Chicago Bulls Predictions

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Last Year’s Record: 50-16
Key Losses: C.J. Watson, Omer Asik, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer,
Key Additions: Kirk Hinrich, Nate Robinson, Marco Belinelli, Marquis Teague, Nazr Mohammed, Vladimir Radmanovic

Player Outlooks

Centers

Joakim Noah

Noah is one of the most underrated centers in the game today. While his offense is lacking, he has continued to get better and he does a solid job of drawing fouls and converting at the free throw line. He can pass the ball better than people think and is a better dribbler than he gets credit for. He is a monster on the boards and solid defensively. His energy and enthusiasm are what makes him so valuable to this team.

Nazr Mohammed

Mohammed fell out of the rotation last year with Oklahoma City and I have a hard time seeing him play a huge role with the Bulls. He is a major liability defensively and both his scoring and rebounding are on the decline.

Forwards

Luol Deng

Deng is one of the best two-way players in the game and it earned him an All-Star appearance last year. He spent all of last season playing with torn ligaments in his wrist, which affected his ability to finish around the rim. He has drastically improved his 3-point shooting. 194 of his 295 career 3’s made have come over the last two seasons (this will be his 9th year in the league). He is going to have to take on a bigger role offensively this year if Chicago is going to contend in the East without Rose for the majority of the season.

Carlos Boozer

Boozer has failed to live up to the huge expectations since he arrived in the Windy City, but he’s not as bad as some people might think. No one in the NBA shot a better percentage from 3 to 9 feet and overall he shot well from all over the floor. His big problem is he is one of the worst power forwards in the league at drawing fouls and is less than impressive on the defensive side.

Taj Gibson

A lot of people in Chicago would like to see Gibson starting at the 4 over Boozer, and it’s hard to argue with them after how well he played last season. Gibson is one of the best defensive power forwards in the game, especially when it comes to blocking shots and help defense. He is solid on the boards and has made some big strides on the offensive end. I fully expect his minutes to increase this season.

Vladimir Radmanovic

Radmanovic will be used off the bench to space the floor, as he is an excellent shooter for a man his size (6’10). While he shot just 37.6% from behind the arc last year with Atlanta, his career average is 41.6%.

Guards

Derrick Rose

It’s hard telling when the Bulls will see Rose back on the floor leading this team. He tore his ACL in the first playoff game against Philadelphia and most believe he will be out until at least March. It was pretty evident that this team is no where close to elite without him on the floor. Chicago relied so much on him offensively that they struggled to put up points when he wasn’t on the floor. There’s also some concern that he won’t be the same player when he comes back and might not be back to 100% until the 2013-14 campaign.

Richard Hamilton

Hamilton didn’t have the impact so many were hoping in his first year with Chicago, part of that was because he struggled to stay on the floor. He played in just 28 games. For years he has been one of the best midrange jump shooters in the game, but he also use to do a fairly good job of getting to the free throw line, which is something he didn’t do last year with the Bulls. Hamilton attempted just 37 free throws the entire season. He has to improve in that area or he really isn’t helping this team win games.

Kirk Hinrich

Hinrich returns to Chicago where he played the first seven years of his career and will likely end up starting the majority of the season at point guard with Rose sidelined. The big concern I have with Hinrich is he is actually better suited at small guard than at the point on both sides of the ball.

Nate Robinson

This is an interesting pickup for Chicago that could end up paying huge dividends. Robinson is an amazing offensive talent that thrives in the role of coming off the bench and putting up points in bunches. What a lot of people don’t realize is he is pretty good at distributing the ball for someone who likes to shoot as much as he does. He doesn’t fit the mold of this team on the defensive side of the ball, but this team is in desperate need of a spark offensively without Rose.

Marquis Teague

The rookie out of Kentucky is another player that I really think could help Chicago remain competitive in the East. Teague has the athleticism and quickness to be effective in the NBA. His outside shot needs some work but he knows how to get to the basket.

Jimmy Butler

Butler didn’t play a big role as a rookie last year, but many believe he is going to see his minutes increased this season. His shot is a work in progress, but he does a great job of drawing fouls to offset his struggles. He is also very strong defensively and is willing to put in the extra effort rebounding.

Team Outlook

A lot of experts are calling this a lost season for Chicago, but I’m not going to count this team out just yet. Chicago’s willingness to put out max effort defensively every time they take the floor will win them a lot of games in the regular season. I think the players understand that if they can keep this team competitive until Rose gets back, they could end up surprising everyone come playoff time. They will probably end up finishing 2nd in the Central behind Indiana, but I fully expect them to sneak into the playoffs. I can assure you the elite teams in the East are hoping Chicago is better than expected, as this team could be a dangerous first-round opponent for either Miami or Boston.

Odds to Win the NBA Finals:  18/1

Odds to Win the Eastern Conference:  15/2

About the Author: Steve will be the first to tell you that College Football is his passion, but he enthusiastically follows the NFL, NBA, College Hoops, and Major League Baseball. Get started today with a premium package from Steve Janus!
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