by Rickhouse on October 22 at 1:26AM
Team Name: Chicago Bulls
Last Years Record: 33-49
Key Losses: Chris Duhon (so none)
Key Additions: Derrick Rose
1. What significant moves were made in the offseason?
This offseason had two parts: before May 20, and after May 20.
The Bulls before May 20 were a mess. Mike D’Antoni, proprietor of the league’s most exciting offense in Phoenix, let it be known that he wanted to come to Chicago. Jerry Reinsdorf and John Paxson let it be known that their franchise had won six NBA titles with defense. After weeks of waiting for a competitive offer that never came, D’Antoni bolted to New York for James Dolan’s money. Luckily, he took Chris Duhon with him.
Then May 20 happened. Winning that lottery is the most important moment the Bulls have had since 1998. After considering explosive Kansas State forward Michael Beasley, the Bulls correctly chose hometown hero Derrick Rose.
Rose’s impact on the franchise and city can not be underestimated. Expect him to make an impression like Chris Paul or Deron Williams, two point guards who turned lousy teams into juggernauts rather quickly. Once he gets settled to life in the NBA, and it may take into his second season, Rose will be the type of force the Bulls haven’t seen since Jordan. He will get wherever he wants on the floor, control the game’s tempo, and have the ability to lock down opposing point guards on the defensive end.
Off the court he’ll give inner-city Chicago kids hope. He grew up on their streets, and played in their gyms. If Rose made it out of the hood, doing it all with a straight head on his shoulders, maybe they can to. One city high school coach, Von Steuben’s Vince Carter, said Rose can be the basketball equivalent of Barack Obama to Chicago youth.
Maybe that sounds too righteous, but it illustrates how much Rose is revered in the city. The fact that he arrived in Chicago on a 1.8 percent chance prayer could mean there are forces bigger than basketball at work.
2. What are the team’s biggest strengths?
I agree with Matt on this one: the Bulls’ biggest strength is their depth. Just look at the benches for other teams around the league- few, if any, can match talent with Ben Gordon, Andres Nocioni, and Tyrus Thomas. First-year coach Vinny Del Negro (and by first year, we don’t only mean with the Bulls, we mean coaching any level of basketball anywhere) will have lots of options. If he can establish a sound rotation- hopefully one that doesn’t include too much Larry Hughes- the Bulls’ flexibility will give them a huge advantage over most of their opponents.
Of course too much depth can be a bad thing, too. As I type this Hughes is in the starting lineup, bricking 15-footers at an alarming rate in a preseason game against the Mavericks. Talent deserves minutes, but it’s a double-edged sword.
3. What are the team’s biggest weaknesses?
Much of the talent doesn’t really fit. Take Kirk Hinrich, for example. I was always high on Hinrich before he decided to be atrocious last season. Now the Bulls are likely to start him at shooting guard alongside Rose. I think Hinrich can still be a useful NBA player, but it will never happen at shooting guard. Hinrich’s range leads some to label him as a combo guard; he is not. Hinrich is about as pure as point guards come. He can not score consistently enough to start at two-guard for a team that desperately needs scoring. While Hinrich’s very good at defending point guards, he often gets eaten alive against opposing two’s. Such is life when you’re giving up four inches and 30 pounds. But with Rose firmly entrenched at the point, there is no where else for Hinrich to go. Besides for Denver.
Andres Nocioni is an interesting study, as well. The mad man who scored and rebounded at will during playoff series against the Wizards and Heat years back disappeared last season. In his place was a 3-point chucker with no conscious and limited lateral quickness. Maybe it was because of a lingering foot injury. Whatever the reason, Noce wasn’t the same last year. Now he returns for year two of his big money contract, backing up a newly resigned Luol Deng. Until Rose is set for stardom, Deng is the Bulls’ best player. He needs to be on the court 40 minutes a night. So where does that leave Noce? Last season, it often meant power forward. While Noce is gritty enough to do the job, he just doesn’t do it well enough. He has no post game and he doesn’t rebound well enough to warrant minutes at the four. But with a huge contract, the Bulls have no where else to put him.
Hinrich and Noce are solid players. Both could start for a number of NBA teams. But on this roster, they just don’t seem to fit.
4. What are the goals for this team?
Find an identity. Right now the Bulls are a giant clusterfuck. Their franchise point guard just left behind his teenage years. The coach has never coached before. No one is sure what to make of Tyrus Thomas or Thabo Sefolosha.
The Bulls have always had talent. They may have more this year than ever before. It’s time to make this a real team. Establish a rotation and player roles. Don’t yank Ben Gordon around. Make Thomas and Joakim Noah prove how good (or not good) they are with consistent minutes. All of this falls on Del Negro. If he plays his cards right, this should be a playoff team.
Predicted record: 40-42
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Central Division previews
Chicago Bulls
Nels: Give Me The Rock
Matt: Blog-a-Bull
Cleveland Cavaliers
Rock: Waiting For Next Year
FTS: Fear The Sword
David Friedman: 20 Second Timeout
Amar Panchmatia: Cavalier Attitude
Detroit Pistons
Brian Spencer: Empty the Bench
Natalie Sitto: Need4Sheed.com
Matt Watson: Detroit Bad Boys
Indiana Pacers
Tom: Indy Cornrows
Milwaukee Bucks
Jeramey Jannene: The Bratwurst
Frank Madden: BrewHoop
See the links to blogger previews of every team at CelticsBlog.
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From the archives: We did this last year, too.
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Check out Top Ten for my Eastern Conference preview.
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