What We've Learned From the Chicago Bulls' "Circus Trip"

Vinny Del Negro, the miss-matched "coach" of the Bulls needs to take Rose's importance to the teams' success into more serious account and drill it into his team, most particularly his hot-head, no pass, quick-shot guards - Ben Gordon and Larry Hughes - that it is Rose's offense to run, not theirs. 

2. Trade Ben Gordon!

With Rose quickly assuming the role as the general and go-to-guy for the Bulls, there is no reason we need to continue to employ a ball-hogging, miss-firing guard who seems to care more about building up his own stats, then helping the team win. Now I used to be a Gordon lover. In his first couple seasons with the Bulls, he brought us a youthful spark and clutch shooting that we had not seen since the Jordan years. He was a cornerstone to what appeared to be a new, younger and quicker Bull's team. A team that could rise through the "trenches" of the East and reclaim Chicago's status and aura in the Basketball world. 

Yet Gordon has proved time and again since the Bulls loss to the Detroit Pistons in the 2006 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, that he is only concerned with himself and with his stats. After refusing a lucrative $50 million dollar contract offered by the Bulls in the summer of 2007, his performance dropped off substantially from his career highs in '06-07. He was forced, by the fact that that was the best offer he was going to get, to accept a one-year deal from the Bulls, in hopes that he can cash in this summer through free agency.

This year, Gordon seems to be getting in the way of what Rose is trying to accomplish. When Rose leads the Bulls up the court he is calling out plays and seeking out the open man to get the ball moving. On the contrary, Gordon goes for the quick shot, usually in traffic from behind the arc, and more often than not, clanks it off the rim for a turnover. Gordon's miss-fires don't just affect his stats, they kill drives, lose momentum and keep the opponent in the game.

With Rose leading the team, the Bulls need to take advantage of what talent Ben Gordon has and trade him for an established big man to create a balance on offense and feed off of Rose. In each of the games the Bulls have lost this year, they have repeatedly struggled with their size in the paint. Teams like the Lakers with Andrew Bynum, the Blazers with Greg Oden, and the Celtics with Kevin Garnett, move with a speed down the court that we can keep up with, but have an athletic rock in the paint to dominate and score easy buckets. The Bulls need to make this a priority for this season to begin a quest back towards greatness.

3. The Bulls Can

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?