The Chicago Bulls Issues

The issues with the Chicago Bulls are well documented and very easy for everyone to see. Whether its injuries, lack of identity, struggling to hit shots, lack of a small forward, age, etc. Its one thing after another and a team that had championship aspirations to begin the season might be on the verge of not only meeting those aspirations, but also be on the verge of missing the playoffs all together. The question that’s asked is that is it time for a new era in Chicago???

The injuries are a list long within itself. It’s a new injury every time you turn around with this Bulls team. Joakim Noah, Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol the list of names goes on and on. The Bulls haven’t been able to be together as a cohesive unit because of all the list of injuries. Leading to unavailability not having the on court experience to feel each other’s games and get to know a player’s strengths and weaknesses. Derrick Rose’s health hasn’t been consistent all season whether its hamstring, general soreness, knee, ankle, and beginning training camp with the orbital bone injury and having double vision for most of the first half of the season. Joakim Noah being out with a shoulder injury coming back the separating that same shoulder coming back hasn’t been there most of the season. Pau Gasol having an illness, foot injuries, and hand injuries. Nikola Mirotic being out nearly 2 months with an emergency appendectomy and having complications from that. Kirk Hinrich has missed time with injuries before he was traded to Atlanta. Taj Gibson has missed time due to injuries. Mike Dunleavy missed the first half of the year due to back surgery. Jimmy Butler missed nearly a month due to a knee sprain. They can’t be one cohesive unit when important parts of the lineup being out all at different times due to the amount of injuries.

There is also a lack of intensity and a lack of heart that we saw last season under coach Tom Thibodeau. The defensive pressure had been lacking most of the season despite having nearly the same roster as last season. The defense last season allow 97.8 PPG as opposed to this season allowing 101.5 PPG (as of March 14). The opponents field goal percentage are almost similar 44.2% last season compared to 43.8% this season (as of March 14). The Field Goal percentage numbers don’t tell it all. Opponents aren’t facing the same type of defensive strategies and tough pressure this year as compared to this year. There is also a lack of communication on the defensive end which is allowing easier shots to be taken and giving opponents more driving lanes to go right to the basket. Opponents are also shooting better from three point range this season as compared to last (35.3 % last season, 36.8% this season). Yes, people can point to the defensive anchor Joakim Noah being hurt as part of the defensive woes, but the strategy as a whole has also changed and not as strong of emphasis on defense as it was last season under Coach Thibs.

Coach Fred Hoiberg’s offensive system is more of a spread system but the way the Bulls roster is constructed it’s not necessarily made for a system to spread out the defense. The Bulls lack of consistent outside shooting this season has led to them not being able to come back from deficits. The interchanging lineups and also the lack of a true shot creator at the Small Forward position has been a long question for the Bulls since departure of Luol Deng and even maybe before that. With the Bulls teams since the 2010-11 season the Bulls haven’t been able to acquire a true swingman that is very versatile at the 3 position. In my personal opinion adding a player like a Rudy Gay is way overdue. His versatility to create his own shot, being able to hit outside shots and go strong to the hole, and also he is an underrated defender in his own right. His skill set and athleticism would be an asset to a Bulls team that is lacking of it. But the question is it too late to add a Rudy Gay at this stage of his career? Maybe so but there were still other small forwards that were to be had that the organization failed to bring in whether thru free agency or trade.

The firing of Tom Thibodeau might have been a mistake that just might have cost the organization dearly in terms of being top-tier contenders for a NBA Championship. Too many personal feelings and bad blood within the organization cost Thibs his job when maybe it shouldn’t have. Arguments can be made for the heavy load he put on his starters, or the lack of playing time the young players got, or lack of offensive strategy but the lack of heart and intensity the team shows towards Hoiberg can’t be denied. Hoiberg doesn’t quite have that emotional fire under him and doesn’t necessarily get the team to rally itself together as a unit like Thibs had the ability to. Which explains Hoiberg not having a technical foul the entire season and also not having ANY throughout his 10-year NBA career nor did he have any at Iowa State. The Bulls are a type of team that needs that emotional pull and fire lit under them when they’re going through adverse times and that’s something that Hoiberg hasn’t been able to bring to the Bulls team.

There’s going to be a lot of questions within the next 3-4 months of rather to make it work or make changes. My personal opinion firing Thibs was a mistake and his influence would have the Bulls as a higher seed rather than sitting at the 9^th seed currently with an even 32-32 record. Also I think that the multitude of injuries that the Bulls have experienced may have saved Hoiberg’s job for this season. The way this season had gone to this point might spell the end of the Bulls as we know them and might cause higher management to scrap the plan and retool/rebuild the roster. Let’s see what the next few months will bring with the Bulls as a team and organization.