Before the season started, I predicted the Bulls would finish second or third in the East. (Because they finished with the third-best record, I still consider this to be correct.) I had two reasons in mind: one was the addition of Ben Wallace, which really didn’t seem to help near as much as I expected. Beyond Wallace, I assumed the core of players the Bulls rely upon is going to get a year older, a year more familiar with their teammates, and a year better.
That’s what happened, and it really is remarkable how patience is rewarded with dealing with teams that aren’t old, like this year’s Heat. The Pistons are a great example of this; they’ve kept the same nucleus for four or five years and play as one seamless unit; the Spurs are another. Even the woeful Knicks showed a marked improvement this year after keeping virtually the same team together. So it should be no surprise that all three of Chicago’s three young guns kicked it up a notch this year. I expect this to continue with the future, as long as this group is kept together, both they and the team will keep improving.
…Did you know Kirk Hinrich is already 26 years old? Neither did I. It’s not horrible (we’ve got enough “potential” teases on the roster anyway), but despite Hinrich’s improvements this season, I expected more consistency from a player quickly nearing his prime. Hinrich started out absolutely horrible, racking up turnovers and unable to shoot whatsoever, but he managed to rebound quite well by season’s end. He also seemed to suffer from A-Roditis in the playoffs, especially against Detroit. When there was no pressure, he played superbly, but when it mattered (in the first two games and in the last one, but particularly in 4th quarters), he seemed less likely to find the open man and more likely to take a bad shot or turn it over, although he wasn’t the only one doing those last two things against Detroit. However, I’m confident that this is something that will go away with experience; in addition it’s important to note that this is Hinrich’s first season with the starting PG job in a few years now that Duhon’s back to the bench.With all this in mind, it might be time to consider Hinrich more of a complementary player than a star, given his age, limited athleticism and good-but-not-great shooting stroke. But as the emotional leader of the team and a fan favorite, I don’t see Captain Kirk going anywhere in the near or distant future.
Given Ben Gordon’s dynamite offensive skills, it’s always puzzled me why he hasn’t scored more than he has, especially because he doesn’t bring much else to the table besides his scoring (he is a better defender than he’s given credit for, as long as he’s not matched up against tough guys like, say… Chauncey Billups). He’s also the only guy on the Bulls who can create his own shot reliably, even though sometimes it just seems like he’s the only one with the guts to try and fail. He’s got the quickness to blow by most defenders, it’s just that he can’t finish in the lane well enough (I was blown away when I learned that he can’t dunk very easily), and his 45.5% shooting marks confirm that. He shot 41% from three, though. I can’t imagine how the Bulls would have gotten by this year without his instant offense.I’m still very optimistic on Gordon’s future, and it would really help if the Bulls could find someone who could score from the low post and draw attention away from Gordon, who could bomb away from three much easier if he’s not the #1 scoring option. So, like Hinrich, it seems like Gordon probably won't be the multi-dimensional superstar we all hoped for. If only he was three inches taller…
I’ll admit it; I was never a really big Luol Deng fan until just before this season. I was in love with Nocioni and thought Deng didn’t deserve some of the minutes he took from Nocioni. I wasn’t really sure what he brought to the table.
But then I learned something right before this season started that really changed my mind. Deng has grown two inches since he was drafted. It all makes sense! The lack of offensive moves, the fact that his arms look way too long for his body… we’re just scratching the surface of what we’re going to see from 21 year-old Luol Deng.
Sure enough, Deng took a major step forward this season and positioned himself as a true franchise player, someone to build around. Paxson recognized this and refused to give him up for Gasol, and that’s a move I defend. Gasol would have helped, but we’d also be losing our best player in the process (and probably others).
After this season, there’s no debate that Deng is the Bulls’ best player, but I still have no idea how he does it. He scored 18 points a game and led the Bulls in shooting percentage despite not really having a post game or being the focal point of the offense. In an effort to raise his efficiency, he stopped shooting threes altogether, abandoning them in favor of loads of 20-22 footers which went in as if they were free throws.It’s easy to see exactly where Deng can improve, and the guy can still make some huge strides. Watching Tayshaun Prince use his length offensively in the post in the Pistons series shows that someone with Deng’s build can still have lots of success down low, so look for Luol to work on that over the off-season; the Bulls could really use him down on the blocks. And while those extremely long 2s are all fine and good when they go in, they’re a very low percentage shot and it’s a lot more economical to just take a step back and shoot threes to get that extra point. Hopefully Deng can expand his range and have some more confidence from beyond the arc. Taking a step back and shooting 3s instead of long 2s should add 2 or 3 points to his scoring average alone.
The refusal to pull the trigger on a Pau Gasol deal is still getting a lot of flak even now, but I support the decision. This kid’s only 21 years old; he’s still growing into his body. Deng’s not flashy, he’ll put up a 20-8-5 and no one may notice until afterwards, but he provides the consistency this young, streaky, and inconstent team could not possibly survive without.
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