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Chicago Bulls: Will Quiet Offseason Lead To Title Contention In 2015-16?

By James D. Tillman III

May 14, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) looks to shoot the ball as Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) defends during the second half in game six of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at the United Center. The Cavaliers won 94-73. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
May 14, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) looks to shoot the ball as Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) defends during the second half in game six of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at the United Center. The Cavaliers won 94-73. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /
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When the Chicago Bulls introduced their new head coach Fred Hoiberg, general manager Gar Forman made it clear that the team would not be major players in free agency. And staying true to that statement, the Bulls have not made any significant moves aside from bringing back Jimmy Butler, Mike Dunleavy and Aaron Brooks.

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That being said, have the Bulls done enough this offseason to put themselves in position to be title contenders next season? While some fans may believe this is the case, the fact of the matter is they have not. Now before you accuse me of being overly negative, let’s examine my reasoning for this assertion.

Apr 18, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) celebrates with teammates Jimmy Butler (21) and Mike Dunleavy (34) as they enter a timeout against the Milwaukee Bucks during the fourth quarter in game one of the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 18, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) celebrates with teammates Jimmy Butler (21) and Mike Dunleavy (34) as they enter a timeout against the Milwaukee Bucks during the fourth quarter in game one of the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

First of all, while the Bulls stood pat, a few other teams in the Eastern Conference have made noticeable improvements. The Milwaukee Bucks have added Greivis Vasquez (acquired from Toronto Raptors via trade) and Greg Monroe during the offseason. The Bucks also drafted Rashad Vaughn, who averaged over 17 points per contest while shooting 44 percent from the field and 38 percent from beyond the arc during his lone season at UNLV.

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Along with that, Jabari Parker, who was in the conversation for Rookie of the Year prior to his ACL injury in December, is expected to be at 100 percent by the time the 2015-16 seasons begins. With additional scoring and a low-post player in Monroe, who averaged a double-double last season, the Bucks could possibly challenge for one of the top four spots in the conference, barring any unforeseen injuries of course. In other words, it may be time to “fear the deer.”

Another team that may make some noise in the central division is the Indiana Pacers. Sounds like a joke on the surface, right? Well, let’s keep in mind that the Pacers won the Central Division for two consecutive years before LeBron James returned to Ohio.

Their offseason moves include re-signing Rodney Stuckey and Lavoy Allen while adding Monta Ellis to the mix. Along with that, Paul George will be back for a full season and the offense could have a faster pace to it with Roy Hibbert‘s departure to the Los Angeles Lakers. And being that the Pacers just missed the playoffs despite George being out for most of the year, expect this new-look team to be in the hunt next season.

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    • Last, but certainly not least, do you remember the Cleveland Cavaliers? That team with the best player on the planet? Well, James and Kevin Love are returning to the fold, along with Kyrie Irving as well. Furthermore, the Cavaliers agreed to a two-year deal with Mo Williams for a bargain rate of just of $2 million per season. This acquisition is significant because Williams is a playmaker who can create for himself and others, which is something the Cavs were lacking in year’s Finals against the Golden State Warriors.

    And for those of you who may be experiencing a bad case of amnesia, the Cavaliers knocked off the Bulls in six games without Love and a hobbled Irving. Can you imagine what the outcome would be if the Bulls were to face this team in a playoff series when they are at full strength? Rather than straining your brain on that question, I will save you the trouble by saying that the Cavs would come out on top again.

    In the final analysis, yes, there are a lot of hard working, high-character guys on this Bulls team who play their butts off every night for the most part. Furthermore, this squad has made it to the playoffs in each of the last five seasons, winning at least 50 games three times during that stretch under former head coach Tom Thibodeau. This is an accomplishment when you consider the rash of injuries that has plagued this team during that stretch.

    Dec 14, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (right) talks with Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (left) during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
    Dec 14, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (right) talks with Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (left) during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

    However, what this roster currently lacks is a player who can take over games consistently when the offense stalls a bit—something that happened quite frequently during the postseason. One such instance was in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Cavs. Although both Butler and Derrick Rose averaged over 20 points per game in that series, neither player could find the basket in the second half of that contest and the season came to a quiet end in front of the United Center faithful.

    Having said that, the Bulls will win at least 50 games again next season and will earn their eighth consecutive postseason appearance. But when it’s all said and done, we will more than likely see another second-round exit, with the team searching for answers once again. It is possible that I will be proven wrong come this time next year, but I highly doubt that will be the case.

    Next: Chicago Bulls: Is Jimmy Butler A Franchise Player?

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