By Jason Gage
QUOTE
The New York Daily news is reporting that the Chicago Bulls have had preliminary discussions with the Denver Nuggets in a trade which would send point guard Kirk Hinrich to the Nuggets in exchange for center Marcus Camby.
GM John Paxson has to clear up the log-jam at the guard position and moving Hinrich for Camby fullfills both the need to clear the guard position as well as the need to get a second center to join Joakim Noah (with Gray as the final man on the bench). Camby is a defensive specialist who has had an injury prone career, but assuming Camby, Noah, Thomas, and Gooden can all split signifciant minutes amongst each other you’d be talking about a front-court with both upside and veteran presence.
I’d rather see Hinrich kept with Gordon leaving, but many analysts around the league have indicated that Derrick Rose’s slashing style of play could bring out the very best in Ben Gordon. The logic behind such statement is that as Rose develops he’ll be able to find guards on the perimeter for open shots on a regular basis and that will play into Gordon’s strenght (his tremendous pure shooting).
Assuming the Bulls plan on giving Noah & Tyrus both 30 minutes a piece on a regular basis, I’d be a major fan of this move. The Bulls will still need to find a taker for Larry Hughes if possible and than use the exception on a veteran point-guard who can work with Rose.
Could you imagine a lineup with:
Vet PG/Rose
Sefolosha/Gordon
Deng/Nocioni
Gooden/Tyrus Thomas
Noah/Camby/Gray
Note: Larry Hughes could still appear in this lineup as well (since odds are you won’t find much of a taker on him this season or at least not until the trade deadline)
That lineup possesses solid veterans (which the youngest team in the NBA needs) as well as all the upside in the world. It also has shooters, post players, and defensive stoppers. In fact, I think you are looking at the makings of a legitimate playoff team there which could grow into a title contender (and Camby’s contract, which last two more seasons, turns into an asset as it comes off the books in time for the 2010 off-season).
GM John Paxson has to clear up the log-jam at the guard position and moving Hinrich for Camby fullfills both the need to clear the guard position as well as the need to get a second center to join Joakim Noah (with Gray as the final man on the bench). Camby is a defensive specialist who has had an injury prone career, but assuming Camby, Noah, Thomas, and Gooden can all split signifciant minutes amongst each other you’d be talking about a front-court with both upside and veteran presence.
I’d rather see Hinrich kept with Gordon leaving, but many analysts around the league have indicated that Derrick Rose’s slashing style of play could bring out the very best in Ben Gordon. The logic behind such statement is that as Rose develops he’ll be able to find guards on the perimeter for open shots on a regular basis and that will play into Gordon’s strenght (his tremendous pure shooting).
Assuming the Bulls plan on giving Noah & Tyrus both 30 minutes a piece on a regular basis, I’d be a major fan of this move. The Bulls will still need to find a taker for Larry Hughes if possible and than use the exception on a veteran point-guard who can work with Rose.
Could you imagine a lineup with:
Vet PG/Rose
Sefolosha/Gordon
Deng/Nocioni
Gooden/Tyrus Thomas
Noah/Camby/Gray
Note: Larry Hughes could still appear in this lineup as well (since odds are you won’t find much of a taker on him this season or at least not until the trade deadline)
That lineup possesses solid veterans (which the youngest team in the NBA needs) as well as all the upside in the world. It also has shooters, post players, and defensive stoppers. In fact, I think you are looking at the makings of a legitimate playoff team there which could grow into a title contender (and Camby’s contract, which last two more seasons, turns into an asset as it comes off the books in time for the 2010 off-season).