Hey Bulls. Where's that man in the middle?
Ever wonder why the Bulls have been so inconsistent over the past four years?
The nucleus of players who helped end the rebuilding era - Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng and Andres Nocioni - have been constants. Yet the Bulls have produced two very good seasons, one mediocre campaign and then a momentum-killing stinker last year.
Here's my theory: When the Bulls won 47 games in 2004-05 and piled up 49 victories in 2006-07, there was a common denominator - namely Antonio Davis and P.J. Brown.
The presence of a savvy and muscular power forward did wonders for the Bulls' defense. Those guys didn't need to block many shots to be effective. A post-up scorer is nice to have, but basket protection is more valuable in the NBA.
That's one reason why Boston turned around so dramatically with the addition of Kevin Garnett. It also helps explain the Celtics' dominance in the Finals against the Lakers, whose big men are more useful for their offensive skills.
Of course, this illustration doesn't bode well for the 2008-09 Bulls. Barring any roster changes, the interior defense is essentially in the hands of two second-year players, Joakim Noah and Aaron Gray, third-year forward Tyrus Thomas and Drew Gooden.
I suggested last year that Thomas and Noah have the potential to become valuable defenders. With his physical skills, Thomas could be one of the NBA's best shot-blockers.
Noah has unusual lateral quickness for a 7-footer, which can be effective when it's time to slide over and stop LeBron James or Paul Pierce from driving to the basket.
But they're probably not ready to anchor the Bulls' defense this season. With few exceptions, it takes young big men several years to assert any defensive dominance in the NBA.
I'm not sure exactly why that is. Physical maturity obviously plays a part. Someone with the strength to both hold his ground and gently shove opponents into new locations will be a well-equipped post defender. Years of weight training favor the veteran players in that regard.
Holding his ground was a problem for thin-framed Noah last season, especially on the defensive boards.
He made progress this summer, though. Saturday's fan scrimmage was one of his first appearances in uniform this season, and Noah actually has biceps now.
Part of the interior defense puzzle must also be the experience of knowing where to stand, when to help and the tendencies of opponents.
The Bulls figure to use plenty of small lineups this year, but those will only take a team so far. One prevailing memory from last season was two ugly home losses to Washington later in the season, when the Bulls had no answer for the Wizards' big-man combo of Brendan Haywood and Andray Blatche.
Who, you ask? My point exactly.
I suspect the Bulls are well aware of this particular shortcoming, but there is only so much that can be done. There are few active players who even fit the Davis-Brown mold that was successful for the Bulls.
For inspiration, coach Vinny Del Negro may want to study the 2005-06 Phoenix Suns team that won 54 games and reached the Western Conference finals without an injured Amare Stoudemire.
Could Thomas, Noah and Derrick Rose be the equals of Shawn Marion, Boris Diaw and Steve Nash?
Probably not this season, but it never hurts to have role models.