Chicago Bulls 2017 Season Preview: Draft Utopia

Chicago Bulls 2017 Season Preview

Dwyane Wade complimented Jimmy Butler as the Robin to his Batman. Now Wade becomes the go-to-guy on a team for the first time since he carried the Heat before LeBron and Bosh signed with Miami.

Chris Ransom follow @DraftUtopia Posted on 3/6/2016.

Derrick Rose scored 17.7 points per game in 2014-2015. Rose played in 51 games with the Bulls. Backup point guard Aaron Brooks averaged 11.6 points per game. Chicago has insurance at point guard if Derrick Rose gets injured. Having Rose gets the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. With Brooks as your starter you will be lucky to make the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs.

Shooting guard Jimmy Butler posted 20 points per game. Kirk Hinrich is a nice backup.

It is uncertain who starts at small forward. Mike Dunleavy Jr., Tony Snell, and Doug McDermott all provide nice depth. The downside to having these guys is that none of these scorers averaged 10 points per game at small forward.

Power forward is a completely different situation as the Bulls have 3 power forwards that can get double digit points. Starting power forward Pau Gasol averaged 18.8 points per game. Nikola Mirotic averaged 10.2 points per game as a backup power forward. Bobby Portis who the Bulls drafted with their 2015 first round pick can also average 10 points per game. Chicago can give Gasol 25 minutes a game, Mirotic 15 minutes a game, and Portis 10 minutes a game. With that much rest and stability, the power forwards on the Bulls' will be fresh each night.

Chicago has Jaokim Noah and Taj Gibson as their two centers. Noah remains the starting center and Gibson is an awesome backup to have.

Chicago dealt with injuries until the 2015 NBA Playoffs. When healthy, this is a top 2 team in the Eastern Conference. The one team that has Chicago's number is the Cleveland Cavaliers.

As long as Derrick Rose is healthy they are a threat. Do not forget that the same head coach has been with the team since 2011.