Just an update, for those of you that may be concerned about the Knicks not being in the cellar:

According to the Sagarin ratings, the Knicks have thus far played the 3rd weakest schedule in the NBA, along with having 3 more home games than road games. Their list of opponents for the rest of January and most of February should present a good number of losses for Isiah & Friends.

The prospects of Greg Oden wearing a Bull uniform are still highly unlikely, but I think a month from now we'll all feel a lot better about the pick the Bulls will receive.

So, on that note, root for New Jersey (I assure you only 1 team from the Atlantic is post-season bound) and keep your eyes on 2nd tier big men like Spencer Hawes (Washington) and Hasheem Thabeet (UConn).

Thanks for the update; I am concerned by the Knicks baffling success. It's nice to see a post of any kind in the Bulls forum; why no love for da Boo on these forums?

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The landowner effectively owns part shares in millions of part-time slaves called, "taxpayers." -Roy L
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Matt, I guess when it comes down to it (if this board is any indication), Chicago is a Bear/Sox/Cubs town first. The Beloved Boo take a backseat.

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"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

I suppose so. That's too bad. I love Boo talk, but there's only about 4 of us that appear to give a damn.

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The landowner effectively owns part shares in millions of part-time slaves called, "taxpayers." -Roy L
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The Bull talk wil heat up after the Superbowl. Bucket will have plenty of thoughts when it matters.

I can't wait for Matt and Nas to but heads over the Bull.

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We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

It's kinda hard to get excited about this team right now. They've proven that they can beat crappy teams at home, and that's about it. They haven't been good on the road, and they haven't been good against the Western Conference.

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."

Hopefully.


He's had plenty of thoughts now. Bucket's Boo analysis is legendary!


LOL, only if Nas takes the pessimistic side; I'm very optimistic about the general state of affairs with this organization. I really started following this team in a major way in 2003. That was Hinrich's first season, and the Bulls last season of utter ineptitude. So my overall experience with the Bulls has been one of them generally exceeding my expectations and gradually improving.

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The landowner effectively owns part shares in millions of part-time slaves called, "taxpayers." -Roy L
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If history is any indication, the team will peak about 2 months from now. The slow starts are frustrating, but I’d much rather they play their best ball in April and not November.

Agreed. Last year, everyone was very down on them as they were performing poorly in this part of the season, but they really hit their stride for a playoff run.

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The landowner effectively owns part shares in millions of part-time slaves called, "taxpayers." -Roy L
A Personal Relationship with Jesus?

At least you have two more people to banter with about Boo buckets than Slappy and I do about pucks of any kind. My hockey thoughts (as oxymoronic as that sounds) are of little to no use on this board.

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It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a goddamn shame.

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Yeah, but that's a little more justified, IMO. Between the way the organization is run, and the Hawks utter lack of success, it's not surprising that no one gives a damn anymore.

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You can't see me because of internet.

The landowner effectively owns part shares in millions of part-time slaves called, "taxpayers." -Roy L
A Personal Relationship with Jesus?

Based my experiences with the number of people involved in youth and adult leagues in the area, the number of rinks the area can sustain, and the success of the Wolves, there are still plenty of hockey fans here. I can understand not being a Hawks fan anymore, because I personally am not after my very public auction of said fandom. But there are still countless fans of the game itself in the area, which is why it's a little suprising that more puck talk doesn't go on here on the boards.

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It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a goddamn shame.

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Stink,
Using that logic, Soccer would dominate this board - but it ain't so.

The Bulls are 2 games out of the top spot in the east and their recent 2 game performance should light a fire under Wallace. They feed off Tyrus & Thabo's energy on the floor.
I do see them finishing out the year strong after that 7 game trip early in February.
This board should be all Bulls after Valentines Day and after the Bears parade in Grant Park

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“Mmmm. Move over, eggs. Bacon just got a new best friend - fudge.”

Call me about the Bulls about 5 or 6 days after the NCAA Tournament ends.

The huge Bulls fan that I am, I have to admit that they better take their best shot this year or in the next couple. Because Dwight Howard will be owning the East I have a feeling soon enough.

LeBron's still pretty damn young too. It's a dynamic time in the NBA; it will be very interesting to see how the next 5 or so years shakes out.

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You can't see me because of internet.

The landowner effectively owns part shares in millions of part-time slaves called, "taxpayers." -Roy L
A Personal Relationship with Jesus?

I have a feeling you are overestimating the impact of one single player.

Howard is a terrific young talent, and there's not a single Bull I'd take ahead of him. That said, they'll need bigtime contributions from Nelson, Redick, and Milicic if they expect to be championship contenders. Howard is a beast defensively, and rebounds as well as anyone I've ever seen, but his offensive game needs a lot of work. A large portion of his scoring comes on put backs and dunks via the lob pass. The kid just turned 21 last month, and it looks as though he's still a few years away from developing a soft touch around the basket. His passing ability out of the post needs to grow as well.

The impatient fan inside of me wants to see the Bulls go for the jugular right now, and they have the assets to do it. But... they also have the assets to build a potential dynasty, if Pax can find that last piece to the puzzle via next year's draft, or alternatively (and less likely), fleecing another dumbass GM like Isiah.

Consider this, when the 2009 season begins, the most important players currently on the Bulls roster will be the following ages:

Tyrus - 23
Deng - 24
Thabo - 25
Gordon - 26
Hinrich - 28

That's still a young squad, and we're talking about three years from now. Figure the lottery pick from the Knicks will be between 21-23 as well, and nearly your entire rotation will be just entering their prime. Nocioni would be a 30 year old veteran assuming he hangs around to be your 6th man. Wallace will likely be in the twilight of his career, but if Pax can land a big man in next years' draft, that should be a moot point. Plus, given Big Ben's workout regime, I expect he should age far more gracefully than your average NBA big man. Better yet, even if he ages poorly, he comes off the books before Tyrus & Thabo are due their extensions, so he can steal a paycheck in his final year for all I care.

The situation in Cleveland is the exact opposite of what the Bulls have done. The Cavs have demonstrated no patience whatsoever. LeBron is only 22, and yet that organization has committed themselves to what may turn out to be a poor mix of players around him. They tried to do it all overnight. Now, they've got a boatload of money tied up in some decent, but not spectacular, ballplayers. They're spending nearly $30 mil annually on Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. I don't necessarily dislike any of those guys, but that's just too much cash for non-superstar caliber players. If it fails, they're fucked, and LeBron probably walks in 4 years (he has an opt out for the 09-10 season).

The last two posts is why they call him Bucket.
Bucket, you know the league better then the dopes that get paid to write about it.

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We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer