Chicago Bulls

October 1, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls point guard Kirk Hinrich (12) poses for photos during Chicago Bulls media day at the Berto Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports When Kirk Hinrich’s return to Chicago was first reported, there were a lot of mixed emotions. Some felt it was a great move, as Hinrich would be a great fit to fill in Derrick Rose’s shoes. Others questioned whether or not he would be able to handle that kind of workload nine years into his career, and it was for good reason. Following his departure from the Bulls, Hinrich played for the Washington Wizards for half a season before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks, where he would stay for one and a half seasons. During his tenure with those teams, he experienced several injuries. With the Wizards, there were various minor injuries. In Atlanta,  Hinrich suffered a torn right hamstring during the 2011 playoffs. Then, he dealt with a torn labrum and a cyst in his left shoulder during the lockout. Thinking injuries were behind him heading his way back to Chicago, Hinrich felt confident going into this past season. “This offseason, I’ve been working really hard,” Hinrich said prior to the start of the 2012-13 season. “I haven’t really felt any ill effects. So hopefully, knock on wood, I’m going to stay healthy and be a contributor to a very good team.” Unfortunately, that was not the case. Hinrich ended up suffering a plethora of injuries over the course of the season: a strained right hamstring, a sore big toe on his right foot, a bruised left knee, a strained right hip, a stress reaction in his right foot, an infection in his right elbow due to a burst bursa sac, and finally, the season-ending severely bruised left calf. With all of the injuries, it is safe to say that Hinrich’s season was defined by them. What may be worse is that it did not get much better for him either though when he did get to see playing time. Aside from the never-ending injuries, his shooting is what really hurt. When he took shots, they rarely fell. Somehow, Hinrich actually managed to average over 40% on field goals for December, January, and April, but the other three months of the regular season featured him with a field goal percentage in the 30s. It took him until the end of the season to get into a good offensive rhythm that featured his shots falling and his confidence rising. This is not to say that Hinrich did a bad job when he was not injured though. He still did well running the team and getting shots for his teammates, as every point guard shot. Along with that, Hinrich showed a lot of hustle and remained the tough defensive player he had been known as throughout his career.  He ended the regular season with pretty decent averages of 7.7 points on 37.7% shooting from the field, 2.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists (team high), 1.1 steals. Apr 27, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams (8) dribbles the ball against Chicago Bulls shooting guard Kirk Hinrich (12) in the second half during game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at the United Center. Chicago defeats Brooklyn 142-134 in triple overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports The best part about Hinrich’s season was that, despite the struggles during the regular season, he stepped up in the time of most need: the playoffs. It may have taken him a game to realize that he needed to be more aggressive on both ends of the court, more of a threat to the Brooklyn Nets, but better late then than never. Hinrich’s increased confidence and level of play had a large impact on the Bulls being able to win the series. Not only did he defend Deron Williams well enough to prevent him from being a game changer in the series, but Hinrich also made sure to take his fair share of shots on the offensive end, something he was reluctant about during the majority of the regular season. This forced Williams to do work on both ends of the

From Mitch and Nillz: We take a quick look back at the Miami series and the season as a whole with the disappointment offset by pride. Given the circumstances, the 2012/13 Bulls were incredibly entertaining and still managed to overachieve. We also dip into some offseason speculation and project next season's roster. Finally, we offer our bold (dumb?) predictions for the remainder of the playoffs. Thank you all for listening and a fun season! You can listen directly at their site or using the embedded player below: Subscribe to The Mitch & Nillz Bulls Show on iTunes, and follow on Twitter (@TheBullsShow). For any questions or comments, you can contact Mitch & Nillz via email at thebullsshowATgmail.com. LIKE BaB on FACEBOOK!, the Bulls Show has been contributing good stuff to the BaB Facebook page, so be sure to give it a 'Like' at http://www.facebook.com/BlogABull.

Now that the season has passed, it’s time to start looking forward. Ironically, to begin doing that, we first need to look back at who did what last season. Derrick Rose: Rose missed the entire season due to recovery from knee surgery. And he lost a little good will along the way. Nonetheless, everybody from Jerry Reinsdorf to the most casual Bulls fan is hoping and praying that Rose returns — and returns to his old MVP form — next season. He is the foundation of this franchise. Joakim Noah: In many ways, Noah had his best season ever. He was selected as a reserve for the Eastern Conference All-Star team. He made the NBA All-Defensive First Team and was fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He had one of the franchise’s best-ever regular season performances in a road win over the Pistons (30 points, 23 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocked shots) and one of the greatest playoff performances Game 7 victory over the Nets in Brooklyn (24 points, 14 rebounds, 6 blocked shots, 2 assists, 1 steal). Unfortunately, Noah’s season was once again plagued by an injury, this time an ongoing case of plantar faciitis in his left foot. Noah missed 16 regular season games and simply wasn’t himself in several others. He averaged career-highs in minutes (36.8), points (11.9), rebounds (11.1), assists (4.0), blocks (2.1) and steals (1.2), but he also set career-low marks in field goal percentage (.481) and turnovers per game (2.7). And believe it or not, his Offensive Rebounding Rate (12.2) and Total Rebounding Rate (17.3) were lower only during his rookie season. Noah is an elite center — one of the best in the league — and he is the team’s emotional leader. However, he’s missed 70 games over the past four seasons and and the plantar faciitis injury is recurring. When healthy, Noah is among the best there is at his position. Can he stay healthy? We’ll see. Luol Deng: For the second year in a row, Deng led the league in MPG (38.7) and made the All-Star team. He is one of the league’s premier perimeter defenders and provides leadership by example. And, of course, everybody knows that coach Tom Thibodeau believes Deng is absolutely indispensable. That said, there are some concerns. For example, his three-point percentage sunk to its lowest mark since 2006-07 and he accumulated the second-worst field goal percentage of his career. He also had a league average Player Efficiency Rating of 15.1 and ranked sixth on the team in Win Shares Per 48 Minutes (.105). It’s hard to determine whether the heavy minutes and a lingering injury to his left wrist account for his struggles with shooting and overall efficiency, but they probably figure in there somewhere. The good news is Deng will have the entire summer off to get healthy (and have wrist surgery if necessary), which means he might be even better next year than he was the previous two seasons. One thing worth noting: Deng is one of the team’s better trade chips. He is worth less to the Bulls than Rose and Noah. He doesn’t carry the same stigma as Carlos Boozer. And his $14 million salary comes off the books after next season. Therefore, if the Bulls make any kind of major deal, there is at least some likelihood Deng will be involved. Carlos Boozer: Although fans (and even some experts) use him as a lightning rod for abuse whenever the Bulls fail to live up to expectations, Boozer had another steady season. He ranked first on the team in both Points and Rebounds Per 36 Minutes (18.1 and 10.9, respectively), and he was third (behind Joakim Noah and Nate Robinson) in PER (17.1). Despite his previous history of being an injury risk, Boozer has missed only three games the past two seasons, and he has also been a consummate professional on and off the court. Of course, Boozer is still a statue on offense. Despite his reliable productivity — his Per 36 Minute stats have been pretty constant over his enti

Nick Friedell looks at each player on the Chicago Bulls roster and how they fit in for the future. Jimmy Butler 2012-13 salary: $1,066,920 | Age: 23 | Season stats: 8.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg Season recap: After struggling to find a consistent place in Tom Thibodeau's rotation for the first couple months of his second season, Butler flourished toward the middle of January when Luol Deng went down with a hamstring injury. By the end of the season, Butler was being counted on to play 48 minutes a night and be a defensive presence for a Bulls team that advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

Legendary Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who guided the team to six NBA championships and went on to coach the Los Angeles Lakers to five, discusses his new book, "Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success" with Tribune sports reporter K.C. Johnson on May 23. Hear how the "Zen master" inspired his players and grew to be one of the most innovative coaches in sports. 7 p.m. Palmer House Hilton, 17 E. Monroe St., Chicago. Groups of 10+ qualify for $10 discounted ticket pricing. Get tickets and more information here. Legendary Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who guided the team to six NBA championships and went on to coach the Los Angeles Lakers to five, discusses his new book, "Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success" with Tribune sports reporter K.C. Johnson on May 23. Hear how the "Zen master" inspired his players and grew to be one of the most innovative coaches in sports. 7 p.m. Palmer House Hilton, 17 E. Monroe St., Chicago. Groups of 10+ qualify for $10 discounted ticket pricing. Get tickets and more information here.

CHICAGO -- Luol Deng has been such an integral part of the Chicago Bulls' success over the past three years under Tom Thibodeau that the idea of Deng playing somewhere else will make the veteran coach cringe. But it's a notion that Thibodeau should at least consider as the Bulls go about trying to upgrade their roster over the summer, and it's the single biggest non-Derrick Rose question hovering over the Bulls as they head into the offseason. Should Deng be dealt?

It is possible given consensus top pick Nerlens Noel from Kentucky is not nearly last year’s first selection, Anthony Davis, someone might want to make a deal for a future look if a team farther down likes him a lot.

Hey gang. I have posted the standings for the bracket contest below but, as always, I will use this platform to initiate discussion on the NBA playoffs. You are encouraged to post your own thoughts/observations on the subject. The 2nd round of the playoffs are over and very little about this round ran contrary to my (everyone's?) expectations. Eastern Conference: I will limit this to as few words as possible as the East is a bit of a disaster right now. Much has been said on the site about the Bulls/Heat series so I will not repeat too much. Let me just say that I am proud of the Bulls playoff performance and I think that a playoff series victory is a very big deal for them going forward. I am back in 2011-mode where I will be glad to see anyone but the Heat win. The Knicks/Indiana series is now over with the Knicks playing much worse than advertised. Maybe it it the age/injuries. My initial thought was that Indiana would beat the hell out of them and make them lose there cool. This may or may not have happened but I will have to consult one of the seven people who actually watched some of these games to make sure. As far as the ECF is concerned, I see Indiana roughing up the Heat quite a bit. I do not think that the Pacers have the scoring to actually pull off the series victory but I think that they will seriously expose Miami's smallball lineups. Heat in 6 Western Conference: The Spurs/Warriors series went just as expected. When the Warriors requited 37 minutes to inbound the ball at the end of the Nuggets series, it was clear to me that they lacked the ability to execute required to make a deep playoff run. Contrast that with the Spurs where it is totally unconscious for every player, from Tim Duncan down, to make the extra pass and find the wide open shot. Their attack was relentless, especially compared to the Warriors. Now, I too am human. I loved watching Steph Curry nail 30 footers. That said, if the W's are going to take the next step, they must emulate the Spurs and learn to execute. They need more of a defensive identity and need more and better ball movement on offense (things that the Spurs excel at). Hopefully they can pull this off as they will then be very interesting going forward. I did not watch much of the Griz/OKC series due to OKC's weakened state. As far as the WCF goes, this could go either way in my eyes. On the one hand the Spurs look like a well-oiled machine. That said, the Griz are hot right now and are really delivering with their bruising front-court. I see this series going to 6 or 7 with the Griz being the eventual winners. Griz in 6 (only because if it goes to 7 I will have to change to the Spurs due to home-court advantage). Finals: I said this last time but I have the Griz winning it all (if I could redo my bracket). I will revise this by saying that I think that whoever comes out of the West will win it all. My reasoning is that the Heat's game-plan is to force their opponent into awkward match-ups/positioning. That is all well and good if the only sacrifice that you must make is a mildly hot night from Carlos Boozer. If you have Shane Battier and Chris Bosh guarding ZBo and Gasol, you will pay. The same is true for the Spurs. Throw in that the Spurs have a large number of wing defenders to throw at LeBron James and I think that the Heat winning the championship is not the forgone conclusion that seems to be the conventional wisdom. Alright gang. That's it. The Bulls are out but they went down valiantly and are poised to be real contenders next year. I loved this team and am very proud of them. Go Bulls! Please discuss the playoffs at length. Post-away. Patty Mills, Juicy Dengler 180 Spurs View xkellenx's bracket, xkellenx 160 Heat View THEKILLERWHALE's Bracket, THEKILLERWHALE 145 Heat View drock8686, drock8686 145 Spurs View Otherface NBA Bracket, otherface 145 Heat View simplebracket, prevenge

We've already done a pretty thorough "Best of the 2012-13 Chicago Bulls," but there was plenty of stuff that was left out. Namely, some of the more hilarious or "lesser" moments that were GIF'd for our pleasure. There was a request for a "Best GIFs of the Year" post, and I couldn't help but oblige. So without further ado, here's some of the best GIFs from this Bulls campaign, which do include some of the plays from the "Best of..." post. These are in no particular order, and if there are any I forgot, please do share. Jimmy is not impressed Jimmy is not impressed part deux via gifs.gifbin.com Jimmy posterizes Bosh Taj posterizes Humphries Marco's big spicy meatballs Nate discount double checks all over the place Nate blocks LeBron Bulls' bench starring D-Rose jumping very high and Nate going nuts Nate crosses Humphries via losthatsportsblog.com Shocked Boozer Shocked Boozer part deux Boozer low blows Danny Crawford via i.minus.com "That's a bad man" via gifrific.com Boozer stares down LeBron via cdn.bleacherreport.net Noah mocks Bosh and Chalmers Noah's jazz hands Noah's playoff promos Kirk rips ball away from Bosh via s3-ec.buzzfed.com Kirk's awful lob Kirk and Jimmy ticked with a side of Fred via i.minus.com Thibs is befuddled via cjzero.com Thibs is not pleased Thibs is REALLY not pleased via cdn.fansided.com Nazr shoves LeBron Nate and Deng's epic celebration

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