Summary of 2007-2008 Season
The Chicago Bulls finished last season with a 33-49 record. This came one year after the Chicago Bulls made the NBA playoffs with a 49-33 record. Last season was a step backwards, and certainly not what the Bulls were hoping for. The consensus around the NBA at this time last year was that the Chicago Bulls were poised to assert themselves as one of the top teams in the NBA Eastern Conference.
So, what happened? For starters, Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, and Ben Gordon all saw their production decline from the previous year. The Chicago Bulls did not have any chemistry in the clubhouse or on the court. Coach Scott Skiles (now with the Milwaukee Bucks) was let go after the Chicago Bulls quit on him and he quit on the Chicago Bulls. Throughout the whole season it just didn't seem like the ball would bounce right for the Bulls.
However, there were a couple of bright spots during the season for the Chicago Bulls. Joakim Noah, Aaron Gray and Thabo Sefolosha all contributed more than expected. Gray, one of last year's second-round picks, may never be more than a good backup center, but Noah and Sefolosha have a chance to become very valuable players for the Chicago Bulls. Also, in a bit of addition by subtraction, the Chicago Bulls were able to find a taker for Ben Wallace and his giant contract. In return, the Bulls had to accept the Cleveland Cavaliers' Larry Hughes and his also-giant contract. However, Hughes is a better fit for this Bulls team and Noah has many of the same skills that Wallace has.
Player profiles are available for many of the Chicago Bulls basketball players by clicking on their names.
Backcourt
The backcourt is a logjam right now for the Chicago Bulls. Chris Duhon has moved on, but the roster still contains Ben Gordon (as of right now), Kirk Hinrich, Larry Hughes, Thabo Sefolosha and the overall first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Derrick Rose. Also on the roster, for now, are Chicagoan Shannon Brown and JamesOn Curry.
When the Chicago Bulls picked Derrick Rose first in the 2008 NBA Draft, they created a nice problem for themselves. The Bulls have too many guards and can now shop either Hinrich or Gordon to gauge their market value.
Derrick Rose could be the next great point guard in the NBA. It's hard to guarantee such success, but Rose has the athleticism, competitive fire, heart, smarts, leadership and attitude to make an impact on the NBA very quickly. His shooting can use some work, and he'll have to learn to play in the NBA, but Rose will not take long to turn the Chicago Bulls into his team.
As of right now, and assuming he remains with the team, Kirk Hinrich should probably still be considered the starter at point guard. How long that will last depends on the Chicago Bulls and point guard of the future Derrick Rose. Hinrich provides the Bulls with the ability to play either guard spot both offensively and defensively. However, Hinrich's play took a major and unexpected drop this past season. If he remains on the Chicago Bulls, Kirk Hinrich will need to improve his game for the Bulls to be successful.
Ben Gordon is an undersized shooting guard who can score in bunches. It would seem that Gordon is the logical choice for the Chicago Bulls to trade (although Hinrich may have more value). He is a restricted free agent whom the Bulls could sign and trade. Gordon is a creative scorer, but does not play good defense. He's also on the short side for a shooting guard.
Larry Hughes provides the Chicago Bulls with some size in the backcourt and a proven ability to score, although his scoring has dropped off a little recently. Hughes would also be a candidate for a trade, but no team is going to want to pick up his contract. For now, Hughes is a starter. But, if the Bulls keep Hinrich, they may eventually move Hinrich to shooting guard, which would make for a smaller backcourt.
Sefolosha took a step forward in his second season with the Bulls. Like Hughes, Sefolosha is a taller guard (6'7''). He also plays tough defense and is turning into a decent scorer. He'll continue to provide the Chicago Bulls with minutes off of the bench.
Frontcourt
As in previous years, the frontcourt is the weakness for the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls have very little low post scoring on the team. The starters appear to be Joakim Noah at center, Drew Gooden at power forward, and former Chicago Bull favorite Luol Deng at small forward (who appears to have reached a contract deal to stay with the Chicago Bulls). Backing up the starters will be Andres Nocioni, Tyrus Thomas and Aaron Gray.
Joakim Noah was a nice surprise for the Chicago Bulls last year. Noah was able to step in when Wallace was traded and gave the Bulls hustle, rebounding, and post defense. Noah looked like a rookie at times, but he showed what he'll be able to do at the NBA level. It looks like he'll be a very good role player who can rebound and score on the fast break and on put backs. And, he'll always play hard.
The Chicago Bulls acquired Drew Gooden from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the mid-season Ben Wallace trade. Gooden is young at 26 years old and has a lot of talent, but he hasn't been able to reach his potential yet. He is an above-average scorer and rebounder.
A year ago, the Chicago Bulls wouldn't dare trade Luol Deng, even in a transaction to acquire Kobe Bryant. This off-season, Deng (like Gordon) was a restricted free agent and his Chicago Bulls future was in serious doubt for a stretch. The Chicago Bulls were hoping that this past season would be Deng's breakout year. In reality, Deng took a step back. His numbers did not drop off much, but the Bulls were counting on increased productivity from Luol Deng. Now that it appears he will remain with the Chicago Bulls, Deng provides a nice mid-range game, the ability to get to the basket, and above average defense.
Andres Nocioni will continue in his familiar role of an above-average scorer, rugged player, and one the NBA's top pests for the Chicago Bulls. Nocioni always seems to get under the other team's skin with his hard play. His minutes will probably remain steady while he starts some games and plays the rest off of the bench.
Tyrus Thomas will continue in his quest to fulfill the potential that prompted the Chicago Bulls to trade the second pick in the 2006 NBA Draft for the rights to Tyrus Thomas (the fourth pick). So far, Thomas has not lived up to his potential. But, he is still young and raw. This year will be critical both for Thomas' career and for the Chicago Bulls. If this season does not see some improvement from Thomas, the Bulls' patience may begin to wear thin.
Finally, like Noah, Aaron Gray was a surprise for the Chicago Bulls in his rookie season. The second round draft pick provided the Bulls with their only real low post threat. Gray won't be a starter, but he'll be able to give the Bulls some low post scoring, decent passing from the post, and some good size off the bench.
Forwards Cedric Simmons and Demetris Nichols will also be fighting for a roster spot in the Chicago Bulls frontcourt.
Coaching
Vinny Del Negro was a surprise hire for the Chicago Bulls coaching vacancy. Del Negro is only 41 years old and has no prior coaching experience. Del Negro was previously an Assistant General Manager for the Phoenix Suns. It is generally thought that Del Negro will be a "players' coach"
and will inject fresh enthusiasm into the Bulls team. Vinny Del Negro had the reputation of a smart basketball player during his college and NBA careers. He knows the game and should not have a problem with the technical portion of coaching. However, the way he handles a team and game situations is unknown. To help counter his inexperience, Del Negro retained Chicago Bulls Assistant Coach Pete Myers, and added Bernie Bickerstaff and Del Harris. Both, Bickerstaff and Harris have head coaching experience in the NBA.
Projections for Upcoming Season
The Chicago Bulls need to get headed in the right direction again this season. No one expects them to win the NBA Championship, but the Bulls need to make the playoffs and regain some of their confidence as a team and as a franchise.
Things were beginning to look up for the Chicago Bulls franchise in recent years. John Paxson had taken over for Jerry Krause as the General Manager, the Bulls were making the playoffs, and they had a lot of young talent with big potential. The question is whether this past season was an aberration, or if the Bulls franchise will be on the downward slide again.
When the Chicago Bulls received the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, if they Bulls were on a slide, they instantly received hope again. The consensus two top picks (Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley) both would have helped the Bulls. The Chicago Bulls opted for Rose and hope that they picked a future All-Star point guard. In the end, the difference between Rose and Beasley may be that Rose will make his teammates better.
I expect there to be growing pains as the Chicago Bulls bring Derrick Rose into the fold, but I think they'll be able to work out any problems and make the playoffs this year. They may just barely make the playoffs, and they might not win a series, but making the playoffs would be a step in the right direction again for the Chicago Bulls.
