Talkin’ Bulls D, Luol Deng, Jerome James and I don’t know why.

Defensive objectives

The talk has been revolving around how effective the Bulls can be defensively this year. All with the notion of where the defense goes, the team’s success will ultimately follow.

I’m not going to go against the grain here. Defense is always important, and for a team with the make-up of the Bulls, there is no other way to get over the hump. We’re talking about a club that’s lost 20 ppg in Ben Gordon, and a team that’s counting on Luol Deng coming back from a serious injury. Sure, you can hope for the likes of Derrick Rose to guide the way of our offense, but let’s be realistic, we may have some tough nights early on when it comes to putting the ball in the basket.

Notice I said “early”. It’s going to take some times for Rose, Deng, and Salmons to get on the same page. And in that time, Rose has to step up defensively, while Salmons can’t relinquish defensive responsibilities to Kirk Hinrich so loosely.

The Bulls have the pieces to make this roster a top 10 defensive team.

Yeah, I said it. Write it down if you like…

Joakim Noah is a stud. And with the edge and swagger he brings on a nightly basis, we won’t be lacking in the toughness department.

I understand he’s not a scorer, but much like Andy Varejao, he knows where to be when Rose is breaking down defenders in the paint. Don’t forget Noah’s numbers in the playoffs, high rebound averages, and a block per game average of over 2 per game. To add to that, Noah has put on serious muscle this off-season.

Tyrus Thomas could have a big hand in the Bulls are trying to do. Weakside patrolling is a asset to the team, although I do note that he will have to be smarter and not have the Homer Simpson moments on the court.

As much as we love Derrick Rose, he suffers from the common symptom of questionable defense from a young player. Let’s keep it simple, and hope for a stride this year. Some forward movement. Lateral slides, whatever it takes, just keep some guys out of the paint. And with the defensive tools the Bulls possess up front, Rose and company could take some chances and hit the passing lanes a bit. Sometimes the best offense is a good defense. Teams that thrive in transition usually are forcing turnovers to put the tempo in their favor.

Luol Deng

Undoubtedly, a colossal question mark going into the 09-10 season. Deng has only been going full speed on his leg for the past month which makes you a bit skeptical if your hoping for a smooth return. Back-to-backs in the NBA usually set the measuring stick for where a player is at in his recovery. The positive side is Luol has bulked up a little bit, which calms concerns for overall conditioning when it comes to the grind of the NBA season.

Salmons and Pargo injury status

John Salmons took the smart road and rested his groin while at home in Philly over the off-season. So I don’t expect anything problematic on that front. Jannero Pargo, however, is recovering from sports hernia surgery. Pargo is on the court again, but it’s still a process. Expect Jannero to be behind for most of training camp leading up to the regular season.

Jerome James wants to play

Yes, do you hear that? Jerome James is ready to play. Let’s clear out our rotation of bigs for a overweight/overpayed basketball player.

Jerome was asked about the reasoning for his return:

“My kids,” James said. “My son is about to be 14 years old and he loves the internet. They’re starting to read things that are untrue about me. So I decided that if I’m going to go out, I’m going to go out on top. So I decided I was going to get back and get healthy and play basketball again so at least when I’m done my kids can say, ‘He came back from that? The guy has to love the game.’

Translation:I’m going into a contract year, my lazy ass needs to get out of street clothes.

I’ll be back with more updates on the Bulls this week. Enjoy your football Sunday. Make sure you get the right beer, some cheddar and sour cream chips, and a plate of buffalo wings with blue cheese on the side. That’s how you do Sunday the right way..

Tags: Anderson Varejao, Derrick Rose, Homer Simpson, Joakim Noah, John Salmons, Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas