Is there any doubt Steve is going to make the 2004 games?

Not that objectivity has ANY place in an arena where some random rabid (utopian idealist? raving lunatic?) Bulls fan comes in and starts talking about how Jerry Krause is nothing short of a basketball God.

But it's extremely specious to go with the old "Brand is the best position player on his team/division/conference/church basketball team" If he's the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th best power forward in the league, then he's the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th power forward in the league.

He's not more respectable or more fearsome just cause he's in a weak ass conference. I'd be more concerned about the fact that the Bulls only won TWO more games than the Clippers last year, playing in the EAST.

Now if you wanna talk sensibly, go ahead, but don't come in here and diminish what Francis has done in actually WINNING some games besides getting some great stats. (ironically TWICE as many games as the Bulls last season)

Just cause the Bulls have fallen from glory doesn't make you less of a person, or less of a fan, or less knowledgable about the league, but don't go and blow all that by making outrageous statements like "Steve Francis will live in Brand's shadow just like Ewing lived in Jordan's" Or the dizzying logic that the young, talented Bulls core will be a force in the league in years to come, but that the equally young, equally talented (I would argue MORE talented, but I'm giving you the benifit of the doubt here) core of the Rockets, who won TWICE as many games last year, will live in the unheralded shadow of the Grand Bulls Dynasty.

Good luck, dude... I wish you the best...

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"There are three kinds of lies:
Lies, Damned Lies, and STATISTICS..."
- Mark Twain -

 

I hear that a lot...and I don't know. Brand brings a lot (not that Francis doesn't) to the table as far as leadership goes that can't easily be found elsewhere...I guess character is the closest word to it. With so many youth around, having the leader be a man of maturity is a *real* positive.

I also think that Francis (who scuttlebutt says that Floyd wanted) and Kukoc would have won a couple games more than Kukoc and Brand (brand had no pg help---Francis needs no such help) and pushed us away from #4 and being able to get Fizer.



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All well and agreed...partly. He plays in a power forward depleted conference...and he plays those teams a lot more than he does the ones in the west. If he's the 10th best in the league and all the others above him are in the West, then he'll only play 18 games out of 82 where he's facing a superior talent to his. Thats a HUGE advantage for him and his team.

By plan...we dumped talented players faster than, well, the clippers.

Now we'll see what we've got and start building it into a team...

No disrespect, but Francis did the same thing Brand did at the end of the season. Clean out his locker, grabbed a beer, and watched the playoffs from the couch. It's what they do when their teams are done rebuilding that really matters.

Dude...all that shadow stuff is just an opinion. Be chill...

I still believe all I've said...and you do the same. Life goes on...

cya around.

(edited to remove un-even bolding)
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[This message has been edited by gettinbranded (edited October 05, 2000).]

 

I assume you're slightly speaking of the Vancouver incident, with the maturity issue, and let's not get started with that. Stevie's not fully matured, and is still a kid.

But on the intangible side of the ball, I disagree. Francis seems to be one of the best recruiters around (kept Cuttino, attracted MoTay, helped send recruitment message to many others). I think it's pretty safe to say the Bulls struck out this offseason, when it came to hoping to pick up the Duncan/Hill/TMac/Jones level, and falling to the Mercer/Brad Miller level. I like Miller, and think Mercer is an ok SG, but when you're clearing away space for a superstar, and then come up with 2 roleplayers who possibly would've gone elsewhere $$$/free agency rules (restricted) permitting. Both teams have a ways to go before they are contenders, and I in my obviously bias opinion give my nod to the Rockets.



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The Serious Police are watching.
Follow the rules or be assimilated.
Shandon is underrated.

 

im not sayung that stevie isnt, but brand is playing POWER FORWARD and NOT point guard. at the point guard spot, you are going to get more turnovers. but im just saying that so many peoplee(bulls fans especially) say oh brand was the better pick, francis is turnover prone. and i just found out that elton had that many turnovers when i was looking at his stats at nba.com. im just pointing this out to anyone who call stevie turnover prone

 

Oh not at all...I never thought of the draft/vancouver/trade thing when I wrote that. It was purely a personality thing. They're both leaders in their right and in their own way---and I agree that Francis would have done a better job recruiting than Brand did---but there are still aspects of Brands persona I prefer to Steves.

Before FA opened up...like 4 or 5 months back, Jerry R and Jerry K said their goal was to sign two max free agents...and that failing to do that they'd sign two or three second tier FA and begin building up the kind of depth and team that Portland has. I've got the newspaper if you think I'm jesting...

They got an F on the max FA---but did OK on their part B.



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