When people look back on this current Bulls team, they'll likely point to 2015 as the year they had their final chance to emerge as a true championship contender. Once they got knocked out by a LeBron James team for the fourth time this decade, a change in leadership was needed, at least according to the Bulls' higher-ups. It's a sore subject with many fans who still question this change, but only those involved really know what happened.
While the Bulls kept themselves in the conversation regarding East contenders, that conversation was temporarily derailed in February when Derrick Rose re-tore his right meniscus and missed 20 games. Fortunately, he returned before the regular season ended to help bring the team's final record to 50-32, good for the third playoff seed in the East. It was their third season with at least 50 wins in this decade and their first since the lockout-shortened 2011-12 campaign.
In the first round of the playoffs, they drew their neighbor 85 miles to the north, the Milwaukee Bucks. They breezed through the first three games of the series, but sputtered in the next two. Facing a potential Game 7, the Bulls decided enough was enough and never gave the Bucks a chance in Game 6, a 120-66 blowout win. The 54-point win set a franchise record for biggest margin of victory in a playoff game.
That set up the conference semifinal with the Cleveland Cavaliers everyone wanted to see. If the Bulls were ever going to break through against the best player in the game, this would have been the series to do it. Rose's buzzer beater to win Game 3 gave the Bulls a 2-1 series lead, but that was offset by one from James in Game 4. After barely losing Game 5, the Bulls got blown out 94-73 in Game 6 at the United Center and the body language expressed by everyone indicated surrender, particularly from Rose and Tom Thibodeau actually sitting down towards the end.
Perhaps Thibodeau knew his days in Chicago were numbered, so he just wanted it all to soak in. There was heavy speculation all year that barring a run to the Finals, the tension between Thibodeau and front-office heads Gar Forman and John Paxson would be enough for the sides to part ways after the season. Indications also seemed to be that Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg would be the man to replace him. Both ideas came to pass and many fans, including myself, are still wondering whether it was smart to change the guard with this roster, which was left virtually intact during the offseason except for the drafting of Bobby Portis.
But even all the drama couldn't dampen all the honors many players earned during the year. Pau Gasol was voted to start the All-Star Game, his fifth All-Star selection overall, and Jimmy Butler was picked for the game as a reserve. Butler won the Most Improved Player Award and was selected to the All-Defensive Second Team. Gasol made the All-NBA Second Team and won the Magic Johnson Award in recognition on-court play and outstanding media presence. Joakim Noah won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award and Nikola Mirotic was part of the All-Rookie First Team as well the first runner-up in Rookie of the Year voting behind Andrew Wiggins.
Of course, everything was thrown out the window once training camp opened, as is always the case when a new season begins. Reality hit hard quickly for the new regime when Rose suffered a left orbital bone fracture during the first practice, causing him to miss nearly all of the preseason. Rose wore a face mask upon his return, but was soon on track for his worst season ever. Since ditching the mask, his play, while still noticeably dropped off, has improved slightly.
With Rose lagging behind in both play and speaking out, Butler, in the first year of a new five-year contract and
clearly their best player, has aggressively tried to take over the prime
leadership role on the roster. No one has tried to stop him, but there are reports that not everyone is on board with this change. Such growing pains are to be expected for a franchise on the verge of transition.
Yes, I just used the dreaded T-word, but it's a word that's seeped into everyday conversation about the Bulls, something we hoped wouldn't be the case at the start of this year. But with players adjusting to Hoiball and remnants of Thibodeau's philosophy built into them, we're stuck watching a lethargic offense and a defense that collapses at the wrong times. By the time I do my next yearend post, it would be better to have a roster more built for Hoiball because what we have now is not it. And I hate to drop the word "rebuilding" here, but that might be what it takes for Hoiball to succeed long-term if this is what GarPax thinks is best for the organization.
The Bulls won't be able to party much tonight as they open the New Year against the New York Knicks at the United Center. They should be in a much better position in this match-up than when they had to go to Madison Square Garden less than 24 hours after their quadruple-overtime loss. And hopefully, Rose will return after missing Wednesday's win against Indiana with hamstring tendinitis. But in the meantime, stay safe while ringing in 2016 and may it be a blessing for you and your family.
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