Chicago Bulls: Are They Getting a Fair Shake from the National Media?
When a lockout deal was reached back in December and it was established that a shortened NBA season would commence on Christmas Day, clamor began about who had the best shot of winning the 2012 NBA championship.
The L.A. Times ran a piece which revealed that the Miami Heat were a 2-to-1 preseason favorite to win it all according to the Las Vegas oddsmakers. The Los Angeles Lakers were next at 5-to-1, and both the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder were third at 6-to-1.
A recent article ran by the Toronto Sun reported that those odds have been updated to 3-to-2 for the Heat, 17-to-4 for the Thunder and 5-to-1 for the Bulls.
Despite the Bulls’ exponential improvement from the very beginning of the Tom Thibodeau era, Chicago still doesn’t seem to be regarded as having a serious claim to the NBA crown.
It’s been a “close but not quite” dealing whenever the topic of the Bulls as the next NBA champion is broached.
When compared to the current favorite, the Miami Heat, Chicago has the same amount of wins and only one more loss.
Breaking down the team stats show a Bulls squad that has consistently been in the top three in points allowed, assists per game and rebounds per game. Even the offense has sat most of the season in the top 10 and is currently ninth.
Chicago has played 20 of their first 35 games on the road with a myriad of injuries and has still managed to amass the league’s second-best win percentage.
Why does it seem like the mainstream sports pundits are only willing to go so far when it comes to extending championship adulation to the Bulls?
They are quick to laud Derrick Rose’s rare combination of dynamic talent and humility.
They will rave about how quickly Thibodeau has changed the team’s fortunes.
They will drool over the team’s depth, smothering defense and selfless play.
But ask any analyst if they sincerely think Chicago could win a title this year and the response would be a hesitant “Well…”
The Heat has the best chance, the Thunder seems to be the next team in line and Chicago is currently the team who can’t be praised beyond having the best shot at beating Miami in a seven-game series.
The media commendations being handed out to the Heat and Thunder are not undeserved; they are very capable winners who have more than proved their worth.
However, it seems like the conversation isn't expansive enough to include three serious title contenders instead of what's been the usual two.
Miami and OKC have the best chance; Chicago has a shot.
It’s almost as if everyone is ignoring that Chicago continuously finds ways to win despite who may be missing from their lineup.
No one seems to care that the Bulls have yet to even lose consecutive games, unlike the other top dogs.
With the second half of the season getting ready to launch, Chicago is looking forward to the return of Richard Hamilton.
If any perception about this team is going to change, the Bulls are going to have to force that change.
A depleted Chicago team was still good enough to keep pace with other NBA elites.
A healthy, complete Chicago team will be priming to leave everyone else in their dust.
Maybe it’s some sort of unspoken taboo to mention the Bulls and an NBA title in the same breath unless you are referring to the last time it happened.
Perhaps analysts are too fond of the Jordan years to imagine that the franchise’s glory could ever be restored to the same level as the days the G.O.A.T. suited up.
Could it be that since Miami is star-studded and OKC is young and exciting that the Chicago Bulls grounded, team-brand basketball is just too boring to merit mainstream adulation?
Whatever the case may be, it seems like the Bulls are going to have to do the same thing they did last season when it came to getting their just due, take it.
