Flickr Photo via Keith Allison

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.

The fact that he was such a young player, who showed a great deal of potential, and can play multiple positions down low made him a valuable asset as the Bulls were seeking out trading partners, most notably for a scoring guard.

While guys like Joakim Noah and Luol Deng were also mentioned in these types of rumors, Gibson’s name was the one that appeared most, with the Bulls not looking like they would be able to get much in return unless Gibson, a former USC product, was involved in such a deal.

But the Bulls held on to Gibson. And surprisingly, they would not make a trade for the entirety of the season, even at the trade deadline when everyone was expecting it. And much to the delight of a majority in Chicago, Gibson remained a Bull for the 2010-11 season.

His value to the Bulls was evident right off the bat. With Carlos Boozer nursing an injury for the first month of the season, it was Gibson that was forced into a starting role for these Bulls. Taj posted four double-doubles in Boozer’s absence, with the best of his performances coming in a 17 point, 18 rebound win over the Dallas Mavericks in which Gibson grabbed eight offensive boards.

Once Boozer returned, Taj’s minutes became a bit more inconsistent, but still proved that he was capable of producing off the bench, especially in terms of rebounds. Even with those inconsistent minutes after starting for a month, Gibson finished the season with 458 total rebounds. As a comparison, he wasn’t too far behind the 565 Boozer posted on the season.

But it was during the playoffs that Gibson really proved his worth to this team. What Gibson brought couldn’t always be measured in terms of scoring, though. What he did always provide for the Bulls in the postseason was an emotional presence off the bench, which was particularly noticeable in the Eastern Conference Finals against Miami.

That could not have been more evident than it was in Game 1. Locked in a shot-for-shot game, which was the trend in their series against the Heat, Gibson’s emphatic dunk on Dwyane Wade gave the Bulls all the momentum they would need to run away with the series opener. He wasn’t done with the high-flying antics, though, as he grabbed a one-handed rebound and put it back down to further the Bulls’ lead.

Unfortunately for the Bulls, they would go on to lose the series in five close games, and Gibson wouldn’t see extremely consistent minutes for the rest of the series, which may have played some sort of part in it.

And now, once again, the future of Gibson as a Bull is something that has been left in the air, with many expecting the Bulls to take the necessary measures to get past the Heat. However, there are many that think Gibson is a talent capable of starting, and should be given the job over the 75 million dollar man, Carlos Boozer.

There’s certainly a case to be made there. Gibson plays consistently and has proven to impact the team in a positive way emotionally, unlike Boozer who seems to have a difficult time rallying the team around him. Boozer’s scoring is completely inconsistent, as is his health. The Bulls could seek a trade option for one of them, but it’s likely that both will return for next season.

Of course, the Bulls could decide that they won’t be able to afford Gibson once his rookie deal is up, which would be an extremely unfortunate turn of events for Gibson and Chicago. Either way, we should know the future of this former Trojan before the summer months are over.

Flickr Photo via Keith Allison

If you’ve read any headlines since the Miami Heat knocked off the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, then you know virtually no one else stands a chance in this postseason. Not the Dallas Mavericks, who swept the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, and surely not the Oklahoma City Thunder or Memphis Grizzlies.

Of course, the Bulls were just a stepping stone for the Heat, as well, given their troubles in getting past the Atlanta Hawks in six games. After all, the Heat beat the Celtics in five, and have been proclaimed unbeatable.

Well, there is a reason they play the games. Yes, it was impressive to see LeBron James and Dwayne Wade lighting it up together against the Celtics, but who did they really beat? A banged up, old Boston team, which had a point guard playing with one arm, in Rajon Rondo, and a frontcourt that included an aging Kevin Garnett and a should-have-retired-years-ago Shaquille O’Neal, who made less of an impact on this series than Brian Scalabrine did for the Bulls.

Not to discount the Heat, though. Obviously they’re a top tier team, given that potent backcourt. James and Wade are both all-NBA talents, which certainly showed against the C’s. Sure, they lack depth and a strong frontcourt, but they are still as deadly and explosive as any team remaining in these playoffs.

But to completely dismiss this series as over, as some have already done (looking at you Skip Bayless) could be considered nothing short of absurd. Yes, the Heat have great players, but the Bulls have proven this season that they have the all-around talent to keep up with anyone in the league.

At this point, dismissing the Bulls is irresponsible. They actually match up against the Heat much better than one might realize, even if many have already tossed the Bulls aside as an easy opponent for Miami.

In fact, the Bulls hold an advantage over the Heat, which could end up shaping this series. That advantage lies in the both the frontcourt of the Bulls, and their depth.

There is certainly no shortage of talent down low for the Bulls. After a few tough games in the playoffs, Carlos Boozer found his stride in Thursday’s Game 6 against the Hawks, along with the fact that he plays next to one of the most intense, and a top notch guy on the boards, in Joakim Noah.

Beyond those two, the hat still goes deeper. Taj Gibson has shown that he can stick with anyone in the league and is proving to be a key cog in the Bulls machine. There’s also Omer Asik, who is a beast on the boards and a solid backup for Noah, as well as the veteran big man Kurt Thomas, who is fresh after seeing little time to this point in the postseason.

What do the Heat have down low? Chris Bosh. Now Bosh has had a good postseason, but he was also playing against a Celtics frontcourt that looked very sorry in their series in the past week or so. Joel Anthony certainly isn’t in a league with Boozer or Noah, meaning whichever one Bosh does match up with, will have an extremely favorable matchup in this series.

Of course, there’s still that outlandish advantage the Heat have in the backcourt. Yes, the Bulls have the league MVP in Derrick Rose, but Miami boasts two of the game’s best players in Wade and James. Wade will most likely guard Rose, but luckily for the Bulls, Rose can keep himself fresh on the defensive side of things, with Keith Bogans expected to match up with Wade with the Bulls on D. There’s also the matter of that Luol Deng guy, who is a pretty great defender, matching up against James.

Say what you want about the Bulls not blowing teams out in the playoffs or not looking overly impressive. The fact is, that this team is sound from top to bottom, and has as much depth and defensive skill as any team in the league. They’re not built to blow teams out, and whether they come out on the winning or losing side of this series, each game should prove to be a close one.

On paper, you see the names of Wade and James and assume the Heat have an outstanding advantage over the Bulls in this series. But Chicago is the better overall team, with a better frontcourt and more depth, meaning this is going to be an extremely close, and nerve-racking series for Bulls fans, no matter the result.

The early stages of Chicago’s Game 5 on Tuesday night had all the makings of what Game 3 was for the Bulls. They jumped out to an early lead and looked to be running away with it, but the persistent Hawks would stay in it until the late-going in this one, with the Bulls eventually grabbing the 95-83 win.

The Bulls started off hot, leading by 11 points after the first quarter. Rather than Derrick Rose taking the early shots, which he did, it was Luol Deng who had the hot hand, scoring the first seven points for the Bulls in this one. As the Bulls pulled away early, Keith Bogans scored eight consecutive points to help the Bulls jump out to their early lead.

But the Hawks would not be denied. Aided by another sound performance from the youngster Jeff Teague, as well as some solid play early from Josh Smith, the Hawks crept back into this one in the second and early third quarters. Towards the end of the third, they would eventually hold their first lead over the Bulls.

It wasn’t as if the Bulls were playing poorly, either. The Bulls shot almost 49 percent from the field and were sound defensively, but the Hawks were also solid in their shooting, finishing with about a 48 percent. Even with the Atlanta rally, though, the Bulls held a one-point lead after three.

After blowing a double digit lead that they held early, many were certainly weary of the Bulls heading into the game’s final frame. Searching for energy, the Bulls got it from the usual source, as well as one that was a bit more unexpected for some.

The Bulls outscored the Hawks 26-15 for the quarter, with Rose accounting for 11 of those points. Coming up with another 11 of them was Taj Gibson, who did  not score in the previous three quarters. He provided a nice spark off the bench, which was absolutely necessary on a night in which Joakim Noah and Kyle Korver combined for zero points.

Atlanta didn’t do themselves any favors on Tuesday either. Despite a solid night from Josh Smith, and another sound performance from Teague, the  Hawks’ major scoring threats, Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford, fell silent once again. The two combined for 17 points, and 15 of those came courtesy of Johnson.

Even though it wasn’t the prettiest win for the Bulls, this shouldn’t come as anything new to fans. This isn’t a team that’s going to blow many teams out, even if they were able to decimate Atlanta in the regular season. Expect another gritty performance when the Bulls try and close out the series in Atlanta on Thursday night.

Flickr Photo via Keith Allison

Despite carrying the NBA’s No. 1 overall seed heading into the postseason, with a better record than the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, and Boston Celtics, there were still concerns surrounding this Bulls squad. Questions ranged from a secondary scoring option behind Derrick Rose to Carlos Boozer‘s track record in the postseason.

Of the concerns listed about the Bulls, none of them appeared to include the Bulls’ second unit, which has been affectionately named the “Bench Mob”. The bench was something the Bulls spent a great deal investing in this offseason, and it paid off in the regular season.

In almost every game of the regular season, secondary players proved to be a key element of each of Chicago’s 62 wins. Kyle Korver was always there to hit the big shot. Taj Gibson was Mr. Everything off the bench. Kurt Thomas and Omer Asik stepped up their respective games in the absences of Boozer and Joakim Noah.

But early in the postseason. These guys have been nearly nonexistent. Pile that on top of the struggles of the starters outside of Derrick Rose, and you have yourself a decent explanation as to why the Bulls are having issues putting this Indiana Pacers squad away in the first three games in the series.

One guy who has shown up in the first few games has been Kyle Korver. He’s seen a bit of an increased role with Keith Bogans contributing nothing to the offensive load, and Korver has been there to hit the big shots that Derrick Rose hasn’t taken. Korver is averaging 10 points per in the first three games, and hit that big three-pointer in Game 1 to propel the Bulls to the come-from-behind victory.

But while Korver has filled the role he was brought in for, the rest of the Bench Mob’s members have been almost invisible on the court in the earlygoing of this postseason.

Kurt Thomas saw heavy minutes in Game 1, with the struggles of Boozer, and was a plus-11 on the day to go along with his six points. His 24 minutes have been the most anyone off the bench has seen in the series against Indiana, with only Korver coming close to touching that type of playing time.

On Thursday, we saw a little more of Gibson. With Boozer, again, struggling to hit shots and hold onto the ball, Tom Thibodeau went with Gibson to fill some of those minutes that Boozer took to the bench for, finishing with six points and five rebounds on the night.

But overall, this bench unit has been a disappointment in the series with Indiana. Much of it goes back to their inconsistent minutes that they’ve seen so far, with Thibodeau relying heavy on his starters as they fight to get out of this first round against Indiana. Rose and Deng both saw at least 43 minutes of action on Thursday. Hard to crack the rotation when the starters are seeing time like that.

But even when they’re getting the opportunity, these guys have not impressed the way they did in the regular season. A unit that could hang with anybody with their stout defensive abilities and capability of scoring a few points to, the bench hasn’t lived up to the hype in the first three games.

It’s a small sample space, but something that will need to improve if the Bulls are expecting to make a serious run at a title. After all, this is just the Pacers, right?

The Bulls have went through bad trades, bad drafts and a list of coaches longer than the brattiest little kid’s Christmas wish novels…they have developed from lists.

Finally, one last time, they have made some moves and decisions to prove Chicago has a winning mindset instead of simply only being an organization in the NBA.

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It starts with Derrick Rose, who is a top MVP candidate and is leading the Bulls to the top of the Eastern Conference with a 21-10 record as he is eighth in the NBA in scoring and assists with 24 points and eight assists per game.

The Bulls  have won 12 of their last 14 games and have done so in every aspect of the game from shooting, defense, managing turnovers and rebounding.

The above is a statement of gratitude to the Chicago Bulls front office for its will and completion of getting players and coaches the team needs to win.

Tyrus Thomas, John Salmons and Kirk Hinrich were all traded because they didn’t fit in the puzzle. Thomas had problems with authority and couldn’t put productive games back to back. Salmons played great at the end of the 2008-09 season when the Bulls traded for him at the deadline, but as last season went on he too became inconsistent and wasn’t reliable for anything except 12-to-15 shot attempts a game. Hinrich, one of my favorite Bulls, will be missed but he was overpaid and with Rose playing at the level he does, there was no longer a need for him on the team.

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The three of them were traded for expiring contracts which gave Chicago enough money to get the type of players they needed: an inside presence in Carlos Boozer, a shooter in Kyle Korver and perimeter defense in Ronnie Brewer and Keith Bogans.

Sure, the Bulls wanted to get one of the bigger names in the summer’s free agency circus but they didn’t land a LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Amare Stoudemire or Chris Bosh. Instead of giving up, they got an all-star caliber player in Boozer and continued to shop for role players to help the team to get out of the bottom of the playoff bracket.

The Chicago roster can not be spoken about without the mention of the two big men who put fear in opposing offenses.

Joakim Noah, who I was upset with the Bulls for drafting, has proved to the world he is a top center in the league. Noah is averaging a double-double for the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds a game and bothers every teams inside scorer with his great defense. I forgot to mention he is averaging two blocks a game.

During last year’s rookie season, Taj Gibson showed he could be a force on the court as he was a steal with the 26th pick in the 2009 draft. This season he is coming off the bench to score eight points and grab five rebounds  game. But when Boozer missed 15 games because of a broken hand and Noah first had surgery on his thumb, he put up starter numbers in starter minutes including four double-doubles and has season highs of 18 points and 18 rebounds. He also averages a block and a half a game.

Last season’s coach Vinny Del Negro didn’t do anything for the Bulls except upset fans and players on the team. He led the squad to another 41-41 record and an early departure from the playoffs. He might not have had a championship roster but he didn’t play his cards right to win games when he had the chance to.

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With that said, the Bulls hired Boston Celtics assistant coach and defensive mastermind Tom Thibodeau to teach the Bulls how to play the game. Thankfully, it seems to be working out as Joakim Noah said he is learning more about the game than he ever has on the Bulls-Nets broadcast. Thibs has brought a defensive emphasis and cohesiveness to a team based around young players.

For the first time since the championship run with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson, the Bulls are towards the top of the conference and are being looked at as a contender. Chicago may not make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but they will make it past the first round and will give whichever team its playing a run for its money.

2010 has been successful for the Chicago Bulls and should be the gateway for a great 2011.

Before Chicago lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 100-99, the Bulls were on the longest winning streak of the season and impressing the basketball world because of the high level of play since the team was back to full strength.

There is only one reason why the Bulls may have a tough time achieving the same type of streak, they’re no longer healthy.

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As most of you know, Joakim Noah had surgery on Thursday to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. According to Fred Tedeschi, Bulls athletic trainer. the surgery went well and Noah will be back on the court in 8-to-10 weeks.

The good thing is he’ll be back shortly before or after the NBA All-Star break to help Chicago solidify a top seed heading into the playoffs. Of course the bad part is, the Bulls have to play without their defensive anchor for at least 27 games, if he can come back in eight weeks. If he can’t return for 10 weeks, he’ll miss 33 games.

Optimistically the Bulls do have Carlos Boozer, who has stepped into the second scoring option in great stride averaging 18 points a game while grabbing eight rebounds. Since his return December 2, he has played in 10 games and has showings of 22 points or more in five of those games while finishing in double-digits in eight of his appearances.

Taj Gibson stepping in to fill the gap in center is bitter sweet because he is a reliable player on offense and will get 10 rebounds a game, but defensively he will be over sized against some divisional match ups including the Indiana Pacer’s Roy Hibbert, Cleveland Cavalier Anderson Varejao or Milwaukee Buck Andrew Bogut.

Unfortunately, Gibson might not suite up for Tuesday’s game against the 76ers because of the concussion he sustained on Saturday. Without him, the Bulls front line becomes extremely thin and is a red light to think the Bulls can win right away.

With this said, Boozer is going to have to watch his back at all times and Luol Deng, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer and James Johnson have to be efficient help defenders.

Omer Asik isn’t ready to start, but his game is developing enough to come off the bench and be a factor more than he has been. During the season he is averaging three points, three rebounds and a block a game while only playing 11 minutes. Noah is gone, so the seven footer has to step up and show the Bulls they were smart when they kept his draft rights for two years before he played an NBA game.

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While the Bulls are struggling to stay healthy and have to re-write the rotation, the 76ers have won four of their last five games including a 97-89 victory over the Orlando Magic Saturday.

Chicago has proved countless times it can rise above the odds while Philadelphia has proven they should never be trusted for a win. We’ll find out Tuesday, which prophecy will come true.

Figuring out which team will win a basketball game is tough, but so are other sports.

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The Bulls hung in the game against the Lakers and at times looked as if they could pull out a win as Rose continually drove to the hoop and Noah set up shop in the low post. Rose’s acrobatic layups looked highlight reel material even if they didn’t go in.

But in the end, the game came down to the Laker’s bench hitting daggers while the Bulls bench threw sporks.

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Shannon Brown was a hitman in the first half scoring 18 points off of 4-of-5 shooting from the three-point line. He finished the game tied with Lamar Odom for the top scoring Laker with 21 points.

Matt Barnes added 10 points and Steve Blake had six points, with both of them hitting three-point baskets in the fourth quarter to give the Lakers a 12 point lead, which was their biggest lead of the game.

While Brown, Barnes and Blake where helping the Lakers, Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, C.J. Watson and Omer Asik did nothing offensively for the Bulls. Brewer led the bench with six points.

In the three shooting guard system coach Tom Thibodeau is attempting to run with the Bulls, Brewer, Korver and starter Keith Bogans collectively went 3-of-15 from the field scoring six, two and three points. This could have been another reason why the Bulls didn’t win, they’re weak at the two guard, but it’s been this way since the season started.

Besides the Lakers bench destroying the Bulls, Chicago helped the Lakers jump out to an early lead by turning the ball over 10 times by mid-second quarter. The Lakers are a great transition team, especially if they get the ball gift wrapped as the Bulls were doing. Although, they finished with 13, only one more than the Lakers, the early errors allowed L.A. to jump ahead and force Chicago to play catch up the entire game.

As mentioned above, Rose, Noah, Gibson and Luol Deng, not mentioned above had solid games. Rose scored 30 points for the third time in four games and had eight assists. Noah and Gibson had double-double with 19 points-13 rebound and 16 points-13 rebounds. Gibson was listed as day-to-day with a foot issue, but no one could tell during Tuesday’s game. Deng had 13 points, with 12 of them in the first half, which was a spark the Bulls needed against Brown’s constant offense.

Pau Gasol had a bad game for the Lakers with 12 points off 3-of-10 from the field and 6-of-8 from the charity stripe; he also had 11 rebounds. Kobe Bryant had 20 points and five assists.

This win is the seventh consecutive game the Lakers have defeated the Bulls dating back to the 2005-06 season.

Chicago is 2-2 during their annual mid-November west coast road trip with three games left to play against the Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings, while the Lakers have won five consecutive games.

Gibson didn’t practice Monday and is going to have his foot looked at by a specialist, he is calling it a stretched ligament. This hurts the Bulls because the Lakers have a big physical lineup. He is listed as day-to-day and will be a game time decision.

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Although, the Bulls have been playing solid basketball, they’ll have to step it up to another level to hang with the Lakers in Los Angeles, where Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher and Shannon Brown are apostles to their God known as Kobe Bryant.

Red and black are the colors of anti-God aka anti-Lakers.

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Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to call Bulls players satan, but when it comes to basketball and Tuesday’s game, they have to be the spoiler of all things good in L.A.

Gasol is arguably the best scoring low-post player in the NBA and is forming a great duo with Bryant, with this year being the best the two have played together since Gasol came to the Lakers in 2007. Joakim Noah has to be on the top of his defensive game, because honestly no one else on the Bulls roster has a chance with Gasol, except for Noah.

Besides defense, Noah has to grab 13-to-15 rebounds, because Gasol is a similar type of vacuum as he is averaging 12 rebounds a game to Noah’s 13.

Taj Gibson missed practice on Monday and is going to a foot specialist to see what is wrong and is listed as day-to-day for the Bulls while the Lakers are still missing Andrew Bynum, who hasn’t played a game this season because of his knee.

If Bynum was in the game, the Bulls may not have a chance; the chance of winning still isn’t huge but better.

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has to be worried about the Bulls transition defense because the Lakers are one of the best fast break teams in the league because they have great decision makers in Fisher and Bryant, and big men who run the floor such as Gasol and Odom.

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Odom can honestly play positions 1-5, which is a major match-up problem for the Bulls.

Derrick Rose should be able to D-up Fisher and should have even more success on offense as long as he can deal with Steve Blake and Brown, who will probably take defensive possessions against him. Rose will have to have 25-to-30 points if the Bulls are going to win.

Last but not least, Keith Bogans and Ronnie Brewer have to be in Bryant’s face at all times. I know it’s easier said then done, but they’re good defense players and are Chicago’s only chance of slowing Bryant down.