In the deal, the Warriors will get a second round draft pick in the 2011 draft.  Watson will be Derrick Rose’s backup.  If need be, he can also play the two guard role and sub in for Ronnie Brewer.

Watson will begin his fourth season in the NBA.  He dramatically improved his stats year to year while with the Warriors.  Last year in 65 games, he averaged 27 minutes, 10 points, three rebounds and three assist.

Watson has potential to be a solid backup point guard. In Golden State, he was behind Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry in the rotation.  When he was in the game, he didn’t handle the ball much.  If he shows he can handle it, Watson will be the primary ball handler with the second team.

This is another smart move by the Bulls.  They needed a backup for Rose that they didn’t have to pay $9 million dollars, which they would have had to do with Kirk Hinrich.  Watson is worth a second round pick and will probably get a slightly above league minimum from the Bulls.  The deal works out for both squads.

Rosters are starting to take shape, especially for the Chicago Bulls. They traded away Tyrus Thomas, John Salmons and Kirk Hinrich for expiring contracts that are now off the books and future draft picks. The Bulls are starting to build the roster and our only six days into the free agent signing period.

Boozer and Korver are officially signed. Yesterday, the Bulls signed 7 ft center Omer Asik from Turkey. Asik was originally drafted by the Portland Trailblazers in 2008, but was immediately traded to the Bulls. He has been developing for the past two years in Euroleague play. Chicago needs a big man who can defend a Dwight Howard or a Pau Gasol. Asik looks long and lengthy but is a great shot blocker. Maybe he will defend with intimidation as his best aspect; that’s what Ben Wallace did. Scouts seem to think he has solid NBA skills.

“Center seems to be his natural position as he loves playing with his back to the basket possessing a good assortment of moves to get his shot off … He is a tenacious rebounder going for the offensive boards as well as wiping the defensive glass.”

This isn’t saying he will dominate, but he will add depth off the bench. The Bulls have been a team that relies on six to seven players, maybe Tom Thibodeau’s run as head coach will bring in a new era called use the bench.

In other NBA news:

Golden State gets forward David Lee
New York gets forward Anthony Randolph,forward Kelenna Azubuike, forward Ronny Turiaf and a 2010 second-round pick.

Golden State wins the trade. Lee is a great rebounder and can put up 20 to 25 points any night. He is perfect for the run and gun tempo of the Don Nelson’s Warriors. New York got three so-so players. The second round pick will more than likely lead to the same type of player. Randolph is a solid player with upside but he isn’t going to develop into an all-star. He will be a great sixth man or a contributing role player. Warriors get an all-star and the Knicks get three similar players who will not amount to much.

Miami resigned forward Udonis Haslem.

Haslem has been a blue collar player for the Heat since 2002, it only seems right to bring him back to attempt to win another championship. He is a big man who can step out and hit a jumper, rebound and defend in the low post. Heat owner Pat Riley would have been a fool not to bring him back.

Dallas gets center Tyson Chandler and center Alexis Ajinca
Charlotte gets center Erick Dampier, forward Eduardo Najera, guard Matt Carroll and cash considerations.

Dallas wins this trade. Chandler is not offensively gifted but can rebound and block shots on a much higher level than Erick Dampier can. Oh, Dampier can’t shoot a penny in the ocean, Chandler is better in this category too.

Najera is on his last legs and Carroll isn’t an NBA talent. Dallas drops some salary to pick up players they could use, while Charlotte picks up veteran players who will not fit their system.

Derek Fisher stays with the Lakers.

Great move. Fisher kept the Lakers in the playoffs throughout every series. He is tough and the heart of the team.

Most of everything is rumors and hasn’t been set in contract yet.

The Atlanta Hawks are going to send Chris Childress to the Suns. The Suns are also going after Hedu Turkoglu. Childress has played over seas for the past few years, and has become a great player.

Al Jefferson will be a Denver Nugget.

J.J. Redick has been offered a deal from the Bulls but Orlando can keep him if they match the 3 year deal worth $20 million because he is a restricted free agent.

“Big Z”, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, will probably join the Miami Heat. He will follow LeBron, no dobut about it. They play well together and respect each other. They want to win a ring for each other.

Cavaliers have put an offer on the table for Kyle Lowry, but the Redick situation falls on Lowry as well. The Rockets have reportedly matched the contract.

I have no idea why, but the Timberwolves are going after Luke Ridnour. They have seven point guards and are trying to get another, no clue why.

The rule stats, to enter the NBA a player must be 19 years old and a year removed from high school.

Personally, I like the rule, whether it is college, Europe or the National Basketball Development League.  I think players further develop with a year playing against bigger and better athletes who are selected out of the entire high school system to receive scholarships.  This makes the talent in the NBA a year better and more experienced. Plus, the individual athletes have a scale to judge whether they are ready for the big league.

There has been plenty of debate about the rule.  Many people don’t like it and think kids should have to play a few more years in college while others think athletes should be able to go straight to the NBA out of high school.

The rule doesn’t have any regulation against athletes playing in a different market than the NCAA.  Players who only want to play basketball are not going to college anymore.  They are leaving the country and playing ball in Europe or getting drafted into the NBDL.  This is smart on their part.  They still get the extra playing time before the NBA and make money.  Let’s face it, some kids are not students.

Here is a few examples of players maneuvering their way around the One and Done rule to get to the NBA without playing in college.      

On Thursday night, the Miami Heat selected Latavious Williams with the 18th pick in the second round.  Instead of attending school, he went straight to the NBDL last year.  He put up okay numbers, but showed a high basketball IQ.  Now, he is in the NBA, without high school.

Last year, Brandon Jennings was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks.  The year before, he skipped out on college and played over seas.  He finished third in votes for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award behind Golden State’s Stephen Curry and the winner Tyreke Evans from the Sacramento Kings.  Not too shabby.

These are only two, but there are more and will be more if the rule stays the same.  The NBA’s rule is working to perfection.  They are getting the best talent they can by making these athletes play on an in-between level of high school and NBA to see if they’re ready to play against the best basketball players in the league.

The MVP year ended by getting swept in the first round by the eighth seeded Golden State Warriors in one of the biggest upset series in league history.

The Mavericks have followed the failure ever since then; 2008 was a first round exit, 2009 beat in the semifinals and were took out in the first round this season as well.

It isn’t like the Mavericks are going into the playoffs in the seven or eight seeds; they’re advancing to the post season in the one through three seeds.

The Mavericks super star Dirk Nowitzki is the number six option in the top ten free agent options for the Chicago Bulls.

He is a great talent.  Besides Larry Bird, he is the best seven foot three point shooter to ever grace the NBA.  On any night, Dirk can put up 40 points.  Since the 2000-2001 season, he has averaged more than 21 points a game.

During these playoff blunders, Dirk’s numbers stay the same.  Actually his points per game go up.  He doesn’t crack under pressure, but his team does.  Is this his lack of captain leadership?  One blunder maybe not, but with four consecutive early exits, the question has to be asked.

With Dirk on the court, he does draw an instant double team for most teams in the NBA.  This would work great for the Bulls.  Other players could cut to the basket without being blanketed or a big man would be left alone in the low paint.

His offensive game would open up the Chicago play book because of the big man who can hit a jump shot from anywhere on the court.  He can also run the floor, which would fit in perfectly with the Bulls since they’re all lean and athletic.

Nowitzki does lack defense, but like I said with Amare Stoudemire, the Bulls have Noah and the perimeter guys know how to play help defense.  Nowitzki does play some D, more than Stoudemire, just at a low level compared to others in the league.

Stated at the beginning of the post, the question is his leadership.  In Dallas, he has played with some solid players.  This year they had, Hall of Fame bound Jason Kidd, last year’s sixth man of the year Jason Terry, a motivated Caron Butler, and the high energy Shawn Marion.

If he came to Chicago,  Dirk would have budding superstars in Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, a decent third scoring option in Luol Deng and a couple of great guys to have come off the bench in Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson.

His Dallas rosters have been better.  The only thing in Chicago’s roster favor is their heart and desire.  They play harder than the Mavericks, just don’t have their talent.

Can Dirk lead them to a championship?  He hasn’t been able to with a better roster and great coaches. He played for Don Nelson, who was voted to be a top ten coach of all time.  Avery Johnson, who is a coach all the teams without a coach want and Rick Carlisle who has been to the playoffs in seven of his eight seasons as a head coach.

The Bulls don’t have a coach at the current time and the open market doesn’t have any super attractive guys.  Johnson could come to Chicago,  maybe that would bring Dirk.

Nowitzki has proved he is a great player whether it be one on one or in a 3 on 1 transition fast break with his teammates, but he hasn’t proved he can make his team better.

What if, he wasn’t the number one guy?  If Dirk came to the Bulls and was a number two option behind Rose, he would be golden.  The pressure of leading the team would be on the point guard and the star Chicago has named as their own.

All Dirk would have to do is shoot the rock.

This would make him a great choice.  Dirk has the offensive game the Bulls desperately need but he hasn’t helped his team get to the promise land.  This is why he doesn’t make the top five.

Click in tomorrow for # 5 in the top ten summer free agent options for the Chicago Bulls.

I agree the Bulls fell apart in the second half of the season.  Trades, injuries and a head coach who should have never got the job justify their losing ways. Joakim  Noah was hurt for almost two months, Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng have all missed games.  John Salmons, one of the Bulls top scorers, was traded; same as a key defensive player in Tyrus Thomas.  Enough said,  I get Redmond’s point.

But to blame the NBA and the playoff structure for the Bulls having a chance to get in is crazy.  Eight teams on each conference is perfect.  Some of the most memorable series have been 1 against 8.  Remember the Utah Jazz against the Sacramento Kings, the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks and more recently, the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors.

The playoff structure works well.  There is no need for tampering.  The games are exciting to watch.  Even if they are blowouts, we get to see the real dominant teams.  No one thought the Orlando Magic were going to make it to the finals last year until they dismantled Philadelphia in the first round and successfully challenged the reigning champions, the Boston Celtics.

I think those series are needed.  One, it prepares the young guys for the harder seven game series they will face later in the playoffs.  The earlier series help gain confidence and exposure to the bigger stage.  This isn’t the regular season anymore, nerves grow.

Plus, why blame the Bulls, or the NBA for that matter, when it is the team’s owner and the general manager who build the roster and the basketball program.  When the Bulls have a horrible team,  I blame Jerry Reinsdorf for spending his money on bad players and John Paxson for making the decision.  Each team can be held accountable for their own actions.

The Bulls shouldn’t get blamed because the Pacers, 76ers, Knicks, Pistons, Wizards and the awful Nets can’t win games.  Shouldn’t it be the 76ers for making the trade for Elton Brand who has been a huge bust.  Washington went through a fire sale. The Pacers have done nothing to help Danny Granger.  Joe Dumars traded their glue player, Chauncey Billups, for the don’t know what is going on Allen Iverson.  The Knicks put Isiah Thomas in charge,  we all know what happened with the situation in New York and the Nets,  no one knows where to start with their problems.

Each team has the same salary cap.  Each team has the opportunity to draft players out of college.  The bad teams have a better chance of landing a better player.  It isn’t the NBA’s fault when a team drafts a bust.

The number eight seed isn’t going to be playing for the NBA Championship anyway but they should be given some props for beating out the other eight teams.  If the eight only wins one game in the first series, oh well, they got things to work on for the future.

None of this is the Bull’s fault.  Does it suck for the Memphis Grizzlies and the Houston Rockets, who have better records than the Bulls but won’t make the playoffs in the Western Conference?  Of course it does.  They could have won more games.  They knew the strength of other teams in the west and didn’t exceed it.

If the Bulls get in, it is because they won more games then the teams below them.  Sure, they didn’t have a great year, but they did what they needed to do to survive.  Sometimes the cookie crumbles in your mouth and sometimes all over your favorite shirt.  This is how the world works, sports included.

When the Bulls traded John Salmons and Tyrus Thomas, I believed they had a strong chance of picking up one of the two and turning the Bulls into a deep playoff threat instead of a first round out. 

Then I read Chicago Bull’s blogger Sam Smith’s post about the Bulls opting for plan C.  I have changed my mind.

Smith is right.  One big name player could change the climate of a team, but it could fail too.  Chris Bosh has been playing with Hedu Turkoglu and a bunch of scrubs.  Dwayne Wade has been playing with Michael Beasly, an up and comer with plenty of talent, and then a bunch of scrubs.

Smith did state, the Bulls do have a strong nucleus of Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson, so they would be a formatable change for Wade or Bosh.

In our society, everything revolves around money.  In the NBA it is called a salary cap. With the cap, the Bulls could only get one of these players and would probably have to lose a Hakim Warrick, Brad Miller, Ronald Murray and maybe a few others or different players.

The back bone of the Bulls would be gone.  There would be a strong starting five, but no depth to back up injuries or foul trouble.

Put in Smith’s plan C.  Smith is right, trading Kirk Hinrich for Monta Ellis, James Johnson and the number one pick from the Thomas trade.  Throw in another Golden State Warrior to add with Ellis to not make it extremely one sided and it is a great deal.  Of course, the Bulls could then drop the extra or package him in some other trade.

Ellis would be the 2010 Ben Gordon.  He can slash in the inside, can hit the long trey, runs the fast break well, plays D and averages five assists a game on a bad team.  I would love to see Ellis and Rose in the Chicago backcourt. 

The next part of Smith’s plan C is to pick up New York’s David Lee.  Perfect!  Lee is an athletic big men who can score, rebound and defend in the post.  Adding him to the roster would mean the starting five would have the hustling, blocking, ball hawking  Naoh and a scoring, technicaly sound Lee.

Also, there would be money left over to resign one of the role players the Bulls would not want to draft. 

I am still in favor of seeing Bosh or Wade in a Chicago uniform.  This might not be a great financially idea for the Bulls, though.  This could simply be my bias for the Bulls to have another extremely impactful player. 

However,  I do see the value in Smith’s plan C.  This would mean the Bulls would have three All-Star caliber players in Rose, Lee and Ellis and possibly Noah.  Deng would complete the package being the all around talent he is and there would be good players coming off the bench. 

This is a great idea.

I don’t know what has happened to James Johnson but Gibson is becoming a star in Chicago. Gibson was the steal of the draft. The Bulls took the 5th best player in the draft with their second pick.

He is averaging 9 points and 7 rebounds a game.  He has started 50 of the 62 games he has played for the Bulls.  Gibson is leading all rookies in rebounds and blocks.  He also has more double-doubles than any other player in his draft class.

I honestly believe he is a top five rookie.  Gibson might not be an immediate star but he is a solid low post role player a team like the Bulls needed.  Here are the other four on my list.

#1, Tyreke Evans is beasting for the Sacramento Kings.  He is the rookie of the year,  no doubt. #2, Brandon Jennings has been spectacular for the Milwaukee Bucks especially in his 55 point game in November.

#3, The Golden State Warrior’s Stephen Curry has proved to be what we thought he was going to be, an excellent shooter.   #4, Jerry Flynn has been better than I thought he would be.  He is a big reason the Minnesota Timberwolves are not the worst team in the league, but they are still one of them.

Darrren Collison has done a great job filling in for the injured Chris Paul on the New Orleans Hornets.   He is leading all scorers in ppg since the All star break.  I think Collison has had a couple of good weeks but he has not been consistent.  It may be because he is on the same team as Paul but Gibson is on the same team as Joakim Noah and has been playing well most of the season.  I think he is 6th on the rookie list, right behind Gibson.

When Noah developed plantar fasciitis in his left foot, Gibson stepped up.  He isn’t posting the double-doubles on a nightly basis like Noah was but he is getting them at a solid rate for a rookie.  Gibson is second on the team in blocks and third in rebounds.  Gibson gives the team great minutes.

He plays both sides of the court and is consistent.  Gibson is similar to Noah but is a more reliable scorer.  He is a hustle player and picks up his defensive assignments better than every big man on the team besides Noah.  If Noah gets healthy this semester, Brad Miller should take the bench.  Gibson and Noah are one of the best  front court defense and rebounding tandems.

Gibson is definitely in the top 5.

What do think,  who are the top 5 rookies in the NBA this year?

It is considerably harder to chose these All Stars, because the West has more stars.  I like to argue and put my guys in the game, but this year, most of them were originally selected.  Shame on West’s Head Coach George Karl thinking the same.  He picked a solid back up squad that on paper could dominate the East’s reserves if the bench teams played a pick up game.

However, there are a few players who will be in the bleachers or on their couch who should be participants.  It happens every year.  Lets start with an interesting development.

Chris Paul- Paul is arguably the best point guard in the game.  He can score, dish, rebound and defend.  There isn’t an aspect of the game he doesn’t perform on a nightly basis.  Unfortunately for him,  he had to have surgery yesterday on his left knee.  I DID AGREE His replacement is………..

Chauncey Billups- Billups was a player I was going to write about being a snub.  Billups is a supreme floor general.  He is the coach on the court, guiding the talents of Carmelo Anthony and Nene to help the team win.  Not only does he find the open man but if you challenge him, he will hit a 3 pointer in your face.  Billup’s nickname “MR. Clutch” is self explanatory.  He is a winner and a huge reason why the Denver Nuggets have moved to the top of the Western Conference.  Billups is in the league’s top 25 with 19 points a game with the help of  41%  shooting from beyond the arch.  Also, he dishes out 6 assists per game for 12th in the NBA.   I AGREE I was originally going to put him in for……

Deron Williams- Williams is a good player.  Most people would probably put him past good.  I know a lot of people who say he is in the top 15 players in the league.  He is not that good.  I like his game but I like others better.  Williams does led the Utah Jazz to a 30-18 record for 4th in the west.  This is why he is selected.  He, like Billups, is a floor general.  He gets the ball where it needs to be.  Williams is 4th in the league with 9 assists per game and in the top 25 with 19 ppg.  The only problem is, his teammates do everything else.  He isn’t the team like a few others I really want to put ahead of him.  The problem with the other players is, they don’t produce wins like Williams.  Tyreke Evans is scoring 20 ppg and contributing 5 assists.  In his rookie year, he took over the Sacramento Kings when former stud Kevin Martin was injured.  Monta Ellis is a machine.  He is 6th in the league with 26 ppg and adds 5 assists.  On most nights, he is the only reason the Golden State Warriors stay competitive.  Evans and Ellis just can’t get the W’s, both of their teams have the Utah’s record, just flip flopped.  With this said…….AGREE…..BUT DON’T WANT TO

Pau Gasol- In the past, Gasol has been a definite All Star.  This year,  his game isn’t at that level.  He demands double teams and can grab a rebound from the other side of the court.  He can go inside and outside with the ball and is a defensive presence in the paint.  He cannot stay healthy.  The Lakers are winning games without him.  If he was on another team,  I’m sure it wouldn’t be the same story but the cards lie how they fell.  Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum have better stats and are quickly becoming as important as Gasol on the Lakers.  How does Gasol rate on an All Star team if their are players on his team who should be in before him.  DISAGREE He would be replaced with…..

Chris Kaman- Kaman is quickly becoming the best center in the west.  I chose him to be a starter.  He is dominant on the offensive side of the ball.  Kaman has great footwork and moves his body well around the basket and without the ball.  When he has the ball, cutters and wings on the 3 point line do not have to wait long before Kaman hits them up with a pass.  The Los Angeles Clippers are a low post liability without him.  Marcus Camby is getting up there in age and needs Kaman there to anchor him.  Even with Camby, one of the leagues leading defensive and rebounding players in the league for the last 8 years, Kaman still gets 9 boards and 20 points a game.    SHOULD BE

Now it is easy….no more debate.   These players have put up good numbers and have been helping their team win and improve.  They should be on everybody’s list.

Kevin Durant- “Durantula” will be a starter within the next couple of years.  “Melo” will need to continue video game numbers if he doesn’t want to lose his spot.  Durant is a one man scoring nightmare for the opponent.  He has the perfect form in his jump shot, he can boom it any big man’s face or will finish a lay-up with style if their is decent defensive pressure.  He has turned the Sonics/ Thunder into a playoff contending team.  Durant is an ultimate team player making everyone better.  He is currently tied with “Melo” for the league scoring lead with 27.9 points.  He is also in the top 25 in steals with almost 2 a game and grabs 7 boards.  AGREE

Dirk Nowitzki- There isn’t any need to explain Dirk’s abilities.  He is clutch on all levels.  He should have been named a starter over Tim Duncan.  At the beginning of the season, most NBA columnists thought the Mavericks were going to miss the playoffs or be a bottom seed.  With role playing help of Jason Kidd and Jason Terry, Dirk has took the Mavericks to the next level as they sit in 3rd place in the west with a 31-18 record.  His 25 ppg puts him in 7th place and grabs 8 rebounds a game.   AGREE

Brandon Roy- Roy is a stud.  With the addition of Andre Miller he has got to move with the ball for open shots, but he is still the go to player.  He definitely has the Kobe Bryant killer look.  Roy has taken control of a once faltering franchise and turned it into a contender.  Instead of an easy win,  opponents know they will have to fight for everything, especially the win.  Roy is 9th in the league with 23 ppg and also averages 5 rebounds and assists a game.  AGREE

Zach Randolph- Besides his attitude and his ability to quit playing in the middle of a game, Randolph has always had All Star techniques and stats.  He is a dominant offensive big man.  He knows how to get defenders off their feet and out of position.  He is finally becoming the player he could have been in Portland.  The Memphis Grizzlies should be happy they took a chance with Randolph.  For the first time in a few years, they may have a playoff caliber team.  Randolph is a big reason why.  He is averaging a double-double with 20 pts and 11 rebounds putting him in 11th and 4th in the league.  AGREE

IF YOU DON’T AGREE WITH ME OR GEORGE KARL, SEND A COMMENT, LET US KNOW WHO YOUR ALL STAR RESERVES WOULD BE

The best way to describe the game would to be to use the words of the gentlemen who commentated the game: Mark Jackson, Jon Barry and Mark Jones.

In the third quarter Atlanta doubled Chicagos points 31-15 and were leading by 30 points 87-57.  This lead to garbage time for both teams in the fourth quarter.  All starters were sitting on the bench except for the Bull’s Joakim Noah.  The Bulls looked uninterested and ready for bed while the Hawks looked like a team motivated for a strong season.

The commentators with nothing to talk about game play wise took honest little jabs at the Bulls and their unmotivated way they have been playing.  After Hawk’s center Jason Collins hit a jumper at the elbow Barry said it was too easy.  Jackson jumped on the comment real quick with one of his own saying everything in the game has been too easy for the Hawks.

A few minutes later when ESPN was getting ready to go into commercial after a timeout was called, Mark Jones stated the obvious with the Bulls are getting dismantled.

To top off individual efforts,  Barry got his in too.  Right before the next commercial break and a few quick baskets for Atlanta’s offensive unit, Barry compared the game to practice,  yeah,  practice.

“I would say it looks like practice,” Barry said. “But this might be easier than practice.”

Of course they all came together for the triple Allen Iverson “practice, are we talking about practice.”

Then they all joined in to tell the Bulls they need to go back to school and watch some tape.  Jackson said they need to look and see they are not playing with a competitive nature and have no desire.  He then added, Vinny Del Negro needs to find 5 guys who will play from the beginning to the end whether you have to bench supposed stars of the team or not.

With all this said,  most would agree.  The Bulls look like a 7-13 team who has packed their bags for vacation or to get ready for next year.  Hello guys,  this season isn’t over, it just began.

In this contest,  scoring wasn’t really to blame.  Derrick Rose had 19 and John Salmons added 16.  Rookie James Johnson had 17, but most of his points came in garbage time when both teams were playing to run down clock.

Defense and laziness is what cost the Bulls a 35 point loss.  Atlanta fans and the predator players could see it with sluggish Chicago body language.  They were slow to react to their D assignments and were in slow motion to grab rebounds.  Noah had 11 but he probably could have added 3 or 4 more but he didn’t drink enough Gatorade, or something.

The Hawks top 3 scores all came from the bench since they got more or equal minutes with every starter except for Joe Johnson.  Jamal Crawford scored 29 points while Josh Smith and Maurice Evans both had 18 points.  Evans and Crawford went a combined 8-for-12 from the perimeter.

The Bulls have Thursday off before they host the 7-14 Golden State Warriors on Friday.  If Chicago wants to add numbers to the winning column they must watch the tape and fix whatever is making them play uninspired basketball.  Monta Ellis has been bringing it this season while Anthony Randolph has been scooping up rebounds and swatting 1.11 shots a game.  If they want to win this one,  the Bulls will have to match Golden State’s intensity.