He doesn’t need to be part of the organization again.

Yes,  I am talking about Doug Collins.  Collins was Chicago’s head coach from 1986-1989.  He got to the playoffs but couldn’t capture a championship.  Michael Jordan, the greatest player in NBA history, was on those teams.  Collins had MJ, Pippen and solid role players, but couldn’t get them to the next level.

With that said, how is he the right guy to get Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Luol Deng to the next level?  Kirk Hinrich is a solid role player and if the summer goes how I hope, the Bulls will have a superstar or at least a star or two to match Rose and Noah’s blossoming stardom. 

In 2008, before the Bulls hired VDN, owner Jerry Reinsdorf and General Manager Gar Foreman were talking to Collins.  He withdrew his name from the position saying, it wouldn’t work out because of his close friendship with Reinsdorf.

If it didn’t work two years ago,  why would it work now?  Again,  it wouldn’t.  Collins should just keep his cushy commentating job.  He isn’t great, but he gets the job done, same can almost be said about his coaching, except the fact he can’t win in the playoffs.

The latest trade rumor involves the Houston Rockets’s T-Mac, also known as Tracy McGrady, coming to the Bulls.  McGrady has been put on leave by the Rocket’s management and has been training in Chicago.  According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Houston Rockets are interested in Tyrus Thomas.  Houston’s head coach Rick Adelman is a fan of Brad Miller as well since they worked together in Sacramento.  The Bulls were trying to add Kirk Hinrich or John Salmons in the package but the Rockets were not interested.

McGrady coming to Chicago could be a great or horrible move for the Chicago Bulls.  He is a veteran who at one time was called a superstar and one of the top five players in the game. Derrick Rose could use a true scorer on the team, this would definitely be T-Mac.  When he is healthy, his point per game average is in the high 20′s.  The problem is,  he can’t stay healthy.He has never played a full 82 game season.  In his 12 year NBA career, he has only played in 70 or more games 6 times.  The Bull’s rotation would be all messed up because they wouldn’t know if McGrady was going to play or not.

Another problem would be the post-season.  It is a historical fact, T-Mac has never been out of the first round of the playoffs.  The Houston Rockets made it to the second round last year but McGrady was on the Injured Reserve list.  He has been known as a player who cracks under pressure and a leader who backs down when needed the most.

Bringing the ex-superstar would help ticket sales because he still has a large fan base.  The trade would also get rid of Thomas, who is affecting the team with his behavior and unhappiness.

The move would also help with money for the 2010 summer of free agents because McGrady’s contract will expire.  T-Mac does have a lot to prove.  Since coming back from last year’s knee injury, he played limited minutes for six games.  T-Mac wanted to play more minutes and Adelman didn’t think it was time, so McGrady was put on leave.

Any human being who is told they can’t do something grows the Rocky attitude.  Rocky was always doubted but proved he could beat the champion and still fight like a warrior when he got older.  T-Mac probably wants to prove he has something left in the tank .  Chicago could be a great place for him to restart his career.  As mentioned before,  Rose could use T-Mac and they could become a feared backcourt.

This trade could go either way.  I think it is real risky.  McGrady could turn into Allen Iverson or Grant Hill.  Iverson has fallen off of the sport’s planet known as the NBA.  Hill missed three to four years of his career because of ankle injuries.  He turned it around as was an NBA All Star a couple years ago and is a main go-to-guy on the Phoenix Suns.  If the Bulls take him,  hopefully he can be the 2010 and 2011 Hill.

The T-Mac to Chicago talk could be fantasy.  According to Stein,  the deal between Chicago and Houston would only happen if Houston did not make a trade with the New York Knicks.  The Knicks offered to swap their 2011 first round pick with Houston and give them a second round pick in 2012.  The Knicks also want to give Houston back Jared Jeffries $6.9 million contract, rookie Jordan Hill and Larry Hughes.  These players would not be gifts, Houston would have to add somebody, probably Brian Cook and Joey Dorsey.

Stein mentioned the Mcgrady, Cook, Dorsey deal for Jeffries, Hill and Hughes would put the Rockets $2 million under the leagues luxury tax which would mean they could get a $4 million rebate.

I’m extremely happy I haven’t heard any real rumors about Stoudemire coming to the Bulls.  He is a great player, no one should ever talk trash about his skills and the way he plays the game.  He just would not fit in the Bull’s scheme.

First of all he gets hurt and misses alot of games.  Stoudemire hasn’t missed a game the first half of this season; his eight.  In his previous seven seasons, he only played 79 or more games in four of them.  Two of them he only played 50 games and in 05-06, his season was three games long.  The Bulls have enough big men who can’t stay healthy, they don’t need to add another one.

Then there is the fact he will mess up team chemistry.  Joakim Noah needs somebody to mentor him, not overshadow him.  Stoudemire would outplay Noah, there is no doubt about it but being better than someone is different than throwing star status around.

Chris Bosh, sums up my last point in two words.  Bosh is going to be a free agent. We will have the money to pick him up. Bosh and Stoudemire are kind of the same player except Bosh is better. He stays healthy and averages more points and rebounds per game. Plus, he is a team oriented guy. No one on the Toronto Raptors have ever blamed Bosh for being a bad teammate.

Bosh is arguably the best offensive big man in the game. Instead of overshadowing Noah, they could work together. The only think Stoudemire is better at is blocking. Bosh shoots 80% from the free throw line compared to Stoudemire’s 75%. The Bulls need an inside the paint go-to-guy who can make the game winning shot or sink free throws for the W. Bosh proved he can hit free throws in pressure at the All Star game.

Like I said, Stoudemire is a good player. He puts up decent numbers and helps the Phoenix Suns win games. Unlike Chicago, he doesn’t have to be a leader because he has Grant Hill and Steve Nash. The Bulls are filled with young players, except for Brad Miller and Lindsay Hunter, he would have to mentor.

I just can’t see him doing it.

The Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey and Head Coach Rick Adelman have agreed letting McGrady leave the roster is best for the team.

According to ESPN, Morey and Adelman are working with McGrady’s agent, Arn Tellem, to work out a trade by the February 18th NBA trade deadline.

McGrady has been on the injured reserve for most of the season ailing a surgery operated knee. The surgery cut McGrady’s season short last year, only playing 35 games.

The once proclaimed superstar is averaging 7.7 minutes in the six games he has played in this season. McGrady, who has consistently played 35 minutes a game, asked for increased minutes to quicken his comeback.  Adelman didn’t think it was a good idea so he didn’t allow him the desired playing time.  McGrady remained a 7th or 8th man off the bench.

In an interview from ESPN, Adelman said the Rockets are a team, not a one man show.

“He’s been hurt for over a year.” Adelman said. “The thing that people want to write about is who he was two years ago, and he isn’t that right now.  We have a whole team here and it’s not just about what he wants or what he was going to want, or what was going to happen.  It was about what can he do to help us win, and that was the bottom line to me.”

McGrady has been causing a scene and was very clear he wanted out of Houston.  Now he gets his wish.  The Rockets supposedly have refused to buy out the rest of his 22.5 million contract.  At the end of this year, he will be a free agent, but both sides want this ordeal done with ASAP.  

T-Mac is only 30.  He has been through a lot of injuries.  A banged up elbow, the previous mentioned knee surgery and a few ankle stingers.  Could T-Mac be the next Grant Hill. 

Hill was once called the next Michael Jordan after he won two NCAA Championships with Duke.  He came to the league and blossomed right away just like McGrady did.  Then his ankles became injury prone and he lost 4 years of his career trying to rebuild just like what seems to be happening to McGrady.

Hill has bounced back.  Since his return, he was a starter on the All-Star team a few years ago and has been the starting forward for the up-tempo Phoenix Suns for the past 3 seasons. 

McGrady is an extremely talented athlete and is young enough to be the player he was for at least a couple more years.

 The Rockets and the McGrady camp are working on a deal, but who will be the third party to get involved?   Where will the ex-superstar attempt to re-amp his career?

 Lets take out the big dogs.  The Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic have their go to guys who need the ball.  McGrady would still be a number one option when healthy. 

The San Antonio Spurs run a half court set which might match McGrady’s game.  Richard Jefferson has failed to deliver what they were looking for.  Tim Duncan has been carrying the team since Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker have been dinged up.  McGrady would add a tall lanky player who would draw the defenders who are usually in Duncan’s face.  Plus, the Spurs have not had a true inside/outside scoring threat like T-Mac.

McGrady’s injuries may have taken his career, so this might not be a good idea, but what about the Bulls.  McGrady would attract those fans who remember him from 2 seasons ago.  Could he still play at a high level?  If McGrady came to Chicago, he would sit John Salmons or Luol Deng on the bench.  Derrick Rose is a up and coming point guard who needs the ball to effectively help his team win.  In the past, McGrady has dominated the ball as well.  Could McGrady and Rose co-exist to help the floundering team and T-Mac’s disappointing career?

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.