2012-2013 Season & Win Predictions

[bledredwine]

(eagerly awaiting LCMJ's reply)

[BuffaloBull]

I actually expect an outperform this year, and for the team to come in right around 50 wins, +/- 6 depending on whether they get above average injuries or not. This team is a lot shallower than previous iterations, especially since Derrick will be out for most of the season. But I think Thibs will put players in a position to succeed, and have them believing they could, and should win. Which is big.

An interesting barometer guy, to me, is going to be Nazr. He didn't do much in OKC last year, but he's performed really well for us in preseason so far. I think that at least part of that is our system is so much better: the Thunder, for the most part, just give Westbrook, Durant, and Harden the ball and let them do what they want, and it works, for the most part, but I really thought Miami outclassed them in the playoffs. A whole team system, like Thibs has installed, can get more out of guys if they are smart and understand their role.

[GoBlue72391]

I see 43-49 wins and finishing anywhere from 4th-6th in the East. It all depends on how healthy we stay throughout the course of the season. If we avoid any major and/or lingering injuries, I can see us playing above .500 until Derrick's return. We may struggle to score at times, but as long as we play defense and rebound like we have under Thibs we'll have the opportunity to win on any given night.

When Derrick does return we'll have to see how long it takes for him to adjust and how long it takes the team to adjust to him. Hopefully he'll get his legs under him by the playoffs and the team will have meshed by the playoffs. One silver lining in Derrick's injury is that he has the potential to be healthy and have fresh legs heading into the playoffs, depending on when he returns. The past two years he's seemed a little run down by the time the playoffs rolled around. If he's healthy, fresh, and up to speed on his injury and the NBA game by the playoffs, I think that works in our favor.

I think we can still win the championship this season. It will take a lot of luck and all the cards going in our favor, but I really think a fresh, healthy Rose in the playoffs can be a blessing in disguise. At the very least, I don't agree with those who think this will be a "wasted" or "lost" season for the Bulls.

Now for my actual predictions: 46 wins, 5th in the Eastern Conference, lose in the ECF.

Rose: 21 pts, 3 rbds, 7 assts, 43% (plays 28 games, rounds into form by the playoffs)

Hamilton: 13 pts, 2 rbds, 3 assts, 45% (plays 70 games)

Deng: 18 pts, 7 rbds, 3 assts, 47% (all-star, 1st-team all defense)

Boozer: 17 pts, 9 rbds, 1 stls, 51%

Noah: 11 pts, 11 rbds, 2 blks, 53% (2nd-team all defense)

Gibson: 9 pts, 7 rbds, 1.5 blks, 49%

Hinrich: 9 pts, 3 rbds, 7 assts, 44%

Mohammed: 6 pts, 5 rbds, 1 blk, 51%

Bellinelli: 8 pts, 2 rbds, 2 assts, 41%

Butler: 5 pts, 3 rbds, 1 stls, 45%

Robinson: 10 pts, 2 rbds, 4 assts, 43%

Radmanovic: 6 pts, 3 rbds 45% (not in the rotation)

Teague: 3 pts, 1 rbds, 1 assts, 37% (barely plays at all)

[Gray Poster]

-kirk hinrich is done, finished
-same with deng, as evident with his performance in the Olympics

after these guys got their huge contracts, their level of play has declined!

Is this a serious comment!

Deng had a 26pt/9rb/7asst game against Spain.

[JordansBulls]

If Boozer can average close to 20 and 10 this season we can be a top 3 team without Rose.

[McBulls]

Rose will not come back on a full time basis this season.

RIP will be traded for cap space.

Boozer will have a significant injury.

The new additions to the team, excluding Hinrich, will play down to their salary levels.

Our first round PG draft pick will play spot minutes, at most.

The Bulls will miss the playoffs and have a late lottery pick in next year's draft to trade away.

Thibs will be admitted to Rush Presbyterian with stomach ulcers.

[SchruteFarms670]

46-36

6th Seed

Upset the 3 seed (Indiana) in the 1st round of the playoffs.

[cubbiefan009]

51-31

4 seed in Eastern Conference.

1. Miami
2. Boston
3. Philadelphia
4. Chicago

[DJhitek]

37-45....

All prefaced with the following;

I think Rose sits out the vast majority of this season if not all of it.

They don't re-sign Taj, I think he will be gone at the deadline, along wit Rip.

Kirk won't make it thru half of the season.

That said, if all those things are reversed, 42 wins seems like the ceiling IMO.

[stepbackjftw]

-kirk hinrich is done, finished
-same with deng, as evident with his performance in the Olympics

after these guys got their huge contracts, their level of play has declined!

Is this a serious comment!

Deng had a 26pt/9rb/7asst game against Spain.

dude, that was one game. He had like a 31% fg in the Olympics altogether

hoping he proves me wrong though, he did play 40+ minutes in a preseason game so that shows something

[GoBlue72391]

-kirk hinrich is done, finished
-same with deng, as evident with his performance in the Olympics

after these guys got their huge contracts, their level of play has declined!

Is this a serious comment!

Deng had a 26pt/9rb/7asst game against Spain.

dude, that was one game. He had like a 31% fg in the Olympics altogether

hoping he proves me wrong though, he did play 40+ minutes in a preseason game so that shows something

Does this really need to be explained to you? If so, I'm guessing you didn't watch the games.

His wrist was obviously still bothering him and as the only legit scoring threat for Team GB he was being double teamed almost every time he got the ball. All the opposing defenses really had to do was focus on shutting down Deng and have the other players beat them. Players like Freeland, Pops, and that stretch four they had (Clark?) are nice role players, but they're not guys who can be consistently counted on to score. Not to mention he was playing PG for much of the time, too.

Their only other options at PG was Reinking, who's really a SG, and that young kid from the states who's still in college. What kind of numbers did you expect out of him under those circumstances? Of course he's going to struggle. Not many players wouldn't. The fact that he was even able to put together a line like that against a very good Spain team is impressive in itself.

Deng also made the all-star team and was named 2nd team all-defense last year, averaged 17 and 6 on 45% shooting the year before, and in '09-10 he put up 18 and 7 on 47% shooting. That was all after he signed his "huge contract." I wouldn't exactly call that "a declined level of play" as you did.

As far as Kirk goes, he played very well in the preseason, especially on defense.

[Hokie]

45-37, 6th seed. They then have an epic battle with Boston in the 1st round of the playoffs but ultimately come up short (like 2009).

I think Jimmy Butler will exceed expectations. I don't expect much our of Belinelli. Teague hardly gets off the bench (terrible draft pick). Noah is the Bulls' lone All-Star representative. Rose comes back after the All-Star break and is good, but not great.

[coldfish]

Assuming healthy? 52-30. I do think Rose comes back in January and is effective.

I think assuming that Kirk, Deng, Boozer, Noah and Rip stay mostly healthy is a big assumption though. When and if they do go down, the bench's weakness is going to be a problem. Butler, Teague, Vlad and Belinelli are only borderline NBA players.

The Bulls are a 9 man team, IMO
Rose / Kirk / Nate
Rip
Deng
Boozer / Taj
Noah / Nazr

Those empty spots at the 2 and 3 are scary.