The OPTIMISTIC Everything 2017 Offseason Thread

[SkywalkerAC]

Cannot wait to see what Siakim can do off the bench this year.

[Rudy Bargnani]

As per his agent doesn't seem like the Grizz are interested in bringing back JaMychal Green. Apparently he has two offer sheets and two s/t scenarios on the table. Hasnt heard from the Grizz yet

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Another reason to be optimistic--at least we are not the grizzlies. 3 more seasons paying chandler parsons 23 mill a year.

[Chr1s1anL]

http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-bu...la-mirotic?amp



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[LJ2]

People assume that we've gotten worse, losing a few veterans (that we basically couldn't afford, though we would have made room for PJ). That completely disregards the internal development of our young players, some of whom looked ready for prime-time even last season.

You need vets to win at a good pace, but we've still got Kyle, Ibaka, DeMar, and others, and avenues to add more. However, I'm looking forward to seeing our young guys contribute and improve.

We are better at the moment than we were heading into the start of the 2016/2017 season with Pascal starting. If JV is still around we will have a great front court for the regular season and for at least one round of the playoffs. Ujiri still has time to address the issues we may face against another Cav's match up.

[Puffer]

We are better at the moment than we were heading into the start of the 2016/2017 season with Pascal starting. If JV is still around we will have a great front court for the regular season and for at least one round of the playoffs. Ujiri still has time to address the issues we may face against another Cav's match up.

JV is not optimum, but he would be more effective in a different style of play. I think it is possible to at least play to his strengths during the regular season. If he gets off to a better start, he may be worth more on the trade market. If he has a higher value = better return.

[Chr1s1anL]

I really want Nikola Mirotic on this team. Had an off year shooting but, he really came on to close out the season. Once Taj was traded and Niko got the starting spot. He went on to average 14 ppg, 7 rebs, 1.2 Ast, 0.8 stl, 0.8 blk, 47% FG, 44% 3FG in 28 mins 15 games.

It seems like the market has dried up a bit for Niko and I'm not too sure if he fits the direction the Bulls are going. Hopefully we can dump JV some where and we can offer him the full MLE. Hope that Chi-town doesn't match. I don't see why they would with Portis and thier rookie needing time to develop.

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[LJ2]

JV is not optimum, but he would be more effective in a different style of play. I think it is possible to at least play to his strengths during the regular season. If he gets off to a better start, he may be worth more on the trade market. If he has a higher value = better return.

Well that's the thing. A different style of play for JV to be effective in means a classic low post offence which the league is running away from like its the plague. JV putting up 20 and 10 every night in that sort of style isn't going to fool any GM's into thinking he has more value. If you want to improve his trade value then he has to show people he can be effective in an motion offence.

[Maury]

I really want Nikola Mirotic on this team. Had an off year shooting but, he really came on to close out the season. Once Taj was traded and Niko got the starting spot. He went on to average 14 ppg, 7 rebs, 1.2 Ast, 0.8 stl, 0.8 blk, 47% FG, 44% 3FG in 28 mins 15 games.

It seems like the market has dried up a bit for Niko and I'm not too sure if he fits the direction the Bulls are going. Hopefully we can dump JV some where and we can offer him the full MLE. Hope that Chi-town doesn't match. I don't see why they would with Portis and thier rookie needing time to develop.

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He's an absolutely atrocious defender and wildly inconsistent shooter, I think someone like CJ Miles would be a better signing.

[Chr1s1anL]

He's an absolutely atrocious defender and wildly inconsistent shooter, I think someone like CJ Miles would be a better signing.

He really isn't that bad defensively. His poor D has been over blown. Chicago was always a better team with him on the floor. With him and Butler on the floor Chicago had +12.4 net rating. I could see the same thing playing next to Lowry. 2pat was extremely inconsistent too but, people wanted him back. Mirotic is a way more skilled than 2pat as well.

When the Bulls traded Gibson, it opened up a spot for Mirotic to start and provide some floor spacing for the starting unit. That spacing helped the overall production (+1.8 net rating with Gibson starting and +8.2 with Mirotic), but with so many ball-dominant players already in that lineup, it relegated Mirotic to a spot-up shooter.

Defensively,*Mirotic has a reputation as an incapable defender, but that could not be further from the truth. According to Synergy, Mirotic ranks in the 95th percentile in half court defense, allowing only 0.769 points per possession. This matches my eye test. Mirotic has great awareness and knows how to position himself on defense to support the backside, help on drives and contest kick-outs. He is also a phenomenal pick-and-roll container, ranking in the 85th percentile. While he is made to look silly against the speediest point guards, he does the subtle*things right.

https://theathletic.com/59338/2017/0...ikola-mirotic/

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[3inthekeon]

He's an absolutely atrocious defender and wildly inconsistent shooter, I think someone like CJ Miles would be a better signing.

Miles is far better, but he should be beyond what we can afford, although the market this year may undervalue him.

And yeah, a 15 game sample is a poor way to judge a wildly inconsistent shoot like Mirotic. That 44% 3 pt shooting in that small sample couldn't even bring season percentage up up to 34%. However, his defence is actually pretty good for a stretch 4, similar to PPat.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

Since this is the optimism thread, let me shoot my shot.

- Isaiah Thomas will take issue with the Boston fans cheering for Hayward more than him (great white hope, next Larry Bird, etc) and cause dysfunction within the Celtics' ranks.

- All the young up and coming teams in the east will struggle to perform

- Raptors will take advantage of the weak east and win 65 games to finish with the league's best record.

- LeBron James will get injured in the 1st round of the playoffs after Kelly Olynyk decides to rip his arm out of its socket this time instead of Love. As a result the Raptors will beat the Cavaliers in the conference finals and advance to the NBA Finals

- Out west, Golden State will be worn down by the gauntlet with a grind-it-out series against the Wolves in the first round. The Warriors will win in 5 close games, and in the waning minutes of game 5, Andrew Wiggins will get into an altercation with Kevin Durant leading to both players coming to blows. Both will be suspended for the remainder of the playoffs. In his post-fight presser, Wiggins will say, "I did it for Toronto". In the second round the Warriors will struggle to get past OKC in 7 games, and with Westbrook constantly attacking Curry his fatigue continues to build. Finally, the Warriors defeat the Spurs also in 7, but at this point are extremely tired, weak and unable to play their best.

- The NBA finals arrive. Raptors are fresh after going 12-2 in the eastern conference playoffs. Warriors are 12-7, and have played a full 5 more games at a much higher compete level. Jurassic Park comes out in force, seeing the Raptors have a chance, but a 50 point game 1 from Stephen Curry leads to a Warriors win, and the Raptors go down 1-0. All the memes are out for Lowry who had a stinker 1-15 shooting night: "Fraud", "decompress", "fat Lowry". Lowry takes it all in and uses it to drop a combined 85 points in the next 2 games as the Raptors go up 2-1. The Warriors hold homecourt in game 4 to level the series but the Raptors take game 5. With the Warriors on the brink in game 6, the Raptors fail to harness their killer instinct and get blown out by 30 leading to a game 7...

- 10 seconds left in the 4th quarter of game 7. Raptors are down 2. The plan is to inbound the ball to Lowry, run a quick screen play with ibaka and look for the best shot. The Warriors trap Lowry so the Raptors are forced to give it to DeRozan. DeRozan tries to drive on Iguodala but he's stopped and forced to pick up his dribble 25 feet from the basket. DeRozan can't see anyone to pass to. 5 seconds. DeRozan pump fakes, but Iguodala doesn't bite. In pure desperation, DeRozan exerts all the force in his body off his back foot, and rises up in the air to shoot.... the ball hangs in the air for what seems like an eternity and then... swish. Raptors win! Raptors win! The Toronto Raptors are your 2018 NBA Champions.

We. The. North.

[Chr1s1anL]

Miles is far better, but he should be beyond what we can afford, although the market this year may undervalue him.

And yeah, a 15 game sample is a poor way to judge a wildly inconsistent shoot like Mirotic. That 44% 3 pt shooting in that small sample couldn't even bring season percentage up up to 34%. However, his defence is actually pretty good for a stretch 4, similar to PPat.

He shot 39% from 3 last year.

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[Hotshot]

I am optimistic that Siakam can become a Giannis-light. Siakam has got the length and creativity to be a difficult for other teams defence to handle in transition. In order to get to the next level , working on his shot is an absolute must.

having great hope for OG showing us why he was such a steal once recovered.

Also seeing DD hanging around Demarcus Cousins gives me hope that he is softly being recruited to the Raptors in the summer of 2018.

[tDotted]

He's an absolutely atrocious defender and wildly inconsistent shooter, I think someone like CJ Miles would be a better signing.

Miles would be a terrific signing

[KHD]

I am optimistic that Siakam can become a Giannis-light. Siakam has got the length and creativity to be a difficult for other teams defence to handle in transition. In order to get to the next level , working on his shot is an absolute must.

having great hope for OG showing us why he was such a steal once recovered.

Also seeing DD hanging around Demarcus Cousins gives me hope that he is softly being recruited to the Raptors in the summer of 2018.

that's an... interesting... comparison.