Posts tagged ‘Thabo Sefolosha’

Only three games in, and the D-League-ian principals behind the Bulls starting rotation are beginning to drive me crazy.  Thabo Sefolosha looks terrible.  Based on his appalling play during the preseason, one would expect to see Thabo sitting far down the bench donning some unfortunate suit.  How did this guy get an upgrade to starter?

A Bulls fan would hope that young Thabo might take advantage this opportunity and prove his doubters wrong.  Unfortunately, 4.5 points per game isn’t going to sway many voters.

The rationalization most often provided for this irrational decision is “player development.”  Are the Bulls gearing up for a show down with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants?  Must the team develop their players on National television versus the defending champs?  It’s embarrassing!  Shouldn’t they take care of player development during training camp, practice, or, if all else fails, in the Development League?

The most effective way for the Bulls to improve their players would be to create a competitive environment.  It should be reinforced that playing time is a scarce commodity and everyone must compete for their share of the minutes.  Thabo certainly hasn’t earned his.

Rewarding poor play with a coveted starting spot is a very dangerous precedent to set.  After all, just remember, unless he succumbs to a Tanya Harding-like assault (fingers-crossed), Larry Hughes is expected to return from injury in only a week or so . . . 

It has been almost a week since KG uncontrollably roared like an “I Am Legend” alpha male zombie into Michele Tafoya’s post-game microphone. The Boston Celtics capped an historic turnaround season by hoisting the trophy. They shattered the NBA record for best single-season turnaround, catapulting from 24 wins one year to 66 wins the next, a 42-game swing.

So, am I, a die-hard fan of a pathetic Bulls team that won 16 FEWER games than the season prior, a bit envious of the Celtic’s historic rise? No. Actually, just the opposite…I’m relieved NOT to be a part of it! You see, it is no mystery how the Celts elevated from forgotten bottom-dweller to SportsCenter darling…they bought it.

Alright, maybe technically-speaking they didn’t “buy it,” but it certainly feels that way. Garnett and Allen, two-thirds of the “Big Three,” were added this season via Blockbuster Trade and P.J. Brown, Sam Cassell, Eddie House, and James Posey were all signed this season for this specific title run. Sure, you can defend the acquisitions by crediting Danny Ainge as a masterful GM, but that is the same logic New Yorkers use to defend the world series rings purchased by the free-spending Yankees.

Call me crazy, old-fashioned, or naïve, but I’m glad Paxson did not sell our homegrown players for all-stars like K.G., Kobe, or Gasol. Doing so would be pretty much equivalent to Rhys Ifans, the potbellied, snaggle-toothed Welsh actor, undergoing full-body cosmetic surgery in a quest to knock Matt Damon off the “People’s Sexiest Man” throne. (Ifans is pictured here prancing around half-naked in the film Notting Hill. Unsightly.)

You see, as diehard Bulls fans, we don’t merely root for red jerseys; we become invested in and cheer for the players themselves. I’m proud that Deng, Noah, Hinrich, Gordon, Thabo, Nocioni, and (soon) Rose are all homegrown drafted Bulls. They may need a tuck or a lift here and there, but definitely not an extreme makeover. Eventually, when they win their title, Bulls fans will find it infinitely sweeter and more rewarding because we will have watched them grow and persevered with them through the most trying of times.

After all, that Welsh actor, he opted NOT to “purchase” George Clooney-like looks…and now he’s dating Sienna Miller! There is hope Bulls fans.