Coming out of Kansas University, he was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2003 season and then played seven seasons in Chicago. While other players selected the same year as him, Linton Johnson and Ronald Dupree,  and many after, Tyrus Thomas at the top of the list, did nothing to help the Bulls, Hinrich was an every game contributor who made the team better.

He was the best perimeter defender on the Bulls roster since Scottie Pippen. Ron Artest was a Bull in-between, but as a Bull, he didn’t do what he has as a Rocket or a Laker.

He led the team in assists and steals for multiple seasons. Hinrich was also a consistent shooter from anywhere on the court. He was behind only Ben Gordon for the most points scored by a Bull for three consecutive years.

In 2008, a player landed in Chicago named Derrick Rose. Rose is more athletic, a better play maker and an all around better basketball player. If the Bulls would have had a true shooting guard, instead of having to start Hinrich, he could have won the sixth man of the year award. If he isn’t a starting point guard, he is one of the best back ups in the league.

In American society, everything circles around money. The Bulls had previously agreed to give Hinrich a nifty penny which included $9 million for the 2010-2011 season.  The front office didn’t want to pay him that big of a contract to be a role player, understandable, when this summer’s free agency had plenty of talent.

It’s unfortunate the NBA is ruled by money, but it is.

BullsHome.com wanted to let fans know how important Hinrich has been to the team for the last seven seasons. We hope him the best in the future.

This move makes the Bulls the winner of the draft.  The Washington Wizards and the Philadelphia 76ers got two great players in John Wall and Evan Turner, but they will be rookies who are young and inexperienced in the NBA.

The Bulls dropped Hinrich’s $9 million salary and the $1.3 million they would of had to pay Kevin Seraphin (the 17th pick) if they would have kept him.  Now,  they have $33.3 million to shop in the free agent market. 

This means they can get two max contract players.  Any combination is possible: Lebron James and Dwyane Wade, Wade and Chris Bosh, or my favorite James and Bosh.  They could sign other players too, but these three are the main attractions. 

David Lee is the number three in the top ten countdown of free agent options for the Chicago Bulls.  The good thing is,  Lee will not be a max contract guy, so, other impact players could sign as well.  This makes the third option, a deluxe deal like a number one Whooper combo from Burger King.  The Bulls could sign Lee,  resign Brad Miller and then sign a shooter.  Kyle Korver, JJ Redick and Mike Miller are all available.

Lee is developing into a star in New York.  If he can become a great player on a horrible Knick roster,  he could blossom into a superstar in Chicago.  This season, the 27 year old power forward put up career high numbers and was selected to his first NBA All-Star game.  He averaged 20 points, 11.7 rebounds and four assists per game.  In April, he recorded his first triple-double with 37 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists.  He is the first person to do this since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

He plays with intensity.  His low post offensive moves are above average and he knows how to position himself for rebounds.  He doesn’t block a lot of shots, but he plays help defense and makes sure he gets his body on his assignment when he has the ball.  Honestly,  Lee is a year away from his prime.  He can still develop into a more efficient defender and a better help defender.  His potential isn’t at it’s end.  The Bulls are looking to secure a top talent for many years.  Lee is young and is looking for a long contract. This is a green light.

Brad Miller is 34 and at the end of his career, there is no doubt about it.  The good thing is, Miller is a veteran leader.  He is vocal, something the Bulls need for their young talent in Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson.  I am a firm believer in Miller making Noah the dominant low post defender and rebounder he has become.  When he does get in the game,  he doesn’t dissapoint.  Chicago doesn’t ask much from him but he still delivers 10 points a game and five rebounds.  These are not huge numbers, but great for a second string guy, who could be moved to third string depending on the Bulls free agent pick ups.  If Lee was picked up,  he would be behind Noah, Gibson and Lee.  At this point in his career, Brad Miller would be perfect to resign for this spot on the team.

The Bulls showed a desperate need for some perimeter shooting this past season.  Rose isn’t extremely consistent and Kirk Hinrich has troubles finding his shot for long stretches of time.  There are three legitimate mid-value shooters in this summer’s free agency.

Utah’s Kyle Korver is a great shooter.  As a Southern Illinois Saluki,  I hate Creighton and everything about them.  Unfortunately, they had a great player in Korver, who has began to shoot the ball even better after college.  This season he shot 53% from beyond the three point line.  The Bulls need a shooter who can drop them in at a percentage like that.  The problem is, he doesn’t really do anything else.

Orlando’s JJ Redick is another great shooter.  During the playoffs, he stepped up and was one of the few bright spots against the Boston Celtics in their three consecutive loses.

Washington’s Mike Miller is probably the best choice of the three.  He has more experience and is a more versatile player.  He shots the trey at  a 40% career average during his ten seasons as a member of the Orlando Magic, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards.  He has averaged five rebounds and three assists too.  He can help the team in more ways than simply shooting.  Also, he would be a great guy to have come off the bench.  He was a leader for the Timberwolves when all they had was young talent.  They didn’t win a ton or get to the playoffs but he was still able to get his teammates to play hard with their little skill sets.

Lee, Brad Miller and Mike Miller or Korver or Redick is a good option for the Bulls.  They would get an up and coming superstar who is going to drop 20 ppg and grab 11 rebounds a game, veteran leadership and an outside scorer.  Add these elements to the hiring of defensive mastermind Tom Thibodeau, Derrick Rose and his all around solid play,  Noah becoming a monster down low on both sides of the ball and three decent players in Luol Deng, Gibson and Hinrich.  This would make a great team.

Ewing was one of the best scoring centers in league history.  His low post moves were on THE best when he played in the late 80′s and 90′s.  He was the rookie of the year in 1986, a 11 time all-star, 7 time all-NBA team selection and was put in the Hall of Fame in 2008. 

Ewing took a job as an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards in 2003.  Kwame Brown is by no means a star student or student at all, so we won’t count this against Ewing.

In 2004-2006, he was an assistant for the Houston Rockets.  Ewing helped Yao Ming with his low post game.  Ming stopped settling for a jump shot because Ewing gave him post moves.  Ming’s career best field goal percentage of .55 was during the 04-05 season. Hopefully, Ming will find a medical procedure to strengthen his feet and ankles and play again. 

The basketball world has had some kind of involvement with Ewing since his freshman year at Georgetown in 1981. In 29 years (excluding play before college) of basketball he has got to know something about the game.  He knows how to teach, so put the two together and I think he’ll be alright. 

Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson could definitley use some of Ewing’s moves down low.  This season the Bulls were an outside team.  They shot jump shots most of the time, getting the ball down low wasn’t a main priority.  Maybe they should make it option number one.  This would open up Rose and Hinrich on the perimeter.  Right now,  why would any team double Noah or Gibson?

IS EWING A LEGIT CANIDATE FOR THE HEAD COACHING POSITION?

He doesn’t need to be part of the organization again.

Yes,  I am talking about Doug Collins.  Collins was Chicago’s head coach from 1986-1989.  He got to the playoffs but couldn’t capture a championship.  Michael Jordan, the greatest player in NBA history, was on those teams.  Collins had MJ, Pippen and solid role players, but couldn’t get them to the next level.

With that said, how is he the right guy to get Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Luol Deng to the next level?  Kirk Hinrich is a solid role player and if the summer goes how I hope, the Bulls will have a superstar or at least a star or two to match Rose and Noah’s blossoming stardom. 

In 2008, before the Bulls hired VDN, owner Jerry Reinsdorf and General Manager Gar Foreman were talking to Collins.  He withdrew his name from the position saying, it wouldn’t work out because of his close friendship with Reinsdorf.

If it didn’t work two years ago,  why would it work now?  Again,  it wouldn’t.  Collins should just keep his cushy commentating job.  He isn’t great, but he gets the job done, same can almost be said about his coaching, except the fact he can’t win in the playoffs.

Usually, most teams quit when they ship players away for expiring contracts showing the world they’re more focused on next year than this year.

The nucleus of the Bulls are still showing up on the court in attempts to come away with victories not stats.

They have won five of their last eight. It isn’t great, but it is an improvement from their 10 game losing streak.

Chicago beat the Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Bobcats, Houston Rockets and the New Jersey Nets.  The only team worth mentioning is the Bobcats, who are currently in seventh place in the eastern conference’s playoff race.

The Bulls are winning the games we know they can. This is a good sign.

Players are coming back from injuries with only a handful of games left instead of mailing in the season. This is also a good sign.

The Bulls have tough games coming up. They have to continue playing at the level they are at and maybe a little beyond because Cleveland and Boston are playing at serious high levels.

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.

College coaches and several analysts have problems with the one and done.  Oklahoma’s Head Coach Jeff Capel said it was a bad rule because it makes a mockery out of the education system.  A “student-athlete” attends college to be the athlete not the student.  Dick Vitale said the players not participating in their education, whether skipping classes or not getting good grades, hurts the education system at the universities.  Vitale said players should not be made to go to school if they are not going to go anyway.

Others say special talents like Kobe Bryant, Lebron James or Kevin Garnett shouldn’t have to waste their time going to college when they are already a NBA star before they sign a contract.

The one and done rule should be left alone.  This should be the one age requirement stipulation the NBA ever has.

The draft entrance law does hurt the college game.  There is no doubt about it.  Players leaving after one year hurts a team’s roster and team chemistry.  The star player gets all the shine while the rest of the players and the school itself are forgotten. I know who John Wall is but couldn’t list one of his Kentucky teammates.

This is a problem for the NCAA, not the NBA.  The NBA is a big money business not a psychiatrist dealing with everyone’s situations and dilemmas.

If a school has a problem with a player leaving after one year, then don’t recruit the athlete.  Instead of Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo or Kevin Durant, go after Tyler Hansbrough.

One and done gives the NBA and the players a showcase, practice and a scale to place talent.  There are millions of college hoops fans turning on their television sets to watch a big game or Sports Center for highlights.

The stud player is showcased to the world.  The fans hearing how good he is at the college level will more than likely pay attention to him at the next level.  Carmelo Anthony helped Syracuse win a championship in his one year.  Anthony did his one year before the rule was a rule.  Denver drafted him and their ticket sales went up along with media coverage of the Nuggets. The NCAA showcased his talent for the world to see and the NBA cashed in on it.

Remember a guy named Kwame Brown.  Brown was drafted straight out of high school by the Washington Wizards in 2001 with the number one overall pick.  He is one of the biggest busts in NBA history.  In 2003, his best statistical year, he only averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds.  This may not be completely accurate, but if he would have played a year in college, the Wizards may have noticed weaknesses.  Brown may have needed the year to further develop.  He might have decided to stay longer to develop skills if he couldn’t be a big time performer in the college level.

College hoops is a perfect scale to view levels of talent.  Most college athletes want to earn money for playing a sport they have played a long time.  The NBA wants to put find the best players and put them on the court in attempts to win championships or sell tickets.  The players get to see where they rate against all the other competition in that particular game and eventually, in the NBA draft.  The higher the pick, the more money they make.

The NBA scouts get to see the same thing.  Denver saw Melo’s scoring ability, Memphis saw Mayo’s shooter’s touch and Oklahoma City saw a stud in Durant.  The scouts had an opportunity to see what these guys could do against other players who would be in the league as well.  In high school, most rosters have truck drivers, machine operators or McDonald’s cashiers, not professional basketball players.  One year of college helps both sides know the level of play an individual is capable of.

The one and done deal may not be the best solution ever but it is the best now.  University’s get one year of excitement and the NBA gets to cash in off of the marketing the NCAA does for the players.  I think it is a great system and should stay in place.  If the NCAA wants students to stay longer or participate, they have to do something.

College hoops is like an internship to the NBA.  Corporations need substance to a resume and so does the association.  The one and done rule gives the students a chance for both an education and basketball.  The NBA is giving the players a job opportunity, no one is forced to go or not go to college.  The student athlete needs to decide which part of the term, he/she wants to be, not the NBA.

Other matters like salary caps and arguments between the players union and the league should be addressed, not a rule that helps the NBA.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas, “Big Z”, is officially a free agent.  The Washington Wizards, who picked him up in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers shortly before the deadline, bought out his $11.5 million contract and then released him.

Big Z can not go back to the Cavaliers for 30 days but could be picked up by any team immediately with a prorated share of the veteran’s minimum.  He is still valuable and could help teams make the playoffs or into later rounds.

He is a solid veteran big man.  The Cavaliers were his team before Lebron James dropped in the team’s lap.  Besides having knee problems in his first couple of seasons, his numbers are very consistent. He was only a few rebounds away from averaging a double-double for a season multiple times in his 10 years on the team.  A couple years ago,  he was the only respectable center in the eastern conference.

Plenty of teams around the NBA could use him.  Portland lost Greg Oden and Joel Przybila for the season.  They traded for Marcus Camby and he has already rolled around on the court grimacing in pain.  The Blazers can always use big men.

There has been pleas from bloggers or all teams.  Well, here is the plea from a Bulls fan for Big Z to come to Chicago.  WE NEED YOU!

The two visible problems haunting the Bulls in every game are closing out the victory and front court depth.  The Kings beat them after being down by 35 points.  Remember that.  Also, it was disappointing when the Washington Wizards scored 14 straight points to open the third quarter on Monday.  The Bulls had the game but couldn’t finish it off.

Big Z is a scoring center who is an excellent passer when double teamed.  During his career he has shot a .48 field goal percentage and 76 percent from the free throw line.  The bulls could use a tall talented guy to come off the bench.  Even if he doesn’t play at the end of the game, the guy replacing him will be well rested.  The Bulls have looked tired at the end of recent games.

Joakim Noah is hurt. Hakim Warrick isn’t an established re-bounder or inside scorer .  Brad Miller has been in the NBA the same amount of time Big Z has but plays very aggressive, which leads to fatigue and foul trouble.  Taj Gibson is a forward, not a center.  He needs help when his teammates get tired or get into foul trouble.

There are risks of course, but John Paxson has made a living off of his questionable roster decisions.  Big Z has a lot of miles on his battered knees.  Honestly,  he probably has two years left of his NBA career until he officially fades into the abyss.

A deal with the Bulls might only be for the rest of this season.  If this is the case, it’s a great idea.  Big Z won’t cost a ton of money and it will not be on the books for free agent shopping.  He will also do what the team asks him too.  Big Z won’t pull a Allen Iverson and refuse to come off the bench.  Plus,  a veteran amongst a team full of young players is always a great idea.

Should Big Z be in a Bulls uniform?

0 is the number of games Arenas will be playing for the rest of the year. 0 is also the number of games he will dress as a Washington Wizard. He should be renamed Agent Idiot.

To most people the Arenas story is old news by now. The NBA can’t let this issue die. This is more than a player, this is the history and outlook of the world wide National Basketball Association.

His career should be done. I mean banned from the league. This is the second gun charge linked to Arenas. Why should he be allowed to play?

After he was caught and had all media attention about the gun charges, he played games. Arenas shot his barrel of an index finger, joking around during a pregame routine. He was all smiles and didn’t show a single apologetic demeanor at all. NBA Commissioner David Stern let him play for a couple more weeks then suspended him the remaining 50 games of the Wizard’s schedule.

If the NBA Commissioner’s name was Brandon LaChance, he would have been banned the night he was caught with the guns. My league would not tolerate guns, violence or drug abuse to any extent.

Basketball may be a sport and entertainment to us, but to them it is a job. Arenas is owed 80 million by the Wizards. This is more than most of us will ever see in an entire lifetime. If I went to work or school with four guns, what do you think would happen to me?

My life would be over, especially if this happened at school. My name and mug shot would be on all media outlets covering the United States and job opportunities would only be offered to me in a state penitentiary.

Arenas gets to continue his career after 50 games? How is this fair to anyone. The Wizards should do more than pull his merchandise off the shelves. They should push him out of the arena. Trading him will probably be hard with his gun bags and expensive salary. Dropping him off the roster would cost them 80 million.

Agent Idiot horribly hurt his team. Washington is now back to square one, roster and financial wise. If a trade was manageable, any smart club is only going to give them a few garbage minute caliber players. Antawn Jamison is playing well but reaching his last few years. He can no longer carry a team. They have to do something in their huge predicament.

Their star is a gun toting thug who is either suspended or hurt. Oh, was it mentioned they spent 80 million for him on the last contract.

He should not be allowed to take the court for any team, but next season, he will. Hopefully, it is for a Bull’s conference opponent. The Indiana Pacers are already a rough team, so how about a power like Cleveland.  Lebron James thinks he can play with anybody. I think the team would fall apart with Arena’s chaos. I would love it.

Should Agent Idiot be allowed to come back to the league? If so, where would he be the best fit?