Showing posts with label Kirk Hinrich. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kirk Hinrich. Show all posts
Chicago Bulls Captain’s for this season
The Chicago Bulls recently decided their captain’s for this season. They selected Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Lindsey Hunter. The players selected whom they wanted as captains. This is how the Bulls have done it for several seasons now. Kirk Hinrich has been a captain for a few years now and makes sense. In the past he was a starter though. Now he is a role player and comes off the bench. A bench player can be a captain though. This is Luol Deng’s second year as a captain I think and he was injured most of last year. He is the only captain that is a starter. I find the third captain interesting. Lindsey Hunter has been in the league for 17 years, but at this point in his career he rarely plays. He is on the roster to mentor Rose, but he will only play if we have some injuries to the backcourt, and even then it will probably only be a few minutes. I would have liked to see Brad Miller as a captain. He is a veteran who is supposed to get along with everyone very well and be the glue for keeping the clubhouse loose. I am not a player to decide though….oh well.
A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….The Bench
I have just looked at most of the Chicago Bulls players. When I looked at each player I talked about their role on the team. Now I am going to talk about the Bench, and more specifically the back-up for each position. I will not be going into every bench player. When I talk about the second unit I am referencing: Kirk Hinrich, Brad Miller, Jannero Pargo, James Johnson, and Taj Gibson. These are the five back-up’s and their respective positions. Players are interchangeable to play other positions if someone else is not performing, injured, or in foul trouble.
Kirk Hinrich and Brad Miller are the only two dependable consistent players the Bulls have off the bench. They are both veterans who know how to play the game and the Bulls will be relying on them to come off the bench and provide a spark. For Kirk Hinrich that will mean to come in and knock down some shots while playing with Derrick Rose, or handling the ball and giving Derrick Rose a break. He will be the primary back-up for both guard spots. Brad Miller will be backing up Power Forward and Center. He will need to come in and shoot. The staring Power Forward and Center are not shooter’s or proven yet in the case of the streaky Tryus Thomas. Thus it will be crucial that Miller can provide some offense at these two sports, because most of the Bulls big men are defensive oriented players. Hinrich and Miller will have to carry the Bulls second unit while the regulars get a rest.
The Bulls have veteran journeyman in Jannero Pargo. Pargo is a proven shooter and can score in a hurry, but as we learned in his first tour of duty with the Bulls he is very streaky. Some night he will come off the bench and look like Ben Gordon, but the other half he may have trouble getting in rhythm. He will give the Bulls an offensive option off the bench, but is not a proven or dependable player. I like Pargo and think he is a good pick up for the Bulls for his price tag, but it will be interesting to see how he fits in and is used.
The last two players who will be relied heavily on are the rookies James Johnson and Taj Gibson. James Johnson is supposed to be a good offensive player who can run the floor and knock down shots. From the tape I have seen on him he seems to run the floor well, but I think it will take him some time to develop his shot and become the important six men we need from him offensively off the bench. Taj Gibson is a defensive player which may provide some defensive energy off the bench, but the Bulls roster seems to be stacked with those types of players. I don’t see him getting much playing time and doing much as a Bull this season. Thus, it will be up to Hinrich and Miller to keep the game close when the starters are resting and James Johnson and Pargo will need to step it up and define their role with the team.
Kirk Hinrich and Brad Miller are the only two dependable consistent players the Bulls have off the bench. They are both veterans who know how to play the game and the Bulls will be relying on them to come off the bench and provide a spark. For Kirk Hinrich that will mean to come in and knock down some shots while playing with Derrick Rose, or handling the ball and giving Derrick Rose a break. He will be the primary back-up for both guard spots. Brad Miller will be backing up Power Forward and Center. He will need to come in and shoot. The staring Power Forward and Center are not shooter’s or proven yet in the case of the streaky Tryus Thomas. Thus it will be crucial that Miller can provide some offense at these two sports, because most of the Bulls big men are defensive oriented players. Hinrich and Miller will have to carry the Bulls second unit while the regulars get a rest.
The Bulls have veteran journeyman in Jannero Pargo. Pargo is a proven shooter and can score in a hurry, but as we learned in his first tour of duty with the Bulls he is very streaky. Some night he will come off the bench and look like Ben Gordon, but the other half he may have trouble getting in rhythm. He will give the Bulls an offensive option off the bench, but is not a proven or dependable player. I like Pargo and think he is a good pick up for the Bulls for his price tag, but it will be interesting to see how he fits in and is used.
The last two players who will be relied heavily on are the rookies James Johnson and Taj Gibson. James Johnson is supposed to be a good offensive player who can run the floor and knock down shots. From the tape I have seen on him he seems to run the floor well, but I think it will take him some time to develop his shot and become the important six men we need from him offensively off the bench. Taj Gibson is a defensive player which may provide some defensive energy off the bench, but the Bulls roster seems to be stacked with those types of players. I don’t see him getting much playing time and doing much as a Bull this season. Thus, it will be up to Hinrich and Miller to keep the game close when the starters are resting and James Johnson and Pargo will need to step it up and define their role with the team.
A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009………. Kirk Hinrich
Kirk Hinrich was drafted in 2003 by the Chicago Bulls with the 7th pick overall. He went in possibly one of the best draft classes ever with Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade being drafted ahead of him. After him several good players went including T. J. Ford, Mickaël Piétrus, Luke Ridnour, David West, Boris Diaw, and Josh Howard. Josh Howard and David West are bigger guys that the Bulls might have been attracted to if they weren’t in a market for a point guard. A few months before the draft the Bulls second overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft Jay Wiilliams, was injured in a motorcycle accident. Jay Wiilliams was supposed to be our point guard of the future, but after his accident where they didn’t know if he would ever walk again, they drafted Kirk Hinrich. Jay Wiilliams can walk now and tried to make a comeback in 2006 and was signed by the New Jersey Nets, but released before contracts are guaranteed. Back to Kirk Hinrich……..
I remember the pre-season for the 2003-2004 season. I was watching a game and remember this little white guy running up and down the court who looked winded and 2 steps behind everyone else. When I found out that he was Kirk Hinrich, our first round pick who was drafted 7th overall. Later I found out he had a viral infection that took him months to recover from. After the season started and he recovered from the viral infection he looked much better. He solidified his position as the starting point guard pretty quickly and was named to the NBA's 2004 All-Rookie first team. He held the distinction for being the only rookie during that season to record a triple-double, with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists versus the Golden State Warriors on February 28, 2004. Hinrich has gone on to have a good career with the Bulls. He has career averages of 13.9 points per game, 6.1 assists per game, 3.4 rebounds per game, and 1.3 steals per game.
In the 2006-2007 season Hinrich averaged 16.6 PPG, 6.3 APG, and looked to be the Bulls point guard of the future and one of the cornerstones to build around. Then Hinrich took a step back during the 2007-2008 season and the Bulls drafted a true dynamic point guard in Derrick Rose. This pushed Hinrich to the bench which he accepted and the captain of the team never complained. Hinrich got injured last year, but when he came back he gave the team a big lift. His assist were down at a career low, but hopefully him and Rose can learn to play together and Hinrich and Rose could be a deadly combination. This is because both handle the ball very well and they both can shoot. Last season with the Bulls pushing to make a playoff run Rose coach Vinny Del Negro played Rose a lot playing him most of the game. Because of this at times Rose did look tired. This is why the Bulls need to play Hinrich more backing up Rose because he is more than capable. This way Rose will stay fresh and be ready when we need him. Many people seem to think Hinrich is a back-up and bench player, but I think he is still very good and should be a starter on most teams in the NBA.
I remember the pre-season for the 2003-2004 season. I was watching a game and remember this little white guy running up and down the court who looked winded and 2 steps behind everyone else. When I found out that he was Kirk Hinrich, our first round pick who was drafted 7th overall. Later I found out he had a viral infection that took him months to recover from. After the season started and he recovered from the viral infection he looked much better. He solidified his position as the starting point guard pretty quickly and was named to the NBA's 2004 All-Rookie first team. He held the distinction for being the only rookie during that season to record a triple-double, with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists versus the Golden State Warriors on February 28, 2004. Hinrich has gone on to have a good career with the Bulls. He has career averages of 13.9 points per game, 6.1 assists per game, 3.4 rebounds per game, and 1.3 steals per game.
In the 2006-2007 season Hinrich averaged 16.6 PPG, 6.3 APG, and looked to be the Bulls point guard of the future and one of the cornerstones to build around. Then Hinrich took a step back during the 2007-2008 season and the Bulls drafted a true dynamic point guard in Derrick Rose. This pushed Hinrich to the bench which he accepted and the captain of the team never complained. Hinrich got injured last year, but when he came back he gave the team a big lift. His assist were down at a career low, but hopefully him and Rose can learn to play together and Hinrich and Rose could be a deadly combination. This is because both handle the ball very well and they both can shoot. Last season with the Bulls pushing to make a playoff run Rose coach Vinny Del Negro played Rose a lot playing him most of the game. Because of this at times Rose did look tired. This is why the Bulls need to play Hinrich more backing up Rose because he is more than capable. This way Rose will stay fresh and be ready when we need him. Many people seem to think Hinrich is a back-up and bench player, but I think he is still very good and should be a starter on most teams in the NBA.
A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Derrick Rose
The Chicago Bulls had a disappointing 2007-2008 season. It was the first time in a few years they missed the playoffs. Thus, they were expected to have a draft pick in the top 15. The Bulls hit the jack pot and with a 1.7% chance won the number one pick in the 2008 NBA draft. There was a lot of debate if the Bulls should draft Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose. Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose both came out of college after their freshman year. Beasley had a great freshman year and accomplished more than Rose did during his year at college. Rose had a great run during March madness and raise his stock. We have seen many players do very good during March madness and turned out to be over rated so far. Some of those players are Tryus Thomas, Glen Davis, among others. Thus, I didn’t want the Bulls to draft Rose because Beasley was better over the whole season and would fill the big hole the Bulls have for a big man who has double double potential. With the number one pick in the NBA draft the Bulls drafted Chicago native Derrick Rose. I am glad I was proven wrong pretty quickly.
Last year Derrick Rose had a great rookie season to win Rookie of the Year honors. He became the third Chicago Bull in history to win it with Michael Jordan (1985) and Elton Brand (2000). He averaged 16.8 points on 47.5% field goal shooting, 6.3 assists per game, and 3.9 rebounds per game. Rose showed last year he is a great distributor and can take the ball to the bucket at will. Last Year when Paxson was general manager he said that Derrick Rose is the future of the team and the Bulls are rebuilding around him. That is why the captain of the team, and one of their best players Kirk Hinrich was moved to the bench to make room for the sensation in Rose. The trades we saw made during last season were to find players to complement the game of Derrick Rose. After this upcoming season the Bulls will have salary cap room to make some changes and bring in a big guy for Rose to feed the ball inside too. Rose is young and should keep developing and there is no limits to where he can take the Bulls!
Last year Derrick Rose had a great rookie season to win Rookie of the Year honors. He became the third Chicago Bull in history to win it with Michael Jordan (1985) and Elton Brand (2000). He averaged 16.8 points on 47.5% field goal shooting, 6.3 assists per game, and 3.9 rebounds per game. Rose showed last year he is a great distributor and can take the ball to the bucket at will. Last Year when Paxson was general manager he said that Derrick Rose is the future of the team and the Bulls are rebuilding around him. That is why the captain of the team, and one of their best players Kirk Hinrich was moved to the bench to make room for the sensation in Rose. The trades we saw made during last season were to find players to complement the game of Derrick Rose. After this upcoming season the Bulls will have salary cap room to make some changes and bring in a big guy for Rose to feed the ball inside too. Rose is young and should keep developing and there is no limits to where he can take the Bulls!
A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Point Guard
The Bulls have three point guards on the roster in starter Derrick Rose, back-up Kirk Hinrich, and veteran Lindsey Hunter who is more of a mentor to Derrick Rose than player at this stage of his career. Derrick Rose and Kirk Hinrich will mainly be the only players handling the ball and distributing it. We will probably only see Lindsey Hunter come in at point guard for a few minutes a game unless Rose or Hinrich are injured or in foul trouble. The Bulls also have Jannero Pargo who can handle the ball, but will be used as a shooting guard. If any of the three point guards get injured or two of them get in foul trouble in the same game then we would see Pargo handle the ball. Pargo is a small guard who can handle the ball well, but it a shoot first pass second player like Ben Gordon was. We brought Pargo back to be a back-up shooting guard, but he gives us a little extra flexibility if needed at point guard.
The Bulls should be in very good shape at point guard. We have a young guard in Derrick Rose who is still developing and will hopefully continue to blossom during his second season. In my opinion, Kirk Hinrich is a starting point guard, and would be starting on most teams. With Hinrich around we should be able to keep Rose fresh and not have to play him most of the game like we did last year when Hinrich was injured. I like the Bulls bench a lot, especially compared to many teams and this is because of Kirk Hinrich who will be the best player off the bench. It will be interesting if Hinrich and Rose will even play a little bit together. I think that could be an interesting combination for a few minutes during a game. This will depend on the other bench players though in Pargo and Johnson to give Vinny Del Negro that option.
The Bulls should be in very good shape at point guard. We have a young guard in Derrick Rose who is still developing and will hopefully continue to blossom during his second season. In my opinion, Kirk Hinrich is a starting point guard, and would be starting on most teams. With Hinrich around we should be able to keep Rose fresh and not have to play him most of the game like we did last year when Hinrich was injured. I like the Bulls bench a lot, especially compared to many teams and this is because of Kirk Hinrich who will be the best player off the bench. It will be interesting if Hinrich and Rose will even play a little bit together. I think that could be an interesting combination for a few minutes during a game. This will depend on the other bench players though in Pargo and Johnson to give Vinny Del Negro that option.
A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009………. Expected Depth Chart
Basketball will be starting soon with the season officially starting towards the end of October. Here is how the Bulls roster is shaping up after the off-season where they added James Johnson, Taj Gibson, Jannero Pargo, and brought back Lindsey Hunter for reasons I will never understand. Aaron Gray is still a free agent, but supposedly they are talking to him and want to bring him back. I guess we will see what happens.
Position Starters Back-up Reserves
Point Guard: Derrick Rose Kirk Hinrich Lindsey Hunter
Shooting Guard: John Salmons Jannero Pargo
Small Forward: Luol Deng James Johnson
Power Forward: Tyrus Thomas Taj Gibson Jerome James
Center: Joakim Noah Brad Miller Aaron Gray (FA)
Now that we have previewed the front office and coaching staff……on to the players! I was debating if I should look at the players by starters and then the bench or go by position. You will have to see what I decide.
Ben Gordon walks
NBA free agency started July 1st 2009. Ben Gordon left the Chicago Bulls for the Detroit Pistons. The Bulls kept saying they wanted to bring Ben Gordon back and were trying to resign him. Considering he agreed with the Pistons the first day he could, the Bulls never seemed in the running. I don’t know they said they wanted him back if they had no intention of actually bringing him back. The Bulls will either start John Salmons at shooting guard or start Kirk Hinrich. If Hinrich started then he would still be the primary back up point guard to Rose and Salmons would back up shooting guard and small forward. If Salmons started he would give us a bigger backcourt and then Hinrich would back up both guard spots. This is all a result of letting the former number three pick, Ben Gordon leave via free agency. Ben Gordon was a great shooter and an important part of the Bulls going as far as they did to 7 games against the Celtics in the playoffs this past season. The other players like Deng, Hinrich, Rose, Salmons and Tryus Thomas will have to step up their game for the offense were losing. The Bulls will not target any big names this offseason because they have less than 2 million dollars before they hit the luxury tax.
Preview for Bulls on NBA draft
Tomorrow is the 2009 NBA draft. The Chicago Bulls have two picks in the draft; both are in the first round. The Chicago Bulls currently have the 16th and 26th pick. The 16th pick was the Bulls original pick. They acquired the number 26 pick when they traded Thabo Sefolosha to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the first-round pick on February 19th. This 26th pick originally belonged to the Denver Nuggets.
This years draft is pretty thin. That is why many people including myself wonder if the Bulls will try to trade up for a better pick. There are a handful of players the Bulls are supposedly eyeing, many whom they may not be able to get with their 16th and 24th pick. It is hard to speculate who the Bulls may draft, because there are still many decisions the Bulls need to make this off season. Will they pick the best available player in their opinion or will they go after a need? They obviously have an idea on what direction they want to go this offseason, we the public just don’t know.
Here are a few of the players the Bulls are looking at:
Jeff Teague- He just finished his sophomore year at Wake Forest averaging 18.8 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. He is a good scorer who still is trying to establish himself as a point guard.
Eric Maynor-He averaged 22.4 points, 6.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game and is another point guard.
James Johnson- He averaged 15.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game last year. He is a swing man who should be able to play the two and three.
Wayne Ellington- He is another swing man who is supposedly one of the best pure shooters in the draft.
Gerald Henderson- He was a first team All-ACC and ACC All-Tournament team who can also play the two and three.
These are just a few players the Bulls seem to be targeting. It appears they are looking closely at point guards to back up Rose and shooters to back up the two and three. The Bulls should start Salmons with Deng next year so they also seem to be targeting a shooter to give them a break. Gerald Henderson seems so be high on the Bulls list. If he is there I expect them to take him.
This years draft is pretty thin. That is why many people including myself wonder if the Bulls will try to trade up for a better pick. There are a handful of players the Bulls are supposedly eyeing, many whom they may not be able to get with their 16th and 24th pick. It is hard to speculate who the Bulls may draft, because there are still many decisions the Bulls need to make this off season. Will they pick the best available player in their opinion or will they go after a need? They obviously have an idea on what direction they want to go this offseason, we the public just don’t know.
Here are a few of the players the Bulls are looking at:
Jeff Teague- He just finished his sophomore year at Wake Forest averaging 18.8 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. He is a good scorer who still is trying to establish himself as a point guard.
Eric Maynor-He averaged 22.4 points, 6.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game and is another point guard.
James Johnson- He averaged 15.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game last year. He is a swing man who should be able to play the two and three.
Wayne Ellington- He is another swing man who is supposedly one of the best pure shooters in the draft.
Gerald Henderson- He was a first team All-ACC and ACC All-Tournament team who can also play the two and three.
These are just a few players the Bulls seem to be targeting. It appears they are looking closely at point guards to back up Rose and shooters to back up the two and three. The Bulls should start Salmons with Deng next year so they also seem to be targeting a shooter to give them a break. Gerald Henderson seems so be high on the Bulls list. If he is there I expect them to take him.
Looking at the Bulls this Off-Season
The Chicago Bulls had a decent regular season and made the playoffs. There season was flat lining until John Paxson (former Gm) made a few moves in acquiring Brad Miller and John Salmons. These moves sparked the club to a strong finish. As we learned in the playoffs, the team needs more help.
The first issue the Bulls have is Ben Gordon being a free agent. I think Ben Gordon will be walking as a free agent. He hasn’t seemed happy as a Bull the past two years, and he will probably get the same or better offer from other teams where he won’t have to worry about playing time in a packed back court. The other question is will the Bulls trade Kirk Hinrich and his 10 million a year contract for another player at a position they need more, like front court help.
I am assuming Ben Gordon will leave as a free agent. This is how the Bulls roster appears to look next year at this time. The starting line up should be: Derrick Rose and John Salmons in the back court with Luol Deng at small forward with Tryus Thomas and Joakim Noah in the front court. Then we have Brad Miller and Kirk Hinrich (if he is not traded) coming off the bench. Thus, the Bulls will lack depth and need the players they acquire in the draft to be an impact player of the bench and start developing. I don’t think the Bulls should sign anyone to a multi year deal this offseason in order for them to save for the free agent class of 2010. The free agent class of 2010 will be much better than this year’s free agent class. With Ben Gordon is leaving they will have money to spend with a few players coming off the books.
The Bulls can go after a few different players to help the team kin the draft. If they keep both picks they may be able to acquire two decent role players. Next year should be a developing year for the Bulls and their young nucleus of Rose, Deng (not that young, but under contract for a few more years), Thomas, Noah, and the two young draft picks. If the Bulls trade Hinrich they could draft a back up point guard and a swing man for the two and three spots or they could draft a back up guard and a front court player.
The first issue the Bulls have is Ben Gordon being a free agent. I think Ben Gordon will be walking as a free agent. He hasn’t seemed happy as a Bull the past two years, and he will probably get the same or better offer from other teams where he won’t have to worry about playing time in a packed back court. The other question is will the Bulls trade Kirk Hinrich and his 10 million a year contract for another player at a position they need more, like front court help.
I am assuming Ben Gordon will leave as a free agent. This is how the Bulls roster appears to look next year at this time. The starting line up should be: Derrick Rose and John Salmons in the back court with Luol Deng at small forward with Tryus Thomas and Joakim Noah in the front court. Then we have Brad Miller and Kirk Hinrich (if he is not traded) coming off the bench. Thus, the Bulls will lack depth and need the players they acquire in the draft to be an impact player of the bench and start developing. I don’t think the Bulls should sign anyone to a multi year deal this offseason in order for them to save for the free agent class of 2010. The free agent class of 2010 will be much better than this year’s free agent class. With Ben Gordon is leaving they will have money to spend with a few players coming off the books.
The Bulls can go after a few different players to help the team kin the draft. If they keep both picks they may be able to acquire two decent role players. Next year should be a developing year for the Bulls and their young nucleus of Rose, Deng (not that young, but under contract for a few more years), Thomas, Noah, and the two young draft picks. If the Bulls trade Hinrich they could draft a back up point guard and a swing man for the two and three spots or they could draft a back up guard and a front court player.
