Why not just move Butler to the 2 spot and keep Deng at the 3?
Bingo.
Deng's shooting/offense is sorely missed this series. Butler is a long way from replacing Deng there, I think.
Butler has been a better shooter than Deng this season. Butler 47/38/80% to Deng's 43/32/81%. Butler has dramatically improved his outside shooting from his rookie year, trending upward in all zones. The only shooting zone where Deng is better is the mid-range, and that shot is falling out of favor with NBA teams.
If I'm the Bulls, I keep both and try to move Boozer.
They can't get anything of value for Boozer. They can for Deng. They also don't have a Jimmy Butler type player that could fill in for Boozer.
Swapping Boozer for Gibson is less of a drop off than Deng for Butler
No it isn't. Not even close. Butler has been very good this post season while Gibson has barely played. The drop off between Butler and Deng is much much closer than the drop off between Boozer and Gibson. Not even close.
I significantly disagree with your evaluation. Gibson average the most playing time this year than since his rookie season and was his usual productive self. Additionally the bulls just resigned him to a pretty serious contract extension.
Boozer is by far the more disposable player of the two.
And yet Jimmy Butler played more minutes during hte season, was equally as productive, and hasn't disappeared in the playoffs. The Bulls would move Gibson before they moved Butler, which tells you all you need to know. Butler is far more valuable than Gibson, which makes Deng more disposable than Boozer and that doesn't even account for the fact they could get far more for Deng than they could for Boozer. I can't believe anyone would even debate that.
Butler has played more because Deng hasnt been playing... I think its pretty obivous that a guy like Gibson who has been consistently productive and has been rewarded with a long term deal is the more valued asset by the organization than a rookie being forced into action due to their star playing being injured/ill.
I find your evaluation of the situation puzzling to say the least
Game 1 against Nets - Deng 38 minutes, Butler 39 minutes, Boozer 45 minutes, Gibson 23 minutes
Game 2 against Nets - Deng 42 minutes, Butler 30 minutes, Boozer 42 minutes, Gibson 11 minutes
The rest of the series pretty much the same. Butler is better than Gibson and it isn't close. Chicago knows this very well, I just can't figure out why you don't.
