Even with injuries piling up, the Chicago Bulls have managed to find ways to win. After their blowout loss to Memphis (without Derrick Rose), the Bulls have won three straight games.

Rose said of his left big toe sprain that it won’t get any better this season but he’ll play tonight when the Bulls (15-3) host the New Jersey Nets (5-12).

Not-So-Good News: Power forward and Bench Mobster Taj Gibson is out indefinitely with a high ankle sprain with no timetable for his return. Bulls forward Luol Deng, who played and started all 18 games this season is out with a left wrist. Injury report lists him as day-to-day, but certain media is reporting otherwise. He is averaging 15.9 ppg and 7.5 rpg in 38.3 mpg.

“I just got hit on it, but it will be fine.” – Luol Deng on current injury

“It’s just real sore. It’s real painful; I just have to take it slow. I’m just lucky nothing was broken and nothing was torn. That’s the bright side.” – Taj Gibson on current injury

Good News: Joakim Noah (left ankle; game-time decision) and John Lucas III (left groin strain; day-to-day) are both likely to play tonight.

My Thoughts: No worries Bulls Fam, we have a Bench Mob we are known for! Whether it’s newcomer Mike James (who? Mike James!), Brian “White Mamba” Scalabrine, CJ Watson, Ronnie Brewer, Omer Asik, the Bulls have players they can trust to go out there and play their hearts out. Why else would they still be the number one team in the league? They have the depth. They have a solid team that will pick each other up when a few pieces are missing. They each have a role they are filling and most importantly, they have a coach who won’t let something like injuries bring the team down.

“Our second unit plays a lot, so if there’s an injury, the next guy steps up and we go from there. We got 14 guys on the roster that can all play.” – Coach Tom Thibodeau on the current injury situation

A point guard sets the tempo of the game and can create a shot for his teammates or himself. A leader on the court. When the Bulls pushed the ball down the floor quickly, outscoring Phoenix 13-11 in transition on Tuesday, it was because of their point guard play. The Bigs follow and the guards are why. Bulls Fam sit and think, Derrick Rose. They would be right, but I am talking about all of the guards on the Bulls roster. Rose, CJ Watson, John Lucas III and Richard “Rip” Hamilton.

Rose has sat out the last two games with a sprained toe/turf toe. CJ Watson suited up for the third time this season. An elbow injury sidelined him for nine games. The Bulls were coming off their worst loss of the season, 102-86, in Memphis in which they played without Rose and Rip. Watson, starting in place of Rose, scored 15 points in the first half without missing a shot. He finished with 23 points on an eight-of-12 shooting and dished out five assists in his 33 minute performance. Not bad for his third game of the season.

Watson did great filling in for Rose. I’d like to say he has a “D-Rose Flow” when he is on the court. He ran the offense, drained big shots, drove aggressively in the paint when needed and got his teammates good looks. His fellow Bulls have nothing but praise, because when they need him, he comes through.

“CJ’s been a great player his whole career. He’s always played behind guys that were very good. It’s tough playing behind the MVP this year… He leads our Bench Mob when we’ve got a full roster. He’s a very good pro to say the least.” – Bulls forward Carlos Boozer on CJ Watson

Despite the last two games, John Lucas III has been a breath of fresh air for the Bulls. Standing at 5-feet-11, there is nothing short about his game.

“He (Coach Thibodeau) can put me in at the three, I got their back, because I just love being out there on the court. I love the game of basketball. I love to win. I can’t stand losing; I hate it with a passion.” – John Lucas III on playing time

When Rose, Watson and Rip were down and out with injuries, Coach Thibs put Lucas to the test with his first NBA start at the point in the Bulls’ 78-64 win versus the Washington Wizards on Jan 11. Lucas almost posted a triple-double, scoring a career-high 25 points, grabbing eight rebounds and handing out eight assists in 45 minutes. Before the Wizards game, which will now be known as the John Lucas III game, Coach Thibs was asked who would be backing up Lucas. His response, “Lucas.”

Never mind going 11-for-28 (39%) on the floor, it was his first start and it opened up a lot of opportunities for the Bulls’ Bigs. They out-rebounded the Wizards that night 62-46.

Let’s get to know Bulls newcomer Richard “Rip” Hamilton. Former Piston. Former champion. Hungry athlete. Tuesday night, against the Suns, he returned to the lineup for the first time since January 4, when the Bulls visit and beat his former team, the Pistons. On Tuesday, he posted 11 points and six assists in 21 minutes of play.

As a fan of the Bulls, I’ve spent many years cheering against Rip, and for good reason. He plays great defense, he is a consistent shooter and he leads the floor on offense. Now, years later, he is still the same Rip, just in Bulls uniform.

At 33 years, Rip still possesses the same speed and athletic ability he did when he first entered the league. He runs, the defense follows and he finds an open teammate. That is what happened in the first quarter of the Bulls-Suns game. Five of his six assists came in that quarter.

“I just try to get out there and run, using my speed and endurance for easy plays. That’s the best thing about us. We’re all unselfish. If you get up and run, guys will find you.” – Richard “Rip” Hamilton on his play/speed

When Rip was first acquired he said:

“The only thing I lost was that trophy at 26, and now it’s time to try and get that thing back.”

He’s fitting into Coach Thibs’ game plan alright, especially since he is a defensive-minded player. It’s almost a match made in Basketball Heaven, along with MVP Rose. Taking the pressure off of Rose has been the goal all summer and guys like Rip, Watson and Lucas can definitely help out in that department.

The Chicago Bulls host the Detroit Pistons tonight at the Madhouse of Madison.

The Bulls last played in Atlanta on Saturday, in which they lost 109-94, breaking their six-game win streak.

In the loss, the Bulls defense was almost non-existent. The Hawks’ 109 points were the most allowed by the Bulls this season.

At one point, the Bulls allowed the Hawks to shoot 68 percent on the floor and 90 percent behind the arc; they finished 57 percent on the floor and 75 percent behind the arc.

Derrick Rose went three-for-10 on the floor for eight points. The starters looked fatigued; they were not moving the ball on offense, which led to pointless one-on-one games leading to turnovers. The Hawks, as a team, did a good job of containing Rose and the Bulls defensively.

“I give them credit. They played the way they’re supposed to. Our defense let them score easy baskets in transition.” – Derrick Rose on the Hawks’ play

Positives: John Lucas III tied his career high, scoring 16 points off the bench in under 20 minutes of play. Kyle Korver also brought a spark off the bench with 13 points, going three-for-five behind the arc. The bench mob lived up to their name and scored a total of 62 points.

The Bulls will look to bounce back tonight against the Detroit Bad Boys. The Bulls won the last contest in Detroit January 4 99-83.

Former Piston and current Bull, Richard Rip Hamilton is questionable tonight with a sore groin.

My Keys for Tonight:

1.       Defense. This is the team to start experimenting with different defenses. The Pistons are not doing well this season, and the Bulls are shorthanded, but against the Hawks, found out what kind of players we have in John Lucas III and Jimmy Butler.

2.       Intensity. Where was it in Atlanta? Like former Bull and analyst Norm Van Lier used to say, “I need 48 minutes of intensity!” The Bulls need to bring the energy at home and take care of the ball.

3.       Communication. Better yet, they need to move the ball. The Bulls play better in transition and when moving. They have the speed and chemistry to move the floor. The Bulls did not communicate on defense or offense. There were times when certain players weren’t aware on what was going on, leading to commit to a double team, leaving the paint wide open for easy buckets. The Hawks scored 54 points in the paint.

The Chicago Bulls are on a four-game win streak and are visiting former-Bull Ben Gordon and the Detroit Pistons tonight.

Injury Update: A sore groin could sideline former-Piston Richard “Rip” Hamilton. This could be his third consecutive game missed. Rip is currently a game-time decision. CJ Watson might be out for the rest of this week with a left-elbow injury. No exact date on his return, once the swelling goes down, the Bulls will release more info. Until then, Watson is day-to-day.

Familiar Face: Former Bull Ben Gordon is currently averaging 18 points per game and the Pistons are 2-3 this season.

Recap: Last night, the Bulls put a mighty performance in the fourth quarter to steal a 76-74 win versus the Atlanta Hawks at the United Center.

The Bulls came out sluggish and settled for jumpers. They scored 42 points in the first three quarters combined and trailed by as much as 19 points.

However, a few defensive plays by Omer Asik and Derrick Rose assisting/scoring on 21 of the 34 points scored in the fourth quarter erased that 19-point deficit and gave the Bulls their fifth victory of the season.

The Final Run Down:Trailing 73-72 with 16.3 seconds left, the Bulls were left to foul Jeff Teague, who missed both free throws at the line. Asik came up with the board and Coach Thibodeau called a 20-second timeout.

Rose up top, drove in the layup to take a slim 74-73 lead with 9.9 seconds to go. Rose scored 17 of his 30 points in the final quarter. On defense, Luol Deng was called for a questionable foul. Al Horford initiated contact as Deng was running around a screen. Horford made one-of-two at the line, tying the game at 74 apiece with 7.7 seconds left.

Coach Thibs made a call to put Joakim Noah back in the game; Noah was 0-4 on the floor and was in foul trouble. Deng in bounded the ball to Noah on top, who immediately finds Deng cutting to the basket for the game winning layup.

Deng finished with 21 points and eight rebounds, Asik grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots and Carlos Boozer chipped in 11 points and nine rebounds.

Final Thoughts:

The Bulls may be short-handed in the point guard section, leaving Rose with too many minutes and no time to rest. They can’t win every game the same way they did against Atlanta. They need to play a full 48-minutes of intensity and they can’t keep settling for those jump shots, if you are shooting 15-54, you better penetrate that lane and drive your little heart out. There are other ways to score. They are going to have to show more patience.

The big men have to come out and play. The refs do not seem to like Chicago very much, I see those same questionable calls too. Joakim Noah should be a role model for all players because nothing went his way last night but he kept his head in the game, cheered his teammates on and was a part of the game winning play.

Monday night, we watched a different Chicago Bulls team perform. A team, I hope, we don’t see again anytime soon. The Bulls are now 1-1 on the regular season.

On Christmas day in Los Angeles, the Bulls showed up as a competitive group that came back in the final three minutes after trailing by eight points. Not only did they have a game winning floater by the MVP himself (Derrick Rose), but we witnessed Coach Thibodeau’s defensive-minded team is just that: defensive-minded still.

Game two, what would be back-to-back nights for Chicago, in Golden State is a completely different game with two completely different teams. The Bulls had trouble keeping up with the Warriors, giving up 20 turnovers and 20 points on the fastbreak. Chicago also settled for too many outside shots, going 8-for-24 behind the arc. They were outscored in the pain 42-32. Regardless of five Bulls in double-figures, Luol Deng had 22 points and 10 rebounds; Derrick Rose chipped in 13 points and eight assists, the Warriors starting backcourt, Monte Ellis and Stephen Curry, combined for 47 points and 17 assists.

In the fourth quarter, the Bulls turned the game around, erasing a 19-point deficit, bringing them within five. It wasn’t enough and the lack of intensity was the probable cause for their first loss of the season.

Tonight, the Bulls will visit the Sacramento Kings.

First things first, they need to provide a defensive edge. In the previous two games, they allowed their opponent shoot over 47 percent on the floor. Containing Kings’ guard Marcus Thorton should be one of the top assignments tonight, possibly for newly acquired guard Richard “Rip” Hamilton. In his last three games against the Bulls, Thorton has shot just under 59 percent on the floor.

The Bulls need to find a way to drive the ball to the rim and not settle for the jump shot a majority of the time. The lack of energy on offense has forced the Bulls into 34 total turnovers in a two-game span.

The addition of Hamilton to the roster and the excelling performance of Deng (almost every game) should take some pressure off of Rose, which is the goal Chicago was trying to reach over the summer. Rose has been stopped in the paint these past two games due to double teams but Rose must overcome that and find a way around the defenders. Rose has been 13-for-30 on the floor. In LA, he went 4-for-6 behind the arc and the next day at Golden State he went a cold 1-for-8.

From a fan’s perspective, I believe he can and will excel and the team is still trying to mold together, it’s just a matter of time. Stay tuned and see what happens tonight in Sacramento!

Monday morning, the NBA fined Joakim Noah $50,000 for “using a derogatory and offensive term” toward a fan from the bench during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals Sunday night.

Some people are probably thinking, “Was Noah’s punishment just?”

Well, here’s my take.

For those of you that think Noah should’ve been suspended, please rethink that possibility. Kobe Bryant was in heat for a gay slur toward a referee after Bryant was issued a technical during a game against the San Antonio Spurs in April. Bryant was fined $100,000 and was NOT suspended.

In Noah’s case, he was provoked by the ‘fan.’ I’m not saying it’s ok to disrespect anyway with an anti-gay slur, but just to see it from the other side. There are shades of gray in this situation.

Noah apologized immediately and realized his mistake. Even though he will be judged because of this, the point is that he understood that his choice of words was wrong and that his emotions got the best of him.

“I just want to apologize; I had just picked up my second foul. I was frustrated. He said something that was disrespectful toward me, and I lost my cool. People who know me know I’m an open-minded guy. I’m not here to hurt anybody’s feelings. I’m just here to help win a basketball game. Sometimes fans say things that are overboard. But it’s on us not to react. If you react, they win. And I did. It was a bad decision on my part.” – Joakim Noah’s apology and explaination

Several of Noah’s teammates have said that the fan used profanity regarding Noah’s mother among other insults. And his teammates defended Noah without hesitation.

“What Jo said is something out of frustration; he has to do a better job of controlling his emotion. But that fan should have been thrown out of the game way before. He just kept going at him and in an emotional game like that, and things not going Jo’s way, it’s just human nature to react. I know Jo, and I know he didn’t mean what he said at all.” – Luol Deng defending teammate Joakim Noah  

Bryant’s fine was larger because it also “included discipline of a game official.”

This has been handled and the case should be closed. Both sides were wrong and Noah is paying the price. He understands that he went about it the wrong way, but what’s done is done. The media should’ve looked at it from both sides instead of just assuming that Noah was some kind of monster. The Bulls still have a series to play against Miami and can’t afford to lose any focus. This is basketball. This is the Playoffs.

Congratulations to Derrick Rose on being named the 2010-2011 NBA MVP. During the regular season he averaged 25 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game while playing 37 minutes a night and led the Bulls to an NBA-best 62-20 record.

Coach of the Year

Its official, Chicago Bulls fans! The NBA has announced this afternoon that Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau has been named the NBA Coach of the Year for the 2010-2011 season.

Coach Thibs will the fourth Bulls coach to receive this honor. He is also the seventh first-year coach in the NBA to be named Coach of the Year.

“I think it’s more than a team award. When you win the way we’ve won this season, and hopefully we still have some more winning to do, individuals end up being recognized. But I think it’s a lot more about the team, the players, the organization and the entire coaching staff. You don’t achieve by yourself in this game.” – Coach Tom Thibodeau

The Chicago Bulls went from 41 wins last season (under Vinny Del Negro) to a 62-win season this year.

Thibs has led the Bulls to the best record in the NBA with a 62-20 record, which also tied the NBA record for most wins by a first-year head coach. The Bulls also went 24-4 after the All-Star break.

Coach Thibodeau is all about defense, and this season the Bulls led the NBA in most defensive categories such as:

Opponent field goal percentage: 43% (First)

Opponent three-point field goal percentage: 32.6% (First)

Opponent rebounds per game: 38.4 (First)

Opponent points per game: 91.3 (Second)

Opponent assists per game: 19 (Second)

Rebounds per game: 44.2 (Second)

Blocks per game: 5.71 (Fifth)

Coach Thibs will be joining Johnny “Red” Kerr (1967), Dick Motta (1971) and Phil Jackson (1996) in Bulls history.

Second-Round Preview

The Bulls will tip of round two at the United Center vs. the Atlanta Hawks Monday night. Former Bull Kirk Hinrich will likely miss out on the series due to significant strain to his right hamstring suffered in the fourth quarter of the Hawks’ series-clinching victory over the Orlando Magic on Thursday.

The Bulls might be without Carlos Boozer, who’s suffering from a turf toe injury. Boozer hadn’t comment on the issue; however, teammate Joakim Noah is sure that Boozy will show up Monday night:

                “He’ll be ready.” – Noah on Boozer probable return Monday

With Hinrich out for the Hawks, Jeff Teague will be filling in the role of guarding All-Star (soon-to-be MVP) Derrick Rose.

Containing Rose won’t be easy, even if he’s not at 100 percent. Game 5 of the first round against Indiana should’ve taught them that.

Give the Hawks credit though: They were swept in the first round playoffs last year, and came back this year with upset over Orlando, taking the series 4-2.

Rose did average 25.3 points and had a total of 10 turnovers over three games against the Hawks during the regular season; however, the 83-80 loss to the Hawks on March 2^nd left Rose with just 12 points on a 5-of-21 shooting and six turnovers (mostly due to Hinrich’s defense on Rose).

Rose expects this series to be a challenge, seeing the Hawks as athletic and balanced.

If the Bulls can manage to play like they did in game five of the first round vs. Indiana, the Bulls can come out the victor. They need the Bench Mob to show up in this round, and if Carlos Boozer does return, we need his best minus the foul trouble. The Bulls have to get him going on that pick-and-roll.

Be prepared for a great series Bulls fans! Round two is under way. *Ding, Ding*

I couldn’t help but think to myself during today’s 89-84 loss that maybe a loss wouldn’t necessarily be the worst thing for the Bulls in this series. In all three games prior to this one the Pacers led for the majority of the game, only to lose it late to late game heroics by Kyle Korver, Luol Deng, and Derrick Rose. At some point Chicago needs to realize that they cannot expect to win every game late, especially in the playoffs.

Had the Pacers been able to close out any of the three games prior to today, or all three for that matter this series could’ve been 3-0 the other way coming into today and the Pacers would have been looking for the sweep instead of the other way around. To the credit of the Bulls, they haven’t given up in the face of a deficit and fought back to win games 1-3 so they have a cushion to fall back on.

But this is the playoffs and playing bad for 3.5 quarters and good for the last 6-8 minutes won’t cut it against the good teams teams they will face the further they progress. If only they could come out in the first half and play like they finish the games, neither game to this point would have been close. Maybe they just wanted the series to go back to the United Center so they could close it out at home, in front of their fans? Okay maybe that one’s not necessarily true, because Conseco Fieldhouse today probably had as many Bulls fans as there will be at the UC on Tuesday.

At any rate, there will be a game 5. And hopefully this will serve as a reminder that this is the playoffs and you can’t take any team lightly. The #8 seed will be just as tough an out as the #2 seed. Rose will get a day to rest that sore ankle, Thibodeau will get a day to motivate, and Boozer will get a day to figure out how to not get in foul trouble. I fully expect to the Bulls to take care of business Tuesday night and close this series out while the Magic and Hawks beat up on each other in that series. On to round 2, hopefully.

As the 2011 NBA Playoffs begin tomorrow, with the Chicago Bulls having the first seed and number record at 62-20. The Bulls haven’t won 60+ games in a season since 1997-1998, making this the sixth time in franchise history (All previous ending with Championships). After a summer filled with a coaching change and nine new players, the Bulls were thought to grab the four-maybe-five seed. The Bulls have celebrated their 20th year anniversary from their first Championship (’91), they’ve unveiled a bronze bust for Scottie Pippen at the United Center and they’ve announced that Artis Gilmore, Dennis Rodman and Tex Winter will be inducted in this year’s Basketball Hall of Fame. It’s been a great year for the Chicago Bulls franchise. Let’s go back and grade the overall performance of the Bulls.

Organization

In this category, I’ll be grading Executive VP of Basketball Operations, John Paxson, and General Manager, Gar Forman.

I’m sure everyone remembers the comment chairman Jerry Reinsdorf made during “Monsters in the Morning” on Comcast SportsNet during February of 2009:

“When you have a team that’s not performing it’s an organization failure. You win and you lose as an organization, but if there’s one person this is not responsible for what’s going on right now, it’s John Paxson. I have tremendous confidence in John Paxson. He’s really one of the best people that I know.”

In May of 2009, Paxson stepped down as General Manger but remained with the team as VP of Basketball Operations, while still having major say in personnel moves. Gar Forman was promoted to take on the GM role. Forman and Paxson had a busy summer, and the work is paying off, read on to see what one transaction could lead up to:

In the summer of 2010, the Forman/Paxson recruited Coach Tom Thibodeau, and traded away Captain Kirk Hinrich to make salary room to maybe bring in one of the big three free agents, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James. You might also remember a little show called “The Decision.” Well, then you know what happened. The Bulls didn’t get any part of the three (trust me, a blessing in disguise). Instead, the signed someone better…Carlos Boozer. He was a free agent? Not necessarily. It was a sign-and-trade, the Bulls getting an inside presence, while the Jazz free up some room on their salary-cap. The signing of Boozer led to the signings of former Jazz teammates Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer. CJ Watson was another addition, the Bulls retrieved him from Golden State and signed him for two years in return for a 2011 second round pick. They also acquired big man Tim Thomas, A.K.A. “Big Sexy,” dubbed by Bulls commentator Stacey King, from Milwaukee as a veteran to help bring up new center Omer Asik, who also signed with the Bulls in the summer from the Turkish league.

Forman and Paxson are up for NBA Executives of the Year. Even Stan Van Gundy thinks so:

“There’s this perception that Miami made all these changes and we made changes at midseason and Chicago is doing it with the same group. They’re not doing it with the same group. They made a lot of changes and I said the other day that John Paxson and Gar Forman should win the Executive of the Year award. But they won’t. Pat Riley will get Executive of the Year because they made the big splash, but in reality those guys should win it. They made a lot of changes and they were below Miami in the standings. Now they are above Miami in the standings, so how could you not go with those guys?”

Overall Grade: A-

Coaching Staff

During the summer, General Manager Gar Forman and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson fired Vinny Del Negro and hired Boston Celtics Assistant Coach, Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau, known as a defensive-minded genius, helped the Celtics become the best defensive team in the league in 2007-2008.

“Tom has come in with a positive plan and a belief system from the start, and he has adhered to that. He’s done the best job in the league.” –John Paxson on hiring Thibodeau as new head coach

In his first ever head coaching job, Coach Thibs has done an incredible job. He doesn’t let the player get away with anything on the court. He’s hard-nosed and vocal without being too critical and expects his team to be the best. The players trust him, even when he’s in your face about giving up 100+ points to an opponent, including Captain and All-Star, Derrick Rose.

“I love it, he definitely yells at me a lot because he knows I can take it. I don’t show that much emotion when people talk to me anyways. So he’s hard on me, but I just go with the flow and go out there and do what he tells me to do.” –Derrick Rose on Coach Thibs’ in-your-face mentality

I think Coach Thibodeau deserves to win Coach of the Year because I think he helped push Rose this season, along with the whole roster. He does not care who you are, if you’re not doing your job, he’ll be in your face. The Bulls have leaped from 41-41 in 2009-2010 to 62-20 this season. Bulls have held their opponents to 43% shooting, ranking second in the league. They also held their opponents to 36% behind the arc (first in the league) and 38.2 rebounds per game (second in the league).

Defense wins championships, however the Bulls are ranked 20^th in the league for points per game, 98.62.

Overall Grade: A-

Point Guards

The Bulls have All-Star Derrick Rose as their starting PG. Rose is the first Bull to make the NBA All-Star team since Michael Jordan. He’s carried the Bulls this season, leading in scoring (25.0 PPG). He’s played and started all but one game (due to painful ulcers). He averaged 7.7 APG and his three-pointer percentage has improved to 33% (from 27%). Last season, Rose made 16-60 from downtown, this season 128-385. His free throw percentage also improved from 77% to 86. The reason: he has gone to line twice as much this season. He’s proved time and time again that he’s “too big, too strong, too fast, too good.” His speed and penetration to the basket may confuse refs at times, because they can’t tell if he gets bumped. However, he drives first, before he relies on his jump shot. Which, by the way has improved as well, he’s making five more PPG. As a leader, the team sticks with him, the Bulls do not care their captain is 22 years old. He has a high basketball IQ, and “he just wants to win.” It helps that he is humble, even though he adds to a jam packed highlight reel a couple times a game, he has and a strong work ethic. He strives to be better every time. When you say jump, he says how high, and he has a 40 inch vertical!

“Until you get to be around him every day and you see his makeup and you see his drive and his humility and the fact he’s never satisfied, he gets to the gym early, he practices hard, he’s a great leader, he stays late, you couldn’t ask anything more of a guy. I think because of those attributes, he will continue to get better throughout his career. He’s just a very unique guy. He really doesn’t care about individual statistics. He cares about the team and winning more than anything else.” –Coach Thibs on Rose’s Improvement and Work Ethic

Let’s not forget about CJ Watson, Rose’s backup. He may not get a lot of playing time, but he’s part of the Bulls’ second unit, A.K.A. the Bench Mob. In his 13.3 minutes that he averages, he puts up about 4.9 PPG and 2.3 APG and has played in all 82 games as well.

Overall Grade: A++ (Yes, two pluses)

Shooting Guards

The Bulls acquired veteran swingman, Keith Bogans, for this area. He’s one of two players that has played and started all 82 games of the season. He averaged just under 18 minutes and 4.4 PPG, but he hits the shot and three-ball when he can, especially at the start of the game. He shot at 40% on the floor this season and 38% behind the arc, making 90 from downtown. His defensive role comes in handy, helping guard Celtics shooter Ray Allen to a 3-11 shooting on the floor and 0-3 from the three during the Bulls’ 97-81 win on April 7th.

The Bulls also added Kyle Korver this summer, the L.A. born, Iowa raised and FORMER Bulls hater ironically, who ranks 17^th in the NBA in three-point field-goal percentage (0.415). This season, he went 3-6 on the floor vs. the Miami Heat on Jan. 15^th,  including a game winning three-pointer with 25.5 seconds left giving the Bulls a 98-96 lead, the Bulls beat the Heat in that contest 99-96. In the next game in Memphis on Jan. 17^th, Korver scored 22 points, going 8-12 on the floor and 6-10 behind the arc. When the Bulls need him, he’s ready, especially in clutch situations. Korver has played all 82 games and made 242-557 FGs and 120-289 three-pointers. Even though Korver has had a few inconsistent nights, he finished with 19 points in 29 minutes vs. the New Jersey Nets. I’m not worried about his consistency in the playoffs, he is a natural shooter.

“Korver is without question if not the best shooter in the NBA, he is one of the best shooters in the NBA.” –Gar Forman on signing Kover

Ronnie Brewer is the type of guard who does all the little things and then some. He is a huge part of the Bench Mob. In New York on April 12^th, he sprained his right thumb going for a loose ball, but is expected to play in the playoffs. Before the injury, he played in 81 games, including a start and averaged 48% on the floor. He has led the team in steals with 1.31 SPG (106 total). His defense is a big deal for the Mob. He works hard for his minutes, whenever the starters need a boost, they can count on Brewer and the Bench Mob to take the lead or continue in their shoes. He’s a big presence on the baseline, if that baseline is open, expect Brewer to get a cut and dunk. Whether it’s the one or the five, the Bulls bench has a deep depth and play together no matter what the combination.

Rasual Butler wasn’t added to the roster until March, and hardly played at all, but in the final regular season game vs. the Nets, he went four-for-five on the floor and two-for-three from downtown for 10 points in 13 minutes. He is always prepared. Just to see that someone like Butler can still be hot without getting too many minutes can say a lot about the Bulls depth in guards.

Overall Grade: B-

Small Forwards

Luol Deng is probably the most underrated small forward in the league. Injuries have held him back a lot in the last few seasons, probably making him seem less than worthy. However, he started and played in ALL 82 games, even played with some minor soreness, dinks. Some situations, he put in almost 40 minutes a night and 17.4 PPG. He’s shooting 46% on the floor and 35% from the three and averaging 5.80 rebounds a night. He doesn’t have a true backup, unless the Bulls consider Brewer or Butler as his step-in. Deng makes a big difference on defense, guarding guys like LeBron James and Paul Pierce, and another offensive weapon to help support Rose.

Overall Grade: A

Power Forwards

This is going to be a tough one. Carlos Boozer is the main attraction, even though he missed 23 games due to injury. In the 59 he played/started, he’s shooting 51% and grabbing about 9.60 boards and averaging 17.5 PPG. He makes the offense a little easier for Rose. He was signed for that particular reason. To help Rose blossom and to find him on the pick and roll and set the screens for shooters like Rose, Bogans, and Korver. Offensively, he’s great on handling with both hands, even though he’s slightly better with the left and can finish on either side. Boozer’s got a great hook and is not afraid of taken the jumper, he can hit the 16-23 footer and shoots 70% from the free throw line.

Defensively, he’s average at most. He can be slow to get back on defense. He’s a great rebounder, but barely takes charges. He also fouls an opponent pretty hard…Carlos Bruiser?

Taj Gibson is a force of nature. During Boozer’s injury, Taj picked up the slack, even with Boozer healthy, Taj comes off the bench and averages 7.1 PPG and 5.70 RPG and he’s shooting just under 47% on the floor. He ranks ninth in the NBA with blocks per 48 minutes (2.92). What Boozer lacks in defense, Taj makes up for. He’s played through injuries like plantar fasciitis and as of recent, has to wear a bigger shoe due to an injured right big toe. Taj is versatile; he can play the four or the five spot and can coordinate between the starting unit and the Bench Mob.

Overall Grade: C+

Centers

The 90s Era Bulls, the Jordan years had a three-headed monster A.K.A. their three big guys, the centers. The present-Bulls might’ve re-conjured that concept when the Bulls brought in veteran Kurt Thomas to back up Joakim Noah and guide rookie Omer Asik. When JoNo missed 34 games, 30 recovering from thumb ligament surgery, Thomas and Asik both stepped up to the task: 38-year old Thomas proved that there’s still some juice left, starting in 37 of 52 games he’s played. Starting, he shot 51% on the floor, averaged 7.4 RPG, 5.2 PPG and 1.0 BPG. Asik, nicknamed “The Turkish Delight” “Turkish Hammer” and “Asik and Destroy” by Bill Wennington and Stacey King, for his monstrous dunks, has put up 5.8 RPG 55% FG percentage in 12.1 MPG.

“He’s the guy that’s real critical to our team. His age, he’s young; he’s active, playing hard. Him and Jo in the game together is crazy because they always get tips, loose balls, whatever. His offensive game is getting a lot better. He’s shooting the ball a lot better from the free-throw line.” Rose on Asik’s improvement from training camp

With the injuries to Noah and Boozer, the fact the guys like Taj, Asik and Thomas have stepped up says so much. Signing Boozer and him getting injured instantaneously and Carmelo Anthony trade rumors for Noah floating around and his injuries before All-Star weekend was insignificant but these three guys picked up the slack without the Bulls suffering.

No matter the age, or circumstance, these three are always ready to play and always getting better. Come playoff time, they’ll be prepared for the task ahead.

Overall Grade: B+