Amare to Bulls Is Starting To Look Like a Real Possibility

This is going to drive StevieY19 crazy, since he believes that the Suns would be crazy to do any deal for what he terms "a pile of Bulls garbage", but according to www.rumorpress.net (not the most reliable, but they have been right about a lot of things in the past):

As we all know, the Bulls and Suns have had lengthy discussions about a possible trade that would send All Star big man Amare Stoudemire to Chicago. The Bulls are very much in the running to land Stoudemire, as GM John Paxson is willing to package just about any deal with mutliple players involved to get him, except for Derrick Rose of course. One scenario that is very possible and has been discussed the most would be a deal that would send Drew Gooden, Tyus Thomas, Thabo Sefoloshia and a 1st round pick to the Suns in exchange for Stoudemire. However, Steve Kerr would like Joakim Noah added to the deal as well. Phoenix will continue to talk with other teams to see if they can either find a better deal, or wait and see if the Bulls will add Noah to the trade. The Bulls want Stoudemire so much, that adding Noah may just happen. Even then, the ball will still be in the Suns court as they have multiple teams to work with and several deals to weigh out, the highest bidder will win.

What do you think, StevieY19? Should the Bulls just throw in Noah now? I'm not saying they shouldn't, but where does that leave our frontcourt? Could we go out and get a capable back-up now? If this deal happened with Noah involved, would that mean Gray would start the rest of the year and Noce would back up Amare? It's still worth it, but we would need some kind of plan to back those guys up. I'm not trying to see Noce getting 25 minutes at the 4/5 position. Just do it Pax.

Also I'm not seeing how this resolves any of our bad contract issues. Pax would still have to turn around and deal Hinrich, Hughes, and/or Nocioni to get us far enough under the cap to hope to resign Amare, keep Ben Gordon, or go out and get some pieces to make up for the loss of all those bodies.

Projected Lineup If The Trade Went Down:

PG: Rose, Hinrich
SG: Gordon, Hinrich
SF: Deng, Nocioni
PF: Stoudemire, Nocioni
C: Gray, Stoudemire, Nocioni

I'll take it.

Identity Crisis: Bulls Don't Know Who They Are

Did you see the Chicago Bulls win the last 3 games? I thought I did, but then I realized that those might not have been the Bulls. What about the team that lost 5 straight just a week ago? This team cannot seem to find it's identity. For weeks at a time, it looks like this team cannot cover anyone, the big men can't defend the paint, Luol Deng can't get in the flow of the offense, and Vinny seems confused at best. Then all of a sudden, nobody can score on them, they block double digit shots in a game, they get easy dunks and layups all over the place, and Vinny seems confused at best. (Maybe Vinny isn't confused, but I sure am confused by how he "coaches").

The problem is twofold. Not only does this team look different every night, but Vinny goes with different lineups and schemes so there is no way to really tell what's working. For instance, he went with Thabo for long stretches against the Suns, and yet Rose was noticeably absent for most of the 4th quarter with a sore foot. Was one of those things why the Bulls played well? It's different rotations and "strategies" every night, so there is no way to tell.

There is no reason to be all negative, though. Some things are clearly clicking. Hinrich is starting to get comfortable on the court after missing much of the first half of the season. Tyrus and Noah are looking much more active on the glass and in transition. I think Noah finally realized if he hustles a little and sprints out on the fast break, Rose will find him for the easy basket. About time he figured that one out.

Most importantly the re-emergence of Luol Deng has been wonderful to watch. He is clearly in a rhythm right now. Ever since coming back from his brief stint on the IR, he has finally found his shots within the flow of the offense. I don't think anyone had completely turned on Deng yet, but I know my frustrations with him were starting to boil up after the 6 year-$71 million deal he signed.

All in all the Bulls have played well so far on this trip (besides that terrible loss to Minnesota). With the next three games @HOU, @NO, and @DAL, they have a tough stretch, and things don't get much easier after that. With this team we are looking for improvement and signs of great things to come, so if they can steal one win in the next three and play good basketball even if they lose, there's a lot of reason to be positive about this Bulls team.

Assuming it's this Bulls team that comes to play. I hope it's not that other, shitty Bulls team. If it's the shitty one, I'm going to bed early.

Today's Links--Illini Take a Huge Step Backwards Edition

• Illinois got SMOKED last night against Minnesota. Smoked.
  
• I know everyone is saying the Bears should draft a safety, but maybe they should think twice before they do.
• Finally Joakim is starting to play a bit better. Don't expect it to last.
  
• The final Thursday Dick Joke Jamboroo. We'll miss you nazi shark.
• Eddy Curry denied that the child who was murdered was his kid. Apparently the paternity test shows otherwise. Isn't he married? Could it get any worse for this guy?
• Looks like the White Sox have asked Obama to throw out the first pitch. I wouldn't feel safe taking my kids to that park, I highly doubt the secret service would allow it.
• Captain Kirk has been abysmal since his return to the Bulls. How abysmal you ask? Well take a look at this, but be prepared to be in a bad mood.
• Del Negro is the most boring coach ever at giving interviews, which is why the Dull-Negro-Meter was created.
• If my girlfriend really loved me, she would make me one of these for the Super Bowl.
  

Chicago's Worst Contracts

In honor of Larry Hughes and his terrible contract, I decided to write about the worst sports contracts that currently exist in Chicago. I didn't include any Bears contracts since none of the money is guaranteed, so the team can cut a bad contract pretty much anytime. God willing Hughes and all these people will be gone soon, but until then, here goes:

Almost Over
Larry Hughes ($13 million a year through 2010): The issues with Larry Hughes have been well-documented here. While his numbers haven't been horrendous this year, he is a notorious team cancer and he steals minutes from a team that is trying to develop it's young backcourt. Are we really better off with Hughes than we were with Ben Wallace? I think its a wash.

Jose Contreras ($10 million a year through 2009): Ok, so Contreras had an unbelievable 2005 season that was key to the Sox title run. He had a decent year in 2006 and was then rewarded with this 3 year deal which made some sense at the time. His numbers have slid since then, however, posting a 5.57 ERA in 2007 and a 4.54 in an injury-riddled 2008. 2009 remains to be seen, but his contract is up after this season, so he won't be a problem for long.


Too Early to Tell
Kirk Hinrich ($9.5 million a year through 2012): Kirk Hinrich seemed like he would be a solid contributor on the Bulls for years. He may have reached his ceiling, but the Bulls were willing to pay him a 4 year deal based on that ceiling. Unfortunately he had an awful awful year last season (along with the rest of the Bulls). With the acquisition of Rose, it now looks like even if he gets back to his former 16ppg and 6apg lines, there may not be a place for him in the lineup. It remains to be seen if he can play next to Rose.

Alfonso Soriano ($17 million a year through 2014): Obviously he has the potential to be great. Even without the steals that he used to put up in New York, his bat can still sing and carry the Cubs offense for long stretches. If he can stay healthy, this contract may not be that terrible. That being said, he claims that he is 33, but the truth is he is probably more like 35 or 36. That would make him 39 and 40 in the final years of his contract. Very few players production gets better or even stays the same at that age, excluding Barry Bonds of course.

Luol Deng ($11.5 million a year through 2014): It's way too soon to tell with Luol. I was reluctant to put him on this list at first, but if he cannot find his place in this offense, it may turn out being a bad contract. At this point it seems his best may be a second option, which is definitely not worth the $71 million he got. He is also coming off an injury and learning his place in a new offense. Only time will tell.

Cristobal Huet (4 years, $22.5 Mil): Huet's contract didn't look bad at all with Khabibulin struggling last year. Khabibulin's deal would have come close to topping this list a year ago actually. The Hawks signed Nikolai to a four year, $27 million deal when he was 32. Huet was also 32 when the Hawks inked him for $4.5 million less. However, with Khabibulin playing well, the Hawks have two goaltenders taking up two of their four biggest contracts. It's great to have a dependable backup, and it was nice of him to push Khabibulin to be decent, but that's a lot of money for a backup. Obviously the deal could end up being okay if Huet emerges as a starter when Bulin leaves, or the Hawks can use him as trade bait to get another defender or veteran scorer for the playoffs. Remember the Hawks still have promising youngster Corey Crawford waiting for his turn. (Thanks to StevieY19 for contributing on this one)

Just Plain Awful
Andres Nocioni ($7 million a year through 2012): This guy is terrible. Somehow his +/- is high, but that statistic is very misleading. He is not worth this money, but could be at least somewhat useful if used as a SMALL FORWARD (stop playing him at pf and c Vinny, we get killed on the glass!) in short bursts to bring energy off the bench. He can't guard anyone on defense and he is a black hole on offense. The one great thing about Nocioni is that someone somewhere will probably think he is a good piece to add to their team. But will Pax pull the trigger if he gets the chance? Probably not.

Kosuke Fukudome ($12 million a year through 2011): This one is painful for me. I bought a Kosuke jersey tee 2 days after they signed him last winter. He was unstoppable in April and May and even though I felt like a douche wearing a trendy Fukudome shirt, at least he was playing well. We all know what happened next. The bottom completely fell out. His performance from May onwards was horrendous. He is very good defensively and extremely patient at the plate, which makes him useful as a late inning defensive replacement and a pinch hitter; the highest-paid defensive replacement/pinch hitter in the National League. There is a slim chance he can adjust to major league pitching. Very slim.

Today's Links

• The Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl! And apparently AJ over at Deadspin has to get a new tattoo.
• The Steelers will be joining them. That AFC Championship was hard-hitting, but boring. Agreed?
• Shut up mom! I want to play my XBox! I'm going to hit you and throw this taco at you if you don't shut up!
  
• Kirk Hinrich and Derrick Rose together in the backcourt, is it a good combo or a bad one? Henry Abbott breaks down their dynamic during the Cleveland game.
  
• Bye bye Felix Pie. The question remains; is Garrett Olson the key to a Peavy deal? Is everything the key to a Peavy deal?
• Two-Month old fetus officially decreed to be NCAA "prospect". Just kidding, but seriously, where are the boundaries here?
• The Bears need a wide receiver, and while I'm more in favor of a defensive back, this guy looks really REALLY good.
• Remember Matt Sylvester? That f#$%er that beat Illinois to ruin their undefeated season? Things aren't going so well for him these days. Good.
  

I Promise Not To Get To Excited About The Bulls Finally Beating LeBron

I don't want to get too excited about the Bulls big win against the Cavs last night. Thanks to StevieY, a noted Bulls hater, for keeping my excitement in check with his annoying sarcasm. Here is our conversation from last night towards the end of overtime when the Bulls had a 10 point lead (Edited a bit, I took out a lengthy conversation about the Nazi Shark's love for Duke basketball):

Stormin Norman: Do you see this game?

StevieY19: What game?

SN: The Bulls are up 11 in overtime against the Cavs. It's on national TV.

SY19: The Bulls?

SN: I know I'm shocked too.

SY19: I'm not shocked, I just couldn't care less. Are the Cavs even good?

SN: Lebron hasn't made a fg since the first minute of the 2nd half. Its like the opposite of what he did to Detroit that one time. Quick question: Guess who got DNP-CDed?

SY19: Who? Larry? Maybe they'll bring him in for a late collapse.

SN: I love that this game is nationally televised.

SY19: Why? So everyone knows the Bulls are back? Deng just got hurt from that back bump, I bet he'll be out 3-4, or probably 6-8 weeks.

SN: You're a dick.

SY19: Before you write 4 posts tomorrow about this meaningless January game, I have a post going up at 9 AM, so you'll have to post them at a different time.

SN: The Bulls look impressive, admit it.

SY19: I didn't watch the game but having Hinrich and Deng back obviously makes them better.

SN: And Gooden back too.

SY19: I already said one nice thing about the Bulls, I'm not going to start praising players I hate.

The conversation goes on and on, but you get my point. I know I said I would temper my excitement, but after reading this conversation again it just makes me think about how StevieY is sour grapes. This is a huge win for the Bulls. Does it mean they are "back"? No. But its one of the flashes this season that show they can be great with just a little tweaking here and there (most notably at the coaching position). Back-to-back wins against playoff teams is nothing to laugh at, especially after the rough stretch the Bulls just came out of. Go Bulls!

A Picture Says A Thousand Words...And Makes Me Laugh

I just stumbled on two different hilarious pictures in the last 10 minutes that I felt I had to post. They are totally unrelated but both will make you laugh.

The first one is a movie poster that Cuzoogle photoshopped of Munich (via Zoner):

The second is a picture created by HHR regarding the story of that whole ridegate scandal involving a US Marshal using federal vehicles to give rides to Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. The story is hilarious, but the picture is even funnier:

This picture combines two of my favorite things: Jack Bauer and hating Joe Buck.

What Boost Did Hinrich and Deng Give The Bulls Last Night Exactly?

If you are a reader of ESPN.com (I am, reluctantly) then you know about the recent renovation of their site. Obviously there are going to be a few bugs, but pre-writing stories before the game ends? That's pretty shady. Well they clearly did that with regards to the Bulls game last night, as this picture from Blaze of Love shows (great site by the way, check it out sometime):

Oops. I wonder what the first link said exactly. And who is the guy at ESPN.com that writes the headline about the Bulls winning before the game is over "just in case" they win? By the way, Kirk looked decent and Deng looked the same as he has all year-tentative and in love with his jumper.

Today's Links

• Illinois absolutely wrecks the Hoosiers. No matter how Illinois does this year (looks like they will be pretty good), it's going to be fun to watch how horribly shitty Indiana is.
• Marinelli gets hired as D-Line coach of the Bears. Can they please just give him Babich's job?
• Is Kenny Williams about to make a crazy desperation move? Probably.
  
• Matt over at Blog-a-Bull seems to be reaching here, but I think he's implying the possibility of a Nocioni for Bosh trade...seems unlikely.
• Want to watch a video of Michael Jordan's mom? Well here you go.
  
• The NFL Playoffs this year have been awesome. So much for home field advantage mattering much.
• Is a lack of leadership to blame for the Bulls overtime loss to OKC? Hinrich will be back Thursday, so that might help. At least they beat the Wizards Friday.
• Did you see the Blago-Burris sketch on SNL? The Burris part cracked me up, the Blago part was so-so.
  
• The Hawks downed the Predators, so that little 2-game skid is gone. Oh, and I'm going to the Hawks game on Wednesday, should I bring binoculars? Or just not know what's going on 90% of the time because the puck is too small?

Today's Links-Too Many Links Edition

• Illini get a big win against Purdue on the road. They're on the map.
• The Hawks streak finally ends against the Wings, but hopefully will just be a minor bump in the road. I guess they didn't have a lot of 'kills' tonight.
  
• Apparently Drew Gooden is going to start blogging. Welcome to the blogosphere Drew. Unfortunately his first post wasn't very interesting, but hopefully he'll write some crazy stuff soon.
• Fake Ron Turner press conference following the Bears game.
  
• Worst columnist predications of 2008. Hilarious.
  
• The Denver Broncos fired Mike Shanahan. It appears no NFL coach is safe these days.
• Looks like the Cubs are about to deal Marquis to the Rockies for Luis Vizcaino, but mostly they'll be getting $5 million dollars in salary relief.
• Babich and Orton don't have much job security either. Apparently Angelo is interested in Marinelli too.
  
• So Hinrich will be coming back sooner than we thought. Obviously that's a good thing, but with the glut of guards, it may cause more problems than it solves.
• Did the Heat disrespect the Bulls the other night? It appears they did.
  

If You Were Waiting For That Big Bulls Trade This Season, Don't Hold Your Breath

By now everyone knows about Hinrich's injury that will keep him out until February. Going into this season the Bulls had the most crowded backcourt in the whole league. The problem is that outside of Rose, everyone in the backcourt was ineffective yet had some value as a trade asset. Hughes is a big guard that still is living off the reputation of a good defender he got the season he led the league in steals with the Wizards 5 years ago. Gordon can shoot the lights out and score in bunches. Hinrich is an average point guard in a league starving for point guards. Even Thabo is a big 2 guard that can bring a lot of value to a team looking for a defensive-minded guard.

With no real post presence on the offensive end for the Bulls, everyone expected (or hoped) that Paxson would stop being a pussy and pull the trigger on a big trade; that he would trade one of his "stockpiled assets" for a big man that would fit with Rose and Deng. Well that seems impossible now. A combination of factors ending with the most recent injury to everyone's favorite little white guard will render the likelihood of a trade improbable if not impossible.

There were a few things preventing a trade even before this injury. Hughes getting hurt thinned the backcourt out a bit (even though he sucks). Paxson's unwillingness to trade Hinrich, Hughes, or Thabo for fear of Gordon walking at the end of the year and the Bulls going from guard glut to guardless was also a factor. Now with one of our most tradable assets going down, even the return of Hughes is unlikely to create a scenario where Pax is comfortable dealing a guard. All this assumes that Hinrich cannot be moved since he is injured, which seems logical.

Paxson definitely did not have the spine to make a trade before this, as evidenced by the years of "stockpiling assets" that resulted in nothing (unless you consider Ben Wallace for Larry Hughes something). So if you were hoping for a big trade this season, think again. Maybe around the all-star break something could happen, but definitely not before then. For better or worse, this is your 08-09 Bulls backcourt, so you better get used to it.

Today's Links

• Lovie's postgame comments. The loss sucked and his explanation of how to improve the pass rush was lacking.
  
• Sam Smith's take on the Hinrich injury and how it affects the Bulls rotation at the point guard position.
• Speaking of Hinrich, in case you were wondering, he is a starter on the all-white all-star team.
  
• Apollo Creed lives? Last time I saw him he was dying on the mat after that damn Ruskie took that exhibition match too far. Those Rocky movies were awesome and Apollo Creed was one of the more classic characters of all time.
• Video of Lawrence Taylor talking about hitting his own teammates to shut them up. Cocaine is one hell of a drug.
• Some White Sox crap from the Dong. Something about thinking Kenny Williams is god and not just lucky.
• The NCAA is moving the 3-point line back. That's 14.3 less sweet college basketball comebacks this year. Lame.
  
• Bud Selig thinks he's a Cubs fan? *cough* bullshit *cough*.
  

You Are The Weekend Links...Goodbye

• Bye, Bye, Illini. Those bowl hopes go out the window with that loss to Western Michigan. Western Michigan? Really?
• Kirk Hinrich is out for up to 12 weeks from a hand injury. That will shorten up the rotation even more. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but when does Larry Hughes come back?
• Bears injury report for this week.
  
• Remember when that Bulls guy always did this to the Cavs? Yeah we lost to Cleveland again. But at least we won a tough one at home against Phoenix Friday night. I guess the Suns plan to rest Shaq against the Bulls (what a slap in the face, they are so confident they can beat us they don't even need the Big Cactus) did not work out like they thought it would.
• More stupid Mark Cuban and the Cubs news. Shysterball thinks if Baseball tries to lock him out of buying the Cubs, they may have an anti-trust suit on their hands.
  

Vinny Del Negro Finds 3-Guard Game Plan in Skiles Old Desk

Let's set the scene: The Bulls are struggling against a superior opponent. Luol Deng seems to have disappeared offensively, Tyrus and Joakim have been relegated to the bench for what seems like no reason. The Bulls trail by double digits (let's say 17). The Bulls coach, in desperation, goes to the 3-guard lineup to try to shake things up. Somehow, miraculously, the Bulls mount a comeback with this lineup that falls just short. Sound familiar? Yeah it happened the other night in Orlando, but it was also the modus operandi of the Bulls under Skiles the last few seasons as well. Though the Bulls got some positive results from that lineup, the coach thinks (or in Skiles case insists) that the smallball lineup is effective.

The only reason those lineups worked was because there was a specific matchup that favored it (against Orlando, Howard is the only true big man, Rashard and Hedo are perimeter guys), or if the Bulls were down by 20 playing against the other team's scrubs. Otherwise the 3-guard lineup does not work. It makes the Bulls, already a rebounding-challenged team, even more susceptible to getting outboarded.

What Vinny has yet to understand is that players need to know their roles and play in the position that allows them the most success. He needs to stop mixing up the lineups and experimenting. Thabo is not a pg or sg, he is only there for his defense. Nocioni should be coming off the bench as a spark in certain situations. Hinrich should not be at the 2 (though this is being proven wrong, Rose is somehow able to raise Kirk's effectiveness at the 2). Deng and Nocioni should not be playing power forward ever. Tyrus should never be at the small forward. All of those things put players out of their comfort zone.

Regardless of his opinion of the 3-guard lineup, he needs to let people know their roles and put them in the best position to win. The jury is still out on Vinny, but for now, his biggest job should be to set a rotation and stick with it.

One last slightly unrelated note: If there is a possession with the potential to win or tie the game at the end (down 1, 2, or 3 with less than 30 seconds), the ball needs to be in Rose's hands. Ben Gordon needs to understand his role on this team. It will benefit him as well, since he will likely get better looks than he would have, since Rose creates good shots for everyone around him. That shot he took at the end of the Magic game was ugggggggly.

Bulls Trade "Rumor" Turns Out To Be Old Man's Hallucination

If you are from Chicago you have heard of Sam Smith. He was the famous columnist/beat writer who has covered the Bulls since I was a kid. Throughout the Jordan years until last year, he worked at the Chicago Tribune. While he does good analysis of the Bulls and wrote a great book (The Jordan Rules, definitely check it out if you haven't), he also always comes up with crazy trades and calls them "rumors". I remember when he claimed the Bulls had all but completed the trade of Scottie Pippen for Shawn Kemp in the mid 1990s. I'm not sure how he's justified these crazy claims over the years, especially when I can't think of a single of his "rumors" that came true.

Well he was let go from the Tribune last year, but never fear! The Chicago Bulls gave him a blog on their official website. And it looks like he's up to his usual tricks again:

The first so called "big name" to come up in trade discussions has been Golden State's Al Harrington. The Warriors acknowledged Harrington asked to get away from coach Don Nelson, after which Nelson made Harrington a co captain. It apparently was a ploy to try to make Harrington look bad if his demand became public, which it did, and likely only further solidified Harrington's position.
The Warriors would send a plane for Hinrich and lifetime supply of Dungeness crab. Some Bay Area writers in columns already are urging the team to pursue Hinrich with Baron Davis gone and Monta Ellis out and Stephen Jackson handling late game point guard.

Ok I see the words trade discussions, which would imply that the two TEAMS are discussing a trade. The problem is he then goes on to discuss how sportswriters are the ones calling for the trade. Another credible rumor from the desk of Sam Smith. Don't get me wrong folks, I love Sam Smith and you should check out his new blog. Just don't trust everything you read.

Hinrich Bobblehead Doll Retirement Party

Every Bulls season for the last 3 I have started the season by taking my Kirk Hinrich bobblehead doll out of the closet and placing it atop my T.V. as sort of a combination good luck charm/homage to Kirk. Well I took shit for it every year, but at least in the past I was able to fire back about his feisty defense and ability to find the open man. My brother even bragged that one day Kirk's #12 would hang in the rafters next to Sloan's. I never went that far, but I definitely loved his hustle and referred to him as a "poor man's Steve Nash". Was I wrong? Were all the doubters right? After a terrible year for the entire Bulls roster, Kirk has become an easy scapegoat, but does he deserve it? Everyone has a bad year once in a while, even the greats of the game (of which Kirk is most definitely not). Well I recently received an email from a douchebag friend of mine (I won't say his name, but it rhymes with "Shiny"). Knowing that this was the time of year that my bobblehead gets placed in its usual spot, he sent me the email with a subject line "Get rid of that bobblehead". The email reads:

Go figure

Hinrich last season shot 14.3 percent in clutch time (a five-point game in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime), the worst among players with at least 100 minutes in that situation.

Maybe he's right, maybe it's time to trash the bobblehead for good. I'm going to give him a few weeks to regain his form, but if he plays with the same mopey attitude as last year, "Shiny" will finally get his wish.

The Dichotomy of The Chicago Bulls

There seems to be a sentiment among fans, media and anyone else who cares about the Chicago Bulls that certain guys need to go and certain need to stay in order for this 08-09 incarnation of the Bulls to have success. I'm not here to suggest that a big move won't be made. In fact, even though I'm a huge Kirk fan as most of you know, I would not be against a move that would ship him and his contract out. I would be fine with sending him or any other number of players to another team in a salary dump. See I have a little theory about the Bulls as they are currently constituted. I call it the "2 generation" theory. The team right now basically consists of 2 generations: the young, potential-filled generation; and the older, already hit their peak generation. Here is a breakdown:

Young Generation
Thabo (24)
Rose (19)
Tyrus (21)
Noah (23)
Deng (23)
Gray(23)

Old Generation
Gooden (26)
Gordon (25)
Hinrich (27)
Hughes (29)
Nocioni (28)

Now some people are going to look at this and say "why is 24-25 the arbitrary cut off point?" Three reasons. The first is that statistically and historically speaking, most players peak is age 26-30 (though there are obvious exceptions). The second reason is contractual. By this I mean to say that most players are coming off their rookie contracts around 24-25, like Deng and Gordon now, so the guys in the "Old" group have bigger contracts. The third reason is purely from my gut, meaning that I feel like the guys in the "Old" group have peaked or just plain suck.

So what's the point? Well the point is that Paxson should be looking to move the people in the old generation and develop the guys in the new generation. No one in that old generation will be better than they are now. And none of the old guys is good enough to be worth their contracts ranging from 6 mil/year-13mil/year. Build around the young generation. Keeping the guys around from the old generation will only hinder our cap flexibility AND hinder the development of the young 'uns.

So in the final analysis, the discussion about whether to move Hughes or Gordon or Hinrich is really not the issue. Personally, I think we should keep BG and move Kirk. But either way I'll be happy. We need to move the older, bigger contract guys and free up minutes for our kids.

*Side Note: Gordon and Deng interestingly enough buck the trend, since Deng has a fat contract and is in the young group; and Gordon has no contract and is in the old group. While this is a discussion for another day, it is important to note that Deng may have a higher ceiling than we've seen. As opposed to BG, who may or may not improve on his defense (I'm guessing not). I'm not a scout, but that's just how it seems.