How Chicago Bulls Can Survive Derrick Rose's Absence
For a third consecutive season, the Chicago Bulls will have to make due for a prolonged period without their alpha dog Derrick Rose. The seemingly star-crossed guard suffered another meniscus tear in the same knee he injured last season.
This unfortunately familiar occurrence has clouded what was supposed to be a bright immediate future for this franchise. They showed flashes of dominance over the course of the 2014-15 season and were supposed to use the last 28 games of the year work out the chemistry kinks caused by the personnel inconsistencies that were prevalent all the way up to the All-Star break.
The Bulls were on the cusp of solidifying their collective identity but are now back at square one. None of this should affect their playoff chances, though. They are still deep and talented enough to secure a place in the hierarchy, especially since the last two spots seem like they will be filled by sub-.500 clubs.
Tom Thibodeau and company have already proven that they have enough will to beat the odds, but they now find themselves in an existential quandary. These guys started the season trying to get used to playing with each other, with the biggest factor being readjusting to having their star player in the fold. Injuries made jelling a stop-and-start toil. Everyone now has to adapt to not having Rose on the floor.
What shape should this season-closing identity take?
Even though they are down a dynamic playmaker, there are more than enough skill sets at Thibodeau’s disposal. With a few tweaks, the Bulls can finish this campaign in a respectable manner.
The Foundation
A lot of things change on the offensive end with Rose out of commission, so the Bulls need to focus on defense first as they look maintain a winning form. The good news is that the defense has been improving lately.
Over the course of 2014-15, Chicago is giving up 98.7 points per game. That number was significantly lower for the month February, down to 92.2. One of the more interesting sub-figures from that previous stat is that the Bulls’ opponents shot 28.8 percent from behind the three-point line, five points lower than the season allowance. This suggests that the team is playing better perimeter defense. They are challenging shots and making it tougher for the other guys to get clean outside looks.
With Joakim Noah moving better, the lane protection has become more formidable. Pau Gasol is a great interior presence when playing in a supporting capacity. The extra yoke he had to endure when Noah was still trying to regain his old form was too taxing for the Spaniard. Now that the former Florida Gator has turned a corner with his mobility, both big men can focus on their strengths, which happen to perfectly complement each other.
Things on defense are clicking. That’s good since it has been Thibodeau’s calling card for years. Guarding well will always give the Bulls a chance to win games. It is important to note, though, that there is another phase of winning the game that involves scoring.
The X-factor
The one thing that the Bulls’ infrequent lineups have seemingly not affected is their ability to score. Their 101.5 points per game makes them a near-top-10 offense. Losing Rose obviously takes some sting out of the team’s scoring attack, but the numbers show that Chicago doesn’t need to bust the clock in order to get the win.
When looking over their game logs, the Bulls have scored at least 95 points 43 of their 58 games. They have a 34-9 record in those contests, a 79.1 winning percentage. Maintaining that kind of scoring pace should not be too difficult.
Sure, not having Rose means not having a fantastic shot creator; luckily, he’s not alone in that department this season. Jimmy Butler and Aaron Brooks are also scoring-opportunity maestros, making things happen for themselves and their teammates. Mike Dunleavy has rediscovered his groove and is back to improving floor spacing. Gasol can create in the post, make the extra pass and stretch the floor with his shooting touch.
There are a lot of possibilities for half-court possessions, even without someone as lively as Rose. One of them includes running the high-post through Noah, a set that had some success during the 2013-14 season. Thibodeau’s offense is predicated on spacing and ball movement. He still has the guys to maintain that.
Tony Snell’s emergence makes up for some of the scoring lost with the latest setback. There are still guys who can also get hot at a moment’s notice, like Nikola Mirotic or even Kirk Hinrich. The Bulls won’t be the dominant force that some were hoping for at this point in the season, but they are still a formidable foe.
The balanced approach is the best option here. Keep a nice mix of post-up guys, shooters and at least one shot creator on the court as much as possible to get the most out of what remains of the group.
The plot twist
By the time last regular-season buzzer sounds, Chicago will have played a little more than 20 games without Rose. A playoff berth is a very likely possibility, and according to the Bulls’ official team website, the hometown hero should be ready to get back onto the court in four to six weeks.
That timetable makes him available sometime in the month of April, just in time for the postseason. According to a February 27 article written by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, Rose is all for returning as soon as he is able.
Taking that position is understandable. He opted for the long road back with his previous two injuries. This time around he got to play a lot of basketball before the recent setback. Rose knows that the squad has enough talent to really make some noise in the Eastern Conference bracket, and he probably wants to help in any way he can.
On the downside of that is the fact that the team would have to get used to Rose being back in the lineup again. Everyone would surely welcome him. One can only hope that the time former Memphis Tiger spent with his teammates prior to re-aggravating his meniscus was enough to minimize any hiccups with his impending return.
Thibodeau and the rest of the team can’t get hung up on that now. Their focus has got to be on ending the regular season as triumphantly as possible. These last couple of months are going to take a lot creativity from the raspy sideline general, but he has a more to work with now than in years’ past. The end result will not disappoint.
All statistics courtesy of NBA.com and are current as of February 27, 2015.
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