Why 2014-15 Bulls Are Chicago's Best Shot at NBA Title Since Michael Jordan Era
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls don’t like to talk about the future. Two phrases head coach Tom Thibodeau repeats practically every time he talks to reporters are “You can’t skip any steps” and “The magic is in the work.” Since he came to Chicago, Thibs has preached patience, process and persistence.
“The results will take care of themselves” is his mantra.
But as much as he doesn’t want to get ahead of himself, it’s impossible to look at this reloaded Bulls team and not see a group with the chance to be special.
As the regular season gets ready to tip off, the Bulls don’t want to hear about their rivalry with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They don’t want to hear about the Eastern Conference being a two-horse race. They think they can win a title, but they don’t want to hear anybody declare them the favorites.
“It’s loaded,” said Taj Gibson. “Everyone’s talking about Chicago and Cleveland, but you’ve got to look at the Raptors. You’ve got to look at the Knicks, Brooklyn, the Hornets got better, Washington got better. The East is going to be deep this year.”
Last year, Joakim Noah called the 2013-14 Bulls the most talented team he’d ever been a part of. That was before Rose went down with his second season-ending knee injury in two years, when the sky seemed like the limit for the Bulls. Noah was right—on paper, that team was the best Bulls team of his era.
This one is better. It’s arguably the most talented team that’s taken the floor at the United Center since the end of the Michael Jordan era. And the Bulls may never have a better window to win their seventh championship, and first without Jordan, than now.
Only two Bulls teams of the post-Jordan era have seriously contended for a title: the 2010-11 team that lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals and the following year's team, who finished with the best record in the conference before Rose went down with a torn ACL in the first round. Those teams looked a lot like this one: lots of depth, lots of defense and one of the NBA's deadliest scorers.
| Season | Record | Result |
| 2010-11 | 62-20 | Lost to Miami in Eastern Conference Finals |
| 2011-12 | 50-16 (lockout) | Lost to Philadelphia in first round |
| 2006-07 | 49-33 | Lost to Detroit in second round |
| 2013-14 | 48-34 | Lost to Washington in first round |
| 2004-05 | 47-35 | Lost to Washington in first round |
| 2012-13 | 45-37 | Lost to Miami in second round |
| 2008-09 | 41-41 | Lost to Boston in first round |
| 2009-10 | 41-41 | Lost to Cleveland in first round |
| 2005-06 | 41-41 | Lost to Miami in first round |
This year's Bulls are helped by a weaker Eastern Conference. In 2010-11, besides the fledgling Heat superteam, Chicago also had to contend with the Kevin Garnett/Ray Allen/Paul Pierce Celtics and a very good Dwight Howard-led Magic team. Now, as much as the Bulls players want to downplay it, it's them and the Cavaliers at the top of the heap, and the Bulls have the edge in experience and cohesion.
When LeBron James made the decision to return to Cleveland this summer, he shifted the balance of power to the Midwest. The Cavs’ status as heavy title favorites was only solidified with an August trade for Kevin Love. With two of the league’s top 10 players and Kyrie Irving not far behind, the Cavs are going to be a terror on offense.
But James has been careful to temper expectations for his new superteam coming out of the gate, and the Bulls are a team perfectly suited to jump on any vulnerabilities the Cavaliers may have.
It took James longer than expected to jell with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in their first season together in Miami, and that was with two veteran stars with playoff experience and a rock-solid defensive foundation.
James’ new running mates in Cleveland, meanwhile, have never been to the postseason, are considerably younger than the 29-year-old four-time MVP (Irving is 22, Love is 26) and are coached by David Blatt, who has never coached in the NBA before.
Outside of James and 36-year-old Shawn Marion, they don’t have much in the way of defense. There’s going to be a getting-to-know-you period before the run of dominance begins.
Which is why if the Bulls are going to prevail in the Eastern Conference and contend for a title, this is the year to do it.
The Bulls have the depth. They upgraded the starting power forward spot from Carlos Boozer to Pau Gasol. They have two rookies with long-term upside who can also help this season in Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic. Last year’s offense post-Rose injury was anchored by scrap-heap pickup D.J. Augustin; this year’s backcourt spark plug off the bench is Aaron Brooks, a proven scorer who can play both guard positions.
The defense is still there. Chicago has finished in the top five in defensive efficiency in each of Thibodeau’s four seasons as head coach, and the core that has gotten it there—Noah, Gibson and Jimmy Butler—remains in place.
And, most importantly, Rose is back. Rose was back last year, too, but this time it feels different. Last year, the 2011 league MVP was actively trying to prove wrong his doubters, forcing things on the offensive end and playing unnaturally. Now, with a second rehab and summer of FIBA World Cup play under his belt, he’s able to just focus on basketball. And on this roster, he’s not going to have to carry the entire scoring load himself.
“With the threats that we have, we try to make the game as simple as possible,” Rose said. “I’m not going to overuse myself.”
When Rose went down last year, the Bulls had nowhere to turn for scoring. By the end of the year, with Rose out and Luol Deng traded to Cleveland, Augustin was their leading scorer. They were a 48-win team on the strength of their defense, but they finished 28th in the league in offensive efficiency, scoring just 99.7 points per 100 possessions.
This year, even if the unthinkable happens and Rose gets hurt again, they have a better, more diverse offense. In Gasol and Noah, they have two of the NBA’s best playmaking big men. McDermott and Mirotic bring outside shooting that was sorely lacking last year. Brooks can score in a variety of ways. They may have fallen short on this summer’s pursuit of Carmelo Anthony, but they succeeded in adding plenty of scoring firepower and youth without sacrificing the defense and experience that has kept them competitive.
“We have a good blend,” said Thibodeau. “We have some older guys that have had some very good experiences, and of course Pau having won a couple championships, Nazr [Mohammed] has won a championship, Mike Dunleavy has been around a long time, Kirk [Hinrich] has been a part of some good teams. So I think that veteran leadership is important for any team. I want a team of leaders. I want them to share their experiences with each other and help drive this team forward. I do like our blend.
“And then we have some guys that are sort of in the middle. I look at Joakim and Derrick now, and they’re no longer young players. They’re in the middle. And of course we have the young players that have won big. When you look at a guy like Doug, his experiences have been very good, not only in college, but with USA Basketball, so that adds a lot to our team.”
A lot can happen between now and June, but these Bulls like their chances to be there playing for the Larry O’Brien trophy. And with this roster, it’s hard to blame them.
Sean Highkin covers for the Chicago Bulls for Bleacher Report.
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