A Meme That Has So Got To Die

I like Matt McHale and Bulls By The Horns, but when I see the following cited on True Hoop:

[Taj Gibson is] probably worth about 70 percent of “Good Tyrus” and around 127 percent of “Bad Tyrus” already

I have to flash my pen from its scabbard. This is, frankly, fucking nuts, whackadoodle nonsense on stilts.

Taj Gibson is a (slightly) better jump-shooter than Tyrus (though I don't think he has Ty's range out to 20 feet) and a (slightly) better offensive rebounder. This is mainly because Tyrus is a pretty terrible jump-shooter and a pretty terrible offensive rebounder. Being slightly less terrible at two things is no great shakes.

In every other facet of the game, Tyrus suprasses Taj, and often obliterates him. He is a much better defensive rebounder than Taj, an immensely better shot-blocker, a more skilled passer. He turns the ball over less, he fouls (significantly) less, he gets to the FT line twice as much, and, once there, shoots 20 percentage points higher. (Oh, and Tyrus is still a year younger than Taj.) For the love of Christ, there is no comparison.

Taj Gibson is playing pretty well for a late first-round draft pick. Not incredibly well (see how he eerily compares with a rookie Big Baby), but okay; he's no Wayne Simien.

But that's it, folks. He is not a legitimate starting NBA power forward, much less a particularly promising young player. (He's neither especially promising, nor especially young.) He never provides 127 percent of anything that Tyrus Thomas brings to the table. Please. Stop. Spouting. Such. Madness.

Oh, Brother...

Season already in limbo, the Bulls are contemplating a move to further entrench themselves in the lower rungs of mediocrity.

Look, I get it. "The plan" is to reel in one of the free agent biggies next summer. This move will help with that (and also save Reinsdorf another $1 million this year, which I have no doubt the organization considers another "big plus" going for it). And, of course, if the Bulls land Bosh or Wade or LBJ, then sure, retroactively, this will be a brilliant deal. (Although, again, I don't know why any big-name FA would have any interest in joining a franchise this screwy.)

But Goddamnit, reading shit like "the Bulls believe Harrington’s ability to score ... make this a worthy exchange" (so much for the "emphasizing defense and team chemistry this year" horseshit) and that "Chicago believes it has a worthy power forward successor on the cheap in rookie Taj Gibson" insults everybody's intelligence. Do we really have to keep up the pretense that this current season matters in any way whatsoever? Haven't all the season tickets been sold already?

A Match Made for Morons (Or, Maybe, Sado-Masochists)

To all the mouth-breathers who booed Ben Gordon last night: You idiots deserve to root for this offense. Or maybe you actually prefer this over one that's nine points per 100 poss. more efficient? Seeing as you actually financially rewarded Jerry Reinsdorf for providing you the "opportunity" to watch a backcourt of Jannero Pargo and Lindsey Hunter for sustained minutes, it seems likely your perversity knows no bounds.