Ok, I thought instead of going through all the trade ideas out there or proposing any trade ideas myself, that it might be beneficial to take a look at each player on the Bulls roster. I will grade each player on the following catagories: Offense, Defense, Attitude, Upside, and Tradability. Comments are welcome. I think this is a good way to see what the Bulls have before any moves are made.
Kirk Hinrich.
Offense-Last year Kirk scored 11.5 ppg and dished out 6 apg. That is not the numbers us Bulls fans grew to enjoy but they still were not awful. Sometimes he showed signs he could be a top PG in the league but other times he looked lost. Bad decisions with the ball and his abilty to get into foul trouble really slowed him down last year on offense. I think with the right players around him, most notably a low post scorer, he could put up much better numbers. He will never score 20 ppg but I think he could consistantly put up 15 ppg and 7 apg. If he can stay focused and take care of the ball he could return to his old scrappy self. Grade:C
Defense-Kirk is a outstanding deffender. That is the only reason in my mind he kept his starting role last season. One on One he can lock down just about any PG and most SG. He hounds his opponent to a fault sometimes and gets into foul trouble. He needs to find that fine line between pestering and sending his man to the foul line. Grade: A-
Attitude-While Kirk seems level-headed and not the type of guy to get into trouble off the court, he still sometimes comes off as whiny. It seems like he is always removing that mouth piece and shaking his head every time he is called for a foul. He is a not the best leader but sometimes he does look in command out there. He needs to be more consistant in regard to his leadership. Grade: B-
Upside-I think we have seen the best of Hinrich. He can be a top 10 PG if he plays consistant. 15ppg and 7apg is very solid at the point. I think he will return to those numbers this year. Let us not forget he also plays great defense. That can not be said of to many PG's in the league. Regardless Kirk is never going to become a Chris Paul level Point and we can not expect him to improve much more. Grade: D
Tradablity: Kirk has a large contract that seems high after last years down season, but I think many teams could be interested in him. He would be a starter on most teams in the league and solid PG are in demand. Grade: B
Chris Duhon
Offense-I will not waste a lot of time on this one. Chris is not a scorer but can dish out the assists. He is the fourth option anytime he steps foot on the floor. He can drive and kick pretty well and can control the ball good. He is a solid back-up PG. Grade: C-
Defense-He is not a great deffender like Kirk but can hold his own against other PGs. Does a good job of staying out of foul trouble and knows were to be on the floor. Grade: C
Attitude-Has got into trouble a few times with the Bulls upper brass and shows signs of not caring for his team but on the other hand does a lot of work in the community and is said to be a pretty stand up guy. Hard to say what guy he really is. Grade: C+
Upside-He could only be a starter on a bad team and I do not see that changing. He will not get much better then he already is. If he could shoot more consistantly he could become a solid player. Grade: D-
Tradabilty-Point Guards seem to be in high demand, so he will stay employed for awhile. Grade: C
Larry Hughes
Offense-Streaky is the name of the game. Larry can drop 40 points one night and 7 the next. He was once a very promising star but has faded since leaving the Wizards. With a good PG to get him open looks he could become more consistant but as it stands I do not like the ball in his hands that often. Shooting under 40% scares me. Grade: C+
Deffense-He has the body type to be a great deffender but he only puts forth so much effort and hence is only a fair deffender. Grade: C
Attitude-A little bit thug and a little bit egotistical make him a poor leader and even a bad teammate. Can sometimes shut his game down if he is not happy. Maybe he will except his role better as time goes by. Grade: D
Upside-Little to none. I do not think he will ever put up the numbers he did in Washington. He can be a very good third option on the floor but due to his poor shot he will not get that many looks. Grade: D
Tradablity-The Bulls are stuck with Hughes unless Paxson can pull off some show stopping trade. Larry is way over paid and there are a few years left on his contract. I do not see any team being interested. Grade: F
Ben Gordon
Offense-Without a doubt Gordon is a pure scorer. He can light it up and can take over a fourth quarter. He shoots pretty good at over 43% and has become more consistant the older he gets. He is a 20ppg guy and will continue to score like he does for years to come. He is however small for a SG and must rely on jumpshots and quick drives to the lane. It should also be noted that he does make some bad decisions with the ball. Grade: B+
Defense-He is to short and unskilled to guard the 2 spot with any consistancy. This will always be his down fall. He does put forth the effort but he has no chance against bigger and stronger SGs. Grade: C-
Attitude-Anyone who creates an energy drink and names it after themselves has some ego problems, but Ben has shown to be a solid teammate and a stand up guy. I find no real faults in the way he conducts himself. Grade: B+
Upside-I bet Ben will step up one more level in the NBA. I think he could be an Allstar if given the chance. I would not be surprised if he averaged 23-25 ppg with in a year or two. He is just a machine sometimes on the Offensive end of the floor. Grade: B
Tradability-I feel like there would be a good damand for a player who can flat out put up points. I think Gordon is very undervalued by many and he has the ability to be a difference maker. I compare him to Michael Redd but Ben never gets the props he deserves. I think a lot of teams are secretly dreaming of stealing Ben Gordon from the Bulls. Grade: B+
Thabo Sefolosha
Offense-Thabo shows signs that he could one day be a solid starter in the NBA, but as of now he is still a bit shaky. He just needs more time on the floor but unfortunately the Bulls are stacked at the SG position. He seems to make good choices with the ball and has a nack for driving the lane. His body and skill set remind me of a young Scottie Pippen. Grade: C
Defense-Thabo could become a lock down deffender in this league. He has shown signs of being just that especially against Wade in the playoffs last year. He is also a good rebounder for a SG and look for his rpg to improve this year. Grade: B
Attitude-Has yet to do anything that would make me think he has some kind of attitude issue. He seems focused and prepared every time he steps on the floor. Grade: B
Upside-I think Thabo has a great upside. Infact I think he has the greatest upside of any player on the Bulls. I say this due to the fact that not only does he have the Basketball talent but he has a brain. He is very smart and it shows on the floor. With his skills and body coupled with his IQ he could become a stud in the NBA. Grade: B+
Tradability-I am sure that many GM's see what I do in Thabo so I would wager that there would be interest in him if Paxson wanted to package him in a deal. Grade: B
Luol Deng
Offense-Deng is a spot up shooter and a slasher looking to receive a pass while driving the baseline. He does not create his own shot nearly as good as Gordon but his ball handling is really his only downside on the offensive side of the floor. He shoots at 48% from the floor. He shot even better a season ago. Injuries slowed him down this season but look for him to rebound. He is a 20ppg player and could be an Allstar if only the Bulls start winning more games. Grade: B
Defense-Deng is tall and long and a great rebounder for a SF. He averaged 6.3 rpg last year but should average closer to 7 next year. He needs to polish his man to man defense and his help defense. With his body and skills there is no reason for him not to be a solid deffender. Grade: B-
Attitude-Deng is a leader. He is not very vocal but he leads by example. He is a very contributer to the community and seems to be a good teammate. Grade: B+
Upside-Luol will be an Allstar at least once in his lifetime and maybe more then once. He is still young and has the skills to be a big time star in the NBA. He will never be a Kobe Bryant or LeBron James but more of a Ray Allen or Shawn Marion. Grade: B-
Tradability-Deng is the Bulls best asset and would demand a star in return. I do not see John Paxson trading or letting Deng walk. He may not be a true number one option, but he is a very good second option on a good team. Grade: A
Andres Nocioni
Offense-Andres has been consistant with his numbers for the most part. What has changed is how he scores. He used to drive and and create his own shots but injuries have slowed him a bit and he has become a jump shooter. I only hope he can get healthy and become that explosive player that he once was. Grade: C+
Defense-Just like his injuries has slowed down his offense they have taken their toll on Nocioni's defense. He is still agressive but often draws foul calls instead of chears from the crowd. Grade:C+
Attitude-Nocioni is a hard-nosed basketball player. He plays hard and has a lot of fire. Opponents are sometimes upset at Andres passion but he is a good sport. He seems to be a great teammate as well. Grade: B
Upside-Not a whole lot of upside for Nocioni. He made great strides in his first few seasons but injuries have hurt his game. If he can get healthy he could be a very solid 6th man. Grade: C
Tradability-I would think that a few teams would be interest in him. He could be a starter on many teams or a very good bench player on a contender. He would be great on the Spurs or any defensive team. Grade: B-
Drew Gooden
Offense-Nothing great here but also nothing bad. Drew can hit the open shot and has a few good low post moves. Something the Bulls needed very badly. I do not think Gooden is the long term answer for the Bulls down low but he is still young and could prove me wrong. He does seem to wander and get a little lost on offense at times but overall is not that bad. He just needs to get his shooting % up a little higher. Grade: C+
Defense-With his size Drew could be a better man to man deffender but he is a great rebounder on both ends. In time he should become a solid deffender. Grade: C+
Attitude-He appears to be a good teammate and in time could prove to be a nice leader. I have not heard of Drew being a problem on or off the court. Grade: B
Upside-Gooden is only 26 so the future is bright. He could very well become a 16 and 10 type of player. If that is the case the Bulls may want to keep him. Grade: B-
Tradability-There are a lot of good PF's in the league and Gooden is a step down from most of them. However, there could be a few teams interested in him simply due to his age. Grade: C
Tyrus Thomas
Offense-Beside catching the lob pass and slamming it home Tyrus has little to offer on the offensive side of the floor right now. He has been working on his jump shot and a few moves down low, but I really feel that his lack of basketball IQ will ultimately keep him from being an Allstar. It is a shame because he is so gifted but at the same time he looks so lost on the floor. Grade: C-
Deffense-Now this is an area the Tryus could become a stud. He is a very good shot blocker and he will only get better at that as time goes on. He also has the leaps and timing to become a top 5 rebounder in the league. Only if he could focus his mind on defense and just work on the basics of his offensive game, then he could become an elite deffender. Grade: C+
Attitude-Tyrus can come off as a very immature and even thugish. I hope he can chanel his energy into practising and learning the fundementals of the game. Grade: C
Upside-Some will say that Thomas has great upside. I think he could become very good as well but I think his biggest challenge will be to overcome his own inabilities. He has to learn what he is good at and what he is not and focus on rebounding and shot blocking. At best Tyrus could become a defensive player of the year. At worst, he could become another NBA bust. Grade: B
Tradability-I bet any team would like to have Tyrus. He is still in a rookie contract and is still cheap. A team could gamble on him with ease knowing they did not spend alot for him. The Bulls could use him to spice up a trade. Grade: C+