Where are the Bulls?

March, 17, 2010
3/17/10
10:30
AM ET
Abbott By Henry Abbott
ESPN.com
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Remember last season, when the Bulls co-starred with the Celtics in one of the most exciting playoff series of all time?

Last night a team by that same name -- the Chicago Bulls -- played the Grizzlies.

But it was not the same team. Not at all.

Eight players saw time in the Bulls' Game 7 in Boston. Care to take a guess how many of those eight took the court Tuesday night in Memphis?

Answer after the jump.The eight who played against the Celtics in Game 7 were:
  • Ben Gordon (now in Detroit)
  • Derrick Rose (injured)
  • John Salmons (playing in Milwaukee)
  • Joakim Noah (injured)
  • Tyrus Thomas (playing for Charlotte)
  • Kirk Hinrich (suspended)
  • Lindsey Hunter (now the teams' player development assistant)
  • Brad Miller -- who actually played last night.

Luol Deng, it's worth noting, missed the playoffs last season, and last night's game, with various injuries.

Against the Grizzlies, Miller suited up alongside Ronald "Flip" Murray, Taj Gibson, Acie Law, Jannero Pargo, Chris Richard, James Johnson, Hakim Warrick, Devin Brown and Joe Alexander. And they almost came back to win, too.

That such a promising young team has been so torn apart speaks to two points:
  • Injuries are a huge factor in the NBA (with Rose, Deng, and Noah in the lineup, not to mention Hinrich, this team's turnover would be far less stark).
  • Chicago is taking 2010 free agency seriously; every one of those new contracts -- except the rookies Gibson and Johnson -- comes off the books next summer, as does Miller himself.

Henry Abbott | email

TrueHoop, NBA

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