NBA Playoffs 2011: 10 Reasons the Chicago Bulls Are Destined to Win a Title
The Chicago Bulls are flying high after administering a beating on the backsides of the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Bulls fans are no doubt feeling confident about their team's chances of winning it all this season. I contend, though it is not implausible that the young Bulls could pull it off, basketball logic would say they are a year away from accomplishing this goal.
That said, I am confident, if the Bulls do not win the championship in 2011, this core group is destined to win it all in the very near future. Here are 10 reasons why.
10. Contract Situations and Flexibility
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The Bulls may seem like just another loser in the free-agent sweepstakes game this past summer. They and a host of other teams missed out on the season's biggest prize, the package deal of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
As it turned out, by not signing these three players, the Bulls don't have max level contracts tied into multiple players and a bench void of youth and energy.
The Bulls have options, and they have tradeable contracts if they should choose to make a deal in the future to add a shooting guard.
Most importantly, with the exception of Derrick Rose, the Bulls core is signed through the 2013-2014 season.
Rose is signed through next year. He could become a restricted free agent after next season, but a contract extension for Rose should be as automatic for the 22-year-old MVP as anything in sports.
The Bulls are built for the long haul, so everything doesn't ride on the success of this season.
9. Age of the Core
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The Bulls are the 10th-oldest team in the NBA, with an average age of about 28.
Now, consider that the ages of the following players contribute to that average: Kurt Thomas (38), Brian Scalabrine (33), Keith Bogans, Rasual Butler (31) and Jannero Pargo (31).
None of these players are considered core members of the team. Only two of them have played any significant minutes all season or postseason.
Of the remaining Bulls, only one has seen 30 candles on a birthday cake (Kyle Korver). The average age of this group of players that largely make up the core of the team is about 26.
The Bulls had the best record in the NBA and they have reached the Eastern Conference Finals even with this youthful nucleus.
They are young, and they are at the beginning of their period of contention.
8. Success Despite Injuries
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The Bulls endured injuries to two significant players this season. Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah missed a combined 57 games this year. This total would be insurmountable and a season-killer for most teams in the NBA.
For the Bulls, it was season- and team-defining. It allowed for the young Bulls frontcourt to play significant minutes that reserve frontcourt players usually wouldn't have to log.
This has strengthened the bench immensely.
It also has shown starters like Boozer, Noah and Keith Bogans that this is a deep group with many interchangeable parts.
Thibodeau will not hesitate to go with the member of this team that is giving him the style of play he demands.
Injuries are a part of sports. Dealing with them positively is part of building a championship pedigree.
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7. Style of Play
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As important as D-Rose is to this team, this group is built on defense; it is what they go to when they are not shooting well.
Defending is the aspect of basketball that never goes in a slump. It is rooted in principles and fundamentals.
When a group of young, long and athletic players buy into a proven defensive philosophy, they will be a tough out every night they take the floor.
If they shoot it well, that group is nearly unbeatable.
6. Coaching
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Tom Thibodeau is the NBA Coach of the Year in his first season. His resume made him the hot name for head coaching vacancies, two or three years before he actually bolted for Chicago.
Moreover, he has a young, coachable superstar who completely buys into his system and his coaching style. The two of them will set the tone and standards for every player the front office brings into the fold.
Effective leadership is key to building a champion.
5. Lakers and Celtics Rebuilding
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The Bulls' ascension is happening at a good time. The Lakers and Celtics are perennial champions and/or contenders.
Their aging core and recent postseason failures would lead you to believe that some rebuilding is in store. Boston and/or Los Angeles has appeared in seven of the last 11 NBA Finals, three straight before this year.
The Bulls and Thunder are poised to become the NBA's new marquee inter-conference rivalry.
4. Dominance at Home
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Every great NBA team is tough in their own building. The Bulls have proved that coming into the United Center will almost always render a loss for the opposition.
Chicago was a stout 36-5 this year at home. Strong defensive teams are especially effective on their home court.
Playing on the road genuinely affects shooting percentages, so a team that locks down defensively can be dominant at home.
Couple this with a superstar that gets to the line consistently, and this is a recipe for a home-court winning percentage of .750 or better.
For these reasons, obtaining home-court advantage in the postseason has proven to be of high importance.
3. Resisting the Super-Friends Philosophy
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The Bulls definitely threw their hat in the free agency ring this past summer.
Bulls brass quickly saw that hardcore pitches towards James, Wade and Bosh were like trying to convince the Big Bad Wolf not to eat grandma. It was already a done deal.
The Bulls quickly rebounded, signing Carlos Boozer, a frontcourt player whose skill set actually fits better than the face-up game Bosh plays.
The Bulls added pieces to assemble a more conventional team, inking a three-point specialist in Kyle Korver, and defensive players in Keith Bogans and Ronnie Brewer.
They also added a backup point guard in CJ Watson and veteran leadership in Kurt Thomas.
The Bulls also welcomed the surprising Omer Asik, whose skill set is perfect for Tom Thibodeau's "protect the rim at all costs" style of defense.
"Missing out" on the Big Three allowed the Bulls to build a team, not a top-heavy group with a shaky foundation.
2. Team Chemistry
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The Bulls have great chemistry. They are not stockpiled with players trying to find themselves offensively.
There is healthy competition for playing time, but the excitement for each others' success seems genuine.
The team knows who their star is, and the supporting cast accepts their roles happily. Even more important, the star is unselfish.
He knows when to take over and when to feed his teammates.
Thibodeau's consistency and brutal fairness helps to clearly define each player's role on the team. It is a great mixture of talent, character and work ethic.
1. Derrick Rose
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The league's MVP is the engine that makes all of the previous nine reasons valid.
Without his incredible talent, the team would lack identity on the offensive end. Without identity, the chemistry component wouldn't be as strong.
If the Bulls defeat the Heat, it will prove that a "team" with players playing defined roles, led by an unselfish superstar, can win it all.
Rose is the main reason the Bulls are among the NBA's hottest attractions.
He's the Kobe or Magic to the Bulls, as Durant could be his team's Bird or Pierce for the Thunder.
He understands that as good as he already is, he can and will get even better. He has adopted the style of play his coach enforces, as he has become a much improved defender.
He carried this team through all of the injury issues it had this season. He is still only 22 years old and the Bulls are blessed the ping pong bounced their way three years ago.
They are even more fortunate that he is from Chicago, and in his heart, this is his city and his team.
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