Bulls start season by downing Spurs

The Chicago Bulls took a backseat to Game 2 of the World Series on our newsroom television tonight, and they actually made me regret missing their season opener.

I figured that perennial power San Antonio, which is retooled, healthy and seemingly focused to retake its place among the Western Conference elite, would be too much for the Bulls on opening night. I was wrong. The Bulls showed that improved defense might just make people forget about the scoring they lost when Ben Gordon signed with Detroit. They held the Spurs to 42.3 percent shooting, and San Antonio was just 4-for-21 from beyond the 3-point line, and earned a 92-85 victory at the United Center.

At some point this year, I expect scoring will be a problem for the Bulls. They've got no real go-to guy, though they showed great balance tonight with six players in double digits in points. You know who their offense is going to revolve around. Derrick Rose handed out seven assists and turned the ball over just once while scoring 13 points. It's obviously a fantastic start for a guy who just started practicing again after missing most of the preseason with an injury. But Rose isn't yet a premier finisher, and the Bulls don't have one.

I've started to drink the Joakim Noah kool aid a bit. Hopes are high for the center who's finally got his attitude where it needs to be to reach his potential. He started his season with a double-double, which is an accomplishment he might make a regular thing. And while John Salmons endured a 3-for-15 shooting effort in the opener, I think he too is a nice piece.

But there's just not enough else on the roster to believe that he Bulls can stay with Orlando, Boston and Cleveland at the top of the Eastern Conference race. Luol Deng was 8-for-13 from the floor and finished with a team-high 17 points Thursday night, which is a great sign, but I still don't think he'll come close to justifying his salary. Tyrus Thomas is a guy that probably won't ever put it all together ... though to some extent I'd have said the same about Noah until late last season. Kirk Hinrich and Brad Miller are nice sixth and seventh men, but nothing more. And while I've heard good things about rookie Taj Gibson, he's still got to sell me on his readiness to be a solid NBA contributor at this point.

I certainly don't think that Thursday's win will be the only one the Bulls muster against a qualify opponent. They showed in their playoff series against the Celtics last spring that they're capable of going blow-for-blow with teams that appear to have a significant edge on paper. But on nights when the jump shots aren't falling — and those nights will happen — the Bulls will be susceptible to anyone.

My expectations for the Bulls is that they finish in the neighborhood of 50 wins and battle Atlanta for the No. 4 seed in the conference race, behind the Big Three I mentioned above. They could very well make the second round of the playoffs, but I don't think they're any match for Orlando, which I expect to claim the No. 1 seed. But all won't be lost ... especially if the Bulls take advantage of the great position they're in salary-wise with the free agent class of 2010 right around the corner.