Chicago Bulls Getting Their Reinforcements at Just the Right Time
The Chicago Bulls have once again had to endure an injury-riddled season, including a recent hit that simultaneously sat Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson. The latter two players have since returned, and Derrick Rose will likely be back in time for the playoffs. Chicago will be at optimum health at the most crucial juncture of the season.
This bodes well on many levels. For starters, it gives head coach Tom Thibodeau his intended 2014-15 starting lineup of Rose, Butler, Mike Dunleavy, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah. That grouping has played together in only 19 games this year, but the team was 15-4 in those contests.
On top of that, the Bulls’ depth will be exceptionally formidable. Since January, many tertiary players have shown the ability to be productive. Tony Snell has been playing consistently well, and Nikola Mirotic went on a tear in March. Rotations tend to tighten in the playoffs, but Thibodeau will have a litany of personnel packages to work with.
The championship window will be opening a little wider for this franchise once the postseason commences. A look at what Rose, Butler and Gibson add to the current incarnation of the Bulls will show that this club is a stronger Eastern Conference contender than its regular-season performance has suggested.
The whole is definitely greater
Chicago stands to gain exponentially once its roster is complete. This club will again be a team that can present numerous looks and attack in a variety of ways.
Butler’s return gives the Bulls an exceptional two-way player. While his offensive improvement has been a boon, his defensive prowess will serve the team best while it competes in a playoff grouping rife with talented wing players.
But let’s not minimize the former Marquette Golden Eagles star's scoring prowess. He leads the team in scoring at 20.2 points per game; however, his 7.2 free-throw attempts per game are the most impressive part of that element. Butler’s aggressive offensive style adds easy points to the scoreboard and keeps opponents on their heels when they're guarding the ball.
Along with Butler, Gibson fortifies the Bulls' defensive front. He is one of three players on the roster averaging at least one block per game. His physical play and aggressiveness on the glass give the team a workman who does the foundational work that is vital to winning.
The reserve forward is a solid contributor on offense as well. Gibson produces second-chance possessions, averaging 2.6 offensive rebounds per game, and chips in high-quality buckets by knocking in 57.4 percent of field goals attempted within five feet of the basket.
These additions are great for this club, but there is still a void that only Rose can fill.
The former MVP last played in the team’s February 23 contest against the Milwaukee Bucks. He reinjured his surgically repaired meniscus and had to get another procedure that was expected to sideline him for four to six weeks. That range is up Friday, April 10.
By that time, there will be only three regular-season games left and no guarantee that Rose will play in them. He has been confident during his rehab process but tight-lipped on a specific return date, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune notes. Playoff seeding may be settled, for the most part, so it’s anyone’s guess on whether or not Rose will lace them up again before the postseason.
It seems to be more certain that Rose will be back for the first round. If and when that occurs, the Bulls will have their linchpin. Granted, he has not played in his MVP form, but his improvement was evident with each passing month.
Rose was averaging 18.8 points and 5.4 assists per game on the 2015 side of the season, and he was looking like a player who was rediscovering his groove. It may be hard for him to pick up where he left off; fortunately, he doesn't have to. With the improvement of the supporting players, Rose no longer has to dominate the game.
Even with his good-but-not-great play, the Bulls performed better. Up until Rose was injured again, Chicago averaged 101.9 points per game; that number dropped to 98.1 after the injury. The Bulls' record was 36-21 with him; their record has been 10-9 without him—so far. Rose's presence commands enough attention to make things easier for his teammates, and that helps rack up wins.
Each of these guys makes the Bulls better on both sides of the ball and deeper than any of their conference contemporaries. The roster upgrade is not the only thing playing to the team's advantage, either. Other intraconference happenings are helping facilitate a deep playoff run.
Falling into place
The current playoff picture has Chicago in third place in the Eastern Conference and slated to play the Bucks in the first round. That positioning has not been finalized yet, as the Bulls could still drop back into the fourth spot and face the Washington Wizards.
Head coach Jason Kidd has positioned Milwaukee as one of the premiere up-and-coming teams, but it has not been playing well since the All-Star break; in fact, the Bucks have amassed a sub-.500 record since then. This decline in proficiency, coupled with a lack of playoff experience, amounts to a series win for the Bulls.
As for the Wizards, Bulls fans are probably still reeling from the team’s 2014 ouster that only took five games to accomplish. Some may actually prefer a crack at John Wall and company with a complete Chicago roster.
The Wizards match up better with the Bulls and split the four games they played during the regular season. This definitely seems like a tougher draw, but Washington has also been playing losing basketball since the season’s intermission.
These potential opening-round opponents have been struggling without the same hardships that Chicago has endured. No matter which team it may be, it will be a case of a rising Bulls squad catching a foe on its way down. Thibodeau’s group is savvy enough to capitalize on that advantage, but it definitely gets harder after that.
It seems likely that the higher-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks will get out of the first round as well, and the Bulls would have to beat them in that order to get to the NBA Finals. Chicago has losing records against both clubs and would need a stupendous collective effort to best either group. This is where the emergence of a few unexpected youngsters comes into play.
Snell and Mirotic are the most notable of the surprising contributors.
Snell has been getting consistent playing time since January and has averaged 8.9 points in 27.1 minutes per game over that stretch. Mirotic is coming off a monster March during which he put up 20.8 points per game while filling in for Noah and Gibson.
These talents give the Bulls depth beyond what any of the other teams in the East can offer. If used effectively, they can shake up even the most sagacious analyst’s playoff projections.
Chicago may not have had the regular season that it wanted, but the team is in a position to make up for that once the top clubs in each conference begin squaring off for their shots at the Larry O’Brien trophy. There may be a period of rediscovery, but there has been enough time logged for every player to be versed in how they mesh with one another.
The last time Thibodeau had a complete postseason roster was in his first year as a head coach; that team went all the way to the conference finals. This collective is even more talented than that group and has demonstrated just how good it could be at various points in the season.
Despite the repeated injury hardships, the timing for recovery could not have been better. This playoff run is here for the Bulls to lose. The talent will be present; it all hinges on their ability to regroup quickly and flex their versatile muscles.
All statistics courtesy of NBA.com and are current as of April 3, 2015.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
