This past week of the season has easily been the worst of the Bulls’ season so far, with the Bulls going 2-2. The Bulls got wins over the Washington Wizards and New York Knicks, neither of which is a very good team. The Bulls lost to two of the better teams in the Eastern Conference in the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers.
One thing that has become clear to me coming out of this past week of the season is that the Bulls will need Luol Deng to be healthy if they want to win the championship this year. They have a great player in Derrick Rose along with a great defense, which will allow them to compete with anyone on a nightly basis, but in the long run, I just don’t see them having a winning formula over the long run of the playoffs.
Against Miami, it was kind of amazing the way the Bulls got back into the game, as it was one of those games where it seemed like Miami had control of the game throughout. If the Bulls want to win a championship this year, they will have to go through Miami at some point in the playoffs, and as evidenced by this game, without Luol Deng, the Bulls will really struggle to guard Lebron James.
The game against the 76ers highlighted how the Bulls really miss Deng on the offensive end against good defensive teams (something that I would assume would also come up against Miami over the course of a seven game series). Since Thibodeau has been the coach of the Bulls, Deng has really stepped up into a role of second option, not being afraid to shoot when he receives the ball. He isn’t always the most efficient scorer, but Deng’s willingness to try to score is a lot better than the hesitation shown by his replacements when they get the ball.
If Deng can’t stay healthy for the playoffs, I don’t foresee the Bulls necessarily being an easy out. But once the Bulls get into the second round and have to face the Pacers, 76ers, or even the Heat, it’s not going to be an easy series for the Bulls by any means. Even if the Bulls escaped the second round, it would just get even more and more difficult as the level of competition rises in the conference finals and finals.
Could Bulls really get Dwight Howard?
Additionally this week, Dwight Howard said that he would be fine with playing with Derrick Rose in Chicago. If Dwight Howard is getting good advice from his agent, Chicago should be where he should want to end up.
No matter what the Bulls have to give up in the trade, whether it is Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, or all three, the Bulls should come out of the trade a better team. Pairing the best point guard in the game with the best center in the game would undoubtedly be a winning combination. Compound that by pairing the best defensive player in the game, who is also a center – which means he can anchor a defense, with the best defensive coach in the league, and now things are just getting scary.
The Bulls would be the clear cut favorites for most of the next decade with Rose and Howard, and that would most likely mean multiple championships. Even if Dwight Howard would always be No. 2 in the heart of Chicago fans, getting four, five championships is going to be a lot better for his legacy and marketability than zero in New Jersey or Orlando.
No team is better prepared to trade away a lot of their team, and still be ready to compete than the Bulls are. If they trade Luol Deng, there’s still Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver. If they trade Carlos Boozer, there’s still Taj Gibson. If they trade Joakim Noah…well they already will have his replacement in Dwight Howard.
The Bulls also will have Nikola Mirotic coming over for likely the start of the 2013-2014 season. Mirotic would be a tremendous fit next to Dwight Howard, as Howard would occupy the paint on offense, while Mirotic tends to play closer to the perimeter, ala Dirk Nowitzki.
If there is any shred of a chance the Bulls can get Dwight Howard, they need to do it. Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard are enough to make a dynasty, and a chance to build a dynasty is something that should neither be passed up by the Bulls management, or Dwight Howard.
Week in Review: Bulls Missing Deng, Dwight Howard Speculation
This past week of the season has easily been the worst of the Bulls’ season so far, with the Bulls going 2-2. The Bulls got wins over the Washington Wizards and New York Knicks, neither of which is a very good team. The Bulls lost to two of the better teams in the Eastern Conference in the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers.
One thing that has become clear to me coming out of this past week of the season is that the Bulls will need Luol Deng to be healthy if they want to win the championship this year. They have a great player in Derrick Rose along with a great defense, which will allow them to compete with anyone on a nightly basis, but in the long run, I just don’t see them having a winning formula over the long run of the playoffs.
Against Miami, it was kind of amazing the way the Bulls got back into the game, as it was one of those games where it seemed like Miami had control of the game throughout. If the Bulls want to win a championship this year, they will have to go through Miami at some point in the playoffs, and as evidenced by this game, without Luol Deng, the Bulls will really struggle to guard Lebron James.
The game against the 76ers highlighted how the Bulls really miss Deng on the offensive end against good defensive teams (something that I would assume would also come up against Miami over the course of a seven game series). Since Thibodeau has been the coach of the Bulls, Deng has really stepped up into a role of second option, not being afraid to shoot when he receives the ball. He isn’t always the most efficient scorer, but Deng’s willingness to try to score is a lot better than the hesitation shown by his replacements when they get the ball.
If Deng can’t stay healthy for the playoffs, I don’t foresee the Bulls necessarily being an easy out. But once the Bulls get into the second round and have to face the Pacers, 76ers, or even the Heat, it’s not going to be an easy series for the Bulls by any means. Even if the Bulls escaped the second round, it would just get even more and more difficult as the level of competition rises in the conference finals and finals.
Could Bulls really get Dwight Howard?
Additionally this week, Dwight Howard said that he would be fine with playing with Derrick Rose in Chicago. If Dwight Howard is getting good advice from his agent, Chicago should be where he should want to end up.
No matter what the Bulls have to give up in the trade, whether it is Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, or all three, the Bulls should come out of the trade a better team. Pairing the best point guard in the game with the best center in the game would undoubtedly be a winning combination. Compound that by pairing the best defensive player in the game, who is also a center – which means he can anchor a defense, with the best defensive coach in the league, and now things are just getting scary.
The Bulls would be the clear cut favorites for most of the next decade with Rose and Howard, and that would most likely mean multiple championships. Even if Dwight Howard would always be No. 2 in the heart of Chicago fans, getting four, five championships is going to be a lot better for his legacy and marketability than zero in New Jersey or Orlando.
No team is better prepared to trade away a lot of their team, and still be ready to compete than the Bulls are. If they trade Luol Deng, there’s still Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver. If they trade Carlos Boozer, there’s still Taj Gibson. If they trade Joakim Noah…well they already will have his replacement in Dwight Howard.
The Bulls also will have Nikola Mirotic coming over for likely the start of the 2013-2014 season. Mirotic would be a tremendous fit next to Dwight Howard, as Howard would occupy the paint on offense, while Mirotic tends to play closer to the perimeter, ala Dirk Nowitzki.
If there is any shred of a chance the Bulls can get Dwight Howard, they need to do it. Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard are enough to make a dynasty, and a chance to build a dynasty is something that should neither be passed up by the Bulls management, or Dwight Howard.