Daily Bulls

Every Sports fan base will always have moments to think about what ifs in their team history. Thinking about these moments could be fun to think about but also be upsetting think about depending on the player or situation. Bulls teams in the past have made you think, what if a player didn’t get hurt or a coach never left. The Bulls still haven’t reached the NBA Finals since 1998. With that, here are my top 5 biggest what-ifs in Bulls history.

5. Bulls were fully healthy (2021-22 Season)

Expectations were low for the 2021-22 Chicago Bulls. But they surprised everyone with a 27-13 start that landed them the best record in the Eastern Conference in early January. But during January, Chicago faced several injuries, including star Zach Lavine, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso.

Lavine received platelet-rich plasma therapy and a cortisone shot and had fluid drained from his left knee in January. But he wasn’t ever to get back to 100% to finish the season. Lonzo Ball got a meniscus injury in his left knee, and after a couple of months of trying to get back on the court, he got ruled for the remainder of the 2022 NBA Season. Caruso dealt with multiple injuries of the shoulder, COVID, Hamstring, and then the wrist injury on January 21st against the Bucks. The wrist injury caused him to miss 4-6 weeks, but he returned late in the season. He wasn’t enough to help Chicago get past Milwaukee in the first round of the 2022 Playoffs.

After January 14th, the date of Ball and Lavine getting their injuries, Chicago finished the season with a 19-23. One reason could be their more challenging schedule later on in the season. But there were most significant needs for three-point shooting, defense, and transition offense. All of those things are the strengths of Lonzo Ball. I think Lonzo Ball was the most significant player on the court for Chicago. There was only so much DeMar DeRozan and Zach Lavine could have done, but they needed more help offensive and defensive.

4. Tom Thibodeau never got fired after 2015 Season

Tom Thibodeau was brought to Chicago on a two-year contract in the 2010 off-season. After the 2012 season, he got extended four more years. He was previously with the Boston Celtics as an assistant coach and part of the 2008 NBA Championship team. Thibodeau, in five seasons in Chicago, had a 255-139 record, which included five playoff appearances and one Eastern Conference Appearance (2011). He was the fastest coach to 100 wins, even with Derrick Rose missing 210 games during that stretch

As the Bulls entered the 2014-15 season, Thibodeau and the Bulls Management had arguments and never got along. Many fans knew Thibodeau would be gone after the 2015 season. But what Bulls fans didn’t know is that it would be the last season with going to the second round of the playoffs and winning their final home playoff for a very long time. Fred Hoiberg became the new Head Coach, and everything seemed to fall apart, which led to the trades of Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. Chicago has a team record of 231-316 since the 2015-16 season.

3. Kobe Bryant signs with Chicago (2004)

First all, RIP to the Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant and seven others who passed in the January 26th, 2020 Helicopter Crash.

Many Bulls fans remember how Kobe Bryant almost got traded in 2007 to Chicago but don’t remember the possible signing of Kobe Bryant during the 2004 Off-season. The Lakers tested Bryant’s loyalty. The Lakers dynasty was over, and Phil Jackson was gone. Shaq and Kobe’s beef continued, and they couldn’t play together in the future. During the 2004 off-season, Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and GM at the time John Paxson flew to California to meet with Kobe Bryant and his agent to convince him to move to Chicago. So how close was Bryant to joining the Bulls?

“We were looking at houses, “we were looking at schools. We already were talking about a sign-and-trade.” Bryant said in an interview for NBA on TNT with Shaq. The trade got called off when Shaq got traded to the Miami Heat, and Bryant became more of the one-man show in Los Angeles. That was one of the best moments of John Paxton being a GM and meeting Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant would have made the Bulls a playoff contender immediately in 2004. Maybe Bryant would have gotten Chicago another title.

2. MJ never retired in 1993

Michael Jordan would have been looking to earn his 4th straight NBA Title in the 1993-94 season. But that didn’t happen. Jordan instead went to play baseball for the Chicago White Sox in honor of his father, James Jordan, RIP. James Jordan got murdered while sleeping in his car on July 23, 1993. Jordan’s father always wanted Michael to play in the MLB, and one factor on why he retired after the 1993 season. Another factor in retiring in 1993 was his mental and physical exhaustion and having nothing left to prove in the NBA. But returned in 1995 and went on win three more NBA Championships with the Bulls.

So if Jordan never retired in 1993, does Chicago get eight titles in a row? That would have probably never happened, but maybe. Scottie Pippen would have never gotten to be the #1 guy in Chicago for a couple of seasons when MJ left. But Jordan retiring was the right decision for him at the time, but from a Bulls fan’s point of view, the 1993 season could have been the last season ever for him. But happily, that wasn’t true and returned in 1995.

1. Derrick Rose healthy in the 2012 Playoffs

Chicago’s Very Own Derrick Rose got selected by the Chicago Bulls with the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. With the new head coach of Tom Thibodeau, Rose exploded and won the 2010-11 MVP award and became the youngest MVP of all time. Rose didn’t have the best stats, with averages of 25.0 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in 81 games. He was more known for leading the Bulls as the only superstar to the best record in the Eastern Conference with a 62-20 record. Chicago would lose five games against LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the 2011 Conference Finals.

2011-12-Rose ACL Injury

With everybody returning for Chicago, they would finish the 2011-12 season with the best record in the NBA, 50-16 (Lockout Season). But Rose sat out 27 games due to several injuries. To begin the 2012 Postseason, Chicago would face the Philadelphia 76ers. With about one minute left in Game 1, up 99-87, Rose went up for a layup and fell to the ground holding his left knee. Derrick tore his ACL in his left knee, which caused him to miss the 2012-13 season. Chicago would lose the 76ers in 6 games. Within the first two months of the 2013-14 season, he tore the meniscus in his right knee and missed the rest of the season. Rose would continue to deal with injuries for the rest of his Bulls playing days. He is still dealing with injuries on the New York Knicks.

Derrick Rose being healthy in the 2012 Playoffs is one of the biggest what-ifs in NBA History. Rose, at the time, was 23 and had a bright future. Many Chicago fans will support him no matter what forever, including me. Bulls fans support him so much that no one will be allowed to wear the #1 on the Bulls anymore. Chicago could have gotten past the Heat and won their first finals since MJ played in the 1990s, but unfortunately didn’t happen.

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