North: Bulls; style of play will need to prove itself

The Bulls have had a great thing going for many years, but this year's team appears pedestrian at best with an offense that continues to sputter.

And star guard Derrick Rose has some heavy delusions. Rose, who is averaging 13.6 points per game, thinks he can shoot from the outside like Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, who averages 32.2 points per game.

Rose also seems to think he can drive like the Oklahoma Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, and I guess Rose believes he's Rip Hamilton, who wore a protective mask when he played.

Well, someone needs to tell him he doesn't resemble those players at all and he simply isn't that good anymore.

With family favorite Tom Thibodeau gone as coach, and the ever popular Joakim Noah (who I expect will be modeling a new uniform someday) clearly not thrilled with losing three games in a row, the Bulls are an above-average team that lacks buzz.

This Bulls team certainly doesn't look like a serious contender to win the Eastern Conference. At this point, it's doubtful they could beat Cleveland, Indiana or the Hawks in a seven-game series.

The philosophy of Thibodeau was to grind it out, tire the opponent and then win the game. It worked pretty well as they finished the 2014-15 season 50-32 while averaging 97 possessions per game.

General manager Gar Forman and vice-president John Paxson wanted their team to play with a quicker pace and generate more possessions per game.

This season, however, the Bulls are averaging 100 possessions per game, along with nine other teams. Last season only one team averaged 100 per game - the NBA champion Golden State Warriors.

So this season's Bulls team abandoned the emphasis on defense and fewer possessions for a new style that copies the Warriors' approach to the game.

Hey, I get it. Everyone wants to be like the Warriors, but there is one big problem. No one else has Steph Curry!

That's what people had to deal with back in the day with Michael Jordan, too.

Let me be fair, though, and remind everyone that it's the first year and maybe this new style can work. As I look at it now, the front office didn't like Thibs' plan and made a change. Fans will stick with the team, but they are also realistic. I believe if you took a poll right now and asked the fans whether they would like Thibodeau or Fred Hoiberg coaching this team, I think Thibs wins hand down.

But there's no going back, and Pax knows that if the Bulls get deeper in the playoffs this season than the last two seasons, I will write about him being right.

Of course, if they don't, I won't hear anything.

I do know this - it's more peaceful at Bulls headquarters. No head coaches are being strangled or backstabbed.

Yes, everything is quiet, but is that a good thing?

Program notes:

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