|
|
|
October 13th, 2003........Guess who's back? Da Bulls, Da
Bulls!
I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and I feel pretty confident about what I have
to say. After all, why shouldn't I? Nobody thought the Cubs would actually beat the Atlanta Braves in the Divison
Series, let alone even make the playoffs! And oh my, didn't the fabled Bad News Bears finally win a game last Sunday,
not only dramatically, but against the OAKLAND RAIDERS?
With that being said, allow me to make my official statement for all unsuspecting souls to see:
The Chicago Bulls Will Make
The Playoffs This Year!
Now, why did I make such a blasphemous statement? Why did I write
it in bright red, bold-face, underlined font? Why did I write this on my Mad Mad Game Page, of all places? The
answer is because I feel that it's destined to happen, that's why. Really, I'm serious.
Before you all escort me off to the nearest mental hospital, let me state my case.
First off, I honestly don't think any Eastern teams drastically improved this year, well except maybe New Jersey,
Orlando, Detroit, and Philly. I'm not even that convinced with New Jersey, either. Alonzo Mourning is still a
bonafide center, but even the team has said they don't expect him to play more than 24 minutes a game. And even if he
does, how much will he be able to contribute? I'm thinking maybe 11-12 points, 6 rebounds, which would be a lot considering
24 minutes a game. He'd be able to help the team in bursts, but what about the whole game? That Collins kid would
play the rest of the time, which would be similar to last season. To me, that means NJ will have another lackluster
year, with the hopes that big Zo will push them over the top come playoff time.
Orlando is also questionable in my opinion. They got Reece Gaines with the hope he
can play the point, but I can't remember the last time a relatively unknown rookie point guard successfully started
for a playoff team. True, 2 guys have recently done that named Tony Parker of the Spurs and Jamaal Tinsley
of Indiana. But Parker had 2 Hall of Famers to take the burden off him, as well as a remarkable team. And
Tinsley has stunk up the joint the last few years since his rookie season, and now is being shopped around the League.
I also must bring up their acquisition of PF Juwan Howard. That's a great pickup if you ask me, but it brings this to
mind: what are you now going to do with standout Drew Gooden who also plays the PF slot? What the team really needs
is an upgrade at center instead of Andrew DeClercq. Gooden sorta kinda played the 3 while at Memphis, but he is not
really best suited there. Plus if he was the starting 3, do you now bring Gordan Giricek off the bench? I don't
think that's too smart, because that's exactly why they traded Mike Miller. Giricek would simply be better at the 3
than Gooden. This could all be avoided if either Gooden or Howard can play the 5 spot. However, I don't think
Howard is tall enough (even in the shorter East), and having Gooden there instead is like starting a tall version of
Eddie Robinson. I'm just not convinced the Magic got a WHOLE lot better. A little? You bet, but not
a lot.
Phew! Now, onto the focus of this article, the Bulls. Instead of signing garbage
players and castoffs like they do almost every year, they went out and re-signed Scottie Pippen! True, he isn't going
to be the Pip of old, but that's not why he was brought back. His sole purpose will be to bring a defensive-minded,
veteran presence to instill into the younger players of this squad. If Pip averages anywhere close to his 10 points,
4 rebounds, and 4 assists from last season (and I see no reason why he won't), then get aboard the gravy train. The
Bulls didn't stop there, however; they also snagged ex-Timberwolf Kendall Gill, a former 20 point per game scorer during his
earlier years. Now, his role has been diminished to a defensive-minded 2 or 3 position, while still coming off the bench
to score about 8 points every night. I'd say that's a huge upgrade from Trenton Hassel (who does play good D, but can't
hit the broad side of a barn). This brings us to the future of the team: Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler, and Jamal
Crawford. When those 2 big men broke into the league, anything they did at all was considered to be positive, whether
it be a rebound or a deflected pass. The second year, they had a little experience, but weren't used to it. Now
by their third year, they've seen it all. I'd be happy if Eddy averaged about 14-15 points and 7-8 boards, and if Tyson
notched around 12-13 points, 7-8 rebounds, and 2-3 blocks. They are practically the last actual big men left in the
watered-down East, so don't be surprised if that actually happens. And Jamal.....let's say we'll see more than a few
personal highlight reels by Mr. Crawford this year. If he performs anywhere close to how he finished last season, then
the playoffs are a lock.
And remember, the Bulls still have Jalen Rose, a consistent scorer and passer as well as
their leading scorer the last 2 seasons. And assuming he's recovered from his torn Achilles from last year, I'd look
for a strong outing from Marcus Fizer off the bench. If he hadn't have gotten hurt, I thought he could have made a great
case for Sixth Man of the Year. Any Bulls fan would probably agree with me. I would be nuts not to mention Donyell
Marshall. This guy played both the PF and SF slots last year both starting and off the bench, and he filled up the statbook
in each area. Who knows, maybe Eddie Robinson will decide to step it up this year as well. The team doesn't pin
their hopes on him, but if he does blossom it'll just make the Bulls even better. I expect Kirck Heinrich, the no. 7
pick to be another Jay Williams, except replace the explosiveness with an uncanncy shooting ability. Well, as evidenced
by the length of this article, I think things are actually falling into place for Chi-town. And its about time too....we
haven't had much to cheer about since 1998. | |
|
