3 Chicago Bulls Who Need to Step Up Their Game Before the NBA Playoffs

The Chicago Bulls are gearing up for the NBA playoffs!  But several top Bulls players are not at their best right now and it is hurting the team right before the postseason. It's critically important that they get out of their funk and return to peak playing levels.  

So, which Bulls players need to step up before the start of the NBA playoffs?

Derrick Rose, Point Guard

For Chicago, all postseason success will begin and end with Rose.  He is the team's superstar, the defending NBA MVP and the Bulls' essential ingredient for success.

Rose has not been slumping recently but he has struggled with nagging injuries.  Back and groin issues have kept him out for extended periods since January.  That time off the court has hurt his consistency and left him rusty during critical games.  It showed during the Bulls' tight loss to the New York Knicks on Easter Sunday and even in their signature win over the Miami Heat, where Rose deferred to C.J. Watson in the final minutes.

Watson is a nice player but don't think he is about to lead the Bulls to an NBA title on his own.  Chicago needs Rose healthy and ready for the playoffs, particularly to square off against LeBron James in a likely Eastern Conference finals matchup against Miami.  They will sink or swim based on his health and level of play.

Carlos Boozer, Power Forward

Boozer needs to step up his game on both ends of the floor for the NBA playoffs.

First, his defense looks atrocious.  Boozer will never be a good defender but he needs to at least hustle on plays and work within the zone scheme during the playoffs.  In his last 15 games, Boozer has not even got in front of opponents in the paint and lets them score on him at will.  It's even more pronounced in person than on television.  If he cannot improve his effort level on defense, coach Thibodeau will have to sit him more often in favor of Taj Gibson.

Offensively, Boozer also needs to be more assertive and consistent.  He needs to stop settling for mid-range jump shots and return to being the aggressive post force he was in previous seasons.  Boozer also needs to be willing to take contact to finish under the rim and embrace his role as Chicago's go-to post scorer.  The Bulls don't have anyone else capable of filling that role on offense so Boozer needs to embrace it.  

Rip Hamilton, Shooting Guard

Rip Hamilton has not been healthy most of the season.  That's OK, Chicago managed without him.  But for the NBA playoffs, the Bulls will need an effective shot creator off the wing and Hamilton needs to step up his game to fill that void.

In his last five games, Hamilton has scored less than 10 points in all but one.  His minutes are limited to prepare for the playoffs but he still needs to show more aggressiveness and consistency.  Lack of production at shooting guard (and shooting overall) was a critical weakness for the Bulls in last year's playoffs so Hamilton needs to produce so Chicago does not repeat last year's problems.