“If anything, we can learn from it and try to work on it in the future,” said Derrick Rose following a 96-94 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 27, 2010 that eliminated them from the playoffs. 

 

2009-2010 made it two years in a row where the Bulls limped into the playoffs with a .500 record, and subsequently lost in the first round.  It was clear that point guard Derrick Rose was headed to do great things, winning Rookie of the Year his first year and getting selected as an NBA All-Star in his second year. But where were the Chicago Bulls headed?  

 

Listen to an audio compilation of interview clips.

 

Looking back, it seemed that Chicago was at a standstill with their progress, so in order to start competing at the next level, changes had to be made. The front office took the first step by firing coach Vinny Del Negro on May 4th.  Del Negro, who had coached the Bulls for just two years, lacked the coaching experience that the young Chicago squad needed.  In fact, he had no prior coaching experience at any level, other than playing in the NBA for thirteen years which proved insufficient. 

 

Then, on June 5th, the Bulls organization agreed to a three-year deal with Tom Thiobdeau, a former assistant coach for the Boston Celtics.  

Initially, there was some confusion by the hire, as the average fan had probably never heard of Thibodeau.  However, around the league he was well-known.  His name was synonymous with defense and experience.  As the assistant coach for six different teams spanning eighteen years, and the assistant for the 2009 champion Celtics, Thibodeau was a good hire.  

 

As Tom was introduced June 23rd, it was apparent that this was the right move for both sides.  Coach Thibodeau loved what he saw, “There’s a lot to sell here, obviously- the rich tradition of this organization, a great city, and a great young nucleus to build around.” The respect was mutual, “He’s got a great reputation around the league,” Bulls General Manager Gar Forman said. “Obviously, most of it is for his defensive knowledge and defensive credentials.” Forman also went on to say that he also has a creative offensive mind, but just wasn’t asked to use it in Boston.  “He’s coached in a number of big games. He’s coached in number of playoffs games. Everywhere he’s been they’ve had success.  He’s been a big part of coaching championship level basketball.” Forman added, “He’s got a great knowledge of the game.”  

 

It was evident that this selection process was taken seriously by Chicago’s front office, trying to find the best fit, and they were extremely thorough in doing so.  Forman explains, “As part of our process we talked to a number of players that had played under Tom, and two of the examples that stood out were Yao Ming of Houston and Rajon Rondo at Boston, but the feedback that we got from the players that we talked to was that Tom was a terrific communicator and a terrific teacher of the game.” Most importantly, one of Forman’s last comments before he turned over the podium to Thibodeau, “He’s a winner.”

 

“There’s so much to offer. I can’t imagine why any free agent wouldn’t seriously consider this team,” coach Thibodeau said as he was introduced as the Bulls’ head coach.

 

This 2010 free agency period was so big, it had been seriously discussed as far as a year in advance, with every hypothetical one could imagine. The array of talent at almost every position was never seen, and for a lot of teams this marked a time to rebuild and compete the next year; something lacking with the annual draft based almost entirely on potential. 

 

The one target that the Bulls went for the hardest, was still a possibility, but on July 8th LeBron James held his infamous “The Decision” on ESPN to announce his final verdict.  The Bulls seemed to still be in the running until he stated, “In this fall, this is very tough, in this fall I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat.”  Chicago lost out on all its major targets, it seemed.  However tough the thought of James going to another team was, the Bulls still ended up getting a key addition.  

 

The team needed a power forward and a shooter.  They got both, signing Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver formerly of the Utah Jazz.  They even acquired Ronnie Brewer from the Jazz as well, who was known for his ability to lock down players on the defensive end.  Thus, the Bulls added some key pieces that would surround their star point guard, but was it enough?

 

Carlos Boozer thought so. He came in as the biggest pick up, and was happy with ending up in Chicago, “This is the perfect fit. I told these guys, if I was going to leave, this is the place I wanted to come first.”  Despite the Bulls’ inability to acquire a major household name, Boozer had the confidence that this team would be the best in the East, “I think we’ll be at the top. We want to win championships.” It seemed clear that the Bulls had made a step in the right direction with the additions they made. Thoughts of a championship, or even sitting atop the Eastern Conference were the right things for Boozer to say for an organization on the rise, but how realistic were they?

 

Not too realistic said the media. Sports Illustrated writer, Brit Robson, constructed his first pre-season power rankings in October, seeding the Chicago Bulls at a pedestrian twelfth overall, with teams like Portland, Denver and Utah ahead of them. Even though ESPN’s Marc Stein had them winning the central division, on October 25th he had the Bulls sitting ninth in the power rankings. Despite being labeled as a good up-and-coming team, Chicago was not expected to compete with the big boys. 

 

As the much anticipated 2010 season began, pedestrian was again the word that described the Bulls’ first month on the hard wood.  Going 9-6 in the first fifteen games wasn’t impressive, and certainly wasn’t championship caliber.  Boozer, who talked about championship level play in his introduction, was sidelined the first month of the season with a fractured hand. 

 

He returned on Dec 1, 2010 only to witness a 29-point loss to the Orlando Magic. But after another loss to the Celtics two days later, something clicked for the Bulls as they rattled off seven straight victories.  Chicago was ready to cement their spot as one of the East’s best teams. 

 

Then news came on Dec 16th that Joakim Noah was set to have surgery on an injured right thumb that had been bothering him for quite some time, “It’s hurting and I’m playing and I’ve got to take anti-inflammatories every time I play. I can’t practice. I have to get it right,” said Noah according to ESPN.  The Bulls couldn’t catch a break with Boozer’s injury, and now Noah, “It’s frustrating because I feel like we have a chance to be really, really good. And I’ve never been in a situation where were winning like this. But I know in the long run, this is what needs to be done.”

 

The injuries to Boozer and then Noah provided an opportunity for the bench to step up and make the team that much better during their absence from the starting lineup.  Taj Gibson, Ronnie Brewer, C.J. Watson, Kyle Korver and Omer Asik formed what fans and players called the “bench mob.”  Whether it was providing big minutes in place of the injured starters or simply coming off the bench to provide a spark, the bench mob was one of the key reasons behind the team’s success. Kyle Korver had some big games, specifically his twenty-two point effort against the Grizzlies in January, going 6-10 from three point land.  Taj Gibson, at the beginning of the year with Boozer out, started the first fifteen games. He opened his first eight games averaging just over fourteen points per game, shooting close to sixty percent from the field.  There weren’t a lot of games where the one bench player scored a great sum of points, but collectively, they were one of the best benches in the league bar none.

 

It was for this reason and well, Derrick Rose, that the Bulls went 22-8 from the time Noah announced he would have surgery until his return to action against the Raptors on February 23rd.  When Noah returned, the Bulls continued to win going 11-2 in their next thirteen, including an eight game win streak.  Over the final forty-three games Chicago’s record was 33-10, including 13 of the last 15 which secured home court throughout the playoffs.

 

Chicago went from a team that had promise at the beginning of the year, and possibly one of the East’s top four teams, to a squad with the best record in the NBA and all the confidence in the world.  Still, they were not the favorite to win it all.  Los Angeles and Miami were the top picks in each conference.