Chicago Bulls: 5 Keys to Improving with the Current Roster
The Bulls may not be the most talented team in the NBA, but what they lacked in talent they made up for in chemistry.
I do not believe that the Bulls can just add any piece to the puzzle next season to put them over the top. This team understood how to play together, and adding the wrong player to the mix could disrupt that and cause a setback next season.
With that being said, here are five keys to the offseason with just the current roster.
Post Moves
1 of 5
Joakim Noah has become a useful offensive player, but he needs to elevate to the next level next season.
He already is one of the best passing big men in the game. He continuously works hard for offensive rebounds and understands spacing and how to play the pick-and-roll. Before his injury this season, he even showed some glimpses of having worked on a jump shot.
What he needs to do this summer is work on a couple of post moves.
If he could add just a simple jump hook in the post, he would improve the Bulls offense dramatically. He would be a triple threat in the post, which the defense would have to respect.
Chemistry
2 of 5
As good as the Bulls team chemistry was, two players certainly looked like they could not mix well together.
While each player missed significant regular season time due to injuries, all Bulls fans could see that Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah were not comfortable playing together on the court. Boozer would play better with Noah out on the offensive end and Noah would be back to his old defensive self with Boozer on the bench.
Next season, this cannot happen—this summer, these two need to work out the kinks because the Bulls can only achieve the goals they want with them on the floor together. Whether it is Noah clogging up the paint so Boozer cannot attack or Boozer not being quick enough to recognize the defensive rotations, leaving Joakim in no-man's land,the two showed few signs of chemistry last season.
With an offseason of practicing on the court and constant communication, these two should be able to iron it all out.
Hunger
3 of 5
Since entering the league, Derrick Rose has improved every offseason. This summer, my only hope is that the hunger he has shown so far in his career will not only continue to be there, but also grow.
No one expected him to do what he did this past season—an All-Star starter, MVP award and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals was great this season. After losing the series to the Heat, he must learn from the loss, both on and off the court.
Dwyane Wade and LeBron James may not be fan favorites anymore across the nation, but they both understand how to play the officials, the media, their teammates and themselves.
The little things that superstars do can make all the difference, and after his first year on the superstar stage, Derrick must learn to take advantage of these things next year.
Jump Shot
4 of 5
Ronnie Brewer was solid defensively all season. During the Heat series, he was all over Dwyane Wade, and when asked, he checked LeBron when Luol Deng needed a break.
On the other end of the court, Brewer was consistently a hustle player—he worked the baseline for easy layups and dunks.
What was surprising was his ability at times to knock down his jump shot. If he could improve his jump shot to be more consistent this summer, he will be given more playing time, which would keep his defensive prowess on the floor.
Decision-Making
5 of 5
C.J. Watson, at times, ran the offense smoothly, attacked the basket and knocked down some big shots while the bench was in the game.
Then, at other times, he walked the ball up court and launch a three with 18 seconds left on the shot clock.
With his ability to knock down the open shot, I would love to see a little bit more of him and Derrick Rose on the court together. Let Watson run the point and run Rose off some screens to get the offense moving a little bit more. The defense would be so worried about what Derrick is doing without the ball that Watson could attack the lane.
If C.J. can improve his decision-making heading into next year, he should see some more playing time.
