This Rose Kid Might Be Good

HOOPSANALYST's Ed Weiland and Knickerblogger talk draft. Though I wish I could have warned both not to converse (I fear a crossing the streams type cataclysm), I'll take the very reasonable Rose praise.

Yay!

Bulls draft Rose; TYIers place pig's blood, "Die, Pax, Die!" signs back in storage.

But of course, because Pax has to ruin everything, he says the Bulls will be "cautious" with Rose development. I'm fine with being "cautious" about rushing to deliver final judgments about Rose during his first year. (Even his first two years.) Deron Williams, you'll recall, struggled mightily throughout most of his first year, and it's unrealistic to think Rose will just jump into the league, ready to dominate.

But, no, do not be "cautious" with his development. Give him the minutes and let him lead the way. Show him all the beauty he possesses inside. Give him a sense of pride. And trade Kirk Hinrich the fuck awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other

JERRY ZGODA, a man so important his name is in all-caps at the Standard Examiner (a daily that covers holes in Utah's spacetime continuum), wrote this about smallish NBA players drafted below inferior, yet biggish NBA players.

Andrew Bogut and Marvin Williams over Deron Williams and Paul in 2005. Michael Olowokandi over Mike Bibby in 1998. Glenn Robinson over Jason Kidd in 1994. Derrick Coleman over Gary Payton in 1990. Mark Aguirre over Isiah Thomas in 1981.

Let's recap: 6'6" tall and a career 19.0 PER over 6'1" tall and a career 18.1 PER. Obviously I'm not going into detail here, but puh-lease, Mr. ZGODA. I still enjoyed Kevin McHale saying dumb things in your piece.

I am kind of curious, and you (dear reader, not ZGODA) have to actually remember watching Aguirre to answer this: is Beasley comparable to Mark Aguirre?

Why Aren't The Bulls In The Hunt For Melo?

All this speculation about a Tayshaun-and-Billups for Melo deal got me thinking: If Denver's actually serious about dealing him, shouldn't the Bulls try to get involved and see if they could swing a Hinrich-and-Deng for Melo trade?

It seems to me Melo would be a huge offensive upgrade over Deng, seeing as how he's not only a low-post scorer that you can run your offense through but also a semi-legit threat from three point land (a career high 35 percent last year) who stretches the D. Deng, of course, does neither, which I'm starting to think is a real problem, as his man can go and double down on our (already pretty meager) post players and still get back in time to the 15-20 ft range where Deng likes to hover for his jumpers. I'm well aware Melo brings certain "character" issues with him, but by all means picture me rolling my eyes while sitting jackknifed and repeatedly pumping my fist over my lower torso area.

Now, at first blush, it would appear that faced with those two prospective deals, Denver would obviously go for Detroit's offer: Billups is clearly better than Hinrich (23.6 PER last year to Kirk's shockingly low 13.1), while Deng and Tayshaun are probably a wash when you factor in Tayshaun's far superior defense (Deng's 17.0 PER was marginally better than Tayshaun's 15.6). But, in a couple ways, the Bulls' offer could be more appealing.

For starters, Deng (22) is five years younger than Tayshaun. At 27, Tayshaun is playing in the prime of his career, and yet he isn't putting up any better offensive numbers than Deng, who is almost certain to improve. In other words, with Prince you have a player who has reached the pinnacle of his talent, yet that pinnacle isn't noticeably higher than Deng, whose game is still on the upswing. Meanwhile, Hinrich (27) is four years younger than Chauncey. Now I'm sure that certainly for next season, you would rather have Chauncey Billups lead your team than Kirk. But how about after that, when Chauncey turns 33? At that point, I'd say all bets are off. (See also: Wallace, Ben.)

Which leads to the other reason the Bulls' offer might be more appealing than Detroit's: After next year, Billups has two more years left on his deal for $25 mil.; Kirk also has three years left on his deal, but his last two years only cost $18.5 mil. To a team with major luxury tax issues that's already locked into paying Nene and Kenyon Martin a combined $26 mil and $28 mil. over those two seasons, that savings could be awfully tempting, particularly since Deng (who presumably could be signed and traded with a 5-year, $55 mil. deal) would be making roughly the same that's due to Tayshaun ($31 mil. over the next 3 years).

I can't see this deal happening for a million reasons--from Pax's infatuation with "character" guys to the Bulls' overestimation of Deng (about which I might be writing more later). But I do think it would make a lot of sense.

I Know, I Know. It's Been A While Since Someone Said Something Fantastically Stupid On The Internet

Nothing like a terribly racist joke from a Fanhouse blogger to turn it all around. I can't lie, I was getting worried.

Hmmm...

...well, it's Del Negro.

Does it strike anyone else as not the most ringing endorsement of Vinny D that his most recent former boss (Steve Kerr) hired Terry Porter over him?

Still, I prefer an unknown quantity like Del Negro to a known (and seriously lacking) quantity like Collins. If I'm remembering Seven Seconds or Less correctly, Del Negro liked D'Antoni's style of play, but bemoaned his lack of interest in defense. So, who knows...maybe we'll see a run-and-gunning offense that's also committed to D. That could be fun.

UPDATE: It strikes me that this hire does lend itself to a pretty fucking cool nickname. Coach Del Negro, I now dub thee: The Vincent Black Shadow!!!!!!!!!"

Jimmy Del Whuzzo?

John Paxson finally foiled the internet. I've got nothing on Vinny Del Negro, Bulls Head Coach.

Or do I?

Vinny on offense: "But you have to run an offense that suits your team."

Vinny on scouting: "It’s a thorough, thorough process..."

Vinny on star treatment: "[It] is what it is."

Vin Baker on energy drinks: "It only smells like booze."

Vinny on the draft: "We're trying to put a puzzle together here and trying to figure out what the right pieces are..."

Innocuous quotage for sure, but there are some reassuring words, and some ominous channeling of Dave Wannstedt. It beats Doug Collins!

Whee!!!

Doug's Slugs no more! I am sad to hear about Flip's feelers getting the cold shoulder, but the man has so much style it's wasted on the denim clad Paxson.

(Link via someone else's feelers.)

Cancel Game 1 Of The Finals

A day of mourning is in order.

Why Flip Saunders Is More Than Competent, Doug Collins Isn't, And John Paxson May Not Be

Flip Saunders has coached a bunch of teams that all lost playoff series, many in the first round. I know. I'm aware. I've heard about it. It's not a secret. The flummoxing thing is Flip actually gave his teams a great shot at winning in the playoffs. He played his best players (for the most part), his teams scored and defended efficiently (balance is a championship team trademark, dear keepers of cliche), and got out of the way (at least it seems like he did). That's not an attempt to gloss over flaws, but a bunch of vague anecdotes about non-adjustments are hard to swallow when my most recent memories of Flip lack wrongdoing on his end.

I suppose it's tough to build a reputation as a good coach when it doesn't appear that one is actually coaching. Larry Brown, Avery Johnson, Scott Skiles, and Doug Collins all have their own cute ways of saying, "I'm in charge." From wacky rotations, to playing garbage veterans over younger, more productive players, to asserting themselves in the media at the expense of their players. That's coaching goddammit! The results are usually unfortunate; a -10 from Adrian Griffin here; a roster who can't stand them resulting in a disastrous season there. I haven't followed Flip's career closely enough to say he'll never facetiously award Deng a medical degree in front of the dull, red lights of digital recorders, and the leering losers who cover the Bulls profeshunally, but I'll accept that risk.

Doug Collins hasn't coached a team in 10 years. And before you say, "He coached the Wiz in the early aughts, not fair," consider it a good thing that I'm not holding thousands of Jordan back rubs, and molding Kwame Brown into something less useless than he really was against Doug. I consider those Wiz days a quarter-notch closer to the court than broadcasting, but just like you and me, Doug's been watching games for a long time. The dignified version of Doug's resume consists of a few 3 season long coaching gigs that started with promise, but ended rather gruesomely, leaving a handful of players wearing jars of Doug's tears around their necks. Ick.

Maximum disappointment will set in if the coaching search boils down to who Jerry Reinsdorf recognizes on the phone without an introduction, and John Paxson's duly diligent search stops short of the most appealing name available. A situation where Flip has no interest in coaching in 2008-09 is understandable, but nothing suggests that's the case. It might be time for Pax to hang up his blue jeans, or at least it's time for me to say it, if things pan out as poorly as they appear to be panning out.

There is still hope for next season. There is Tyrus Thomas. Who will be shopped.

Doug... Doug Will Tear Us Apart Again

But a freshly shit-canned Flip Saunders won't. So do something, Pax.

Hope For A Doug Collins Free Future

How's this for confusing? Matt Watson breaks down a Shannon Shelton penned Freep piece regarding the status of Flip Saunders, and Michael Curry with the line, "Curry added that he’d be meeting with his lawyer soon to talk about his future." There's an updated version of the article excluding that piece of information.

Either way, there's a shred of hope that the Detroit head coach, or his assistant will be available for a vacancy that remains officially vacant. Mike McGraw blames the Doug Collins semi-official rumor on Doug's loose lips, and we all know how much Pax hates loose lips.