Bulls a sleeper according to ESPN

Newskoolbulls

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Chicago Bulls
How much should we read into Chicago's classic seven-game series against Boston? Was the Bulls' gutsy performance a harbinger of things to come, or was it lightning in a bottle? Did they graduate into a team that knows how to scramble defenses with a legitimate pick-and-roll game, or were they just lucky to encounter a crippled Celtics' team ill-suited to deal with their quickness and athleticism?
Those aren't the only imperative questions for Chicago. Even if we conclude that they came of age in April, is it fair to expect them to continue their progress without their top scorer, Ben Gordon, whom they lost to Detroit?

Short answer: Yes.

Although there will be nights when Gordon's fearlessness as a sniper will be missed, the Bulls might be better served long-term by the three-guard rotation of Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich, and John Salmons. With Gordon out of the picture, Rose can assert himself both as distributor and scorer. He's a transcendent young point guard, and one that should flourish now that his running mates in the backcourt are a little more pliable.

Derrick Rose: Season Two
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Both Rose and Hinrich are expert ballhandlers -- and Hinrich is very comfortable off the ball as well. Salmons, along with Hinrich, is capable of defending all three perimeter positions, can score on pin-downs, slash to the rack, and fire from 3-point range (41.7 percent).

There are good reasons sleepers are sleepers, and the caveats for Chicago reside in its frontcourt. Start at small forward, where Luol Deng will be returning from a stress fracture in his right leg. He last played in a game on February 28. When 100 percent, Deng is a rangy, athletic force in transition and in the halfcourt, where his height and handle give him a big advantage over most defenders at the small forward. When Deng is on his game, he's also the correct answer to the question, "Who's going to make up for Ben Gordon's 20.7 points per game?"

There's a reason why any time a marquee big man comes on the market, he's rumored to be headed to Chicago. But desperate as the Bulls are for help on a threat on the block, we saw something interesting down the stretch last season. Rather than resign themselves to their lack of post scoring, the Bulls began to use Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas in pick and roll schemes, where their agility allowed them to beat their defenders to the rim. So long as Thomas resisted launching jump shots, it worked.

Noah doesn't have the jumper to be a high-post center (like backup Brad Miller), but his passing and mobility around the hoop might be enough in Chicago's offense. Thomas, of course, is the wild card. A composite of his finest moments last season would show him as a defensive ace, capable of creating opportunities for himself off the dribble, hitting a face-up jumper, and blocking any shot in medium proximity.

If that highlight reel can become a reality, if Deng can bounce back, and if Rose can continue his course as one of the game's best young playmaker, the Bulls might turn their novelty act from last spring into a long-run production in 2010.


http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-43-49/The-High-Grade-Sleepers.html


The only thing I can see derailing this season is an injury to one of the 4: Luol, Derrick, Kirk, John.
 

clonetrooper264

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An injury to Luol is...EXTREMELY...likely to occur. But if it doesn't and Tyrus can get his head in the game for most of the season, it could be an ok year. Lots of variables though.
 

houheffna

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The issue is that those variables were there regardless of what happened this summer. People would have been saying the exact same thing.
 

vhans5219

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Which player on the Bulls do you really think that needs step up this season if the Bulls want to make the playoffs ?
 

Newskoolbulls

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vhans5219 wrote:
Which player on the Bulls do you really think that needs step up this season if the Bulls want to make the playoffs ?


Rose needs to offensivly.
 

RC_Skinny22

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vhans5219 wrote:
Which player on the Bulls do you really think that needs step up this season if the Bulls want to make the playoffs ?

Luol Deng!
 

Diddy1122

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Holy crap! An espn article you don't have to be an "insider" to read? Amazing.

If Luol Deng is Luol Deng of 06-07 & Salmons can repeat last season's performance, I think we are in very good shape to make a run in the playoffs. But I think it really hinges on those 2 players more than anyone else.
 

mlewinth

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Diddy1122 wrote:
Holy crap! An espn article you don't have to be an "insider" to read? Amazing.

If Luol Deng is Luol Deng of 06-07 & Salmons can repeat last season's performance, I think we are in very good shape to make a run in the playoffs. But I think it really hinges on those 2 players more than anyone else.

Agree with you 100%, however, I feel there is a 3rd factor...Rose's improvements. If Rose doesnt improve, nothing matters, if Rose takes a Durantish leap in year 2, holy crap we could be good...realllll good.
 

Newskoolbulls

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Diddy1122 wrote:
Holy crap! An espn article you don't have to be an "insider" to read? Amazing.

If Luol Deng is Luol Deng of 06-07 & Salmons can repeat last season's performance, I think we are in very good shape to make a run in the playoffs. But I think it really hinges on those 2 players more than anyone else.


Seriously lately ESPNs NBA stuff has been all Insider crap.
 

senrad

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It's even more annoying when you subscribe to their mag and they still won't let you look at the insider stuff. Thanks ESPN.
 

Kush77

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vhans5219 wrote:
Which player on the Bulls do you really think that needs step up this season if the Bulls want to make the playoffs ?

Luol Deng, it's on him. Kirk Hinrich too.

If those guys can get back to their 06/07 form, or even close, that would huge.
 

senrad

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My club team on fifa 09 is "Fifa Kush Pro IV".
 

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