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CHICAGO BULLS 2007-2008 SEASON ANALYSIS
Somewhere in the aftermath of Chicago’s incredible 2006-07 regular season (49-33) and an inspiring postseason run (they lost in the second round in six games to the Pistons), the young yet talented Bulls became too confident. The manner in which the Chicago Bulls entered into this season is best described as naïve. They seemed to feel that they could simply tap the “Cruise Control” button, play uninspired basketball, and still come out of the 2007-08 NBA Season as winners. This premature cockiness ultimately led to THREE MAJOR EVENTS IN CHI-TOWN: (1) the unfair firing of their no-nonsense coach, Scott Skiles (2) the Bulls and Cavaliers trade (on Feb. 21, 2008): *Bulls exiting players—Ben Wallace and Joe Smith *Bulls incoming players—Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Shannon Brown, and Cedric Simmons. (3) losing season (29-44) and no playoff berth
1. Luol Deng — 17 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.5 apg, .9 spg, 47.9% (FG%)
When listing the young rising stars in the NBA, Luol Deng must be thrown into the mix. He is an extraordinarily lengthy small forward with a wiry, yet strong frame. Deng also displays top-of-the-line quickness for a baller of his size (he is 6’9” and weighs in at 220 lbs.) which allows him to burn his opponents in various ways. He dominates over small forwards by posting them up, and he zips past power forwards with ease.
2. Ben Gordon – 18.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3 apg, 90.8% (FT%), 41% (3p%)
Ben “The Microwave” Gordon knows how to get hot in a hurry. Even though he is extremely short for a shooting guard, Gordon makes up for it with his pure stroke and unshakable confidence. He is one of the top “6th Man of the Year” candidates again this year (he also won the award as a rookie in the 2004-05 season), and he is the ultimate streaky shooter. Gordon is either on fire or ice cold, and this can change quickly at any time. The truth is that he is a very prolific scorer, but he brings no other abilities to the court.
3. Drew Gooden– 14 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 81.3% (FT%)
At first glance, defenders must notice Gooden’s quirky appearance and think to themselves, “This guy’s got nothing!” Boy, are they in for a surprise! Drew Gooden is a man on a mission whenever he hits the floor; he rebounds like his life depends on it and is highly adept at scoring within fifteen feet of the hoop.
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