There was a column earlier this month that mentioned how the two tenants of the United Center could offer what the other major sports teams in Chicago couldn't, and that's real hope to go all the way. The Blackhawks are a popular pick to repeat as Stanley Cup champions while the Bulls are a legitimate contender to win the East. They're not the only team seen as a threat to derail Miami's quest for a three-peat, but they have the makings to be the strongest team of the post-Jordan era. That says something considering what we've seen the past few years, which is pretty good basketball.
The front office was mostly quiet during the offseason, limiting what I could do with this blog during that time. Only one veteran free agent came aboard during the prime signing period and of course, there were the two rookies picked on draft night. The last official addition came this weekend as the final preseason cuts were made.
Of course, the general consensus is that Rose is the biggest new face on the roster and the Bulls didn't even need to dish out additional money to get him. All they lost was a year of one of the most valuable contracts in the NBA. Let's break him down along with the rest of this team.
Everyone is talking about the starting backcourt, so we'll begin there. Rose is a year older, a year wiser and better conditioned. All accounts within the roster say it's the best they've ever seen him. Even by watching him in the preseason, we could see he built more muscle, his face is more fleshed out and above all, he's still the player who won MVP in 2011.
So far, he's driven to the lane, found looks for teammates, gone after loose balls and demonstrated his explosiveness that has made people constantly search for him on YouTube. His shooting game appears better too, making him the most complete player in the East not named LeBron James. As in years past, this team will live and die with him. Barring an unexpected setback, he will keep the Bulls in the national discussion all year long.
Jimmy Butler was a bench-riding rookie when Rose went down. Now, he gets to start alongside him at shooting guard. Throughout last season, we saw him develop into an all-around player who could excel at any aspect of the game if given the opportunity. The way he stepped up in the playoffs erased any doubt that he would be in this year's starting lineup. The ceiling was high for him the moment he came out of Marquette and he's only going to get closer to that in the years ahead. Since the Bulls love to protect their young, promising investments, don't be surprised to see him thrill the United Center for a long time to come.
The starting forward duo of Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer couldn't have bigger targets on themselves if they stood near a giant dartboard. Both are aware these might be their last hurrahs in Chicago. Deng, entering his 10th season with the Bulls, will test free agency after the season and Boozer is a candidate to be amnestied with one year left on his contract. If either wants to persuade Gar Forman and John Paxson to keep them around beyond next spring, they'll need to have the best season of their careers, but even that might not be enough to prevent fans from calling to let them leave anyway.
For now, they remain valuable to helping this team win. Deng has been an All-Star the last two years thanks to his remarkable offense and tight defense. The Bulls simply won't be able to win without him and he was badly missed when he went out in last year's playoffs with a spinal tap. He might be one of the quietest stars in the league, but any winning team would love to have him.
Boozer is remarkable too. He's almost guaranteed to give you a double-double every time he steps onto the floor. The big issue with fans, besides soft play, is that his scoring typically doesn't outpace his rebounding by a wide margin. People love to point out that he only got the contract he did because he was the best player left on the market after the Big 3 came together in South Beach in 2010. He's still a veteran leader though and if anything, he shows the younger players how to excel when you've been in the NBA for over a decade.
Joakim Noah, the starting man in the middle, is the most popular player on this team not named Derrick Rose. His infectious energy feeds to the rest of the players as well as the home crowd. Now in the prime of his career, his aggressive rebounding, crackdown defense and occasional offensive clinics made hm worthy of last year's All-Star selection. He's not the team MVP, but he's its heart and soul. Without his emotion, this club wouldn't be able to take its game to a level that can put opponents out of their misery. Don't expect him to leave Chicago anytime soon.
The bench made one major addition this summer in Mike Dunleavy Jr. In the role previously held by Kyle Korver and Marco Belinelli, Dunleavy provides the Bulls with a three-point shooter every team needs. How he pans out compared to the aforementioned role players remains to be seen, but the Bulls will need him if they're going to win games. Consistently making the long ball will kick your momentum up another notch and it will be exciting to see Dunleavy do his best to fulfill his duties.
Taj Gibson, who would leap into the starting lineup should Boozer depart, continues to give the Bulls a post player who does well on both sides of the ball. A winning team needs a man that plays as well as a starter when the first unit needs a break and Gibson possesses all the tools needed to make it in the NBA.
Kirk Hinrich will come off the bench after being forced into the starting point guard role last year. He has a better chance to succeed when he doesn't have to run the offense the majority of the time. At his age, he's a second-tier player at best and on a winning team, this is the role that best suits him.
Hinrich's injury concerns made the Bulls realize Marquis Teague, who will continue to develop into a unique NBA player this year, wasn't enough at the point. They kept 38-year-old Mike James from the preseason roster as insurance. Hinrich has had concussion problems recently and that's likely one reason we'll see quite a bit of James, who just wants to contribute whatever he has left in the tank. Same goes for Chicago native Nazr Mohammed, although he'll receive more playing time as the center who's able to get to the dirty areas.
Although Tom Thibodeau never gives much playing time to rookies, those on his roster will get their share. Tony Snell is the more impressive thanks to the smooth shooting stroke we've seen from him thus far. I wouldn't be surprised if he received more playing time than Bulls rookies typically do these days for that reason alone, though that may be wishful thinking on my part. Erik Murphy has a better chance to ride the bench most of the year. He's still developing as an offensive-minded big man, so this season will mainly be about learning from observance. My guess is you'll see him at the end of quarters and only for a couple of minutes at a time.
Tom Thibodeau has been under animosity recently for playing his starters late in meaningless games. The fact that we'll be hearing it a lot more as the season goes on speaks to the widely-held attitude that your best players need to be rested as often as possible so they'll be at their best in the playoffs.
It's a legitimate gripe too as we've seen the Bulls haunted by injuries for much of his tenure. It likely stems from his refusal to step off the gas, even in games his team can afford a loss. Yes, the Bulls went 8-0 in the preseason, but it means nothing. Plus, the main criticism is that his starters were out late in the fourth quarter when they simply didn't need to be.
It is what it is with Thibodeau. What we're seeing out of him is why he's a head coach in this league, whether you like it or not. As long as he's at the helm, the Bulls are going to go all out almost every single time they play a game. I'm not saying I'd go that route myself, nor do I dislike Thibodeau's style. I love that the coach cares that much about winning at all costs, which can develop a good attitude with the fans. Only results matter and Thibodeau sure knows how to get them. Enjoy what he brings, Bulls fans. It sure beats the alternative.
The Bulls will tough it out with Indiana for the Central Division title and I think they'll win a close race to the top to get a high seed in the East. They're definitely built to win at least two playoff rounds as there's too much talent and high-level coaching for it not to happen. When they inevitably play Miami though, we'll see what both teams have at that point in time. I'm not sure this is the year they exorcise that demon as the Big 3 still has the power that's won the Heat back-to-back titles. Still, this is a very strong team that will likely get to the conference finals and might even challenge for the championship if everything falls into place. A lot of anticipation is to be had.
For the second time in the calendar year, a Chicago team will be the opponent on a champion's banner night. The Blackhawks beat the Los Angeles Kings in January and the Bulls will visit the Heat tomorrow. Remember, they spoiled the evening LeBron James accepted the MVP trophy in last year's playoffs. They can do it again. Yes, they'll have 81 games to go when it's over, but a strong start could mean a strong season. Time to give the champs, and the league, a battle.
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