Keeping Woes in the Motor City

Although the city of Detroit has fallen on hard times, that meant little to the Bulls as they entered Auburn Hills tonight to play the Pistons.  They have their own issues to deal with and the path to treating those had to begin with a win.  No matter what those wishing that they tank the season say, they still have to give it their all.

That's what they did in this game.  The Pistons controlled a good portion of the first half and led by two at the break.  The Bulls finally decided they had enough bad luck on this road trip and stepped up their game tenfold. They took a lead in the third quarter and pulled away in the fourth, going in front by as much as 24 before stopping a four-game losing streak to the tune of 99-79.

A couple of players were most responsible for getting the Bulls' record back to .500 (7-7).  Luol Deng performed like the All-Star he is and led all scorers with 27 points.  His 11 field goals were matched by Taj Gibson, who came off the bench to score a career-high 23.  Gibson appeared automatic from wherever he took a shot, 13 coming from the field.  That translates into an 84.6 field-goal percentage.  13 was apparently a popular number for the Bulls tonight.  That scoring total was reached by Joakim Noah, Tony Snell and Kirk Hinrich, who had a game-high seven assists.

Yes, the Bulls had beaten Detroit in 18 of their last 19 meetings, but nothing appears to be a given anymore.  It didn't come when they played the lowly Jazz on Monday, so automatic wins are out the window.  They needed something to remind everyone that despite the loss of Derrick Rose for a second straight year, they're still in position to be one of the better teams in the East.  Although it took them until the second half to pounce on that message, no one ever awarded points for timeliness in winning a game.

Gar Forman blatantly said in an interview the Bulls are not tanking this season, although circumstances might suggest they should.  No one should have expected them to lay down to the Pistons especially.  That is not a good team, so the Bulls will make them earn the win, which didn't happen tonight.  Even if you throw out all the reasons I laid out earlier for not tanking any given season, it's just not in this team's nature to lose on purpose.  Tom Thibodeau especially would never allow his team to do that.  Whether you like it or not, the Bulls are going to the playoffs barring another major setback.  It's not going to change, plain and simple.

The non-tanking Bulls will end their circus trip Saturday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.  It will be a chance for them to show a team on the cusp of competing that while a pair of top draft picks is nice, it takes more than that to win in the NBA.  The Bulls have experience with that.  Too bad they won't be able to say that with this group much longer.

Until next time, Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Tomorrow's Further Away

We'll never know what wrong Derrick Rose did in a past life to have such horrible luck strike him twice in 19 months, but he sure is suffering a greater penance than we could have ever imagined.  In turn, an entire city and organization must also suffer the consequences as he was the one man who could make incredible success possible.  Now, those potential rewards either must wait or will never come.

Although Rose had successful surgery on the medial meniscus in his right knee, he was officially ruled out for the season afterward.  Another Bulls run at a championship is down the tubes and the future is even more uncertain for both parties involved.  Rose may never be the player that won him the MVP award.  The current Bulls core will have nothing more than back-to-back division titles to show for their work.

Their most recent game, an 89-83 overtime loss to the 1-win Utah Jazz, is a reminder of just how grueling a path lays ahead.  Sure, they'll win some more games in the near future, but there's been too much of an emotional drain with the road trip and the loss of their leader.  Meanwhile, Rose kicks himself and curses in front of the TV, knowing he can do nothing to stop his team from slipping under .500 or do any significant damage in the playoffs.

We don't know where Rose will go from here, but unless something drastic changes for the better, he could become the biggest what-if in NBA history.  He's not the cornerstone player we thought he was and it has nothing to do with his playing ability.  His knees have betrayed him, perhaps more than any athlete who has ever played a sport professionally, or at least someone with his talent. 

Although he can still contribute at a high level, he's going to need someone to help him.  The drive and explosiveness his game is built on will only put him at further risk, which will make everyone watching him edgy.  If he wants to make the Hall of Fame, he'll need to find another way to wow the crowds.  Even that might not be enough as we now know just how injury-prone he is.  It's a very sad story unfolding before our eyes.

To that end, the story of the Bulls might be even sadder.  They put this team together with winning a championship in mind.  Now, a series of injuries, upcoming free agency and a likely amnesty have thrown it all out of whack.  With the head of the snake gone, several people have called for the Bulls to tank the season in hopes of landing one of the top college freshman in next year's draft.

I stand by my opposition of losing today for a better tomorrow.  As I've stated before, it's being dishonest to what you have as a team as well as the fan base.  Plus, it's tougher trying to lose than trying to win.  Throwing games in NBA 2K without making it too obvious isn't easy either, so how could the same apply to real life?

You also don't typically step onto a court with losing in mind.  Your brain is trying to relay the message of how you're going to succeed during a given possession.  How can throwing a game even stay in your brain for a full 48-minute game?  It's not possible, especially when each contest is two hours minimum.

Then of course, we find that the Eastern Conference just isn't bad enough for the Bulls to tank, even if they wanted to.  They have too much talent and would walk into a lower playoff seed anyway.  That's what happens when only three teams are above .500 four weeks into the season.  You have the Heat, the Pacers and everyone else.  Losing on purpose in the East is not possible and not an option.

My solution is to continue playing to your abilities, but shop around whoever you can in the interim.  It's early enough in the season that the Bulls can still change how they go about it.  Since you know reshaping has become a mandatory task for the front office, there's no time like the present to get started on it.

For instance, this is the perfect chance to get something for Luol Deng.  If he simply walks, the Bulls are out of luck.  Whether you can acquire young talent or future draft picks, this move should be at or near the top of the list.  Carlos Boozer's contract is more than anyone is willing to take on, Joakim Noah's injury history could be seen as a liability and Kirk Hinrich likely wouldn't fetch much.  At the very least, move the player who's an All-Star and could be the final piece for any team trying to make a run.

Whatever Gar Forman and John Paxson decide to do, they absolutely must get a good return on any and all deals.  That means finding future pieces for the next core, players who could be bait to make big deals and stocking up on draft picks.  If they can't get anything of the kind, they're better off just waiting until after the season to do something.

We didn't plan for the franchise to be set back for the next few years, but that's exactly what's being faced here.  Watching games will still be enjoyable, but the number of championship banners hanging at the United Center will have to remain at six while a new team can be constructed that includes Derrick Rose, but doesn't live and die with him.  Any quality player in the league is welcome to come to Chicago.  It would help speed up the process. 

More than likely though, the Bulls will have to do it themselves.  That's just fine, though.  It's better to watch a title team that was built more than bought.  And yes, I'm looking towards South Beach as I say that.

Guess We're Doing This Again

I said at the beginning of this road trip we would know more about this team by the time they returned to Chicago.  Perhaps they'd finally be in sync enough to make a run at Indiana's supremacy in the Central.  Turns out they'll look drastically different and once again, the lack of Derrick Rose will be why.

After exiting Friday's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers with a bad left knee, word soon spread that the Bulls were worried their franchise player had torn his other ACL.  As you surely know, Chicago was on edge for quite some time and picturing doomsday scenarios.  The basketball gods clearly had it out for the Bulls to allow this to happen to their star twice in less than 19 months.

Saturday evening, we learned an MRI revealed Rose had torn a medial meniscus in that knee.  Surgery will be required, which will sideline him indefinitely.  He isn't currently slated to miss the rest of the season as previously feared, but it's still bad to lose him for an extended period of time.  Worst of all, we don't know if he'll be out for six weeks or six months, which makes you wonder if there will be any Bulls basketball for him to return to by the time he's cleared to play again.

In any other situation, this type of injury would have had Bulls fans jumping off cliffs or parading the streets, preaching that the Rapture is nigh.  Given Rose's recent difficulties in staying healthy though, it's actually a sigh of relief for some.  At least we won't have to wait until the week before next Thanksgiving to see him play again.

You hear all this talk about the Bulls missing out on another championship run for this season.  Still others believe if the team just treads water and plays good enough for the next few months, they might be able to steal one of the top seeds in the East and gain home-court advantage in at least the first round of the playoffs.  It's the nature of speculating we have as fans.

As for me, I don't see how the Bulls catch the Pacers in the Central now.  That team has too much young talent peaking at the right time while the one here in Chicago can't seem to stay healthy, which was the biggest X factor in contending for this year's championship.  I also have a sliver of hope that Rose can help create some magic against the Heat in the playoffs should he return and the teams meet, but he'll probably show some rust like Michael Jordan did in the 1995 playoffs against Orlando.  It's tougher to pick against the champs in a Bulls-Heat best-of-7 now than it was 48 hours ago.

There are two big concerns to come from all this, starting with Rose's long-term health.  He has three years remaining on his contract and possesses too much talent for the front office to even consider buying him out.  And with the health issue not going away for the foreseeable future, the Bulls have to deal with it.  By the time he returns from this latest setback, how long before the next one hits?  So many parties are going to have to be cautious with him from now on, particularly if his body continues to betray him like this.  Perhaps a change in playing style is in order, but Rose would sooner retire tomorrow.

Rose's career may turn out to be less like Steve Nash and more like Grant Hill:  dominant early in his career before having that superstardom taken away by contest injuries.  Every former MVP who is eligible has been elected to the Hall of Fame.  Something needs to change or Rose might be the only one who doesn't get in, which would be a very tough distinction to have for this sport.

That brings up the second concern, which is where the Bulls go from here.  This was probably going to be their last season as currently constructed, regardless of Rose's status.  Now, Gar Forman and John Paxson could be forced to reevaluate what Rose can bring to the table.  His services are definitely needed in Chicago, but that second primary scoring option is desperately needed now.

With this latest development, Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer should really be worried about their status on this team.  They're going to get paid next year, but it might not be here.  Deng's set for free agency and the talk to amnesty Boozer may be more justified

That's because it may be time to consider making Rose a John Stockton:  one of the top players in the game, but not one you build your team around.  Neither Deng, nor Boozer is fit to be Rose's Karl Malone, so that help will have to come from elsewhere.  Who in the league with that capability wants to come to the Windy City though?  That question will have to be considered another time, but what can be stated now is Rose might need to adopt a new role if he wants to have a long NBA career.

The other option would be to tear it down and start over.  Going younger and thus, healthier wouldn't mean championship aspirations for a few years, but Rose might have to wait a little longer so the right personnel can eventually come along and get him that coveted ring.  The franchise's future could depend on how the rest of this season plays out, so these next few months are key.

Although this is close to the worst-case scenario the Bulls envisioned, they should have kept open the possibility this might happen, which they probably did.  It sure doesn't make it easier to take though, does it?  Those Grant Park plans in June will have to temporarily be shelved so we can see how Rose pans out in The Return II.  Perhaps this is the feel-good story of 2014 waiting to happen and this is just the beginning.  A green light would be a good sign, but it needs to be found.

As big a blow as this to the Bulls, remember to keep this in perspective.  Professional basketball is merely an entertainment outlet, so you can't let it keep you from the important things in life.  I learned this the hard way Friday night when I came home from work to learn my grandmother is back in the hospital after just getting out weeks ago.  The good news is I found out this morning she'll be fine, but it helps to have a grip on reality.  If you had to choose between Rose playing again or a relative surviving a hospital visit, I know you'd choose the latter.  I'll pray for both, but I know what's better to have.

Bad Altitude

As surprising as it was to see Mike Dunleavy start for Jimmy Butler instead of Kirk Hinrich, the fact that the Bulls' offense couldn't buy a basket against the Denver Nuggets turned even more heads.  It appeared the Bulls would jump into the lead at any time thanks to their perseverance, but they never found that extra wind.  Denver found an opening they pounced on and the Bulls couldn't make it up in a 97-87 loss.

Six Nuggets scored in double figures, led by third-year forward Jordan Hamilton's 17 points and 6-of-12 shooting from the field. Hamilton came into tonight averaging 8.5 points in this young season and he did a good portion of the damage?  How?  I can buy that J.J. Hickson had a double-double of 12 points, 11 rebounds.  I believe J.J. Hickson came close with a line of 14 and 9.  Heck, I can even let Nate Robinson's 11 points slide.  But if you want to be considered one of the top team's in the East, you have to let Ty Lawson and his seven assists beat you, not allow Jordan Hamilton to have one of the best games of his young career.

Four of the five Bulls starters reached double-digits.  Derrick Rose headed that group with 19 and started to look more like the player of old and the preseason with impressive drives to the basket.  Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah each achieved respective double-doubles of 15-11 and 11-12.  Mike Dunleavy looked all right with 15 points of its own.  Despite Luol Deng leading all players with 13 boards, he shot just 3-of-18 from the floor.  If he even gets close to his season scoring average of 16.9, we might be talking about a different outcome.  It was a very rough game for the two-time All-Star.

Either the offense had an off night or they still haven't gotten into a consistent rhythm.  Granted, that five-game winning streak was due to end at some point, but wouldn't you rather it happen because the team was outmuscled?  Instead, the Bulls looked like a middleweight battling a light heavyweight.  Despite some good movement and hustle, they couldn't thrive in the results-only environment that is a basketball game.  It doesn't matter what level these players are playing at.  This performance wouldn't fly with a high school freshman B squad.

It's true the Bulls' bench hasn't been that overwhelming to begin the year, but if there ever was a wakeup call that the third-generation Bench Mob needed to respond to, this was it.  The Nuggets' reserves outscored the Bulls' 49-21.  Yes, that unit is down a man in the short-term thanks to Butler's injury, but this better not be a sign that they can afford less to be inserted into the starting lineup than last year.  Rose needs the proper support or there will be another playoff exit at the hands of Miami, if not sooner.  You need the bench's leading scorer to have more than nine points (Taj Gibson, who was whistled for two technicals and subsequently ejected).

The altitude in the Mile High City might have something to do with it, but the fact that the Bulls are 1-13 there in the post-Jordan era is definitely frustrating.  They seemed ready to play, but few shots fell when they needed to, resulting in tonight's conclusion.  It just had to happen to begin the circus trip too.  Hopefully, this won't set a tone for the rest of the month.

The Bulls somehow must bounce back from this mess tomorrow night against the Portland Trail Blazers, who have surprised everyone with a 10-2 start.  That doesn't give them much time to correct everything that went wrong in Denver.  They'll need to build momentum and preferably win because the Los Angeles Clippers will be up Sunday afternoon.  If they can tame Indiana, they can handle Portland, or so we hope.

Bad News for Butler

Whether we want to admit it or not, injuries have claimed more than their fair share of Bulls victims since I started this blog before the 2011-12 season.  Maybe I should shut it down for their sake, but I refuse to accept responsibility for outside circumstances.  Not even in light of the latest one.

Jimmy Butler injured his toe during Monday's win over the Charlotte Bobcats and will not accompany the Bulls during the circus trip.  An MRI exam revealed turf toe on his right foot and Butler is officially listed as week-to-week.  He will wear a walking boot for the time being so the swelling can subside.  As of this writing, it is not yet known whether Kirk Hinrich or Mike Dunleavy will fill the two spot in the starting lineup, but both should expect a significant bump in playing time.

It's kind of funny to think that someone who was asked to play 48 minutes frequently in last year's playoffs is suddenly not able to go, but that's the life of an NBA player.  It's also a tough break for someone who is playing the best basketball of his life.  Tom Thibodeau even implied such when asked about it, but agreed that the third-year player "knows he has to do.  He'll be fine."

While the Bulls can most certainly do without him for an extended period early in the season, you hate to see the player widely thought of as the one to watch besides Derrick Rose develop this problem.  The silver lining is that this is happening now and not in the playoffs.  As we all know, the Bulls were only able to compete so much with Miami as Rose, Hinrich and Luol Deng nursed their various injuries.  Of course, the irony with this week-to-week status is that he might miss the Dec. 5 game with the Heat.  Apparently, what goes around comes around.

This also makes Rose's job slightly more problematic as he continues to look for opportunities for his teammates.  He would rather have the most talented players on offense help with his struggling play.  Deng and Carlos Boozer can't be the only teammates to help him in that regard.  Joakim Noah specializes in rebounding and energy, but can't be considered a go-to scorer.  Butler has a more diverse skill set as a swingman.  No, he doesn't pick up the scoring slack like Pippen often did with Jordan, but there's always room for his type on an NBA roster.

Hinrich's veteran presence and Dunleavy's shooting can only go so far, especially if they're expected to play longer than usual.  Between the two, Hinrich is the better option to start thanks to his experience.  He's a point guard who has shown he can play the two in the past.  Bulls fans remember him shifting there in the lineup during Rose's first two seasons before he was dealt to Washington.

Despite everything the two potential replacements have accomplished, Hinrich's body is breaking down and although Dunleavy is potent in what he does, he's not meant to start for an extended period.  The Bulls can try and replace Butler's 11.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals, but they'll need some luck to make it happen.  Being on the road won't make the task any easier.  Still, we've been proven wrong about this team's shortcomings before.  Anything can happen.

Hopefully, Butler is being told to take it easy.  The last thing the Bulls need is another promising young player continually hampered by injuries throughout the season.  We know how low they've been on fuel late in the last couple of years, so anything that could accelerate that is not advisable.  Thibodeau could always apply a slight brake to try and avoid that, but I have a greater chance of replacing Mike Breen for this year's NBA Finals telecasts.

Another challenge awaits, so it's time to tackle it.

Back on Track and On the Road, Looking for Rose

Luol Deng has plenty to celebrate right now.  Leading the Bulls in scoring at 16.9 points per game is nice, but he likes what his team has been doing.  During the last three games, none of which I was able to watch due to work, the Bulls have had three different types of wins, showing signs of being the contender everyone thinks to be.

In Toronto, Tom Thibodeau elected to sit Derrick Rose so that his star point guard could rest a injured hamstring against an inferior opponent.  The Bulls won handily and were back in Chicago before midnight.  The next evening, the Bulls made Paul George eat his words by handing his Indiana Pacers, the last undefeated team in the NBA, their first loss of the season.  That game was over well before the final buzzer sounded.  It wasn't as exciting as stopping Miami's long winning streak last spring, but the United Center is sure becoming known as a place where lengthy streaks die.  Last night, the Bulls had a little trouble with MJ's Charlotte Bobcats, but pulled away in the last few minutes to win their fifth in a row.  Deng put it away with a clutch three, wrapping up a 21-point night.

Don't make any plans to go to the West Side for the rest of the month if you want to watch basketball.  That's right.  It's time for the annual Circus Trip, a six-game road stretch that really lets you know more about the team.  I know it's never fair to lose your gym for two weeks, but a lot can happen in that time.  While we expect the Bulls to contend this year, they can really make a statement if they do well during these games.  How they perform could depend on the crowd's reception when they return home Dec. 2 against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Most pressing has to be Rose's early drought.  In eight games played out of a possible nine, he's third on the team in scoring behind Deng and Carlos Boozer, averaging exactly 15 points.  It's not so surprising that the two players in front of him are those two, but after tearing it up in the preseason, Rose has scored 20 just once, which came in the last Indiana game.

Sure, defenses are playing him tighter now and they probably just took it easy on him during the exhibition schedule.  Still, you would have thought he'd have more than one 20-point contest by the start of this road trip.  I hope he's merely getting used to the competition playing all-out again.  If he truly believes he's the best player in the league, it's going to be time for him to put up or shut up and soon. 

He'll probably get voted onto the All-Star team if he just performs decently, but wouldn't you rather have him prove that fan voting is not just a popularity contest?  He needs to earn that trip to New Orleans in February and shouldn't have to rely on his name to get there.  There's plenty of time to make it happen, but it sure would be nice to get started as November winds down.  Maybe I'm being a little harsh, but a 25-year-old former MVP has to start playing more like one sooner or later.

Rose's next chance at a breakout game comes Thursday, a nationally televised game against the Denver Nuggets.  Plan on being up late as the tip-off is at 9:30.  If you're not used to these West Coast stretches on this trip by now, you've been living under a rock.  The Bulls are great this year, but we may learn how great over these next two weeks.

Rather Dull, But Rather Nice

Many were hoping tonight's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers would live up to its hype as the long-awaited first matchup between Derrick Rose and Kyrie Irving.  It didn't quite happen and both teams looked pretty ugly for the better part of the contest.  If you're a Bulls fan however, you'll take the 96-81 victory.

It was clear from the beginning that turnovers would be plenty, especially on Cleveland's part.  They ended the evening with 20 turnovers, off which the Bulls scored 29 points.  By contrast, the Bulls only gave up nine points off 11 turnovers.  Yeah, that's a pretty high number for this team, but when your opponent makes you look good in that department, you'll take the result. 

Of course, that won't be enough in Tom Thibodeau's eyes.  He's more likely to focus on how his team let a 13-point lead shrink down to one.  Fortunately, since the Cavs don't have the personnel to get to the next level right now, they couldn't retake the lead.  Instead, the Bulls closed the game on an 18-6 run to get to .500 on the year.  Although it's early, any team is at least somewhat legit when they reach that mark.

The scoring was evenly balanced out among six players who scored in double figures.  On a score sheet that looked similar to the one the Heat had on Opening Night, Carlos Boozer was the leader with 17 points.  He also had a great turnaround jumper in the second half that would have made Michael Jordan jealous.  Boozer has 16.8 million reasons to stick around next year and he won't collect them unless he can convince the team brass he's worth it.

Derrick Rose's 16 points and highlight drive to the hoop late in the fourth quarter took a back seat to the immediate aftermath of the play.  He grimaced in pain and didn't return to action as he was examined on the bench.  Bulls Nation held its breath for a period, but Thibodeau said in his postgame press conference it was a minor right hamstring injury.  K.C. Johnson later tweeted Rose left the locker room without a limp, so hopefully, that's where this story ends.

I hope this is the game in which we can see Mike Dunleavy finally came out of whatever shell he's been in to start the season.  He scored 15 and knocked down a pair of three-pointers.  He drew contact on another three-point attempt and made the subsequent free throws.  The Bulls need more games like this out of him if they want to succeed this season.  Otherwise, another promising run could be cut short.  That would also happen if Rose suffered another major injury, but let's not even go there.

Two weeks into the season, there's much room for improvement.  The offense still has problems, mainly due to shoddy shooting and trying to get too fancy as a unit.  Chemistry is still building for some of these players, but they won't be able to perform their individual specialties if the timing is off.  That will lead to turnovers, which result in giving up points.  A better club would have likely beaten the Bulls tonight, which is not a good sign.

Right now, the team looks like something between last year's Bulls and the previous two incarnations:   the star power is there and the bang-bang plays make a few appearances, but the lack of a consistent offense is making some games closer than they should be.  With Kyrie Irving struggling for much of tonight, it never should have turned into a one-point game in the final frame.  Yes, he ended up leading the Cavs with 16 points, but you can't let a team with less talent get into a rhythm for any period.

Still, the Bulls have a gear they can shift to that doesn't allow many of these games to slip away.  They've had it throughout Thibodeau's tenure.  With Rose back, that gear is only more lethal.  By next month, the chemistry will hopefully have been established, resulting in more blowout victories against inferior teams and close wins against the better ones.  There's a lot to look forward to here.

The Bulls will head north of the border Friday to play the Toronto Raptors.  If early indications hold, the concern for Rose will have subsided significantly except for whether he contributes in that MVP style he's known for.  Just laugh if you hear pessimism about his health.  He's here to win, not create drama.

Offenisve Fire Gets No Spark

Anytime the Bulls want to correct this travesty that is heir offensive game plan, they can let us know.  Tonight, they did a fine job relaying the message that it hasn't happened yet.  The fortunate beneficiaries were the Indiana Pacers, the NBA's last unbeaten team.  Nazr Mohammed's fadeaway shot with 4.4 seconds left kept his club out of the 70s in an ugly 97-80 final.

Although the Bulls led 43-37 at the half, shooting problems were merely a negative in a half they were just happy to get out of alive.  Afterward, it was a full-fledged problem, bottoming out in a fourth quarter when they were outscored 34-18.  Their final shooting percentage was a putrid 35.6 percent.  The Pacers weren't much better at 41.9, but in that last frame, it seemed like they couldn't miss.  That made all the difference.  All the Bulls could do was watch as the Pacers played like a team riding the momentum of their first 5-0 start.  It's tough to put on the breaks when you're feeling it.

Paul George led all scorers like the franchise player he is with 21 points, but his supporting cast was just as lethal.  David West had a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds while Roy Hibbert came close to one of his own with an 8-and-10 line.  Those boards for Hibbert were split evenly on both ends and just for good measure, he lived up to his reputation as a blocker with five. 

Indiana's starting backcourt of Lance Stephenson and C.J. Watson also reached double figures, as did Luis Scola off the bench.  Any team that plays with this much balance will always be a threat.  If you don't disrupt their strategy, they'll only be too happy to make you pay.  The Pacers will do plenty of that this year.

Derrick Rose shared a 17-point total with Luol Deng to lead the Bulls, but you could clearly see he's still getting back into regular-game shape.  Four games in and he still hasn't cracked 20.  He shot just 6-of-15 tonight despite occasional flashes of what makes him great.  He won't struggle like this all year, but it's still disheartening to actually see what we might have expected in his early return to competition.  He can only improve from here, so let's observe it.

Kirk Hinrich was the only other Bulls to hit double figures with 12.  Even so, he looked like a player trying to give it all he's got even though his skills have diminished with age.  Nothing looked effortless from him.  He never has been a bang-bang player despite his best efforts.  It would be nice to see him accomplish more of this, which would be valuable.  It's just too bad this came on a bad night.

Whether it's been bad luck with hot opponents or just being unable to solve their offensive problems, the Bulls know this can't go on all season.  They know they're better than what they've shown so far, despite recent evidence to the contrary.  The starters need to find the right wind and the bench players need to be comfortable in the roles they were brought here for.  Either all of them don't recognize it yet or they can't contribute as much as advertised (I'm looking at YOU, Mike Dunleavy).  If they want to avoid an epic letdown after the high expectations, all of this must be resolved before the calendar flips to 2014, preferably much sooner.

The 1-3 Bulls get back at it Friday at home against the Utah Jazz.  Head coach Tyrone Corbin is said to be in hot water due to his team's 0-5 start.  Time for the Bulls to push him closer out of a job.  More than that, they need to do it for themselves so they can get back on track.  The cure for what ails them is out there somewhere, and a struggling team unsure of its direction might be it.

Thibodeau Right to Call Foul?

Tom Thibodeau is understandably frustrated with his team's 1-2 start and will look to right the ship Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers.  While waiting for his next battle, the head coach shared another frustration:  one that discusses the apparent lack of respect his superstar point guard is receiving.  Specifically, he complained how Derrick Rose has not had many foul calls go his way early on.

The 10 free-throw attempts through the first three games for Rose appear to give Thibodeau a legitimate gripe.  The fans side with him, too.  A SportsNation poll shows 84 percent of 805 voters as of late Tuesday night believe Rose should be getting the calls afforded to LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and others.  Perhaps this is due to a lack of initiative on Rose's part to appeal to the referees when a decision goes against him or his team.

Look, I'm not going to pretend I'm an expert on how referees decide to call games.  Each one is different and how they feel on a given night can't be known.  We never know until after tipoff if a tight or loose game is in the works.  However, I don't think it's worth getting upset over a force the Bulls have no control over, lest they get slapped with a hefty fine.

Rose has worked extremely hard to get to where he is.  The drive he has to be the best in the league is one that can only be matched by the best players in league history.  Earlier eras suggest every player, even the stars, had to deal with a more physical sport.  Cracking down on that hard play is a recent trend which has turned some fans away from the NBA and others complaining that star treatment is more dominant than ever before.  Rose appears to be an exception to this newer rule.

The former MVP shouldn't need an assist from outside forces to succeed.  If he needs to get it done on his own, so be it.  Referees can give more calls to the stars who paid their dues long ago and Rose might have the same privileges one day.  Until then, this is how Rose has to win games.

In fact, it's rather surprising Thibodeau would even voice an opinion on this issue.  He's as old-school a coach as can be.  Never mind that other stars seem to be getting preferential treatment.  It seems to go against a lot of what he stands for, which includes hard-nosed defensive basketball that does whatever can within the rules to keep the rock from reaching your basket.  The referees shouldn't be a problem for him unless they've having an adverse effect on the outcome of a game.  Otherwise, you can't really protest judgment calls, at least how they're perceived at a given moment.

Fear not, Bulls fans.  Rose will head to the charity stripe a lot more this year.  He'll get his chances when he draws contact the right way.  In the meantime, he and Thibodeau should just worry how to get back to .500.  Doing it against the Pacers won't be easy, but a win would show everyone it will truly be a two-team race to the top of the Central.  Score, play defense and don't worry about the referees.  It's a game play every team should follow.