"We're not very good right now," he told reporters Wednesday as quoted on the Bulls official site. "We're not playing well enough to win those games in my opinion. I don't expect any of our guys to sulk. They have to come to practice every day and work. It's a lot of little things. Turnovers we had throwing the ball away in the backcourt. It's just concentration and focus. I'm not going to say I'm pleased we've been competing better because we want to win. I don't like where we're at. I don't think anybody does."
This could be an indictment on poor Vinny DelNegro, the rookie coach who has looked like a rookie at times. Paxson is generally a straight-forward GM instead of the typical one that likes to give the company line.
Saying that the players are not working or coming to practice like they should is an indictment on the staff and players--not the general manager.
Paxson expressed concern for the defense and wasn't bashful about saying that DelNegro needs to get that fixed. Translation: "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"
After hearing the general manager speak, we now know that he:
- A. Is trying to trade Larry Hughes.
- B. Can't do much else because they are near the salary cap, and a team well below .500 shouldn't flirt with penalties because it will hamper them when they head into free agency in 2009 and 2010.
- C. Has already deemed Derrick Rose the cornerstone of the franchise and is shaping the future of the team already a point-guard oriented offense.
- D. Might attempt a menial trade before the deadline, but only if the Bulls get youth in return. (I still want Anthony Randolph from the Warriors.)
Speculation is just that--a sophisticated word for guessing. Media don't know the future any better than the fans do. Based on Paxson's track record, we can assume that he sits pat. He has before, and he has some hefty salaries in Hughes and Gooden coming off the books in time for 2010.
We've learned how bad predications can go after experiencing the terrible economic crash of 2008. Take a gander at this prediction by Bijan Moazami, an analyst for Friedman, Billings, Ramsey on May 9, 2008 (documented in Business Week Jan. 12, 2009):
AIG "could have huge gains in the second quarter."
AIG wound up losing $5 billion in that quarter and $25 billion in the next.
Meow-ouch.
I just read conjecture about third Chris Nolan's Batman franchise, where the third movie would piggyback off the masterpiece The Dark Knight, with Cher as Catwoman.
Really. Cher. (I'm arching my eyebrowes down right now, while feverishly scratching my temple).
Point is: We can guess what this team will do, but I don't have any credible predictions. This team has been tied to slightly above average players with hefty contracts for several seasons now.
That means their value on the market is next to nothing. They're still trying to wash their hands of the Ben Wallace signing--see how bad things can get with one bad move.
They lack size--another premium in the NBA. They lack athleticism. So many people talk about their lack of interior scorer, but who is the best rebounder on the team? Drew Gooden leads the team with 8.6 per game.
How's that for intimidation?
While the Bulls are good enough to compete, they're bad enough to lose most games.
"Right now, we're not the type of team that I want," Paxson said.
Neither do fans, but only one of us has control over that.
1 comment:
I'm hopeless. Completely hopeless. Maybe we can find some hope in the Bears next year...maybe not.
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