Bulls want pike... http://chicagosports.chicagotribune...nview,1,3019620.story?coll=cs-bulls-headlines View from a Bulls Fan New York’s Kunick Kapadia hopes John Paxson is able to make a deal for shooting guard Eric Piatkowski. By Kunick Kapadia View from a Fan September 1, 2004, 7:47 PM CDT John Paxson and Scott Skiles have done a great job this off-season in addressing the needs of Bulls and making them a threat in the Eastern Conference next year. With the additions of Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Andres Nocioni and Frank Williams, among others, the Bulls have filled their needs of scoring, depth, defense and aggressiveness. But there is still one deal Paxson needs to make—Dikembe Mutombo for Eric Piatkowski. Hinrich, Gordon, and Williams will make up one of the smallest and most inexperienced backcourt trios in the league next year. Adding a veteran shooting guard such as Piatkowski would not only give the Bulls a good mentor for the younger guys, but it will also limit the threat of taller guards posting up and shooting over the small backcourt. As well, Piatkowski's exceptional ability to hit from the perimeter would accomplish two other tasks. First, it would reduce the amount of double teams defenses would throw at Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler, as well as other post players. Second, it would allow for open lanes and easy penetration for Hinrich, Gordon, and Williams as teams would become more reluctant to collapse on them with Piatkowski standing on the perimeter. Paxson has done some great things this off-season, and if he is able to get Piatkowski from Houston, it would complete a tremendous off-season and make the Bulls even more of a threat next year.
Of course they want Pike, the Polish Rifle. It's freaking CHICAGO! He'd probably be the grand marshal of the Pulaski day parade!
I was talking about when he played, wasn't much I know, but when he did he wasn't the guy they're hoping for. Maybe all he needs is more PT?
No, no more PT. We know he sucked. We can feel it. Oh, and 36% or whatever from 3 pt range is unacceptable. He's a sieve on defense and we don't have the team D to back him up. Sura and Ward are huge 3 pt shooting upgrades. Bring on the stopgap center.
Could this post be any more wrong? Pike is a career 40% shooter from 3pt range.. Last year was his worst year out of, what, 7 years? That means it wasn't the norm. We don't have the team D to back him up? We were the best team in the league when it came to help defense, just ask Kobe and Shaq. Sura is by no means a "shooter". His %'s are decent at best, and even in his best season he doesn't beat an average year for Pike. I want to make this trade, but your reasons are all wrong. To be honest, I'd arther not trade Pike because he's the only pure shooter on our team, but if we have to trade him to get a good backup C, then do it.
No, it wasn't. Shooters need to get into a groove, and Pike didn't get enough playing time to do so. Why is that? Because he was so terrible defensively. It used to be that he could play soft D with the Clippers and get away with it. Not here. He also made horrible decisions with the ball. Who guarded Kobe and Shaq primarely? Cat and Cato. This isn't the same team and it isn't the same D. I agree with you though, we should do this trade. But even if we didn't, I don't think Pike's role would be any larger next season then it was last year. It's not like you can just bring a shooter cold off the bench and ask him to hit shots in clutch situations (Steve Kerr in 2003 was an exception)
I think we'd be foolish to give Pike away. He was injured last year. Shooters have a hard time shooting well through injuries. Van Gundy just has poor respect for players who don't play aggresive defense. Do you honestly think Bullard would have gotten minutes under Van Gundy?
I'm so torn now. Sorry to bail on you dharocks, you make some valid points, but Sane's response was the one I wanted and agree with (almost word for word). Yes, back-up C is a need. Trade Pike only if you get back someone who may longer than 1 year. Or else you're in the same boat next offseason. "Don't dump career 40% 3 pt shooters" should be a law right after: "Get two superstars and play team D."
this quote alone tells me that whatever information he is getting about anyone, bull or rocket is as valid as the wmd info spewed at us for the past year
Pike has history and a solid NBA CV on his side. Last season was an aberration and many Bulls fans know this. He will be a solid pickup for them. Don't tell me that Pike all of a sudden forgot how to shoot the round leather ball. Common.....
If the Rockets get a legit backup center for Pike, then Pike is gone. The Bulls knows they need Pike because they are planning on using a very rigid inside-out offense. They are going to throw Eddy Curry at the wolves next year to find out if he can be their dominant low post scorer that he is expected to be. Guys like Hinrich and Ben Gordon are excellent outside shooters, but they are poor creators. Hinrich's overall field goal percentage basically matched his 3 pt fg %. Gordon had Okafor drawing in tons of defense. Of course, there's the Team USA factor in which zone defenses were used in international play aggressively. Folks jammed into the paint making sure Duncan was a non-factor. I saw that last year with Yao, so it was no big surprise to me. However, Larry Brown could have the images of the bricks in his head. He might want Pike as a backup to Richard Hamilton. Elden Campbell is also in the running.
I agree, I think that last year was an aberration for Pike. That's why I think that this Pike for Mutombo deal would be a great deal because the Rockets wouldn't be giving Pike away. We need size more then shooting right now..