They traded away there best player (Brand), to acquire a High school kid in Chandler to go along with their other High schooler, Curry. They then field 5 players that'll be lucky to win 12 games this year & let these two projected phenoms play 6 & 12 minutes respectively in the first real game & sparingly in the preseason. If the guys that you put out on the floor don't stand, at least a chance of competing, then why not put the two kids out there & let them get the experience? They'll get beat up a little bit, but I would think that Oakley could be used to protect & guide these kids along. The Bulls aren't going to do anything but fight for the #1 overall pick this year anyway. You can't put a price on a full year of actual experience. It sounds to me like the fans are getting screwed by Krause. Play the kids! http://www.chicagosports.com/columnists/content/column/0,2007,166304,00.html Sam Smith Getting rookies in is a losing battle November 1, 2001 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - E-mail this story - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Where would the Bulls have been without Brad Miller on Wednesday night? This is what I was afraid of about this Bulls season—that I might have to write that sentence. Miller was good, or about as good as he can be, as good as he has been as a Bull. He scored 24 points, 16 in the first half, in the Bulls’ 98-73 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Miller bumped around a bit, sort of like those cars in the amusement parks, and got about as high off the ground as they do. It wasn’t enough to keep Jermaine O’Neal off his pogo stick or the backboards. O’Neal had 25 points and 10 rebounds, including four dunks late in the third quarter and into the fourth, after which he glared into the stands. It may have been misplaced hubris, or anger toward early-departing Bulls fans. No one was quite sure. What seemed sure, though, is the Bulls are going to have a bad time this season. The Pacers had played Tuesday night and blew a big lead in losing to the New Jersey Nets. Then they traveled here and pulled away from the Bulls in the fourth quarter with more energy and effort—and a 28-9 margin. So much for wearing them down. So here’s the question that’s going to hang over the Bulls all season: Is it worth watching Brad Miller at his best to stay close for three quarters? Or should the team take some hits now and try to make something of rookie draft picks Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry? ``We do have 82 games and I think there’s going to be a lot of trains of thought about what should happen this year,’’ Bulls coach Tim Floyd said. ``I’ve got to give our guys a chance to win initially. We’ll put it out there and see what happens.’’ Fans were chanting for Curry and Chandler as the Pacers pulled away in the second half. ``Sure, they’d love to see them,’’ Floyd acknowledged. ``At the same time they’d love to see the Bulls win. ``I think they’d love to see us go to the playoffs. They’d love to see those guys on the all-rookie team. I don’t know that all those things can happen this year.’’ Not at this rate. Ron Mercer added 22 points, but the Bulls couldn’t stay close as impressive-looking rookie point guard Jamaal Tinsley had 12 points and 13 assists for the Pacers and Jalen Rose scored 19. Curry, the No. 4 pick in the June draft, scored two points. He made his first appearance with less than a minute left in the first quarter. Pushed out of the post, he threw up an air ball on his first shot. He missed two more in the second quarter as the Pacers inched ahead with three former draft picks out of high school—Al Harrington, Jonathan Bender and O’Neal—on the floor. Curry didn’t show much in his 12 minutes, finally putting in a little post-up jumper with 50 seconds left in the game and mostly family members left in the stands. Chandler played six minutes and hoisted up a couple of quick jumpers when he got in late. He missed them, got hammered on the head by Jeff Foster and made a free throw. He also got lectured by Floyd for some extra talking. ``It’s what you get when you are a year out of high school,’’ Floyd said. The rookies ``didn’t have a lot of minutes, but their best days are in front of them,’’ Floyd said. ``They’re doing everything they’re asked to do, but there are basic things they need to learn. That takes a lot of repetition and practice. ``Look at Indiana. Bender wasn’t in a lot, and it took O’Neal (who spent four years in Portland with a top team) five years. I’m not saying it’s going to take these guys five years, but it’s not going to take two weeks, either.’’ Where in-between is is the issue. Sure, the Bulls are missing Eddie Robinson and Ron Artest, who could help. But enough to make up a 25-point deficit? Floyd is playing the coach. He’s using the players he believes have the best chance to win the game each night. So it’s interesting what the Pacers have done. They dumped veterans Sam Perkins and Derrick McKey. The result is they are playing more youngsters, including a rookie point guard. Floyd says he owes it to the fans to try to win each game and to Chandler and Curry to play them when they are ready. But if there are going to be 25-point losses like Wednesday’s, is there much reason to hold them out? In his first game as a rookie, Elton Brand shot 3-for-11. But he played 35 minutes. The question is whether you learn enough watching, and whether anyone wants to watch Brad Miller that much in big losses. Copyright 2001 The Chicago Tribune
I was about to post this as well. Confused the hell out of me. Maybe the Bulls want to introduce the rookies into the game slowly? Got any ideas, Gettinbranded?
What are they THINKING?? You're giving them way too much credit. Watch Elton Brand tonite and then try to figure it out. What would you think if we traded Franchise (or a co-rookie of the year building block) for an unproven first round high school draft choice?
Well, what can you say? Is this surprising? I think Floyd is doing the right thing. Miller at least will give them a chance at not getting obliterated on the glass, and he can score some points. Yeah, the fans want to see the kids play, but when they did, they were firing up airballs and bricks. They will get their minutes in due time. You could throw them into the fire, but Floyd would get criticized for that also. What do YOU do if you are Tim Floyd? I play my best guys, work the rotation accordingly, and the kids will play when the rotation or matchups call for it. He is running a team, not an experiment. The fans would be happier with wins, no matter who plays, rather than losses with heavy rookie minutes.
cmon hoop, they are going to lose, regardless of who they play. They won't even come close to the playoffs and will be lucky to win 20 games. So why play guys that will give you a 5-10 point loss instead of some new entertaining guys that will give you a 20-30 point loss? A loss is a loss, but basketball is for entertainment not for stats.(at least from a fan standpoint)
OK, then justify to the guys that CAN play why they are not getting minutes!?!? Brad Miller: "Tim, I am averaging a double double. Why am I not starting or getting the minutes I deserve?" Floyd: "Well, we are going to lose anyway.....so we need to be entertaining for the fans." Thus making the players mad, showing a losing attitude by saying "we cannot win," and overall losing control of your team. Yeah, that'd work.
LOL. I won't take out Miller, but Oak is getting old and could stand to be replaced by Curry about half the game. E ROB, the starting SF is out and replaced by mercer as mercer is replaced by ...the great hoiberg at sg. I would put mercer at sg(his natural position anyways) and chandler at SF for longer lengths of time than just 6 minutes. Doesn't that sound better? I would play the rooks more but not do something totally idiotic like take out the best player of the game. cmon Hoop work with me here
Then, it's apparent that the coach & GM are on opposite sides of the spectrum. A question that crossed my mind is, what if Chicago gets the #1 overall pick next year (a distinct possibility) & Yao Ming is there for the taking? Does Chicago take him & trade either Chandler or Curry, or do they trade the #1 pick & load up on other positions? The only way they're going to know for sure, which would be the right move, is to play these kids for the full season to see what they can do. The GM & owner need to just come out & be honest with the fans & tell them that it's going to be a learning season for the kids & they'll probably lose a lot of games. After all, they're rebuilding (again). As for Floyd, I don't think he'll even be around long enough to see these kids develop into legitimate NBA players. He'll be used as the scapegoat for Krause & Reinsdorf.
I'm working man, I'm working!! But your last post stressed entertaining the fans and losing by 20-30, rather than playing your better, while not as young and flashy players and only lose by 5-10. I personally would rather lose all 82 games by 5-10 then 20-30. It at least looks like you are competitive. You lose by 20-30 every night, the Bulls will be playing in Louisville. Oak has to play, and lead the youngsters by example, toughen them up. (NO, he should not teach them how to slap Tyrone Hill properly). I am not saying DON'T play the rooks. But they need to develop, and any team, not just the Bulls, has to put their best team out there to yield the best chance to win games. That's all I am saying. But Chandler should not start, I hope you are not saying he should. EEK that would be scary.
