Chicago Bulls Roster Much Better Than 2011 Season, But Is Derrick Rose The Same Player?
Whether we admit it or not, the Chicago Bulls roster is much better this year than in 2011, when it nabbed 62 wins during the regular season, good for top seed in the East.
Apparently, the Bulls were not experienced enough to beat the best of them, and that includes the 2011 version of the Miami Heat, starring Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.
This year will be different though as Windy City will not rely on just one primary offensive player and a couple of supportive ones. With the insertion of Pau Gasol in the lineup, the Bulls immediately form the best twin tower combination for the upcoming season. Joakim Noah may not have a shooting touch from outside, but he is solid down low, especially when passing to his team mates.
Meanwhile, Gasol will stretch the floor for the Bulls with his outside shooting. Other players who will definitely contribute include rookies Nikola Mirotic (Euro-league) and Doug McDermott (two USA Team training camps) who both share solid experience in competing with the big boys.
Of course coach Thibodeau's defensive experts in Taj Gibson, Jimmy Butler and Kirk Hinrich are still in the roster, together with back-up scorers Aaron Brooks and sophomore Tony Snell, who performed remarkably during this year's Summer League in Vegas.
The only question now would be Derrick Rose. For the past two years, we have been aching to see the old Rose dominate the court like he used to do.
He did play last season, but his performance was mediocre at best.
In this year's FIBA World Cup, we once again had the opportunity to see Rose bring back his old form. But it never happened. The most points he scored in that tournament was 12 points in a game where shooting Warriors guard Klay Thompson posted 20 markers.
Surely, Rose will not have the offensive burden he once had in 2011, but in order to win it all and overcome the LeBron James wall for the Bulls, he should strive to get back to his MVP form.