Chicago Bulls: 4 Keys to Success for the Bulls in the 2011-2012 NBA Season

Last year, the Chicago Bulls had their best season since they dominated the mid-90s.  They finished with a 62-20 record, which was good for the best record in the NBA.

Derrick Rose also had the best individual season by any Bulls player since that time.  He averaged 27.1 points per game and 7.7 assists per game and was also named to the All-NBA first team.  Rose also became the youngest player in NBA history to win the NBA MVP award.  

The Bulls entered the 2011 Playoffs with the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and easily defeated the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks in the first two rounds.  They then met the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, but were embarrassed, losing in only five games. 

This should be considered a successful year for the Bulls, but you know they must be bitter about how the way last season came to an end.  Here are four key areas the Bulls need to succeed in if they want to have the same success in 2011-2012 as they did last season.

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Consistent Outside Shooting

"D-Rose" has proved numerous times he can drive past his man into the paint, regardless of who’s defending him.  He has also shown he has excellent court vision and can usually find the open shooter once the defense rotates to stop him. 

The Bulls’ success this season will heavily rely on the their ability to make open jumpers, since they will often find themselves in this position.  Last season, the Bulls were in the middle of the pack for field-goal percentage and three-point percentage so they’ll be looking to improve on those numbers this season. 

Adding Rip Hamilton will definitely improve the Bulls in this area.  Regardless of if he starts or comes off the bench, Hamilton will bring one of the best mid-range jumpers in the game to the Bulls rotation.  He is probably the best in the NBA at coming off screens, so expect the Bulls to add a heavy dose of off the ball picks to their repertoire this year. 

Rebounding the Ball

With Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah, the Bulls posses one of the best frontcourts in the NBA.  They are a pretty tall group, with all of them standing at least 6’9”. 

Last season, they were the best rebounding team in the league, averaging 44.5 rebounds per game as a team. Noah (10.2 RPG) was the leader of the group and Boozer wasn’t far behind at 9.7. Deng also was very solid on the boards last season grabbing close to seven rebounds per game.

If the Bulls want to be on top of the East again, they will need to out hustle opponents for all rebounds, like they did last season.  They need to prevent opponents from getting second-chance opportunities, while also crashing the offensive glass and getting those second chances for themselves.  

Staying Healthy

The Bulls don’t have the deepest rotation in the league, which makes it even more crucial for all of their players to stay healthy throughout the season.  They also have a few key players who have shown to be injury prone so far in their careers.

Noah has had trouble staying on the court in his four years in the NBA.  He has yet to have a season where he played in all 82 games.  Last season, he was limited to only 48 games due to a nagging ankle injury that also forced him to miss 18 games the season prior. 

Their other starting big, Boozer, also has a history of injury problems.  Boozer has played nine seasons in the NBA  but has only been able to stay healthy enough to play in at least 60 games in five of those.  A toe injury really limited Boozer in last year’s playoffs and resulted in him posting his worst playoffs point and rebounding totals in his career.   

The Bulls were able to overcome these injuries to key players by Taj Gibson and Omer Asik stepping up big, but if they want to turn the corner and win a championship next season, they are going to need a healthy roster come playoff time.  

D-Rose Needs Another MVP Season

The Bulls do have a talented team, but everyone knows they will only go as far as D-Rose takes them.  Last season, Rose was magnificent and definitely earned that MVP trophy he won. 

Rose showed that he is able to get into the paint at will.  It doesn’t matter who is guarding him—Rose’s explosiveness and insane ball handling allow him to blow past anyone in his way. 

He also showed last year his decision making and basketball IQ is one of the best in the league.  Once he’s in the paint, Rose uses his wide variety of floaters, layups or dunks to score over bigger defenders or finds the open man for an easy jumper no matter where he is located on the court. 

If Rose plays this season at the MVP level we now know he’s capable of, the Bulls will find themselves deep in the playoffs once again.