Bulls' tailspin didn't just happen; it was years in the making

Everyone is trying to figure out now how the Bulls have suddenly fallen so far, and how GM John Paxson could have been so out to lunch.

But the reality is, it wasn't so sudden.

On Jan. 13, 2005, four years ago Tuesday, it said here in this space that the Bulls ought to try to pry loose Kevin Garnett from Minnesota.

It was a longshot, the first mention of its kind, but the hunch was that with the Wolves only a game over .500 and with an ugly mix of veterans that Garnett might want out.

At the same time the Bulls were trying to decide whether to give Eddy Curry a monster extension, seemed destined to give Tyson Chandler his, and had a roster filled with talented, young players who offered great potential.

In the NBA, unlike some pro sports, you always take a bird in the hand - a superstar - over youth and promise if it means a chance to win quickly.

So our suggestion was Garnett for Curry and Chandler, plus whatever contracts the Wolves needed to make the money work, and perhaps a guard, of which the Bulls had many.

Or if Minnesota wanted one of the kids instead of Chandler, like Ben Gordon, who was on fire as a rookie, fine.

At the time, I was told by Bulls people that there's no way the Timberwolves would ever trade Garnett, and the Bulls would absolutely refuse to break up their young core, specifically Gordon, Andres Nocioni, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich.

And that's at the heart of where the Bulls went wrong.

Paxson did a good job stocking up on talent. Let's not forget he did that well and was the toast of the town.

But then he fell in love with his draft picks and young players, refused to deal from a position of strength, and now has to start over again.

The Bulls have Derrick Rose and that's about it, since there's no inside game, and Gordon seems destined to shoot every time he touches it on his way to free agency.

Most of the players from the "great young core,'' of Curry, Chandler, Chris Duhon, Andres Nocioni, Hinrich, Gordon and Deng, have either been sent away, are on their way out, or have underperformed.

This precipitous drop that has everyone scrambling to figure out what happened is neither precipitous nor difficult to understand.

The NBA today - and for the last 40 years, by the way - has been a league in which you need superstars. You don't pass on the chance to get one, as the Bulls did with Garnett and Kobe Bryant - among others - because teams waiting to develop often find themselves still waiting while other teams win titles.

As Paxson looks to rebuild again, this time around Rose, let's hope he's got a long memory - and a short fuse.

Ivan Boldirev-ing

To an extent, the Blackhawks for a decade have been guilty of the same practice, falling in love with their kids and refusing to part with them.

The Hawks have been able to hide behind, and live off, highly successful, top-of-the-draft picks such as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, and when you're that bad for that long, and you pick that high that often, you should get some right.

There also have been plenty who weren't all-stars, but the game for years was to promise Bill Wirtz that the kids were coming, add one to the roster once in awhile, and everyone kept their jobs.

It's the toughest aspect of managing your assets, but great organizations become great and remain great by being able to evaluate their own talent, and by being honest about it when it's time to sell high and cut bait.

Stocking stuffer

You have to like the way GM Ken Williams has positioned the White Sox in a brutal economy. He's got the team he wants at many millions less than last year but also can add players and payroll as needed, if needed, especially with midlevel free agents signing at bargain prices.

Teams also are desperate for run-producers like Jermaine Dye, so Williams can hold teams up and ask for the moon, or keep his right fielder.

Good spot to be in.

Condolences

Our sympathies to former Bear and Viking Brent Novoselsky - a Skokie native and Buffalo Grove resident - on the death of his father Sheldon, who passed away in late December.

The 69-year-old died with his sense of humor in tact. His obit reads that he "enjoyed years of retirement playing with his grandchildren and passing his time watching the Cubs and Bears, whose seasons this year contributed to his downfall. - Shelly's final wish was for his body to be donated to science fiction.''

Just asking

Do you find yourself laughing uncontrollably at the daily change of direction and philosophy in Lake Forest, or do you just want to throw the remote through the TV?

Just drafting

Saw this bumper sticker: RIVERA 2010.

Best headline

Sportspickle.com: "Tony Romo goes on vacation again during first round of playoffs.''

The Brave one

Chipper Jones, on Atlanta's slow start to the off-season: "I've just been chalking it up to the (idea that the) Braves have bigger fish to fry. But it seems like somebody keeps coming along and eating all our fish."

And finally -

Comedian Alex Kaseberg: "The Lions went 0-16, the Tigers and Pistons are bad, and the auto industry is in the tank. It's so bad in Detroit, people are renting time-shares in Gaza.''

brozner@dailyherald.com