whitesoxfan101

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Feb 20, 2009 -> 11:14 AM) 670 just reported that Amare Stoudemire might miss the rest of the season with an eye injury? Holy cow if that's true... ESPN says it is true, wow.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 05:27 PM) If they keep Gordon, it's almost impossible for them to have 2010 Bosh/Wade cap room, unless Hinrich is turned in to an expiring contract and Gordon can somehow agree to like $9 mil a year or less (in this market...) That's what I figured, which is why I was so saddened the Hinrich/T'Wolves trade (which would have brought back money that would have all been gone by the summer of 2010 back if I recall correctly) didn't happen.

I agree that I'm glad the Bulls did something, but I was hoping they'd move Hinrich (although I think his salary actually goes DOWN as the contract gets later on, which is good.) In all honesty, as long as they have enough money to go after Bosh/Amar'e and offer them max money, I'll be happy. I'd prefer they be able to do that and keep Ben Gordon (as much as he drives me nuts, they need his scoring), but I have no idea if that is possible.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 10:23 AM) s***ty game last night by Illinois...another example of having no good go-to guy off the dribble dooming your team. It sucks McCamey is sick (if that's even a good excuse) but they should play through it. To not score 40 pts is ridiculous. This is worse than the MN game because at least in that game MN played solid D for 40 minutes. This game they got shot after shot after shot and couldn't hit anything. And for those that say the Big Ten is terrible, they still have the 2nd best RPI in the country. I'm not saying their great...i dont see any team getting to the final four...but when bottom feeders start beating the top you know that as a whole the conference is pretty good. The poster talking about Webers supposed bad acts is hilarious. Yeah it's really bad of a coach to give his players the opportunity to right their wrongs, ya know, instead of completely ruining their lives. Luther was supposedly involved in a robbery, though it was never shown he participated, only that he was there. Instead of kicking him off the team and ruining his life, he taught him a lesson and made him a millionare. As to the Jamar Smith thing, I dunno what else he could have done. To pretend that these guys aren't 18-22 year old college kids who are going to drink and make mistakes is ridiculous. He kicked him off the team for a year and told him not to f*** up again. He did, so he got booted. Name me a program in the country that hasn't had SOME issue with a player. He's playing with a team full of good sophmores and seniors with little to no offensive talent. In a year that they were supposed to finish at 5th or 6th AT BEST, he had them in the title hunt. That's pretty f'n good in my book. Starting next season we'll be getting some serious talent mixed with experience. And to whoever keeps posting that Illini fans b**** about the refs more than anyone else, stop beating the dead horse. EVERY team b****es about the officiating, especially when its well known the officiating sucks in college basketball. What's worse? Fans that b**** about the refs or fans that think their entitled to the greatest of great rankings because they were good 30 years ago? He could have, you know, done what most sane human beings would have done and kicked him off the team once he became a convicted felon. Instead, he stupidly tried to keep him around because his team lacked talent due to his poor recruiting, and not surprisingly the stupid person made another stupid decision, and Jamar was FINALLY thrown off the team. I am still shocked at how poorly Bruce handled that. QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 01:39 PM) Nope, no jealousy issues. I have my own team to root for who's seen their program hit the fan after a loss in the National Championship game. Did you really just compare Tech to Illinois? Illinois like Tech has some really good players coming in soon, but unlike Tech has a coach that can handle them. The Illinois program is way better than Tech right now, and the gap will only widen in the future. Please don't let your Illinois dislike distort reality.

The one thing I wanted to see today was Kirk Hinrich traded in a salary dump, and of course that apparently didn't happen. He has value to the team, but that's really unfortunate. The Bulls only realistic hope to become a championship contender soon if get Amar'e or Bosh in the summer of 2010, that's what it should all be about right now, ESPECIALLY considering how bad this years draft class is.

If the Bulls really did turn down the Hinrich deal, that's pretty bad. If you can get rid of that contract, you do it, period. Hopefully SOMETHING happens tomorrow, although it would be no surprise if nothing happens.

Hell of a last game for Kirk if that indeed is the case with tonight's performance (hopefully it is.) Tyson Chandler failed his physical, and the trade has been rescinded.

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 09:55 PM) Sadly, I root Georgia Tech. I hate Bruce Weber with a passion. It's amazing how Weber has such a pristine image among Illini fans when he's as guilty of the same crap that he complains about other coaches doing. I actually like a few of their players, in Chester Frazier and Mike Davis. I disliked the Dee Brown group due to Dee being just a piece of s*** on campus. Fair enough. I never have been a big Bruce fan, and even now I'm really not. He's a very good in game coach (usually), but I still think he's a bit too whiny and that Jerrance Howard is the actual reason for the recruiting revival. I can see why somebody would hate him, as well as the Dee Brown group. Actually, between Dee and Luther and McBride and so on, the Illini have had a lot of hateable players.

QUOTE (kjshoe04 @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 09:54 PM) I certainly do. 33 points is a f***ing joke. This is the second time they have scored in the 30's in a game and this team is ranked?? Give me a break. They certainly have had their two pathetic games. Unlike Illinois State though, the Illini have defeated real, actual, legitimate opponents. Teams who will make the NCAA Tournament. They also weren't swept by Indiana State, a team that lost to RPI #329 (as of the end of last week) NIU earlier this year and is well below .500. Nor do they have a loss to a Bradley team that probably won't even make the NIT. And even despite Illinois' relative lack of talent, they still have more talent than Illinois State, who is squarely on the bubble to even make the NCAA Tournament.

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 09:50 PM) Any fan can find a traveling call during a game that should be called. Tisdale shuffled his feet on his little hook shot under 2 minutes to make it a one point game. Tonight's game wasn't decided by the refs...it was by whatever team could make a basket and stop down the stretch. Haha what makes you hate Illinois so much anyways? Most people are self explanatory, but I don't even know what team you like. QUOTE (kjshoe04 @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 09:50 PM) Like ISU? You STILL think ISU is better don't you?

Wow, what a shot by Shurna. Northwestern wins a close one, go figure. They've had so many close games, quite a few of them ending in losses.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 09:14 PM) I'm not saying Salmons is better than Gordon, far from it. But if the Bulls pick up Bosh in 2010, they'll still have Salmons around (he'll probably accept his option) and you'd be talking about Salmons being either a 6th man or your starting 2 guard (yet he'd be option number 4 or 5 with Bosh/Deng/Rose all being ahead). To me that is the perfect spot to have a guy like John Salmons. Tyrus would probably be the 4th, imo. But Salmons could hit down the big 3's. I could also see a case in point for resigning Gordon if the Bulls were able to clear off enough other guys to make sure they could still make one max offer in 2010 (ie, Bosh, Amare, LBJ). The bolded is the direction I expect the Bulls to head in, and that starts with dumping Kirk tomorrow.

QUOTE (SoxFan101 @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 09:17 PM) If the Bulls find a way to deal Hinrich, I will definitely have a new found optimism for their future. Until now it seemed like we were going to be stuck in some kind of limbo. Yeah they have to find a way to get rid of Kirk tomorrow. He's had a hell of a last game in the uniform tonight though, assuming whoever is in charge of the Bulls does their job tomorrow.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 09:04 PM) Miller and Solmons give the Bulls nice depth that should help them make the playoffs both this year and next year though, plus Salmons gives them a guard for next season when Gordon leaves (assuming he does leave). They have NO shot at winning a playoff series this year since they'd be playing one of the big 3 if they make it. As for Salmons being Gordon insurance, that's probably true, but Salmons is having a career year this year and still isn't the offensive player that Gordon is (I can't speak for Salmons defense, haven't seen him play a whole lot.)

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 08:37 PM) But, do you just acquire David Lee and then let him walk? Otherwise, there goes your 2010 cap space unless you also can dump Hinrich. Since Lee is a restriced free agent, I'd imagine they would do whatever it took to keep him for 1 year similar to what they did with Gordon this year, then let him walk in the summer of 2010.

It amazes me Illinois has the record (and top 25 ranking) they have when I watch them. Bruce Weber should be commended for the in game coaching he has done this year, because this is just not a talented team at all. I understand that is Bruce's fault because he recruited the players, but you know what I mean. It will be interesting to watch them with actual talent in the coming years.

I'd rather see him have had a chance to win a ring somewhere, but outside of that, Seattle is probably the best place for him to wrap up his career.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 08:28 PM) I still question if he is really 19 or not. I don't know, maybe he is actually 19, but with his current size and the fact his frame looks pretty filled (from the few clips I have seen of him), I wouldn't be surprised if he is really 22-24 years old. I'd be very surprised if he is actually 19. But if the rumors are true that he is likely to start the year in triple a, and he's actually 22 or 23 with that kind of talent, we're still in good shape IMO.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 08:30 PM) If Hughes wasn't such a pain in the ass, that contract would be a HUGE asset next year. Between him and Miller, thats over 25 million coming off the books after 2010. Those 2 could be key at the trade deadline next year. True, but he is a huge pain in the ass, plus none of the deals coming back in that set of potential deals last past 2010 (I think even David Lee will be a restricted free agent this summer.)

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 08:16 PM) Don't get me wrong, Illinois deserved to lose 100 times over tonight, but I think tonight's game may have been the single worst officiated game I've ever seen. It was very bad, but nothing out of the ordinary for the Big 10. The refs even themselves out in the league over the course of the season, but I really think part of the Big 10's problem is the refs don't call fouls, and when they do, they call them poorly. If the Big 10 were to get refs who called the games tighter and better, they would have much more scoring, which would help in recruiting and in March IMO.

QUOTE (rangercal @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 08:24 PM) http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/knicks/ I actually like ALL of those senarios, as long as it's Noah that would be leaving and NOT Tyrus.

Chandler doesn't have his contract expire until the summer of 2011, whereas there is hope Salmons will decline his option and Miller is done in the summer of 2010, so I have no beef with them not doing the Chandler deal, plus Noah is KIND OF an asset at the moment since I'm sure some teams like him a little. I think the Bulls have to trade Hinrich to SOMEBODY for expiring deals/cap relief tomorrow (probably Minnesota it sounds like) because if they don't, they'll be in luxury cap territory next season and we know Uncle Jerry won't stand for that.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 08:08 PM) The Bucks announcers said that Sessions was better than Rose. At what? Surely not at basketball. I agree with your point on plus/minus though. In hockey, it's a pretty good stat but it has no relevance in the NBA.

QUOTE (danman31 @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 08:06 PM) Penn State is on the outside looking in for the tournament. That win is a solid resume boost, but their RPI is horrendous. They'll get in. 99 out of 100 years I would be with you here, but the at large pool is so awful that Penn State is in good shape to get in now with their league record in a league that overall does have a good RPI and wins at Michigan State and Illinois.

The only relevance of this trade was financial reasons. By the time the Bulls are good enough to matter, Brad Miller will be too old or on another team, and John Salmons is a journeyman having a career year who turns 30 in 10 months. It's a fitting Paxson type move, some noise with minimal to no relevance. I understand that this move along with perhaps moving Kirk Hinrich tomorrow puts the Bulls in better position for the summer of 2010, but do YOU trust John Paxson to make the big, good moves then? I don't. Hopefully he'll be gone though.