Chicago Bulls Are Getting Healthier at Right Time

As the NBA Playoffs approach, the Chicago Bulls are beginning to get healthier. This past weekend, Bulls forward Taj Gibson returned to the lineup and contributed 13 points in 18 minutes. The 5th year pro demonstrated his full recovery from a sprained left ankle Saturday night in Detroit. In Monday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets, Bulls wingman Jimmy Butler returned, scored 19 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and dished one assist in 39 minutes of play.

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The NBA Playoffs are just less than a month away, and the Bulls have two of three formerly injured players currently active. This past weekend, they received positive news as it related to the recovery time of Derrick Rose.

“It’s just step-by-step,” said head coach Thibodeau. “The first week is just range of motion, strengthening the knee, and then you progress from there. He’s doing just about everything now, except the contact.”

The Bulls are expecting to have Rose back by the time the NBA Playoffs start, maybe sooner. Many Chicagoans, Bulls fans, and the players themselves believe that the team can make a deep run in the 2014-2015 NBA Playoffs. And especially if their roster is complete by April 18th, the official start date of postseason ball.

When the Chicago Bulls have had their full starting lineup this season, the team is 15-4. With that incredible record, many would be led to believe this team has no flaws, but not all is revealed in a successful record. History has also shown us that regular season success holds no bearing on postseason success. The Bulls’ ability to protect the paint and correct their turnover issues has been inconsistent during the regular season. In the last five games, the Bulls have allowed 174 points in the paint, and the team is currently 11th in the league in points allowed.

The Bulls were once noticed for their stiffling defense and rebounding, but it appears that the team has exchanged defense and rebounding for offense. Despite the team’s struggles this season, they have locked up a playoff spot and are in the process of getting their entire roster 100 percent healthy, but if the Bulls want to be NBA Champions, they have to become a system team. Atlanta, San Antonio, and Golden State are three teams that never take bad shots, share the basketball and look like true title contenders.

The Bulls have the capability to exploit each match-up advantage that they have on the basketball court. They would also be better suited by pushing the tempo and playing at a much faster pace. Playing faster in the full court exerts more pressure on the defense. Rose has plenty of weapons this season, and I feel he should average more than 10 assists per game based on the multitude of different options he has at his disposal. With an effective post player in Pau Gasol and multiple shooters to spread the floor, it affords Rose the opportunity to choose his options as point guard.

With the multitude of shooters that the Bulls have on their roster, in Doug McDermott, Tony Snell, Mike Dunleavy, and Nikola Mirotic, an inside-outside offense would perform best. These shooters could play off of Gasol in the post to give them easier shots. The Bulls have the tools to make a deep playoff run, but it’s not about what you have on paper. It’s about how you put it together and if each player on the court plays a role to meet the team’s ultimate goal. Teams with these tendencies are normally successful. This week’s 116-103 win over the Toronto Raptors has given the Bulls a one-game lead over the Raptors for the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls don’t play until Saturday night against the New York Knicks, but they are getting healthy at the right time.

Next: Post-Game Grades For Bulls Win Over Hornets

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