The Bulls are playing Horri-BULL basketball. Losing to the New Jersey Nets and then being blown out by the Lakers. The Bulls showed no fight and no effort in their blow out defeat. If Del Negro cannot get more from his talented roster he might be sacked before the new year.

Derrick Rose started the season playing with a gimpy ankle and has picked it up as of late. However, that is not the main reason for the Bulls struggles.

The Bulls have been nothing more than a jump shooting team this year. Other than Rose driving and Joakim Noah putting back missed shots via the offensive rebound Chicago has had little inside presence.

The Bulls must drive and attack more in order to create the spacing for open jump shots. Instead, there is to much one and done type possessions which makes it easy to defend and transition against Chicago.

John Salmons has not been much help this year. He is shooting a miserable .395 from the field and his scoring has dropped 4 PPG this season.  He is a integral piece of the offense and needs to turn it around by putting his head down and drawing fouls.

Kirk Hinrich has been slowed by his thumb injury, and looked terribly out of sync with unforced turnovers against Los Angeles.

Jannero Pargo has been a major disappointment, hip injury or not.

It’s obvious that the Bulls desperately need of Tyrus Thomas to return. He might not have stellar numbers that turns heads but he is a concern for any team the Bulls face. His presence in the painted area helps keep a defense honest and opens the floor for easy jump shots.

Taj Gibson has been a surprise for the Bulls, but his offensive attack is raw and he lacks moves to finish at the rim, opting for the typical Bulls jump shot. Taking running 5-foot jump shots rather than driving to the cup will not get a whistle blown in most instances.

Making faces won't motivate a young Bulls roster. (Credit:picapp.com)

If Vinny Del Negro Cannot get his team to buy into attacking the rim, he should put the players in the game who will. Otherwise, his coaching career might be involuntarily on hiatus due to his termination by GM John Paxson.

The Chicago Bulls put on an impressive display in yesterdays preseason game vs the Utah Jazz in London’s O2 Arena. Pundits are all saying Boston Celtics this, Cleveland Cavaliers that, and Orlando will be in it for the Eastern Conference Championship, but folks should not overlook the Chicago Bulls. They played tough last year in the playoffs, and should only be better this season.

Sure it was the preseason, but there are some strong indications that the Bulls are a team that nobody can afford to fall asleep on this year. And here are some reasons why.

Deng looks deng good. (Credit: AP)

Luol Deng appears to have no lingering affects from his injuries. He dropped in 18 points on 8-12 shooting in just 25 minutes. It is beyond imperative that the Bulls have a healthy Deng in their lineup this season. If he is capable of playing the way he did before he signed his gigantic contract in 2007 the Bulls will cause major match up issues. WIth Ben Gordon gone, look for Deng’s and everyone’s numbers to increase as unselfish ball will return to Chicago.

Rookies James Johnson and Taj Gibson are a lot better than people think. James Johnson reminds me of Tyrus Thomas, but seems to have a clue about making drives to the basket, drawing contact,  and making monstrous dunks.

Both Gibson and Johnson had 2 impressive blocked shots apiece. This bodes well for the Bulls. Their second unit will not drop off in attacking the rim either defensively or offensively.

The Bulls played well without Derrick Rose and John Salmons. Kirk Hinrich and Jannero Pargo started in the backcourt and combined for 27 points shooting 10-21 from the field and 9 assists. More impressive was the combined 5-8 from 3point range.

So when Rose and Salmons rest, the Bulls have offensive weapons to make sure there is little to no drop off.

Joakim Noah played out of his mind defensively. His 6 blocked shots in 26 minutes was nothing less than unreal. Once he sits, Brad Miller will take over, making life hell for the opposition’s second unit center with his savvy arsenal of crafty moves and passing skills. They might appear in slow motion, but they are highly effective.

If Chicago continues to meld together the way they played last night, only good things can be on their horizon.

James Johnson will lead the second unit in Chicago (Credit: AP)

Albeit it only a preseason game, the Utah Jazz always play hard under Jerry Sloan.

The Bulls should be very happy with how they performed, and what they have heading into this season. A ton of youth, depth at every position, and a dash of veteran experience make for a dangerous NBA recipe.

A warning to all NBA teams: do not fall asleep on the Bulls, or you will most likely experience a harsh awakening.

Dwyane Wade officially declared contract discussions are officially on hold until the conclusion of the forthcoming 2009-10 season.  Considering what this means for Wade’s future, there are too many reasons supporting the idea that this will be Wade’s final season with the Miami Heat to think he will re-sign.

Wouldn't you take winning and the 4th floor view? (Credit: picapp.com)

Wade wants to play on a team that has contender written all over it. He has clearly stated he will not sign with Miami if the brass fails to make the moves providing the proof they will build around him. He put the team on his shoulders last season to the tune of 43 wins, but experienced an immediate dismissal from the playoffs.

A couple surgeries behind him, I am sure Wade will not go down that lone road again anytime soon. He needs to have a supporting cast around him or else teams will be able to beat him down.

Wade purchased a massive palace of a home in Chicago’s riverside Kinzie Park neighborhood. Realistically, who buys a $1.4 million dollar 4 story home without having the intent of living in it?

Chicago has the real deal in young point guard Derrick Rose, who is also a Chicago native. Together, Wade and Rose potentially represent the fiercest backcourt in the league.

Derrick Rose is a budding young superstar and a veteran with championship experience would be borderline moronic to not get on board next to him.

"Home town reprazent" (Credit: picapp.com)

Taking a deeper look at Chicago’s roster it makes complete sense for Wade to sign for 2010-11 and beyond. Derrick Rose, Luol Deng,  Joakim Noah, and Tyrus Thomas represent a strong core of youth to build around.

If Luol Deng regains his form prior to his injury plagued 2008-09 season the Bulls will have a plethora of options in Wade, Rose, Deng, and Noah.

If Noah plays his wild style of defense, and slams home occasional junk buckets a la Cedric Ceballos, the Bulls will be avoid conflicts over who gets the ball.

Supplanting the youth pool for the Bulls will potentially be John Salmons, Brad Miller, and (in 2010-11 ) 2^nd year players James Johnson and Taj Gibson. Gibson and Johnson are both slated to be solid players down the road.

Expect Kirk Hinrich to be topping the list of Chicago’s dearly departed upon Wade’s arrival.

Brad Miller might stay the course.

That kind of roster makes the view from the 4^th floor of Wades $1.4 million home that much more splendid, looking towards the future.

Every NBA season sees a few guys break out. Players that finally got the chance to get the necessary minutes to put up legit stats and took advantage of the opportunity. Jeff Green of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kelenna Azubuike of the Golden State Warriors were these type of players from this past season. Green went from 28 to nearly 37 minutes a game upping his average from 10.5 to 16.5 ppg. Azubuike’s minute total went from 21 to 32 and he took advantage upping his points per game average from 8.5 to 14.4. We at Protect the Paint will now give you Part 1 of the Top 10 Under-the-Radar Breakout Players of 2009-10.

Can Amir win Skiles over and earn playing time? (Credit: picapp.com)

10. Amir Johnson F/C Milwaukee Bucks: Only 22, but has been in the league since 2005 buried on the Pistons bench with some time in the D-League. Seldom had the chance to incur the growing pains a young player needs in order to develop—he never got the necessary minutes. Johnson should see plenty of time in Milwaukee under coach Scott Skiles who will appreciate his defensive effort. Look for Amir to round out his game and see an upward swing in production in the first quarter of the season. That is, if Skiles lets him play through his mistakes.

Dj White will prove the pundits wrong this season. (Credit: picapp.com)

9. D.J. White F Oklahoma City Thunder: The former Big 10 Player of the Year came into the league last season, but his rookie year was delayed five months after undergoing surgery on his jaw to remove a benign growth. Played six games in the D-League before debuting for the Thunder in April. Played in only seven games but immediately proved he could play against NBA talent scoring 8.9 points with 4.6 rebounds in just over 18 minutes per game. Should fit right into the Thunder rotation for 2009-10 as one of the first players off Scott Brooks’ bench.

A bigger stronger Brewer could explode this season. (Credit: dimemag.com)

8. Corey Brewer G/F Minnesota Timberwolves: Bulked up about 15 pounds while rehabbing his surgically repaired ACL which was a necessity considering he was listed last year at just 185 lbs. which wasn’t much for a player standing 6’9”. Has been working on what his game lacks most, shooting. If Brewer can raise his offensive game to match his defensive tenacity, he will be well on his way to becoming the player Minnesota thought he was when they selected him with the 7th pick of the 2007 Draft. We will get the first glimpse of Brewer’s new frame and skills starting today when the Las Vegas portion of the NBA Summer League begins.

Will Rudy get the minutes to break out this year? (Credit: picapp.com)

7. Rudy Fernandez G Portland Trailblazers: The decorated European star had an excellent first season in the NBA last year in the Pacific Northwest setting the rookie record for most three-pointers made (159), but has just scratched the surface of realizing his potential. If he gets more than the 25 minutes per game he averaged last season, the Spaniard could explode into one of the top players in the league. Recent rumors of his unhappiness after Portland’s failed attempt to sign Hedo Turkoglu could result in Fernandez being included in any potential deal in the making.

Regardless of where Thomas ends up, will he live up to his hype? (Credit: picapp.com)

6. Tyrus Thomas F Chicago Bulls: Overdue for his breakout year—showed flashes of his superstar potential. If Thomas can stop his love affair with the jump shot and continuously attack the rim, his point per game total will dramatically increase. He is a solid free throw shooter (78% last year) and by getting to the rim he could up his scoring average to 18-20 points. If he can stay on the court for 35 minutes a game Thomas should produce All-Star caliber numbers. Anything less would be a real let down. Rumored to be part of a deal that would send him to Utah with Carlos Boozer coming to Chicago.

Check back tomorrow to find the top 5 in our NBA Top 10 Under-The-Radar Breakout Players of 2009-10: Part 2