Spurs call Bulls about Chandler

tierre_brown · Jan 10, 2005

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http://chicagosports.chicagotribune...mn?coll=cs-bulls-headlines&ctrack=1&cset=true

With the season nearing the halfway mark, San Antonio still appears to be the big favorite for the NBA title. But don't tell coach Gregg Popovich.

Popovich isn't exactly saying it, but there are signs that the Spurs, despite being the league's best defensive team and having Tim Duncan, are worried about, of all things, small ball.

"I know some people think it's not going to last, but that's because they don't want it to last," Popovich said about the conventional wisdom that running teams like the Phoenix Suns and Seattle SuperSonics will collapse in the playoffs, when the halfcourt game usually plays a bigger role. "Those guys aren't going to forget how to run and they're not going to forget how to shoot. Can they win in the playoffs playing like that? I don't see why not."

That's why, according to league sources, the Spurs recently came in search of the Bulls' Tyson Chandler. Don't worry, Chandler isn't going anywhere. Eddy Curry isn't likely to be departing either. Even I'm on board with that. With the way the Bulls have played lately, it makes sense to let this team finish the season together. The Bulls are second in the league in opponents' field-goal percentage, one of the key barometers of defensive play. Coach Scott Skiles should get a lot of credit for that. This isn't to say Curry, still a poor rebounder for his size, is a Bull for life. But it makes sense to ride it out until summer and perhaps sign him to a reasonable contract, which the Bulls tried to do in October before his agents asked for $80 million.

As for the Spurs, most everyone's preseason pick, they're concerned. They're still terrific, but getting out of the West could prove more difficult than it first seemed.

Two of their seven losses have been to the spread-the-floor, running Sonics (including their only loss at home). They've also lost to open-court Orlando and high-scoring Sacramento. And they caught the Suns on a bad shooting night for Quentin Richardson (0-for-7) and Steve Nash (4-for-14). The Spurs defense had something to do with that shooting, but the margin for error against quicker teams is not great with the streaky Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in the backcourt.

The Spurs have been looking to add some speed and came to the Bulls. Chandler would have been a beautiful fit now that he appears healthy, and he probably would have assured the Spurs the title. But the Bulls supposedly weren't biting at the package, which was believed to include center Rasho Nesterovic. It looks now like the Bulls will sit out the Feb. 24 trading deadline.
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Spurs would be nasty with a young buck down low with Timmy D...since Rasho hasn't panned out, I'm surprised they're not pursuing harder, to be honest.

KaiSeR SoZe · Jan 10, 2005

they are still playing so damn well

emjohn · Jan 10, 2005

Won't happen. Spurs were calling about him last month, IIRC. It was a stretch then, and the Bulls' hot streak killed 95% of the chances that Chandler/Curry get traded.

Personally, I feel they're getting themselves doped in the usual final-year-player-turns-it-on-for his-contract If Curry gets more than $6 mill, the buyer loses.

Evan

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