The Chicago Bulls once appeared destined for dynasty-dom. Led by their explosive point guard, the unfathomable 2012 NBA MVP Derrick Rose, a coach that liked to bully opposing teams into submission in Tom Thibodeau and a stout supporting cast, the Bulls were more than relevant for the first time since Michael Jordan. They were feared. Nobody wanted to be caught backpedaling trying to defend Rose, and no one wanted to be tasked with penetrating a Joakim Noah-controlled painted area for four quarters. Quite frankly, had it not been for LeBron James, the Bulls would have likely seen at least two NBA Finals in recent years. Regardless, it was believed that Chicago would be a top tier team in its conference for years to come.
That has all changed, seemingly in the blink of an eye. Though the Bulls were able to sustain the loss of Luol Deng thanks to the emergence of Jimmy Butler as a top 5 two-way player, they’ve plummeted out of the crop of contenders in the Eastern Conference. Just a year removed from nearly forcing a Game 7 against the eventual Eastern Conference Champion Cleveland Cavaliers, the Chicago Bulls missed the playoffs entirely this year, their first under new head coach Fred Hoiberg. (Tom Thibodeau will begin bullying teams as the Timberwolves’ signal-caller this November.) Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler’s relationship appeared to be the most contentious among a team’s stars this side of the Houston Rockets, and defensively, Chicago just couldn’t get it done. Rumors began spreading throughout the league that the Bulls were circling the drain.
To add insult to injury, Joakim Noah, a career-long Bull and a former Defensive Player of the Year, has reportedly told his teammates that he’s done in Chicago. Noah began his career with the team in 2007, when he was selected with the 9th overall pick in the NBA Draft. Over the last couple of seasons however, Noah has seen his play decline and his role diminish, thanks in part to the team’s acquisition of Pau Gasol and the emergence of rookie Nikola Mirotic, a sizable big man that can also shoot from outside.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, Noah has “no trust in the front office getting this in the right direction,” this of course being a Bulls train that has shockingly derailed over the past two seasons. With Rose’s health and performance on a steady decline and an almost certainly solid free agent market for a 31-year-old former Defensive Player of the Year, who knows. Noah may be on to something.
