From: markham@brtph597.bnr.ca (Andrew Markham P205)
Subject: Re: was Re: Paxson sucks (was Re: Phoenix is absolutely scary...)
Organization: BNR Inc. RTP, NC
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 18:02:46 GMT

kok peng yam writes:
>Andrew Markham writes:
>>
>>If you want to judge the Bulls without Jordan, you have to let them
>>play for an entire season.  You can't just remove the center of their
>>offense for a single game and expect them to play like he was never a 
>>part of the practices the have been having all year.
>
>lets see.... right now new jersey nets are a medium-strength playoff team
>and chicago are tops... minus jordan can they beat nets?
>
>well, lets compare the 2 sides...
>at guard, bulls have BJ paxson.... and nets have anderson and petrol... the
>result, a TOTAL ANNIHILATION

I suppose there are two cases to consider, Jordan leaves the Bulls (therefore
opening up his salary spot) or simply sits out a season to see how good they
are without him (and David Stern fines him $20,000 per game).  For sure, the
Bulls wouldn't have a frontcourt of BJ and Paxson.  They would likely run 
a lineup of Pippen, BJ, McCray, Grant, and Cartwright, with Tucker and 
Paxson helping out in the backcourt.  That puts BJ and Pippen in the 
backcourt.  BJ/Paxson defend Anderson and Pippen shuts down Petrovic.
Anderson guards BJ/Paxson, Pippen schools Petrovic.  I lean towards the
Bulls.

>at forward, bulls have pippen and grant, but without jordan can they still
>perform at the elite NBA level? nets have morris and coleman... well bulls
>will win, but not by a mile

Now make that McCray and Grant, and I call it a toss up.  

>at center, BOOOOOOOOWIE would crush whoever bulls have to offer

Bowie is a stiff (42% from the floor!?!) and Cartwright/Williams/Perdue 
are as good if not better.

>so overall nets would smash the bulls, and since cleveland, knicks are better
>than the nets, with charlotte orlando and detroit, i think bulls would
>really be fighting for a playoff spot without jordan

IMHO, the Bulls would beat the Nets in 60% of their matchups.  As for the
playoffs, who knows???

>i hate the bulls, but its true that pippen is a great player. if you put him
>with some team like dallas he'd go out and get you 30 points a night...
>pippen shoots, passes, rebounds, performs both offensively and defensively,
>and if i were pippen, after getting 2 champinship rings i'd be looking
>at going to another team that needs help, and then see if i could become
>a franchise player for that team... how about pippento minnesota for chuck
>person, luc longley and a #1?

Yeah, like Jordan and Chuck 'the head case' Person could co-exist on the
same team.  Chuck would have a sh*t fit over Jordan getting the majority
of the shot attempts.  Hell, he's shooting 45% and he's bitching about 
Laettner (who's shooting 52%) hogging the ball.

I made the following trade suggestion to a friend of mine.  When Kukoc 
comes to the Bulls, trade Pippen, S.Williams and Tucker to Houston for
Olajuwon?

>>>It's easier for CHicago.  Hell, the only thing between the Bulls and the 
>>>finals is NY.  The Suns have Portland, Seattle, LA, San Antonio, Utah, etc.  
>>>It's a little different out West.
>
>>The difference, my friend, is defense.  The West simply cannot touch the 
>>East in defensive strength, and defense wins championships.  Just ask 
>>Chicago and Detroit.
>
>its gonna be diffreent this year, and here im gonna say something which
>you bulls fans will puke, but in 2 years bulls will be too OLD to play tough
>defense and with jordan aging they'd start to look like the detroit last year.

The Bulls won't win this year because they will be too old in 2 years?  I
don't quite follow you.  If you are implying that the Bulls we know today
will be too old in 2 years, you are probably right.  But I expect to see
some big changes after this year.  Especially if they can get a hold of 
Kukoc.  Jordan has a good 4 years (at least) of solid play left in him, 
but I would be amazed if he played more than that (I'm not even sure he
will stay 4 more).

-- 
Andrew W. Markham (markham@bnr.ca)
Bell Northern Research, Inc.