Bulls Start Season 17th in Power Rankings

The Bulls come in at number 17 on ESPN.com writer Marc Stein’s latest NBA power rankings list.  “Maybe rookies Rose and Del Negro can overcome Chicago’s low-post limitations and glut of guards to lead a return to the playoffs,” Stein writes.  “But who wants to go out on that limb after last season’s team underachieved so badly?”  This is the final update of the power rankings prior to opening night on Wednesday.

The Bulls should contend for a playoff spot this season, and a bounce-back year from newly inked forward Luol Deng would go a long way in accomplishing that goal.  The team is not in a rebuilding mode, but with Del Negro getting his feet wet as a head coach, expectations must be tempered.  Every day this will become a little more of Derrick Rose’s team.  He and Deng are the cornerstones of this franchise.  Ben Gordon is likely gone at the end of the season, and youngsters like Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah have to prove that they can hang with the big boys.  Thomas could be in line for a breakout season, but he could also have another year filled with highlight dunks and wild inconsistency.

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