I've always been terrible with analogies but I'll try anyway. If you compare the NBA to bodybuilding, the Miami Heat were the team that landed the best steroids in the gym. Everyone had been talking about these rare steroids that would make you an instant machine. If you take these once in a lifetime opportunity LeBron James performance enhancement drugs, you will be the biggest guy in the gym. On the other hand, the Bulls were that guy who couldn't get the pills. For whatever reason, they didn't have the inside information to gain access, or the connections to make the deal work. Instead, they decided to go the old-fashioned way: 4 days of lifting per week, 2 days of cardio, protein shakes, and a great diet. That's not the recipe to become the biggest guy in the gym overnight, but with hard work it is attainable in the future. Thus, with the signing of Boozer and other strategic, yet not flashy moves such as acquiring Brewer, Korver, Thomas, and Watson, the Bulls have put themselves in position to be good now and be great in the future, building piece by piece, slowly but surely.
Yet, mondays workout of Tracy McGrady made them seem like the guy who's been eating healthy and doing things the right way for two weeks but then hears about these muscle max pills that will make him ripped. Evidence is inconclusive, but the advertisement is enticing. While T-Mac is not even in the same ballpark as LeBron, the thought of a guy who can pour in 20 points on a given night makes you wonder what could be, even makes you consider suddenly dropping your strategy of building through role players to surround Rose and Boozer. Yet, unlike a kid at a candy store, the Bulls seem to have resisted signing T-Mac, according to sources. It wasn't the workout itself, but his comments that made it clear he is eyeing a starting role and saw the team as potentially his and Boozer's, not even mentioning Rose or Noah in his analysis of the Bulls future. It immediately became clear that signing T-Mac was a hail mary move, a last ditch attempt to bulk up in a week instead of naturally progressing over the course of months. While I did go on record to say that T-Mac would be worth the risk, that is because I am impulsive and constantly looking for instant, quick fixes. However, the reality is that at this point in free agency there are no overnight solutions left. There are no players that take you from where you fit in the current NBA landscape and make you a contender. So while the idea of T-Mac giving the Bulls some scoring seemed nice in theory, that move still leaves us looking up at Miami, Boston, and Orlando. For that reason alone, the risk of a team cancer did not seem worth it to Bulls leadership. Agree or not, after Rose and Boozer this is a team of gutsy, tough role players who contribute through specialities such as defense (Brewer), rebounding (Thomas), toughness (Noah, Gibson), and shooting (Korver, Watson), and well roundedness (Deng). Even Booze and Rose are not your "Hollywood-esque" stars, as Boozer is known for grittyness and Rose is soft-spoken. Whether it's due to pride or legitimate belief, the Bulls management believes Rose is bound to be a top 5 NBA player, and after missing on LeBron, I believe they want to build around him and Boozer for the lang haul (that is why they are ok signing so many players and foregoing cap room despite Carmelo Anothony being available next offseason). Thus, rather than gambling on T-Mac they have decided to add another piece, eyeing Eddie House, Roger Mason, and Keith Bogans.
These three guys are all solid choices as backup guards having played for winning teams in Boston, San Antonio, and Orlando. To me, Eddie House is the choice. He's that guy with swagger who can come in and give you 15 gut-wrenching points off the bench in a huge playoff game, but also won't bicker when he only plays 7 minutes the next game (when I say gut-wrenching I really mean it: think Bulls-Celtics round 1 in the '09 playoffs). This guy hits that three in your face that makes opposing fans livid and genuinely sick to their stomach. He's that guy who everyone hates till he's on their side. Moreover, he's a veteran to go alongside Kurt Thomas. I think House fits in with the tough-minded players the Bulls already have (Rose, Brewer, Boozer, Noah, Thomas, Gibson, etc.). Mason and Bogans would not be terrible choices, but I could see them being insignificant and riding the bench as there is not much they can do that a current player lacks. While the pain from House's knockout punches against the Bulls in the '09 playoffs still lingers, I think he's the right man to finalize the 12 man active roster.
No comments:
Post a Comment