Last Season: Deng Good Year
The Chicago Bulls have been waiting for one of their young players to step to the fore front and take over as the lead scorer. Ben Gordon tried to fill that role throughout the season as he was the leading scorer all year long. But as the season moved along, Luol Deng was getting better and better every night. He was brilliant the last 3 months of the season and carried it on into the playoffs. Deng became the top player for this team as the regular season came to an end.
When the playoffs started, they were facing the defending champions and Luol absolutely obliterated the Heat. He averaged 26 points and 9 rebounds per game as the Bulls swept Miami in 4 dominant games. Deng still kept the production going against the Pistons in the second round by averaging 19 points and 8 rebounds, but the rest of the team struggled immensley with their outside shooting as Chicago fell in 6 games. Deng helped the Bulls to a post-Jordan era best 49 wins last season as he emerged as the brightest young star in Chicago.
What Went Right?
The Bulls were finally back; getting their highest win total since the Jordan years. Ben Gordon cracked the 20 points per game barrier at 21.4 and Kirk Hinrich was able to put in 16.6 per game. Ben Wallace had over 10 rebounds, almost 1.5 steals and over 2 blocks as he had one of his best all around defensive seasons. Luol Deng emerged as a really good player for the Bulls. He averaged over 19 points over the last 3 months of the season and upped that to 22 points per game in the playoffs. The Bulls swept the Miami Heat by completely dominating them in all 4 games.
What Went Wrong?
They weren't able to score in the post. The Pistons were able to force the Bulls into bad outside jumpers because they knew the Bulls couldn't score in the paint. Andres Nocioni battled injury problems most of the year and missed 29 games. The Bulls never seemed to have a go-to scorer down the stretch and in the playoffs as they faced some identity problems. Luol Deng emerged but wasn't dominant enough to demand the ball in the 4th quarter.
Off-Season Overview
The Bulls already had a pretty good young team that had experienced playoff success so all they needed to do this off-season was maintain. And that's what they did. They re-signed Nocioni to keep their core of good swingmen intact. The brought in veteran Joe Smith to add some experience down low. Most importantly, they drafted Joakim Noah who should come in and have a very positive impact on the Bulls.
Players Added- Forward/Center Joakim Noah (Draft), Center Aaron Gray (Draft), Guard JamesOn Curry (Draft), Forward Andres Nocioni (Re-signed), Point Guard Andre Barrett (Re-signed), Power Forward Joe Smith (Free Agent, Philadelphia)
Players Lost- Power Forward Malik Allen (Free Agent, New Jersey)
Phil Barnett's Impact Players-
John Paxon continues to put together a roster that can contend for the top spot in the East. The young nucleus of Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, and Luol Deng seems ready to take over the conference, but is the rest of the rest of the team?
Breakout Player: I could ultimately end up regretting this, but Tyrus Thomas could end up having a monster season this year. The Bulls definitely need him on the court (they were 25-5 when he played more than 15 minutes), but they are still waiting for his basketball IQ to catch up to his athleticism.
Disappointing Player: There isn’t much to dislike about Andres Nocioni, but he hasn’t been the same player since recovering from plantar facitis in his right foot. The Bulls need him to play quality minutes baking up Deng, however his quickness is more of an issue, and his height prevents him from moving to the four spot.
FantasyInsideronline.com Fantasy Sleeper-
Tyrus Thomas, Forward- Tyrus Thomas emerged during the season as a sparkplug off the bench. He provided a ton of energy and was able to block shots, grab boards and dunk on just about everybody. This off-season, he has worked relentlessly on his jump shot and should bring in a much more polished and versatile offensive attack. He'll most likely be the starter and should be able to provide 10 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks per game.
Best-Case Scenario
They keep their progress moving forward. Deng emerges as the man all year round in Chicago by averaging over 20 points and 8 rebounds for the entire season. Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon combine to average over 40 points per game. Tyrus Thomas emerges as a low post threat that Chicago desperately needs and is able to assist the outside shooting with an inside presence. Joakim Noah is able to energize this squad with his enthusiasm and endless hustle. The Bulls storm through the season with well over 50 wins and battle through the playoffs to the NBA Finals.
Worst Case Scenario
The injury bug hits more than just Nocioni and decimates the Bulls' thin backcourt. Ben Wallace looses a step on defense and isn't able to be the anchor for the Bulls. Tyrus Thomas is more immature than improving and causes chemistry problems amongst the young players and the veterans. The team gets frustrated with early season failures and trades its young assets to the Grizzlies for Pau Gasol, virtually killing the Bulls youth and cap flexibility. Bulls win 45 games and lose badly in the first round of the playoffs.
Talkhoops.net Prediction- 2nd in Division, 3rd in East
The Bulls are going to still be pretty good this year. A lot of "experts" are predicting the Bulls to make it to the NBA Finals this season. I don't see this team doing that without a true go-to scorer. They should try to trade for Kobe Bryant in my opinion, as long as they can keep Hinrich and either Ben Gordon or Nocioni. I think losing out on Kobe because they hope Deng can become a superstar is a terrible decision. They could deal for Kobe and allow him to destroy the East during the playoffs. Getting Kobe would assure them of getting to the Finals. I predict 50 wins for this team and a 2nd round playoff loss.