Chicago Bulls: Ranking the 2012-13 Roster Against Each Team of the Past Decade

After several years of truly horrible basketball following Michael Jordan's second retirement, the Chicago Bulls have had fairly solid success over the past decade. 

The Bulls have reached the playoffs every season except two during that span, with their trip to the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals marking the farthest they have gone. 

Getting Derrick Rose in the 2008 Draft certainly helped matters, and although he's currently rehabbing an ACL injury, the team has a bright future ahead. 

As for this year's team, there may be some growing pains with Rose on the shelf indefinitely and a mostly new bench in place. 

That being said, how does this team stack up against Bulls teams from the past decade? 

10. 2003-04: Season of Turmoil

Head Coach: Bill Cartwright, then Scott Skiles 

Key Players: Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler, Jamal Crawford, Kirk Hinrich, Scottie Pippen 

Record: 23-59

Despite the career-ending injury to Jay Williams in the offseason, fans thought the 2003-04 season would mark a return to prominence. 

The Bulls added Kirk Hinrich and Scottie Pippen to a promising mix of youngsters and veterans, and they seemed poised to at least challenge for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. 

However, the team started slow, leading to the dismissal of Bill Cartwright after a 4-10 start. Scott Skiles was hired as the replacement, and he began to instill a mindset similar to the one that's seen in Tom Thibodeau's Bulls today. 

Several days after Skiles was hired, the Bulls made a blockbuster deal that sent Jalen Rose, Donyell Marshall and Lonny Baxter to Toronto for Antonio Davis, Chris Jeffries and Jerome Williams. 

The Bulls continued to struggle under Skiles, as the talented youngsters did not live up to their billing.

Curry regressed, Chandler battled back problems all year, Crawford provided scoring punch, but was highly inconsistent and meanwhile, Pippen dealt with knee problems. 

Still, although the final record was not pretty, the team did show improvements in terms of effort.

The improvements in the win column would come soon after. 

9. 2007-08: Blessing in Disguise

Head Coach: Scott Skiles, then Jim Boylan

Key Players: Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Joakim Noah, Tyrus Thomas

Record: 33-49

A season after finishing 49-33 and advancing to the second round of playoffs, expectations were high in Chicago. The Bulls added Joakim Noah to a solid core, and were touted by some as a contender in the East. 

However, things began to fall apart quickly.

Deng and Gordon turned down contract extensions, and trade rumors swirled around the team, including some that included Kobe Bryant. 

After a disappointing 9-16 start, Skiles was canned on Christmas Eve and replaced by interim coach Jim Boylan. 

Things did not get any better, and the Bulls decided to pull the trigger on a three-way deal that sent Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Adrian Griffin and a draft pick out and brought Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons, Larry Hughes and Shannon Brown in. 

Boylan finished out the year as coach, but was not retained at the end of the season after compiling a record of 24-32.

The Bulls finished way out of the playoffs, but it would turn out to be a blessing in disguise. 

8. 2005-06: A Slight Step Back

Head Coach: Scott Skiles

Key Players: Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Andres Nocioni, Tyson Chandler  

Record: 41-41

The Bulls followed their first playoff appearance since the Michael Jordan days with a slight step back, finishing the year with a .500 record. 

After a respectable 12-11 start, an eight-game losing streak in late December into early January set the team back. The Bulls had a 29-39 record on March 22 before finishing 12-2 and getting into the playoffs as the seventh seed in the East. 

The Bulls continued their strong play in the postseason, giving eventual champion Miami all they could handle before bowing out in six games.

It was in this series that Hinrich established his rep as somewhat of a "Dwyane Wade Stopper." 

7. 2009-10: Roller Coaster Ride

Head Coach: Vinny Del Negro

Key Players: Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich, Taj Gibson

Record: 41-41

The Bulls endured quite the roller coaster ride in Rose's second season. 

After stumbling to a 10-17 start, including a wretched loss against the Sacramento Kings that saw the Bulls blow a 35-point second half lead, the team rebounded to go 21-10 over the next 31 games. 

However, a 10-game losing streak followed that stretch, leaving the Bulls in danger of missing the playoffs. 

The Bulls snuck into the playoffs with a .500 record, but lost in five games to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Both during and after the season, the Bulls prepared for the 2010 free-agent bonanza, dealing John Salmons and Kirk Hinrich to clear cap space. 

6. 2008-09: 1.7 Percent

Head Coach: Vinny Del Negro

Key Players: Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Joakim Noah, John Salmons, Tyrus Thomas

Record: 41-41

Heading into the 2008 NBA Draft, the Bulls had a 1.7 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick. 

Somehow, someway, the Bulls lucked out and won the lottery, giving them the opportunity to draft either Chicago product Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley.

The Bulls selected Rose, and in hindsight, it was an absolute no-brainer. 

Having a stud like Rose on the team was a boost for new coach Vinny Del Negro, who was a surprise choice considering the fact that Del Negro had no previous coaching experience. 

The Bulls struggled to start the year, but boosted by several trades and improvement from Rose, a strong finish propelled them into the playoffs as the seventh seed in the East.

Rose won the Rookie of the Year Award with averages of 16.8 points and 6.3 assists.

The Bulls and Celtics then competed in one of the most thrilling first-round playoff series of all time. The series featured four overtime games, including a triple-overtime Bulls win to force a Game 7.

Unfortunately, the Celtics finished off the Bulls in that Game 7 in Boston. 

5. 2004-05: Back to the Postseason

Head Coach: Scott Skiles

Key Players: Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler 

Record: 47-35

The Bulls drafted Ben Gordon and Luol Deng in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft, and those two would play a huge part in getting the team back to the playoffs for the first time since Michael Jordan's departure. 

It took awhile to get the new guys acclimated, but a strong second half of the season, that included a nine-game winning streak in March, had the Bulls red-hot heading into the playoffs. 

Gordon was especially dynamic, providing truckloads of fourth quarter scoring and ultimately winning Sixth Man of the Year. The guard put up 15.1 points per game and had 21 double-digit fourth quarter scoring efforts. 

The Bulls took a 2-0 lead in their first round series against the Washington Wizards, but lost the next four.

Still, the season was a huge positive for a franchise that had been scuffling for years. 

4. 2012-13: Waiting for the Return

Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau

Key Players: Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, Kirk Hinrich, Richard Hamilton, Taj Gibson 

With Derrick Rose out for a good portion of the season due to a torn ACL, Bulls management decided to trim payroll by revamping their once feared "Bench Mob."

Out are Omer Asik, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, C.J. Watson and John Lucas III, and in are Marco Belinelli, Nate Robinson, Nazr Mohammed, Vladimir Radmanovic and Marquis Teague. 

Meanwhile, Hinrich was brought back to fill in for Rose as he rehabs from injury.

Hinrich looked rejuvenated in several preseason games, but he has also battled some injuries and is still a major question mark heading into the year.

The Hinrich signing also brought upon a hard cap that limits the Bulls' flexibility.  

Even with these issues, the Bulls do still feature a solid core of Noah, Deng and Boozer. Gibson should see more minutes and is a candidate for a breakout season. 

With Thibodeau at the helm, the Bulls should still rack up a good number of wins purely based on their effort every night. And if Rose comes back healthy late in the season, the Bulls could be dangerous. 

Of course, things could also spiral down the drain if there are further injuries to key members. 

3. 2006-07: Fear the Fro

Head Coach: Scott Skiles

Key Players: Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Ben Wallace, Andres Nocioni 

Record: 49-33

The Bulls made a big splash during the 2006 offseason, signing big man Ben Wallace to a four-year contract. They also acquired Tyrus Thomas in a draft day trade in exchange for LaMarcus Aldridge. 

The Wallace signing looked to be a dud at first, as the Bulls got off to a 3-9 start. But the team soon found their groove, turning into one of the best defensive teams in the league.

Offensively, Gordon led the Bulls in scoring at nearly 22 points per game, while Deng and Hinrich also had career years on that end.

The Bulls grabbed the fifth seed in the East and shocked the NBA world by sweeping the defending champion Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. 

Next up was Wallace's' former team, the Detroit Pistons.

The Bulls fell behind 3-0 in the series before battling back to 3-2 and ultimately losing in six games. 

2. 2011-12: Promise Turns to Heartbreak

Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau

Key Players: Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, Richard Hamilton, Taj Gibson, C.J. Watson, Kyle Korver 

Record: 50-16 

One year after a surprise trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bulls went out and signed Richard Hamilton to put them over the top. 

The lockout-shortened season started on a high note for the Bulls, and they looked like a team that could seriously challenge for the NBA title 

Rose and Hamilton were nagged by injuries all season, but elite depth kept the team churning along through the regular season.

The Bulls finished the year with the best record in the league for the second-straight season. 

With their full complement of players healthy heading into the postseason, the Bulls were poised to make a run. Then, in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, Rose tore his ACL and things went downhill from there. 

1. 2010-11: MVP

Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau

Key Players: Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Taj Gibson, Kyle Korver 

Record: 62-20

Although the Bulls failed to lure any of the really big fish in the summer of 2010, they still ended up with quite the loot.

Carlos Boozer was the team's biggest acquisition, with Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer and C.J. Watson, among others, coming on board. 

Also coming to Chicago was Thibodeau, who had been a highly successful assistant under Doc Rivers in Boston.

Thibs would go on to win Coach of the Year in his first season. 

While Thibodeau and the new guys were a big part of the Bulls' success in 2010-11, the key was the enormous leap made by Rose. Rose's remarkable play kept the Bulls going strong despite injuries to Boozer and Noah, and his efforts made him become the NBA's youngest MVP ever at the ripe age of 22. 

The Bulls defeated the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks in the first two rounds of the playoffs, setting up an Eastern Conference Finals showdown with the new "Big Three" in Miami.

The Bulls blew out the Heat in Game 1, but lost the next four games of the series.