Chicago Bulls: 7 Questions as the NBA Season Begins

Seven questions face the Chicago Bulls as the NBA season is beginning.

Many analysts have the Miami Heat facing the Los Angeles Clippers or Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals. It is a reality that the fans of the other teams in the NBA must face, but every team has significant weaknesses. Also, every team will have their own questions to answer during a season where 66 games will be played in 120 days. No one knows what to expect, but I hope that I can put Bulls fans at ease.

And the seven questions for the Chicago Bulls are...

7. Will Luol Deng Continue to Improve?

Defensively, yes. On offense? Maybe.

Luol Deng should send a thank you card to the home of Milwaukee Bucks coach Scott Skiles for helping revive his career. He bought in to Skiles' defensive philosophy, and it has made him a better player. Deng's size and willingness to compete has helped him on the defensive side.  Arguably the best individual defender the Bulls have on the roster and will be counted on to guard the opponent's best perimeter player. I see an All-Defensive Team nod for his relentless play.

On the other side of the ball for Deng, I actually see his scoring going slightly up. With Richard Hamilton joining the Bulls the touches for Deng will diminish but his shot quality will improve. I have always believed that the talent is there for him to average 20 points a game. Honestly, he is the second-most gifted scorer that the Bulls have. While the numbers won't suggest that, he carried the Great Britain national team that qualified for the 2012 Olympics. Many seem to forget that had Deng skipped college altogether to go pro in the LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade draft class, he would've been drafted second or third.

Luol Deng will continue to improve and become an All-Star for the first time in his career.

6. Does Coach Thibodeau Settle on a Set Rotation?

No. With the "Bench Mob," there are so many interchangeable parts, that Coach Thibodeau won't need to. In a previous article, I took a look into the best bench in the NBA. The only player that is not completed interchangeable is Derrick Rose. 

With a roster this deep (the Bulls can go 11 players strong), Thibodeau can go with the hot hand as he is known to do. The task for him will be when to rest his players. I am not alone in believing that the push to get the top record in the NBA wore the team down. Come playoff time, there was no lift from several players. This year, maybe Thibs rethinks this strategy and gives players such as Joakim Noah a break. Besides, Omir Asik needs playing time and confidence. 

Listening to analysts discuss the Bulls, many of them suggest that Asik and potential sixth-man candidate Taj Gibson are two of the best defensive big men in the entire NBA. That says a lot about the Bulls' depth. Add to the mix Ronnie Brewer, who would be a starter for many teams in the league (including perennial contenders, the Lakers, Mavericks and even the Heat), this gives Thibodeau plenty of options. There's no need for a set rotation.

5. How Will the Health of Joakim Noah Hold Up?

The center says he's healthy and I tend to believe him but again, this season teams are playing several back-to-back games and that doesn't bode well for Noah. Plantar fasciitis is an injury that can plague a athlete throughout his playing career. Last season, he suffered from a bum ankle and torn ligaments in his finger.

For the plantar fasciitis and ankle issues, I blame his shoes, the Le Coq Sportic. While I am sure that Noah's shoes are extra padded, the French-based shoe line is not accustomed to supplying shoes for NBA players. It's a wonder why a company such as Reebok or Adidas won't step up and develop a partnership of some sort with Le Coq Sportic and create a comfortable shoe for Noah.

For those of you who are scratching their heads asking why am I making a big deal about shoes, consider this: Noah's game is solely based on tough defense and hustle plays. Rebounding is his forte, and he averaged 10.4 a game to go along with 11.7 points due to his hustle plays. In my opinion, Noah's the fastest center in the NBA and the support in his shoes goes a long way in his cuts to the basket.

Bottom line, a healthy Noah means an All-Star bid and a potential NBA title. The downside is the fact that Noah has had injuries in four of his five years in a Bulls uniform.

4. Is C.J. Watson a Capable Backup to Derrick Rose?

Yes and no.

Watson is a good scorer coming off of the bench. Think a poor man's Ben Gordon. He is not as prolific a scorer as Gordon was for the Bulls, but with a full year to become acclimated in Coach Thibodeau's system, Watson will be more comfortable with his role. 

For starters, the 4.9 points he averaged last season was paltry. With every shot that he took, you saw a player who was trying to live up to his contract instead of just playing the game of basketball. Just because a player has the green light to shoot doesn't mean that he should chuck it at every moment. For Watson, it was a realization that he had to come to terms with after his lowest scoring average of his short career.

With all of Watson's scoring competency, he struggles with his ball-handling. You can trace this back to him having a green light to shoot as the primary reason. \He must settle down and trust his teammates. As the backup to the reigning MVP, there is a conflict where you are pressured to do more. Watson cannot fall back into this trap.

3. Will Carlos Boozer Return to Form?

This will be the best season Carlos Boozer has ever had! I repeat, this will be the best season Carlos Boozer has ever had!  Some of you think that I'm crazy, but there are some of you who will come out and agree with me as well.

During the playoffs, many of you wanted to run Boozer out of town. I see the raving and ranting. Everybody trying to play general manager, looking for ways to get him the hell out of town. A show of hands and comments, Boozer was the reason that the Bulls didn't trounce the Miami Heat. Right? Right? Wrong!

An inexperienced Derrick Rose was the reason that the Bulls didn't get past Miami.

Blasphemy you say? Here are some of the numbers for Rose in the Miami Heat series:

1. 28 points, 10-for-22 (.455 percent shooting), four turnovers, and six free-throw attempts
2. 21 points, 7-for-23 (.304), 0-3 in three-point shooting
3. 20 points, 8-for-19 (.421), three free-throw attempts
4. 23 points, 8-for-27 (.296; including 1-9 in three-point shooting), and seven turnovers
5. 25 points, 9-for-29 (.310), five fouls, and four turnovers

Telling numbers. I will not say that Boozer had his best performance in the playoffs—I'm not naive —but he must improve and he knows it. The competitive spirit in Boozer will help him become a better player. Not to mention a training camp under his belt.  

2. Do the Bulls Need Another MVP-Type Season from Derrick Rose to Win?

No. Too many variables come into play here. I am projecting these potential numbers for the six other Bulls players.

1. Carlos Boozer: 21.6 points and 10.3 rebounds a game.
2. Luol Deng: 19.5 points, 4 assists, and 5 rebounds.
3. Richard Hamilton: 15 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds.
4. Joakim Noah: 9.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
5. Taj Gibson: 9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks.
6. Ronnie Brewer: 7.4 points, 1.4 steals, and 2 assists.

Looking at these projections and factor in Derrick Rose's 23.5 points, 8.7 assists and four rebounds a game. MVP numbers? Yes, but with the projections above, Rose won't need to do it all.

1. Must the Bulls Make a Trade to Jump Ahead of the Miami Heat?

They can wait until the trade deadline to make a move or take a flier on one of the last remaining free agents. 

They need a true point guard to backup Rose. Watson isn't a true point guard, and I dare anybody tell me that John Lucas III is the answer. The problem here is that the Bulls are over the cap and can only sign players to the veteran minimum right now. Eddie House is available, but maybe the Bulls can bring back Kirk Hinrich in a trade, sending cash and a second-round pick to Atlanta.

The other hole is at center, where Kurt Thomas was more than adequate filling in when Noah and Boozer went down with injuries. There were some health concerns for Chuck Hayes after he failed his physical with the Sacramento Kings, but I would bring him to the fold if he is agreeable to the veteran's minimum. 

What Hayes has to gain is the chance to prove to the NBA that he indeed is healthy, and for the Bulls, he would provide them much needed toughness inside. Unless the Bulls can convince center Joel Przybilla not to retire by offering the chance to play close to his home and compete for a ring, the options are slim. 

Wild Card: The Addition of Richard Hamilton

You've seen the preseason game versus Indiana, and although it was just one game, Hamilton's addition to the team gives the Bulls, unlimited potential to compete for the NBA title. He opens up the floor for Derrick Rose to create, gives Luol Deng better looks and forces defenders to not pack the lane thus giving Boozer better opportunities. His willingness to pass the ball and run through screens will keep teams guessing who to guard and when. Ultimately, his signing might just push the Bulls past Miami and into the finals. 

Just don't tell that to the NBA experts. In their minds, it is a foregone conclusion that Miami will win it all. It is this type of slight that inspires the Bulls who might benefit from the shortened season the same way that the San Antonio Spurs did during the 1999 lockout.