Midseason Report Cards for Every Chicago Bulls Player
Halfway through the season, the Chicago Bulls stand at 27-16 despite some heavy recent struggles and a myriad of injuries.
Chicago's roster got a full makeover this offseason, adding four-time All-Star Pau Gasol, rookies Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic and free agent Aaron Brooks. There was also the return of one Derrick Rose, who just so happens to be a former league MVP.
Grades will be based on overall performance and whether players have fallen short of, met or exceeded expectations. Recent play will hold slightly more weight unless there is a clear outlier.
Players will be ordered starting with the lowest bench spot and moving up to the starters, which will then go by position, starting at point guard.
Nazr Mohammed and Cameron Bairstow
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The guys on the end of the bench don't get the chance to shine, but they add solid depth when needed.
In the very little playing time Cameron Bairstow has gotten, he's shown good hustle and a willingness to shoot the mid-range jump shot. He's a physical presence as well at 6'9", 250 pounds, but with a loaded frontcourt, there's absolutely no place for him in the rotation.
As for Nazr Mohammed, he is what he is at this point of his career. As the Bulls' veteran presence, he can come in on rare occasion and be physical inside, knock down the occasional jump shot and rebound, but with so much depth this year, there's really no need to use him.
Not much to see here, but Bairstow could possibly become a decent role player in a couple of years if he sticks around.
Grade: C
E'Twaun Moore and Doug McDermott
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E'Twaun Moore has seen a small uptick in minutes recently due to injuries to Mike Dunleavy and whenever Rose has missed games. He's had some solid moments, serving as a spark off the bench with good corner three-point shooting and an effective floater.
Moore also gives Chicago a slightly bigger option in the backcourt since he's 6'4". He’s not a great defender, but he can spell Rose or Kirk Hinrich for short moments.
Doug McDermott, on the other hand, was primed to have a solid rookie campaign coming into the season. With a deadly shooting stroke and a versatile offensive skill set, the Creighton product could potentially have garnered Rookie of the Year buzz if all went well.
Unfortunately for the Bulls and McDermott, it didn't. He's played in just 17 of 43 games, averaging 3.2 points per game and shooting 23.1 percent from downtown. McDermott lacked confidence, and he looked anything but comfortable on the court, making constant mistakes with the ball.
The former National Player of the Year went down with a knee injury that forced him to miss the past couple of months. He was finally active on Monday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he failed to step on the court despite the contest being a blowout.
Regardless, his number will likely be called soon, especially since head coach Tom Thibodeau remains unsure about Tony Snell.
Grade: C-
Tony Snell
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It was a rough start to the season for the New Mexico product. Despite having a year of experience under Thibodeau, Snell lost his role to McDermott to start the year and appeared to be in the dog house once again.
Confidence has always seemed like Snell's biggest problem, and because he never gets playing time, he's never been able to shake it off. Thibodeau has driven it home that the sophomore guard needs to be consistent, saying it prior to the start of the regular season and again this Wednesday, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
Snell has improved a bit during January. He's had some good performances from behind the arc, shooting 50 percent in three different games. He's been active in loose-ball situations as well, giving Chicago some extra possessions.
Still, Snell failed to register a single minute in two of the last three games, even though the minutes were there for the taking with Dunleavy and McDermott out. With the latter now back, there's a chance Snell disappears into the bench sooner rather than later.
The 23-year-old guard has the tools to become a good role player, but he just keeps coming up short.
Grade: D+
Nikola Mirotic
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With a loaded frontcourt sporting the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, a two-time champion and one of the league's premier sixth men, Mirotic was at the bottom of the totem pole coming into the 2014-15 season.
The Real Madrid star had raving reviews, though. He was heralded as the best international player for quite some time, boasting an all-around offensive game.
Halfway through the season, Mirotic has lived up to the hype. While it will take some time for him to fully get acclimated to the NBA, he's shown a lot of versatility when he has the ball in his hands.
From his solid three-point shooting (35.2 percent) to his quick burst off the dribble, Mirotic has the tools to become a serious offensive threat.
It was a combination of this that earned him Rookie of the Month honors in December (9.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 43.9% 3PT). There are some flaws in his game, however. He overpasses, ceding wide-open shots for drives that don't always work or to make unnecessary passes that tend to reset the offense.
His defense has been surprisingly good, but there are a few areas that require work. Mirotic currently ranks ninth in the league among power forwards in defensive real plus-minus (DRPM) at 2.37.
Thibodeau has praised his willingness to help on defense—vital in his scheme—but also said Mirotic was too often out of position and overhelped, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
Mirotic has one of the highest ceilings in the entire league, and once he's fully immersed, he could turn into an All-Star-caliber player. For the time being, though, he's a budding role player who still has some learning to do.
Grade: A
Aaron Brooks
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It was unclear what role Aaron Brooks would have coming into the season. Nate Robinson and D.J. Augustin were initially supposed to be insurance for Rose, but they ended up having career revivals in Chicago since Rose played little to no games.
With Rose actually in this year, Brooks still found a role on the team, and he has Hinrich to thank for that since Hinrich can play 2-guard.
In this role, Brooks has become Chicago's leading scorer off the bench as well as its best three-point shooter, knocking down 43.4 percent of his attempts. He has also shown a knack for attacking the basket and finishing over anybody he wants to with high-arcing floaters and awkward flip shots that somehow get banked in.
Brooks can be a defensive liability due to his smaller frame, but his offensive contributions make it close to an even trade-off, posting a real plus-minus of -.39.
However, Brooks has to slow down at times. He plays with one motor, and he often drives into packed lanes and turns the ball over or rushes passes because he wants to push the pace.
Brooks has certainly exceeded expectations, and he'll be a key player going forward due to his efficient shooting and scoring.
Grade: B+
Kirk Hinrich
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Hinrich has been quite hit or miss in 2014-15. He's one of the Bulls' best three-point shooters at 36 percent. Unfortunately, though, that's about the only place he can score from, as he's converting just 40 percent of attempts inside the arc.
His inconsistent shooting is frustrating, but it has been like this for a few years now. What has been uncharacteristic is the number of mistakes. From bad passes to lapses in defensive rotations, Hinrich seems lost at times, and he could be heading toward his floor in terms of productivity.
Still, Hinrich's veteran leadership means a lot to the team, and he's a capable defender who can guard multiple positions. He could stand to improve a bit defensively, though.
Hinrich's DRPM of -0.05 is down from last year's 0.98. While it may not seem like a huge drop-off, the Bulls' current defensive state can't afford to have declining performances. Despite that, Hinrich actually has the best DRPM of all Bulls point guards.
Captain Kirk may not be as reliable as before, but he still gives the Bulls toughness and hustle, two things they desperately need right now.
Grade: C+
Taj Gibson
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Taj Gibson is following up his Sixth Man of the Year runner-up season with another solid campaign, leading the Bulls in points and rebounds per game off the bench with 11.1 and seven, respectively.
The USC alum is the Bulls' most efficient scorer, converting on 50.5 percent of his shots, the only player on the roster making at least half of his attempts.
Gibson has changed his game a bit this year—probably because of Gasol's presence—but he's now moved closer to the basket. Fifty-six percent of Gibson's attempts now come at the rim, nearly an 18 percent increase from last season.
On the other end of the floor, Gibson remains one of Chicago's best defenders. He has the fourth-best defensive rating (106) among rotation players. While it has worsened from last year's mark of 100, the Bulls defense has not looked the same this year as a whole.
In fact, Gibson's pick-and-roll defense—a killer for the Bulls right now—hasn't been very good. He's gotten torched in pick-and-pop situations because he sags off too much, leaving space between him and the shooter.
Still, Gibson’s 1.62 DRPM ranks in the top 25 among power forwards, so he's doing just about everything else right.
Grade: B+
Derrick Rose
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The former MVP wasn't going to return and instantly take the league by storm. There has been a ton of rust for Rose to shake off, but he has been improving on a monthly basis.
Rose was settling for three-point shots earlier this season, taking 73 in December despite shooting an abysmal 23 percent. Still, his minutes increased, and he averaged 18 points per game.
January has marked perhaps his most effective month of the season, as he's scoring 19.4 points and is shooting 41 percent from outside.
But even when Rose hasn't scored in bunches, he's been able to affect games by just being on the court.
His speed and driving ability always make defenses collapse, allowing him to find an open shooter or big. He's been running the offense extremely well over the past few games and recently had back-to-back nights with double-digit assists.
Rose has struggled on defense, though, primarily in the pick-and-roll. He gets caught under screens too often against good shooters, and he sometimes gives up too much ground, allowing his man to get a sizable advantage when attacking the rim.
Rose's return was and is a process, but it gets closer and closer to being finished with every game.
Grade: B
Jimmy Butler
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After failing to come to an agreement on a contract extension at the start of the season, Jimmy Butler had to prove to Chicago he was worth the asking price. He did that and then some.
The 25-year-old swingman is on pace to average career highs in every major statistical category, most notably his 20.6 points per game, a seven-point bump from last year.
Butler has become a legitimate scoring option for the Bulls, attacking the basket aggressively, posting up and knocking down over 40 percent of his mid-range jumpers.
His three-point shot has drastically improved as well, as he's converting 34.1 percent of his long-range attempts, nearly a six percent increase.
However, with this sudden burst of offense, his defense has faltered a bit. While his ability to stay in front of defenders is among the best in the league, opponents are now shooting 47 percent against him, up 5.4 percentage points from last year.
Butler's efficiency has also dipped every month. In 15 November games, the four-year guard shot 49 percent from the floor. So far in January, he's shooting a mediocre 40 percent.
Still, Butler has shattered expectations, and he's going to get numerous max offers this upcoming summer.
Grade: A+
Mike Dunleavy
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It may be a bit understated just how much Mike Dunleavy means to the Bulls. It's not exactly a coincidence that Chicago's slump started after he went out with a sprained ankle. The Bulls have since lost six of 10 games.
His offensive contributions are clear; he stretches the floor very well and is a big threat from downtown, shooting 41.7 percent, a 3.7 percent increase from last year. It's a style that fits perfectly with the rest of the Bulls starters.
Chicago's regular starting lineup averages 40 points per game, making it the Bulls' highest-scoring unit. The next three most prolific groups also include Dunleavy, and they score 21 to 25 points a night. As a comparison, the lineups Chicago has used with Hinrich as his replacement average between 16 and 17 points per game.
Defensively, Dunleavy has always shown good effort. He ranks ninth among small forwards in DRPM (1.17), and he knows where he's supposed to be at all times, a big component of Thibodeau's philosophy.
It's not to say the former Duke star is the solution to the Bulls' current problems. There's still a great lack of effort and movement on both ends of the floor. Dunleavy is solid on each front, and he's shown it all season.
Grade: B
Pau Gasol
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Despite being in the latter part of his career, Gasol is one of the Bulls' most consistent and effective players.
As the Bulls' second-leading scorer and top rebounder (18.7 and 11.4), Gasol has re-emerged as one of the league's premier big men and is on his way to making his fifth career All-Star appearance. The Spaniard is also second in the league in double-doubles with 24.
Gasol has added a lot of spacing with his deadeye mid-range shooting (49 percent from 16 feet and out), but his low-post game is as strong as ever, and it has become a staple in Chicago's offense.
Gasol's ability to work from the top of the key also highlights his playmaking, and he's averaging 2.7 assists per game, one of six Bulls with at least that many dimes a night.
On the defensive end, Gasol has been a great rim protector with 2.1 blocks per game, fifth in the NBA. As of late, however, he has struggled heavily in the pick-and-roll because he lacks lateral quickness, so he's forced to play far away from the screener. If that player is a good shooter, he can step back and shoot with Gasol giving up considerable ground.
January has been one of Gasol's best offensive months, though, with averages of 21.6 points and 12.3 rebounds. His defensive rating, on the other hand, has dipped to 109, down seven points from December.
Although his defense needs to pick up again, Gasol is having an incredible year. He'll surely be one of the deciding factors in Chicago's postseason later this spring.
Grade: A
Joakim Noah
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Joakim Noah's season has been plagued by nagging injuries, and it's slowed him down, primarily on offense.
His scoring average has dropped from 12.6 last year to 7.6 in 2014-15, but it's understandable given the addition of Gasol and Rose's return. However, Noah hasn't been efficient at all, posting the worst shooting percentage of his career at 44.7.
Noah's rebounding has decreased this year as well (Gasol effect, less minutes), averaging 9.4 per game, down two from last year. Despite the decrease, the former Gator is still snatching up around three offensive rebounds per game, so he's still affecting that end of the floor at the same rate.
As for Noah's defense—his calling card—he has maintained a strong performance. With a 3.09 DRPM (sixth among centers), Noah isn't too far off the 3.92 of last year, which was enough for him to win Defensive Player of the Year.
It will continue to be an uphill battle for Noah as he tries to overcome his physical limitations, but as long as he anchors the defense, the Bulls will be fine.
Grade: B
All stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com, NBA.com and ESPN.com. Accurate as of Jan. 21.
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