59-23

Lose in EC Finals.

60-22, second round loss.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

67-15, win championship. Best team since '01 Lakers.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I like this line of thinking.

I keep changing my number. I'll go 63-19. 7th title in the books.

i'm gonna say 57-25 (as derrick/luol/noah/etc will miss enough games to drop plenty to some of the top teams) which means they're good for.... shoot, third or fourth in the conference? one of these years i fully expect the knicks to have that one crazy year that they make the ECF against the heat, or maybe lebron gets hurt and they make the finals and lose to someone in the west... who knows?

as for the super try hard bulls, man, unless jimmy butler wants to step up and be the #1 scoring option on the team (which is something derrick's needed since day one, IMO) i don't see how this is going to be any different than the last few years. it'd be nice to have a plus-IQ player like belinelli around, not to mention a veritable "microwave" type scoring spark like nate robinson there, as he proved that he's certainly willing to take the damn shot for better or worse.

so let's see, do i really think this is the year for the knicks to make a crazy run? dost i fear the pacers? shrug... i tell you what, if he doesn't break down derrick will run out of gas in the eastern semis or maybe even the eastern finals, but i can't see this team getting past miami barring an injury to lebron. i think the spurs would take them out no doubt too. otherwise, they're fully capable of beating just about every else.... will they? who knows. in the end they'll end up in the final-4 for the east and i don't think they'll really threaten for a title unless the aforementioned injury/injuries goes down or everything goes completely right and my guy jimmy butler develops an unstoppable midrange game and averages 27.8pts this season.

"jimmy butler can play, man" - derrick rose after his first practices with the man, the myth, the legend of jimmy butler.

in a way, LOL DENG is the essence of this team. you wouldn't trust his shot if you didn't have to, his best move is often flailing at the basket and hoping to draw contact, and in the end he's good at slaying the bums throughout the regular season and hey he'll he his usual 16/8 self out there when it's said and done, but when you face top of the league talent you're gonna realize that you don't have a superstar at the 3, you have luol.... who is indelibly unequivocally and unmistakingly.... LOL DENG.

seriously tell me you can watch him on his occasional "my turn" iso possession where he's ready to lose the ball in under 3 dribbes if he doesn't make it two steps into the lane trying to get hacked by defenders cuz his best move going to the hole is getting fouled. and that's the essence of YOUR chicago bulls.

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man I wish I could be this optimistic.

I will say 61-21

lose in ECF to Heat

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Luol's best move is catch and shoot from just about anywhere on the floor. If he dribbles it's over.

If Butler averages 15 - 18, and plays his brand of defense, Bulls are scary good.

Man it would be awesome if this freaking team didn't lose big injury minutes to any of the starters, Taj or Kirk. I had Dunleavy on that can't get injured list too, but not so much anymore. This could be a special year.

suffice to say it's an ominous sign when joakim noah is missing the first preseason game of the year with his plantar fascitis(sp?), or was it a groin strain? those seem to be popular lately...

regardless, i think thibbs' tireless work ethic is gonna wear 'em down into the ground once again. getting anything out of snell in those potential ~3 minutes a game he can get when luol is out would definitely help, but local sports authorities have told me he's a project so let's just hope that byrne isn't re-elected as the mayor so his back door doesn't get bolted down on a court somewhere.

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If Snell or Murphy see court time someone is injured, or the Bulls are up by 40 with 2 minutes left in the 4th. Snell needs to play to get better, but he won't play. Thankfully he plays decent defense which should help him stay with dabull. If he doesn't have one hell of a summer league next year I would be concerned he is going out like Teague.

This is the most confident I have been since 1998, and it's not close. If both teams are healthy, I really don't think Miami has a chance unless they swing a big trade between now and the deadline.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

55 wins. 3 seed. Lose to Heat. Blah blah blah.

These Bulls get hurt too much. Noah has to tone it down a bit. I say coast to 50 wins healthy. Then go balls out in the playoffs. Thibbs wont do that. I'd fire him if he burns this team with heavy minutes before March.

I'm more inclined to go with this. Older and hurt.

And agree with hoping Thibs doesn't smoke this team with super heavy play, that would be a no gouda.