Bulls Face Decision: If Leaders Stay or Go

CHICAGO — And now, the real events of intrigue.

Even if the Utah Jazz did make the just-concluded NBA finals exciting and memorable, the championship series, the reports of looting and gun shots fired into the air and the Grant Park celebration may quickly fade, as most prelims do.

Such an analogy won’t go over big around Salt Lake City, but try convincing anyone in this town, maybe even in most other towns around the league, otherwise, that the true showdown begins now.

The Bulls against the Bulls.

Their chairman, Jerry Reinsdorf, can’t really be foolish enough to let Phil Jackson leave as coach and Michael Jordan bolt as ruler of all things superior. He can’t re-sign Jackson, re-sign Jordan, and then anger both by trading Scottie Pippen. He can’t really be serious about starting this rebuilding thing now, in the weeks after a fifth title in seven years.

Can he?

Reinsdorf being one of the leaders of that smooth-running operation, major league baseball, all bets are off.

For now, at least, he’s offering no hints on the future of the Bulls. He and Jerry Krause, the vice president of basketball operations, have seemed to cling to this image of the late, great Celtics turning a faded green by hanging on to Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish for too long, somehow forgetting that the sudden deaths of Reggie Lewis and Len Bias also played major roles.

Which is not to be confused with the precise state of the Bulls.

“How can you not re-sign Michael and Phil and how could you possibly trade Scottie Pippen?” said Steve Kerr, one of the heroes of the finals.

How, indeed. Is it a greater misstep to dismantle too late, or too soon? After all, the defending, if aging, champions will be favored again come November if at full strength.

“To me,” Kerr said, “the decisions are not difficult.”

The voice of a reserve guard, yes. But the voice of reason.

As with everything, it starts with Jordan. He says he will not come back as part of a rebuilding plan, which means Pippen must not be traded, even that Pippen must get an extension to the deal that expires after next season. He says he will not come back without Jackson, which means a new deal for the coach.

Jordan holds the hammer, today more than ever considering his latest walk-on-water showing, the finals.

“Well, you want me to be him, I guess, take Jerry Krause’s position,” he says.

“I think this team is entitled to an opportunity to continue to be successful. Sure, business has got to be involved. I’m not saying Jerry Reinsdorf is the richest guy in the world. I’m not saying that all his partners can financially support what this team needs to maintain or be successful. But we’ve done a lot for this organization, we put it in a situation where it can be highly valuable.

“When I first came here, I’m pretty sure everybody can tell you that the Bulls’ team was worth probably $13 million, $15, $16, $17 million. Now it’s worth $150 million. Some of the profits have been made over the years. What we gain now in trying to keep this team together and be successful, we paid for over the six, seven, eight, 10 years.

“I’m not trying to twist Jerry Reinsdorf’s arm. It sounds like it, but I’d like to see us defend what we have obtained over the last five out of seven years, which is a championship team. I don’t know what it’s going to take. Maybe he’ll have to mortgage his home or leverage his team against whatever bank he has.

“There has to be some consideration, some sense of loyalty. To myself, to Scottie, to Phil, even to the guys who have given themselves over the last two years, or even Dennis [Rodman], for all the different colors he may wear in his hair or dresses or whatever. We’re entitled to defend what we have until we lose it. If we lose it, then you can look at it and say, OK, let’s change.

“Rebuilding? Nobody is guaranteeing rebuilding is going to be two, three, four, five years. The Cubs have been rebuilding for 42 years.”

Way to ruin the mood.

With only one job still available, the Vancouver Grizzlies, Jackson would probably either stay or sit out a season, so he’ll probably stay for the right money. That takes care of Jordan too--that and $30-something million for this season and maybe one more. And if you want to win a championship immediately, why trade Pippen, terrific in the finals, for a lottery pick?

Rodman’s situation is much different. His antics have worn thin. His contract is up. His impact was limited at best against the Jazz. Among the many trial balloons sent up by management in recent weeks, none has allowed much of a possibility that he will be back.

Even in decline, with tired legs evident by the end, the Bulls remained a formidable team. Where they rank among the league’s dynasties, though, is far less imposing, with just two superstars and no dominant center.

The Minneapolis Lakers had George Mikan, the Celtics that won 11 titles in 13 years Bill Russell, the Showtime Lakers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Of course, the Bulls have Jordan, the great equalizer.

The Bulls are at a disadvantage against their ancestors because of the salary cap, which will now cause them to lose Brian Williams, a key player off the bench. Red Auerbach didn’t have to make salaries match when he tried to make a deal.

The Bulls will still have a place in the sun, though. Jordan makes it so, with championships and postseason MVP awards in each of his last five full seasons. What happens from here, that’s a bit more uncertain.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

NBA Numbers

TOP COACHES

Coaches with multiple NBA Championships :

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No. Coach Team 9 Red Auerbach Boston Celtics 5 Phil Jackson Chicago Bulls 5 John Kundla Minneapolis Lakers 4 Pat Riley Los Angeles Lakers 2 Rudy Tomjanovich Houston Rockets 2 Chuck Daly Detroit Pistons 2 K.C. Jones Boston Celtics 2 Tom Heinsohn Boston Celtics 2 Red Holzman New York Knicks 2 Bill Russell Boston Celtics 2 Alex Hannum Philadelphia 76ers St. Louis Hawks

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SCORING CHAMPIONS

Four players in NBA history have led the league in scoring in the same season in which they led their team to a championship:

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Player, Team Year Average Michael Jordan, 1990-91 31.5 Bulls 1991-92 30.1 1992-93 32.6 1995-96 30.4 1996-97 31.1 George Mikan, 1949-50 27.4 Minneapolis Lakers 1948-49 28.3 K. Abdul-Jabbar, 1970-71 31.7 Milwaukee Bucks Joe Fulks, 1946-47 23.2 Philadelphia Warriors

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REBOUNDING CHAMPIONS

Six have led the league in rebounding as a member of a title team:

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Player, Team Year Average Bill Russell, 1958-59 23.0 Boston Celtics 1963-64 24.7 1964-65 24.1 Wilt Chamberlain, 1966-67 24.2 Philadelphia 76ers 1971-72 19.2 Los Angeles Lakers Dennis Rodman, 1995-96 14.9 Chicago Bulls Moses Malone, 1982-83 15.3 Philadelphia 76ers Bill Walton, 1976-77 14.4 Portland Trail Blazers George Mikan, 1952-53 14.4 Minneapolis Lakers

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TITLE DROUGHTS

Players who have been in the most playoff games without being on an NBA championship team:

Player: Playoff Games

Elgin Baylor: 134

John Stockton: 127

Caldwell Jones: 119

Charles Oakley: 119

Sam Perkins: 118

Karl Malone: 117

Charles Barkley: 115

Darryl Dawkins: 109

Tom Chambers: 108

Patrick Ewing: 107

Ricky Pierce: 97

Tom Hawkins: 96

Buck Williams: 95