We haven't seen these Bulls in a long time

It’s official: this year’s Bulls team is the best that the city of Chicago has seen since the end of the Jordan era.

After beating the Miami Heat 93-89 last night, the Bulls have taken the first two games in the season series against Miami.

New head coach Tom Thibodeau has to be considered one of the favorites for Coach of the Year honors. Thibodeau has the Bulls out to a 39-17 record.

Even more impressive is the fact that the Bulls are in third place in the Eastern Conference and just two games back of the Boston Celtics and Miami. In the Central Division, the Bulls have a 13 game lead over Milwaukee.

But what has made all of this talent finally come together?

The answer can be attributed to a few different factors.

Thibodeau’s game planning is much better than former coach Vinny Del Negro’s. Also, Thibodeau doesn’t take out Derrick Rose at the end of games and misuse timeouts.

Secondly, Derrick Rose has become an All-Star. In his third season, Rose has taken over the league by surprise. He is averaging 25 points per game and has become a deadly shooter from three point range. He is a front-runner for the MVP award this season and if he can take the Bulls deep into the playoffs, he should win his first MVP award.

Lastly, the additions of Carlos Boozer, Kurt Thomas, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer have made a big impact. Each player has accepted their role and has developed great chemistry on the court. Thomas, 38, is having one of his best seasons while filling in for the injured Joakim Noah, who just returned back to action this week.

Behind Thibodeau’s leadership, Rose’s scoring ability and Brian Scalabrine cheering on his teammates from the bench, the Bulls are a dangerous team.

Thibodeau’s defensive schemes have worked to perfection this season. The Bulls are giving up 92.8 ppg and holding opponents to just 43 percent shooting from the field.

Offensively, the Bulls are scoring enough to consistently win, averaging 98.6 ppg.

Opposing teams should dread having to visit the United Center. The Bulls are 26-4 at home this season and have not lost a Central Division game (11-0). They are 22-10 in the Eastern Conference and have defeated the San Antonio Spurs (47-10) and the Heat (42-16) in the last two weeks.

Not acquiring LeBron James this past offseason may have actually benefited the Bulls in the long run.


The current lineup is talented, the bench is solid and the Bulls still have $2.9 million available in salary cap space.

This is a team built to win both now and in the future.

Add in Luol Deng and Taj Gibson, and this team has enough young talent under contract for the next few years to make a run for at least one NBA Championship.