ESPN

Nick Friedell

  (5:01 PM)

All right everybody, let's get started! The Bulls season is about to begin -- keep those questions rolling in ...

Faizan R (Downers Grove,IL)

I hate it how the bulls are being left out of the east by some analysists, how can you NOT rank these guys in the playoffs?

Nick Friedell

  (5:03 PM)

Faizan,I think the Bulls are going to the playoffs. Having said that, I can see why some analysts aren't giving them a lot of respect right now. There are a lot of questions surrounding the team right now (most notably: Who is going to replace Ben Gordon late in games?)The national respect will come, but they've got to earn it.

john (chicago)

Do you think that rose can be that 22 point 10 assist guy

Nick Friedell

  (5:05 PM)

John,I think he can come pretty close to that. But, 22 and 10 is a night is a lot of pressure to put on a second year point guard. I think Vinny would be happy with 18 and 7 right now.

Pavan (Miami)

How much of an improvement should we expect from Joakim Noah?

Nick Friedell

  (5:06 PM)

A BIG one. Noah has looked great during the preseason. I expect him to have a very good season.

Andrew (Phoenix, AZ)

How much weight do you put into Vinny's relatively young expierence as a coach as it pertains to the Bull's chances at making the playoffs and possibly making past the first round?

Nick Friedell

  (5:08 PM)

I think Vinny learned a lot during his first season and that will only help the Bulls going forward. If he continues to grow as a coach this year, and the players stay healthy, they will have a solid chance to make a little noise in the playoffs.

James (Denver )

Hey Nick Im a Nuggets fan first but the Bulls have always been my favorite Easternconfrence team to watch . With the loss of Ben Gordon do you still think the Bulls can make the playoffs ? The Easternconfrence looks to be alot deeper this season . How do you think my Nuggets will do this season ?

Nick Friedell

  (5:11 PM)

The loss of Gordon will hurt the team a little bit at first, but they believe his absence won't be as jarring as some might think. I do think the Bulls make the playoffs this year. As for the Nuggets, Carmelo is one of my favorite players in the league and I think he's still getting better. I just don't think they can knock off the Lakers yet, though.

Griffin (Chicago)

Do you think the new rookies will get a decent amount of playing time

Nick Friedell

  (5:12 PM)

Yes, I do. Del Negro already conceded that Gibson will be one of the first guys off the bench. It is going to take Johnson a little longer to crack the rotation, but he will make an impact before the season is over.

MJA (CHICAGO)

HEY nick i know its a contract year so is it realistic to expect a double double every 4 out of 5 games for thomas and also a block or two?

Nick Friedell

  (5:14 PM)

MJA,If Tyrus pulls that off Del Negro and Forman will be doing backflips at the United Center every night. He hasn't proven he is consistent enough to do that yet, though. However, like you said, it is a contract year. So anything is possible ...

Mark (Arlington Heights, IL)

Let's be serious, Gordon was so one-dimensional and undersized, he was exploited in almost every game he's played. Sure, he score in bunches, but he couldn't defend for his life. I think Deng, Rose and Salmons will all be more than capable of making those clutch shots when needed like Gordon. You must agree with me Nick, this team has suddenly become defensive minded, right?

Nick Friedell

  (5:16 PM)

Mark, There's no question. When you talk to the players, they all mention how much better they've gotten defensively. As the year wears along, I think people will be surprised at how much better they've gotten.

Enrique (Chicago)

On a Scale from 1 - 10 (10 being Likely), what does your gut tell you of Wade signing in chicago next summer?

Nick Friedell

  (5:18 PM)

Ah, I'm sure we'll be seeing this question all season. D-Wade loves Chicago and I actually think a big part of him wants to play here. But, he loves Miami and it will be very hard for him to leave. I really think it's 50-50, so my answer right now would be 5.

Danny (Chicago)

What do you think needs to happen for Deng to re-emerge? Is it just a matter of him getting healthy? Do we have to go back to Skiles' system from a couple of years ago? I always thought his ball handling and outside shooting really kept him from going to that next level.

Nick Friedell

  (5:19 PM)

Danny,With Deng, I think it all boils down to health. If he can stay healthy throughout the year, he is only going to get better. If he can stay on the court, everything will take care of itself.

Alan (Nashville, TN)

Outside of a win for the Bulls tonight, what should fans be most interested in looking for/paying attention to tonight?

Nick Friedell

  (5:21 PM)

I think they should pay close attention to Noah. I've already mentioned how much I think he's improved and this game will be a great litmus test for him. He called Tim Duncan the "greatest power forward ever," the other day. He was right.

Drew (Georgia)

Where are the Bulls going to finish this year?

Nick Friedell

  (5:23 PM)

Drew, My guess is that they finish somewhere between 5-8 in the Eastern Conference if they stay healthy. If/when they reach the playoffs, you can bet that no one will want to face them. As the Celtics can already tell you ...

Danny (Notre Dame)

Nick, I saw Tim Legler said Taj Gibson was the rookie to watch in the east. On draft day, I wasn't ecstatic with the drafting of Gibson with Tyrus already on the team and drafting Johnson a few picks earlier. What are your expectations for Gibson this year?

Nick Friedell

  (5:25 PM)

Danny,He's going to give Del Negro solid minutes every game. Gibson can do all the little things that coaches love, but he can also score when needed. He'll give the Bulls a lift off the bench.

Chris (Los Angeles)

With Rose, Deng, Noah and Thomas all being 24 years old or younger, do they have the best young talent in the league?

Nick Friedell

  (5:26 PM)

Chris,They've got some great talent. But, I'd still have to give the nod to Orlando. That team is stocked with quality young players.

Don (Oxnard, CA)

The two weaknesses in Rose's game last year had to be his outside shot and his defense of quick point guards. What does it take for a player to improve his on-the-ball defense? Is it a matter of want/desire? technique? From your observations (although it has been a small sample with the injury) has Rose improved his D/long-range game?

Nick Friedell

  (5:28 PM)

Don,Obviously, it's way too early to tell. But Rose said on Wednesday that he really feels like he's improved his shooting this summer. He feels confident that he can score in different ways this year.

Ben (Deerfield)

How much playing time/impact are you expecting from Hinrich? Would the Bulls trade him to have additional cap space in the 2010 summer free agency bonanza? I have to think that there are suitors out there interested in adding a player like him.

Nick Friedell

  (5:30 PM)

I think Hinrich is going to have a big impact this year, especially in the beginning with Rose being limited. I doubt the Bulls would consider trading him this season unless they struggled mightily in the first three months.

Pavan (Miami)

Who is most likely to step up as the guy to take the clutch shots?

Nick Friedell

  (5:32 PM)

Another question I'm sure we'll hear plenty about this year. At some point, the answer to this question has to be Rose. For right now, my guess is that Salmons may be the guy who is taking the big shots at the end.

Casey (Springfield)

Do you think that whether the bulls finish ahead of Miami in the standing will be a deciding factor in where Wade signs after the season?

Nick Friedell

  (5:34 PM)

I do think the Bulls will finish ahead of the Heat this season. But I don't think that will have any impact on where Wade lands this summer.

Harrison (Buffalo Grove, IL)

How can you explain the "Rise of Taj" this preseason and can we expect the same this regular season...can it be attributed to his maturity (24 years old) entering his rookie year? Or was it good ol' Tim Floyd?

Nick Friedell

  (5:36 PM)

Harrison,I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that he is older, like you mentioned. The bigger reason, though, is because of the fact that Gibson can do a lot of the little things well. He has also been fairly solid defensively which the coaches love.

Will (Madison)

Do you think the structure of this year's Bulls team shapes up to be more successful as a running-team, like the Suns, or better as a defensive half-court team, like the Spurs?

Nick Friedell

  (5:38 PM)

I think the focus for this year's team makes them more defensive-minded, so I'd say the Spurs. The players really believe they've improved a lot on the defensive end.

Brittney (Coal City, IL)

What are the chances the Bulls resign Miller at the end of this year? He's not getting any younger or quicker, but I like his toughness and presence down low. Can a bigger and improved Noah replace him going forward or do the Bulls still need a true low-post presence?

Nick Friedell

  (5:40 PM)

Brittney,As I've mentioned, I think Noah has a chance to become a much better post player this year. But I do think the team will look to re-sign Miller if he can stay healthy. If the Bulls are going to do well this year they'll need Miller's presence on and off the floor.

Ben (Deerfield)

What do you think of news that new GM Gar Forman will be traveling with the team in order to scout potential free agent suitors?

Nick Friedell

  (5:42 PM)

I think it's a good move. He'll have a lot of time to scout players around the league and he'll have a better understanding as to how his team is coming together on the floor.

Benji (Evanston)

If the Bulls start out slow and it continues well past the annual circus trip, what are the odds Vinny is out of a job by the all-star break? He's one of the lowest paid coaches so it's not much of a financial burden.

Nick Friedell

  (5:44 PM)

Benji, I think the team is going to give him every opportunity to succeed. They know he is still growing as a coach and getting to know all the players. Unless the Bulls are on some sort of double digit losing streak, I'd be surprised if Vinny was replaced this season.

Tom (Arlington Heights)

When the Bulls start the season 1-4 will there be cause for concern?

Nick Friedell

  (5:46 PM)

Tom,Why don't you have any faith? Even if the Bulls start off like that though, I still think they will be OK. As everyone knows, the first part of their schedule is brutal. They should be able to get it together if things go wrong before then.

Chris (Los Angeles)

Is Rose the kind of guy to become disgruntled if the team doesn't make any moves to improve?

Nick Friedell

  (5:48 PM)

I haven't gotten that sense at all. I think he loves playing in Chicago and is not about to complain about much of anything right now.

Nick Friedell

  (5:48 PM)

I haven't gotten that sense at all. I think he loves playing in Chicago and is not about to complain about much of anything right now.

Danny (Chicago)

Everyone talks about picking up the scoring for Gordon... Gordon was only a 45% shooter, which is solid, but we are still going to get up the same amount of shots (if not more with an improved defense, and the fact that we'll have more of an offense that doesn't just stand around watching one player), so all we need is for the team to shoot around 45% for his 16 possessions, and the scoring will be "picked up." I think the true spots we will be missing Gordon is stretching out the floor with his 3's and a guy that can take over down the stretch. Hopefully with more PT Salmons and Hinrich can stretch the floor. Hopefully, Rose and Deng worked on their outside shots, and one of them can step up as a leader down the stretch. Do you agree?

Nick Friedell

  (5:50 PM)

Danny,I agree. Although, I do think the Bulls will miss Gordon's presence in the beginning. He always seemed to take those big shots at the end. The Bulls will eventually find the right guy to replace him, but somebody is going to have to step up and no one knows who that person is right now.

Ric (Chicago)

Is Rose doomed for a sophomore slump?

Nick Friedell

  (5:52 PM)

I don't think so. He's too talented to slump too much. The only thing that will slow down Rose this season is an injury.

Ted Low (Switzerland)

What does the bulls record have to be for them to still be competitive after the circus trip?

Nick Friedell

  (5:54 PM)

Ted,I really don't think there is a specific number you have to put on that trip. As long as they don't lose every game there will be plenty of time for them to bounce back -- in case they don't do very well.

Nick Friedell

  (5:55 PM)

I've got to go, everybody. It was great chatting with you guys. Talk to you soon. Keep checking the site. We'll have all kinds of updates from opening night at the United Center.