How Tom Thibodeau and the Chicago Bulls Can Effectively Use Richard Hamilton

It might be a slight overstatement to say that the Chicago Bulls won the 2011 free agency, but only slightly.

Why do I say that?

Because I don’t think there is a single player who found a better offseason fit than Mr. Richard Hamilton.

Of course, it is nice to go to a team with the reigning 23-year-old MVP that just came off a 62-win season, but the truth is that all of that is peripheral.

What Tom Thibodeau and the Chicago Bulls got this offseason was a player who fits perfectly into what they are trying to accomplish in the Windy City.

As one of the better coaches in the NBA, Thibodeau has done a fantastic job thus far of emphasizing defense with his team. Few teams have exemplified lockdown defense better in the last decade than the Detroit Pistons. Rip Hamilton understands defense, he knows what it means to buy in to a system and put your ego aside. I don’t think anyone has any doubt that Hamilton will fit in well on the defensive end.

However, the offensive side is where it gets really fun. Other than Ray Allen, there have been few players who can move without the ball quite as well as Hamilton in recent years.

Ever since Chauncey Billups left Detroit, Hamilton has had more difficulty on the court as he hasn’t had a great point guard to work with.

Enter Derrick Rose.

Few players will benefit from a guy who always needs the ball in his hands in order to be productive, however Hamilton is clearly one of those players.

What could be better for Rip than for the entire defense to have their focus on Rose at the top of the key as he slips and slides through baseline screens to open him up on the wing. In this offense with Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer, teams will be quick to forget about Hamilton. Don’t be surprised to see shots in close games go to Rip as defenders foolishly leave him open.

Which leads us to the next, and perhaps best, way Thibodeau can employ Mr. Hamilton. Veteran leadership.

Sure the Bulls already have a guy like Boozer on the team to provide some maturity, but nothing compares to a guy who played in six straight conference finals, and back-to-back NBA finals, including winning the title in 2004. You can’t get much better playoff experience than that unless you were on the San Antonio Spurs or the Los Angeles Lakers.

That’s what makes Hamilton and Rose such a great pairing in the backcourt. One guy is an up-and-coming start, why the other is a seasoned vet who knows what it takes to get to the promised land.

Hamilton knows how he can fit on this team, and clearly will have the respect of all of his teammates. That combination, in addition to a great knack for defense, will be exactly what the Bulls need.