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by how much, do you know?

oh, my mistake. Anyway, I agree that the Heat have a really good defense. But so do we. Ours is arguably better than theirs.

How so? Mirotic on a rookie contract? Deng/Noah/Rose is 31 million right now. And Taj won't need to be extended for 2 more years

offenses dismantle defenses, and defenses stop offenses. You said the Heat offense dismantled the Thunder offense, which didn't make sense to me. The Thunder could not guard the Heat well enough, and the Heat did a very good job guarding OKC. Simplistically speaking, that was the difference in that series. This is my point though: people bemoan the fact that we don't have 3 stars like OKC does and they bemoan the fact that our offense isnt as good as theirs. But for all the "Grass is greener" talk, OKC couldn't do any better against the Heat than we did!

Yeah if we can trade rape a team like the Lakers do then of course we should do it. I just don't think there's any need to blow this team up like some people think we should. Keep the core of Rose/Lu/Noah, extend Taj. Anyone else I'm open to trading. Boozer will be amnestied soon and Mirotic will take his place. Use that cap room to hopefully find a star SG.

The Heat did not dismantle the best offense in the NBA, they dismantled their defense. Big difference. OKC had 3 stars but they could hardly do any better against the Heat than we did! Think about that. Maybe this team isn't as bad as people think. I'm sure of it, infact. I'm just trying to convince you guys of that fact.

I believe that luck plays a part in any sports victory or defeat. You need luck just to stay healthy. Yes, luck is important. But it's not anything you can plan for. All in all I think the Bulls FO did a very good job. They got spurned by FA (Lebron/Wade/Bosh), nobody ever wants to come here (Dwight), but this FO has managed to put together an elite team regardless. Some fans of some teams (Kings, Raptors, Wizards, etc) never see a team thats even half as successful as we are. They go for years and years and years watching crap team after crap team. All things considered I think we ought to be thankful.

Spurs? There's more than one way to build a championship franchise. Some teams do it through free agency and trade, others do it from within. For every case of successful free agency and trade there's a case where it hurt a franchise too. Look at the Knicks.

You got me concerning the Celtics. Still believe in chemistry though. Look at the Spurs. Or the Lakers.

I think Bulls fans right now have a very fatalistic mindset, that just because it didn't work last year, that it can never work as constructed. I do not believe that. I belive in my team. I think we were damn good. No we don't have 3 superstars, but we had a great team, a tough team, the best defensive team. Everybody is so high on OKC and their 3 stars and how great their offense was. Well, what happened to them? Tell me about it. What happened?

I definitely think the Bulls could have survived an injury to Boozer, or even to Noah. Not to Rose though. I don't think the Heat could have survived an injury to Lebron either. Fact is, take any team in the NBA and remove their best player and they stop being contenders. Imo the Bulls had a much greater chance than just 1% to beat the Heat.

How are the Celtics NOT a team that found a core that works? Rondo/Allen/Pierce/Garnett is their core, they've been together for many years, enough time for chemistry to form. Chemistry is a huge part of why they're such a good team. I don't want to be like the Knicks, who destroy and rebuild their team every single year, chasing the next big FA acquisition or big name trade. Stability in an organization is very important

I agree with GarPax then. You act like there's no such thing as chemistry in the NBA. This team, as constructed, was good enough to beat the Heat had it stayed healthy. I firmly believe that.

I don't think it is nonsense at all. This team in 2010 was not as good as it was in 2011. We were ranked 18th in offense in 2010 and 5th in offense in 2011. Things just started to be much crisper and quicker after that chemistry started forming. Noah and Boozer barely even played together with eachother in 2010. In 2011, they were the highest assisting big man duo in the NBA, second only to Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum! There is a lot to be said for chemistry. I want us to be like the Celtics or Spurs. Find a core that works, leave it alone for years, and let it mature.

I mean, replacing one or two guys is not that difficult. But once you start talking about removing or adding major pieces...thats when the chemistry is gonna take a hit. Say what you want about Korver but he's had 2 years with this team, he knows how to come off those screens juuust right, with juuust that perfect timing. The next 3pt shooter we get might not know how to do it that well, at least not right away. Thats just one example

I really think chemistry, continuity and familiarity is being under rated. If you just sign a bunch of new guys, regardless of how good those guys are, I don't think there's going to be enough chemistry on that team to be as good as we were in 2010-2012 (pre Rose injury).

Billups is an absolute baller. I think he's gonna get more than the full MLE. If we can get him, we should. Because he's a beast.

LOL, omg... I hate that stupid little Cubs song. I don't know if songs can actually be gay, but if they can, that song manages it.

I'm a Joe Johnson fan, just as a player. Not a fan of that contract. Deron and Joe Johnson is a good duo.

if the Bulls thought that then they wouldn't match. We'll see what happens.

Omie is not gonna be on this team by then, might as well not count his cap hit.

It's only 1 year, by no means is it a crippling contract. I'm sure we can move him before then any way. And if we can't, buy him out. It's 15 million, not 60 million.

However, $5 mill for Asik is perfectly reasonable. We'd get his best years at $5 mill then hopefully trade him before year 3. Easy, peasy, Japanesy. Even if we don't trade him before then, its only 1 year. We can work around it. It's not such a bad contract.

I agree, we have one of the best C/backup C combos in the entire game. If we have to break it up, so be it, but I don't want Asik to go for nothing. That would suck balls.

my 'obsession' is with not losing him for nothing.