A Chicago Load of Bull

A Ben Gordon holdout here, a glut of guards there, no playoffs all around. Chicago has not been looking so great in the past year, largely because of front office exec Jim Paxson failed to make the moves necessary to maximize his talent at the right time. Pau Gasol should have came to Chicago. Kevin Garnett should be a Bull, and if not for some warm, tingly feeling about Andres Nocioni and Luol Deng, Kobe Bryant would be wearing No. 24 in the red and black right about now. But that was the past, and the future is bright again, but there still are some things that need to be settled, and Paxson has to find a way to make the Bulls' path to the Finals feasible again.

To start, Gordon's demands for any more than $10 million annually were shortsighted, but could be a blessing in disguise for his future as a free agent. As a part of the Bulls, Gordon is still the team's best player, and while he has not shown himself to be a highly effective combo guard in his 6'3" frame, as a pure shooting guard, he is clearly the reason that Chicago became the up-and-coming team of the previous three seasons. He should get significant time on the court, but things get sketchy because of the glut of starting-quality guards present.

Kirk Hinrich, the team's starting point guard since being drafted eighth in the 2003 Draft, struggled to the point that he was benched for his performance for the first time in his career--he will need to either be there or be gone. Larry Hughes, who came over from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the middle of the 2008 season, is in a position similar to Gordon's, in that he is also a somewhat ineffective combination guard, but in Hughes' case, he lacks the heart to play point guard effectively when needed; as a natural two that streak-shoots, Hughes seems to be the man that may be left out of the rotation altogether. All the while, the No. 1 pick of the 2008 Draft, Chicago native Derrick Rose, is looking to make a major splash as an even truer point guard than Hinrich is, and with the speed, skill and mental capacity to challenge as the starting point guard for not only the future, but the very real and apparent present day.

Deng is penciled in as the starter at small forward, and if he can remain healthy, may bring the Bulls back up to speed as a competitor for the Eastern Conference title. His game and his height has grown a bit, and he'll be needed to be a major player, especially since he is getting paid as such with near maximum-level money in his new contract. Nocioni, having played a bit of both forward spots in the starting lineup, will likely be a sixth man if new head coach Vinny Del Negro wants to go bigger on the frontline. Promising swingman Thabo Sefolosha is still looking to find his way, having also been affected by the confusion at the guard spots as well, but if he can be given the minutes to blossom, his game will surely benefit Chicago, if they let him play.

Up front, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah will figure to challenge for starter's minutes at the four (though both can play together at the 4 and 5). In Thomas' case, former head coach Scott Skiles restrained his game to the extent that he was largely ineffective on the court for extended periods of time; for his own good, Thomas needs to play smarter and take advantage of diversifying his game, as he has the size of a small forward with the explosiveness (and limited skills) that entrenches him at power forward. Noah is another story, as rookie injuries prevented him from working on his game prior to his initial season. The young big man was also played at center, despite his natural slotting as a four-man, and if he proves well enough, the position is Noah's, which would leave Drew Gooden as the default big man and player best capable of starting at center.

The future of Chicago's fortune is totally dependent upon sacrifice and smart ways to clear roster space. While the players must play together cohesively as a bonded team, if Paxson fails to use his assets to improve the team, the Bulls will not be able to take advantage of their talent or even make the playoffs a real possibility.