Cubs take first! Bulls Roster Set?!?...

Cubs

Finally, something to talk about in Chicago. It has been a season of stagnation. Solid to exceptional pitching coupled with poor and at times utterly pathetic hitting, resulting in a 500 type ball club- not to mention the plethora of injuries. Now, basically healthy, (except some DL swapping of starters Dempster and Lilly which should not take too long and Soto for another month) the Cubs have started to play well. Moreover, Kevin Hart and Koyie Hill have stepped in nicely for Soto and Dempster/Lilly, and Randy Wells has been sensational which has led to him going from a stand-in starter to a permanent member of the rotation. Offensively, the Cubs have averaged 5.6 runs per game since the All Star Break, more than enough run support which has led them to a 7-2 post break record. Ramirez has returned and is seeming to hit a groove, and Bradley and Soriano are finally showings signs of having some value. With the productivity of Lee, Ramirez, Bradley, and Soriano, the consistency of guys like Theriot and hopefully Fukudome, and a reliable bench of Johnson and Fox (can he please start somehow?) this team was bound to get hot. With the rotation and bullpen as solid as you can ask for, this team will win the NL central if this recent hitting surge stays reasonably consistent. All the talk of the Cards getting Matt Holliday becomes mute if you look at Bradley, Soriano, and Ramirez as additions to the Cubs since Ramirez was hurt and Bradley/Soriano have played like single A minor leaguers up to this point. So, I know it's too early to pop champaigne bottles, but it looks like the Cubs may have finally decided to take a trip to Starbucks.

Bulls

According to Sam Smith, head blogger for bulls.com, the Bulls have finalized their roster for the onset of the 2009/2010 season. They will likely carry 13 players (Aaron Gray has not officially re-signed): Guards- Derrick Rose (PG), Kirk Hinrich (PG), John Salmons (SG), Jannero Pargo (SG), and Lindsey Hunter; Forwards- Luol Deng (SF), Tyrus Thomas (PF), James Johnson and Taj Gibson; Centers- Joakim Noah, Brad Miller, Anthony Roberson, and Aaron Gray. To me, given that Hunter/Gray/Roberson will not play much, and Gibson will have to work really hard to earn minutes, they have a 9 player rotation with a starting lineup of: PG- Rose, SG- Salmons, SF- Deng, PF- Thomas, C- Noah, key bench players Hinrich and Miller, with James Johnson and Jannero Pargo as members of the rotation who could increase their role with quality play. The Boozer trade seems dead unless it happens mid-season. The logic was probably centered around the fact that Boozer will be a free agent again next year, so why throw all your hope into an injury-prone guy, giving up Tyrus and probably Kirk when you have the potential to be good without him and could get him without losing those players next year. All in all, it's not a horrible decision, but the Bulls will not be able to make noise in the East amongst powerhouses Boston, Orlando, and Cleveland, and could struggle against teams like Toronto, Atlanta, and Miami, teams that made offseason moves or have Dwayne Wade. Either way, this is a young team and I think we'll have to do what many fans are tired of: wait and see.

Finally a shot out to Mark Buerhle. I'm not a Sox guy, but the man threw a perfect game- respect. What a catch by Wise.

Johnson & Pargo-Sorry, but don't feel like discussing the Cubs-call me if they win the pennant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N6aqPyXdmc&feature=related

My last post expressed some doubt over the recent draft selections of James Johnson and Taj Gibson. While I'm still unsure about a fairly unathletic Taj Gibson, this video above made me rethink my thoughts concerning Johnson. What made me worried was how poorly Wake Forest played in the tournament; however, I forgot to consider that they also had Teague and Aminu, who really let them down. Johnson is more athletic than those other guys, and the Bulls hope he can be at least a solid role player at the NBA level who contributes immediately. Remember sometimes athletic role players are more valuable than college stars because they can contribute consistently for teams (Horry, Fox, Fisher, Ariza, Anderson, etc.), whereas stars like JJ Redick cannot be the kind of player they want in the NBA. Either way, he can't be much worse than Tyrus was his rookie year. Check out this nasty dunk (link above) he throws down on UNC and if you like it check out this series of dunks against Indiana in 2008 (the last one is an utterly ferocious dunk).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2O_d4E2RfE

In recent news, the Bulls signed Jannero Pargo to a one year deal worth $2 million. While other teams are busy signing players like Artest (LA), Turkoglu (TOR), Marion & Gortat (DAL), Jefferson & McDyess (SA), Ariza (HOU), Gordon and Villanueva (DET), and Rasheed (BOS), the Bulls have settled for the not so stellar sounding Pargo. Although I am a hungry Bulls fan like the next guy and would love to see the name Amare, Bosh, or Turkoglu on the back of a Bulls jersey, I don't think the Bulls made as bad a move as some might think. With the loss of Gordon the Bulls need a star, preferably a big man. But with Paul Millsap and Carlos Boozer being the best available bigs this summer, and with the likes of Bosh, Amare, Wade, James, Nowitzki, Boozer (again), becoming free agents next summer, the Bulls felt waiting was their best move. As much as it'd be nice to add a borderline-all star caliber player now, how much better would it be to add Wade or Bosh next year, coupled with an additional year of development for Derrick Rose (honestly even a Boozer wouldn't make this Bulls team an immediate contender). With a backcourt of Rose, Salmons, and Hinrich, and a defensive-oriented small forward Luol Deng, the Bulls not only still have a chance to make the playoffs, but also have a lot of trading pieces for the future. Throw in Tyrus Thomas and the Bulls could receive a lot of interest next season from both free agency and sign and trade deals. In the mean time, the Bulls add a fourth guard to the mix in Jannero Pargo. If Hinrich plays more of a shooting guard role Pargo can back up Rose, and if Hinrich plays more of a backup point guard role Pargo can play along Salmons at the 2 spot. For his career (the bulk being in Chi- 03/06 and Oklahoma City/New Orleans 07/08) Pargo has averaged 6.9 ppg and 2.1 assists. Not dazzling numbers; however, Bulls fans can remember that Pargo can light it up in moments. He also played a key role on the 08 Hornets playoff team, providing scoring off the bench. Thus, although I'm not partying in the streets over the signing, I think the Bulls are in great position to make a huge splash in free agency next year and for the time being have at least mitigated some damage caused by the Ben Gordon loss (and hey, better than Iverson, right?). So criticize now, but if the name Dwayne Wade or Chris Bosh is on the Bulls roster next year, don't say you weren't warned. Thus, as you hear about all the signings and wonder why the Bulls are not getting involved, do not think of it as the Bulls giving up-trust me, this current team can make the playoffs if they work hard. Think of it as the Bulls remaining in the 5th-10th place vicinity in the east with the hope of propelling themselves to a 1-3 seed caliber team by 2010.

Response to Drew's comments

Drew,

Tyrus Thomas- I think Tyrus in the long run is a valuable 7th or 8th man on a contender. He is athletic, has improved his jump shot, and can block shots. However, he does not have the height or consistency to be a starting 4 in this league, and does not have the offensive talents to be a 3 or even a 6th man. Thus, if he could be packaged in a good trade I would be fine with that, but have no problem with him on the team.

Noah- I think Noah is a keeper. He will never be Shaq, but he could be a great complimentary big man. Think about Garnett and Perkins. Garnett was the star and Perkins did the dirty work on that championship team. If the Bulls got Bosh next year as a scorer, Noah could be a Rodman-like figure who grabbed 10+ boards a game and maybe dropped in 7-11 points. Also, his energy and leadership are valuable, remember he won two national titles. Hope this helps,

Eli

Welcome- Bulls Update

Hey everyone. So, everyone knows I'm an obsessive sports fan and I decided to put it to "good" use. Wanted to turn my nerdy habit into a nerdier habit. So I'll be blogging Bulls/Cubs/Bears news, thoughts, opinions, etc. Feel free to ask questions, I'll do my best to answer. I'm a critical guy so if you're sick of ESPN writers taking all sports figures and treating them like lollipops then this is a great place to turn to. I'll try to post 1-2 times a week in which I will respond to big events in sports that I have opinions on. I will focus on Chicago Sports and specifically the Bulls but will feature a lot of Cubs/Bears material and general NBA/MLB/NFL commentary. Each post will also include a mailbag responding to any comments or questions posted. To comment or ask questions simply click on the comment link under any post or email me at eli.a.horowitz@vanderbilt.edu

Bulls Update:

Draft- Bulls draft James Johnson, a 6 ft. 7 in. forward from Wake Forest and Taj Gibson, a 6 ft. 9 in. forward from the University of Southern California. Johnson was taken at 16 and is a small-forward who can shoot threes, Gibson is a power forward and was taken at pick 26. The consensus was that the Bulls had a successful draft, deepening their roster with 3's and 4's in anticipation of potential trades involving Noah, Thomas, or maybe even Hinrich. I say that's ludicrous. To me the Bulls had three needs:

1. A big man who can score (as we've needed for years)

2. A shooting guard to replace Ben Gordon who was destined to leave as he has refused to sign long-term deals with the Bulls for years (we know now he is a Detroit Piston)

3. A backup point guard in case they deal Hinrich who is clearly their most value trading asset because he could be a starter on most NBA teams

Summary: They need a 1,2, or 4/5

What we took: 3/4's

Result: The Bulls took two players who are NBA ready in that they are both 22. However, neither of these players are particularly explosive, and neither present solutions to the Bulls holes. Gibson is a nice defender, but is undersized as a post player and Johnson has turnover problems and is a less experienced version of Luol Deng- not to mention he was taken at 16 when no one else seemed interested in taking him that high. Also, neither played well in the NCAA tournament, a tournament that showcases mental toughness and the ability to win (Wake lost as a 4 seed in the first round, USC lost last year in the first round with Gibson as their star).

Who they missed out on: PG- Jrue Holiday SG- Wayne Ellington PF- Dejuan Blair C- BJ Mullens

To me these would all have been better picks.

Second: Ben Gordon signs with the Pistons. Is this bad news or good news? Well, classic debate: Ben Gordon was a guy who on any given night could pour in 40 points, and hit a game winning three fading away from a defender in his face. On the other hand, he is a defensive liability, a ball-hog, and frankly did not seem to get along with the Bulls organization. As of now the Bulls could either start Rose, Salmons, and Deng at 1,2,3, Rose, Hinrich, Salmons, or Rose, Salmons, Deng, bringing Deng or Hinrich off the bench (I'm assuming Salmons secured a starting role with his playoff performance). Either of these combos poses a much better defensive threat; however, there is a clear offensive flair lost without Gordon. Turkoglu is an attractive replacement for Gordon; however, the Bulls cannot afford him and he will likely end up in Portland. To me, the Bulls should make a move for the Magic backup center Marcin Gortat, who showed spurts of dominance on both sides of the court in limited minutes backing up Dwight Howard. If not, the Bulls should just play as is and hope to get Bosh or Wade in 2010. With a player like Rose developing, and Salmons emerging as a legitimate NBA scoring threat, the Bulls could still make a run at the playoffs and second round with improved defense.

This is all for now, I have a lot more to say but need to go. Please fuel me with questions, and since I am a beginner I will even cover the White Sox.

Eli