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Chicago Bulls: 3 Keys To The Road Trip Ahead

By Allana Tachauer

Jan 18, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) celebrates with forward Taj Gibson (22) and guard Jimmy Butler (21) during the game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Bulls defeated the Pistons 111-101. Mandatory Credit: Leon Halip-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) celebrates with forward Taj Gibson (22) and guard Jimmy Butler (21) during the game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Bulls defeated the Pistons 111-101. Mandatory Credit: Leon Halip-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Chicago Bulls need to find a way to stay afloat during the challenging few weeks ahead.

The Chicago Bulls will be playing 10 of their next 12 games on the road. Starting with their Martin Luther King Jr. Day 111-101 win against the Detroit Pistons on Monday afternoon, the team will have to overcome playing without home-court advantage well into the beginning of next month.

Road opponents will be including the likes of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Clippers, with home games versus the Golden State Warriors and the Miami Heat. In other words, it is probably safe to say that they will face some adversity ahead.

This is especially true considering the recent news of Joakim Noah slated to miss the next four to six months due to a shoulder dislocation.

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Obviously, playing on the road is part of the NBA package, as is dealing with players sidelined with injury. But for a team as inconsistent as the Bulls, there needs to be a plan in place in order to be successful moving forward.

Staying Healthy

Keeping a team healthy is without a doubt easier said than done. However, it is important to know when to give certain players a break.

It is no secret that Derrick Rose has dealt with his fair share of health concerns over the last few years. From knee issues to tweaked ankles to even a broken orbital bone, Rose has not been 100 percent in quite some time. And although this probably cannot be helped, there are ways to prevent further damage.

Rose should not be playing the same number of minutes day in and day out. Nor should he be pushed too far, when he no longer seems himself (well, by the new standard anyways). Some may want their star to risk it all for the team, but when looking at long-term success, this makes no sense. There are some situations that will call for the guard to play less.

There will be some games he should sit out, period.

We are no longer dealing with the same resilient Rose. And as hard as that may be to swallow, it is a necessary reality check.

Pau Gasol has also been dealing with injuries of his own, mainly by way of his shoulder and Achilles tendon. And Kirk Hinrich is now suffering from a quad contusion.

Chicago is run down and it is now time for head coach Fred Hoiberg and company to figure out a way to avoid this from becoming the norm. Limited minutes? New rotations? A different set of plays? Whatever it takes.

Treating Competitors Equally

No two teams are alike. Therefore, no two opponents should be treated equally. Right? Well, maybe not in this case.

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For what seems to be the majority of the Rose era, the Bulls have been playing down to their competition. While they can walk away with wins against championship-caliber squads, they get blown out by organizations who are barely holding on for dear life. This definitely needs to stop.

Yes, Chicago is taking on some top-notch competition over the next couple of weeks, but they are also facing  the likes of lower-tier teams that, on paper, should be easy victories. The Los Angeles Lakers for example, are 9-34 as of Monday morning, putting them in the No. 15 spot in the Western Conference. There will be absolutely no excuse for a loss against them.

The Bulls need to play just as hard versus the Miami Heat (who they will actually host on Jan. 25), as they do against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Trusting One Another

As discombobulated as this season has been so far, one thing is clear: there is broken trust between all parties in Chicago. From the front office, to the coaching staff, to the players … lack of communication has led to dysfunction within the organization: this has not only caused drama off of the court but hindered performance on it as well.

The team certainly has its reasons for not having full confidence in Hoiberg. And there are probably things that still need to be worked out between players (have Rose and Jimmy Butler really put aside their differences?). But without team unity, there cannot be success.

For now, Hoiberg is in charge. This means that like it or not, the guys need to trust that whatever he does is in the Bulls’ best interest. Some may argue that Butler speaking out against him lit a necessary fire that propelled Chicago forward, but it also caused a lot of distraction and showed the public that not everyone is on the same page.

Likewise, the team needs to stick together. In the end, everyone has the same end goal anyways: win a championship. And with the Bulls in the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference, now is not the time for discrepancies.

More hoops habit: Chicago Bulls: Rose Hopes To Retire A Bull, Chances Are Slim

One road game down, nine more to go.

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