The Chicago Bulls will enter the new season as one of the top-2 favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference. With a roster filled with elite talents, the Bulls certainly have the firepower to achieve their goal this season.
However, Sheridan Hoops writer Paul Ladewski believed the Bulls are still missing something that would get them over the hump this season. Despite the presence of the bully of all bullies in Joachim Noah, there’s a glaring need for Chicago to add another enforcer, a ‘thug’ who can further toughen up the team when hell broke loose on the court.
While Noah isn’t known for backing out from any rumble, Ladewski thinks the Bulls cannot afford to lose their best big man and interior defender to injuries or suspension by letting him exchange blows out there.
“Noah is the team enforcer by default, but he’s too valuable to be in the middle of a scrum. Even Thibodeau questioned the physical condition and toughness of his team after a recent preseason game when he said, “We have a lot of work to do in those areas,” Ladewski stated.
Last season, the Washington Wizards booted out the Bulls in the first-round of the playoffs by beating them in their own game. The Wizards’ frontline of Nene and Marcin Gortat won the highly-physical interior battle, as Noah sees the Bulls’ psyche crumbled from the inside.
“Despite Chicago’s reputation as a tough team that plays with plenty of grit, word around the league is that the Bulls can be bullied. The Wizards did it last postseason, when Nene and Marcin Gortat pushed around Chicago’s players like lawn chairs for five games.”
Pau Gasol, who’s the Bulls’ biggest summer acquisition, will bring more versatility on both ends of the floor, but his toughness has also been questioned numerous times in his career.
As a suggestion, Ladweski believed the Bulls need to get veteran tough guys like Kenyon Martin or the underrated Jason Collins, who actually thrives in an enforcer role despite being the first openly-gay player in the NBA.
“The Bulls need a thug. Kenyon Martin and Jason Collins are still on the market, and there is an available roster spot,” the analyst claimed.
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