In the last 2 days, John Paxson has traded away an undersized, underperforming sf/pf with a big contract, a locker room cancer and certified ballhog with an even bigger contract, a no-defense, no inside game pf/c and a disappointing defense specialist with no offensive skills and got back a former All Star center with good passing skills on the downslope of his career, an on-the-rise swingman who can score and defend but pouts when he comes off the bench, a tall, outside shooting  sf/pf with a bitter history with the Bulls, a center who hasn't played in ages with a big contract, a 1st round draft pick and someone named Roberson.

Seriously, I thought he did pretty well. I think, after he made the first deal and broke up the core that he drafted/constructed, he just went ahead and said, what else can I do out there?

Hinrich is still here so that's a piece he might move later on.

Paxson's trade grade: B+

As of this minute, the Bucks sans Andrew Bogut are whipping the Mavs (with Nowitzki, Howard and Kidd all having good games) by an outrageous 35pts!

The Bucks have become more efficient offensively and have made dramatic strides in their team defense.

Which brings us to this question: Was last year's Bulls debacle really Skiles's fault?

I seem to remember Skiles saying as early as the pre-season that he saw something off-kilter with the Bulls team, like, they didn't have the same hunger or intensity of years past. Which led to the now infamous incident where he told John Paxson he "couldn't win" with that team. Which offended the team so they tuned him out. Which led to Paxson firing him on Christmas week (was it on Christmas Eve?).

I'm sure blind Skiles-hate will flood in and insist that the development (or lack of) of certain players plus the regression of other players were all his fault.

But, objectively, was it really?

How about this trade idea?

Nocioni for any one of these: Chris Wilcox, Nick Collison or Joe Smith.

What the Bulls get: We get to choose between getting strong rebounders and above average big men defenders in Wilcox and Collison or a nice mix of reliable offense and solid defense in Joe Smith.

What OKC gets: A three point shooting wing player who complements the driving penchant of Durant and Westbrook. Also, a possible mentor for Jeff Green.

Why OKC would do it: They've got a major glut at the pf and center positions. Wilcox, Collison and Joe Smith are veterans who are playing to the detriment of the development of young big men like Robert Swift, Johan Petro, Steven Hill and Mohamed Sene. Geez, does any other team have 7 power forward/centers on their roster?

Why the Bulls would do it: Joakim Noah and Aaron Gray. Those are Chicago's only 2 centers and one of them is out of shape, the other is too slow to log major minutes. Adding a veteran to the mix while keeping Gooden around for the year could help keep the Bulls' front line from being overwhelmed too much and could ensure a low seed in this year's playoffs. 

How about this trade:

Nocioni and Noah for Milicic and Warrick.

Bulls get a center with more offensive moves and shotblocking ability as well as a 6'9' PF who bangs inside, slams emphatically and rebounds well (9.1pts on 43%fg, 5.3 rebs).

Grizz get high energy center to contrast with banger Marc Gasol and school Iranina Hamed Haddadi plus an SF-PF with range and leadership. Nocioni will automatically become the Grizz's leader and will teach Gay and Mayo how to win.

Haven't considered contracts yet but fringe players like Simmons or draft picks hopefull can pick up the slack.