2008 Outlook

The Chicago Bulls were expected to build on the successful 2006-07 season in 2007-08 I the Central Division, but the team fell apart and the head coach Scott Skiles was fired on Christmas Eve. The Bulls’ roster is still loaded with talent with small forward Luol Deng, pint guard Kirk Hinrich, shooting guard Ben Gordon, and forward Andres Nocioni. The team is hoping Joakim Noah or Tyrus Thomas develops in the front court and has been pleasantly surprised with the improvement of guard Thabo Sefolosha over the course of the season. The Bulls made a mid-season trade that sent Ben Wallace and Joe Smith to the Cavaliers and brought back power forward Drew Gooden and shooting guard Larry Hughes. The Bulls hope to find the chemistry that drove them into the playoffs in 2008.

Team History

The Bulls were founded in 1967 and immediately developed a team that focused on defense. Guards Jerry Sloan and Norm Van Lier teamed up in the backcourt while the front court had forwards Bob Love and Chet Walker and centers Clifford Ray and Tom Boerwinkle. The Bulls were competitive, but only won one division title and never appeared in the finals.

The late 70s and early 80s found the Bulls near the bottom of the league with a team geared toward offense that featured guard Reggie Theus, center Dave Cozine, and forward Orlando Woolridge. The Bulls had a chance to draft Magic Johnson, but the team lost the coin flip and drafted forward David Greenwood instead.

The triangle offense and a persistent defense brought the Bulls three straight NBA championships from 1991-1993. Michael Jordan left basketball after the third championship to pursue a baseball career, but came back a year and a half later. Once again the Bulls railed off three straight championships. This team featured the familiar faces of Jordan and Pippen but added power forward Dennis Rodman, three-point ace Steve Kerr, talented European Toni Kukoc, and center Luc Longley. The Bulls struggled after the team broke up after the second three-peat and has been rebuilding since.

The Bulls’ fortunes changed in 1984 when they drafted guard Michael Jordan with the third pick. The team built around Jordan, picking up point guard John Paxson and center Bill Cartwright and drafting forwards Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant in 1987. The team consistently made it to the playoffs, but could not get over the Eastern Conference hump into the finals when Doug Collins was replaced with head coach Phil Jackson.

The triangle offense and a persistent defense brought the Bulls three straight NBA championships from 1991-1993. Michael Jordan left basketball after the third championship to pursue a baseball career, but came back a year and a half later. The Bulls won three straight championships again and set the league records for wins in a season with 72 in the 1995-96 season. The team featured the familiar faces of Jordan and Pippen but added power forward Dennis Rodman, three-point ace Steve Kerr, talented European Toni Kukoc, and center Luc Longley. The Bulls struggled after the team broke up after the second three-peat and has been rebuilding since.

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