http://chicagosports.com/bulls/content/column/0,2007,154375,00.html This is of course a hypothetical trade cooked up by Sam Smith, but a very plausible one, and as a Rockets fan that scares me. Though Fizer has been the subject of much trade rumor, Brand is more valuable in trades because he's cheap and proven. The Clipps would do that trade in a heartbeat IMO, because though some would argue that a Kwame Brown could be better than Brand, he's not proven, and you know what you're getting with Brand. Why do the Bulls do this trade? They put themselves in position to draft a possible superstar which they need desperately. They can't keep on drafting good citizens who are proven. The Clipps would have their starting 5 for the future, and they have their superstar and roleplayers(Pike,Rooks,Parks) already in place. Forget 2-3 years to develop, that's a Clippers team the Rockets would have to fight tooth and nail with to make the playoffs. This is assuming that the Rockets have a an average to pretty good offseason, like picking up Radman and Johnson. The thing is, I don't know how the rules are going to affect the Clippers. Aside from Pike they don't really have a consistent outside threat, though Rooks and Parks would be perfect hanging on the baseline in the weak part of the zone and nailing jumpers from there. They have penetrators who could create second chance points, but their only true offensive rebounder is Quentin Richardson and maybe Maggette. I think for the most part all of them are dumb*sses when it comes to having a basketball IQ, so they will likely struggle running an offense against a zone. They won't struggle on defense. They're too athletic and can cover ground quickly. Brand would be a nice post player to put around the free throw line area and recieve passes for easy jumpers or quick baby hooks. So my question is, will the new rules hurt or help the Clippers whether they have Brand or not? ------------------
Hey GB, Didn't Rodney White turn down a private workout for the Bulls or am I thinking of another team or player? Thanks for the input oeilpere. I forgot about their bad trade relations. ------------------
No .... soryy, but ... the real question is why would Jerry Krause, the guy with an ego the size of the Great Lakes, who was rooked out of Darius Miles and a couple other player schemes over the last three years by Clipper manuevering .... make a trade with that same team owner ..... who as he stated he hates with a an absolute passion ..... just to send them the best asset in a Bulls uniform (Brand). Sam Smith has been smoking vanilla beans. Again. ------------------
