My Look at the Bulls Update

As all of the readers of GOI should know I am doing a preview on the Chicago Bulls 2009-2010 season. I have already looked at the front office, Coaching staff, and players. Next I will be looking at the bench, the biggest questions surrounding the Bulls season, and my overall analysis of the team. These are additions to my preview that I didn't originally decide to do when I posted all the topics I would look at back in my first post on this so I decided to add a post about them. If you have any ideas for things I should look at on the Bulls before the season please let me know. I am always open to suggestions.

Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Aaron Gray

Aaron Gray was the Bulls 49th overall draft pick (second round) in the 2007 NBA draft. Gray went to College at the University of Pittsburgh where he named the Associated Press Third Team All-American after leading his team to the sweet 16 in the 2007 NCAA tournament. The Bulls have had a lack of a true center and a presence in the post for a number of years. This was way the Bulls drafted him after he was a force to be reckon with at the College level. The 7 foot 270 pound center has not been able to adapt to the NBA level. Gray is slow and can’t jump very well. The Bulls just re-signed him last week because they needed some depth at center and Gray gives them a true center (the only one of their roster), even though he is a work in progress. Gray has a big body and could be a good low-post option off the bench. He is also a good option for bigger centers the Bulls may face like Dwight Howard and Shaquille O' Neal. The Chicago Bulls already have 4 players between the power forward and center spot so Aaron Gray doesn’t figure to get much playing time unless for injuries or foul trouble. Aaron Gray has shown flashes of being good at times and does several things well for a big man like pass.

Here is a highlight video of Aaron Gray:

Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Brad Miller

Brad Miller is a savvy 11 year veteran the Bulls acquired in a trade from the Sacramento Kings last year before the trade deadline. This is Miller’s second tour of duty in Chicago. He played in Chicago from 2000 to 2002. Miller is a 7-0 center who is 33 years old and he showed his age last year while the Bulls were making their playoff run. So the Bulls will have him come off the bench and provide an offensive boost off the bench. Brad Miller has always been more of an offensive minded player, which is a good fit because he is the only big man we have that is. Tryus Thomas could be a good offensive player, but still has a lot to prove. Brad Miller alongside Kirk Hinrich will be filling one of the biggest question’s this Bulls team has coming into the season, the bench. When I am done looking at the players I will be analyzing the team as a whole. I think Miller will have a good season and look to see him playing down the stretch at the end of games even though he is coming off the bench.

Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Joakim Noah

Joakim Noah played collegiate basketball for the University of Florida. He had a great college career starting on two Gators' teams that won the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Tournaments. Then he was drafted 9th overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. Last season Noah started 55 games down the stretch of the Bulls playoff run and he showed that with more playing time he will get rebounds and a make a few shots per game. He also blocked more shots with more playing time. I am not a big fan of Noah. He reminds me of Reggie Evans, which means that if he gets the playing time he will get rebounds and a few points, but is not anything spectacular. I think Brad Miller is better, but think it is better to bring him off the bench this way there is some scoring with the second unit.

Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Center

The Bulls starting center looks to be Joakim Noah. Noah will be entering his third season in the NBA and with the Bulls. Noah is known more as a defensive player only averaging 6.7 PPG so far in his two year career. He does average 1.1 BPG, 0.8 SPG, and 6.6 RPG. He will be backed up by veteran Brad Miller who is in his second stint with the Bulls entering his 12th season in the NBA. Brad Miller is a good shooter and scorer. Miller will be a big part of the Bulls success coming off the bench with the second team. Kirk Hinrich and Brad Miller are the only two veterans coming off the bench and they will need to carry the Bulls offensively while the starters are resting. The third string center is Aaron Gray whom the Bulls just re-signed to a one year deal. He will be entering his third season with the Bulls. Gray is the only true center the Bulls have and has the big body to go against other true centers in the league. He needs to improve a lot to be a factor though.

Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Taj Gibson

Taj Gibson was just drafted by the Bulls with the 26th overall pick in the 2009 draft. He is a 6-10 forward who weighs 214 pounds coming out of USC after his junior year. Taj Gibson can play power forward and is known for his defense. He will be backing up Tryus Thomas who is also a defensive player. If he plays well in the pre-season he will have the chance to come off the bench and show what he can do. From the little I know about Taj Gibson I was not excited about this pick. We will see how he plays for the Bulls this season.

Here is a highlight video of Taj Gibson.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Tryus Thomas

Tryus Thomas was drafted 4th overall in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. Then, Thomas was then traded along with forward Viktor Khryapa to the Chicago Bulls for forward/center LaMarcus Aldridge whom the Bulls drafted 2nd overall in the same 2006 draft. After three years the Bulls have looked to make a bad trade. LaMarcus Aldridge has averaged 15.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG, in his first three seasons. In comparison Tryus Thomas has averaged 7.7 PPG, and 5.0 PPG. The reason the Bulls traded Aldridge for Thomas was the upside and great athleticism that Tryus Thomas possess. Thomas showed flashes of brilliance in the past three seasons as a Bull, but hasn’t been able to do it consistently. Tryus looked at the end of last season like he was putting his game together and averaged career highs in 10.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.9 BPG, and 1.1 SPG. Let’s hope Tryus Thomas continues where he left he off and becomes a force to be reckon with.

Here is a video of Tyrus Thomas 2009 Highlights.

Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Power Forward

Tryus Thomas looks to be the Bulls starting Power Forward. He played well last year down the stretch starting throughout the playoffs. He averaged 10.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.9 BPG, and 1.1 SPG. All were a career high. Tryus Thomas has the ability to be a good offensive player and a great defensive threat. He has the ability of being a double double player, but it has taken him awhile to put his game together. Let’s hope he can continue that this season. Thomas will be backed up the rookie Taj Gibson. Taj Gibson is also known for being a defensive player. The Bulls look to get great defensive out of this position, but the offensive numbers will be up to Tryus Thomas.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….James Johnson

James Johnson was just drafted by the Bulls with the 16th overall pick in the 2009 draft. He is a 6-8 forward who weighs 257 pounds coming out of Wake Forest after his sophomore year. James Johnson can play both forward spots and the Bulls like his game being able to drive to the basket and spot up. Johnson will be given a chance to play a lot backing up Luol Deng at small forward. Johnson has said he prefers to play power forward, but the Bulls have plenty of options there already. The Bulls bench is young, inexperienced, and most importantly unproven besides for Kirk Hinrich. Thus, Johnson will have a chance to be a big part of the Bulls coming off the bench and providing a spark. Johnson reminds me a little bit of Luol Deng in the little I have seen him play.


Here is a highlight video of James Johnson.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Luol Deng

Luol Deng was drafted in 2004 by the Phoenix Suns with the 7th overall pick and traded to the Chicago Bulls. In his rookie season he averaged 11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds to make the NBA All-Rookie First Team and to help the Bulls return to the playoffs for the first time in several years. In his third season with the Bulls Deng was the only player to start all 82 regular season games and he had his best season averaging a career high in 18.8 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game. Deng has not averaged that many points or rebounds since this 2006-2007 season.

On July 31 2008, Luol Deng agreed to a six-year deal worth a guaranteed $71 million dollars with incentives up to $80 million. This makes Deng the Bulls second highest paid player for the 2009-2010 season. Luol Deng has a career average of 15.4 PPG and 6.3 RPG. In order for the Bulls to have a big year and continue to get better Deng has to get better and have a big year. I would like to see Deng averaging between 20-25 points this year, rebounding over 8 times a game, and being the good defender he has shown flashes of being because he is tall and fast with good wingspan to cover most guards and forwards. You could say that Deng is one of the key factors for the Bulls to have a good season.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Small Forward

The Bulls will have Luol Deng as the starting small forward. Luol Deng was injured most of last year and has taken a few steps back the last few years. He has to show he was worth the 5 year contract the Bulls gave him. Deng need to have a big year and be the offensive player and rebounder we need him to be. The Bulls have Rose to handle and distribute the ball, they have Salmons to shoot the ball, and they need Deng to be a big contributor to the team’s success. Backing up Deng the Bulls don’t have a ton of depth. They will be counting on rookie James Johnson. Johnson played mostly power forward in College and the Bulls already have a logjam at Power forward/center so Johnson doesn’t figure to get much playing time there. Johnson will get most of his playing time at small forward backing up Deng, so he needs to make the most of it. If Johnson struggles the Bulls can have starting shooting guard John Salmons back up Deng at Small forward and have Hinrich or Pargo take Johnson’s playing time.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009………. Jannero Pargo

Jannero Pargo will be entering his 7th season in the NBA after taking last season off and playing overseas in Europe for more money than he was offered here. Pargo has played with four teams in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, and New Orleans Hornets. Now he will be entering his second stint with the Bulls after establishing himself as a good shooter off the bench with the Hornets from 2006-2008. During his two seasons with the Hornets he backed-up Chris Paul at point guard and shooting guard. Pargo can handle the ball well and play point guard if needed, but he is a shoot first, pass second type of point guard. The Bulls like good passers and distributors so Pargo will back-up Salmons at shooting guard and provide offense off the bench with the second team.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….John Salmons

John Salmons played college basketball at the University of Miami in Florida and was drafted 26th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2002 NBA Draft. He was then immediately traded with Mark Bryant and rights to Randy Holcomb for Speedy Claxton to the Philadelphia 76ers where he played through the 2006 season. His best season with the Philadelphia 76ers was the 2005-2006 season where he averaged 7.5 PPG. Then he spent three years in Sacramento averaging 12.5 for the 2007-2008 season. Last season he spent 53 games with the Sacramento Kings averaging 18.3 points and then continued averaging 18.3 PPG seasons while with the Bulls.

Now Salmons will be starting at shooting guard with the Chicago Bulls. He will provide some offense and some much needed height in the backcourt being 6-6. Salmons shot the ball well last year and looks to finally being a steady scorer. Salmons averaged 18.3 PPG last season with the Bulls and will need to continue that with the Bulls. He doesn’t have a long history of being an effective shooter so the Bulls need him to continue what he started last season and help carry the offensive load for the bulls this season.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Lindsey Hunter

On July 15, 2009 the Bulls re-signed Lindsey Hunter for his second year as a Chicago Bull. Hunter is a 16-year NBA veteran who has appeared in 28 games with the Bulls last season averaging 2.6 ppg and 1.3 apg in 9.5 mpg. In his career he has averaged 8.6 ppg, 2.7 apg, 2.2 rpg and 1.21 spg in 25.0 mpg. He owns a career shooting percentage of .388 from the field, .361 from downtown and .746 from the free throw line. Hunter is toward the end of his career and not expected to play much because his best days are well beyond him.

Lindsey Hunter is here to be more a mentor to Derrick Rose. Hunter is an experienced point guard who is here to teach Rose how to see the floor and distribute the ball. There was rumor in the off season that he would retire and the Bulls were going to hire him to help out in player development. The Bulls decided to keep him on as a player to teach Rose and help with his development. The Bulls also needed some more players on their roster so instead of going with a young guy they decided to bring Hunter back for his final year as player with the Chicago Bulls. Hunter is not expected to play much, but if a player gets in foul trouble or injured, he could be forced into action.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009………. Kirk Hinrich

Kirk Hinrich was drafted in 2003 by the Chicago Bulls with the 7th pick overall. He went in possibly one of the best draft classes ever with Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade being drafted ahead of him. After him several good players went including T. J. Ford, Mickaël Piétrus, Luke Ridnour, David West, Boris Diaw, and Josh Howard. Josh Howard and David West are bigger guys that the Bulls might have been attracted to if they weren’t in a market for a point guard. A few months before the draft the Bulls second overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft Jay Wiilliams, was injured in a motorcycle accident. Jay Wiilliams was supposed to be our point guard of the future, but after his accident where they didn’t know if he would ever walk again, they drafted Kirk Hinrich. Jay Wiilliams can walk now and tried to make a comeback in 2006 and was signed by the New Jersey Nets, but released before contracts are guaranteed. Back to Kirk Hinrich……..

I remember the pre-season for the 2003-2004 season. I was watching a game and remember this little white guy running up and down the court who looked winded and 2 steps behind everyone else. When I found out that he was Kirk Hinrich, our first round pick who was drafted 7th overall. Later I found out he had a viral infection that took him months to recover from. After the season started and he recovered from the viral infection he looked much better. He solidified his position as the starting point guard pretty quickly and was named to the NBA's 2004 All-Rookie first team. He held the distinction for being the only rookie during that season to record a triple-double, with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists versus the Golden State Warriors on February 28, 2004. Hinrich has gone on to have a good career with the Bulls. He has career averages of 13.9 points per game, 6.1 assists per game, 3.4 rebounds per game, and 1.3 steals per game.

In the 2006-2007 season Hinrich averaged 16.6 PPG, 6.3 APG, and looked to be the Bulls point guard of the future and one of the cornerstones to build around. Then Hinrich took a step back during the 2007-2008 season and the Bulls drafted a true dynamic point guard in Derrick Rose. This pushed Hinrich to the bench which he accepted and the captain of the team never complained. Hinrich got injured last year, but when he came back he gave the team a big lift. His assist were down at a career low, but hopefully him and Rose can learn to play together and Hinrich and Rose could be a deadly combination. This is because both handle the ball very well and they both can shoot. Last season with the Bulls pushing to make a playoff run Rose coach Vinny Del Negro played Rose a lot playing him most of the game. Because of this at times Rose did look tired. This is why the Bulls need to play Hinrich more backing up Rose because he is more than capable. This way Rose will stay fresh and be ready when we need him. Many people seem to think Hinrich is a back-up and bench player, but I think he is still very good and should be a starter on most teams in the NBA.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Derrick Rose

The Chicago Bulls had a disappointing 2007-2008 season. It was the first time in a few years they missed the playoffs. Thus, they were expected to have a draft pick in the top 15. The Bulls hit the jack pot and with a 1.7% chance won the number one pick in the 2008 NBA draft. There was a lot of debate if the Bulls should draft Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose. Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose both came out of college after their freshman year. Beasley had a great freshman year and accomplished more than Rose did during his year at college. Rose had a great run during March madness and raise his stock. We have seen many players do very good during March madness and turned out to be over rated so far. Some of those players are Tryus Thomas, Glen Davis, among others. Thus, I didn’t want the Bulls to draft Rose because Beasley was better over the whole season and would fill the big hole the Bulls have for a big man who has double double potential. With the number one pick in the NBA draft the Bulls drafted Chicago native Derrick Rose. I am glad I was proven wrong pretty quickly.

Last year Derrick Rose had a great rookie season to win Rookie of the Year honors. He became the third Chicago Bull in history to win it with Michael Jordan (1985) and Elton Brand (2000). He averaged 16.8 points on 47.5% field goal shooting, 6.3 assists per game, and 3.9 rebounds per game. Rose showed last year he is a great distributor and can take the ball to the bucket at will. Last Year when Paxson was general manager he said that Derrick Rose is the future of the team and the Bulls are rebuilding around him. That is why the captain of the team, and one of their best players Kirk Hinrich was moved to the bench to make room for the sensation in Rose. The trades we saw made during last season were to find players to complement the game of Derrick Rose. After this upcoming season the Bulls will have salary cap room to make some changes and bring in a big guy for Rose to feed the ball inside too. Rose is young and should keep developing and there is no limits to where he can take the Bulls!

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Point Guard

The Bulls have three point guards on the roster in starter Derrick Rose, back-up Kirk Hinrich, and veteran Lindsey Hunter who is more of a mentor to Derrick Rose than player at this stage of his career. Derrick Rose and Kirk Hinrich will mainly be the only players handling the ball and distributing it. We will probably only see Lindsey Hunter come in at point guard for a few minutes a game unless Rose or Hinrich are injured or in foul trouble. The Bulls also have Jannero Pargo who can handle the ball, but will be used as a shooting guard. If any of the three point guards get injured or two of them get in foul trouble in the same game then we would see Pargo handle the ball. Pargo is a small guard who can handle the ball well, but it a shoot first pass second player like Ben Gordon was. We brought Pargo back to be a back-up shooting guard, but he gives us a little extra flexibility if needed at point guard.

The Bulls should be in very good shape at point guard. We have a young guard in Derrick Rose who is still developing and will hopefully continue to blossom during his second season. In my opinion, Kirk Hinrich is a starting point guard, and would be starting on most teams. With Hinrich around we should be able to keep Rose fresh and not have to play him most of the game like we did last year when Hinrich was injured. I like the Bulls bench a lot, especially compared to many teams and this is because of Kirk Hinrich who will be the best player off the bench. It will be interesting if Hinrich and Rose will even play a little bit together. I think that could be an interesting combination for a few minutes during a game. This will depend on the other bench players though in Pargo and Johnson to give Vinny Del Negro that option.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009………. Expected Depth Chart

Basketball will be starting soon with the season officially starting towards the end of October. Here is how the Bulls roster is shaping up after the off-season where they added James Johnson, Taj Gibson, Jannero Pargo, and brought back Lindsey Hunter for reasons I will never understand. Aaron Gray is still a free agent, but supposedly they are talking to him and want to bring him back. I guess we will see what happens.
Position Starters Back-up Reserves
Point Guard: Derrick Rose Kirk Hinrich Lindsey Hunter
Shooting Guard: John Salmons Jannero Pargo
Small Forward: Luol Deng James Johnson
Power Forward: Tyrus Thomas Taj Gibson Jerome James
Center: Joakim Noah Brad Miller Aaron Gray (FA)

Now that we have previewed the front office and coaching staff……on to the players! I was debating if I should look at the players by starters and then the bench or go by position. You will have to see what I decide.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Pete Myers

Pete Myers played in the NBA from 1986 to 1991 and from 1993 to 1998. He was drafted in 1986 by the Chicago Bulls in the 6th round (120th overall pick). He started his Bulls career in the 1986-1987 season and came back to the Bulls in 1993 after the retirement of Michael Jordan and replaced him as the starting shooting guard. He played with seven teams in his NBA playing career.

Pete Myers joined the Bulls coaching staff on December 28, 2001. He became the interim head coach for two games when Bill Cartwright was fired in 2003. When the Bulls hired Scott Skiles Myers went back to his regular duties as an assistant coach. When Skiles was fired in 2007, Myers was named the interim head coach again for one game before Jim Boylan became the head coach for the rest of the season. Pete Meyers has been an assistant coach for the Bulls for several years now and he never seems to get much respect. The Bulls just seem to keep bringing in more assistant coaches ahead of him on the food chain.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009………. Mike Wilhelm

Last season was Mike Wilhelm’s first season as an assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls. It was his seventh season with the Bulls and they promoted him to an assist coach because they liked him as a scout and want to promote personnel they like within the organization. He will entering his second season as an assistant coach, eighth season with the Bulls, and 14th season in the NBA. Prior to becoming a full assistant coach with the Bulls he was an assistant coach/advance scout with the team for his first six years in the Bulls organization. Before joining the Bulls he spent the 2001-02 season as an advance scout for the Denver Nuggets. Mike Wilhelm started his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 1993-94 season as the team’s assistant video coordinator. He became the head video coordinator in 1996 and had that position until 1999 when he became the team’s advance scout. He has had coaching experience as a assistant coach for the WNBA’s Cleveland Rockers from 1997 through the 1999 season. His coaching career began in Sweden’s professional league where he coached the Sundsvall Dragons for two seasons from 1990 to 1992. Mike Wilhelm has experience as a video coordinator and looking at tape, being an advance scout, and will hopefully help the Bulls more this upcoming season.