Depth Steadies Bulls With Stars Missing Action

Some teams are bitten by the injury bug. The last few years the Chicago Bulls have been attacked by a swarm of Africanized injury bees. This season is young yet, but it’s been the same story already. Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, and Taj Gibson have already missed time with injury and Joakim Noah has been sidelined for two games with illness. But despite the personnel losses Chicago is sitting at 4-1 and finding ways to grind out wins. Their schedule has been favorable, but the reason Chicago was able to remain relatively unscathed after their first week was the depth of the roster.

In years past injuries have left the Bulls with no real options. Head coach Tom Thibodeau loves to preach his “next man up” mantra when faced with a depleted roster, but this is the first year of his tenure that the philosophy actually holds water. The shrewd moves of the front office in the offseason are the reason why.

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Signing Pau Gasol was the biggest move the Bulls made this summer, and he’s been great, averaging over 18 points and 10 rebounds to go along with 2.6 blocks in 35 minutes a night. His ability to play both front court positions has an element of depth in itself. But the other additions to the roster have been just as important.

Trading two mid-first round picks to snag Doug McDermott has proven fruitful even if the numbers don’t show it. He’s been up-and-down, with two double-digit scoring performances mixed in with three duds, and he’s shooting only 25% from deep. But even when his shots aren’t falling the baby-faced rookie has to be respected. Defenders are wary of leaving him open, providing the Bulls with essential floor spacing. His minutes have declined since Butler’s return, but with him sidelined in the season opener McDermott scored 12 points and hit two three-pointers in a season-high 24 minutes.

Fellow rookie Nikola Mirotic has given the Bulls good minutes in the absence of Gibson and Noah, too. Like McDermott his numbers aren’t eye-popping. He’s averaging just 5.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17 minutes. But he plays hard, has been better than expected defensively, and is shooting 50% from three-point range. And he was a big reason Chicago was able to leave Minneapolis with a 106-105 victory last week. With Gibson out, Mirotic turned in 12 points and 8 rebounds in a season-high 28 minutes. Playing time will be hard to come by in a talented frontcourt, but Mirotic has shown that he’s ready to contribute when his number is called.

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The backcourt is the area where depth has been needed most, and the reserves have delivered. Kirk Hinrich didn’t play particularly well for Chicago last year, and many fans were displeased when the Bulls brought him back. The player option at just under $3 million for next year may not have been ideal, but Hinrich has been vital to the grind-it-out wins Chicago has accrued thus far. Filling in for both Rose and Butler, Hinrich has chipped in with 11 points per game and countless positive plays that don’t show up in the stat sheet. The hard-nosed defender plays smart basketball, and in close games Thibodeau trusts him. He hit several big shots down the stretch against Cleveland in a 20-point outing, and in a close contest with Milwaukee Thibodeau elected to use him with Rose and Butler to close out the game.

Aaron Brooks has been vital to the success of the Bulls as well. In the two games Rose missed Brooks averaged 14.5 points and 6.5 assists. He’s shooting 61.5% from deep and 50% from the field overall. He’s run the offense well, and has been a handful in the high pick-and-roll. The Bulls will be conservative with Rose all year. Any injury, however minor, will be treated with caution. The offseason signings of Brooks and Hinrich give Chicago viable options and dependable contributors in his absence.

The San Antonio Spurs have showed us that having a deep bench is crucial to postseason success. Despite Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, and Tony Parker missing a combined 36 games the Spurs were able to earn home court advantage throughout the playoffs. That advantage proved to be critical against Oklahoma City, and even against Miami in the finals. Already this season Chicago’s depth has allowed them to win close games they probably would have lost in the past. It’s a long season but these games are important nonetheless. Having a game 7 in Chicago rather than Cleveland could be the difference between a trip to the finals and another lost season in Chicago’s championship window.

**Unless stated otherwise, all statistics attained from www.basketball-reference.com