Chicago Bulls: Where Do The Points Come From?

The Chicago Bulls have been a defensively focused unit for quite some time now. Built around the old school ideals of “defense wins championships” and guided brilliantly by defensive tactician and head coach extraordinaire Tom Thibodeau, the Bulls are one of the toughest matchups in the NBA.

Last season, the Chicago Bulls ranked No. 1 overall in points allowed at a measly 91.8 points per game. You just know it is going to be tough going when you face the Bulls and they proved it night in and night out over the course of 82 games last season.

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With

Derrick Rose

sidelined again for the majority of the season, the Chicago outfit knew that stopping teams from scoring was going to be easier than trying to run and gun and match it with some of the better “one way” teams in the NBA.

So, they stuck to their game plan and each and every night they ground out stop after stop and subsequently win after win. They finished the season with a 48-34 record and the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

However, at the opposite end of the spectrum, on the offensive side of the ball, the Chicago Bulls were actually the leagues worst team. Without Derrick Rose, the Bulls scored just 93.7 points per game edging out the Utah Jazz and Milwaukee Bucks for the worst offensive ranking in the league. Sure, it didn’t hurt them simply because they were outstanding defensively, but their lack of offense really showed in the playoffs and it has to be an area of focus for improvement this season.

Now, with a healthy Rose, the Chicago offense instantly looks a lot better. Rose can not only attack the rim and get into the lane at will, but he can also finish at the bucket and create easy scoring opportunities for others. Just getting him on the floor makes the Bulls better, at both ends.

As good as Rose is though, he is just one man. You can’t pin all your offensive hopes to the former league MVP. So when the inevitable scenario of LeBron James guarding Derrick Rose comes about, just where are the points going to come from?

During the off-season, the Bulls made some big time moves. They were able to beat out a number of suitors for Spaniard Pau Gasol‘s signature, they were able to bring over Spanish League Most Valuable Player Nikola Mirotic and they drafted the Doug McDermott, who led the nation in scoring, from Creighton.

All three moves instantly look to improve the “putting the ball in the bucket” issue they faced last season. Gasol is a deft low post scorer and excellent passing big man. Mirotic is going to take a little bit of time to adjust to the pace of the NBA but when he does, he can score and is the typical European stretch 4.

“McBuckets,” as he is affectionately known, will also take a little time to adjust, but when he does, he is going to find the bottom of the net frequently — especially from deep.

So, are these moves enough to increase the offensive output? When you add these three new pieces with Derrick Rose and his playmaking ability, the answer is quite simply — yes. The Bulls will have a number of options on the offensive end which is only going to make them tougher to stop.

As the intelligent passing frontcourt of Gasol and Noah learn to work together and reincorporate Rose into proceedings, there will be some teething issues, but all for for a good cause.

The Bulls are far from a one-man team. They showed this last season BEFORE they made the big time moves. Now, there are a number of avenues to score from.

Apart from the new additions, you also have the improvement of Jimmy Butler. The hard working swingman shoulder a lot of the scoring load last season out of necessity, but with his backcourt running mate ready to go, he will be able to pick his spots and become more effective and efficient.

It’s a dangerous situation for opponents. Add Kirk Hinrich and “can get hot at any minute” Aaron Brooks off the bench, with the sweet stroke of Mike Dunleavy — well, you can see where this is heading.

If the Chicago Bulls do end up taking on a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers at the business end of the season, and LeBron James is entrusted with the challenge of stopping Derrick Rose, Bulls fans shouldn’t worry. There are plenty of other avenues to the goal this season.

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