whitesoxfan101

Ok, the Uribe to the 2 slot/Iguchi to 6 or 7 slot batting order shift is one of the biggest stories about the team going into this season. Now, these are my thoughts. Last year, Juan had a .252/.301 BA and OBP split. Now I'm not a moneyball gospel believer, but a .301 OBP for a 2 hitter is horrible and would cost us victories in comparison to Iguchi's much higher .278/.342 split last year (and mind you, that's INCLUDING all the at bats he gave himself up for Pods in). Uribe's BA last year was 10 points below his lifetime average. I assume that a positive of Uribe hitting 2nd would be he would see more fastballs to hit with Pods in front of him and the imposing trio of Dye, Thome, and Konerko (in no particular order) behind him. So say, Uribe can get his average up about 20 points this year with that in mind. Also, Uribe's OBP to BA split was 49 last year, as opposed to 43 in his career. So let's say Uribe can do that again next year and get the split up to 55. Combine those 2 things, and you could get these numbers as a BA/OBP split: .272/.327. Now while those aren't exactly great for a 2 hitter, but you combine that with our leadoff man being very good, our 3-5 possibly being one of the best in the game, and the fact we will have a more powerful and still good BA/OBP guy in Iguchi all the way down at 6 or 7, along with Uribe's speed and bunting ability, and I think this move could be beneficial to the team. I am very interested to see how this situation works itself out, because each side of this argument has a very legit point. And if you read all of that nonsense and understood it, your my hero.

My vote goes to international. I think it's obvious the current 3 point distance (which is the same as junior high and high school) has outgrown the NCAA, and the line needs to be moved back. I think you start gradual, and move it back to FIBA distance, and people would be surprised how big a difference those extra 9 inches make. Also, you could always move it back further. The NBA line is 23'9", but in the corners is only 22' due to the proximity of the sidelines, so as time goes on, maybe the NCAA could move the line back again to where it is 22' all the way around. That would be the same as the NBA in the corners, but quite a bit shorter on the wings and straight on. I thought this would be an interesting discussion and that's my opinion, so what do you think?

QUOTE(thedoctor @ Feb 14, 2006 -> 10:26 AM) i seem to recall there being some ohio university and mac hoop fans on here. if so, this would be of interest. point guard jeremy fears of ou is transferring. he will finish the school year in athens then is returning to chicago. word out this way is that he is interested in depaul. jay bilas rated fears among the top-10 point guards in the nation in the preseason but he's struggled with the bobcat's move from a running/pressing style to a slower offensive and defensive pace. fears is from joliet. chicago hoops article Yep, I am an NIU student and fan along with my lifetime Illini allegiance, but since people around here aren't big MAC hoops fans, I don't talk about it much. I saw Ohio in a loss at NIU a few weeks ago in person, and Fears seemed frusterated and not interested, so this doesn't surprise me. Ohio was a favorite to win the MAC, but have underachieved quite a bit, and Fears issues is probably reason #1 why. I have heard Fears is all but a lock to end up at DePaul, that he wants to be back close to home and he has met and likes Coach Wainwright. DePaul has a couple young guards, and Will Walker of Bolingbrook will be coming in next year, but Fears has enough talent to at least see significant playing time and I wish him the best. He actually decided to transfer after being back here for a family members funeral, so it's a bit of a sad story.

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Feb 14, 2006 -> 01:48 AM) I'm glad you're not gm. I couldn't put together a less talented and more flawed roster than Pax has this year if I tried.

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Feb 14, 2006 -> 01:15 AM) Gordon and Hinrich aren't worth s***? What about Duhon? Gordon is a more expensive, slightly more consistent, more played, and more hyped version of Jannero Pargo. He has 1 skill, scoring points when he gets hot (which he can do) and that's it. Nothing else. We could trade him tomorrow and I'd be happy since we'd get more than value for him. Chris Duhon is an average NBA point guard, sorry if I'm not over excited by that. Oh, and he has to work his f***ing ass off to just be average, so expect his career to be full of nagging injuries. And when Kirk Hinrich hits a big shot in the 4th quarter of a game, give me a call because it will be a first. Also, I'm tired of Kirk and his damned 3 for 14 shooting nights.

I'd love to have Rudy Gay, but considering the only 2 players we have on this team worth s*** right now (besides Tyson the last 3 weeks) are natural 3's (Noch and Deng) that could be interesting. I am very interested to see what happens with this squad from now until the deadline, and then again this offseason. Pax has a lot of work to do, and I'm not sure how he is going to do it.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 10:19 PM) Camby is far from a legend. He's legendary at one thing..getting hurt. To those with a brain, that's quite obvious.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 10:27 PM) I gotta agree. Maybe if Camby would put up a few healthy seasons. Bruce Bowen will barely go down as a legendary defender and its taken a few championships for that to happen. Obviously Big Ben will go down as a legendary defender. Yep. I can't think of anybody that would go down as a legendary defender other than Big Ben who is as horrible on offense as Tyson is either, so he's got a lot of work to do. Most great defenders also had at least a decent enough offense game to catch your attention.

Yep, Kansas with another impressive win, struggling for 35 minutes plus on the road against a terrible, pathetic Okie State team. What a scary team Kansas is.

QUOTE(Rex Hudler @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 09:27 PM) I'll give you this much... There are definite strong points to the Villanova job and with Wright being from the Northeast, he may not have interest in Indiana. With the changes in teh Big East and Wright's recent success in recruiting, he has that program primed to stay strong for a long time. That said, he could own the state of Indiana. No matter how strong Villanova is, the program gets swallowed in Philly with much more to compete for. The 76ers, Eagles and even Temple and St. Joes all take coverage away from the Wildcats. I heard tonight they will begin playing on campus (next year, I think) which will be a big move for them. A successful coach at IU would have the program on the front page across the whole state, with only Notre Dame football even coming close to competing. The Colts even in their best year won't come close to overshadowing IU basketball. With the right coach, it could take less than 5 years (maybe 3) for this conversation to be laughable. That is how good of a job IU COULD be. I'm not taking anything away from Villanova, but there is really no comparison on the two jobs given the right situation. To some very competitive coach, that will mean a helluva lot. That's pretty much the point I've been making. Of course, the closed minded, 5 banner goofball fans weren't going to listen. RIGHT NOW, Nova is a better job, but that could change in a hurry. But as of now, not sure why Wright would leave 'Nova. And with that, I am done with this debate. Also, SOMEBODY has got to have a pic or two of Erin Andrews from her days on the Florida dance team, man I'd love to see those.

QUOTE(Rex Hudler @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 09:13 PM) Perhaps we are still waiting for legitimate points? Your side has yet to make one, but I am making my points anyway.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 09:14 PM) Don't you realize that Villanova is like THE BEST JOB EVER!!!!!!!!! NO, Indiana is better!! The general was the man 3 decades ago, look at the banners!!

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 09:11 PM) Just out of curiousity, what type of job is Michigan State? It's a damn good one right now, because of Tom Izzo, not Jud Heathcote.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 09:07 PM) He is best served as an assistant coach. I've always believed that. That's not a terrible thing, there are a lot of guys like that. Nothing wrong being an assistant, they work hard and make decent money too. But of course, this is America, so your at the top or bust, happiness and success be damned!

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 09:04 PM) It's just funny that he would find it appropriate to point out that IU hasn't won a title in 19 years. That's just funny to me, you know, coming from a fan of a school that's never won one. But maybe that's just me. Indiana has a better basketball history than Illinois by a mile, but that still doesn't mean it is a better job than Illinois right now. You seem to think that great basketball history automatically makes Indiana a top 5 job in America, but it really doesn't work that way. Duke is a great job because they won it all twice in the 90's, but they after that kept it up, winning it again in 2001, and are in the final 4 and top 5 in the polls practically every freaking year, for example.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 09:01 PM) Hence, the coaching change. And starting all over. Indiana would have no problem getting there again. This isn't Harvard and Yale dominating in the early 1900s and never regaining that. Of course they should get a new coach. My point is that 5 banners acquired a long time ago doesn't make Indiana a better job than Villanova. Indiana has a WAY better history than Villanova in basketball, but that doesn't make it a better job right now. Jay Wright is in a great situation at an east coast school in a great conference and city to recruit, a move to Indiana right now is a lateral move for Wright IMO and I don't see why he'd do it. But of course, the 5 banners in the rafters means any coach would leave any school other than UNC, UCLA, Duke, and Kentucky to go to Indiana without a 2nd thought, regardless of what their current situation is.

QUOTE(hammerhead johnson @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 08:55 PM) See, I don't give a s*** about this year. I've always discussed what Chandler can be in the future, which is all that matters. Right now, he is better than he was last year in terms of rebounding, man defense, passing, court vision, etc. He will only continue to get better. And I don't give a s*** about the money, either. Defense is the name of the game. Protecting your rim is what it's all about. When Tyson alters shots and keeps the other team from scoring and getting second-chance opportunities, it's as if he himself scored. Get it? The Bulls don't have to make up the points if he stopped his opponent from scoring. I'm not gonna expect anyone to understand that. Maybe just a tad too deep. And think of all the second-chance opportunites that he provides for the Bulls on the offensive end. Again, maybe it never crosses the average Bulls fan's mind that something like that actually helps the Bulls offense. He has 60 offensive rebounds in the last 12 games. He is also one of the best in the NBA at keeping rebounds alive on the offensive end (tapping them to teammates, etc). His passing has been damn impressive. He sets picks effectively, etc. So potential and the little things, along with a 3 week stretch of great rebounding and defense, is worth the money Tyson has? Well you have the right to think that, and you do seem pretty smart about basketball, but I will just have to agree to disagree with you on this one. We could go on all day, and I don't feel like it.

QUOTE(hammerhead johnson @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 08:59 PM) Defensive Legend = One who is remembered 50 years down the line for his defensive prowess I would say that Marcus qualifies without question. He is an astonishing, absolutely remarkable defender. If your going to make the claim Marcus Camby is going to be remembered 50 years down the line for his defense, then I give up, because that is dumber than some of the stuff even the biggest Tyson Chandler haters have said.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 08:54 PM) And that's Davis' fault that he can't get players from the state. That can easily change again. Indiana can give a guy Wright more money, and if they're both going good, there's no denying Indiana trumps Nova in prestige. Well yeah, Indiana trumps Villanova if they are both going well. But Indiana isn't going well right now, and haven't been going well for 4 years. And while 4 years isn't all that long, it's enough time to fall way behind on the recruiting trail.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 08:56 PM) I'll take 5, w/ a drought of 19 years over never. Ha, you were 1 year old when they won their last title. I'm sure you enjoyed it! Nothing funnier than a fan celebrating titles they weren't born yet or barely born yet to see.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 08:55 PM) BUT THEY HAVEN'T WON IN 19 YEARS!!!!!!!!! What does that have to with that point? Davis can't get in state players because he's arrogant and thinks they are a lock to go to IU. But tell that to Sean May, Greg Oden, Eric Gordon, Mike Conley, etc.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 08:52 PM) Thanks for your insight, Andy Katz. Your exclamation points and use of the CAPS LOCK really drive your point home. They make you so much more convincing. No go back to the hole you climbed out of. You could always, you know, rebutt my legitmate points. But I figured not, wouldn't expect that out an Indiana fan (and I find it ironic that an Indiana fan of all people would tell somebody to go back into their hole).

QUOTE(hammerhead johnson @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 08:40 PM) In the end, it's pretty f***ing sad that I have to defend a BULL with this much potential. :headshake I show people Rebounds Per Minute figures, and it's a bad thing. Chandler owning motherf***ers is a bad thing. Who'd have thunk it? Is Tyson Chandler a better overall player than Elton Brand. Will he ever be a better overall player than Elton Brand? He sure as hell should be, since that was the trade. There are 2 options here: 1. You admit the obvious, Brand is and will always be better. 2. You say "Tyson is going to be better in 4 years and a defensive legend like Marcus Camby since he leads the league in rebounding the last 3 weeks". I like Tyson, but come on man, your just being silly.

QUOTE(hammerhead johnson @ Feb 13, 2006 -> 08:44 PM) And remember, he just turned 23 years old. He is a work in progress. He is about four years from his prime. Marcus Camby is a devastating defender (I'd call him a defensive legend), and I think that Tyson will be as good, if not better than him in time. Camby is a significantly better offensive player, I'd take that kind of offensive game out of Tyson in a second if I could get it. However, Camby is hurt WAY too much to be a "defensive legend" although when healthy, he's an all league 1st team defender, which is more than good enough.