knicks1248 wrote:Uptown wrote:knicks1248 wrote:For the last few seasons, we see and hear that players are getting together for these informal scrimmages with the coaching staff and new players on the roster. We see them hanging out and enjoying each others company..Only to see that it had zero impact once november came around.
The bulls team that won 72 games barely even spoke to each other in the off season, didn't hang out with each other all that much during the season.
What they had is a system and a role in that system that fit ever player.
No!!! What they had was the greatest player in the world! Cut it out!
Jordan was in the league 7 yrs before he won his first title, that title came on the strength of Phil Jacksons triangle, and valuable role players like Rodman, Bj, kerr, paxon, kukoc, to name a few. Guys who knew their role, fit their role.
I agree with the Rainman here. No doubt Jordan is a GOAT, but Jordan also had Pippen a unique player who could guard the other teams best non center player. He could guard 4 positions. Young Pippin guarded Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson. Young pippen defense is what made him HOF, not his offense. Not to say it was not good, but we talking what took him over the top.
Jordan did not win a chip until he met Phil. Key here was he had to buy into PHil. He did. Amazing really given Phil had no proven cred to that high level. In contrast its stunning that Kobe despite their success still fought Phil. Cost Kobe the elusive 6th chip he needed to be on par with Jordan. Funny for all of Jordans and Kobes quirks it might have boiled down to Kobe wanting to do things his way vs. Jordan who was able to do it his way but within the system. There are huge moments when a wide open Bill Wennington, Longly, Perdue, Paxon or Kerr hit game winners.
What is impressive is there were basically two Bull Runs. They won 6 chips in 8 years. Make no mistake the key to the runs was the role players. You had the first run and a big change with the second. Veteran players came in and played key roles.
Lost on this was phil inherited a team that was stuck with Doug Collins and it was not until phils second season did they win. Phil took it to a high level. Team was good before he got there.
Bulls drafted their core, which was Jordan and PIppon. Had Traded Oak for Cartright and installed young Horace Grant at PF. Oak was drafted and become big trade fodder for them.
Only parallel to Knicks now is we keep drafting and hope we get a stud or two, but still work to develop players for draft. Perhaps Fiz won't be the guy but you don't know that because you don't know the make up of the team.
Mark Jax was not the guy either. Nor Collins. We don't know because we don't have nearly any of this in place yet. When we win back to back 55 games and can't move forward with a roster deemed worthy then we can worry about that.
WE are only in the beginning stages of building a culture. What it is has yet to be determined or defined.
It is preposterous to make any conclusions about Fiz and his future given his lone season here.
His Memphis stint in retrospect was regrettable by ownership, Fiz and Gasol. Fiz comes from the Riley tree. He has the winning pedigree. He gets his chance still.
