NBA Teams That Should/Shouldn’t Be Worried

Nov 2, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers defeated the Bulls 107-104. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bulls

What We Expected: A surefire championship contender, the clear choice to dethrone Miami in the East, Derrick Rose’s triumphant return

What We’ve Seen: The Chicago Bulls came together last season and fought for a playoff spot without Derrick Rose. Tom Thibodeau’s raspy roaring defensive principles and the team’s trust in one another kept them humming along, as did their fiery change of pace bench. This season they have thus far looked flat. Mike Dunleavy and Kirk Hinrich can’t seem to hit their shots and Luol Deng is even worse. The bench has lost its spirit. And worst of all, Derrick Rose, besides a miraculous game-winning floater, has looked very mortal and hardly the explosive force he was.

In One Month: Though I’m not as bullish (haha!) as many on their chances of coming out of the East, the Bulls will almost certainly right the ship and tear through the regular season like the plague in medieval Europe. Derrick Rose didn’t play against NBA level competition for an entire year. He’s earned a few weeks before the wrath of the masses buries him. The Bulls have a defensive scheme that is not the easiest to instantly master. In a month they will be neck and neck with Miami and Indiana at the top of the conference.