The Kobe & KG trade rumors are starting to get more real. The Bulls are one of the top teams involved in the rumors because many think that they are one star away from a championship. I'm still hoping the Bull's organization carefully probes the personalities & egos. If Kobe is acting this unprofessional right now, what's to stop him from doing the same when the Bulls go on a losing streak? This type of attitude is the exact opposite of what the Bull's stand for. The Bulls give it 100% whether they're blowing a team out or are getting blown out. Two years ago, the Bulls had a 26-point deficit in the 4th quarter against the Pistons. They lost that game by 2 points... 2 points! What would Bryant do in that situation? Give up and go to the locker room? Demand a trade? Fight with Coach Skiles? Start elbowing the Pistons?
Let's say this happens... Bryant goes to the Bulls in exchange for Gordon, Deng, Thomas and the 9th pick (for kicks, I'm going to make that Yi). This swap will make the Bulls more like the 2006-2007 Lakers... an 8th seed or lower. While it will make the Lakers a real contender, especially under Phil Jackson. Imagine how much damage Gordon and Deng would do in an offensive-minded Western Conference. The athleticism of all four Bulls would create a powerful triangle offense. Gordon would be a combo guard. Deng could be a guard or small forward. Thomas would be the power forward. Yi would be a backup power forward that could explode off the bench and could easily switch starting roles with Thomas. The young talent, Bynum would be in the middle. Vujacic would be a longer guard to compliment Gordon. The Bulls would have Bryant, Hinrich, Wallace, Nocioni & PJ brown which looks great on paper, but I think there would be Chemistry problems and not enough offense. Bryant could average 50 points a game, but the other players would get cold. With this setup, Hinrich would have too much pressure. He would need to be the primary passer and secondary scorer.
KG... I have nothing against KG's personality. He's one of the good guys in the NBA and he might even pass the ego hurdle. But I don't think any combination of a core player + a backup equals KG. Deng + someone is the likely scenario. Deng isn't as good as KG, but he's making huge leaps each year... and he's only 22 years old. Maybe Noc + some bench guys for KG. I can live with that, but I don't think the Wolves would go for it.
Another reason why the Bull's team should not be disrupted is because they're deep and well-rounded. There's a different hero every night. They take pressure off each other by playing together. Gordon and Hinrich play so well together because either one can be point or shooting. When one guy is having an off night, there's always someone to take over. Often enough, the scoring leader comes off the bench. With 12 good players, the Bulls just need 2 guys on fire to win a game. If you look at the stats, most of their games have 5 or more guys in double figures, but no one with more than 30 points. They don't have individual leaders other than Wallace's defensive stats, but their team stats are unbelievable. The moment you throw a star in, a hole is created in the team's depth. 3 skilled bench guys will become 3 scrubs. If Bryant has an off-night, there's no one to fall back on.
So I'm keeping my fingers crossed... no Bryant and no Garnett in Chicago!
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