LeBRONGATE Continued: Now the Legends Have Their Say!

Hello, WORLD!! Almost two weeks after the ego trip known as “The Decision”, the backlash of  LeBRONGATE is still going on strong! BTW: I believe I’m the first (and to my knowledge, only) person I heard use the term LeBRONGATE, probably because it’s more of a Dwanyegate if we’re getting all technical about things. Anyway, so far we’ve heard Cleveland CAVALIERS owner Dan Gilbert, who’s ‘open letter’ to LeBron cost him $100,000.00 , David Stein, & Mark Cuban. The only other people who’s opinions I was seriously looking for was Micheal Jordan’s, Kobe Bryant’s, & Phil Jackson’s. Well, we got Micheal’s (NY Daily News on Jordan's Reaction & Video) and as an added bonus, Charles Barkley’s(Charles Barkley on "The Decision", from The Huffington Post)  and now, Magic Johnson’s (Magic on "The Decision",NBA Fanhouse). While I strongly agree with their statements, I also wanna add one: As bad as LeBron James wants a championship, I still don’t think he’ll get one next season even with one of the top 5 players in the league in Dwayne Wade as his teammate. The fact that you can throw LeBron into that same category isn’t lost on me neither. It’s just that the BEST (in my opinion) player in the league is always taking advantage of Wade & James…and Kobe! That player is Carmelo Anthony and if the rumors are true, he is ready to go somewhere else for a better shot at a championship himself….  Hopefully (for me any way) he’ll consider the Chicago BULLS. That’s all for now, WORLD, but hasn’t Jordan and company said enough?

Suppose the Chicago BULLS Don't Get LeBron or Wade.....

Hello, WORLD!!! We're in the calm before the storm part of the NBA's free agency. The part after free agents are allowed to talk to teams but before they can actually sign with teams. They can officially sign w/teams starting in two days on July 8th. It still hasn't slowed down the free agents from "signing" with teams though; Amare Stoudamire has signed with the New York Knicks, Joe Johnson resigned with the Atlanta Hawks, etc. What about the BULLS and their quest for one of the stars of a mostly heralded free agency? Well, as of right now, nothing. The fact that this is not news is not surprising. Since the end of the Dynasty (or Jordan era, if you prefer)we have not landed any of the most coveted free agents that were available. OK, maybe one if you count former BULLS center Piston Ben Wallace in 2006 who currently plays for the team we got him from, the Detroit Pistons. Before he was a bust as a BULL, he was a four time Defensive Player of the Year, winning it twice in the two years prior to him playing as a Chicago BULL. The fact that he under performed as a BULL makes one not even want to mention his tenure here but it proves my point: who would actually want to play for this organization that so blatantly disrupted what could have been the greatest NBA dynasty ever? This year, they at least generated some interest, not because of the BULLS management though. The key reason these free agents even consider the BULLS is because of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, two of the core reasons why we have been a .500 team twice in the past 2 seasons. We have a championship nucleus in place that is only missing two key positions: a small forward (I'll get to why Luol Deng doesn't count in a second) and a shooting guard. Though small forward is our main focus (because of LeBron, naturally) the search for a SG is interesting because we just gave away a quality Point in Kirk Hinrich, who also played SG, when we gave him and our first round draft pick to the Washington Wizards for a future 2nd round pick. This move was done to free up another $10 million in salary cap room to add to the $20 million we already had. What if this plan has backfired though? What if not only do the BULLS not get one of these quality free agents, but let's assume we have to start the season as is? As of right now, we only have Rose, Noah, Fs Taj Gibson & James Johnson as BULLS. The rest of the players are all free agents, with Brad Miller generating a great deal of interest and Hakim Warrick already set to replace Amare in Phoenix. I expect us to resign G Acie Law to combat the Hinrich giveaway, and more than likely keep G/F Devin Brown (for versatility),Gs Jannero Pargo and Ronald "Flip" Murray (as bench players). The BULLS will need some big men, notably a back for Noah IF C Brad Miller does leave, which is 50/50 at this point. The BULLS will need a quality in the F positions if Taj Gibson doesn't continue his improving performance and if James Johnson doesn't show any progress whatsoever (in all fairness, he wasn't forced to do much last season. That's definitely about to change and for his sake, let's hope he makes the most of it.). Assuming Rose & Noah continue their winning ethics from the past two seasons, the only questionable player left to address is Luol Deng. Deng has been a great BULL on and off; recently, more off than on. The problem, besides his lackadaisical play, is his contract. In 2008 he got a six year extension for a guaranteed $71 million. This came during his careers Up period, when he was playing like he was worth the extra money. Since then however, his play has taken a toll for the worst, notably due to nagging injuries. Aside from that, he would not be a problem to unload. A healthy Deng at best can still start for most teams, but I doubt if he'll put forth this type of effort again for the BULLS who actively tried to shop him in the past few weeks only to get turned down because of his high salary (teams that have shown interest have expressed desire for the BULLS to absorb some of that salary if there is any chance at unloading or trading him). Meanwhile on the free agent front, Cleveland appears ready to sign-and-trade their star F/C Chris Bosh to Cleveland. This may make LeBron's becoming a BULL a no-go. But as I mentioned earlier, the BULLS main goal should be of a reliable SG and as of right now one of the most reliable is Wade who has already had two meetings with the BULLS since July 1st. WORLD this could get more interesting than it already is. The only thing that is known for sure is the BULLS still have a chance to be better this season even if we make none of the afore mentioned moves and even if we get career underachiever Carlos Boozer from the Utah Jazz, as rumors are starting to circulate about this recent development. Stay tuned...