Carlos Boozer and 5 Chicago Bulls Who Need to Step Up Next Season

After a storybook season that saw Derrick Rose and Head Coach Tom Thibodeau win Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Year, respectively, the NBA's first overall seed, the Chicago Bulls, were ultimately eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Without taking anything away from the Miami Heat, much of the Bulls defeat can be attributed to the low level of production from a few of the team’s key acquisitions from last season, as well as some disappointing performances from team veterans.

Now, with the NBA lockout in full effect, and thus all league activity suspended indefinitely, the Bulls are left to their own devices until the lockout ends.

So while teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Miami Heat look to free agency or a blockbuster trade to bridge the gap, the Bulls need to look no further than their own roster.

Here are five players from the Chicago Bulls who are in dire need of an improvement. In other words, these five guys really need to step up their game.

Carlos Boozer

Upon arriving in Chicago via a sign-and-trade last season, expectations for Carlos Boozer were exceptionally high.

Boozer was touted as the low-post scoring threat and secondary offense that the Bulls needed to help superstar Derrick Rose carry the load.

However, a hand injury sidelined Boozer for 23 games, and Rose was left to put the team on his back, carrying them on their way to the league’s best record until Boozer returned to help them lock up the first overall spot.

Come playoff time, though, Boozer’s performance was lackluster at best, especially for a player of his caliber.

Boozer, understandably slowed due to injury, averaged 17 points and nine rebounds per game during the regular season, but come playoffs, when he normally averages around 20 points and 13 rebounds, he was nowhere to be found.

As a result, the Bulls suffered.

Fault may not lie solely on Boozer’s play, but for an All-Star player who was expected to be a missing piece to a championship team, he was a disappointment, especially when he was benched in favor of former starter Taj Gibson, who completely outshined him.

The Bulls will look to him to step up big time come next season.

Kyle Korver

Another former Utah Jazz player acquired during the offseason, Kyle Korver also arrived in Chicago with the expectation of carrying some of the offensive load, especially after the Bulls lost the sharpshooting Ben Gordon to the Detroit Pistons a season earlier.

Previously a double-digit scorer during his days with the Philadelphia 76ers, Korver’s numbers weren’t necessarily as high in Utah; however, his percentages were still good.

During the regular season in Chicago, his shooting was getting back to where it was, but once the postseason began, Korver wasn’t really present.

Averaging a modest six points per game, he was unable to hit the big threes the Bulls needed him to, and despite being able to come off screens from big men like Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah, his shots just weren’t going in.

If Korver remains with the Bulls, he needs to really make his living from behind the arc and make the big threes Chicago needs him to. Otherwise, he could become trade bait.

Keith Bogans

While expectations may not have been high for Keith Bogans, he nonetheless started for the Bulls at shooting guard. 

An exceptional defender, Bogans was largely brought in to fit the defense-oriented system run by head coach Tom Thibodeau.

While there were not a lot of opportunities for him offensively, mainly due to the offense being run through Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer, a shooting guard needs to shoot.

This should have been especially true when the Bulls’ secondary scoring option, Boozer, was not producing.

Considering the amount of minutes Deng was playing and the amount of pressure applied to Rose, it became necessary for him to carry some of the offensive load.

However, with the Bulls now shopping for a shooting guard to carry the offensive load, Bogans is likely to find himself coming off the bench. But, given that the team would likely lose some key role players in the process, he’d still be required to produce.

Derrick Rose

As last season’s Most Valuable Player and, arguably, the league's best point guard, Derrick Rose carried his team well past the expectations set for them all the way to the best record in the league.

While his performance definitely earned him the title of MVP, come playoff time he needed to do just a little more in order to lead the team to the NBA Finals, and he came up short.

Rose may not have much more that he could possibly do to get better, but if he wants to be that elite player and the team’s true leader, he needs to be better than he was last season.

While that may sound hard to top, with a franchise that was home to the likes of Michael Jordan, Rose’s expectations are still high regardless.

Joakim Noah

Probably one of the league’s most polarizing players, Joakim Noah is a fan favorite in Chicago and the Bulls' emotional backbone when it comes to high-energy play.

After overcoming a hand injury, Noah played well, just not as well as the Bulls needed, especially in the playoffs, when he averaged a career playoff low of 8.7 points per game.

Typically the most energetic player on the floor, his performance took a bit of a dip during the playoffs, and he just didn’t seem to be the same guy who called out the LeBron-led Cleveland Cavaliers the season before.

He may not have to step up much, but Noah definitely has room for improvement on the young and growing Bulls.