John Paxson Destroys Once-Promising Chicago Bulls Team

It’s almost not worth watching anymore. 

The Bulls renaissance that started three seasons ago has officially blown up in John Paxson’s face.  After years of ineptitude, Scott Skiles and a young Bulls team rallied from an 0-9 start to put Chicago back on the NBA map in the 2004-2005 season.  For a few seasons, it looked like the Bulls were back.

Then things started to go horribly wrong.  John Paxson, after making several nice draft picks in the likes of Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon, and Loul Deng, began one of the worst GM runs in the history of Chicago.

Since drafting Gordon, Deng, and Duhon in a spectacular draft in 2004, Paxson has missed over and over.

First it was Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefalosha in a draft where the Bulls could have had so much more.  Then it was the selection of Joakim Noah, possibly the worst first round draft selection in NBA history.  The selection of Derrick Rose was a no-brainer, so Paxson is hardly off the snide. 

But poor drafts do not tell the whole story.  Back in 2004-2005, Paxson gave a huge contract to Tyson Chandler, who, after years of bad play, looked to be coming into his own.  A year later, Paxson reversed field and traded Chandler to New Orleans where he has blossomed into an All-Star caliber player.

At the time, the move made sense because Paxson had spent close to 50 million dollars for Ben Wallace.  With the addition of Wallace, the Bulls had a 49-win season and advanced in the playoffs for the first time since “you know who” was playing shooting guard.

Things looked to be moving in the right direction until John Paxson had to screw it all up.  After a sub par, but understandable slow start to the 2007-2008 season, Paxson inexplicably fired Scott Skiles, the man who had hollered and shouted the Bulls back into relevancy in the NBA Central.

A few weeks later, he traded Ben Wallace.  In little more than two years, Paxson had traded two 50 million dollar players within a season of signing them.

John Paxson has created the mess in front of him.  Are Derrick Rose and Vinny del Negro really enough to rally the Bulls?  Is Lou Deng’s huge contract just another Paxson goof?

Right now, the Bulls are in a sorry place.  Yes they have a star in Derrick Rose, but it is unsure of what else they have.  Lou Deng is a huge bust and Ben Gordon might be on his way out. 

Thomas and Noah don’t belong on an NBA roster.  Thabo Sefalosha still looks a year or two away, if he is coming at all.  Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden are solid but unspectacular veterans. 

The Bulls can’t score and they can’t defend.  It is a wonder they have won as many games as they have so far.  A season that once looked promising has started to look like a disaster.

One thing is for sure: The Bulls are no longer on the rise.  They are back in the bottom of the pack with a team that is hardly worth watching.  Thanks John Paxson, you are the architect of this disaster.