Chris Hu said:
Even with Melo the Bulls are nowhere close to being a contender. Anyway regardless of what else happens for the rest of the free agent period the Spurs are going do something they haven't done before and re peat as champions. |
I wouldn't say nowhere close. They got the #1 seed in 2011 and 2012, and won 75% of their games those years, with very similar pieces to what they have now. No Derrick Rose can be attributed to their slide in 2013 and 2014 (slide being used loosely, because 48 wins is still pretty good), but they were still a #5 seed in 2013 and a #4 seed in 2014. They could have very well made it to the ECF in 2013 with different seeding, but they ran into that 27-game winning streak Heat team in the conference semis, with no Rose.
Put Melo in with a healthy D-Rose, plus the pieces they have right now that still make them a factor in the Eastern Conference? I'd consider them a contender.
