Yes, I know I haven't been on here since the Bulls' season ended, but recently, a few things of note happened in their world which I think can be touched upon. Nothing major broke, but it's nice to see the news landscape for the organization is not completely barren.
First, the Bulls had their groundbreaking ceremony for their new practice facility set to open after next season. I can't imagine they'll be starting the real work on it before the end of the Stanley Cup Final, but anything ceremonious is always cause for celebration. This could be a new attraction for free agents, whom I'm sure would love to come to a team that has the practice and game arenas adjacent to each other. In the 20 years since the Berto Center opened, it's kept up with the times. Still, today's NBA players need something more modern to help meet their current demands. More importantly, this will mean the end of the long commutes between Deerfield and Chicago on game days. It's not just the players and staff that have to deal with it now, but also the press. I found this out recently when I had the privilege of meeting K.C. Johnson, the Bulls beat writer for the Chicago Tribune. The stress of all the jobs involved will be lessened by the drastically reduced travel times that will come. Why they didn't think of doing this much sooner is beyond me.
It's been a nice run of luck lately for Tom Thibodeau. It began when he was named an assistant coach for the U.S.'s next Olympic team under Mike Krzyzewski. If he's going to stay with the Bulls for an extended period, this could be beneficial. The best players born in this country will get a large taste of his style firsthand and decide whether Chicago would be a good fit for them when free agency hits. This is an opportunity Thibodeau can't pass up, so he better implement his style while at the same time not scare potential quality players off.
Thibodeau also revealed that Derrick Rose is finally back to his old self and reports that he was dominating practices during the season were overblown. In other words, he didn't quite have that speed and explosiveness he's known for on a regular basis. Just a few days ago, Scottie Pippen echoed the sentiment I expressed throughout these shenanigans, which is that all the criticism dished Rose's way was overblown. During injuries like the one Rose suffered, it's easy for everyone to become armchair physicians and relate their own past injuries so they may be appropriately applied to the situation. Let this be a lesson to all that only you can determine what's right for your body. Rose only suffered abuse from the press and fans because of what he does for a living. He's the one whose accomplishments depend the emotional well-being of the third largest city in the U.S. Look me in the eye and say it wouldn't be difficult for you to cope with all those expectations and the criticism that comes with it. I'll just laugh. Fortunately, this will all be forgotten when Rose plays in a game again and lights up the court like he once did.
My next post will likely deal with who the Bulls could take in the draft, so expect to hear from me again over the next week or so. In the meantime, enjoy the end of the NBA season, which will come either tonight or Thursday. There's still a little basketball left, people.
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