Breaking Down Chicago Bulls' Point Guard Position for 2014-15
The Chicago Bulls have depth at every position, especially the point guard spot. Perhaps one of the league’s five best players when healthy, Derrick Rose is back and ready to shine. Joining him is longtime Bull and fan favorite Kirk Hinrich as well as key newcomer Aaron Brooks.
Can D-Rose stay healthy for a full season? That’s the question every Chicago fan wants to know the answer to. The three-time All-Star sat out the entire 2012-13 campaign after tearing his ACL, and a right meniscus injury forced him to miss all but 10 games a season ago.
If Rose does manage to avoid the injury bug, the Bulls will have a legitimate chance of winning a title in 2015. But, of course, they’ll also need contributions from other players like Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson.
It’s time to break down Chicago’s point guard position. What happened last year, and what should we look for this season?
Last Season's Performance
Bulls fans hoped Rose would make a triumphant return last season, but that obviously never materialized.
When he actually did play, he didn’t look much like his old self. The 2011 MVP averaged just 15.9 points and 4.3 assists while shooting a miserable 35.4 percent from the field. Those numbers are understandable, though, seeing that he hadn’t played for a year. It takes a while to shake off rust.
If the meniscus injury never occurred, Rose could’ve ended up having a great year. It appeared he was starting to turn the corner, scoring 19 points in three of his final four games. Too bad we were robbed of seeing him play for a whole season.
With Rose on the shelf, Hinrich moved into the starting lineup as his replacement. This was nothing new for the veteran, who filled in for Rose the previous season as well.
Hinrich averaged 9.3 points and 3.9 assists on 39.3 percent shooting overall (35.1 percent from three-point land).
Offensively, he was simply brutal at times. His one-point, 0-of-10 shooting performance versus the Milwaukee Bucks is a perfect example. The sad part is that he logged nearly 40 minutes during that contest.
Yet Hinrich’s tough-nosed, gritty defense as well as his leadership skills made him a respectable starter.
Backing up Captain Kirk was D.J. Augustin, whom the Bulls signed in December. The University of Texas product went from being cut by the Toronto Raptors to emerging as one of Chicago’s top players.
He contributed 14.9 points and five assists per game while shooting a nice 41.1 percent from long distance. That’s not bad at all for a guy who sat on the end of the Raptors bench earlier in the season.
Augustin rejuvenated his career during his lone season as a Bull. In a way, he resembled a shorter version of Rose due to his scoring ability, quickness and clever ball-handling.
While Noah was clearly the team’s MVP, Augustin had a lot to do with Chicago’s successful season.
Overall Grade: B-
Offseason Movement
Augustin left Chicago during the summer, signing a two-year deal with the Detroit Pistons. That’s a shame because he and Rose could’ve formed quite a duo this year.
The Bulls were able to re-sign Hinrich, though. It wasn’t a surprising move since he fits perfectly in coach Tom Thibodeau’s defensive system. This will be Hinrich’s 10th season with the club.
Free agent Brooks was signed to replace Augustin. Like Augustin, the fellow 6-footer is a solid scorer who doesn't play elite defense.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley pointed out that the Bulls can hide his weaknesses: "For Brooks, he's headed to a team built to mask his weaknesses and maximize his strengths. Coach Tom Thibodeau may not seem like the best teacher for Brooks and his lightning-quick trigger, but history shows the defensive guru has enjoyed plenty of success with undersized scoring guards."
This is true. Backup point guards like Nate Robinson and Augustin have flourished under Thibs in the past. Brooks may be the next guy to do so.
What to Expect
Rose will be the Bulls’ starting point guard in 2014-15. Well, he will be unless Hinrich or Brooks miraculously wins the job during training camp. And we know that’s not happening.
Can he return to the MVP player he was a few years back? If he can avoid the injured list, anything is possible.
Rose didn’t look very MVP-like at this summer’s FIBA World Cup. He struggled mightily when it came to shooting the ball. Yet Bulls vice president John Paxson doesn’t seem too worried, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
"I know that everyone is paying attention to his numbers. I’m certainly not. I’ve liked the way he’s moved on the floor, his explosiveness. You see at times where he just turns on the jets and explodes. Those are the things I focus on.
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Here’s Rose showcasing his explosiveness by dunking on Finland:
Look for him to have a healthy All-Star campaign.
Hinrich will head back to the bench and serve as Rose’s primary backup. He’ll likely see a little time at the shooting guard spot as well. Expect the usual Hinrich-type season, meaning he’ll remain a quality role player.
Brooks, an insurance policy for both Rose and Hinrich, is the team’s third-string point guard. We may see him on the floor with Rose at times in a small-ball lineup.
But he shouldn’t expect a lot of playing time since Thibodeau doesn’t normally use a deep rotation.
All stats are from Basketball-Reference.com.
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