What's the Window for This Chicago Bulls Core?
The Chicago Bulls are back in the championship race.
But this franchise knows as well as any how quickly that bubble can burst. There is a fragility built into their blueprint, with health concerns and Father Time each capable of closing this window at any time.
Storm clouds loom on the horizon, and while there is no guarantee they will ever breeze through the Windy City, their ominous presence should help spread a sense of urgency across this organization.
The Bulls need to win, and they need to win now.
Luckily, they have positioned themselves to do just that.
Chicago's motivation to move sooner than later starts with franchise face and former MVP, Derrick Rose.
The 25-year-old missed all but 10 games to a pair of serious knee injuries over the last two seasons: first a torn ACL in his left, then a meniscus tear in his right.
He's far enough into his recovery that he was able to help Team USA claim gold at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, but he still has layers of rust to shake off. His field-goal percentage for the tournament read more like a batting average, and not even a particularly good one: .254. He misfired on all but one of his 19 three-point attempts and averaged two turnovers in only 17 minutes a night.
But the production wasn't important; his presence was. He made it all the way through the nine-game slate and started getting back into the routine of playing regularly after essentially sitting out for two full years.
"I'm going to transfer this onto the next season with the Bulls because I think this really helped me with recovery wise, taking care of my body, eating right," Rose told reporters, per Bulls.com's Sam Smith. "I was feeling good every time I was stepping on the floor, stretching every time, and I think it's going to help me with the Bulls season."
And, despite some unsightly box scores, Rose did manage to hint at his top-level talent on occasion.
"You've seen bursts of him where he's very quick and explosive, some of those quick moves he makes to the lane and the basket," vice president of operations John Paxson told reporters (h/t Chicago Tribune's John Byrne).
Rose might not be back to his old form, but he is headed in the right direction:
So the Bulls need to seize this opportunity, especially since no one knows how long it will last.
Chicago understands its situation and the unique chance sitting in front of it. This team has fortified its ranks with win-now weapons, as it should have. The Bulls won 48 games without Rose last season. The chance for this group to do something special is real, and it grew over the summer for more reasons than just the return of its fallen star.
There was also the signing of four-time All-Star and two-time world champion Pau Gasol. The 34-year-old has a résumé so rich his profile should be impossible to lift, but his strong showing at the World Cup may have done just that.
"We've been really, really encouraged watching him play," Bulls general manager Gar Forman told reporters, via CSN Chicago's Aggrey Sam. "He seems to be moving well, he seems to be in great health. ... He's hitting the international three, such a terrific passer with great vision, instincts passing the ball."
Gasol averaged 20 points over seven tournament games, shooting 68.9 percent from the field and connecting on a trio of triples. The big man also corralled 5.9 rebounds, tallied 2.3 blocks and dished out 1.4 assists per night.
Chicago's frontcourt, no less than a life preserver in the Rose-less seasons, has the potential to scratch any itch that arises.
It's hard to imagine a more crafty interior tandem than Gasol and two-time All-Star Joakim Noah. The pair finished third and first, respectively, among forward-centers in assists per game last season. Both are comfortable at the elbow, on the low block or anywhere in between.
Gasol, a 17.4 points-per-game scorer last season, gives Chicago the consistent second scorer it has struggled to put next to Rose. Noah, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and Taj Gibson, runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award, can play off Gasol at the offensive end, help protect him at the opposite side or team together to form an energetic, athletic, defensively dominant duo.
The Bulls have the proper pieces to complement Rose or turn their attack inside-out if the point guard is removed from the equation, as Bleacher Report's Dan Favale noted:
"This is no longer a Bulls team desperate for Rose to be healthy. Well, it is and it isn't.
Superstars like Rose are indispensable. The Bulls cannot replace what he does, the offense he brings, the hope he inspires. But increasing their Rose-less ceiling is the next best thing.
More than anything, that's what Gasol does: improve the Bulls no matter what.
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But there's a shelf life on that improvement.
Gasol already has 13 seasons on his NBA odometer. Both Gibson and Noah are done celebrating birthdays in their 20s.
This trio is built for today, and that's a common thread throughout the roster.
The Bulls brought in 29-year-old Aaron Brooks in free agency and kept 33-year-old Kirk Hinrich around on a two-year deal. Even Chicago's rookie investments, Doug McDermott and European import Nikola Mirotic, should help right away.
The 22-year-old McDermott, more than 14 months older than New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis, left Creighton with 3,150 career points, a silky smooth three-point stroke and an understanding of how to play this game.
"He rarely messes up," Rose said of McDermott, via ESPN Chicago's Nick Friedell. "He never pushes the issue I would say. He never tries things that he can't do. He knows exactly what type of play that he wants and for me I need him because you can't leave him."
Mirotic, who turns 24 in February, enjoyed a prolific career overseas that saw him capture MVP honors in Spain's ACB League. While he won't be immune to an adjustment period, his game should carry over across the Atlantic, according to new Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt, a fellow veteran of the European game, via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune:
"Nikola's game will translate extremely well because he has inside-outside capability. He has the size to take advantage of mismatches if he does play as a (power forward). He has the speed to dribble around guys. He's a legitimate rebounder and has physical size and presence. He's a very, very tough kid.
He was a (matchup nightmare) in Europe. ... Physically and athletically and skills-wise, he can swing between positions and take advantage of mismatches.
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It will take some time for the ceilings on Chicago's young players to be properly set, but their basements already seem locked in at a comfortable height.
The Bulls haven't taken many risks with their supporting cast, and considering how close to the top they're sitting, they need production far more than potential.
But that only increases the pressure for this core to perform. It's already working against the clock, with the Cleveland Cavaliers holding dynasty upside if they can get their superstars working in rhythm.
The Cavs also employ a win-today core, but their future looks as bright (or brighter) than their present. Four-time MVP LeBron James is 29 and still well within his prime. Perennial All-Stars Kevin Love (26) and Kyrie Irving (22) are already elite but not without upward mobility.
There isn't another Big Three with top-shelf talent like Cleveland's, and this trio hasn't even started working together yet. If the Cavs can find an offensive pecking order and some defensive commitment, they could hit another gear no one else could reach.
If (when?) that happens, Chicago would drop immediately from full-fledged contender to championship hopeful. The Bulls, along with 28 other teams, just wouldn't have an answer for that collection of superstar talent.
Even if Cleveland struggles to ever reach its potential, Chicago's window isn't open indefinitely. There are financial hurdles facing this franchise soon capable of ending its run.
Jimmy Butler is eligible for a contract extension now and will hit restricted free agency next summer if he doesn't sign one. Noah's deal runs through 2015-16, and Gasol could get out of his the same summer by declining a $7.7 million player option. Rose, Gibson and Mirotic, meanwhile, are all slated for the 2017 free-agent market.
Who, out of that group, will the Bulls definitely keep around? Butler hasn't found an offensive game to match half his defensive talent, Noah will be 31 when his contract is up and Gasol is already feeling the effects of the aging process. Rose's health makes him a wild card, Gibson will have a hard time raising his ceiling and Mirotic is simply a question mark.
Surely, Chicago will keep some of them around, but the franchise's history suggests sacrifices will be made.
They deemed two-way All-Star Luol Deng too expensive to keep around last season. Never mind that his versatility made him an asset for the offense, his tenacity made him a critical piece of the defense and his heart made him a favorite of head coach Tom Thibodeau.
If it's hard to imagine the Bulls moving on without one of the aforementioned players, remember how indispensable Deng seemed just last year. Some players will be let go, and that's yet another threat to Chicago's window.
Rose could keep the Bulls' championship hopes alive longer if he regains his MVP form, but this core has probably two years to get something done. Three if they're lucky.
Given how easily these things can fall apart, though, they can't bank on getting another opportunity. The time to move is now.
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