Without Derrick Rose, Would the Chicago Bulls Even Be in the NBA Playoff Hunt?

As the season winds down and the playoffs approach, it’s a good time to look back on the Chicago Bulls season and judge whether this has been a successful year.

The first thing to look at is whether it’s even worth it to make the playoffs. Currently, the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls would be facing the Orlando Magic and Dwight Howard.

This is not a good match-up for the Bulls, as they have no one who can effectively guard “Superman.”

The alternatives are not any better: the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James, or the defending champion Boston Celtics, with three possible Hall of Famers.

The question can be asked is it better to miss the playoffs and try to get lucky in the draft lottery?

The Bulls certainly did last year. In fact, had they not lucked out and ended up with the No. 1 pick and Derrick Rose, you could argue they might be the worst team in the league this year. They certainly wouldn’t be competing for the playoffs.

Can a miracle happen two years in a row and allow the Bulls to draft Blake Griffin if they fall out of the playoffs?

While I won’t say they have a lock on a playoff spot right now, they would really have to implode, and a mediocre team would have to exceed expectations and rise up to grab the spot.

Were they to miss out on the playoffs, could they tempt fate one more time and end up with the first pick again?

Not likely unless the NBA decides they need a marquee franchise in Chicago and fix the lottery like they did in 1985 for the New York Knicks, allowing them to draft Patrick Ewing with the first pick.

With our look into the future over, how did this Bulls team perform this year? Were they underachievers, or exactly where they should be?

They hired a rookie coach in Vinny Del Negro after their meddling owner Jerry Reinsdorf messed up the Mike D’Antoni signing. Vinny has been learning on the job, and it shows.

There was a time where he kept Rose on the bench in crucial fourth-quarter situations for five straight games, retarding the progress of the player who is going to lead your team if you ever aspire to play in June again.

The best player on the team was supposed to be Luol Deng, but he’s been injured much of the year and has seemed out of sorts when he has played.

He sure looks like a waste of $71 million, the contract he signed before the season. He’s gotten worse instead of better.

The same can be said for Kirk Hinrich, who gave up his starters’ role as the point guard for Rose. A few years back, I thought he was the best white non-European player in the league.

I know that’s like saying you’re the best looking pig at a beauty contest for pigs, but he’s been a big disappointment the last few years. He’s done all right in a reserve role and that’s probably where he belongs.

Ben Gordon’s probably the best sixth man in the league, though he doesn’t relish that role and has been starting most of the season.

He’s instant offense off the bench and a helluva shooter, even if you’re swearing at times when he lets the ball go until it swishes through the basket. Of course, that’s all he can do as his defense and ball-handling skills kill the team at times.

Tyrus Thomas is an enigma. He has so much athletic skill that Reggie Miller on a TNT broadcast this year said he should average a triple double, and he’s counting blocked shots rather than assists.

While that’s a bit of an exaggeration, since nobody in league history has ever come close to averaging 10 a game, I can understand his excitement when you see some of the things he can do.

He’s improving and has had several double-doubles this year, and maybe one day will not cause the Bulls embarrassment about that draft day trade where they sent LaMarcus Aldridge to Portland.

Joakim Noah has become what he was supposed to be, an "Energizer bunny" type of player who rebounds and block shots running the floor and occasionally putting the ball in the hole.

The real improvement in this team came with the near deadline trade where the Bulls received John Salmons and Brad Miller.

Salmons has been everything Luol Deng was supposed to be, averaging over 20 points a game since coming to the Bulls and playing solid defense. He can play both shooting guard and small forward, and he might end up at the guard position once Deng is healthy.

Miller is a solid back-up who is a good passer and plays smart. He’s the type of player who is not a game-changer, but he makes the team better.

The other players on the team don’t matter, so I won’t mention them.

I will be surprised if the Bulls win one game in the playoffs. If they do, I would consider this a successful season.

They’re far away from being an elite team and unless they can find another star to team with Rose, they won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

When they do, Vinny won’t be coaching them.

The worst thing you can be is a middle of the road team that always makes the playoffs, but never has a chance to get past the second round.

So to answer the question I asked earlier, the Bulls should be better than they are. If they had the right coach who was able to get the most out of everybody, they would be.