thxfrthmmrs

we have abad bullpen right now, adding Abad will make it less bad.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 1, 2018 -> 04:47 PM) Sean Payton 2014-2016 They did make the playoffs 5 out of the last 9 seasons though, and that definitely happens few and far in between. When you have a franchise QB, you have a much better chance to succeed. Saying Fox was a good coach when he had a franchise QB (a record setting offense to boot) just shows that he's capable of doing what most coaches could do, does not in fact suggest he's a good coach. I think letting Fox go is the right call here.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 1, 2018 -> 01:16 PM) The funniest thing about good NFL coaches is they all have franchise QBs. Fox was pretty good when he had one. On the flip side, who was the last coach to miss playoffs 3 years in a row with a franchise QB?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 1, 2018 -> 12:43 PM) As a GarPax basher, You can't bash them both ways. You can't complain they are now too good. If Dunn,a dn Laurie, and Levine are great, that should be a feather in their caps. If they get something for Niko, that should be a feather in their caps. I am sure no one would have been upset had Niko signed somewhere else. People are still b****ing about Bell but wouldn't he make them better? So even us bashers have to pick a lane. Except Garpax traded Bell away for a completely different reason. Also, I think people would have less issue with the team winning if it was Bell not Lopez being a key contributor.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 1, 2018 -> 12:15 PM) Also on team: Dunn, Lavine, Lauri, Markannen, Lopez. Teams don’t look to trade stars to get better immediately anyhow. They trade them under duress. And as for second round picks...we can buy them when we need them. So that counts as two players? I made the post with the idea of keeping two or all three of Dunn, LaVine, and Lauri if we were to acquire a star. Trading for a star but tearing down the core leaves us in the same position we were in 6 months ago.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 31, 2017 -> 09:16 PM) The good news is we have assets to trade for a Star if it comes up for first time in forever. I actually don't think we have acquired enough assets. Teams aren't looking to trade stars for Portis, Valentine, Grant or Nwaba, or even Niko for that matter. We don't think even own anyone else's first rounder, while we have traded away our own second round picks for the next 3 years. We're actually are $7 million under salary floor and still has $15 mil TPE from the Butler trade we haven't used. We absolutely need to acquire more assets at this trade deadline.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Dec 30, 2017 -> 01:19 PM) And that's why the bulk of the talent acquisition of the rebuild should be over now. Dunn/Markkanen/Mirotic/Lavine have proven that they can produce at the NBA level, so trading any of them when we're already assembling a solid core would be counterintuitive. With our current roster (when healthy), this team is a big FA signing away from being a top-4 team in the East. Markkanen and Mirotic are redundant, neither can be your rim protector. You have to trade Niko in this case. Holding onto a future 6th man to hurt your draft pick isn't a smart way to rebuild.

If it's a bigger name than Styles, then it's gotta be an old timer. I think maybe Angel, Austin or Triple H (hope not).

Shouldn't have trusted this FO to lead a rebuild.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Dec 27, 2017 -> 09:05 AM) Nice post. I think the Halos accept that deal, maybe. The money seems about equal and the WAR per year seems around 10. Believe it or not that's a fair deal to me. But does trading for Trout require a bit more overpay for PR? Nicely done though. And that still somehow leaves us with: Infield: Delmonico 1B Sanchez 2B Anderson SS Davidson/Burger 3B Outfield: Rutherford Jimenez Trout Cordell Engel Tilson Call Pitching: Rodon Hansen Kopech Dunning Cease Guerrero Stephens Etc. The Ohtani point of yours might actually allow us to keep Kopech/Jimenez Crazy. Thanks for playing the game. That’s is an horrible looking lineup. No above average bats besides Trout and Eloy. I would never want to do that trade from Sox perspective. There is no rush to trade for a player like Trout, I would rather wait and see what I have in the 3 young players in that trade. You may potentially be trading away two 4WAR pitchers and a 5 WAR 2B with about 6 years of team control each. Their aggregate surplus value is far greater than that of Trout alone. If we’re in win now mode, I may consider it (with less going out from Sox), but the trade just doesn’t make sense for the Sox’s window.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Dec 26, 2017 -> 09:16 AM) This is 100 percent me speculating here but I'm guessing they use that as a way to make Ambrose pissy when he comes back(he's not going to be out 9 months) and turn him heel. I think Ambrose is 99% turning heel, and story would revolve around Seth accidentally injuring him last week. I also think it's silly they tried so hard with the JJ storyline after breaking up the Alphas, but in the end they have to put him back in a tag team and have Rollins carry him. I was also hoping they would stop burying Rollins in the tag division.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 26, 2017 -> 08:31 AM) It's about ratings, and no matter what your opinion on the match up is, even if it was totally legit, Lebron, Curry, KD...those guys bring viewers. There may be a more intriguing match up elsewhere, but not as many people will watch it. Besides, they now have about 4 or 5 games on all day long, so you get to look at plenty of other games if you don't like the marquee choice. Back when the Bulls were at their peak, there may have been 1 in the afternoon, and one at night, at most, and the same teams would be on year after year. Over the last 30 years the Christmas games never repeated from the previous year, except for the Miami - Lakers games with the Kobe Shaq rivalry during the mid 2000s, and those teams never met in the Finals. Overexposing these matchups may have a slight boost in rating on Christmas, but hurt the playoff ratings because fans have seen it far too many times on free TV. I'm fine with them putting on this game once or maybe 2 years in a row, but 3 is way too much given how much they have played.

QUOTE (Da_Goob @ Dec 25, 2017 -> 09:29 PM) There really is nothing better than that matchup for the majority of NBA fans, in my opinion. Two best players in the world that play the same position on the two best teams in the NBA and it seems like the teams legit dislike each other. By far the most intriguing matchup. You must have a different definition of intriguing. These teams played 20 or so Finals games in the last 3 years, and 2 Christmas games before this one. Warriors have won 80% of the games when both teams are healthy. I think all the intrigue are out the window by now, and that not factoring in the loss of Kyrie. Why not showcase a game with the two best players from last season, with the new stars they added to their teams in the offseason. That is by far the most intriguing matchup to me.

I just noticed this. As if seeing the Cavs vs GSW finals 3 years in a row wasnt enough, NBA decided to schedule the same matchup 3 years in a row on Christmas. They really need to come up with something better for the general audience.

You can’t honestly tell me a team is very good at drafting when the best pick they made in the past 6 years is probably Paul Zipser (until we had the 7th pick this year), and traded 2 starters for a bench player, and sold another intriguing prospect for money.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 21, 2017 -> 03:33 PM) When the Bulls beat some halfway decent team at full strength, then I will worry they are too good, but Boston, no Kyrie, Philly, no Embid, Orlando had their 2 top scorers out. You're missing the point. I think most people expect or want the Bulls to finish with bottom 3 or worst record this year. The fact that they are beating middle of the road teams at full strength (minus LaVine, mind you) suggests they are a middle of the road team or better. That absolutely makes fans uneasy before a draft as top heavy as this one.

They started the year out without Dunn, Portis and Niko, Nwaba also missed significant time. Dunn has since played back into form and is playing better than ever. Niko looks much improved. I mean seriously, how much better are these guys than Blakeny, Felder, Pondexter, or whoever that guy with the long name is? So I don't think it's hard to envision that they hanging around the 9th or 10th seed for the rest of the year.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Dec 19, 2017 -> 01:26 PM) It's funny...if we weren't a year removed from blowing things up, I think fans would be legitimately excited about this Bulls team. I.e., if this were a team coming off the suck that was the post-Jordan era, we'd like at this roster a bit different. When I look at this roster, this is what I see: 100% Building Blocks: Dunn - Love this kid. Plays D and he is becoming such a confident offensive player. He still needs to develop his jumper but he seems to be improving his creation skills and offensively he can get into the paint. 3 point shot has improved massively from a year ago. Will take time but he's got some real upside (even though he is a bit older...he was behind developmentally due to some injuries, etc). Dunn is a legit building block, imo. Will never be a great passer and he also needs to tighten his handles. But such a good athlete. Lavine - Need to see how he is post-injury but pre-injury he was an ascening above avg player with upside Lauri - It is early but he is a strong rebounder and has showed fantastic athleticism for a 7fter. Defense is quality. Both his defense and rebounding abilities are something I didn't expect and have been pleasantly surprised with. Offensively he gets a little lose with his dribble, but the fact that he can do those things is a major plus. Shot can be inconsistent but clearly he has range and ability to shoot. Post game is solid but room to grow. High upside potential, imo. Not Sure: Nikolai - His contract is a bargain based upon his current production; He is a good defender (unless you play him at the 3) who is long and can shoot the ball well. In the past, he was pretty much a one-trick pony offensively (3 ball) and this year he's emerged with a real low post and mid-range game. The added strength has really enabled him to leverage his athletic abilities (he's very athletic for his size) and those extra dimensions to his game make him difficult to evaluate. On one hand, you can trade him and aid the tank, however, on the other end, he isn't that old (26) and if his long-term performance is going to be closer to the version we are seeing right now, he's an above average starter and someone who would be an asset and part of our rebuilding core. Bobby Portis - I'm not sure if Portis is a solid starter or a good bench player. His defense is not good...offensively he's not a bad scorer. Outside of the Niko incident, I'd say he is one of those hard-nosed guys you like having on the court though (always plays hard and with an edge). Paul Zipser - Last year he emerged as a solid player who I thought was going to be at a minimum, a very good rotational bench player. He isn't playing as well this year and I think some of it is a lack of confidence (as his shot just hasn't been falling). Still, small sample size so who knows. Solid Starter: Robin Lopez - This guy is a rock. Such a solid and dependable guy. Legit starting center; Good...not great player. Really good guy to have around team as well. Never realized how solid of an offensive player he'd be. Bench Player: Denzel Valentine - Can't start, but he's improved a lot from last year. Good passer, inability to score / create his own shot, great 3 point shooter. Definitely has a place and he has taken real steps forward this year. David Nwaba - Easily a good bench player; Might have some upside as a starter. Good defender and a great slasher. Jump shot is non-existent and I'm amazed teams aren't playing off him more (no one must scout that much these days); Will need to develop his jumper, however, if he did, he could emerge as a solid starter. Doesn't Matter: Justin Holliday - Volume shooter who is better suited for a bench role. Fits on most benches, doesn't start for many teams not named the Bulls. Garbage: Jerian Grant - Can't stand him; Can't run the point; Has some solid games but lots of weak games. Plays very hard though; Reality is he plays on most NBA teams (off the bench). Felicio - Disaster; He got fat and out of shape and just sucks at this point; Cap Space: Massive amounts of cap space...who knows if we can do anything with it. An extension to your post is we have seen most of these guys take the next step and have gotten better this year with the additional playing time. Outside of maybe Felicio, all 10 of those guys would be rotation players for most other NBA teams, which is hurting our tanking plans right now. Unfortunately, maybe 1, or 2 if we're lucky, of these guys will develop into allstars, so we're just back in NBA hell right now, good enough for the 9th seed or maybe sneak into playoffs, but not bad enough to get a high lotto pick.

His draft stock went through the roof tonight. He's now on the radar for top 5, perhaps even top 3.

Celts just couldn’t put up a fight against the Bulls tonight.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Dec 9, 2017 -> 08:42 PM) Gonna be fun to watch for the next several years. And Kris Dunn has really been good the past few games now. Dunn, Lauri and LaVine could be a nice core, but we absolutely need to draft a superstar if we want to turn the ship around.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 8, 2017 -> 10:22 AM) Should the Bulls have made a run at Okafor at this price? http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/26311...klyn-nets-76ers I think Booker being a 30 year old journeymen has less value than Portis or Niko. I'm happy to part with either of those guys for Okafor and a high 2nd rounder.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 7, 2017 -> 10:02 AM) Someone who could be a potential claim and project for Cooper. He even has an option left. MLB Trade Rumors‏ @mlbtraderumors 16h16 hours ago Red Sox Place Henry Owens On Outright Waivers https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/12/red-sox-place-henry-owens-outright-waivers.html …://https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017...-waivers.html …://https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017...rs.html …://https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017...rs.html …://https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017...017...rs.html … Dude must have a tough time pitching at 6 foot 7. I've never seen a walk rate that bad for someone who barely touches 90 mph and throws 90% FB and changeup.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Dec 5, 2017 -> 02:25 PM) My 100% belief is this is purely part of the Bulls tank strategy. And that is 100% okay. I do look forward to watching levine play and despite Lauri's recent shooting slump, I'm feeling more optimistic then ever regarding the return we got for Butler. Of course Levine is a huge wildcard in the mix (particularly his health and post-injury play). I pretty much watch the Bulls for Dunn / Lauri at this point. Dunn's growth has been extremely encouraging, including how well he's shot the ball. his ability to drive and score is impressive...passing clearly needs some work (and I don't know that he'll ever be a great defender) but given how much his 3 ball has improved (still small sample size), I look forward to his continued development. A decent mid-range game and he's going to be pretty tough to defend (and we all know he can play defense). LaVine. Levine reminds me of Bruce.

Reading the article, it sounds like to me the guy's contract was not renewed, not terminated. So the poor guy was probably a casualty of the ownership wanting to revamp the operations staff.