While preseason success is never a guarantee for regular season dominance, the Bulls finished with a 6-2 exhibition record and expectations have never been higher since MJ left town. Ben “the Afro-ed Wonder” Wallace has already become a favorite at the United Center and veteran P.J. Brown has already displayed the leadership skills that Paxson has been looking for. The hardwood gurus on ESPN and basketball junkies world-wide seem intrigued by the Bulls depth and some even agree with me, the Bulls have what it takes to play for the Eastern Conference Title. After an 8 games schedule where most starters average about 20 minutes a contest, of course, nobody knows if Skiles’s squad can really win 55 games. What we do know is expectations are high throughout the city and the first round of the playoffs won’t cut it anymore. With that said, after countless hours of preseason hoops and plenty of 12 oz curls, let’s take a look at the Top 10 things I learned about the Bulls this exhibition season.
10. Nocioni and Deng will see plenty of time on the floor together
Both players have been adamant that they do not want to come off the bench. While Skiles will surely only start one of them at small forward, expect to see both of them on floor together for long stretches. Their numbers were almost identical in the preseason (20 min. 50 FG% 10 ppg), while Nocioni is a little stronger on the glass. When Skiles wants to go small, look for Noce to slide over to power forward as the Bulls will try to outrun their opponents when both are in the game.
9. Thebo Sefolosha’s got game
While the Switzerland native shot poorly this preseason, he looked comfortable against the NBA’s best and has the body to be a prototypical shooting guard in Skiles’s system. Sefolosha plays solid man-on-man defense, and thrives off-the-ball with his quick hands and long wingspan. While he’ll struggle with the jumpshot in his first season, do not be surprised if he’s stealing minutes from Gordon late in the game because of his defense. Also, he’s a dead-ringer for the “love-child” of Tyson Chandler and Jannero Pargo.
8. Tyrus Thomas is a freak!
“T-Time” is going to be a star in the NBA. While he’ll struggle mightily against the big-bangers down-low until he adds some meat to his frame, Thomas can jump out of the gym, runs like a deer, and has a wingspan that fans need to be aware of when sitting in the first few rows. Besides his natural ability, Thomas has a great work-ethic and showed major improvement with each game. Expect at least two Sportscenter highlights per game from the Louisiana native and Kirk Hinrich to have a new friend on the fast break.
7. Give P.J Brown and Ben Wallace some time
The veteran big-men have brought the leadership and professionalism that Paxson wants around his young squad. Wallace will anchor the middle, while P.J. spaces the floor and does all the little things that never show up in the box score. With that said, Big Ben’s gigantic contract seems to have put a little pressure on him and give him time to work into Skiles’s motion offense. Also, Wallace has never been a good FT shooter, but 22% this preseason is ridiculous! As for P.J., he’s made a living with his mid-range jumper and sneaky put-backs and it looks like he needs some time to find his rhythm. Do not be surprised if both need 15-20 games before they’re back to their old form.
6. Do not call Skiles a Dictator
Twice this off-season I saw reporters ask Skiles about the notion that players around the leagues believe he’s a dictator. Both times Skiles ended the interview and gave the impression that nothing bothers him more than that so-called rumor. While I understand his anger, I have to assume that most NBA coaches are control freaks. Just like a rookie baller, when Skiles first came into the coaching ranks he made mistakes and got under the skin of plenty of NBA veterans. I believe he was somewhat of a dictator in his first coaching stint, but nothing can be farther from the truth with the Bulls. Skiles seems to have become a solid players’ coach who gives more encouraging claps than deadly glares from the sideline.
5. Paxson pulls draft day magic by grabbing Viktor Khryapa
Paxson knew Portland wanted LaMarcus Aldridge at #4 in the draft and sneakily grabbed him with the #2 pick. Pax convinced Portland that the only way they were going to get him was if they selected Thomas for the Bulls and added Khryapa. The 24 year-old, 6-9 forward from the Ukraine, has a unique skill-set and should see plenty of minutes as the season progresses. A remarkable passer for his size with a soft jumper, Khryapa can spread the court and is not afraid to put the ball on the floor. While Paxson will have to rein him in once in awhile, look for Khryapa to quickly become a United Center favorite.
4. Ben Gordon is determined to go to the Hole
While Gordon did not shoot the ball well until the final preseason game (40 fg% , 27 3-pt%), Ben seems determined to make his way to the basket in each game. Expect Gordon to continue this trend, which should allow him to get more spacing for his jumper. Ben has a great first step and does a solid job of finishing, but still needs some polish dumping the ball off once he gets in trouble. I have been the biggest critic of his over the last year, but I have to admit I liked what I saw from him this preseason.
3. Too many Turnovers
The Bulls almost had as many turnovers as assists this preseason, averaging almost 20 per game. Gordon, Sefolosha, and Nocioni were the biggest culprits, but everybody needs to improve in this area if the Bulls hope to keep some of Skiles’s hair intact. Obviously, the influx of new players and youngsters had plenty to do with this, but as a perimeter oriented team this cannot become a trademark. While Skiles will get them to slow it down a little to start the season, this could be a big problem for the Bulls all season.
2. Low-Post Scoring still a Problem
The Bulls do not have anybody that is legitimate back-to-the-basket threat. Michael Sweetney has some solid moves, but until he drops some weight Skiles will have trouble putting him on the floor. The Bulls will be able to get away with this during the regular season, but come playoff time, it’s impossible to see how the Bulls can advance past the second round without a low-post threat. Paxson has assembled a remarkable amount of young talent, so do not be surprised if he wheels-and-deals come the trade deadline. On the positive side, Malik Allen looks much smoother this year and should get plenty of playing time if he continues to knock down the 10-15 ft jumper.
1. Andre Barrett needs to be a Bull
The free agent invitee to training camp provided a spark every time he hit the floor and even came away with a couple game winning shots. While listed at 5-10 (I don’t think so!), the former Seton Hall point guard has played on 4 teams in 3 years, never lasting more than 30 games in one spot. Paxson, Skiles, & Co. probably didn’t think they would keep him around after the exhibition season, but the Bronx, NY native can knock down shots and did a solid job of running the offense as the third point guard. I’ve already invested in my Andre Barrett jersey so I can only hope that my new favorite Bull is around come tip-off time Tuesday night in Miami. Watch-out Shaq, my boy Andre’s got skills and he may be seeing you in the Eastern Conference Finals this year.