What We've Learned About 2014-15 Chicago Bulls so Far

Although they haven't played much basketball yet, the Chicago Bulls have shown us a few interesting things thus far.

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau proved it's possible to get a technical foul when your team's up by 24 points in the fourth quarter. That's pretty interesting, right?

Thibs' tech occurred on opening night against the New York Knicks, who Chicago stomped 104-80, ruining Derek Fisher's coaching debut.

New York's Carmelo Anthony, who, of course, turned the Bulls down this past summer, was held to just 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting. And the crazy thing is that he was guarded by Mike Dunleavy and not defensive standout Jimmy Butler, who's out with a thumb injury.

Seeing the Bulls dominate like they did, you have to wonder if 'Melo is rethinking his decision to stay in Gotham City.   

What have the Bulls shown us? Is this team a true threat to win it all?

All stats are from Basketball-Reference.com.

Nikola Mirotic Is a Solid Defender

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Due to being a stretch 4 who can shoot the lights out, Bulls rookie Nikola Mirotic has drawn comparisons to guys like Dirk Nowitzki, Rashard Lewis and Ryan Anderson. But many fans didn't know much about his play on the defensive end.

During the preseason, Mirotic's 12 steals led the Bulls, and he was tied for third in blocks with six. Also, his defensive rating of 94.3 was second behind Butler.  

He turned in a few great defensive performances like recording four steals versus the Denver Nuggets and three blocks against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Possessing great hands, Mirotic has a knack for getting into the passing lanes and disrupting his opponents because of his length.

He should receive playing time all year long because of his ability to provide both shooting and scoring off the bench. Plus, his willingness to play D doesn't hurt either.

Tom Thibodeau Really Can Use a 10-Man Rotation

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Per Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago, Tom Thibodeau said he prefers to use a nine-man rotation:

"Usually most teams are around nine," he said. "And then as the playoffs get closer you're going to pare that down some more. We'll see. My first two years we played nine, sometimes 10. Ten is hard, most likely nine."

But even without Butler, Thibodeau went 10-deep during the Knicks game. He started Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich, Dunleavy, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah. Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott, Aaron Brooks, Mirotic and Tony Snell each played at least 15 minutes off the bench.

Thibodeau didn't use his second unit much over the past few seasons. Now that he has his deepest team since the famous “Bench Mob” days, things should likely change this year, though.

When you add quality pieces like McDermott, Mirotic and Brooks, you just have to play these guys on a regular basis. Those eight-man rotation days are over in Chicago.

Thibodeau has the luxury of reducing Rose's and Noah's minutes and can still expect victories. This team is that deep.

Jimmy Butler Is Primed for a Great Season

Jimmy Butler was having a stellar preseason before injuring his thumb. The fourth-year swingman averaged 15.8 points per contest and shot a scorching 58.8 percent from the field.

Playing his usual first-class defense, he was sharp offensively as well. He showcased a much-improved mid-range jumper and was able to reach the foul line frequently. He lit up the Atlanta Hawks for 29 points and scored 21 against Denver.

Butler knocked down the game-winning bucket versus Atlanta, which instantly sent the United Center crowd to its feet. After hitting the shot, energetic Bulls announcer Stacey King actually compared him to Michael Jordan.

"They should call him Jimmy Jordan 'cause he looked like Michael Jordan tonight, " King said. "Oh my goodness!"

Calm down a little, Stacey. The only thing that Butler and MJ have in common is that they've both started at shooting guard for the Bulls.

Luckily, Butler's sprained thumb is on his non-shooting hand. Once he returns, he should go on to have a big year on both sides of the court.

Pau Gasol Was an Excellent Pickup

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The Bulls made a huge effort to land Anthony during the offseason. They ended up going to Plan B and settling for Pau Gasol instead. So far, the former Los Angeles Lakers star has been the perfect acquisition.

Known for his low-post scoring, mid-range shot and point guard-like passing abilities, Gasol emerged as a rim protector for the Bulls during the preseason. He led the entire NBA with a total of 19 blocks.

Gasol looked like Dikembe Mutombo at times, swatting shots left and right. You know Thibodeau had to love witnessing that type of defense even if it was just the preseason.

On opening night, Gasol was nothing short of spectacular. The two-time champion contributed 21 points and 11 boards, carving up New York’s interior D.

It's early, but you have to give Bulls management props right now for signing him.

Derrick Rose Has Shown Flashes of His Old Self

Will Derrick Rose ever return to MVP form? We've all heard that question about a billion times by now. No one knows the answer. No one can predict the future.

Rose is coming off back-to-back season-ending knee surgeries. He tore his ACL in the 2012 playoffs and suffered a meniscus injury a year ago.

Thus far, he has shown flashes of being the same player who took home MVP honors during the 2010-11 campaign. He is still lightning-quick and entertaining to watch on a fast break. Plus, he can still wow you with his crossover dribble and shows a bit of explosiveness.

Watch the video above as he throws down a nasty two-handed dunk against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the preseason finale. While it wasn't anywhere close to his jam over Goran Dragic years ago, it was pretty nice.

He sure didn't look like he has had two major knee injuries. If Rose can stay healthy, this Bulls squad could certainly win it all.