It is clear the Chicago Bulls have entered a rebuild, but should the organization try to tank the 2017-18 season?
Come the 2017-18 season, a different chapter of Chicago Bulls basketball is about to be written.
One that takes place in a post-Jimmy Butler era. In an environment of rebuilding.
Really, it is an entirely new world.
Sure, the Bulls have not exactly been successful for some time now. Many could argue since 2010-11, when Chicago topped the Eastern Conference, Derrick Rose won Most Valuable Player, former head coach Tom Thibodeau won Coach of the Year and the team lost 4-1 to the Miami Heat in the conference finals.
(General manager Gar Forman also somehow won Executive of the Year, but no need to go there today.)
However, there was still a sense of hope.
After all, it was not unthinkable for Rose to return from injury, good as new. The front office found gold in Butler, via the 2011 NBA Draft. Joakim Noah won Defensive Player of the Year in 2013-14. There was even the possibility that head coach Fred Hoiberg would be a solid fit for the organization, and that the trio of Butler, Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade would revive the franchise.
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But alas, here we are, just a little over a month till the start of training camp, with the Bulls looking worse for wear. With no clear plan for the future. Or so much as direction for this year.
Yes, Chicago is finally going younger (more athletic being up for debate). Trading Butler made it clear the front office is looking for a total revamp. But how the team will be molded into winners once more is certainly up in the air, which has some asking if the Bulls should simply tank.
On the one hand, it is a valid argument.
While Chicago does have a few pieces with exciting futures ahead (Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen, for example) and already established talent (in the likes of Robin Lopez), much of the roster is questionable at best.
From Cameron Payne, who unfortunately seems like a completely lost cause at this point, to guys like Kris Dunn and Jerian Grant who have yet to show their worth, it is hard to find top value in a lot of the Bulls’ current make-up. Even players like Cristiano Felicio and Justin Holiday, who have the potential to develop in skilled athletes, would need the right player development staff on their side — something Chicago is lacking.
So why not try to reach the bottom of the barrel for the sake of signing stars in the future, instead of sitting at consistently mediocre with little to look forward to?
All it would really take is trading Lopez, since Wade will likely be reaching a buyout with the team shortly anyway.
On the other hand, tanking is a tricky strategy, one that not only relies on a bit of good fortune, but also a well thought out plan. Whether or not Forman and vice president John Paxson are capable of constructing such a thing, is really anyone’s guess. Besides being constantly on top of scouting, the right deals need to be put in place for the future. It’s a scary thought when it comes to the Bulls’ current front office.
Then, there is the fact that putting all of one’s eggs in one basket seems reckless.
The 2018 NBA Draft prospects may look good now, but there is no guarantee they will have impressive 2017-18 runs, much less transition well into the world of professional basketball.
Trusting the process may seemingly have worked for the Philadelphia 76ers, but that does not mean just any organization can pull it off.
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So the Chicago Bulls should think twice before hopping aboard the tank train, especially under the leadership in place right now.