2008 Woodie Awards
Cono's Corner: Bulls look ahead to a new era
Steve Conoscenti
Issue date: 3/19/06 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 2 next >
I grew up in the Michael Jordan era. Unfortunately, I grew up on the wrong end of it.
I spent most of my childhood and early teenage days watching the Knicks, praying that "this would be the year" we finally took out Jordan and the Bulls. Every year, I ended up disappointed. Then finally #23 retired and I was in my glory. It was finally our turn. But of course, he just had to come back and crush my dreams one more time. It wasn't until he left for another team that I was happy.
The Bulls were finally worse than the Knicks. Granted, the Knicks weren't a top team at the time either, but all I cared was that the Bulls were failing. Miserably. I got to watch as they traded away Elton Brand for two high school big men who hadn't proved a thing. I watched them trade away one of the league's current best defenders for Jalen Rose and Travis Best. Now it was me who got to make fun of my friends, the few who actually didn't jump ship after Jordan left Chicago.
Right now, somewhere out there, all of those friends are laughing at me.
It hasn't been pretty and it might not ever be as pretty as it once was, but the Chicago Bulls have put themselves in perfect position to be an elite team in the Eastern Conference, yet again. They have it all: veteran experience, a bright future, good salary cap management, a good coaching staff and a man with a plan sitting in the front office.
Let's start from the top and work our way down. GM John Paxson has probably had busier summers these past two years than any other GM. In consecutive summers he's made trades in which he's given up the best player for nothing more than mediocre players and draft picks in return. First Jamal Crawford, then Eddy Curry: two guys that one man coveted, so Paxson took advantage.
In the summer of 2004, Paxson traded Jamal Crawford to the Knicks in exchange for nothing more than the expiring contracts of Dikembe Mutombo, Othella Harrington and Cezary Trybanski. Hardly what you would call a plausible deal. But Paxson thought otherwise. A lot of people didn't agree but that didn't faze him. After all, they had just brought Ben Gordon on board, but we'll get to youth in a bit.
I spent most of my childhood and early teenage days watching the Knicks, praying that "this would be the year" we finally took out Jordan and the Bulls. Every year, I ended up disappointed. Then finally #23 retired and I was in my glory. It was finally our turn. But of course, he just had to come back and crush my dreams one more time. It wasn't until he left for another team that I was happy.
The Bulls were finally worse than the Knicks. Granted, the Knicks weren't a top team at the time either, but all I cared was that the Bulls were failing. Miserably. I got to watch as they traded away Elton Brand for two high school big men who hadn't proved a thing. I watched them trade away one of the league's current best defenders for Jalen Rose and Travis Best. Now it was me who got to make fun of my friends, the few who actually didn't jump ship after Jordan left Chicago.
Right now, somewhere out there, all of those friends are laughing at me.
It hasn't been pretty and it might not ever be as pretty as it once was, but the Chicago Bulls have put themselves in perfect position to be an elite team in the Eastern Conference, yet again. They have it all: veteran experience, a bright future, good salary cap management, a good coaching staff and a man with a plan sitting in the front office.
Let's start from the top and work our way down. GM John Paxson has probably had busier summers these past two years than any other GM. In consecutive summers he's made trades in which he's given up the best player for nothing more than mediocre players and draft picks in return. First Jamal Crawford, then Eddy Curry: two guys that one man coveted, so Paxson took advantage.
In the summer of 2004, Paxson traded Jamal Crawford to the Knicks in exchange for nothing more than the expiring contracts of Dikembe Mutombo, Othella Harrington and Cezary Trybanski. Hardly what you would call a plausible deal. But Paxson thought otherwise. A lot of people didn't agree but that didn't faze him. After all, they had just brought Ben Gordon on board, but we'll get to youth in a bit.