Chicago Bulls

There are currently five teams left in the 2013 NBA Playoffs. I’d like to write “four,” but the New York Knicks had to save face by winning at MSG last night, and will live to see a Game 6 in Indianapolis on Saturday night. More than any other year I can recall, this year’s NBA Playoffs are about one word: attrition. We hear cliches about how teams or players are “fighting through injuries,” having “no excuses.” Doc Rivers likes to say, “Nobody is healthy at this point” about April, May and June basketball, which brings us to word: attrition. attrition – noun the good people at Merriam-Webster.com give us a sense of the word’s origin as well as how it is used today. In Middle English, the word attricioun meant sorrow for one’s sins that arises from a motive other than that of the love of God. The later definitions are the ones that apply to the way in which several of this year’s playoff teams have simple run out of energy (gas or steam, if you like): : the act of rubbing together :friction; also: the act of wearing or grinding down by friction : the act of weakening or exhausting by constant harassment, abuse, or attack attrition> : a reduction in numbers usually as a result of resignation, retirement, or death attrition> There are five teams remaining in this year’s playoffs: Miami, Indiana, New York in the Eastern Conference. San Antonio and Memphis in the Western Conference. Of the eleven that have been relieved of their playoff duties, the following fall under the category of “attrition” teams because of a) injury; b) being ground down by the physicality or defensive intensity of their opponent or c) retirement. Actually, nobody retired in the middle of the playoffs, so reasons “a” and “b” are the only two I can think of. Attrition: Yes or No? Milwaukee Bucks – nope. A mediocre team that relied on undersized offense (Ellis and Jennings) and one or two very good individual defenders (Sanders, Udoh, Mbah a Moute) Boston Celtics – yes. A resilient team that limped into the playoffs (Garnett and Pierce) without its facilitator (Rondo) and the best rookie rebounder they’ve seen in a while (Sullinger), the Celtics fought hard before bowing out in 6. Players that defined this year’s battle through their own recovery from injury and will help define the future in Boston: Avery Bradley and Jeff Green. Atlanta Hawks – yes, kind of. Losing Louis Williams early in the year had a significant impact on the offense, and potentially kept them from being a 4th or 5th seed. Indiana’s defense certainly ground them into the kind of pulp you don’t want in your orange juice. Chicago Bulls – yes. As has been expounded upon at length, the Bulls had a fighting spirit that could not be denied. Credit to the entire system, the coaching staff, Thibodeau, but also players 1-12 for buying into the defensive schemes. The Bulls rode Joakim Noah, Jimmy Butler, Nate Robinson, Carlos Boozer and Marco Belinelli as far as they could. And that was farther than most expected. They made do all year without Rose, but without Hinrich and Deng, they somehow continued to test Miami in 4 of their 5 games. To read the complete post, click here: http://darkoindex.com/2013/05/17/the-playoffs-in-one-word-attrition/ There are currently five teams left in the 2013 NBA Playoffs. I’d like to write “four,” but the New York Knicks had to save face by winning at MSG last night, and will live to see a Game 6 in Indianapolis on Saturday night. More than any other year I can recall, this year’s NBA Playoffs are about one word: attrition. We hear cliches about how teams or players are “fighting through injuries,” having “no excuses.” Doc Rivers likes to say, “Nobody is healthy at this point” about April, May

So with the Bulls' 2012-13 campaign dead and gone, we now look ahead to the offseason. I'm assuming this summer won't bring as much fury as last, but you never know with GarPax at the helm. What new faces will we see? Will the Bulls' mostly stand pat? Will they look to make a big move? (hint: the answer is probably no) Like last offseason, we're going to tackle the key questions facing the Bulls individually, but first, we'll do a quick primer to get everybody ready for what's coming. Naturally, the first thing to look at is the salary situation. The cap this season was $58.044 million and the tax was at $70.307 million. I would expect each of those to go up $1-2 million, but we'll find that out a bit later in the offseason. As for the Bulls, they currently owe about $72.04 million in guaranteed money to Rose/Boozer/Deng/Noah/Gibson/Hinrich/Butler/Teague. Richard Hamilton is expected to be bought out for $1 million (decision must be made by July 10), although the Bulls could use him as a $5 million trade chip on draft night. However, considering how much the Bulls owe in salary already, I doubt they'll be wanting to take back more in a Rip deal. Speaking of the draft, the Bulls have the 20th pick in the first round. There has been a lot of talk about drafting a backup center, which is an idea that I can certainly get behind. There are a plethora of solid bigs being tabbed as first round picks, as there are currently eight centers in the top 20 of the DraftExpress Top 100 prospect list. So if the Bulls want a center, they should be able to grab one. If they are looking elsewhere, I'd like for them to target a sharpshooting wing to help with the three-point shooting/general scoring woes. Either way, that first-round pick will likely add about $1.5 million in salary (Evan Fournier, the 20th pick last year, got $1.42 million this season). The Bulls have a second-round pick as well, and if they keep it, that'll cost roughly $800,000. If we're doing the math here, that's already over $75 million and pushing the apron, which is $4 million above wherever the luxury tax line is set. This means that if the Bulls keep the core together, the only avenue of signing free agents is the mini-MLE and the minimum. Sign-and-trades are essentially out because you can't go over the apron when acquiring a player via S+T. This limits the possible use of the Kyle Korver trade exception (expires July 16), although much like the Hamilton situation, I doubt the Bulls will really be looking to use that exception to take on salary. The use of the mini-MLE (a tad over $3 million per year) is where things could get really interesting. First of all, if the Bulls really believe in their 2014 plan, they may not offer a multi-year contract to any prospective free agent. They could still use the mini-MLE for a one-year deal if they wanted, but I'm thinking most players looking for that contract would want a multi-year deal. Next, we look at the Nate Robinson and Marco Belinelli situations. The Bulls do not own their Bird Rights, so if the Bulls wanted to bring them back, they could offer up to 120% of what they made this year (Robinson made the minimum and Belinelli the bi-annual exception of $1.957 million). I know both guys really enjoyed their time here this season, but I'm guessing that wouldn't do the trick. In that case, the mini-MLE would have to be used if the Bulls decided they really wanted one of those guys back. I think the Bulls would certainly like to have both guys back, but it wouldn't really surprise me if neither of them were. If the mini-MLE doesn't get used on Nate or Belinelli, the Bulls could then look outside the organization. I know a return of Korver has been discussed around these parts, but I think the Hawks or some other team will offer more than the mini-MLE, so I'd consider that possibility a long shot. If the Bulls have to look elsewhere, a shooter would be ideal, and we'll look closer at options when we tackle that situati

Michael Reinsdorf talks about the undermanned Bulls making the most of the 2012-13 season, standing behind Luol Deng and Derrick Rose, and why he believes the team is in good hands with John Paxson and Gar Forman in charge of player personnel.

Bulls GM Gar Forman takes a break from the NBA Draft Combine to look back on a remarkable 2012-13 campaign, reiterate the organization’s support for Derrick Rose, and explain why he’s excited about what the future holds.

Sam Smith opens his mailbag to respond to the latest round of emails from his readers

The Bulls would amnesty Carlos (I always disappear vs Miami in playoffs) Boozer and sign Al Jefferson who's an unrestricted free agent. Better low post player, defends better, and that size of a front court will give Miami major problems. Plus can hit the 17-20 footer also. Bold moves need to be made to get past Miami. Add that with he's younger I believe will be 28 this coming season why not? I know salary cap etc but enough of that the Bulls are a cash cow gotta spend to win The Bulls would amnesty Carlos (I always disappear vs Miami in playoffs) Boozer and sign Al Jefferson who's an unrestricted free agent. Better low post player, defends better, and that size of a front court will give Miami major problems. Plus can hit the 17-20 footer also. Bold moves need to be made to get past Miami. Add that with he's younger I believe will be 28 this coming season why not? I know salary cap etc but enough of that the Bulls are a cash cow gotta spend to win

Probably someone in this stats infested sports world measures it, though I haven’t seen it yet. But the Bulls probably just completed the best ever 45-win regular season with a second round playoff loss. Of course, they knew they’d be missing for part, and it turned out all, their best player and a former league MVP, Derrick Rose. But then they had the regulars in their top nine rotation miss more than 100 games with injuries. And Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich, starters all season, then missed most of the playoffs with injury and illness. Still, the Bulls played the defending champion and favored Miami Heat tough, losing in the same five games they did when they were mostly healthy in the 2011 playoffs. Though there were disappointing defeats all regular season, like to Charlotte, New Orleans, Phoenix, Cleveland and Sacramento, the thrills far outweighed the frustration. There were so many brilliant moments of delight and joy, like breaking the Heat’s 27-game winning streak and then completing a season sweep of the Knicks and ending their 13-game winning streak. There were fabulous individual moments, like Marco Belinelli’s three game winning shots or Joakim Noah diving out of bounds to save a ball to set up one of those shots. Noah and Deng were All Stars, and Noah had brilliant games, like a rare triple double with blocks and a game of 30 points and 23 rebounds, recording historical markers. Jimmy Butler was discovered and immediately began battle with Deng for league ironman status that extended through the playoffs with five games of 48 minutes. Nate Robinson, a last addition, became an energizer and favorite, bailing the Bulls out of numerous games with his exciting individual play. Deng beat Toronto with a game winner reminiscent of Michael Jordan in Utah in 1998 and the team overwhelmed Kobe and Howard in the United Center. Robinson beats the Nets with a floater and Nazr Mohammed saves it with a block. Carlos Boozer is fifth in the league and second in the East in double/doubles, the Bulls dominate the Heat in Miami and perhaps the most exciting play, Noah’s tip in against Denver, is waved off on a night Robinson had 35 points. And then there was the triple overtime playoff win over the Nets with Robinson’s fourth quarter fireworks and the seventh game win in Brooklyn, the first ever for the franchise on the road. And then the opening victory in Miami and an end that wasn’t decided until the last seconds as the Bulls with half their top six out pushed Miami to the limit. The prospects look bright, frankly, considering coach Tom Thibodeau signed a contract extension and Rose should return fully healthy next fall. Deng, Boozer, Butler, Taj Gibson, Hinrich, Noah, Rose and Marquis Teague all remain under contract. Richard Hamilton has a buyout. The Bulls will get the No. 20 pick in the 2013 draft. Good health isn’t promised to anyone. But with Rose’s return, the maturation of Deng and Noah and how competitive the Bulls were against all the top teams in the Eastern Conference in the regular season and playoffs, it would seem likely without much, or any, change the team will be in position to compete for the conference championship next season. There’s still a long way to go with the draft and free agency as well as Robinson, Belinelli and Mohammed are free agents. So let’s take a last look at the Bulls of 2012-13 and perhaps their futures: Derrick Rose: The team’s undisputed star ended up missing all season with the recovery from his ACL surgery last May. There was criticism directed toward Rose that he should have tried to play. But Rose remains the future of the team. Without him and at full health or close, it seems unlikely the Bulls could be considered serious title contenders in any season. He plans to work out in Los Angeles in the offseason as well as probably some high altitude training for conditioning and is expected to be fully ready to open the next season. Joakim Noah: He had one of his best all around seasons, a

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Grit. It was a word we often used mockingly when referring to Kirk Hinrich. But in the end, it's a perfect word to describe the 2012-13 Chicago Bulls, even though the Prodigal Son with a house in the area wasn't on the floor for a good portion of the season. Despite the Derrick Rose injury and what seemed like an absolutely horrendous offseason, I expected the Bulls to be pretty good this year. I predicted 47 wins and if things worked out right, a possible Eastern Conference Finals appearance. The caveat of course was that the Bulls would get Rose back and that they would enjoy mostly good health. The Bulls went 0-of-2 in those areas, and yet, they managed to scratch and claw their way to 45 wins and a second-round exit against the best team in the league. If you would have told me before the season that Rose would sit the whole year and then laid out every single injury that would occur, there's not a chance in hell I would have envisioned the Bulls pulling off what they did. What the Bulls did is a testament to the hard-working players on this team and the coaching wizard that is Tom Thibodeau. We all know Thibs has his flaws, but his ability to glean the most out of his players is truly admirable. The man can flat out coach, even if his coach-speak annoys the crap out of me. There were certainly some moments of ugliness. The New Year's Eve loss to the Bobcats. The 27-point blown lead against the Bucks. The 42-point loss to the Kings. The offense was a train wreck for much of the year, while the defense even had its lulls at times thanks to the injuries. And yes, the Rose saga was brutal. But I'd prefer to remember all of the great things that happened this year. I'll remember this as the year that Joakim Noah cemented himself as one of the best centers in the NBA. I'll remember this as the year that Jimmy Butler came into his own and grabbed the starting shooting guard job by the throat. I'll remember this as the year that a formerly hated player in Nate Robinson became one of my favorite things to watch about this team. Considering the circumstances, I really couldn't be more proud of what this group accomplished. Winning a playoff series is tough no matter what. Winning a playoff series as short-handed and beat-up as the Bulls were was downright amazing (even if the Nets were frauds). And although the Bulls were blown out twice by the Heat and lost in 5, I really can't complain about how they competed. Stealing Game 1 was truly awesome, and the way the Bulls fought back in Game 5 epitomized their entire season. Against all odds, they were almost able to pull off yet another stunner. But they just didn't have enough (sorry, Thibs). So to commemorate this Bulls campaign, I'd like to look back at some of the best games, performances and moments of the year. Best Games of the Year 1. Game 4. vs Nets Down 14 with C.J. Watson gliding in for what was sure to be an easy bucket, the Bulls looked dead in the water with just over three minutes to play of Game 4 against the Nets. Watson blew the dunk, and then Nate put forth one of the craziest performances ever at the United Center. Robinson's heroics helped get the Bulls to overtime, and after two more extra periods, they finally pulled out a 142-134 victory in triple overtime. This shall forever be known as "The Nate Robinson Game," or if you'd like, "Kirk Hinrich's Last Stand," due to the fact that Hinrich played 60 minutes and didn't play the rest of the year (oh shoot, but he's back next year). 2. Game 1 vs. Heat I considered putting the Game 7 victory over the Nets here, but I simply couldn't look past the stunning 93-86 Game 1 victory in Miami. The Bulls had just played two nights before and trailed by seven midway through the fourth quarter. But then the offense went into high gear, with Marco Belinelli hitting huge threes and Nate playing the role of Rose. The resulting victory gave fans a glimmer of hope that perhaps the Bulls could actually make it a long s

May 15, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Chicago Bulls small forward Jimmy Butler (21) is pressured by Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) during the second half in game five of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Miami Heat won 94-91. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports One year ago, the Chicago Bulls faced an offseason full of questions. Derrick Rose was down and people wondered how to approach the next season. Should the Bulls keep the band together in anticipation of his return and hope to compete immediately? Or should they regard the season as lost and try to position themselves for 2013-14 and beyond? As you doubtless know, they publicly professed to trying to split the difference, although it seems clear in retrospect they were much more concerned with saving money than anything else. Of course, the retooled Bulls did about as well as they could have hoped for, even amid countless injuries and with Rose sitting out the entire season. This year, the questions heading into the offseason are more about the micro than the macro. Derrick Rose will almost certainly be back at the start of next season, and he figures to start along with Jimmy Butler, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah. Taj Gibson will also be back, having signed a four-year extension at the beginning of the season, as will Kirk Hinrich and Marquis Teague. The rest of the roster is less clear. Let’s start from the bottom and work our way up. Vladimir Radmanovic and Daequan Cook will almost certainly not be back for reasons pertaining to their utter suckitude. Both were brought in to shoot threes and do little else, but given that neither showed any particular ability to actually make the threes they shot, methinks they’ll be elsewhere next year. Apr 9, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls power forward Malcolm Thomas (3) shoots the ball against Toronto Raptors small forward Quincy Acy (4) during the second half at the United Center. Toronto defeats Chicago 101-98. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports Malcolm Thomas signed a contract in April that will, in theory, keep him in Chicago for next year. However, it’s non-guaranteed for the time being, and his performance in the Las Vegas Summer League — where he was excellent last summer — and in training camp will likely determine his fate. I myself would like him to stick around, and would like to slot him in next to Gibson as the Bulls’ fourth big man. Keep an eye on this over the summer. Nazr Mohammed’s a tough one to figure. He was downright awful for the first half of the season and more or less fell out of the rotation entirely until constant injuries forced Tom Thibodeau’s hand in February. From there, he was actually pretty decent, especially in the playoffs, where he averaged 14.5 points and 10 rebounds per 36 minutes on 51 percent shooting. I swear to god I’m not making that up. He’s also been in the league long enough to make Rip Hamilton look like a rookie by comparison, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him hang it up this summer. Don’t be surprised to see him back, but probably as little more than a locker room presence/extreme emergency backup. Rip Hamilton, playoff mini-renaissance aside, is almost certainly on his way out. The Bulls have a $1 million buyout option which they will presumably exercise rather than pay the aging Hamilton $5 million next year. Could they bring him back on the cheap afterward? They could, but I don’t see any reason why they would. Rip’s constant injuries and declining game make him hard to keep around. May 15, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Chicago Bulls point guard Nate Robinson (2) arrives before game five of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports We’ve reached Marco Belinelli and Nate Robinson now, and that’s where things start getti