Bulls worse than expected but not as bad as it seems

[Patrick]

Fire Paxson wrote:

Paxson has to go cause he failed to make the moves neccessary to fill the needs of the team. I am fine with the drafting especially the last two cause he took the most talented players availible which always pays off in the long run. I am pissed about the trades he has made and the many trades he has whiffed on.
They peaked last year we saw it in the collapse of the backcourt in the playoffs and he failed to bring in a star SG didn't have to be Kobe but they needed a big scorer that can defend.
He came in with an agenda to get rid of all the bulls players and he forced Curry and Chandler out who have proven to be better frontcourt players than any he brought in. He gave away Chandler and planned on giving away Curry but got lucky cause Isaiah might be the only GM that is more retarded than he. His trades suck and I hope he is happy with his mess cause this is his team and it is as flawed as he is...
Stupid former players turned GM how about we interview smart people for the job next time? Reinsdork get off your ass and get a replacement!

Agreed. Fire Paxson Today! Defending Paxson is impossible. The results speak for themselves...total and complete failure.
Sam Smith deserves to be smacked for this column. The only defense is that he's been unlucky in drafts when he's had high picks and weak drafts. Everything else is failure.

[Mitch Richmond]

Sam, you are essentially right on the money. Most of these whiners would have made the same moves that Paxson did "at the time" if they had his knowledge of who was available, what the limitations or issues were with his players, and the financial-contract issues that could have been factors. I think you correctly imply that Ben Wallace might have been able to contribute more if he had a point guard like Chris Paul feeding him the ball at the most opportune moments. No, I think many of us whiners .... I mean Bulls fans have simply given up on the upside potential of most of the Bulls "core". We also know that unless the Bulls get to play the Miami Heat 82 times, scoring is still going to be a major challenge for this team. One or more astute roster changes need to be made. It makes me cringe to quote Charles Barkley but at the TNT NBA game coverage signoff last night, he called out the veterans on the Bulls team and said they can't blame Noah and his misjudgments in practice for the team's pitiful performance. The vet's need to look in the mirror. They're not that good. I think Chuck got it right this time.

[Wisconsin Reader]

Paxson blew it with the big men situation!Naji M. and Joel P. are BETTER than Ben Wallace!Either one should have been taken not Wallace.

Mikey Moore, Bass from Dallas and lots of other guys in the League should have been looked at last Summer - I like Joe Smith - but the Bulls needed him and another big man.If Wallace can be traded, do it today! Move on!

[Ralph Law]

Watching the Bulls now playing a listless games and being outcoached by the savvy Don Nelson.

Team appears to have no leadership and Wallace was certainly a waste of money in locking up an over-the-hill player who cannot make a free throw.

Paxon is part of the problem because his moves have not helped the team become better. Quite the contrary - the team appears to be coming apart.

Lack of signing extensions, lack of solid court leadership, inmates running the asylum, and poor development of promising players whould all spell the firing of Paxon and cleaning house.

Noah looks like a kid who wants to play hard and win. I can assure you that one of the better coaches in the NBA would do wonders with Noah.

[jr1941 Chicago]

Management & Players have one goal period! GREED!
As long as the loyal fans continue to pay for inferior basketball they are laughing all the way to the bank.
BULLS belong with D League.
We can only hope that the BULLS leave town.

[JMK]

Yep, Little Big Man Skiles (Paxson's biggest mistake) is gone, but they can't bring Chandler and Curry back. And even though the ultimate decisions were Paxson's, I think Skiles' influence played the biggest part in getting rid of them. And given another year, he'd have destroyed Sefolosha's confidence and had him dumped too. This team would be so much better if Skiles could have worked with all the talent he had instead of just filling up his doghouse. Too late now. Looks like a mediocre future for this team.

[Leon J]

PAXSON IS SLOW TO MOVE, COSTLY TO THE BULLS FUTURE. SKILES SHOULD HAVE BEEN GONE OVER THE SUMMER. HE KNEW BY THE LACK OF TIME AND PRODUCTIVE OUT OF THABO, THAT HURT THE BACK COURT AND THE 7TH FROM 2ND SLOT IN THE PLAYOFFS. NOW GIVING UP ON THE SEASON,WITH NO PLAN BY FIRING SKILES WITH 5.2 MONTHS OF THE SEASON WITH NO PLAN. I WILL WATCH BUT PAXSON IS TO BLAME DAY1

[ballabigben]

sam, don't suck up to paxson. you don't have to. he'll be gone soon enough. nothing is working out for him because he tried to build a team around hinrich and nocioni. look at the outrageous contracts that those guys procured! INSANITY!!! those guys are complimentary guys at best. paxson is stupid for attemting this farce. now we have to move forward and play the guys that have the most talent. instead of forcing hinrich down our throats. this is a call out too all bulls fans. NO MORE HINRICH!!!

[jose]

When the Bulls signed Joe Smith, and didnt sign, draft or trade for a decent low post scorer, I knew the Bulls were doomed. I wouldnt mind Curry back on the Bulls.

[Redell Walton]

The Chicago teams seem to have a problem managing their personnel. They had a great general manager in Krause. Had he stayed on they would not have many of the problems they have today. This man knew how to pick players tyhat could gel as a team. Paxson is looking for boy scouts. The pro athlete today is simply a businessman. As long as they have those long term contracts in their pockets they have no reason to produce other than pride. They should be paid based on their productivity. We in the private sector would starve if we performed the way many of the pro athletes perform. The Bulls simply do not have good all around ball players. They are too one dimensional.