The Chicago Bulls shocked the NBA community with their incredible performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this week. Beating the LeBron James team, which boasted a healthy Kevin Love and returning Kyrie Irving, provided Derrick Rose and his squad a boost in their confidence this NBA season. However, the Chicago Bulls have yet to prove that they can sustain this kind of explosive performance throughout the season.
"It feels good to get a win against a great team, especially with the emotional side if you add to it a new coach and them coming out and being hyped," shared Rose. The Chicago Bulls star added, "This my first time really experiencing (something like) this with a great (Bulls) team. No knock against my teammates in the past, but we didn't have the talent we have on this team; we were just happy to win games."
Rose added, "Coming in tonight and every game we play in we are the target; guys are coming out hyped to beat us, and we've just got to make sure we come out and compete with the edge and give the effort to win that game. I wish I could put a finger on (the inconsistency and dual personalities). It's something I've been thinking about a long time. I really can't put a finger on it."
Before these improvements, however, the Chicago Bulls have struggled over injuries and poorly executed plays. One of the most problematic players regarding health is Rose. The start of the NBA season saw him recovering from a face surgery due to his eye injury. This caused him to miss out on some games. Subsequently, Jimmy Butler started to step up and lead the Chicago Bulls.
With Butler leading the team, Joakim Noah and the rest of the squad appear to be thriving. However, it seems that the return of Rose sometimes causes friction in the basketball team. That is, both Rose and Butler are perceived as leaders. Hence, the Chicago Bulls are in confusion over whose orders to follow. While the two basketball stars continue to deny their rumored rift, reports insist that the Rose and Butler cannot seem to work out their differences.
This is where Carmelo Anthony comes in.
It is no secret that the New York Knicks star had been actively wooed by the Chicago Bulls in his free agency season. Anthony reportedly came very close to signing with the Pau Gasol squad, but eventually opted for the most luxurious offer of the Kristaps Porzingis team. However, things might be a little different these days as Anthony is quite vocal about his desire to bag a championship trophy before retirement.
"It wouldn't take long if Porzingis and [Jerian] Grant come along and pick up one or two more guys,'' noted Jim Boeheim via the New York Post. The Syracuse coach added, "At the end of the day, you'll never be a great player if you don't win a championship. That's the way it is.''
With a young core, the New York Knicks are still in the process of rebuilding their franchise. While Anthony is in the middle of the process, it might take too long for the NBA team to create a roster capable of beating the likes of Stephen Curry and LeBron James. All is not lost for Anthony though as the Chicago Bulls is a strong basketball team in need of someone like him.
"Anybody knew that," said Boeheim of Anthony meshing better with the Chicago Bulls. He added, "Me saying that, everybody gets mad at me. But it's the truth. The New York Knicks owner should say that, if he was being truthful. That would be hard, but I think it was a better situation to win. But he loves New York. I see that. There's always hope they would turn it around. There's always hope. But I know some college teams that have been in last place for 30 years. Every year they set out with hope that they're not going to be in the last place."
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks are not looking to lose Anthony over nothing. This would mean that the Chicago Bulls should be ready to go some of its big stars. Given that Anthony's contract is massive, the Joakim Noah squad is in peril due to their limited budget. Hence, big names ought to be released.
Since Rose had been quite open about his desire for a bigger and better salary, he might be first in line to be traded to New York. This deal could potentially hit two birds with one stone. The Chicago Bulls will be able to have a sizable salary cap space to acquire another All-Star. The basketball team can also finally be able to give Butler the attention he deserves.
