Chicago Bulls playoff preview: This is their last chance to mesh

This was supposed to be the Chicago Bulls’ most talented team since Tom Thibodeau took over. Derrick Rose was back (for real, we hoped) and the frontcourt had an embarrassment of riches with Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic. The Cavaliers were still coming together, whereas the Bulls had the culture and continuity advantage.

But for the third year in a row, the Bulls were better in theory than reality. Injuries again were a factor, but this year was unique in that Chicago wasn’t really undermanned. Gasol found the fountain of youth and was named an all-star starter. Butler made a Paul George-like leap and joined Gasol in New York. Mirotic, it turns out, is really, really good. On talent alone, the Bulls are scary.

Yet while they won 50 games, that talent never fully came together. Gasol’s rise coincided with Joakim Noah’s decline. Butler’s emergence coincided with Rose’s shaky recovery. Mirotic’s improvement happened mostly with Gibson injured and now there aren’t enough minutes for both to play power forward. The Bulls never really found a mix that worked for everyone and thus enter the playoffs as a disjointed unit still trying to find itself.

There’s a “last dance” feel to this Bulls team, from Thibodeau’s beyond-repair relationship with management to the gradual passing of the torch from Rose and Noah to players like Butler and Mirotic. But the playoffs has a way of forcing urgency on stagnant situations. If anyone in the East can challenge the Hawks and Cavaliers, it’s this Bulls team.

How they beat you
This Bulls team has much more offensive firepower than previous units, even with Rose now a shell of his MVP self. They can batter you on the inside with Gasol. They can spread you out and go small with Mirotic at power forward. They still can replicate some of the Noah-centric high-post offense they used to win 48 games last year. They can post Butler up against smaller defenders or nudge his thick frame to the free-throw line with dribble handoffs and pick and rolls. Rose can occasionally attack the hoop like he once did, especially in transition.

The Bulls are an excellent passing team and they occasionally put together sets with scary levels of fluidity, especially when Mirotic plays power forward.

They aren’t quite the defensive team they once were, but are still solid, ranking in the top five in both opponents’ effective field goal percentage and foul rate. They continue to shut off the three-point line, ranking near the bottom of the league in attempts surrendered from downtown and shots from the juicy corner spots.

The Bulls don’t have much perimeter shooting unless Mirotic is at power forward. (Sensing a theme? You should be). They may be in the top 10 in the league in three-point percentage, but teams don’t defend them that way. Only Mike Dunleavy and Mirotic really scare opponents from behind the line, and in Mirotic’s case, it’s more because he’s willing to fire away at any time than his actual three-point percentage. Butler has improved, while Aaron Brooks and Tony Snell can hit open threes. But teams don’t freak out when they take those shots.

This especially becomes a problem when the Bulls play lineups with two traditional big men. Teams will crowd the paint in these situations, especially when Noah is in the game. The problem becomes even worse when they play Mirotic alongside two of the other three big men. This is an extreme example, but it also illustrates the problem.

Teams have also discovered ways to attack the Bulls’ pick and roll defense by involving Gasol. Pau has been a solid rim protector this year, but he’s very slow in space and forces Noah away from the basket because of that. Teams can directly go at Gasol in pick and rolls or involve someone else and force Gasol to make the next rotation.

Did you know Jimmy Butler could score like this? If so, you’re a step ahead of everyone else. The Bulls’ wing was one of the worst shooters in the league last year and couldn’t effectively run a pick and roll. Now, he’s nailing dagger threes and getting downhill off the dribble to augment what was already an effective post game.

His rise resembles Paul George’s in many ways. Like George, Butler was always an elite defender, but the rest of his offensive game hadn’t fully developed before a breakout early-season stretch. Like George, Butler turned himself from a limited player into a complete one with relentless work on his ball-handling. Like George, Butler saw his shooting dip midway through the season before finishing strong. The comparison isn’t perfect -- Butler draws more fouls, while George is a better pull-up shooter -- but it’s close enough that the Bulls will take it.

Who gives a shirt?
Most human beings wear shirts over their chest and back. Joakim Noah likes to mix it up.

Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

You can also find plenty of pictures of Noah wearing a shirt correctly, but you can’t blame a man for wanting to mix up his look.

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