| Bulls Transforming Into Championship Contender Authored by Douglas Benton - July 8, 2006 - 6:33 pm
Two straight playoff berths, four playoff wins all together, and a young nucleus that would rival anybody’s in the league and you would think that general manager John Paxson would take the summer months off and work on his tan. However, Paxson had other plans and in the matters of a few days, he has turned this team into a marginal playoff team into a serious threat to win the Eastern Conference title.
It started on draft night when Paxson played the Portland Trail Blazers into thinking he wanted LaMarcus Aldridge, and in the end got the player he wanted in Tyrus Thomas and added a valuable trade chip in Viktor Khryapa in the process. In Thomas, the Bulls add much needed athleticism to the front line and a player they can be patient with while he develops the remaining parts of his game.
The Bulls also swung another draft day deal with Philadelphia to acquire Thabo Sefolosha, who will provide more height in the backcourt and brings it on the defensive end, which is a must in the organization that John Paxson and head coach Scott Skiles have built.
With a great start in the draft, the Bulls went for the kill early and nabbed what many considered the best free agent on the market in center Ben Wallace. While the Bulls might have overpaid for Wallace, he will bring everything that Tyson Chandler brought last year in rebounding and defense, but at a much higher level. He will also be more of an anchor for the defense, which is sure to help the perimeter defenders knowing that they have a security blanket under the basket.
Wallace also fits the mandate that seems to be handed down this off-season to make this team longer and more athletic than last year’s edition. With the addition of Wallace, it became clear very early that Tyson Chandler’s time in the Windy City had come to an end. Shortly after, Chandler was shipped to the Hornets for P.J. Brown and J.R Smith, in another winning deal for Paxson. While it is hard to give up on young big guys, Paxson still was able to pick up an expiring contract in Brown and another valuable trading chip in Smith.
The Chandler deal helps the Bulls this year because Brown will provide much needed leadership on a young team and is close with Thomas, since both are from the Louisiana area. Smith on the other hand has loads of potential and fits the mold of being long and athletic. Next summer, the Bulls will have enough money with the expiration of Brown’s contract to sign some of their young players and still have Smith, Khryapa, among others to make another run at Kevin Garnett.
While Paxson and his team don’t believe that you need a superstar to win, remember that Paxson was part of the Jordan dynasty and knows that superstar talent doesn’t hurt in your run for the title.
As far as this coming season comes, the Bulls will win a playoff series for the first time since Michael Jordan retired, and will head to the Eastern Conference finals. A trip to the NBA Finals appears unlikely because of the lack of experience as a team in the playoffs, but just remember the Heat made massive changes and look where it got them. |
