Chicago Bulls Are the Top of the Class For Midseason Report Card

As the NBA season approaches its mathematical midpoint, it's natural to assess the squads on certain characteristics of their franchise. This report covers all facets of the Chicago Bulls franchise.

FRONT OFFICE

In early July, it appeared as if Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James all showed strong, strong interest in joining the Chicago Bulls. They seemed to be the front-runner to have the next "big three". After James and Bosh joined Wade by "taking their talents to South Beach" Chicago was outraged over the lack of a big name free agent and having to settle with Carlos Boozer. It look as if Bulls GM Gar Forman was on his way out after what was perceived as a flop in the free agent frenzy that was the summer of 2010. 

But, his job and the Bulls' season may have been salvaged by the signing of Boozer, as well as other complementary players like Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, and C.J. Watson.

Amidst the free agent signings, the best decision the Bulls' management made this summer was to build around their 22 year old superstar, Derrick Rose. Rose has developed into one of the top players in the league, is on his way to starting in the all-star game, and is, in many people's minds, the top MVP candidate thus far in the season.

Although, they have succeeded in the preliminary stages of the season, the front office has yet to make a move to acquire a more viable option at shooting guard that will push the Bulls from pretender to contender status.  B+

COACHING

Many thought the Chicago Bulls had learned their lesson after the quite unsuccessful "Vinny Del Negro Experiment", and not hire a rookie head coach. But, Tom Thibodeau has been wildly successful in molding the young and talented Bulls into his image of a tough, blue collar, defensive-minded basketball club. He has led this young team, ravaged by catastrophic injuries to big-men Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah to a 31-14 record. Thibodeau's experience in Boston has truly paid off as he finds the Bulls in prime position to make a run at the Eastern Conference's number 1 seed.

Thibodeau has made some questionable coaching decisions such as putting in John Lucas III to shoot crucial free throws to ice a November game in Denver. He missed both, and the Denver Nuggets won the game on a buzzer-beater from Carmelo Anthony. Overall, he has done an exceptional job thus far. A-

KEY PLAYERS

CARLOS BOOZER

Even though he was out with a hand injury for the first 15 or so games of the season, his presence is very important to the maturation and consistency of the team. He has rebounded the ball well and has contributed volumes on offense. On the other hand, his defense has been anything but stingy, and has been benched because of it. A-

JOAKIM NOAH

Noah, who has been out since the middle of December after thumb surgery has been missed, but not as much for his defense and rebounding, but for his offensive contributions. He has greatly improved his offensive abilities and he will be welcomed back to the court with open arms. A-

LUOL DENG

Deng is third in the league in minutes played this season, showing his ability, at times, to play three positions. But amongst his versatility, he has been frustratingly inconsistent this season, as he has been in the past. B

DERRICK ROSE

The NBA's MVP at this point in the season, Rose has excelled in all parts of the game this year. His leadership is much improved, along with his three point shooting. His court vision has been superb throughout the first 3 months of the season and he shows no sign of slowing down. A+

BENCH

Because of the injuries suffered by the Bulls this season, guys like Taj Gibson and Kurt Thomas have really surpassed expectations while filling in for injured starters. Gibson's world class defense has been extremely important in the absence of Joakim Noah. Also, Kyle Korver has hit some big shots this year off the bench. Theoretically, the Bulls could go 10 deep with Gibson, Thomas, Korver, Watson, Brewer, and Omer Asik coming off the bench, but if they want to go deep into the playoffs, they will need to get a set rotation. B+

OVERALL

The Chicago Bulls are still a half-step below the Celtics, Magic, and Heat in the East because of the hole they currently have the shooting guard position. With the addition of a quality guard that complements the game of superstar Derrick Rose, the Bulls will be a force to be reckoned with in the East as early as this spring.  A

Josh Rosenblat is a high school student from Chicago looking to find a way to break into sports journalism. He often writes about the NBA (primarily the Chicago Bulls), as well as the MLB, College Basketball, and the NFL. You can email him at [e-mail] or follow him on twitter @JMRosenblat. Feel free to send him comments.