With 2 possible top 10 draft picks who would you like to see playing for the Bulls next year? personally I would want Lamarcus Aldridge from Texas, and J.J. Reddick from Duke.

Definately Lamarcus Aldridge. Aside from him I like the guy from Florida (can't think of his name right now). But if it were up to me I'd draft two bigs.

However, I am also a fan of packaging a 1st/Ben Gordon/Future 1st for a Paul Pierce type player.

what use would we have for reddick? He's just another undersized 2 gaurd who can't play defense, the guy will probably be a decent 3 point specialist in the future but this Bulls team has no use for an arrogant player like him.

With the top pick I'd say the only person that really fits this team would be Lamarcus Aldridge, it's just a shame that the Bulls will end up with a top 3 pick for a draft with no clear studs comming out.

They need front line guys badly. JJ Reddick would be a star in the Bulls system, but unless they make a deal that deals either Hinrich or Gordon, there is no place for him.

Aldridge would be my top choice for the Bulls right now depending on where they drafted. Heck even a guy like Sheldon Williams would be a great fit if they couldn't get a quality guy with the Knicks pick.

why don't you think the Bulls could use a three point specialist off the bench. and as far as him being arrogent, hes no where near as bad as most players (*Cough* Carmello Anthony *Cough*)

Cough Ben Gordon Cough. (3 point specialist. Not the arrogant part)

The path for the Bulls is very obvious, IMO. They have exactly 2 needs...a shooting guard who can guard other people's big guards so Hinrich can stay on the point guards, and a Center who can score.

The holes are blatantly obvious. Tyson Chandler is growing into an excellent rebounder, shot-blocker, etc., but the reason he's so good at getting things like offensive rebounds is that he's in rebounding position, but not in scoring position. And when he goes for shot-blocks, he takes himself out of rebounding position. He simply can't do everything on the inside.

The Bulls need a big guy who can score and rebound some. Tyson can be our best rebounder with ease, if he's allowed to spend his time getting in rebounding position because someone else is working the post. Think about the Wallaces in Detroit...because 'Sheed is there, Ben is much more free to clog up the middle and dominate the boards, as he doesn't have to move around as much to cover multiple big guys.

Furthermore, right now we don't have that many people who are good at creating open shots for other people. A powerful post presence could do that quite well. You feed the post, the post passes out when someone else opens up, creating the open shot.

Aldridge is right now the best candidate I can see this year, and I think we should put our best efforts into getting him. If that Knick pick comes up behind someone who takes Aldridge...we should try to trade up.

And we need a shooting guard, obviously, simply so that Hinrich doesn't have to guard people who are bigger than him. Quite simple. Hopefully we can fill both in this year's draft, with possibly 2 lottery picks (wouldn't it be nice to have 2 in the top 3?)

Anyone of Aldridge, Brandon Roy, Ron Brewer, B. Rush, Rod Carney, or Mardy Collins would be great picks IMO. The latter five are all tall SGs which would really help compliment the other guards we have on this team. Aldridge is my clear cut favorite though, and if NYK keeps stinking it up we may have a legit shot at him.

Ben Gordon should be our 3 point specialist coming in off of the bench.

Let's face it. Ben doesn't have the smarts, ball-handling skills, or passing skills to run the point, which should be his natural position given his size. He is a 6'1 shooting guard. That might work for you at your local YMCA, I dunno. He would be in his element as a 3 point specialist coming in off of the bench. If he's starting for you, you're pretty much fucked.

Tell me something about Reddick. Can he score in the mid-range and take it to the basket with authority, or is he gonna be Wally World Part 2? I don't pay much attention to college basketball, so seriously, someone give me a scouting report on this guy. If he is strictly a perimiter scoring threat with little to no quickness, you don't want him. That's not how you build championship caliber teams in the NBA. Let the Don Nelsons of the world draft slow white guys who can score and do nothing else well. We don't want to set ourselves up for mediocrity, now do we?

I even think Gay would be a solid option if they can't get Aldridge. The only question is whether Gay or Deng could move to the SG spot. But Gay is going to be a very good player as will Deng.

Still the Bulls vastly need a low post player (2nd drastic need is a legit 2 guard). They should be able to get one via the Knicks pick and than the other by dealing Gordon and some other parts (possibly our other 1st rd pick and a future pick).

Hey, guess who has changed his tone a bit?

I know that you never called him a bust outright, but you weren't exactly positive in your assessment of his skills before, much like everyone else.

Now you can see the beast. Well, alright. Of course he would benefit if he had somebody, ANYBODY down there with him. A scoring C is what we need, no doubt.

The drive is something that Reddick has added to his game the last couple of years. When he got to college he was strictly a spot up shooter, and really has added the drive to his repitoire. He has the first step quickness to get around guys pretty easy in the ACC, which should translate pretty decently to the NBA I am guessing. Also the threat of his shot will help him get around guys to, as they have to respect his distance out to a solid 25 feet plus. I think he projects well to the NBA if he gets into the right system.

Give me LaMarcus Aldridge out of Texas (7'5 wingspan, WOWZERS and a guy who studies tape of KG and Duncan) and Reddick or Brandon Roy out of Washington. I think Reddick would excel in Skiles' system because he likes running a guard oriented offense. Even when he had Eddy last year, he usually went away from him after the 1st.

Scouting Reports:

LaMarcus
http://draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=55

Reddick:
http://draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=16

Roy:
http://draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=343

LaMarcus is a must and if he isn't there, go with Andrea Bargnani
http://draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=154

As far as SG's, I hope Reddick or Roy are still available, but if not Brandon Rush(SG Kansas) or Joakim Noah(C from FLA) would be good picks as well.

I thought I was always one of the ones trying to be in the middle on Tyson. He needs help inside. But he could very well be a beast if he was teamed with a guy who could score inside on the offensive side of the court and rebound on the defensive side.

You know the reason he's so good at getting offensive rebounds? It's that he's never in position to score, he's always in position to rebound on that side of the court. When you have a guy who can post up and score on his own, that's not going to hurt you much, but on it's own it's a gaping hole.

That's cool. In evaluating scoring SGs, I'd want someone who wouldn't get completely shut down by a Tayshaun Prince or a Danny Granger, because our road through the playoffs over the course of the next 5 or so years will be through Detroit and Indiana. We would need an all-around threat (perimiter, mid-range, paint). This Gay guy sounds very interesting.

I'd be really nervous about picking up that guy from Europe. I just don't know how confident I am in European big guys right now, especially young ones. Who knows, I could be totally wrong and he could be the most dominant player in the league. But I'd still much rather have Aldridge.

The reason why Gay isn't a consensus top pick is because he kind of shys away from crunch time or big games. He's usually very quiet in those games. Think of Frank Williams at the SG/SF position. They have the ability to take over games and are really talented, but they just seem disinterested.

Gay is much closer to a PF/SF than a SF/SG. He doesnt have a good jumper so him at SG would be bad. Although I do agree that he is gonna be very good. Brandon Rush can play both spots, he has a smooth J, and he has Deng-esque wingspan so he might be someone you like.

We may not have to waste a pick on a trade if Nene can adjust well, get himself back into playing shape, and up to game speed before next season, I could see the Bulls signing him as an FA. An ACL is a hard injury in any sport to come back from, but luckily he's a big man, who doesnt have to make quick sideways moves, besides under the basket pivots and the like.

Well unlike Nikoloz who was based purely off of practice(he didn't play that well in Europe either), Bargnani has been tearing it up in Europe. I think he will be the next great European player. I'll try to find stat lines for him.

The good thing with Gay is he takes it to the hole with authority and is really athletic(which is why he's listed as a SG/SF, though I think he would be better suited as a pure SF).

That's his job though, you know? He's not a scoring option. His job is to set picks and create second chance opportunities for us on the offensive end & let the other four guys do the scoring.

And I don't think that I'm out of my mind when I suggest that he could be THE ABSOLUTE BEST in the NBA in terms of attacking the offensive glass. The height, quickness, wingspan, determination, etc.....this dude is gonna be the complete package in a defensive/rebounding sense.

Now, add a scoring C, an all-around scoring threat out of the 2, a perimiter defender off of the bench, and we're golden.

Agreed, but the problem is, this year, the Bulls are in desperate need of an inside scoring presence, which (combined with his pathetic first 2 months of the season and the season Brand has had) has worked to draw a lot of scorn at Chandler, since he's basically all we've got inside on this team right now.

Next season and the season after that are the seasons by which we should judge Pax's team.

A couple of statlines for Bagnani in the EuroLeague playoffs:

Well, could you imagine if Detroit had to rely on Ben Wallace as a scoring option, or if the 96-98 Bulls had to rely on Dennis Rodman to score?

People have been a little more than unfair in ripping Tyson. It's not his fault that our GM didn't consider bringing in even a half-assed scoring option out of the 4 or 5, let alone a competent scoring option. Malik Allen just ain't cutting it. I suppose that Tyson is a nice scapegoat, though.

You have to go after Paxson. Some of his moves have been unbelievably dumb. This is not how you build a team.

Have you even seen this guy play? From everything Ive read about him, he is a PF who plays like a SF, and we already have good depth there with Tyson, Sweetney, Allen, and Harrington. All those guys are PF's and no matter how you look at it they shouldnt be forced to play C for the bulk of games. Not to mention I am very weary of European guys, because they dont face very good competition, and are mostly hyped b/c of size. We need a true C, with a nice thick frame, who can score down in the block and play good D, not a Nowitzki clone(if indeed he lives up to all the hype).

Bargnani will not be Nikoloz Skitishvilli, I'll guarentee that. I think people are being too weary of players they don't see. Bagnani from every indication I get will be really really really good. He's Dirk Nowitzki with awesome defense. Only reason why he isn't a consensus top pick is because he's from overseas.

BTW, I've checked out some of his vids on RealGM.

The whole NCAA has been trying to put bigger guys on Reddick for 2 years now, and he either goes out deeper, or beats them off of the dribble.

I have a feeling reddick won't be doing much driving in the NBA...

Again, I think he would be great with the Bulls, especially with a LaMarcus Aldridge since we do alot of pick and roll and have a guard oriented offense. He also would fit nice with Phoenix(probably would average 20ppg with them), Dallas, Sacramento and Detroit. He'll be able to drive because of his shot if he's able to. Then again, I think Salim Stoudamire has better tools(handles/shooting) than Reddick and he can't drive as much as he should be able to.

I think Bagani will be a guy the Bulls look at if Aldridge is gone. However, if Aldridge is gone my guess is the Bulls will use that pick to try and trade for a big time SG or a big time trade for a guy like KG.

My concern with Euro big men is they tend to be soft and the Bulls need a good low post scorer, not another guy who makes his living outside of the paint.

Actually I tend to agree with you Mike. Early in his career Reddick would have been horrid in the pro's, but right now I think he'll actually develop into a quality 2 guard. That said I have no interest in him.

I think Reddick will have a very similiar career as Szerbiak. Ie a solid starter.

Here's the other question...if the Bulls manage to get Aldridge, which I think we have a very good chance of doing...what do we do with that $14 million in cap space? Are there any obvious 2 guards on the market this offseason?

Not really. The best of the bunch is Bonzi Wells as he is the only TRUE shooting guard. Here is a 2005 NBA FA guide.

Ben Wallace in a Bulls uni......we could only hope.

I think that the Bulls should draft Aldridge with the Knicks pick, or Bargini if Aldridge isn't there, and with the Bulls pick they should take Brewer out of Arkansas to back up the two.

FA isn't a very good route. If we can draft Aldridge, I'd expect the Bulls to either draft another big man (if they hold onto both picks) or trade that pick elsewhere. Although with all that cap room the Bulls could potentially take on a draft pick (like we did with the Suns) simply because another team is clearing out cap space.

My guess is we'll see the Bulls trade for one big money guy, sign someone like Nene, and draft an Aldridge (well I hope its Aldridge). Our other pick will be a part of the trade for a big money guy.

Welcome aboard

thanks i appriciate it, ive been on soxtalk for a while but i usually prefer to read instead of post

I would like to see if one of the five guys I mentioned earlier; Brandon Roy, Ron Brewer, B. Rush, Rod Carney, or Mardy Collins, are available with our second pick before we think about trading it. It's a rather deep draft call for tall SG's with good college experience so it wouldnt be a bad idea to to grab one.

Aldridge would be a great selection for the Bulls first pick. If they keep the second I expect them to look really hard at Brewer, Roy, or Carney.

The question is if the Bulls don't get the first pick and lose out on Aldridge, who do they take after him? Gay or Morrison?

I'd take Gay. Morrison has to score more points because he's on a worse team than UConn, and Gay is a more complete player with at least some semblence of a defensive IQ.

It's pretty obvious what the Bulls' deficiencies are, and Aldridge is clearly the best option with the early pick. Here are some other possible options that I like though (roughly in order of preference):

Big guys-
Hilton Armstrong-UConn. I like this guy a lot, and would gladly use our own pick.
Joakim Noah-Florida. Decent, but probably a little raw.
Tyrus Thomas-LSU. Very athletic. Could be a solid PF.
Al Horford- Florida. Same as Noah, only a little smaller and a little more athletic.
Leon Powe-Cal. Undersized, but can score and rebound.
C.J. Giles-Kansas. Very raw, but is big and athletic.
Paul Davis-MSU. Obviously soft, but has some skill. Could be there in the 2nd.

Big guards-
Rodney Carney-Memphis. Probably more of a SF, but really athletic and can shoot.
Brandon Roy-Washington. Talented all-around player. D is a bit suspect.
Maurice Ager-MSU. A little iffy. Good shooter, not aggressive enough. Defense?
Mardy Collins-Temple. Decent all around player, but needs to shoot better.
Corey Brewer-Florida. Might not be a 2 guard
Randy Foye-Villanova. Not really big, but solid all-around. Can defend and maybe play PG.

Notice I left off Sheldon Williams, JJ Redick, and Ronnie Brewer. I'm not a fan of any of them. Redick is a little small and probably will be limited to a shooter in the NBA. Williams doesn't have a lot of offensive skills and is foul prone. Plus he is probably a little small. Brewer is a poor shooter and is probably a better fit at SF. Plus his D is a little iffy.

Horford was the guy that ESPN's mock had the Bulls taking with there own selection. He's an athletic 4 and I think he'd be a nice fit along side Aldridge.

I would go Aldridge b/c of his size and athleticism, much like a Chris Bosh. Then, I would draft Mardy Collins of Temple. He is a 6-6 PG who can play SG. He is the perfect combo guard, shot is ok, but can drive and get his teammates the ball. Also, held Reddick to only 11 pts when Duke and temple played.

I say if he's available, we go with Gay and hope that Shelden Williams is on the board with that 2nd pick. I have a man-crush on Williams.

On a side note, doesn't Shelden look exactly like Ken Griffey Jr. in that Simpsons episode when he drank all that brain tonic?

No love for Augie?!?

Ronnie Brewer sounds like the guy the Bulls need esp. at the 2nd pick. Haven't seem him play. But if he can play defense, having a SG who can slash to the basket and score, and create open looks for Gordon, Deng and Nocioni

http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/ronniebrewer.asp

I also like Sheldon Williams. He's a guy who can help right away. The Bulls need a low post scoring threat and a defensive presence. Williams would give the bulls both

I would be thrilled if the Bulls came away with Gay and a big guard of somekind. This team of midgets that Skiles runs out there looks something more like Barnum and Baileys put together the team vs an NBA general manager. The Bulls need some real size at the 2 and at the 4/5.

Possibly in the second. He's probably a backup at best.

As for the Williams talk, I really don't like his pro potential. I don't think I've ever seen him make a decent post move on someone. Every basket he scores is on a dunk or layup, and only occasionally in traffic. I've never seen him hit a jump-hook from the block, I've never seen him hit a turn-around jumper, and I've never seen him do a drop-step with a guy guarding him and turn it into a dunk. That's okay if you're long and athletic, but it's not a good thing when you're generously listed at 6'9". He's also almost certainly not going to be racking up that many blocks against NBA big men, and if he's racking up more than 3 fouls a game at Duke, that probably translates to a foul out every other game as a rookie in the pros. I'd bet his NBA career is closer to Reggie Evans than Elton Brand.

I agree with your assessment on Williams. He's going to be Antonio Davis at best in the NBA. Serviceable, but I would pass on him if there is better.

I'm curious about Washington's Brandon Roy, and how he plays vs the Illini today. He's projected to go in the 5-10 range of the draft. He sounds like a Dwayne Wade type, a versatile all around SG.