State of the Cap: Chicago Bulls | NBADraft.net

2011/12 Payroll: 61.6 million 2011/12 (Projected) NBA Salary Cap: 54 million Roughly: 7.6 million over cap Derrick RoseHighlights: It doesn’t take a genius to see that Derrick Rose is the centerpiece of this Bulls team. The All-NBA First Teamer continued his meteoric rise to super stardom by raising his scoring average to 25 per game (7th in the league) and his assists to 7.7 per game (10th in the league) taking home MVP honors when he could still be in college. Rose has been nearly unstoppable going to the hoop, which makes him a great 4th quarter finisher. He even rises to the occasion in the playoffs, scoring 39 in a first round game against Indiana and 44 in a second round game against the Hawks. Even though the Heat were able to stymie Rose in the Eastern Conference playoffs, there is little doubt that a team can win a championship with Rose as the best player. In this league, that is very select company. Rose will earn just under 7 columbia sportswear million next season, the last year on his rookie contract, making him one of the biggest steals in the NBA. He’ll be getting max money very soon, so the Bulls had better be ready. At least Rose is one of the few that is worth it. Taj Gibson has been another good bargain for this team. Gibson is one of Chicago’s key bench players. His minutes went down with the arrival of Carlos Boozer but he remained efficient, putting up 7.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. At just 1.2 and 2.1 million the next two seasons, Gibson is a very affordable option to provide bench depth and his youth means he should only get better. Lowlights: The Chicago Bulls had a lot of success last season, but it came at a price… an unfriendly cap price. Last summer, the Bulls signed free-agent Carlos Boozer for five years and about 75 million. Then, in October, they extended the contract of center Joakim Noah for five years and 60 million. With Luol Deng still owed 40 million the polo long sleeved next three years, Chicago has an awful lot of salary tied to just three players. I don’t doubt that those three players are pretty good, I just don’t think they should be paid as much as they are. Boozer has been an efficient, double-double machine throughout his career and averaged 17.5 points and 9.6 rebounds this season. But a yearly salary of 13.5 to 16.8 million is superstar money, and Carlos Boozer is NOT a superstar. He is also very injury prone, missing 23 games this year and large chunks of three other seasons in his NBA career. Joakim Noah is a good center and a player you want to have on your team, but for 10 to 14.2 million a year? That is a lot of money for someone who is good but not great. His 10.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game are nice, they just aren’t quite worth the money he’ll be making, especially with an 11.7 scoring average. And Luol Deng has been a good second or third option on this team. He scored 17.5 points per game, contributed on the glass with 5.8 boards per game, and he shot decent percentages from the field. But would you consider those numbers to be spectacular? Hardly. Yet Deng will still be paid 12.3 to 14.3 million each of the next three years. It’s not out of the ordinary for the NBA’s best teams columbia clothing to overpay on talent. As long as the wins are there and the playoff runs go deep, the money is usually worth it. However, the problem here is that all three of those players are overpaid by about 4 to 5 million per year. That adds up to 12 to 15 million per year in wasted dollars that could be better spent elsewhere. Still on the fence? Consider this: the Bulls have 50.9 million in player salaries on the books for the 2012/13 season and none of those players are named Derrick Rose. Now you see the problem. Rose is the guy most responsible for the team’s success. Everyone else is just helping out. You need good secondary players to play with your star, but they shouldn’t be making nearly as much as the star. With the new CBA in negotiations, there is no telling what the rules may be in the future concerning the salary cap. That 12 to 15 million could have been used to easily fit Derrick Rose into their cap or make future upgrades on their bench or at shooting guard. Instead, the Bulls will find it more difficult to make future roster moves. The Future: Chicago is in a great place as one of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference and they look like they should be there for a while. But to get over the hump, a few things will need to go right. Boozer must stay healthy. Noah must continue to improve and keep his head on straight. And the Bulls must improve their bench. They were 25th in the league in bench scoring and they don’t really have anyone that can light it up some nights to provide a big spark. Kyle Korver is an excellent three point shooter and fills that role well, but he isn’t much of a scorer beyond the one or two threes he’ll make every game and he doesn’t contribute in other areas (and at 5 million a year, he should). Ronnie Brewer is a decent defender but he doesn’t stretch the floor at all and scores even less than Korver. Taj Gibson is a good young forward, but beyond him there isn’t anyone on the Chicago bench that excites me or causes opposing teams to take notice. They are especially weak at backup point guard, which means Rose has to play heavy minutes during the regular season. C.J. Watson just isn’t getting the job done so the Bulls would do well to find an upgrade Cheap Ladies Heathered Jersey Ringer Tee Shirt | Cheapest Business ... at their back up PG spot. The Bulls could use someone in the Luke Ridnour mold to hold down the fort while Rose gets some rest. Just how important is your bench? The Dallas Mavericks were #2 in bench scoring last season. The Miami Heat were dead last. If Chicago can find a way to upgrade their reserves, the Bulls will be poised to knock off the Heat next season. However, with all the money they’ve already spent on their roster, finding good upgrades will be problematic. Grade: B-