Night of the Position Battles

Of course, the biggest story of the Bulls' first home preseason game was Derrick Rose playing on the United Center floor for the first time in over 17 months.  Even so, this is the time of year to really focus on the lesser known players that could make an impact when the games start to count.  We saw contributions from them and more familiar faces at the Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons tonight 96-81, never trailing.

Rose did not disappoint the crowd, scoring 22 points in 22 minutes.  Apparently, scoring 13 in back-to-back games got a little dull.  Plus, he felt he needed to show the Chicago fans he was very much like the player of old.  He showed off some thrilling dunks, aggressive drives, calm free-throw shooting and an unbelievable continuation play near the end of the first half.  Also, something about his appearance was a little different.  Maybe it's because he's a little older now or it might have to do with the muscle he put on during his rehab.  Whatever the reason, I feel very confident in what he can do this season.

Rose must have been working with Tony Snell and Marquis Teague recently.  They sure looked like they've been doing so tonight.  Snell in particular had his first breakout game of the preseason.  With his college coach in attendance, he demonstrated the smooth shooting stroke the Bulls drafted him for.  He ended with 12 points, knocking down two three-pointers.  He also had three steals, showcasing a complete package that's required of an NBA player.  Meanwhile, Teague scored 11, making the race to take playing time away from Kirk Hinrich more compelling.  While Hinrich helped his case with a team-high five assists, that doesn't change the fact that these younger players are competing for the backup point guard spot should he be traded during the year.  This is definitely the race to watch.

Solid contributions came from the power forwards too.  Carlos Boozer's patented double-double was a 10-11 line.  Taj Gibson didn't want to be left out, so he had one of his own:  11-12.  This painted a bigger picture of the Bulls' future at that position.  All indications are he'll have his biggest season yet, fully justifying the team's possible decision to amnesty Boozer.  I'm excited to see what he can do that would possibly put him in next year's starting lineup.  I'm currently on the fence on what to do with Boozer, but hopefully, Gibson can put me in the amnesty camp beyond a reasonable doubt.

With the first four fake games out of the way, the Bulls do not yet have a blemish on their record.  That will be put at risk Friday when the Indiana Pacers invade the West Side.  It will be our latest chance to see what could be a norm between now and spring.  If you actually make the trek, let me know somehow.