Devastating Lineups for the Chicago Bulls this Upcoming Season

One of the best qualities of the 2014-15 Bulls team is the versatility built into the roster. Here's some lineups I put together that could prove troublesome for teams league-wide:

Rose/Snell/Butler/Gasol/Noah

Offense: I think the Bulls open the season with this lineup, mostly because Rose wouldn't be required to penetrate to the hoop at the beginning of the game. Butler would actually be the weak link offensively, but he’d only need to improve his corner 3-point shooting for this lineup to work. They could run triangle actions easily on either side of the floor, especially since Gasol is already familiar with the system. Snell would work well off Rose in flex sets, especially since he can pull up from 3 after one dribble. The loop action (from the Spurs) would be devastating, giving Rose an open look to the basket and multiple options for passing. Also, this lineup is tailor-made for horns sets, which would utilize the passing of both Gasol and Noah.

Defense: Above average, that’s for sure. They’ve got wingspan and height and overall speed working in their favor. Thibs’ defensive principles might be difficult for Gasol to grasp at first, and he’ll need to work on his speed and timing in order to corral shooters into taking longer shots. However, Gasol’s pterodactyl-like wingspan will disrupt passing lanes and his height will enable him to sag lower to contain quicker drivers. He’ll also have two excellent wing defenders in Butler and Snell, so he’ll rarely face a sprinting driver one-on-one. He’ll also be playing next to the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year in Noah.

Overall: Excellent balance in this roster. It allows Rose to play off the ball as a cutter and spacing shooter, saving him valuable energy for when he has to create in more defensive lineups. It also works well overall defensively. Also you could switch Snell with Dunleavy if you want to gain a rebounding edge.

Brooks/Snell/McDermott/Mirotic/Gibson

Offense: That’s a hell of a lot of shooting for Bench Mob 2.0. What I love about this lineup is that it forces opposing teams to play a starter or two for extra minutes in order to defend the sheer volume of shooting this lineup provides. It also embraces the heart of what Thibodeau wants to do on offense: inside-out and side-to-side. Snell and McDermott already showed a bit of that magic during the Summer League, getting each other open looks with a basic side-to-side two-man game on the wing. They also have three players (McDermott, Mirotic and Gibson) who can take the ball into post. But the most terrifying action will be the Brooks/Gibson pick and roll. They’ll have three shooters waiting for the ball and one of them will almost certainly be open if they don’t want Brooks or Gibson to finish at the rim.

Defense: As long as McDermott and Mirotic aren’t on the same side of the floor and as long as they don’t allow middle penetration, they’ll be fine. Collectively, they should be quick and smart enough to challenge the easy passes for which second units typically look. If McDermott and Mirotic can add strength this summer in the gym, they’ll also be able to prevent post scorers from backing them into the paint.

Overall: Their weakness on defense is swallowed by the terror their offense will invoke. Again, you could substitute Dunleavy for Snell if you want more rebounding.

Rose/Brooks/Butler/Gibson/Noah

Offense: Speed kills. The point of this offense? Attack the rim as much and often as possible. If you want an opposing player in foul trouble, this is the lineup to do it. Also, if these five get out in transition, assume the ball is going in the hoop. The offense is balanced well with ball handling, shooting, cutting, and passing.

Defense: If Thibodeau can’t figure out how to hide Brooks in this lineup, then the Bulls might as well call Fred Hoiberg now.

Overall: You could close a game with these five.

Hinrich/Snell/McDermott/Gibson/Gasol

Offense: This lineup could see a lot of play at the end of the first and third quarter. Your primary option is to get the ball to Gasol in the post. If that doesn’t work, you have Hinrich and Snell who can work from the wing and McDermott as a safety valve if everything falls apart. Gibson is also an attractive option in the post. They can run the loop and flex action for McDermott or Snell and they would also benefit from basic triangle sets to get Gibson and Gasol in good post position.

Defense: You have two good backcourt defenders in Hinrich and Snell and rim protection with Gibson. And again, you would have a size advantage on a lot of teams without giving up too much speed and maintaining a respectable shooting presence.

Overall: If these players remain healthy, I could see Thibodeau using this set in playoff situations where he would want to rest Rose, Butler and Noah. Again, balance is key. You have good passing, shooting, rim protection and adequate defense.

Rose/Butler/Dunleavy/Mirotic/Noah

Offense: The point of this whole lineup is to implement the high pick and roll with Rose and Noah. If they can figure out that basic action, then they could end up with an open, high percentage shot every time they run it. Butler and Dunleavy stand in the corners. Mirotic stays close to the rim. Once Rose uses the pick set by Noah, Mirotic sprints out to either corner and Butler/Dunleavy sprints to the top of the key. If they throw a big at Rose to stop his drive or to bump Noah on his way to the rim, then one of the other three shooters will be open. If the big man sags low to contain, Rose can dump it off to one of the best passing big men in the league for either an open 16-footer or an opportunity to create an open look for Rose. Basically, Rose and Noah will have the entire lane to create a high percentage look and only two defenders to stop them.

Defense: You lose a little defense here because the collective footspeed isn’t great, but you still have capable wing defenders in Butler and Dunleavy and a rim protector in Noah. They’ll get themselves in trouble if they gamble for steals and they’ll need to double team if Mirotic or Dunleavy has to defend the post. However, Thibodeau’s defensive principles should work well for these five.

Overall: If a big or a wing defender gets in foul trouble, this lineup should provide plenty of offensive and defensive capability to steady the ship. It also allows Rose to do what he does best: drive into the lane and score.

Rose/Butler/McDermott/Gibson/Noah

Overall: I'm essentially putting McDermott in the role Carmelo Anthony would have occupied had he signed in Chicago. Ask yourself: Do the Bulls gain $16 million worth of offense and defense from putting Carmelo Anthony in McDermott's role? I don't think so. I really don't. If you trotted out this lineup against the 2015 Cavaliers, and if LeBron covers Rose in crunch time, then who covers McDermott? Who prevents Butler from crashing the rim? Who fights Gibson in the post?

Smile wide, Bulls fans. The East is ours for the taking.

What are your suggestions for possible Bulls lineups?

Derrick Rose has been Named a Starter on the USMNT

I honestly can't believe Derrick got to the starting lineup of the FIBA USA basketball team. After all of the trials and tribulations that have faced him during these past few years, he has finally made it back alongside the elite members of the NBA. He beat out elite guards such as Damien Lillard, Kyrie Irving, and Stephen Curry for the starting position.

He'll probably play alongside James Harden, maybe Demar Derozan, Anthony Davis, and Demarcus Cousins. The roster is not star studded like the gold medal winning Olympic team was, but the lineup is nothing short of fantastic. It will be interesting to see who lands the small forward position with Kevin Durant and Paul George dropping from the team. It will most likely be Demar Derozan or maybe even Chandler Parsons who is a good defender and an above average play maker.

All in all, I'm just hope our main man Derrick Rose can showcase his talents on a world scale to prove all of the critics and doubters wrong. Some extra practice and strengthening of his overall body could also be of great benefit.

Return of the WindyCity Assasian

Watch­ing team USA bas­ket­ball lately looks like a come­back party for Chicago native and Bulls star Der­rick Rose. The blue vs white scrim­mage was like the fancy invi­ta­tion to D-rose’s come­back party. I think Rose showed more high­lights and flashes in the first quar­ter of the Blue vs White scrim­mage than he did in the 10 games he played the last two years. He looked stronger, faster and most impor­tantly his con­fi­dence was out of the build­ing. For an ath­lete to get injured and come­back to get injured again is tough, but main­tain­ing con­fi­dence is the tough­est obsta­cle an ath­lete has to over­come. If your a bulls fan you should be super excited to see Der­rick Rose ham­mer­ing home a strong Tom­a­hawk dunk in a scrim­mage game with­out any thought of his landing.

Many peo­ple includ­ing he D-rose believe he is back as an elite level player. Here’s what Team USA’s Coach K had to say about Rose. “I think he’s excep­tional in every way. He went right at it. The first defen­sive exchange in the camp, he was all over the ball han­dler, mov­ing his feet, attack­ing him. There was a buzz right away because it was basi­cally his say­ing, ‘Look, I’m not just back. I’m back at a level that’s elite.’”  Bulls Coach and Team USA assis­tant Coach Tom Thi­bodeau is also pos­i­tive about D-rose’s return. “The way he looks right now, his body is strong, he’s feel­ing great. It’s been two years now since he’s had the ACL injury, and I think he feels good about where he is phys­i­cally, and men­tally he’s doing very well.”

The Biggest con­cern for the Bull’s Is can Rose play late into his 30’s and keep the Bull’s as con­tenders in the East­ern Conference ?

Here’s what Rose had to say about play­ing smarter and safer. “I’m able to con­trol my body a lit­tle bit more, using my speed more, being smart with my speed rather than just run­ning wild out there, I’ve become a smarter player, but I’m mad it took me seven years to learn it.”

“Try­ing to use a lot of floaters, a lot of pull-ups, stuff like that so you aren’t touched as much,” Rose said.

When you look at D-Rose’s game he only played at an MVP cal­iber player when he was draw­ing fouls at the rim, attack­ing the bas­ket­ball and being wild in the open the court. For him to still be aMVP cal­iber player he will still need to per­form few of those skills. It’s ok for him to be con­ser­v­a­tive and want to avoid con­tact, but if he’s has to watch being too con­ser­v­a­tive if he wants to return to his MVP form.  

Make sure to watch Der­rick Rose’s next game as Team USA takes on Brazil in an exhi­bi­tion game at the United Cen­ter on August the 16, 2014

Quote from Andre Drummond on Rose

"Rose is a Ferrari among Nissans out there." - Andre Drummond

This quote from Andre Drummond is extremely exciting and encouraging to hear about. Derrick Rose was known before the ACL injury in 2012 for his blistering speed, quickness, and ability to maneuver around his defenders with ease. The players he is up against aren't just some pickup game scrubs either; they are among the elite, quickest guards in the league. John Wall, Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry, and Damian Lillard look like 'Nissans' compared to Derrick Rose. Hopefully he can keep his body healthy and have a great impact this season.

Coach K Says Derrick Rose is Playing at an "Elite Level"

"I think he's exceptional in every way. He went right at it. The first defensive exchange in the camp, he was all over the ball handler, moving his feet, attacking him. There was a buzz right away because it was basically his saying, 'Look, I'm not just back. I'm back at a level that's elite.'"

"Derrick was sensational the whole week," Krzyzewski said. "He really did that every day, how fast and strong and decisive he was. He really created an air of excitement for the team because we all were anxious to see who he was right now. And who he is is very, very good. We're ecstatic about it and so happy for him."

"Being with the other elite guards helps you," Krzyzewski said. "And Derrick maintained that the entire week. We could not be happier about that particular situation."

Three quotes by Coach Kryzewski on Derrick Rose's performances.

#Throwback: Taj Gibson with a Poster on Kris Humphries in the 2013 Playoffs!

Derrick Rose Seems a lot more Confident in his Abilities this Year.

Derrick seems more confident in himself, his health, and his abilities than I've ever seen if that's even possible. Even though he seemed fairly optimistic about himself last year, he was quoted at the USMNT Training Camp saying he didn't feel comfortable playing basketball last year; he "wasn't enjoying the game." He looks better than he did in the preseason and the 10 games he played last year and he says he is "11/10" in a sense of being back and being ready. Derrick also doesn't have a robotic, monotone voice anymore; he looks comfortable in interviews and conversations with others than he ever before. I hope this newfound confidence allows him get to his former self as soon as possible, if he's not already there.