What to Do, Chicago Bulls

The 2007 playoffs exposed a few needs for the Chicago Bulls. First and foremost is the total lack of any sort of inside game. When Skiles resorted to playing Fat Michael Sweetney during the Pistons series, I took it as a sign of defeat. It was essentially a white flag, with Skiles admitting he had nothing to throw back at Detroit. This goes hand in hand with the Bulls’ second major flaw. The Bulls commitment to their drive-and-kick offense leaves the Bulls at a huge disadvantage if they aren’t hitting their jumpers. Furthermore, if you aren’t getting the expected production from Gordon and Hinrich, their defensive inadequacies become magnified. Hinrich is a tenacious defender, no doubt about that, but due to Gordon’s height (and defensive failures) he is often forced to guard the opposing team’s big guard. And no matter how good of a defender Kirk Hinrich is, he can’t do anything to grow taller. Lastly, I feel that this year’s rookies (Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha) were unfortunately stunted during the season. As we will see, these two players’ development is of the utmost importance if the Bulls are to truly contend for the NBA Championship. In the days ahead, I’ll address what I think needs to be done if the Bulls want to win next year.