Hakim Warrick: Chicago Bulls' Newest Will Contribute To Team

Apparently, critics were saying that the Bulls ruined team chemistry by trading Tyrus Thomas and John Salmons away for Hakim Warrick.

After Saturday night, though, many could change their minds. The Bulls would be content with that. They're already content with their new player.

The first half of last night's game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Chicago Bulls was slow. There wasn't a lot of action that occurred.

Then the Bulls scored 21 straight points on a 33-point second quarter. The rest of the game was a romping, as the team went on to win 122-90.

While Taj Gibson was the best player last night (20 points, 13 rebounds), Hakim Warrick wasn't far behind.

He posted a near double double with 15 points and 9 rebounds. The forward from Syracuse showed that he is going to be a great asset to a young, rebuilding Bulls franchise.

Prior to being traded, Hakim Warrick averaged 10.2 ppg and 4.4 rpg with the Milwaukee Bucks.

When he was traded to the Chicago Bulls, his rebound average more than doubled, and he added 2.5 points to his scoring average.

Though his time in Chicago is merely the beginning (last night was only his second game), Warrick has proven to be a solid member of the roster.

Derrick Rose will be the main franchise player for the Chicago Bulls. Taj Gibson has shown that he will be a great member of the roster in due time as well.

Joakim Noah will continue to pleasantly surprise me. Really, I thought he was a bust with a bad attitude!

Hakim Warrick was a player I was high on when he was a prospect in the NBA Draft. After seeing his impressive work in the 2003 NCAA title run by the Orangemen, I felt he had potential.

He seemed to disappear after being selected by the Memphis Grizzlies, but I neglected to see his ability to score in double figures during most of his years there.

His time in Milwaukee was short, but his career in Chicago will hopefully be lengthy.

The Bulls are currently 29-26, and are right behind the Toronto Raptors for the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference. Though they would be safe if the season ended today, The Bulls want to make sure that they get as high in the standings as possible.

They'll have a great new wing player to assist them in that quest.

Sources: NBA.com