NBA Rumors: Carmelo Anthony Not as Good as Joakim Noah for Chicago Bulls

Ther have been a lot of rumors recently about Carmelo Anthony and the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls should put those rumors to bed and sign Joakim Noah to an extension.

The Bulls would be making a mistake by swapping Noah for 'Melo.

I'm not saying Noah is a better basketball player. He's not. What I am saying is that Noah is better for the Bulls.

The drop off on the defensive side of the ball would be greater than the gain on the offensive side of the ball, if the Bulls make this trade.

The Bulls just hired Tom Thibodeau, the defensive guru from the Boston Celtics. He needs a center like Noah in order for his defensive schemes to fully work. Everything about his defense hinges on having an athletic, defensive minded big man.

Noah is that player. 

The rebounding and shot blocking Noah brings to the Bulls cannot be replaced overnight.

The Bulls do not need more offense. They have enough players who can score the ball. They need what Noah does in order to be effective against the top teams in the East.

Right now, the Bulls are probably the third or fourth best team in the East.

In order to beat the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics you need big men. If you trade Noah for 'Melo, you are playing right into the hands of those teams. 

The Magic's bread and butter is the pick and roll. That is when Dwight Howard is at his best. In Noah the Bulls have a big man who is athletic enough and quick enough to slow down Howard.

The Celtics want to use their plethora of big men to slow down the game and wear down opponents. Noah can defend those big men and cause problems for them on both offense and defense. 

Miami does not have a legitimate threat at the center position. The teams with a chance to beat them are the ones with capable big men on both ends of the court.

If the Heat want to go small and play Chris Bosh at the center then they are going to get exposed on the glass. The Bulls would have a clear advantage in that aspect of the game. 

Getting rid of Noah takes away the Bulls chances of beating those three teams.

The Bulls have a young point guard named Derrick Rose that people might seem to be forgetting about while these 'Melo rumors are swirling.

The Bulls do not need to trade for a superstar because they already have one in Rose. Rose is entering his third season and there is no ceiling for how good he can be.

If you bring in Anthony, you would be taking the ball away from Rose in a lot of key situations.

Rose dominated the ball last season. After all, he is a point guard.

Anthony needs to have the ball in his hands a lot to get his points.

With Rose dominating the ball he can also get others involved. The offense has more options when Rose is handling the ball the majority of the time.

The Bulls signed Carlos Boozer to pair with Rose because of his ability to play the pick and roll so well.

With Boozer setting the high screen teams will have to either decide to double Rose, thus leaving Boozer open rolling to the basket or allow Rose to shoot the open jump shot. Last season Rose proved he can hit the mid range jumper. 

If you trade for 'Melo you would essentially be taking that away from your offense as the offense would have to go through 'Melo on most possessions. After all, Anthony's ability to score is why you would get him.

Both Rose and 'Melo want to have the ball in their hands at the end of games when the score is close.

Rose, being the point guard, would have to have the ball in his hands to break down the defense and get an open shot for his teammates. This may not sit well with Anthony as he may not always be the best last shot option. 

Derrick Rose can be the best player on a championship team.

Every player that was signed this offseason was signed because he had a specific skill that complemented Rose's game perfectly. Bringing in 'Melo might limit the impact of those players' skills. 

It is a tough decision to make when trying to decide whether or not to bring in a player of Carmelo Anthony's caliber.

Although 'Melo is definitely the better player, Noah means more to the Bulls than 'Melo would. He brings an intensity and winning attitude to the Bulls that they need.

If I'm Bulls management the only move I would make is to sign Noah to an extension.