Chicago Bulls Point Guard Aaron Brooks Must Improve in his Expanded Role Next Season

ESPN writer Marc Stein reported on Tuesday that the Chicago Bulls have received a verbal agreement from point guard Aaron Brooks to return to Chicago for another season. Brooks was the primary backup for Derrick Rose last season and served the Bulls well as an offensive spark coming off the bench. However, the Bulls need him to step up his game next season in order to justify his new contract. Brooks disappeared in the playoffs last year and that can’t happen again if the Bulls hope to win an NBA championship.

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Last season, Hinrich averaged 24.4 minutes per game because he was one of Tom Thibodeau’s most trusted players. With Thibodeau being replaced by Fred Hoiberg earlier this summer, it is reasonable to assume that Hinrich’s minute totals will be dramatically reduced; this will open up more playing time for Aaron Brooks. Derrick Rose will continue to get his minutes, however, it is unlikely that his minute load will beat his averages under Thibodeau. There is going to be significantly more playing time for Brooks even if Rose stays healthy for an entire season.

The Chicago Bulls have the option to waive the other point guard on their roster E’Twaun Moore before July 25 without penalty. There has been no indication by the franchise regarding what they plan to do with Moore this summer. He could be an option moving forward, however, Brooks will likely stay ahead of Moore on the depth chart.

With the continued uncertainty surrounding Derrick Rose because of his history of injuries and Kirk Hinrich’s ineffectiveness at this stage in his career, Aaron Brooks needs to prove that he can shoulder an expanded role on this team. He has proven capable of producing good numbers in the regular season, however, the playoffs were a different story. The true value of re-signing Brooks depends on his performance in the playoffs next season.

Apr 25, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Jerryd Bayless (19) tries to get around Chicago Bulls guard Aaron Brooks (0) in the second quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

During the playoffs last season, Aaron Brooks averaged 4.5 points per game on 34.4 percent from the field. According to basketball reference, Brooks’ player efficiency rating during the playoffs was 6.80; even lower than Hinrich’s 6.82 PER during the regular season (League average PER is 15). His true shooting percentage was 42.1, down from over 53 percent from the regular season. The bad shooting resulted from a lack of aggression by Brooks. Over 42 percent of his shot attempts during the playoffs last season were three-pointers. In contrast, only 34 percent of his shot attempts came from within ten feet of the basket. It is tough to shoot for a high percentage and reciprocate regular season averages when such a large percentage of his shots were from long distances. Brooks willingness to settle during the playoffs suggests his lack of confidence and complacency when it matters most. This is something that he needs to improve on this season.

Besides his lack of scoring, Brooks needs to improve his defense. At 6’0″ and 161 pounds, he was never a good defender to begin with. However, he still managed to let bigger and slower guards drive on him simply because he doesn’t move his feet particularly well laterally on defense. In the playoffs, these weaknesses were further exposed. Of particular concern was the ability of opposing point guards to bully him in the paint, thus creating a collapse defensively as others tried to compensate. Even with an offensive-minded Hoiberg at the helm, the Chicago Bulls can’t afford to give him playing time in the playoffs if he is a liability defensively.

The Chicago Bulls took a calculated risk by re-signing Aaron Brooks. He will have an expanded role on this team next season, meaning he will have more of an impact on the game for a longer period. Brooks needs to improve his game because the Bulls can’t afford to have him play like he did last postseason. There were certainly better options for the Bulls at the backup point guard position. However, the Chicago Bulls front office decided that re-signing Aaron Brooks was their best option. Hopefully the front office, the coaching staff and Aaron Brooks himself makes the most out of the situation.

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