Bullish on Bulls

KG-MVP21 · 09-21-2006, 09:19 AM

It has been eight long, Jordan-less years since Chicago so much as won a playoff series, much less competed for an NBA title. Bulls fans have witnessed futility at its highest level: From 1999 to 2002, Chicago won 66 games and sank to the lowest depths of the NBA. Put in perspective, that is three fewer wins in that span than Chicago won in 1997 alone.

That said, the Chicago Bulls will win the NBA championship this season.

The Bulls have dumped Jerry Krause, Tim Floyd and Bill Cartwright and replaced them with John Paxson and Scott Skiles. The former is a shrewd decision-maker (his fleecing of the Knicks for two first-round picks for Eddy Curry was highway robbery), while the latter has spent the last three years rebuilding the Bulls' confidence while straddling the line between volatile and stabile.

Most important, they are no longer "Michael's old team." They have acquired their own identity, one that can be succinctly defined as a team built to win now. This is something that has been building for nearly two years.

Under Skiles, Chicago has become a defensive juggernaut (opponents shot a league-low 42.6 percent from the field last season) and will be even more impenetrable with the additions of four-time Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace and three-time All-Defensive Team forward P.J. Brown. While the Bulls' offense has been roundly criticized, many scouts felt Chicago was among the most dangerous teams in the league last season thanks to outstanding perimeter shooting. "They can make a 10-point lead disappear in less than a minute," says one Eastern Conference scout. "They can run waves of shooters at you that are dangerous as soon as they cross half-court."

Those shooters -- namely Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon and Andres Nocioni -- are exactly what the Bulls are banking on. And for the first time since Elton Brand left town in 2001, Chicago knows what it will get from its frontcourt. Wallace will provide double-digit rebounding on a nightly basis, and Brown, close to a 10-5 guy throughout his career, will play solid defense and knock down the occasional baseline jump shot.

While opposing shooters tended to hit a lot of iron against the Bulls, they also frequently put back their own misses. Chicago was a very pedestrian 16th in the league in scoring defense, giving up 97.2 points per game. With Wallace and Brown controlling the paint (along with the addition of swingman Adrian Griffin), expect that number to drop significantly.

But it is what happens on the wings that will help this team become championship-caliber. Hinrich is a born leader who has had to shoulder far too much responsibility in his young career. The addition of Wallace, a strong locker-room presence, should alleviate much of that pressure and allow the 25-year-old guard to focus on running the Bulls' offense with the efficiency of a Swiss watch.

Nocioni is the most physical small forward in the league. His versatility -- he easily can slide to the four position -- makes him a huge asset against a potential playoff opponent like Detroit, which, without Wallace, will occasionally slide Rasheed Wallace to the center position and play Tayshaun Prince at power forward.

Perhaps no one epitomizes Chicago's big-play ability more than the sharp shooting Gordon. A year removed from winning the Sixth Man Award as a rookie in 2005, Gordon, 23, proved even more potent as a starter last season, averaging 18.9 points in 47 starts. Further, Gordon stepped up when the games started to count: in April, Gordon gave the Bulls 21.7 points a night. His maturation process might very well be complete.

And there is no reason to believe the rest of Chicago's young talent won't continue to develop. Duhon improved his scoring by nearly four points per game last season and finished seventh in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio. Luol Deng (14.3 ppg) proved last season to be dangerous from 15-18 feet; a summer spent working on his three-point shooting (he's a career 26.7 percent from behind the line) should make him even more of a weapon. And we still have no idea what the Bulls are going to get from Tyrus Thomas.

For nearly a decade Chicago has been haunted by the ghost of Michael's past. No more. This Bulls team is looking toward the future. Come June they'll have a victory party in Grant Park with a bright golden trophy to show off.

KirkHinrich12 · 09-21-2006, 11:47 AM

Who wrote this?? I agree with most of it, except the title winning part. I think 2-3 years for a dynasty

KG-MVP21 · 09-21-2006, 04:59 PM

One SI writer

KirkHinrich12 · 09-21-2006, 10:11 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(KG-MVP21 @ Sep 21 2006, 03:59 PM) [snapback]24640[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

One SI writer
[/b]

Those people are idiots. And for all the articles you post, it would be nice if you gave a link to the article.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

09-21-2006, 09:19 AM	#1 (permalink)
KG-MVP21 All Star Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Catalonia Posts: 2,503	It has been eight long, Jordan-less years since Chicago so much as won a playoff series, much less competed for an NBA title. Bulls fans have witnessed futility at its highest level: From 1999 to 2002, Chicago won 66 games and sank to the lowest depths of the NBA. Put in perspective, that is three fewer wins in that span than Chicago won in 1997 alone. That said, the Chicago Bulls will win the NBA championship this season. The Bulls have dumped Jerry Krause, Tim Floyd and Bill Cartwright and replaced them with John Paxson and Scott Skiles. The former is a shrewd decision-maker (his fleecing of the Knicks for two first-round picks for Eddy Curry was highway robbery), while the latter has spent the last three years rebuilding the Bulls' confidence while straddling the line between volatile and stabile. Most important, they are no longer "Michael's old team." They have acquired their own identity, one that can be succinctly defined as a team built to win now. This is something that has been building for nearly two years. Under Skiles, Chicago has become a defensive juggernaut (opponents shot a league-low 42.6 percent from the field last season) and will be even more impenetrable with the additions of four-time Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace and three-time All-Defensive Team forward P.J. Brown. While the Bulls' offense has been roundly criticized, many scouts felt Chicago was among the most dangerous teams in the league last season thanks to outstanding perimeter shooting. "They can make a 10-point lead disappear in less than a minute," says one Eastern Conference scout. "They can run waves of shooters at you that are dangerous as soon as they cross half-court." Those shooters -- namely Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon and Andres Nocioni -- are exactly what the Bulls are banking on. And for the first time since Elton Brand left town in 2001, Chicago knows what it will get from its frontcourt. Wallace will provide double-digit rebounding on a nightly basis, and Brown, close to a 10-5 guy throughout his career, will play solid defense and knock down the occasional baseline jump shot. While opposing shooters tended to hit a lot of iron against the Bulls, they also frequently put back their own misses. Chicago was a very pedestrian 16th in the league in scoring defense, giving up 97.2 points per game. With Wallace and Brown controlling the paint (along with the addition of swingman Adrian Griffin), expect that number to drop significantly. But it is what happens on the wings that will help this team become championship-caliber. Hinrich is a born leader who has had to shoulder far too much responsibility in his young career. The addition of Wallace, a strong locker-room presence, should alleviate much of that pressure and allow the 25-year-old guard to focus on running the Bulls' offense with the efficiency of a Swiss watch. Nocioni is the most physical small forward in the league. His versatility -- he easily can slide to the four position -- makes him a huge asset against a potential playoff opponent like Detroit, which, without Wallace, will occasionally slide Rasheed Wallace to the center position and play Tayshaun Prince at power forward. Perhaps no one epitomizes Chicago's big-play ability more than the sharp shooting Gordon. A year removed from winning the Sixth Man Award as a rookie in 2005, Gordon, 23, proved even more potent as a starter last season, averaging 18.9 points in 47 starts. Further, Gordon stepped up when the games started to count: in April, Gordon gave the Bulls 21.7 points a night. His maturation process might very well be complete. And there is no reason to believe the rest of Chicago's young talent won't continue to develop. Duhon improved his scoring by nearly four points per game last season and finished seventh in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio. Luol Deng (14.3 ppg) proved last season to be dangerous from 15-18 feet; a summer spent working on his three-point shooting (he's a career 26.7 percent from behind the line) should make him even more of a weapon. And we still have no idea what the Bulls are going to get from Tyrus Thomas. For nearly a decade Chicago has been haunted by the ghost of Michael's past. No more. This Bulls team is looking toward the future. Come June they'll have a victory party in Grant Park with a bright golden trophy to show off.

09-21-2006, 11:47 AM	#2 (permalink)
KirkHinrich12 All Star Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 2,665	Who wrote this?? I agree with most of it, except the title winning part. I think 2-3 years for a dynasty

09-21-2006, 04:59 PM	#3 (permalink)
KG-MVP21 All Star Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Catalonia Posts: 2,503	One SI writer