A Preview of the Young Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls had a better season then their record would have indicated in 08′ -’09, 41-41. They were eliminated in the first round by the hands of the Boston Celtics but proved they had a never say quit mentality. Each game was seemingly more dramatic then the previous one. The Celtics had all they could ever want from the Bulls in that series without question. The Bulls look to build off their great performance in the 09′ playoffs this season.
The Bulls were a very good home team, 28-13, but a terrible road team,–28. This will have to improve if the Bulls want home court advantage in the playoffs come the spring time.
If the Bulls want to challenge for the East title any time soon they will need to more consistent and beat the teams they should. It’s great to step up for the big games, but consistency is crucial.
The loss of Ben Gordon will hurt the Bulls offense – during the 09′ season Gordon averaged 21 points per game and had a sensational first round playoff. Where the Bulls will make up for the points lost during the season will be interesting to see.
First and foremost, there’s Derrick Rose. The standout rookie point guard lived up to the expectations placed upon any first overall draft pick. Having scored 16.8 points per game to go with his 6.3 assists, it wasn’t just Rose’s numbers that were impressive. It was his poise and leadership on the court that won the Chicago Bulls many games. This was well noticed around the league, and enough to give Rose the NBA’s rookie of the year award.
It’s been over 10 years since the Bulls last won a championship – but the Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson era is still fresh in many of the Bulls fans minds.
And then there’s Luol Deng, still only 24 years of age. He’s had some bad luck with injuries, but if Deng can stay healthy, he will add a great value to this team.
The Bulls lack a scoring big man, while they have Tyrus Thomas, Brad Miller and Joakim Noah, none are low post scoring threats each time down the court. Their skills are not “low post friendly”. The Bulls big men typically get their points off rebounds and fast breaks points. This will be a problem for the Bulls now that the Cavs have Shaquille O’Neal. Brad Miller always seemed to guard Shaq well throughout his career.
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