No Rose, No Deng, No Problem

Mat is fed up with the national and local pundits who are already counting the Bulls out for next year.  From ESPN to Comcast Sports Net Chicago, pretty much every "expert" is claiming that the Bulls are going to have a tough time next season without Derrick and Luol in the lineup for an extended period.

While Mat does agree that wins will not be easy to come by, he disagrees that the Bulls are not a contender to win the NBA Finals next year.

16 teams make the playoffs, which means more than half of the league qualify.  Mat cannot fathom a Tom Thibodeau lead team not being able to be among the top 8 in the Eastern Conference.

A conference including the Bobcats, Cavaliers, Wizards, Raptors, and Nets.  Mat knows the Bulls are not the same team without its 2 stars, but to think they are not in the top 53% of the East boggles his little mind.

Mat doesn't believe that Derrick will be out for the entire year, and he certainly doesn't think Deng will be out past the All Star Break.  So, all the Bulls need to do is tread water for the first few months.

If they can stay in the mix, maybe within 3 or 4 games of 8th place, which should be a given, for the first half of the year, Mat asks why they can't use the second half of the year, with a healthy Deng, and eventually Rose, to make their push into the postseason.

Then, if the Bulls end up making the playoffs, they will have Rose and both on fresh legs having played only a few months of basketball.  Might have to take down #6 and the Heat a little earlier than planned, but there's no convincing Mat that the Bulls can't get it done.

The goal for the regular season may have changed, but the ultimate goal remains.  Mat thinks the Bulls have what it takes to get in, you tell him if they are contenders with a healthy squad and a 7 or 8 seed.