• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Sports
    • Baseball Not By The Numbers
    • Chicago Bears
    • Chicago Cubs
    • Chicago White Sox
  • Entertainment
    • Booth Reviews – About Us
    • Booth Reviews – Our Ratings
  • Home Improvement USA Radio
  • About Us
    • Business Services
    • Paid Content Guidelines
    • Hoops, Hops, and Hopes: 1982 in Chapel Hill
    • Email Sign Ups
SRN Broadcasting

SRN Broadcasting

Sports, Talk Radio, and more

You are here: Home / Sports / NBA / Bulls Welcome Mirotic and Gasol (Full Audio)

Bulls Welcome Mirotic and Gasol (Full Audio)

July 19, 2014 by SRN

Gasol

The Chicago Bulls came into this summer’s blockbuster free agency period with one big target on their minds, unfortunately for them, they came away with a “Plan B operation.” While it was disappointing not to land one of the most proficient scorers of the past decade, it may go down as the best alternate plan in Chicago basketball history.

The Bulls challenged Carmelo Anthony to turn down more money than most of us will ever see in our lives for the opportunity to contend for a championship with a former MVP, the 2013-14 Defensive Player of the Year, and a top five head coach. New York Knicks president Phil Jackson challenged Anthony to return to New York where he will play on a brutal team, BUT, with a nice fat paycheck coming his way.

Most realistic fans and analysts knew the chances of Anthony coming to Chicago were slim, however some thought maybe, just maybe, there was a possibility Melo wanted to silence his critics who say, “he will never be the best player on a championship team.”
However, it was not meant to be, and Anthony returned to the Knicks with a five-year, $124 million deal, which left Bulls fans wondering why [the Bulls] aren’t able to land the big free agents.

A valid question when you consider the front office’s failures throughout the last decade to lure top free agents to Chicago, instead settling for consolation prizes such as Eddie Robinson, Ron Mercer, and most recently Carlos Boozer.

So, with Melo following the money back to New York, what would the Bulls do next? What was their plan B? In the time it took for Anthony to make his decision most of the smaller fish free agents were already scooped up.

The Bulls decided to move on to their alternate plan, which included the 34-year old, 7-foot Spanish Forward, Pau Gasol. Gasol, a four time All-Star, had spent the last 6 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and won two championships with the team, while also becoming one of Kobe Bryant’s all-time favorite teammates. Rumors of mutual interest between him and the Bulls had been swirling for about five years.

On Friday, the Bulls officially welcomed Gasol to Chicago with a press conference where he discussed how excited he is to compete for a championship in the new look Eastern Conference.

“It was a gut feeling. I thought Chicago was going to be the best fit for me,” said Gasol. “It’s a great challenge, but I’m driven by challenge. I look forward to it.”

While it was a solid pickup for the Bulls, would it be enough to make them the favorites in the new look East?

The Bulls, even without former MVP Derrick Rose, managed to win 48 games and make the playoffs for a sixth straight season last year. However, they once again struggled to find scoring at the end of games which was made loud and clear in their playoff series loss in 5 games to the Washington Wizards.

The good news for Bulls fans is that Gasol is an upgrade over Carlos Boozer. When the Bulls signed Boozer away from the Utah Jazz they had expected him to be a force, executing the pick-and-roll with Rose, much like he had been in Utah with then Jazz point guard, Derron Williams, running the show. The problem with that was Boozer had gotten older, lost a step, and instead settled for 16-18 foot jumpers.

With Gasol, the Bulls will not have to worry about finishing at the rim. Gasol is 3-inches taller, so he will be able to finish against bigger and stronger defenders, something Boozer struggled to do in Chicago. Gasol can also knock down mid-range jumpers and is able to keep defenders honest.

The Bulls are also excited about Gasol’s passing game. While Boozer and Bulls’ center Joakim Noah worked well together down low, Boozer averaged 2.9 assists per 100 possesions, Gasol averaged 5.2 and has not dipped below 3.0 since the 2003-04 season.

So, why were so many fans upset? Well, first of all Gasol is not really a guy who can create his own shot, and he is not going to average 28 points per game, even in his prime that would be unrealistic. Gasol is also 34 years old, and is coming off a season in which he battled foot injuries throughout the year. Also, while Gasol is a force defending under the rim (1,1484 career blocks), you would still figure it would be Taj Gibson and Noah closing out games at the 4 and 5, because they are tremendous defenders and work well together as rim protectors. But, the players who start and finish the game are the least of the veteran’s worries.

“I don’t know how it’s going to unfold,” Gasol said, “you know, who will be the starter, who’s finishing? Maybe we change as we go. We’re going to see once we get everyone out there together. We’re always going to do what’s best for the team.”

Bulls head coach, Tom Thibodeau, was not ready to discuss minutes just yet either. “It should be good,” Thibodeau said. “Pau is conflicted. One minute he wants short minutes, one minute he wants long minutes. We’ll find the right amount.”

The Bulls did not find their shot creator, so instead they have attempted to build a team similar to this seasons NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs beat the Miami Heat and LeBron James without having a “Melo” type player. They won with floor spacing, ball movement, and surrounding point guard, Tony Parker, with great three-point shooters.

With a healthy Derrick Rose playing the part of Parker, the possible return of sharp-shooter Mike Dunleavy, (at this time he is still with the team), second-year player Tony Snell, (who struggled at times last season, but has been looking improved in summer league), and the rookie, Doug McDermott, the Bulls hope to be a mirror image of last years Spurs team and improve on last seasons .348 three-point shooting percentage which was the worst in the league.

To add to the lineup they have been preparing, the Bulls also introduced European star, Nikola Mirotic, on Friday. Mirotic, (who was acquired by the team in a draft-day deal in 2011 from the Houston Rockets), signed a three-year, $18 million deal to play with the Bulls. Since it has been three years since he has been drafted, he does not have any obligations to a rookie contract.

While it is unclear how long it will take for Mirotic to pick up the NBA game and earn Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeaus trust, Bulls management is very confident in his ability to space the floor and knock down shots from the perimeter as a “stretch four”. On Friday, Thibodeau acknowledged Mirotic as being a real fit for the Bulls.

“He’s a big who is extremely skilled,” Thibodeau said. “He’s a spacing 4 who shoots the 3 very well. He’s versatile in that he can play inside or outside. He has a high basketball IQ and a good motor.” Last season, Mirotic shot 50.8% from the field and 46.1% from three-point range in 31 games with Real Madrid of the Lega ACB last season.

The Bulls offseason may not have gone exactly the way their managment and fans had hoped, but the team will still begin the 2014-2015 campaign as one of the favorites to come out of the East. While the Bulls will be much improved this season it will all come down to Derrick Rose staying healthy, and if he stay healthy throughout the season and be prepared for the playoffs, the Bulls will go as far as he will take them.

Full Audio from Fridays Press Confrence

http://internetfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Mirotic-presser.mp3 http://internetfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Gasol-presser.mp3
http://internetfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Mirotic-presser.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: NBA, Sports, Uncategorized Tagged With: Carlos Boozer, Carmelo Anthony, Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose, Doug McDermott, Gar Foreman, Joakim Noah, Kobe Bryant, Nikola Mirotic, Pau Gasol, Phil Jackson, Taj Gibson, Tom Thibodeau, Tony Snell

Primary Sidebar

Hoops, Hops, and Hopes: 1982 in Chapel Hill

A narrative memoir by Steven Leventhal - coming soon. Sign up for the mailing list to get updates. I am working feverishly on my forthcoming memoir. This is the story of a pivotal year in my life. I had a front seat for one of the most … Read more about Hoops, Hops, and Hopes: 1982 in Chapel Hill

Our Radio Partner

Acid Flashback Radio logo

Featured Story

Meet Spencer West – Incredible and Inspiring!

In October 2019, at the Ensemble Travel conference in Seattle, I got to hear and talk to one of the most incredible individuals I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. The theme of the annual travel agent convention was "Travel With Purpose." Spencer West lost his legs below his pelvis at age … [Read More...] about Meet Spencer West – Incredible and Inspiring!

The Hunt for Venture Capital – Our First Success

It really isn’t a stretch to use the well worn Grateful Dead quote, “What a long strange trip it’s been.” Two years ago Eric Leventhal and I stood up in front of a group of entrepreneurs, investors, and other invited guests as part of a pitch contest at the Chicago chapter of StartUp Grind. It […]

Entertaiment

Jordan and Nike

The story of how Michael Jordan and Nike changed the shoe business has been turned into a Hollywood film. Here’s the real story, culled from Michael Jordan:The Life, by Roland Lazenby, one of the best biographies ever written about Jordan. Sonny Vaccaro and his college roommate started the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic in the early […]

Home Improvement

Home Improvement USA – July 2021

with David Rusch and Steve Leventhal On the July 2021 edition of the Home Improvement USA program, Dave and Steve discuss reasons, other than investment purposes, to buy a home instead of renting a … [Read More...] about Home Improvement USA – July 2021

Footer

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Information
  • Our Core Values
  • Privacy
  • Business Services
  • Email Sign Ups
  • Paid Content Guidelines

Archives

  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • November 2022
  • September 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • December 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in