everyone says we are now that crucial player away from a deep playoff run: cant Kirk be that guy this year? If he puts up the proper numbers, he could be an all star and those proper numbers could be that consistent 20 some odd points a game. I think kirk will step up a lot this year: hes gotten bulkier, more confident, and has that phat contract. Thoughts...?

He might be able to be...
He seems consistent ? maybe im wrong? but from watching the bulls (i watch about 75%-85% of games last year) he seemed consistent. i think he has a good chance of avg. over 20 ppg

The experience with Team USA was a huge plus and he was fearless driving to the hoop alot last night including two AND 1 plays so I definitely believe he can do it!

I don't think we need a 20ppg game to win the title. We'll need to out-run other teams and play stellar defense but if we can also get to the line more than last year (while keeping the opposition from shooting as many free throws as they did last year) I think we have a very very legit chance at the title.

I agree. But to dispell the ideas of OTHERS, my answer for who our leader is is to say Kirk. I already see great D and the potential to solidify a great running game. I feel a bit like the Suns in that aspect.

I think this is Kirk's breakout season...and he's only 25...so we know he's just like fine wine...only will get better with age...K-Rich was aces last night...in your face James Posey!!!

I honestly have no idea. I personally thought it would be Deng but Luol still looks slow.. I really think Ben Gordon will be traded this season for a bigger better guard. If I had to guess I would say either Kirk or Deng. Ill go with Kirk right now.

I figured I'd see something like this now...

20 points for Kirk might be a bit of a stretch for a few reasons. 1) He's not a selfish shoot-first type player. Tonight was exhibit A, he only took 8 shots. 2) He doesn't shoot free throws consistently. His attempts are a lot lower than most top scorers. 3) His scoring is highly dependent on his outside stroke, which generally hurts one's consistency a bit.

However, that might not matter. The real key with the 20-point- scorer-thing is that you have a guy that can be a real game-changer that can consistently swing the game in your favor even if your team is not having its best night. You don't necessarily have to be a GREAT scorer to do that, although you at least have to be above average and be able to affect the game in other ways. Guys like Magic Johnson, Isaiah Thomas, Steve Nash, and John Stockton weren't/aren't consistent 20-point scorers, but they all have a massive impact on the game, take over when it matters, and get the calls in key situations.

Right now the closest that we have to that is probably Ben Wallace, and he can only do that on the defensive end. If Kirk, Ben, or Luol steps up and becomes that type of offensive player, that could greatly improve our chances. Kirk has done it to some extent the past two years in the playoffs, he just needs to either take it to the next level or do it more consistently.

He's our best slasher...doesn't look so slow to me...

And a couple of other points...

20 ppg isn't so out of reach for Kirk, but he isn't as consistently accurate of an outside shooter as necessary, along with not getting to the line often enough as was stated before...

And while I appreciate Ben's scoring, the rookie-like miscues are getting tiresome...

I'd be more happy with 8+ assists per night and ben gordon being the 20ppg a night guy or luol deng.

Yeah, no kidding.

Deng should be putting up damn near 20 points per night, but he ain't gonna do it if Skiles doesn't leave him out there for 30 minutes.

I see no reason why Kirk can't score about 18 per game, especially if he is more consistent with his three point shot this year. But as Zoom pointed out, he plays at the wrong position. If he was an SG, 20 wouldn't be much of a problem.

If I knew that Brandon Roy was gonna have the smarts of a 30 year old veteran right of the bat, I might have went ahead and drafted him with the #4 overall pick. I've been watching a lot of Blazers games, as I like quite a few of their young players, and this guy is something else. Y'all might laugh at this, but I think he has an outstanding shot at finishing with the best FG% of any SG in the NBA as a rookie. Seriously, I think he's that good. His shot selection is absolutely superb.

But then again, I love Tyrus and Thabo, so I have no regrets.

But we do need that Jason Richardson or Brandon Roy figure on the Bulls. It is our team weakness, as of now.



You know what, though? You need that guy who can get to the free throw line on a consistent basis (Jason Richardson, Brandon Roy, etc), and Ben Gordon can't do it.

Kirk can have atrocious shooting nights and still win games for us. Ben is more or less a one-trick pony, so when his shot is off, he is without question the biggest liability of anyone in our 8 or 9 man rotation because he can't do anything else.

And he had his shot going last night, but he only made it to the free throw line once. That's terrible. If you attack the rim, maybe you get Baby Dwight in foul trouble. Who knows.

But I'm saying, as of now, Brandon Roy is about 10 times better than Ben Gordon. Ben has a better pure shot, but Brandon does everything else so much better that it ain't even funny. I mean EVERYTHING.

But I'll take a chance on legendary defensive upside (Tyrus) all day long.

Jason Richardson wouldn't really be my first choice. His shot selection isn't the greatest, he takes way too many 3's, he took 2 more attempts from down there per game than anyone on our squad. Plus he hits under 70% of his free throws, so it's not as great an asset. His attempts might be higher, but he only made one more free throw every other game than Kirk did last year (and that was his career best in FT's made per game). He's not exactly a dominator on defense either. I doubt he'd average 20 a game on the Bulls, I don't see him getting 19 shots per game to work with for us like he does for Golden State. Gordon led the team with 14.4 last year, that'd be an awful lot of shots that our other guys aren't getting.

I like Brandon Roy though, even though interestingly he had no free throw attempts in his first game.

I think that it's more about particular systems in Jason's case. I like him because he can take it right to the rim with ease, and in the process, he can draw multiple defenders and open things up on the offensive glass. He has shown flashes of 30 PPG potential, which is beyond rare in this league, as you know.

He plays in an atrocious system, no doubt. He wouldn't be shooting anywhere near as many threes on a real squad with an actual game plan. Put him on a Larry Brown squad, a Rick Carlisle squad, etc, and you'll get the most out of him. West coast teams have their heads way up their asses for the most part, but hey, they need to bomb it constantly to keep their casual fans interested. Conservative offense and defense just ain't getting ratings, unfortunately, although Texas is an altogether different story. Also, it's not as much about shooting a great FT% as it is getting the other team's key players (big men) into foul trouble. That is precisely what we need, IMO, and it ain't gonna happen with Ben Gordon having to settle for long-distance shots damn near every time.

I understand that Richardson is not a good defensive player, but you have to surround him with defensive personnel, and the Warriors just don't have it.

My point: Put him on a real team like the Bulls, and he is a major championship piece.

Right now I think we have to hope Sef can turn into the type of guy that can guard bigger 2's. Right now he doens't have the strenght but there is a lot that you should like about him.

I'd also be a huge fan of what a healthy Maggette could do for the Bulls (there's a man that knows how to get to the line) but the problem is there is no guarantee over his health and I think they'd want Deng (I'd consider moving Gordon and other parts for him).

The Bulls definately need a guy that can get to the line when his shot isn't working. Its probably our biggest weakness (to go along with a lack of low post offense).

Kirk is not a 20 ppg guy. He can score 20 pts...but not consistently. As seen many times, he is inconsistent with his offense. When he tries to do too much, he turns the ball over and takes bad shots.

He is the team leader and crucial to the offense, but not the main scorer. The offense should run through him though. Deng looks to be the 20pt guy...

Noch is a good 2nd or 3rd option....

Hopefully T2 will acclimate to the nba and become a nice 4th option scoring on set plays, fast breaks, put backs, etc.

if only sweetney wasnt so fat, he'd be able to put up 20 ppg /sigh

your probably right although I wouldnt be shocked if we see Sweets get a start pretty soon if we continue to struggle, pending if hes still in Skiles Doghouse or not. He did good in the playoffs defensively and offensively. Dont forget he was what the 8th pick in the NBA draft a few years back. He has some talent.

Sweetney has only a slightly better chance of scoring 20 a game for the Bulls than I do. He's fat, out of shape, and is obviously on Skiles
spiff-list. He's not the answer to anything. He hasn't played even one minute yet, that should tell you something. He'd probably have to actually play before we worry about him starting.

Draft position means squat. There are an awful lot of scrubs that went early in the draft at some point or another. Just remember, Robert Traylor was picked before Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce.