Since losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers last month, the Chicago Bulls have already gone through a series of changes, one of those being the firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau and hiring of Fred Hoiberg. The Bulls, that were once known for their defense, are now possibly looking at a change to their system offensively, and their roster may get adjusted this offseason to incorporate players that are better suited to meet the demands of the new system Hoiberg plans to implement.
Ball movement has been one of the main strengths for the Bulls in years past, and it was this past season as well. In their six playoff defeats, the Bulls averaged just 19 assists per game, and in their six wins they averaged 26 per game.
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Ball movement is the key to their success, and (at times last season) the Bulls have shown the tendency to hinder their own ball movement. As a result the team went through scoring droughts on plenty of occasions during the regular season and playoffs.
After suffering another injury in February, Derrick Rose returned to the court in the last few games of the season, scoring 20 points per game and dishing 6.5 assists per game. Seeing Rose perform at the level that he did in the postseason was a huge plus for a Bulls team that lost him for the last three years of their postseason runs.
A question the Bulls will definitely have to address this offseason is the re-signing of Jimmy Butler. Butler is expected to be offered a max contract from many teams around the league, and the Bulls will have to match any offer if they plan on keeping the All-Star, who led the team in scoring this season at 20 points per game.
The Bulls will also have to figure out if they want to re-sign Mike Dunleavy or Aaron Brooks, as both players will be free agents come July 1st. The topic that’s been circulating the web for the past week, is will the Bulls trade away Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson in order to upgrade at the center and forward positions? According to Chicago Sun-Times writer Joe Cowley, Noah could be moved this offseason.
With Hoiberg’s uptempo offense, half-court players like Noah and Gibson will not fit the new system that he plans to insert next season, which is the primary reason that Noah and Gibson are rumored to be traded in the offseason or even at the NBA trade deadline.
Noah had knee surgery on his left knee last May, and many around the NBA feel he didn’t fully recover from the surgery.
Depending on who Gibson and Noah will be traded for, the Bulls will more than likely have a good enough roster to compete in the Eastern Conference with Nikola Mirotic, Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol, Tony Snell, and Doug McDermott all likely to return next season. The Bulls will have a much more efficient system if Hoiberg succeeds in having the same level of success with his system as he did with Iowa State.
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