Chicago Bulls

Hey gang. We have selected picks #1-19 in the community draft which means that the Bulls have the next pick. The pick will be chosen by vote. The vote closes on Friday at 5pm, central time. Whoever has the most votes at that time will be the Bulls selection. This is where the fun really begins with the mock draft as we have a pretty credible top-19 selected so we can get real idea of the type of players that will be available for the Bulls at #20. As usual, the draft is really just a MacGuffin to argue the best choice for the Bulls among the remaining candidates. If you have a pet player who you think we should select, it is imperative that you write up an argument in the thread. Here are the players that have been selected thus far: 1. Otto Porter - Cleveland Cavaliers, BaB GM Mike.Faust.9l 2. Ben McLemore - Orlando Magic, BaB GM Roesyana. 3. Nerlens Noel - Washington Wizards , BaB GM Ceasaleo. 4. Victor Oladipo - Charlotte Bobcats , BaB GM BroLaxChilll 5. Alex Len - Phoenix Suns, BaB GM fsun. 6. Trey Burke - New Orleans Pelicans , BaB GM THEKILLERWHALE. 7. Anthony Bennett - Sacramento Kings, BaB GM THEKILLERWHALE. 8. CJ McCullom - Detroit Pistons , BaB GM Mike.Faust.9. 9. Shabazz Muhammad - Minnesota Timberwolves, BaB GM Ceasaleo. 10. Cody Zeller - Portland Trailblazers, BaB GM THEKILLERWHALE. 11. Sergey Kasarev - Philadelphia 76er's, BaB GM Piccolomair. 12. Steven Adams - Oklahoma City Thunder, BaB GM SoxFan3530. 13. Lucas Noriega - Dallas Mavericks, BaB GM Roseyena. 14. Dennis Schroeder - Utah Jazz, BaB GM Chicago's Son. 15. Shane Larkin - Milwaukee Bucks, BaB GM Ceasaleo. 16. Giannis Adetokunbo - Boston Celtics, BaB GM SoxFan3530. 17. Mason Plumlee - Atlanta Hawks, BaB GM Basketball Smurf. 18. Tony Mitchell - Atlanta Hawks, BaB GM Basketball Smurf. 19. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - Cleveland Cavaliers, BaB GM Mike.Faust.9. If I have left off a reasonable player from the following poll, please let me know in the thread. Hey gang. We have selected picks #1-19 in the community draft which means that the Bulls have the next pick. The pick will be chosen by vote. The vote closes on Friday at 5pm, central time. Whoever has the most votes at that time will be the Bulls selection. This is where the fun really begins with the mock draft as we have a pretty credible top-19 selected so we can get real idea of the type of players that will be available for the Bulls at #20. As usual, the draft is really just a MacGuffin to argue the best choice for the Bulls among the remaining candidates. If you have a pet player who you think we should select, it is imperative that you write up an argument in the thread. Here are the players that have been selected thus far: 1. Otto Porter - Cleveland Cavaliers, BaB GM Mike.Faust.9l 2. Ben McLemore - Orlando Magic, BaB GM Roesyana. 3. Nerlens Noel - Washington Wizards , BaB GM Ceasaleo. 4. Victor Oladipo - Charlotte Bobcats , BaB GM BroLaxChilll 5. Alex Len - Phoenix Suns, BaB GM fsun. 6. Trey Burke - New Orleans Pelicans , BaB GM THEKILLERWHALE. 7. Anthony Bennett - Sacramento Kings, BaB GM THEKILLERWHALE. 8. CJ McCullom - Detroit Pistons , BaB GM Mike.Faust.9. 9. Shabazz Muhammad - Minnesota Timberwolves, BaB GM Ceasaleo. 10. Cody Zeller - Portland Trailblazers, BaB GM THEKILLERWHALE. 11. Sergey Kasarev - Philadelphia 76er's, BaB GM Piccolomair. 12. Steven Adams - Oklahoma City Thunder, BaB GM SoxFan3530. 13. Lucas Noriega - Dallas Mavericks, BaB GM Roseyena. 14. Dennis Schroeder - Utah Jazz, BaB GM Chicago's Son. 15. Shane Larkin - Milwaukee Bucks, BaB GM Ceasaleo. 16. Giannis Adetokunbo - Boston Celtics, BaB GM SoxFan3530. 17. Mason Plumlee - Atlanta Hawks, BaB GM Basketball Smurf. 18. Tony Mitchell - Atlanta Hawks, BaB GM Basketball Smurf. 19. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - Cleveland Cavaliers, BaB GM Mike.Faust.9. If I have left off a reasonable player from the following poll, please let me know in the thread. P

Jimmy Butler attributes "a big part" of his success in his breakthrough second season to the support and encouragement from the rehabbing Derrick Rose. "He was a big part of the success I had later in the year because he was constantly telling me I've seen you do this, I've seen you make those shots, you take those shots," Butler said Wednesday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN Chicago 1000. "Every shot you take, think it's going in, think you're going to make it.

Trade 1: Luol Deng for Ryan Anderson (and Darius Miller, to make the salaries work). I think this is feasible from both team's perspectives. Anderson is a good player on a reasonable contract, but he plays the same position as the Pelican's franchise player. At the same time, they have an obvious need for a good SF, and with Deng on board, they might well make some noise next year. Trade 2: Carlos Boozer to Nets, Kris Humphries to Bobcats, Ben Gordon and pick #22 (from Nets) to Bulls. This is one I'm less certain about, but I think it's reasonable to believe this would be doable. The Nets seem to totally not care about money, and saw first hand that Boozer was effective last year. They'll want to improve, and Humphries brings them very little. Boozer would bring plenty. Likewise, the Bobcats were ready to do Gordon for Hump last year, So why not again. Trade 3: Marcus Teague and pick #49 for any pick in the #27-35 range. Some team would bite on this, I think. I really like Erick Green and Nate Wolters as instant offense options. I don't like Teague to do anything except waste a roster spot. Draft Picks: #20- Dieng #22- Bullock #33- Erick Green 2013-2014 Bulls Rose, Hinrich Gordon, Green Butler, Bullock, Miller Anderson, Taj, Thomas Noah, Dieng, Nazr With these moves, I think the Bulls set themselves up for a lot of good things: 1. They get younger. Anderson is only 25. His contract is reasonable enough that he'll be easily movable if Mirotic comes in and takes his job. 2. They get under the luxury tax. (Deng + Boozer = $29.5M out, Gordon + Anderson = $21.5M in). 3. They massively improve their shooting ability. Gordon is obviously only going to be a short-termer, but he can shoot. Green and Bullock both project as good shooters in the NBA. Anderson is one of the league's best. 4. They retain a strong defensive anchored by Noah, Taj, and Butler, with Hinrich and Rose as plus defenders at the guard positions, and two younger players, Dieng and Bullock, who could contribute in both of these respects. Trade 1: Luol Deng for Ryan Anderson (and Darius Miller, to make the salaries work). I think this is feasible from both team's perspectives. Anderson is a good player on a reasonable contract, but he plays the same position as the Pelican's franchise player. At the same time, they have an obvious need for a good SF, and with Deng on board, they might well make some noise next year. Trade 2: Carlos Boozer to Nets, Kris Humphries to Bobcats, Ben Gordon and pick #22 (from Nets) to Bulls. This is one I'm less certain about, but I think it's reasonable to believe this would be doable. The Nets seem to totally not care about money, and saw first hand that Boozer was effective last year. They'll want to improve, and Humphries brings them very little. Boozer would bring plenty. Likewise, the Bobcats were ready to do Gordon for Hump last year, So why not again. Trade 3: Marcus Teague and pick #49 for any pick in the #27-35 range. Some team would bite on this, I think. I really like Erick Green and Nate Wolters as instant offense options. I don't like Teague to do anything except waste a roster spot. Draft Picks: #20- Dieng #22- Bullock #33- Erick Green 2013-2014 Bulls Rose, Hinrich Gordon, Green Butler, Bullock, Miller Anderson, Taj, Thomas Noah, Dieng, Nazr With these moves, I think the Bulls set themselves up for a lot of good things: 1. They get younger. Anderson is only 25. His contract is reasonable enough that he'll be easily movable if Mirotic comes in and takes his job. 2. They get under the luxury tax. (Deng + Boozer = $29.5M out, Gordon + Anderson = $21.5M in). 3. They massively improve their shooting ability. Gordon is obviously only going to be a short-termer, but he can shoot. Green and Bullock both project as good shooters in the NBA. Anderson is one of the league's best. 4. They retain a strong defensive anchored by Noah, Taj, and Butler, with Hinrich and Ro

The ties that bound Tom Thibodeau to the 2008 champion Boston Celtics have never been hard to find during his tenure with the Chicago Bulls. Those Celtics won mostly thanks to an incredible defense captained by Kevin Garnett in his first season in Boston, a defense Thibodeau largely masterminded. Much of what the Bulls have done tactically in Thibodeau's first three seasons draws back to things he engineered in Boston originally. This is most obvious in the Bulls' defensive scheme, particularly their 'everyone on a string' philosophy towards help defense. Zach Lowe has written about the 2.999999 principle, about how teams like the Bulls attempt to defend the ball as a group rather than by isolating each individual defender against their offensive counterpart. The results have been amazing and the Bulls have been generally classified as overachievers under Thibodeau mostly because of the tactical advantage their coach gives them. The Bulls' take on defending the pick-and-roll, a 'blitz the ball hander' scheme, is perhaps the most widely recognized connector back to Thibodeau's Boston days, with Garnett's role in that operation filled wonderfully by Joakim Noah. But there are also some offensive sets Thibodeau brought from Boston to Chicago. The baseline curl the Celtics used to run for Ray Allen is chief among them. The Good, the Bad, the Fit: Tony Mitchell Gorgui Dieng Reggie Bullock The Bulls have run this play a lot over the last three seasons, with Kyle Korver and Richard Hamilton usually accepting the role of Allen. There's multiple downscreens along the way to help the shooter get open; from the moment you saw Korver or Hamilton trying to juke the first defender, it was obvious the play was coming. I can't think of a more telegraphed set in basketball over the last few years, but it has generally worked so long the screens were able to jar free the shooter. This is an important set in the Bulls' playbook and one they're not going to abandon anytime soon, even with Kover gone (and not coming back) and Hamilton just now finally being put out of his misery. We know the Bulls are going to have to think about adding wing depth with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2013 draft, so it makes sense to target someone who can fill that role. Fortunately, there's one player who fits the bill perfectly. That would be Cal shooting guard Allen Crabbe (scouting report). The Good Crabbe reminds me a lot of Hamilton, and not the withering late period version the Bulls have been stuck with the last two seasons. At 6'6, 205 lbs., he has a wiry but ideal build for the shooting guard position. His 6'11.25'' wingspan is also not something to be discounted. Here's the book on Crabbe: he's a very good shooter from both midrange and deep, and excels in catch-and-shoot situations. Per DraftExpress, he shot shot 44.1 percent and scored 1.21 points per possession on catch-and-shoot plays last year. He got 16 percent of his offense from spot-ups. Skip ahead to the 3:13 mark in DraftExpress video and I think it will be pretty evident why Crabbe seems like a very good candidate for the Bulls. You can plug him into those Ray Allen-Korver-Hamilton sets without thinking twice about it. That's his game and it seems to mesh perfectly with what the Bulls like to do. Fact is, there isn't a player on the Bulls' roster with Crabbe's skill set. I'm not exactly writing Luol Deng's eulogy yet like some of you, but if a future Bulls lineup included Jimmy Butler as the starting small forward and Crabbe at the two, I think the duo would compliment each other pretty well. We never got to see what Hamilton and Rose could have done together because of injuries to both players, but there were times when it looked pretty damn good. Want a mulligan for a bad gamble on Rip? Here's your chance. The Bad It's natural to compare Bullock to Crabbe, because if Gorgui Dieng isn't on the board it's at least possible, if not likely, the Bulls will have to make t

The NBA Summer League 2013 in Las Vegas will feature 22 teams competing in a 61-game schedule from July 12-22 at the Thomas & Mack Center and COX Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

The Heat put themselves into these situations quite a bit...yet also usually find ways out of them. The bastards. The Heat put themselves into these situations quite a bit...yet also usually find ways out of them. The bastards.

Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said Tuesday that Derrick Rose made the smart decision by sitting out all season after undergoing ACL surgery, and he also said the team will consider all options in trying to prevent further foot problems for Joakim Noah. "Going into the season we knew Derrick would be out for an extended amount of time," Thibodeau said on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "We didn't know how long. And in the end it just didn't work out.

CHICAGO -- One of the biggest luxuries of having a successful system in place in the NBA is the ability to draft whomever you want, not necessarily bound by need as are many teams. The Bulls have been so consistent over the past three years under Tom Thibodeau that they have the ability to go in a number of directions as they get set to pick at No. 20 in the NBA Draft next week. The Bulls have developed that consistency in large part due to the types of players Gar Forman and John Paxson have selected and signed over the past few years.

Alright, here's a quotation from Dallas Mavericks owner and slightly-too-tight t-shirt wearer Mark Cuban: That is the case. The numbers are the numbers. If I'm going to talk about cap and CBA I can't BS my way around that. ... There's risk involved. If somebody falls that we think is going to be a superstar and nobody else does, then we'll make the pick. I don't think that's likely." Thus, Dallas is giving up their draft pick. As they are looking to shed salary, the Bulls are uniquely positioned to take on that salary, assuming that they are willing to spend the cash. 1. Why can the Bulls do this? Two big assets for taking on salary: A. Rip Hamilton's expiring contract. This trades for 5 million but can be waived for 1 million. B. The Kyle Korver TPE. This is 5 million in salary that we can take on. This cannot be combined with any other contracts. Thus, a team can trade us any player whose salary is less that 6.25 million and, most importantly, throw in a draft pick. 2. What are the proposed trade suggestions? A. Take on Vince Carter's contract and relieve Dallas of the #13 pick in order to facilitate this deal. The Mavericks have roughly 18,500,000 in cap space this summer without such a trade (thanks Sham!). If they make this trade, then they can offer either CP3 or DH12 a max deal. Otherwise, DH12 is out of their range and CP3 is borderline. We may need to send them a future draft pick of some type but I think that this is a good starting point for a trade. VC would actually look quite good in the Bulls rotation as he could spell Deng and be a secondary ball-handler. B. Marion + #13 pick for Rip + Hinrich. I know that I have said this before but it is too perfect, assuming that the Bulls would ever part with Kirk again. The Mav's cut 5 million in salary and get a real backup PG. We get an excellent player for our rotation and the pick. Do it! Screw Kirk and his house in the area. 3. How does this fit with the Bulls long-term plans? Famously! There are always the people going on about trading Deng to make some kind of big move, but I do not see this happening. The Bulls long-term core is here to stay. Rose/Noah/Deng will be on this team for the next 3-5 years, so get used to it. Our PF rotation is more or less set with Mirotic coming over and taking Boozer's place. Thus, long-term, we will only have two players on contracts over 10 million (Rose + Jo), two players in the 8-10 range (Taj + Lu) with Mirotic probably getting the lion's share of the MLE in 2014. Resign Jimmy Buckets in 2015 and we have a very sustainable long-term salary structure and an excellent core for championship contention. All improvement will come at the margins and this is exactly why we need to be making moves like this! This is our chance to put the team on track to win that championship. Another impact player can be picked up at #13 and be on a cheap contract for years to come. As we are seeing with the Spurs, this is the difference between winning a championship and spending your off-season in the fetal position, weeping silently. If we continue the merry-go-round of vet mins, we will never get those impact players to make that last push and the team will never develop the kind of chemistry that we are seeing out in San Antonio. We will forever be renting the Marco Bellenelli's of the NBA for 1 year periods, never quite getting 8-9 players that can compete with the best. Get us that pick Gar! Alright, here's a quotation from Dallas Mavericks owner and slightly-too-tight t-shirt wearer Mark Cuban: That is the case. The numbers are the numbers. If I'm going to talk about cap and CBA I can't BS my way around that. ... There's risk involved. If somebody falls that we think is going to be a superstar and nobody else does, then we'll make the pick. I don't think that's likely." Thus, Dallas is giving up their draft pick. As they are looking to shed salary, the Bulls are uniquely positioned to t

The rise of the 'three-and-D' wing in the NBA over the last two seasons can be attributed to a few different factors. There was a time 20 years ago when this country was particularly adept at developing skilled low post giants in the paint, but for whatever reason there simply aren't many players in the vein of Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Shaq and Alonzo Mourning anymore. New rules implemented by the NBA in 2004 took away hand-checking and moved the league towards a more slashing-oriented, drive-and-kick style that favors proper spacing around explosive ball handlers. I also think some credit can be given to the popularization and cultural infestation of video games. The good, the bad, the fit: Gorgui Dieng How would Gorgui Dieng fit with the Bulls? Perhaps it's a point better served in football, but I think it works here, too. I would assume there are more than a few readers at Blog-a-Bull who know their way around an X-Box controller. Chances are if you fill the first criteria and are reading this post, you have a strong adoration for the NBA 2K series. Many people do. In the video game, replacing a second big man in your lineup with an athletic wing who can get to the paint and dunk and/or shoot threes is just such an obvious move. You want the speed, the spacing, the shooting. It's really a no-brainer. Now 'small ball' has never been more en vogue, and the early adopters are gaining a sizable tactical advantage over the opposition. Those teams that have been slower to adopt small ball principles (see: Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City Thunder) really seem like they are doing themselves a disservice. Everyone digs size, speed, athleticism and shooting. As this trend continues to develop, there's going to be a greater emphasis not only on finding stretch power forwards, but also wing players versatile enough to defend different types of offensive players. Jimmy Butler fills this role perfectly, and the Bulls are fortunate to have him. The more of these guys you have on your team, the better. Players that seem to fit the 'three-and-D' wing criteria are going to become even greater commodities in the draft. For some reason, North Carolina's Reggie Bullock (scouting report) is still projected to be available when the Bulls choose at No. 20. As I mentioned in the Dieng piece, this purported 'weak' draft class isn't exactly lacking if you can get a guy like Bullock in the second half of the first round. He seems like a pretty safe pick who has obvious, valuable skills that translate perfectly in today's NBA. The Good Reggie Bullock does two things very well: shoot threes and play defense. At 6'7, 200 lbs., Bullock has ideal size to defend shooting guards, small forwards and maybe even some those ever popular small ball fours in the NBA. Every bench can use a player like him, which is why it's curious most expect him to be available when the Bulls are on the clock. Bullock is a great catch-and-shoot player. He shot 43.6 percent from three last season as a junior on a high volume 5.8 attempts per game. After shooting a solid 38.2 percent on 4.9 threes per game as a sophomore, Bullock took on a greater role in North Carolina's offense last season and only improved his efficiency. This is a good sign. But does Reggie Bullock have NBA range? Oh, I think he does. Watch his Draft Express video highlights and you'll find some very deep threes. Including: So yeah: Reggie Bullock can shoot. With Derrick Rose back in full force next season, the Bulls will need shooters to space the floor and be available for kick-outs. Given the team's dire lack of long distance shooting at the moment, a player like Bullock makes a lot of sense at No. 20. His unselfishness also seems to fit right in with the Bulls, as well. This won't be a player gunning for stats. He'll know his role, he won't demand the ball and he'll likely only take shots in the flow of the offense. Add in the fact that he projects as an above-average defende