When Michael Jordan left the Chicago Bulls after the 1998-99 season, he seemed to have taken his winning ways along with him. Since then, the Bulls have failed to have a winning season and have not made it to postseason play. They also traded Jamal Crawford, their leading scorer, to the New York Knicks in the off-season without getting any crucial players in return. After a 1-10 start to this season, it seemed like it was the same losing story again in Chicago.
However, with ten wins out of their last eleven games, and nineteen wins in the twenty-eight games since their poor start, the Bulls, at 20-19, are above five hundred later in a season than they have been since Jordan departed.
Included in these wins are two victories against the defending champion Detroit Pistons, as well as victories over the Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies. The Bulls now find themselves with the same record as the Pacers and are in the 8th playoff spot. The potential for this team is there, but whether or not the pieces are in place remains to be seen.
These "Baby Bulls" are getting the job done with timely scoring and an extremely solid defensive effort. The young squad is also allowing less than 91 ppg, good enough for 5th in the league. Their field-goal percentage defense is the best in the NBA. Their offensive contributions are coming from several different players in a balanced attack. Second-year point guard Kirk Hinrich is leading the team with 16 ppg and 7.2 apg.
Also contributing in the backcourt are rookies Ben Gordon and Luol Deng, both of whom have done well in adjusting immediately to the NBA. Gordon is already the team's best perimeter shooter, averaging 13 ppg while hitting 43 percent of his three-point shots, while Deng, a versatile small forward, is scoring 12.5 ppg to go along with almost six boards per contest.
Chicago's frontcourt has almost as many youthful players as their back. Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler, who both came to the NBA straight from high school, are now in their fourth season. Curry, their best frontcourt scorer, is averaging 15.8 ppg and almost six rpg. He is also shooting 53.2 percent from the field, the best of the starting five. Chandler, while only scoring eight ppg, leads the team in both rebounding (nine rpg) and blocks (1.85 bpg).
There have been several other contributors for the Bulls. In the backcourt, Chris Duhon, another rookie, is helping out at point guard and is second on the team in assists. Andres Nocioni, a rookie from Argentina, is a second option for Chicago at the small forward spot.
In the frontcourt, veteran Antonio Davis, in his 14th season, has complemented the Bulls' youth very well. Despite posting only six ppg and five rpg, he has been helpful for Chicago's younger players, especially Chandler and Curry. Othella Harrington, a 9th year veteran, has been very efficient despite averaging only 16 minutes of action per game.
Whether the Bulls are truly realizing their potential remains to be seen. In the weaker Eastern Conference, they can continue to rise if they play at the same high level of late. Coach Scott Skiles has the team playing well on the defensive end and the team has a solid balance between interior and perimeter scoring.
Gordon and Deng are progressing extremely well and have star potential. The same could be said for Hinrich, who has been overshadowed by fellow sophomores Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade.
The frontcourt is where the bigger issues reside. Curry and Chandler are both free agents after this season, and Curry is coveted by a number of teams, most notably the Knicks. Both players have shown flashes of greatness, but ultimately have yet to take the next step for the Bulls. The team needs to decide soon whether they want to re-sign either to long-term deals or attempt to trade them for other players. A deal with the Knicks, who are burdened with several huge long-term deals, could involve Kurt Thomas or Nazr Mohammed.
There is still work to be done in Chicago. However, after years of floundering following Jordan's retirement, these "Baby Bulls" have finally given their fans a little something to cheer about.
