“In all my years one thing has never changed; you win with serious, tough minded players. That never changes”.
Plucked from the mouth of Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, nothing could have prepared the star-studded Bulls for a soft, early 2014-15 playoff exit against an injury-depleted Cleveland Cavaliers.
It was a disappointing result for the Bulls, who pride themselves on toughness, which was notably absent.
The substantial amount of injuries suffered throughout the season meant that consistency was rare. Nevertheless, it still provides no excuse for a franchise that has failed to turn up during crucial series match-ups over the last five years.
With Chicago’s preferred starting line-up of Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Mike Dunleavy, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol only taking the court together for 21 games before the playoffs, it poses the question of whether or not the Bulls’ roster will remain the same for next season.
Mike Dunleavy is set to head into free agency, while Joakim Noah’s poor season may not help his cause of remaining at the key power forward position heading in to 2016.
The opening round playoff match-up between the Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks saw tactics employed by Bucks head coach Jason Kidd to starve Noah options of one of his best traits, passing.
Kidd strategised to pull Noah’s defender away to double-team the likes of Rose and Butler when bringing the ball up the floor. When the open man for Chicago, usually Noah, receives the ball he often gave up an open shot and look to pass instead.
Noah’s offensive struggles transpired into the second round against the Cavaliers, averaging 37 per cent from the field in just over 30 minutes per game, with most of his attempts falling within metres of the rim.
Effectively, this left the Bulls with only four offensive threats when Noah was on the court and even though he is an exceptional defender, the modern game requires players to be competitive at both ends of the floor.
It wasn’t the best season of Noah’s career, his offensive play will need to improve, or personnel changes will need to be implemented if Chicago is to move deeper into the playoffs next season.
In addition to the form of Noah and his ageing knees, and the entrance of Dunleavy into free agency, head coach Thibodeau’s head is on the chopping block.
Still labelled as one of the most respected and successful coaches in the league, Thibodeau’s defensive-minded strategies are yet to be effective within the playoffs, in a coaching tenure lasting five years.
Throughout that time, the Thibodeau-coached Bulls have held a 65 per cent win-rate in the regular season, compared to only 45 per cent in the playoffs. Continued failure at the pointy end of the season has Thibodeau in a precarious position of potentially losing his job in Chicago.
A shining light for the Bulls has been Derrick Rose’s form resurgence, combined with the play of Jimmy Butler.
It is now time to build a basis of the organisation around Jimmy Butler instead of the injury-prone Rose. As great as Rose is, he needs time to adjust back into the spotlight that is the National Basketball Association.
In the 2014-15 season, Butler was named the most improved player, a great honour for a player who arguably has held the Bulls together at the guard position in the absence of Rose, and experienced his best season to date.
Questions remain as to what type of deal the Bulls will offer Butler, whether they’ll have enough money to reacquire Mike Dunleavy, and if Tom Thibodeau will keep his job.
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