Chicago Bulls: 5 Positive Early Signs from the Team

The season is officially underway and Bulls fans should have plenty to be excited about. Other than the minor blip against the Warriors, the Bulls have played fairly well.

With a dominating performance over the Grizzlies as well as some good wins over the Hawks, Lakers, and Clippers, it appears that the Bulls are in for another successful regular season. 

And though there are still a few kinks that need to be worked out, there are more positive signs that this team is in a good place going into the season.

Here are five positive early signs from the Bulls thus far.

1. Omer Asik

Omer is listed as only being seven feet, but I swear this guy might be the biggest man in the league.

While he’s still developing his offensive skills, he has been great for the Bulls early on this season. And with Noah struggling to find a rhythm early on this season, Asik has done a nice job stepping in and giving the team some solid minutes.

In the tough win against Atlanta, Asik gave the team a great spark off the bench as he patrolled the paint.

I think the best has yet to come for the young big, and he should be a formidable backup for Noah for the rest of the season.

2. The Bench Mob

This team is one of the deepest in the league, and thus far they’ve shown that.

The Bulls can easily go 10 deep, though we haven’t yet seen a game when all these guys can play together cohesively.

Rather, the depth we’ve seen has come from when a player has struggled, and the rest of the team is able to cover for him.

This is perhaps more important, especially in this compacted season where players will be suffering from fatigue and will be more likely to have an off game.

3. Ugly Wins

The team’s opening game against the Lakers wasn’t very pretty. The same can be said for their win over the Hawks.

However, the team was still able to pull out wins at the end of both games. In close games like that there is always some bit of luck needed, but teams that never give up and continue to play as a unit often end up on the right side of those games.

Both the Lakers and the Hawks have been better than advertised so Bulls fans shouldn’t fret from these close wins. You can’t always blow off the Grizzlies by 40.

Sometimes you have to get on the ground and wrestle for the win. These kinds of games will help them later in the season and into the playoffs.

4. Team Defense

When all else fails, great teams can rely on their defense.

The Bulls this year, led by Coach Thibodeau, look to be one of the best defensive teams in the league. And after a few defensively shaky games, the last three have been a clinic.

After holding the Grizzlies to 64 points, they went on to limit the Hawks to 74 and the Pistons to 83. This is a great sign for a team looking to go very deep into the playoffs.

By slowing the pace, clogging the paint and making the proper switches on the perimeter, the Bulls can continue to be a great defensive force in this league.

Defense wins championships and that's good news for Bulls fans.

5. Derrick Rose

While it may be tough for him to grab another MVP trophy this year, it is undeniable how much this team relies on Mr. Rose to produce night in and night out.

What will certainly be a tough schedule for teams led by older stars, the Bulls will not have to worry as much about Derrick as he has plenty of youth on his side.

Close games towards the end of the season will most likely come down to sheer will and having a guy like Rose on your team is a huge advantage.

A great leader and franchise talent, Rose hasn't even finished developing his offensive skills. While his scoring is a little down this season, his scoring efficiency is up, as demonstrated by his improved shooting percentage from beyond the arc.

If he can continue to play at a high level throughout the season, the Bulls should have little to worry about until playoff time.