by Joshua Chapman
Can the Bulls finally make it past the Heat? (ESPN)
Flash back to 1998 with me for a moment. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the rest of the gang had just won their sixth championship in eight years. The Bulls franchise couldn’t have asked for a better standard to have set themselves with in the leadership and determination shown in Jordan, Pippen and coach Phil Jackson. Flash forward to the 2004 NBA draft, where the Bulls traded their pick to secure the Phoenix Suns’ draft pick, forward Luol Deng from Duke. Now flash forward to the 2007 NBA draft, where with the ninth pick, the Bulls selected big man Joakim Noah from the University of Florida. Flash forward now to the 2008 NBA draft. The Bulls had the number one pick, despite the 98.2% chance that they would not get it. The choice came down between Kansas State forward Michael Beasley and Chicago’s own, Derrick Rose, point guard from the University of Memphis. The Bulls made the right choice, selecting Derrick Rose. Once more, flash forward to the summer of 2010. The Bulls were in the running for at least one marquee free-agent, most notably forward LeBron James. They also needed, however, a new head coach after firing the much maligned, Vinny Del Negro. While they didn’t land a bonafide superstar, they added several key pieces, such as forwards Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver from the Utah Jazz, guard/forward Ronnie Brewer (also from Utah) and backup point guard C.J. Watson from Golden State. Their arguably biggest acquisition, however, was coach Tom Thibodeau, who was an assistant coach for 25 years under the likes of Doc Rivers and Jeff Van Gundy. Thibodeau, or Thibs as he’s known to most Bulls fans, has instilled a defense first mentality that has led to recent success in both the playoffs and regular season.
So why did I go through all that, from Jordan to Rose to Thibodeau? You’re probably thinking that I haven’t even mentioned the question in which this entire article is surrounding. And you’re correct. But there’s a method to my madness. See, everything that the Chicago Bulls has done has led to where they are now, from trading LaMarcus Aldridge for Tyrus Thomas to selecting Jimmy Butler with the 30th pick of the 2010 draft. The Bulls are one of the few, marquee, elite teams in the NBA with a realistic chance to win a title. There are maybe ten teams like this in the entire league. But the essential question is whether they have enough to make it past the Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers and other contenders.
What They Have
Grit. Determination. Heart. None of these things will ever show up on the stat sheet, but if watch the Bulls for a season or even a few games, you’ll clearly see it. The Bulls have found ways to win games they just aren’t supposed to, games where they’re undermanned, exhausted and the better talent lies on the other side of the court. The best example of this is the game against the Miami Heat on March 27, 2013. The Heat were riding a 27 game winning streak into the United Center and the Bulls were without superstar point guard Derrick Rose (more on him in moment), star center Joakim Noah, guard Richard Hamilton and free agent acquisition guard Marco Belinelli. The Bulls were five point underdogs.
So why did I go through all that, from Jordan to Rose to Thibodeau? You’re probably thinking that I haven’t even mentioned the question in which this entire article is surrounding. And you’re correct. But there’s a method to my madness. See, everything that the Chicago Bulls has done has led to where they are now, from trading LaMarcus Aldridge for Tyrus Thomas to selecting Jimmy Butler with the 30th pick of the 2010 draft. The Bulls are one of the few, marquee, elite teams in the NBA with a realistic chance to win a title. There are maybe ten teams like this in the entire league. But the essential question is whether they have enough to make it past the Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers and other contenders.
What They Have
Grit. Determination. Heart. None of these things will ever show up on the stat sheet, but if watch the Bulls for a season or even a few games, you’ll clearly see it. The Bulls have found ways to win games they just aren’t supposed to, games where they’re undermanned, exhausted and the better talent lies on the other side of the court. The best example of this is the game against the Miami Heat on March 27, 2013. The Heat were riding a 27 game winning streak into the United Center and the Bulls were without superstar point guard Derrick Rose (more on him in moment), star center Joakim Noah, guard Richard Hamilton and free agent acquisition guard Marco Belinelli. The Bulls were five point underdogs.
They fought their way to a four point victory over the reigning champions. The Bulls also have on of, if not the best point guards in the league in Derrick Rose. Rose is a big, powerful point guard with elite speed, a deadly combination that makes him virtually unguardable. In addition to Rose, they have a solid core in Boozer (a very underrated post player), Noah (an elite defender and the team energizer bunny), and Deng (another elite defender and solid offensive option). Jimmy Butler, the starting shooting guard, has made strides in becoming a competent two-way player. Backup point guard Kirk Hinrich is a very capable backup and, in actuality, start for most NBA teams. The same can be said for backup forward Taj Gibson. This is a very solid, very well put together basketball team. But they are missing something…
What They Don’t Have
Every Bulls fan, NBA fan or even casual fan of the sport knows that the Bulls lack the necessary secondary scorer. Almost every championship contending team has this. The Pacers have Roy Hibbert/Danny Granger. The Heat have Dwayne Wade/Chris Bosh. Oklahoma City has Russell Westbrook. And so on and so forth. The Bulls don’t really have that guy they can go to when Derrick Rose inevitably has an off night, as every NBA player will. Joakim Noah is not a scorer. Luol Deng doesn’t get his own shot. Jimmy Butler has the potential to be that guy, but he’s just not there yet. The closest thing the Bulls have to a second go-to option is Carlos Boozer, but if Boozer has proven anything in his last three years here in Chicago, it’s that he’s been inconsistent with his scoring. The Bulls’ strength, their hallmark is their hounding defense and rebounding prowess. But once the playoffs roll around, every playoff team ramps up their defensive intensity. The Bulls cannot continue to rely on defense alone to carry them to playoffs and more importantly to the Finals.
Final Verdict
The Bulls can win it all. They have the will and enough defense to get there. But it will not be easy. They need offensive improvement from several key players, most notably from Jimmy Butler. Butler must improve his offensive skillset, either in creating his own shot, creating a post-game or developing a step-back jump shot. They need something from him. They need Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson to carry the second unit and average about 25 point between them. They need Carlos Boozer to average around 18 points, 9 rebounds every game. They need Joakim Noah and Luol Deng to stay healthy and continue to do exactly what they’re doing. And finally, they need Derrick Rose to be the MVP version of Derrick Rose, at least until they find him his Robin to his Batman. It seems like a lot. And in a way, it is. But it’s certainly not unrealistic. The Bulls have all the pieces in place to make a championship run. It’s time for their players to step up and make it happen.
What They Don’t Have
Every Bulls fan, NBA fan or even casual fan of the sport knows that the Bulls lack the necessary secondary scorer. Almost every championship contending team has this. The Pacers have Roy Hibbert/Danny Granger. The Heat have Dwayne Wade/Chris Bosh. Oklahoma City has Russell Westbrook. And so on and so forth. The Bulls don’t really have that guy they can go to when Derrick Rose inevitably has an off night, as every NBA player will. Joakim Noah is not a scorer. Luol Deng doesn’t get his own shot. Jimmy Butler has the potential to be that guy, but he’s just not there yet. The closest thing the Bulls have to a second go-to option is Carlos Boozer, but if Boozer has proven anything in his last three years here in Chicago, it’s that he’s been inconsistent with his scoring. The Bulls’ strength, their hallmark is their hounding defense and rebounding prowess. But once the playoffs roll around, every playoff team ramps up their defensive intensity. The Bulls cannot continue to rely on defense alone to carry them to playoffs and more importantly to the Finals.
Final Verdict
The Bulls can win it all. They have the will and enough defense to get there. But it will not be easy. They need offensive improvement from several key players, most notably from Jimmy Butler. Butler must improve his offensive skillset, either in creating his own shot, creating a post-game or developing a step-back jump shot. They need something from him. They need Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson to carry the second unit and average about 25 point between them. They need Carlos Boozer to average around 18 points, 9 rebounds every game. They need Joakim Noah and Luol Deng to stay healthy and continue to do exactly what they’re doing. And finally, they need Derrick Rose to be the MVP version of Derrick Rose, at least until they find him his Robin to his Batman. It seems like a lot. And in a way, it is. But it’s certainly not unrealistic. The Bulls have all the pieces in place to make a championship run. It’s time for their players to step up and make it happen.