The Chicago Bulls have many areas to address as they approach their 2016-2017 season. Following the firing of Tom Thibodeau, former five-year coach of the Bulls, the team hired coach Fred Hoiberg. Hoiberg is well known for playing basketball for the Chicago Bulls, as well as being coach of the Iowa State Cyclone's basketball team of which he was hugely successful. Thibodeau, who notably is one of the best coaches in the NBA, had a coaching style with emphasis on strong defense and defensive pressure on the ball. Hoiberg's coaching style calls for a more relaxed defensive approach, with emphasis on fast paced offense and spacing the floor.
The Bulls became the bigger part of these contrasting ideals, as they struggled to implement the new coaching style of Hoiberg and focus less on what Thibodeau taught them about defense. At the beginning of the season, with all of their star players healthy and ready to compete, the expectations for the team were very high. However, the Bulls would go on to have a 42-40 season, one which eliminated them from a playoff run. This would be the first time the Bulls missed the playoffs since 2008.
While the season as a whole was disappointing for the Chicago Bulls, there were glimpses of greatness which gave fans and even the players hope for the future. These moments included alley-oops, passes which broke down the defense, brilliant fastbreak scoring, and shots in rhythm which made many wonder why the season was so disappointing. While many enjoyed these moments, there were others who were skeptical of the efficiency of the team from the beginning of the season.
Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler, two of the Bulls' biggest names, were both brought up many times during the season when lack of efficiency was a topic for discussion. While both stars did well individually, it was their chemistry and production as a backcourt which made people question the team. Rose, who was undoubtedly the face of the Bulls, was the unquestioned leader and facilitated plays down the stretch for most of the teams' possessions. In the absence of Rose in the past two seasons, Butler stepped into the leadership role and carried the team, which boded well for the time being. When Rose stepped back onto the court however, certain characteristics for the Bulls offense had changed.
Bulls offense last season had drastically changed. As it appeared, Rose and Butler would both take turns with the ball on offense, as both players looked to facilitate the plays of the team. This would have been ideal if both players were efficient from the perimeter, but they are not. Many started to wonder if there was friction between the backcourt duo, while both players dismissed the allegations.
Regardless of the less than stellar season the Bulls had, they still have plenty of weapons in their arsenal which makes them one of the top championship contenders in the East. The Bulls currently have Mike Dunleavy, Doug McDermott, Nikola Mirotic and Tony Snell, who are all great perimeter shooters. They also have Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah, who both bring great energy and can both make big plays for their team. Butler is one of the Bulls' defensive anchors, as well as a player who can score easily in transition when he is in rhythm. Rose, although he faced several knee and lower leg injuries, still continues to be one of the league's best scorers in the paint, and can get to the basket easily with his speed.
The Bulls might not have all the answers to their problems as a team, but they definitely have the potential to live up to the high expectations to which they are being held in the future.
