Top Defensive Player: Tyrus Thomas – Believe it or not, Thomas actually finished 8th in the league in blocked shots last season with 1.91 per game—the only player in the top 15 shorter than 6'10"—and nobody had a better blocks-per-game average than him in the postseason (2.86). Sure, the Bulls only participated in seven playoff games, but that's an impressive number. His nose for blocking shots is one of the best in the game, and there's no reason to think he couldn't average 2 or more bpg this upcoming season. Along with Joakim Noah (15th in the league in bpg last year), they create a pretty interesting defensive frontcourt for Chicago. If only they were more gifted offensively.

Top Playmaker: Derrick Rose – All you had to do was watch him in the playoffs last year to know that he can get to the rim pretty much any time he wants. He's one of the quickest players in the game right now, his handle is tight, and his athleticism allows him to do some ridiculous stuff around the basket. Nobody else on this team even comes close.

Top Clutch Player: Derrick Rose – We saw glimpses of what he's capable of in the second half of his rookie season. By the end of the year it was almost difficult to view him as a rookie because of the plays he'd make for the Bulls down the stretch in close games. This is a Bull headed for superstardom, and that's the sort of guy you have to rely on for the big shot. He'll be even more responsible for clutch play this season, but with his cool head and outstanding ability, that shouldn't be a problem.

The Unheralded Player: Brad Miller – There have been whispers this summer that Miller is a player doomed for a sharp decline this season, but even if that's true he does things for this team that can't be measured. He's a tough guy that can throw 'bows with the best of him, and he knows how to get referees' attention. He's slow—painfully slow—at this point in his career, but defenders are still going for that head-fake and he's still getting his shots. As long as he can pull that off and bring his trademark physicality, he's going to be the most valuable bench piece Chicago has.

Best New Addition: Jannero Pargo – On draft night, smart Bulls fans were mouthing the words "Dejuan Blair" over and over again in preparation for Chicago's selections, both at #16 and #26. But Chicago opted to go for James Johnson and Taj Gibson instead—two guys that are anything but sure things. Pargo, on the other hand, is a pretty predictable player. A key bench piece to that Hornets team two seasons ago that surprised the entire league, Pargo brings offense off the bench on nights when Salmons might not be feeling it. He's from Chicago, has played for this franchise before, and even has become more accomplished playing the pick-and-roll after his season overseas. He's a great fit for this group, and while he doesn't even come close to replacing Ben Gordon, he's certainly a better dollar-for-dollar value at 1 year and $2 million versus Gordon's 5 years and $55 million.

2. Luol Deng: Having missed most of last season's second half he really wasn't given much opportunity to play alongside the Derrick Rose that had bloomed into a legit point guard, but this year he'll get that opportunity and should benefit from it. Deng is still one of the smartest players on this team and his forte—midrange spot-up jumpers—are going to be something Rose can help create with his penetration abilities. Luol has had it rough with injuries in the past, but he's a perennially unheralded player and should experience another solid season.

3. Tyrus Thomas: This is his year to break out. If he's ever going to be a star in Chicago we're going to have to see it soon, because he's up for an extension this summer and the Bulls have to be thinking about what their long-term solution is at power forward. Defensively and athletically Thomas is top-notch; it's his offensive game and decision-making we're hoping to see improvements upon this season.

4. Joakim Noah: In the regular season Joakim Noah put up mediocre numbers to the tune of 6.7 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game to go along with 1.4 blocks and a 56% field goal percentage. But when the playoffs got underway we saw this whole new Joakim—10.1ppg, 13.1rpg, and 2.1bpg while maintaining a respectable 51% field goal percentage. If he's able to reproduce those playoff numbers this upcoming season, the Bulls will have their center of the future. The interesting thing is, a lot of really smart NBA people fully expect him to be that guy. He's matured a ton the last couple of off seasons, and that's made a load of difference on the floor.

5. John Salmons: Not everyone is as optimistic about Salmons's role in the offense, but he's really come onto the scene as a legit NBA player the last couple of seasons. He seems as poised as anyone to have a breakout year, and 20 points per game is not a stretch for his ability, minutes, and shots. If the Bulls plan on doing much winning, they'll need him to score at least that much.

In terms of shooting the Bulls are a pretty accurate overall group. They were sixth in 3-point percentage (38%) and seventh in free-throw percentage (80%). Ben Gordon helped the team lead in those categories, but the rest of the roster was pretty effective as well and those numbers should remain high in 2009-10.

Assists, Turnovers, and maybe Scoring. We know that Derrick Rose is growing as a player, and that his assist numbers should be on the rise. However that doesn't mean the rest of the team is off the hook. Outside of Rose, the player with the highest assists per game last season was backup point guard Kirk Hinrich with 3.9 per contest. John Salmons, Ben Gordon, and Brad Miller were the only other guys on the roster with more than 2 assists per game. It doesn't help that the turnovers have been bad as well, finishing 20th in the league with 14.5 per contest.

Some believe scoring could be an issue wit the loss of Ben Gordon, and that very well could be a concern. With BG the team scored over 102 points a game, good for eighth in the league. Without him there's no telling what will happen, but it'll take huge efforts from Rose, Salmons, Thomas, and others to make up for what they've lost in their departed leading scorer.

 What Needs To Be Said On Opening Day.... 

We are building on last year's success with a terrific young core of players, some great additions, and returning veteran leadership. Having Brad and John with us in training camp are a big plus, and with the return of Luol and the continuing development of Derrick, Joakim, and Tyrus, we are excited about trying to take the next step into a contenders role. Jannero Pargo was a great signing for us, adding additional speed and scoring to our backcourt, and James and Taj give us even more depth up front. We need to be a better rebounding team, which will allow us to get out and run even more.

- Mike Moreau