by Dan's Brain on Mon May 30, 2011 7:00 pm
Ugh. Well, I've made a token appearance to give my final thoughts on the season that was. As soon as I realised that the Bulls weren't going to completely annihilate the Pacers, my championship hopes began to dwindle. It feels even worse that it was Miami that knocked them out. Anyone else and I wouldnt have had to cry myself to sleep.
I'll try to evaluate the key figures in the Bulls' organisation on their performance this year.
G.M. - Paxson/Forman: A.
Their past offseason was absolutely remarkable. Their most underrated moves (bringing in Korver, Watson, Brewer and bringing over Asik) turned out to be arguably more pivotal than their marquee signing of Carlos Boozer. Their staffing moves were unquestionably the best in the league. You have to wonder now, if there was a better option than Booz for the money he got. David Lee springs to mind. Just as defensively skilled as Boozer, but more energetic, more durable and younger. His effort never leaves you wondering. That's the only move that keeps this from being an A+
Coach: Thibodeau A.
The best year by a rookie coach in a long, long time. He somehow managed to out-defense Gregg Popovich, just by demanding a level of intensity that was unparalleled anywhere in the league. His starting front-court never really had the opportunity to synchronise with injuries to the two bigs, but the team still landed the best record in the league. Most telling, was his willingness to bench Boozer for his lack of spirit on the defensive end. It was a hard decision, but it was the right one. Offensively, work still needs to be done. The pick-and-roll is great, but another weapon or two is needed to make this a good offence.
The actual players (in order of excellence)
Derrick Rose: A+.
He barely put a foot wrong throughout the season, coming up huge when it counted and improving just about every part of his game. His bewildering assurances that he could be MVP were shocking to all of us to say the least, especially when you consider how much humility he had always acquitted himself with. But he put his money where his mouth was and showed all of us what he was capable of. Hopefully, the playoff defeat will sting and he'll continue to work on his outside shot and his defense over the off-season.
Luol Deng: A.
Tough not to bump this up to an A+. Proved the naysayers (me included) wrong, with his stellar play on both ends of the court. He was probably the most consistent player on the team, night in and night out. Not getting a spot on the All-Defensive team is a travesty. Hell, he probably deserved an All-Star berth, but whatevs. I think that he, and the team, would be best served if he can be a little more aggressive.
Taj Gibson: A-
Not Noah? Not Boozer? No, dammit! Gibson continued on from his solid rookie campaign, by doing exactly what he did last year, but with more regularity. I think he realised his role a lot better, and didnt try to do too much on the offensive end. He was ready to give his all when asked and his defensive workrate and proficiency allowed Thibodeau to keep Boozer on the bench to close out games without risking exposure. Further work on his low post moves would give the Bulls another option going forward, which can only be helpful.
Kyle Korver: B.
Took some time to acclimate himself to the Bulls' system, really only hitting his stride after the midpoint of the year. Would have benefited from spending more time on the court with Derrick Rose as he would have found more open looks. Still, hit a couple of big game-winners, and had some momentary hot streaks, but lacked the consistency needed to increase his grade.
Ronnie Brewer: B.
I'm still not convinced that he should have been the starter. I loved his energy, his ability to get deflections and shut down lanes, but he still belonged with the second unit, as they would have been severely lacking in that regard. Anyway, he did what was asked and did it well. He was never spectacular and never had huge nights. Just got the job done. Which was fine.
Joakim Noah: B.
Missed 34 games and still lands a B. Was on All-Star pace to begin the season, and probably would have got there if it hadn't been for his stupid, stupid hand. He seemed slightly out of sorts when he returned from injury, and lost the big-game mindset. He's capable of 20-20 games, but he's also capable of committing silly fouls. All he really needs is an injury-free pre-season and regular season. Just to let him find some continuity at the offensive end.
Carlos Boozer: C+
He was looking good for a while there, but his late season slump coincided with Noah's return from injury, which is worryingly coincidental. Offensively, when he's playing well and is motivated, then he's just what the doctor ordered. But he just seemed to lose confidence in himself around March/April. When his offense isn't firing, then he's a major liability. His defensive efforts were just this side of woeful, and with the exception of a handful of games, he wasnt able to assert himself on the offensive glass. I don't really know what to suggest for areas of improvement. Too early to look at trade avenues, but something may need to be done.
Omer Asik: C+
I love this kid, and was very happy when the deadline passed and he wasn't moved. We saw enough to suggest that he can be a solid contributor next year whether he remains with the team or not. He's fun to watch, performs surprisingly well against big name opponents (Dwight Howard) and he provides depth at a position where the Bulls sorely need it.
C.J. Watson: C+
His opportunities were always going to be limited playing behind Derrick Rose, but he made the most of them. Never really posted big numbers, but has a pretty decent IQ and can find his teammates when required.
Kurt Thomas: C+
Ended up being much more important to the cause than was probably anticipated after Noah went down. Good solid big man. Awesome, crazy eyes and by all accounts, a good locker room presence.
Keith Bogans: C
Gets a pass grade because he did what was expected of him. No more, no less. He shouldn't be a starter on an elite NBA team, and probably wont be next year, but I dont think having Brewer or Korver as the starter is the right answer either. They need someone who is a full-time career starter who has a stronger offensive game than defensive game.
Brian Scalabrine: C
The world's greatest living human being, who possibly could have seen more court time with Boozer's late season slump. But yeah, it's just nice to have him there.
Next:
The Bulls have 2 late first rounders, which I think should be included in some sort of a trade for a better quality of starting swingman. J-Rich could work or Iggy, if the Sixers want to hand the reins over to Evan Turner earlier than expected.
I'd have to agree with pretty much all counts, I might grade Korver slightly lower because of his inconsistency but he was still a great pickup, he just didn't have it going in the Conference Finals when it really could have helped. It did seem that Noah's hand wasn't quite right when he returned, atimes he appeared to have trouble securing rebounds he'd normally snare with ease. Boozer's disappearance in the later stages of the Playoffs is troubling but hopefully his turf toe was a major factor there, I'd like to think he's capable of more solid performances when healthier.
