How quickly things can change. With forty seconds to play in their opening playoff game against Philadelphia, the Bulls were on cloud nine. They were coming off back-to-back seasons with the best record in the NBA and had just dominated the Sixers with a top-class performance. Their MVP, Derrick Rose, who had struggled with injury throughout the season, was in flying form. The 'bench mob' was wreaking defensive havoc. It all it took was once split second to turn everything on its head. When Derrick Rose when down clutching his knee, the Bulls championship hopes went up in flames. They're hopes of winning next season did too.
Bulls management have a responded accordingly this offseason and sent a very clear message to the teams fans around the world. 'We don't think we can win next season, so we're not going to pay the luxury tax'. Put that way, it seems like a semi-justifiable position, but in reality, it doesn't read so well. The Bulls lost assets for nothing, and gutted the bench unit that had been an enormous part of their success last season. Surely the goal is to put the best team possible on the floor? The Bulls are one of only seven teams in the NBA to have never paid the luxury tax. The others? Golden State, Washington, the LA Clippers, Charlotte, New Orleans, and Oklahoma/Seattle. Consider that the Bulls are the number one most profitable team in the NBA (by a wide margin) and owner Jerry Reinsdorf's priorities are clear.
The big move for this Bulls this offseason was, of course, the departure of Omer Asik to Houston. Asik was a restricted free agent, and so the Bulls did have a chance to match his offer, but chose not to, due to the now infamous 'poison pill' contract. Asik's contract was identical to the one Houston offered Jeremy Lin, which pays the two players about five millions dollars each for the first two years, and almost fifteen million in the third year. This third is what convinced the Bulls and the Knicks, not to match, as they fretted over potential huge luxury tax payments.
I was strongly against the decisions of both the Bulls and the Knicks in this situation. The players are only overpaid for one year. ONE YEAR. Those contracts are not going to seriously hamper either teams ability to make moves in the long term, but would have made both teams better in the short term. In fact, those contracts could seriously improve a teams chance to improve down the line. An expiring contract for fourteen million dollars would have been an incredible trade chip to have. For the Bulls, Asik's defensive presence will be sorely missed and they'll now be very reliant on Joakim Noah's ability to stay healthy, because Asik's replacement Nazr Mohammed, is not a guy the Bulls want to see very much action.
The other big off-season for Chicago was the return of Kirk Hinrich to the United Center. I loved this signing, as I feel I Kirk can be a really nice role player for the Bulls. He can handle the ball, and play both the one and the two, and he's a decent shooter. He'll be a solid starter for the Bulls while Derrick Rose is rehabbing. I'm not so sure about his contract though. Since decline to match Asik's offer, the Bulls have given Kirk more money on his deal as part of the mid-level exception. Indications are that he'll earn about three-point-eight million dollars next season.
The Bulls other off-season transactions have merely been a case of filling out the roster. Vladimir Radmanovic will basically replace the Kyle Korver role, though he's not nearly as good a shooter, and Nazr Mohammed will be Chicago's fourth big man. The Bulls did pick up a nice piece in signing Italian two-guard Marco Belinelli, who they'll hope can provide some scoring. They'll need it with Rose out. To that end they have also signed Nate Robinsonm another guy who can score and make a difference off the bench. Robinson's arrival is an ominous sign for rookie Marquis Teague, who looks set be the team's fourth choice point guard once Rose returns.
The Bulls decision not to invest in their team this summer becomes even more disappointing when you consider the moves that other contenders have made. Miami have brought in Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, to strengthen their depth of the bench. Boston got a quality rookie, in Jared Sullinger, while also adding Jason Terry and resigning Jeff Green. The Net's have made massive steps forward, and the Lakers of course, added Steve Nash. The Bulls are going very much in the opposite direction.
As a Bulls fan, personally I find myself hoping thatn Luol Deng has his surgery and misses a few months. I won't mind if Boozer and Noah miss plenty of games again. If they're not going to spend the money to get better, then there's only one other way. That's through the draft. With Rose out injured next season, this is Chicago's chance to be bad enough to get in the lottery, and maybe luck into a great pick, as the Spurs did when they got Tim Duncan in 1997. Such a slice of extraordinary luck is starting to seem like the Bulls only real chance of building a championship team around Derrick Rose.
Elsewhere around the league, the off-season has hit a lull. With most of the free agents having signed new deals and Olympics under way, the NBA has gone into hibernation in the last few weeks. Most of the NBA related discussions have been surrounding the proposed 'World Cup of Basketball'. This is based on a proposal backed most notably by David Stern and Mark Cuban, which would see the NBA and FIBA take joint control of the current FIBA World Championship, and reform it as the World Cup of Basketball. This would involve making only players under-23 eligible for the Olympic basketball tournament. Understandably this suggestion has inspired much debate among basketball fans and critics alike. Perhaps we should just enjoy these current Olympic games while we can.
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