Bulls back on the map

By Joe Kaiser Sports Central Columnist

They did it quietly. They did it quickly. And maybe most importantly, they did it right.

While other NBA teams stole the headlines this summer by overpaying for young free-agent talent and drafting big-name teenagers, the Chicago Bulls added the necessary pieces to the team's puzzle and appears primed to put a winner out on the floor for the first time since the days of M.J., Scottie Pippen, and The Worm... oh, and Luc (Longley).

Already one of the up-and-coming teams with a mix of young future-stars -- Jamal Crawford, Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler -- and solid experienced veterans -- Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall -- the Bulls and new General Manager John Paxson added two key veterans with Illinois ties this summer that will nicely compliment the nucleus of the team.

Paxson, who took over after former GM Jerry Krause stepped down, brought in 37-year-old Scottie Pippen, a long-time fixture in Chicago during the glory days of the 1990's before leaving after the 1998 season. Paxson also added shooting guard Kendall Gill, who starred at the University of Illinois during the Fighting Illini's Final Four run in 1990 and has been a solid, but unspectacular NBA player.

Pippen, who went to Houston, then Portland, after leaving Chicago, averaged 10.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game last season with the Trail Blazers. Back in Chicago, the floor general will provide the glue to a team that has been without a true leader for five seasons. (No, Pete Meyers doesn't count).

The 35-year-old Gill, meanwhile, played in all 82 games in 2002-03 with Minnesota, averaged 8.7 points per game while being used primarily off the bench with the Timberwolves. He shot 32-percent from three-point land.

While these moves fell under the radar anywhere outside of Chicago, they undoubtedly make the Bulls better. Factor in the weak competition in the Eastern Conference, and the Bulls could easily find themselves back in the playoffs come next April.

Think that's crazy?

It's not.

In Rose, now 30, the Bulls have one of the premier swing-men in the league. Rose poured in 22.1 points per contest a season ago, adding 4.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists on average.

In Curry and Chandler, Chicago has two of the most promising big men in the NBA on its roster. Few people noticed that Curry led the league with a .585 shooting-percentage and averaged 10.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in only his second professional season. Chandler, who at 7-foot-1 is athletic enough to play small forward, averaged 9.2 points and 6.9 boards each time he stepped out on the floor in 2002-03. If each don't post better numbers as third-year 20-year-olds, it'd be a shock.

In Jamal Crawford, the team has a player who blossomed in his third NBA season. Crawford came back from a knee-injury sustained earlier in his pro career to pour in 10.7 points per game and dish 4.2 assists each contest. By season's end, he had moved ahead of rookie Jay Williams in the starting rotation.

Williams will miss the upcoming season after injuring himself in an offseason motorcycle accident, and his return to the court is somewhat in doubt. He struggled in Bill Cartright's offense as a rookie, but showed flashes and still managed 9.5 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game.

Chicago drafted point-guard Kirk Hinrich out of Kansas with their first-round selection to replace Williams in 2003-04. Hinrich made a name for himself in college by pushing the ball, finding the open man, and scoring when needed. He averaged 17.3 points per game as a senior with the Jayhawks.

Not to be forgotten is the formidable front-court tandem of Donyell Marshall and Marcus Fizer. Both are injury-prone, but when are the floor each has the ability to bang in the paint, rebound, and score.

Marshall averaged 13.4 points and 9 rebounds last season. Fizer's numbers were similar, 11.7 and 5.7.

Throw the veteran leadership of Pippen and Gill into this rotation, and it's hard to deny that possibilities exist for the first time in a long while in Chicago.

From a fan's standpoint, the Bulls have made all the right moves in recent years. First, they brought in Cartwright and Paxson, both former Bulls with championship rings, and more recently they added Pippen and Gill, two players with ties to the area.

From a competition standpoint, the future appears as bright as it's been for a long time for the team that once owned Chicago.

Quietly, away from the headlines and unnoticed by most, the Bulls are back.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.