Winners and Losers from Week 1 of Chicago Bulls' Preseason
There is a healthy balance of returning and new talent on the Chicago Bulls’ 2014-15 roster, and there have been some encouraging and unsatisfactory performances in these initial preseason contests.
The mixed bag of results is to be expected, considering that the established personnel needs to limber up while the latest additions focus on how to fit in. And let’s not forget that even the old guard has some novelty.
Derrick Rose’s return gives the team a bona fide No. 1 (no pun intended) offensive option, but he has been out of commission for nearly two years. The club to which he has returned is drastically different from the one he left behind.
This unfamiliarity has manifested itself in the form of a rocky start for the 82-game tune-up.
No one’s hitting the panic button, though. Small forward Mike Dunleavy believes there is a simple cure for these early-game maladies. Per Adam Fluck of Bulls.com, the 12-year veteran said, “It’s always about putting the work in. We have guys who are pretty good about that, continue to do that and will get ourselves ready for that opener on the 29th.”
Identifying those who have succeeded and stalled goes beyond statistical output. Considered factors include past performances, incoming expectations and fulfillment of positional and role responsibilities.
So, as this retooled team regroups, here’s a list of those who pleased and irked in the preliminary matches.
Loser: Kirk Hinrich
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Despite being a second-string guard, a lot of Chicago’s success will depend on Kirk Hinrich being consistently productive, but his immediate feats have not been reassuring.
In the exhibition against the Washington Wizards, the former Kansas Jayhawk was on the court for 21 minutes and went scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting while dishing out six assists. While the facilitating aspect was up to standard, the team also needs him to contribute to the point total.
Hinrich’s scoring improved in the following game against the Detroit Pistons, where he chipped in six points in just as many minutes as his previous outing; however, he shot 33 percent from the field.
The Bulls' second unit has always been plagued with offensive inconsistency. Now there are shooters in Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott, and Taj Gibson is still a reliable low-post option, but defenses need a reason to lapse in order to free up the aforementioned players. If Hinrich is shooting poorly, there won’t be much reason for opponents to get caught up in wavering, making it harder to take advantage of those other strengths.
In all fairness, this is an adjustment for the 11-year veteran, as he was brought in to be a quality reserve for Derrick Rose but ended up starting due to the latter’s injuries. Now Hinrich has been sent back to the bench and needs to recalibrate his approach.
Luckily he has enough savvy to draw from and should adjust well in the coming games.
Winner: Taj Gibson
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Taj Gibson was an integral part of keeping the Bulls afloat the past couple of seasons. In the early going, he has shown that he will continue to be one the team's top contributors.
Gibson has always been one of the better defenders and rebounders for this club. Over the years he has also improved his post-up offense and added a mid-range jumper. He has shown even more growth on the front end of the 2014 campaign, facing up and taking slower defenders off the dribble.
None of this scoring edification has come at the expense of his defensive prowess. Gibson is still physical when defending his assignment and is able to chase down rebounds.
With the former USC Trojan still coming off the bench, this squad can maintain its defensive intensity while getting the bonus of having a capable scoring big man to boot.
Chicago has a legitimate three-headed frontcourt that can do many things in a variety of ways. It's going to be a tough challenge for just about every other team.
Loser: Tony Snell
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Last season's injuries necessitated that Tom Thibodeau play Tony Snell more than he would have liked, and while his 4.5 points-per-game average didn't necessarily blow spectators away, he was always considered to have tremendous upside.
That potential showed itself in the Las Vegas Summer League, where he averaged 20 points and earned a first-team nod when it was all over. Granted, the competition wasn't as fierce, but it was evident that the NBA sophomore worked hard at developing a better skill set.
With a couple of games on the books, Snell finds himself at the very end of an extremely deep rotation. His preseason minutes have been relegated to the fourth quarter.
He is probably an unintended casualty of Chicago's highly successful summer acquisition period. General manager Gar Forman went out and got some much-needed shooting and an excellent replacement for the amnestied Carlos Boozer.
Snell may still be a capable player, but there is not a need that he can fill right nowand that lack is costing him minutes.
Winner: Pau Gasol
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A lot of people were probably surprised when it was announced that Pau Gasol was joining the Bulls, Joakim Noah included. In a piece by Mark Strotman of CSNChicago.com, the 2013-14 Defensive Player of the Year said, "I just thought there was no way we were going to get him, but I think it just says a lot about him as a player, about his mindset."
The skilled Spaniard has wasted no time in proving himself to be a valuable addition. He posted eight points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots in his debut against the Washington Wizards. He scored only five points against Detroit in his second contest but pulled down 10 rebounds and gave out five assists.
His efficiency on both sides of the ball is something this team never had with former starter Carlos Boozer, and more success lies ahead if he can maintain his balanced display.
Gasol is truer complement to both Derrick Rose and his sharpshooting teammates. The two-time NBA champion can play pick-and-roll or in the high post, making him able set up anyone else on the floor. It's going to be interesting to see how his play improves as he keeps learning and adjusting.
Loser: The Other Guys
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Almost every NBA preseason roster has some superfluous players looking for the chance to find a spot—any spot—on someone's roster. For the Chicago Bulls, those players are Kim English, Ben Hansbrough and Solomon Jones.
The latter-most of that grouping has had a chance to demonstrate his competence in game situations. The two former athletes have done nothing more than suit up.
This is one of the harsher aspects of professional sports.
English and Hansbrough are trying to break through, but the cold reality is that Tom Thibodeau is trying to craft a contending team. It's pretty obvious that his vision does not include these two guards.
Hopefully other teams will see that since the Bulls were at least interested enough to sign them, that they are worth checking out.
English and Hansbrough both had productive stints in Europe last year. Maybe they can continue down that avenue if this shot at the NBA falls through.
Winner: Derrick Rose
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Numbers are not the important gauge when it comes to Derrick Rose. His measuring stick is his physical efficacy.
The former MVP ran most of the practice and play gauntlet of the FIBA Basketball World Cup without incident. He also played in both of the team's first preseason games, which were held on consecutive nights.
Initial indications are that there are no more health issues. Everything is still there: the quickness, the explosiveness and the elevation.
Statistical consistency will come as the Chicago native logs more minutes. For now, he only has to worry about continuing to play without reservation and learning the nuances of his teammates.
While some are waiting for the Rose of old to just show up, one has to remember that there is no more Luol Deng or Carlos Boozer. These Bulls look and function a lot differently than what used to be the standard. Even if Rose were present the last two seasons, he would still be somewhat hampered by the process of catering his game to suit the surrounding talent.
The only question that should be asked right now is: "Can he physically do what he was once capable of?" Since the answer is wholly in the affirmative, there's nothing left to do except watch Rose put it all together.
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