Eduardo's Offseason Preview - Chicago Bulls

[Moneytalks]

The leader and best player is a liability right now. Not even MJ really overcame being gone so long his first season back. That concerns me.

MJ came back mid-season IIRC. Rose will have a full camp, pre-season and his team USA personal rehab program under his legs, so it should ready come playoff time.

However, I understand the skepticism because MJ did not suffer injuries, and we still have to see how derrick handles the mental aspect of his return.

[mcfly1204]

Who else besides Rose, and occasionally Gasol in the post, is creating offense for Chicago?

Joakim Noah says hi, then throws out 5 assists.

Yes, because Joakim Noah is going to be breaking down defenses for Chicago...

[Destructor]

60 wins seems overly optimistic although playing in the East they should get some easy wins.

If we look at last season's record the Bulls finished at a solid 48-34. The problem is that they went 35-17 against the East but only 13-17 against the West. How legit are they really when they can't crack .500? Would they have even made the playoffs in the West last season? The top 9 teams in the West had winning records within the Conference and in addition all 9 of those teams did better than .666 against the East.

Of course the Bulls did accomplish what they did without Rose. Given his play thus far this off-season his contribution seems completely misaligned with his ego and he may end up being a negative change element. The Bulls could have a very hard time fitting him in again. Mirotic and McDermott could be solid NBA players but it is too early to appoint either as franchise saviors.

Rose's play in this off-season amounts to the equivalent of about 3 NBA games in terms of usage, without the benefit of continuous touches to get into a rhythm. I don't think you can draw any conclusions from that, apart from the fact that he looks healthy and explosive.

It's hard to see even a rusty Rose not making a positive impact for a team that was one of the worst offensive teams in the league last year.

I think its even more stupid to assume that Rose is going to lead a team to 60 wins, don't you?

[Jvaughn]

60 win team? That's a pretty big leap. Even the Heatles couldn't achieve that in there first season (58 wins)

This is unrealistic.

how many wins did the bulls have in the heatles' first season?

healthy, all-star caliber derrick rose could realistically get the bulls to 60. that's a big 'if', though

That 5 game ecf though

How is that relevant to the original statement? 60 wins was the projection for the regular season. That statement was challenged, because the Heat weren't able to do it their first year. It was then challenged back because the Bulls actually did it in Thibs first year. No one said anything about the playoffs. Poor attempt at trolling.

[kingkirk]

Yes, because Joakim Noah is going to be breaking down defenses for Chicago...

Breaking down an offense doesn't exclusively relate to dribble penetration.

You asked who else could create offense. Given what Noah should with his passing ability last season, he can create scores.

[cammac]

The biggest concern in Chicago is health Rose, Pau & Noah have all had consistent injury histories.
Pau has averaged 60 games for LAL the last 3 years and Noah was healthy last year but averaged 60 games the previous 4 years. Rose most hope for a satisfactory recovery but it isn't rust he had been practicing since the playoffs or longer. Chicago obviously has a poor medical and training staff.

Mirotic will be a decent stretch 4 but will take some time in adjusting from Euro League to the NBA.
McDermott is a 4 year player was overhyped in SL and will join a long line of shooters to become specialty men in the NBA.

Butler hustle, heart, great defense but where's the offense? Taj the heart of the Bulls does everything well but that little touch below starting quality.

Dunleavy & Hinrich are pros and know how to preform but one year older.

Rest of team sub par.

If any team overachieved in the East it was Chicago but were steamrolled by Washington in playoff who were beaten by the woeful Pacers.

Chicago 52 to 45 wins.

[2Chainz]

60 win team? That's a pretty big leap. Even the Heatles couldn't achieve that in there first season (58 wins)

This is unrealistic.

how many wins did the bulls have in the heatles' first season?

healthy, all-star caliber derrick rose could realistically get the bulls to 60. that's a big 'if', though

That 5 game ecf though

So are you cavs fan or heat fan this year?

[2Chainz]

The biggest concern in Chicago is health Rose, Pau & Noah have all had consistent injury histories.
Pau has averaged 60 games for LAL the last 3 years and Noah was healthy last year but averaged 60 games the previous 4 years. Rose most hope for a satisfactory recovery but it isn't rust he had been practicing since the playoffs or longer. Chicago obviously has a poor medical and training staff.

Mirotic will be a decent stretch 4 but will take some time in adjusting from Euro League to the NBA.
McDermott is a 4 year player was overhyped in SL and will join a long line of shooters to become specialty men in the NBA.

Butler hustle, heart, great defense but where's the offense? Taj the heart of the Bulls does everything well but that little touch below starting quality.

Dunleavy & Hinrich are pros and know how to preform but one year older.

Rest of team sub par.

If any team overachieved in the East it was Chicago but were steamrolled by Washington in playoff who were beaten by the woeful Pacers.

Chicago 52 to 45 wins.

45 wins is more unrealistic than 60. The bulls will more than likely have 54-60 wins if everyone remains healthy

[Rosque]

Can't wait for KobeKenobi's mod approved Lakers Offseason Preview.

*khm khm* Let's get started.

Depth Chart

PG - Lin/Nash/Clarkson
SG - Kobe/X
SF - Young/Wes
PF - Booz/Randle/Kelly
C - Hill/Davis/Sacre Bleu

Random **** about having cohesion and **** mostly.

Another paragraph full of ****.

Then he talks about how good Nash will be, how Kobe will be his 2012/13 self. Wait..that sounds wrong...he'll post 32-6-8. How we don't need true center, just like Miami during LeBron tenure.

He then puts ridiculous projections about player stats.

Team record: 52-30.

----------------------

Close enough?

[TDotsfinest97]

Who else besides Rose, and occasionally Gasol in the post, is creating offense for Chicago?

same question applied 3 and 4 seasons ago. substitute 'boozer' for 'gasol'

Only you don't have 2010/11 and 2011/12 prime D Rose anymore.

And no prime Luol Deng.

No Kyle Korver

And for the record, Boozer averaged 17.5 pts

Not sure why people aren't being realistic about CHI. They have a chance to be good. Only, its going to take some time most likely. It would take near a miracle for it to all come together the first year Rose returns and the first year they add Gasol. Sure it can happen. Its just not the most likely outcome.

Near 50 wins would be a very successful season.

Almost agree with everything you said but Rose is still 25, he's still got some time, you can't say the Bulls won't have a prime Rose anymore, probably not this season, but not in the future. I believe the Bulls will be very solid in the RS(55-60 wins), but might battle through injuries in the playoffs. My x-factor for the Bulls is the bench in general, when your starting lineup is full of injury prone players, you have to expect a lot of production off the bench. I'll go with Snell off the bench more precisely for the x-factor, I also thought about Brooks, if Rose ever needs a rest.

[Destructor]

how many wins did the bulls have in the heatles' first season?

healthy, all-star caliber derrick rose could realistically get the bulls to 60. that's a big 'if', though

That 5 game ecf though

So are you cavs fan or heat fan this year?

oh no you have offended me so...
I am a Heat fan; why else would I bring up that 5 game ECF?
If I were a Cavs fan I'd have nothing to boast about because they've obviously been the inferior team (up to this point at least) to the Bulls.
But hey, feel free to try again

[Destructor]

how many wins did the bulls have in the heatles' first season?

healthy, all-star caliber derrick rose could realistically get the bulls to 60. that's a big 'if', though

That 5 game ecf though

How is that relevant to the original statement? 60 wins was the projection for the regular season. That statement was challenged, because the Heat weren't able to do it their first year. It was then challenged back because the Bulls actually did it in Thibs first year. No one said anything about the playoffs. Poor attempt at trolling.

You're basing your projection on something that happened 3 years ago? Especially when your star player has looked sub par for the last 2 years?
Even if healthy, 60 wins with a more inexperienced team that will be trying to gel is going to be very difficult. Don't forget you needed an MVP Rose to get 60 wins. You'd need similar production to achieve the same goal. I will concede that if you do have MVP Rose then yeah it's somewhat possible (though still unlikely), but the chances of HAVING an MVP Rose is more than just a 'big if".

[RememberLu]

people forget that the year Bulls won 62, they didn't start off the first few weeks of that season very well. Nobody saw 62 wins coming. Rose wasn't MVP Rose yet either, he was a guy coming into a new role in a new system with a new head coach and a bunch of new players too.

[ingvald]

I don't really see how the Bulls win less than last year's 48. Don't forget that roster was without Rose and Deng. I also can't overstate how bad Boozer was in Thib's system last year. Bottom of the barrel defense and a rainbow jumper for $16M.

The other roster moves alone should push the team over 50 wins without Rose playing at a high level.

That being said, the Bulls roster is a house of cards, IMO. If everyone is healthy and Thibs can run a deeper rotation, player efficiency should go up. For example- Hinrich as a bench combo should be better than Hinrich as the starting PG. But counting on Rose's health, two rookies, and an aging Pau may result in the house of cards collapsing in on itself.

I really don't care about the number of regular season wins. I'm done with balls-to-the-wall regular season wins. Just stay healthy, develop players with an eye to June, and make a deep playoff run.

[hands11]

same question applied 3 and 4 seasons ago. substitute 'boozer' for 'gasol'

Only you don't have 2010/11 and 2011/12 prime D Rose anymore.

And no prime Luol Deng.

No Kyle Korver

And for the record, Boozer averaged 17.5 pts

Not sure why people aren't being realistic about CHI. They have a chance to be good. Only, its going to take some time most likely. It would take near a miracle for it to all come together the first year Rose returns and the first year they add Gasol. Sure it can happen. Its just not the most likely outcome.

Near 50 wins would be a very successful season.

Almost agree with everything you said but Rose is still 25, he's still got some time, you can't say the Bulls won't have a prime Rose anymore, probably not this season, but not in the future. I believe the Bulls will be very solid in the RS(55-60 wins), but might battle through injuries in the playoffs. My x-factor for the Bulls is the bench in general, when your starting lineup is full of injury prone players, you have to expect a lot of production off the bench. I'll go with Snell off the bench more precisely for the x-factor, I also thought about Brooks, if Rose ever needs a rest.

I understand how you read that but its not how I intended it. That sentence was about this year. I even pointed out how they would be better next year.

Absolutely there is a chance he can return to an elite level. What I then questions is, can be maintain that without getting injured again.

I'll use the John Wall comparison. The first years of Wall, he drove a lot and ran hard end to end a lot. He also got injured ever year. Even ended up with a stress fracture. Last year he worked on converting his game. He drove less, shot more 3s, and he added more pace to his game. Result. 82 games averaging 36.3 mins. and 2nd round in a weak East.

Rose will be 26 in Oct. He had a great first 3 years in the league Phase 1, then two injured years Phase 2.

This is uncharted territory. What will he do to adjust his game and still be effective. And keep in mind, at his peak the team was to centered around him which didn't translate into the playoffs. Its was great for his posting amazing stats and having a great regular season record, but come the playoffs, you can shut that style down.

For them to be good and good in the playoffs this year, Rose will need to blend in and hit 3s reliably and focus on being efficient in that style and that's what I don't see happening quickly. Its Gasol who is the key to them being a legit playoff team. And they will need a lot from Dunleavy and McBuckets.

SF is their great weakness. They have neither an elite defender or a ball handler there. What they have is two spot up shooters and thats a problem.

They are kind of similar in their design to the Wizards last year only TA and Webster only TA was also good defender.

Sure Noah is a different kind of post defender, but WAS was able to handler his mobility in the playoffs with Gortat and Nene's strength. And last year CHI was more athletic at PF vs the Wiz. This year they added Gasol who is a unique talent. WAS doesn't have a Gasol. Closest they have is the combination of Gortat, Nene, Humphries and Gooden with Blair for beef which as a unit provides more of what they need. A Taj mixed in there would be perfect for the Wizards.

They are kind of similar teams. Defensive coaches. Athletic KY PGs. Only I see WAS with the advantage of having Beal at SG and a ball handler closer that can also hit the 3 in PP at SF. Plus Otto will grow into a Trevor A type more quickly then some here might realize but with Otto, he can actually dribble which Trevor A couldn't. Otto is a great prospect and he learned a lot red shirting last year. I fully expect him to be product in his bench role from the start of the year.

Its interesting comparing the teams. Both have questions still but I actually see WAS as farther along and with less questions. And for Rose, what I see is him needing to adjust his game to something more similar to what Wall is doing and focused on doing next. Run the offense. Play elite defense. Hit the 3 ball and pick your spots to drive.

If Rose could match what Wall did last year, I would consider that an very successful season.

I see CHI battling WAS for 2nd place with both in the low 50s range for wins with the WIZ projected a few games higher.

WIZ are not winning 60 games and neither is CHI

TOR comes in with their own advantages and questions. For them, I see its mostly about Valanciunas taking and elite step up and DeRozen owning the team. What they lack is elite experience vets like Gasol or PP. Like CHI, I think TOR is a year away. Their younger players need another year of experience.

There are also teams like MIA and BRK who might surprise people. Yeap, they have questions as well, but they do have vets who have been elite that if healthy can gel quickly and who know how to win.

So there are 5 teams plus CLE at the top making 6. Its going to be a competitive year. Injuries will play of big part in who ends up where. Its likely to be a close race for 2-6 but I like the WIZ chances to end up 2nd over CHI because they have less questions and more of the skills and roles defined that makes for a good team, regular season and playoffs.

[dice]

Who else besides Rose, and occasionally Gasol in the post, is creating offense for Chicago?

same question applied 3 and 4 seasons ago. substitute 'boozer' for 'gasol'

Only you don't have 2010/11 and 2011/12 prime D Rose anymore.

And no prime Luol Deng.

No Kyle Korver

And for the record, Boozer averaged 17.5 pts

that has nothing to do with the question

Not sure why people aren't being realistic about CHI. They have a chance to be good. Only, its going to take some time most likely. It would take near a miracle for it to all come together the first year Rose returns and the first year they add Gasol. Sure it can happen. Its just not the most likely outcome.

of course it's not the most likely outcome. but it wouldn't take a miracle either

Near 50 wins would be a very successful season.

they JUST won 48! you have a severe blind spot if you're not expecting this year's team to be significantly better

[RememberLu]

Non-Bulls fans just don't understand how easy it is for the bulls to win regular season games

Tom Thibodeau could throw 5 tomato cans out there and they'd win 45 in a season

[mcfly1204]

Yes, because Joakim Noah is going to be breaking down defenses for Chicago...

Breaking down an offense doesn't exclusively relate to dribble penetration.

You asked who else could create offense. Given what Noah should with his passing ability last season, he can create scores.

He is a facilitator more than a creator. Maybe we are getting into semantics, but it was a problem years ago back when Rose was healthy, and Chicago has not done anything to address their lack of creators.

[Cliff Levingston]

I understand how you read that but its not how I intended it. That sentence was about this year. I even pointed out how they would be better next year.

Absolutely there is a chance he can return to an elite level. What I then questions is, can be maintain that without getting injured again.

I'll use the John Wall comparison. The first years of Wall, he drove a lot and ran hard end to end a lot. He also got injured ever year. Even ended up with a stress fracture. Last year he worked on converting his game. He drove less, shot more 3s, and he added more pace to his game. Result. 82 games averaging 36.3 mins. and 2nd round in a weak East.

Rose will be 26 in Oct. He had a great first 3 years in the league Phase 1, then two injured years Phase 2.

This is uncharted territory. What will he do to adjust his game and still be effective. And keep in mind, at his peak the team was to centered around him which didn't translate into the playoffs. Its was great for his posting amazing stats and having a great regular season record, but come the playoffs, you can shut that style down.

For them to be good and good in the playoffs this year, Rose will need to blend in and hit 3s reliably and focus on being efficient in that style and that's what I don't see happening quickly. Its Gasol who is the key to them being a legit playoff team. And they will need a lot from Dunleavy and McBuckets.

Fair points on the injury concerns. His athletic ability isn't a question at all, it's about maintaining health and avoiding that next big knee injury that knocks him out for the rest of the season.

The idea that his game or the Bulls' game with him doesn't translate the playoffs is a much too premature assertion to make. The last time Rose played more than one game in the playoffs was 2011. He had absolutely no ball-handling help around him at that point. Bogans was the starter at the 2. And the Bulls made it to the ECF, matching up against the Heat who would go on to 4 straight finals. We don't know if that subsequent team especially in 2012 with Rip Hamilton capable of being much more of an offensive threat at the 2 would've been enough. Nonetheless, the Bulls were basically a lock again for the ECF that year as well had Rose and Noah not both gone down with injuries, and that's not insignificant. It's like saying those early 90's Knicks teams couldn't possibly win on a big level when they may have been the second best team in the league those years just so happened to have to deal with MJ/Scottie.

SF is their great weakness. They have neither an elite defender or a ball handler there. What they have is two spot up shooters and thats a problem.

That's disingenuous. People constantly say that Jimmy Butler is a natural 3 and he's as elite a defender as they come. The Bulls could play Rose/Hinrich or even Snell at the 3 and give Butler 100% of his minutes at the 3 if they wanted. But that's beside the point because the Bulls' wing positions are interchangeable offensively. True that they don't have a guy who's an elite ball-handler but both white guys are capable ball handlers and passers. They both can shoot very well which is what this Bulls' team needs a lot of and McDermott is a versatile scorer despite not being a guy who breaks his man down off the dribble with blazing speed.

[Cliff Levingston]

He is a facilitator more than a creator. Maybe we are getting into semantics, but it was a problem years ago back when Rose was healthy, and Chicago has not done anything to address their lack of creators.

No, they have. You're confusing "creator" with "dribble penetrator." From 2011 to now, Noah has improved his high post passing by leaps and bounds. Gasol has been a guy for years now that you can run your offense through plenty of times down the floor in the high or low post with his ability to shoot, score on the low block and pass. You've got Rose who can get into the lane at will. In 2011, the last time Rose was in the playoffs for more than one game, you literally only had Rose with Boozer getting a few looks on the low block which ALWAYS ended up in a face-up jumper. That's not even mentioning Taj's improved post-game from last year, although he's not a good passer from the post at all.

We don't have a lot of guys that'll break you down off the dribble, but then again, the Spurs didn't either. When you think about dribble penetrators on their team, you only really think about Parker and maybe Ginobili. The Bulls don't have the breadth of offensive talent the Spurs did but they'll create their shots through crisp ball and player movement which is the more effective means of offense if done right. They won't be elite but they've got some potential to scratch the top 10 in efficiency if things come together well and guys stay pretty healthy.