Is Salmons A One-Year Wonder?

The Chicago Bulls acquired  forward John Salmons from Sacramento on February 18, 2008. The 6-foot-6 swingman never averaged double figures in the NBA until his sixth season. Last season, the forward rose to 18.3 points and 47.2 percent shooting. There are very few players who start slowly and then average more than 18 points for a full season. Antoine Carr and George McCloud are the exception, but they went back to their normal numbers after a single breakout season. Salmons certainly set the bar higher for himself last season. Living up to those expectations has to be on his mind, right? “I haven’t thought about that,” he said. “There’s no reason to think that way. I know there are still nonbelievers out there. I know that. I’m not a fool. But at the same time, I’m focusing on doing what I do best, just go out here and help my team win. Whatever comes out of that, comes out. That’s how I approached last year, that’s how I approached every year.” This year, the Bulls are counting on Salmons to step in as the starting two guard. Salmons, a Philadelphia native, has been working next to Derrick Rose during practise. “I love playing with him,” Rose said. “He doesn’t say that much. I don’t say that much either, but we’ve got an understanding on the court of what we’re supposed to do. He’s a bigger guard, has a funny-type game, but he can score the ball.”

Purchase Chicago Bulls tickets at stubhub.com

What Role Will Rookie James Johnson Play?

James Johnson was the first of the Bulls’ two first-round picks in the 2009 NBA draft. Nobody knows exactly what role the rookie will play this season. But everyone agrees the former Wake Forest star has what it takes to be a big factor. Chicago coach Vinny Del Negro said, “He’s very skilled, can make plays off the dribble, has a good feel for the game and has good versatility, but he’s young and he’s gonna make mistakes.” The coach continued to say the rookie does things you can’t teach a player. Vinny revealed that Johnson could give the Bulls versatility “at the three [small forward] and the four [power forward], but time will tell.” Although Johnson (6-foot-9) was listed as a power forward before he was drafted by the Bulls, Chicago saw him as someone capable of playing both forward positions. That’s how Johnson sees himself. The rookie said, ”I’ve just been playing the three so far. That’s my natural position, but I can play any position I’m put at.” Vinny expects Johnson to play a little bit of three and the four, at least while he’s practising. The coach believes he can handle both positions because of his strength and size and his ability to put the ball on the ground.

Purchase Chicago Bulls tickets at stubhub.com

Bulls Get Ready For Preseason

The Chicago Bulls wrapped up their first practice sessions on Saturday. Their first practice session began at 10:00 A.M., and their second came at 4:30 P.M. The two-a-day practice sessions will continue through Wednesday, September 30. Chicago will tip-off their eight-game preseason schedule on Friday, October 2, when they visit the Indiana Pacers. The Bulls will then travel across the pond to take on the Utah Jazz in England as part of NBA Europe Live presented by EA Sports on Oct. 6. Other preseason contests include: at Milwaukee Bucks (Oct. 10 in Green Bay, Wis.), vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Oct. 13), at Minnesota Timberwolves (Oct. 14), vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Oct. 16), vs. Orlando Magic (Oct. 19) and vs. Washington Wizards (Oct. 23). The team will then tip-off the regular season on Oct. 29 at the United Center against the San Antonio Spurs. Many Bulls’ fans are wondering how good Chicago will be this season since Ben Gordon has left. How much will the loss of Gordon affect the Bulls? If you ask the Bulls, they will tell you the loss of Gordon will not effect them much, but NBA commentators think the exact opposite. John Salmons will have some big shoes to fill as he slides into Gordon’s vacated shooting guard slot.

Purchase Chicago Bulls tickets at stubhub.com

Bulls 13th in Initial Power Rankings

ESPN’s Marc Stein has released his first set of NBA Power Rankings for the 2009-10 season.  The Bulls come in at number 13 on the list.  “With D-Rose no longer a rook, Deng back from injury and Brad Miller and Salmons in training camp, Chicago will weather Ben Gordon’s departure,” Stein writes.  ”Especially since the Bulls are a likely 2010 free-agent player, too.”  The Bulls were the fifth-highest-ranked Eastern Conference team, coming in just above the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards.  The Orlando Magic were Stein’s top choice in the East.

The reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers landed at the top of Stein’s rankings, followed by the Magic, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs.  There are not many pundits that expect a team other than one of these five to win the title this season.  I think slotting the Bulls as the fifth-highest-ranked team in the East is pretty fitting, but there’s a chance that they hurdle the Atlanta Hawks in the standings if things go right.  I think a good goal for the Bulls this season would be to gain home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, as breaking into the top three seems a bit too ambitious for 2009-10.

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.                         

Examining the Roster

Looking at the Bulls’ roster, I think the team should be pretty competitive this season, but improve as the year progresses, much like last season.  The subtraction of the team’s leading scorer of the last three years, Ben Gordon, will be felt initially, as the extra shot attempts are divvied up among the rest of the players.  Most of those attempts figure to go Luol Deng’s way, as the team will be looking for Deng to be the second option behind Derrick Rose.  Deng has the ability to produce efficiently on offense, as he showed three seasons ago, and he could really help pick up the slack early on and moving forward.

Derrick Rose’s improvement will greatly factor into the team’s success this season and the point guard has been working hard this offseason, especially on his jump shot.  Rose’s quickness is nearly unparalleled in the league and the addition of a consistent perimeter shot would make him nearly unguardable.  This certainly won’t be a one or two-man show, though, as the Bulls will need solid contributions out of a number of players in order to fare well this season.  Kirk Hinrich and Joakim Noah will play very important roles in 2009-10, as should John Salmons.

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.                         

Bulls Ink Gray

The Bulls have re-signed center Aaron Gray.  The team drafted the seven-footer in the second round out of Pittsburgh two years ago.  Gray played for Chicago the past two seasons, starting 19 games along the way and averaging 3.9 point and 3.3 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game.  Gray is a big body that will give the Bulls depth inside, something that they’ve lacked in recent history.  Gray will play behind starting center Joakim Noah and backup Brad Miller.  Gray is pretty fundamentally sound and gives the Bulls a nice option should an injury occur or major foul trouble arise for either of the players above him on the depth chart.

Noah is going to be the starting man in the middle for the Bulls in 2009-10 and going forward.  He showed that he can be a tenacious defender and rebounder, something that every teams needs inside.  Miller is a skilled offensive player that will provide a nice contrast in playing style to Noah, and can provide offense when needed.  Gray is a good offensive player, but has been somewhat inconsistent in his limited minutes in the past.  Still, he’s got size and some post moves around the rim that make him a valuable asset toward the end of the bench.

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.                         

Keys For Noah

We’ve talked about how Joakim Noah is definitely a player to keep an eye on during the upcoming 2009-10 NBA season.  Noah, though still very raw offensively, showed himself to be a budding defensive presence in the middle last season and posted some impressive rebounding numbers.  Noah is a player that thrives on his energy and passion for the game.  Bulls fans can find an example of this energy on his now-famous block on Boston’s Paul Pierce in the playoffs last season.  Noah blossomed in the postseason and started to play a bit more under control, something that he’s had some trouble doing in the past.

ESPN’s Rich Bucher noted the transition Noah appeared to be making in the playoffs last season, but also said that Noah has to continue to play a smartly as he did in the postseason.  “Granted, he had the element of surprise last season; most teams discounted him as an energy player who ran out of gas rather quickly and was easily frustrated,” Bucher writes.  ”He played extensive playoff minutes, however, and the transformation caught people’s attention, which means they’ll be a little quicker to put a body on him.  He can’t just play hard this season — he has to play smart.”

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.                         

One-Two Punch

We’ve seen time and time again that one player cannot do it all on his own.  Michael Jordan had Scottie Pippen, Kobe and Shaq had each other and David Robison didn’t win a title until Tim Duncan showed up.  The same will hold true for the Chicago Bulls this upcoming season.  Derrick Rose will not be able to take the Bulls to the next level by himself.  Rose will probably be able to step up his own game, but he’s going to need someone else to step up and become his sidekick of sorts.

That’s where former franchise player Luol Deng comes into play.  Deng, who missed a good portion of last season with an injury, will be looked at to replace Ben Gordon, at least from a scoring production standpoint.  “Gordon, for all his offensive explosiveness and clutch scoring, was a defensive liability and took his share of ill-advised, play-breaking shots,” writes ESPN’s John Hollinger.  ”Deng, who played only 49 games, is apparently healthy, and both he and Rose are capable of making up for Gordon’s scoring punch while giving a stauncher effort on defense.”  If Rose and Deng can develop into a solid one-two punch, this team could really be going places.

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.

Miller Valuable in Multiple Ways

ESPN’s John Hollinger recently discussed what he projects Brad Miller’s role to be this season for the Bulls.  “Miller will be the Bulls’ backup center and probably play 20-25 minutes a night behind Joakim Noah,” Hollinger writes.  ”While his defensive limitations are clear, he’s a useful asset to the Bulls because he provides two things they otherwise lack — a big man with bulk who can win physical battles, and an effective high post player who can shoot and pass.  In fact, even with his weaknesses, he rates as one of the game’s top backup centers.”

“But he may have even more value to the team after the season … after he leaves,” Hollinger continues.  “He has an expiring contract worth $12 million, but the Bulls are almost certain to hang on to it and use the ensuing cap space to dive into the free-agent market in 2010.”  Miller can still provide the Bulls with valuable minutes when the Bulls are looking for more offense.  As Hollinger notes, he’s a more than capable backup center, but his true value rests in his expiring contract.  The $12 million that will come off the books at the end of the season will position the team to make a serious run at a top-level free agent like Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh.

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.                         

Deng Poised For Rebound Season

ESPN’s John Hollinger says that he thinks Luol Deng will be better in 2009-10 than he was last season.  “Deng will start at small forward and likely play around 35 minutes a night, which could lead to a big year statwise,” Hollinger says.  ”With Gordon gone, the Bulls will probably look to kick-start Deng’s offensive game to establish a reliable second option after Rose, especially in the half-court offense.  The fact Chicago invested in a six-year, $71 million deal for Deng only strengthens that impression, and it wouldn’t be surprising if his scoring average rebounded back into the high teens.”

Deng was on the verge of becoming an All-Star just a couple of seasons ago before he was bit by the injury bug.  None of the injuries should linger into this upcoming NBA season, so Deng should be good to go for the first time in a while.  He’s long, athletic and possesses a solid midrange game.  The Bulls will need Deng to step up and assume the second banana role to Derrick Rose.  If Deng can return to form, the Bulls will not miss Ben Gordon nearly as much.  One could say that with Deng lies the difference between making the playoffs convincingly and squeaking in.

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.                         

 Page 1 of 3  1  2  3 »