Dispelling Biggest Current Misconceptions About Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls head into the 2013-14 season a new team, but there are a few misconceptions about them.

Chicago's offense has had a reputation for being stagnant over the past few years, and while they do have bad stretches, they've actually been one of the league's best offenses with Derrick Rose.

Three-point shooting is another area where most think the Bulls perform poorly. However, with Rose, Chicago has been among some of the better outside shooting teams.

The notion that Rose is the only player who produces offensively has been true throughout most of his career, but that will probably change this year for various reasons.

The Bulls, like any other team, have their flaws.

So, what are some misconceptions people have about the Bulls?

Chicago Can't Score

The Bulls have generally been a low-scoring team, especially since Tom Thibodeau took over, ranking 18th or worse in points per game in his three years as head coach.

However, Chicago's offense was among the most efficient in the NBA when Rose was on the court.

In 2010-11, Rose's MVP year, the Bulls ranked 20th in scoring with 98.6 points per contest. Per 100 possessions, though, the Bulls scored 108.3 points, good for 11th in the league.

The Bulls ranked fifth the following year in offensive rating with 107.4 points per 100 possessions. Without Rose this past season, the Bulls ranked 23rd in that category.

Rose's impact isn't limited to just scoring.

The double-teams he commands allow his teammates to get open looks, but in his absence the Bulls struggled to get easy shots, ranking 29th in effective field-goal percentage (eFG%) in 2012-13.

The previous two seasons, the Bulls were in the top half of the league with an eFG% of 50.1 and 49 in 2010-11 and 2011-12, respectively.

The Bulls have shown they can be efficient with Rose, but have they done the same from mid-range and farther?

The Bulls Are a Poor Perimeter-Shooting Team

Rose's last two seasons produced great results from three-point land as the Bulls shot 36 percent in 2010-11 and then were a top-five team in that regard the following year.

Last season, however, they were ranked 21st with a 35.3 percentage of threes made.

With the addition of Mike Dunleavy and improved jump shots from both Rose and Jimmy Butler, the Bulls could become a threat from downtown again.

According to 82games.com, the Bulls posted an eFG% of 41.5 across all jump shots, averaging 45.6 points per game from that shot type. In Rose's last season, Chicago had an eFG% of 44.2 on jumpers and averaged 49.2 points.

Many have wanted the Bulls to address their shooting woes, but they haven't exactly been a bad shooting team over the last couple of years.

Rose will undoubtedly make this team better, but he's not the only offensive threat.

The Bulls Are a One-Man Show with Rose

Rose's usage rate during his last two years was second to one Kobe Bryant, per John Hollinger's stats, but that number could go down some in 2013-14.

The Chicago native will have the best surrounding cast of his career.

He'll be playing alongside the emerging Butler much more frequently than he did in 2011-12 and already has plans on how to use the Marquette product's abilities, per ESPN Chicago.

"

He's been knocking down his shot. He's been shooting the ball a lot better. He's coming in, staying afterward, just getting up shots, and I think his timing is going to come back. When he gets to shoot the ball he has to because the way our offense is, if he doesn't shoot it kind of leaves us stagnant and we don't need that for our offense right now.

"

Aside from Butler, Rose will have Joakim Noah who is at the peak of his career. Noah made his first All-Star team last season and finished among the top vote-getters for the Defensive Player of the Year race.

Carlos Boozer is coming off a season averaging 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, and according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, he's slimmed down in preparation for Rose's return to action.

Taj Gibson, on the other hand, has put on 15 pounds of muscle, according to a report from ESPN Chicago.

New additions like Dunleavy and rookies Tony Snell and Erik Murphy—if they can crack the rotation—will benefit from playing with Rose as they'll get open looks from three at a consistent rate.

With such an improved roster, Rose won't have to shoulder the entire offense.

He's still going to be the No. 1 option and take the last shot in a close game, but this year, he has more options around him than before.

Chicago is set to have their most successful season since their '90s dynasty.

If Rose's past contributions hold up, there's no reason why the Bulls can't succeed on both sides of the ball.

Note: All stats gathered from basketball-reference.com unless otherwise stated.