Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah (Photo : Twitter)
The Chicago Bulls have essentially the same roster last season but the team will have a new look-and it's not about the court design.
While it's true that there will be a new court layout, the glaring change will be on the starting line-up.
The Twin tower combination of Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah may no longer start at the frontcourt, according to veteran writer Sam Smith at the team's website.
"Perhaps the biggest question coming into the season is who will start at center," Smith wrote. "The Bulls have two All-Star centers in Gasol and Joakim Noah, and starting both last season obviously didn't work well. Though new coach Hoiberg has been circumspect about his plans, it seems likely Gasol and Noah will no longer both start."
There are already doubts about how smooth the transition will be as the Bulls roster, specifically the frontcourt, is not exactly built to run. It seems practical to start only one of the two, but the question is who?
Noah did not have a stellar year and would want a chance to bounce back, but Pau Gasol, after his MVP performance at the EuroBasket, is not exactly ready to give his spot. Further complicating the scenario is that both players can become free agents at the end of the season so they would want maximum exposure, considering their ages.
Also, fans have started to warm up to Taj Gibson after it was revealed that he played through an injury as fan site Pippen Ain't Easy pointed out. There are now calls to take him off the trading block.
"Taj Gibson played through a torn ankle ligament last year, and this is one of the main reasons why they shouldn't trade him," PAE argued. "He is tough. Actually, he is remarkably tough, and anything the Bulls could get back in a trade for the big man would not equal what he brings to the table."
Being younger and quicker than both Noah and Gasol makes him a better option to speed up the game. How will new coach Fred Hoiberg deal with this dilemma? Will Gasol or Noah eventually leave the team?
