2011 NBA Draft: Bulls First Round Wrap Up

As of right now, it looks like the Bulls have finished wheeling and dealing as the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft has come to a close.

With all the names being thrown around and as many trades that take place on Draft Day, no one was actually sure of who the Bulls would end up with when the first round was all wrapped up on Thursday night.

But, at least for now, two names have been selected by the Bulls, though one of those names we will not see for a bit.

Officially, the Bulls kept the 28th pick. With that pick, they selected Norris Cole out of Cleveland State. But the proposed trade would see them swap that pick of Cole, and the 43rd overall pick on Thursday, with the Minnesota Timberwolves to move up and acquire Nikola Mirotic.

Mirotic is a Spanish player, who plays for Real Madrid in Spain, though it’s not the Real Madrid that any of us are used to hearing about. Most of what analysts have said of the 20-year-old Mirotic has been positive, despite the drawbacks of having to wait for him, given that Mirotic signed a five-year extension this year to stay in Spain.

He has good size, standing 6’10″, and has flashed enormous potential as a basketball player. He was awarded the Euroleague Rising Star award with Real Madrid this past season, after stealing a starting spot and breaking out in his role in Europe.

He’s noted as having a quick release and a smooth shot, with the only real drawbacks being his tendency to lack in motivation and athleticism, which also needs improvement. Luckily for the Bulls, those are a couple of easy fixes. It looks like they may have gotten a steal, when he does finally make his way over the U.S.

But the story that Bulls fans will love in this draft is that of Jimmy Butler, the Bulls 30th overall selection out of Marquette.

Many will compare Butler’s story to that of Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Michael Oher, in that like Oher’s story, which the film The Blindside was based off of, Butler was virtually homeless before being taken in by a more well-to-do family on a permanent basis. It was his new family (his biological mother kicked him out when he was 13) that convinced him to attend Marquette after a standout year at a junior college, mostly due to its academic reputation.

Butler was All-Big East honorable mention with the Golden Eagles in 2010-11, averaging almost 16 points and just a touch over six boards a game. He’s listed as a forward in most scouting reports, but at 6’7”, he could find his way into the rotation at shooting guard, as well as small forward for the Bulls.

At this point, it looks like the Bulls did well in their first round of the draft, and could be done for the night after trading that 43rd overall pick, once that ‘proposed’ deal becomes official. Stay tuned for more possible draft news, as well as deeper analysis of the Bulls’ two picks from the 2011 draft.

Bulls Season In Review: Derrick Rose

Before the season began, Derrick Rose wondered why he couldn’t be the NBA MVP. Most scoffed at the idea and went right back to discussing names like LeBron James and Dwight Howard. But early on, it was clear that Rose’s question, which came across as arrogant to some, was a perfectly valid one.

Derrick Rose didn’t have a summer. After the Bulls were knocked out of last year’s playoffs, Rose went to work preparing to represent Team USA at the FIBA World Championships in Turkey. Rose may not have been the breakout start of the tournament (that was Kevin Durant), but he saw big minutes on the USA squad that cruised to the gold medal.

Literally the day the team returned from Turkey, Rose was back in the gym. Jetlag and all, Rose returned to begin working out and watching film with newly hired Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau.

It didn’t take long before Rose’s hard work turned into success on the statsheet, but more importantly, wins for the Bulls. Rose septn the tnrie regular season providing us with incredible body-twisting layups and highlight reel dunks not seen in Chicago since You-Know-Who.

All of Rose’s stats saw a jump in 2010-11. His PPG average jumped from 20 to well over 25 points per. His assists per game swelled to nearly eight a game and he also grabbed four boards per. Those numbers, those highlights, and those 62 Bulls wins culminated in Derrick Rose being named MVP of the league, beating out names like LeBron, Durant, and Dirk Nowitzki.

Rose began to show signs of wear in the postseason, but still proved to the world why he was named MVP. He will the Bulls through their first round series, with some spectacular fourth quarter performances. It was more of the same against Atlanta in the second round, before Rose ultimately succumbed to a top notch defensive team in the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

What we can really chalk Derrick Rose’s performance in the Eastern Conference Finals up, along with great defense, is a lack of help. Though Rose’s body was beaten up by May, it’s unlikely even a healthy Rose would have been able to best that Miami defense by himself. Sure, he probably forced up too many bad shots, but no one else looked to be stepping up consistently as a second option.

Despite the incredible year that Rose had, the 22-year-old still has plenty of doubters. Many question the choice of Rose being named MVP and criticized his shot selection at the point guard spot. It’s definitely true that Rose still has growing up to do as a basketball player. It’s an over-used term, but he can only get better. With a work ethic like his and a coach, how could he not? If the Bulls land a second option on offense for Rose this summer, watch out MVP.

And as for those who said Rose was undeserving of such an honor, yes there were other guys that were worthy. It was almost a crap shoot this year for who could have been MVP. But you’d be hard-pressed to find a guy who willed his team to as many victories and provided the consistent, all-around game that Rose did this year, and will continue to build upon in the future.

Many have compared him to Allen Iverson after this season, claiming that he won the MVP out of shock and awe, rather than success. But with a better work ethic, better character, and a better base behind him, this is a kid who is going to be up for the award annually, just like the Chicago Bulls are now going to be considered a perennial championship contender.

Could The Bulls Swap Carlos Boozer For Golden State’s Monta Ellis?

You don’t need to be an NBA expert to know that Carlos Boozer‘s first season as a Bull can be labeled as a disappointment. The Bulls had hoped he would bring a strong scoring presence to the paint for Chicago when they signed him to a 5-year, $80 million deal last summer.

That never really happened. Boozer struggled to find offensive consistency and couldn’t maintain chemistry with his battery mate in the paint, Joakim Noah. His inconsistency really burned the Bulls in the postseason, when he disappeared on both ends of the court, and had many questioning whether or not Boozer was a good choice for the franchise.

Those questions weren’t new, though. When the Bulls signed Boozer, after missing out on the likes of free agent big men Amar’e Stoudemire and Chris Bosh, the questions about Boozer’s health and consistency were instantaneous. And he would prove both of those concerns to be valid over the course of his first season in the Windy City.

It’s because of those struggles in his one season that have left many wondering whether or not Boozer will be a Bull in the 2011-12 season (if there is a season). Despite the woes Boozer experienced this year, he did do some good things, which has left a rumored interest in him from some teams.

While many will hope one of those teams is Orlando, the Magic are reportedly interested in Boozer to pair with Dwight Howard, not to swap the two. But Orlando isn’t the only name that has popped up in these early-summer, and questionable, trade rumors. The Golden State Warriors are looking for a big man, and their biggest scoring threat just might be available.

While Warriors’ brass has shot down the rumors already, Monta Ellis‘ name has come up several times already this offseason, since the NBA finals ended just over a week ago. His name has come up in a possible deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, which would send Andre Iguodala to the Golden State.

But as ESPN’s Chris Broussard has already stated, the Bulls and Warriors have had talks about a possible deal at some point this summer. While that doesn’t mean much, given the fact that the Bulls may have simply inquired as to Ellis’ availability, it shows that the Bulls are serious about upgrading their lineup at the two-guard.

It’s pretty clear that the Bulls need a second scoring threat to pair with Derrick Rose. Boozer was a let down and Luol Deng isn’t a strong scoring presence. If the Bulls do upgrade their roster and find that scoring threat, it’s most likely going to be at shooting guard.

The 2010-11 season was the first season in which Ellis played 80 or more games, after playing just 89 combined the previous two seasons. He finished the season with just a touch over 24 points per game, to go along with the almost six dimes per.

Now if the Bulls are somehow able to pull off a deal for the 6′ 3″ shooting guard, it wouldn’t likely be a one-for-one swap with Boozer, as nice as that would be for the Bulls. Picks and role players could be involved in such a deal as well.

If the Bulls do deal for Ellis, the lineup would include he and Rose in the backcourt, Deng and Noah in their regular starting roles, and Taj Gibson likely moving into Boozer’s role, provided none of them get dealt as well.

At the end of the day, how likely is this trade to actually happen? Not very. The Warriors have been pretty adamant about not trading Ellis, and while honesty in regard to something like that is something rare in today’s sports world, the Bulls would likely have to give up a lot more than Boozer to get Ellis, and that’s something that Gar Forman and co. seem unlikely to do.

This Bulls squad isn’t in need of a facelift, it simply needs some tweaks. If they are able to unload Boozer for a two-guard anywhere near Ellis’ caliber, which would move Gibson in the starting role he has appeared to earn, then it would be the right deal. But until the right deal comes along for both sides, which would require the Bulls to move the minimum amount of players on their current roster, while also upgrading at the two, I doubt that make a Ellis-caliber splash.

Bulls Season In Review: Kyle Korver

In the somewhat mass exodus that took place out of Salt Lake City last summer, the Bulls wound up with three former members of the Utah Jazz’s roster. While the biggest name to come out of the three was Carlos Boozer, the Bulls’ signing of Kyle Korver was also a noteworthy one.

Korver was brought in for one purpose: to shoot the basketball. His career with both the Jazz, and the Philadelphia 76ers prior to his Utah days, demonstrated that Korver was an exceptional guy to have hanging out behind the three point line, whenever someone needed to hand it off.

Coming in with a career shooting percentage that hovered around the 40′s, Korver brought that same accuracy to the Bulls, even if it wasn’t always so obvious.

He did struggle a bit, just as Ronnie Brewer did, to not only fit with this Bulls team, but actually make his shots as well and demonstrate consistency. While the 42% he shot from beyond the arc this year is about on par with his career totals, it doesn’t quite match up with the 54% he dropped with Utah the previous season.

Korver did prove to be a key player for the Bulls, at times. He wasn’t a completely integral part of their offense all the time, but Korver proved to be a big part of the Bulls’ runs over the course of the 62 games they won, dropping the big shots from deep to put the proverbial dagger in the opposition.

He proved to be big time in the first round of the postseason, against the Indiana Pacers. Korver didn’t light up the scoreboard by any means, but he hit big shots in the fourth quarter throughout the five games of that series, as the Bulls never actually put away the Pacers in a convincing manner.

But after those shots against Indy, Korver was more of a negative aspect of Chicago’s series in the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat.

He shot just 7-of-22 in the series, including shooting 1-7 in Game 2. But perhaps the most frustrating aspect of Korver’s play in the postseason was the fact that Tom Thibodeau left him in in key moments to play defense on Dwyane Wade, even when Korver was failing to make shots.

However, despite his horrid performance against Miami, Korver can still be an asset to the Bulls, at least offensively. His shooting ability opens the game up for the Bulls’ no. 1 scoring threat, Derrick Rose. While his defense is nothing to write home about, he will continue to be a part of this Bulls offense, as long as he doesn’t endure the types of shooting woes he struggled with during the winter months.

Much of what Korver’s involvement with the Bulls will be in 2011-12 depends on what the Bulls do in addressing the two-guard. With Keith Bogans possibly departing as a free agent, Korver and Brewer would be the two options for the Bulls at shooting guard, meaning more minutes for Korver than last season. Of course, all signs point to them making some sort of move in regard to that spot. Stay tuned.

Bulls Season In Review: Carlos Boozer

It was said when Carlos Boozer signed with the Bulls last summer, that he would win Chicago a couple extra games in the regular season, while costing them a few in the postseason. Though Boozer wasn’t directly responsible for any losses in the playoffs, there was no question that his playoff impact floated on the negative side of things.

After “missing out” on last summer’s other big name free agents, the Bulls made Boozer their “prize” of the summer, signing him to a five-year, $75 million deal, a contract that was met with a great deal of skepticism by the Bulls faithful.

It didn’t take too long for those concerns to be validated. Before Boozer even stepped foot on the court for Chicago, he landed on the sidelines. Just weeks after signing a new deal, he sustained an injury after allegedly tripping over a gym bag in his house. The injury caused Boozer to miss the first month of the season, and he would not make his debut with the Bulls until October 27th, against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

When Boozer did kick off his Bulls career, he was a streaky product, and overall he failed to mesh with Joakim Noah in the Chicago front court. For whatever reason, Boozer appeared more timid when he played alongside Noah, for most of the year. The most we saw out of Boozer, as far as consistency goes, was when Noah went down with an injury late in the season, and Boozer appeared more aggressive than he did at any point during the season.

Overall, Boozer’s statistics weren’t terrible, but when you’re investing the next five years in a low post scoring presence the way that the Bulls did, you’d like more production out of that spot. Boozer did average 17.5 points per game, which isn’t terrible, but he didn’t product consistently in his scoring, or on the boards, as he averaged just under 10 boards per.

But even his postseason performance made his regular season stats look like he was Dwight Howard. Boozer did struggle with turf toe throughout the playoffs, but never actually put together consistent performances even when he was healthy, in either of Chicago’s three series in this year’s playoffs.

His shooting percentage regularly hovered below 40 percent and as his performance dwindled in the playoffs, so did his playing time. As the playoffs progressed, Tom Thibodeau wasn’t shy about playing Taj Gibson over Boozer, as Gibson’s impact was more positive for the Bulls, providing a great deal of energy and actual consistency off the bench.

Not only were Boozer’s offensive numbers poor, but his defensive performance as a whole was awful. He grabbed double-digit rebounds only eight times throughout the postseason and disappeared several times in defending Chris Bosh, or whoever happened to be the forward he matched up with at that point in time.

In fact, more than his regular season, it’s his postseason performance that has called Boozer’s future with the Bulls into something of a question. It would certainly be tough to unload his contract to anyone, especially depending on what type of salary cap is implemented this summer/fall.

If the Bulls should trade Boozer, it would more than likely be to give Taj Gibson the starting role he has appeared to earn with his performance in his two years in the NBA. But, again, it looks like it will be tough to unload Boozer if the Bulls wanted to, meaning we could be stuck with him in the Windy City for the foreseeable future.

 

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