Star Lite

By: Sam Ada

A dynasty can buy you a whole hell of a lot of time.The Chicago Bulls know this sports truism well, having, from 1998’s last splash to 2004’s renaissance, maintained a faithful fan base through a variety of mismanaged draft picks, continual impatience with (and subsequent dismissal of) budding stars, and freak accidents.

The success of the last two seasons has all but erased the organization’s six-year playoff drought, but accompanying this rise to respectability is a growing unease. Bulls fans are only slightly more comfortable with the phrase “first-round exit” than they are with terms like “lottery pick” and “Tim Floyd.” The complimentary curse of a dynasty is that fans remember the succulent taste of championship.

In addition to pure victory, an equally important draw for any team’s fan base is star power; especially in the new NBA, where — believe what you may about Bruce Bowen’s relevance to the postseason — the league is still defined by the Iversons, Garnetts and McGradys. Whereas stars like Rodman, Jordan and Pippen illuminated the entire globe throughout the 1990s, the post-MJ Bulls even have yet to cultivate a true main attraction.

If one wades through enough talk radio and message boards, it appears that the engineer of the Bulls’ “starless system” is coach Scott Skiles. Some have even gone as far as suggesting that Skiles uses starter-worthy players as reserves and splits minutes evenly to purposely — and for the benefit of his own ego — thwart any possibility of a Bulls’ player being named as an All-star.

The preposterousness of such a claim aside, as well as my personal belief that Skiles undeniably has been the single best coach in the NBA for the past three years, his strategy has been a curious, and at times vexing one.

The emphasis on team rather than an individual is a nice strategy in theory, but one that has yielded mixed results. One can think of the Jerry West-helmed Memphis Grizzlies as the template for the starless system. West has held Memphis fans in pre-ejaculatory paralysis for the past three years, as each season he has carefully lined up eight to nine interchangeable “solid guys,” (e.g. Eddie Jones, Brian Cardinal, Stromile Swift, Bonzi Wells, Bobby Jackson, Shane Battier, Dahntay Jones, Lorenzen Wright) with no centerpiece (Pau Gasol has yet to make this leap) and seemingly no direction.

Although often linked to star players via trade, the only franchise that has yet to win a playoff game does not seem to be changing its philosophy any time soon.

One might argue that the 2004 World Champion Detroit Pistons were a successful manifestation of the no-star system, but even those Pistons had a set starting five that ate up the majority of the minutes, a borderline star in Rasheed Wallace, and an All-Star in Ben Wallace, who now of course will bring championship experience to the budding Bulls squad.

It is with Wallace’s arrival that Skiles’ unwillingness to showcase or leader-ize a single player will be tested. From what we have seen this off-season, Skiles and General Manager John Paxson appear determined to keep the Bulls squad ugly, grungy and team-focused, seemingly avoiding players who would bring any bit flash to United Center.

On draft night, the Bosh-like LaMarcus Aldridge was traded for a do-it-all project in Tyrus Thomas; and highlight reel staple Rodney Carney was dealt for Swiss workhorse, Thabo Sefolosha. After procuring in the Tyson Chandler deal, J.R. Smith, a player destined to be one of the great skyscraper-leaping star headcases in the league, the Bulls traded Smith for the skeleton of Howard Eisley and two second round picks (aka Elton Brand was traded for PJ Brown and Howard Eisley’s bones if you follow my logic). And of course the Bulls managed to give their first major multi-million free agency deal in a decade to Big Ben, a defensive stalwart known more for his clunk than for his dazzle.

Of course Chicago, hub of all that is blue collar about our fair country, can appreciate Skiles’ preference for workmanlike players over standouts, but at some point a leap of faith must be made. A star must be born.

Perhaps Skiles’ biggest dilemma1 at this point is which player or player to designate to this role. Wallace brings all-star, championship, and veteran credibility. Kirk Hinrich looks the most like a leader. Ben Gordon has the clutch readiness and the purest “star quality” to him (not coincidentally, he seems to be the least favored by Skiles for this role). Andres Nocioni out of nowhere became a 19 and 11 guy at the end of last season. And those who watch closely know that the team’s best player is Luol Deng.

This is not to mention that any number of role-players, from Mike Sweetney, to Chris Duhon, and even the infantile Tyrus Thomas, could probably put up impressive stats on a wasteland team like, say, the Atlanta Hawks. The decision of which player to elevate to star, or even captain status, will not be easy, but it is one that Skiles must make for the sake of wins as well as for the sake of restoring aesthetic flair to this storied franchise.

The five-fingers-as-fist-is-bigger-than-one-thumb philosophy is all sweet and dandy for NCAA rah-rah endorsers, the Kryzewski-led Team USA, and Bruckheimer productions, but this is the NBA, a league of stars. And the degree to which Skiles backs off from his crusty approach will determine whether the Bulls will advance deep into playoff glory or continue to get out-Gilberted, out-Lebroned, and out-D-Waded each Spring.

Skiles’ decision to let a single player or two take the reins, whether such a decision is made and whom it is made for, will determine the Bulls’ fate this season. With key new faces, it is likely that some degree of auditioning will occur through December, but until then the organization is in a somewhat purgatorial state, and walking many fine lines.

It is due to the best coach in the league, and a GM who cares about character, that the Bulls have not become the Knicks — both teams are chockfull of talent and tweener forwards, but are headed in considerably different directions. Now, the line that they walk is that residing between an above-.500 team and elite team. Should a star emerge from this hopeful new Bulls squad, they will reap the benefits in playoff doubloons.

Sam Ada is a freelance writer based in Chicago, where he's finishing his PhD at U of Chicago. He's a founding contributor to the frequently delicious Free Darko. Reach him at freedarko@gmail.com.

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