ESPN Power Rankings - Bulls 5th best in the East

[cool007]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerranking?season=2010&week=-1


Week 1 - training camp NBA rankings.

Bulls = #5 in the East.

#13 overall:

With D-Rose no longer a rook, Deng back from injury, and Brad Miller and Salmons in training camp, Chicago will weather Ben Gordon's departure. Especially since the Bulls are a likely 2010 free-agent player, too.

So it's not just me who thinks Bulls will be 4th or 5th best in the East.

 

[Diddy1122]

Nope I said that too in my preseason predictions. 5th seed here we come baby!

 

[TheStig]

I just can't see it happening but hopefully I am wrong. This team is very flawed and both Kirk and Deng are bad in the clutch. I see us loosing a lot of close games.

 

[houheffna]

The Bulls will be find, sometimes there is such a thing as addition by subtraction...

 

[TheStig]

houheffna wrote:

The Bulls will be find, sometimes there is such a thing as addition by subtraction...

This isn't that case, we can all agree BG was decremental to the team and not a team cancer.

 

[houheffna]

Not saying that he was a team cancer, sometimes plans go awry because of the plans or ideas of one player. I think the Bulls can move forward with some of the things that they want to implement without any excuses or hindrance.

I think he was decremental to the Bulls in certain ways, you think he was incremental, just wanted to make that little nerdy correction.

 

[??? ??????]

No way the Bulls finish above the Heat. Heat are going to be a 48-52 win team. No way Bulls finish that well.

They very well could finish 5th, as the East isn't all that great after the top 4 teams.

Bulls, Hawks, Pistons, Philly, Washington, Toronto can finish in those final 4 playoff spots in any variety of orders. So many variables with those teams. How much does Derrick Rose improve? Can Elton Brand stay healthy and be productive? Will Gilbert Arenas stay healthy for the entire season, or enough of it at least? How does Hedo mesh in Toronto?

 

[cool007]

I know what you mean P03. All these teams have question marks including our own Bulls team but IMO, the whole thing depends a lot on Rose. If he takes that leap that usually those ROY/Star players make, then he will elevate not only his game but also the entire team.

Rose also seem poised as a leader of the team and he is commited to communicate better with all the players and lead by example. I think it will be much easier for other players to take his lead as he will be clearly our best player on the team.

It's just a gut feeling that Bulls will be 4th or 5th best team in the east.

Also, to those saying we will have trouble closing out games, I guarantee that ROse will be our closer every game and he will not disappoint us. I see him making multiple game winners this year (unlike last year). Also, he won't be looking for Gordon this year, he will have to take it upon himself and something tells me that he WILL deliver as well.

 

[clonetrooper264]

If this actually happens, that would be GREAT. So many things need to go right though. I hope they do.

 

[??? ??????]

To be fair, Rose didn't start looking for Gordon at the end of games until after he missed about 10 potential game winners.

 

[Bullsman24]

Re:ESPN Power Rankings - Bulls 5th best in the Eas

hmm...i doubt that the heat will play all that well.

i predict that d-wade will be injury stricken once again, and the rest of the team will be crap as usual, leading to a win total of only 36 games. my wacky prediction of the year.

 

[pinkizdead]

Re:ESPN Power Rankings - Bulls 5th best in the Eas

woah woah woah. heat is going to be 48 wins? i know they have dwayne wade, but lets take another look at this picture. They have a jermaine O'neal who is one injury away from retirement. Beasly is playing out of position at sf. Haslem is a decent player, but nothing over and above that. Mario chalmers isnt something to write home about either. There bench is daquein cook, head, and a few other players not worth mentioning. REally? this team is gonna get 48 wins? they didnt even get out of the first round of the playoffs against the hawks. Miami has one of the best shooting guards in the league, but lets not forget that a couple seasons ago this was the worst team in the league.

 

[??? ??????]

Re:ESPN Power Rankings - Bulls 5th best in the Eas

They got like 43 wins last year. That would be only a 5 win improvement. Presumably the Super Cool Beas will get to play starters minutes this year. If the Heat had played Beasley like the Bulls played Rose last season, Heat probably would have had around 48 wins last year.

When you pair two great talents together, like the Heat have done with Wade and Beasley, you're going to win a lot of games.

 

[pinkizdead]

Re:ESPN Power Rankings - Bulls 5th best in the Eas

it all depends on whether wade's healthy or not. The east got a little bit better this year. a tiny bit. Can wade carry the heat two years in a row?

 

[TheStig]

cool007 wrote:

I know what you mean P03. All these teams have question marks including our own Bulls team but IMO, the whole thing depends a lot on Rose. If he takes that leap that usually those ROY/Star players make, then he will elevate not only his game but also the entire team.

Rose also seem poised as a leader of the team and he is commited to communicate better with all the players and lead by example. I think it will be much easier for other players to take his lead as he will be clearly our best player on the team.

It's just a gut feeling that Bulls will be 4th or 5th best team in the east.

Also, to those saying we will have trouble closing out games, I guarantee that ROse will be our closer every game and he will not disappoint us. I see him making multiple game winners this year (unlike last year). Also, he won't be looking for Gordon this year, he will have to take it upon himself and something tells me that he WILL deliver as well.

I wouldn't get too disappointed if rose doesn't become a superstar next year. He will improve, but both paul and williams didn't hit elite status till their third years and both played two more years of college. I don't expect nor will I be disappointed if Rose isn't a superstar next year.