I wrote this about two weeks ago for ChicagoSportsLive.com, so I thought it deserved to be posted for everyone to read, especially since there are fans of the teams in Chicago that reside outside this great city (with no disrespect to anyone else).
*****
I consider myself to be a patient guy. I even let my engagement to a complete head case last almost a year before I wised up.
Unfortunately, as a sports fan, I seem to be the exact opposite. Maybe I’m too passionate, maybe I’m crazy, maybe I am like every other fan in this great city and am just too demanding…But is that a bad thing?
I have to say no to that one.
I grew up with nothing but dominance. I have had the pleasure of seeing some of the greatest players come through Chicago in my short (albeit 26-year) life.
Do the math…I was born in ’82. Bears blue and orange were streamlined into my veins at a young age. I sat and watched every Bears game on Sunday with my Dad, though I unfortunately, lived in Maryland when they won the Superbowl in ’85.
The late '80s and early '90s saw the development of (in my opinion) the greatest basketball dynasty ever. (Ok, a little Chicago bias there, but the Bulls were, and probably always will be, the only team in NBA history to do what they did without a dominant big man.)
And the White Sox made a series of runs and then captured the title in 2005. The Cubs were five outs away from a World Series berth, and the Bears once-dominant defense emerged from depths unknown to propel them to Super Bowl XLI, even if they lost.
So yes, as Chicago fans, we’re spoiled.
My whole point revolves around the Bulls, believe it or not. I had a discussion at the game against the Jazz on March 11 about the team's many issues.
Many excuses have been spewed out:
Luol Deng's and Ben Gordon’s contract sideshows were a distraction to the team to start the season. So were the trade talks with Kobe Bryant.
Ben Wallace has his money and doesn’t care, so his (lack of) work ethic rubbed off in the locker room.
Tyrus Thomas doesn’t care. Chris Duhon doesn’t care. They’re all playing as individuals, not as a team.
Scott Skiles no longer has control of the team, and neither does Jim Boylan.
John Paxon chickened out and should have traded for Kobe, or Pau.
They have no inside presence, so they live and die by their jump shots.
Read that list about five times over… I guarantee you’ve heard them all, and there are probably some that I’ve missed.
So, back to the game on Wednesday night. It finally dawned on me why the Bulls are as bad as they are.
I realized that every team in the NBA has similar problems to those listed above. There are no teams in this league with players that do not have egos the size of Ted Washington or Keith Traylor.
The problem with the Bulls is simple:
No leadership. Almost every other team has one guy who is not afraid to step up and take charge of the locker room. And it’s not a Coach either!
We’re all at fault for raving about how great the Bulls have been with their dynamite bench scoring, and how one guy doesn’t have to carry the team. The problem is that someone has to be able to carry the team, and someone has to be able to step in and straighten out the crooked lines.
What would have happened if Chris Duhon made a comment to Michael Jordan about not caring about being suspended because he doesn’t play anyway?
Jordan would have beaten his ass senseless.
Team chemistry, like our wonderful market, is extremely volatile.
Any trader will tell you to strike while the iron is hot because tomorrow, things could be upside down.
Just look at it this way. One day, one of the best players in the league said he wanted to come to Chicago, something that hasn’t been uttered since the mid-'90s. This move would have propelled the Bulls to the playoffs, guaranteed.
That’s what would have happened.
Instead, a guy named Bynum gets hurt, some other guy named Pau heads out West, and their stock jumps up a million.
Pax, on the other hand, put his money in Enron. You know what happened after that.
No. 24 would have looked great trading in the Lakers' purple and yellow for the Bulls' red and white. Actually, No. 24 would have been a better option than Nos. 9, 12, 21, 24, 32, and 34 combined. No. 24 would have looked even better wearing those black shoes come playoff time.
But that’s a fantasy.
So let’s pretend like Kobe in a Bulls jersey never could have happened, even though that outcome was only days away.
No. 24 is no No. 23, but he’s the best that’s out there. And we missed it.
I guess there’s always next year.
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6 months ago
I completely agree, and I have been saying for the past 2 years that they need some sort of veteran leadership to make it to the next level. Instead, they fell off the cliff. It's a sad story.
6 months ago
Excellent diagnosis. The Bulls do need a leader. The question is - are Gordon or Deng worth the enormous money they want when they don't provide any of the missing leadership?
6 months ago
No... Gordon and/or Deng will never be Leaders.
The closest thing they have to a leader on that team is Joakim Noah...
The way I saw it this year, Noah played for the value of Ben Wallace's contract, and Wallace (the supposed leader) acted and played at the rookie minimum.
Give him another couple of years - pair him with a scoring guard, and then you have a good combo in Noah, Gooden and (Insert name here)
Gordon is a better player off the bench, and always will be.
Tyrus Thomas = Stromile Swift, and will be traded before the deadline next year.
It's the only way it'll work.
6 months ago
Chicago need to talk more on the court watching Boston last night the Celtics constantly communicated with one another, we need someone with drive and the smarts to lead through his play and his word...
Joakim Noah like Dan says is the closest thing we have he has impact...
6 months ago
Thank you Chicago for taking Big Ben off our hands
Your dirty step brother, DETROIT!!
PS. You can send that on to our whiny little he/she brother Cleveland.
6 months ago
Great article and great comments too. The only winners Chicago has are Andres Nocioni and Noah. Deng is their most talented player but he's probably a third option on a good team, instead of the 1st/2nd he is on Chicago. Gordon is a sixth man who thinks he's a superstar.
One thing you can add about the Bulls' flaws is how pitiful they are in the paint. Not only do they lack a post presence but they miss tons of layups as well.
6 months ago
Pathetic as it may be, Drew Gooden was the best peice in that trade (as I said after Pax pulled the trigger on that). He IS their post presence.
Luol Deng will be nothing more than what he is now. He's been in the league long enough, and looks the same as his rookie year with regards to size and skill (skill entailing ball handling, shooting, passing, rebounding, etc.) His shot is right inside the 3 point stripe... Which used to drive me insane because Pippen would do the same thing - but could also handle the ball, play stellar defense, and score from anywhere on the floor when needed.
Luol, I sadly believe, is at his peak.
However, I'd wach for Thabo to start blowing him away in court performance. He reminds me more of Pip than anyone they've had on that squad - and if there is ONE thing that Jim Boylan has done right in his tenure as Interim Coach, it's giving Thabo MUCH MORE playing time and allowing him to develop. (Granted, Boylan probably let the team vote on whether or not he could start)
...and to any meatball out there thinking I am calling for Thabo to be the second coming of Pippen, you're wrong. I'm making a comparison of players skills, and nothing more.
4 Years from now, Luol Deng might be a Sudan-ese version of Jud Buechler. (Think he can surf?)
6 months ago
great article man, i really love how you write.
6 months ago
Gracias... maybe you should send this to the Sun Times so they can boot Mariotti from the staff. :)
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