Bulls Player Ranker - The Inaugural Edition

It's here: the first of many Bulls Player Ranker entries.

First, these entries will not be:

• fantasy basketball-related
• heavily based on the Bulls' salary cap situation or player contracts; this does not mean that these factors won't ever come into play, but these posts will be light on dollar figures
• popularity contests

The top 10 players on the Bulls roster will be ranked according to how valuable they are to this team's success today.

Will it be an approximate list of who the best players have been lately?  Sure, you could look at it that way.

Another way to think of this is asking the question: If you could take just 10 players on the roster today, who would you choose, and in what order?

So, without further ado, here's the first set of rankings.

1. Derrick Rose:  If this surprised you, you're not paying attention.  The stud rookie has stepped in and immediately shouldered the leadership role on the floor.  He's averaging 18.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 85.3 percent from the free-throw line.  His 2.7 turnovers per game aren't terrible.  Dwyane Wade averaged 3.2 turnovers his rookie year, which wasn't as good as Rose's performance thus far.  (And is it just me, or does Rose look like he really could be the next Wade?)  Rose is the single reason why the Bulls have been bearable to watch so far this season.
2. Ben Gordon:  Gordon has been playing fantastically this season, thanks in no small part to Kirk Hinrich's thumb injury.  He's playing at a level comparable to his 2006-07 season.  Most think of Gordon as a diminutive shooting guard only good for some points off the bench, but he's been stepping up his game and showing that he is very capable of playing a nice all-around game.  I still don't think the Bulls can go very far with Gordon as a big part of their rotation, but I can't knock his performance this year.
3. Drew Gooden:  The bearded big man has played well for the Bulls since he came on board last season.  Gooden has always been a versatile player who is good for 12 to 14 points per night, along with 8 to 9 rebounds with solid percentages from the floor and the charity stripe.  He's picking up right where he left off last season and is undoubtedly one of the Bulls most consistent players.  Though the Bulls lack a solid frontcourt, can you imagine what it would be like if Gooden wasn't around?
4. Larry Hughes:  The only thing consistent about this combo guard is his inconsistency.  Still, Hughes' clearly has a good set of skills for this team and can be an offensive sparkplug.  His health and his erratic shooting are his biggest weaknesses.
5. Joakim Noah:  He's tall.
6. Luol Deng:  He's still trying to get back into the groove of things after coming back from a groin/hamstring injury.  Deng's got skills, but he has to be more than "skilled" for this Bulls team to succeed (and for the organization to justify his big contract this summer).
7. Aaron Gray:  He's a big boy who does what you expect him to with 15 minutes on the floor.  He should play more.
8. Tyrus Thomas:  He's a human roller coaster, only much less satisfying.  I don't think he fits the team's playing style.  I'm convinced that if he was playing for the Knicks or the Warriors, Thomas would be averaging 12/8 with two steals and two blocks a night.
9. Andres Nocioni:  What a nightmare season for this guy.  He's better than this, but Nocioni now faces the challenge of proving it with less time on the floor.
10. Kirk Hinrich:  Yes, he's injured, probably into February.  But he's still more valuable than anyone else on this roster.

So, what do you think?

Read More:

• Bulls
• Ben Gordon
• chicago bulls
• derrick rose
• Drew Gooden
• joakim noah
• Kirk Hinrich
• Luol Deng
• nba
• Tyrus Thomas

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