Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bulls fans – some of the best fans in the game, yet last season there seemed to be a divide amongst many of them. With superstar point guard Derrick Rose choosing to sit out the entire regular season and then prolonging his return even further by missing the playoffs, many fans began to question his heart.
The season previous to 2012, fans everywhere were clamoring for another reason. The Bulls took a chance and gave forward Carlos Boozer a giant contract in hopes he could bring his nightly double-doubles by way of Chicago. Two years ago, you would have seen Bulls fans everywhere screaming for the team to get rid of him somehow.
Now that we’re through all of the drama that was the 2012-2013 season, it’s time to set two things straight. First of all, Rose made the smart decision overall to sit the season out. His career is much more important than one season. Watching a healthy Rose next year will make all of you forget about the last season.
Second, Boozer played like an All Star last year. The way he stepped up especially on offense is one of the sole reasons the Bulls made it as far as they did. Up until the All Star break, Boozer was number one in the Eastern Conference in double-doubles yet somehow was snubbed of a selection to the weekend’s festivities.
This summer, the Bulls will not have very much money to work with in free agency. That is just fine, if you ask me. This summer is about getting the team healthy and preparing for a full season with their leader healthy. Next summer is the time to worry about cap room with so many names potentially hitting the market.
Right now, the Bulls should keep Boozer in Chicago and cannot afford to get wrapped up in trade talk again. They especially cannot be listening to any offers from the Toronto Raptors regarding Andrea Bargnani. That particular deal almost went through last season, and thankfully for the Bulls, it fell through.
For the Bulls to have success in the coming year, Chicago must keep Boozer on the team and continue to work on the chemistry between him and Rose. Next summer may be a different story. But for now, keep him.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior NBA writer for www.RantSports.com also contributing to the NFL. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
