Chicago Bulls: Bold Predictions For 2014-15 Season

1.) Chicago will lead the league in rebounds AND blocked shots

Leading the league in rebounds and blocked shots is no easy task, but the Chicago Bulls have the personnel to get it done. Chicago finished 7^th in blocked shots last year, even with Carlos Boozer starting at power forward. In eight preseason games, Pau Gasol blocked 19 shots. Boozer blocked just 92 shots in four years as a Bull. Throw in Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, and Derrick Rose, who blocked 51 shots in his last full season, and the Bulls have what it takes to lead the league.

Leading the league in rebounds will be tougher, but again, Chicago’s personnel make it doable. They don’t get much of a boost here with Gasol over Boozer, but with the length of the 7-foot Spaniard, Noah, and Gibson, Chicago is capable of dominating the boards on a nightly basis. Chicago led the league in offensive rebounds as well as total rebounds as recently as 2011-12 and have consistently been one of the best defensive teams in the association under Tom Thibodeau. There will be plenty of rebounds to be had, the Bulls just have to grab them.

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2.) Taj Gibson will win Sixth Man of the Year

As far as the “bold” scale goes, this one barely registers. Nevertheless, Taj Gibson will take home the award he deserved last year. Even with Gasol on board Gibson will play a big role for the Chicago Bulls. With 96 minutes to dole out to the frontcourt Gibson is sure to see at least 30. He’s improved statistically each year in the league, recording career-highs in points (13.0) and rebounds (6.8) in his latest campaign. Now that he’s become a legitimate threat on the block and out to 15-feet it’s possible his scoring could see a marginal increase, but even if his numbers hover around the same marks his tremendous defense coupled with the steady offensive production on a winning team makes him the favorite.

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3.) Jimmy Butler will win Defensive Player of the Year

This one is pretty bold. Since 1990 only two perimeter players (Gary Payton and Metta World Peace) have won DPOY honors, and it will take a lot for Butler to convince voters that he makes more of an impact than a shot blocking big man. He will do just that. Entering his fourth year in the league Butler is already known as a lockdown defender. That type of reputation resonates with voters. In addition, his steal, block, and defensive win share numbers have risen in each of his previous three years. Those figures will climb again this year with the combination of Butler’s progression and workload.

He’ll have plenty of opportunities to make an impression on voters, too. The Chicago Bulls are on national television 25 times this year, tied for most in the league. He’ll miss the season opener against the Knicks, but the Bulls will be on the national stage four times against Cleveland, twice against the Lakers, and once more against the Knicks. Butler has given Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James fits in the past. In fact, the legend of Jimmy Butler really began when he limited Bryant to 16 points on 7-22 shooting back in 2013. He’ll have a couple of those defensive performances against the greats this season, probably on national television, that will further heighten the hype. The Bulls will be a very good defensive team, and though he may lose some votes to his teammate Joakim Noah, this is the year Butler emerges as the Defensive Player of the Year.

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4.) Joakim Noah will record 5×5 game

Joakim Noah has had some pretty spectacular games. But triple doubles and 20-20 outputs have been done. This year he’ll join the elite 5×5 club. With his all-around game Noah is capable of stuffing the stat sheet, and he’ll do it on plenty of occasions this year. On one of those occasions he’ll record at least five points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in the same game, making him the ninth player to accomplish such a feat. In a related not-so-bold prediction, the Bulls will win the game.

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5.) The Bulls will finish with the best record in the league

The Thunder will be without Kevin Durant for a chunk of the season, the Spurs will be conservative with their aging stars, and the Cavaliers will experience some growing pains as they establish definitive roles under a new coach. The Bulls treat every regular season game like a playoff elimination game. Whether that attitude will be a detriment to their health come playoff time remains to be seen but the Chicago Bulls will finish with the league’s best record and have home court advantage throughout their time in the postseason.

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