Paxson Keeping Bulls' Plans Close to Vest
by Andrew Wamugi
ComcastSportsNet.com

It’s hard to remember a better NBA postseason than the one taking place this spring. The second round of the playoffs has already topped what was a spectacular opening, creating an NCAA tournament-like buzz with buzzer-beater finishes, unpredictable upsets, and genuine emotion among handsomely paid grown men.

It seems like forever and a day ago that the Bulls were part of the postseason dance when they were eliminated by the Miami Heat, who have since advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Meanwhile, Nike hit it right on the button with their new ad campaign for Cavaliers star LeBron James. We are all witnesses to the growth of one of the NBA’s brightest stars, which is scary news for Bulls fans. However, after two straight seasons of making the playoffs, Bulls fans have reason to be excited about the future of their favorite NBA team.

The Bulls finished 41-41 in the regular season, six fewer wins than the 2004-05 season, but considering how the 2005-06 season ended, Bulls Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson was satisfied with what his team accomplished.

“I think the biggest thing is that we made some difficult changes in the beginning of the year and were kind of treading water and then we had a great burst to end the year,” Paxson told Comcast SportsNet. “I know that making the playoffs and losing in the first round, you don’t want that to be the standard, but we’ve come a long way in a few years.

“We have gotten better as a team and an organization and it gives us something to build on. We want to be able to get better and be able take the next step, but we have come a pretty good distance in the last few years and we have a chance to get better.”

When Eddy Curry and Antonio Davis were traded, many didn’t expect the Bulls to make a return trip to the playoffs. Furthermore, when they were matched up against the Miami Heat, few thought they’d give one of the NBA’s elite teams the tough battle that they did. In fact, the Bulls fared better than the New Jersey Nets, the Atlantic Division Champions, by beating the Heat twice in their seven-game series, while the Nets only collected a Game 1 win in their second round matchup.

However, some obvious liabilities were exposed for the Bulls, which Paxson plans to address this off-season with two first round draft picks and between $15-20 million in cap space.

“We have a lot of areas that we have to address,” Paxson said. “From a team standpoint, we need size and athleticism. Those are the two things we lacked. Hopefully, we can do that through the draft, free agency or trades. Those are all options for us. I feel good about our position, but I understand as well as anybody the standard that is expected of the Bulls. There is not another team in this city that has six championship banners hanging there and they’re fairly recent in people’s minds too. It’s a huge challenge for us.”

Bulls fans have thoroughly enjoyed the two consecutive postseason appearances, but like Paxson said, the expectation level in Chicago is at an all-time high for its sports teams as the White Sox won the world series, and the Bears won the NFC North Division last season.

One thing Paxson has remained consistent with in his rebuilding of the Bulls is providing head coach Scott Skiles with character guys, one thing the Bulls’ GM is unlikely to sacrifice.

“We place a high value on the character of players. We like the guys that their agenda is to win, be part of a team and like to spend time in the gym. We’ve made pretty good choices along those lines. That’s not to say that at some point we get to a position where we take a little bit of a risk, but I don’t think we’re there yet. We’ve done a good job of getting the right character of guy and it’s paid off for us.

“For five years, this organization was in a real slump, not winning, didn’t have anything to show for it, but I think that there are certain players on our team that the typical fan of Chicago can identify with.”

Gritty players like Andres Nocioni, Kirk Hinrich, Tyson Chandler, Chris Duhon and Ben Gordon among others, all fit that description. How Paxson will add to this core group should become a little clearer within the coming days. Tuesday, the Bulls will find out where in the top five their draft pick acquired in the Curry trade will fall during the NBA’s Draft Lottery. Once this is learned, Paxson will have a better picture of his options.

“We’ll see where our [first] pick is going to be,” Paxson said. “We know we have the sixteenth pick in the first round, but we’re also going to have one of the top five. I hope it’s one or two obviously, but when we see where we’re drafting, then we’ll have some decisions to make. Ideally, if we can get a young player that has a huge upside, then you have to go ahead and take that chance. If not, we have a very young team anyway you look at it now, so adding veteran help to that would not be a bad thing either.

“I know there are other teams around the league that may be looking to rid themselves of some contracts because there is a huge tax issue for a lot of people now. We’re in a position to be a part of that game and that’s what makes our off-season an attractive one from our standpoint.”

Some prominent veteran players that may be available this offseason that would solve the Bulls needs of a big guard and dominant post player through trades include, Kenyon Martin, Zach Randolph, Carlos Boozer, Jamal Magloire, Corey Maggette or Paul Pierce. However, the name that is on every NBA team’s radar is Kevin Garnett, but one that Paxson doesn’t believe is going anywhere next season.

“Everyone is assuming that Kevin Garnett is available. If I put myself in Minnesota’s position, you still got one of the top ten players in all of basketball. You’d have to make the decision that you’re going to go young and you’re going to get draft picks. They’re going to try to make changes. They didn’t make the playoffs this year. They’re going to try to get better players to play with Kevin Garnett.

“We are always in the market for a great player. I respect Kevin Garnett’s game as much as anyone, but I think Kevin McHale does as well, so I don’t see that happening. I know it’s kind of a fun thing for people to talk about, but being fun to talk about and being realistic are two separate issues.”

Acquiring a player of Garnett’s magnitude would likely break up a large chunk of the Bulls’ core, or possibly eliminate their draft options. Should Paxson take a more conservative approach and keep his draft picks, LSU forward Tyrus Thomas, Texas big man LeMarcus Aldridge and Washington sharp-shooter Brandon Roy are among the most highly touted prospects that could help the Bulls right away despite their youth.

Bonzi Wells, Joel Przybilla and Nazr Mohommad are among the top free agents that could help the Bulls address their needs in a similar, yet cost effective retooling process.

Yet, no matter what Paxson ultimately decides, it won’t be long before Bulls fans will be watching the Bulls play after the first round of the playoffs is complete. Then, basketball fans will be witnessing evolution of another phenomenon in the Central Division, the evolution of the Chicago Bulls.

If I were them I might offer Ben Wallace max money. Considering the their draft prospects for the next 2 years they can afford to overpay for him because thanks to Isiah they are guarenteed to have a rich pipeline.

if i were Paxson, i'd rather target 2 FA veterans like Peja Stoyakovich & Reggie Evans, who would provide much needed scoring & rebounding depth for the price of 1 max contract player... i don't view a 1 dimensional player like Ben Wallace as a max contract player either.