CHICAGO BULLS - AN EARLY LOOK AT 2013 / 2014 SEASON!
Missed all the action?
Missed your MVP? Jo running down the court while screaming in a crazy motion after he scores in the break?
All those ‘gimme that shit!’ or ‘hell yeah’ by C-Booz?
Guess who’s back? Yeah, you got it right!
Chicago Bulls’ basketball is back! Finally, after 6 long months we are finally set to start playing again!
After some though negotiations all over the summer following a season of no D-Rose and no title aspirations, Bulls’ owner Jerry Reinsdorf decided that it was time for former GM Gar Formar to step down from his job. But, who was he hiring for that very important job? Maybe promoting former Bulls’ player and currently vice-president of operations John Paxson for the General Manager job was the safest and easiest decision, no?
No. Instead, Reinsdorf hired an up and coming GM. 20 years old (yes, you read it right) Marcos Beck, from Brazil, was hired for the job. 20 years old only, and the pressure of leading the Bulls all the way back to championship contenders, with all the goals set at the first ring since His Airness MJ era.
Not easy for most of the people around the world. But this Brazilian kid feels no pressure at all.
“Oh, I like it. Pressure is what makes it much more fun. Much more of a challenge. I want to thank Mr. Reinsdorf for having faith in me and in my work, in what I bring, my new mentality.
Our goal is only one: a ring. And he can rest assured I’m going to work 24 hours a day to improve our roster and our changes of winning it all.
I’m very confident that our partnership will last very long. And, when it finally ends, we’ll look back to this day and see how much success we’ve achieved since then.
I’m looking forward to working and learning from one of the guys I grew up watching in Paxson, and also to work alongside coach Thibs for Chicago’s success.”
Asked about how it’d be to work with workaholic Thibodeau, Marcos joked:
“I see no problems. To be honest, I’m just like him. I think we’ll be in touch so much that in 1-2 months we won’t even stand looking at each other’s face. But all in all, everything is worth when it comes to the success of our Chicago Bulls’ franchise. Me and Tom are on the same page and our partnership will be very, very good.”
Following the introduction of new GM Beck, we want to present you, Bulls fans, with a deeper analysis of Chicago Bulls 2013/2014 roster so far!
Starting with the starting 5, of course, alongside some small info about HC Tom Thibodeau!
PG - Derrick Rose:
He's back to lead his team
That’s right, ladies and gentleman! After missing the whole 2012/2013 season while recovering from a torn ACL, your former MVP is back! Chicago’s native D-Rose is ready to step on the court and prove people he’s ready to return to his old self.
Explosive drives, miraculous layups, incredible hoops, this kid has it all, and he’s ready to prove he remains the same. We can anticipate the return of “too big, too strong, too fast, too good” by Stacey King at court side, while D-Rose tries to carry those Bulls all the way to the top again, hopefully as contenders. He’s no doubt the centerpiece of this franchise going forward!
SG - Kirk Hinrich:
Captain Kirk is returning to another season as a Bull! Since being drafted back in 2003, Hinrich has provided leadership, hustle and passion while contributing with his playmaking, shooting and defensive abilities. Kirk is set to start next to Rose in the backcourt, providing solid complements to Derrick’s skill set, and hopefully being the second playmaker the Bulls lacked all those years. 10 years of experience is this league won’t hurt his cause as a starter as the veteran guard is projected as the most experienced player in Chicago’s starting unit.
SF - Jimmy Butler:
Jimmy “Buckets” Butler, a 6’7 SG/SF out of Marquette, is all about defense! This kid is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and can lock down almost every one! Possessing great physical tools to play both wing positions, with solid height, strength and wingspan, he’s everything coach Thibs loves in a player: hard worker, plays under control, and with so much passion, fighting for every loose ball. He’s going to give 110% night in and out while playing at an elite lever at the less-glamourous side of the ball. Question about Jimmy is if he’s got the range to spread the floor for Rose, but he’s eager to prove he won’t contribute only defensively for Chicago.
PF - Taj Gibson:
Taj is all about hard work. That’s how he came into the league, as a 24 years old rookie, and that’s how he developed his game so much. Now, he’s ready to start at the Bulls front court. He provides solid defensive ability, with an up and coming post game. He’s also developed a 18 foot jumper that will be very important for stretching defenses for the Bulls.
After coming off the bench for 4 years, now 28 years old Gibson wants to make the best about the opportunity to start. Expect him to do anything the Bulls need to win, as he defines himself and the Bulls team as “a blue collar team”.
C - Joakim Noah:
This French guy is the heart and soul of the Bulls! He’s the leader in the court, he gets the crowd fired up, gives everything he has every night.. That’s why he became a fan favorite for Chicago!
Jo possesses a very different skill set for a big man, which allows the Bulls to run different systems offensively, with Noah being an offensive thread even though he won’t score the ball that much. He’ll hit the boards hard and provide elite interior defense along Taj. He can even step up on the perimeter and lock down guards, denying them the opportunity to drive!
Noah is a huge part of this team, just as important as Derrick, and is likely to retire as a Bull like his “little brother”.
Tom Thibodeau:
Thibs coordinating his highly appreciated defense.
Coach Thibs is just amazing. After winning COTY award in his first season, guiding the Bulls to the best record in the league 62-20, Thibs became a proven coach in a league full of great veteran coaches. He’s a defensive guru, having ranked his Bulls’ defenses as 1st or 2nd overall in the league since he arrived, and, while he does not get much credit for it, is a good offensive coach too.
But the best thing is that Thibs is all about effort and hard-work. He believes in strong defense, team oriented, fundamental basketball, and, on top of that, he has some kind of “magic” that makes every player playing under his tutelage to work harder than he’d do normally.
Thibs has never missed playoffs in his coaching career with the Bulls, so expect him and his Chicago to compete for the top spot in the East while being almost a lock for NBA postseason!
And your bench mob for the 13/14 season!
PG: DJ Augustin (lightning quick scoring guard, will replace D-Rose in spawns and will even play with him at times. Great shooting touch, nice handling, no size / defensive ability.)
SG: Tony Snell (still young, raw, expect him to see very few minutes for a team that wants to contend. Chicago is reportedly after Real Madrid’s Rudy Fernandez, and if it works, would reduce Snell minutes to zero. Has good potential to be a 3/D type of player.)
SF: Mike Dunleavy (great veteran, lights up shooter from downtown, will be Chicago’s primarily option to break zone defensive systems and space the floor. Very savvy, nice fundamentals, won’t try to do to much. Great system player.)
PF: Carlos Boozer (after starting for 3 seasons, Boozer lost his job for up-and-coming Taj Gibson, and there are numerous reports that he’s on the block. Sources says some teams even got in touch with the Bulls for their now reserve big man. Great scorer, rebounder. Don’t expect him to finish the season with Chicago.)
C-Booz on the move?
C: Nazr Mohammed (will play assurance minutes replacing Noah. Bulls in touch with Camby and if it materializes reduces Nazr minutes to zero.)
That’s it, Bulls fans! With so much in play in this season, with Rose eager to prove he’s healthy and new management doing everything they can to cause a nice impression for fans, midia and Reinsdorf, expect this season to be a roller coaster of emotions for Chicago!
Stay tuned for more info about your Chicago Bulls basketball and let’s all hope Bulls season will be a very successful one!
2028
