Chicago Bulls: Biggest Trainwreck in NBA?

By Trashtalk Superstar

Much has been made of the Miami Heat's nightmare 2007/'08 season. Not yet two years removed from winning the 2006 NBA World Championship, Miami has been so bad this year that they've dumped Antoine Walker and Shaquille O'Neal (who were catalysts on the 2006 Championship team) and have entered into a rebuilding phase.

But aside from Miami, the title of "Biggest Trainwreck in the NBA" probably belongs to Chicago.

After suffering through seven years of post Michael Jordan futility, the Chicago Bulls replaced longtime General Manager Jerry Krause with John Paxson (who had been a key player on Chicago's first three Championship teams and had been doing color commentary on the team's radio broadcasts).

Paxson immediately made drastic changes to Chicago's roster. In order to improve the the team's attitude, he got rid of nearly all of its core players. He replaced talented, but lazy players with gritty, hard nosed lunch pail types. And he hired Scott Skiles -- a notoriously tough coach who had a history of clashing with star players -- as head coach.

And it worked.

A year and a half after taking over what had become the worst franchise in the NBA, John Paxson's hustling and scrapping Chicago Bulls shocked the sports world by making it to the playoffs in 2005.

What's more, Chicago went on to become one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

They made it back to the playoffs in 2006. And in 2007, Chicago swept the defending World Champion Miami Heat out of the first round of the playoffs.

But everything unraveled for Chicago this year. Veteran Ben Wallace was signed as a free agent in 2006 to give the team a defensive and rebounding presence in the paint. The former NBA All Star and member of the 2004 World Champion Detroit Pistons was also expected to provide leadership and to set a positive example for Chicago's young players with his much celebrated worth ethic.

However, instead of setting a positive tone for his young teammates, Wallace proved to be a malcontent who consistently undermined Skiles and, ultimately, spearheaded a player mutiny.

Chicago fired Skiles one day before Christmas, 2007. But Wallace also undermined Skiles' replacement, Interim Coach Jim Boylan.

So, in order to rid his team of a cancerous influence, John Paxson shipped Ben Wallace and his $60 million dollar contract to Cleveland just before the 2008 trading deadline.

But it was too little, too late for Chicago.

In his year and a half stay in Chicago, Ben Wallace managed to all but destroy the chemistry and positive attitude of a team that had been built around hard working, "character" guys.

As K.C. Johnson reports in today's Chicago Tribune, the 2007/'08 Chicago NBA basketball club is an entity on which "personal agendas often reign supreme and the me-first behavior of entitlement both on and off the court has played a major factor in the team's underachieving ways."

In fact, in just the last five days:

1.) Underachieving second year forward Tyrus Thomas decided to skip Wednesday's practice without informing the team of his decision.

Thomas wasn't late to practice -- he missed practice. And he wasn't sick. Nor did he miss practice because he accidentally overslept, or had an auto accident, a flat tire, got a speeding ticket, got stuck in traffic, or had any other questionable, but legitimate reason for missing practice.

He didn't even miss practice because he was hung over.

He just decided not to show up.

And he decided not to inform the team that he would be missing practice.

Even more surprisingly, Thomas offered no apology for his decision. Instead, he stood defiantly behind it.

2.) According to the Tribune's Johnson, as seldom used, saggy bodied, slooooooooow footed, eighth string rookie center (my characterizations, not Johnson's) Aaron Gray approached the bench after being replaced by Drew Gooden following a short second-quarter appearance on Tuesday:

"the rookie center, according to several witnesses, snapped at interim coach Jim Boylan.

"That's what I get for working hard?" Gray said.


A shocked Boylan snapped back and Gray, a second-round pick, played only the final 1:21 of a blowout victory over Memphis the rest of the night."

Talk about having a sense of entitlement. Hey Aaron, here's what "working hard" gets you: an opportunity to earn playing time.

And in the event that you do actually earn playing time, it's just assumed that you will work hard when you're out there. After all, that's your job.

If you play well, and give the team positive production, it's likely that you'll earn more playing time.

But nobody gets a gold star for working hard (especially not when you're a second round draft pick who barely survived getting cut in training camp). Working hard is what's expected of you.

You'll get to play when the coaching staff thinks that you can help the team win.

3.) Backup point guard and Duke alumnus Chris Duhon missed Sunday's shoot-around in Detroit because he overslept after having attended Saturday night's Duke home loss to North Carolina. With his team still in the running for a playoff berth, Duhon spent the night before an important road game against conference rival Detroit on the campus of his alma matter, half way across the country, in Durham, N.C.

Duhon did charter a plane back to Detroit, but he must have arrived very late, as he overslept and missed the team's bus to Sunday morning's shoot-around.

4.) TNT Broadcaster, and former NBA and Chicago coach, Doug Collins criticized Chicago's "shoot first" mentality during Thursday night's broadcast of Chicago's home win over LeBron James and Cleveland.

Chicago is a mess. John Paxson's plan was to build his team around overachieving, defensive minded "high character" players. And although his plan initially worked (Chicago was a moribund franchise when Paxson took over in 2003, but made three straight playoff appearances from 2005 - 2007), Chicago's current roster is full of malcontents and head cases.

And they're losing malcontents and head cases.

After having built Chicago into a scrappy, young, up and coming contender in the Eastern Conference, John Paxson is now faced with making decisions that will define his tenure as Chicago's General Manager. Paxson must decide whether to try salvage the core of this team and attempt to improve its fortunes by making off season moves, or whether to "blow the whole thing up" and rebuild the team from top to bottom.

But, no matter what he decides, John Paxson is definitely on the clock.

Shaquille O'Neal Traded to Phoenix

Miami has traded Shaquille O'Neal to Phoenix in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.

Miami has issues. Drive and Dish has discussed this before. More here.

But Phoenix's motivation for making the trade is more interesting than Miami's.

After falling short of the NBA Finals with their electric and semi-revolutionary style of wide open, up tempo basketball, O'Neal's arrival signals that Phoenix has decided to slow the pace down and emphasize the half court game (which, historically, has been the most successful style of basketball in the playoffs).

Phoenix has been the most fun team to watch in the NBA because of that wide open style.

But Phoenix is changing that style.

It's a big gamble for Phoenix General Manager Steve Kerr.

Time will tell if it was the right move.

Predictably, Ricky Davis Not Working Out Too Well For Miami

By Trashtalk Superstar


When Miami coach and General Manager Pat Riley traded Antoine Walker to Minnesota for Ricky Davis (Miami also acquired Mark Blount from Minnesota, and sent Wayne Simien and Michael Doleac to the "land of 10,000 lakes" to complete the deal), Drive and Dish wondered what Riley was thinking. Walker was shipped out - at least in part - because Riley had grown tired of his bad attitude and overall sloth. So we couldn't fathom what would prompt him to replace one headache (Walker) with a player who would potentially be an even bigger headache (Davis).

Now, as NBA master scribe Sam Smith chronicles in the Chicago Tribune, Pat Riley appears to be at his wit's end with the notorious coach and team chemistry-killing Davis. What a shock.

This week, Riley voiced his disapproval over the on-court production and attitude of one (and possibly more than one) of his team's starters to Miami reporters. But because Riley declined to name the player at whom his comments were directed, it's unclear whether Riley was referring to Davis or to Shaquille O'Neal (although it's also possible that his comments were directed at both players). Riley's vagueness aside, it's clear that he's not pleased:

"People who don't think they should ever be benched might have to come off the bench for a while just to turn this whole thing around ..."

Many folks in the media have assumed that those words were intended to get the attention of the big fella (or Big Aristotle, if you will). And, aside from the occasional appearance of vintage Shaq-style dominance, O'Neal has definitely looked like he just doesn't give a damn anymore. So Riley could, indeed, have been calling him out. After all, his teammates are doing just that: according to Smith, "Dwyane Wade, back from surgery and rounding into form, talked openly of O'Neal needing to be more motivated." Damn!

But, equally likely is the possibility that Riley's ire was directed at Ricky Davis. Just one month into his current stint in Miami, Ricky Davis has wasted no time in going about the business of being Ricky Davis. Smith notes that NBA courtside scouts who follow Miami have been reporting that Davis is doing his best to reinforce his coach-killer and team chemistry-killer reputation:

"they see Davis waving off Riley and telling other players he isn't going to run that stuff."

Now that's the Ricky Davis that we all know and love!

Drive and Dish was dumbfounded when Pat Riley traded for Ricky Davis. Riley had, after all, been stuck with the cancerous Davis before. We absolutely couldn't understand why he'd want another go around with the guy. And we're not alone. Smith cites one Riley confidant who said: "He had him before. How could he not know?"

Regardless of the thought process that led to his pursuit of Davis, it's clear that Pat Riley has had enough of the 2007/08 edition of the Miami Heat:

"'I don't see a team that feels that feels like they have anything at stake here,' Riley said. 'They come in, they play, they get beat, they go home. They go out into the night."

What's not so clear is why it took him so long to notice that his team doesn't care. They were the same way last year too.

And what's even less clear is why Pat Riley thought it would be a good idea to add Ricky Davis to a team that already had a few too many disinterested malcontents.

But questionable judgment aside, at least Riley isn't trying to "pass the buck:"

"I'll take the responsibility for it (Miami's disastrous team chemistry) because I put it together."

Edit:

Pat Riley's acquisition (or re-acquisition, to be more accurate) of Ricky Davis reminds me of the old story about the man who befriended - then took as his pet - a talking rattlesnake. The man was well aware that rattle snakes are aggressive and that their venom is poisionous. So, at first, he was very reluctant to talk to the snake. But the rattlesnake kept assuring the man that he was friendly and, as such, wouldn't bite the man. So in spite of his initial reservations, the guy ultimately came to trust the rattlesnake. So much so that he let the talking snake become his pet, and kept it by his side at all times. After all, he and the talking snake had a special kind of bond.

That is, until the snake finally BIT THE MAN.

Shocked by the trauma of the bite as well as by the rattlesnake's disregard for their friendship and betrayal of his trust, the dying man asked the rattlesnake: "Why did you bite me?"

And the rattlesnake replied: "Because I'm a rattlesnake, stupid. That's what I do."

Miami Trades Walker to Minnesota For Ricky Davis

By Trashtalk Superstar


Just a year and a half removed from their 2006 NBA championship, the rapidly declining Miami Heat were looking to shake things up. Tonight, Miami traded fat, slow small forward Antoine Walker to Minnesota for team chemistry-killing knucklehead small forward Ricky Davis.

Miami also sent center Michael Doleac, seldom used forward Wayne Simien and a first round draft pick to Minnesota.

In addition to Davis, Miami will receive forward Mark Blount from Minnesota.

It comes as no surprise that Pat Riley would attempt to rid Miami of the dead weight that is Antoine Walker. Walker used to be a mobile and skilled small forward with a power forward's body. Now he's a slow fat guy who doesn't do much except chuck up threes. Antoine Walker has essentially become a three point specialist who is, strangely, not all that great at shooting three pointers. He's also a defensive liability - and Pat Riley stresses defense. Add to that the fact that Walker's attitude leaves much to be desired.

Getting rid of Antoine Walker makes all the sense in the world for Miami. They're ridding themselves of a player whom they consider a lazy, self centered headache. But by replacing him with Ricky Davis, Miami could just be trading one headache for another.

Ricky Davis is a ball hogging, attention fiending coach killer. And he loves to chuck up ill advised shots as much as Antione Walker does. True, Davis' replacing Walker gives Miami a vast upgrade in athleticism. But Ricky Davis' attitude is probably worse than Antoine Walker's.

On the surface, it seems like Miami just swapped their trash for Minnesota's trash. But Mark Blount is a quality player who will - undoubtedly - bolster Miami's already strong rotation of big men (remember, although they're still great players, Shaq and Alonzo Mourning are aging quickly - it makes sense to go out and get them some help).

As for Minnesota, it looks like they're trying to free up salary cap space by acquiring Doleac and Simien, whose contracts are set to expire at the end of this season.

For the post Kevin Garnett Minnesota Timberwolves, this trade appears to make sense. It's going to be pretty tough for Minnesota to rebuild. At least now they'll have an extra first round draft pick, salary cap space and will no longer have to put up with Ricky Davis. Unfortunately for Minnesota, they'll have to put up with Antoine Walker.

Chicago Sweeps Defending Champion Miami

The Chicago Bulls swept the defending champion Miami Heat from the first round of the NBA playoffs Sunday. Drive and Dish is surprised that Chicago eliminated Miami. We didn't think their scrappy, hustling style of play would be enough to overcome Miami's superior talent in the playoffs - when veteran teams step up their effort and overall level of play.

What surprises us the most, however, is that Chicago swept Miami (by winning four straight games). The Heat were totally outclassed. The defending NBA champions just didn't show up to play.