Bulls showing signs of recovery

By Marco Santana Sports Central Columnist

Ever since their historic run through the 1990s, the Chicago Bulls have been a mere blip on the radar screen in the NBA news. Jerry Krause prematurely ended the run after their final championship after the 1997-1998 season. That concluded an impressive stretch of six NBA championship trophies in eight seasons.

The rebuilding began the following season. After Michael Jordan announced his retirement, the Bulls went into a strike-shortened season with seven new players. Among the others that left were their troubled but effective rebounding machine, Dennis Rodman, Jordan's partner in all six of their championships, Scottie Pippen, and a few key role players such as three-point specialists Steve Kerr and Jud Buechler. They ended the season at 13-37 and the remaining Bulls fans knew Krause's "five-year plan" may not be completed within the allotted time.

Following that season, the Bulls ended up with the first pick in the NBA draft and selected Elton Brand out of Duke. He was a star both on and off the court. The city of Chicago had seemingly found the cornerstone of the rebuilding process that more and more people had acknowledged might have been necessary. The NBA agreed as they named Brand Co-Rookie of the Year despite being on a team that shattered team records for ineptness. The Bulls ended up 15-67.

But, following Brand's second season, Krause confused the city even further as he traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers for the rights to power forward Tyson Chandler, who was making the jump to the NBA from high school. Along with Chandler, the Bulls drafted another high school kid in Eddy Curry and traded for Jalen Rose of the Indiana Pacers. Krause went and changed his plan right in the middle of it and many Bulls fans were calling for his head.

After almost two seasons of watching this new step in the plan shape up, and nearing the end of the five years Krause had initially said was needed, the Bulls are still going to be home for the playoffs. But every game that is played is more cause for optimism in the Windy City.

In the NBA, home-court advantage is a key to being a successful team. After 29 games at the United Center this season, the Bulls have a respectable home record of 18-11. While that is not the record an elite team in the NBA would expect, the fact that they are taking care of business on its home floor is a sign that they are improving and have more confidence in front of a home crowd.

The road trips, however, are a different story. As much as the Bulls have improved at home, they have regressed on the road. They currently own the NBA's worst road record as they have won just three games out of 33. Included in that is a 19-game road losing streak that lasted from November 2nd until January 20th. That is just another symptom of youth that the Bulls must deal with before they become the team that they want to.

Also, the Bulls have nobody on their roster that they can look to in crunch time. After more than a decade with possibly the greatest clutch player in the history of the game, it is hard to imagine wanting Jalen Rose to have the ball with time winding down. When Michael Jordan had the ball, he would make something happen. Sometimes, he would drive the lane and pull up for the game-winning jumper (I'm sure Cleveland remembers that all too well). Other times, Jordan would drive in for an athletic and seemingly impossible layup. But the fact was, every time he had the ball at the end of the game, all Bulls fans knew that the ball was going in. This was because Jordan knew the only way to make a basket is to shoot the ball at the basket.

While this is an obvious and basic concept to most people, Rose may not know that. On February 4th in Denver, Rose committed a crucial late turnover that allowed the Nuggets to send the game into overtime and eventually win the game.

Just a couple of weeks before that, Rose drove for a potential tying layup. But he was stripped of the ball and looked for officials to call a foul. Oblivious to the fact that, as has become customary, he had failed to get a shot off.

During this season, there have been at least four games in which Rose had the last shot and did not get the ball off. Every time he has looked at officials for a foul. But that is not a leader. A leader is a man who would be certain that he got the ball off and understands that at that point in the game, the official will not call a foul unless he comes up with a bone sticking out of his skin.

But the season has had many positives, especially after the All-Star Break. Forward Tyson Chandler has turned into a reliable force down low, averaging over 15 points and 10 rebounds per game since the break. As he has improved, the pressure has been taken off of Rose and he has gotten better and more open looks.

Also, with Chandler getting better, Eddy Curry has been a lot more consistent as the season has progressed. Even rookie Jay Williams, an alumnus out of Duke University, has gotten better. He has the specter of Jamal Crawford looming over him as head coach Bill Cartwright has been splitting playing time between the two, and that brings up another volatile situation.

Both Williams and Crawford arrived in Chicago with a ton of potential. Cartwright has been a godsend for the Bulls when it comes to handling his big men. But when it comes to Williams and Crawford, he has not shown that he can make big decisions. Instead of picking one of the two and sticking by his choice, Cartwright has taken the easier route and has each player on the floor alternating quarters. For a young and sensitive player like Williams, it is tough to get into the flow of the game if he knows that no matter how well he plays, he'll be sitting on the bench at the start of the second quarter or half.

There have been games where Williams will score 10 points in the first quarter, and then not see the court until the second half. This is no way to handle a young potential team leader. He needs to be groomed and put out there on the floor with the first team. The triangle offense can be a frustrating offense for a scorer to be a part of. The more he plays in it, however, the more he will realize how to utilize the offense to give him more scoring opportunities. Sitting on the bench for half of the game is not going to do it.

There have been many things said about Jerry Krause and his Chicago Bulls. Most of which I can not write here. Some of which may have been deserved. But Bulls fans can take heart. After 4.5 years of watching this team stumble and fall and never get back up, it looks like this team may be ready to turn the corner and re-join the pack.

Now, as for NBA championships...

Article courtesy of Sports Central.