Brandon Roy and the Blazers have started the 2010-11 NBA season in phenomenal fashion and look to have their first 4-0 start in 11 years against the Bulls while the Bulls have began 1-1 without their key summer acquisition, Carlos Boozer who is out with a broken hand.

Can the Bulls end the trail?

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The Bulls could win the game but they need more offensive production from Luol Deng and whoever starts at the two-guard, although I hope it’s not Keith Bogans. Through two games, Luol Deng is averaging 11 points in 31 minutes per game while Bogans is averaging 2.5 points in 29.5 minutes a game.

This is not enough for the Bulls to keep winning. If Derrick Rose has to score 28 points in a loss and 39 for a comeback win, he is going to get tired awfully soon in the season. When Boozer comes back sometime in the next five-to-six weeks, he’ll have help, but it won’t matter if he is exhausted from carrying the team. With this said, Deng and Bogans have to step up and take some of the scoring pressure off of D-Rose.

Defensively, the Bulls have to improve their help defense. Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder drove right past Deng a couple of different times for dunks and easy lay-ups without any big man presence on Wednesday.

Also on defense, they have to get hands in the face of the shooters. Ex-Bull and current Detroit Piston Ben Gordon scorched the net against the Bulls on Saturday going perfect from the field, free-throw line and three-point line until the fourth quarter. He finished with 21 points, all made in his perfect streak.

The Trailblazers have multiple offensive scoring threats besides Brandon Roy. LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum and Rudy Fernandez call all put the ball in the hoop while players such as Marcus Camby and Andre Miller will rebound, assist and do the things needed to make it hard for the Bulls to beat them.

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Camby-Noah is going to be an interesting match-up because they play similar styles since both are defense first, energy boost type of players. Noah is a little better offensively because he works hard to get offensive rebounds, which could swing the match-up in his favor.

My biggest concern is Brandon Roy of course because of Bogans lack of defensive skill. Gordon murdered Bogans every time he touched the ball and so did Durant when Bogans played him. Sure, Durant is one of the best scorers in the league and Gordon can be when he wants to but Bogans hardly makes an effort which surprises me because coach Tom Thibodeau is all about defense.

Bogans can’t stop a player with a quick first step or a step back jumper; Roy has both.

In order for the Bulls to win this game:

Rose will have to have at least 30 points.

Noah will have to have his third straight double-double while being sick because he is listed with having the flu.

Deng and Bogans need to show up on both sides of the ball.

Kyle Korver needs to get more than 16 minutes and five touches.

James Johnson will have to continue to be spark off the bench such as he was against the Pistons.

Until the Bulls two-headed of point guard Derrick Rose and center Joakim Noah did what they needed to do to in the fourth quarter to not only get the Bulls back into the game, but walk away with a 10 point victory after being down by 21 points.

The turning point: Chicago outscored the Pistons 34-9 in the fourth quarter to get their first win and even their season record 1-1.

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At first the game started as a back and forth battle with the teams trading baskets back and forth. Then the Pistons started the second quarter with an offensive onslaught, while the Bulls couldn’t muster a point unless it was from Derrick Rose. Halfway through the second quarter the Pistons were leading by 16-points, 44-28. At one point, the Pistons went on a 16-2 run.

Most of the Piston’s early offensive performance can be accredited to ex-Bull Ben Gordon, who before he missed a shot in the fourth quarter, scorched the net with 5-of-5 shooting from the field, 10-of-10 from the free-throw line and 1-of-1 from the three-point line for 21 points. After his first miss, he went cold coming up empty on his last five attempts.

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With 1:01 left in the third, the Bulls cut the lead to 10, but the Pistons battled to regain a 15-point lead by the end of the quarter.

If there is anything the Bulls don’t lack, it’s character and dedication to getting victories. In the fourth quarter, Rose finally got scoring help with Brian Scalabrine, C.J. Watson, James Johnson and Kyle Korver all hitting jump shots, including three-pointers by Korver and Johnson.

Rose was fouled a few times to add some free points, Taj Gibson threw down a slam dunk and Noah grabbed offensive rebounds and scored on put backs.

The defense and offense came together, the turnovers were skimmed down and Rose wasn’t the only one putting points on the board.

Grand Result: WIN.

Rose went for 39-points, seven assists, six rebounds, two steals, two blocks and seven turnovers. Noah had his second double-double of the season (only the second game of the season) with 15 points and 17 rebounds and also helped with three blocks. Gibson was the only other Bull in double figures with 11 points.

Next up for the Bulls is a home game against the Portland Trailblazers at 7 p.m. central Nov. 1 at the United Center.

This should be a winnable game for the Bulls if:

Defense is at a high level- which it was for three quarters against the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday

Stop hacking-OKC shot 44 free throws compared to Chicago’s 22.

Turnovers- Chicago gave up the ball four times in the fourth quarter, three of them led to OKC points, including two fast break dunks.

Scoring-Someone other than Derrick Rose has to score for the Bulls.

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Detroit doesn’t play defense except for Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton, who will probably be on Luol Deng and whoever is at the two-guard. I’m hoping Kyle Korver gets the start, but it could be Keith Bogans, who got the start against the Thunder.

If the Bulls take care of the ball on offense and defend the Pistons scorers such as Prince, Hamilton and Ben Gordon, and do a better job with help defense, Chicago gets the W.

After a disappointing game against the Thunder, in which the Bulls laid an egg in the fourth quarter, they should be determined to beat a poor Pistons team.

Detroit Pistons at Chicago Bulls–Bulls win because the D holds the Pistons.

Other games on Oct. 30

Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks–The Hawks are 2-0 and will remain undefeated.

Sacramento Kings at Cleveland Cavaliers–Tough game to choose, but I’m sticking with my upset team of the season, Sacramento

Portland Trailblazers at New York Knicks–Portland has too much talent for Amare Stoudemire to compete against, Blazers win

Philadelphia 76ers at Indiana Pacers–Another tough one, but Danny Granger and Darren Collison will pull out the win.

Minnesota Timberwolves at Memphis Grizzlies–Grizzlies have improved over the past two years, they get the nod.

Denver Nuggets at Houston Rockets–The Nuggets are playing good ball, with Carmelo Anthony proving he is an elite player, Nuggets.

Charlotte Bobcats at Milwaukee Bucks-Battle of two rising teams, I can’t pick against the central division in a situation such as this, Fear the Deer, for one game at least.

New Orleans Hornets at San Antonio Spurs–Tim Duncan and company are rolling and it’s at home, no doubt they get the W.

Yesterday I was horrible with a 4-8 record

Things which went as expected:

The Hawks beat the 76ers because they’re more talented and the same things go with the match-ups the Thunder, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers met up with.

Things which went wrong:

The Miami Heat downed the Orlando Magic to prove me terribly wrong because I thought the Magic were ready to take the Eastern Conference.

Blake Griffin is putting up numbers with the Los Angeles Clippers, but the stats are not winning games as they fall to the Golden State Warriors.

After owning the Heat, the Cleveland Cavaliers fall to the Toronto Raptors.

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The New Jersey Nets, Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves win games, I thought would go the other way, while the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets lose games they win easily on paper.

Submit your picks in the comment box or email me at brandon.lachance@bullshome.com.

Since the 1998-1999 season, Chicago has seen a mass amount of players come and go. Some were drafted then traded to get a veteran who could help the team. The veteran retired after a season or two or moved on after failing to bring the bulls to a winning season. We all know how the roster played musical names in the early 2000′s.

Even though the team went through a long rebuilding period, there was still enough solid players to form a top ten, especially since the team has been to the playoffs five of the last six years.

This top 10 includes Bulls players from the 1998-1999 season to the 2009-2010 season. I would like to consider Carlos Boozer  or Kyle Korver, but they haven’t played a game as a Bull.  With this said, lets get to the Top 10 Bulls After Jordan and Pippen Left.

Honorable Mention: Eddy Curry, John Salmons, Tyson Chandler and if he would not have been on his motorcycle, Jay Williams.

10:  JAMAL CRAWFORD 2000-2004

Crawford played with the Bulls for his first four years in the league. He battled Williams and other point guards for minutes, but he used his minutes to his advantage to market himself for other teams. During his final season as a Bull, 2003-2004, he averaged 17 points and five assists a game while leading all Bulls in points.

9: Brad Miller 2000-2002 and 2008-2010

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Miller has had two stints with the Bulls, both were for a season and a half. He brought much needed toughness  and a soft scoring touch to the Bulls front court. In the playoffs two seasons ago, he hit a couple of big threes to extend the epic first round series against the Boston Celtics.

8: Ron Artest 1999-2002

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Before he was fighting in Detroit or winning championships with the Lakers, Artest was the backbone of the Chicago Bulls defense. He led the team in steals for three consecutive series.

7: Elton Brand 1999-2001

Brand only played for the Bulls two years, 1999-2000 and 2000-2001. As a rookie, he led the Bulls with 20 points a game and 10 rebounds. To this day, he is the only big man Chicago could rely on for points in the paint.

6: Joakim Noah 2007-present

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Noah is the new version of Dennis Rodman. He devotes his body to getting rebounds and diving on the court for loose balls.  He has led the team in boards two of his three seasons,  second in his rookie season, and led the NBA for more than half of the 2009-2010 season as he averaged a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds a game.

5: Luol Deng 2004-present

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Deng has averaged double digits points per game in each of his six seasons as a Bull. He has also grabbed five or more rebounds a game including seven per contest in the 2009-2010 season. He has been the x-factor for the Bulls and a reliable second or third option during his entire stay.

4: Jalen Rose  2001-2004

Rose was the first star to play for the Bulls after Jordan and Pippen left. He had been in Reggie Miller’s shadow in Indiana for his entire career before he came to Chicago. In his two full seasons, he led the team with 23 and 22 points a game. He also averaged five assist and grabbed four rebounds a game.

3: Kirk Hinrich 2003-2010

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Hinrich is the longest tenure player since the post Jordan/Pippen era. He led the team in assists for five consecutive years and scored in the top four on the team for five years. During his stay in Chicago, he was the best perimeter defender on the team and one of the best shooters.

2: Ben Gordon 2004-2009

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Gordon led the Bulls in scoring in each of the five years he was on the team. He was the go to guy and the only premier shooter the Bulls have had.  If he wasn’t on the team, the Bulls would have never pushed the Celtics two years ago, because he was the fire power matching up against Boston’s Ray Allen.

1: Derrick Rose 2008-present

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In two seasons, Rose has done more than any other Bull has since 1998. He won the rookie of the year award and was the first player from Chicago named to NBA all-star team since Jordan in 1998. Derrick is the first franchise player, someone they can build a team around, the Bulls  have had in this time period. He doesn’t only put up stats and bring home awards but he is also the first sign of hope to returning the Bulls as an elite team in the NBA.

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Brewer has signed a three year deal with the Bulls for $12.5 million.

He began last season with the Jazz, then was handed over to Memphis where he only played five games, so in my book he is coming from the Jazz.

Brewer has only been in the league four seasons. He is youthful and still productive.  It’s satisfying that the Bulls are going after young talent instead of veterans who are past their prime.  He isn’t a dynamic scorer but will add 10 to 15 points a game.  With Boozer and Derrick Rose getting most the looks, his scoring average will work well with the Bulls.

The best part about Brewer is he can defend.  Head Coach Tom Thibodeau had to have something to do with this signing because Brewer will definitely help out his defensive traps and zones.

Brewer is an athletic 6’7, 227 pound guard who will get in a players face.  The Bulls traded their premier defender, Kirk Hinrich, so Brewer is much needed.

Oh, did I mention he is a legitimate shooting guard.  The Bulls haven’t had one of those since Ben Gordon left after the 2008-2009 season.  This past season, Hinrich played the two guard role, but he is a pure point guard. The Bulls are finally figuring out how to form a roster.

This is a good move for the Bulls roster and their check book.  They didn’t over pay him such as they did with Boozer. Brewer brings youth, a shooting guard, strong defensive skill set and he has experience playing with two other new Bulls.

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When the Bulls traded John Salmons and Tyrus Thomas, I believed they had a strong chance of picking up one of the two and turning the Bulls into a deep playoff threat instead of a first round out. 

Then I read Chicago Bull’s blogger Sam Smith’s post about the Bulls opting for plan C.  I have changed my mind.

Smith is right.  One big name player could change the climate of a team, but it could fail too.  Chris Bosh has been playing with Hedu Turkoglu and a bunch of scrubs.  Dwayne Wade has been playing with Michael Beasly, an up and comer with plenty of talent, and then a bunch of scrubs.

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Smith did state, the Bulls do have a strong nucleus of Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson, so they would be a formatable change for Wade or Bosh.

In our society, everything revolves around money.  In the NBA it is called a salary cap. With the cap, the Bulls could only get one of these players and would probably have to lose a Hakim Warrick, Brad Miller, Ronald Murray and maybe a few others or different players.

The back bone of the Bulls would be gone.  There would be a strong starting five, but no depth to back up injuries or foul trouble.

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Put in Smith’s plan C.  Smith is right, trading Kirk Hinrich for Monta Ellis, James Johnson and the number one pick from the Thomas trade.  Throw in another Golden State Warrior to add with Ellis to not make it extremely one sided and it is a great deal.  Of course, the Bulls could then drop the extra or package him in some other trade.

Ellis would be the 2010 Ben Gordon.  He can slash in the inside, can hit the long trey, runs the fast break well, plays D and averages five assists a game on a bad team.  I would love to see Ellis and Rose in the Chicago backcourt. 

The next part of Smith’s plan C is to pick up New York’s David Lee.  Perfect!  Lee is an athletic big men who can score, rebound and defend in the post.  Adding him to the roster would mean the starting five would have the hustling, blocking, ball hawking  Naoh and a scoring, technicaly sound Lee.

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Also, there would be money left over to resign one of the role players the Bulls would not want to draft. 

I am still in favor of seeing Bosh or Wade in a Chicago uniform.  This might not be a great financially idea for the Bulls, though.  This could simply be my bias for the Bulls to have another extremely impactful player. 

However,  I do see the value in Smith’s plan C.  This would mean the Bulls would have three All-Star caliber players in Rose, Lee and Ellis and possibly Noah.  Deng would complete the package being the all around talent he is and there would be good players coming off the bench. 

This is a great idea.

Anyway, those were Chicago’s staples of success in the 90′s. Most Chicago Bulls fans were acquired in the Jordan era and some have jumped off the band wagon since he left. The team still goes on and new players and goals come into place. The 2000′s had a few real bad years and some promising ones; some decent play makers and some horrible ones.

With that said, lets take a look to see what the Chicago Bulls have done for the past decade with a summary of each year including, all-stars, draft picks, big news, coaching changes and final results.

2000-2001

The decade began with the Bulls trying to landa free agent star to build a team around. Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady and Eddie Jones were the players teams were looking at with high interest. None of them came to Chicago.

On the Bulls website, Reinsdorf is quoted to say it wasn’t Chicago but the other places were more compatible with what they wanted in their career.

The free agents they did get, Brad Miller and Ron Mercer, were viewed as role players. They helped the cause but they didn’t feel a team could be built around them.

Either way, the Bulls didn’t get the free agents they hoped for and relied on the draft to help the roster. They had two solid sophomores returning in 99-00, including,  co-rookie of the year Elton Brand (shared it with Steve Francis) and Ron Artest.

The Bulls had the youngest average age in NBA history with 22.9. The most experienced player on the team was 5 year veteran Fred Hoiberg who did little to nothing. Between the draft and d day trades they received 8 players.

With the fourth pick of a weak draft, the Chicago Bulls drafted Marcus Fizer. His rookie year he average 9.5 points and 4 rebounds. The 24th pick of the draft, Dalibor Bagaric, never got off the garbage time squad. In a draft day trade, the Bulls acquired Jamal Crawford from the Cleveland Cavaliers for Chris Mihm. Crawford shared minutes with Hoiberg and and second year guard Bryce Drew while Fizer sat on the bench waiting for Brand to give him minutes.

The young inexperienced Bulls fell to a depressing 15-67 record, the worst in Chicago Bulls history. They broke a string of bad team records. The two that sticks out the most would have to be a 25 game road losing streak and the home sell out streak stopped at 610.

Brand led the team with 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. The few bright spots were; Marcus Fizer named to the 2nd All Rookie team. Brand (as a sophomore) and one of the many rookies Khalid El-Amin played in the rookie game at All Star Weekend.

2001-2002

The past season had looked like a rebuilding project only thought to add a few more wins than 15 and advance the skills of Brand, Artest andMiller. This did not happen as all three of them were dealt away. The switch was turned from rebuild with youthto new direction with veterans as the season dragged on.

First the Bulls used their fourth pick in the draft to select center Eddy Curry straight out of high school. Then in what most fans called a shock or disappointment, the Bulls traded Elton Brand, (the nucleus of last years team) to the L.A. Clippers for another high school center Tyson Chandler. In the second round of the draft the Bulls took Trenton Hassel.

The Bulls struggled again with their young athletic squad, finishing the season with a 21-61 record. With these bad performances piling up, Head Coach Tim Floyd resigned on Christmas Eve with a 49-109 overall record in four seasons. Bill Berry filled in for four days until former starting center for the Bulls, Bill Cartwright took over.

In February, the Bulls took a makeover route to acquire experience. In a massive 7 player trade, the Bulls sent Miller, Artest, Ron Mercer and Kevin Ollie to Central Division rival Indiana Pacers for Jalen Rose, Travis Best and Norman Richardson.

After the trade, Rose was pronounced a team captain and leader in attempts to build a structure of the young players on the Bulls. Rose, in a interview on the Bulls team website, said he was happy with the trade and ready for the challenge.

“I’m excited about it,” Rose said. “I embrace the opportunity. Every kid dreams about standing in this position talking about having an opportunity to take a team to a championship level.”

The transition seemed to work out as the Bulls had their first 3-game winning streak in two years.

Bill Cartwright was extended as head coach for 3 years and Fizer played in the All-star rookie game as a sophomore. Also, Hassel was named as rookie of the month. Rose led the team with 24 points and 5 assists a game. Miller grabbed the most boards with 8.4 a game.

2002-2003

There was massive amounts of hope for the 7 player trade to bring the Bulls to a respectable position in the league and maybe even a winning season.

With the 2nd overall pick in the draft, the Bulls picked up Duke point guard Jay Williams who was known for his offensive awareness and a high octane scoring punch. The Bulls also added Roger Mason Jr. and Lonnie Baxter in the draft. Chicago’s free agency adventures landed them 9 year veteran Donyell Marshall.

With Williams and Rose in the back court, the Bulls had a one-two combo who could match athletic ability and skill with any other duo in the league. Picking up Marshall brought a 3-point shooter with a solid NBA body who could play the 3 or 4.

The lottery draft picks, trades and free agent contract signers did not help. The Bulls continued their losing ways. They started the season 2-0 for the first time since 96-97. After the 2 wins, the Bulls crumbled, winning one more game in the next 39. They did get it together throughout the end of the season but it was too late as they finished with a 30-52 record.

Having 4 losing seasons and becoming an old man (64), Jerry Krause retires as executive. He was responsible for building the championship Bulls during their two 3-peats in the 90′s and was named NBA executive of the year twice.

Team owner, Reinsdorf, had worked with Krause for many years and said he was sad to see him go in an interview on the Bulls website.

“Jerry Krauseis one of a kind,” Reinsdorfstated. “He brought with him a vision of how to build a champion and he proceeded to create one of the most dominant champions of all time. No basketball fan in America can begin to imagine the World Champion Chicago Bulls without his imprint.”

Former Bulls point guard John Paxson was named as Executive Vice President to succeed Krause a week later. He helped the Bulls win their first 3-peat, then retired as a player in 1994. Paxson was then hired as an assistant coach andhelped the team to a NBA record 72-10 season. After coaching along side Phil Jackson, he resigned to pursue a career in radio broadcast for the Bulls. Paxson has been involved with the Bulls since 1985 as a player, coach and now a suite.

In an interview with Bulls.com, Paxson proclaimed what Chicago has meant to him and how happy he is to manage the team.

“I am really excited to accept this challenge andlook forward to working with the basketball operations staff,” said Paxson. “The Bulls organization has meant a lot to me over the years and getting the chance to help lead the team back to the upper echelon of the NBA is a true honor.”

As a rookie, Williams recorded a triple-double with 26 points, 13 assists and 14 rebounds. This feat helped secure him as a very valuable player for the Bulls. Williams averaged 10 points and 5 assists through out the season. Rose once again led the team with 22 points and 5 assists a game. Marshall made his big body useful grabbing 9 rebounds a game.

In December, Williams was named rookie of the month and was on the All Rookie 2nd team at the end of the season . He also played in the rookie game at All Star Weekend with Tyson Chandler.

2003-2004

The 2003-2004 season was much like the year before. Trades and draft picks built a roster with young athletes and experienced veterans. There was excitement that hadn’t been around the Bulls since they won championships. Unfortunately, the rest of the season shaped up the same as well. Promising players were no longer in the red uniforms and the men who tried to teach them the game were no longer standing on the sideline.

Kirk Hinrich, from Kansas, was added to the roster with the 7th pick. Hinrich, a decent defender and offensive set up man was collected after Williams was listed as out for the season after a summer motorcycle accident. Also, Hinrich would take some ball handling duties from Rose to lighten his load.

Then in a free agent move bringing the fans murmur of enthusiasm to a roar; Scottie Pippen was once again a Chicago Bull. Pippen played for the Bulls for 11 years and was a key piece to the six championships. He was also named as one of the 5o Greatest NBA Players and was a 7-time All-Star. Nearing the end of his career.

Pippen, in an interview on the Bulls website, said came back to his original stomping ground to help the team turn around their losing ways and grow a proper mental aspect for the game.

“I think I know how to win games in the NBA. It may sound simple, but both winning and losing can become a mindset, and I won’t accept losing—ever. Whether it’s on the floor, in the huddle, at practice or just demonstrating a winning leadership, I plan on helping this team win,” said Pippen.

The pick-ups didn’t seem to change anything on the scoreboard. The Bulls started to a 4-10 season. The record helped shove another coach out the door as Cartwright was pulled off the sidelines. His replacement would be ex-NBA player Scott Skiles.

Skiles was a point guard for 5 different teams between 1986-to-1996. Skiles currently holds the NBA record for most assists in a game when he dished out 30 during a game in 1990. The same year he was named the most improved player of the year. After his playing career had ended he was an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns before he took a two year break from the league. The head coaching job for the Chicago Bulls was a challenge pursuing enough to get him back on the sideline.

Now it was time for the big trade. The Bulls sent Jalen Rose, Donyell Marshal and Lonnie Baxter to the Toronto Raptors for Antonio Davis, Chris Jefferies and Jerome Williams.

The Bulls struggled to a 23-59 record. But as last year hoped for the positives to accumulate to next year. The few things that did look like a contender was being formed is when Jamal Crawford dropped 50 points in a game and Hinrich turned out to be an assist machine. His 7 assists a game ranked him number 7 in the league and helped him become the only rookie to post a triple-double. He was named to the All Rookie First Team and played in the rookie All-Star game.

Crawford led the team with 17 points a game and added 5 assist. The new Bull, Davis, and Tyson Chandler both grabbed 8 rebounds a game.

2004-2005

The end of the 2005 season was the best in 6 years as they finally made it to the play-offs. Skiles defensive focus turned out to be a change the underachieving Bulls had needed.

Paxton helped out Skiles on the other side of the ball by drafting UCON’s net scorcher Ben Gordon with the third pick. Then acquired Duke’s one and done Luol Deng in a previous arranged trade. In the second round, the Bulls selected another Duke player in point-guard Chris Duhon.

Then Paxson signed and traded last years leading scorer, Jamal Crawford. Paston saved money and got some experienced big men out of the deal. Crawford and Jerome Williams were dealt to the New York Knicks for Dikembe Mutombo, Othella Harrington and to make sure there was still a Williams on the team, Frank Williams.

Shortly after the trade, honored veteran and one of Chicago’s most loved athletes, Scottie Pippen chose to retire after 17 years in the NBA.

The Bulls also picked up Argentina’s Andres Nocioni. A foreign prospect who had played for 4 oversea teams but never a squad in the NBA.

0-9 was the Bulls starting record that sent those chilling memories of past wasted seasons but Skiles and the Bulls proved they were not the under showing team they had once been. In January they went a league best 13-3 and by the All-Star break in February they were at a .500 record.

The defense was the main component for these victories. The team held 26 consecutive opponents under 100 points to set a positive franchise record. All the records set previously in the decade were all negatively showing bad performances.

Deng and Gordon were named to the All Rookie first team. Gordan was the first rookie to ever be named NBA Sixth man of the year and rookie of the month for three consecutive months. The two star rookies were joined by Kirk Hinrich in the All-Star Rookie Game.

The team had finally made a team with the intangibles, mindset and athletic ability Paxson had been trying to do. Skiles coaching regime added the extra pieces to get them to the play-offs. He was named Eastern Conference Coach of the month in January.

The team was 2nd in the league in average attendance and posted 11 consecutive United Center sellouts to close out their productive year. Although they did get eliminated in the first round by the Washington Wizards, the Bulls showed a promising future.

The Bulls had a inside-outside balanced offense as Hinrich and Eddy Curry both averaged 16 points a game. Hinrich also led the team with 6 assists and 2 steals a game and for the 2nd year in a row Chandler and Davis dominated the Bulls rebounding stats.

2005-2006

In this season, the Bulls showed the previous year was not a fluke. They made it back to the play-offs on the efforts of their young talented team gaining a few years of experience. Gordon, Hinrich, Deng, Nocioni  and Chandler developed into a team with all the individual pieces knowing what part of the game they needed to perfect for the Bulls to win.

In previous years, they had bad records so they knew they didn’t have the right piece to the championship puzzle. With the reach of the same success level and all signs looking towards better in the future, the Bulls decided to keep expiring contracts.

Scott Skiles was offered an extension and re-signed. Chandler andHarrington resigned. Curry was signed to a new contract but then traded with Antonio Davis to the New York Knicks for Michael Sweetney, Tim Thomas and Jermaine Jackson, a first round pick and 2 second round selections.

Curry was becoming slow and not developing further from last season and Davis was nearing the end of his career. The trade gave them a front court youth in Sweetney, a scoring veteran in Thomas and 4 additional pieces.

Gordon continued to became an offensive presence and moved to the top of the Bulls go to guy list. He made 9 three pointers in two games. The first game he set the franchise record with how many 3′s made. The second game he posted a perfect 9-of-9 from downtown matching an NBA record for 3 pointers made without a miss.

Deng, Gordon and Nocioni all played in the Rookie All-Star game. Coach Skiles was named Eastern Conference of the Monthfor the second year as he helped his team earn 2nd highest attendance record in the NBA and selling out 20 regular season games

In the first roundof the play-offs they met a Miami Heat team with superstars Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O’Neal. The Bulls lost the series 4-2 but showed valiant effort. The Heat went on to win the championship.

Gordon led the team with 17 points while Hinrich average 16 points per game. Hinrichled the team for the second consecutive year with 6 assists and Chandler had the most rebounds for the third consecutive season with 9.

2006-2007

The Bulls wanted to build on the success from the last 2 years. Some of the players who had helped them reach the playoffs wanted large contracts. Instead of losing money by paying these players or losing the player with no equal or better value in return, the Bulls made trades. They signed a few cagey veterans and in the draft they went for an athletic defensive players.

The Bulls originally had drafted LaMarcus Aldridge from Texas but traded him to Portland Trailblazers for their fourthround pick of LSU’s Tyrus Thomas. In the trade they had also picked up Rodney Carney but traded him on draft day for Thabo Sefolosha, a native of Switzerland.

Then came the renovation. Ben Wallace was signed in free agency to be an inside defensive presence and Adrian Griffin to be the same on the perimeter. Othella Harrington was cut. Chandler was traded to the New Orleans Hornets for ring searching veteran P.J. Brown and J.R Smith. Smith was then traded to the Denver Nuggets for Howard Eisley and 2 second round draft picks. Deng and Gordon’s option was picked up and Hinrich’s contract was extended to a multi-year deal.

The first game of the regular season was a sign of how good of a team they have become when they defeated the defending NBA champion Miami Heat 108-66. The same Heat team who eliminated them in the first round a year ago. The 42 point deficit was the largest a defending championship team had given up on opening night in league history.

They went on to the playoffs for the third consecutive season after finishing with 49 victories, the most since the Bulls 1998 championship season. In a payback series, the Bulls swept the defending champion Miami Heat 4-0 and advanced to the semifinals where they met the Detroit Pistons. Detroit took out the bulls in a 4-2 series. During the season, the Bulls sold out all 41 home games and their 5 hosted playoff contests.

Thomas took part in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest and Gordon participated with other Chicagoan athletes in the Shooting Star Competition. Hinrich and Wallace were named to the NBA All Defense 2nd team and Thomas on the All Rookie 2ndteam. Deng was honored with the Sportsmanship of the Year Award for his donations and community service efforts off of the court.

Gordon (21 points per game), Deng (19) and Hinrich (16) all added their input offensively. Hinrichput up the most assists with 6 for the third consecutive year. Wallace did exactly what Paxson and Skiles wanted him to do.  He led the team in defense and hustle averaging 10.5 rebounds and 2 blocks a game.

2007-2008

A trip to the semi-finals made getting to the playoffs a necessity for the Bulls.  Everyone connected to the organization and the city of Chicago were now back to being Bulls fans.  When they won games, it was the OK, they can survive in the post-Jordan era.  When they lost, it was,  they will never win without Jordan. 

Head Coach Scott Skiles probably heard this continuously during his run on the Bulls side line.  Unfortunately for Skiles,  the pressure of bringing the Bulls to prominence caught up to him as he was let go after 4 years.  

Skiles was fired on Christmas Eve, and Jim Boylan was hired within days as the interim head coach. 

The Bulls finished 33-49 and did not make it to the playoffs after making it the previous 3 seasons.

Of course, the Bulls made roster changes in the off-season. University of Flordia’s JoakimNoah was drafted with a high lottery pick and Pittsburgh’s Aaron Gray was chosen in the second round.

Joe Smith was signed in free agency andthen traded with Ben Wallace and a 2009 second roundpick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Shannon Brown and Cedric Simmons.  Adrian Griffin was also traded to the Seattle Super Sonics.

The Bulls looked forward to reach to their previous plateau of the semi-finals and hopefully move past it.  Helping out the Bulls would be a number one draft pick and the hiring of a new commander.

2008-2009

Paxson chose point guard Derrick Rose from the  University of Memphis with the number one overall pick.  Rose a native of Chicago came back home to play ball.

Vinny Del Negro was hired as the 17th head coach of the Chicago Bulls.  Del Negro played in the NBA from 1988 to 2001.  After his final season he covered the Phoenix Suns on the radio. 

Rose came ready to play as he lived up to expectations.  He led the team with 6 assists a game and was the third leading scorer, behind Ben Gordon and John Salmons.  He was named the Rookie of the Year and was placed on the All Rookie Team.

Brad Miller returned to the Bulls half way through the season in a trade with Sacramento Kings.  John Salmons joined Miller as new Bulls, while Drew Gooden, Andres Nocioni and Cedrick Simmons went to the Kings.

The Bulls went 41-41 and earned a 7th seed in the playoffs.  The defending champion Boston Celtics were their match up.  Their All Star, Kevin Garnett, was banged up so the Bulls were able to bang inside more than normal but it wasn’t enough.

Ben Gordon showed how he led the Bulls in scoring for 4 consecutive years against the Celtics. Gordon and Boston’s Ray Allen traded three point baskets the entire 7 game series.  It seemed like every game ended after an overtime or two.  The series has been labeled epic and one of the best in the history of the NBA.

Ending the season with a huge playoff series gave Chicago another dose of high expectations going into the 2009-2010 season.

2009-2010

At the current time,  the Bulls are not living up to the standards they have set for themselves the last few years.  Instead of playing 500 ball. they are sitting in the bottom tier of the NBA ranks with a 11-17 record.

In the off-season they drafted small forward James Johnson from Wake Forest and Taj Gibson from USC.

Bull’s lost their biggest offensive threat when Ben Gordon signed with the Detroit Pistons in free agency.  There was a dispute on whether the Bulls even offered him a contract. 

The team seems to be in turmoil with allegations of Del Negro losing his job because of his team not playing for him.

The season is young and the usual Christmas Eve firing has not happened.  Hopefully for the ultimate fan, the team can turn their season around and make it back to the playoffs.  The Bulls do show promise during some games but lack drive in others.  If the first option becomes consistent, there is talent to make a deep run.

The Bulls were able to pretty much dominate the game from the tip-off.  The starting line up featured only one player from last year, Luol Deng.  Number one pick Derrick Rose won the starting role at point guard during the preseason and Thabo Sefosha the shooting guard spot.  Rose got the most minutes at guard, scoring 11 point and contributing nine assists.  Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich each filled in well of the bench, scoring a combined 33 points and 10 assist.

As for down low, Drew Gooden and Tyrus Thomas pretty much stole the show.  Gooden held second year center Andruw Bogut to just nine points in 25 minutes, while scoring 13 points and grabbing eight boards himself.  Tyrus Thomas played all but 34 seconds.  He recorded his first double-double of the season, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.  Joakim Noah was able to offer his defensive presence off the bench as usual, grabbing 6 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in 19 minutes.

In the end, the Bulls pretty much dominated the Bucks.  The Bulls beat the Bucks almost every stat that matters.

Looking ahead to the Boston Celtics on Friday, the Bulls will need similar stats in order to win.  Tyrus Thomas will have the tough task of guarding all-star Kevin Garnett, and will need to keep his head in the game on both offense and deffenese.

ESPN/Getty Images

1. Vinny del Negro: This will be Vinny del Negro’s first game as a coach in the NBA, let alone the head coach of one of the league’s youngest teams.  The Bulls line up is filled with plenty of potential.  Their are a number of young guys on this roster that could be potential stars in the NBA, it will be interesting to see how he handles the squad.
2. Derrick Rose: This will be Rose’s first attempt at running team’s point.  This is also a home game, meaning he will be playing in front of plenty of family and friends.  We all remember the last time the Bulls drafted a hometown boy (see Eddy Curry).  Rose will also have the tough task of guarding one of the leagues best point guards of all time, Jason Kid.  It will be interesting to see Rose’s role in his first game and how he gets the rest of the guys involved.
3. Overload at Guard:  The Bulls have a long list of guards, all of whom could be worthy of playing time: Rose, Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Thabo Sefolosha and Larry Hughes.  John Paxson has already stated the Bulls will develop Rose into a team leader at point guard this season, so he should get plenty of playing time.  Gordon has always been a great sixth man of the bench, so look for him to get those end of the game minutes when the game counts if he can reduce his turnovers.  Hinrich has been the captain of this team for a few years now.  He has always played tough defense, but his lack of shooting last year is a major concern.  Look for him to play against opponents top scoring threats. Sefolosha also has the backing of Paxson, as the Bulls would like to see him develop into a top scoring threat.  With Gordon likely leaving next summer, the Bulls will need to look for someone to replace the leading scorer of the previous three seasons.  As for Hughes, he is one of the Bulls few veterans.  His experience should be key to teaching these young players.  He also has a knack for playing tough defense, and could get some big minutes late in the game. It should be interesting to see how del Negro handles this situation.
4. Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah: Thomas and Noah combined, would be one great player.  Thomas is a savvy, quick offense player, who has a knack for finding lanes to get open away from the ball.  Noah plays hard nosed defense, and thrives on getting second chance shoots by getting garbage boards.  Del Negro has been public about Noah’s poor performance in summer league, and if he is healthy enough to play it will be interesting to see his role.  As for Thomas, don’t be surprised if you see him receive an ally oop pass from Rose.
5. Ben Gordon’s role: After failing to come to agreement on a long term deal two summers in a row now, it would be surprising if he stays with the Bulls after this season.  Gordon has lead the Bulls in scoring every year in his career, so his shooting ability will be needed.  Knowing that is probably not a long term option after this season, the Bulls would like to develop their young guys so it will be interesting to see how Gordon fits into the rotation.  Like I stated above though, I would like to see him off the bench.

This first game should be an interesting test for the entire Chicago Bulls team.  From the rookie coach to rookie point guard, it should be an interesting game to watch.  There will be a lot to learn in the first game, and even though the Bulls have plenty of players to figure out playing time for that is not necessarily a bad thing.

He must sign the one year, $6.4 million dollar contract by Wednesday to become an unrestricted free agent.  This will be the second straight offseason Gordon and the bulls have been unable to come to contract terms.  Last year Gordon turned down a 5 year deal worth around $50 million.

This leaves some interesting questions to what Ben Gordon’s role will be with Chicago this season.  The Bulls have a young bunch of players who need a lot of playing time in order to continue to develop individually and as a team. As been Gordon will most likely only be with the team one more year, it will be interesting to see how rookie head coach Vinny del Negro will work him into the lineup.

The Bulls were unable to come to a sign and deal trade with Gordon and other teams this off season, but perhaps his name will come up in trade talks again around the trade deadline if it becomes apparent he will not return next off season.