When Tom Thibodeau became the head coach of the Chicago Bulls in 2010, he brought a bag of toughness with him. Thibodeau gritted his teeth as an assistant for seven different NBA teams before he finally got his opportunity to became a head coach in the league. In his first season as the Bulls head coach, Thibodeau earned NBA Coach of the Year honors in leading Chicago to a record of 62-20 which matched their highest regular season win total since their last NBA Championship in 1998. Thibodeau is the first Bulls head coach since Phil Jackson to lead Chicago to the postseason in his first three seasons with the club. Thibodeau is on the verge of getting the Bulls to the NBA Playoffs for a fourth consecutive season in spite of the fact that he hasn’t been dealt the best hand.
After going 50-16 in the lockout shortened NBA season of 2011-2012, the Bulls emerged with the best record in the Eastern Conference. But things would take a turn for the worst in Game 1 of the Bulls Eastern Conference First Round Series against the Philadelphia 76ers when the 2011 NBA MVP in Bulls point guard Derrick Rose suffered an ACL injury. Rose’s injury kept him out of action for the entire 2012-2013 NBA season, but the Bulls still managed to win 45 games in the regular season as well as advancing to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
Heading into this season the Bulls were optimistic for greater things with a healthy Rose returning to the fold. But after 10 games, Rose suffered an MCL injury which prematurely ended his season. The Bulls once again found themselves behind the 8-ball.
Last season Thibodeau was able to rely on point guard Nate Robinson who didn’t let the people of Chicago forget about Rose, but he did chip in with 13.2 points and 4.4 assists per game. However after the season Robinson left the Bulls as a free agent to sign with the Denver Nuggets.
But when the Rose injury happened this season the Bulls were 6-5. At the end of the 2013 calendar year the Bulls were 12-18 and things appeared bleak. Things got worse on January 7 of this year when longtime Bulls small forward Luol Deng was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. At the time of the trade Deng was leading the Bulls in scoring at 19.0 points per game and it caught many people off guard as it appeared as if Chicago was waving the white flag for the season.
Since the Deng trade went down the Bulls are 18-8 while improving their overall record to 32-26. The Bulls have a snowball’s chance in hell of catching the Indiana Pacers for the Central Division Title this season, 
but they currently have the fourth best record in the Eastern Conference.
Since his first day on the job in Chicago, Thibodeau has preached toughness, defense, and unity and it is clearly illustrated with this Bulls team.
Like Robinson last year, Thibodeau has found another point guard to keep the Bulls afloat. In 2008, point guard D.J. Augustin was the 9th overall pick of the NBA Draft by the Charlotte Bobcats. Things never worked out for Augustin with the Bobcats. After spending last season with the Pacers and being cut earlier this season by the Toronto Raptors, the Bulls signed Augustin as an afterthought. What Augustin has provided the Bulls with is a veteran point guard that is averaging 13.4 points and 5.5 assists per game this season in Chicago.
In 2011, the Bulls used a first round selection on swing man Jimmy Butler. In his first two seasons with the Bulls, Butler proved himself valuable as a reserve, but he has found himself in the starting lineup this season where he is averaging a career high in points with 12.6. points per game. Butler is simply proving himself as a valuable player for the Bulls. Aside from the scoring, Butler is averaging 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per contest as he is the kind of player that Thibodeau covets. Forward Taj Gibson has been valuable off of the bench this season for the Bulls this season with a career high 13.3 points per game while small forward Mike Dunleavy flew under the radar in free agency. But since joining the Bulls, Dunleavy is averaging 11.3 points per game and he is a shooter that can stretch opposing defenses.
Like I mentioned a few weeks ago the glue that keeps this Bulls team going is their All-Star center Joakim Noah. Noah is averaging career highs in points (12.0), rebounds (11.5), and assists (4.6) as he should be the team’s MVP this season.
Power forward Carlos Boozer is leading the Bulls in points per game this season at just 14.6, but Chicago has six players that are currently averaging double figures as it has truly been a group effort this season which is something that Thibodeau does not mind.
Defense has always been Thibodeau’s calling card. Thibodeau was an assistant with the Boston Celtics in 2008 when they won the NBA Championship and his defensive strategies were key for Boston’s title run. This season the Bulls are only surrendering 92.3 points per game which is second in the NBA. For the month of February the Bulls only had allowed one opponent to reach the century mark in points and in the process they have compiled a record of 9-3.
The Bulls do not have the makeup of a potential championship team like they do when Rose is in the lineup, but they will still be a tough out in the postseason. Last season the Bulls were severely undermanned when they faced the Brooklyn Nets in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs. The Bulls proved that you can never count them out as they defeated the Nets in seven games before losing to the eventual in NBA Champion Miami Heat in a tough second round series. Whoever the Bulls face in the NBA Playoffs this spring will have to pack a lunch because they will have a fight on their hands.
Source: Basketball-reference.com
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