I'm going to go jump head-first off of a cliff the next time someone harps on the absolute dire necessity of a "true second option"...
Most over-rated term in basketball...
Yes, yes, yes. Bill Simmons spent what, 800 pages writing about the secret of basketball which has to do with maximizing players' potentials by creating chemistry. Part of that chemistry has to do with players understanding their pecking order and able to subjugate their egos for the greater good. Yes, a socialistic structure in one of the most materialistic arenas found anywhere on earth.
Had we won last year, do you think people would right now still be harping about us needing a "true second option" or not putting enough around Lebron? From my vantage point, our coach couldn't make the adjustments necessary to maximize the potential of the players we had placed around LBJ. We got out-coached in 2009 against Orlando and out-coached again in 2010 playoffs. If Chicago had anything more than Rose-Noah in that series, they would've taken us to 7 games. And it's not because we didn't have the team around LBJ, it's because the injuries and trade shook the rigidity with which MB coached this team. He could not get a feel for the game and how to adjust accordingly and that doomed us.**
I could go on and on, but I just wish we'd be having more intelligent discussions in the media than the myths perpetuated mostly by ESPN (read: NYers).
** I have a whole conspiracy theory about the MB-Ferry-Gilbert connection. I think Gilbert wanted MB gone a couple years ago, definitely after we got bounced by Orlando. But Ferry is conservative, and loyal, and stubborn - and Gilbert really wanted to be hands-off, was trying his hardest to allow the FO to do their jobs and not meddle too much in basketball operations, so he consented. This off-season, it came to a head again and Gilbert, realizing the stakes this time around (not just LBJ, but the casinos passing last fall), said screw this, enough, I'm doing what I think is right, and gave it frankly to Ferry who said, alright, that's cool, but I'm gone then, I ain't nobody's puppet.