Power Ranking Chicago Bulls Players Heading into Final Month of Season

Blessed with a plethora of talented players, the Chicago Bulls have what it takes to win an NBA title. Unfortunately, the injury bug has bitten hard this season.

Starting guards Derrick Rose (knee) and Jimmy Butler (elbow) are both on the shelf. And reserve power forward Taj Gibson is currently sidelined with an ankle injury. It seems like everybody on the roster has been hurt at some point.

The Bulls have really struggled lately, winning just four of their last 10 games. Nonetheless, the team is currently fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 41-28 record.

Guys like Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Aaron Brooks are trying to hold down the fort while Butler and Co. remain on the injured list.         

It's power ranking time once again as we head into the last month of the season. Let's focus on all 14 players, whether it's the little-used Cameron Bairstow or an All-Star like Gasol. 

All stats are from Basketball-Reference.com and accurate as of March 20.

Bench Players (14-11)

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14. Cameron Bairstow

Before the regular season began, Bleacher Report's John Wilmes wrote, "I’ll put this bluntly: Cameron Bairstow is not going to get many minutes in 2014-15." 

Boy, was he right. Bairstow has played just 15 games and a total of 58 minutes thus far. Hey, everybody can't be a rotation player who logs 20 minutes a night.   

13. Nazr Mohammed

Joining Bairstow on the bench-warming crew is none other than Nazr Mohammed. The Chicago native, now in his 17th season and third with the Bulls, has made only 17 appearances.    

11. E'Twaun Moore

If it wasn't for E'Twaun Moore, Chicago wouldn't have won its March 5 meeting with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Purdue product scored a career-high 19 points and hit nine of his 10 field-goal attempts. And, oh yeah, he knocked down the game-winning three to sink Russell Westbrook's club

12. Doug McDermott

We haven't seen much of Doug McDermott, who has missed 36 games thus far. He finally had a breakout game, scoring a career-best 16 points on March 6 vs. the Indiana Pacers.        

10. Kirk Hinrich

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Kirk Hinrich is having his worst campaign since joining the league in 2003. He's shooting just 36.4 percent overall and 33.5 percent from three-point land, both career lows.

Peter Hahn of thesixthirty.com wrote this about the veteran guard:  

"

During his ten seasons in Chicago, he’s always brought something to the table.

But now, Kirk Hinrich seems to have lost any sort of value on the basketball court. The writing has been on the wall for awhile, with basically every stat at a career low this season.

And more than any stat will tell you, Captain Kirk just looks brutal when he’s out there.

If it weren’t for Tom Thibodeau’s stubborn ways, poor Kirk wouldn’t be so exposed. I have to think he wouldn’t be averaging 26 minutes on any other team with serious aspirations.

"

Although he's not the same productive player he once was, Hinrich still possesses toughness and leadership skills. And who knows, maybe he'll wind up hitting a couple of big shots when playoff time rolls around.   

9. Tony Snell

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What in the world happened to Tony Snell? A few months ago, Bulls fans were calling him a bust and believing that management had made a draft mistake.

Now, things are totally different. Snell has gone from the end of the bench to emerging as a key rotation player. He has reached the 20-point mark four times since February 10. Speaking of February, he shot a crazy 58.2 percent from the field during the month. Of course, he has cooled down in March.

It's unclear how high his ceiling is. One thing's for sure, though: You can't label him a disappointment anymore.

8. Nikola Mirotic

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If you were expecting an impact rookie from Nikola Mirotic, then you should be satisfied. He's not going to win Rookie of the Year, but he's certainly a candidate.

Mirotic has really played well recently. The 6'10" big man scored over 18 points seven times in the last 10 games.

Although the Bulls lost their March 1 meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers, Mirotic produced a career-best 29. And he went for 27 in the March 15 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

While this kid may not become the next Dirk Nowitzki, he has an extremely bright future.      

7. Aaron Brooks

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When the Bulls signed Aaron Books to a minimum contract last summer, it wasn't exactly a big splash. It was more or a "clearance rack" pickup.

However, Brooks sure hasn't played like a cheap acquisition. Putting up 11.4 points a game, he's a key contributor, whether coming off the bench or in a starting role. His 18.9 points per 36 minutes ranks third on the team behind Rose and Gasol.

Brooks has started in the past 12 contests, replacing the injured Rose. His 22 points and eight assists helped Chicago beat John Wall's Washington Wizards on March 3.    

And by scoring 31 against the Philadelphia 76ers (March 11), the short-handed Bulls avoided an embarrassing loss to a rebuilding club.  

6. Mike Dunleavy

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With names like Butler, Rose and Gasol on the roster, Mike Dunleavy often gets overlooked. Yet, the former Duke star does mean a lot to this team. 

The Bulls posted an awful record of 9-10 when he missed time due to injuries. 

Dunleavy was instrumental in their huge 17-point win over the Indiana Pacers (March 18). He scored 21 for the third time since returning from the injured list. He also sank five of his eight three-point attempts.

Possessing the ability to stretch the floor with his outside shooting, Dunleavy is the perfect role player for a championship contender. He'll be important during the playoffs, helping to open up driving lanes for his teammates.  

5. Taj Gibson

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Gibson obviously made it past the trade deadline without being dealt. The Bulls would have been foolish to trade him, as he's clearly one of the team's most important pieces.

He brings both smothering defense and solid scoring to the table, making him the type of player every team wants on its roster.

An ankle injury has forced Gibson to miss the past 10 games. The Bulls, who've won just four of those contests, truly miss him serving as a reserve or starting in place of Noah. He's expected to return very shortly, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.   

4. Joakim Noah

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Noah sort of shocked the world last year by finishing as an MVP candidate.

This season, his numbers are down across the board. Ongoing health issues have a lot to do with it, plus he's only allowed to play roughly 32 minutes a night.

Management is doing the right thing by limiting Noah's playing time. There's really no reason to play him a bunch of minutes and risk yet another injury.

It's imperative that the Bulls keep him fresh for the playoffs. The team needs all it can get from him, whether it's his defense or pin-point passing.    

3. Derrick Rose

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You have to feel sorry for Rose. For some reason, he just can't seem to stay healthy.

He missed the entire 2012-13 campaign due to an ACL injury. He then tore his meniscus after only a few games last season. Now, he's out once again with another meniscus tear. Luckily, his latest injury isn't as serious as last year's, and he should make it back before the playoffs get underway.

When he was actually on the court, Rose looked great this year, averaging a respectable 18.4 points per game. While he isn't MVP-caliber anymore, he's still one of the league's better point guards when healthy.

2. Pau Gasol

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The Bulls had been searching for a dangerous low-post presence since Elton Brand left town. Well, they've found what they were looking for in Gasol.

Most figured he'd have a good debut season in Chicago. But nobody thought he'd be this good.

Gasol is putting up 18.4 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 blocks per contest. He's also shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 80.9 percent from the charity stripe.

Missing a combined 55 games the previous two seasons, Gasol has only sat out four this year. That's definitely a good thing. Let's hope he continues to shake off the injury bug and help this team get a title.        

1. Jimmy Butler

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Although he's out of the lineup right now, Butler still holds down the top spot.

He was supposed to break out and become an All-Star last season. But hobbled by a turf toe injury, that never quite materialized.

Thankfully, this turned out to be the big year Bulls fans had been hoping to see from him. "Jimmy Buckets" is averaging a career-best 20.2 points to go along with 5.9 boards, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

Butler has become the team's franchise player and is considered one of the game's top two-way players.

Hopefully, he returns soon. The Bulls can't survive long without his scoring and lockdown defense.