Last Season: The Bulls played uninspired basketball pretty much all season. Then, in February, Luol Deng, who had under-performed all season, was lost to a stress fracture. They made it to the playoffs as the seventh seed, and that’s when it got interesting. Their first-round match against the Celtics was one of the most compelling playoff series of all time. The Bulls pushed the Celtics to a seven game series that included a record seven overtimes. Their play in that series saved a season where high expectations weren’t met.

Acquisitions: G Jannero Pargo, F James Johnson, F Taj Gibson

Departures: G Ben Gordon, F Tim Thomas

Starting Five: F Luol Deng, F Tyrus Thomas, C Joakim Noah, G Derrick Rose, G John Salmons

Bench Mob: Kirk Hinrich, Lindsey Hunter, Jerome James, Brad Miller, Jannero Pargo, Aaron Gray (out 6-8 weeks)

Most Interesting Man in the World: I really don’t know if there is one person on the Bulls that is extremely interesting. Derrick Rose is unbelievable to watch and the whole SAT controversy is somewhat interesting. Luol Deng was born in Sudan before moving to England to avoid a Civil War. Deng also does a lot of charity work, especially in Africa. The other candidate is Joakim Noah. There isn’t that much there in terms of tangible evidence. There’s his dancing after winning the National Championship at Florida, he’s been charged with possession of marijuana, and seems to enjoy the offseason. But there’s just something about that guy that fascinates me.

Over the Hill: Kirk Hinrich – The Bulls need Hinrich to be the sixth or seventh man, playing significant minutes off the bench. But Hinrich missed over 30 games last season because of a torn right thumb ligament and now is battling hamstring issues. Hinrich will still be a pivotal part of this team but his playing time is going to be reduced with Rose and Salmons firmly in the starting lineup.

Ready to Break Out: John Salmons – Fantasy owners might know about Salmons, but most others don’t. Last year he averaged over 18 points and shot over 40% from distance. With Ben Gordon gone, someone will need to make up for that missing 20 points per game and Salmons will get a big share of that. Derrick Rose will be the star of this team but Salmons might lead the Bulls in scoring.

Outlook: As long as none of their players take a step back, the Bulls are going to one of the top four or five teams in the East. Derrick Rose is already a star but could move up to superstar status this season. With the talent around him, Rose should be able to rack up assists while still being able to get his points by beating any guard off the dribble. The biggest question mark is whether Luol Deng can return to his ‘06-’07 form. If Deng can effectively produce then this team will have a chance against any team all year long.

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