 |
| Chicago Bulls. Photo credit NBA |
by Mattman
Between free agency findings and signings that shook up the "power rankings" over the summer, a plethora of sustainability questions surrounding a two-time defending champ, and a new generation of influential NBA talent, there's something funky brewing out East.-The Nets and the Knicks aren't playing nice.
-Detroit 'roided up on ballplayers in Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings.
-The Heat look to three-peat with HUGE questions surrounding their ability to stay hot.
-The Sixers started their tanking campaign mid-July.
However, nobody seems to be smelling what the Bulls are cooking out in Chi-town. (Can you smell what the Bulls are cooking? Couldn't help it.)
They're stewing an ambitious concoction of desire, hunger and fight that developed after their valiant second round exit last season. I'd like to emphasize "valiant" in the previous statement because their effort was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Remember how many times Joakim Noah winced and gritted during ball games only to proclaim his love for his team afterwards? How about the gutty play of ex-Bull Nate Robinson who finally received some overdue props? It was touching and admirable, considering how hard it was to watch them limp to their defeat.
Apparently, they also limped themselves out of their "championship window" and into NBA radio silence because nowadays, critics are more concerned with Indiana's, Brooklyn's, New York's, and even Cleveland's chances of uprooting the troubled Heat.
Chicago is almost an afterthought amidst the Eastern Conference power shuffle.
Truthfully, I think Coach Thibodeaux prefers it this way because he prefers barking to talking anyways (listen to his press conferences). Nonetheless, the Bulls have contently taken on a silent persona throughout this off-season, making very few monumental roster changes and mainly keeping to themselves (minus Derrick Rose's controversial interview).
Silent, but deadly folks.
In fact, they're silent, deadly and HUNGRY. Actually let me rephrase that once more:
They're silent, deadly, and FAMISHED.
They wreak of determination and the Bulls are arguably the hungriest squad in the league from studs to duds:
-Luol Deng, a two-time All-Star, was injured for half of last season's playoffs and had to watch his comrades battle without him, thus lowering his stock as an elite wing-man. He wants to eat.
-Joakim Noah's best season to date was plagued and stymied due to persistent feet issues. He's starving to prove that last season was the real deal.
-Derrick Rose had/has haters abound for flaking out on the entirety of last year. His fork has been pounding the table for months.
-Last year, Taj Gibson failed to prove that he was worth the multi-million dollar contract extension he signed at the beginning of the season. He's tired of eating at the kids' table.
-Carlos Boozer has been trying to shed the "underachiever" moniker for years despite career averages of 16.9 ppg and 9.9 rpg. He stays hungry.
-Jimmy Butler had a coming out party in the second round against Lebron and the Heat, with comparisons to Kawhi Leonard running rampant. Is he for real or did he just have a few decent games against the King? Bring out the silverware Butler!
-Kirk Hinrich played well in Rose's stead, but even though his production jumped going into the 2013 postseason (7 ppg. to 11 ppg.), his late-season rhythm came to an abrupt halt due to injury. His stomach is growling.
-Marquis Teague had a stand-out summer league campaign, but he's still working on breaking into Thibs' rotation. His NBA appetite is voracious.
Silence is golden, especially if you're operating under the radar like the Bulls.
Wake up and smell what Chicago's got cooking because if you're too late, they might eat your squad up.
The Windy City Assassins will be dialed in for this season whether you're paying attention or not.
Thanks for tuning in,
The Mattman
No comments:
Post a Comment