Today, Gar Foreman confirmed that the Bulls will not match Houston's offer sheet to Omer Asik, making Asik a Rocket. This announcement came in the wake of moves that left Kyle Korver a Hawk, C.J. Watson a Net, and Ronnie Brewer a Knick. Taj Gibson is the only reserve player of note who will be on the team in both 2012 and 2013
Mat is obviously disheartened by the moves, which suggest that the Bulls aren't willing to spend big to surround the current roster with the best supporting pieces . Some say (including Foreman himself) that the Bulls are simply trying to maintain their financial flexibility; in a universe in which the well-over-the-tax Lakers acquired Steve Nash and are the frontrunners for Dwight Howard, that's a hard pill to swallow.
Mat tried justifying these moves as a necessary evil after accepting that hard truth. After all, if Reinsdorf isn't going to pay for a contender, you have to build the best team within those constraints. Watson ended up signing for the minimum once the Bulls waived him. Brewer will also likely sign for the minimum, as that's all the Knicks can offer. Korver, who was traded, had value as an expiring contract, but also probably would have seen a paycut had he hit free agency.
Mat is still upset about the loss of these guys since they were 1) under contract for only one year and 2) expiring contracts, broken into manageable salaries across three players. They're the type of filler used to balance a trade for a Great Player in a deal centered around assets (Nikola Mirotic, Bobcats pick) and rookie-contract players (Taj Gibson). The Bulls didn't create long or short-term flexibility by letting those three go. They actually reduced their flexibility for a one-year financial windfall.
Still, Mat thinks not matching Asik was a move the team had to make considering the Bulls' financial crunch. Asik was a great defender, but unless Foreman and Paxson thought he would be a better overall player than Joakim Noah, they couldn't afford to keep him. You can't set a limit on your spending and then pay a backup $8 million a year. A team that won't spend more than ~$74 million simply cannot spend $20 million on a position at which they do not have a superstar.
Picking up solid, uninspiring guys like Kirk Hinrich, Vladimir Radmanovic, Nazr Mohammed and Marco Belinelli is the road the Bulls have to take. The bench will win fewer games for the team in the regular season, but the Bulls can't afford that luxury. And make no mistakes: it is a luxury. In the postseason, the bench won't be picking apart the Norris Coles and Juwan Howards of the world; when superstars are playing 40+ minutes a game, the strength that is the Bench Mob is all but neutralized.
It was an amazing unit to watch, and in a perfect world, they'd still be in Chicago. It's time to face facts, though: the Bulls have to find a way to best divide their regrettably limited resources. In building a championship contender, Mat believes they're best served concentrating those resources into a tighter, 7-8 man rotation.
Now, if you'll excuse him, Mat will spend the next 24 hours hitting "C.J. Watson", "Gimme the hot sauce", "Chicago's Finest Brew", "Asik and Destroy", and "C.J. Watson (excited)" in a steady loop while sobbing softly to himself.
Showing posts with label Kyle Korver. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kyle Korver. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Bulls Agree To Terms With Radmanovic
According to CSN's David Kaplan, the Bulls and Vladimir Radmanovic have come to terms on a new deal to bring the big Yugoslavian to Chicago.
Mat's not exactly thrilled about this one, but he has a hard time being upset about it.
Radmanovic isn't really a scoring threat aside from his stellar ability to knock down the three. He's a career 38% three point shooter, but averaged just 4.5 points for the Hawks a year ago.
Knock down the occasional three, and he's on Mat's good side. Get blown by on defense, you'll hear one of those patented Mat squeals.
Does he replace Korver? No. But the man can shoot.
The numbers are not available yet, but the expectation is that he gets the veteran minimum. Therefore, this is a low risk move.
Mat's not exactly thrilled about this one, but he has a hard time being upset about it.
Radmanovic isn't really a scoring threat aside from his stellar ability to knock down the three. He's a career 38% three point shooter, but averaged just 4.5 points for the Hawks a year ago.
Knock down the occasional three, and he's on Mat's good side. Get blown by on defense, you'll hear one of those patented Mat squeals.
Does he replace Korver? No. But the man can shoot.
The numbers are not available yet, but the expectation is that he gets the veteran minimum. Therefore, this is a low risk move.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Korver for Ridnour Not the Best Idea
The latest rumors surrounding the Kyle Korver situation include the Bulls adding former Oregon standout, Luke Ridnour.
Mat is never fond of players that need to be described using their collegiate careers as it often means the player has not had much success in the league.
Luke Ridnour fits the bill. He averages a respectable 9.9 points per game, but has never really lived up to being 14th overall pick quality.
Mat likes Ridnour's ability to knock down the occasional three (shoots 36% from three on career), and enjoys the idea of adding another guard who can play defense.
He also likes the fact that Ridnour would add yet another veteran presence to the squad without adding a ton of salary. Ridnour signed a 4 year $16 million contract with the T-Wolves in 2010. This means that his contract is set to expire in 2014, which as Mat's man KC Johnson says, "would jibe with the 2014 plan."
But Mat still thinks the Bulls are better suited hanging on to Korver instead of moving him for a player like Ridnour. It would save a bit of money, but the loss of Kover's talents would outweigh what Ridnour brings to the table.
Mat is never fond of players that need to be described using their collegiate careers as it often means the player has not had much success in the league.
Luke Ridnour fits the bill. He averages a respectable 9.9 points per game, but has never really lived up to being 14th overall pick quality.
Mat likes Ridnour's ability to knock down the occasional three (shoots 36% from three on career), and enjoys the idea of adding another guard who can play defense.
He also likes the fact that Ridnour would add yet another veteran presence to the squad without adding a ton of salary. Ridnour signed a 4 year $16 million contract with the T-Wolves in 2010. This means that his contract is set to expire in 2014, which as Mat's man KC Johnson says, "would jibe with the 2014 plan."
But Mat still thinks the Bulls are better suited hanging on to Korver instead of moving him for a player like Ridnour. It would save a bit of money, but the loss of Kover's talents would outweigh what Ridnour brings to the table.
Kyle Korver Konundrum
Before Mat gets into what the Bulls may get in return on a possible move of Kyle Korver, he wants to explain why losing Korver would have a much different impact than Watson. Brewer, or Lucas.
The Bench Mob is gone. We know that. So it's now time to look at what that collection of players was, and see what kind of replacements are needed to fill in the void.
The way Mat sees it, the Bench Mob was a collection of energy. They brought a passion for the game, and a passion for defending that shocked a lot of the Bulls opponents.
But what also came in when the second string hit the court was a killer three point shooter. A skill that transcends energy.
Korver spread the floor and forced defenses to extend to cover the arc. And what was nice about Kyle was that he was able to do this as part of that Bench Mob, but also with the starters.
Korver's skill is a somewhat rare one in this league. Drop dead, knock down, three point shooters are not exactly a dime a dozen. There are probably less than 10 of them in the NBA, so losing Korver would certainly hurt.
However, Mat grew frustrated at times when the offense would rely on Korver. Kyle would become the focal point of the offense and it would sputter when the other team figured it out (which usually took less than one possesion).
So on that token, Mat believes the offense both with the starters and with the second unit might improve with Korver's departure.
However, the knowledge that we have a dominant long range shooter in the arsenal goes with him. Which concerns Mat quite a bit.
The Bench Mob is gone. We know that. So it's now time to look at what that collection of players was, and see what kind of replacements are needed to fill in the void.
The way Mat sees it, the Bench Mob was a collection of energy. They brought a passion for the game, and a passion for defending that shocked a lot of the Bulls opponents.
But what also came in when the second string hit the court was a killer three point shooter. A skill that transcends energy.
Korver spread the floor and forced defenses to extend to cover the arc. And what was nice about Kyle was that he was able to do this as part of that Bench Mob, but also with the starters.
Korver's skill is a somewhat rare one in this league. Drop dead, knock down, three point shooters are not exactly a dime a dozen. There are probably less than 10 of them in the NBA, so losing Korver would certainly hurt.
However, Mat grew frustrated at times when the offense would rely on Korver. Kyle would become the focal point of the offense and it would sputter when the other team figured it out (which usually took less than one possesion).
So on that token, Mat believes the offense both with the starters and with the second unit might improve with Korver's departure.
However, the knowledge that we have a dominant long range shooter in the arsenal goes with him. Which concerns Mat quite a bit.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Bye Bye To The Bench Mob
Mat's thoughts recently have been filled with retrospect and nostalgia regarding his beloved, "Bench Mob." Although, the majority of Bulls fans have known for a while this offseason would introduce much change to the bench at the Madhouse, the closer the change comes to reality, the harder it is for Mat to come to grips with the loss.
Salary constraints are to be blamed in this situation in addition to a few other reasons. With the drafting of Teague and reintroduction of Hinrich to the franchise, C.J. Watson and John Lucas III are going to be left searching for a new franchise. Ronnie Brewer is also said to be gone, with Mat seeing a silver lining in Jimmy Butler gobbling up the majority of his minutes.
Kyle Korver is the player who leaves the most to be questioned. While nothing is certain for any of the previously mentioned Bench Mob, the Bulls seem to be waiting till the last second to make a decision on Korver's $5 million option.
Mat doesn't see him staying either. $5 million is a lot for a one dimensional player; keeping in mind the salary cap shadow that is hovering the franchise as it is.
While Mat is definitely sad seeing some of these key role players go, he is also excited to see what GarPax are made of. He knows you won't see any big moves out of the Bulls this offseason, but sometimes the minor moves are the ones that win you championships.
The pressure is on GarPax to rebuild this new Bench Mob with talent. Hopefully surrounding the Bulls core with enough of it to take them to the promise land.
Salary constraints are to be blamed in this situation in addition to a few other reasons. With the drafting of Teague and reintroduction of Hinrich to the franchise, C.J. Watson and John Lucas III are going to be left searching for a new franchise. Ronnie Brewer is also said to be gone, with Mat seeing a silver lining in Jimmy Butler gobbling up the majority of his minutes.
Kyle Korver is the player who leaves the most to be questioned. While nothing is certain for any of the previously mentioned Bench Mob, the Bulls seem to be waiting till the last second to make a decision on Korver's $5 million option.
Mat doesn't see him staying either. $5 million is a lot for a one dimensional player; keeping in mind the salary cap shadow that is hovering the franchise as it is.
While Mat is definitely sad seeing some of these key role players go, he is also excited to see what GarPax are made of. He knows you won't see any big moves out of the Bulls this offseason, but sometimes the minor moves are the ones that win you championships.
The pressure is on GarPax to rebuild this new Bench Mob with talent. Hopefully surrounding the Bulls core with enough of it to take them to the promise land.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
A (Realistic) Free Agency Preview - Part One
While the Bulls aren't expected to make any radical moves this offseason, Free Agency Eve still represents calm before the storm. The Bulls have a number of holes in their roster, and a seemingly infinite number of solutions exist to help fill those holes.
Mat took a look first at the players who were on the team last year who either are or could be free agents this summer. This does not necessarily reflect his opinion of these players; he is merely predicting what the Bulls' front office will do. (All contract information sourced from ShamSports.com.)
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Bye-bye, C.J. Watson. The drafting of Marquis Teague almost certainly guaranteed your demise. John Lucas III will probably be gone too, off making too much money for someone else.
The Bulls' shooting guard situation remains a big question mark, and yet, Mat fully expects Ronnie Brewer to be released from the non-guaranteed final year of his contract. Brewer struggled offensively, an area in which the Bulls are lacking, and they could probably call on Jimmy Butler to help replace Brewer's outstanding defense.
Kyle Korver is the most likely to be brought back of the three bench mob players with non-guaranteed contracts (Watson & Brewer being the other two), but he's also the highest-paid. The Bulls can afford to wait and see how free agency goes before making a move on Korver; Watson and Brewer's contracts are fully guaranteed if they're not cut by July 10, but Korver's contract doesn't have a guaranteed-by date.
Ultimately, Mat thinks the Bulls will be forced to keep Korver. His skillset is too unique on the Bulls' roster and there are too many question marks at the positions he's capable of playing. Mat wouldn't be surprised, though, if Korver is gone should the Bulls find a cheaper replacement in Free Agency.
Omer Asik is the most sought-after Bulls free agent (no offense, JL3). He's a restricted free agent, though, so the Bulls have the ability to match any offers made by other teams to keep him. The team has indicated that they'll match him at all costs, and, as a former second-round draft pick, he falls under the Gilbert Arenas rule. This means he can't be offered more than the mid-level exception for the first two years of his contract, which makes him a great value for the Bulls.
There exists the very realistic possibility that a team like Houston, desperate for a center, offers Asik a back-loaded contract that prices him out of the Bulls' range. The Gilbert Arenas rule limits the amount of money Asik can make in his first two years, but a team under the salary cap can offer him a bigger payday after that. Mat can see a scenario in which Asik is offered a contract worth $28 million over 4 years that pays out $5 million in the first two years and $9 million in the last two; the Bulls might (understandably) balk at a backup center making $9 million.
Still, the Bulls seem to understand Asik's value, both as a player and as a trade chip considering his limited salary. Mat sees no reason not to take management at their word when they say Asik will be brought back.
Mat's final verdict: Korver and Asik retained; Watson, Brewer and Lucas let go.
Mat took a look first at the players who were on the team last year who either are or could be free agents this summer. This does not necessarily reflect his opinion of these players; he is merely predicting what the Bulls' front office will do. (All contract information sourced from ShamSports.com.)
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Bye-bye, C.J. Watson. The drafting of Marquis Teague almost certainly guaranteed your demise. John Lucas III will probably be gone too, off making too much money for someone else.
The Bulls' shooting guard situation remains a big question mark, and yet, Mat fully expects Ronnie Brewer to be released from the non-guaranteed final year of his contract. Brewer struggled offensively, an area in which the Bulls are lacking, and they could probably call on Jimmy Butler to help replace Brewer's outstanding defense.
Kyle Korver is the most likely to be brought back of the three bench mob players with non-guaranteed contracts (Watson & Brewer being the other two), but he's also the highest-paid. The Bulls can afford to wait and see how free agency goes before making a move on Korver; Watson and Brewer's contracts are fully guaranteed if they're not cut by July 10, but Korver's contract doesn't have a guaranteed-by date.
Ultimately, Mat thinks the Bulls will be forced to keep Korver. His skillset is too unique on the Bulls' roster and there are too many question marks at the positions he's capable of playing. Mat wouldn't be surprised, though, if Korver is gone should the Bulls find a cheaper replacement in Free Agency.
Omer Asik is the most sought-after Bulls free agent (no offense, JL3). He's a restricted free agent, though, so the Bulls have the ability to match any offers made by other teams to keep him. The team has indicated that they'll match him at all costs, and, as a former second-round draft pick, he falls under the Gilbert Arenas rule. This means he can't be offered more than the mid-level exception for the first two years of his contract, which makes him a great value for the Bulls.
There exists the very realistic possibility that a team like Houston, desperate for a center, offers Asik a back-loaded contract that prices him out of the Bulls' range. The Gilbert Arenas rule limits the amount of money Asik can make in his first two years, but a team under the salary cap can offer him a bigger payday after that. Mat can see a scenario in which Asik is offered a contract worth $28 million over 4 years that pays out $5 million in the first two years and $9 million in the last two; the Bulls might (understandably) balk at a backup center making $9 million.
Still, the Bulls seem to understand Asik's value, both as a player and as a trade chip considering his limited salary. Mat sees no reason not to take management at their word when they say Asik will be brought back.
Mat's final verdict: Korver and Asik retained; Watson, Brewer and Lucas let go.
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