I think they could win four rings in the next five years.  This is the best big three combination in the league since Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and James Worthy.

Lewis Alcindor Jr. now Kareem Abdul Jabbar

At the time this was published the Heat didn’t have Udonis Haslem on the roster.  Talks of Zydrunas Ilgauskas on the team hadn’t started yet either.  Mike Miller is still deciding whether he wants to join the Heat and Derek Fisher has refused a Miami offer to accept a Laker offer and stay in Miami.

Also in the column, is talk about the Bulls and the horrible image mistake LeBron James made.  Bad LeBron, just bad.

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 Bulls didn’t get one of the three big named free agents and the three players signing to another eastern conference team like the Miami Heat was discouraging but I have been awaken by the same people for the discouragement.

At first, the signing of Carlos Boozer didn’t seem like such a good move.  He definitely wasn’t big enough bait for LeBron to come to Chicago and at times he has brittle bones.  But, he when he is healthy, which is more than half of a season, he is a dependable 20 and 10 guy.  Plus, he is an eight year veteran who can mentor Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. Actually, Boozer is the eldest player on the Bulls; he can give tips to the entire team. Also, he has playoff experience past the first round. After personal debate, I am excited to see Boozer as a Bull.

Reinsdorf has also offered Orlando Magic restricted free agent, J.J. Redick, a three year deal worth $20 million.  He hasn’t proven himself as a great player, so the contract may be a little much.  On the other hand, he has shown progress each of his four seasons in Orlando.  Redick was the only offense the Magic had in a couple of the games against the Boston Celtics in the quarter finals of the playoffs. The Bulls offer is based on potential and the player he could become, it is worth it.  He has shown he can play at the NBA level.

I GIVE THE FRONT OFFICE CREDIT. They are making the best out of a situation that looked like doomsday.  I would much rather have Boozer, Korver and Redick than the three guys that were traded for expiring contracts: Tyrus Thomas, John Salmons and Kirk Hinrich. Boozer is a man, Thomas is a little boy.  Korver is a better three-point shooter than Salmons and is more reliable to hit shots.  On the other Salmons plays better defense and unlike Korver, he can create his own shot.

I love Hinrich.  The Bulls should have traded Luol Deng and kept Hinrich, but he did have an overpaid contract they wanted to get off of the books.  Hinrich is the best backup point guard in the league.  He is a premier perimeter defender, a superb assist man and can he shoot from anywhere on the court.  The problem is, Rose is more valuable and when they traded Hinrich, so was LeBron, Wade or Bosh. Redick is bigger and is a more consistent shooter.  Plus, he has younger legs and still has plenty of upside.

The Bulls are putting together a team instead of relying on one superstar player to take the “team” to the next level.  To win a championship in the NBA, the organization has to have a team, not one guy.  It has been proven over and over again.  LeBron didn’t win in Cleveland because he didn’t have a team around him and didn’t play with what he did have.  The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers win because they have role players who know what they have to do on the court.  They perform their jobs well and let the Kobe Bryants, Paul Pierces, Pau Gasols and Kevin Garnetts of the world do what they do.

The Bulls are not at a championship level at the present time but they’re a better team than they were last year.  The summer isn’t over and the Chicago Bulls still have the money to pick up whomever they wish.

Phil Jackson has decided he wants to come back to the Los Angeles Lakers to attempt to win another championship.  This would mean Jackson would have 12 rings and four three-peats.  It is never happened in the NBA.  I love Jackson and am glad he isn’t succumbing to his injuries.

Doc Rivers is going to stay with the Boston Celtics.  He was thinking about throwing in the towel so he could spend time with his family.  Rivers has too much pride and wants to stay til the end of the big three.  Garnett is contracted to the team for two more years.  Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are free agents.  Pierce is reported to be working with the Celtics on a new contract while nothing has been said about Allen.  With their great showing in this years playoffs, I don’t see why Rivers would leave.  He still has the pieces to win another championship.

These are probably only one year returns, but one more year with Jackson and Rivers is better than none.

The Cleveland Cavaliers made a gutsy move by hiring Byron Scott as their head coach.  It isn’t a gutsy move because of Scott’s ability because he is good at what he does.  The issue of course, is Lebron James.  Is Scott a big enough name for James to stay?  I don’t think he is, unless he can get Chris Paul to leave the Hornets and come to Cleveland.  Talk about interesting.  How would Lebron turn that down?

Jackson left the Bulls more than 10 years ago, but I’ll always remember him as the Bulls coach, not the Lakers.  At 64, Jackson has had medical issues.  Lets face it,  it will happen to all of us.  No one is immortal.  The problem is,  with him out of the picture,  who will be the main dominant coach in the NBA?

Jackson has won 11 championships.  Many say it is because of his star players, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.  It makes a difference, but Jackson was the glue that made the role players just as important as his superstars.  He devises a game plan and coaches his players to stick to it.  He has been the best coach in my generation and quite possibly, the best in NBA history.

If you retire, I give you my farewell friend.   

In every position of every sport, we like to pick out the best.  Who will be the best active coach when Jackson leaves?  There is only a handful of guys who have been tenure 10-to-15 years. 

My pick would have to be Greg Popovich.  He created a dynasty with the San Antonio Spurs and even though their roster is old and waring down, they still intimidate the opposition.  He won four championships in nine years, with virtually the same squad.  Role players left or retired, but San Antonio kept replacing them with similar players.  “Pop” fit them into his game plan and continued the Spurs winning ways.

I asked the question to you,  who would be a better for the Bulls, Kerr or Paxson.  Kerr dominated Paxson, getting 36 of the 52 votes.  I wonder if Kerr would beat Gar Forman, like he did Paxson. 

Steve Kerr was a back up point guard for the Bulls in the mid-to late 90′s and helped win a few championships with his sniper three point shooting.  Paxson did the same thing in the early 90′s. 

He did make some questionable trades like Shawn Marion to the Miami Heat for Shaquille O’Neal, but he made up for it by getting a second round draf pick, Sasha Pavlovic who is a solid back up player, $500,000 and a soon to retire Ben Wallace when he traded O’Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

This season, he made room in the team’s payroll to sign one of the big name free agents this summer. Paxson traded away a bad character guy in Tyrus Thomas to the Charlotte Bobcats  for two expiring contracts and a future first round pick.  He then traded John Salmons and a couple of second round picks for two expiring contracts.

Besides Rajon Rondo being younger and faster than Derek Fisher, the Lakers had the advantage at every other position.  The argument can be made with Paul Pierce being better than Ron Artest.  Pierce had better stats, but Artest’s defensive pressure was a defying element of the Lakers taking the championship.  Pierce is also the Celitcs first option, while Artest is fourth or fifth behind Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom.

Now to the reason I’m writing this.

With each Laker’s championship, there is always comparisons between Kobe and Chicago Bull’s great Michael Jordan.  As a Bull’s fan growing up in the 90′s, Jordan is my all time favorite player; he is the greatest.  On the other hand,  Kobe has been my favorite since MJ retired and on an all time NBA team,  Kobe is MJ’s backup as a two guard.  When it comes down to it,  Jordan was a better player.

The awards and championships alone favor Jordan.

Bryant now has five championships, tying him for the most rings of any player to ever wear a Laker’s jersey.  Hall of Famers, Magic Johnson and Kareem  Abdul-Jabbar also have five.  Since the beginning of the NBA, the Lakers have won 16 championships.

Jordan won six championships the Bulls have in two separate three-peat; these are the only championships in the Bull’s history.  MJ won five regular season Most Valuable Player awards in a era before the NBA became watered down because of more teams and concentration to athletic ability instead of basketball fundamentals.  Kobe has one, and as age is catching up to his legs and Lebron continues to put up great numbers, he may not win another.

Jordan went to six champions, won all six and walked away the finals MVP of each of them.  The Bulls are in the history books as the team to win the most championships without losing a final, all with Jordan.  Also, they never had to play a game seven.

Kobe has won his five championships in seven tries.  He has been the finals MVP twice, the last two seasons.  During the Lakers thre-peat from 2000-to-2003,  Shaquille O’Neal was the finals MVP.  Jordan never had to share, because he was the best player on his team.

If Jordan was the best player on his team every year and Kobe wasn’t, how is he in the conversation to be as good as Jordan?

Forgetting points,  Jordan was a better defender as well.  He won the defensive player of the year award in 1988 and was on the all-defensive first team nine times. Kobe has been on the team eight times, but has never won the award.

Stats, Jordan is the winner again.  Jordan’s career average is 30 ppg to Kobe’s 25.  Jordan’s career high is 37 ppg, Kobe’s is 35 ppg.  Jordan averaged 5.3 assists a game to Kobe’s 4.7.  Jordan grabbed 6.2 rebounds a game to Kobe’s 5.3.  I could keep going.

Kobe’s numbers are great.  He is a fantastic player.  Kobe Bryant is simply not Michael Jordan.

I know the comparisons will not stop.  As writers, we love to put an opinion of who is better than who, whose the greatest and etc.  I wish we could just let Kobe play his game without him thinking he is in Jordan’s shadow.

It will never happen.  Kobe will remain there forever.  He will be known as the second best shooting guard to ever play in the NBA, behind Michael Jordan.

Either way,  the Boston Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau has been hired by the Chicago Bulls to replace Vinny Del Negro.

Thibodeau is well respected as a defensive master mind, helped the Boston Celtics become one of the best defending teams in the league.  Boston would never have beaten the Lakers in 2008 for the NBA Championship, if their team defense didn’t rotate and communicate like Thibodeau taught them.  It also helps that Kevin Garnett, one of the biggest mouths in the NBA, is on the Celtics.

In his 21 year coaching career, he has traveled the NBA ranks.  He began as an assistant to the expansion Minnesota Timberwolves in 1989.  In 1991, he was a scout for the Seattle SuperSonics.  He has been an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and until this years post season is over, the Boston Celtics.

Thibodeau has aided his teams to finish in the top ten in team defense for 15 seasons.  This is impressive.

The Bulls were a solid defensive team last year.  Thibodeau will help them become great.  Joakim Noah wants to play defense and showed signs of defensive brilliance this season.  Kirk Hinrich is a good perimeter defender.  Derrick Rose is quick, giving him the ability to get in front of any match up and Luol Deng has great length and hoops to block shots from the corner.

They have the skills, now Thibodeau will give them techniques.

The question I have is, how does this help Chicago’s scoring?  The Bulls scoring was a huge problem this season.  The offensive sets resulted in Ros running around and trying to drive, or they were stagnant.  Three players roamed on the perimeter while Noah and Taj Gibson got faced until they needed to get a rebound.

Maybe Thibodeau has more than one trick up his sleeve, plus,  he will have assistants and hopefully an elite talent after free agency begins.

The hire could draw big names.  Thibodeau is well known and respected.  Basketball players need to know their coach can or wants to win before they believe in the system.  Thibodeau helped win a championship in 2008 and was a part of the Knicks trip to the finals in 199 with Jeff Van Gundy, Patrick Ewing and Allan Houston.

Thibodeau should be a good coach.  Some assistants who are supposed to do well, stumble and fall.  Others coach a team to two three-peat championship run, aka Phil Jackson.  He will not reach Jackson’s level, but he could be the coach to get Chicago further in the playoffs than first round.  This would mean a better record, so they’re not the eighth seed.

On a faith level, I have 85% faith that he will help the Bulls get to the next level.  The doubts I have are on offense.  If the defense can get points off of its hard work than that doubt would be quieted.  The other doubt, is if Thibodeau is a coach the big named free agents want to play for.

Lebron James might want to be on the same team with Thibodeau instead of receiving the wrath of his zone defensive schemes.

Wade has been reported to question the loyalty of the Bull’s management.  Joakim Noah and Lindsay Hunter have been quoted in the media saying Lebron should come to Chicago.  Bosh has listed Chicago as one of his five destinations he would like to play for next year.

Then the Bulls fired Vinny Del Negro, so they’re in the market for a new man on the sideline.  Avery Johnson, Byron Scott, Lawrence Frank, Jeff Van Gundy and Doug Collins are all ex-coaches looking for a job.  ESPN has sources who say Phil Jackson has been contacted to return as the Bull’s Head Coach and University of Kentucky’s John Calipari has been in the news for the job as well.

To add a little more controversy around the Bulls is the legacy of arguably the best player to ever grace the NBA, Michael Jordan.  It has been said players would not want to go to Chicago because they would be in the shadow of MJ.  The Utah Jazz’s power forward, Carlos Boozer, who is going to be a free agent, doesn’t agree.

I like these statements from Boozer.  Actually,  it makes his resume go closer to the top of the pile as a free agent pick up.

He isn’t scared to play in the house Jordan built.  He is showing pride in himself as a player.  He realizes the 90′s Bulls were great, but why shouldn’t any other great players be a Bull?

The Celtics have won the most championships in the history of the NBA.  This didn’t scare Ray Allen or Kevin Garnett going to Boston.  The Lakers are the second winning-est franchise in history.  This didn’t stop Shaquille O’Neal or Pau Gasol to moving to Los Angeles.   This didn’t stop Paul Pierce or Kobe Bryant from signing extensions either.

If anything Jordan and Scottie Pippen created a winning atmosphere other players should love to play in.  Sure, the Bulls fell off for about ten years, but this was because of former Bull’s general manager Jerry Krause causing problems with the stars and college players with tons of potential not panning out: Marcus Fizer, Jay Williams, Chris Duhon, Eddie Robinson and Tyrus Thomas.

Two nights ago, on ESPN’s NBA Fast Break, there were all kinds of sourced reports saying a guy in Bull’s management talked to one of Phil’s guys and there was interest from both parties.

Yesterday,  Phil was reported to laugh at the idea.

People leak news and some people lie.  I hope Jackson has more dignity than that, but him coming to Chicago may happen.  The other option is, we are caught up in the Chicago Bulls hype and are pulling random solutions wrote on a piece of paper out of a hat.

I would love Jackson to come back and coach young Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson.  Again, it would be the top dream come true of all time for a Bulls fan.  Lets face it,  if Jackson is on the Chicago sideline, it would be real hard for Lebron to pass up an offer to play for the Bulls.  All the pieces would be there for both of them to win championships.

The problem is, Jackson has it made in Los Angeles.  He has arguably the best player in the game, Kobe Bryant, who has two to three years of prime left.  Pau Gasol is going to be in his prime for at least three to four years.  Andrew Bynum is only 22 years old and is all ready a top three center in the league.

Los Angeles is a top destination for any older man in Jackson’s wealth class.  The weather is nice, celebrities are everywhere and he is loved there.  Not saying Jackson isn’t all ready loved in Chicago, but his old bones might not be able to handle the wind.

Like I said, I wish he was going to come, but he isn’t.  He has got too much to look forward to in LA.  He could win a three peat with that team, why go to Chicago and put together puzzle pieces?