Thread: What's next for the Chicago Bulls?

Btw, does anybody know if Deron Williams (Jazz) is going to be a Free Agent next season?

Originally Posted by motownbear

even if he is we dont need another point guard Rose will be elite.

our front court has shaped up nicely and is a strength. We have Boozer with Gibson his sub. At center we have Noah with the turk coming in this season Asik. We also are talking to bring Brad Miller back for depth. I dont remember the last time we were this solid in the front court

Deng and Johnson at SF. Personally I would dump Deng asap. He isnt worth what he is getting paid for below average defense and just a mid range jumper. For that money I want a SF that can post up and hit three pointers.

Our real issues as of right now is at G. Rose is set but still needs a good backup. Korver is a good reserve G. If we get Reddik we could be fine and just need to find a PG.

I still think we should try to trade for Monte Ellis. Korver can easily play SF.

And what about Anthony for next season?

Bulls didn't hit jackpot, but they're still winners :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Bulls

Bulls didn't hit jackpot, but they're still winners

With so many teams throwing big money at so few free agents during this summer's NBA spending frenzy, there are bound to be more losers than winners when the dust finally settles at the end of this month.
But regardless of what happens the rest of the way, the Bulls have to be included among the winners.

Sure, they didn't hit the grand slam they were hoping to by getting LeBron James or Dwyane Wade. But their acquisitions have been a solid double with a chance of maybe getting stretched to a triple depending on what happens the rest of the way.
While getting James or Wade would've upgraded the talent on the roster significantly, the signing of power forward Carlos Boozer fills a glaring hole that has prevented the Bulls from taking a major step up in recent years.
You don't advance far in the NBA playoffs unless you have a legitimate low-post threat, and that's something the Bulls have lacked since Eddy Curry was dealt nearly five years ago.
Boozer, 28, is that kind of low-post threat, and he's still in his prime. Players capable of averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds are rare, and Boozer (who averaged 19.5 points and 11.2 rebounds last season) is usually in that neighborhood.
Boozer's presence also will help point guard Derrick Rose. With Boozer lurking in the paint or on the outside -- he's an excellent mid-range jump shooter -- teams no longer can focus all of their defensive attention on Rose when he drives to the basket.
Boozer also is very comfortable playing with an aggressive scoring point guard after playing with Deron Williams for five years.
''Two great points,'' Boozer said of Rose and Williams. ''Derrick is extremely athletic; he might be the most athletic point guard I've seen. [Allen] Iverson comes to mind, other guys like that. Him and Deron both share great court vision, a great ability to pass the ball in traffic. Deron is great at squeezing balls through traffic, and I think D-Rose has the same capability.''
Suddenly, the Bulls have a formidable frontline in Boozer and center Joakim Noah, with Taj Gibson now coming off the bench. The Bulls led the league in rebounding last season and should be even better this season.
If the Bulls are able to bring over Omer Asik (a second-round draft pick from a couple of years ago) or re-sign Brad Miller, they will have one of the more talented and deep frontcourts in the league.
With the big boys in place, Bulls management is focused on using its remaining salary-cap room -- money set aside for James or Wade -- to fill the hole at shooting guard left by the trade of Kirk Hinrich.
If the Bulls could undo any of their moves over the last six months, it would be the Hinrich deal. But that loss can be overcome. Besides, the ideal role for Hinrich on a contending team would be as a third guard, but he already has proved he doesn't play well off the bench.
The signing of Kyle Korver helps, and so would the addition of J.J. Redick if the Orlando Magic decides not to match the offer sheet the Bulls signed him to on Friday night.
Whether Redick comes or not, the Bulls still will be in the market for other guards, someone to back up Rose and someone to defend shooting guards.
When the dust settles, we'll evaluate the Bulls' roster, but this much is clear already: There's no reason to go into mourning over James or Wade because Boozer makes the Bulls better.
''I'm thrilled that we got him, and I think we're fortunate,'' coach Tom Thibodeau said. ''When I took the job, I was basing it on the players who were already here -- not the players who might come -- so I'm thrilled with who we have.''

Why Chicago Will Contend in the NBA East for Years To Come


As the dust has slowly but surely begun to settle in the aftermath of "The Decision" in all places except Cleveland, it seems as though the sports world is finally moving on.
And if it isn't, well, at least the Chicago Bulls are.
Like millions of other Americans, Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf watched with interest—considerably more than the Average Joe, since he and his front office people made a sales pitch to "The King" during his chaotic courtship—as LeBron announced on national television that he was ditching dreary and desperate Cleveland for the sunshine and spice of South Beach...and to play basketball for the Miami Heat.
Before the announcement, Reinsdorf, speaking about the speculation regarding where LeBron may or may not end up, said confidently, "I think we'll be better if he comes to us, but I think we'll be a great team without him."
After the announcement, knowing officially that James would not be running with his Bulls anytime soon, Reinsdorf reiterated the same quiet confidence in his organization and their future as he had before, saying, "I respect his decision. As I said before, I believe we will be better than Miami."
Now, there is certainly reason for skepticism, to think that the Bulls' owner is just saying that because that's what the fans want to hear and because it doesn't do him or his organization any good to speak negatively about the matter (right, Dan Gilbert?).
However, when looking at the roster that Bulls GM Gar Forman and the wheelin'-and-dealin' Paxson brothers have assembled, without much fanfare amidst the hoopla of the LeBron-a-thon, there's plenty of reason for Jerry Reinsdorf, as well as the entire city of Chicago, to believe that they finally have a long-term contender in their own backyard after so many up-and-down (mostly down) years since the Michael Jordan era.
Outside the spotlight of the ESPN-manufactured free-agent madness, the Bulls have added a tough and steady scoring power forward (Carlos Boozer) and a dead-eye shooter (Kyle Korver) to an already-playoff-tested core of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, and Taj Gibson, with the potential to add another marksman—J.J. Redick—to the mix, should he accept the Bulls' offer sheet.
These moves may not be nearly as spectacular, even in their summation, as even the signing of one of the Big Three of this NBA summer, but their impact on the Bulls and their future should not be overlooked.
Particularly by Bulls fans, to whom the team being put together in their own town should serve as a reminder of a championship squad assembled by one of their old rivals.
A trip down Memory Lane—or I-94 East—should help Chicagoans recall the success that the Detroit Pistons enjoyed for most of the last decade, dominating the Eastern Conference and bringing home an NBA title with a roster, assembled by former Bulls tormentor Joe Dumars, that bears a striking resemblance to the one that will be on display at the United Center this upcoming season.
Like the 2004 NBA champion Pistons, this Bulls team as potentially constituted will be a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts, a veritable smorgasbord of role players, none of whom are necessarily superstars but all of whom perform their individual duties exceedingly well and to the ultimate benefit of the team.
For both squads in question, it all starts at the point guard position, where the Bulls boast Derrick Rose, who, though much younger and less accurate from the perimeter than Chauncey Billups, possesses a similar physicality and level of athleticism that allows him to get anywhere on the floor—especially right to the rim—at any given time.

Assuming Rose improves his jump shot and becomes at least a steady, if not spectacular, floor general for Chicago as most expect, he should be able to provide the Bulls with Chauncey-like leadership for years to come.
Rose's new sidekick—Carlos Boozer—should provide for him and the Bulls what Rasheed Wallace did for the Pistons when he came to the Pistons from Portland by way of Atlanta during that championship season—a reliable power forward who can post up, hit mid-range shots, and provide some solid front-court defense and rebounding.
Of course, any mention of defense and rebounding with the 2010-2011 Bulls or the 2003-2004 Pistons begins and ends with the starting centers. In essence, Joakim Noah does with size and a bushy pony tail what Ben Wallace did with brute force and a wicked 'fro—snatch rebounds, provide hustle and energy, body up opposing big men in the post, block shots, and pose as an intimidating presence in the paint.
Where Noah has the decided advantage over Big Ben, aside from height (Noah is listed at 6'11" while Wallace, though listed at 6'9", is much closer to 6'7" or 6'8"), is on the offensive end, where he possesses enough in the way of offensive skills, including ball-handling, passing, and shooting, to make him as much of an asset as Ben Wallace was a liability on that end of the court.
Despite Noah's offensive abilities, much of the scoring for the Bulls is likely to come from the shooting of Kyle Korver and (if he ends up in Chicago) J.J. Redick.

Like Rip Hamilton under the auspices of Rick Carlisle, Larry Brown, and Flip Saunders, the Bulls and their new coach, Tom Thibodeau, would do well to have Korver and Redick running off screens to get wide-open looks and wearing out chasing defenders while also providing outlets for Derrick Rose when he drives into the lane and kicks the ball out to the perimeter.
When it comes to having someone who can score off the bounce and slash to the paint for easy baskets, the Bulls need look no further than their own version of Tayshaun Prince—Luol Deng.

While Deng doesn't possess the same defensive acumen and pure athleticism that Tayshaun contributed to those Pistons teams, he fills up the stat sheet better than Prince with higher career averages in scoring (15.8 to 12.7 points per game), rebounding (6.5 to 4.8 rebounds per game), and free throw shooting (3.9 to 2.5 attempts per game).
Chicago's bench also compares quite favorably to that of the most recent Motor City monarchs. Like Corliss Williamson, Taj Gibson brings a decided tenacity and physicality up front to go along with a deft scoring touch around the rim.

The steady hand of Jannero Pargo as Rose's back-up summons visions of Mike James and Chucky Atkins, while James Johnson solidifies Chi-Town's bench with the size and versatility that a young Mehmet Okur once contributed to the Pistons' second unit.
While Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, both in terms of personality and experience, is a far cry from the eccentric and cagey Larry Brown—or Rick Carlisle or Flip Saunders, for that matter—his reputation as a defensive guru should prove effective for grooming a team that butters its bread on the defensive end, just as the Pistons made mince meat of their opposition with their hard-nosed, defensive-minded style of play.
To be fair, those Pistons teams were perched atop the Eastern Conference during a time when their competition consisted of teams hovering at or below the .500 mark duking it out for supremacy in the Atlantic and Southeastern Divisions, and when LeBron's "brand" was in its infancy.

Today's Eastern Conference is a much more rugged realm than it once was, with talent-laden and Finals-tested teams like the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics reigning over the landscape, and the Miami Heat clearly asserting themselves as being, at least on paper, worthy of consideration among that group of NBA royalty with the arrival and hasty anointment of the "Three Kings."
Despite the obstacles that lay ahead, the new-and-improved Chicago Bulls are well-equipped to not only enter into the conversation of Eastern powers, but also play a prominent part in the discussion.
First and foremost, these Bulls are young and talented, with their core players from last year all between the ages of 21 and 25, and their new additions—"Booz" and Korver—in the midst of their primes. Such portends a bright future for this bunch of Windy City ballplayers.
The age of this Bulls nucleus belies the experience and toughness that it possesses. The cornerstones of the franchise—Rose and Noah—have led the Bulls to playoff bids each of the last two years, highlighted by their seven-game, seven-overtime slugfest of a series against the eventual-champion Boston Celtics in the first round in 2008.
That being said, it was without the clutch shooting of Ben Gordon, who, ironically enough, bolted for big bucks with the Pistons last summer, that Chicago struggled mightily in their first-round matchup with the Cavaliers this past postseason. If all goes according to plan, the addition of Korver and possibly Redick should correct for that deficiency quite nicely.
The biggest unknown for this team, aside from whether Derrick Rose will show marked improvement after a stagnant sophomore season, is the competency of Thibodeau as a head coach. Having no previous head coaching experience at the professional level doesn't necessarily bode well for this edition of the "Baby" Bulls.
That's not to say that Thibodeau lacks experience altogether. He's well-practiced in coaching stout defense, having worked and learned under the wing of Jeff Van Gundy in both New York and Houston before helping Doc Rivers guide the Celtics to two Finals appearances in three years, including their championship run in 2008.
Aside from having a rookie head coach in his employ, it's clear that Jerry Reinsdorf has plenty of reasons to be confident that his Chicago Bulls will compete at a high level for many years. While the Miami Heat has stolen the offseason limelight with its influx of superstar talent, the Bulls front office has gone about its own duties in a humble yet potentially effective fashion, compiling pieces for a championship contender.
What the Bulls lack in flash and pure firepower compared to "Miami Thrice", they more than compensate for with depth and, well, an actual roster. As Reinsdorf noted, as so many have since Thursday's bombshell, "Miami will have three great players, but no center, no point guard, and no cap room."
Meanwhile, as the Heat's Pat Riley scrambles to steal some Magic from Orlando to make six or seven players miraculously appear out of thin air (and no money), the Bulls and their hard-nosed owner can sleep comfortably, for now at least, knowing that they have in their stable the requisite parts to build a well-oiled winning machine in the Eastern Conference akin to their Central Division rivals, the Detroit Pistons.
Only time will tell if the parts truly fit, if the dust settles as Chicago sports fans certainly hope it will.

Chicago Bulls: Kyle Korver excited to be joining young, talented Bulls team - chicagotribune.com

Getting shot with Bulls thrills Korver

Former Jazz sharpshooter thinks he'll fit in well with young, talented team

Kyle Korver signed a three-year, $15 million contract with the Bulls on Friday night, served as best man at a Utah wedding Saturday and had a low-key bachelor party for another friend Sunday afternoon.

"I'm having a pretty good weekend, huh?" Korver said by phone Sunday night.

The Bulls have confirmed but not commented on Korver's signing, which will be announced at a Tuesday news conference at the Berto Center. In the meantime, Korver, who spent from sixth grade on in Pella, Iowa, barely could contain his excitement.
"This is a great young team that I feel I fit in well with," Korver said. "I'm really excited about coach (Tom) Thibodeau. Watching the teams he's been a part of, they're all extremely well-coached.

"I'm excited about the city and being closer to family and friends. And having Derrick (Rose) and Carlos (Boozer) are big pluses."

Indeed, Korver set an NBA record by shooting 53.6 percent from 3-point land last season, aided in part by playing with an All-Star point guard in Deron Williams. Expect similar results from a drive-and-kick game with Rose and Korver.

"I have a lot of respect for Derrick's game," Korver said. "I got to play with him last summer at the Team USA camp. He is so explosive and talented. I know from playing against him and game-planning for him how tough he is.

"I don't need the ball a lot. I don't try to take guys off the dribble. I'm not one-on-one. I play off guys like Derrick. And I'd like to think my game helps him a lot too. I don't think it will take too long for us to mesh."

Korver is a career 41 percent shooter in seven NBA seasons from 3-point land, so it's not like last season was a complete anomaly. But still . . .

"The biggest thing was I had wrist surgery the summer before and I let it heal," Korver said. "As soon as I started shooting again, I was like, 'Oh, this is incredible! I'm healthy!' I felt like I was in college again.

"And then in coach (Jerry) Sloan's offense, you're discouraged from taking shots that aren't wide open. So that helps the percentage out quite a bit. I just had a groove all year."

And with former Jazz teammate Boozer also in the Bulls' fold, Korver hopes that groove will continue.

"I obviously know his game really well," Korver said. "He likes to set screens for me. He knows if he gets a good piece of my man he has confidence in me taking that shot. And if his man steps toward me, I'm going to pass him the ball.

"He's such a great pick-and-roll player. I think him and Derrick will be great together."