Offseason Report Card: Chicago Bulls

After experiencing a quick reversal following the second retirement of Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls resurfaced, making the playoffs in three consecutive years. The numerous talented first round picks have led to this resurgence. Kirk Hinrich is the team’s point guard of the future, and Ben Gordon (Ben Jordan?) won the Sixth Man of the Year Award. The new generation of players has created a new image of baby Bulls who scrap and grind out their games.

However, by having to work hard for every game, the Bulls often struggle to close them out. Barely making the playoffs this season at seventh seed, the Bulls desperately need to address their lack of an inside presence this offseason. Tyson Chandler has never performed to their expectations, and they need another big man to resolve the Eddy Curry situation.

NBA Draft: Tyrus Thomas

The Bulls’ major pick was LaMarcus Aldridge who they traded to Portland for Tyrus Thomas. I highly doubt he will play considering they now have a nucleus of young guys with 2-3 years of experience to develop into a team.

Free Agents: Ben Wallace

The face of the Detroit Pistons’ franchise, Ben Wallace was criticized for his lack of an offensive game and his overall decrease in his averages. There are numerous players that average less than ten points per game, but he is probably the only NBA superstar with this average. Even so, losing the four-time Defensive Player of the Year and his eleven rebound average would leave a huge gap in the team. The Pistons had to keep him, offering Wallace a $48 million dollar deal.

It was reported that the Bulls offered $52, and nearly everyone expected Wallace to stay with the franchise that embraced him with open arms. He would not leave the Pistons for an extra four million. However, shortly after Wallace announced he would sign with the Bulls, the Chicago deal was reported at $60 million. For a player who is approaching the tail end of his career (he is 32), I am not surprised he would accept the bigger deal.

The addition of Wallace adds more depth and defense to the team’s backcourt which was clearly lacking due to Chandler’s chronic injuries, and the loss of Eddy Curry. Wallace will not produce Curry’s or Chandler’s offensive numbers but will provide exceptional amount of boards and average blocks. His defense will help eliminate the easy points and will ultimately make the Bulls a better defensive team. Will this make the Bulls a better team record-wise? I expect the team to have a better record but not by much because the team will continue to rely on their guards for scoring and their two best guys, Hinrich and Gordon, often are cold from the field.

Walk The Line: Othella Harrington

Perhaps in an attempt to pay Wallace’s salary, the Bulls let Othella Harrington walk. Though he never made headlines, I think he was the best big men next to Curry. He clearly had a much better shot than Chandler, but nobody ever gave him the ball. Hopefully, he can offer his services somewhere else.

Trades: J.R. Smith, P.J. Brown for Tyson Chandler

The Bulls addressed Tyson Chandler by dealing him to the Hornets. P.J. Brown is a major upgrade in that he is a hard worker. He is one of those blue-collar guys that gives it all he’s got. His numbers are very similar to Chandler as he almost averages a double double in points and rebounds. However, unlike Chandler, the Bulls can expect him to suit up nearly every game as I do not recall him being injury prone. J.R. Smith is a great addition at point guard as he is young like every other Bull and can fill in for shooting should Gordon go cold (which I think happens frequently). However, the Bulls may be overstacked since Chris Duhon plays admirably off the bench, meaning Smith may never play if Gordon and Hinrich continue to improve to all-star level. One must also forget that the Bulls use numerous lineups. They have never used a set rotation due to the fact that they have been in a rebuilding phase for the last few years. Smith may get lost in the shuffle or come out on top. The former might be expected considering he only averaged six points a game this season.

NBA Draft: C
After very successful draftees in Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, and Kirk Hinrich, this draft appeared to just be a formality with not many big names available for the Bulls.
Free Agent: A
Acquire an all-star for nothing. How could this be a bad move?
Walk the Line:  B
There is still not enough inside scoring. Brown and Ben have like 15 points between them. Continuing to rely on the guards for scoring has allowed the Bulls to get by but not win crucial games.
Trades:  A-
Brown is a great replacement for Chandler. A few more rebounds and same amount of points. Smith may not play enough minutes to have an impact season. The trade appeared to be more about getting rid of Chandler than acquiring players to address the backcourt.
Overall: B+
The Bulls are making great moves to make them one of the better teams in the East, but they cannot win it all. They have changed their players, but not their offensive game plan. With Wallace and Brown in the front court, the Bulls will still lack a consistent amount of scoring meaning Gordon and Hinrich will shoulder the offensive load. This has been the strategy for them the last few years, and it has been mildly effective.