Time to preview the 2010 Chicago Bulls
Music to listen to: I’m a Flirt by R. Kelly
Say what you want about R. Kelly, and trust me you probably wouldn’t be too far off in your statements, you can’t deny his talent and he is one of the major musicians to ever come out of Chicago.
Last season/offseason changes: The Bulls made the playoffs last season and lost in the first round to Boston but the big story was this past offseason.
After being one of the finalists for the services of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade during the free agency period, Chicago ended up with none of them. The Bulls did end up with the consolation prize of power forward Carlos Boozer, who may actually be a better fit than either of the other three.
Who are we kidding, Wade and James would have put the Bulls on a short list of championship contenders.
However, there is still optimism that Chicago can be on the same level as Miami, Boston and Orlando in the East.
Strength: It all starts with point guard Derrick Rose, who has muscled himself into the conversation as one of the top guards in the league. He can drive to the basket with free will nearly anytime he feels and has defensive instincts that helps key the fast break opportunities for the Bulls. He still struggles with his outside shooting but the Bulls are hoping that another off-season on training will help maturate this skill.
The Bulls also have a mobile big man who willingly does the dirty work of playing hard defense and getting rebounds at a potential All-Star level. Besides the opportunity to play with Rose, the biggest selling point for the Bulls during the offseason to free agents was Joakim Noah. His skills make it a lot easier for Boozer to operate because Boozer is a scorer but has moments of reluctance when it comes to rebounding and defense. Noah covers up a lot of that stuff.
Weakness: Outside shooting may cause the team to go from contender to pretender. They did sign Kyle Korver, one of the top three-point shooters in the NBA but he may not be enough for a squad that was 28th in the league in three-point percentage last season. The Bulls are hoping that Luol Deng and Ronnie Brewer will also help in this department.
You also have to question the durability of the Bulls as well. Boozer is already going to be sidelined for the next few months. The Bulls has a good top six players but beyond that, the bench leaves a lot to be desired.
Most important player: Believe me or not, I’m going to have to say its Deng.
We already know what we’re going to get from the rest of the top players but Deng is the wildcard. If he can become a top-line scorer for the Bulls, which would mean about 18 points a game, than Chicago can contend with the other top three teams in the East.
Celebrity crush from the city: This was frickin hard. I could have taken Jennifer Beals, Bonnie Hunt (don’t hate), Salli Richardson, Drew Sidora, Lisa Guerrera and a variety of others.
However, you can’t go wrong with LisaRaye and Tempest Bledsoe. LisaRaye just because and Tempest because your boy had a major crush on her during the Cosby Show years and she is still beautiful today. I can’t decide.
Coaching: Tom Thibodeau is finally a head coach but expectations are going to be very high for him.
After a successful tenure as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics, the defensive guru will take his skills to Chicago. The Bulls do have three guys with the potential to be defensive strengths in Deng, Rose and Noah. However, he will have to do some work with Boozer.
Some men are meant to be just NBA assistants and not the lead coach. The Bulls are hoping that Thibodeau isn’t this guy.
First memory of team: Michael Jordan dominating the Knicks. I’m still haunted by game five of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals. Jordan played a darn near perfect game, which as an opposing fan was inspiring if you put the hate aside, but the game will be remembered more for being the “Charles Smith game.” Just dunk the frickin ball Charles!
Best case: Eastern Conference finals.
Worst case: Dropped in the first round of the playoffs.
Uniform grade: Its hard to not like the simple red, black and white uniforms. They’ve kept the same uniform scheme for the past 20 years or so, only including the black uniforms in the 1990’s. I would like to see them return to the script writing of Chicago on the road uniforms but overall, this is a good outfit. Grade: B+
Overall outlook: The Bulls are going to have a good season. However, after making the playoffs the last two seasons, fans are expecting more than just being a seven seed and getting swept by Orlando. However, the overall landscape of the East has changed with numerous teams improving. Chicago is still behind the top three teams but above the rest of the conference. Does that translate into a successful season?
Those are my thoughts, what about yours?
2010 Backdoor Cut Previews:
Atlantic Division
Central Division
The Sports Inquirer 
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