What We Talk About When We Talk About Wins

When July 1 wakes us up this year, it will be to the sound of thousands of people chewing their finger nails. Nervously yes, but maybe also to show the Once And Future King that their fanbase will take him, flaws, mortality, fingernail chewing, and all. The prevailing wisdom is that LeBron is the secret doomsday weapon that will mark your team for league supremacy, no matter what lands you have already conquered, or peoples vanquished. All should be willing to open their strongholds and accept the King, right? If the Ark of the Covenant was up on eBay, wouldn't you bid?

The only problem of course, is that Cleveland still spent the last 7 years wandering in the wilderness. None of the new sidekicks for Bron proved to be that elusive “missing piece” that separates a contender from a champ. Larry Hughes scuttled through sheepishly. Mo Williams was nice, but not enough. Shaq was a desperate move, but Twan was desperate and misguided. Cleveland continued to add apendages until the monster ate the town.

The Bulls have taken a different approach. When Rose fell into our laps, we knew how lucky we had gotten, but also how far we were from winning anything. Rose was a one year wonder in college who couldn't shoot or take the SATs. Their was talk of specialness on the TV, but here in the midwest, we take things slow. Draft picks were taken and cap space was cleared, with the hope that our young people would grow up.

The thing is, they did. My question to you, Bulls followers, is what happens if we sign LeBron, and don't win a championship? What if Noah's disdain for LeBron grows into more than a playoff rallying cry? Do we want to see our home-grown team chemistry exposed to the whims of a desperate front office?

I say let's hire a guy that might actually fit in. Not a “missing piece”, (because let's be honest, we're still a few steps from the brink) but a guy who has spent his career waiting for a chance to play for something tangible. A guy who has become more chiseled every year, while his team remains amorphous. I'm saying Bosh over Bron, not in addition to. Because even though the Ark can flatten lands, it can also melt faces if the wrong army opens it.

He can be Acanthostega

The two graphs illustrate the different risk/reward associated with the possible coaching candidates in the following situations: if the Bulls get 2 key Free Agents vs. if Bulls don't land any big Free Agents.

The front office needs to be very calculated about which coach they hire this summer, and should base their decision on what free agents the Bulls do/don’t get. The type of coach we need for a Bulls squad that is similar to 2009-2010 is very different then the coach we would need for our current roster plus 2 newly signed superstars.

If we get 2 of the big Free Agents we will already have a team that is fully formed, which begs a certain type of coach able to orchestrate grandiose visions and egos. But if we don’t get any Free Agents, we need a whole different species of coach; someone with a generous orthodoxy. One who will allow the evolutionary arms race play itself out inside the complex ecosystem of team, because the progression of life forms has held many twists and turns. All of the sudden a leg grows instead of another eye, a fish suddenly grows fingers before they are necessary, and eventually one crawls out of the water and onto the shore newly fit to survive on land.

Dear Chicago, Lebron is Not Trying to Be Your New Dad

I'm all for Bosh coming to Chicago. Clearly, that is the best option. But. But, if the stars align themselves just right, Mr. LeBron James coming along (or rather, Bosh following James) to Chicago wouldn't be such a bad thing either. Now the main problem that I can see is that James would have to win the hearts and minds of Chicagoans (and Joakim Noah) who have grown up with He Who Shall Be Named, Michael "I Was Pretty Much Unstoppable" Jordan. James coming to Chicago would inevitably and annoyingly draw comparisons to Jordan, since LeBron has pretty much been hailed as the Second Coming (Second Coming of Jordan, though maybe Christ too. We'll know for sure once he starts talking about doing his "Father's business", which may or may not include ferocious dunking and a demi-god like physique) by those who have been paying attention to professional basketball since 2003.

So it's like this: Chicago Bulls fans not wanting Lebron James to come to Chicago is like that little kid who is getting a new step dad. This kid's biological dad was pretty much the greatest father ever to walk upon terra firma, but died tragically while saving disabled orphans from a burning orphanage, carrying children upon his massive back and cradling them in his sculpted arms. But it's been 12 years since Dad died and Mom is kinda getting lonely, making her way through a string of mediocre boyfriends, and she has the chance to finally be happy again and don't you want Mommy to be happy? And like all kids getting a new step dad, they think this new dad is trying to replace their old dad, which in both this analogy and in real life, isn't possible. Chicago, I'm telling you, LeBron James is not trying to be your new dad. But he will make your Mom happy by taking her out to fancy dinners once in a while, have fresh flowers by her bed side, and by performing stunning amounts of cunnilingus. Also, he'll win your Mom an NBA championship. You want Mommy to be happy, don't you?

Post by Mr. Flighwhite Jr.

What happens after the Tower of Babel?

A few weeks ago a sports radio show guy was talking about how the only two people they could see winning MVP for the next few years other than LeBron were Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose. Debate that or add more into the mix, but its not a preposterous statement. Rose is heading into year 3 in the League, and at the very least we can all agree that he is in that conversation. Mind you, he can’t shoot threes yet and just recently found a consistent jumper. After observing how quickly he added the jumper into his repertoire between seasons 1 and 2, I don’t think its out of the question that by the end of year 4 the opposing defense will already have decided to quit in between the time Joakim inbounds a pass to Rose and the time that Rose begins his powerfully relaxed dribble up the court, stalking his prey.

I don’t want anyone standing in the way of this Promised Land. As it stands now, no one on the Bulls roster will. That’s why job #1 is to not let anyone invade the borders of Derrick's potential. We need someone else on the Bulls who can both stand beside as a force of his own but also to compliment and expand the rich resources (tapped and untapped) which this team has been blessed.

Chris Bosh is one of the best pick-and-roll big men because he can actually hit from 15+ feet on the court. If you’ve noticed, the pick-and-roll was a sure way to get Rose to the cup or get a teammate open. It would be even more harmful for other teams if the Bulls had a big who could open the floor on the pick-and-pop to hit a consistent 15 footer. Bosh is one of the best players in the league, but doesn’t force himself upon or subvert the team’s flow by his play or attitude. Teammates look to him on the offensive end of the court by way of free will and reverence, not due to fear of heavy handed punishment filled with scorn and contempt from their team leader. Both Bosh and Rose even after having been bestowed the label of “franchise” player, are peculiarly alike in their in their ability to defer to the larger narrative of game, season, career. They know they can’t completely control the basketball gods, and in turn, they will be looked kindly upon and be blessed for their wise gesture.

Like/Dislike

Chris, do you remember feeling that cool breeze?

This will be a series of posts from fans+future teammates... imploring the Bulls front office to make Chris Bosh our #1 free agent target. As well as other Bulls related conversation as necessary.