Chicago Bulls: 7 Reasons Shoring Up 2-Guard Position Should Be No. 1 Priority
The Bulls dropped the Eastern Conference Finals to the eventual runner-up to the NBA championship. The Bulls were in their first year of serious contention so there are a few areas of opportunity for this young nucleus. As the team grows, it is up to management to decide which pieces will be included in the continued push for a title.
Point Guard: Check. League MVP, even with his room for improvement is probably the teams’ only untouchable.
Small Forward: Check. The league's most underrated player, Luol Deng, was the second leading scorer and best defender. That said, for the right blockbuster deal he should be available (cough, cough Dwight Howard).
Power Forward: Well…I’ll still say check, but a lot less emphatically. Carlos Boozer will get an injury pass from me this year. A slow or injured first half of next season would be too much to bear. His backup is one of the Bulls' most overrated players.
Taj Gibson is the equivalent to the backup QB on a struggling football team. He looks a lot better than he is because fans are dissatisfied with what they are getting from the starter. Make no mistake, Taj is a valuable sub, but the Bulls are not talented enough offensively to start him.
Center: Check…with an emphasis falling somewhere between Deng and Boozer. Joakim Noah is one of my favorite players but, despite what Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says, is near his ceiling. The only other wrinkle he could add is a more dependable jump shot. He is already a great passing big, with average post skill, good athleticism and a great motor. These traits make him valuable, but the Bulls must ask if this value would be better suited as a means of luring more dynamic and impactful talent into the Madhouse On Madison.
Shooting Guard: Not even a stray mark resembling a check in this area. The firm of Bogans, Brewer and Korver have yet to win a case and are dangerously close to being disbarred. This should be the Bulls' number one priority in the offseason and here are 7 reasons why:
Shooting Guard Is the Easiest Position To Acquire A Dynamic Talent
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Dynamic talents drive NBA teams. The way those talents mesh with and compliment role players and specialists is the formula for creating championship teams. The Bulls have one dynamic talent for sure in Rose, but the rest of the team is primarily made up of role players and specialists.
As I mentioned in the introduction, the shooting guard is the Bulls' weakest position. The Bulls are fortunate that this position is the area that needs improvement, as the 2-guard is the easiest to find a pure scorer.
Look around the league, look at current rosters and look at the top 10 scorers in the league. Four of the top 10 are shooting guards (Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Monta Ellis and Kevin Martin). The Bulls could probably pry two of them away from their respective teams with some of the young talent on their current rosters and draft picks.
Derrick Rose Needs the Option of Playing off the Ball
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Rose is a special talent at the point guard, but his dynamic scoring ability would have more versatility if the Bulls could give the ball to another perimeter player to create for a handful of possessions. It would keep defenses honest and it would make it harder to place that huge athletic defender on Rose at the top of the key.
Checking Rose at the top of the key with the ability to funnel him into a sea of big men is easier than chasing him through screens and preventing him from cutting without the ball.
Shooting Guard Is the Most Likely Position to Fit in and Fill the Need
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Any addition into Tom Thibodeau’s scheme must play defense, even though the biggest reason for adding said person would be for the offensive boost. As was the case with the handling of Carlos Boozer, regardless of the offensive potential—if there is a lack of effort on defense, said player will be sitting.
The shooting guard position offers the best chance at obtaining a two way player. The Bulls don’t need another specialist; they need a multi-faceted player and the two-guard offers the most realistic possibilities.
Here are some options:
Monta Ellis—though he isn’t a dynamic defender yet, his penchant for playing the passing lanes has been evident. Ellis averaged 2.1 steals per game this past season. Many of those steals were of the ball-hawking variety—couple this with his spectacular scoring ability and equally terrific athleticism and Ellis would be a gem to acquire.
Kevin Martin is a bit of an awkward player. He is very thin, but he’s a deadly shooter, gets to the line and has the length to be a decent defender.
The only other positions to upgrade are a gamble. For as dissatisfied as we were with Boozer, are there any significant upgrades available? Probably not, so it's best to ride with him and improve at a position where the upgrade is more likely to fit in the current system.
Bulls Need Dependable Outside Shooting
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The Bulls still need players who can stretch the floor. Korver and Bogans proved inconsistent in this role and Korver was horrendous on defense.
Outside shooting to stretch the floor is best suited from wing positions. Ideally, the player would have the ability to spot up and create off the dribble. Players who fit this description are O.J. Mayo, Ellis and rookie Marshon Brooks. It will take trades to acquire these players, but they may prove well worth it to improve this position on the team.
Better Shooting Guard Play Will Make Other Starters Better
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OK, we know Rose could benefit from the help with the scoring load, but the other positions would benefit as much, if not more.
Deng is a good scorer but, if the Bulls want to depend on him as much as they do defensively, it would be nice if he didn’t have to attempt to create off the dribble when Rose rests.
For one, he’s not good at it. Secondly, the 40-plus minutes of intense defense he plays is taxing enough—throw in 17 or 18 points per game as a necessity. That is a formula for an injury for “Gluol.” A player who can come in and average 15 points per game, creating for himself and spotting up for open shots, would make Luol’s job a lot easier.
I believe Boozer and Noah would both be allowed to operate in their comfort zones offensively. Spacing is everything for an offense. Another penetrator/shooter would create clear options for post players, more cutters and more viable options out of the double teams that we hope Boozer can create next year.
Depth at Other Positions Allow Them Trade Chips to Acquire a Star at SG
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The Bulls have Boozer with Gibson, who is overvalued around the league right now. They have Korver, who through his struggles is still regarded as a top notch three-point specialist.
The Bulls have Noah with Asik backing him up at center. Either big man could be made available because of the other's presence.
Combine these assets with two first-round picks this year and future draft considerations, and the Bulls can put together the most attractive package for any available player in the league.
Addressing The Much Documented Need Sends A Great Message
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It seems everyone knows the Bulls need a shooting guard. Players, coaches, the media and the fans alike all have weighed in heavily with opinions.
The Bulls are still rebuilding their reputation as a desirable spot for free-agents, and proving to their fan base they are, as Randy Jackson would say, “in it to win it.”
Addressing the shooting guard is the only way to go—any other “improvements” without addressing this position are ridiculous.
