It's a no doubter for me. Rose. Calipari is raving about him. He said he averaged 14 but could have scored 35. He can score if you need it. He creates for others and is unselfish. Calipari said he's a great teammate and only cares about winning. He says guys like him only come along 5-10 years. He's fast and quick. He'll play defense too.

I will say that in my recollection, Chris Paul and Deron Williams were not as dominant in the college game as they were in the NBA. They were both very good players, but they didn't dominate college basketball. Dee Brown was the better college player in Williams case.

I say that to make the point that Derrick Rose, who didn't dominate college basketball, may be in a position to have a similar thing happen.

You take Derrick Rose and build your team around him. This team isn't good enough to try and draft based off of needing a big man.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

No question you take hometown fav Rose, a point guard with size.

Beasley has the potential to be another Marcus Fizer.

IIRC Paul was a fantastic college player, and I think that game against Arizona showed who the better player between Deron and Dee was. Maybe Rick's right and they werent considered great, but I thought Paul was. I dont follow college ball all that closely. I think I saw like 5 Memphis games all season and not one Kansas State game.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

You don't take him because he's from Chicago. You take him cuz he's a can't miss. When I say can't miss I mean he'll be good.

Rick made a good point. Point guards like Paul and Williams - there numbers weren't great in college. Rose is like those guys. Plus, he only played one year of college ball. He's gonna be good from day one.

He'll be great in his 2nd year. 3rd year at most.

Let me say it a different way. You didn't look at Deron Williams especially and think that he would be a dominant NBA player. I think Deron Williams is a better pro than he was a college player. You wouldn't expect that.

Chris Paul was very good in college. He was one of the top players. I think kind of like Deron Williams that he is better in the NBA than he was in college.

The NBA seemed to bring out the true potential of these players. Derrick Rose could have the same thing happen to him.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Rose can make Drew Gooden, Luol Dend and Tyrus Thomas significantly better players. Plus, he's a good size point guard, capable of playing the opponants point guard tougher. Get rid of Hinrich, if anyone will take on that salary for his production-I would take a middle round pick for him and be thrilled. I would take a low #1 and be happy to lose that contract. The biggest question, is Ben Gordon. With the way he played last year, he has diminished value. So a sign and trade likely will bring little. With Rose, he may be a guy they want to keep. I just can't see him guarding a lot of bigger off guards. If they can get good value with a sign and trade, I would move him too. Paxson has a lot of phone calls to make this summer. At least finding a good coach should be easier now. It should be a much more attractive position now.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Hey guys. How happy is Paxon that Gordon didn't accept that 50 million dollar contract last year?

Christ. He is thrilled right now. Bulls fans should be too. With Rose coming that saved the franchise, big time, with cap space.

Nas, I think they can still keep Hinrich. He can be a 6th man. Or they can trade him if they can get something. They have options. People will want him and he has a tradeable contract. Our guy from Cleveland will be the 2 guard next year.

Hinrich as a 6th man when Ben Gordon drains 30 a night coming off the bench? that's clazy talk.

You can't keep both. Bulls aren't gonna pay Gordon what he wants knowing they have Rose now.

Gordon doesn't play defense. By the way, Gordon doesn't score 30 a night. He averages 18. He does have 30 nighters every now and then.

Hinrich will score more with Rose at point.

Plus Larry Hughes is here.

Somboday has to go. Hinrich, Gordon, or Hughes.

Bulls have Gordon for 1 more year before he's an outright free agent. He's the most tradeable. Although, the others are tradebale too.

Gordon will be gone.

Maybe Hinrich will go after next year.

I disagree, I think he'll be productive his rookie year but most likely very inconsistent. By the end of his second season I think he will be clearly on his way to being a top PG. If it does take till year 3 or 4 Id be willing to wait. I want another trophy in this city, and you dont do it with very good players or All Star players. You do it with a legit superstar, one of the 5 best players in the league. Detroit is the only team in recent memory I can think of that has won a title without one, and maybe the '99 Spurs.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

He might be the best Point Guard in the East by year 2.

Think about it.

Williams, Paul, Nash, and Kidd are in the West. Billups is the best point guard in the East right now but he's getting up in age.

Nash and Kidd are no longer in the discussion of best PGs in the game in my opinion. They might be top 10, but I dont think top 5. I would say Chauncey Billups is clearly the best PG in the East. Nas will laugh at this, but by the end of two more seasons I think Rondo will be in the discussion for best PG in the East. I could be totally off on him, and it is completely dependent on him developing a solid jump shot, but I really like his potential after just one full season of playing.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I never thought that about Hinrich. Rondo is basically a rookie. Last season was complete chaos and his minutes were constantly yanked around. He has the swagger of the really great players in the league, and I think thats important. In one and a half seasons he is already a premier defensive guard. He can rebound the ball and has really progressed this season alone at running an offense and setting up teammates. I think playing alongside KG has really developed his game. Really to me the only things he needs to improve is playing with more consistency and discipline, a problem common among all young players, and developing a shot. The former usually comes on its own, and the latter sometimes never comes. If it does he will be a very good player.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Aren't you on the record as saying that Hinrich is a "top ten" point guard? So aren't we to assume that you put him in the same category as Nash and Kidd?

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Since the smart move would be to take Rose, Paxson will either pick Beasley or (more likely) trade the #1 selection and players for Carmelo Anthony and Camby.

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Derek Fisher looked like a great PG playing with Shaq and Kobe.

It's easy to look good when there are 3 other players on the floor who defenses are more worried about.

Rondo is good, but if you put him on the Bulls right now they aren't that much better.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

No Midget. Pax will take Rose.

He should but he'll also do it because it's the safe pick. Rose has the higher floor. The ceilings for these guys might be equal in some people's mind. I'd always error on a guy who can handle the ball and create. Beasley needs somebody to feed him. Most experts think he should take Rose and most Bulls fans want him.

He'll take him. I don't care what his reasons are. If he's in doubt he'll be pressured into taking him. That's why it's the safe pick. Most people say it should be Rose.

Derrick Rose will wear red!



But not 23!



I might even start watching the NBA again.

You found Jalen's old Jersey.

Noch wears #5 now.

Rose will wear #22 probably.

Well, gee, if you're predicting the Rose pick, I guess it's a lock not to happen now.

In all seriousness, I hope you're right. But all of the interviews I've heard with Paxson lately suggest that he's really lost touch with his basketball identity. He seems to have entered a totally inchoate mental state that signifies he's doing much more than merely "reevaluating" or productively analyzing his basketball philosophy. Indeed, he now strikes me as a deeply unstable figure, someone who has so radically questioned his approach to the game that he can no longer define precisely what his basketball philosophy is. Perhaps this vulnerable state will lead him, as you suggest, to seek security in the shelter of prevailing public opinion. But I think it is just as likely to make him pursue the chimerical glory of the "big deal" that he has been widely criticized for being unable to complete. Once fortified with the confidence of the zealot, Paxson is now besieged with the doubt of the agnostic. Perhaps Pax's amorphus philosophical state will resolve itself into a more enlightened and more elastic understanding of the game, but I have no confidence in his ability to do so. Even if he makes the right pick, he is the wrong guy to occupy the alpha position in Chicago's NBA franchise.

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Chad Ford -ESPN has the Bulls taking Beasley.

Rose will get 5 from Noah if he wants it or take 32. I think Noah should be 0 anyway. Not because of his play, but it would give the fans something to work with. NOOOOOOOOAH!

Jesus Christ Midget!!!!

You make me scared for Pax. Somebody should keep a suicide watch on him. Keep sharp objects, ropes, and belts away from him.

He's only the GM of a basketball team. He's not deciding if we should drop a nuclear bomb.

Pax is unstable? Pax has lost touch with his basketball identity? Basketball philosophy? What?

Take Rose and hope the SOB becomes the super star that many people think he will be. That would be my basketball philosophy.

Pax said this morning on Mike&Mike that just because they have a "glut of guards" wouldn't prevent him from drafting Rose if he thinks Rose is going to be a superstar, and that it's easy enough to move pieces around after you draft your guy.

So at least he's viewing his current players as "pieces," and maybe won't be so attached to them anymore.

[quote="Tall Midget
In all seriousness, I hope you're right. But all of the interviews I've heard with Paxson lately suggest that he's really lost touch with his basketball identity. He seems to have entered a totally inchoate mental state that signifies he's doing much more than merely "reevaluating" or productively analyzing his basketball philosophy. Indeed, he now strikes me as a deeply unstable figure, someone who has so radically questioned his approach to the game that he can no longer define precisely what his basketball philosophy is. Perhaps this vulnerable state will lead him, as you suggest, to seek security in the shelter of prevailing public opinion. But I think it is just as likely to make him pursue the chimerical glory of the "big deal" that he has been widely criticized for being unable to complete. Once fortified with the confidence of the zealot, Paxson is now besieged with the doubt of the agnostic. Perhaps Pax's amorphus philosophical state will resolve itself into a more enlightened and more elastic understanding of the game, but I have no confidence in his ability to do so. Even if he makes the right pick, he is the wrong guy to occupy the alpha position in Chicago's NBA franchise.[/quote]

The boy must accept the quest in order to become the hero. If the quest is not accepted the result is ruin for the boy and/or those around him. It is time for him to quit delaying his acceptance. A brief meeting with with his mentor may be in order.

Thats a great line, even by your standards. I agree. Pax has aged like a President since he has taken over.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I don't know about that. His first 4 years were successful progress. Last year was the only shitty year. It hasn't been a horrible miserable time for Pax. They turned it around.

Now Pax can draft his first super star.

I guess Hubie Brown is the anti-Jay Bilas. He couldnt have been been less hyped about the rookies this morning on Mike and Mike.

"Now the Beasley kid, he has an NBA body and he should be able to contribute. And the Rose kid, he would be a good pick too. He can play."

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul