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

• Looks like a Peavy deal hinges on Hendry throwing in Samardijza. Seems unlikely he would do that, but anything is possible.
• Bibby and the Hawks were too much for the Bulls as the Hawks won. The real story happened during the timeouts, though. More on that later...
• Mayor Daley wants Chicago to get another professional football team besides the Bears. If they had only kept the Cardinals decades ago we would be cheering on a Super Bowl-bound team this year.
• In honor of the 44th President, here are some notable 44s in NBA history.
• Larry Hughes may be on his way out...finally. As much fun as it is to see all those DNP-CDs next to his name, Paxson may be sending him to New Jersey for Bobby Simmons and spare parts.
• That Greek priest the Cubs brought in to bless the dugout last season is pissed at Cubs Chairman Crane Kenney. This isn't a real story, is it?
• Top Ten things overheard in the Bulls locker room.

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!

The Misconception About Why John Paxson Sucks

After reading this over at Top Ten Chicago Sports today, I realized that there is a common misconception about John Paxson. The fact that he is a shitty GM is not in question, but WHY he is a bad GM seems to be something people don't fully grasp.

Being a GM involves 4 basic tasks: (1) Acquiring players through the draft; (2) Acquiring players through free agency and trades; (3) Cap management; and (4) Hiring a competent coaching staff. With everyone furious at Paxson over the Bulls recent run of problems, people are just making sweeping generalizations that Pax sucks at all 4 of these things. I beg to differ.

Lets look at each factor that goes into being a GM and assess Paxson's success and/or failure. First is acquiring players through the draft. This is where the sticking point is. There is a sense that Paxson is a terrible drafter based on his most recent drafts. While Tyrus and Joakim have not lived up to expectation, overall Paxson has done a relatively good job. The mistake fans make in assessing drafts is just assessing how good the player is, and not the value he brought from whatever pick he was drafted at. For instance, Aaron Gray sucks. I mean he is at best a good back-up center in this league. He was a second rounder though! How many guys even get minutes in the NBA from the second round. You can count them on one hand. Gordon, Deng and Thabo were all very good picks. He isn't Kevin Pritchard by any means, but Pax has done well with the picks he had. Also he made the correct decision on Derrick Rose. Beasely doesn't suck, but Rose is better.

Acquiring players through free agency and trades is where Pax went all wrong, and this leaks into the third factor, cap management. The Bulls have made 2 notable trades since Pax came on board. Tyson Chandler for PJ Brown, and Ben Wallace for Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden. The Chandler move was bad, the Wallace move was good (I mean we basically traded one team cancer for another, but got Gooden out of it). The big mistake here is not the trades he made, but the ones he didn't. All the rumors aside about Garnett, Kobe, Pau, etc. coming to Chicago, Paxson's trigger-shy attitude has been costly. The one big free agent signing he did make was a complete disaster, Ben Wallace. It also pushed us up right up against the cap until 2010.

The last factor, coaching, is another area where Paxson did not do bad. Wait, hear me out. Skiles was able to take a young, raw, unmotivated team and turn them into winners. When the time came to take the next step, the players started tuning him out, so Pax got rid of him and tried to hire someone who could take the Bulls to that next level. He tried to hire Mike D'Antoni. But Reinsdorf didn't want to shell out the money so Pax was forced to settle for the much cheaper, and shittier, Vinny Del Negro. Vinny sucks, but that is not Pax's fault.

Anyways, the point of all this is to say that Pax is a decent GM when it comes to drafting and even selecting coaches. His faults lie in actually dealing with free agents and other GMs to bring in good talent and manage cap space. If you take anything from this post, let it be that Paxson is a shitty GM. If you want to look a little deeper though, don't be one of those people who says he doesn't know how to draft, because that is not the problem. You have until February 19th Pax, make something happen.

Del Negro Tries To Institute Policy of Professionalism in Locker Room; Fails Miserably

I'm not sure if you have heard about "Foodgate", the recent Bulls tragedy (not counting what's been occurring on the court). I avoided writing about it since I was hoping it would just go away, but the more I think about it, the more it reflects the sense that their is no real logic to the "direction" or "leadership" from the coaches.

Apparently a new team rule was implemented by Vinny that forbid eating food pregame in the locker room. Some of the players broke this rule and were fined. The original players reported to have broken the stupid rule were Larry Hughes, Tyrus Thomas, and Joakim Noah. No surprises there. Now there are some reports that up to 5 of the players broke the rules. Either way the rule makes no sense. If you don't treat the players as adults, how can you expect them to act as such. Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald reports that the players are feeling the same way:

"To recap, Vinny Del Negro added a team rule this season about not eating in the locker room pregame. He's trying to preach accountability and professionalism, and that rule is probably meant to emphasize that players should be getting ready for the game when they're at the arena and eat dinner before getting on the bus.
The players I talked to seemed annoyed by the rule and getting fined. Players eating in the locker room before games is a very common sight in the NBA; including the visitors locker room at the United Center. Ninety percent of the time, it's chicken tenders, by the way.
Maybe more players were eating in New Jersey because the quality of hotels available in East Rutherford aren't quite what they're used to in other cities. So while Vinny sees this rule one way, the players wonder why they're not being treated like adults. I'm sure everyone will get over it. I've heard Del Negro tries to go out of his way to communicate with the players and not hold any grudges.
Of course, a sidebar to this story is that this stuff is usually kept private, but someone chose to leak the news. I would imagine the Bulls have a suspect in mind and have already been trying to trade him."

Vinny needs to control his locker room, but at the same time treat his players with some respect. I know this is a minor story and I shouldn't make too much of it, but I think the way he is treating the players off the court reflects how he treats them on the court. They seem just as confused with his "rules" off the court as they do with his "game plans" on it.

On a side note, we all obviously think it was Hughes that leaked the story and he is the one being shopped around. They can't get rid of him soon enough.

Today's Links

• Sam Smith is right, Bulls fans are angry. He's somewhat of an apologist for them though.
• Oh yeah, and Larry Hughes wants out. Finally he agrees with me on something.
• Chicago native Curtis Granderson accepts an invitation to play in the World Baseball Classic.
• Great National Championship. Florida wins. Hats off to Tebow, that guy is a monster.
  
• You know, there's number 2s, and there's number 2s.
• Milton Bradley is introduced for the Cubs and he's going to wear number 21. Oh and his problems are a thing of the past.
• Thursday Dick Joke Jambaroo. That Nazi Shark has been making bad calls on the winners of games all year.
• The ownership questions in San Diego and Chicago may play a big impact in any Peavy-to Chicago deal.
• Dennis Rodman is in a movie about a midget basketball team playing against full-size people, with Dennis Rodman as Himself.

So Can We Start FireVinnyDelNegro.Com Yet?

He's a rookie, right? I mean a real rookie, not like Derrick Rose is a rookie. Derrick Rose has an advantage over VDN: He has actually played basketball before. Vinny has not coached ever at any level. He is a rookie of rookies.

If we remember back to the summer, the Bulls logic for hiring him seemed sound enough. They claimed he was young but had always wanted to coach. He had been around basketball his whole life and understood the game. Working in Phoenix he had absorbed some of the D'Antoni philosophy of run and gun, but still believed in defensive principles. He was well-respected throughout the league and that would translate to respect from his players. Pax would also surround him with experienced assistants like Del Harris and Bernie Bickerstaff who would give a veteran coaching presence.

It didn't quite turn out like that. This latest fiasco in the Cleveland game proves that he has completely lost control of his players. When Nocioni started screaming at Noah in front of all the fans and TV cameras, it finally became clear. But the real question is why did this happen and can there be redemption, or is Vinny just overmatched?

Ok I will give you my answer. He is overmatched. The players, while they are at fault for sucking in terms of talent, brains, and even heart, a person needs to be inspired to play. They need to believe in the system they are playing in. You don't hear guys on the Celtics saying they want to speed the game up. They believe in what they are doing, because it is successful. If I was on the Bulls right now, I wouldn't believe in Vinny's system at all, and as a result I might get frustrated. I'm not saying I would quit on the Coach, nor do I think any of the players have...yet.

Offensively we don't have a system. The offense is basically to have Gordon, Rose, or..gulp..Hughes bring the ball up, dribble around and take a shot. A few screens here and there, but no real plan. One could argue that the Bulls haven't developed a cohesive halfcourt offense but they are relying on getting fast break baskets. Well then why does Vinny have good running players on the bench? Aaron Gray and Joakim Noah are not going to get us fast break points. Don't even get me started on Vinny's defensive philosophy which I have yet to figure out. As of now it looks something like "don't play hard or rotate on time" or better yet "you don't have to know how to rotate, just make sure you get your shots on the other end". His rotations and lineups make the least sense. It is unclear to players what they need to do to earn minutes. Beyond Rose, no one knows their role on the team. A person can't be effective in that kind of environment.

I mean Vinny is very green and this may be unfair. Like a rookie in any environment, you have to know there is going to be a learning curve. I think Bulls fans and players were hoping to at least see some signs that he could coach by now though. He has shown nothing and the players are clearly losing faith in him. The fans will be next.

Will Vinny save himself? I don't know, but I think the domain name for firevinnydelnegro.com is still available. I'm just saying.

A Great Example Of What An NBA Locker Room Should NOT Look Like

With the Bears season over, the only thing left for us Chicago sports fans to watch until March is the Chicago Bulls (unless you can figure out what the hell that game is with ice and a little puck no one can see). Well I have bad bad news for you guys. The Bulls season is unraveling right before our eyes. The Bulls have lost 7 straight on the road and cannot seem to find any sort of defensive identity. Not only that, but in the locker room there seems to be some differing philosophies about how the team should be run and what the problems truly are. Let's hear what our good friend Noce has to say about the matter:

"It's personal, you know?" Nocioni said, barely hiding his disgust. "Everybody needs to take the challenge. If we don't play 'D,' we will be out of the playoffs for sure. Today was terrible, terrible defense."
"We need to stop the ball one-on-one," Nocioni said. "Then nobody helps or crowds guys or takes a charge. So everybody can drive the basket or get offensive rebounds. It's energy. It's attitude. And that's it."

Hmmm...so based on Noce's assessment, the Bulls aren't playing with any energy or fire, right? Well Vinny seems to think otherwise:

"It's definitely not the effort," coach Vinny Del Negro said of the defensive woes. "Guys are playing hard and giving me what they can. Right now, one of our better big guys ( Drew Gooden) is out. Lu (Deng) is out. Kirk (Hinrich) has been out all year. Defensively, if you don't control the paint in penetration, it's hard to win.
"We changed defenses. When you don't have the length or size or power up front, you have to scramble."

Ok ok, so who cares what Noce thinks, right? I mean he doesn't play any real defense anyways. He can barely stay in front of his man. Unless putting a hard foul on a guy when you get beat (which is very often) means good defense, Noce is not the authority. Still there is something wrong with this disconnect in the locker room.

Oh and just in case you were curious what Larry Hughes thought about the situation?

"I'm not a spot-minute guy. I don't play well in that situation. If you want me to produce, I have to be out there. I can make a difference at both ends if I play."

Sorry about that, I'm sure you weren't curious about Hughes' opinion. I know I wasn't.

What is Del Negro doing over there? He doesn't coach the guys on the floor, since there is no apparent cohesive defensive or offensive philosophy. It doesn't appear that he is a player's coach, since there are a lot of unhappy voices in the Bulls locker room. What is he doing? The Bulls need to come out and play with some intensity tonight against the Nets and get something going.

Larry Hughes Hits Big Shot; Joe Biden Looks On With Approval

So I'm sitting here watching the Bulls game and its tied 97-97. It's been a hard-fought game against the Knicks (by hard-fought I mean poor defense and a lot of running and jacking up bad shots) and Larry Hughes gets a good look at a 3-pointer with just under a minute in the game. He shoots, he scores! The Bulls go up 100-97. The Knicks come down the court and miss a layup. Then the Bulls go back the other way and take a shot and...Larry Hughes gets the offensive rebound! What a sequence for Larry Hughes, he is playing great when the Bulls need it. the Knicks make a quick foul and the camera pans to the crowd and who do we see?


It's Vice President-Elect Joe Biden with a goofy smirk on his face. (Apologies for the bad picture, I took it with my phone off the TV). He seems pretty damn proud of Hughes. Maybe that's what Hughes has needed all along, the approval of a father figure. Why can't that father figure be Jumpin' Joe Biden?

David Axelrod: "Ok I'll be the Bernie
Bickerstaff of Obama's staff and
Rahm-Bo can be Del Harris. I guess
you can be the Pete Myers, Joe."

**Side Note: Bulls won 105-100.

***UPDATE: [From reader Gavin] David Axelrod is a long-time Bulls season-ticket owner and if people remember correctly, his son attended a few games from time to time. On one notable occasion, he and Antonio Davis's wife got into an argument with Antonio (newly traded to the Knicks) wading into the crowd to separate the two of them. No one knew who Axelrod was at the time. [Nice find]

Larry Hughes Contract Rewards Him For Being A Team Player? He Must Have Forgotten To Read It

This little bit of information comes from a fanpost on Blogabull. I'm not sure if it's true or not, but it seems to make sense:

From The Washington Post Last Year:
"Hughes arguably had his best playoff performance since scoring 33 points in Game 5 of the Wizards' first-round series against the Chicago Bulls in 2005. It was the type of show the Cavaliers -- and perhaps that angry fan -- expected from Hughes when he bolted Washington that summer to sign a five-year, $60 million contract with the team. (The contract could be worth up to $70 million with easily attainable incentives; Hughes got a $2 million bonus this season because Cleveland won at least 49 games.)"

So he's got $10M in total incentives, with $2M being earned in a given year. So I'd guess it's the same sort of incentive for each year, and that if the Bulls win 49 or more games, they'll have to pay him another $2M.

Apparently this contract incentive, $2 million dollars if Hughes team wins 49 or more games, has been completely ignored by Hughes. Even though he has played much better recently and helped the team with his less selfish play on offense and defensive intensity, he hasn't seemed to care too much about that incentive in the past. Unless he somehow thought shooting 33% would lead to 49 wins.

Post-Circus Bulls Report

The pre-circus and circus trip part of the Bulls schedule is finally over. What have we learned during this time period about a Bulls team that had almost as many question marks as guards to start the season? The answers are not simple or clear-cut, but some things have become apparent:

The Schedule:

According to John Hollinger's power rankings which are based on some advanced metrics, the Bulls are only 18th in the league. What is interesting to note about that is the Bulls have the toughest strength of schedule by a significant margin. Entering Sunday, their opponents had a .606 winning percentage and the team with the next highest strength of schedule has opponents with a winning percentage of .576. The Bulls should be very happy at 8-9 against some very tough opponents.

Also the Bulls upcoming schedule is against a bunch of really crappy teams: Phi, @Mil, Was, NYK, @Mem, NJ, @Cha, LAC. The only team with a winning record in that bunch is the Nets, and they don't exactly scare anyone this year. The Bulls should be able to generate some momentum against these bad teams.

Coach Vinny:

It still remains unclear what offense he is running exactly. I understand that he is utilizing a high screen roll with Gordon and Rose most of the time. The other players not involved in those screen rolls seem lost, however. Also, his rotations are still inconsistent. While we have to be fair and allow him to learn his team before he settles on regular minutes, he has to understand that guys need to know their roles. On the other hand, the players seem to really respect and like him so far and his philosophy of pushing the ball has had some very positive results. The jury is still out on the coach, however, and only time will tell if he has some sort of cohesive offensive plan that can be effective.

Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon Starting:

It's working. Offensively these two are both scoring in bunches. Defensively, they are bad. Not as bad as everyone seems to think, but still bad. They are undersized and do not stay in front of their men. Rose will improve defensively and Gordon has always been underrated as a defender (for instance on a scale of 1 to 10, everyone thinks he's a 2 when he's really a 4; still not great but manageable). This lineup is worth trotting out every time. They are the most effective backcourt the Bulls have, even accounting for the defensive deficiencies.

That all being said, they are not playing as efficiently as they could be. If you have been watching the games lately (you're probably pretty tired considering they start at 9:30 pm), you will notice that Gordon and Rose don't play off each other. When Rose has the ball, he makes a move and tries to get guys open and find them in good positions to score or he takes it to the hole himself. When Gordon has the ball, he dribbles around and then takes a bad shot. Gordon needs to run off screens more off the ball and give up the rock when Rose is on the court with him. What he doesn't understand is his numbers will get better rather than worse if he gives the ball to Rose. Rose can get him the ball when he has open shots. When Gordon dribbles around and shoots, they are usually off balance and ill-conceived. Play off the ball Ben!

What's The Deal With Larry Hughes:


Here are the stats prior to Sunday night's game, do with them what you will. This season he is averaging 14.2 points and shooting 43 percent as a starter while averaging 7.7 points and shooting 33 percent coming off the bench. He shoots 45 percent when the Bulls win and 35 percent when they lose. He averages 14.8 per game when the Bulls win and 8.8 when they lose. Hughes is eight for 12 on threes in Bulls wins and one for 15 on threes in Bulls losses.

So what does this mean? Is Hughes critical to winning games, or are his poor performances the thing that is making us lose them? Hughes would argue the team benefits when he gets more minutes. I'm not sure how to feel about any of this, since I hated him so much before. So long as he continues to take the ball to the hoop and play solid defense, he can have minutes. What my hope is is that playing Hughes was a directive from above, since Pax wants to deal Hughes and is trying to pump up his value. Even if Harry Lughes is here to stay, he is still 32, expensive and taking minutes from younger guys.

Luol Deng, Where Art Thou:

I don't know, where the hell is he? Just kidding. I guess I have to post some theories about what happened to his game. Here is the list of possibilities for things that might be causing him to be a non-factor so far this season:

1) The pressure of a new contract.

2) He doesn't know where his shots come from in Vinny's "offense".

3) He has fallen in love with his jumper.

4) His bad back and other assorted injuries are catching up to him.

5) Instead of working on his game this summer, he played in Europe.

6) He has been seeing time at the 4, as well as getting irregular minutes since the emergence of Harry Lughes, causing him to lose his rhythm.

Ok there are your options. It may be one or several of those reasons, or perhaps even one I can't think of. Either way, Lu needs to get it going for this team to have any real success this season.

The Bulls Frontcourt; Young and Possibly Retarded:

What happened here? Tyrus Thomas was supposed to finally take a step forward this year with Skiles not yelling at him all the time. His fragile ego was going to remain intact under Vinny and allow him to emerge as the true star that his athleticism and potential would let him be. Oops. We all got fooled. He sucks. I mean he is really bad. The worst part is the random decent game he has that keeps idiots like me hanging on to the hope that he can be good. He is terrible, and whenever he gets into a rut like he is in now, he can't get himself out because he is an idiot. There is no point continuing to discuss him because he sucks and it looks like he will be a non-factor going forward.

Joakim Noah has been a disappointment as well. I don't think anyone was pegging him as an all-star, but the thought was he could line up next to Gooden or Thomas and be a high energy guy that plays good defense and rebounds. Nope. He has been pretty much ineffective at center. I'm not sure he warrants getting only 6 minutes a game, but it's hard for me to argue with Vinny when Noah shows no life out there.

Gooden is Gooden. He is a great role player. He can score on the block and rebounds very well. Unfortunately he is playing out of position at the center spot (thanks to Noah's digression and Gray being Gray). His defensive lapses notwithstanding, he has been a key component to the Bulls early success.

Hughes Wakes From Siesta; Takes NQTC "Globalo"

Here at NQTC, we have always tried to have a diverse audience. From our coverage of Jewish issues in sports to allowing Black Rob to comment on stories, we have prided ourselves on the many different readers we have reached. Well that has gone to a new level now. Yesterday we ran a story about Larry Hughes and how he has seemed like an entirely different player. Apparently the interwebs thought it was a good story, as it got linked by BDL and HHR. While we are very proud to get linked by those mainstream sites, it was an article that linked NQTC called "Donde Esta Larry Hughes" that astounded us. Here is a little excerpt:

Lo sospechaba, pero ahora todas mis preocupaciones se confirman. Según leo en el blog Not Qualified to Comment, Larry Hughes, el escolta de los Chicago Bulls, ha desaparecido y está en paradero desconocido. Su lugar en los Chicago Bulls lo ha ocupado Harry Lughes, un misterioso jugador, casi idéntico a él físicamente, pero que sabe jugar a baloncesto, defender y en general hacer todas esas cosas que el bueno de Larry nunca supo hacer del todo bien. La aparición de Harry ha coincidido con la gira por las canchas de la NBA que hacen cada año los Chicago Bulls para dejar que el circo pueda actuar en la ciudad, de manera que no se sabe si ha venido para quedarse o es simplemente algún empleado descontento del circo que quiere atraer la atención sobre los Bulls y alejarla de Chicago. En cualquier caso, sus números desde que se coló en el equipo titular, hace cuatro partidos, son francamente interesantes: casi 16 puntos por partido, 47% en tiros de campo, 8/17 en triples (rozando el 50%), e incluso ha añadido algún robo y algún rebote a ese respetable bagaje.

I have no idea what it means and to be honest I just pasted a random paragraph from it here. I am not sure if the site is a blog about the NBA Euroleague or just a Spanish NBA blog. Oh and don't miss out on the commentarios section. Thanks to NQTC reader Gavin for helping me translate the first comment, which apparently reads: "there is a little dejavu with seeing another player with 32 hitting a gamewinning basket in Utah, GRANDE JORDAN!" The Pistolero can always be counted on for that kind of insightful, clever, Spanish analysis.

Regardless, "El Blog Del Pistolero" is fast becoming an NQTC favorite for its racy NBA coverage. If you are ever curious about what's going on at the Pistolero, you can always find the link on our "Links We Swear By" on the right side of NQTC. Viva La Bulls!

Harry Lughes Hits Game-Winner; Larry Hughes Still MIA

The strange disappearance of Larry Hughes has been followed by news of a new Bulls player playing very well at the 2/3 position. Harry Lughes joined the Bulls at the start of the Bulls circus trip. His blue hair is the most obvious difference between him and Hughes. He has also been unable to duplicate Larry Hughes style of play and some would argue he is bringing almost the exact opposite style to the table. The game-winner against Utah notwithstanding, Harry has shot 47% from the field in the last 4 games. This is in stark contrast to his predecessor who shot a measly 33% in his first 3 games since returning from injury and just 39% with the Bulls last year. Harry Lughes has also shot a shockingly efficient 8-17 from 3 point land since his mysterious appearance on the Bulls bench prior to the Portland game.

The offensive numbers alone don't show the stark contrast between Larry and Harry. He seems to be taking great shots. Where Larry seemed to never want to go inside about 18 feet, Harry has decided to take it strong to the rack on a number of occasions, drawing fouls and racking up free throws opportunities. He also seems to be able to differentiate between what basketball insiders call a "good shot" and a "bad shot".

Defensively Lughes style clearly differs from Hughes style. If you watched Hughes the past few years, you know that the best word to describe his defensive style is comparing him to a matador with the occasional half-hearted attempt at cheating into a passing lane and coming off his man to gamble on a steal. Lughes plays an entirely different style of defense. He stays in front of his man and forces that man to take a bad shot or have to give up the ball.

Is Harry Lughes here to stay? We can only hope. It has only been 4 games and knowing Larry Hughes, I can't imagine he'll stay away for long. Only time will tell, but for now, Harry is the toast of Chicago after playing great basketball and of course making that huge game-winner against Utah. I wonder how much a Lughes jersey costs.

Today's Links

• The Blackhawks aren't having any trouble with their circus trip. They beat the Stars last night on the strength of a red-hot offense.
• It's the weekly Dick Joke Jamboroo from Big Daddy Drew. Enjoy.
  
• Danieal Manning will be returning kicks instead of Hester this week. How much money did we pay Hester again?
  
• Did you see that Bulls-Blazers game the other night? Don't worry, it didn't count.
  
• McCamey goes off as the Illini win. College basketball is so sweet.
• Larry Hughes bitches about playing time. Fans bitch about Larry Hughes.

Welcome To The Circus

In honor of the Bulls circus trip out west and how bad it always goes, it made me think of what a circus the actual Bulls really are. In honor of that, here is what the Chicago Bulls would look like if they truly were a circus troop:

Vinny Del Negro--The Ringmaster

He's kind of like a ringmaster that has no coherent offense and doesn't make clear to the members of his troop what their roles are.


Derrick Rose--The Acrobat


I'm not sure, but I think he might be able to actually fly.


Drew Gooden--The Bearded Lady


What's funny is that both pictures are gross and scary.


Joakim Noah--The Clown
No explanation necessary.


Larry Hughes--The Giant Pile of Elephant Shit

I think a real pile of elephant shit could shoot for a higher percentage than Hughes.


Ben Gordon--The Fire Eater
Is this a reference to his ability to catch fire on the offensive end or the way he gets burned on the defensive end? You decide.


Tyrus Thomas--Tightrope Walker

Because he's only exciting when he is high up in the air.

Larry Hughes Unitard Gives Him Special Powers

Not only does Hughes look like an idiot in this unitard thing, but it appears I forgot to include "The Fonz" as one of Vinny's look-a-likes. He's got the thumbs up and everything! All he needs to say is "Eyyyyy".

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

• More ripping on Larry Hughes by Tremendous Upside Potential. Give the guy a break already...just kidding, screw him.
• A Cubs fan tells a story about being in Vegas and seeing Pete Rose and Mike Maddux. Pete Rose says some funny stuff.
  
• A funny list of search terms that led people to Luol's Dong. My favorite? "Dangerous creampie". I don't remember the Dong covering that, but who knows I guess.
• Sam Smith is back as a beat writer covering the Bulls. His new employer? The Bulls. I'm sure that will make for some very independent and uncensored reporting. Oh well, at least we'll get to hear his crazy trade ideas again. Remember when he wanted to trade Pippen for Shawn Kemp? Oh Sam.
• Aramis Ramirez wins the Hank Aaron Award for offensive prowess. This was voted on by fans online. I'm not sure what's more retarded; the award itself, or the fact that fans voted for Aramis. Fans should never be allowed to decide anything. That's why Vince Carter starts every all-star game.
• Mike Singletary's post-game press conference. He sends Vernon Davis back to the locker room and just seems overall pissed off.
  

Larry Hughes Gets Hurt And It Feels So Good

I know this sounds horrible, and I feel guilty even writing it, but did anyone else get a warm fuzzy feeling in their stomach when Hughes went out with a separated shoulder tonight? Its almost like someone (Mike Miller apparently) read my post earlier today and responded to it. I don't want any permanent damage, I just want him to be unable to play until his contract expires or he gets traded.

I know, I'm going to hell.

**UPDATE: Its only a few hours after the game ended, and the blogosphere is being just as cruel as me. I don't feel as bad:

From Blogabull:

I admit, I may have snuck in a pump of the fist when I saw Larry Hughes crumple to the ground. It looked like a separated shoulder, and KC reports that's indeed the diagnosis. I'm not happy that he got himself hurt, but I'm happy he is currently out...if that makes sense.

From Thank You Isiah:

Txt Msg 8:52:22 PM

Coach Skiles to BenGo07: "Please let his shoulder be separated."

Txt Msg 8:53:11 PM

BenGo07 to Coach Skiles: "I was guiltily thinking the same thing."

I'm not proud of it, but there it is. If our obscene desires come true, I'm thinking 6-8 weeks, although the ultimate TYI authority on this type of injury is indisputably Big Sweet.

From Hardwood Paroxysm:

There are times when we're able to put aside our petty differences and really celebrate the good things in life. When we rise above our regional and fanbasic vitriol for one another and truly appreciate a good thing.

And then there are times when we're all guiltily happy that Larry Hughes separates his shoulder.

My reaction doesn't seem so bad now. Hopefully now we can have some time to evaluate which of Gordon and Hinrich we want to keep.

Today's Links

• Why are we giving Larry Hughes minutes? Entitlement for his big contract? I don't like it.
• Top Ten Chicago Sissies from a couple years ago. Some still are, but sissies don't last that long in sports (for the most part)
• McCain mocks himself and Obama in front of Obama. Don't worry, Obama does the same thing. Oh, and Hillary gets mocked too. Good times. Trust me its a good video. Thanks to Real Stadiums Have Roofs for the links.
• In ex-Bears WR news, Bobby Wade thinks Bears fans will boo Berrian this week. I say who cares.
  
• VDN does not like the way his team has been playing so far, and they are working hard in practice to correct it.
• Sounds like the Cubs plan to sign Dempster. But where will the money come from if we get Peavy too?
• The Bears lost a close one, but does that merit the tumble they've taken in power rankings around the interwebs?