Bulls spurn Spurs' call for little help

[Kori Ellis]

Bulls spurn Spurs' call for little help

BY SAM SMITH
Chicago Tribune

CHICAGO - (KRT) - With the season nearing the halfway mark, San Antonio still appears to be the big favorite for the NBA title. But don't tell coach Gregg Popovich.

Popovich isn't exactly saying it, but there are signs that the Spurs, despite being the league's best defensive team and having Tim Duncan, are worried about, of all things, small ball.

"I know some people think it's not going to last, but that's because they don't want it to last," Popovich said about the conventional wisdom that running teams like the Phoenix Suns and Seattle SuperSonics will collapse in the playoffs, when the halfcourt game usually plays a bigger role. "Those guys aren't going to forget how to run and they're not going to forget how to shoot. Can they win in the playoffs playing like that? I don't see why not."

That's why, according to league sources, the Spurs recently came in search of the Bulls' Tyson Chandler. Don't worry, Chandler isn't going anywhere. Eddy Curry isn't likely to be departing either. Even I'm on board with that. With the way the Bulls have played lately, it makes sense to let this team finish the season together. The Bulls are second in the league in opponents' field-goal percentage, one of the key barometers of defensive play.oach Scott Skiles should get a lot of credit for that. This isn't to say Curry, still a poor rebounder for his size, is a Bull for life. But it makes sense to ride it out until summer and perhaps sign him to a reasonable contract, which the Bulls tried to do in October before his agents asked for $80 million.

As for the Spurs, most everyone's preseason pick, they're concerned. They're still terrific, but getting out of the Western Conference could prove more difficult than it first seemed.

Two of their seven losses have been to the spread-the-floor, running Sonics (including their only loss at home). They've also lost to open-court Orlando and high-scoring Sacramento. And they caught the Suns on a bad shooting night for Quentin Richardson (0-for-7) and Steve Nash (4-for-14). The Spurs defense had something to do with that shooting, but the margin for error against quicker teams is not great with the streaky Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in the backcourt.

The Spurs have been looking to add some speed and came to the Bulls. Chandler would have been a beautiful fit now that he appears healthy, and he probably would have assured the Spurs the title. But the Bulls supposedly weren't biting at the package, which was believed to include center Rasho Nesterovic. It looks now like the Bulls will sit out the Feb. 24 trading deadline.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/10606079.htm

[timvp]

If you could trade Rasho and any bench player for Chandler or Curry, you do that in a second. Too bad the Spurs waited until both of those Bulls are playing better to get serious.

Oh well.

[boutons]

uh oh. I wonder how Rasho is going to be affected now that he is being offered as trade bait. Will he seize up even more and play worse, or start getting back to the Rasho@MIN level that the Spurs were expecting, at a minimum, him to provide?

[timvp]

Honestly, I don't think Rasho cares either way.

[Useruser666]

uh oh. I wonder how Rasho is going to be affected now that he is being offered as trade bait. Will he seize up even more and play worse, or start getting back to the Rasho@MIN level that the Spurs were expecting, at a minimum, him to provide?

Seize up even more? He'd have top score on the other teams basket to score less points. I knew Chandler was a pipe dream, but I still would have liked to see that happen.

[Rummpd]

Small ball is BS. Suns are athletic but sick of hearing they are small.

Plus with Horry and Rose, Brown, Barry etc. enough of that - Spurs can run when they need to - still I would have made the trade for equal ht but not much less. BECAUSE

SIZE STILL MATTERS!

MadDoc

[boutons]

I think Rasho really cares, he just needs some "counseling" to help him get his attitude and head on straight. He can do the job, and I'm sure he wants to stay in SA forever. Somebody needs to "get to" Rasho and help him out of the bad spot he's thunk himself into. That's the kind of "meta" game that a team leader needs to play. But Tim says he let's people sort out their own shit. OK, but when the sorting doesn't happen, and the shit affects the team, the leader has to go active.

Bringing a Chandler in now would require him to get acclimated, and that takes, in Pop's system, 2 or 3 months, not much help this season.

[timvp]

Rasho is what he is. A seven-foot stop gap until the bench comes in. Some games he tries, some games he doesn't. The most you can hope from him is that he moves his feet to get into good defensive position most of the time. Anthing more than that is gravy.

[Solid D]

The Bulls play better D when those guys are healthy. Have you noticed the team defense that Chi-town is playing lately?

Bulls are currently ranked second to SA in Opp. FG% .417 and 5th in ppg allowed (92.48). They are just ahead of SA in rebounds per game (9th).

With that said, the challenge for the Spurs would be to get someone like Chandler to learn the nuances of the defensive system the Spurs play and the little-noticed screens and seals used at the 5 spot.

Chandler is certainly quicker and more athletic and has better rebounding and scoring numbers. He's not much better than Rasho as a shot-blocker even though he's listed at 7'-1".

The biggest problem would be the mistakes Chandler makes and his learning curve.

Chandler's contract is $4.8M this year and then has a qualifying option next year at $6.2M...that's it.

Rasho and Rose, the two Spurs bigs besides Horry have contracts that are more long term. Rasho at 6.2 this year and 4 more years thereafter (roughly $36M total) isn't exactly an even contract match. Rose is closer at $5.4M this year plus 3 more years (roughly $25M total).

The article says "it is believed to include Rasho". Rose plus another player may have been a more feasible deal, financially.

[Useruser666]

I think Rasho really cares, he just needs some "counseling" to help him get his attitude and head on straight. He can do the job, and I'm sure he wants to stay in SA forever. Somebody needs to "get to" Rasho and help him out of the bad spot he's thunk himself into. That's the kind of "meta" game that a team leader needs to play. But Tim says he let's people sort out their own shit. OK, but when the sorting doesn't happen, and the shit affects the team, the leader has to go active.

Bringing a Chandler in now would require him to get acclimated, and that takes, in Pop's system, 2 or 3 months, not much help this season.

I would say Chandler could pick it up. Not that we get him or anything.

[TwoHandJam]

The article says "it is believed to include Rasho". Rose plus another player may have been a more feasible deal, financially.True, that part was pure speculation. I actually think they would have kept Rasho and tried to move Rose given their will to move him in the past.

[ducks]

boy some fans would be ticked here if they traded rose and kept rasho for chandler

[Useruser666]

boy some fans would be ticked here if they traded rose and kept rasho for chandler

I take that trade too. Although there's no way I could see the Bulls biting on that one.

[Walton Buys Off Me]

Problem is, you wouldn't get Ricky Davis' barber for either Rasho or Rose.

Any GM with a positive IQ wants nothing to do with these colossal zeros.

[genghisrex]

Problem is, you wouldn't get Ricky Davis' barber for either Rasho or Rose.

Any GM with a positive IQ wants nothing to do with these colossal zeros.
So you're saying a deal with John Paxon is feasible?

[ducks]

I thought curry was a smoke screen that they really wanted chandler

[Im Here Huckleberry]

Now that we know what the Spurs FO is looking at, let the speculation begin.
What are some other centers that could be on the FO radar? What about Stromile?

[T Park]

Tyson Chandler.

Theres a reliable center.

[genghisrex]

What about Stromile?
Swift signed a one-year qualifying offer so he can't be traded.

[ChumpDumper]

Any GM with a positive IQSo maybe half of them would bite?

Which other Spur would you want to package to make it work, if it came to it?

Devin?

[Kori Ellis]

This article is written by Sam Smith. Usually he's pretty offbase in his speculation, so who knows if this even happened.

[ChumpDumper]

Ooh -- Smith.

I apologize for even commenting on this then.

[Spurminator]

The grass is always greener.

[timvp]

Who would trade Rasho, Devin and Beno for Tyson Chandler?

Discuss.

[Spurminator]

Trade an offensively-inept center, a very good backup PG and one of our more reliable bench scorers for... an offensively inept center we'd have to worry about resigning in 2 years?

Nah.

The throw-ins would have to be scrubbier.

[ChumpDumper]

Depends on who else comes from the Bulls. They do have a surplus of points. Duhon or Frank Williams might make it acceptable. I'd push for Griffin too.

[ChumpDumper]

Can't see us getting away with it without throwing in the PHX pick as well.

[picnroll]

Scola's rights are availabole as well.

Personally I'd rather try for Nene though he's likely not available. He plays Amare tough.

[timvp]

If the Spurs really are trying to rebuild their team to be able to run with the Sonics and Suns of the league, they should look into players like Chandler, Dalembert and Swift. Put one of those players next to Duncan and the Suns and Sonics wouldn't have too much of an athletic advantage anymore.

However, this is probably going nowhere. I don't see the Spurs making a big trade. It'd have to be a gift where they only lose Rasho or Rose and come away with an athletic bigman.

[ChumpDumper]

To run with PHX you just put three guards on the floor.

Rebounding is a huge key to the Sonics' getting easy baskets -- they can do it with small ball (Evans) or big (Fortson). If Linton ever sees the light of day, he might make a pretty decent rebounding small ball PF. The trick with Fortson is to attack him enough to get him into foul trouble even more quickly than usual. If you're going to try to go toe-to-toe with him, you gotta run Massenburg.

[T Park]

Ray Allen is a FA at the end of the year, and if the leaves, Seattle is back ping pong ball huntin.

Phoenix?? The Spurs proved, play a little D, and be agressive on offensive and you can beat them.

Rasho Brown and Udrih for Chandler??

Whos the backup point guard, Mike Wilks??

uh, no, thank you.

Brown, a young swingman who the team has spent lots of time tryign to develop and is somewhat showing effects of the work.

That IMO is way too much.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Ray Allen leaving anytime soon, when his team is a contender, is wishful thinking at best.

So what if we beat Phoenix one time, I guess their players are not allowed to work on their games and get better.

Beno, Rasho, and Rose all for Chandler is a bad deal IMO, but if we can send out some combination of Rose and whoever for him, that's work.

[IcemanCometh]

Tyshon Chandler would be pretty fucking awesome for this team, the only red flag is his back.

[picnroll]

Sonics have other FAs to deal with as well, Antonio Daniels, Reggie Evans, Danny Fortson, Jerome James, Ronald Murray, Vitaly Potapenko, Vladimir Radmanovic. Some of these guys are going to be somewhat sought after and Seattle will lose some depth.

Phoenix has Johnson and Hunter to sign too. Hunter's developing well and could attract some offers.

[TwoHandJam]

I would trade any combination of Rasho, Rose and Devin for Chandler but I think Beno is a keeper. Good point guards are not easy to come by.

[ducks]

I would give them barry for chandler

[Useruser666]

PF Tyson Chandler
SG Adrian Griffin

for

C Radoslav Nesterovic
Luis Scola

Trade ID # 2150611


San Antonio trades: C Radoslav Nesterovic (5.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.0 apg in 25.3 minutes)
Luis Scola (No games yet played in 2004/05)
San Antonio receives: PF Tyson Chandler (7.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 0.9 apg in 27.3 minutes)
SG Adrian Griffin (1.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.0 apg in 9.0 minutes)
Change in team outlook: +4.0 ppg, +4.6 rpg, and +0.9 apg.

Chicago trades: PF Tyson Chandler (7.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 0.9 apg in 27.3 minutes)
SG Adrian Griffin (1.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.0 apg in 9.0 minutes)
Chicago receives: C Radoslav Nesterovic (5.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.0 apg in 25.3 minutes)
Luis Scola (No games yet played in 2004/05)
Change in team outlook: -4.0 ppg, -4.6 rpg, and -0.9 apg.

TRADE ACCEPTED

[Streakyshooter08]

I would rather try to get Troy Murphy. He is averages 16 and 10 and seems to be able to hit a three now and then. :) (47%, 2nd in the league right now) Another plus is his age. He is only 24 and 6'11 tall. I think he would be a good addition even though we won't have a chance to get him.

Streaky :)

[Brodels]

Who would trade Rasho, Devin and Beno for Tyson Chandler?

Discuss.

I also think that's too much, but I guess it all depends. If the Spurs really feel that Devin is going to walk after the season in search of regular playing time and a shot at a starting role, it might make a little bit of sense.

It would be more palatable is Tyson was locked up long term.

All three? I'll pass. I'd be happy with a deal that included either Rose or Rasho, a draft pick, and possibly even Barry if someone of decent value came back. I just don't feel comfortable with trading either Beno or Brown at this point unless the team is fairly confident that Brown won't be interested in the pay or playing time the Spurs will be offering him in the offseason.

The other possibility, as User has mentioned, is Scola. A package of Scola and a draft pick and fodder or Scola and Brown and a pick might interest the Bulls.

[PM5K]

I would never trade Beno as he is our backup point guard and he's quite good and something we have been looking for for a while...

[boutons]

"I would never trade Beno"

I figure Beno last year with Spurs will be 05/06 (assuming what we see now isn't all that he'll every be), as Beno will not want to be backup PG for 4 years, other teams will be wanting Beno for $Ms, and/or Spurs will be using him in a trade for big 3 or 5.

[Brodels]

"I would never trade Beno"

I figure Beno last year with Spurs will be 05/06 (assuming what we see now isn't all that he'll every be), as Beno will not want to be backup PG for 4 years, other teams will be wanting Beno for $Ms, and/or Spurs will be using him in a trade for big 3 or 5.

Maybe, maybe not.

He's played well, but he hasn't exactly proven that he's capable of running a team night in and night out and playing 38 minutes per game. He very well may, but it's too early to determine exactly what he is going to turn into.

Good backup point guards are important. The Spurs learned that last season. And if NVE, Bobby Jackson, and a host of other good point guards could thrive in a reserve roll, so could Beno. Don't forget that Pop intended to sign Kidd and possibly play him alongside Tony. A Parker-Beno backcourt woud be small, but it could happen for stretches at a time as it already is happening sometimes now.

If Beno continues to improve, Pop will find minutes for him. Beno may want to start elsewhere eventually, but he could be a Spur for four years and he might be content to be a backup while he's learning the NBA game.

[bigzak25]

the last thing this team should do is trade any of the shooters....i.e. barry, beno, or brown.

will chandler significantly help vs. amare, kg, and say...rasheed? cuz he'll get owned by shaq won't he.....if it was to come to that....rasho can at least keep shaq's big ass outa the paint a little better....if he can make it down the floor in time....

[Useruser666]

the last thing this team should do is trade any of the shooters....i.e. barry, beno, or brown.

will chandler significantly help vs. amare, kg, and say...rasheed? cuz he'll get owned by shaq won't he.....if it was to come to that....rasho can at least keep shaq's big ass outa the paint a little better....if he can make it down the floor in time....

Chandler and rasho have the same number of fouls to take right?

[Brodels]

the last thing this team should do is trade any of the shooters....i.e. barry, beno, or brown.

will chandler significantly help vs. amare, kg, and say...rasheed? cuz he'll get owned by shaq won't he.....if it was to come to that....rasho can at least keep shaq's big ass outa the paint a little better....if he can make it down the floor in time....

If the Spurs don't replace Rasho or light a fire under his ass they won't have to worry about facing Shaq in the playoffs.

I agree that the Spurs would be well served to hold on to their shooters, but I don't agree that Rasho would do a better job against big centers than a Duncan-Chandler combo could. Rasho hasn't exactly done a supurb job against Shaq in the past.

If you can get more athletic without losing much size, you do it in today's NBA. I'm not completely sold on Chandler because of his history of being injured, but the thought is certainly intriguing and he's probably worth a chance.

What exactly would the Spurs lose?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Malik Rose
Rights to Scola
First round draft pick

[Sec24Row7]

I would trade Rasho and the rights to Scola for a Comparable big man to Rasho that could score around the basket off tips and dunks.

I see Chris Mihm play and it makes me cry. Wish we had him instead.

[Brodels]

I would trade Rasho and the rights to Scola for a Comparable big man to Rasho that could score around the basket off tips and dunks.

I see Chris Mihm play and it makes me cry. Wish we had him instead.

I'd move Rasho and Scola for the right big man, but Mihm would not be on my list.

[ChumpDumper]

Interesting that TC is still coming off the bench in A Davis' absence.