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Can the Chicago Bulls Keep Up With the Central Division? Who Will Answer Their Call for Help?

On Madison Street, several miles north of the home to Chicago’s newly crowned Champion White Sox, the new 2005-06 NBA season is beginning for another Chicago team.

The Chicago Bulls’ regular season opens on November 2, and ready or not, here they come. Even the casual observer watching the Bulls struggle through their pre-season games could note that the blur of opposing players flying past them to the basket might as well be their Central Division competitors projected to jump past them in the standings. Detroit, Miami and Indiana are expected to shoot out of the gate fast. Now with Milwaukee acquiring in trade veteran center Magloire from the Hornets, the Bulls will have even more work cut out for them in this competitive division.

Given just a month-long preseason to work with, Coach Skiles was not able to establish a starting lineup, except for Hinrich and Duhon at guard. Even Tyson Chandler is still not a shoe-in at center.

Addition by Subtraction?

Few NBA observers doubt that the loss of Eddie Curry and Antonio Davis in trade to the Knicks weeks before the start of the regular season has significantly hurt the Chicago Bulls. This is a team that now lacks size and quickness on their front line and in the post, especially with Deng coming off the bench. Opposing teams can now sag even more on the narrow-framed Chandler. So the Bulls are attempting to piece together a succession of big power forwards in place of the dominant low-post center they had come to rely on in Curry.

It has also been noted that the subtraction of Antonio Davis and Adrian Griffin will hurt Paxon and Skiles’ tactic of using the veteran forwards to motivate younger players and set the example in practice work ethic and offensive ball sharing.

Now NBA writers and messageboard fans alike are crying for help, pleading for a trade for Nené on the one hand, or urging GM John Paxon to go after free agents like Tom Gugliotta on the other. According to NBA writer Sam Smith, "Others [available for consideration] in that class without extensions include Cleveland's Drew Gooden, Golden State's Mike Dunleavy, Washington's Caron Butler and Jared Jeffries..."

In fact, Paxon’s recent release of the productive Holcomb and Powell from the Bulls’ roster combined with his and Skiles comments indicates that he continues to be in the hunt for a veteran low-post center to fill the 15th player slot for at least the rest of the year. Yet he cannot legally move his recent add-ons Thomas and Sweetney for a coveted center until two months after he acquired them. So expect the Bulls to sit until December before making a move in that direction. One thing is certain: they do not seem to be in a hurry to further tamper with their vaunted ‘team chemistry’ of last year.

Cold Duck Time: The Balance-sheet

The good news is that the Bulls as a group have the best young talent in the NBA. The guard tandem of Gordon, Hinrich and Duhon now face pressure to make up for the lost scoring in their inside-out game, and initially struggled out of the pre-season gate. Then in the last couple games, they seemed determined to prove they still possessed the outside scoring punch the team relied on last year. When Chris Duhon went to the hospital after suffering a ‘mild’ concussion early in the last game, Janero Pargo lit it up.

Yet perhaps most exciting for Bulls coaches and fans is watching the actual growth of superstar-in-the-making Luol Deng, now more filled out, and at 6’9”, an inch taller than last year. Ready to join the starting rotation, he appears to be mostly recovered from his wrist injury and is a constant end-to-end threat. Luol routinely breaks down defenses, scoring seemingly at will, often spreading his vaunted seven-foot wingspan as he hangs in the air for acrobatic dunks and tips, and revealing his developing hybridized Michael-and-Scotty in one body.

In addition, the Bulls boast one of the strongest benches in the league, led by Nocioni, Harrington, Pargo and Piatkowski. There are many bright spots: the athleticism and consistency of Eddie Basden at the 2 and the huge scoring and defense of Songaila at the 4 (19 points in a game vs. Memphis.) In addition, “Sweetness” Sweetney is prospering under teacher Skiles, and is fast becoming a prime scoring option and rebounder. Harrington continues to play well in the low-post, and the recently signed Malik Allen has performed well.

One thing is for sure: Bulls’ players can still count on Scott Skiles’ tough coaching and defensive demands, both on the practice floor and in games. Like last year, whoever plays the ‘D’ he demands will get the minutes; those who do not will sit. Will players respond? The answer appears to be, ‘yes.’ This year, he appears as flexible as ever, eager to use the carrot and not just the stick to motivate. Skiles has been acknowledged as one of the top young productive coaches in the league for good reason.

Look for the Bulls to score in the 80's and low 90's. That should translate to 40-45 wins this year if they can add a reliable low post center by December and re-ignite the stifling defense they displayed last year. Barring that combined scenario, however, the Bulls will probably not make the playoff cut at #8. I project them, in that case, to finish at #9 in the conference.

Living Large

Then next summer, after patiently watching their competitors get it done in the playoffs again, the Bulls finally get to make their their splash in the free agent market. The priority will be to grab a low-post scoring and shot-blocking force like Ben Wallace or Joel Przybilla, and maybe add a veteran two-guard like Peja, if they can.

As for this season, the Bulls could find themselves sinking fast in their strengthened division. In fact, missing that low-post force may mean less protection against injuries that could in turn further accelerate their decline. The dilemma is that if Paxon decides in the interim to plunder his booty to bring in the big, lively Nené or someone of similar value, it will burn up some of the treasured salary cap chips he intends to use in next summer’s free agent game for the real objects of their affection.

For now, MJ’s dusty bronze statue remains in patient vigil at the United Center entrance, where fans this new season will enter with throats still hoarse from having celebrated the city’s first championship since Michael and Scotty’s last run. They will scream, “Go, Bulls!” and hope for another miracle of their own.

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