Are the Baby Bulls for real? - Walter's Football Site

Joey · Status: Offline

Are the Baby Bulls for real?

Walter · Status: Offline

So, the Bulls finally learned not to select teenagers not named LeBron James with their draft picks. Yes, I think the Baby Bulls are for real, and you can thank experienced college players like Kirk Heinrich, Luol Deng, Chris Duhon and Ben Gordon. I wish they would show this team more on TV. Some of those guys like Heinrich and Duhon were some of my favorite players in college hoops.

Joey · Status: Offline

What seed in the playoffs do you see them getting, and how far do you see them advancing?

Walter · Status: Offline

I think the Bulls can finish with the fifth or sixth seed. They'll probably advance to the second round and lose to either Miami or Cleveland. They'll need to grow up before reaching the ECF or Finals.

Joey · Status: Offline

I say that Detroit falls, moving them up to about at least the 4th seed with the season 3 quarters over, then I think they beat Cleveland a few times, to win the 2nd seed in the East, make it to the Eastern Conference Finals and lose to the Heat.

Walter · Status: Offline

That can definitely happen in the Eastern Conference, where almost anything is possible. However, I just think the Bulls are too young to go to the ECF. I could see Detroit sinking, but not Cleveland.

Joey · Status: Offline

Usually I would argue that the Cavs are going to fall, but they arent. I was thinking about that and the Bulls this year are kind of like the Atlanta Braves, a good young team, but not ready to pull into the elite, yet. Probably next year though.

Walter · Status: Offline

Speaking of the Cavs, how amazing is LeBron James? It's hard to believe that he is only 20-years-old. Imagine how good he will be at the age of 26. We might be witnessing the best player in basketball history. We just don't know it yet.

Joey · Status: Offline

He needs a Scottie Pippen. Remember, even MJ never won a championship until he got Scottie Pippen and a Phil Jackson. So when LeBron James gets the sidekick and good coach (Paul Silas is a God-awful coach), he will win a few championships, and then I will agree that he is the greatest of all time. But Im not ready to put him above MJ quite yet.

Walter · Status: Offline

C'mon, I think Paul Silas is a great coach. Any coach that can lead the Charlotte Hornets deep into the playoffs every year is a great coach. Remember that year they played as a team, wearing those headbands? They destroyed the higher-seed Miami Heat.

Joey · Status: Offline

He has a losing record! I will admit he wasnt that bad in Charlotte/New Orleans, but in Cleveland he has been awful. The Cavaliers are alot better than the Celtics, Hornets, Bucks, and Knicks. I would even be prepared to argue they were better than the Heat, and they missed the playoffs, that is inexcusable. This year, once again they are slipping. Last time I checked, the Pistons were leading their division. THE PISTONS! The team that has lost 2 or 3 times to the Bulls at home! If the Cavs dont catch up with the Pistons, then they will finish 3rd in their division behind the Bulls and Pistons, Silas is awful.

Yeah, he really led them deep into the playoffs every year, he only won two playoff series, and never did very well in the Eastern Conference Semis.

-- Edited by Joey at 13:49, 2005-02-07

Walter · Status: Offline

You made my point for me. He coached in Charlotte, where he had no fan support. Then, he went to Cleveland to coach an 18-year-old kid. His best player is only 20-years-old right now. The Cavaliers shouldn't even be near the top of their division right now. Silas is doing a great job.

Joey · Status: Offline

You made my argument for me earlier, you said LeBron James may be the best player youve ever seen, hes not just some 18-20 yr. old kid, he is the greatest young player ever. And you made the argument he could be better than the greatest player of all time, Michael Jordan, come on.

Walter · Status: Offline

I didn't say LeBron James was the best player I've ever seen. I said he could develop into one of the greatest, if not best, basketball players of all time. He's only 20. That said... he's only 20. Where was Michael Jordan in the second year of his career? He was 24-years-old and was one series and out in the playoffs. In fact, Jordan didn't win a playoff series until his fourth season, when he was 26. Again, LeBron is 20.

Joey · Status: Offline

Exactly, youre saying how good he is, that is why Paul Silas should not be coaching the Cavs. If they could get a great coach then they would have gone much farther last year and this year, its not MJ's fault that he never won a title for a while, it was the fact that Phil Jackson hadnt come yet. If the Cavs land Phil or someone good other than Larry Brown, who I agree is a fraud, they will be there next year. But Silas is holding this team back.

Walter · Status: Offline

Well, you cannot compare anyone to Phil Jackson. The man has nine rings. Larry Brown, though overrated, is a Hall of Fame coach. Paul Silas is not up to par with those two coaches, but I still think that Silas is one of the better coaches in the NBA. I'd hire him without hesitation.

Joey · Status: Offline

Cavs continue to under achieve, the Pistons are now in control of that division, that doesnt sound like one of the better coaches to me, to me he is the Jim Haslett of the NBA.

Walter · Status: Offline

They're not underachieving at all. At the beginning of the season, they asked if the Cavs would even make the playoffs this year on Around the Horn. They're trailing in the division to the defending world champs. What's the problem here? LeBron, as great as he is and as great as he will be, is only 20-years-old. Jordan wasn't even in the NBA yet. Just relax and wait until next season. If the Cavs aren't in first- or second-place then, you can say they're underachieving.

-- Edited by Walter at 05:35, 2005-02-17

Joey · Status: Offline

What did they have a 7 game lead? When you blow that big of a lead against a team that is discouraged after a brawl like the one they had, that is underachieving. Cavs will continue to fall and I would be surprised if the Bulls didnt finish ahead of them now. Cleveland is a sinking ship and it is all Silas's fault.

Walter · Status: Offline

You're overreacting. The Cavs are still two games behind the Pistons, who have won nine of their 10 previous games. Detroit started the season slow and has caught fire. That's why the Cavs have surrendered first place in the Central; not because they are fading and sinking.

Joey · Status: Offline

They are fading and sinking. If they win 9 of 10, then you win 9 of 10. That is like saying about the '03 Vikings "Well its not their fault, the Packers were just too good" thats bull. Cavs have sank.

Walter · Status: Offline

Bad analogy. The Packers weren't that good. They were not Super Bowl champions in 2002. The Detroit Pistons are still the NBA Champions until someone knocks them off, and it is irresponsible to think that a 20-year-old with very little help around him can do so. The Cavs are actually playing better than I thought they would. I thought they'd struggle to make the playoffs this year.

Joey · Status: Offline

The Packers had dominated that division for a while though.

Pistons are champions because of a fluke. Lakers lost Karl Malone and Pacers looked past them. They were not the best team last year. If the Spurs would have beaten the Lakers the Spurs would have whiped the floor with the Pistons.

You cannot look past the fact that the Cavs have given up that huge lead on the Pistons.

Walter · Status: Offline

I agree with you that the Pistons were a fraud champion last year, but when you compare the two teams, Detroit is a lot better. They have more talent and have more of a veteran nucleus. It's pretty tough to hold a division lead when the defending world champs have won 11 of their 12 previous games. They probably would have passed them earlier if they didn't have that Ron Artest incident. I keep saying this but you keep dismissing it. LeBron is only 20. Michael Jordan was still attending frat parties at UNC when he was 20. LeBron has no Scottie Pippen or any reliable talent around him. The fact that they are 31-22 is actually pretty impressive and I think Silas is doing a great job.

Joey · Status: Offline

I have watched several games where the Cavs have just given up. Against Minnesota for example. LeBron is only 20 but he is as talented as any other player in the year. He just doesnt have the coaching. Silas has done an awful job by letting his troops give up in the heat of the battle, and letting the lowely Pistons catch up with them.

Walter · Status: Offline

I wouldn't call the Pistons lowly. They're one of the hottest teams in the NBA. And, like you said, LeBron is only 20. He has nothing around him. Nothing. I don't know if you watched the Around the Horn where they were talking about whether or not it was important for the Cavs to win a playoff series. The consensus was, that this is LeBron's innagural year in the playoffs. He doesn't have to win a series until 05-06.

Joey · Status: Offline

The question was who needs to win more, LeBron or Kobe and the clear answer is Kobe that is why they were saying that.

Walter · Status: Offline

I know what the question was, but they still said LeBron didn't need to win--just get to the playoffs. That's all he needs to do. I'll say it for the 84th time: he's only 20.

Joey · Status: Offline

Going into the season that is how everyone thought. But losing that double digit game lead in their division is ennexcusable for any team. And it is Silas' fault.

Walter · Status: Offline

The key number here is 20. No 20-year-old player, not even Michael Jordan, should be responsible for leading his team to the playoffs with very little supporting help. If you're looking for someone to blame, look at general manager Jim Paxson, who failed to acquire a "Scottie Pippen" for LeBron.