Oct
2
The Birth of Half of the Baby Bulls
The miniature, opportunistic commissioner made his way from behind the stage with still a couple of minutes remaining on the deadline. The sight of the man caused a large gasp among the crowd of basketball junkies, dorks and fanatics, indicating that something big was in the works. With the rowdy civilians anticipating his every word, the commissioner announced what would certainly be interpreted as shocking news.
Five words, “there’s a trade to report,” prompted a quick roar from the crowd, which then once again went mute as the commissioner continued on.
“The Chicago Bulls trade Elton Brand to the Los Angeles Clippers for the rights to Tyson Chandler and Brian Skinner.”
Unable to digest what they’ve just heard, the gathering of people spit up some groans, ‘say whats’ and ‘Oh, my Gods!’ Chicago fans simply shook their heads in disgust at what another miniature man, this time a pot-bellied pig, had done to set the franchise even further back.
Current New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets big man Tyson Chandler was born 25 years ago today. Amazingly, Chandler is preparing to enter his seventh year in the NBA this season as a strong defender and rebounder with no offensive game to speak of.
Chandler is far from the player who was described as “Baby Garnett” when he was selected by the Clippers with the second overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft and later traded that night to the Bulls for a superstar in Brand, the first overall pick of the 1999 NBA Draft.
Combined with Chicago’s first-round selection that night, fourth-overall pick and local high school star Eddy Curry, Krause believed that he was changing the course of the Bulls franchise with these two seven-footers out of high school. Chicago had become an embarrassing joke of castoffs, wannabes and overmatched college stars after Krause gutted the organization following Michael Jordan’s second retirement announcement in January of 1999.
That draft night, Krause specifically described how he once watched Chandler go around the world prior to a high school game for Dominguez High School in Compton, California, drilling three-pointers from baseline to baseline and back. Has Chandler ever hit a shot beyond the free-throw line in his career?
In Chandler and Curry, described by many as Baby Shaq, Krause figured that he had built the founding pieces of a team, that in time, would have an unstoppable front line and be a contender for years to come.
In simple terms, the Chandler and Curry experiment would turn out to be a big failure that Krause wouldn’t even witness to its end. The controversial Bulls General Manager would resign from his position in 2003.
To their credit, Curry and Chandler would help the Bulls make the 2005 NBA playoffs, which Curry would miss with his heart murmur. Curry would be traded to the Knicks at the start of the 2005-2006 season when he would not agree to a DNA test, as requested by current Chicago Bulls General Manager John Paxson to determine the center’s health.
Chandler would get his extension prior to the 2005-2006 season. However, after a disappointing performance that year, Chandler was made expendable and traded to the Hornets for veteran P.J. Brown when the Bulls signed Ben Wallace last summer.
Basically, Chandler and Curry were hyped entering the league as this new-age, high school version of the “Twin Towers.” In reality, they are both one-dimensional players, whom when combined, would make a very solid center in the NBA. Curry is all offense, but has no understanding of defense or how to grab a rebound. Chandler works the boards hard and can block shots, but he is as undeveloped of a big man as there is to come in the league. Chandler is a guy who should of went to college while Curry would not have benefited much as he was heading to DePaul University under then Head Coach Pat Kennedy.
The unfounded and unrealistic Baby Garnett-Baby Shaq promise never materialized for the Chicago Bulls. It’s nothing against Chandler and Curry, both decent guys who entered the league too young but at least have become productive players as compared to the first pick in the disastrous 2001 NBA Draft, Kwame Brown.
Ironically, Brand is the type of player—a dominant, low-post scorer—that would be a perfect fit on the current edition of the Bulls. However, Brand would have not likely stayed with the Bulls after his initial rookie contract, as he was like 99.9% of fans in Chicago who were not a big fan of the obnoxious and egomaniacal Jerry Krause.
by Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com
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