Forever Young: Failing Rebuilding Teams Can Learn From The Blazers

A 118-90 loss to the Celtics spawned a potentially embarrassing season for the Bulls. Last year, the Bulls looked like they were on the right track. They made the playoffs, won eight more games than the previous season, and they gave the Celtics a run for their money in a seven game thrill-a-minute series. Looks like rebuilding could pay off for the Bulls...since they started rebuilding in 1998. Chicago has a lot to look forward to. Second-year point guard Derrick Rose is great at getting to the hoop, and he shows occasional glimpses of great passing in traffic. He's the future superstar the Bulls were lacking when they won 49 games in 2007. Rose leads an explosive offense, helped out by the smooth-scoring John Salmons and the talented Luol Deng. But there's a lot the Bulls need to do in order to get where they want to be. First off, there's very little defensive intensity. Tyrus Thomas has the potential to make the all-defensive team, but too often he goes for the offensive board rather ... (link)