3-Step Plan for Chicago Bulls to Return to the Playoffs in 2015-16
The Chicago Bulls have reached the NBA playoffs in seven consecutive seasons. And in order to make it eight straight, a few things must materialize.
Led by Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol, the team was considered a legitimate title contender this year. Unfortunately, it failed to deliver, falling to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games during the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Chicago was extremely active last offseason, adding the likes of Gasol, Nikola Mirotic, Aaron Brooks and Doug McDermott to the mix. But it should be much quieter in the Windy City this time around, as the team is expected to make only a few tweaks here and there.
The Bulls dismissed head coach Tom Thibodeau after continuous reports of an ongoing feud with the front office. It'll be interesting to see if the next coach can make an immediate impact next season.
The Bulls will have several decisions to make this summer. Should they re-sign free-agent starters Butler and Mike Dunleavy? Should they attempt to trade Joakim Noah, who struggled mightily during the playoffs (5.8 points per game on 40.8 percent shooting)?
What are three things that must happen for the Bulls to avoid the 2016 NBA draft lottery?
Replace Tom Thibodeau with Fred Hoiberg
Thibodeau achieved quite a bit of success during his five-year stint in Chicago. He won the Coach of the Year award in 2011 and guided the team to the playoffs each year despite a plethora of injuries to Rose and other key players.
Thibs compiled an impressive 255-139 regular-season record. However, he didn't accomplish much during the postseason, going just 23-28. The Bulls made it past the second round only once, in 2011, when they lost to James and the Miami Heat during the Eastern Conference Finals (in five games).
Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg is widely expected to replace Thibodeau here shortly. Hoiberg doesn't have any experience as an NBA head coach, but neither did Steve Kerr, who's currently in his debut season with the Golden State Warriors.
Taking over for the fired Mark Jackson, Kerr has been phenomenal this year, guiding the Warriors to a league-best 67 victories, and now has the club playing in its first NBA Finals since 1975. Yeah, that's not too bad for a rookie coach, huh?
While Hoiberg may not have a Kerr type of impact if the Bulls hire him, he might be able to fix the team's offense, which struggled mightily during the Cleveland series. In the embarrassing 94-73 Game 6 loss, Chicago mustered up only 42 points during the final three quarters.
Randy Sherman, owner and founder of Radius Athletics, had this to say about Hoiberg's entertaining offense, per Kelly Scaletta of Today's Fastbreak:
"For fans of free-flowing uptempo basketball (and really, who isn’t?), Fred Hoiberg’s offense is entertaining. There’s almost no “false action” in Hoiberg’s offense. In layman’s terms, his team gets right to the business of scoring. He runs a very efficient offense. Iowa State has ranked no lower than No. 11 (and as high as sixth) in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency per kenpom.com. An immediate upgrade in the watchability of the Bulls on the offensive end is imminent if Hoiberg is hired.
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Now that sounds like the perfect fit.
Re-Sign Jimmy Butler
This step is a no-brainer.
Failing to reach an extension agreement with the Bulls back in October, Butler will become a restricted free agent this summer. While several teams are sure to show interest, Chicago can fortunately match any offer the swingman receives.
Re-signing Butler is a must.
There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. Leading the Bulls in scoring this year with a career-best 20 points per game, Jimmy Buckets has emerged as the team's most valuable player. He had already established himself as an elite, lockdown perimeter defender. And now with an improved offensive game, he has blossomed into one of the Association's top two-way players.
RealGM's Shams Charania wrote this: "Four years ago, here was a 22-year-old Butler buried in the head coach’s rotation, seen as a defensive specialist. He is now culpable in all facets of the game, accepting and seeking responsibility."
Butler is coming off an incredible season in which he made his first All-Star appearance and took home the Most Improved Player award. He was also named to his second straight All-Defensive second team.
At times in the past, Bulls management has played the penny-pincher role. So it's possible, but not likely, that it could allow Butler to walk. If he does take his talents elsewhere, the Bulls can forget about making the playoffs next season.
Receive Strong Contributions from the Youngsters
The Bulls will need contributions from their top players like Butler, Rose and Gasol. And they'll also need help from the less experienced guys such as Mirotic, Tony Snell and McDermott.
Mirotic was sensational this season, averaging 10.2 points per game and finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting behind the Minnesota Timberwolves' Andrew Wiggins. He can stretch the defense with his shooting and also possesses the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket.
With Noah's health concerns, Gasol's minutes likely to be reduced (averaged 34.4 minutes this season despite being 34 years old) and a possible trade of fellow power forward Taj Gibson, Mirotic could take on a bigger role next season.
By re-signing Butler, the Bulls may not have enough money available to keep Dunleavy's services. If the sharpshooter bolts town, the Snell-McDermott combo will likely take over the small forward spot.
Snell improved this season following a disappointing rookie campaign, and McDermott went through an injury-plagued year, although he's known as a terrific shooter.
The Bulls have a great chance of reaching the playoffs, provided that the Mirotic-Snell-McDermott trio steps up.
All stats are from Basketball-Reference.com and accurate as of May 30.
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