extremely strong and athletic but he doesn't have the speed to slow down the many quick guards in the league.
Rafer Alston couldn't win the starting job for Miami who was desperate for a PG this year. He will be lucky to be a back up next year. Duhon is nothing special by any means.
If LA can pick up another shooter before they get a PG(JJ Redick or Kyle Korver) then they don't need a PG that is expected to score a lot. Korver would be a great fit for LA because he can back up Kobe and Artest. He led the NBA in 3 point FG% this year. The Sasha Vujacic experience will probably be over this summer.

FYI: The Knicks #1 pick that Utah has this year has nothing to do with Eddy Curry. They traded this pick and players to Phoenix for Penny Hardaway and Marbury. Phoenix later traded the pick to Utah. See below.

In 2004 Isaiah Thomas traded Howard Eisley, Antonio McDyess, Charlie Ward, a 2004 draft pick, and a future protected draft pick to the Suns for Anfernee (Penny) Hardaway and Stephon Marbury.
A month later, the Jazz traded Keon Clark (who?) and Ben Handgloten (also who?) to the Phoenix Suns for Tom Gugliotta and that Knicks first-round pick. Here are the Protections for that pick: Protected 2006=top 25, 2007=top 24, 2008=top 23, 2009=top 22. Unprotected in 2010.

I never said the pick Utah got from the Knicks had anything to do with Eddy Curry. I was just pointing out other dumb Knick deals when it came to giving away lottery picks.