Mariotti on the Bulls:

Look, as much as the Bulls hustle and scrap, this remains a team of overachieving role players that has peaked.

His article repeats the criticism of this team and the move that many think Paxson needs to make in order to make this a playoff-contending team: trade for a superstar like Garnett.

I think I agree with him on this, which is pretty strange. I don't like Mariotti because he tries too hard, saying things that are over the top just to get his name out there and keep people talking. But this time he's going with the flock—this is how a lot of people feel about this team.

I guess one of the things you get when you get a superstar player is consistency, and this team just doesn't have that right now. Their "scrap" gives them an edge other teams don't, which is tied to their defense. But, unfortunately, it's not enough.

Mariotti mentions a scenario where Chandler, Deng, and the number one pick we have from the Knicks goes in exchange for Garnett. That's a sweet deal, as much as I like Deng. We get to keep Ben Gordon and Nocioni. I'd even say trade Chandler and Gordon for him.

Sad because I like this team a lot. It's character, it's humility, it's talent, it's "scrap."

It just doesn't seem to be enough.