Let me get this clear from the start — this is the most talented Chicago Bulls team since “His Airness,” Michael Jordan, laced them up in the Windy City. A proud franchise that had been used to winning has suffered in recent times with mediocrity and the inability to live up to the lofty expectations. Sure, it’s Jordan’s fault. He instilled a culture of winning, but the Chicago Bulls have been largely irrelevant since he left.
This current team might be able to change all that.
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If this roster can stay healthy and integrate the new pieces seamlessly, the Chicago Bulls might just get back to being the top team in basketball. Former MVP and Rookie of the Year
Derrick Roseshould hopefully make a full comeback from a cruel knee injury suffered a couple of postseasons ago.
They still have one of the best (if not underrated) centers in the NBA in Joakim Noah and recently added former All-Star and NBA champion power forward Pau Gasol, who most recently played with the Los Angeles Lakers.
On paper, it’s a pretty handy “Big Three.” Solid defensively with Noah the lynchpin, terrific passing ability in the front court and a dominant point guard who can score and distribute with the best of them. This talented trio complements each other very well and will form the nucleus of the Chicago Bulls for the upcoming 2014-15 NBA season. Rounding out the roster, there are some very talented pieces to play roles as well.
Taj Gibson played terrific basketball behind Carlos Boozer last season and could have been the Sixth Man of the Year. He will likely still come off the bench to provide spark and energy, while giving Gasol some much needed rest. Jimmy Butler is slowly making the shooting guard spot his own, with solid outside shooting and terrific defense and you would think that he makes an even bigger step this season.
Mike Dunleavy is largely unheralded at the small forward spot, but fits the team well and his ability to knock down shots will keep defenses honest and limit the double teams Gasol and Noah see.
In the 2014 NBA Draft, the Bulls took collegiate scoring machine Doug McDermott. While he is unproven at the NBA level, his pure shooting and additional size holds him in good stead. If all goes well, he might just be a larger J.J. Redick, which is a huge boost for Chicago. The Bulls also finally get their hands on Nikola Mirotic, have a developing young shooting guard in Tony Snell and have solid backup point men in Kirk Hinrich and Aaron Brooks.
This is probably the most talented and the deepest roster the Bulls have seen since Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman were running the floor.
On talent alone, this Bulls team could win an NBA championship. However, games aren’t played on paper and this is where the biggest area of concern has to be for the Bulls franchise and fans.
Derrick Rose has missed a lot of basketball and is still not a lock to return to his best. Pau Gasol, the boom recruit, has suffered through his own injury woes and isn’t getting any younger. Even Joakim Noah isn’t a stranger to injury. So while the talent is there, will the Bulls be able to keep their stars on the floor together long enough to gel and to have an impact?
The Chicago Bulls are one of the most intriguing stories of the new NBA season. While their conference rivals the Cleveland Cavaliers have retooled and added two of the best players in the game, it appears to be a two horse race for the Eastern Conference Championship.
If they can stay healthy, the talented Bulls might just be able to knock off the “King” and his crew in Cleveland — and they might be able to return the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Chicago for the first time since the Jordan era.