What to Watch for at Chicago Bulls' 2014 Training Camp
With the return of a superstar, an experienced core and the addition of some very skilled support players, the Chicago Bulls will enter training camp with high expectations for their 2014-15 season. Last year’s run was another one filled with many thrilling moments but ended way sooner than players and fans would have liked.
Here are the official 2013-14 results:
| Final record | 48-34 |
| Central Division Standing | Second |
| Eastern Conference Standing | Fourth |
| Postseason | First-round elimination via 4-1 series against the Washington Wizards |
The team’s heart, hustle and muscle were present at every turn, but the lack of talent eventually sent them packing.
But that was the past. The future is now, and title No. 7 is the goal. There are numerous storylines surrounding this franchise, both grand and banal. It would be laborious to address them all; however, some stand out more than others.
The Starting Five
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For the most part, the first unit is a foregone conclusion. Derrick Rose will be the starting point guard. Joakim Noah will be the man in the middle. Jimmy Butler will still fill in as the shooting guard.
Even though Mike Dunleavy moved into the starting small forward position when longtime Bull Luol Deng was traded, an argument can be made for sending him back to the bench to bolster the experience of the reserves. Professional sophomore Tony Snell and rookies Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott will probably relieve the starters off the bench, and they will need some veteran poise to even things out.
There is a mild controversy at the power forward spot. According to a May 2014 piece written by Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Gibson was told to be prepared to start once the 2014-15 run commenced. In the whirlwind of transactions that general manager Gar Forman made during the free-agency period, veteran Pau Gasol was added to the fold, all but ensuring the five-year veteran would remain a backup.
Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com reported that the former USC Trojan is not happy about the deferred promotion but will put the team’s goals first and press on.
Coach Tom Thibodeau floored Rose, Butler, Dunleavy, Gasol and Noah as his starting group for the first day of practice; however, he says nothing is set in stone, per Adam Fluck of Bulls.com. “I want to experiment with some things in the preseason just to see how everything fits...I do like the versatility of our bigs because I think they can all play with each other.”
As training camp progresses, more than a few players will make their case for cracking the top five. It will be interesting to see if there will be any surprises.
The Long Shots
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Training camps are a two-sided coin. On one side are the returning players and new signees who are looking to start the jelling process in hopes of becoming contenders. On the other side are the athletes who are looking to prolong, revive or jump-start their careers.
Chicago filled out its practice roster with Solomon Jones, Kim English and Ben Hansbrough.
Jones is a forward/center who is lacking in bulk but ample on athleticism and wingspan. He would serve the team well as a weak-side rim protector. The former USF Bull has eight years of NBA experience to his credit, and that should help him with this audition process.
English and Hansbrough both spent 2013-14 in Europe—the former in Italy and the latter in Spain.
English had a pretty solid college career at Missouri, averaging 11.1 points per game over four years for the Tigers. DraftExpress.com labels him as a tough defender and a decent shooter.
Hansbrough is the younger brother of Toronto Raptors forward Tyler Hansbrough; however, baby bro spends more time on the perimeter as a backcourt player. The former Fighting Irish guard is a great perimeter threat. He shot 44 percent from beyond the arc during his senior year at Notre Dame.
Each of these guys has a skill that would serve the Bulls well, but with 14 players already under contract and no shortage of talent at their respective positions, their chances of making the team are remote.
The good news is this is not the end for them. They will get exposure during this process. Some other team is sure to come calling if Chicago doesn’t retain their services.
Nikola Mirotic's Adjustment
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The long wait for Nikola Mirotic came to an end this past July when the Chicago front office successfully closed the deal with Real Madrid and brought the standout across the Atlantic.
The stretch forward’s abilities fill a lot of needs for Thibodeau and company. He is an excellent shooter who can pull up, step back and spot up on the wing. He can stretch the floor with his long-range accuracy and is a decent passer who can help keep the offense fluid.
Mirotic still has a lot of adapting to do. He will be facing bigger, more physical defenders and a schedule that is more grueling than he encountered in Europe. This training camp is going to be his first taste of NBA life. Bulls’ practices are known to be intense, so it will be exciting to see if Mirotic responds well to the first tier of his initiation.
The two-time Euroleague rising star is already earning his teammates’ respect. Per Fluck’s aforementioned Bulls.com recap, Rose said, “He’s going to surprise people by the way that he puts the ball down. If you fly out at him, he’s really able to attack the rim and avoid charges.” Gasol added, “He’s a guy that knows how to play the game. He’s got a lot of skill, great basketball IQ and great shooting.”
Mirotic could be a valuable X-factor for this team. Players and fans alike are hoping his Real Madrid success carries over to the league of leagues.
Activity Limitations
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The Bulls have to keep their eye on both of their superstars as the transition into the 82-game grind starts.
Rose is returning from his second traumatic knee injury, a torn meniscus suffered in November 2013. That was just 10 games into the season after missing the prior campaign due to a ruptured ACL.
To knock off the rust and get a head start on conditioning, the former MVP played with Team USA for the FIBA Basketball World Cup. His performance was a tad inconsistent, but he showed no signs of being adversely affected by his knees.
At times Rose actually missed practice and games. It was all a part of making sure he didn’t do too much too soon. This could probably be the case with training camp as well.
There is no sense of desperation in the club’s dealings with Rose. The management and the coaching staff have all advocated a slow and steady approach in making sure to find the right balance between priming the Chicago native for the big show and minimizing unnecessary activity.
Noah spent the summer recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. He’s never had such a procedure done, so he remains uncertain of how that will affect his training camp regimen.
Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com quoted the reigning Defensive Player of the Year saying, “Obviously, this is the first time I've ever had surgery on my knee, so I'm hoping there's no limitation. But I just have to be a little bit more cautious.”
Cautious is definitely the operative word. Reserved is not in Noah’s basketball vocabulary; he gives his complete effort in all phases of the game. This is not lost on Thibodeau and the team trainers, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the staff decided to help their starting center dial it back a bit.
The NBA season is a marathon, not a sprint. This team knows that health is important to their ultimate goal of competing for and winning a championship. Expect some preventative action to be taken during the October tune-up.
Derrick Rose's Reintegration
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Derrick Rose knows that he is under a microscope this season. He knows that there are lingering questions about his health. As quoted by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, Rose knows how to silence those queries: “I can sit here and say a million times, 'I'll be fine,' but the only way to answer all the critics and everyone asking about me is to actually be on the court and playing.”
Playing is something Rose hasn’t done for a full season since the abbreviated 2011-12 lockout stint. A lot has changed over that span, especially the makeup of his team.
This training camp is not about reconnecting with the players he remembers; it’s about reconfiguring how he meshes with the current group.
He has to become familiar with seven guys who could be regular contributors. That includes Dunleavy and Snell, since the sample size is the 10 regular-season games they played together back in 2013.
It is a given that the Englewood denizen is going to dominate the ball again. He may not be taking every shot, but each possession will start with him if he’s on the floor. Rose has to not only rediscover his NBA groove but also absorb the nuances of his new teammates.
Fortunately, he is a smart player who is surrounded by a bright cohort with one of the game’s best strategists putting it all together. A lot will be revealed over the course of this training camp, but it will still be the tip of iceberg once the season unfolds.
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