Chicago Bulls: 5 Realistic Expectations For 2014-15 Season

Even though Doug McDermott will have to fight for minutes in the rotation against Jimmy Butler and Mike Dunleavy, a player of his offensive capabilities is hard to ignore. McDermott will carve out decent minutes in the rotation this season, and prove to be a valuable asset to the second unit.

The signing of Pau Gasol immediately vaulted the Chicago Bull’s frontcourt into the stratosphere in terms of talent. The combination of Joakim Noah’s size and strength and Gasol’s offensive touch will be extremely hard to guard.

Derrick Rose looked good during his stint with Team USA this summer, and that will translate well into the regular season. When healthy, Rose is one of the best point guards in the league, and this will finally be the year where Rose is able to play the majority of the season, and lead his Bull’s to the NBA Finals.

Having Pau Gasol as a running mate in the frontcourt will elevate Joakim Noah’s efforts defensively. Not having to initiate the offense as often will allow Noah to play his style of game, which is using his size to bully the opposing team. Averaging 11.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals is what won Noah the DPOY award; but this upcoming season, those numbers will rise due to the talent surrounding him.

The amount of talent this team has on the roster is hard to ignore. Even with other teams in the Eastern Conference making significant strides, the Bull’s now have the right combination of ridiculous offensive talent and stout-minded defense to seriously compete for a title. Making it to the Eastern Conference Finals should be the bare minimum of what this franchise expects for this upcoming season.