NP: Bulls vs. Bobcats

As usual, Jay Mariotti is a bastion of negativity about the Bulls in today's paper. The thing is, I don't entirely disagree with him. This year's team doesn't look like the same one that rode tenacious defense and a killer bench into its first playoff appearance in a long, long time. They're not doing the little things as well as they were last year, even in that ignominious 0-9 start.

That said, the Eddy Curry trade looks better and better every day, as Michael Sweetney is becoming a force in the paint, and the Knicks hurtle toward a lottery pick in next year's draft, which would then go to John Paxson. I don't know that the Bulls can find their star that way, though. Free agency is more likely, and as has been widely reported, the Bulls are in really good shape in that regard.

My one big bone of contention with Mariotti, though, is who he would give up to get an impact player now. Let me make this perfectly clear: Luol Deng must not be traded. Neither should Kirk Hinrich, while we're at it. Anyone else is fair game, although I can't imagine anyone taking Tyson Chandler off our hands. Deng makes Nocioni expendable, and you can place a bet either on Chris Duhon learning to score, or Ben Gordon learning to play defense, and let the other go.

I also have to wonder what this team's record would be if they could actually make free throws.