The Chicago Bulls are coming into the 2013-14 season with very high expectations after making it into the second round of the playoffs despite not having Derrick Rose all season and that is one reason why the team likely has the best bench in the league as they enter the regular season.
The Bulls won one game against the Miami Heat after defeating the Brooklyn Nets and now that former MVP Derrick Rose appears to be back and fully healthy, the team feels it can challenge the Heat and one reason is the strong bench. The Bulls always had a strong presence off the bench over the years with players like Omer Asik, C.J. Watson and Kyle Korver, but now that all those players are gone, along with Marco Belinelli and Nate Robinson from last season, the team now has Mike Dunleavy, Kirk Hinrich, Tony Snell, Nazr Mohammed and Taj Gibson as their primary options.
Gibson and Mohammed as well as Hinrich are returning, while Dunleavy was signed as a free agent and Snell is coming in after being drafted as a rookie. The addition of Dunleavy could end up being one of the best in the entire league this past offseason, as the Bulls had issues all year with three point shooting and were one of the worst in the league. The Bulls were tied for 20th in the NBA while shooting below 36 percent and Dunleavy comes in after playing for the Bucks and has a shooting percentage of over 42 from long range. Dunleavy will be inspired to play playoff basketball after getting swept out by the Heat with the Bucks and Rose will be thrilled to have another shooter to dish to.
Dunleavy is in the top five in the NBA over the past three seasons, shooting over 40 percent from three and now he is also back paired with his former Duke roommate in Carlos Boozer. The front line and starters of Rose, Joakim Noah, Boozer, Jimmy Butler and Luol Deng is very strong and now the Bulls have the bench to go along with it as well. Dunleavy said that he turned down more money to play with the Bulls and that decision could pay off down the line, especially if the team can take out the Miami Heat.
Mohammed is another solid bench player that can match up with big men on the Knicks, Heat, Nets and other teams in the East and while many thought he would leave the Bulls, he is back for another season and that could be huge for the Bulls. Although he averaged 2.6 points and 3.1 rebounds last season, Mohammed was a perfect player to bring in off the bench for Noah and now he comes back to do the same this year. There was some controversy last season with LeBron James and while that likely won't carry over too much, having a tough player like Mohammed will only be a plus for the Bulls.
The team is hoping that Snell can turn into a very solid NBA player, while Gibson has been able to do whatever the team has asked over the past couple years. Adding Dunleavy may turn out to be a championship decision and while the season has yet to start, the Bulls are coming in with one of the strongest benches in the league.
