Sizing it up: Noah's a big step
Let's start with a little trivia: Since taking the reins as Bulls operations chief a little more than four years ago, John Paxson has chosen Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, Thabo Sefolosha and Joakim Noah in the first round of the NBA draft.
Here's the question: With the exception of Sefolosha, what do all the other players have in common?
All have played in the Final Four of the NCAA tournament.
In an era when NBA general managers sometimes fall in love with potential, Paxson has opted for players with a proven track record of success. Anyone surprised by the Bulls' selection of Florida's Joakim Noah with the ninth pick of the draft Thursday night obviously hasn't been paying attention the last few years.
''I think you can see a trend here,'' Bulls coach Scott Skiles said. ''Nothing against any other player, but we like the guys that play in winning programs and have great coaches. It's appealing, and so far we feel like it's working for us and we're moving in the right direction.''
Joakim Noah might not have compiled the statistics of some of the other draftees during the Paxson era -- he averaged just 12 points last season -- but he trumps everyone when it comes to championship rings. The Gators have won the last two national championships in college basketball, and Joakim Noah has played a large role in both titles.
''Joakim is a proven winner, and the guy plays hard every night,'' Paxson said. ''We think he fits perfectly with us. Right now, we feel we got one of the best 7-footers out there, and he'll bring a dimension we don't have.
''As time goes on, I'm going to have to address some of the [other] needs.''
The draft was just the first step in an offseason in which Paxson hopes to transform the Bulls from a team on the cusp of contending to a legitimate contender for at least the Eastern Conference title.
Although the addition of Joakim Noah improves the team's size and front-court athleticism, the primary need remains a big man capable of providing some low-post scoring. Because the Bulls are over the salary cap, Paxson would prefer to use the team's mid-level exception (about $5.5 million) to sign a free agent. The free-agent season starts today, but the problem is there are slim pickings among the unrestricted free-agent big men available this summer.
Free agents lack punch
The best of the lot are Dale Davis of the Detroit Pistons, Chris Mihm of the Los Angeles Lakers (who missed all of last season with an injury), Vitaly Potapenko of the
Sacramento Kings and Melvin Ely of the San Antonio Spurs. None would provide much of a scoring punch.
Sadly, the best low-post scorer among the unrestricted free agents is P.J. Brown of the Bulls, who still hasn't decided whether he wants to return for a 15th NBA season.
''I've talked to Mark Bartlestein, who is P.J.'s representative, several times, and I'll be on the phone with Mark [today] and see where his mind is at,'' Paxson said. ''Mark had told me he's still not sure what he wants to do going towards next year. We'll address that at the right time.''
The list of restricted free agents is only a little better, with Darko Milicic of the Orlando Magic, Anderson Varejao of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Fabricio Oberto of the Spurs being the best of the bunch. Milicic is the best scorer among that group, but the only way the Bulls could acquire him probably would be via a sign-and-trade deal.
Paxson, though, is optimistic he can find a big man, either via free agency or a trade.
''We're adding talent to our roster, and we have a lot of really good talent on our team, so you never know what can happen,'' he said. ''Boston made a deal [on draft night] where they had some pieces that another team liked for a veteran. Something along those lines, if we keep grinding this thing out, could very well happen for us, and maybe that's the next step that gets us further.
''I just can't afford to get too short-minded in terms of our thinking. But I think we added one of the best players in the draft at the ninth pick. He's going to bring it every night.''
While most fans and media have been focused on finding a scorer, adding size was just as important to the Bulls' fortunes. Brown was the team's tallest player last season at 6-11. Malik Allen was the next biggest at 6-10 (although he plays much smaller.) It's remarkable how 6-7½ Ben Wallace can match up with 7-footers on a nightly basis, but sometimes size does matter and you just need a bigger body.
Gray worth watching, too
That's why the Bulls continued to go big with the first of their two second-round picks by grabbing Aaron Gray of Pittsburgh, a solid defender and rebounder with excellent size (7-feet, 270 pounds).
''Here's the thing about Aaron Gray: He is a big, thick 7-footer,'' Paxson said. ''He played at a great program at Pittsburgh. He's not going to knock you out with athleticism or anything like that, but the kid knows how to play.''
With the team's other second-round pick, Paxson grabbed Oklahoma State's JamesOn Curry, a 6-3 combo guard whom both Paxson and Skiles fell in love with during his workout. Curry originally was headed to North Carolina, but his scholarship offer was rescinded when he pled guilty to six felony counts in April 2004 for selling marijuana to an undercover police offer.
''He had his issues; I had mine,'' Skiles said. ''I understand that young kids can make mistakes. You hope it's not habitual, and people deserve second chances. He's a heck of a talent, and he deserves a look.''
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