The implementation of Hoiball, in which an increased number and quality of possessions are the key, has given his team something to get behind. The early returns have been positive from the players' perspective, so that's certainly reason to be optimistic about the season. Last year, a group that showed more offense than ever in a strategy that emphasized defense had trouble finding the right balance between what they were taught and how they actually played. That contributed to Cleveland ousting them in six games in the conference semifinals.
Hoiberg is opting to go small to begin games, resulting in some long-established roles being changed. He can go big and with high energy whenever he wishes at other points in the game. But for an offensive game plan to work, you need to move the ball and these days, the smaller guys in the NBA find greater success at it. Consistency is the key, meaning doing it for all 30-plus minutes on the court and not running running out of gas somewhere in the middle.
The good news is nobody seems to be too upset, if at all, about having to let go of the familiar. The championship window is closing fast on these Bulls, so winning right now regardless of strategic changes needs to be embraced. Would this virtually identical team from last year have gotten past the Cavs with more offense being preached? Perhaps, but again, the focus is on today and the lineup seems ready for over five-and-a-half months of the grueling regular season.
All eyes will be on the chemistry of the starting backcourt of Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. After speculation throughout last season that Butler would sign with a team where he could be the lone alpha male, the NBA's Most Improved Player signed a five-year deal to stay in Chicago. There are conflicting reports on how well these two get along, especially when both were ineffective and looked unwilling to dig deep in their elimination game. Hopefully, they at least get along professionally enough that they can become the most dominating guard duo in the East.
It's literally a broken record by now, but without a healthy Derrick Rose, the Bulls aren't going anywhere. The orbital fracture he suffered on the first day of training camp, coupled with lingering blurred vision, limited him to just 10 minutes of preseason action in the final game, though he did score eight points. It's sadly gotten to a point where the 2011 MVP is no longer thought of as a premier point guard in a league full of them. Rose can blame his body for betraying him time and again, although this latest injury was caused by an elbow to his face.
Regardless of Rose's situation, he still has a lot of talent waiting to be unleashed and he's been one of the most positive voices about Hoiberg's system. Perhaps this is the first time Rose feels he can truly do what he's want to with the ball throughout his career, MVP under Thibodeau be damned. The explosiveness might be a little hampered after three knee surgeries, but you want the ball in his hands if someone needs to take over. He has the drive and ability for it, so be happy we'll get to see him try what he does best whenever he's able to take the court.
If Rose can't finish off close games for whatever reason, look to Butler for that. In fact, many say he's now the best player on this roster and it's not unwarranted. He took over so many times last year, practically demanding that everyone take notice of him. He was a strong everyday player to begin with and morphed into someone who could be special in this league for years to come. That's how big a leap he took.
Whether Butler can top last year in a new system and with a new deal remains to be seen. He struggled with his shooting at times during the preseason, but it's possible he was just getting his early issues with Hoiball out of the way. If he can continue to be smart with the ball and play with the same fearless style that landed him his first All-Star selection, he'll cement his status as being more than just a one-year wonder. He's a great player regardless, but all signs point to him playing at a higher level for a long time.
The initial starting frontcourt already looked different with Mike Dunleavy's recovery from back surgery sidelining him for at least the first month of the regular season. Then, as the preseason went on, it became clear to Hoiberg he needed to switch up his personnel for his system to work. So now, we have two new faces to be introduced by Tommy Edwards instead of one. One might just be holding the fort until Dunleavy comes back, but the youth of these forwards might blow that scenario out of the water.
Tony Snell came alive in last year's second half after many started to believe he would soon be bounced out of Chicago as quickly as Marquis Teague was. Instead, he's assumed the everyman role once held by Butler and can lock it down at any time on both ends. He started 22 games last year, so he really won't be doing anything differently this year other than not being coached by Thibodeau. In just his third NBA season, it's possible, even likely, he'll take his game to a higher level.
Nikola Mirotic rightly put his name in the Rookie of the Year discussion a year ago after he showed the poise and abilities of someone who's been in the NBA for awhile. His post play and long shot lets everyone know those years of playing in Europe gave him just the right development and amount of seasoning to play a key role on a contender. The best is still to come for him, which is scary for opponents. Even if he's never a star, his contributions will be solid as long as he's in peak shape.
After a summer in which Pau Gasol was named MVP of the EuroBasket tournament he helped Spain win, he will switch from power forward to center for the Bulls. He's 35, but not slowing down yet and the only thing that might hamper him this year is fatigue from his non-existent offseason. Otherwise, look for him to get to the basket and grab plenty of rebounds as he's still known to do. Moving him to center might take some of the defensive pressure off him, which would allow to use his strengths more.
This lineup shuffling meant Joakim Noah will come off the bench after starting all but two games he played under Thibodeau. While still the emotional leader of the Bulls, he's 30 years old and has a knee that will probably affect his play for the rest of his career. Plus, he and Gasol never really seemed to gel together a year ago and that proved to be problematic down low. Still, his rebounding, defense and knack for the big play will provide a lift at times and inspire others to step up their games.
No one could use a bigger season or change at head coach than Doug McDermott, who could never regain his playing time with Thibodeau after being injured early in his rookie year. Hoiball seems to fit his style better and with Dunleavy out, he'll get plenty of chances to show he can make it in the NBA. A system that emphasizes shooting early and often is exactly what McDermott needs and while there's no guarantees at the professional level, the opportunity to succeed is a good start to the season. If Snell struggles as a starter, he'll be next in line for a shot at the job.
While he's not under nearly as much pressure as McDermott, rookie Bobby Portis is on a mission to show he's the frontcourt future of this team. Early returns on him are positive after averaging 12.2 points and 10 rebounds in the preseason. It would be nice if he could sustain those numbers throughout the year, but whatever he's putting up will probably drop off a bit when he inevitably hits the wall. It all depends on how he responds to that.
This surplus of big men has made many wonder if Taj Gibson has become expendable. He's still got the two-way talent which would make him a starter on most other teams, but with only one year left on his contract, his play this year could force Gar Forman and John Paxson into a decision on whether they should pursue a trade next offseason. How he bounces back from offseason ankle surgery could dictate whether he can be the same solid player he's been for years now. Still, the 30-year-old's experience and overall game gives him the upper hand on Portis and this is his shot to join Gasol in the "Gets Better With Age" club.
If anyone wants to put last year's playoff disappointment behind, it should be Aaron Brooks. He followed a nice regular season with a bad postseason, which caused some surprise when GarPax chose to retain him. But he played every game last year and, most of the time, put up respectable numbers along with frequent potential to break out. Plus, he could have done worse as the first choice to start at point when Rose couldn't play.
The rest of the bench is simply extra depth, starting with E'Twaun Moore, a lesser version of Brooks who has shown flashes of brilliance when given the chance. Kirk Hinrich is listed as a shooting guard, which is appropriate given how far his game his dropped, thus putting him in a position to hurt the team less. Cameron Bairstow has survived into his second year with the Bulls, which should signal they have confidence he can earn more time on the floor. How long Cristiano Felicio lasts will be interesting with his non-guaranteed contract, but if he can give something to this team, his tenure will be considered a success.
My initial reservations about Hoiberg as a coach for this type of team remain. I still have doubts on whether a guy who's only been around the college game can lead an East contender with a closing window past James and the Cavaliers. Experience wins out most of the time and he doesn't have the best player in the league or the MVP like David Blatt or Steve Kerr did last year. Maybe I'm going against my usual Bulls watching by waiting to see him crash, but if I didn't believe my own writing, you wouldn't be reading this sentence.
Still, the Bulls have enough talent to at least have a successful regular season, which is why I'm predicting 51 wins for them. Whether they inevitably meet Cleveland in the conference semifinal or finals doesn't matter. James will likely head to his sixth straight NBA Finals. After that, some tough decisions might have to be made to change not the makeup of the Bulls, but some supporting players in a last gasp for this group to win.
The Bulls and Cavaliers will play the very first game of the new NBA season Tuesday at the United Center. Appropriately, this will be a nationally televised tilt which will pit James with a regular playoff foe. And there's probably no fan base that gives him a tougher time than Bulls fans. The league must have taken all that into account by giving everyone the chance to see James open the Bulls' home schedule for the second straight year.
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